So this is the new year.

Well, I've made it through the first two days of 2014, and I'm liking this new year so far.

NYE was a fun day/night.  My pal Vern (Go9) came down, and we got pedicures at the nicest nail spa in my neighbourhood.  Then we dropped by my local cheese emporium, and got the most delicious brie that we enjoyed on crackers with mimosas while sort of watching the movie Pitch Perfect.  We then met up with friends for an amazing dinner at Harlem Underground (fried chicken + waffles = OMG).  Finally, we topped off the night by sticking it out for both of Elliott Brood's sets at Lee's Palace.  I got home by 3 am, which is a sign of a great New Year's.

Yesterday, I just stayed indoors and watched a bunch of Dateline NBC online.  My friend Mathew is obsessed with Dateline, and somehow I've also gotten hooked.  I know there are better things on TV but yesterday, I just needed something to numb my senses, and watching something like 7 episodes did the trick.

Today was a super fun day.  I hosted two of my work pals and their four-year-old daughters for lunch.  I made chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and the kids tried to coax Rilo out from her hiding spot.  Rilo is used to adults, and is the friendliest cat around adults, but she was really confused/alarmed by small energetic humans.  Eventually, the girls started to build forts using my blankets and furniture, and let Rilo be for awhile.  After forts, they started to draw maps of how to find Rilo, and Rilo ventured out while they were busy drawing.  She sat on my loveseat, which had its cushions removed to make it into a slide, and had a look on her face reminiscent of someone whose house was destroyed by a natural disaster.  Once the kids left, she spent the rest of the day sleeping harder than usual.

I went to the gym, ran some errands, then met up with a friend to see the movie "Inside Llewyn Davis" which I totally recommend.  Seriously, today was a great day!

I haven't yet written about my goals for 2014, which I think I usually do at some point.  It's always nice to have them listed somewhere where I can review them as need be.  I also find the blogging community to be super supportive, so it's always great to share them with you guys.  So, without further ado,  here are my goals for this new and awesome year.

1) Run my first half marathon.  I registered officially on the first, and now that I've paid $75, there's no going back.  I'll start my official training program on the 16th, which is supposed have me ready by May 4th.  Sometimes when I think about the fact I've committed myself to running 21.2 km, I think WTF, but deep down I know I'm ready to do something more than a 10K.  I'm actually really excited for this.

2) Return to eating clean.  I really did improve my eating habits in 2013.  I feel like I went from a grade of F to a solid B in the nutrition department.  Admittedly, I slipped over the holidays (see NYE food above) but I'm happy to get back on track.  I also want to see if I can go the next month without alcohol, because I indulged a lot over the holidays, and I could use a break from it.  (That fast will start on Monday.)

3) Get organized and decluttered at home.  I did a tiny bit of this over the holidays, but it needs to be an ongoing project.  Perhaps if I schedule myself one task per week (i.e. clean a specific closet or shelf) I'll make good progress.

4) Entertain guests more often at home.  I commonly have friends come visit me from out of town, but I rarely have my friends from Toronto over.  I had so much fun today that I definitely need to do more entertaining in the new year.  My friends from today realized that my place would be a great spot for them to take naps when they need a break from their families, so maybe my flat will become the place to be for 2014.

Those are my goals.  I'll check back in when the year is 25% done to let you know how I'm doing.