Resolutions

Not really one to look back, at least this year. The decade is over. Go to NPR's and BBC's archives for some perspective. Read your favorite alt weekly for some year end lists. If you care about today's cool music and what's cooler than the rest, go to pitchfork or something for the year's and decade's most highly regarded recordings.

Currently, on the fifth evening of the 2010th year, I'm looking at drawing up some New Year's resolutions. While it's far from an exhaustive list, I encourage you to hold me to some of these, or maybe even to join me in a few of these pursuits if any of them particularly resonate.

NOURISHMENT

Make stock twice a month until there is enough in the freezer to use for six months
Cook a large amount of soup once a week
Use sichuan peppers more often
Learn and prepare three new recipes a week
Bake the best pizza in California once a week

TEA

Drink all Chinese, all the time
Acquire a few more tea pots and improve brewing technique
Learn the various Chinese tea regions inside and out, their geography, topography, cultivation techniques, growing cycle, production process....

WINE

Give the Loire a rest - there's got to be a similarly diverse, value proposition elsewhere...Bulgaria? Georgia?
Cellar more Spanish wine (note to self: needs to include wines outside Rioja)
Cellar more Riesling

BEER

Drink more of it; pay the same attention as given to wine (or tea)

MUSIC

Carefully consider the vinyl and the turntable
Produce some form of personally recorded content at least once a week

BOOKS

Read them

THE COMPUTER

Limit exposure to

FRIENDS

More quality time with (FB does not count as quality time) and promotion of

FAMILY

Meet them in the streets of Baltimore and the avenues of Oakland

HOME

Share it more often

WISHES TO MY READERS

Occasionally extend them. Here's to a great 2010 to all of you. Happy New Year.