2013...

Another year over another begun. I've never been a big fan of New Year's Eve celebrations. My mother-in-law calls me an old fuddy duddy, but I've never really gotten the point. I'm lousy with resolutions. I have the stick-to-it-ness of a knockoff post-it note. It's only taken me a half hour to write these first two sentences! So 2013, where to begin.

I'm not looking forward to more gray hair. I have a daughter who is turning 16 this year, in a little over a month to be exact. She is planning her 16th birthday party. She'd like us to rent a large suite in a downtown hotel (with an indoor pool, of course) so she can have a sleep over with 14 friends, at last count. Her father and I are not looking forward to this idea. Luckily, she is also considering dinner at Bravo with the same group of 14 girls. We are allowed to come, but we won't be allowed in the room. We have to eat in the main dining area. I'm not looking forward to the gray hair a 16 year old will bring.

Alexa is looking forward to her first smartphone - an iPhone to be exact. She is "the only one of my friends without a smartphone!" I'm looking forward to an increased cell phone bill. Alexa is also looking forward to getting her learner's permit and gasp, driving. I'm looking forward to cringing as she learns how to drive, uping my anxiety medication and my hair turning grayer than it already is. Lex will also be completing her sophomore year in high school, beginning her junior year and starting the search for colleges. I'm looking to sleepless nights, wondering how we're going to pay for college and more gray hair.

My husband is looking forward to the beginning of the baseball season as illustrated by his nightly watching of  the MLB network and our Christmas day Ken Burns Baseball marathon - all 10 innings plus updated extra innings, a good 10 + hours of baseball. By the way, pitchers and catchers report on February 14. I bet they don't have gray hair...

I have more things I'm not looking forward to - versus what I am looking forward to. I'm not looking forward to my hair getting grayer. I'm not looking forward to turning 60. It is a very sobering number. It is an old number. It's a number that fits the year 2013 very well. I'm superstitious about numbers. I'm not comfortable with odd numbers to begin with, but 2013 is just tempting fate as far as I'm concerned. 60 means I may have to break down and finally join AARP. They've been sending me membership info for over five years now and I think I'm going to have to finally succumb.

Lastly, I'm not looking forward to more senior moments. I'm having way too many already. I can't remember anything. I'll think of something then say it again two minutes later.  I'm also not looking forward to my hair getting grayer...