friday frivolity

* first, if you haven’t read yesterday’s entry about panic at the window, you may want to scroll down. it’s infinitely more interesting than today’s blog offering, i’m afraid. moving on...

* last week, i went to a screening of Old Dogs, which is a strong contender for worst film of 2009, as far as i’m concerned. it was beyond terrible. please do not spend money on it. ever.

* “tights are not pants.” that’s what i wanted to say to the young woman on the subway who was, indeed, wearing a pair of opaque tights – not leggings, not stretch pants, not spandex cycling gear... TIGHTS – as pants. she had on a cropped jacket and short shirt and boots, so her tights were on full display. i mean, i get that underwear is often outerwear, but this seemed especially odd.

* my mom went ahead and put up the christmas lights AND the tree AND decorated it yesterday. without even telling me. that’s typically my job, and one i look forward to every year. she told me this afternoon, very matter-of-factly, that she’d done it and said she figured i’d be busy. ?!?! even though it’s her tree and she can do what she likes with it and i know she didn’t mean to hurt my feelings, i was really disappointed that this holiday tradition (i’ve done it for the last four years) was taken away without even a mention in advance. i was completely free yesterday and today, and could easily have done it. alas. in related news...

* there’s a chance mom and i may be going to the states for a couple of days this weekend. we’d thought about going last weekend, but i declined because a project on which i’m working was still in progress and i didn’t want to be afk. but this weekend, things are under control, the weather *seems* to be agreeable and there might be a few residual sales on by the time we’d arrive on sunday.

* further to that last point, the disparity in pricing between the U.S. and canada remains shocking to me. the exact same item can sometimes be twice the price here that it is in the states, even though our dollar is almost at par. for example, about a month ago, YB and i were shopping (here) and were looking at down jackets at eddie bauer. now, there’s no WAY i’d pay the prices that store wants for its clothes in canada, because they’re often ridiculous. but trix bought a coat there several years ago, and has worn it non-stop every winter since, getting more than her money’s worth. anyway, long and tedious story short, against my better judgment i decided to try on one of their (expensive) down parkas. i really need a new one – the down jackets i have are men’s, unflattering, and 7-10 years old – and the ones at EB were exactly what i’d been looking for... but their price tag was way beyond what i was willing to pay. nonetheless, i tried it on and, of course, it was perfect. warm. waterproof. soft. down-filled magic. but too bad, because it was too expensive. then i checked eddie bauer in the U.S. and, as of this minute, that exact same jacket (with all the taxes and accounting for the exchange rate) is almost $175 cheaper. it’s insane! see also: shoes, boots, jeans, electronics, you name it.

* i have had a sore throat for two weeks now. no other symptoms at all. just a tight, raw throat, with pain the ebbs and flows depending on the day. some days, it's barely there, and other days (like today), it's SORE. if it's still here by next week, i may re-attempt a doctor's visit (you remember what happened last time i tried, right?). fingers crossed it's just due to stress or the weather, though.

* i am having treats from the freezer for dinner. sadly, cake is not among them.