Happy New Year!

Well, the decade of the "00s" (I guess that could almost be pronounced "ooze") has come and gone. Computers didn't melt down ten years ago, the world didn't end in a Hollywood-style cataclysm, and there is still enough oil around to heat our homes and drive our "evil" SUVs.
Our family had quite the unique New Year's celebration last night. Our neighborhood has a little pond, about 150 or 200 yards across, varying from 4 to 12 feet deep. No fish, though, because it is not deep enough for the fish to survive the winter freeze. Every New Years' Eve, our neighbors build a bonfire in the middle of the pond and set off fireworks as the countdown reaches midnight. We invited a couple of families over to hang out and play games, then proceeded to freeze various body parts for about 3 hours out on the pond (last night's low temp was -25F). Between all of the neighbors, we had enough fireworks to liberate a small third world nation. One of the great parts about living in Alaska is the fact that fireworks are not illegal!
Anyway, Happy New Year!