It is 01-11-11. Eleven days into the new year. As for those promises, well…slow going. Not that I haven’t tried. I’ve set my alarm for 5:40 am, struggled through Pilates the first week, cut dairy from my diet, made rudimentary notes for the beginning of my novel, and visited Best Buy to attempt the grand Ipod Nano purchase.

The outcome? After listening to all of the advice from a truly helpful Best Buy employee named Tony, we were both disappointed to discover that the orange, 16gb Nano was out of stock. Bummer. I tried not to take it as a sign, but I did. Maybe it’s not time for me to step forward. Not yet. Then on Monday my work area merged with four others and I’m temporarily awaiting a new space. Until then I’m adjusting to increased noise, something I don’t handle well. I like quiet. I’m content with the sounds of tapping on keyboards, the occasional ring of a phone, the quiet buzz of music. If Best Buy doesn’t get those orange Ipods by Wednesday, I’ll be ordering online. Shipping is free. Plus I need  a cushion of music between me and all these extra sounds.  Now.

As for eliminating dairy. Sheesh. I didn’t realize how tough that was going to be. You don’t realize how many food items include dairy until you start reading labels. And, you don’t realize you need to ask your waiter/waitress additional questions about your order. Who knew some people make chicken tortilla soup with heavy cream. What? Not in my chicken tortilla soup world. And it’s especially tough to have pizza night sans cheese. So while I held my own the first 5 days, the past six have been difficult. Sure, I could’ve tried harder. I could’ve tossed into the trash all of the food items in my pantry and fridge which are dairy related. I could’ve forgone pizza night. I could’ve driven my waitress insane with my questions or insulted my hostess by not eating her much labored over dinner. I will continue to cut back, because I figure decreasing my diary intake has got to be beneficial, but I will not suffer, or more importantly, cause others to suffer. It’s just not worth it.

While these aren’t exactly broken promises, more like speed bumps, I still feel a little disappointed. You always want to come out of the New Year’s gates at full speed, not bumbling and stumbling. But that’s part of the challenge. I just have to remind myself of this