I saw a meme this week that said if 2017 had a name, it was Felicia. 2017 was the hardest year of my life. I am glad it's over. 

Today is Jan 2, 2018. Yesterday I watched my OU Sooners football team squander away their national title hopes, again. So I consider today to be the start of a new year. It begins a new year for the Sooners and for me too.

Today's beer: Founders Breakfast Stout. So good once it warms up a bit. You don't want to drink this brew or really any dark brews cold right out of the fridge. Cup the glass in your hand and warm it up a bit. The coffee and chocolate flavors will really start to come out.

Everyone makes new year resolutions although I assume there is no possibility in keeping them. This I also assume is not deliberate but merely a product of lack of a plan for the days that get in the way of these pseudo promises to ourselves. So how do we keep these resolutions in check? Here are a few tips.

1. Get a plan
2. Get a buddy for accountability
3. Have a specific goal/outcome that is truly achievable. Vague goals give poor results.
4. Make sure it has easy parts for those "in the way" days.
5. Preplan one day off a week/month to help with burn out
6. Write it in lipstick right smack in the middle your bathroom mirror for one month.
Clean it off and re-write it in a different color for another month. Do this every month.
7. Have an awesome reward at the end. Something you really want.

My resolutions this year are:
1. Write once a week or more. There should be at least 52 more posts on here this time next year.
2. Reach my weight goal by March and keep it through the summer.
3. Increase my photography sales by 10% by sharing and showing more

For the past few weeks, I have been working on Project: One Week in Colorado. So far I have a slide show of over 1800 images cut down from over 8000. This project will span at least 12 years of images I have taken on my family's annual summer trip to Creede, Colorado, a tradition that started well before I was born. It's massive and it's meant to be. My computer doesn't like it one bit. Here are 15 images, with at least one from each year as a teaser. This project is not 1800 photos that would be hung in a gallery. They are images of my hikes and Jeep trips, family pics, images of a place that changes year to year. Some years were green and some were black after the fires. Some years the creeks are full and others just a trickle. I love Colorado and this last summer was my 40th year to go. It was also the first year that my parents didn't get to go. There will be a lot of pictures that no one has ever seen.

Posting 2 days in a row! Whoda thunk it? I CAN do this!

So today we all got out there and let our voices be heard. Crazy election year. Now it's time for a beer. Today's beer: Yalobusha Brewing Company's Copperhead Amber Ale. Quite tasty!

Ooh look, you can finally see me too. I promise, not too many of these "selfies" come from me. This one is more about the little sticker you get when you go do your thing in the booth.