I feel like crap right now…

I can’t concentrate because about 2 hours ago I was asked (read: ordered) to let someone go this afternoon. She’s nice but useless and I understand why she needs to go but I thought it would be far nicer to do it in the new year… my boss feels that “he doesn’t want to pay someone for being useless!” and I don’t have much choice but to comply. This dismissal goes against what I know to be good HR practices – that terminations should happen in the middle of the week and away from annual events.

But this is his common business practice… make a decision and want to see action now! (I mean NOW!) These decisions are made regardless of the implications that this may have on the other staff in the office, the employees mental health and the general morale of the office.

Not only all that (wasn’t enough I know) but the prospect of being such an evil woman has my tummy churning in all the bad ways. I’m feeling overly warm and I can’t concentrate on work at all – I think tonight I’m going to need some serious anti-stress activities.

Update: Well it's done, I've switched some staff around and it's going to suck but I've made one staff member very happy... and I think she deserves that happiness. Now I'm off to the mall to bury this guilt in shopping and then something alcoholic shortly afterwards.

Roasted Beet Salad

Well the salad was a hit... next time I think I'll try putting the beets in a sealed Ziplock bag.

2 bunches fresh beets (with tops)

1 red onion

Olive oil

Dressing

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Sea Salt

Pepper

Caraway seed

Peel beets & slice into sticks, peel & slice onions lengthwise – toss with olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven (about 45 minutes or onions are brown tipped).

Place Dressing ingredients in a blender and hit high speed for a couple of minutes. Add dressing to beets (at this point you can let it all sit for as little as an hour to 2 days).

Wash the beet tops, tear the leaves off to use as greenery (if you just bought regular beets you can use spinach) and create celery like sticks out of the stems.

Just before serving add the greens to the (room temperature) beets… mix up and sprinkle roasted pumpkin seeds on top if you wish.

Next time I’m making latkes…

Or anything other than what I made for our “Heritage Potluck”

When it was announced that we were supposed to bring a “dish that reflects our cultural heritage” I knew I had a ton of options… my family being what it was and my personal kitchen history being fairly prolific. I tried to think of something nice (preferably vegetarian), fairly easy to eat, yummy and that I’d be able to make enough for 20 people to have a taste. I had options from Ukrainian, German, Jewish & Scottish/Metis… while not all known for their gastronomic prowess there are some good solid options in each culture that can be shared successfully.

I was more than happy to contribute and thought about getting creative… however in the end I decided to go with a dish I’d already successfully prepared for guests (well the quilting girls). I decided to go with a Roasted Beet Salad (those Ukrainians sure love their beets, so do the Germans for that matter!) that I found in the fall Food and Drink magazine… it’s sweet, hearty and settles surprisingly light. I roasted the beets in advance and prepared it all last night, settled it into my reusable sopping bag in the fridge and focused the rest of my attention on finishing up some Christmas presents to send home to Winnipeg.

This morning when I actually remembered to grab my bag I was happy… the train wasn’t packed and I was happily reading the paper when I caught the whiff of rice wine vinegar – it took only a second for my brain to process that the scent was from my salad dressing. It took another couple of seconds to realize that must mean that I was leaking salad dressing… and indeed when I looked down there were what looked like little drops of blood on the floor of the train - the beet salad was attacking me!

I now have a red stripe on part of the butt on my winter coat (that’s light green and cream – of course), my reusable bag is stained a fetching shade of pink and sadly I became “that guy” because it looked like I dripped blood all the way from Spadina station to Queen… it looked like I had a head in a bag or at best was carrying a bunch of fresh steaks that I didn’t know how to wrap properly. I should have known better because the dish leaked a little on the way up to Collingwood, clearly I’m either dense or incredibly optimistic.

So if no one likes the salad I’m switching over to latkes for potlucks, they travel well and with a food processor are easy to make. If they do like the salad (and chances are they will) then I’m taking suggestions on how to prevent another massacre on the TTC.

Cadillac Fairview – Bah Humbug

So as I was waiting in line to buy a Cadillac Fairview giftcard for a departing employee (how the heck am I supposed to know what she wants?) - I was thinking “hey this maybe this is the answer to Christmas this year!” I can’t stand Christmas shopping in general and anything that makes it better makes me happy… so this could have been a great option.

Then I bought the card, and it all changed! First there’s a “service charge” of $1.50 which is not cool. Then when you read the “terms and conditions” you find out that after 15 months (yes just over a year) they start charging a $2.00 “account maintenance fee” every month PLUS tax. It will be “deducted from the outstanding balance” – to be honest outstanding balance screams debt owing in my mind. It can’t be replaced or reloaded so it’s essentially a piece of crap… I would have returned it but I’m pretty sure the departing employee can use it shortly.

Instead I’ve decided on something else this year for Christmas… maybe not totally cheap but hopefully exactly what everyone on my list will like - CanadaHelps.org online charitable contributions I can give each person an amount that they can donate to the registered charity of their choice – sweet! Philanthropic and personalized… I love it entirely. Plus no more crap presents to find and ship!

Girls Weekend

Ah the days gone by of wild weekends away with friends, exploring a new city, finding the cool places to shop, partying in hotels and running down the streets yelling “Ou et le Club Super Sex?” Sounds good, or at least it sure sounds like it was fun… shared hotel rooms made for some interesting experiences but all in all the memories were worth every minute.

So contrast that with last weekend, 10 women in a Collingwood chalet with 10 sewing machines. It was a quilting weekend (I didn’t quilt though), everyone packs up their current project(s), makes one meal for the rest to share and leaves the kids at home. The chalet is rented twice a year in the low season and the entire reason is to get away and stay focused on your projects. While I had no quilting projects to be done I have had a never ending pile of mending sitting beside my sewing machine for ages – so I packed up the dresses, tops, pants & skirts that needed a new hem/buttons/seam and hoped for the best.

The good; I actually fixed 2 dresses, 2 pairs of pants, 2 tops and a skirt – all items I really like and have wished to wear many times over the last few months! The chalet was huge, big bedrooms, comfy beds and a fully equipped kitchen – plus a hot tub and steam room… nice touches to make it all a little more relaxing.

The bad; despite a setting where the only thing I had to do was get to the projects on hand (that was 7 of 17 projects I have sitting in my pile)… I still procrastinated by reading the magazines someone else brought (Woman’s Day!?!?!?).

The ugly; This persistent cough that I took up with me and came back home with, the barking was driving me nuts and I had a headache the entire time from the rattling. I somehow left my apartment with not a single toiletry which meant a trip to the downtown Loblaws first thing Saturday morning which turned out to be a good thing because around 3 there was a shooting right beside the same store - next time I’m remembering to check my packing list before I leave home… then again I must be getting better because I remembered socks and pants this time!

So I still have dresses to take in, skirts to knock off and other stuff to get done… anyone up for another sewing weekend?

