I had a weird night of paranoid dreams last night, dream after dream of me being pursued by unknown assailants. I get these a lot, but they were particularly violent, close to the bone last night. At one point I was lying in the muddy street, huddled next to the high curb while one of the assailants with a sniper rifle in a building above vomited on me in an attempt to get me to move to where he had a clear shot. Instead I snaked along the street and dove down the nearest drain.

I�m sure Freud would have a lot to say about that one.

I exorcised my demons at a nearby forest preserve early this morning. I strapped on my skis and darted among the trees and out onto the prairie trail, the sun blazing into the sky, the wind rustling the dry grasses and stinging my eyes. The trails were slick, icy and fast this morning. It was beautiful. I saw no deer this morning, but there was much evidence of wildlife, including bloody pawprints and large chunks of coyote fur strewn along the trail. Looks like I wasn�t the only one being pursued last night.

Valentine�s day is very low-key here. Cards and chocolate this morning. My husband�s spending the afternoon at a basketball game with his brother while I�m home writing. We�re planning a quiet dinner of take-out after AJ goes to bed. AJ has been running around yelling �Be Mine!� all morning, courtesy of his newfound ability to read the slogans on his heart candy. Nothing like a toddler on a sugar-high for entertainment.

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