It is 2015!
My resolution is to avoid seeking guidance from the mystic seer.
New Year’s Day, for me, is something akin to an annual calendar-induced time machine. I inevitably find myself thinking back to the previous year and those thoughts bring with them the feeling that I’ve been magically transported to the future, as it cannot be possible that another 365 days have passed.
Some of you are resolution setters, others are not. Over the past (nearly) decade of blogging I have had years where I outlined very detailed resolutions (which rarely turn out to be successful) and other years I have set more loose expectations of things I would like to do/change. The most fun I had was in 2012 when I actually did make some healthy lifestyle changes, which have, for the most part, lasted and in 2013 when I set “The crazily optimistic, if I had all the time in the world, “Come on, you will never get half of this done you starry-eyed dreamer” list of Resolutions, Challenges, Hopes and Pipe Dreams for 2013”
In the spirit of 2013, and because Mark Twain is inevitably correct, I am going to proclaim a few goals for 2015.
“New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual,”
– Mark Twain
I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.
~Neil Gaiman
1. “Run Forrest, Run”
My 2012 healthy lifestyle journey was made real not just because I made significant changes to what I put in my body (no soda, more fruits and veggies, balanced proteins) but also because I ran. And ran. And ran some more. Contrary to what I believed to be true, I discovered that I loved running.
I ran several 5K’s throughout the year and ended the year running a half-marathon. Racing is expensive, so I ran fewer paid runs in 2013, but still ran often. I have not ran consistently in 2014, and only competed in one Trail Nerds event.
While I haven’t run, I still exercise at least 4 times per week, but lack of running has seen me put on about 15 pounds. While some of that is muscle from weight work, a large part of it is that weight that settles around a guy’s gut and love handle area. It is far easier for me to maintain normal healthy eating habits and maintain a trim body if I run.
And frankly, I just miss running. That bug bit me hard and I haven’t gotten over it just because I’ve neglected it. I’ve marked Saturday, March 14th as my return to trail running events with the Mrs. Robinson’s Romp, 5K/10K “Cougar Run”. It was a fun one when I ran it back in 2013 and it will give me time to get back in form. I’m hoping to run the 10K, but am setting my goal for the 5K. (Love the graphic for that one, it is my favorite of all my Trail Nerds mugs)
I will also be participating in fellow Trail Nerd Bryan West’s 100 Day Challenge 2015. Feel free to join us.
2. “Oh Michael, you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind. Hey Michael!….Hey Michael!”
There are many classic and contemporary science fiction and fantasy book (and magazine, etc) cover illustrators whose work excites me, but I’ve come to realize over the last few years that Michael Whelan does hold the top spot for me. It seems like every year, for several years in a row, I’ve picked up a science fiction book purely because of the Whelan cover only to discover a great affection for the story.
That was rekindled in 2008 with the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov, and over the more recent years it has happened with The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, C.S. Friedman’s This Alien Shore (tied with Second Foundation as my favorite Whelan covers), with Tangled Up in Blue by Joan D. Vinge in 2014, and it is happening with my current read of David Brin’s The Uplift War.
Part of the reason I find such a strong connection with Michael Whelan’s covers is that he is very often given the manuscript to read and he tailors his cover illustrations to reflect an aspect, or many aspects, of the story. In the two times I had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Whelan, it was apparent that he is not only well read, but is a true fan of science fiction and fantasy literature.
With this track record, and the fact that my upstairs and downstairs bookshelves are populated with numerous books graced with Michael Whelan covers that remain unread, I am setting the goal of reading at minimum twelve books sporting Michael Whelan covers. Ideally I would read one a month, but I am not going to be that rigid with it. If Worlds Without End hosts the Roll Your Own Challenge idea again this year, I think I will host this one over there and see if anyone else is interested.
Stay tuned.
The Michael Whelan image above is a detailed view of his larger Lumen 9 painting, which you can read all about here. On January 9th of this year I will be picking up my framed and matted copy of a Lumen 9 print, purchased in part with my Christmas money from my parents. Thanks Mom and Dad!
3. “Not all who wander are lost…” or, “I don’t have a short attention span, I just–Oh look! A squirrel!”
