The house was fairly quiet with nothing more than the low sound of “Christmas in Connecticut” DVD playing on the screen.

Suddenly—

Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!

I jumped.

“Take cover,” my best friend blurted out, stepping on a piece of large bubble wrap I hadn’t yet picked up off the floor from the box that was delivered but not a half hour prior.

My heart raced.  I told my dogs this is how Chicago sounds.

We all laughed.

Then in the middle of the night, breaking the peacefulness of a still household:

Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!Pop!Pop!

The cat decided to try it out, being the nocturnal animal, she is.

So much for a peaceful, still household.

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