peace on earth, and mercy mild I swear, in Calgary it's hard to get into the Christmas spirit. It's brown and mild with the current Chinook wind blowing through town, and hardly looks like the stereotypical holiday scene. Maybe if you dared to venture out to the chaotic shopping malls you'd feel it a bit, the holiday frenzy. But it might also just irritate you enough that you're in much less of a giving mood anyway and have no desire to shop(!).

Tonight Devin and I went out for a relaxing East Indian dinner at Maurya restaurant in Kensington, right near Devin's place. If you click that link, there's a picture of the exact table where we were eating - I recognize the art on the wall. We indulged in yummy naan bread, butter chicken, and another chicken dish over rice. It was really good. It's fun to eat some different foods now and then. Next we'll do Vietnamese.

I've been kinda waiting 'til tomorrow (payday) to do my last-minute stuff, so hopefully I'll wake up rested and enthusiastic. It will be a busy day, since I anticipate quite a bit of craziness at the stores, and quite a bit of traffic to navigate. I'm also treating myself to a holiday massage in the afternoon (gotta take advantage of the generous benefits package offered by the regulated utility). At some point I have to bake my famous chocolate cheesecake, too. Lots to do still...  | ¶ 12:27 a.m.