First, the dogs. The Iditarod was a tough race this year, with howling winds and deep snow and sub-zero temperatures. Lance Mackey won for the third year in a row, but had to work hard to earn it. The top 20 racers were all within a few hours of each other for more than half the race. Lance didn't make his get-away until he was already about 700 miles into the 1,150-mile race.

As usual, my Dad and I paid the usual $33.50 on Iditarod.com to get the extra videos and GPS tracker stuff. (Totally worth it.) We called each other every day to talk strategy and weather... and day dream about a faraway place.

Meanwhile, the cats are getting bigger and louder. Misty enjoys getting stuck in trees and Mae is still amazed that there is a tail attached to her butt. They eat like pigs, they poop a lot, and they scratch at our bedroom door before the sun comes up. ("Wake up! Play with us!")

Several of the neighbor cats have come over to introduce themselves to the girls. The girls fluff up their tails and pretend to be scared, but I think they like the attention. Especially from BIG kitties. I don't know what it it about our neighborhood, but ALL the cats are at least the size of raccoons. Misty and Mae better eat up if they are going to fit in around here.

In other news, Jen and I bottled our wedding wine and are plugging away at the rest of the details for the wedding. Still up in the air: where to go for a honeymoon?

Ike -- who likes Norwegian techno, especially Royksopp