Happy My-Birthday to You!

So, how many does this make? Here's a hint: With the New Moon three days ago, the lunar calendar ushered in the Year of the Rat, and that just happens to be the sort of year I was born in. Got it? OK, so who are my fellow Rats out there?

Here I am with one of my birthday gifts: Hoberman's sphere --- a glow-in-the-dark model, no less! I mention this cool expanding toy in 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s, in Way #8: Play Ball! So it made sense for me to own one, don't you think? At least, that's why I shopped eBay and "gifted" myself. This thing'll be a hoot during my bookstore appearances, I can tell already.

Oh! Have I buried the lead? I do that all the time.

Peg and I have the beginnings of a book tour booked, with gigs in New Mexico and Arizona, as follows:

Wednesday, March 19, at Garcia Street Books, in Santa Fe
Thursday, May 1, at the Duck & Decanter, in Phoenix
Friday, May 2, at Antigone Books, in Tucson.

Meanwhile, a bookstore owner right here in Albuquerque has declined to book us, isn't that nuts? I won't mention his store, because hey! By his own choice he doesn't make the list! But do stay tuned to this blog, as we expect more bookings --- gosh, maybe even one here in town!

But back to birthdays. Don't you just love 'em? I do. And I've always been especially happy that mine comes so soon after New Year's. As a kid, of course, it was a pretty good bet I'd finally get the gift I whined about not getting for Christmas. Nowadays, it's more about having a second crack at the whole Resolutions thing. Hope springs eternal that one day I will truly start living a healthier lifestyle, and indeed, now that our book is coming out, and it talks all kinds about healthier lifestyles, you might say I'm feeling a hard-pressed to Bring It On! To Switch Into Glide with smooth, solid, daily habits of eating right and exercising with a passion.

So today, in my journal, I'm detailing two side-by-side lists, for the sake of self-motivation, titled "The Now Me" & "The New Me." Okay, dig it, because this isn't just about me. "Happy 'My Birthday' to You!" YOU can have another crack at your Resolutions, too! I mean, why NOT? As Thich Nhat Hanh says, each day brings us 24 brand new hours, and thus a fresh start.

But, I know... some days really do have more of a "fresh start" kind of feel than others. New Year's is naturally a biggie, and birthdays can be just as big. Some folks start fresh with the first day of a new month, or on the day of any month's New Moon. Others refresh their efforts weekly, routinely starting again on Monday. Whatever works! Habit-change takes persistence.

Well, here comes a Fresh Start day I'd call four times more auspicious than New Year's: LEAP DAY, Feb. 29, 2008. I've decided to call it "Take a Leap" Day, and I'll be blogging more about it. Indeed, I'll be sharing my plans for a big leap of my own, one that I hope will bring a bit of joy to legions of people. Stay tuned!