Ah yes, THAT'S what 20 below feels like.

Well, I got back early this morning after traveling all evening and night. Vacation was awesome, and long overdue. Being back in the Bay Area made me feel very nostalgic for the 8 years I lived there. I saw lots of good friends while I was there, and did some sightseeing and shopping for those precious consumer goods you can't get up here. And I came home to some real winter weather! It's been over a decade since my last Alaska winter, so it's nice to know I'm still tough enough.

On the Former Soviet front, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, the last dictator in Europe, got all hot and bothered at the Kremlin for raising its natural gas prices, among other trade disputes. Ah, I had such hope for you two--remember 10 years ago, when you were on the road to becoming one slightly larger country?