Days are longer, but it's getting COLD!

Here we GO!

We'll kick the post off with more sledding pictures from earlier this week. I love the one where Rowan and Gus are all laid back getting pulled toward the parking lot! Too funny and cute. If you missed the video from the blog post on Tuesday, you need to go to the blog online to see videos. Make sure you do that! Heck, make sure you click and read the blog from the web site! Don't be lazy and read it from your inbox...

We can already tell that the days are getting a bit longer. I think sunrise will move into the 7 o'clock hour this weekend. Still means Brooke's doing most her morning work with the sky dark, but it is getting better. Now the temps are another story. We're going to have our coldest night of the season tonight. I think the low is around 0 with wind chills significantly lower. Nice night to stay home with a book...

Speaking of which, I've just cracked into James Swanson's "Bloody Crimes". It's a dual story about Lincoln's body returning to Illinois and the hunt for Jefferson Davis just after the assassination. I really liked Swanson's previous book on Lincoln's assassination titled "Manhunt", so I'm in for round two. [Harper Collins]

Movies! We're getting closer to Oscar time, so we must catch up with some of the contenders. The nominations will be announced next week, but Brooke and I kicked off the viewing with The King's Speech last night at Carmike. What a great movie. Good story and solid acting made it a lot of fun. I really like Geoffrey Rush, and he does a tremendous job. Colin Firth already took home the Golden Globe for his work in this one and I think he's the odds on favorite to win the Oscar for Best Actor. We'll should be checking out True Grit on our next visit, hopefully soon. [IMDb.com]

Poppa and Rowan, GO BEARS!

Big football Sunday coming up! I know I have quite a few Chicago Bear fans that read the blog. It's been a pretty amazing run for the Bears this year, considering most people feel their quarterback Jay Cutler isn't very good. Cutler is a fellow type 1 diabetic, so I've always been partial to him. However, he has an attitude sometimes that's hard to take. I think that's where people turn on him. The Bears/Packers matchup for the NFC Championship is their first playoff meeting in 60 seasons! These two teams have played each other more times than any other matchup, and this time it's for a trip to the Super Bowl. I'm rooting for the Bears, but I think the Packers will win this one 31-21. In the AFC Championship, I just can't root for the mouthy Jets and would have a hard time putting up with them for two weeks before the big game. So let's go Steelers 31-17!

Happy early Birthday to blog reader Paul Till. He turns 30-something or other on Tuesday the 25th. Happy Birthday Tillbilly!

I have quite a few links saved up, so let's hit this week's News Quiz and to get it started. [Chicago Tribune]

Starbucks is turning 40. So along with a larger 31 oz coffee, they are also changing their logo and some of the imaging. Changes can be seen sometime this spring. [Starbucks]

Some movie links to go with our run-up to the Oscars on Feb. 27th. Here's a list of 50 movies you must see before Oscar night. How many have you seen? I don't know who can do the whole list! Here's another list of the biggest flops of 2010. [Hey You Guys! & Box Office Mojo]

Which way to the car?

How long have humans been drinking wine? A dig in Armenia says it's close to 6,000 years! [Washington Post]

And a good follow-up to how long we've been drinking to how good is the advice you've gotten on the effects of drinking? Most of which is probably wrong![Washington Post]

Thinking about spring gets me thinking about golf. If you've always wanted to play the Masters at Augusta National, you can now on the new EA Sports Tiger Woods golf game for 2011. FORE! [Tees2Greens.com]

Here's a great link on how to reuse your old T-shirts. I've always though I'd get a quilt made of mine and I have some good ones. [Huffington Post]

Try to stay warm! Trust me, Spring is coming!

****************