does anyone smell a skunk?

My holiday was filled with divorce, seafood, tears, uncomfortable moments, and skunk (the game and the animal). I can't decide which moment was the lowest: My brother insisting men become distinguished but women just get old, or my niece declaring that the Angels are going to war with the Muslims on New Year's day and if they win there will be 30,000 years of peace, but if they lose all the people that did not go to mass will die(?!hello creepy catholic school!?), or when the Dept. of Homeland Security unwrapped my presents and then RE-WRAPPED them, taping them up with Dept. of Homeland Security seals. Atleast I won the game of skunk and I'm back to my normal existence sans relatives.

socks on trees

It gets so cold here that someone knitted socks for the trees.

jingle bells

I'll be happy when the holidays are over.

snow sounds

The snow makes a crunch sound when I walk on it. It reminds me of a film we watched in elementary school about Eskimos. The soundtrack had a lot of walking-on-the-tundra sound, which amazingly sounds the same as walking on the Chicago sidewalk. Could be the work of a foley artist. Still, I keep thinking "I'm walking on the tundra." I guess aural memories are just as strong as scent memories. Atleast it takes my mind off of my numb hands.

more snow pictures

snow!