Is January Over Yet?

It's been raining pretty much constantly here since 2011 began; we long ago quit looking at the weather forecasts (those five- and seven-day ones showing raincloud after raincloud marching into the forseeable future are particularly bad for morale) and have focused instead on developing our indoor repertoires.

At our house the list includes couch diving in the livingroom, Sim City masterpieces on the Wii, and journeying in sardine-like carloads to "Hot Hits" night at Skate King. Simon and I spent Saturday in the kitchen engaged in one of our favorite activities, known as "making a phenomenal mess." Simon had recently been permitted to spend the last of his Christmas money on an archery set, with the stipulation that it would only be used in wide empty playfields, and never in the house. When it became clear that we actually meant it -- and furthermore that if he asked one more time about maybe firing one off in the livingroom just this once, the entire apparatus would be banished to a box in the basement until June -- he busied himself building targets: cardboard boxes stuffed with foam and  decorated with bull's-eyes, zombies, and in one case, Voldemort.

Meanwhile I was deep into my own obsession, inspired by the street art of Joshua Allen Harris:



Yes, this is what it's come to, friends: blue elephants parading through the kitchen, while Lord Voldemort's visage sneers menacingly from a cardboard box on the counter. Sigh. Is January over yet?