Further to my yoghurt review, Leigh has assured me that, if it is bitter cherry and dark chocolatey goodness I’m looking for, I need to source some Green & Black’s cherry chocolate.

A review will follow…

At work today, we were discussing the new year: our resolutions, hopes and expectations, what it might hold for us all.

I don’t usually hold much faith in horoscopes – clearly, you can read whatever you like into them and one prediction can’t possibly be true for the millions of people that share your star sign – but Leigh and Steph introduced me to Neil Spencer, who writes in the Observer, and his prediction for 2009 was so alarmingly, so disturbingly appropriate, I can’t help but be impressed by it. It’s the detail in it that is just remarkable. Have a look at it here (I’m an Aries, by the way. Save you working it out).

So to resolutions. Last year, I set myself ten and have had mixed success, if I’m honest. The most significant of them was to become more assertive and my colleagues agreed that I’ve made massive steps to achieve this (Leigh reminded me of the time back in January that I was so assertive with her, I just stood there with a surprised look on my face. I had to apologise the next day. Ha!).

I am struggling this year to decide on a resolution. I know I want one, key resolution rather than so many stupid little ones. But what?

You decide!

Here are the options:

Health – Do at least an hour of exercise a week (no, it isn’t a lot, but it’s more than I do now), starting with yoga and maybe some cycling with Chris

Education – Take up an evening class (after the wedding), possibly A Level Politics, maybe improve my German, or something more practically based

Community – Find a volunteering position (after the wedding) e.g. policy work for the CAB, phoning old people for a chat, Hospice bookshop

Environment – Walk or bus to work at least one day a week

Your thoughts would be valued.

But my very favourite resolution so far this year is Steph’s. She is going to go the whole year without buying anything new (excluding consumables like food, petrol and toiletries). Clothes, accessories, books, CDs, etc. will have to be bought from a charity or vintage shop or borrowed from a library or from friends. (We also tried to get Groovy to resolve to have a My Name is Earl type karma list to make up to all the girls he’s messed about. He wasn’t going for it.)

I would like a ninja cat please.

Sitting in the same room for 90 wonderful minutes with my very favourite author, Toni Morrison, and discovering that she is as engaging, witty and intelligent in real life as I’d hoped she would be.

The unwavering support I’ve had from some wonderful people (specifically Chris, my mum, TJ, Steph and Suzy) over the last fortnight, even in the face of a constantly distraught, irrational, tired and teary Jennifer Heidi. It’s just the medication and I’ll be back to normal soon…

The very beautiful album, ‘The Pirate’s Gospel’, by Alela Diane, and this song in particular

Burn After Reading, which I enjoyed more than its generally poor reviews would have suggested I would. Yes, it is fairly inconsequential as a film but it made me laugh out loud in several places. (I rarely laugh out loud at stuff and I think Omar finds it disconcerting – like when we were watching Spaced the other day. It doesn’t mean I don’t find it funny. It’s just a different kind of funny.)

Another film, Son of Rambow. It’s just heart warming and adorable and I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to watch it without grinning like a fool. (I am not in the mood for agreeing with film critics this week.)

Getting drunk with Chris and trawling his iTunes library for a wedding playlist and first dance. I haven’t laughed so much in ages. Still no first dance but we definitely know what we’re not having…

The light that is shining brightly at the end of the dissertation tunnel… J

I know nothing about the band Midlake, and I’ve only ever heard one song by them, but Guy Garvey reminded me on Sunday night why I should seek out more…

It’s been in my head since. Over and over again.

(He also played a great song called “Within the Boundaries” by a band called Daniel Land & the Modern Painters and the lovely “Song for the Fields” by Fields, which is another band I should listen to more of. All of which makes me think I should dig out some old Cocteau Twins tapes…)

…For making me cry with their stupid drawn-out, overwrought conjoined twin storyline and increasingly regular use of the beautiful record, “To Build A Home”, which reduces me to tears without the addition of successful separation surgery.

Bloody hormones.