New Year's Eve

Here's wishing you a warm, safe New Year's Eve, and the beginning to a fabulous 2009!

We enjoyed a quiet evening of Pepsi, pizza, Monty Python sketches and the "Final Flight" of Royal Canadian Air Farce on CBC. In the mid-1990s, I rarely missed a Friday night in front of the tube with Luba Goy, Don Ferguson, Roger Abbott, and John Morgan ("I'm Mike, from Canmore"). Ah, those were the days, my friends, those were the days.

Cheers!

bonus points

To point or not to point, that was the question.

Back in November, Shoppers Drug Mart sent a coupon informing me that (a) an acquisition of 1,965 more points by Dec 31 would promote me to Plus member status, and (b) if I were to purchase $150 worth of stuff before year's end, I would receive 15,000 Optimum points--which works out to $25. How warped is this idea "the more you spend, the more you save"? Math has never been my strong suit, but even I can figure out that when all is said and done, these calculations still mean that I'm down $125!

I used to think the Shoppers Optimum program was a devious marketing scheme, a huge, annoying conspiracy designed to hold up the cash lines as gullible members fished through their wallets for those blasted cards. I resisted until the fateful day that found me alone in line; in my weakened, solitary state, I was no match for the persuasive cashier. Only three or four years later, after I'd all but forgotten I was even collecting points, a cashier asked if I wanted to redeem points. Turned out I'd built up $55 worth of savings. Still consumeristic smoke-and-mirrors, but way less annoying.

The aforementioned coupon came close to finding itself recycled at least a dozen times. However, for some inexplicable reason, I couldn't part with it. Yesterday, when I began to tally up the items I needed, I realized they'd add up to approximately $100. Still cautious, I perused the online flyer. What to my wondering eyes should appear, but sale prices on Cetaphil, Coke & Pepsi, t.p., Swiffer refills! (insert cheer) The long and short of it: I caved.

Consequently, I'm part of the Optimum Plus crowd for a year. I doubt this will have much of an impact on life as I know it. Besides cluttering my inbox, I mean. I do think I've frequented Shoppers more here than in Winnipeg, because (a) it's a two-minute hike, (b) it's closer than Loblaws or Wal-Mart, and (c) the prices are comparable to those of the other stores. (I strongly suspected our Shoppers near Pembina & Markham of upping prices to offset the construction costs of its new digs.) Hmm, just to put checks in place on unnecessary spending, I'd better revisit The Story of Stuff and crack open Green for Life.

May your life be optimum regardless of the points you've accumulated.

and the gifts just keep on coming

I know, I know, it's not about the gifts. Still, I really can't resist talking about the presents.

People tend to give the kind of gifts they'd like to receive. I remember my mom reading an article on that years ago, and I've found an interview online that corroborates that position, in which the interviewee remarks (about halfway through):

One of the big, big errors that I see most people make is that they give a gift that they themselves would like to receive, rather than selecting a gift from the perspective of the recipient.

Maybe that explains (some) grandparents' proclivity to present their grandkids with underwear and socks at Christmas. I can remember when it used to disappoint me to receive socks; now I think they rock! Does that alone qualify me as over the hill? Geezerville, here I come. And for those still wanting to idle away holiday time...here's a message board with a spectrum of opinions on the "underwear as gifts" theme.

Yes, socks, undies, and sleepwear were on my wish list this year. And whaddya know, they were at the top of youlookfab's gift suggestions. Let me state for the record that I would never dream of giving such personal items to anyone other than my spouse. Fortunately for me, my hubba-hubba husband finally realizes that my family is on to something with the "select your own gift(s)" idea. Between Reitman's and Sears, I'm now covered. So is James: I bought a fleecy black robe to replace the green terrycloth one he's had ever since his first year in res at university. Since his mother bought it for him, I'm sure it was top-of-the-line. After all, it's held up for 18+ years and it sports a fancy crest that rests above the heart of the wearer (a touch of preppie). Yet I've always thought it screamed "playboy." Off with the old, on with the new. I was tempted to donate it to Goodwill before Christmas so that a hard-up church could use it for a shepherd costume, but I've decided to hang on to it just in case the new one doesn't measure up.

