New Year's Resolutions

I resolve this year to lose weight. There, that's my one and only resolution for 2007. I don't generally like to make resolutions because most of them sound like hollow promises to myself. It's a form of goal setting, which isn't bad but just not for me.

What I'd rather do is see what I have accomplished at the end of the year and hope for something more in the coming year. Here are some things I managed to accomplish or thanks to my job witness during 2006.

I finally made it to Lambeau Field for a Packers game and on one of only three occasions they beat the other team at home (the Detroit Lions).

The following two are accomplishments quite a few of year shared with me in 2006. I got to be on a television show set for the filming of a hit show. Okay I'm talking about the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build for the Koepke family in Dundee. I partied with 100 Powerball jackpot winners on Fond du Lac's South Main Street.

I witnessed a colleague successfully battle prostate cancer and help others in the process. On the flip side of that another colleague had to quit because of health problems. Universal karma. In other KFIZ business our newsroom went totally digital this year and we added podcasts to our lineup of options on the KFIZ.com homepage.

Several times during the year I was treated to the passion County residents have for issues. That included the closing of the Rolling Meadows Nursing Home, closing of the Waupun County Park Pool, debate over the use of ATVs on County recreation trails, debate over Fond du Lac water issues, the downsizing of the County Board and more.

There was plenty of change to watch as well including new School District Administrators in North Fond du Lac and Waupun. A new President of the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation. A new Fond du Lac City Council President and County Board Chairperson.

In sports the Barry Alvarez Era ended and the Brett Bielema Era began. In High School football we saw the resurrection of the North Fond du Lac football program and a new coach at Fondy High. The Packers seemed to improve over the course of the season, while the Brewers tanked.

I also found it ironic that one of the World's kindest leaders, President Gerald Ford, and one of its dictators Saddam Hussein died within days of each other. Hussein not by his choice. Again universal karma.

There are a few things I'd like to see in 2007. The end of the caveman tv commercials. There are real minorities that are discriminated against. Fewer stories about cute celebrity couples whose marriages run about the length of a football season. More looking out for the other guy. The NFL recognizing that Thursday games tick off fans who don't pick up the NFL Network and tire players who only have three days to recover from a game that usually takes them a whole week to mend from. Brett Favre make a decision soon.

I'm going to give in and make one more resolution. I will watch an hour of "American Idol" this year. I'm the worst when it comes to super popular tv shows and movies. I finally watched the James Cameron version of "Titanic" this past fall, what some 7 or 8 years after it first came out.

I hope you have a good year, realize your goals and celebrate your accomplishments.