Flowers

Not that I’ve received any flowers in recent history, but an epiphany happened last week… I truly dislike certain flowers –and for the most part they’re cheap flowers. Now perhaps this is crazy girl talking but it’s not the first time I’d be described as such!

So where’s the problem some might ask… the problem lies specifically with a couple of varieties, namely daisies & chrysanthemums/mums. You might think if one is lucky enough to receive flowers then one shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth but I’m going to be picky here… I think that those cheap flowers look cheap & sad, like nobody took the time to pick out something that suits me. I may have grown up with black-eyed susans and other wildflowers but these days they make me think of things unkempt/untidy and they're something I’d prefer to visit in a field than have on my table. As for mums – they’re the flowers of funerals and thus I’d prefer not to see them in any other context.

Sorry that this rules out the common Dominion bouquet but I’m actually fine with that… I’d far prefer occasional fabulous flowers than the 10-day bouquet. Strangely for this apparent hate on for those simple blooms I truly enjoy roses* which are far less imaginative or sometimes even difficult. I love almost any other kind of flower… all I ask is that they make a statement.

*I also enjoy the roses that grow up and down my street in the last couple of weeks they’ve all disappeared as their gardeners have chopped them back in anticipation of cold weather.

Take a deep breath...

It’s official I’m a working girl… 3 months into my new job and what’s fallen off my plate? Blogging, laundry, friends, my family… all of which are crying Booooo now – sorry!

So what have I been doing? Working like a dog, taking classes, going out on dates, going to football games and kids birthday parties, traveling and trying to catch up with old co-workers … stuff.

Let’s play the game of catch up starting with - I know what you did last Sunday… The TTC Type and Tile Tour aka the TTTT. Hosted by Joe Clark who is a sign enthusiast but is helping to raise awareness of the issues of wayfinding in a system I use everyday. Read an interesting interview here, not with Joe but a former TTC guy Bob Brent.

Okay so maybe it’s semi-professional interest but wayfinding has always been a bit of a thing for me. For instance, I can remember being in the hospital in Fredericton performing the bedside vigil for my grandmother and taking a break to wander – where did my mind go while walking down the hall (aside from family memories)? To the way the hospital has coded their space so that you know when you enter and exit certain areas, the use of colour and images that help you identify your location in the building. I was especially struck by how you almost didn’t need a map… I challenge anyone to try that on the TTC, in Women’s College Hospital or the underground PATH system.

If my life were a video this is where we rewind… this time back 3 weeks. There was an interview with a University of Winnipeg Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies to talk about being raised by a feminist. Interesting conversation over the course of dinner about what it means to be a feminist and how being raised by one affected me and what my choices in life might be… the more she asked questions about what feminism was the more I felt like I was railing against the idea of being feminist. Then I asked her a question about how she sees feminism in general and the conversation shifted from a very focused conversation on my own personal perceptions of my family dynamics to global impacts of feminism – and shocker of shockers there I was saying “if I was in a country where my rights, freedoms and opportunities were impinged because I was a woman… well I’d be the first one screaming from the rooftops that change needed to happen.” So where does that leave me now… I guess it means that I think I can do anything if I only apply myself & so can you!

Rewind #3… we went to France. Mom, Dee and myself went to France, 13 days, 7 cities, 1100 Euros of shopping, 3 trains, 1 car rental, 2 bus trips, 1 winery, 5 markets, 1 fashion museum. First the fashion museum in Marseille, I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I was disappointed. There was a very good exhibit on show but there was no permanent collection on display, in fact when I asked some questions not only would I have to have booked about 3 weeks in advance to see any of it but it only has a few thousand items in the collection and they’re primarily from the 1980’s onward. When I went to Philadelphia a few years ago their collection was more impressive – though to be honest I still stand by the Dugald Costume Museum (which just moved to Winnipeg) was one of the most interesting collections I’ve ever seen… historical and modern all at the same time.

Rewind even more & Fast Forward… multiple dates with the Argos. Fred, Paul, Bill and I decided to go in for season tickets – right in the end zone. The per game cost was about $18 and what I thought was going to be a fun time turned out to be a renewed love of the CFL… I was cheering with the best of them! I cheered for Winnipeg when they came to town (and no my seat mates didn’t give me any grief) and I’m looking forward to both the playoff game (Toronto got to by into the semi final) and the Grey Cup under the Skydome. Let me tell you after some late season games back in Winnipeg I’m grateful for the warmth of the ‘dome, braving it out like a trooper be damned I’m not going to have to freeze my ass off!

Rewind #4, even further all the way back to July… the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Festival highlights include dancing with my mother for almost the entire set of Michael Franti & Spearhead - we were not the only ones dancing… in fact it was like the entire crowd stood as one when they played, the kind of music you just can sit back and listen to – it gets into your veins and makes you move! The other standout for the festival was Olabelle who sang such a haunting version of the song “Down by the Riverside” that it made me follow them around all festival hoping just to hear the song again, of course I brought that home with me to have for keeps!

Rewind #5 and to go even further back your into my sitting at home thinking about working days. The lazy hazy days of summer that allowed me to cook amazing, yummy meals, bake bread, sit still and enjoy life. It was a broke but amazing time, I now think back to those days wondering how I managed to do nothing at all for so long… I also think about how little stress I had and how much my body loved not having the adrenaline coursing through my system.

Back to today and I’m a business suit wearing manager handling many, many tasks that I didn’t think I’d signed up for (since when am I even close to an IT manager?) but am handling the best I can. I have days where I’m in over my head and others where I wonder how the hell I got here… and then days like today where I want to crawl back into bed. It’s good for the most part and I’m surprisingly good at many parts of what I’m doing, I guess that’s experience talking when things work out well.

I’ve been to 2 kiddie birthday parties in the last few weeks, both of which were a ton of fun. Saffron and I have had a couple of playdates lately and I have to say there’s nothing much like getting kiddie hugs and kisses – well that and running together that’s fun too! My friends seem to be in the midst of another baby boom and in the next year there’s going to be a few additions to the kidlet content of my circle of friends.

I’ve tried my hand at dating recently, with the requisite ups and downs – I have to say that some days I wonder if I just shouldn’t just allow myself to focus on my career, not to say I don’t want other things but I feel like I’m just pushing the issue. Then again it’s hard to see the people I love hitting the life stages that I myself would love to be in… I feel like I’m stuck in limbo waiting for the timing, the chemistry and the rest of it to all fall into place.

This week in Fashion – Purple Boots

Many years ago… many, many years ago I came upon a pair of purple boots. They were a soft leather fitted low/mid calf boot with chunkier heels – ON SALE at an Aldo outlet… they called to me with a siren song.

I didn’t buy them when I first saw them, instead I went home and told my boyfriend about how I’d seen these boots that I was lusting after and like any reasoned man he responded “but they’re PURPLE boots!” Yes I know he was speaking to my reasonable side, he knew I had no money, he was acting in a sane and rational manner – too bad it was the exact wrong thing I needed. I actually went back a month later after all that lusting and true to outlet form the boots were gone… and then a few months later so too went the boyfriend.