So, as I was starting to say, for the most part, we choose our own gifts. My parents generally give us money (it's easier to transport), and then something smaller (in size and price) for under the tree--so we can have something to unwrap. Perry usually gives us money as well. It's uncanny, though, how the presents James selects generally cost above and beyond any money he receives. For example, if he has $30 to spend, he buys an item that costs $50. So we decided that I must have been feeling pretty generous this year, because my parents and I chipped in to get him a DAC (digital to analog converter - it improves audio on CDs). For Perry's gift to him (I chipped in a bit once again), James bought Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows.

I've had a lot of fun picking out my gifts so far, and I'm not quite done yet! With the money from my parents, I purchased the two pillows for the couch (pictured in a previous post) at Linen Chest for $9.95 each--a great deal, and the best part is they are washable. Got the two blankets (pictured in previous post) on sale at Loblaws. Also have bought: t-shirt, sweater, set of 4 tumblers at Pier 1, 3 pairs of socks (I had already received another 3 pairs), 3 books, shelves (for basement storage), and body wash (Giovanni's "Raspberry Winter" - certified organic, so I hope I like it). Perry's gift consisted of two books and placecard holders from Michael's, which I'm using as photo card holders (they were all sold out of the latter, which were very similar in design).

It's been an extremely relaxing Christmas, since I haven't rushed about buying things for anyone but me. (Wow, that sounds selfish.) I haven't had to worry about the whole office party and gift exchange thing for a few years, and we narrowly escaped a small group function. I wish people would stop insisting on the "bring a $10 gift for the swap game"--especially since nobody I know really needs another snowman candy dish, vanilla tealight candle set, or pooping reindeer. My preference, and you can quote me on this, is that groups of "haves" forego the gift exchange and each contribute $10 towards a project from the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog, World Vision Gift Catalogue, or a local soup kitchen, toy drive, or other charity (e.g., Siloam Mission, Christmas Cheer Board). That will be my pre-Christmas challenge for next year.

Until then, I leave you with Pam Leo's article, "The Gift Every Child Really Wants." I especially appreciated her observation that

The people who really love us will still love us no matter what gifts we do or do not give them and whether or not we send greeting cards.

Amen to that!

Having a Dickens of a Christmas*

* To kick off our Christmas season, we watched Sunday's broadcast of Church of the Rock on Global. Pastor Mark's message was entitled "Have a Dickens of a Christmas!" and wove together references to Dickens's A Christmas Carol, the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (aka "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), A Charlie Brown Christmas, throwing in the usual assortment of jokes, to discuss the true spirit of Christmas. So glad for that infant in the manger-turned-Savior!

Last night Dave & Ci & Nicole invited us to spend Christmas Eve with them. Good thing we didn't have supper proper beforehand, because there were finger foods galore, hors d'oeuvres vegetarian and non, a tourtière (meat pie), an Italian cauliflower dish, and a chocolate fondue to cap things off. Lara's pecan squares were delightful. (I should have tucked one away in my purse for a midnight snack.) I had meant to take the camera along, but forgot it. Their tree was decorated Martha Stewart-perfect, and all the gifts underneath matched! It's just as well I didn't take a picture, because it would have put our simple little construct to shame.

The fibre optic tree we purchased for $30 in July
from neighbors who moved to California

Today we slept in. James's parents phoned from Texas around 11am. Since we'd eaten breakfast late, we ate Christmas dinner (farmer sausage, potatoes, carrots, and three-bean salad - no dessert, unless you count the macaroons I ate straight from the freezer) around 2:30pm. James played Walle Larson's Christmas CD. We unwrapped our gifts and went for a walk around the block, to see what was open (Shoppers Drug Mart and Starbucks). Other than a few cars, all was quiet. We figure that the residents of Clearbrook Dr. must be the socialites; each driveway has 2 or 3 vehicles parked in it, while our street verges on complete and utter desertion. The roads and sidewalks are tricky at places, since the weather warmed up yesterday and Ottawa received rain in the late afternoon/evening. I've phoned my family and James phoned his (10 are gathered at his brother & sister-in-law's place). For the rest of the evening, we're planning to stay put, watching Christmas specials or Monty Python as we munch on leftovers or junk food. (I am resisting the temptation to bake cookies and buy chocolates, because we've both told ourselves and each other that we don't need the high caloric intake.)

