I hate new year resolutions...

...because I can never seem to keep them.

Lose weight?

Quit smoking?

Stop bad habits?

Spend more time with friends and family?

Live more frugally?

Get more exercise?

Sure, they all sound good and are reachable goals...but the reality is usually different. What is the old saying -- The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Well, okay, maybe it's not that drastic. But hey, it's hard to maintain momentum, don't you agree?

Except this year must be different for me. I need to do all of the above list of resolutions. But the most important one -- at least right now -- is get more exercise.

I've mentioned before about having osteoarthritis and having had total hip replacement, not once but twice on the same hip. It's pretty much shot at this point. I could walk okay for very short distances, but any lengthy walking wore me out quickly. I'm talking about walking from the parking lot at the mall to the front door. I'd be limping badly by the time I got there. Seriously. The weak leg was that weak.

Lately I've been having trouble with my good leg. My orthopedic surgeon didn't have a clue why. I was afraid I'd need hip replacement on my "good" leg too, but the x-rays didn't show any serious osteoarthritis problem. So the only conclusion I can come up with is that the years and years and years of putting extra pressure on the good leg to make up for the weakness in the bad leg has finally seriously damaged the muscles and joint.

It's like bursitis of the hip or something. The muscles have become so tight and strained I can't get in and out of the car without pain. I've always lain on my good side while sleeping, since it was uncomfortable to lie on the bad side. I truly believe that the constant pressure is to blame for where I find myself today.

Which is requiring a walking cane to walk at all.

I'm not kidding. I'm only 58 years old and the condition isn't bad enough (so they say) to be able to apply for disability, so I have no choice but to keep working until retirement age. But having to use a cane to walk severely limits my job opportunities, not to mention who's going to hire me?

So I think my only choice is to exercise both legs more, in hopes that by strengthening the muscles, the pressure -- and limping -- will be if not eradicated, at least lessened somewhat. But walking for exercise is obviously out of the question. I do have a bicycle, and as soon as the weather improves I'll just have to make time for bike riding every day and hope the situation improves.

It sucks growing older....but I guess it's better than the alternative!

What are your new year resolutions? Besides the usual ones, is there something you feel you simply must do to get your life back on track?