Stealing (away) to Shop

In this mad rush to the finish line as my week of Finals draws to a climactic end- I have found it difficult to think much about Christmas. You're telling me that with five testing sessions, a concert, three papers, and a Design project due- the Christmas-Rush is supposed to overwhelm me? Please. Thinking about Christmas is a sweet break. Since tomorrow's my last day of tests and classes- and since I figured I  had done quite enough studying- I decided it was time to go have some fun and get things done- sibling-style.

So my brother Jonathan and I made our plans, grabbed the keys, said fond farewells to our parents, hopped in the car, and drove away. It was surreal- at least for my brother. I'm used to the driving away thing by now but this was the first time he was going out without our parents- and with just one sibling- with me.

We had shopping to do. Christmas shopping. We made five stops. I'm afraid I can't tell you where because my blog readers are also my family members. Christmas secrets- you understand.

He carried bags and offered me his arm. And once I opened a heavy door myself and, I must say, thoroughly shocked him. His insistent gentlemanlyness warmed my heart- (the men at my school have taught me the "first come first served" rule with doors- it is a rare occasion that a strong arm reaches out ahead of me and helps me out.)

We got our presents and chatted our chat and consulted and compared  and hummed our Christmas songs and when the clock struck the hour moved on to the second event of the afternoon: movie watching.

We felt like kids playing hookie- stealing away to watch a newly released film. We found our theater room- and it was empty.  Delight! freedom! my brother gave out a whoop and we went running through the rows and up and down the stairs in wild abandon. In the end we were joined by five other people. They got the top half of the theater- my brother and I claimed the bottom half.

The movie did not impress us (we spent a good deal of time on the way home discussing where the directors went wrong)- I believe our favorite part was the running and screaming,  (no, I didn't scream- that's artistic license there) and of course the mere *togetherness* of the whole afternoon.

On the way home, I didn't know which exit to get off at. My brother teased me about having lived  here for nearly ten years and still not knowing which exit I live off of.

We arrived home and got out of the car. There is yet snow on the ground. I am hoping it will  either stay as glowing- or else the ground be re-blanketed by another shower. The home lights twinkled at us- we came in and showed off our purchased wares... and some of them we simply hid.