.."Each year people get the idea that they must make New Year's resolutions. I've never quite understood the motivation, myself. If I had some bad behavior in my life...eating too much, drinking too much, spending too much...that I wanted to give up, I'd certainly know it before New Years Day. If there was some improvement I wanted to make...losing a pile of weight, continuing my education, donating all my old clothes to charity...it would make more sense to start earlier in the year. Still, a new year makes many of us think of a clean slate, where we can create our own new reality with nothing more than really good intentions.

Well, in that spirit , let's see what I might resolve...
(give me a moment, here)
Well, I could...no, that wouldn't be practical.
All right, I'll start...

...Hmmm, this is tougher than it looks. I have no bad habits at all, of course, so it's impossible to choose something to give up. I'd donate my clothes to charity, but who, besides me, really wants to run around in black stagewear and high heeled boots?

I have it; I'll do things a little bit differently...
here are some things I'll resolve not to give up:

1. I won't give up singing. I like it too much and I'm too old to train for another career. And people seem to like it, for some reason.

2. I won't give up on trying to see good in people. I get taken in, on occasion, but I'd rather greet each day with dumb hope than with paranoid caution.

3. I won't give up peanut butter. My father taught me that it had curative powers, was easy to use and was better than most anything in this world. I know wherever my Dad is, they have peanut butter. Heaven wouldn't deserve the reputation it has without it.

... There. Resolutions I can keep. I hope your resolutions (if you can't resolve to avoid making them altogether) will include taking the opportunity to get out to one of my shows this year. That would be great. And, I hope your memories of 2006, even the best of them, aren't as good as the ones you'll make in 2007. May we all find peace, fulfillment and plenty of peanut butter in the coming year."