Have you hugged your neighborhood rodent today?

I was born in western Pennsylvania, and spent most of my childhood a few miles from Punxetawny, where the most famous groundhog in the world lives. I was on the pom-pom squad for my school's marching band when I was 11, and we marched in Punxy's (as the locals call the town) Groundhog Day parade every year. That town is as crazy about groundhogs as the Bill Murray movie portrays them. I remember a big wooden statue of a groundhog in the middle of town. Maybe it's because that groundhog gets the town media attention, but I think it's mostly just because people in western PA are weird.

I once asked my father how they get the groundhog to come out if he doesn't want to. Dad told me they shove a broomstick down his hole and poke him in the bum until he shows himself. I still don't know if he was kidding or not.

I hope they have "Groundhog Day" playing on the Superstation or whatever tonight. I love that movie.

--Jez"stamp out groundhog abuse"zika