My apologies...

First off, my bad for not posting pictures from my trip as originally promised. The only excuse I have is that I haven't gotten all my pictures in order, i.e. I'm waiting for wL to compile everyone's photos onto a CD so that I have pictures from all 4 days of the Inca Trail hike accounted for. The reason I don't is because I didn't have a spare battery for my camera and I didn't want to run out of juice part-way through the hike and be without a camera when I arrived at Machu Picchu so I didn't start taking pictures until day 3, and the scenery from days 1 and 2 are pretty amazing.

Anyway, I've been back from Peru 2 weeks now and aside from a nagging sense of restlessness that is due in part to my usual bout of moody blues in the weeks leading up to my birthday, I'm just about over the need for a vacation from my vacation - although the retail therapy over the last few days might also have something to do with that!

This is what I mean when I say I needed a vacation from my vacation:


That my friends, is the dresser in my bedroom. As you can see, just about every inch of its surface is covered with stuff. To be honest, it was like that before I left, but I had every intention of sorting through it when I got back. Except that I didn't. I only added to it with the bottle of water I got on the plane (it's been sitting there for the last 2 weeks, unmoved), an empty bag of Chicha Morada candies that I should really toss, and more mail and papers. I'll get to this eyesore eventually...like maybe tomorrow...or not...

On a more happy note, here's the sassy little black dress I bought on sale at Club Monaco yesterday:

It's cotton so rather wrinkly from the shopping bag but it's really comfortable and the empire-waist is super-forgiving. I also bought a couple of fall sweaters that were on promotion at the Gap, and picked up my complimentary birthday gift from Kiehl's, which was one of the main reasons for being on Queen West in the first place.

This morning, I dragged myself out of bed only to dilly-dally for an hour and a half before going on a 5K run because I felt guilty after having pigged out at dinner last night. I then got ready for the first day of mandarin class and as I was walking to the parking meter, a nice lady who was leaving kindly offered to give me her paid ticket, saving me $4 in the process. How lovely!

I also shopped after class - but for more practical things, like new running shoes that were also on sale, and exactly the same as the pair they're meant to replace; hair colour to cover my grays (and there are many as I found my first when I was about 12); nail polish; facial scrub; ketchup chips; and a tube of La Roche-Posay Active C eye gel which the cosmetician at Shopper's had recommended because the skin around my eyes looks thin and that's one of the first signs of aging(!!!) I promptly called my aesthetician when I got home and arranged to meet her after dinner for a facial. I'm in for some more pampering tomorrow as I've a 1.5 hour massage booked in the afternoon.

I know. I lead a tough life.

P.S. Sorry too, for the many run-on sentences that litter this post.