I'm not really a huge fan of winter only for one reason: it's so bloody dark and grey. I don't mind the cold. I love bundling up in sweaters and I like feeling the cold crisp air on my face. I even like that feeling of my nose going numb. But, I'd rather combine these things with a sunny sky. Winter on the west coast can be a rather wet affair, but with our vegetation I'd gladly go for a walk in the woods, as long as it's not raining of course. I love the smell and appearance of the decay and that our evergreens and moss still keep a bit of green going throughout the year. With all the leaves gone you can see a new level of forest through the branches. In a word, it can seem magical. Haha, I read too much. You do have to watch out for rain of every hour of every day, unless the clouds blow away and we have a few sunny days accompanied by a cold snap. The clouds rule the skies a lot more liberally in the winter than in the summer. They can make it spit only on one side of the river, make it sunny in one little patch somewhere else, downpour in another area. You can't trust them at all. At least they leave on indication they're going to keep the rain away for a little while and that is they sit above the mountains in an overcast layer. If they sit on or below the mountains so that you can't even see them you're as good as wet. 

It's only been recently that I've noticed the comfort in familiarity from living somewhere for so long. I know how the weather works, I know how the transit system works, I know what kind of people populate certain areas of the city, and I know my way around pretty darn well (and I have my iPhone for any areas I'm not familiar with). There are no surprises. I like to reserve exploration and surprises for travelling. 

Everything! I'm not really a scrooge. I enjoy the decorations and trees when the time is right, but I don't like the fact that Christmas starts November 1st. For me Christmas is a right off because I'm too broke to buy presents (I hate the fact that Christmas has been commercialized so badly. I shouldn't feel obligated to buy anyone anything), my family is so scattered that it makes it difficult to figure out where to go (and my job makes it hard to travel), and I work retail and get all Christmased out anyway. I deal with everyone else's holiday crap, so I don't need to start my own.

Merry Christmas, lol. I for one will be spending it with my real scrooge of a spouse () on Salt Spring in lovely house that we can have to ourselves because the owners are in Mexico.

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I've actually given myself a headache from reading so much. I've decided that my enthusiasm for reading often lulls both because I couldn't seem to find anything to enjoy and my brain needed a break. These lulls come and go like phases. Sometimes I try to plough through a book regardless and somehow my interest just revives itself when I'm about three quarters of the way through. This happened to me while reading The Poisonwood Bible. There was one book that took me a year to finish. It's called I, Elizabeth and it's a fantastic book, but for some reason I had lost all interest in reading. But I didn't want to give up on the book. When I start a book I feel almost guilty about not finishing it. Now I'm able to recognize when I'm just not enjoying a book and give up on it entirely. I tell myself that it's not my fault I'm not finding it entertaining. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one, but when I read the words fill out images in my head that play like a film. I also assign myself to a particular character in the book. Maybe it has to do with empathy and or perhaps I'm so engrossed with the story that I don't want to be merely reading it, but I want to be there. I'm a visual thinker. Most things come to me in images. I remember audio pretty well too, but nothing beyond what really sticks out to me. I wonder if any audio thinker hears the words in their heads like they're listening to an audio book? I wonder if a kinetic thinker puts themselves in the book much like I do only interacts at a higher level. Where I sit back and watch myself, would a kinetic thinker actually perform the book mentally? 

Anyway, I've finished The Hunger Games and I've moved on to City of Bones although I loved Hunger Games so much that I wish I had Catching Fire instead so I can continue with the trilogy. Speaking of trilogies I have about four on the go now. I started the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy (Shiver, Linger, Forever) by Maggie Stiefvader, The Trylle Trilogy (so far Switched and Torn) by Amanda Hocking (I'm pretty sure that's an Amazon exclusive), The Children of Man Trilogy (so far only Shatter) by Elizabeth C. Mock, The Hunger Games Trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay) by Suzanne Collins, and now The Mortal Instruments Trilogy (City of Bones, City of Ash, City of Angels) by Cassandra Clare. The Children of Man trilogy will take the longest because the author is still writing the second book. 

Wow, I have a lot of reading to do.

