We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to time

So I am putting together my list of resolutions. Since I am late to the party and doing this on the 4th, I decided to add 'cleaning out my dresser drawers and refolding and reorganising my clothes' since I did that on the 3rd and can therefore check that off the list. See? I'm already ahead of the game!

That process inevitably let to a culling of clothes that have in the past year become 'aspirational', a concept with with I'm sure every woman is infinitely familiar. Which leads me to my next resolution - to get back to my 'fighting weight' if you will. Not the fighting weight of my youth, mind, but at least the weight I held as I started 2009. Scratch that, lets harken back to the weight I held at the 2008 election, because the holiday season that followed that was, in a word, gluttonous. And I have never recovered.

It's not that big of an ask, numbers-wise, but I am becoming increasingly aware as I barrel toward 35 that time is neither my nor my metabolism's friend. By way of motivation, there is a mini triathlon coming up in three months that I am thinking of training for. Only one of the required skills (swimming) is a strong suit of mine. Still, never one to back away from a challenge, I will hereby declare this bitch ON.

To my co-workers, for what you are about to endure living with Erin On A Diet, I apologise in advance. There is a small support group of former Assistant Attorneys General in Palau who can sympathise.

Beyond that, my resolutions are somewhat mundane. I resolve to remember to take my damn Thyroid pills every day. Which is a task that for some reason seems beyond me. I went for a week without them accidentally on vacation and didn't realise it until my hair started falling out.

Likewise, in my ongoing battle against time, I resolve to do the nightly face cream ritual every night.

Lets see, what else?

I resolve to do more diving and resist the urge to farm old territory and instead focus my gaze forward on new adventures, even if it's cold.

I resolve to get another passport stamp, although that means I will need to send it off for more pages to do that.

I resolve to get my residency in New Zealand, so that no matter what happens there will always be a place for me here.

I resolve to master at least one song from the Dave Dobbyn songbook and, potentially, to take up the ukulele.

I resolve to find a driving companion who will embrace the role of Passenger As Percussionist and play the car tambourine with aplomb.

I resolve to continue my progress in driving every page in the AA (that's AAA for you North Americans) illustrated road atlas of New Zealand.

I resolve to re-organise this blog and post on it more often.

I resolve to go on at least one - if not more - factory tours. Foxton Fizz, I'm looking at you.

I resolve to buy a decent pair of sunglasses and not destroy them.

I resolve to keep my eyebrows in shape.

I resolve to get that next tattoo, a recreation of one of my photos on my hip. I may even resolve to get my current tattoo outlined in a colour that is not prison blue, if I can steel myself to go through the pain of a foot tattoo again.

i resolve to resist the urge to get a kitten, no matter how lonely it gets.

I resolve to stop getting sunburnt and finally master what it takes in terms of sunscreen to survive life under the hole in the ozone.

I resolve to take more, and better, pictures. And perhaps another course. Probably in portraiture. (Currently accepting applications from willing models.)

I resolve finally to start that novel that's been percolating for years.

I resolve to do something meaningful with all of this human rights knowledge this year to make this life lived on the road worth it.

I resolve to be better about keeping in touch with those who mean the world to me. And make sure they know that.

I resolve to focus on living my life as it is now, instead or living my future or living my past.

I resolve to love honestly and well, and without regrets.

Oh, and I thought about resolving to go back to blonde, but that's so American....