oy

the president just said, in the midst of his final press conference of the year, "i encourage you all to go shopping more." Oh dear. He really does think that shopping will defeat the terrorists. I mean, I know we joke about that, but he seems to actually think that.
Also, he's repetitive in an annoying way. "sustain itself, govern itself, and protect itself." over and over and over. oh my.

in other news, which is probably news to no one:

Until I moved here, Christmas lights on people's houses were things we went out looking for. In seminary we used to go driving around the neighborhoods looking for decorated houses to look at. In Egypt, of course, no decorated houses. But here, man, DANG! There are lights on almost every house. If you drive around at night, many of the houses look like gingerbread houses--with lights around the eaves on all levels (even on three story houses!), lights on everything. And there are some things I haven't really seen before. Like light-up animals. Did you know that you can buy reindeer made of Christmas lights at Home Depot? I thought these people were making these things--it's good to know that's not the case, but wow. There are a lot of these. And then there are the big inflatable things. On my way to church there is one house that has FOUR of these humongous inflatable decorations on their lawn, including a motorcycle-riding Santa and a snow-globe with snow blowing around inside. What is the deal with these things? I do not approve.

that's all. back to the sermon, the bulletins, the drama, the confirmation mentors, the senior high sunday school teacher recruiting, the reading, and the finishing up getting my house ready for people now.