Which is why last night’s impulse buy should come as no surprise: Mukmuk – the littlest mascot of that immense juggernaut rolling into town in two weeks.

He’s an endangered Vancouver Island marmot. He’s a foodie. And he’s the ultimate underdog: initially designed as only a virtual mascot to guide kids around the website. He was supposed to only ever be a cyber-sidekick to the marquee mascots, and not have a physical presence.

Now, the cynic in me might say, “what a masterful marketing & merchandising campaign to get Mukmuk voted into physicality”.

But you know what? I don’t care. He’s cute. Getting unexpectedly yanked from one plane of existence to another also resonates incredibly well with my current WIP. I like his story. And I’m a sucker for an underdog.

So meet Mukmuk. Maybe we’ll be seeing you around town over the next few weeks.