I have two couch surfers arriving today from Seattle, my first to arrive since late September. Actually they are from Texas. Many Americans who visit Seattle have heard many nice things about Vancouver and think it would be worth it to rent a car and come see it for a day. They said they'd be here by 10:30. I had planned a car tour for them along the North Shore and other scenic areas as it is brilliantly sunny and close to freezing outside. But at 10:30 I got the call that they were just leaving Seattle. I don't mind. It gave me extra time to clean my place. Also this morning I learned that the Santa Claus parade will be disrupting traffic around to condo until 1. They should arrive around 1:30. After getting settled in they should have about 2 hrs to see the city before dark.

Besides having an apartment cleaner than I am, I have another reason to celebrate today. It has been 4 months since I last fell. Since I began tracking my falls in January '04 this is the 5th longest stretch without a fall. If I can stay upright another week I'll tie my 3rd best stretch. It would be bizarre for anyone else to celebrate that landmark but for me it's definitely worth a smile.