I have thought about those boots for years. I have tried to find something that would fill the gap left where those purple boots would be… and over the years I’ve purchased; green boots, raspberry boots, red boots and I even tried with a pair of pointy toed purple boots I found on a boxing day sale. Indeed none of them filled the gap left – I was torn between logic and desire (like I'm the only one with this kind of struggle!?!?) to find purple boots. I keep going back to the phrase “but they’re PURPLE boots!” - and of course a statement like that implies a certain level of insanity to even consider buying something so impractical…

So here’s my toast to impractical footwear, may boys who don’t understand be banished forever from my life.

So much stuff... so little time

I have posts to write on the festival, the forest and family... I'll get it done shortly :)

PRIDE - Complicated

There should be some sort of disclaimer here about being LGBTTIQQ2S inclusive.

Today was the PRIDE Parade in Toronto. Most years I’ve gone on my own to support the community, cheering loudly for PFLAG and the community organizations that support same-sex life partnerships. This year it was a bit more of a family affair with my mom coming into Toronto for the weekend - mom, D and a long time family friend and I all stood on Bloor near the parade start (taking advantage of the shade and the raised pedestals on the Xerox building).

Over the years the crowd has changed from mainly supporters… now its supporters, gawkers, corporations, families out for a day of entertainment and what I like to call twitterers. It doesn’t have that fun “we’re here, we’re queer – get used to it” vibe these days… the best way to describe the 2007 parade was corporate and convoluted. Sure mom thought the whole thing was excellent but to be honest $3 waters that you can’t take into or out of the concert areas and the crush of people was enough to make me feel like the event wasn’t for the community anymore.

While walking down Church after the parade today some of the TNT boys were enjoying exercising their exhibitionist streaks, not minding the buzz of cameras clicking or the hoards of people stopping to stare… but I was more than a little distressed when one woman smacked her 8 year old son upside the head, hustled him off telling him “not to look at that nastiness.” First if you bring a kid to the PRIDE parade it’s not just balloons, bands and placards it’s people taking a bit of time to share their true selves with the rest of the world; and second there’s going to be a lot of stuff that will need to be explained in a respectful way to kids. If you’re going to hit Church Street afterwards it’s going to be up close and personal, these are teachable moments but they’re not all going to be easy – the worst thing anyone can do is let make judgments on what everyone else should be doing and how they should be acting. It’s a parade about accepting everyone as they are and I just want to sometimes yell “GET WITH THE PROGRAM PEOPLE!!!” Anyway I’m still trying to keep it from bothering me.

I loved, loved, loved the queer ballroom & swing dancing (who the heck says it always needs to be the same guy leads/girl follows thing?) on the community stage, the vendors (as usual) were an odd assortment of ribbon tiaras, glass dildos & leather fetish gear and the community tents were from a huge diversity of organizations (yea elementary school teachers!!!). Though none of us purchased any merchandise or picked up any pamphlets… though I heard that some parade marhers were handing out copies of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which I think is awesome, who couldn’t use a brush up on that little document?

PS: If you were wondering about LGBTTIQQ2S, it means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Transsexual, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2 spirited, Straight/Supportive… which I’ve decided just doesn’t work! In the interest of space, sanity and clarity the new term is INCLUSIVE (use it, spread it around).

Tuesday Cooking

It's been another creative Tuesday in the kitchen. This time inspiration hit in the form of fresh peaches...

2 c chopped fresh peaches

1/4 c chopped red onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp fresh cilantro

2 tsp lime juice

1/2 tsp lime zest

1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1/4 tsp salt

It was most excellent over broiled Halibut but I'll assume it would be pretty good over most fish and chicken.

Tuesday Baking

What is it about Tuesdays? Last week it was banana bread and today I was inspired to try my hand at rye bread… as dessert for dinner with my sister.

Today Mel and I had a lovely lunch with a variety of discussions; weddings, accessibility, work, food and more! Topped off with a walk along University and I had a swing in my step and maybe a twinkle in my eye.

Dee was coming over for a quiet evening of catching up… not that we ever really talk all that much but it’s nice to just feel like we’ve connected a little. Mostly we shared a lovely dinner of; watercress and tomato salad, ocean perch, polenta and asparagus and fresh rye bread (with butter of course) for dessert.

The Rye Bread recipe was from Bob’s Red Mill online.

Fashion Spotting - Beached Whales

Perhaps this is more accurately titled Anti-Fashion Spotting… When the weather heats up the men in my neighbourhood take their collective shirts off and it’s not a pretty sight!

Before I step out the door I do the basic check to make sure I look decent (this being slightly contrary to my university years), the goal is to make sure there are no random stains that have appeared out of nowhere, things are in place and I look like a decent and respectable woman.

Where I live there are plenty of grannies/nonnes/etc… who are more than ready to sniff and look away in disgust at a shorter skirt or tight jeans, and even the occasional evil glare at a tank top that shows off a girls figure – so what I can’t understand is how it’s so acceptable for men to take off their shirts in public! The men around here who do this are neither fit, nor young… they are old, wrinkled, overweight to obese (with most weight being centred around the middle) and have man boobs hanging out for the world to see – it’s not a pretty picture.

I must admit I have a personal pet peeve about men going shirtless, in general I want men to stay covered up – I don’t even like tank tops on men (as much as I’ve been teased for that dislike) and I’m also not about to get a fireman’s calendar to ogle half naked men. Whenever some friend sends me an e-mail of half naked attractive/fit men I roll my eyes, let’s be honest I’m just not interested.

I wish the world would just cover up when they’re sitting on their front porch, in the park or on the street… there are times and places to let it all hang out (eg. the beach, the PRIDE parade) but I don’t want to encounter a beached whale on the way home from the Subway stop!

Singles Night

Last night I went to an event for singles, a small restaurant/bar packed full of men and women on the prowl. Pretty much everyone was reasonably good looking (that’s downtown Toronto for you) and ready to talk to strangers, which I guess was the point. However the entire evening led me back to a phrase I heard a while ago… I met the girl of my dreams… so I got the hell out of there!

I wonder why anyone is even willing to go out there and make themselves uncomfortable when in the end all they want is to never talk to any of these people again… and yes - that’s a comment about myself! I just wish I could meet new people easily (and not at the bar, because that’s just not me) whatever happened to the good old friend-of-a-friend?

Substandard Fare

It’s no surprise that I like good food (see examples here and here) but I’m no food snob - I just want to eat stuff that’s yummy!

Last night I decided on Casey’s for dinner, I was giving it a second chance as the last time I’d eaten there (about 5 years ago or more) I was very unimpressed. I guess I was hoping that either my memory was faulty or their food had improved, I was sorely disappointed. I am not ever going back for that cardboard tasting, fat filled, overcooked, overpriced crap… there’s no way that stuff can be called food!

