… that’s all the time I have left before I delve back into school. 9 of my 14 textbooks have arrived. My school email address is configured. My desk space has been set up and a laptop is at the ready. All that’s left is pre-reading and paying my tuition. And 4-6 years of study, research, hair pulling, and the occasional maniacal grin.

When I left university 20+ years ago, I never imagined I’d return. I always assumed that higher education wasn’t for me. My brain didn’t work “that way”. Dropping out was a huge disappointment to my parents at the time. The first in the family to go to university was also the first who didn’t finish. I wasn’t ready to settle down or follow a single path. I worked and tried new things. I lived in multiple countries and continents. As I grew in work and life experience, I found a new passion and new friends. Those new friends helped me figure out the baby steps I’d need to follow to continue in my planned career change.

Returning to university in my early 30s was the best thing that could have happened to me. With work and life experience under my belt, I had something to contribute to other students and profs that was missing from my first attempts at university immediately following high school. With new technologies available I was able to attend classes while working full-time. I never expected to move from BA to MEd to PhD in quick succession yet here I am. I only wish my dad could have lived to see this. I’m certain he’d be amazed at how everything turned out. Education was one of his fundamental values.

If I’d known then what I know now, I’d have let myself off the hook for many things. I’d have been less worried about not measuring up and have perhaps enjoyed the journey a bit more along the way. Regardless, I can take comfort in the knowledge that I’m always learning.

Unsurprisingly, when left to our own devices, Drew and I don’t normally celebrate the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, we do get together with friends and family over the holiday season and we participate in gift purchases for those less fortunate that us, but we prefer not to decorate the house or exchange gifts. Too many years of the two of us being in different countries or continents during the season have made this time of year little different from any other. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. As I’m getting older and watching the world change around me, I want to find ways to celebrate and mark the everyday.

I suspect we’ve reached that “age” my father did when your ideas surrounding receiving gifts changes; where you realize that if you need something – like a new fridge after your ancient one finally gives up the ghost and rejects all past attempts at repair – you do your research, set a budget, and just go out and buy it. So it’s the home made things, the things you can do for others, or with others, that increase in appeal.

When it comes to gift giving for family and friends, we’re trying to switch away from things and on to experiences or consumables; handmade art, home cooked preserves and snacks, whisky tastings, tickets (theatre, concert, sporting events, movies, museums), gift certificates to favourite restaurants or donations to a favourite charity.  Whether or not we’ll be successful in the endeavour remains to be seen. This isn’t the first time we’ve tried to follow this concept and in previous years we’ve failed miserably. There are so many expectations, personal history, and a myriad of other things wrapped up in the concept of gift giving over the holidays that tend to make me into a giant ball of stress.

Gift giving for strangers is a whole other kettle of fish.

For the past few years we’ve been sponsoring seniors at a retirement home. Families move away. Parents outlive children. Some people choose never to have had children to begin with (like us!). The holidays can be a lonely time of year for some. We attempt to brighten their days buy obtaining a name from the retirement home, purchasing some of the items (ok, ALL +some more) and delivering the package to the home. Shopping for a stranger is fun. While we can’t always guarantee that our tastes match our gifts, we can hope we’ve made someone else’s outlook brighter for a while.

This likely explains why I’ve joined my first Reddit Christmas exchange this year. I completed a Firefly based exchange this fall and had a blast loading some unsuspecting individual up with a ship full of goodies. There are some benefits to being on the board of the AB Browncoats Society; we know where to find the coolest swag to share with brand new shiny Browncoats! Picking and shipping gifts, the anticipation of waiting for shipments to be delivered, and then seeing the posted gift unveiling gives me a huge sense of joy. And then, there’s the fun of opening a package from someone, somewhere else in the world, who has taking the time to find something for you that fits the small sliver of your personality that they’ve gleaned from your application profile. There’s a lot of joy to be found in being someone’s secret Santa!

In any case, I hope my giftees like what I’ve selected. Thanks for the giggles.

While I’ve been reading lots of late, I haven’t had a lot of time for blogging. Hard to believe I used to do this daily. I have a horrible habit of letting weeks – or months, or years – pass before returning to the site in recent years.

I blame the whisky. And work. Oh, and knitting for charity. And sheer laziness.

Honestly, what’s really taken up my time and attention is the pre-school nesting process. Now that we’ve moved my sister into her new place, I’m beginning the process of tracking down textbooks and trying to book my flights and accommodations for the in-class segment of my program, I’m finding a lot of my time is being directed to trying to clean up my desk and study space in preparation for 5:30 am classes. Something in my life needs to be organized.

Of course, to declutter one room we need to declutter all the other rooms. Goodwill is the usual beneficiary of anything that my sister can’t use and it feels oddly liberating to let go of all the stuff we’ve accumulated over the past 20+ years. I’m sure we won’t miss it as some of it wasn’t touched in a few years!

Some things never change…

Title: Mason Dixon – The Wampus of Reeds Spring (Kobo)
Author: Eric Asher
Publisher: Falstaff Books
Publication Date: July 2017
ISBN: 9781386614555
Language: English

Rating: 3.5/5

This second novella in Eric Asher’s “New Templars” series continues the adventures of Mason Dixon, monster hunter and YouTube “star” and his trusty childhood friend and videographer Emma. The story takes place after the events in “Mason Dixon: Monster Hunter” but doesn’t pick up immediately following the previous story. This left me searching the interwebs to determine if I’d missed a novella in between the two stories. One shouldn’t end on a cliff-hanger – even a soft one – and barely mention its resolution in the next book!  This second segment gives us an introduction to other players in the “New Templars” world and, when the first two books in the series are read back-to-back, seems like you’re sliding back into a comfy new shoe when you begin reading. Asher is an excellent wordsmith and if you’re looking for a quick beach read involving the hidden – and at times humorous – world of monsters, this book should fill the void.

End verdict: Best if familiar with the storyline in “Mason Dixon: Monster Hunter”. If you enjoy the humour of Kevin Hearne’s or John Hartness’ writing styles, you’re bound to enjoy the Mason Dixon series. The novella is a quick, fun romp and excellent jello for the mind.

Title: Mason Dixon – Monster Hunter (Kobo)
Author: Eric Asher
Publisher: Falstaff Books
Publication Date: April 2017
ISBN: 9781386361268
Language: English

Rating: 3.5/5

I first encountered Eric Asher’s writing through his Vesik series. This first novella in the “New Templars” series introduces us to Mason Dixon, monster hunter and YouTube “star” along with his trusty childhood friend, videographer Emma.   The story starts with a slightly violent bang and quickly shifts to later time in Mason’s life. Unfortunately, it’s done in such a way that it feels like there’s a disjointed gap in the storytelling. Over the course of a few pages, the reader can piece together elapsed time and changes to the character’s work and behaviour. At times this effort seems a bit too much to ask of a reader who hasn’t fully invested in the character or been fully immersed in the world Asher is attempting to build. Don’t be discouraged. Stick through this section and it’ll be worth it; cliff-hanger ending and all.

Caveat: I’ve yet to figure out what the “New Templars” referenced in the novella’s title relates to. I suspect it’s in reference to his employer(s) and hope this will become  clear in a future story.

End verdict: If you enjoy the humour of Kevin Hearne’s or John Hartness’ writing styles, you’re bound to enjoy the Mason Dixon series.  The novella is a quick, fun romp and excellent jello for the mind.