So it’s New Year’s Day again, is it? I’ve been living in a chocolate fog for the last two weeks and it’s snuck up on me.

It’s New Year’s Day and I’m not hung over, and that’s a very good thing. In fact, I haven’t been hung over for a very long time and that’s an even better thing.

Time to shrug off 2011. Many good things happened. My first mystery, No Dice, was published. It’s sold a modest number of copies. A few good friends died, more friends felt the pinch of the economic vice, and a good few Americans lost their last bit of faith in our government.

My second mystery, Rip-Off, is in the hands of the third proofreader and then ready to launch. Oh, was that a bad day when I opened the first copy of No Dice. Despite careful, careful proofreading it appeared that every time I’d opened the file to correct something, words flew out of sequence, and paragraphs jiggled themselves around. Oh woe.

And I’m almost ready to turn the third one over to a story editor.

All this time and productivity was exacted from my addiction to email, Facebook, and lately Twitter. Did I mention Spider Solitaire?

I make daily resolutions to turn on the timer on the stove and stop frittering around when the buzzer goes off. Do I do it? Sometimes.

Well, it’s 2012 now. In the interest of human perfectibility, I vow to do better this year. Cut back on the things I do that I punish myself for later. Admit it. You all have those.

Be kinder. Watch out for gossiping, stretch a hand out in friendship, and give away more money and things.

I have so much.