Matt, at least you can claim a temporary success (he said, while trying his best to sound like Haley Mills in "Pollyanna"). Nearly everyone I know has a long list of relationships that for some reason didn't last. But many of them have since found someone who has wanted to build a world with them. I wish you well on your version of this journey.

Liz, it will take your body a bit of time to accustom itself to the lack of chemical boost it had gotten used to. But before long things should even out. But consider this as well: Is is possible that there are other forces at work here? Could you be recoiling from an added stress?

As for the sermons, well, some preachers preach AT people and others preach FOR them. It is a sad truth (I think) that, while many believe that they are "called" to that line of work, only a few are truly gifted. Your alternative choice sounds to me like a good one. What greater gifts can you give children than your time and your affection?

In general the statistics on keeping New Years resolutions present a rather abysmal outlook on the odds of someone keeping them. I read one poll that stated over 80 percent of the resolutions are trashed before the end of January. I can't blame anyone for avoiding them. This is one of only a few years that I have bothered to make any resolutions.

BDBR, it sounds as if you were well on your way. I used to do the bars with a guy who could down a mug of beer without needing to swallow. He was FAST!! We kept ourselves in beer by taking bets on who was the fastet. He always won. However, I doubt that he could attain the goal you have set forth. It seems a shame that there are so very many things like that which don't really pay for themselves and which just seem to suck up the money. I guess that's one reason I never owned a darkroom, for instance.