February Update

Hello everyone. Nothing much to say today, just a few random thoughts.

I’ve been working my way through a list of story ideas I started last year but never completed – there were eleven pieces on the list when I started on it a week or two ago, and I’m pleased to say there are now only six awaiting completion. Sure, they’re the six that will need the most work, but I’m still making progress. I will be sharing a story segment from the only piece on the list I’ve decided to abandon later this month, it will hopefully provide some mild amusement.

Another thing I’ve been doing is catching up on my letter-writing again. A long time ago now I was quite an avid letter-writer and interested and participating for awhile within one of the mail art communities, and I have several legacy correspondences still ongoing from that time. (I also write letters to a couple of family members.) When Canada Post’s latest labour dispute unfolded late last year, I expected to be more exercised about it than I actually became. I have discovered, instead, over the last couple of months, that I unfortunately no longer find letter-writing (and sending physical Christmas cards) all that fun. I was actually relieved I didn’t have to send cards this year, as the post was not going through. After close to two decades, my enthusiasm and energy for fighting the trend of doing all communication online has waned considerably. I’m tired of having to explain to people that no, it’s not only the ancient who still get letters in the mail, it’s actually a nice experience to get letters in the mail – and consequently feeling like I have to do something special with mail to prove it’s interesting – and feeling guilty when I don’t. In short, being a quirky letter-writer has become a chore, even though over the past few years I have been receiving noticeably fewer and fewer responses, regardless. That postage rates have increased 25% in Canada this year does not help letter-writing’s case.

In 2006, according to this site, and it sounds right to me, it cost 51 cents to send your basic letter mail within Canada. According to the Bank of Canada’s inflation calculator, that’s equivalent to 75 cents today. The actual new cost of a domestic rate stamp today? It’s $1.24 – and to send a letter to anywhere outside of Canada is considerably more.

Sure, it’s cheaper than buying a computer, but come on. You don’t encourage new customers by jacking your prices up way past inflation. You don’t even encourage old customers. I haven’t purchased any new stamps at the new rates yet, I’ve been working down through previously purchased stamps to get this last batch of letters off. I am definitely not seeking out new correspondents.

Although part of me would like to – part of me would like to have a newletter/zine/basically a blog like this type thing on offer through the mail.

And I will continue to appreciate the letters and mail art I receive.

On to another topic! I have completed my second round of edits to my Box Thirteen guidebook/cookbook. I’m enforcing upon myself a break from it to last at least another three weeks, because I keep reading and hearing that it helps the editing process if you let things sit between edits. I don’t usually have the patience to wait, but if I can fill up this time with finishing off other projects from last year, well, maybe that will be good all around.

I made carrot raisin muffins not that long ago, using some carrot I shredded after the fall harvest of garden carrots. They were pretty good muffins!

In Bruges (2008) is a foul-mouthed, violent, and very funny film.

I picked up a battered copy of The Serpent’s Coil by Farley Mowat at the flea market not that long ago, and have read it in between Christmas-gifted spy novels. It’s a story about an Atlantic Ocean salvage operation in 1948, complete with hurricanes. There were a few places where I felt it got a little too interested in technical details, but over all it was a very interesting manly adventure type book. One of the things I will confess struck me, likely more than it should have, is that while it’s one thing to technically understand that in 1948 they did not have weather satellites, it’s another thing to read the anxiety and fear of not knowing where the hurricane actually is, or where it’s going, while you’re trying to get your ship (and the ship you’re towing) safely into a harbour.

I have some more science-fiction-y books next up in my pile, once I finish the spy novel I’m currently reading. (It’s not as good as Karla’s Choice.)

Trying to keep myself away from the Valentine’s chocolate sales. Thinking carrot-raisin muffin, carrot-raisin muffin.

Have fun out there!