I work in the mental health field and have a passable understanding of ADHD, and I truly do not have it. But when it comes to reading books, I often find myself drawn to one shiny object after another. It is those dang wonderful book cover illustrations I am so in love with. That and my fellow bloggers who rave about books all the time.
Yes, it is their fault! Deflect and move on. Well done, you!
Because of this I often find myself at the end of the year having read a variety of short stories from various publications, in print and online, with no record of having done so. Unless I finish a book or magazine in its entirety, I do not review it and thus do not keep track of it, except in those rare instances when I devote a post specifically to a particular short story.
You may have noticed that I have added a 2015 Short Fiction Read tab to the top of my blog. If not, how dare you, I’m hurt and…oh look, more squirrels! At any rate, I plan to track my reading of short stories separately, in large part because I want to be able to direct others to the work of short fiction authors that I read throughout the year that I feel worthy of attention. Short stories are not given the coverage that novels are, and it is a shame, because there are some amazing, inspirational, wildly creative works of short fiction out there and thankfully authors keep creating more.
(Image credit for the saber-dueling squirrels)
So those are my three stated areas of focus here on Stainless Steel Droppings for 2015. One semi-serious and two for pure FUN. I do have more life-affirming goals and aspirations for 2015, but let’s face it, you don’t want to read about those here. For my own part, I would rather just set about doing those things and not trumpeting them anyway. Walk the walk and not simply talk the talk, as it were.
I look forward to 2015. I’m hoping for some snow to enjoy this Winter, as we’ve not had any real snow to this point (I can see all you snow-haters making the sign of the cross and turning thrice widdershins! Knock it off!!!).
We have Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 4 coming May 22-24th here in Kansas City, and that promises to be a must-attend event.
There are several potentially amazing books coming out this year, some of which I and others will be discussing in an upcoming Mind Meld post on SF Signal. I’ll announce here when it goes live.
There are fictional journeys to enjoy through books, films, and gaming as well as real journeys of faith, family, friendship and fellowship to enjoy for the next 365 days.
As we have seen from the local and world events of 2014, this ol’ blue globe is full of hurting people and truly tragic situations. That won’t change in 2015, and it may get worse. I want to do what I can in my little corner of the world to be a positive influence, to bring healing, to bring joy, and to do what I can to make the lives of people I come into contact with better.
I will fail, and hurt feelings, and disappoint others in 2015. Of course I will, I have every other year of my 46 years of life. But my vow is to do all I can to not do those things with malice aforethought, and to recognize and apologize for those moments when I mess up. I also want to be open to correction, constructive criticism, and guidance.
Mid-2014 saw the beginning of changes in priorities and the desire to better use my time for what is important. Prioritization will be a key element of 2015 as well. Contrary to all my desires, prayers and wishes, I have not been granted the ability to either clone myself or to slow time, so I cannot do all the hard work and all the fun stuff I want to do in every 24 hour period. If you’ve figured that out, let me know. In the meantime, I’m excited about changes in 2015.
Those aren’t bad goals, are they?
“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”~William Arthur Ward
I think picking attainable goals is something that comes with age, eh? I can’t remember the last time I set an actual resolution, but I do set goals for each year. Usually one of them involves me stepping outside my comfort zone: submitting that manuscript, going for my brown belt, writing a letter I’ve been putting off for months, contacting a person I haven’t spoken to in too long for no properly discernible reason.
I haven’t set any goals for this year yet as I already have a fairly tight writing and editing schedule. Goals I’ve had for years will be met by default. But I do have a resolution: to take more time away from everything. I too often make the mistake of trying to fill my leisure time with something. I don’t spend enough time doing nothing. I need to do more nothing. 🙂
Maybe running is something that would help me with that whole nothing thing, and help me deal with that ten pounds that came with hitting my mid-forties.
Good luck with your resolutions!
I do believe so. I was much more ridiculously optimistic when I was younger. I’m still very optimistic, but have learned to keep my mouth shut, blogwise, and just put the effort in.
I want to do more of that same nothing, taking more walks in the neighborhood and on trails to just “be”. Running has helped with that too, especially out on walking/running trails where there is no danger of getting hit by cars and you can just watch nature as you run.
Happy New Year Carl, I hope 2015 is a good one.
Thanks Fence, I sincerely wish the same for you in 2015.
