Every year on Groundhog Day, my friends–such as Liz and Treby, from when I was but a wee BoomTown (well, I am still wee)–call me with holiday greetings.

Why? Because freakish child that I was, I actually threw an annual Groundhog Day fest at school, complete with a cake–I used a rabbit-shaped pan, cut off its ears and added slivered almonds as teeth.

My premise: There was no good holiday between Christmas/New Year’s and Easter. Also groundhogs were deeply misunderstood.

So, as I take off to bake another cake with the kids–passing on a noble tradition–here are some videos to enjoy.

By the way, groundhog No. 1, Punxsutawney Phil, did see his shadow, so winter continues!

Super Bowl ad featuring Troy Polamalu as Punxsutawney Phil:

Cat vs. Groundhog:

Tiger Woods vs. “Caddyshack” gopher (which kind of looks like a groundhog–see differences here):

The inevitable Best Scenes from the most excellent “Groundhog Day” movie:

Groundhog Day 2010 in Punxsutawney, Pa. (with the dude who played Ned Ryerson in “Groundhog Day,” who does a weird whistling bellybutton thing!!!):

Phil, the most widely known Groundhog Day mascot, is set to emerge from his burrow in the early hours of the morning. According to the Groundhog Day legend, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, there will be an early spring. Eager Phil followers can sign up to receive the news by texting “Groundhog” to 247365 ahead of time.

“Punxsutawney Phil holds the fate of winter close to the vest and in his stump until daybreak on Feb. 2, but the moment he emerges you can be among the first to learn of the forecast on your mobile phone,” the Pennsylvania tourism office said in a press release.

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Oh dear.

Even more waiting for Yahoo to turn itself around? Until 2009? Really? Another 100 days, and another, and another and then more than half of another?

This is starting to feel very, very familiar.

Too familiar.

Well, it did take seven months to replace Farzad Nazem as CTO at a–um, well–technology-dependent company, so perhaps the glacial pace of non-change change planned for the Internet giant should not come as too much of a surprise.

Still, any surprise or new development from Yahoo might be more welcomed by Wall Street, which decidedly did not like much of what it heard from CEO and Co-Founder Jerry Yang or other Yahoo top execs during their fourth quarter and year-end earnings session yesterday.

After the underwhelming call, which came after the markets had closed, Yahoo shares were off almost 10% in after-hours trading, falling below a dangerous $20 level to $18.89.

Or, as I like to call it, takeover territory. Or even, as many media and tech players I talked to recently have been suggesting more fervently, the land where Yahoo merges with AOL or eBay.

But, really, who knows? Even, it seems, Jerry Yang.

He used the term “head winds” to characterize Yahoo’s sober guidance for the future, even as Yahoo had a sharp drop-off in net profit for the quarter.

Oddly, he did not highlight the much ballyhooed layoffs, which might number about 1,000. Or not–because some laid off can look for other jobs at Yahoo in more promising product areas. Got that?

I don’t and that’s probably the most critical problem Yahoo faces. Still, right after the call, Yang and his top execs went back into the cone of silence they have been living in, which is located in their cozy cave of noncommunication, without further comment.

Incredibly, reporters were asked to email or text any follow-up questions and given no access to anyone in charge.

While Yang and others there often note that they have their heads down–remember, there are scary head winds out there and potential hair-mussing dangers!–and don’t have time for such things, even Punxsutawney Phil knows that the only way winter ends is if you come out of your hole and don’t get scared looking at your own shadow.