This year has the potential to be the best Christmas yet.
I won't be in Illinois for Dec. 25th. Neither will my sister and her boyfriend. Turns out my brother and his wife won't be either, actually.

I think this is great, for multiple reasons:

We have decided to have Christmas sometime in October..... no joke. I think maybe the 19th?
Actually, we decided to have Christmas, thanksgiving, and Halloween all on the same day. (or at least that is the rumor/plan) I am delighted.
I don't even have to be the target of all the horrible commercialism, turns out..... (at least not 90% of it) because I'm having Christmas before Halloween! Ha! take that advertisement, consumer driven-America!
Maybe I can have some peace without all the clutter. maybe I will be able to have a good day with a little food and people.

And maybe it will be a day well spent, about what it's about. About what everyday should be about..... maybe that's what'll happen.

I don't know that I'd suggest riding on a bike through the cold wind and the rain in a poncho. It feels like you have a parachute attached to your back. So if you like riding your bike in the cold, windy, wet, with a parachute attached to your back....then, yeah, it's loads of fun. Maybe I should look into getting a rain jacket...you know, those things you wear that are semi-water-proof. Or I could just keep wearing the poncho and telling you the same story. over and over again.

Either way, I actually had a good time riding (parachute on my back and all) and stopped to take some photos, so enjoy: