The First Sunset of 2008

The First Sunset of 2008, originally uploaded by kai smart.

The New Year is a funny thing.
It comes so soon after Christmas (or as I call it "Tree Day") and has such a different spirit. I think of Christmas as the ultimate nest; woodstoves and thick fog and wet dark forests, whereas the New Year's is a dawn or a sunset- the intimation of something BEYOND where you are now.
I barely recover from the sedative of Christmas before the New Year hits me- wigs and noisemakers and sparkly people and champagne. I celebrate of course, but this year I am frustrated by RESOLUTIONS.

I like the tradition of the New Year's resolution. Always have, and in the begining my resolutions were a lot like everyone else's: start to excercize more, eat better, quit some self-destructive thing or another, lose weight (I was a teenage girl- OF COURSE I resolved that), floss etc. I never did them. No one does. I wasn't bummed by this, it just didn't fit into my schedule or my patterns, and so no big deal. I still resolved things, because I am one who likes, goals, lists, promises, and strange record keeping. I have a notebook from probably around age 11 where I kept track od how many hours I slept each night for 4 months. Then I stopped. I'm now sure if this was something I resolved to do (get enough sleep), but I started it, and then quit. No big deal.

However, a couple years ago (three, to be exact), I decide to make only ONE resolution each New Year's and have them be TOTALLY BITCHIN'. Also, them would eb roll-over resolutions, so if I did not do them that year I still had to achieve them sometime in my lifetime. Hah.

2006: I resolve to see the Northern Lights. Aurora Borealis. This was probably inspired by reading "His Dark Materials" series by Phillip Pullman (the Golden Compass etc.)

2007: I resolve to hold a baby Chimpanzee. This was inspired by me being in Antarctica and not even being able to imagine a baby OR a baby chimpanzee. I could only imagine a penguin, and if anyone touched those they got sent home.

In 2006 I stymied my resolution by going to the South Pole, which is not a good place to see the Northern Lights. I would have probably given myself credit if I saw the Austral Borealis, but I went in summer, so the sun never set at all. Oh well.
In 2007 I made good headway on my baby chimp resolution by tattooing a bunch of "monkey nannies". In the town where I work there is a UC with a really big and important animal behavior department, and so many students work in labs taking care of the animals, testing on them, etc. I actually know someone who milks monkeys. "Monkey Nannies" diaper their charges and feed them and clean cages. As I was tattooing them I brought up the subject of my New Year's resolution, and attempted to weasel my way in.
It was impossible because of the many incidents of animal rights activists trying to break or sneak into the labs and liberate the monkeys. The labs are also very controlled environments, as the monkeys are contributing to science and not really there to be coddled at all. Oh well.
Both of these resolutions have now rolled over and fierce competition for my new New Year's resolution:
(Victorian Crazy quilts, Green Curry in Thailand, Milan tattoo convention, charity percentage, extraordinary houses, Salton Sea, Swim Naked, Volcanos.....)
means that I am going to have a very interesting year!

Obviously, the New Year's has yet to be decided. I will let you know when I decide. Suggestions are taken gladly! Happy New year to all I love and to all that I don't know that i love (yet).