Here are some photos of this afternoon, so that my Mom & Dad know what kind of great gifts they gave me.

t-shirt, sweater, two cushions on couch, two blankets

fleece hoodie inside - I mean, surprise!

Mr. Darth wanted in on the action; too bad it's my gift!

Curli expressing her unhappiness at the lack of presents
(sorry...Boxing Day...PetSmart...spongy balls)

"Hapy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

p.s. Have uploaded photos for vacation post below.

my big fat Manitoba vacation*

* apologies to Nia Vardalos

Tue, Dec 9

• I left Ottawa as the first centimetres of the eventual 30 were falling - thick, fluffy flakes. My flight was supposed to leave at 4:30pm; however, the airport appeared short-staffed and the plane had to undergo de-icing, so the flight only left at 5:30pm. The woman in the seat next to me was comfortably talkative, meaning we made small talk during takeoff and landing, but in-between she watched a movie and knitted while I took a nap and read a book.
• My parents were kind enough to drive in, pick me up, treat me to supper, and take me home. They stopped short of tucking me in.
  

Wed, Dec 10

• In the morning, I tagged along with my parents to Morris's Home Hardware and MCC Thrift Store. They were both more or less as I'd remembered them. MCC, Sally Ann, and Valu Village stores always have a distinctive smell to them, the sad, stuffy smell of rejection.
  
• In the afternoon, my parents humored me by taking me to Winnipeg to go Christmas shopping. (In contrast to the Morris MCC store, the mall smelled of blatant commercialism.)
  
• Serendipitously, my uncle & aunt and their daughter were at the mall, too, so we met them over dinner/supper (for my urban/rural readers, that's 5:30pm) in the food court. It's a good thing I got to see Nicole, because she's a nurse who works a lot of night shifts, especially during the holidays.
  
• After we got home, my mother decided it was time to deal with the cookie dough she'd made in the forenoon. Six dozen cookies later--she baked, I iced--we called it a night.

Thu, Dec 11

• Fortunately for us, Dad took holidays. Wonder if he knew he'd end up being our chauffeur? We raced off to Steinbach to meet Perry for a 9:30am breakfast at Smitty's.

• Back to Winnipeg in the afternoon, for cake & cookies with Gayle and Pauline at the Mauro Centre.

Pauline and Gayle
(When the bosses are away, it's time to par-tay)

• Then it was dinner at Applebee's with the Ladies of Lake Village minus one: Gina, Jacquie, and Jenn. (We missed you, Val!)

Fri, Dec 12

• I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to visit my cousin and finish shopping for Dad's present (had finished Perry's and Mom's). Shauna & Derek had baby Joshua on the 4th, so he was a week and a day old when I got to hold him. It's probably way past due that I dig out the free hand weights from my basement, because all 8 lbs. 2 oz. of that little guy were heavy, and I only had him for about 10 min.
• Made phone calls to Renée and Meryl to let them know about my Saturday plans.
  

Sat, Dec 13 - "morning at the mall"

• I dropped off my new, unwrapped toy (a Polly Pocket) for the Christmas Cheer Board's Miracle Toy Drive, bought a tazo chai at Starbucks, a Free Press at Chapters, and a box of timbits, and settled in. I got to fill out a ballot at the Toy Drive table, so Mom, if you get a call saying you won a package from Robinson Lighting, Merry Christmas! (Speaking of Polly Pocket, those of you with young daughters might find a bit of Polly fun at this link. If only real-life hairstyles and outfits were that easy to choose.)
  
• Meryl braved the Arctic temperatures, and was I ever glad to see her! I don't know if we've ever had a whole hour's conversation before, just the two of us. Saw pictures of her very photogenic kids; they are growing up fast. Her son and Sher's go to kindergarten together.
  
• Duane & Celina invited me over for lasagna & Caesar salad--truthfully, I invited myself over. Originally I'd asked if I could stop by at 3pm, so they were awfully kind to let me crash at 1pm. Saw their new waterfront property: very impressive. The majority of the furnishings from the last place looked at home in the new. They tried to persuade me to take a couch/sofa/chesterfield with me, but I suspected it might exceed my checked luggage limit. (Anybody need a gently used couch? I can put you in touch with them.)

