News Year's Resolutions Vs. Armchair Mushing

10 February 2012
7:14 PM

Sunrise at	9:08 AM	in direction	124°	East-southeast
Sunset at	5:04 PM	in direction	237°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 7 hours, 55 minutes (6 minutes, 49 seconds longer than yesterday)

Do you make New Year's Resolutions.  I don't.  Well, I normally don't, but I did this year and once again I am realizing why I don't resolve to do anything different each year:  Keeping a New Year's resolution is all fine and good, as long as it doesn't conflict with something I really want to do; which right now is mushing from the comfort of my armchair.

My resolution was to write each and every day and I would use this blog to fulfill that resolution.  I picked the topic of life in Alaska for two reasons

1. Many people from Outside really do want to know more about this northern, remote state, so I might have a large and diverse audience (which would be fun).
2. I wouldn't have to stretch my brain for topics; each day I just look around me and pick something that represents my life here.

What could be easier?

So, what is the first reason people give up their resolutions?  They are not seeing the intended results of their actions.  The first indication that my plan would not turn out quite like I expected was when I started tracking numbers of readers.   I am not breaking any records here.  And no one ever bothers to comment, ever.

Probably the second reason for giving up on a resolution is laziness.  Yes, I admit it; being disciplined enough to write every day, even for a short while, goes against my slothful nature.  I think of all the computer games I haven't played since I started this project and all the Hulu TV shows I haven't watched and I wonder whatever prompted me to be so, so ... well not lazy.

Another reason people let a resolution die peacefully during its sleep is boredom with whatever they thought would be a good thing to do for themselves.  I can say honestly, that has not been a problem for me.  I might get bored with the idea of writing every day, but I don't believe I could ever get bored with life in Alaska. Living in this gorgeous setting and living a life few have the opportunity to experience is not boring - more work than what my lazy nature would like, but never boring.

Finally, when the time needed for other interests or obligations conflicts with the time previously allotted to keeping a resolution, the resolution goes by the wayside.  BINGO.  Who wants to write about another sunset, gorgeous and spectacular as it may be, when Allen Moore and Lance Mackey are racing through the Black Hills?

So, I have tried to combine my resolution with my interest.  But today, when I was trying to think of something to write for the blog, I immediately thought I might extract Facebook comments from the Russian followers of the race.  I'd used that as a topic yesterday and it would be a good follow on was my thinking.  Then I realized it would be the 3rd time in 4 days that I let the Yukon Quest Facebook page write much of the blog for me.

....sigh...

So, dear few-and-far-between reader, I promise to get back at it and write meaningful commentary, with lovely photos of my life instead of filling up each page with the passion of the Yukon Quest - as soon as the race is completely and totally over .. and until the Iditarod begins!

Here is a photo of a sunset, though.  I did manage to remember I live in a physical world in addition to the virtual world I dive into online every night as the race progresses.

10 February 2012 - 4:52 PM

 Can I go back to the race now?