Window Peeking (You Know You Do It, Too)

The daylight hours here are similar to what they were in Alaska. During the winter months, the sun rises late and sets early. Or maybe I should just say that the nights are very long, because sometimes the sun doesn't like to make much of an appearance at all. The darkness does have one thing going for it, though. It is the perfect time of the year to take part in one of my favorite hobbies. Nope, not scrapbooking (although it does seem like something I should be working on during the rainy weather). I'm a window peeker. Not the creepy "I'm standing in your bushes and trying to see you in your underwear" type of window peeking. I'm talking about "driving down the street while running errands and casually glancing over at your open windows to check out how you decorate" kind of window peeking. Don't act all shocked. You know you do it, too. There's nothing quite as interesting as seeing how other people live. For instance, Belgians tend to decorate in a very modern and stark sense of style. They prefer clean lines, white walls and black or gray accents. In a country overflowing with wonderful antiques, they prefer the IKEA style of furniture. Go figure. And they are clean. Really, really clean. (No surprise there.) Anyhoo, it's interesting, and I figure if they didn't want people looking in their windows early in the morning, then they would keep the curtains shut, right? Besides, turnabout is fair play. I know that they peek in mine as they pass by, as well. We always open the windows early in the morning, so we can keep an eye out for the bus. The locals glance in the window, see the motorcycle sitting there, and you can practically hear them thinking..."Americans are SO weird, but at least the place is clean. Except maybe for those windows...Are those water spots?"