The Week in Brief

Just a few things...

Slip Slidin' Away: The overnight drizzle left a lot of icy slush on the roads. I'm very thankful for surviving my first slippery solo flight to work today. And especially grateful that my car slid to a stop just in time so I really didn't have to choose between tagging the car ahead of me or the group of school children in the cross walk. Whew! This is going to be one, long winter!

Waiting Game: In the category of "Get a life"... No offense to "gamers" out there, but last night on my way home from work I stopped at Best Buy and saw a handful of guys -- I'd say early 20s -- sitting outside the entrance in lawn chairs. When I asked in the store what they were waiting for, an associate told me the midnight release of the new XBox gaming system. I checked my phone. 5:21 p.m. 32 degrees. More than six hours to go. Would they even be able to use their frozen fingers to play later? I guess I just don't get it.

Da Tirty Pointer: I realize that some people who prefer real-life challenges are pretty excited about the deer-hunting season getting here tomorrow. I'm not one of them, but do wish good luck to all you mighty hunters and pray for your safety. It's supposed to be about 18 degrees in these parts with a low of 6. Me and my heated mattress pad will be thinking of you!

Strung Out: Ready to deck your halls? When you dig out your Christmas decorations, don't curse over those burned out strings of lights. Instead, donate them to Carter's German Club. They recycle them somewhere special for cash to help fund their trip. We'll be happy to pick up your dysfunctional lights and get those darn things out of your way so you can enjoy your merry and bright holidays!

(By the way, our Advent calendars are sold out. Thank you for your support. If you want to receive news alerts of Carter's current fundraisers, just let me know. Ha. There's always something!)