Okay, Dot (my mom) wanted me to make sure everyone is prepared for Dec. 21st. When I was there for Thanksgiving she said to me, “I want to talk to you about something and I don’t want you to think I am crazy but what are your plans for Dec. 21st?” I looked back at her with a bit of a grin because she has been all about this Mayan calendar for months now – more than months, over a year. So I answered, “Well, if the world is going to end anyways what kind of plans would I need to make?”

Mom (Dot to the rest of you) told me that it wasn’t the end of the world but this was a time that we haven’t experienced in a long time, about 400 years. The 12th baktun is changing to the 13th baktun (by the Mayan calendar standards) on Dec. 21st. The winter solstice with the earth lining up with the sun and the Milky Way galaxy might cause the earth’s polar axis to shift. Or possibly solar flares will wipe up the grids and we will have no access to electricity – wiping out any means of communication for an unprecedented amount of time.

You know what, who the hell knows. BUT one good thing to always have is an emergency plan. What exactly would you do if catastrophe struck? I do have a few plans in place – I know if there is an earthquake I would grab my cats, throw them (not hard) in their cat carrier and drive my ass quickly to Randa, the highest point that is closest to me. Sometimes Felix and I like to drive up there with sandwiches, on a clear day you can see from the North coast to the South coast!

But maybe tomorrow you should stock up on some non-perishable food and water and fill up your car with gas. Have a quick discussion with your loved ones about where they could find you or contact you in case something truly horrible did happen. For instance, I told my mom the first place I would go is to register at the U.S. Consulate. It’s never a bad thing to have an emergency plan in place. Just do it, okay? Dot says so!!

And to end on a lighter note. This is superbly awesome: