I'm back from my vacation in Toronto, which was wonderful. Stayed in a really nice hostel in Chinatown, walked all over the city, saw lots of good art at the Ontario Art Gallery, Jackie took many pictures, made friends at a pub with a Canadian couple who took our picture, and was later invited to a hotel party they were throwing the next night, drank good beer, good wine, ate good sushi. Jackie went crazy buying shoes (an obsession of hers, I've discovered). I found a print of a surrealist painting by Dominique Appia that I saw in a poster store about seven years ago, and never saw again until the Ontario Art Gallery, and bought a print of it now instead of losing track of it again. Made me very happy. Discovered the alcohol is very cheaply bought at duty free stores at the border, as well as many other luxury items. All in all, a great vacation. The two of us liked traveling with each other. I even came down with the cold on Saturday and was not found to be an annoying sick person.

I crashed all last night and then spent the day trying to buy last minute Christmas items for the family. This year is bad. I'm a poor graduate student instead of a less poor librarian's assistant who had been able to save up some money at that job. So I've had to cut back on spending, which depresses me. I like buying gifts for people, but it's hand to mouth for me at this point. I hate it. I'm finally figuring out that whole wanting to save and plan an economic future thing that people do, because I don't want to have to worry about money forever, like I'm doing now. It sucks. Hopefully next year will be better.

Christmas Eve party with the parents tomorrow upcoming. Much fun.

Have you listened to Norah Jones yet? Do so.