Some things you should do in 2008

The holidays are nearly over, tax time is looming and -- although with the start of winter we've begun gaining a bit more light every day -- the sun has seemed to be taking a vacation of its own …

But before you crawl back into bed a curl up for a long winter's nap, remember there are some things to get excited about this year. From the serious to the silly and the self-indulgent to the selfless, here are some things you can do to make 2008 a great year in the Chicago suburbs.

Follow politics more than Paris Hilton: On Feb. 5, we elect narrow the field of candidates to lead local governments, schools and courthouses. Sixty-four percent of U.S. citizens eligible to vote cast their ballots in the 2004 presidential election --the highest turnout since 68 percent voted in the 1992 presidential election, according to the U.S. Census bureau. Let's set another record this year. A Google search for "Paris Hilton" finds more than 47 million hits; the same search for "presidential election" gets fewer than 7 million hits. While voting can seem like a chore, these are the leaders that will shape our future, decide if we go to war, how much we pay in taxes and where we build our schools. Why not give it as much attention as we give misbehaving celebrities?

Thrill your tastebuds: Try roasted venison loin in a pool of parsnip-pear puree at Niche in Geneva (14 South Third Street; (630) 262-1000; nichegeneva.com). Chef/founder Jeremy Lycan will prepare that dish and several others at the James Beard House in New York later this month. Lycan and sommelier and co-founder Jody Richardson were invited by the James Beard Foundation to showcase their locally inspired, contemporary American menus.

Treat yourself: Get a manicure, and a martini -- at the same time -- only at Martini Manicures in Algonquin (1209 S. Main Street; (847) 658-8116; martinimanicures.net). This isn't just a girlie thing; guys can get a MANicure for $30.

Reduce your carbon footprint: Whether you agree with all the prophecies of global warming or not, what can it hurt to help the planet a bit? Do something easy like switching to florescent bulbs, harder like recycling children's clothing and toys at Habitat for Humanity ReStores in Gurnee and Elgin (www.freecycle.org) or really tough like buying a hybrid car or using a manual lawn mower. You'll not only be doing the planet a favor, you'll be saving yourself money. For more information, see our Living Green series (http://www.dailyherald.com/special/07/green/index.asp.

Enjoy a good book festival: This free regional festival is pretty much a book lover's paradise. The annual Midwest Literary Arts Festival, held in downtown Aurora the first full weekend of October, will feature dozens of national best-selling authors providing readings, panel discussions, interviews and book signings. There also will be writer's workshops. For more information, visit www.midwestliteraryfestival.com.

Drink Juleps in the 'burbs: Want a taste of The Kentucky Derby? Visit Mint Julep Bistro in Palatine, opening in January. Yes, word on the street is they make a heck of a stiff bourbon cocktail. Whether or not you don a big, floppy hat is up to you.

Reduce your debt: We Americans owe $2.5 trillion dollars in consumer debt and the latest figures from 2006 show there were 1.5 million bankruptcy filings. Americans are roughly $786 billion dollars in credit debt and that number is expected to grow to $965 billion this year. Of the 2 million to 2.5 million Americans who seek credit counseling each year, the average person owes $43,000 in credit card debt, according to government figures. Reducing your debt isn't easy - there's no magic wand that will make it all disappear. But don't be overwhelmed; start small and build. If you save $100 a month, in 10 years you'll have $174,928. Try bringing a soda to work rather than pumping 70 cents into the pop machine. A 12-pack of Coke, not on sale, at Jewel costs $2.49. That turns out to be just 20 cents a can.

Run, walk or ride: Get to know the 'burbs by seeing them on foot or bike. There are hundreds of events throughout the suburbs each year. Most races donate a portion of the entry fee to a charity, so you're not only having fun and getting healthier, you're helping someone out.

Get a new perspective: Take a ride up the Naperville Moser Tower, a 160-foot-tall, 14-stories-high structure that houses the Millennium Carillon. Or, if you're feeling really energetic -- climb the stairs. However you choose to get up, the open-air Observation Deck presents a unique view of Naperville, and even the Chicago skyline on clear days. The 72-bell carillon is one of the world's largest. For more information, visit www.naperville-carillon.org

Sport a little spirit: See a game in the suburbs. In addition to the Schaumburg Flyers and Kane County Cougars and the Wolves in Rosement, the Chicago Bandits are taking their game to Elgin.

