So thank you, Moni, for giving me my online presence name way ahead of time. :)

P.S. The whole saying bye-bye to the blog thing didn’t work.

Mario Benedetti, a prolific Uruguayan writer whose novels and poems reflect the idiosyncrasies of Montevideo’s middle class and a social commitment forged by years in exile from a military dictatorship, died Sunday at his house in Montevideo, his secretary said. He was 88.

Called “Don Mario” by his friends, the mustachioed author penned more than 60 novels, poems, short stories and plays, winning honors including Bulgaria’s Jristo Borev award for poetry and essays in 1985, and Amnesty International’s Golden Flame in 1986. In 1999 he won the Queen Sofia prize for Iberoamerican poetry (Associated Press).

I signed up for the Holidailies and before that one was over, I signed up for NaBloPoMo thinking I could do it. And then this weekend came, with important things happening, a friend dying, my having a mini-breakdown. So I didn’t post for 3 days straight and I felt guilty. That is stupid! Last night I said it wasn’t fun, this is a hobby, this is a blog… I left NaBloPoMo.

The 365 Project on Flickr has a great premise. But it didn’t work for me when I tried to do it. At the end of the day I was desperate looking for a photo to take because I simply forgot, as if I was getting paid to do it. And yes, I’m here thinking that everything in life requires a little bit of commitment, but like I said… I don’t want something I enjoy to become an obligation. I have enough of those already to make my online life another one.

I’m back to posting whenever I feel like it, without having to rummage through my brain looking for a subject that won’t make people yawn. And it feels great!

Charities. They seem like a good option when people want to give you gifts for Christmas, but you really don’t feel like receiving anything. Yes, it happens. Yes, it’s happening to me. I think I have everything I NEED now. The WANT part, I’m learning to manage it because… I don’t know… I’ve been enlightened? Pffft! I guess I just got enough things for my birthday. Anyhoo!

Someone asked me once what charities would be good to donate to. There are so many, you have to be careful about which ones you can actually trust. If I had to pick my top 5 they would be :

- Diabetes Research Foundation
- Amnesty International
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- World Wildlife Fund
- Bread for the World

Which ones are in your top 5?

John and I have had this old set of patio chairs since I moved here. We barely use it, and I don’t know what’s keeping us from just putting them in the trash (not even good for good will). I noticed the fabric was tore down, and I blamed it on the weather. Last week, I realized there was another reason.

It happened when I saw Maia running all over the place wanting to “say” something; I looked outside the patio door and I saw a huge gray and white animal which I thought was another cat. I was wrong… it was a huge (and when I say huge, I mean HUGE) squirrel, that I suppose was a male, with something big in its mouth: A piece of the chair filling or whatever you want to call that (we call it huata in Spanish).

Yes, the chairs were in bad condition thanks to this squirrel who has been stealing the fabric of the chairs and everything inside, probably to make a good napping spot for Winter. I sure hope it’s warm at his house.

No, I am not trying to be tragic or talk about the Armageddon. But the Mayan prophecy about the transition that will supposedly happen on December 21st, 2012 has been following me everywhere I go these days. I have to be honest and say it is more than common that I will see titles about this when I’ve visited the bookstore more often lately; but I’ve also seen it on TV, YouTube, the pharmacy, internet ads. So I started wondering about it.

Do I really want to read about what the Mayans said would happen? Yes. But at the same time I wonder if I really want to make my brain burst with an overload of things I will probably not be able to comprehend. And then there comes Physics and Astronomy in the equation… No thanks! But I’m still curious. And I found some pieces of information, mostly for my own knowledge, but since I’m supposed to post something on my blog today, I might as well share it.

Mayan End Times Prophecy — This will give you more or less general information about what the Mayans predicted, and what (according to them) would happen. Mind you is a long read, but if you’re interested, you may find it entertaining. It’s a little bit scary for me, but that’s because I relate everything that sounds apocalyptic with fear.

No Doomsday in 2012 — An explanation of why there won’t be such thing as Doomsday on 12.21.2012. And that’s the one I’m more interested in, probably because I think there’s still too much to do for the human kind to go belly up right before Christmas.

Nobody really has the answer, and Doomsday is something many people obsess about. From religious individuals, to cults, and even scientists. What is there for a mere mortal like me to do? Rationalize the fact that there is a big need for better things, and that the world is definitely not going through peachy times. But I can’t spend my time thinking when it all will end… I would go nuts. Besides, let’s say I start getting ready and anxious and I die before Doomsday. There went all my energy when I could’ve used it in a better way.

The resources are many online and offline. I might read a few, just because I’m curious like that. But I think Doomsday for me will be the day when I lose all hope. And I don’t plan to do that.

Right now we’re at home with the Peruvians and Mike. They are playing Guitar Hero, and I’m here in the line of duty because I signed up for the Holidailies and I was supposed to start today.

I’ll post about my birthday tomorrow. I have two White Russians and half a glass of wine in my head, so I can’t think clearly. It was fun… Thank you so much, everyone!

Now if only I could figure out how to create a decent archives page…