New years peeve

Although today is Boxing Day in Canada (and a day of rest for most of the world), I'm probably working. The joys of being a business owner is that I don't have the choice to go on holiday since I'm at the beckon call of clients.

What I won't be doing is thinking of December 31. Although people have been planning their new years festivities for weeks, I haven't. For years, I was trotted out with family to places that I never really wanted to go to. In fact, I never saw the ball drop in Time Square until I was in University.

For the past couple of years, I've spent them at home, usually with family and sometimes with friends, watching TV, then calling it quits to a boozy night by 1 a.m.

This year, my plans fell through. I was going to have company, but company isn't reliable (the only thing you can depend on are taxes, since I've seen people cheat death more than once). It will be one of the first times I've purposely spent it alone. I've come to realize that I don't need someone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight.

Maybe it will become a new tradition.

House vs. house boy

Not too long ago, I was a dinner guest at my friend's newly-renovated home in the 'burbs. It was a pleasant change for me since I haven't been out of the city in a couple of weeks (I also haven't seen him in over six months).

While we're in the kitchen, I prop myself up on the natural stone countertop and we get on the conversation thread of home renovations, cleaning ladies, and men. Odd combination. Not too long into it, my friend asks if I had the option to choose between a nice house or a house boy, which would it be.

Without skipping a beat, I say I'd take the house. I think he's surprised. I'm being serious.

Amongst several of my reasons, I believe real estate is more dependable (it will always be there), reliable (chances are, it's always on time), honest (you know it's a house not a louse), valuable (especially in the resale market), and most of all, a house doesn't disappoint you (this one explains itself).

Eventually, we begin to talk about other things, but I think I made my point that night. When it comes down to it, I'd rather be happy and single while having a place that I can call home instead of being coupled while living under a bridge.

But, maybe it's just me.