• Meant to attend the evening service at Church of the Rock, for old times' sake and to say hi to a bunch of people, but CFAM 950 (the station my parents' vehicles are set to) was forecasting a blizzard for southern Manitoba, so I headed home. The blizzard never materialized; needless to say, I felt gypped. Mom & Dad went to a Christmas banquet, so Perry, who had driven home by then, watched TV, and I read the paper.
  

Sun, Dec 14 ~ Christmas Day

• What, you thought Christmas was Dec 25? No way, it's whenever you decide it will be. Besides, isn't it supposed to be Christmas in our hearts all year long? Went to church with Mom & Dad, saw a number of relatives and friends, including Martha. Lori S. must've still been battling bugs--"terrorist germs" she called them (WMD on imported Christmas oranges)--because I didn't see her.
• After a meal of tender turkey (I had a tiny piece), stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and cookies for desssert, most of us took naps so that we were rested up for our gift exchange.
  

Mon, Dec 15

• It was so blinkin' cold that the furthest we ventured was the Co-op, and that was by car.
• Gwen dashed over from school at lunchtime. Too bad I couldn't stick around for the upcoming Friesen gathering.
  
• Since the weather outside was frightful, Carol D. and I caught up by telephone, instead of in-person as we'd originally planned. It seemed a bit fairer that way, too, since Susan had other commitments; the three of us worked together years ago, and still get together for dinner/supper whenever we can. Carol informed me that McNally Robinson moved from Portage Place to Polo Park, and that the Polo Park food court was renovated. It now includes Cultures. So Cultures is back. In the late '80s, early '90s, Portage Place and St. Vital both boasted a Cultures. When we moved to Ottawa the first time, in 2000, there was a Cultures at Bayshore, but somewhere along the way it disappeared, 'cause it wasn't there last time I checked. Wasn't Brian Orser behind the chain?
  
• Dad & Mom and I stayed up until midnight watching game show reruns: Deal or No Deal and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. I chewed out the Millionaire contestant who didn't know what the F stood for in FAQ. I was only slightly less miffed at the one who guessed that cerulean was a shade of yellow. (That would be saffron, bozo!) (Oh the useless facts I know.)

Tue, Dec 16

• Renée called and we resumed the conversation(s) we'd started on Friday evening. One topic had to do with bawling over botched haircuts. I confessed that when my previous hair stylist left the shop without warning (to me, anyway), I stalked her on Facebook (without success), because she had known how to do my hair perfectly. Renée shared that recently, when she made the comment that something was perfect, her oldest child had corrected her (and I paraphrase): "No, Mom, nobody/nothing is perfect; only God is perfect. Things don't always have to be perfect." That's such wise advice coming from a young'un that I'm making it my mantra: "It doesn't have to be perfect."
  
• Mom convinced Dad that we needed to go to Winnipeg to get a replacement pipe for his workshop. We stopped at Wal-Mart on Kenaston, but the express lane extended all the way to the jewelry department, so we basically turned tail and ran.
• I spent a delightful hour at Ellen's. I felt quite honored that she could schedule me in between two parties and a newsletter; must be part of her "enjoying the moment" holiday philosophy. Neve was so cute: she yanked the door open before I could ring the bell! We covered many topics, but I forgot to ask her how she went about changing the background on her blog (darn!). I hadn't visited since before the infamous house renos, so I poked my head upstairs. Those kids have it good--their rooms have all been painted and decorated to suit their individual styles. Very cool. Knowing that I'd really wanted to bring chocolates for the kids, but was prevented from so doing by the intimidatingly long Wal-Mart line (which included Hutterites or Old Order Mennonites or schneppeldüch-wearing women of some sort), my parents came to the rescue when they picked me up.

• We then headed to Polo Park, where the sole thing I bought was a strawberry smoothie at the freshly-returned-to-Winnipeg Cultures. So much for my grand shopping expectations.
  

Wed, Dec 17

• Got up at quarter after 4am, packed up a duffel bag of farmer sausage, noodles (both of Winkler origins), and a 1.42 L refill of Ivory liquid hand soap (which the store shelves out here are boycotting).
  