Carl: What a great look back and look ahead. Your focus on 2015 is a refinement as much as an adjustment, and both (to me, at least) will lead to even happier days for you.
We share some of the same goals for 2015. This is the year I turn 50, and that is a big deal (in a celebratory way) for me. I hope to stay better connected with you this year (as we did in 2012 and 2013) and enjoy this dance through life together, near and far.
Many blessings to you and your family, Carl. Grateful that you continue to share your life with us!
Thanks Rus, I’m certainly hoping so. 50! That is exciting, and I’m excited about the idea of staying more connected. It is nice seeing what you are up to via what you post on FB.
I feel the same about you and the other fellow bloggers, Rus. You and yours have a wonderful year!
Carl, your resolutions will inspire many of us. Like you, I’ve been a fan of Michael Whelan for many years. His artwork is consistently first-rate. Happy New Year to you and your family!
I cannot wait to get my Whelan picture picked up, and hung up, so I can take pics and share it. I’ve been wanting this image since he posted about it a year ago and am happy to have finally pulled the trigger.
Happy New Year, George!
Michael Whelan was the first cover artist I went out of my way to follow and appreciate. I’ve never been a big fan of fantasy, but his dragon illustrations made me want to be.
While doing the Deal Me In challenge last year, I realized I don’t pay nearly enough attention to short story authors. Several times I would swear that I’d never read anything by a particular author only to google them and realize I was familiar with half a dozen of their stories. 2015 is when I start keeping track! 😉
He is one of the first I remember, Katherine, as my uncle had the Foundation novels with Whelan covers on his shelf and I saw them all the time when we went to visit my grandmother. Whelan and John Berkey are the first artist I remember noticing consistently.
I do the same things with short stories, especially when reading anthologies. I’ll think “hey, this is my first time with this author” only to later see an anthology with their name on the cover or in the table of contents and I’ll realize I actually have read them.
One of my resolutions is to stop being a silent stalker on the blogosphere. I should leave comments or hit the Like Button to show the blogger some love. I like your continued resolution to treat your body well, purely for selfish reasons. If you are healthy, you are likely to be around longer, and hence I will get to enjoy your blog for years to come.
Just so you don’t stop being a stalker, lol! 🙂 I think you should leave cryptic phrases that only make sense when they are strung together over multiple posts.
Obviously I’ve had too much time off.
I’m glad I got enough motivation and mentoring from people online and from books and articles that when I did finally start getting into shape that I didn’t diet or do anything unnatural, but instead adopted lifestyle changes that could last. I appreciate everyone who puts themselves out there as inspiration to live this way.
Thanks for sharing the 100 day challenge – looks really interesting, and although I won’t formally partcipate, I’m dally definitely going to make an attempt to do it. And yay for a return to racing – I hope to do the same this year too.
You are welcome, Tanya. I did a Memorial Day to Independence Day challenge with Bryan West a couple of years ago where you run at least one mile per day between those holidays. I only missed one day, and that was because of lightning storms. It really helped me maintain focus. This one should as well.
Day one is under my belt! I hope you return to racing too, would love to read about it.
That Mark Twain, both funny and wise! I am not a runner, never liked it much and neither do my knees, but I have always enjoyed cycling. I set a goal for myself this year to do a half century, a 50 mile ride you could say is equivalent to running half-marathon. I’m very excited about it. All the best to you in achieving your goals! Happy New Year!
He was both of those, wasn’t he?
I’ve cycled a bit and I enjoy that too. I frequently think it would be cool to do one of the long Katy Trail bike rides that happen here in Missouri.
Congrats on your half century goal, I look forward to reading all about that and am sending you tons of encouragement.
Happy New Year to you!
I really like your goals, Carl–and especially your aim to be a positive influence and do what you can to avoid hurting others. It’s something we should all aspire to, but not something I think about enough. Here’s to a wonderful 2015. Happy New Year!
Thanks Amanda, it was fun to sit down and put them down in writing.
It isn’t always easy to avoid hurting other peoples’ feelings, sadly, but I am certainly wanting to be more cognizant of what I say/write and how I act.
Of all of your goals, I really love the one about being a positive influence the most. I have felt the need to be more purposeful about this as well. Here’s wishing you a productive and positive New Year, Carl!
