moments



During the Christmas season, I find it all too easy to get disgruntled by the hectic chaos, the inconvenience of crowds, my spirits dragged down by sad memories. Some days, you might as well write bah humbug in a big cartoon thought balloon over my head.
Rather than let myself keep sliding down this slippery slope, I try very hard to focus on what's important, and to appreciate the moment, reminding myself that you never know when fate will step in and turn your world upside-down.
Most of all, I try to stop mourning what could have been and focus on appreciating what I have already, to not take things for granted. It's tough sometimes, especially around holiday seasons like Christmas.

Had a good time with our friend Andrew yesterday. Lunch at Milestones, then Jeff and Andrew and I visited Gametrek, a great games store on Front Street under the Royal York hotel.
Took the subway to Bakka, the best sf bookstore in the world, to pick up our autographed copy of The Bakka Anthology, a new publication commemorating the store's thirtieth anniversary. It contains nine original stories by current and former staff, including Tanya Huff, Fiona Patton, Michelle Sagara West, Nalo Hopkinson, Robert J. Sawyer, and Cory Doctorow. If you're interested in buying your own copy, contact John Rose (owner), phone Bakka at 416-963-9993, or visit the store at 598 Yonge St. Cost: CAN$30. Supplies are limited, so you should definitely call if you want to reserve a copy.
Went to my cousins' Christmas party in the evening. It's ironic that I feel closer to my cousins now than I did back when I was a kid, even though we only see each other at the Christmas party, weddings, and funerals. Watching the cousin's kids running around and playing together, I sometimes get a weird feeling of deja vu; instead of being one of the little kids running around while our aunts and uncles and grandparents looked on with amusement, I'm one of the grown-ups now. :-)

Links/News:
A favourite Cheer For Shane e-mail:
From Martijn in the Netherlands - "I went to the early afternoon viewing last Saturday, to a small theatre in the Hague (in the Netherlands), so there weren't many people watching anyway, and especially not by the time Shane's credits came up though. Imagine my surprise when I heard someone else clap & cheer in the back of the room at the same time I did! Unfortunately I haven't been able to find that person... :-\"
One year ago, I posted a silly Christmas card graphic.
Three years ago, I wrote about my holiday pet peeves.
Four years ago, I just finished my Christmas shopping.
Today's Blatherpics:
![]() | Sara and Jeff play a game of chess at the Christmas party last night. Photo by my dad. |
![]() | John Rose and Michelle Sagara West at Bakka yesterday. |
![]() | My cousins' kids opening their presents. |

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