By the time you read this column, the gifts will have been exchanged and torn open. You might have already fielded the relationship questions from relatives. Or maybe you've already gone to the mall for the post-Christmas sales bonanza or to exchange that hideous scarf.

Or maybe you've spent the day recovering from a hangover from all the eggnog, champagne and other alcoholic beverages you greedily, and maybe bitterly, chugged at some holiday fiesta.

Whatever the case, the new year is coming, and it's coming fast.

Some of you might be saying good riddance to 2007, eager to put this year behind you and start clean. Some of you might be nostalgically holding on to the cherished memories, good times and good luck tallied in the past year.

I'm doing a little bit of both. While I am excited to see what 2008 has in store for me, there are certain moments and encounters I wish I could relive.

And no, I'm not going into detail.

I'm not usually into the New Year's resolution thing — my attention span is too short, and I lack general discipline. Furthermore, the very core of the word “resolution” invokes resolve, and I can spend 10 minutes at Sonic just trying to decide if I want fries or tater tots — oh, and there are onion rings, too?

I'm also not very goal-oriented. Which isn't to say I'm not driven — when I want something, I usually go after it. But it's generally a dogged chase, not methodical step-by-step planning to achieve those goals.

Except when it comes to the opposite sex.

I've always envied those of you who can just walk up to someone and declare your adoration or attraction. You see what you want and go after it (and sometimes too persistently. Despite the old adage, persistence is not always a virtue).

If you're anything like me, you rely on passive glances, smiles, maybe a casual hello. And you just hope the object of your affection latches on to the bait.

While this has worked for me pretty successfully in the past, I think I'm ready to switch it up a bit and step outside of my comfort zone. That said, my New Year's resolution is this: To be a little braver. Some huevos, if you will.

This is for you, the guy who lives in my complex who left a sweet note on my car windshield inviting me to dinner and to which I have yet to respond.

This is also for you, the guy at the sushi bar at Central Market whose face lights up in a smile when you see me, and who always makes a point to say hello (sometimes twice during the same visit).

But mostly, this is for me. And here's to a happy new year.