I guess what I want to really rant about though is the Prime Restaurants chain, they "own and operate casual dining restaurant chains and premium pubs in Canada". I don’t have a problem with “casual dining” but I resent being served pre-packaged, pre-prepared crap that any monkey could throw onto a plate that doesn’t even have the basics of flavour. Side note: an alfredo sauce should not be that hard, it’s parmesean, butter & cream – not that hard at all!

No one should settle for substandard fare, especially when you’re paying for it!

Summer Programming

The summer is always fun filled we look forward to patios, warm weather, days at the beach, barbeques, shorts, tans and getting out with friends.

I look forward to the summer for all those reasons and also for the music, there are wonderful festivals that happen around Toronto, Ontario and Canada. This morning we managed to get our hands on tickets for Hillside and I’m confirmed to volunteer again this year at the Winnipeg Folk Festival which is more of a family reunion on a very grand scale in my world. I’m also looking forward to the offerings at the Harbourfront Centre as their outdoor stage can be magical with the boardwalk and Lake Ontario creating a wonderful open air venue.

Let’s hope I get to a cottage or two this summer, which is likely but I’m not going to count any chickens before they hatch.

Saturday Night Blues

Saturday I met up with a friend at Indigo (the bookstore was packed – is it the new happening hot spot?) and then walked over to the Church of the Redeemer to catch the Great Lake Swimmers early concert. The venue was incredible and the only thing that could have made the show better would have been for the sound guy to have killed the faint speaker buzz that permeated the entire show. It was a collection of the perfect lullaby’s for the thinking person and I was present in the moment the whole time – ahhh…

After the show was over it was a quick hop on the Bloor line to get to Hugh’s Room for the Kevin Breit/Harry Manx CD release – In Good We Trust. It was a flawless set from the opening notes of Diving Duck Blues to the closing of Voodoo Child, it’s so good to see these two performers joking around with each other after a long silence (they never even performed their first album together - it was that bad!).

An excellent musical evening, and now that I look at my fridge I have 5 concert tickets waiting for me, all the performances are in the next month or so… this is going to be fun!

What is attractive?

I struggled against the values I was raised with (militant feminist), societal pressures (look attractive to men) and my love of fashion (an industry that thrives on insecurity) during my earlier years. I tested the waters, especially in university, of what feminine power was – what sex appeal could be and when I looked at how others treated me I wasn’t always happy with what I saw. I’m not just tits and ass, I never have been, yet these seem to be the most common descriptors of women today.

Sure I have body parts that I think look pretty damned good – but I am more than a low cut top or well fitted jeans. Isn’t attractiveness more about the confidence to swing your hips and pull your shoulders back when you walk down the street? Isn’t it attractive to have a mind of your own and a sense of adventure? I’d like to think attractiveness is more than long hair, a skinny body with big boobs - all placed in some ridiculous position and misted with water or oil for sheen.

Couldn’t I be; confident, fun, smart, spontaneous… descriptors that don’t focus on my physical attributes. Couldn’t I just be an attractive woman?

Farewell – The Artistic Way

It was the dwindling days of my contract and I wanted to wrap things up in style. Sure there’s the obligatory clean out the desk but seeing as it was the end of what they would likely feel was an era I wanted to do something special for those that had toiled so hard and thanklessly. Plus I’ve been inspired as of late by blogs about crafting and textiles… so I made these as parting gifts for the people who’d had the most influence on my daily life in the office.

The images are an artistic impression of the organization's logo.

What are you playing? – Part II

I have been thinking for sometime about a portable gaming system. Admittedly I am not a hard core gamer (I still needed a bit of a Video Game 101 lesson) but I was amazed at the lack of marketing that was aimed at me – handhelds are a perfect way to get through commuting around a big city! Of course it’s going to make it a little harder to make sure I don’t miss my stop but that’s a risk I’m willing to take for good entertainment on the way to my destination.

I was waffling on which system to buy either a PSP or a Nintendo DS - there were lots of considerations but in the end I boiled it down to; sexier (the PSP) or better games I like (DS). This is one of those instances that having a 15 year old brother comes in handy, C knew all the games for each system and was recommending games that he thought I’d like plus sending me links so I could see the games in play before I went making any purchases.

The winner was the DS! A cute little system in black, that has great puzzle games – I’m now happily playing through the 6 versions of Tetris. It only took 3 shopping trips to get one in my hands, the darned things were sold out all over the place.

This Week in Fashion - Socks, etc...

With 250,000 sweat glands each, your feet are among the most perspiring parts of the body, so there’s a really valid point to wearing foot coverings to absorb moisture. This of course is counter to my true love of summer sandals which of course can not be worn with socks or hose at any time. I have said it before and I will say it many times over, socks and sandals don’t mix, neither do stockings and sandals mix – if your toes are barren of shoe then your feet should be stripped to skin and shoe!

However I don’t think I’ll go as far as the kind folks in Annapolis, Maryland. Their local maritime museum holds an annual sock-burning party*. Who on earth in their right mind thinks burning socks is a good idea? Socks are entirely functional and can even be cute (though I personally am not into super cutesy) and serve a good purpose in life, plus the darned things last forever! Sure there are moments of not being happy with socks (who hasn’t realized that your black socks are suddenly navy at 2 in the afternoon?) but by in large I’m in favour of socks, especially if there’s a chance of cold or icky-ness - burning them seems an overly excessive way to mark the beginning of a season.

*Sailing enthusiasts burn their worn-out winter socks and pledge to go sockless until the next winter. Then they put on their boat shoes and hope for the best. The Globe and Mail

When I grow up…

Que Sera, Sera,

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours, to see

Que Sera, Sera

What will be, will be.

When I was a kid I dreamed of being an actress, a fashion designer, a teacher, an artist, a producer and more… I had ideas and dreams and I flitted from one idea to the next every 8 minutes or so. I took classes in fashion, acting, engineering, business, communications, public relations and more… I kept looking for my niche. It turns out I can’t find my niche, I’m pretty good at a whole slew of different things but none of them stick. I get bored as soon as I’ve mastered whatever I needed to learn, and then I start itching to move on. I think my main problem is I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!

The future may not be mine to see but I still wouldn’t mind knowing which direction I should take, what’s going to interest me for years to come. When I look down my path five years from now I have no idea what kind of job I’ll have (I am however fairly certain I’m working), I don’t know which field I want to be in… I’m not even sure what city I’m living in! I know this is one of those “you have the answers” kind of conundrums but I find myself still not having any clue as to where I’m landing.

Whatever will be, will be… and so I’m not going to get too worked up about this all and let myself go where the tide takes me. I’m sure I’ll be successful in whatever opportunity comes my way next… I just have this (perhaps irrational) hope that one day I’ll wake up with a vision or something that will explain my purpose. I feel like I’m meant for something bigger than toiling away at a desk all day – then again I don’t know many people who feel like that’s what they’re meant to do with their lives.

Why didn’t anyone tell me that?

