I don't make this stuff up There's this house down the street that's a constant source of amusement for us. It's not a funny house or anything. But you see, they have this duck. No, no. Not a real duck. A ceramic duck in the front window. It's a brick rancher with one of those picture windows with the ledge on it. Do you know what I mean? They've hung a curtain, which keeps nosey passersby -- like me, apparently -- from looking in. But there's a big ledge between the curtain and the glass, in which to display things, I guess, to those nosey passersby -- like me. Anyway, so there's the duck. We've lived here for three years and I'm not sure when we discovered the duck. But every time (well, most times anyway) we pass by, one of us will go wack, wack. I know it's supposed to be quack quack, but wack, wack is just funnier somehow. Sometimes when people visit us, we'll point it out. It hasn't proved to be very successful. Once some friends we met through Nabbalicious were visting from out of town and we'd made dinner. Afterward Trish and I went to pick up some ice cream. I tried to point out the duck on the way back and tell her the wack, wack story, but it didn't go so well. The ice cream, you see. It was sitting on the floor in containers with very wishy-washy lids. And when I hit the breaks, the lid popped off one of the sundaes. And well, ice cream leakage is never fun. Then once when my mom was visiting, I tried to show her the duck. "Mom! Look! See the duck?! Wack, wack!" "What?! What duck? Where? I didn't see any duck!" Perhaps the problem is that I don't give enough warning before I spring the duck on people. But I can't help it. It's not one of those things you think about all the time. It's like a leaf stuck in your windshield wiper. You think about it the entire time you're in the car because it's right there and it's making that noise. But when you stop the car, do you remember to get it out? If you're like me, no. You don't think about it again until you're once again driving with that damned leaf pfffffbbbbting the whole time. (Solution: Just turn up the tunes.) Now it's not one of those ducks that gets dressed up for every season. It's just a white ceramic lump with a light yellow beak. But the other day, we were on our way home and I dutifully looked over to make fun of the duck. And what to my wondering eyes did appear? The duck has donned a Christmas cape. Red with white fur. David didn't see it, so I made him go back. I laughed for like 20 minutes. I don't know why I thought it was so funny. He laughed too, but not like I did. I just could not stop laughing. A Christmas cape for the duck! The person was probably so proud! I bet she (Come on, we KNOW it was a she) stood in the yard and admired her handiwork and creativity. "There! Now the window is perfect! Christmas! A cape! For the duck!" Wack, wack.