A Happy Moving Away Present

I had an epiphany a few nights ago when I was lying in bed, unable to fall asleep. My mind all of the sudden screamed YOU HAVE TO STOP SPENDING MONEY at me, over and over again. And for a couple of days, I didn't. I kept the $20 I had safely stowed away in my wallet...until last night. Before I joined some friends for a movie at First Markham, a theater I have banned from my list of places to go because it costs an arm and a leg to see a movie there nowadays, I decided to veg out for a bit at Chapters. Bad idea.

A few weeks ago, possibly a month, I was browsing around and came upon a new selection of journals they had. Let me tell you, these things were beautiful, but one especially caught my eye. And it was love at first sight. Embossed 'leather', acid-free archival lined paper, a memento pouch and a ribbon marker. It takes pen and ink beautifully. But, with a heavy heart, I walked away because I told myself I couldn't spend the money and that I had many journals still waiting in line, ready to be used and filled up with my random ramblings. I couldn't do that this time, I just couldn't. See, it was fate at work. Chpaters had done a flip (re-arranging the store) and everything had been moved around. Regardless, I still found the journal, carelessly tossed onto a shelf with other bright pink and orange plastic covered tween diaries. I had to buy it, I had to save it from the retro confines of the shelf, there was no question about it this time. And so, I forked up the $22.95 and 15% tax (damn government) and walked away from the cash desk, my wallet and my heart considerably lighter. Wanna see it? It's the one at the very top, but in real life it looks darker. I wish you could touch it and feel the sweet, sweet embossing. Perhaps one day you will, because I plan on carrying it around just to show people.

"Look at my new journal everyone! It's prettier than you are!"

Seriously though, this thing is too good for me and my writing. I can't think of anything that is worthy of the paper space. Every now and then I'm afraid to keep touching it lest the oils from my hands wear away at the cover. And I keep opening it, despite my fears of wearing down the magnet, just to move the ribbon marker to a different page and smell the inside. I love the smell of books. I get a literary high whenever I walk into Alfsen House Books on Main St. Check out Paperblanks, the wonderful company who makes these beautiful journals. Next on my wishlist is one of the Antique Maps or Embellished Manuscripts in the catalogue.

After spending at Chapters, I gave up another $7 to see Seabiscuit. Although it wasn't as bad as the commercials made it look, it still was about a horse. But it was an inspirational horse. The beginning of the movie was a bit off, the narration was unnecessary and the plot jumped all over the continent, from San Fransico to New York to Alberta and then to who knows where. I stopped trying to follow it. There were many characters to keep up with, some whose fates are left open-ended, and a few moments that got me teary eyed but no tears paid a visit to my cheeks. Jeff Bridges is awesome and I wish my husband will be that cool when he's old. Overall, the movie made me see how the horse changed everyone's life and made Red (Tobey Maguire) better. No wait, they made each other better. Gag. Oh, and it kind of made me want to go riding.

2:59 pm