i know edmonton sort of sucks, but it still bugs me sometimes to hear people talk smack about it. some don't understand why i would possibly miss this suburban dystopia, where south edmonton common has really gotten retardedly out of control. in addition to it being a large ungainly cluster of big-box stores where you're forced to drive to get from one store to the next, the traffic congestion around the area is unreal. way to concentrate all that's wrong with north america in one disgusting cold-sore of a place, kids.

yet, i like my hometown. today was the second day in a row of big ultra-blue sky. sunshine reflecting off the snow on the ground makes up for the early nights. vancouver may be 5 degrees above freezing, but being under nothing but clouds gets to you after a while.

unfortunately, all of the mucous membranes in my sinuses have shrivelled in retreat at the dry air. i've been drinking tonnes of water (edmonton tap water isn't full of cupric sediment like vancouver water is, incidentally), and it's all i can do to keep from getting a nosebleed.

also, my eyes hurt like hell, and i can't really tell if it's because it's dry, because i haven't been able to sleep like a normal person 'cause my dad likes to keep my room at meat-locker temperature, or because all i've been doing over the past four days is read undecipherable papers about fuzzy sets, weld pools and grinding by people who can't write in english and don't seem to mind. a new study says that people who stare at computer screens for long periods of time are more likely to get glaucoma. now that i've removed myself from a profession where i might blind myself with a laser, i seem to have chosen a different route to blindness. some might call it fate.

***

been reading publishing for profit for my management course next term....and it's a pretty crappy book. spelling idiosyncracies, clichés, and the layout is just horrible. i think it's what, 11.5/14 or something, and the margins on the book are about a quarter of an inch. it's a real travesty that a book on publishing can look and read that badly.

so! it appears that i will be speaking at nash! thomas *ahem* neglected to inform me of this when he'd scheduled it, leading me to assume that i was off the schedule and he was avoiding telling me. starting a magazine from scratch is supposedly my topic. i'm thinking about how to turn that into an hour-long session.

unfortunately, my speaking engagement coincides with my sweetie's birthday, as did last year's conference. oh well. i've got his gift all purchased (found it serendipitously while shopping for his christmas gift) so he shouldn't be too upset. three more sleeps till he arrives, and hopefully with my ibook.

***

my pants are too long, my mother has decided. "let me shorten them for you." every year, i come home with pants that might be a little frayed, and she takes it upon herself to shorten and rehem them, leaving me with a suitcase full of ridiculous garments that aren't quite long enough to be pants but much too long to be shorts.

i have forbidden her from altering any of my clothing this year. we'll see how well she does.