Rose's Cantina

#122946858 / gettyimages.com It was Saturday morning, the one before Christmas, and Jordan knew she'd left it late. She wasn't afraid that the gift she was planning to give her eight-year-old daughter would be sold out. It wasn't the latest iPhone or limited edition American girl doll, the gift ideas she saw in the screaming ads on her Save.ca app. She hadn't had to jostle with all the other moms to get her gift on Black Friday. There would be no Fed Ex truck, no brown guy with dead eyes coming to the door. This present had to be bought in person. She knew that the item would be there, in aisle 36, of Canadian Tire. It was there, she could see it in her mind's eye, in the spot these kinds of gifts could always be found near the back of the cramped store with the tiny aisles in a place marked "sporting goods". Jordan hadn't been to Canadian Tire since forever but a visit there was always like coming home, first with the assault to th...

Well, that's an hour I'll never get back. The power went out this morning and there were rumors that we would be without electricity all day and into the early hours of Saturday. Of course, those were the rumors. The power actually was only out for 60 minutes. But it had Nick panicking in the basement. "What am I supposed to do with her?" he asked pointing to the baby Skylar. "How about taking her to the park?" A little scream of delight was heard from knee level. Nick rolled his eyes. Skylar stomped on his barefoot with her galoshes. Strange she was wearing rainboots given the fact there isn't a cloud in the sky today. That's what I love about her. She's always prepared. Meanwhile, our tenant Bill, had taken his lizard outside for some sunshine. He appeared unconcerned. I admit, even I was slightly unnerved. I was quoting on a video project this morning and had no email. Even my damned "smartphone" was on the blink. ...

Time for a festive rant. Is anyone else offended by the Rogers commercial, the one starring a pasty faced, materialistic ginger who is scheming to get that brand new tablet as a gift? He's wrapping presents and turns to his wife. "If I get the two cell phones for the kids, then daddy gets the brand new tablet that he always wanted". "Or mommy does," comes the retort from his smarmy wife. The guy's shut down. Hilarity ensues. I hate these Christmas ads, the ones that try to convince people that materialism is a virtue. Two for one eye glasses for the holidays from New Look. Those Best Buy commercials with the flabby sales guys jumping up and down pretending to be kids. Hold, hold, hold the payments with Leon's. We all know that Christmas is about maxing out the credit card. I just wish companies weren't so blatant about their motives. The advertising agencies should also be fired for being so bereft of imagination. Personally...