oh mama, can this really be the end?

the christmas tree's days are numbered and the wrapping paper's officially been stashed away for another year of hibernation, meaning that we're deep in the middle of the last week of the year, the lull between holidays meant for gorging yourself on leftover christmas cookies and watching the best, worst, sexiest, funniest, most outrageous, etc. moments of the past year on television. i usually detest this week, though i suppose it has its merits - downtime and reflection and all that jazz. still, it's just lacking in energy, if you know what i mean.

in the spirit of self-reflection, this week is also prime time for making new year's resolutions, those ubiquitous promises we make to ourselves to become a better, sexier, funnier, more outrageous, etc. person in the new year. the cynic and the optimist in me are have something of a conflict here. i mean sure, today is the first day of the rest of your life and all, but i can't pinpoint any positive aspect of my personality that i can directly trace back to a new year's resolution. but what the hell.. according to charles olson via how i became hettie jones, "what does not change/ is the will to change," and who couldn't use a little bit of self-improvement?

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

i just so happen to be a sloppy, unorganized chick with a huge talent for procrastination. i can go over a month with doing laundry. getting dressed in the morning is nothing less than a scavenger hunt. i've long given up using notebooks and other such nonsense, choosing instead to keep my life in admittedly haphazard files on my mac. and i don't know anyone who spends as many hours awake as i do and gets less done. this all needs to stop in 2009 - immediately.

MONEY MATTERS

remember that scene in breakfast at tiffany's when holly and paul 'fred' varjak are at sing sing and sally tomato's balancing her accounts? if anyone took a peek into my account book - yes, i actually keep one - it would read just as pitifully. this also should probably stop as soon as possible, though it runs right up against my next resolution.

AESTHETIC PLEASURE

chalk it up to watching four seasons of sex and the city during this break, but i'm starting to realize there's no time for convention and no room for rules when it comes to fashion. let the games begin. and while i'm stepping up my sartorial game, i should probably dedicate some attention to my hopelessly bare room up at school. i get all caught up in the decor limitations of the house, and end up not decorating at all. here's to creating a selby-worthy room of one's own.

and speaking of a room of one's own, i want to dedicate more time to writing. the most obvious place for that to start is on this blog. december was a good month for pandora's closet; i promised myself twenty posts, and for once i'm going to meet that requirement. i'm no susie bubble, but i do want to continue to post more often. that said, if anyone has comments or suggestions for the next chapter of pandora's closet, let me know, i'd love to hear it.

what are your new year's resolutions?