Some resolutions

Best to do these early, though it's doubtless dull, as it's useful to have them on record. I was also far too hungover to contemplate thoughts on the political situation - and as I reckon my friends number sizable coteries of militant pro-Arab and pro-Israeli camps among them, so I really cannot face picking precisely through the rights of the situation in the Holy Land.


So for the record, this year I'm going to aim to do:

• more cooking, with pastry and fish priorities for this year. I still have unused implements from our wedding list, including a fish poacher I am determined in break in.


• less book - buying; more rereading. DH Lawrence wrote a generation ago (I think in his surprisingly impressive Apocalypse, which is well worth a read anyway) that people were increasingly given to reading more books badly rather than fewer books well. I suspect that I have been guilty of this also, so less new material and more reconsumption of the old is in order. Given I bought over 250 books in 2008, this is a relatively low bar, but I am limiting myself to 10 new purchases a month this year, i.e., 120 + gifts for the year


• more language work on old friends. I've been seduced by Italian and Syriac in recent years, and I'll keep them up, but Greek (texts - Sozomen beckons at present) and French (novels - Anna's bought me some great ones for Christmas) will be my focus this year. I'm getting too old to remember languages, and those two are my most precious.


• the final phases of house decoration, specifically on the long overdue painting of the outside (OK, clearly I'm get someone else to do the work)


• a family tree. Hatty's wedding should be the impetus to trace some of the Garroods by May, but there is more to do, and I should have more done by the end of the year, and maybe even trace that pesky Christ Church canon


• technology. Even though it terrifies me, I need to get some things working this year for the doctorate and for work. It's slightly embarrassing that I used the iPlayer for TV for the first time on Tuesday, and then only because Sky+ had failed to record the last ten minutes of Gavin & Stacey


• exercise. I've done well since May; I'll keep this gym thing up

And I might even actually do some work, rather than blogging during the work day.