My little ray of sunshine in a sea of darkness, my slobbering, deer-chasing polyglot, my perpetually howling Russo-Germanic aristocrat, my wrinkly stress relief turns two years old today!

To celebrate, we went to a local pet shop to select a new squeaky toy destined for annihilation (naturally, it had to be the abominable snowman of the Northwest!) and delicious treats. (I settled for some chocolate.)

The festivities were slightly dampened by the fact that Roediger got smacked in the face by a devious cat (aren't they all?) perched up on a bench in the store. Yet all was quickly forgotten when we found several deer on a long walk that followed.

And now--well-deserved sleep while cuddling with the green yeti.