There are things people around you assume you know - stuff about the world and/or your environment. I sometimes feel out of the loop on pop culture references (likely due to no TV) and miss out on all the good ads… so I miss things from time to time. Sometimes it’s like the information was always there but no one bothered to tell me, like with Amy and the Vitamin E Oil (it helps with scaring).

I guess I missed all the hype about toothbrushes a while back… I had still been using the old dentist check-up toothbrushes. However without a dental plan and it being time to replace my last one I took a plunge on the Colgate 360 (mostly because I thought the circles looked cool & it comes with a tongue scrapper) – WOW! I think I’m actually brushing longer now because it feels so good, it’s like a mini mouth massage on the inside. Who know anyone could get so excited about a toothbrush… certainly not me. So there’s no excuse, you’ve been told – no need to take action but you can no longer plead ignorance.

This Week in Fashion – Spring Jackets

I have too many clothes (not a news flash – I have been aware of this for many years now), my one tiny closet and two dressers are filled to overflowing with shoes, jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, skirts, coats and more. While I do purge on a semi regular basis there’s more there than any of my friends. That’s a challenge!

So why when the weather hit a lovely 13 degrees today was I still looking in my closet and not liking any of the spring jacket options? Sure I still have the double breasted pink flowered number from a few years ago (a great statement piece) but it feels slightly dated this spring. There’s the denim jacket from 4 years ago that has a nipped in waist but is fairly long over the hips… but it never looks good actually done up properly. I also have my green suede and light purple leather blazers… but they’re looking a little worn around the edges. There’s nothing wrong with the last three options but there’s also nothing all that interesting or fun about them.

Everything I’ve seen in stores recently has been focusing on volume – which never works on me! So I may be stuck with what I have… unless I spring for a trench coat. I always agonize over decisions like this though, the last thing I want is to be slavishly following the trend – I will not be a fashion victim. Repeat after me… not a fashion victim, not a fashion victim, not a fashion victim. (If I say it enough times it will magically become true)

I’ve been seeing some great scarves too… maybe that’s a route I need to explore further.

Post-it Notes

On the side of my fridge, just above my drying dishes, is a post-it note. The yellow note has been up on my fridge for so long the canary yellow has faded to a soft butter colour; the blue ink has morphed into a gentle burgundy.

This note was joted down at least 4 years ago when I was trying to adjust my diet from primarily McDonalds and Food Court specials. To be clear I wasn’t dieting, my body was in the throes of IBS and I wasn’t doing well, something had to change and I wasn’t ready to resort to relying on pills in order to eat. On 14 lines I listed foods that would be good for me and I should try to be eating… at the time I was pretty proud if I’d have been able to place a mental check mark against one of the lines.

It’s amazing how over the years things have gradually changed, sometimes it was a conscious effort (breakfast being a prime example) and other times I was just making choices at the grocery store that I knew were “good.” I’m not one to deprive myself of food (see examples here and here) but when I was doing the dishes tonight I reviewed the list for what must have been at minimum the 500^th time. I mentally started checking off what I’d had that day (isn’t that what everyone does when looking at lists?) and I realized the list has been silently brainwashing me. I may not be hitting every single line everyday but I’m doing pretty damned good, so good it’s time for a little pat on the back.

This brings me back to the power of a post-it note. What could have been prettily typed or marked in the page of a magazine I took the time to write out and post in a place that I would see on a regular basis. The process of looking at that list was gentle in terms of changing what I ate, it was non-judgmental and I didn’t feel guilty if I wasn’t adhering to the list… it was just a reminder of foods that would be good for me.

In December I was thinking of actually dieting, instead I think it might even be time to update the list. Over the years I’ve found some of the foods I don’t like/bother to keep around and I’ve also added foods to my diet that are healthy and could easily fit. Last month Health Canada released their new Food Guide and I was pleasantly surprised at how well I was doing… plus it was a ton of fun creating My Food Guide. With the help of Health Canada and my own taste buds here's my new list;

Salad Stuffs – Spinach/Romaine

Fibre (40gr/day)

Mushrooms, asparagus, plums

Berries, apples, pears, orange

Salmon, tuna, shrimp

Flaxseed, quinoa

Tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers

Yogurt

Oatmeal, granola

Sweet potatoes, green beans

Chicken, pork

Olives, pickles

Barley, wheat berries

Kidney Beans, Black Beans

Typical Thursday Evening (or not)

I worked my way uptown to catch up on missed Heros episodes during some pretty freaky weather that plugged up Eglinton Station bus service.

The shows were excellent (anyone care to explain why I talk to the TV so much?) and since I’m now caught up I’m going to have to wait a week in between each episode! I think I can handle that but seeing as I haven’t followed a show this closely since the X-Files I’m experiencing some trepidation about my waiting skills.

More importantly since the last recipe was so well received here’s another winner – it might seem complicated but that’s only because the last one was so easy. The plate and flavours are subtle and classy… and it would also work well with turkey.

Pork with Ginger Plum Sauce
Serves 2 (2 slices each)

Ingredients:
2/3 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound pork tenderloin
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup fresh plums, chopped
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/8 rounded teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons white wine (or white grape juice with splash of vinegar)
2/3 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons butter

Cooking Instructions:
Combine gingerroot and salt and pepper. Slice pork into 4 thin pieces. Rub pork slices with ginger mixture. Let rest for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pot over medium heat; add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Add plums, brown sugar and ground ginger; cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 7 minutes. Next, add wine (or juice/vinegar) and balsamic vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add butter and stir until butter melts. Remove from heat.
In another pan over medium heat, cook pork in the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until it is no longer pink. Pour sauce over pork and serve.

Sides Suggestions: Steamed green beans & sweet potato

Collections

I am not a Material Girl but over the years I’ve accumulated a wide variety of things - my apartment bears silent witness. I can purge very well but sometimes I have crazy collections of certain things…

Necklaces - 83

(photo was taken 2 years ago, the collection has increased significantly since I started making jewellery! LOL)

Toronto Weather

Sure I know writing about the weather may be a bit of a Canadian pastime however this post is specifically for Greg* - who’s likely enjoying beautiful sunshine and temperatures as he settles into his new digs.

This morning the alarm clock went off and as I stumbled out of bed I was greeted by big, huge, fluffy flakes of snow falling gently to the ground. I continued with my morning routine only to see the flakes grow into ping pong sized fluffs of snow – and then came the lightening (followed by thunder too, of course). Side note: I’ve only ever seen snow lightening in Toronto - the most spectacular was in the evening as seen from Malcolm’s Jarvis condo – I think we still made it out to the bar that night too.

I walked outside and there were children up and down the street making snow balls and the visibility was so bad I couldn’t see either end of the street. I’m not sure if it was the snow, visibility or slipperiness but the bus was late by over 40 minutes (sure wish I’d found my gloves before I left my house) and took far longer to make its way to my office building. Late, wet and slightly cranky I walk into the office… not the only one who’d had a struggle in the morning. Side note #2: Why is it whenever there’s a little snow the TTC buses no longer run at regular intervals and sometimes decide that instead of running normally short turns (usually halfway to your destination) are required.

