Well, the holidays are just about over. I don't know about you, but all week I've been confused about what day it is. Seems like every other day feels like Saturday or something. It will be good to get back on a somewhat normal schedule next week. (I have a small collection of Snowbabies ... I think this baking one is especially cute.)

Just a reminder that the Off-Season Striders will run at 7:30 AM tomorrow (Saturday) from Dunn Bros. on Elton Hills Dr. NW, across from the Rec Center. All are welcome to join us regardless of distance or pace.

A ballot for the 2009 RTC board has been posted on the RTC website with instructions on how to vote. Voting will take place at the banquet, but if you are not attending, you may vote via email.

You still have a couple of days to RSVP for the RTC banquet taking place on January 10 at Willow Creek clubhouse. Please RSVP to David Sletten by Monday, January 5. I spoke with our guest speaker, Dr. Ed Creagan, today and he's ramping up for his talk on stress in the 21st century.

There is still plenty of time to register for the WinterFest Trifecta events: Cabin Fever Stair Climb, Polar Plunge, and Lace-Up Against Breast Cancer 5K or Half Marathon . A prize drawing will be held for those participating in all 3 events. Soup mugs will be available for everyone who participates in the Lace-Up events. And yes, soup will be served. ;-)

A warm (pun intended!) welcome back to Minnesota for Lionel Cheng who just returned from a visit to Singapore, just in time for a round of freezing rain tomorrow. :-) Lionel has joined our ever-growing band of hot-pink-supermodel-wig-wearing-plungers!!

I've made my way through the small/medium club and large club newsletters in the RRCA journalism awards voting process. It's interesting to see how different they are and how they compare to the RTC News. I am now in the process of reading articles from 20 authors and have to rank them 1 to 20. That is proving difficult. Writing style is so subjective. I have yet to work on the enewsletters. Ballots are due January 9.

I did go out to Quarry Hill to ski today. It was a beautiful day for a ski ... 14 degrees, sunny, little wind. There were LOTS of people out there. Michael O'Connor, skier extraordinaire, maybe 5 other people who had obviously skied before, and about 20 that appeared to be on skis for the first time. That made the ski interesting for the rest of us, but bless their hearts for giving it a try. ;-) I was on the classic track (where there was one) and I never knew what I'd encounter around a curve, at the bottom of a hill, etc. I helped one gal who didn't know how to get her boot out of her binding and another who was trying to walk up hill, as in straight ahead (and potentially straight down). The snow wasn't good, but it was just nice to get out.

Well, that's all I've got for today.

Thought for the day: "If we fill our hours with regrets of yesterday and with the worries of tomorrow, we have no today in which to be thankful."

Have a wonderful evening.