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December 1. And some stupid woman at the bus asked was I all ready for Christmas? That shouldn't be allowed before the 20th. As it happens, I could be smug and say i'd bought all my gifts already, just one or two other things to do (like put up the tree, make candy, wrap a few things) but it's still annoying.  She said she hadn't started so I guess she wanted someone to join her in a good moan about it.  There are far better small talk topics to discuss while waiting for the bus. Like weather, for fuck's sake.

Not that I don't like Christmas. I love it, especially spending time with friends and family and I love giving gifts. I don't stress over it at all. I still buy for my nephews and niece and they're getting easier to buy for as they get older. My niece loves anything and the lads  really just want money or gift cards. I prefer a real present but if i really don't find anything that I think will suit, i'll do that which is what i did this year.

I mailed off Graham's stuff last week. Had to recruit one of his friends who is retired to send the parcel to now that his dad isn't around. His neighbour is now working so can't be relied on to be home when the mail arrives and the post office depot is in an awkward spot for G. to get to. Today i have another round of Fun with Canada Post and have a few more things to mail, these going to Canadian destinations.

Am reading "All My Puny Sorrows" by Miriam Toews. It's a very moving book, very sad in parts and I dread to think how it's going to end. But it's so well written and feels so "real" even though the emotions are very raw. It's very good but the subject matter might not be for everyone, about a talented woman who keeps trying to kill herself and her sister trying to help her find a reason to go on. It's a hard book to read even for me. Even though I haven't had this experience, I do have a sister and those feelings and emotions written are spot on.

I keep buying ebooks even though i have a couple thousand of them that i've downloaded. These are mostly books released over the past 20 or 30 years but i see new releases and think oooooh so i then go to see if i can download them or, if i can get them cheapish, i'll buy them. I did buy a hardback the other day, my one concession to "Black Friday". The new Stephen King was selling for $15. I've recently got back to reading some of his books, with 11/22/63 being the first one, and that, my friends, is excellent!! Not his traditional horror though there are trace elements. It's about time travel and trying to change history and will history let itself be changed. Then I read Joyland which was good. Graham read Doctor Sleep and said it was really good, too but it's a sequel to The Shining which I haven't read so i've finished that now. Revival is the new one I bought and it looks quite good as well. I bought a couple other ebooks on Black Friday as well, new releases that were $4.99.

The ebooks were meant to be a lot cheaper than a new hard cover but you know, the prices of them are going up and up. It doesn't seem right. There's next to no overhead, no shipping, so why are some new released ebooks selling for nearly $20? If i can buy a new release ebook for less than the price of a new paperback, which is also getting up there in price, then yes, i might buy it. They have sales sometimes, and Kobo has trivia contests that give you 10 - 75% off ebooks but they are only a selected group, never new release ones. Sometimes I find something good in their selection, one or two maybe but that's about it. I do the trivia contests (one question a day for 10 days) because you can also win a prize pack of new ereader tablets. That is, when the website works. It's not today. When I pick the right answer i'm not getting a response, only when i pick the wrong one. I'll try again tonight or tomorrow.

(no subject)

Fun with Canada Post: Only cost 16 dollars for three small parcels. I had to slightly crush one thing to fit it through the slot that meant it could be sent as a thick letter, it's just the little box inside, but the present in it won't be harmed. Yeah, it was wrapped and if the recipient mentions it, i'll just blame Canada Post!

But the best news that really made my Monday is this: Remember that I had found a dress i wanted for the wedding but then it went out of stock before I could order it? I had been showing someone just last week, all they had left was a small size in black but she got the idea of the dress. I ordered a pretty skirt and top instead just in case. Today, less than a week later, I decided to peruse the site to see if there was anything worth getting for the "Cyber Monday" 15% off. I ran a list of dresses in my size and looky there... the dress was on the result list. Huh? There was nothing there last week in the size.... well, let's see, then. Yep, my size. AND my wedding colour!!!!!! Can you say EXCITED?? You bet I ordered it! The 15% paid for the shipping and even then, the total cost was $60.99. Yep, that's right. For my wedding dress. (Graham if you do read this, don't you dare click that link!) I got the confirmation email but i won't be able to be completely confident that it's really going to be in stock until they send me the shipped notice! It should arrive before Christmas (10 - 12 business days).

I was also messaging my friend who is going to do the ceremony. She's applied for the special license for the wedding (she is a minister in the province of Quebec so has to have a special ok through her church to do a wedding here and have it be legal) We were discussing readings. She knows we aren't religious so it would be fairly low key in that respect but there are some nice Bible verses that are about love and marriage but that don't pull religion into it. I don't mind those. She asked if i was going to carry a dime. Yes, yes i am and she asked if she could mention it. I thought maybe. Then i thought no, that will probably have half the guests in tears, me included :) I don't know where i'll have it, perhaps I'll attach it to a ribbon on the bouquet. I just had a thought. I'm going to ask Graham to draw a dime in the corner of the artwork. It'll be identifiable because the coin has a schooner on one side so if he does a round coin with that on it, it would work. It doesn't matter if it's not in proportion to the design if it's in one corner, I think.