Have You Made Plans For The Biggest Day Of The Year?

It is almost upon us. Have you made plans?

The church down the street has a saying on their sign that reads, "Happiness resides in things unseen," and perhaps that is true.

At my house, Groundhog's Day is a special holiday (think Thanksgiving and New Year's rolled into one) and we celebrate accordingly. I don't know of anyone who celebrates it quite like we do. Most people couldn't even tell you what day of the year it falls on (Feb. 2nd) and this year that falls on a Saturday, so the oppurtunity for fun and mischief is increased.

The girls at the bakery laugh at me when it comes time to to pick our vacations because they know I want Groundhog's Day off. No one else picks Febuary for their vacation so there is no competition for that week, and since I'm low man on the totem pole, I don't get a lot of choice anyway. But after the madness that is Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, I need a holiday just for me. A holiday that doesn't include frantic shopping, huge meals to prepare, and relitives that you would rather not spend a

great deal of time with. I need a holiday after the holidays, and this is it.

I want a holiday where I can lounge around, drink beer, soak in the hot tub, and reflect. We usually get around to watching the Bill Muarry classic "Groundhog Day", as this is a film I truely love and could watch over and over again. If you haven't seen it, it is a film about love and redemption, two things I feel are important to me. Muarry starts out as this crusty, acerbic weatherman who keeps reliving the same day in his life over and over in Punxsutawney, Pa. on Groundhog's Day. At first he indulges in the seven deadly sins until that no longer holds any interest for him, then he tries to end his life only to keep waking up in the same bed to do it all over again. Then he trys something different. He trys to improve himself (reading poetry, learning to play the piano, help the locals, doing good deeds, etc.) as well as trying to have his producer (played by the engaging Andie MacDowell) fall in love with him, as well as befriending his cameraman (played by Chris Elliot). It is an Ivan Reitman film, directed by Harold Ramis, and is loaded with laughs, as well as some great songs by Delbert McClinton.

Last year for Groundhog's Day my sister, her husband, and their kids came to visit and we had a splendid time. We climbed into the hot tub at 11:30 am amid snow and 17 degree temps and didn't climb out until 6 pm, but we made quite a few snow angels and managed to put away most of a case of beer. The kids made a snowman and we had a nice buffet dinner. This year they are coming again, and hopefully my brother as well. If I said I wasn't looking forword to it, that would be a blatent and flagrant lie.

I hope that everyone who stops by the cyber-bar has a chance to celebrate this wonderful and grossly overlooked holiday, and has the chance to share a cold beer with your friends and loved ones. Feel free to share your holiday plans so others can get some ideas, and don't worry about the shadow, cause I'm your weatherman.

Doc