New Year, new resolutions

For all my reader (Hi Mom), here are my New Year's resolutions. I haven't ever posted my resolutions before because I usually don't make them. This year I have several.

Here they are in no particular order:

• Lose weight

I will get an accurate weigh in tomorrow so I know where I start. I agreed to do Atkins with my mother, but she had to go and get the stomach flu, so we'll probably be starting next week some time. I also really need to start exercising. This is much more important now that I work from home.

• Beat down debt

For the past few years my debt has been going up. Starting this year it's going down.

• Start accumulating wealth

I somehow managed to get a small savings account while living in VA. It's mostly gone now. I'd like to have some savings again.

• Budget

Make one and stick to it. This is part of the set of things I used to do but don't any more. It's probably why I've accumulated so much debt and depleted my savings.

• Write at least one video game

This is my dark secret. I work in the gaming industry and have never written a video game by myself. I started to a couple of times when I was much younger, on my TI994/a but I never finished anything.

• Finish that Arcana Unearthed Item Maker I've been working on

Enough is enough. I just need to finish the darn thing. I have code for everything except the weapon and armor builder, which is the most complex bit. I'm hung up on the UI.

• Update this blog at least once a week.

I really let this slide last year.

• Read at least 4 technical books, or books that are designed to make me a better programmer

I did OK with this last year. I need to keep it up.

• Post 12 articles to my company's internal web site

This is part of my plan for world domination.

• Submit a presentation for GDC for next year

I have to list this in this year's goals because of the lead time. Also part of my plan for world domination.

• Break 2000 points on my gamer card

I bought quite a few games this holiday season, including Splinter Cell: Double Agent, ES4: Oblivion (side note: technically it's TES4, not ES4 --I never liked that we abbreviated "The" even when I worked at Bethesda Softworks on TES3), and Gears of War. I'm chomping at the bit to play Gears. I'd also really like to get Lego Star Wars 2. Oh, and Dead Rising. I'm sure there will be more.

• Sell or otherwise get rid of more of my stuff

EBay and Half.com worked pretty well back when we were moving to the new place in VA. Now I have a storage area with a bunch of stuff I haven't seen in 6 months. I'm sure I can find something to sell. The idea is to end 2007 with less stuff than I started with.

• Start meditating again

When I was meditating regularly I felt better. Seriously.

• Give up caffeine

I feel better when I don't drink caffeine. And yet I drink it by the bucket.

• Keep the Ptolus game going

I have yet to have a game that's lasted more than a single (pre-written) adventure. I have a decent group and I'd like to keep it together.

That's the list. Now I need to make one suitable for printing.