Happy Chinese New Year

February 7, 2008 is the Chinese New Year. It's very convenient for those of us who have already failed our Jan. 1 New Year's Resolutions to start anew. Second chances are great, so here's to Round 2 of making resolutions we won't keep!

My resolutions are:

1. Will learn to cross-country ski. I will learn to at least make one run while spending more time on the skis than on my ass.

2. Will have accomplished one household task before the kids are awake in the morning. Will wake up five minutes before the kids do.

3. Will start a blog. Yay! I've kept this one! I'm cheating a little as it's a holdover from Jan. 1. . .

4. Will post regularly to said blog. Uh- oh.

5. Will be in bed by 11 p.m. every night. Sad, pathetic people set their own bedtimes. I am one of them. No hiding it now. I just want to get up and not feel tired all of the time.

6. Will send birthday greetings on time. (Have already failed miserably for this after Jan. 1, but seriously, why are half of my friends born in January? After Christmas is really not a good time for me. From now on, I will not make friends who are born earlier than March 1.)

7. Will learn to love accept my body as it is. This is a bit of a joke, considering that I was always trying to lose five/ten pounds, even in the days I could sport a bikini with a reasonable amount of confidence. It's not going to get any better so I might as well learn to love what I have now! My biggest fear now is that if I actually lose ten pounds, my boobs will deflate and hang right over my very attractive muffin-top. Yum! Seven is a very lucky man.

And in honor of the Chinese New Year, did you know. . .
I love this kind of stuff!

2008 is the Year of the Rat. The Rat year is the first year in the Chinese zodiac.

Year of the Rat is a good year to start something new. Things that you start this year should stand the test of time.

Rat people are quick-witted, intelligent and charming. They are compatible with Dragon, Monkey and Ox.

Once upon a time the emporer held a race to cross a great river. All of the animals were invited to enter. The twelve that finished first had a year named after them. The ox, big and strong, plowed slowly and steadily through the current. Being kind, and apparently not so bright, the ox let the rat and the cat sit on his back to get across. Right at the end, the rat pushed the cat into the water (nice fellow), jumped to land first and won the race. That's why he is first in the Zodiac.

Want to know what happens next? Tune in next year! Or google it. Your choice.