One of these days I’ll post about living car free in Toronto, which has many positive aspects – today however I’m more focused on the challenges of depending on transit when bad weather strikes.

*Greg: One of the good people in the world. Currently living and volunteering his time in Tanzania, for a second time.

Yummy Weekend

What’s the definition of a good weekend? Time off from work? Spending time with friends? Eating good food? Getting something done? I always wonder but then I guess it’s likely all a moot point as I often consider my weekends pretty great (unlike Monday’s).

This weekend started out with a wonderful dinner at 7 Numbers with Fred. The ”down-home Italian favourites” hit the spot every time, and while I think of the restaurant as my place with Deb it’s always fun to share a great place, and good food to eat with a friend. We discussed many things, some cheerful and friendly and some a little more exciting – and confirmed our summer plans with the Argos. We’ll be hitting the stands June 9^th and the season goes until November 3^rd – plus there will be at least 2 opportunities to cheer on the Blue and Gold!

Saturday was lunch of Thai Islamic Noodles, the name of course bears no relation to Thailand or Islam in any way, shape or form… however they are mighty tasty. Lounging around with a London Fog (elegantly described here) and the Toronto Star for the rest of the afternoon was a lovely way to waste away the hours before going to the theatre.

The theatre, indeed, I actually saw a play The Four Horsemen Project at the Factory Theatre. A wonderful performance of wit, humour, intelligence, strangeness, pretension and peeling away the need for pretension. Not only was the show laugh out loud there were some utterly sexy performances… a wonderful way to spend an evening!

Side Note: I have always been a huge fan of live performance, dating back to my early days at The Gas Station Theatre helping out mom with the box office or ushering patrons into the theatre. I have taken a bit of a break over the last 10 year (aside from one year with Canstage) and now I’m trying to get back into the habit… but it’s been tricky – the longer you put it down the harder it is to pick back up again.

Dinner was out again (anyone sensing a trend here?) and I enjoyed my favourite mussels with a dirty martini.

Sunday pales by comparison as the day focused on my group work project - we ended up running over into dinner time so I cooked. When things are busy I can almost always be counted on to be able to pull off a soup… and vegetarian tex-mex was excellent tonight.

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Stew

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 can Mixed Beans

1 cup Frozen Corn

½ tsp. Chili Flakes

½ tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Cumin

1 pkg. Chicken Stock

Water

2 tbsp. Lime Juice

Tortilla Chips

Add everything but Lime Juice and Chips into a pot, cover with water and then simmer until it’s mostly thick~ish. Just before serving add Lime Juice.

Serve with Tortilla Chips (either on the side or in the soup).

School Work

This weekend I’m getting together with my class project team to complete an assignment for Tuesday. It’s not particularly challenging (the big project is later in the year) in content though it does come with the usual team dynamics. When I was in school the first time round I saw these groups as plain old annoying (I really do prefer to work on my own) but now I see them as ways to make new friends and learn about individual work habits – of mine and others.

The other week in class another student asked for a “value add” from the instructor (barely any tenured professors agree to Continuing Education classes) and I thought he was asking for her to provide him with stuff he should be able to source on his own. Sure the guy is mostly annoying (although people have been known to say that about me as well) but he sparked an idea that trickled through the class – the teacher should provide us with all the tools.

Which bring me to a quote;

U.S. academics complain about being treated as mere service-providers in a consumer transaction, neither automatically feared nor revered. Globe and Mail

While I do disagree with people requesting the teacher give them all the tools (hey isn’t that learning something – when you find it on your own) I also do not think that they should be feared or revered. As my instructor/professor you are providing me with more knowledge, which I might add I’m paying for, and I appreciate you and your time. I also appreciate my time and outside commitments being respected… and that’s the crux of the matter. If the instructor is respectful and shares relevant information I will in turn show respect – however if the inverse is true then why the hell am I paying to take a class?

Needles in a Haystack

I’m by no means into the dating territory of The Single Girl but I do try to get out there. I seem to go in fits and starts piling on a ton of effort into a few weeks and then despairing at the quality of men out there. Shortly before Christmas the switch turned off and I was not trying anymore, sometime in the last few days the switch has been turned back on - and I truly doubt it has anything to do with the upcoming Hallmark Holiday.

So what do I do when I’m out there looking? Well I signed up for online dating but there’s been not much out there. I’ve tried speed dating but again the results were less than stellar. My lovely friends have tried on occasion to set me up (thanks to them for trying) and it’s pretty much been the same as all the rest of my attempts… “nice to meet you, wish we had any kind of spark.”

So this weekend I’m out there again, looking for my vein of gold on a mountainside. Well more accurately some guy dressed for the weather on the ski hills - though seeing as it’s a family environment I may not have a lot of luck.

Brother & Sister - No Interpretation Required

This evening I had a first – real communication with a teenage boy! I’d been starting to despair that I’d ever learn the language my brother spoke but lo and behold… a whole hour of conversation!

We discussed the US political situation, fish, Black history month, birds, Aboriginal politics, Greek mythology, crazy antics on snowmobiles and all kinds of things. It was absolutely wonderful to get a chance to catch up on what makes him tick… and I hopefully imparted some big sister-like wisdom.

The part of the conversation that struck me was about National Aboriginal Day ... C mused about how our indigenous populations are honoured with only one day while we devote an entire month to Black History. He felt that this was disproportional and that the people who named our Nation should command more respect from its inhabitants. I have to say that judging from census data there’s a good point to be made that as a country Canada has not be especially proactive in their equitable treatment of Aboriginal culture (though he makes a fair point that certain youths are also not interested in learning from their own elders and are focusing on imported “Black” cultures). While Canada may have many inhabitants who still self identify from 2, 3 and even 4 (or more?) generations back (Scotland itself lists only a couple hundred thousand more people as being from Scotland!) there are a good number of Aboriginal people (some of whom can’t call themselves that, if they lost status rights) whom we seem to ignore.

I think that C has a great idea in honouring our Aboriginal Peoples with a whole month… let’s make it a real party to celebrate those who were already here and educate the rest of the country – plus if we time it right there could be another long weekend in it for everyone! I’m going to vote for January or February, but more importantly I’ll vote for Aboriginal recognition.

Periphery People

Friends of friends of friends… they’re the people you’ve met, likely even partied with over the years and yet these are the people who are destined to stay on the periphery of your life. If you run into them at a restaurant you take the moment to say hello but there’s always a bit of a head scratch that you don’t remember their name, or they don’t remember yours. These are not the people who you can count as friends, but they also seem like something other than acquaintances.

I also have the most excellent ability to stick my foot in my mouth when meeting people – I’ve been told I’m fine “once you get to know me” but I can be a little off-putting at first. Thus making new friends can be a little challenging and all those random acquaintances often stay on the periphery. I sometimes wish that I was a little less brash around people I don’t know well, but being loud and over the top is my coping mechanism for when I’m feel uncomfortable or out of place.

