Today is a much-needed day off. Really, another day off would be even better, however, one mustn't complain. I'm just happy I can spend a day in my nightshirt, tucked up with my cats while I do such things as catch up on correspondence, read, do homework, wash dishes, etc. I should clean my apartment, but it'll just have to wait. Vacuuming would seriously detract from the peace I'm enjoying today. I'm listening to Early Music and talking to as few people as possible. (Haha, my phone is ringing right now and I'm not answering it.)

I have had a nice weekend, despite working. On Saturday morning, I woke up when my doorbell sounded. Confused, I pulled on some pants and staggered to the door to see my friend Andrew peering in. Oh yes, we had a date to go look at stuff at a living room sale. Silly me, I must have turned off my alarm in my sleep. Fifteen minutes, I assured him, and sure enough, 20 minutes later, we were backing out and heading off. It amazes me that I can put on a face and clothing in that little time. The living room sale was good, even though I was mainly there for Andrew. He purchased a kitchen table and a rocking chair, and I a pair of CD racks. We were served coffee and given grab backs of stuff when we left. It was fun.

We went to the Bonanza Inn for a greasy spoon sort of breakfast. In the foyer, we met Anna, an old friend of mine from highschool back in Toronto. I'd met her in the spring when I first arrived in Whitehorse, but we'd never gotten together. Well, we did at the Bonanza. We enjoyed a very tasty breakfast with her and her son and nephew, and her sister was our waitress. A guy named Len joined us at some point later, who was obviously, like Anna, a regular there. Good times were had by all. We also heard a rumour that the Arts Centre exec would be leaving, which amused me.

After work, Andrew returned to the Arts Centre and we prepared to watch a classical concert featuring the most talented Susanne Yi-Jia Hou on violin. She is an extremely personable and charming young violinist of Canada, who has been busy touring the world with her accompanyist, Vincent, a graduate of Juliard's Masters programme. They were excellent together and clearly have a good rapport, at least as musicians, and I presume personally, too. I dozed on and off through the Schubert, which is not a reflection of the playing, but of my level of exhaustion. It reminded me of when I was a kid and dozing off at the Messiah - I woke for all my favourite parts and enjoyed it thoroughly. It's a really pleasant way to snooze. I was amused at the reception when the local opera diva, Sonja Anderssen (sp?), who had been roped into turning pages for the pianist at last minute, told Hou that she didn't "play the music". No. She "sings" it. I presume for an opera diva, that is the highest of compliments. Even a diva of, in my opinion, less ability than her attitude suggests. Heh, Hou took it graciously, of course.

Sunday, I ran a KidzKreate in the Production Room/Studio Theatre. It was themed "Stark Raven Mad" to incorporate the Raven Tales show in the Gallery, by local Yukon artist Alice Park-Spurr. It had a moderate turn-out, but that's okay, since the weather was snowy and the roads somewhat precarious. (Hello, Whitehorse, have you ever heard of snowplows?) One of the little boys attending hugged me goodbye at the end - it was so cute. I also started hanging a new exhibit in the KidzGallery (which I'm thinking of renaming). Once I was at home, as I was deprived of my Masterpiece Theatre fix, I spent the evening doing mounds of homework and reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which I'm enjoying way too much. I broke my own rule ! Never, I say, read two books in the same series one after the other, for without proper spacing, you're left waiting for the next installment. Sadly, I'll be waiting for the next installment, but Order of the Phoenix was just so good, I had to pick up the next one.

Anyway, now I should go wash my dishes and start marinating my steak.