"Did I just say that out loud?"

The -55 windchill didn't stop me from having a good time up in North country this weekend. Neither did the five-hour power outage that knocked out heat and lights in all of the lodge except for the lobby. Nor did my eight falls and one minor head injury during cross country skiing. I had such a good time, in fact, that I didn't even mind when Dave, standing right in front of the receptionist, held out the room key and said matter-of-factly, "You go ahead and poop. I'll check us out."

Josephine

I had brunch today with some old pals. I am very much in love with their two-year-old daughter who, when her four-month-old brother pulled her finger, exclaimed, "He's pulling my finger!" and then, with great effort, tried to fart. I knew her father in college. This is his doing. Trust me.

San Diego

I took this photo with my cell phone and recently figured out how to transfer it to my computer. As you can see, I've been working hard over my break.

Resolution: Be a Better Sport Win More Games

Dave and I spent the New Year's holiday at his family's cabin. He taught me how to play cribbage. I lost 8 of the 9 games we played. At one point I got so mad I threw down my cards and stormed out of the room. This scene was reminiscent of last New Year's Eve when he accused me of cheating at Yahtzee. I'm trying to keep such displays to just once each year.

Djo wanna know whheere it isss?

I've had this weird pain in my teeth for the past couple of days. I think it's related to a minor sinus infection that I'm currently suffering through, but lately it's so noticeable that I feel like my teeth are too big for my mouth. When I try to make the 's' sound, I slur my words like a drunk. Things were doubly difficult for me last night when I actually did get drunk (accidentally) after a half-pint of beer before our food arrived. I had to concentrate especially hard not to mix up my words and bang my teeth together during speech. Dave asked more than once what the hell was wrong with me, so I don't think I pulled it off as smoothly as I'd hoped.

GSIKM: Volume 2

Just finishing up paper two of three and thinking that I really haven't said anything all that exciting in 13 pages.

I keep hoping that another game of solitaire will be just the thing I need to inspire some creative thinking, but the games only make the total time writing 13 boring pages longer and longer.

Let's just wrap it up and be done, don't you think?

Grad School is Killing Me: Volume 1

Just checking in, Peeps. It's pretty bad when your own father gives you a hard time for not blogging. I know. I know.

The end of this semester is upon me and I'm barely hanging on. So it goes.

In other news . . . see that's just it. I have no other news.

Take what you can get.

Birthday

I turned 33 yesterday. And while I'm not crazy about having two odd numbers in my age, I think it's going to be an especially good year. How did I celebrate? By going to bed early. And it was so, so nice.