Let's start the New Year right

Happy New Year everyone!

Before I get into how much fun the past week has been, I would like to make everyone aware that there is currently a squirrel in our chimney, a squirrel that was, at 9 this morning, running around the living room and throwing itself against closed windows. One of the weirdest wake up calls ever:

Tim: (knocks) Hey Mark?
Me: (waking) Yeah?
Tim: There's a squirrel running around downstairs.
Me: Well OK then.

I can't tell if it's found a way to crawl out yet or not, but I haven't heard it in about 5 minutes, so maybe it's gone.

Anyway, 2007 has started off extremely well. For New Years, Kendra, Jess, and Ben came over to hang out with me and Jon. I made my mom's wild rice soup, which turned out great, and we played Settlers of Catan, pinochle, and spades. I also tried my first drink ever (champagne with a bit of cranberry grape juice), which was quite gross in my opinion. The other guys didn't seem to have a problem though...

New Years Day we slept in until 10ish, then had pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and played euchre. After a little break, Ben and I went over to the girls' place for Chinese, Little Miss Sunshine, and more cards. Pretty much every day since then has been like that.

I have yet to go to bed before 2 in 2007. This is seriously the longest streak of late nights and late mornings I've had possibly ever. But it's been great, and Kendra and I have actually started to win a few games after being skunked for the first several days.

Last night was another classic episode of The Office. Seriously, Dwight taking his jacket off and tying it around his waist is one of the funniest things I've seen in recent memory. No joke.

Ben and I have played racquetball twice this week, and I am not very good at all. But, I'm learning, and some day I'll score double digits on him. Winning a match, at this point, is out of the question. I am mostly just happy at this point to not be getting skunked anymore. Well, almost anymore.

I don't really want to go running right now, but I should. So I'm gonna do that. Then, Children of Men followed by a community group reunion game night. Should be pretty sweet.