etc.

The thing of it is, I remember quite clearly when Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on television. I remember thinking to myself that Fall that it might be a show I would like, that I should give it a try and watch the premiere. But I didn’t, I missed it. And then I caught an episode somewhere towards the end of the first season, and it had some appeal then, but I didn’t pursue it because I’d already missed most of the first season and felt that there was no point in trying to jump in late. Besides, my television roster was already full.

I’ve always regretted having missed the Buffy revolution. So as soon as one of my colleagues broke the news that she had the first six seasons on DVD, I pounced. That was about 10 days ago, and the mister and I have already made it through a season and a half, with season 3 looming as our “Coming Attraction” on Monday. We’re completely, utterly, devastatingly hooked, we’re sucking each season’s DVDs dry with fanatical zeal, and already looking forward to the inevitable re-watch that will come at the end of all this. Have you had a look at my Amazon wishlist lately? It’s maddening.

Of course we picked the worst time to develop an addiction that is worth some 230 hours of time. Final preparations for the course were scheduled for this week (I’m done), there is a sock that is pining for a partner, and it’s the mister’s birthday to-day and neither the vest, nor the socks, nor the toque I had planned to knit him have been knitted (knat!) yet. And did I mention that somewhere between 2:30 and 3:30 pm yesterday, I developed a cold?

Still. I can’t complain since I have The Best Mister Ever, a title granted on the grounds of him wanting to do nothing other than take care of his ailing missus and watch old episodes of Buffy on his birthday. Happy birthday, Best Mister Ever!

An hour after I donated a book to the library I work at, I stumbled upon a clothing exchange operated by the local OPIRG chapter (a grassroots social justice group) where I picked up two free shirts. Maybe one book ≠ two shirts but I like it that good karma = free stuff.

Also, if you’re from these parts you will already know all about Conan O’Brien taping four episodes of his show here. You will probably also know that the city has ponied up a million dollars to facilitate this, and while I am usually the last person to defend government spending of public funds, there are far more egregious uses of said funds to worry about these days. And as difficult as it is to measure the tangible results of this sort of promo-based spending, it’s been interesting to watch the effect the taping has had on the city, and Canadians in general. At least the irony of the fact that it takes an American to get Canadians all boisterous about their Canadian-ness is not lost on us.