Holiday Season in Da'burgh

Shopping Purgatory...

I made it a point NOT to do any xmas shopping this past weekend because I knew it would be a nightmare. Reports from my mom and brother from the field confirmed this. The word they used to describe Walmart was PURGATORY. The aisles were clogged with carts, people were bumping into one another so aggressively that some were injured to the point where ambulances had to be called. This is the "Christmas spirit" I suppose. No wonder I am a Buddhist humbug. My bro is lucky that he got that job at Kmart. You can pick on Kmart all you want, but at least you have a significantly lower risk of personal injury while shopping there.

'Burgh Holiday Landmarks...

Okay so maybe I'm not a total humbug, because for some odd reason, I felt compelled to take pictures of all the familiar holiday landmarks that sprout up here every year...

Here is our version of Rockefellar Center. Last year was the first year for this temporary ice rink at PPG Plaza and it's back this year.

Here is the "Hornes department store tree," (left) although Hornes has long since left the building and it is now occupied by other shops.

And, I think this one is new (right)...I saw them hauling this into town on a flatbed on my way to work on morning.

Persian Hennaed Hands

And finally, a picture of some henna that I did recently, based on a pattern in the Hennaria book. These are supposed to be "lovers knots."