Wow.....2009 already

Could someone please explain to me where exactly 2008 went? Seriously, I know that it was just here but it really doesn't seem like it was around for a whole year. I think I was gypped.
I have resolved to not have this problem at the end of next year. For one thing I have decided that this year is going to be a better year than last year.
The past couple weeks I have been thinking about it and decided that with dad's stroke and subsequent assisted living issues and mom's declining health and then her death in August, it just really hasn't been the best year. However, I think I was looking at it wrong. Those things just happened last year. It's not like there is anything that I could have done to stop it. And while the whole year had a gloomy cast to it, I don't think that I really did anything to counteract the whole thing.
So this year I want to do things a bit differently.
While working is very important to the whole "paying of the bills" thing, I am going to try not to let it take up such a big part of my life. I quit one job already, though for some reason I am still working at it for the next two weeks and I will quit another if that is what it takes.
Also, I am going to try to be better about spending actual quality time with my family. The holidays are always so packed full of togetherness and family time and we don't get to do enough of that throughout the year. I am going to work on that.
There is also the financial aspect of our lives that I want to work on. Life is way to short to owe so much money. So I am going to work on trying to get our debt paid off and money in savings.
There are various other little things that I want to do this year. Things that I have been meaning to do and just haven't gotten around to for one reason or another. I have it in my handy dandy little notebook that has all my other lists in it.
Speaking of which did you know that there is a list of the top ten New Year's Resolutions?
* Make more time for family and friends.
* Quit smoking.
* Start exercising.
* Got back to school/take a class.
* Get out of debt.
* Advance in your career, make more money.
* Get into philanthropy and community involvement.
* Quit drinking.
* Lose weight.
* Get out of bad relationship/find true love
I really hate being typical, but unfortunately 6 of those things are kind of on my list.