More money bites the dust

My little car has just been for a shoe fitting, returning with four brand new ones. Plus a new light inside the car, and some rather brutal affixing of the rear number plate to the bumper, so it doesn't have to hang off the back by string any more. What sophistication. I am slightly surprised that four new tires, installation, balancing, a light bulb, the fixing of the number plate, tax, one hour of working time and four certificates for new tires in the future only cost me $323, or about £140. I may be a car virgin, but this seems to be good value. And I know what you're all saying. Wait until the engine blows up, or the radiator leaks, and then see what it costs me. But until then, I am impressed with the cost of tires.

However, I now need to get petrol, since I got stuck on a one way system trying to get to Canadian Tire, and ended up going over the Burrard Bridge, round town, back over the Burrard Bridge and then into the side streets trying to find a parking place! So what I save on car parts I waste on fuel....

I believe I have mentioned the gas wars that go on here - currently just to spite me it is less of a war than a stubborn refusal to lower prices for more than about ten minutes per day, or at cunning times when no-one will notice. They have been at 80.3 for the past couple of weeks now, and I want to fill up the car! Luckily, some cunning people on the Internet have got websites running which update you on the cheapest prices around Vancouver, so we can all rush out and queue at petrol pumps.

Denise goes home on Tuesday, and then I am home alone for Christmas. With only the car and 'James Bond season' to keep me company until my cousin gets here. No more stopping work for the daily two hours of CSI and trying to contact the dead via the computer (and you think I'm joking?) - I will miss her being here. However, I know she is going to a better home with cats, so I'll let her off. Having bought her xmas present today (and I hope we haven't got each other the same thing!) I am now done with shopping, after Shaw and I called a truce and gave up buying presents for each other as we had no ideas, and I bought all my parents' presents online in about an hour the other day (Amazon, Boots, Raymond Blanc's posh restaurant in Oxford). Sorry to everyone else I haven't bought presents for - I'm just crap, ok? And I need a job before I can afford to buy you all more stuff ;o) my lottery ticket didn't win again this week..... still trying.....