Thanks Kristen. I wish that one were as easy as reading books with Michael Whelan covers, lol!
Thanks for the well wishes, I wish them back to you too.
Happy New Year Carl! I look forward to another year of reading your blog and getting inspiration for keeping mine going!
Steve
Thanks Steve, Happy New Year to you as well. I look forward to seeing what you choose to read and review this year.
I hope you have a wonderful new year, Carl! I look forward to seeing more of your blog in 2015. Love the Twilight Zone picture!
I’m also a runner (well, let’s say jogger for accuracy’s sake) and I know the frustration when stuff gets in the way of a good run.
Thank you, I hope you do as well.
That is one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, that and the other Shatner one in the plane.
Here’s to a year of getting our run on! (or jog)
Nice goals, compadre. Reading Brin’s The Uplift War… good call, I really enjoyed those books. I’m hoping to get to Brin this year – the newest one – which is on the shelf. I hope you’ll be able to blog more often in 2015 than you were able to do in the last three months of 2014.
Thank you sir! Uplift War has been great thus far, Michael Whelan got a good assignment here.
I hope so too with the blogging, Richard. I need to plan better mini breaks so I don’t end up getting snowed under and taking big breaks.
Grr. I left a comment earlier, but when I hit enter, the blog went blank and I couldn’t view it for several hours! Maybe the comment is lost in the ether somewhere and will show up later? Probably not, so I’ll just say again – I tend to make way too many goals in way too many areas of my life each year, and then to work a little on each at the beginning until I discard all but whatever goal ends up taking my fancy that year. In 2008, it was writing-related; in 2010, book-related; in 2011, health-and-fitness-related… 😀
Sorry Amanda! That is indeed annoying. The blog has been acting a bit weird of late.
I can so identify with your goal situation. Lets hope we both have reasonable goals and much success with them in 2015.
my new year resolutions never pan out or just… never… take off… getting in shape has been my goal for at least five years, and I’m lucky if I form a routine. (which I have! but it falls apart after a few weeks.) my problem is most likely failing to make the goal attainable. “I’m going to work out on ALL THE DAYS–wait, no, not today. today I’m tired. maybe tomorrow…”
how relatable number three is! with me, I’m either so quick to race off to the next shiny thing (and everything I’ve read becomes a big blur) or I’m so overwhelmed that I don’t know where to begin.
happy 2015, and good luck on your goals!
I think a lot of readers are like #3, or at least many I know are. I never used to be that way, but I sort of grew into that pattern when I got older. As a kid I used to read a lot, and always liked to have several books on hand, but would sit and read one all the way through before going on to the next.
Happy 2015 to you too. It is a relief to set attainable goals, which these certainly are for me, and it is a fun way to start a new year.
yes, that’s true! I miss the days of reading through one book at a time without feeling tempted by the allure of so many others. I guess you can say it’s one of my lesser resolutions, as I’ve been trying to pace myself. a buddy-read helped me stay on track with Yangsze Choo’s The Ghost Bride, but I decided to re-read it before reviewing & writing up a discussion post — it’s difficult to not run off to the next book, but I hope I stay put.
here’s to hoping for successful goal results.
I think that feeling we share is one of the reasons why I prefer shorter books to today’s chunksters. I’m more likely to do what I did today, which is sit down and read through an entire book (which was only 150ish pages) and not get distracted than I am when the books hit close to the 400+ page mark.
As I read more and more books from the library, and put holds on them way in advance so I’m #67 of 67 on two copies kind of thing, I find they all seem to pop at once and then the pressure of the deadline occurs. I have to drop everything to read the bloody library books, even when I’m midway into a book I’m really, really enjoying. Since I never know exactly when a book will become available, it’s a crapshoot, but I guess it’s a goos problem to have and I save a lot of money not buying all those shiny things.
I have had that same thing happen, Richard. Either that or the book comes and I’m firmly gripped by some other book and by the time I get around to where I could read the library book, it is due back. I don’t like keeping others waiting by holding a book past its due date. But saving money is a good, good thing. Especially in (and for) retirement.
Happy 2015, Carl! I hope you achieve all your goals!
I’ve made a list this year, and checked it twice, let’s see what I manage to cross off it by this time next year. 🙂
Thank you, Delia. I hope you have a successful and wonderful 2015 too.