With the world turning into rich internet applications (aka 2.0 world), I wonder why there aren’t more useful 2.0 applications that help me deal with personal relationships.

1. Predictions
There’s farecast for predicting when flights will cost more. But why isn’t there a tool out there that will tell me when the best time call someone is? Or when they will actually answer the phone and not let it go to voicemail? Or better yet, tell me when someone is too cranky and needs a cool-off period. Or simply, warning, someone has PMS–be careful around her. If a 2.0 tool can do that, that would be nice.

2. Recognition over recall
More than ever, I don’t have to keep a vast knowledge of names, figures, movies, and what DTMFA means anymore. Thanks to Wikipedia, urbandictionary.com and now image recognition. But how about a 2.0 tool that could tell me…if I was making the same mistake again. George Santayana’s quote those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it would be handy now.

Somewhat delayed, but I just read about a man who spent $30 for one month on food.

For the month of November, I’m only spending $30 on food. The only exception will be things that are freely available to the average person (salt taken from restaurants, sauce packets from Taco Bell, free coffee from an office). Buying in advance is fine, but at the end of the month, it all has to add up to $30 or less.

After my college and grad school days, I am somewhat critical of that idea. In undergrad, there were times that I went without food mostly out of inconvenience (aka I am a roll with this project why waste time eating) or frugality (spending $5 on a salad? no way!) And in grad school, I often survived days with just bananas and yogurt.

Regardless, now, I can’t stand going through the day without eating something every hour. Every day, I bring a small bag of food. A banana. A trail mix bar. Yogurt. An entree (usually a bowl of fried rice or potatoes). Cheese. Then when I run out toward the end of the day, I drink water. I have discovered that if I don’t do this, during meetings and the silent moments in my office, my stomach grumbles noisily. We all know it’s me and not my coworkers.

I still spend about $10/week on groceries (but more on eating out with people). But spending as little as possible to save money, yet eat unhealthy? That’s what I don’t like about the idea. Even though it almost seems contradictory, spend more money to eat healthy (organics?) and eat less. And besides, I often bring lunch to work. The glory of that is that I get a few moments to myself of the great view of San Francisco downtown from my office window.

For the last few months, I have noticed that the most common hit from Google for this blog is “jenn”. At first, I wondered why people would be searching just for that name going through so many sites to get to my blog.

Then today, I went to Google and searched for “jenn”. of.jennism comes up as number 8. Scary or simply wonderful?

I have never liked making promises I cannot keep. And it’s that time of the year again. A time to make resolutions that people often forget within a moment’s time.

And isn’t the biggest resolution always: lose weight

How cliched. To lose that 20. That 50. To be more happier? To be more healthy? There’s so many of us who wish to be thinner and slender because media tells us we should be. We spot that new commercial–we see the thin people happy and we see that they are having a great time with their new insurance. Our pursuit of happiness is defined by what others define as happiness. I don’t deny that I am caught in the same pattern.

And then there’s the thought of eating less. Eat nothing for a whole day. Then indulge yourself the next. Then a gym? No running because that will cause thick thighs. Perhaps sit ups. 10 should do, right? And then a month later, it’s forgotten. Myths and hopes.

But isn’t every day a progression in self-improvement? I have looked in the photos of myself in the last few years. When my sister’s high school reunion rolled around, you couldn’t help but think who gained weight? (she did notice her high school bully grew twice the size). You just didn’t want to be the one with that label. I am willing to admit that I wasn’t perfect.

So a few days ago when I heard “lose weight” as a new year’s resolution, I said almost immediately “but you’re not…” I realized how easily I overlook these things. What is the point of a resolution if you’re not happy with yourself first?

Last year, I mentally told myself to be less self-centered and more considerate of others. Still working on that.

But a line to describe my 2006: in every gray cloud, there is a silver lining.

“So…which boyfriend are you?” a friend asked the guy standing next to me.

Embarrassed, my face was as pink as the rosé champagne I brought to the holiday party earlier in the month, sitting on the counter nearby.