I’ve recently noticed that I’m euphoric, and as I’ve read somewhere that that can be a sign of a serious illness, I’m trying to keep it down.  However, every few steps I take I feel like hopping on one foot, and have that burbling well of happiness in my chest.  I’m quite sure that by next week I’ll be typing “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” over and over and over again.

And speaking of The Shining, we had our first snow, which puts everyone in the fruitcake mood.  I’ve just adored the last few steely grey, overcast days.  Somehow having a seasonal Christmas-related business makes bad weather a good thing.  It’s like I live in Opposite World.

Last Thursday Nicky was paid, so he and his friend Taylor ordered a platter of Greek food, which came to over $60.00  The next day he came home and showed me his rather garishly coloured hoodie, and proudly told me he’d paid $100 for it at Island Snow.  On the weekend he said, “Oh yeah, semester two’s tuition is due by January 1st, but you can pay it anytime between now and then.”

Our tenant left the little carriage house downtown, so Luke is now renting it along with another two kids.  When I told my friend Liz, she responded with, “That’ll be interesting” to which I replied that I had used that exact same word.  Each kid is to pay $300/month, and the other day Luke handed me $280 and said, “I had to spend $20.00 last night.”

I’m currently folding 1,150 boxes, then will put fruitcakes inside, and ship the whole thing to Nokia in Ontario.  If I can just get that out of the house, then I can concentrate on the stores’ orders, which are now coming in fast and furious.  I’m proud to say that there are an awful lot of repeat customers.  One woman at the gym told me she’d eaten an entire Totally Decadent Fruitcake herself and then dreamt about it.

In spite of having absolutely no time, I couldn’t resist a bit of guerilla shopping, just for the sheer thrill.  I went into Future Shop last Thursday morning, and asked one of the kids who works there if they had any Wii’s.  Of course I knew deliveries arrived Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, so struck at the optimal moment.  Sure enough, they had 18 in the back, so the kid grabbed one for me.

I don’t need the Wii at all, but hunted it merely for the adrenalin rush.  Don’t think that the immorality of it all escapes me.  Yet unrepentant, I want to repeat this type of senseless consumer slaughter several more times throughout the next three and a half weeks until Christmas.  If prizes were awarded for Excellence in Shopping, I would surely win one!