Why am I awake?

Well, it's almost 1:00 AM on a Sunday night, and I'm still awake. I have no idea why.

As the proud father of a 28-month-old and a three-week-old son, I should be rushing to bed every chance I get, especially on a Sunday night. I've got a ton of work waiting for me back at the office, so it would make sense for me to be sleeping right now. But I've got this strange, random energy buzz right now that's keeping me awake.

Being awake at this time of night usually is not a good thing. Usually you're drunk, getting drunk, or getting someone drunk. And, if alcohol is involved, the little voice inside your head that only comes out late at night when you're asleep begins to tell you to do all sorts of stupid things. However, I avoided all of that and signed up for a couple of Wisconsin blogger rings. Maybe that will be just the thing to get stuff kick-started for me in this arena.

P.S.: The Packers stink now that I've moved up to Green Bay, and the Longhorns are undefeated now that I've moved from Austin. Good thing I've got a healthy self-concept!

Welcome to December!

Well, it's official: December is here. Up in the land of the Frozen Tundra, that means only one thing: it is cold. We got a couple of inches of snow today, and it didn't really bother me. I must be adjusting to the Wisconsin life with no problem.

Coming from Texas, even the hint of cold weather would cause a flood of calls to schools and businesses asking if people needed to come in that day. And up here, people don't even think about staying home, even if the roads are just dreadful and every overpass is icy. Definitely something to get used to.

However, I pride myself on being a pretty adaptable kind of guy. After all, it's not like I live outside, so I can deal with a few seconds of cold as I get out of my nicely heated car and head into my nicely heated home or office. A good coat, some gloves, and an ice scraper are all I need to feel just dandy.

Of course, as a new homeowner this year, winter will bring some new experiences for me. In fact, I went to Sears with my father-in-law tonight to pickup my new snowblower. I learned a little about the finer arts of shoveling snow earlier this year, but having our own place now (after living in an apartment up here last winter) means that I, too, will be up early when it snows to clear a path for my car to get out to the road so that I can make it into work. Father-in-law will be teaching me all about how to use and care for this machine I had never even heard of until I was in my teens. But I'm sure it'll be real familiar by the time this season is over.