Happy New Year!

Lunar New Year is this Sunday, and guess what? It’s the Year of the Dog!

According to the Eastern Zodiac, those born in this year will be loyal, honest, and can keep secrets. They don't necessarily care about wealth but always seem to have money. They also "always stick to their firm codes of ethics.” With all this, according to Momma, Dogs therefore make perfect CPA’s! This is eerie since both of the named partners at Momma's firm actually are “Dogs” born in 1946. Other Dog years include 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, and 1994. You can read more about Dog traits here or on a Chinese restaurant place mat near you.

I was born in 1998, which makes me a Tiger.

“Tiger people are sensitive, given to deep thinking, capable of great sympathy.”

True.

“They can be extremely short-tempered, however.”

Not True.

“Other people have great respect for them, but sometimes tiger people come into conflict with older people or those in authority.”

My mommas are a Rat and a Rabbit. Technically, they are lunch.

“Sometimes Tiger people cannot make up their minds, which can result in a poor, hasty decision or a sound decision arrived at too late.”

Sometimes, if I have to decide between behaving and making my own lunch from the pantry, I have trouble. This is especially if my mommas have been gone for a long time and I determine they are never coming back. And by “a long time,” I mean half an hour…

“They are suspicious of others, but they are courageous and powerful.”

All true! Fascinating!

Of course, I’m not sure how this all relates in terms of dog years. Dog years are 10.5 dog years per the first two human years, and then 4 dog years per each human year thereafter. (This is a formula based on the fact that we dogs mature more quickly than you humans – here’s a fun calculator for you.) So if I’m 45 in human years (or put another way, my momma is 5 in dog years), I’m the older, hense wiser, of the two of us. Cool.

Even though neither of my mommas typically celebrates the Lunar New Year, we have decided to celebrate this year, albeit not with the festive fireworks and sticky round sweets, but with chili and beer and the Duke-UNC Women’s basketball game. Arguably, the chili is a brilliant red and has lots of round beans so it will a passable. We may break out the mahjong though. Eh, who are we kidding? It’s all an excuse to send our holiday cards a regrettable month overdue.
Happy New Year, folks! You’ll be getting your card shortly!



For more astrology: http://chinese.astrology.com/dog.html

Diet Time!

From the UK (news.Scotsman.com)

Pet owners failing to help animals fight flab
PET owners are failing to help their animals work off their Christmas excess despite a third of domestic animals in the UK being overweight, a survey showed today.
Nearly four out of 10 owners admitted their pet put on weight during the Christmas period, with 46 per cent saying they even prepared a special Christmas meal for them.
But despite this only 13 per cent of people questioned said they planned to put their animal on a New Year diet or exercise regime to help them get back into shape, according to Halifax Pet Insurance. The group warned that overweight pets were more likely to develop problems such as heart complaints, diabetes and arthritis.
It is calling on owners to find out what their pet's ideal weight is and take steps to help them maintain it.

Okay, I’ve been on “weight maintenance” dog food for years now. And I’m getting pretty trim. In fact, I thinks it’s my momma that better get on that treadmill. Walk me more!