Well. Not really. Barb and Kayt are doing a massive Christmas laundry this morning after which we joined our friends Bob and Hilde for lunch at a great little fish shop and restaurant that they introduced us to. It was an opportunity to say Happy Holidays to Bob and Hilde in person before they take off for Toronto, Canada where they have numerous friends from a cruise to Newfoundland that they took several years ago.

After lunch we went back to the outlet mall for some power shopping. This is one of the few times that I think that I impress Barb and Kayt about something other than technology or sailing. When I put my mind to it I can always find some really great deals, even for clothing. Today for instance I found two nice J.Crew wool sweaters for $30 for both, a pair of Gap trousers for $12, and some Under Armour T shirts and WarmWear mock turtleneck for less than $29. Just call me shoppin' Mikie!

We came back to the boat to find out that our friends Cliff and Lee had had their boat broken into last night just three boats down the dock from us. I guess we were spared because we were aboard and had Peri to protect us, but poor Cliff and Lee had their boat damaged and had several thousand dollars of equipment stolen from their boat. There is something about burglary that makes you always feel so violated. The police had been aboard dusting for fingerprints etc. But apparently the bad guy had been watching TV and had worn gloves so there were no clues. They did have an idea of who it probably was but unfortunately without any evidence they could do nothing, plus their suspect is under 18 so, as at home, the courts would do little or nothing. We commiserated with them and they were fully insured, but still, there was that feeling of being violated, invaded, and generally messed with.

We decide to put off dinner and head in to the Art Walk and eat afterwards. There were many more booths up today than there were last time which was strange. You would have thought that it would have been the other way around - the most vendors out just before Christmas. There were a few more musical performers out too, if you could call them that. The one on the main stage in behind the industrial centre was pretty good, but the others?! Well, to use Kayt's turn of phrase, they made you want to stick pins in your eyes. Yeah, they could play their instruments, but holy doodles pick a key, any key and stay on it will ya?!

Partially in defence from the poor music and partially because the evening had moved on farther and faster than we had anticipated we decided to dine out and went into the Moulin Jaune, the place where we had always had coffee and pastries during our walks. Although a bit pricey (still less than we would have paid at home), the meal was excellent and they have an excellent wine cellar. Kayt had the nicest piece of Filet that I have tasted in a long, long time, Barb had a cheese tray that we all shared, I had a scallop salad, and we all had a cup of Pistou (vegetable soup). Everything was prepared perfectly and well presented. The place was obviously going through start up pains as the staff was bumping into each other and they got some signal crossed with timings but it didn't detract one bit from the meal.

After dinner the music had stopped so we made our way back up the other side of the street, checking out the vendors. There was one fellow selling T-shirts that were imprinted with some really good turns of phrase: Sail Naked, let your Dingy show, and Take me Drunk, I'm Home as examples. The one person that I wanted to see wasn't there but she comes to the Tuesday Market so perhaps I will catch her there. She is the one that makes hand painted signs. There was one that I saw there last Tuesday that I wanted to buy for Kayt before she goes back home. Ah well. Maybe on Tuesday.......