Let's Start the New Year Right

Uncle Buck is ready to party. 

Happy new year! 

My resolutions are more like Chicago Life Goals than actual resolutions, subdivided into categories such as  "Culinary," "Cultural Events," and "Other Leisure Activities," and are taped inside my planner on Rifle Paper Co. paper. It's all very official. Many of them are rollovers from last year--Hot Doug's, I'm coming for you, dammit--and here are some highlights so far:

* Decide if I'm a Cubs or a Sox fan, preferably by going to games 

* Go to a Shanty Sing

* Dominate at least one of my many March Madness brackets

* Visit every major museum at least once

* Lincoln Park Zoo (I've never been!)

* Hit up the Newberry and Printer's Row book fairs again

* Finally see Improvised Shakespeare (I know, I'm a disgrace, where have I been?)

* Doughnut Vault

* BellyQ or Belly Shack (or both!)

* Map Room

* Victory's Banner

* Hopleaf

* Girl and the Goat

* Aviary

* Actually buy something at Brimfield

* Revisit the Whistler, Violet Hour, Lula Cafe, and any Chicago-style hot dog

* Read one new-to-me book per month

* See one new-to-me movie per month

I hope you're all having fun while you're abstaining from butter or dropping coins into your swear jars, or whatever, but when you're through with all of that, I'll greet you with a fatty snack, a cocktail, and some salty language somewhere above. Let's do this, 2013. 

A photo text from Marlo Senior on New Year's Day reported that Albright required "the hair of the dog."

P.S. This Bing Crosby number from "Holiday Inn" comes into my head every December 26 and doesn't leave until February. "Kissing the old year out, kissing the new year in, how can our love go wrong if we start the new year right?"