Another Year, Another Batch of Resolutions

I guess it's that time of year again, to make a list of things I'd like to achieve, doable things though... not ridiculous things like shrinking down to a size 6.

1. Visit Hot Bed Press at least 3 times a month - I've been a member of the print studios for almost 6 months, and really haven't spent enough time getting back into it.
2. Read a new book every month - I must have at least 30 books sat on various shelves waiting to be read, it's time I really started ploughing through them
3. travel to at least 2 new countries - hoping to do either a couple of city breaks this year, or go for a bit longer and travel through a couple of countries, Northern Europe is high on the list.
4. Get fit and run a race - I've put back on 10lbs in the last 5 months, since I stopped exercising regularly - mainly due to the weather being awful and running being my exercise of choice, so I've bought a wii and intend to use it, aiming to lose around 20lbs by easter time.
5. learn how to use illustrator - I'm terrible for not sticking at things I find difficult, so I need some recommendations on good tutorials and to get stuck in really.
6. Get the bottle to try out colour film processing at home - apparently the only real difference is that colour film is more sensitive when it comes to the temperature, I just need to get out there and buy the chemicals.
7. Complete my NVQ level 3 before Easter and swiftly start on level 4 - this is a qualification I'm doing through work, and need to complete if I'm going to achieve my goal of getting a new job
8. Update my blog regularly (ie more than once a month) - I have a list of stuff I keep meaning to blog about, but never seem to find the time/inclination

I'm sure I'll come back and amend this, as I'm sure there's more things I will think of over the next few days

A permanent (aka year round) list of my goals can be found over at 43 Things

Happy New Year, lets hope 2010 is a damn sight better than 2009!


I'll finish 2009 with this photo, that was short listed for the Salford Photographic Prize 2009.

The Kite Runner

I've just finished reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, such a beautifully written book, I really don't think I could do it justice. The basic premise of the book can be found in the link above. I don't think I've ever been so torn between not wanting to know what comes next and being unable to put a book down, hoping that everything will turn out ok but knowing that my hope for a happy ending is pretty futile and the story is going to have a lot more emotional turmoil, it actually had me holding back the tears in several parts. Not sure whether I will be able to sit through the film when it comes out, but I will definitely be looking out for Hosseini's next book A Thousand Splendid Suns on my next trip into Manchester. But for tonight, my next book is Reading Lolita In Tehran which is a memoir by Azar Nafisi.