• Stopped for breakfast at McDonald's.
  
• I panicked when we got to the airport, because the check-in line-up was the longest I've ever seen it. My heart was racing as fast as it used to in those nightmares about missing the school bus. The airport employee whose job it was to walk around asking everyone if they already had their boarding passes told me there was lots of time; it turned out he was right, much to my relief. It was a pleasant surprise to find out my seat was in row 19, the row of the emergency exit--more leg room!--and nobody had the seat next to mine. Conversely, it was not so pleasant to discover that the whiny little child I first heard in line for security was on the same flight. Fortunately for me, he and his entire family (I counted 5 kids) were several rows behind me. I take the whole emergency exit responsibility quite seriously: I familiarized myself with the evacuation procedures. I vigilantly peered through the window on the lookout for other aircraft spiralling out of control. I was attuned to every small air pocket and hint of turbulence. This went on for about 5 minutes, until I glanced over at the two young men on the other side of the aisle: one was sacked out against the window, using his parka as a pillow; the other was pillowing his cheek in his hand. If you can't beat'em, join'em, they say, so I napped. I think airlines should really run a simulation, though, for the people seated at the exits. How do I know if I'd remain calm and collected enough in the event of an emergency to follow through step-by-step? How do I know that those guys wouldn't have slept through a disaster? Maybe the airlines are thinking, "It doesn't have to be perfect."
  
• However, nothing out of the ordinary occurred (I'd like to point out here that the captain was a woman), and we arrived more or less on time: there was a 10-minute delay while the snow removal crew blazed a trail through the fresh white stuff. James observed that it snows whenever he has to take me to or pick me up from the airport. So it goes.
  
• It's great to go on vacation, but it's always great to get back from it, too!
  

morning at the mall

My laptop's still on Central Time, so tomorrow is already today.

If the weather cooperates, I'll be hanging out at the Tim Horton's at the St. Vital Centre food court from 9:30am to noon. It's always such a rush-around, and I never have time to see everyone I'd like to see when I'm out for holidays; therefore, I came up with a plan. My plan was to create a Facebook "event," and invite people to meet me at the mall before or after they do their Christmas shopping. It may turn out to be a very bad idea, but you'll have to credit me for giving people the opportunity to say hi. It will be a test of sorts, a social experiment, to see how many people actually mean it when they say, "We should get together next time you're in town." I think I shall compile statistics and share the results of my study. Then again, maybe I won't.

play-by-play: Nov 30 to Dec 6

Dec 1-3 - my last three days of work for the Fall 2008 term.

Dec 4 - spent the entire morning of my first day of vacation glued in front of the TV watching a bodyguard pull shut the doors to the Governor General's residence because they kept blowing open in the fierce wind as the press waited for Prime Minister Harper to appear and inform them whether or not he had indeed persuaded the GG to prorogue Parliament. (Celina and I discussed the notion that "perogy-ing" Parliamentarians might knock more sense into them.)

Dec 5 - Shauna called to say she and Derek had had their fourth child the day before--a new baby brother for the other kids! James worked from home in the afternoon so that I could drive around, unloading a bagful of stuff at the Thrift Store, and hitting up IKEA for a round rug for underneath our Christmas tree. It's a 6-foot fibre optic tree we bought for $30 at a neighbor's moving sale in July. We're totally thrilled, because we could never afford/fit a Christmas tree in our apartment. A friend of ours asked me last year what spiritual significance the Christmas tree had, and I said it was a good question, I couldn't think of any and I'd have to look it up (actually, I vaguely remember reading somewhere that Christians borrowed the trees from what was originally a pagan tradition). I still haven't decided if I attach so much importance to it because I'm influenced by rampant consumerism or the pursuit of aesthetic excellence. (I'd like to think the latter. You might beg to differ when I get around to posting pictures of the tree in question.)

Dec 6 - In preparation for my trip to Manitoba, I booked a manicure with my favorite aesthetician, Joanne. She's another one of these amazing women: she juggles motherhood (four kids, the youngest one having been born this past spring) and a part-time business. I got a French manicure, which lasted for all of 3 days before the polish began chipping off. It was probably the frequent hand-washing--I was determined not to catch a cold before I left.