Red Lobster, Saturday night: Chain seafood in downtown Toronto is apparently the place to run into peripheries. I would have never though that it could be such a happening kind of place… however there I was halfway through a create your own feast thinking that the guy across from me looked familiar. It wasn’t until he and his friends stood up to leave that I realized it was Dennis who I’ve met a few times (mostly through David) . We had a quick chat about the evening’s plans and he was off… like the office smile and nod it didn’t mean much other than an acknowledgement that we’re both alive.

Shoes

Over the years I have developed a sincere fondness for non-sensible footwear. My ideal shoes generally lean towards high heels that don’t work very well in anything but perfect weather (not too hot or too cold) or indoors. I like cute and funky, often in the mary-jane variety and summer sandals. I’m often teased for my choice in footwear, and have had to pay the price sometimes – although for the most part I just try to suck it up and not complain. I have learned many coping techniques over the years (such as plastic medical tape to save skin from rubbing and vitamin E oil to heal damage) and consider myself an experienced non-sensible shoe aficionado. Although, to be fair, a small percentage of my shoe collection is dedicated to things like runners and winter boots for days when I either don’t want to wreak my footwear or I want to be comfortable.

This brings us to Wednesday - it was cold and snowy, and since I was walking to Pilates I figured the sensible thing would be to wear my winter snow boots. Wouldn’t you know it but the darned things rubbed huge blisters into the backs of my heels during the 15 minutes there and the 15 minutes back – I haven’t had a blister since August! I’m hoping I can fix the damage in time to go skiing next weekend with Amy and Tim, blisters and ski boots do not go together.

Sleep Hygiene

In honour of Rob - sleep hygiene is not necessarily about going to bed after having a shower!

I can’t explain it as well as Wikipedia or Stanford or even the University of Maryland . What I can tell you is what happens when sleeping is a problem;

• Waking up in the morning is NOT pleasant, and as Amy always used to describe it I either grunted (good morning) or swore (bad morning).
• Some days I could (and even ashamedly have) fall asleep at my desk at work, just because my body couldn’t take it any more.
• I’m often late because I needed a nap/more sleep/to do one more thing that was missed because I was trying to catch an extra “snooze” in the morning.
• It’s not unusual for me to be up until 3 or 4 in the morning, since I should be up by 7:30am that’s not a good thing.
• My immune system is never 100%, I always seem to have a cold or something lingering.
• Previously managers have thought I was lazy or undedicated because I could not drag myself out of bed soon enough to be on time for 8:30am (thankfully that has changed as I’ve progressed up the career ladder).

I am trying to make efforts to be better but it hard to stop my mind from spinning. The past, the present, bad stuff, things to remember, things I want to forget, wishes and dreams all spend time bouncing around my head like a yappy Chihuahua on springs whenever I’m not entirely sleepy but I’m lying in bed waiting for the sleep gods to bless me. I’ve started to practice some of the good habits that I’ve been told I should develop but certain days I’m wondering where it all went wrong and I know I need to start all over again.

Cheers to everyone I know who can sleep, I hope you know how lucky you are!

Late Night Movies

I did not get the bug (that everyone I know seems to have caught at one point or another) where you download music and video from the internet. It could be I spend so much time with musicians I know are barely eking out a living or an other possibility is that dear old dad is actually employed helping to make movies.

For some reason it just feels right to use iTunes to buy music I’m interested in having in my collection, I however don’t wish to store movies on my computer (the files are way too big!) even if I could find a site I like to buy them.

So lately I’ve been building up my DVD collection (trying to replace my VHS collection) but some movies just seem elusive, like Groundhog Day and I can’t seem to find them in stores. I’ve flirted with the idea of Columbia House but just haven’t been able to make the commitment, maybe it just needs more time. I don’t have a ton of movies just a select few that I can watch over, and over, and over again – most are described as cheesy or chick flicks but when I want to be mindlessly entertained I don’t want a drama. I need the good Couch Crack as my TV replacement.

I figure I’ll hit a critical mass around 40 or so movies and then they’ll change the format again.

Tell me why I don’t like Monday’s…

Monday’s and I have a love hate relationship. I work 4 days per week and Monday is my chosen day off, thus it should be a day I love… the 3 day weekend that I’ve always dreamed of! However as I’m living the good life I don’t need a lot of free time (only one class this semester) and I find I end up wasting each and every Monday.

Some Monday’s I don’t even get out of my apartment… and it’s not like I’m being productive around my apartment. (If I was I’d be out doing laundry but that’s a whole other story.) It’s like a whole other Sunday except the radio is marginally better.

This Monday was a little better than usual… lunch at Salad King, a wander through HMV, a quick stop by the LCBO and the kitchen table and home for a nap. Tonight was a kick ass dinner or rainbow trout, risotto and asparagus. Dinner was even more decadent as I felt like I needed a January pick me up and popped a bottle of sparkling wine, I added it to the risotto which was a moment of inspiration.

The only negative aspect to the day was the main reason why I was out of the house in the first place… I needed to give my doctor some blood for tests. I'm really bad around needles, I often pass out and/or hyperventilate - I’m so grateful to everyone else who gives during blood drives. The appointment went better than usual; I only came close to passing out today but stayed upright (with help). My doctor also was finally able to schedule a time for my CT scan – Tuesday February 13th.

And if you’re tired of the usual Boomtown rats version of I Don't Like Mondays try out Ron Sexsmith. Ron’s cover is so sweet and resigned it captures how I feel about Mondays far more accurately.

Oscars and the movies in general

I still see movies in the theatre, I like artsy, complex movies with Oscar worthy performances and I can truly kick back and enjoy a great chick flick. I’ll watch just about anything but horror (I get the creeps just thinking about it…) and some movies that others think are wonderful I’ll absolutely hate. [Titanic – all those people who died in real life came to life for me and I couldn’t sleep for days afterwards, Magnolia – what a bunch of pompous crap and Tom Cruise too… ick!] Every year when they announce the Oscar nominees I wonder if I’ve seen even a small percentage of them, this year I’m about on par… Little Miss Sunshine, Volver, The Devil Wears Prada, Pirates of the Caribean:Dead Man’s Chest (on video), An Inconvenient Truth and Jesus Camp.

That’s 6 of the nominees… not too shabby, however while I can say some of these would make it to my top 5 of the year (Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth & Jesus Camp) I don’t think any would hit my number 1. The best experience for my movie going dollars this year might just have been A Prairie Home Companion (Robert Altman), what a wonderful and loving tribute it was to music, family, friendship, radio and even death. It might have been that great on the pure fact that I didn’t have high hopes but Garrison Keillor manages to bring in such a warmth that it was like snuggling in for a nice little story.

The bigger question of course is if I’m going to watch the Oscars this year, I’ve missed the awards ceremony for the last 2 and felt that with radio and internet the next day I was satisfied… really the ceremonies are only good for the clothes and the gaffes.

