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Monday, work day, alone in the house but for cat and dog. Parents and friends are en route (separately) to Toronto; cousins have dispersed in every compass direction but south; Sis, BIL and Nephew are at work, Niece is back at the university lazing about studying.

Twenty-two of us met yesterday for a formal brunch in the Hotel Sask, very pleasant. Afterwards, Physically Distant Cousin and I went on a pilgrimage to Rouleau, better known as Dog River. There wasn't much to see, alas, as filming was finished for the year and the gas station/café was (literally) boarded up tight and all possible stealables locked away. A lovely day out nonetheless, photos will be posted later in the week.

PDC's daughter is about to graduate from high school, and is wondering what to do with her life (she's not yet eighteen). I suggested that she might take a year or two off to see a bit of the world and consider what if anything to study. There is a certain amount of parental pressure influence to continue straight on into university; I countered that taking a generic BA course for its own sake is a poor investment of time if she doesn't know what she wishes to study. Better to spend a little time exploring herself and narrowing down the possibilities.

Conan has just walked across the keyboard, renaming this piece. I'm inclined to let his contribution stand.

I walked to the local Chapters store at the edge of town this morning, where I spent a pleasant 90 minutes snuffling and nosing about. It's odd that I can spend hours (literally) in a bookshop, but am seldom longer than twenty minutes in the library. Managed to restrict myself to six books, but only because four others that I was specifically searching for weren't available. Megastores like this are an odd combination of delight and frustration: they have so many (presumably) wonderful books, yet they almost never have the one particular book that you wanted.

I'd forgotten during my years in Germany, how much of English so-called humour is based on cruelty, on harsh mockery and abusive, bitter put-downs. I found speaking to my father's cousin quite distasteful; on the other hand, I have to award him points for being the only representative of my father's family who could be bothered to attend. [Updated: in fairness, those that didn't have school-age children or are themselves teachers, so it would have been pretty difficult to get away—just to have lunch together.]

This may be the last post for a while, as tomorrow will be spent travelling and Wednesday will be spent sleeping. Take care, be good to yourselves and each other.