And that should bring me almost up-to-date.

more catch-up: week of Nov 23-29

Tuesday, Nov 25 - Happy things: Perry's birthday! Sad things: The company James works for is still making money, but due to pervasive talk about economic recessions, it laid off 8% of its employees (17). James's status remains unchanged.

Wednesday, Nov 26 - GayleR's birthday! (my former colleague) I worked a one-day learning event with another computer interpreter. The organization left a lot to be desired, but the money will be welcome.

Saturday, Nov 29 - James went in to work for a few hours, so I took the bus to a nearby church to drop off my Operation Christmas Child shoebox. It was the last day to do so. Usually I get mine in long before the deadline, but this year it was down the wire. We met Marcie and Craig for Chinese food; after supper the four of us caught the 7pm showing of "Quantum Solace." We'll have to rent it sometime, because the theatre was so full and we got seats so far up front that it was difficult to take in all the action sequences.

And so another week reached its conclusion.

two weeks ago: Nov 16-22

Things have been on the busy side, what with the winding down of the Fall term and planning for Christmas. Here's a synopsis of recent highlights and events:

• Sunday, Nov 16 - The Barrhaven Santa Claus Parade started at 5:30pm; we went last year, too, so it looks like this is becoming an annual event for us. The floats line up along Chapman Mills, which is basically next door to us. We stopped at Starbucks before walking down Strandherd. We walked quite a distance, since lots of young families with strollers lined up, understandably, near the front part of the parade route. It was less windy than last year, but colder. I was hoping parents had bundled up their kids well enough to withstand the chill. Last year's parade was captured on video (I've tried watching it before and it took too long to download the whole thing, so don't click that link unless you truly want to waste precious time). This year someone posted photos on Flickr. Whoever took these photos is a genius with the camera, 'cause the real thing didn't seem half so spectacular.
• Tuesday, Nov 18 - a Winnipeg friend of ours underwent surgery for cancer. Many people were and still are praying for and thinking about her, as her CaringBridge Website journal (blog) and guestbook attest.
  
• Thursday, Nov 20 - I convinced a reluctant James to accompany me downtown to the UM Alumni Association Event at the Chauteau Laurier from 6-8pm. He's a much better mingler than I am. While I was checking my coat, he was off mixing it up with Dean Doug Ruth and staff and former grads of Engineering. We met Rod Bruinooge, MP for Winnipeg South (our former riding). We caught glimpses of Gary Filmon, former premier of Manitoba, in the midst of a throng of people - reminiscing about Filmon Fridays of yore, perhaps. Marcie and Craig found us about halfway through the evening, and the photographer took a photo of the four of us.
• Friday, Nov 21 - I debated about including this here, since it's a minor happenstance, but I stumbled upon The Body Shop's buy 2 get 1 free sale. Last winter I raved about the cranberry-scented liquid hand soap I bought - it's so festive, I gushed - and it's only available during the winter holidays. As with so many things, my memory grossly exaggerated the appeal of the soap. It's OK, I guess, but James keeps remarking that the bathroom smells like ammonia. Not the scent-sation I was aiming for. Nov 21 was also historic in that it marked the first time I've gone to bed at 9pm since I was...in junior high?
  
• Saturday, Nov 22 - I woke up so well-rested, I vowed I should go to sleep at 9pm every night. (Sure.) We drove to Merivale for something completely different, but ended up at the Linens'N'Things going out of business sale. We picked up a few deals: a storage ottoman & an espresso-colored throw that fits into it for downstairs. It's too bad the store's going out of business, because it was part of the triple crown of home stores on Merivale, which included Home Sense and Home Outfitters. (There's also Pier 1, but it's usually out of my league.) We met Dave & Ci for supper at Mexicali Rosa's. Nicole joined us for dessert (fried ice-cream). It bills itself as serving "California-style Mexican food," meaning it only burns once. Anybody remember Chi-Chi's at Polo Park? (Sheesh, that's where I went for one of my first dates ever!) Mexicali Rosa's is sort of like that: good food, but not authentically spicy.
  

So that's a bit of catch-up; stand by for a bit more.