HB COLD

Two words: White Out. Our return to Joensuu this afternoon came right smack dab in the middle of a blizzard. As soon as we stepped off the plane we were hit in the face by blasts of snowy wind. Nothing says welcome home like a wet kiss from the weatherman. But there is one thing that this blizzard wasn't counting on and that is my brand new mountain bike, perfectly equipped to deal with this exact situation. And so rather that calling in to work and staying home, I put on my contact lenses - impossible to wear glasses in something like this - pulled my baseball cap down real low and hit the road. It was great! I was passing everyone, most people were off their bikes and walking with them, but not me, I was cruising. An excellent purchase if I do say so myself.

New Year's Day just got really, really cool. I am just day dreaming about being in a loud bar with some friends, including Ho and going crazy as the Horns tangle with Michigan - their first ever meeting - in the stinking Rose Bowl for crying out loud. It just doesn't get any better than that.

T minus 11 days, and this one's almost over. Well, not for you, you're just waking up, but for me, it's almost over. How many commas did I just use in that last sentence? 4? Not too shabby.