I'm safely at work

Mostly the challenge this morning was the fact that no one has cleared any sidewalks yet. Well, that and the fact that the heel came off my snow boots the other day, so I'm managing in sneakers until my order gets here sometime next week.

Busses are a mess, even the plowed streets are awful because all the drains are covered so the pavement is covered with several inches of slush. At least it's fairly warm by the lake, so that's staying liquid. A bit further west we're talking sheets of ice and IDOT is telling people to stay home. All of the Metra Electric trains are not running because ice has taken down the lines.

It's supposed to stop by around noon so it shouldn't be too awful getting to gaming and then home tonight.

A holiday message

This weekend is the dark of the year. The time when people over the years have huddled together and hoped for the sun to return. When we gather to celebrate the turn of the year and to share special foods and gifts with our friends and families. A time to celebrate plenty before the privations of the long winter ahead.

Much is made about non-Christians feeling "left out" at this time of year, and I don't want to in any way belittle their feelings. But I saw something today on the BBC website that touched me.

One of their reporters is "retracing" the journey to Bethlehem on a donkey, through the lands mentioned in the bible and seeing what those lands are like today. (and the fact that scholars believe that this never actually happened and was tacked on to the story at a later date isn't really relevant here)

He is taking questions submitted by children, and one answer struck me as particularly poingant. The child asked how the Muslims that he was meeting felt about Christmas, and he said:
"I read your question out to Nedal, my (Muslim) host this evening in Al Fara Refugee Camp. He said, for him, Christmas was about remembering a message of peace and the things we have in common."

So this time of the year, take the time to remember that no matter our differences that we san all still wish for Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards All Mankind.