Miss Cleo....

Since I had a post about our dog, Pace, it is only fair I make a post for "our" cat, Cleo. I put "our" cat because I have never owned/adopted/rescued a cat. I inherited this cat by default. There will be days I will call her our cat, but today is definitely an "our" cat day. The difference is basically when she does something(s) to drive me absolutely bonkers. Last night/this morning is one of those days. Little did I know when I "inherited" this cat, that cats are nocturnal. (We were a dog family) Would have been a deal breaker for me, but..... (Aishiteru that much!)

So, of course, when you want to sleep, cats want to play. Now, most cats could probably get away with not waking your up during the night. However "our" cat is not like most cats. Cleo is, how can I put this lightly..ah yes..a pleasantly plump Calico!! I kid you not. She weighs in at a whopping 20 lbs!! For those of you who are "cat clueless" as I was, the average weight for a cat is between 8-10lbs. I'll do the math for you...Cleo is TWICE that!! So you can just imagine when she plays at night, it sounds like a toddler is running around, with the occasional thump when she jumps. Another phenomenon about "our" Cleo is her purr. Most cats purr "within" themselves. Nope, not Cleo. She HAS to be different in every way, so her purr sounds more like a motor of a 1982 VW Bug-with a broken muffler. In case that didn't put her at the top of the "Special List," she has Hypothyroid disease AND Diabetes! Yes, that is correct, we have to give her a shot of insulin every night.

When Cleo is done with her playing at 4am she moves onto the next part of her routine, eating of course!! Even though we feed her right before we go to bed, she has to let us know she is eating again. She does this by scratching at the bed or jumping on the bed and pawing at our heads. Last night she decided to do both. You know...just in case I didn't notice her jumping into my face. (Note Picture: Imagine that flying towards you at 2am) I was having flashbacks to my younger brother waking me up at 6am because he wanted to play with his WWF Wrestler Action figures and he needed me to ref the matches.

I will admit, she has her moments where she is adorable. She has taken a liking to me, mainly when I am in my chair that allows her to lay on my chest. When she does that, she is kind of cute...until she crushes the air out of my lungs. If

she could just keep the nighttime activity to a minimum and perhaps keep her paws away from my head, that would be great! Thats all for today. Stay warm out there!

Resolution Schmezolution

Congratulations!!! You made it through the first decade of the New Millennium! Now comes the daunting task of making the infamous "New Year's Resolutions." Personally, I have never been a fan of them. Its almost like reverse psychology...you make these resolutions and 9 times out of 10 you break them within 2 weeks. It is a proven fact that it takes about 21 days to form/break a habit. So at least give it a solid 3 weeks!!

I like to call them my goals rather than my resolutions. I also like to make them more general (easier to blur the lines of success). For example, instead of saying "I am going to go to workout at least 3 times a week."; My goal is to live/eat healthier. Being realistic that I am horrible when it comes to working out and things come up that keep me from doing it (i.e. work, friends, being social, etc), I choose this healthier lifestyle goal so I can take baby steps to getting into the shape I want to be in. I know that if I give myself positive reinforcement for having a salad and fries rather than a burger and fries, I will feel better about myself. Thus pushing me to take the next step to use Balsamic Vinaigrette rather than Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing....ok, maybe not that far, but perhaps leave out the fries.

Now, I'm not saying that everyone fails at their resolutions. Some have a lot of more willpower and motivation to succeed and follow through with their resolutions/goals. I, however, am not one of those people. I need to take my baby steps. If I put all my eggs in one basket and go for the big cheese (is that enough clichés for you? ), I am almost certain to fail. With the small/general goals I set, if I can follow through with them, then its a gain. If not, I set new smaller goals. I believe in rewarding yourself and others for the little things. No goal is too small to celebrate once you achieve it.

Anywho, I wish you all luck with you 2010 Resolutions/Goals. If you have any tips on how to "stay the course" feel free to share them. I will keep you posted on any progress I make with my goals. (Notice, I am not disclosing them...just in case!) Ta Ta for now!