And so my Kindle is now out of commission for a while. This makes me sad. I love using it. Unfortunately I cannot afford to buy my books right now, even though they are all less than $10 each. For the time being I'll just have to read for free thanks the public libraries, which is fine by me because I've already signed out three of the books I had lined up for purchase on Amazon. It's only frustrating because I have to leave a trilogy that I started (and I really like) hanging until otherwise. For some reason this is a trilogy I can find nowhere other than Amazon. I think I find myself pining for mu Kindle I could always browse all the free books they offer, but right now I'm on a fantasy genre kick...a youth fantasy fiction kick. All my books are considered for young readers, but I find that books that are made for teenagers are far more entertaining. I must confess I like reading about faeries and strange lands and magic. I suppose I could find some good stories in the "adult fantasy" section, but for now Amazon has led me to certain books that I'm excited about reading.

I just finished reading one called "Shatter, The Children of Man" by Elizabeth C. Mock. I found it for free on Amazon and I so happened to really like it. It sort of just...ended. So I frantically searched Amazon's website for any sign of a sequel and there will be one, so I'll cool my jets about the abrupt and unresolved "ending". "Linger" by Maggie Stiefvader ended rather abruptly as well, but again, there's going to be another instalment of her series as well, which I knew. I just didn't expect it to be THAT abrupt. Anyway, I digress. Shatter was about magic in its separate multiple forms including black in a time and place that doesn't exist and the characters are all so likeable. It's humorous and tragic and creative and I just loved it. I love it when I take a book just because it seems like it might be interesting and I end up greatly enjoying it.

Next I'm reading "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. Her series has been getting a lot of attention lately, though the rising popularity isn't the reason why I'm reading it. The synopsis sounded interesting. It makes it difficult to get a hold of though.

So the snow that fell last week neither stuck nor became slushy. Instead it froze and any wetness left on the roads dried up and all week our sidewalks have been covered in a fine powder of road salt. Well today all that salt is going to good use, or perhaps it's waste because it's not enough to keep up with how much has fallen. It's not like there's several feet on the ground, but it could use more salt.

I was supposed to work today, but the woman I was temping for has all but one patient cancel on her, so she didn't need me. She runs a solo practice anyway, so I'm sure she's capable of handling one patient on her own. It's too bad for me because I'm missing out on a day of pay, but at least I'm working my more steady job in the evening. Besides I am really not interested in going out in this weather right now. I don't even have appropriate footwear.

More reading and music for me I suppose.

'Tis the season...

Over the past couple of years my little corner of the planet has been getting and increase in snowfall in the winter. We've been notorious for being so mild throughout the year, but our winters are getting nasty and our summers are getting scorching. I'd rather have scorching summers than disappointing wet ones, but quite frankly the snow can stay away. It makes me sad to know that autumn is over. It's my favourite season after all with all the colourful leaves and semi-warm afternoons. This year was perfect with more sun than rain and warmer than usual. I'd say we had an Indian Summer.

Snow can be pretty, but my beef with it here is that it's well known for not sticking around. Because it's so mild it turns to slush quickly and it's wetter than wet for days afterward. Living where I am you'd think I'd own a pair of stylish rubber boots. I do not. I should, but I do not. In fact, as soon as the bad weather hits it's hard to find them because everyone else gets the same idea.

My brother in law is going to Mexico on Sunday and he's worried his flight will get canceled from the weather. I've been encouraging him by telling him it would take a blizzard to shut down the airport, but just a bit of snowfall. Besides, it's not like we're talking 6 feet of snow or anything. They have anticipated 10cm for the weekend. I think it will do that overnight, but the result will reveal itself tomorrow and Sunday: will it actually stay?

In the meantime I've been keeping myself busy inside playing Pocket Frogs on my iPhone and reading Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner.

Hehe...I came back because there was a certain...thing...about Xanga that I missed and yet I have neither nothing to say (yet), nor found exactly what it is I was looking for. At any rate, a clean slate is sometimes just refreshing and the way to go.

I'm currently in the mood to find new music, but not just any new music. I want the kind of music that makes my heart sing along as if I've heard it a million times. It's the kind of music I can fall in love with right away. I've found Last.fm useful for that. But tonight...I don't seem to be having much luck, more because I have no idea what I'm looking for.

It's been a good weekend. I haven't done much today which is sometimes an accomplishment in itself.

Oh Fiddleheads!!!