Wines by Petite Syrah

I’m not a wine expert, although I have attended two structured tastings, but I really like a nice glass of wine every once in a while. I am also pretty decent at finding a nice bottle to match with dinner… I’d say it was a gift but I sometimes let the good folks at the LCBO help out when I’m either stuck for time or stumped on what to pair with chocolate mousse (with berries and whipped cream).

Yesterday I wandered the store picking up random bottles to restock the wine rack, I picked up a bottle of Domaines Perrin Nature Cotes-du-Rhone 2004 (Vintages 948059 | 750 mL bottle) Price: $ 16.95. I didn’t read the label fully except to note it was supposed to be good with chicken – and since I was roasting (and stuffing) a chicken for dinner it sounded like a good plan. The end result was a fantastic find, an organic wine that is listed as “an elegant and approachable blend of Grenache and Syrah, with an environmental conscience.” I now need to go back and pick up a few more bottles as it is an excellent sipping/cheese/light entrée wine that I think I might be able to serve even my most organically green family members.

I must wander the vintages section more often there are some excellent finds for under $20.00 that make just about everyone take note of the goodness of a non-standard selection.

P.S. Should dessert ever verge into the chocolate mousse realm for dessert I found a winner with Peller Estates Ice Cuvee (Vintages 18986 | 750 mL bottle) Price: $ 29.95.

New Years Resolutions

New Years resolutions in general suck… I tend to try not to make any because I know I’d never keep them. However the ones I have made (and told friends and family about... sometimes) have generally stuck. This year I’m going strong on my 2007 resolution - I decided that I wasn’t buying lunch (or for that matter breakfast) at work… that I’d bring food with me everyday. It’s been hard not to forget it in the fridge (maybe I should keep my cell in there with lunch as I rarely forget it!) but so far so good. Yes I have had lunch out with a friend here and there and that doesn’t count against me (for the record) as time spent with friends is worth it, it takes precedent over not spending money on lunch any day.

My lunch experiment was only supposed to be for the month of January but I formally declare that due to my success thus far (and liking my food in general a lot better than the cafeteria) I am extending for the month of February.

For my next trick more money saving tips… I need to save about 5K in time for October.

Women's Health Matters

Friday & Saturday were spent at the Women’s Health Matters Forum & Expo. I’d never been before (though I had heard about it) and truly thought it was an excellent – what a wonderful source of real & accurate information on how to manage your health as a woman in the most proactive manner. I saw the Friday evening keynote Dr. Alice Domar talk about how we need to nurture ourselves as much as we nurture others. Frankly good advice for anyone, especially some of my friends who are currently raising young children, and advice I one day hope to follow when the going actually gets tough.

What are you playing?

I’m currently addicted to Insaniquarium sure it’s simple but I think that’s exactly why I like it so much, it has a hint of randomness but it’s easy to master. I made it through all the levels and now I’m working on how to win faster… my best time so far is 8 minutes and 23 seconds.

Over Christmas I received Zuma and spent all of my New Years Eve weekend playing 3 games (concurrent levels) in order to reach the 13^th level… and yes I made it! 2 days lost and bleary eyes to prove it.

Maybe in my video game playing I’ll upgrade to something I can take with me on the TTC… however I almost miss my stop on a pretty regular basis and I’d be worried about it actually happening if I was even the slightest bit more distracted.

Music [ Part I ]

I may be a bit of a hopeless case when it comes to music… at dinner last Friday with friends I mentioned that I’d taken my mother to a concert at Hugh’s Room (the best concert venue in Toronto). After the obligatory wisecracks about my taste in “folky” music I wondered why my friends just don’t get my music, sure I can get down to some old school rap, or enjoy the perennial pop favourite U2 but for me there’s not much that beats sitting in a venue where not only can you see the performer without the aid of a big screen. I can watch them pick out intricate and crazy melodies and rhythms live in front of me – no pitch correction, dubbed backing or otherwise tampering with the pure sound of voice and instrument. The concert is focused on the music, not the video or merchandise and with a seating capacity of less than 300 it’s crazy intimate. There’s not a single person I’ve known that hasn’t enjoyed the experience of some music I’ve dragged them to hear at Hugh’s Room (Guy Davis, Scott Merritt, Stephen Fearing and more)… so why haven’t some of my closest friends given my non-standard fare a try? Am I just unwilling to push it for fear that I’ll only perpetuate the label of hippy (which I’m not!) or do I just want to keep my hidden gems to myself? I don’t have the answers about this one… but I know that the folk festival circuit is essential to my mental health and it’s odd I don’t share more with friends.

University... again...

I've been to my first class of the semester - Media Relations*. Tuesday nights will be filled with Tim Horton’s, writing notes, raising my hand (or just jumping in) and generally trying to cram something new into my brain. One might wonder why I spend my free time asking (wait a minute, paying) some stranger to grade me... however I’m clearly an odd duck. I love the ideas that start to generate when I'm sitting in class or during the week, my mind rarely shuts off and instead I get energized about not only class but work, my social life and pretty much everything.

My class has a few familiar faces and our groups have been assigned so I know who I’m working with and when we’re presenting. I’d like to say that group work is fun but mostly I like working on my own so it’s a little stressful, however it can be a lot of fun using someone else’s ideas to jump off from, I’ve always subscribed to the “your best idea is just behind your worst” theory.

Oh and just how many people trust the media? ... and what about the number of retractions and corrections?

So I’m in for another semester, and I’ve heard of this random story that at one point I will stop taking classes – I don’t buy it for a minute.

* Discussions of types of news media and their needs and characteristics, together with practice in specific activities such as press conferences, preparation of news kits, and news room operation. General overview of other mass communication activities – such as special events, conferences, and meetings.

Royal Ontario Museum

When was the last time you visited the ROM ? Was it a school trip or a Freebie Friday? (doesn't exist anymore) Were you there because you needed to be or personal interest?

Admittedly the last time I was there was last summer with Sharon, it was a Friday and we only wandered for half an hour or so… I was wearing new shoes though and a little cranky from the blisters that were forming - dinner was a blissful reprieve. Although in retrospect I have been a surprising number of times (Toronto Couture, Felt, Pearls…) and have always enjoyed the experience.

I went yesterday because I promised Greg an outing that involved more than dinner out at some College Street restaurant. There was nothing I really wanted to see so it was purely for the fun of wandering around (this time with more sensible shoes too) – there were some things that were clearly new and pretty spectacular. On a whim we decided to take part in a somewhat interactive history of Egypt… it was computer assisted (and clearly the target audience was younger than us, but the smaller kids loved it) and took about 40 minutes – the nice thing is it really does give you more information and context than you can glean from the art descriptions.

We did miss the Italian Design exhibit but Deanna said it wasn’t really worth the visit anyway and I was pleasantly surprised by the Lalique Exhibit .

If you get a chance to be tourists in your own city I say take a trip to the ROM, you might just be pleasantly surpeised by what's in your own backyard.

Sharing for a year

2007 will be the year I try this for a second time... I have stuff to share and it's time I started sharing.