So yesterday was National Commando Day, a day without underwear, a day to pitch your panties, bail out of your boxers, kick off your knickers and just generally set your pee pees free.

Yep, I observed it, and thank heavens it was an unseasonably balmy 10C (or about 50F)--the woodbox needed filling and just a pair of jeans between my girlie and -40C would have raised some serious griping from the nether regions.

And who among us ignores our nether regions?

Certainly not I.

And speaking of nether regions ... (this was the place where I was going to insert how my SETI team was doing against the Dutch--netherlands being another word for Holland and man oh man you don't get segues like THAT every day, eh--but darn it, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence people over at Berkeley haven't updated team standings in over a freakin' week!)

So now I don't know if the incredibly cute yet deeply feared Team Newkirk has crushed the Dutch on our way to World SETI Domination (and if I need to start considering crushing another group), or if the Dutch continue their heinous SETI hooliganism.

I'm sure you share my pain and consternation.

In other news, it's now official, the heaviest sleepers on the planet are Marn and Paul.

See, a good-sized tree broke off in last night's ice storm not 20 feet from our bedroom window (narrowly missing my gardening shed) and WE SLEPT RIGHT THROUGH IT!

So, if you're looking for a place to practice your break and enter skills (practice being the operative word here because we don't have anything worth stealing) then clearly we're your folks.

Although ... if you *really* want to sharpen your burglary skills AND that ever so useful hand/eye co-ordination business, you could steal some mice from us, eh.

It's just a thought.