It's snowing post-Christmas

We didn't get snow on Christmas. Instead, the snow came late on Boxing Day. It's snowing overnight.

I'm not sure whether I'll be going out in the morning later on today. I kind of like that housekeeping doesn't come once a day during this pandemic. It means that I can stay in my room later, watch TV, eat breakfast at a leisurely pace, write, and relax.

My first week of vacation has flown by. I love waking up without an alarm clock going off. I still get up relatively early at around 8 am. I feel that it's the excitement of exploring the Twin Cities that makes me so enthusiastic to wake up early and get on with my day.

Boxing Day, Minnesota, and travel

It's Boxing Day. I will likely head out later on today and break my two-day hibernation.

I am leaving for the Twin Cities in a couple of days. I am looking forward to returning to Minnesota, where I called it home for a couple of years. It's nice to be on vacation.

Happy Boxing Day and hieroglyphics

It's officially Boxing Day in Canada. It basically is an extra day off for most Canadians.

There will be sales happening. I will try and avoid going to stores for deals. However, I do need to get a few things at the drug store. We'll see how crazy that store gets!

My guy got me the sweetest gift from Cairo.

"I got this little gift for you," he said, handing me a small box.
"Cool," I said, opening the cobalt blue box. "Hey, it's a pendant with hieroglyphics!"
"It's your name in them," he said.
"I love it. I'll need to get a chain for it," I said.

I need to find a silver chain for this wonderful jewellery piece to dangle from it.

Boxing Day, cuddling, gifts, and reading

Happy Boxing Day! I normally don't go out on Boxing Day for sales. It's too crazy dealing with aggressive shoppers. I also don't have anything I truly need to get.

The other day, while my guy and I were cuddling, he asked his usual question.

"What would you like for Christmas?" he asked me. "I'm late, as always."
"I know. I have your presents already," I cited. "You've been travelling, so you have a good reason."

Naturally, my gift was having him to myself when he came off the plane and drove to the hotel to spend some time together. I truly have all that I need.

Frankly, I feel like I don't read as much as I should.

"I don't have Jann Arden's latest book," I replied. "It's a hardcover one."
"I didn't realize that she was an author," my guy admitted, as he knows that I love her music.
"Yes, she is. I have all her books so far, but haven't got around to picking up this one."

I have two weeks off from work. It's the perfect time to curl up and read when it's all white outside.

Black Friday sales... ugh!

For the last three years, I am turned off when it comes to Black Friday sales. I don't know why it has become a tradition in Canada when this ritual comes for our neighbours to the south. However, I feel the same way about Black Friday as I do with Boxing Day sales, with some minor differences.

Black Friday used to be shopping on that particular day for bargains. Yes, you'd be shopping on a Friday. These days, you have pre-Black Friday sales. And, there's a catch, too. You can actually have a full weekend or more of these Black Friday sales.

One word: Ugh.

Boxing Day is a Canadian holiday. In the past, stores would be closed that day. There would be Boxing Day sales on December 27, which is a day after this holiday. These days, you can have your sale start on Christmas or even earlier. And, it's not a Boxing Day sale. Oh, no. It's a Boxing week sale, which could carry on for longer than week. Stores are also open on Boxing Day.

The same word: Ugh.

I don't have much to buy for either sale. It has to be something that I truly need. I am trying to adopt a minimalistic approach to debt and shopping these days.

I have also done all my Christmas shopping. I am that prepared.

On Friday, it took forever for me to drive home. It seemed like everyone was out shopping.

My guy called me from Egypt, where he is there for less than a month. It was great hearing from him.  He is over his jetlag and is safe. Chatting with him made my commute more bearable.

"How's my cute girl?" he asked me.
"I am stuck in traffic. I am literally under highway 400," I replied.
"Are you on highway 401?" he asked me.
"Nope, I'm backroading it," I replied. "It's Black Friday."
"Ah, I see," said my fellow shopper. "You don't get too many deals."
"I agree. You probably do in the States."

It's nice that my guy and I are on the same page. For Canadians, the deals are better during the Boxing Day, week, or month sales.

Food poisoning and George Michael's passing on Christmas

Happy Boxing Day! I am still recovering from Christmas.

I had food poisoning from dinner on Christmas eve. I felt horrible for most of the day, especially with the sharp stomach pains that accompanied everything else that was happening.

I had a light dinner, which consisted mostly of soup and some yummy warm bread. I didn't want to take any chances.

I then learned that George Michael had passed away. I equate the 80's to be my decade. My mom bought my first four cassette tapes for me in the mid-80's. One of them was Wham's Make It Big. I loved that album so much. I still have the cassette tape!

He went on to do solo work. At first, I wasn't all that receptive to it, but it grew on me. As I grew older, I appreciated it more.

Like David Bowie, I have only seen George Michael once in concert. He was such a great singer and performer. He danced and sang with soul. I am so fortunate to have seen both these talents perform.

It is sad that they both died so soon. May George rest in peace.

Black Friday - ugh!

Happy belated Thanksgiving for all celebrating the day! I loved living in the States for a couple of years, mainly because I was thankful twice each year. I got to celebrate Canadian and American Thanksgiving.

Black Friday makes me cringe, though. I do not understand why an American trend is now alive and growing like the plague in Canada, other than for commercial reasons. Last year, I refused to participate. I am in the same boat today.

I think I am turned off by these alleged deals in Canada because I don't have anything to buy. I plan my gift-buying so well that I have been done my Christmas shopping since October!

If I do get the itch to buy at discount prices, I will either give Cyber Monday a shot, or wait till we have Boxing Day sales in December.

My rant about Boxing Day sales getting extended in recent years to Boxing week sales merits a new blog post down the road.

My guy, who is an avid shopper, doesn't mind Black Friday. However, he feels the same way that I do about the prices. He hasn't found decent prices on items that he wants. Meanwhile, he loves Boxing Day sales as much as I do.

Boxing Day, Week, Month, ...

Happy Boxing Day! I hope that you had a great Christmas. If you don't celebrate it, I hope that you had some time off to spend with family and friends.

Boxing Day used to be a one-day event in which you would go into a crowded store, find decent deals, and come out in hopefully one piece. It seems like a farce these days, where Boxing Day has become Boxing Week and possibly Boxing Month.

I tend to avoid the malls on Boxing Day these days. Today, I did go out to a Chinese bakery to restock my fridge, which was the highlight of my day. The roads were pretty good traffic-wise.

As for the bargains, I shop online. I managed to get some wine-coloured winter boots. I haven't owned a pair for a few years, so it was time to get some. I am not sure how I managed since snow predictably occurs in Canada.

Anyway, I have spent a lot of time on Etsy. Once of these days, I will purchase a clear lexan paddle. My backside is fearing it, but I have always wanted one.

I will be writing a post on the gift exchange that both my guy and I had. I just wanted to squeeze in a short post.