Winter, Winter, Winter

Another really cold morning this morning, but I was up fairly early, trudging over here to catch the last of the coals from the stove's overnight fire. I find it much easier to set aside some smaller kindling the day before and then be able to just walk in, stir up the coals and throw the kindling in -- in a matter of minutes I have a good fire going again.

Should be interesting to see if I am going to have enough firewood to make it through the rest of this god awful winter. I am amazed how fast and how much wood i have already used!

I got my first Clearwire broadband bill in the mail this week: $15.81 and worth every penny! It is one of the smarter things I have done this year.I am also glad that rather than rent the modem, i bought it outright at just a little over a hundred dollars.

I had to go down to the Fall Creek Post Office yesterday to pick up my Ray Nitschke jersey -- and may I say, it is really a beauty! really well made and authentic to the 60's!
Who should be in the post office when I got there, but my friend Tiit Raid who was busily mailing out invitations to his art exhibition opening in Minneapolis on March 1. It was really, really good to see him. He has a lot more color in his face than last time I saw him and his spirits are very good!

Couldn't resist showing you this picture of the men in the ranks! Gives a whole new meaning to the old army expression: "grab ass", doesn't it?

Kim forwarded this one to me:

HAIR DRYER?

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Switzerland asked the Priest beside her, "Father, may I ask a favor?" "Of course. What may I do for you?"

"Well, I bought an expensive woman's electronic hair dryer for my mother's birthday that is unopened and well over the Customs limits, and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?"
"I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not
lie."

"With your honest face, Father, no one will question you."

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her.

The official asked, "Father, do you have anything to declare?"

"From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to
declare."

The official thought this answer strange, so asked,"And what do
you have to declare from your waist to the floor?"

"I have a marvelous instrument designed to be used
on a woman, but which is, to date, unused."............

Roaring with laughter, the official said, "Go ahead, Father
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