Kerry Speckman
Words by Kerry Speckman
It’s that time of year again! Time to make promises to yourself, proclaim them on social media, publicly swear you’re going to stick to them … only to give up by National Pizza Week*. My point here, dear friends, is not to lecture you about sticking to your goals or even make them in the first place. Instead, I wanted share the five most popular resolutions, as reported in a new Forbes Health survey, so you remember you are not alone in your endeavors.
- Improved fitness
- Improved finances
- Improved mental health
- Lose weight
- Improved diet
Or you could just be like me and continue to wear leggings, blow money on things you don’t need and eat like a college student away from home for the first time. Hey, at least I have a psychiatrist on call.
* In case you’re not up on unnecessary food holidays, National Pizza Week is the second Sunday of January.
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Speaking of resolutions, if you are someone looking to stop or limit your drinking of alcohol (which can also improve your finances, mental health and weight; see above), Hearts 4 Minds has released “Mocktails for Meaning,” a free e-book containing a variety of yummy, mocktail recipes to celebrate the season or all year-round. Each mocktail was created by a local restaurant, some of which are served in house as well. Among the alcohol-free treats are the Pomegranate Mule by Culhane’s Irish Pub, Libéluta Margarita (yes, there is a zero-proof tequila alternative) by Tepeyolot Cerveceria and Orange Dragon by Bistro X. Hearts 4 Minds, a local non-profit that aims to break the stigma for those with living with mental illness while refocusing on how mental health is perceived. H4M hopes to “encourage individuals to focus on their mental health” while still enjoying holiday celebrations — or any reason, for that matter. To get your free copy, visit hearts4minds.org/mocktails.
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The Wheel of Fortune LIVE!, hosted by former daytime “Wheel of Fortune” Bob Goen, was in town in mid-December where audience members competed for up to $10,000 and vacations to Paris or Hawaii. Unfortunately, no one won the big money or the trips, but the audience, including yours truly, had a WOnderFul time trying to guess the puzzles, then quietly mocking the contestants for not knowing the answers. (Don’t judge. You know you do the same thing watching it on TV.) The final prize round was especially painful when Dave, who had been killing it on the wheel, ran out of time before he could solve this “Thing”:
CAMERA
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I won’t tell you what the guy behind me responded.
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I know he moved to Austin, but future Grammy winner J. Dash was a Jacksonville resident when his song “WOP” (not to be confused with “WAP”!) was released in 2011. Over the years, the song and it’s accompanying dance went viral with fans doing their own versions, creating millions of view on YouTube and Instagram. Fast forward to 2023 and “WOP” is still killing it with 9 million streams on Spotify by 2.2 million listeners in 183 countries. And a new fan by the name of Paula Abdul. It’s a WOP-per indeed.
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