ramble on

The end.

2010-01-04T21:11:00.003-05:00

So, uh, yeah. Not much blog posting going on over here. I've come to the realization that it's time to put this baby to bed. I want to keep blogging, but I've been struggling with the current rendition. I don't like the way it looks or feels anymore. I need to start over.

So I'm going to.

It will take me a bit of time to get set up again, but when I do, I will link to the new blog here. In the meantime, a huge thank you to all of you who have read and/or commented.

I'll be back soon...

photo Friday

2009-09-11T21:32:00.002-04:00

A few pics from my cousin's wedding on Wednesday at Cave Spring Vineyard in Beamsville, Ontario. It was a gorgeous day.

vacation all I ever wanted

2009-09-08T23:41:00.004-04:00

Music Tuesdays is preempted this week. It's been crazy busy here and I'm just not feeling it tonight. But I still wanted to post so here goes.

This past weekend was the Labour Day long weekend. We had plans to go up to the cottage. We didn't. The weather was likely perfect since it was beautiful here at home so that wasn't the reason. We just needed some time to chill. This trip to the cottage would have been an all work and no play one. So we've just put it off for a month or so. But since Steve had already booked Friday off work, we found ourselves with a four day weekend. Sweet!

We didn't do a lot. I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish and almost nothing got checked off. But that's okay. Steve spent a lot of time with Alex, taking the bulk of the parenting duties off my shoulders. It was a nice break for both of us. He got to spend time with the little dude and I had time to do other things without having to worry about Alex. And since Steve will be leaving for Indonesia and Japan on Friday and will be away for 10 days, it was nice to have a bit of a parenting break, since it will be just me for a little while.

We did get out of the house. We met our friends Colin & Leslie and their kids at Canada's Largest Ribfest here in lovely Burlington, Ontario. It was crazy busy but we enjoyed some yummy food and got to hang out friends that we don't see nearly enough.

Yup. That's a lot of people.

The Boss, hard at work.

mmm...

Tomorrow is my cousin Janet's wedding. I better go rest up.

photo Friday

2009-09-04T21:19:00.006-04:00

I can't believe a week has gone by since I last posted. It's been that kind of week. There will be some catching up this weekend. In the meantime, a photo from a recent trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Click to enlarge and spot something hiding amidst the blossoms.

photo Friday

2009-08-28T09:13:00.003-04:00

Mama robin tending to her eggs in the maple tree in our front yard. Taken earlier this summer.

music Tuesdays - David Ford

2009-08-25T21:59:00.001-04:00

David Ford - Songs For The Road

I cannot remember how exactly I came across David Ford, but I do remember that it was this video that first introduced me to him.

So I downloaded the album and I really like it. I think we are all aware by now that I love great lyrics. Thoughtful lyrics. And this album is full of them. As you listen, you feel like you are in a pub listening to him perform his songs live about 5 feet away from you. Like he's pouring out his soul while you down pints of Kilkenny. (mmm...Kilkenny...)

If you had to stick David Ford into a genre, I guess it would be pop. But he incorporates folk, gospel, rock, and all sorts of other elements into his music. Definitely worth a listen if you are into the singer-songwriter vibe.

photo Friday

2009-08-21T08:02:00.002-04:00

smoke gets in your eyes

2009-08-20T23:38:00.003-04:00

I ordered a pair of concert tickets the other day. Skydiggers at the Studio Theatre at Hamilton Place. Should be a great show. Small venue, excellent band. I am very excited. And at $27.50 a ticket, a great deal!

So the tickets arrived the other day and I just about fell over when I saw the receipt. $75.25 for two tickets. At $27.50 per ticket, how does the total end up being so high? Well here's a little lesson in math according to our good friends at Ticketmaster.

Face Value of tickets: $55.00
Facility Fees: $4.oo ($2/ticket)
Convenience Charges: $13.00 ($6.50/ticket)
Order Processing Fee: $3.25

I can understand the Order Processing Fee and the Facility Fee to a certain extent. But why am I paying $13.00 in Convenience Charges? What exactly is a Convenience Charge? Whose convenience are they talking about? Certainly not mine, I just paid $13.00 for no apparent reason!

Here is Ticketmaster's explanation, taken directly from their website:

Convenience Charge This fee covers costs that allow Ticketmaster to provide the widest range of available tickets while giving you multiple ways to purchase. Tickets are available in many neighbourhoods via local Retail Outlets, our telephone reservation system and Ticketmaster.ca. Tickets can be purchased through at least one distribution channel virtually 24 hours a day. The convenience charge varies by event and is determined by negotiations with arena operators, promoters and others based on costs for each event.

Is the convenience charge always the same no matter where I buy my tickets? The convenience charge may vary depending upon where you purchase the tickets. A convenience charge may or may not be applied when you purchase tickets at the venue box office. A convenience charge is applied when you purchase from the Internet, phone or retail outlet (e.g., at your local department store) and this charge may vary depending upon Ticketmaster's local agreements with its venue, promoter and outlet partners.

