Paul and I planned to go to Future Shop to buy a MP3 Player on Boxing day but when we got there the line up was outside, down around the corner. I knew it would be bad but he didn't believe me, so we went to WalMart instead and we got an even better deal than the one we wanted from Future Shop. Plus, I bought this really cool back pack that is also a cooler bag/picnic basket that is insulated and comes with all dishes and even little plaid napkins for $6 marked down from $25. It will be great when we go to Fundy National Park next year hiking. Maybe it will keep the water a little cool, rather than the lukewarm stuff we usually end up drinking.

I bought myself some really nice stainless steel Wolfgang Puck pots and fry pans for Christmas. I've always wanted some really good quality pans but Paul seems to ruin everything so I figured, why bother? He burns everything he cooks to the bottom of the pot; he uses my good wooden batter spoons to stir juice mix so they are all red or orange; he soaks everything, even if it ruins it, like my sushi mat . Last summer he used one of my good stainless steel spatulas to scrape the BBQ clean. So I finally decided to buy them and store them in the spare bedroom and only bring them out to use them when I am making something special and put them back when I am done. Paul is not allowed to touch them. Problem solved!

I also have a new blender which claims it crushes ice very well, but I have yet to test it out. I love icy drinks like strawberry daiquiri, pina colata, orange julius, etc. Last time we had friends over my old blender would not crush the damn ice so I had it in a baggie out in my laundry room banging on it with a hammer on the floor. Some of the ice cube would break through the baggie and shoot across the floor and Daisy would dive after them. Nice. After that fiasco I decided it was time for a new one. I will try it out on my next day off. Oh, and I also got one of those big roaster pans with the raised tray inside. It was the easiest clean up after cooking a turkey I have ever had. That was money well spent, let me tell you. Although it was a little tricky to get out of the oven with oven mits on as the hinged handles lay flat. Still, totally worth it.

And of course, I got some more books to add to my already sagging bookcase shelves. I got some more cookbooks, a couple of novels and one biography. Now if only I could get Paul to help me finish the kitchen renovations (like the huge hole in the ceiling) then maybe I could enjoy cooking again. We've got to get back on track with the entire house renovations, actually. We are are more than halfway done but we just lost our motivation. Hopefully when I start working out again I will have more energy to work on other projects like the house (I typed as I yawned). We'll see.