[Actual grainy, walking while photographing, trying-not-to-be-creepy photo from last Friday.]

It took exactly 1 month from Christmas day for our neighbors (and their neighbors) to take down their Christmas tree and turn off their Christmas lights.

The most interesting part? The lights were on and the blinds open all day, every day. Excessive electricity use and prolonged Christmas celebration? Are we sure this is Seattle?

To be honest, it didn’t really bother me. Christmastime went by entirely too quickly, the presence of the lights helped to slowly ease me out of the spirit. One could easily argue that lights mustn’t be taken down right after you open your presents Christmas morning. Modern day tradition holds that lights and decorations be left up until New Years Day. In which case, they are only 3 weeks behind. Far be it from me the be the Christmas Czar (unless Obama needs one of those, too) but January 25th seems like a little odd, even for decorations at the North Pole.