In other words, blah, blah, blah. This is the biggest load of bull shit I have ever heard. Shouldn't the order processing fee cover all of this stuff? And you can bet that the artist does not see a dime of this money. I understand that it is a business and everyone needs to make money, but something just seems very wrong about all this. I'll still go to the show and I am sure I will love it and will forget all about the extra fees. But it pisses me off when I think about how much of my hard earned dollars have gone to these crazy charges.

music Tuesdays - Bryan Adams

2009-08-18T23:13:00.000-04:00

This week, I am straying from the usual format to bring you a concert review.

Bryan Adams - Thursday, August 13, 2009 - Massey Hall - Toronto, Ontario

When I found out that Bryan Adams was doing an acoustic show I knew I had to go. Now for those of you who mock me for being a fan, here's a little background on myself. I'm Canadian. My formative years were in the 1980's. I realize that not everyone fitting this description was a fan but given the man's record sales, most people were. I can't say that I own all of his recordings, he did lose me for a few years, but I did purchase his three most recent and they are really good. His music has matured, naturally since he is turning 50 this year. You can't expect the guy to keep writing songs like Kids Wanna Rock forever.

Let's get back on track. The concert. Including encores he played solidly for 2.5 hours. Some of the time it was just him but for about half of the show he was joined on piano by a really great player who's name I did not catch. (Sorry.) The set was a good representation of his career from Cuts Like A Knife onward. It was really interesting to hear the songs in a stripped down format. It really showed that Adams is indeed a triple threat: singer, guitarist, songwriter. He nailed all three all night, even though he did screw up his own lyrics a number of times. One of the highlights was when long time collaborator Jim Vallance joined him on stage to play keys on The Best is Yet To Come. And I have to admit that I did get a little choked up when he performed Summer of '69. Like I said before, his music was a huge part of my formative years. I am really, really, really glad that we went to this concert. Definitely one of the better concerts I have seen in my concert-going lifetime.

Even though the ushers were being really militant about cameras, I did get some decent pics. We didn't have the best seats, but we may have had the most uncomfortable ones. (We were up in the gallery, in the narrow wooden seats. Ugh.) I did manage to sneak in a little bit of video. Here's about half of Somebody.

photo Friday

2009-08-14T09:02:00.001-04:00

these shoes rule...

2009-08-13T10:10:00.000-04:00

While I was pregnant, many women would look at my huge, puffy, swollen feet and tell me that I would likely end up wearing a larger shoe after the baby was born. They were right and I have finally come to terms with it. As I sadly begin to purge my closet of what is now a pile of size 8's that are way too tight, I look forward to the future filled with lovely size 9's.

Hooray for shoe shopping!

Since the summer is nearing completion and I won't be able to wear flip flops for much longer, I went shoe shopping yesterday. I drove to Mississauga specifically to go to the Crocs store. Now before you start riding my ass about my love of Crocs, hear this. Crocs got me through my pregnancy and c-section recovery. When my feet swelled to what seemed like double their size, my trusty Crocs were the only thing I could put on. I wore them until the snow got so deep that I had to pull out a worn out pair of hiking boots that were stretched out from too much wear. I could barely lace those puppies up. But the Crocs went on with relative ease. Even though I would end up with circular indentations on the tops of my feet by the end of each day, with them I was able to walk. Anyway, I went to the Crocs store specifically for these.

I saw a friend with a white version of these a couple of weeks ago. I knew I had to have them.

In the same neighbourhood as the Crocs store, is Stylesense. I hadn't heard of this store until my friend Kim mentioned that they carried a lot of hootchie-mama shoes. True, most of their shoes seemed to be designed by people who think that women prefer to dress like tramps. But once I waded through the gladiator sandals and 6 inch heels, I did manage to find these lovely Hush Puppies.

And these excellent Merrell's.

Oddly enough, both pairs are brown. I am very much a black shoe girl. And a black clothing girl. I guess I'll have to start adding some brown to my wardrobe, you know, to match the shoes.
Or I'll need to buy more shoes. Whichever works.

join together

2009-08-12T11:18:00.001-04:00

I've wanted for a while to join a club. A yarn club. In the knitting world, one can join any number of clubs in which you pay a fee and receive a skein or two of yarn and some other little goodies on a regular basis. So yeah, I'm a knitting geek. Anyway, I've really wanted to join one because I like the idea of the surprise arriving in the mailbox. A lot of these clubs are yearly things that start in January, but I couldn't wait until then. So I did some research and found the Yarn Pirate. She makes gorgeous, hand-dyed sock yarn so I decided to join The Booty Club. I signed up for two of her offers, the regular club and the semi-solid club. My first shipment arrived while I was at the cottage. With these clubs you never know what you are going to get so I was very excited to open the package. And I was not disappointed.

The colourway is called Serenity.

Here's the semi-solid version.