Go to a Blackhawks game: We know, we know, we've been tooting the Hawks' horn all season long, but we have good reasons! The Bears will be golfing all winter, the Bulls are underachievers, and Spring Training doesn't start until February, so what are you waiting for? Rocky Wirtz and his hired marketing gun, former Cubs guru John McDonough, are righting the ship on Madison Street with the help of the NHL's two most dynamic rookies (Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane), a Stanley Cup-tested goaltender (Nikolai Khabibulin) and an emerging superstar (Patrick Sharp).

Learn five courtesy phrases in a different language: There are more than 190 internationally recognized countries and about 6,800 known languages spoken worldwide. Mandarin, Spanish, English, Arabic and Hindi are estimated to be the most spoken. Here in the United States, Spanish is spoken at home by 34 million people, including about 1.2 million in the Chicago metro area, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Here are five courtesy phrases in Spanish:

"Good morning, how are you?" "Buenos dias, como está?"

"Can you help me, please?" "Puede ayudarme, por favor?"

"Sorry, I don't understand" "Lo siento, no entiendo"

"I like your purse/car" "Me gusta su bolsa/carro"

"Your son/daughter is very cute" "Su hijo/a es muy lindo/a"

Let loose your inner musician: Strum yourself silly with Rock Band video game. The faux drum kit and karaoke microphone can make a Mick Jagger out of anyone -- though you'll have to buy the leather pants separately. For those of us who are iTunes addicted, look to see a deal this year where players can download iTunes into Rock Band. If you don't believe us, ask any of the hundreds of thousands of people who bought it over Thanksgiving weekend.

Some natural fun: If cash is tight, a trip to the free Cosley Zoo in Wheaton may be the perfect family activity. The 5-acre, nationally recognized zoo at 1356 N. Gary Ave. has domestic farm animals, native wildlife, a historical train station and more. Special events are held throughout the year, including the holiday Festival of Lights and Trees. Visit www.cosleyzoo.org

See the Foos in Rosemont: The Foo Fighters play Allstate Arena Feb. 25. It was sort of a last-minute add, and is the only Chicago date planned for this tour, in support of their last album.

Give a little of yourself: Tens of thousands of suburban residents live in poverty in the suburbs, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Each week, more than a dozen volunteer groups list their need for help in the Daily Herald. Pick one from the list or find your own. You may find you get more out of it than you put in.

Be a Beauty or a Geek: Rumor has it that Chicago's "Beauty and the Geek" casting call hits town in June.

Or just a techno geek: Try out one of the new GPS-enabled cameras expected to start showing up this year. Tekkies say GPS devices will find the camera's location within 10 seconds of being switched on and will "location stamp" each photo, which sounds a lot more useful than the time stamp we get now.

Leap into the year: What would you do if you had more time? This is the year to do it since it's a leap year. Set aside 24 hours throughout the year to read a book, do a fun project or drive to a destination two hours away and explore a new city.

Get healthy and interesting: Spice up your workout by trying an unusual sport like curling (curlingchicago.org in Northbrook) or mimic Uma in "Kill Bill" and hone your sword-fighting skills. Or if you like to keep your workouts private in your own home and don't care how silly you look, check out an iGallop, which has a "tri-axial riding action" that helps tone your stomach, hips, butt and thighs ($300 at brookstone.com). If nothing else, it'll help you practice for the next time you hop on a mechanical bull. If that's too adventurous, or expensive, try a ropeless jump rope ($50 at jumpsnap.com). The ropeless jump rope is a computer that calculates the number of jumps, talks to you and even makes a snapping noise with each rotation.

Get a taste of Wrigleyville without the traffic: John Barleycorn is set to open its third location (first in the 'burbs) in Schaumburg.

• Beep Entertainment Editor Lisa Balde, Daily Herald Food Editor Deb Pankey, staff writers Sean Stangland and Amy Boerema, and Reflejos reporter Elena Ferrarin contributed to this report.