Friday, December 31, 2021

2022 Kerouac-olutions and a report on 2021's


Before I address Kerouac-olutions for the New Year, here is an update on how I did with 2021's. It's a mixed bag.


2021 New Year's Kerouac-olutions UPDATE

In 2021, I hereby resolve to:

1. Stay alive one more year (this item partly inspired by COVID)
SUCCESS
2. Drink a bottle of 21-year-old Bushmills and 18-year-old Tullamore Dew (with help from Crystal)
ALMOST (a little Tullamore Dew is left)
3. Use the treadmill at least 2 times per week
FAIL
4. Lose 10 pounds
SUCCESS
5. Be able to do 25 pushups in a row
FAIL (I'm currently at 16)
6. Continue blogging in general and specifically about Kerouac-related births and deaths
SUCCESS
7. Read a bunch of books, including some John LeCarre -- who just died (hard to quantify, I know)
SUCCESS
8. See the California Dales in person (COVID may prevent this)
FAIL
9. Read Kerouac (no particular amounts or titles)
SUCCESS (mostly related to research for  blog posts)
10. Buy Crystal flowers at least 6 times
SUCCESS (I think)

2022 New Year's Kerouac-olutions

I only have one Kerouac-olution this year: to practice kindness. That's something I need to work on every day in every way. Click HERE for some Buddhist-inspired thinking on the subject.


What are YOU resolving for the New Year?


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Resolutions! I had completely forgotten about them. Thank you for the reminder. I'm sure I have something I need to work on.
Happy New Year!

Roxanne said...

This is my favorite part of New Years--the Kerouacolutions! Here are last year's with progress report:

1. Get a new psychiatrist because this one is incompetent.
RESULT: FAIL. Psychiatrist in my area are not yet accepting new patients due to COVID.

2. Attend LCK again (hopefully with boyfriend in tow)

SUCCESS! I wish more of my friends had felt comfortable going. (Also the boyfriend broke up with me because I am immature, unreliable, selfish, irresponsible, and undependable. Oh, and I have hangups about my mother. Weirdly, we're still BFFs.

3. Go to San Fran for some Kerouac-related sight-seeing

FAIL because of money restrictions. BUT the manager of the Beat Museum bought 12 copies of our 2022 "Jack Facts" calendar celebrating Jack's centennial! My work is actually in a national museum!

4. Lose weight

MAJOR SUCCESS! 35 pounds down from January 2021 to June.

5. Stop drinking

MAJOR SUCCESS: No alcoholic drinks since January 6, 2018

4. Actually get out of the apartment and see people and do things despite my stupid depression.

SUCCESS! But that's only because I've been evicted and have been living in my car in the Walmart Parking lot with a heater attached to a 110 converter. Single-digit weather is coming. If I don't laugh I'll start screaming and never stop.

Okay, that was depressing, so here are my Kerouac-olutions for 2022

1. Move out of my car, at least into a flophouse. I can also probably live at school for a while before someone notices me.

2. Finish ANY writing project.

3. Continue to be COVID-free.

4. Go to Jack's birthday celebration and to see the scroll in Lowell and try to sell more calendars while everyone has Jack Birthday Fever.

5. Attend LCK 2022, (ex)boyfriend in tow!

6. Actually go to the Beat Museum in San Fran to look at my calendars on display!

I expect Rick and I will be keeping an encouraging eye on each other! Be strong, dude!