Recomendation for the day

Grab cheap airfares when you seen them and don't dither about for a week (one measly little week, 3 1/2 months out).
~$400 difference. Still under $1000 (and is around what we paid last time I suspect) but...
Last week was apparently THE week to get them.
[inset large collection of random expletives here]
Wanna go home for Christmas but...

And the bus company online booking is not working.

Porrige now, to stop kicking something.

For those who read the good stuff...

For years one of my favourite books has been "Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart. A tale of ancient China as it never quite was, there are reasons it tied for the World Fantasy award in ~1982 [edit: 1985], with "Mythago Wood".
The author only ever wrote two more books in the series, (though apparently there were supposed to be 7):
The Story of the Stone.
Eight Skilled Gentlemen.
I did manage to borrow one of them off Vicki and Peter a few years back, but I can't remember which one it was. Anyone know? They only had the one (iirc).
In any case, amongst the linen thread, Singer sewing machine needles and twisted wire bracelet scored at Trash and Treasure on Sun, was a hardback copy of "The Story of the Stone"... for $3.
I can resist reading for a little while...