Good riddance January!

With thanks to Klark Kent—January, you can suck my socks!
I am thrilled—and relieved—that January 2008 is nearly over, done, never to be repeated. Between appliance meltdowns, "health" issues, and cold weather, the first month of the year certainly has left a lot to be desired.*

The current temperature, at 1:39 p.m., is 9 degrees F (feels like -2 degrees F). Quite frankly, I think the weather feels positively balmy, compared to the excruciatingly bitter cold we endured for a few days this week and a few days last week and a few days the week before that. Today, we have sunny, bright blue skies, and it's warmer-ish, making the day absolutely beautiful.

The year can only get better from here.

Tonight, my book group is meeting at my house, and I am hopeful that we will have a good turnout. Many people RSVPed a few weeks ago, but since then a number have reconsidered. No one wants to go out on a dangerously cold night. People, I'll have the fireplace going. Our current book is Dave Eggers' What Is the What, which I’m about ten pages shy of finishing. The book was nothing short of brilliant. There's plenty to talk about, and I'm looking forward to a good discussion, followed by ample amounts of gossip and conjecture. Since I still need to pull together the final food details and do a little housecleaning, I'm cutting out of work early today.

Ssssh, don't tell anyone!

*Admittedly, there were a few well-timed (i.e., each event happened right when I needed relief from the drama at hand) and memorable highlights this month. Caryl and I got to have two conversations about books, including one at our alma mater. Tracy and I had a fantastic lunch at Ngon Bistro, a charming Vietnamese-French fusion restaurant in St. Paul. John and I had a few date nights, including a delicious (and romantic) dinner at Mission. Despite delaying our resolution to exercise daily, we curled with friends at the St. Paul Curling Club and took a killer hike in Lilydale. And, we eradicated head lice, one nit at a time.