Another Year, Another Opportunity to Change

Well, here it is 2012, and once again it is time for the New Year's Resolutions.

As you can guess, my first one is going to be to blog again! I had really been feeling distant from the whole political scene during the past year or so, and it was hard to get up any enthusiasm for writing about much of anything. Even with the heating up of the Republican race, it was hard to get interested in the competition when the competitors were so totally lame and none were really pulling ahead. Now it seems to be coming down to Romney, with Newt Gingrich and even Ron Paul still surprisingly strong. But in the end I think it will be Romney. We will see what happens after the first few contests, starting with Iowa this week. Once the competitor is identified it will be a lot easier to analyze the differences between the Republican contender and President Obama, and writing about them will be much more interesting!

Of course, I also have the usual resolutions to lose weight, exercise, eat at home more, and so on. But let's face it, those are boring, since I make them every year and usually don't stick with them. But I'll give it a try anyway.

I also need to resolve to earn some money - unemployment is running out in February and I need to be more diligent about getting freelance proofreading jobs; or even finding myself a real job. (Hopefully part time!)

Baxter also has a resolution. Here it is:

"I want to tame the New Dog, Angel, who still tries to chase Me if she gets upstairs past the Gate at the top of the Steps. My Humans have brought Angel upstairs on her Leash a few times and managed to get her to stop barking and sit while looking at Me while I make Scary Siren Noises and Loud Hissing to keep her in her Place. Over time I hope this will Subdue Her and maybe I will be able to come back downstairs and join the Family again. I like Sleeping on the Bed at Night but it's not the Same as having Full Run of the House."

So that's it for now, but I will be back again tomorrow and actually write something worthwhile.

In the meantime, Happy 2012 to all my blogging friends and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. Once again my Female Human is not in the Mood to Blog so I will have to pick up the Slack.

Personally I think she is Partied Out. Plus of course she ventured into that place she calls "Work" the last two Days and it probably took a lot out of her.

I hope you All had a Wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah or general Holiday week. I had a Pretty Good Christmas, Myself. My Female Human's Aunt, who can always be Relied Upon to give Me a Gift, provided me with a new Stash of Catnip and a Catnip Mouse, which I joyfully Pounced Upon immediately. That Dog got a rubbery bone thing that she proceeded to Dismantle into small pieces all around the Living Room.

My Humans did not put up that thing they call a Christmas Tree this year. They Celebrated at the Female Human's Mother's place and she had a Tree so they figured that was Good Enough. And now they are Very Happy because they don't have to take it Down.

So let's see, what is New since I last talked to you? Oh yes. That Palin Human's daughter Bristol had her Baby. She named him "Tripp." What is Up with That Family that they can't come up with a normal Name for their Kids? When my Female Human first heard this Name, she thought it was the same as one of the Palin Human's other Kids. Then she remembered his name is Trig, not Tripp. Whatever. It's all kind of Strange.

But of course, we Cats get saddled with all kinds of stupid Names like Bootsie or Mittens (two Names of previous Cats my Female Human once had) or Names like Tiger or Puff. I'm glad I have a Real Name. Of course, as the Poet T.S. Eliot said, "The naming of cats is a difficult matter."

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum-
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

Perhaps these Palins take their Names equally Seriously.

In Other News, that Governor of Illinois the Democrats are trying to get rid of for being a Sleazebag who tried to sell the President-Elect's Senate Seat, has now appointed Someone to fill that Seat: a guy named Burris. No matter how Nice a Guy this Burris Human may be, anybody appointed by the Current Governor would be Highly Suspect. So Everyone is Unhappy with this Turn of Events. The Governor Himself apparently has No Shame whatsoever and is as Arrogant as Ever. We shall see how this plays Out.

My Humans are planning to head up to the Adirondacks again this Weekend, so I am going to be Left Behind once again to Fend for Myself. Luckily, the Female Human's Friend (whom I refer to as the Human Who Serves Me) will be stopping in to make sure I'm OK in their Absence. My Humans want to try out their new Jeep to see if it gets up the Hill to that Property they have up there.

Since it's New Year's Eve, it is time for a few New Year's Resolutions. I'm sure my Female Human may be making some as well, but since I am not Privy to her Concerns I will just let you know Mine. Here they are:

1. I resolve to be Meaner to That Dog so she will Leave Me Alone.
2. I resolve to be More Finicky about the State of my Litter Box.
3. I resolve to play with my Mousey Bird Toy more frequently in the Middle of the Night.
4. I resolve to sleep more during the Day so as to be Well-Rested at 4 a.m. so I can Wake my Humans. They sleep Too Much as it is.
5. I resolve to Eat More in 2009!

I think I'll be able to achieve All of these Resolutions, unlike the ones my Female Human usually makes.

With that I will bid you a Happy New Year. Let us hope that 2009 will be Better for Everyone now that the Obama Human will be President and there will be some Changes made. Things may not become Perfect, but they'll have to be Better.

Tonight I will be Celebrating the New Year Alone as my Humans will be at a Friend's House. Of course, That Dog will be home, but thankfully she sleeps when they're Out. I will snort some Catnip and fall into a pleasant Dreamless Sleep until they Return later tonight. Then I will be wide Awake and able to make sure they know I was Annoyed they were Out all evening.

Happy 2009 to Everyone!

My Slogan for 2008

Welcome To Mauigirl Country.

Enter a word for your own slogan:

Generated by the Advertising Slogan Generator, for all your slogan needs. Get more Mauigirl slogans.

As long as no one thinks it's like "Scarborough Country." Hmmm, maybe this isn't the best slogan...How about:

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Mauigirl.

Enter a word for your own slogan:

Generated by the Advertising Slogan Generator, for all your slogan needs. Get more Mauigirl slogans.

Thanks to Freida Bee for posting this cool "slogan generator" on her blog - go check it out and help her pick her best slogan! I could keep doing this all day...

But I digress.

It is New Year's Day and it is obligatory to have the look back on the previous year and perhaps make a few resolutions. I know, I know, we always break them, but if you don't have them in the first place you have nothing to regret at the end of the next year, and that would be boring.

I just want to say thanks to all the great blogfriends I've met during the past year - thanks for all your support and encouragement and friendship throughout the year. I've loved meeting all of you in cyberspace and reading all of your wonderful blogs.

I've only been doing this since September of 2006 and didn't really find my niche until later on, so this has all been quite a great learning experience!

I loved participating in NaBloPoMo and living up to the challenge of posting something every single day.

I hope to be able to keep up a frequent pace in the upcoming year and to post more frequently on Medicana and perhaps finally post at least another post on my travel blog!

OK, I guess those are two resolutions right there.

The others include the usual: losing weight, cooking dinner at home more often (which will result in losing weight), going back to yoga (I was really doing it faithfully once a week a couple of years ago and then just stopped), and yes, trying to get to work earlier. I mean, 10:15 is really pushing the envelope.

And last but definitely not least, I want to make more effort in some of the community activities I'm involved in, including historic preservation and my local park conservancy - and by actually producing four quarterly newsletters for my neighborhood association in 2008.

(The quarterly newsletter, of which I am editor, has been languishing as more of a "thirdly" newsletter the last two years, due to my usual procrastination. If "thirdly" is a word.)

Some of these resolutions will be more achievable than others!

Best wishes for a great 2008 to you all! And may all your resolutions come true!