Resolutions for the new year

Young Chang

Are you making a list and checking it twice? No, not the list of who

gets what, the other list. The one about what you are giving to yourself

in the upcoming year.

Some of the artisans who live and work in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa

gave us their goals and resolutions for 2001.

David Emmes and his wife, Paula Tomei, are spending New Year’s in

London.

The couple, traveling with South Coast Repertory’s annual London

theater trip, will spend time at Royal Albert Hall and dine at London’s

oldest restaurant -- Rules -- with trustees of South Coast Repertory,

where Emmes is an artistic director.

They also will see shows at London’s many theaters.

“It’s one of the places you want to keep in touch with,” Emmes said.

“London is the theatrical mecca of the world, and it’s always exciting to

see theater there in this time of year.”

His goal is to make it to London at least once a year to show-shop.

Jerry Mandel, president of the Orange County Performing Arts Center,

would like to become “really good” on his saxophone. He played until he

graduated from college, stopped for 30 years and picked it up again in

March.

“I enjoy it, I love it and it’s fun, and it’s an accomplishment,”

Mandel said. “And it just mentally feels good.”

Mandel, 60, said he would also like to be more physically fit in 2001.

Brian Langston, spokesman for the Orange County Museum of Art, shares

this resolution.

“I want to quit smoking, but this is about the 10th year in a row I’ve

resolved that. And I’d like to stop gorging myself to the normal extent,”

said the trim Langston.

Corona del Mar artist Tony DeLap, whose exhibit of sculptural

paintings is on display at the Orange County Museum of Art, resolves to

get better and better at what he does.

“You always think that the next painting or next drawing you make is

going to be the one that you have been trying to make,” he said,

laughing.

Singer and songwriter Kimberlee, who will perform songs from her debut

album, “Learning How to Love,” at Borders Books, Music & Cafe in Costa

Mesa today, said she will try to live the lesson of her album title in

the upcoming 12 months.

“Just learning how to love,” she said. “And with a new twist on that,

which is learning how to love myself. If you can’t love yourself in a

healthy way, you can’t love others in a healthy way.”