Sunlight creeps through the evergreen trees, crawls through the window and stretches across the keyboard and the wallpapered space behind it.  The trees undulate in the wind casting shadows that fuzz and blur, darken then fade, coloring a visible static to this corner of the dining room. 

"And they pricked my back and it turns out I'm allergic to dogs and I never knew…" 

This was the patch of conversation I overheard this morning as I was walking back from the girls' school.  I wonder what it must be like to not be allergic to dogs or to be allergic to dogs your whole life and to not be aware of this affliction.  Reminds me that everybody's got something–some cross to bear.  Allergies are not that big of a deal compared to so many other things people face every day.  But if you asked Anna if allergies are a big deal, she really wants to own a lovable pet, she'd tell you they ARE.     

Flipping channels over the weekend, I fell upon a Chinese station (CCTV-9).  Sarah heard the Chinese instruments playing and sprinted across the dining room to see the TV in the living room.  As she watched the commercial featuring a painted woman from some Peking Opera, she cried out with delight, "China!  Chinese people!  Look Anna, there's Chinese people!"  She's been very vocal about missing China lately.  When I asked her, "What do you miss most about China, Sarah?" she replied:

"China!"

At the moment I'm too excited about spending the holidays in my home country to be pining away for China.  The impending calories of Thanksgiving and Christmas treats are a little worrisome though.  I've already put on some American pounds in the middle that I'm trying to trim off.  Jogging is pleasant during these sunbreaks, but I'm not sure how my exercise plan will work when it turns to gray drizzle.

Christa and I watched the new Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, over the weekend with some good friends.  To be honest one of the highlights for me was recognizing the voice of Jack White (of the White Stripes, The Raconteurs) singing the opening song.  It was a duet with Alicia Keys and it was pretty bluesy and hip–typical Bond swagger type song…

OK, guess I've procrastinated it long enough.  Better lace up the Asics…