Re tourism: I made the mistake of telling the wrong person at work my plans for a long weekend in Los Vegas for the October Canadian Thanksgiving and got a big jingoist lecture. She said "You have to stand for something or else you stand for nothing!"
I said I stand for sitting at a pool in 30°C weather when it is cold & rainy here. I didn't mention that I have also booked airfare already for DC & NY in November... and San Francisco in August. :p
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