so this is christmas, part two

Photo review to come*, but since most of those photos are somewhere on my brother's iPhone, we will settle for words. Stupid, boring words.
I learned how to say Atlanta like a local: Atlana, or Alana. No Ts. The Ts, said my brother, are what give you away.

We saw the ballet on Saturday night: The Rat King, something about a nutcracker. My favorite part was when the mice turned to rats.
What's great about going out with my brother is that everyone immediately identifies us as siblings. Then they ask if I'm a lesbian. Nope, I like to say. Just really, really good-looking.


Lots and lots of food: rabbit-sausage tortiglioni, chopped pork. My favorite might have been the cookies we made and ate on Sunday night, watching Christmas movies.

It was record cold in Alana. The people ice-skating in the park looked miserable.

The drive north took us through the Cumberland Gap (snowy), Kentucky (hilly), Cincinnati (family), and downtown Cleveland (lighted). Then we were welcomed back to the shores of Erie with blowing snow for the last two hundred miles. Then we drank two beers at three a.m. and watched HGTV to unwind.

Now: little snowflakes outside the window, a cold run around my father's neighborhood, eggnog-spiked coffee, waiting the arrival of the B and Truman from Canada. And sleep. Lots of sleep. The occasional dream about recently-turned-former-students, but mostly sleep.

I need to answer some questions about sharks. Have yourselves a good one, folks.

*I know you are dying for this. I just know.