Old Napkin

It's almost the end of the year, so time to look at last year's resolutions. Results were mixed.

I didn't get syndicated--but I did make some progress toward syndication. I've got a regular weekly column now, which appears in one newspaper. I couldn't say that this time last year.

I didn't publish anything travel-related. I did, however, publish more articles on other subjects that I expected to, which is one of the reasons I didn't focus on travel articles. Corporate copywriting pays astoundingly well; travel writing doesn't. I do intend to follow through with the wine material I've accumulated, though. That's travel-related.

I did make the portière. And I hung one side of it. If I can find the missing piece of hardware for the other door, I can hang up the rest of it.

I didn't learn any Italian. I did find an Italian course I could afford and get to, but it had already started up. Maybe in the spring I'll take the next round.

I did hang the heaviest pictures and mirrors. Not all of them, but a lot of them.

I did have my ears pierced. I'd had the studs in for over two months when I got to Mumbai. I pulled them out to put in my beautiful fancy earrings to go with the shalwar kameez I'd had tailored there, but I couldn't get the earrings in. I didn't want to risk an exotic infection by struggling with them too much. By the time I got back to the U.S., the holes had completely closed up. Too late I learned I should've had it done with a needle and not a gun. So I'm back to square one. But I did get them pierced, I guess.

Tattoo. Still not sure about that one.

I cleaned up a lot of loose ends. And created at least as many new ones. But I can't seem to say no to anything. I like having my life very full, even if it means lots of loose ends.

I did start a blog. And write to it pretty much daily.

I did get a bartending job. Not a full-time, permanent one, though. So I'm back to square one on that one, too.