New year, now what?

The fam and I had a great Christmas in Hawaii. (And we were glad to miss out on the snowstorm here at home.) I'm relaxed and refreshed. Plus, I still have summer clothes in my laundry basket and blisters from my sandals to remind me for a few more days that I really did go on vacation, despite the return to reality.

Once the holiday celebrations die down, the start of a new year tends to drag on for me. It's bitterly cold and there are no holidays that qualify for "official" days off work until Memorial Day. Sure, there's that natural anticipation a new year brings...kind of...but I don't really make resolutions and I'm mostly just anticipating a year like every other lately. Nothing extraordinary or exciting. This is not a bad thing--I don't mind sticking to the routine.

But with no more vacations to look forward to and no new episodes of So You Think You Can Dance or GLEE planned for several months, I find myself this week needing to think of reasons to be excited for January. Besides, sometimes it's the little things from day-to-day that make me the happiest. So with that, I bring you the top five things I'm excited about these next several weeks:

1. Reading: Five. That's the number of books I read in 2009. As someone who loves to read (usually more than double that amount in a year), I desperately need to do more of it. I'm hoping my work life will slow a bit these next couple of months to allow me to get reading with a little more gusto in 2010. Send your book recommendations my way!
   
2. Winter Olympics: I LOVE the Olympics and will be glued to my TV set during the winter games watching sports I would never otherwise watch like bobsledding and curling. There's just something about watching them on the world's stage, seeing the smiles of the athletes standing on the medal podium and hearing the stories about what they've overcome to get where they are today.
   
3. A new season of The Bachelor: Why do I still watch this show after 14 seasons of train wreck romances, cheesy group dates and fame-hungry participants? It just sucks me in and I can't not watch it! Bachelor Jake may seem a little dull, but I'm sure he and the bachelorettes will provide some good drama among the helicopter rides, hot tubs, hometown dates and rose ceremonies. Can I get another crying over the balcony scene please? And if not, at least Jake is not bad to look at.
   
4. More daylight: We've gained two whole minutes of daylight since the first day of winter. I look forward to the day when the sun is again shining in my eyes during my morning and evening commute and I no longer drive in darkness every day.
   
5. Pampering: The first thing I put on my to-do list when I returned from vacation was to make an appointment to get my hair highlighted. I just love sitting in that salon chair while I catch up on the latest gossip via People magazine. And after my hair highlights, I'm getting a massage. Ahhh, luxury!

Hopefully I'll keep adding to my list. I'm also counting on the fact that many of you have extraordinary or exciting things you're anticipating for the new year. What are they? Let me know so I can share in your excitement. No matter what, I wish you a blessed and happy New Year!