Laissez les bon temps roulez!

So today is Ash Wednesday and that means yesterday was Fat Tuesday...and as they say in New Orleans, laissez les bon temps roulez! Well I already did that this weekend because on Sunday we watched the Giants TOTALLY surprise us with a Superbowl win...who knew Tom Brady would end up sacked or on the ground so much? There were lots of chicken wings and beer followed by jumping up and down and yelling - YAY! I'm not even into football so much, but when I was home at Xmas, I watched the Giants vs. the Patriots with Aunt Judy and got a little into it..and I always felt bad for Eli because so much pressure was on him being Peyton's little brother.On Monday we celebrated Ly's birthday in Colonial Style - keeping the theme from our trip to Historic Jamestown last year. We displayed Colonial Attitude by wearing paper pilgrim bonnets while playing The Settler's Game:

This was my first time playing and as the others predicted, I LOVED IT. It's sort of like Colonial Dungeons and Dragons although not really role playing - unless you'd like to I suppose. Maybe next time, I'll whip up a character. I did insist that we refer to each other as Goody Lozano, Goody Chung, Goody Swarts and Goodman Ngyuen though. Goody Chung won, her settlement turned into a few cities and roads that stretched from coast to coast ... and she had a port and so could acquire many goods. We topped it off with a wonderful baked ziti, courtesy of Goody Lozano and a tiramisu from Goody Chung and a promise to play the game again soon...

After these excesses, I believe that now is the time for being more disciplined and orderly and for giving things up and getting life on track - its also Chinese New Year on Thurday - the Year of the Rat - and a New Moon. So that being said, I think its time for the real New Year to start - a new beginning, a straightening up, all those good things. All those resolutions you made and gave up already - today is the day to begin again. At least for me anyhow.

Here's what I know about the Year of the Rat:

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.

Most auspicious! So Happy Year of the Rat, y'all and good luck with whatever you choose to "begin again" today!