A quick check in on this frosty Monday. Lately the weather has been gray, snowy each day. The trees are pretty and covered in ice and children look healthy with red cheeks and brightly colored hats. It is slowly getting lighter a little longer each day, but still it is difficult for me to get up at 7am when it is pretty much pitch black.

Today I ran at my local track and some of the "Soviet calistenics" folks were there, including a guy Christopher and I dubbed "the Bird Man" due to his penchant for standing in the middle of the soccer field surrounded by pidgeons, wearing only his speedo and holding a 6 liter jug of water.

Anyway, there he was today, wearing only his speedos and a smile! Barefoot!! I laughed out loud - crazy Slavs! His birds, however, are smarter and are lately to be found huddled over warm manhole covers.

I promise to write about my holiday travels soon! In the meantime, keep warm and don't forget to vote in your primaries, then get ready for Nov. 2! And, read www.michaelmoore.com for an eloquent essay that explains why I'll be voting for Wes Clark on that date. Remember, Regime Change Begins at Home!

xo,
wlu

A quick note to let any of you still holding on and reading my occasional postings that I have several exciting episodes coming up! I have to tell you about Thanksgiving in Prague (super duper!), Christmas in Krakow (amazing!), New Year's in the Carpathians (spectacular!) and a few other ditties. Right now, I'm in a language refresher conference with Peace Corps and am getting in touch with my inner language geek. I heart studying this darned language.

Hope you all are enjoying the New Year and Happy Year of the Monkey in advance! Wish you all could come to my Chinese New Year party on Fri. - see www.evite.com and search using my email for details if you're curious!

xo,
wlu