Back in Toronto and struggling to finish a project for A---- that I started months ago... I have to get it to the printer sometime in the very near future but changes keep being made and it's starting to annoy me. Of course, as I have learned, the more changes that are made the more hours I log and that means more money to be made. Sometimes, this basic rule fails, for instance, when clients leave my invoices in oubliettes. Stupid freelance work.

Work that is supposed to pay but doesn't is not good work. Let this me a rule.

Mom and I drove into Toronto together, Willi boxed in the back seat, a bag of goodies for Stew and myself, clean clothing, and an artificial Christmas tree jammed into Bernadette's broken trunk. Bernadette is Mom's Subaru, who is suffering from rear locking mechanism constipation or something and simply won't open. Anyway, the drive was miserable in the rain, fog, and roadrain (kick-up from other vehicles), which meant I had to stick to or under the speed limit. Anyone who knows me knows that I like to add a little haste to my driving. We picked up take-out dinners from St. Hubert for us and Stew and took them back to my place for num-nums. Stew was pleased and it was generally a very tasty dinner. Mom and I then went down to Book City to see what delicious bargains they had going on. It was not as successful as it has been in the past, what with fewer artbooks on sale, but since the sales change all the time, it's sometimes kind of hit or miss.

I picked up a book for me ("Mort" by Terry Pratchett - I'm getting very good at reading his books utterly out of order) and put together a fairly substantive literary list for those inclined to buy me books. There are a couple of de Lint books that I hadn't seen before and a new Volsky book. I rather like Paula Volsky. I read her first book, "Illusion", God, back in grade eleven or something and enjoyed it. I think I've read all of her books since that except this new one. She's got a very firm style and I can't really imagine her breaking away from it, but she gets you in all sorts of places. I suspect she might be read by women, mostly, but it's neither sentimental nor feminist, I think it's just the way she writes. Anyway, Book City is a fantastic place to go when you don't want to think about other things, unless of course money is one of those things and therefore you can't afford any of the books.

Tonight is a night for distraction. I think I might just go to bed early and start my book, though I have been meaning to read another for quite a bit of time. Oh Hell, it's waited this long, it can wait longer.

Oh, and before I forget, it is very important that I say this, because it is a BIG deal. I began an art project at Mom's last week, or so, of a female figural sculpture, and this week, yesterday, in fact, I finished her ! With some very helpful, if unwanted critiquing from my mother, I changed her proportions and she looks great. Once, I might have gotten pissed off at Mom for uninvited comments and simply given up on the piece, but this time I listened and she was right. And, more importantly, when she balked at my suggestion of polychroming my little figure (that's painting a sculpture, for those who don't know), I did it any way, took that tiny risk and it WORKED ! Even my mother had to admit some surprise and a bit of relief. All the sculpture needs now is some whimsical hair and she'll be done, though effectively, she's already finished. Exciting !