Well, happy New Years, y'all!

Had a great time with Marion, Steve, li'l bro Jon, friend Charlie here
in Austin.  Those climbing fiends uh... friends got me onto limestone
for a beautiful day of climbing for New Years Eve.  Shirtless and
shorted in the middle of winter!  You have to love Austin.
	Of course, by the time we got home (and for many, before we
got there!) sleep had us in it's mighty grip.  It wasn't until 10:30
that our bodies began to move again, and our brains began whirring and
clattering to life like aged Apple IIe hard drives at 11:00.  It was
then that panic swept through the crew.  One hour till New Years, and
a long way from the festive mood required to meet the next 365 days!
We contemplated rapelling naked from the balcony with Champaign (heh!)
glasses in our hands to the startled looks of our lower floor
neighbors.  We could have ripped downtown to watch the giant glowing
star lowered onto 6th street (yes, really!) but we might not make it
with traffic and parking.  With the flip of a coin we chose to go to
Wendy and Russ's, "festive gathering" and off we went.  
	Happily we made it in time.  As the new year arrived we were
all drinking Champaign (hyuck), eating lucky black eyed peas (a
southern tradition, it seems) and admiring Russ's beautiful 150 pound
water-buffalo head.  (He's a veg now and his jungle safari hunting
days are over, he reminded us frequently.)
	Sadly, climbing took its toll again and by 2:00 we were all
asleep.  Today I am left with nothing but a fridge filled with beer
and Champagne, a little bit of a cold, and a fearsome itch to go
climbing.

It could be worse.

Kai