I also cannot believe I�m still not finished shopping for my niece. That kid gets more stuff every Christmas than anyone I know, and the kick of it is she doesn�t need anything. Except maybe socks and unners. And ear muffs, since she�s become very adept at losing all the cool pairs her auntie manages to find for her.

First stop after work is a quick dash to Lee Valley for The Boy. I wimped out the other day and got gift certificates since I couldn�t remember exactly what he had asked for. It�s funny, he earmarks pages and circles things in their catalogue like it was the Sears Wish List catalogue. Now I�m feeling sheepish because he should open something tangible Christmas morning. So off I go.

Next, Canadian Tire. I have tons of Canadian Tire money to burn, so I�m sure I�ll find Kate a few doodads and trinkets without diving any further into the puddle that is my chequing account. In order to compete with Building Box, Home Depot and their ilk, they�re a wider variety of goods, which is attracting me back to them all over again. It�s also a great feeling to be buying Canadian.

I�ll toddle on over to The Bay and The Gap in the search for socks and jammies for (who else?) Kate. Last year was really minimal since I wasn�t working, but I hope to make up for it this year. My sister pooh poohs my efforts, telling me I spend way too much on her through the year on our little field trips and shopping excursions, but I know I�m making memories when she tears through yet another package on December 25. It might be shallow and crass, but I�ve come to the conclusion that this is the way our society is, and I just have to deal with it.

Fingers crossed, this will be the last day I�ll have to venture out into the madness.

Posted at 2:15 p.m.