It has been quite a while since I sent out one of these huge mailbox-space robbing emails, so I thought I would grace you all with another dispatch from the frozen North...well, the SOMEWHAT frozen North...

THAT WACKY WEATHER

What? You thought you would actually get an email from me that DOESN'T discuss the weather? HA!

Well, the weather here has been very notable, very warm, and very dry. This past Saturday was the first day since the 22nd of September that the temperature in Fairbanks was normal or below normal. It has been so depressingly warm and for the most part boring. There was a fun little freezing rain episode here in Fairbanks while I was in Nebraska, and that resulted in the Fairbanks schools being closed for the first time in almost 20 years. Kids go to school here at -60, so you can imagine what it must take to close the schools.

It has gotten a bit more seasonal now, and we are supposed to get our first dose of -30 this weekend...BRING IT ON! YEAH!

Also, we have, of course, passed through the bottom of the sunlight trough and are slowly climbing out of the hole. Saturday was our shortest day of the year, with a total of 3 hours and 42 minutes of daylight. Thankfully, it was a perfectly clear and sunny day. For everyone else in the world, Dec 21 is the beginning of winter; for us, it is the beginning of the end of winter...Only 5 months to go!

Here is a nice op-ed that sums it up nicely:

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113%257E7252%257E1064344,00.html

MY TRIP TO THE MID-LATITUDES

I did have a wonderful trip to Nebraska in November and early December. It was a good time. Here are some highlights::

I got to spend a weekend in Kansas City to help my good friend Scott Phillips celebrate his birthday. Fellow Mindenites Jeremy Bill and Mark Grossardt and honorary Mindenites Tim James, Ted Mabie, and the Rev. Brian Ellison turned it into a big surprise party by showing up.
Just FYI, to become and honorary Mindenite, you need only to suffer through hearing the repertoire of stories that Mark, Scott, Jeremy and I have about our high school days...a very high price to pay indeed.

I got to see the Dirty Dozen Brass Band in Lincoln with Christopher and David Burchell.

I got to play with my nephews and nieces...no explanation needed.

I got to spend a day with my good friend Kristen Clark in Curtis.

I got to take part in the 35th wedding anniversary celebration of Steve and Helen Jordon (their son Leland and I we in corps and college together)

I got to sleep for 4 days with a fever (Note: this was not my favorite part)

I got to see the Nebraska Brass Quintet at the Minden Opera House.

All in all, it was a great trip. Pictures will probably be up soon.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas and New Years celebration.

INJECTIONS D'HUMEUR

Fellow Alaskan Jen Powers sent this my way, and I thought y'all would enjoy it...

Why the angel is on top of the tree

Not long ago and not far away Santa was getting ready for his annual
trip...but there were problems every where... four of the elves got
sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the toys as fast as the
regular ones so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure of being
behind schedule....then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mum was coming
to visit...

This stressed Santa even more...when he went to harness the reindeer
he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped
the fence and were out heaven knows where...more stress.

And then, when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards on the
sleigh cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered all
the toys...so, frustrated Santa went into the house for a cup of
coffee and a shot of whiskey...but he found that the elves had hit
the liquor cupboard and there was nothing there to drink...and in
his frustration he dropped the coffee pot and it broke into hundreds
of little pieces all over the kitchen floor... he went to get the
broom and found that mice had eaten the straw it was made from.

Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed on his way to the door .
he opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big
Christmas tree. And the angel said: Santa, where would you like to
put this Christmas tree??

And that, my friend, is how the little angel came to be on top of
the Christmas tree...

Anyway, I need to mosey out and finish up some holiday shopping, so I will let you go.

Brian "Merry Christmas" Hartmann