I spent New Year's Eve at the Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield. It was nice to have the regular bar & rock bands setting balanced out with the view of the lake outside. I was quite delighted when I looked past the Hi Lo Trons and saw a dog sledder and his huskies go by outside. However, it remained a low-key evening. I had one pint of St-Ambroise and that was it. Mark was the designated driver and I wanted to be on par with him out of respect. I was also wasn't in the mood for any big time partying; if it had been left solely up to me, I would've been most happy sitting alone at home in comfortable clothes, sipping tea and having a good zen sitting session. But for some reason people are inclined to pity someone who chooses to stay home for the event - most were aghast when I mentioned that I had no plans and wanted to be alone. So I was convinced to go out after all, but I'm glad that it was a relatively laid-back celebration. I heard about five different countdowns in the bar so I'm not even sure when the new year rang exactly. But I did enjoy walking around on my own, listening to the band and chatting with some people outside. I'm not one to normally start conversations with strangers, but at the time I felt relaxed and compelled to chit chat.

The weather is awful outside and I fear that Chris' flight may be delayed or canceled if things don't improve. I haven't seen him in two weeks and to be honest I'm getting quite anxious and impatient. We have both been so busy with school and work, so in a way I was disappointed not to be able to share some quiet vacation time with him. It would've been nice to see him in a more relaxed, leisurely state. But, I can also appreciate how important it is to spend that vacation time with family - god knows that I would be the loneliest person if I didn't spend the Christmas holidays with my folks. Anyway, if all goes as planned he will arrive tomorrow morning, so we will at least have a day to spend together before we return to the normal school and work mode. If all goes as planned...

I'm off into the blizzard to catch a bus to Orleans, a suburb of Ottawa. Years ago I lived with my aunt and cousins out there while I attended the university, and now there is a gathering to celebrate my cousin Stephane's return from Japan. He has been teaching there for years now and I haven't seen him this whole time.

I cannot believe I am returning to work and school in a few days - I think I've completely ignored that reality up until now. I hope it will not be too much of a shock to return!