Hope you all got into the new year in the best way: surrounded by friends and family and somewhat awake at midnight.

It's a cold one out there and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who woke up to a frozen pipe Saturday morning. Being the handy type I figure it out, thawed everything, no permanent damage and all that, and I spend most of my Sunday wrapping pipes and spraying foam into cracks. Gotta love that foam. Just remember to wear gloves...

Trying to located the ice cold draft that froze the pipe, I came across a newspaper from Dec. 26, 1959. It was almost impossible to unfold and read any of it, but I can tell you that the city was working on the Market-Greene Street connection, and that it was 95 cents to get into the Garland Theater to see "The Cattle Empire."

I guess that's the thing about blogs - they can't be used to insulate your water pipes. Anyway.

If you have any pictures or good neighbor stories please go ahead and send them to me at piah@spokesman.com - I'll put them up on the blog as I get them.