in re the muskrats:

etben: actually you know what i was going to do, if it had been on a workable weekend?
shoemaster: what?
etben: i was going to pretend not to be going, and be sad about it, and SECRETLY REGISTER and get liz and tracey to keep my name off all of the public lists
etben: and it was going to be this BIG HUGE SURPRISE
shoemaster: that would have been amazing
etben: I KNOW RIGHT?
etben: like, i would have been able to surprise YOU and JAI and FUCKING EVERYBODY
shoemaster: but also now I'm going to be secretly convinced that's what you ARE doing
etben: but sadly i actually do have to work this weekend
etben: god i just WISH
shoemaster: and then cry into my vodka when you aren't there
shoemaster: SO YOU SAY
shoemaster: SO. YOU. SAY
etben: DUDE I WILL TEXT YOU PICTURES OF MY FACE
etben: COVERED IN SNOW
etben: AND CRYING
shoemaster: HOLDING A NEWSPAPER
etben: lol thinks we have newspapers here
etben: NEWSPAPERS ARE FOR PLACES THAT HAVE NEWS

But I do have work*, and I am not a stealthy ninja, so I will be up here in the snow without even any vodka to console me. WOE AND SADNESS. But I hope you all have a great time! Take pictures and text me stories and then in 2011 I'll pull a janet_carter and convince you all that I was there the entire time. GO GO GADGET AWESOMESAUCE.

* and actually we also do have newspapers; they just don't come here on their own, so if I want my small-town Minnesota news I have to go and get it. Or, you know. Stop by the office.