This gives you a much better idea of the colours involved. Should make for some funky socks.

In addition to the two skeins of yarn and as a new member, I received two circular needles and an excellent Yarn Pirate button.

I love the button.

Arrr, matey!

music Tuesdays - Melissa McClelland

2009-08-11T21:31:00.003-04:00

Melissa McClelland - Victoria Day

I'd heard her name, but the first time I heard Melissa McClelland sing was a couple of years ago when she performed with Blue Rodeo at Hamilton Place. I was completely blown away by her voice and downloaded her previous releases when I got home from the concert that night. Victoria Day, her latest recording was released in the spring of this year and I believe that it is her finest album yet. The best way I can describe it is old-timey. While the lyrics are fresh and inventive, the musical styles are classic, lots of blues, country, dixieland and jazz influences here. And since Melissa is a local, I love the fact that she references Burlington, Hamilton and Toronto in a couple of the songs. Definitely one of my favourite Cd's of 2009.

I love this video because it shows just how awesome she is live.

As a side note, after my darling husband read my music Tuesday installment of two weeks ago, he promptly took to the internet to find me a new copy of my long lost Rhinos's CD.

Thanks honey. You rock.

just like a vacation...

2009-08-05T20:52:00.004-04:00

Even with the internet access at the cottage, my computer time has been limited. My parents and brother were here for 5 days and as they were leaving, our friends Christine and Stewart and their daughter Mackenzie arrived. So it's been busy. But awesome. I love it here. But not much time for blogging. So this may be the last post until I am home next week. See you then.

photo Friday

2009-07-31T11:32:00.005-04:00

Glenn Gould, as he sits outside, in front of the CBC headquarters in Toronto.

music Tuesdays - Danny Michel

2009-07-28T22:46:00.002-04:00

Danny Michel - Welcome Home

I first became acquainted with Danny Michel's music when I was in high school and he was in a band called The Rhinos. They eventually broke up and I lost track of him. In December 2007, Steve and I went to a live Vinyl Cafe show and Danny Michel was one of the musical guests. He played a few tunes acoustically and I remembered why I was such a big fan. He is a story teller, as much through his music as through his lyrics. His voice is unique. He can manipulate it perfectly to suit the subject matter of his songs. Welcome Home is a collection of previously recorded material all performed acoustically. Just Danny and his guitar. It's thoughtful and introspective. The kind of album you throw on when you just want to sit back and concentrate on the music.

I couldn't find a good video to use from this album, so here's the title track from his most recent release. You'll get the idea.

it ain't over yet...

2009-07-27T18:57:00.005-04:00

I'm notorious for starting knitting projects and either not finishing them or taking forever to finish them. I hate this about my knitting habit so I'm making a concerted effort to finish the projects I currently have on the go. It's hard to do because I just don't get a lot of knitting time in. I used to knit on the commute to and from work, at least 2 hours a day. Now I'm lucky if I get 20 minutes a week in. Really, I just need to organize my time better and make the most of the time I get for myself when the little dude sleeps. I'm working on that.

In the meantime, the drive to the cottage was a big factor in helping me finish my first Claptois. It's an absolutely stunning shawl. Most knitters know this pattern, it's a very popular one and I've been wanting to knit it for ages. I honestly thought I was the last knitter on earth who hadn't made one but it turns out that a few of the ladies in my knitting group haven't made it either. If you knit, I highly recommend this pattern. It's easy, fast and incredibly rewarding. I could see myself doing this one again. Once I finish my other projects, of course.

photo Friday

2009-07-24T09:19:00.002-04:00

I spent last weekend with an awesome group of ladies at our annual Girl's Weekend at Elizabeth's cottage on Lake Erie. The weather was not fantastic but we sat outside as much as we could, often bundled up in sleeping bags and blankets. There was a storm brewing over the lake. Maybe even a tornado?

I'm a weirdo...

2009-07-23T23:41:00.006-04:00

One thing I've had to get used to as a new mom is talking to strangers. When you're out in public with an infant, people you do not know are magnetically attracted to you. I understand this and most of the time it doesn't bother me when people try to interact with Alex. Even though it can get a wee bit annoying if I am in a rush, I realize that 99.9% of the time, these people are perfectly harmless. But every once in a while, you are reminded that there are very strange and somewhat frightening people in the world.

The little dude was having some pretty serious teething angst today and I needed to distract him. Usually this means going for a walk but since it was pouring out, my next option was to take him to the mall. Surrounded by lights, colours and noise he was perfectly happy in his stroller, taking it all in. Now the mall I went to has two floors. As I was boarding the elevator to go up, a woman came in behind me. She was probably in her late 40's and likely past child-bearing age. We were the only passengers on a very small elevator. She spoke.

"Oh, you have a baby! I want one so much"

Then the elevator doors closed.

She then went on to show my a box small blue box in her hand that apparently held a pewter coin bank in the shape of an arc. It was for the baby boy of a friend of her's. His name is Noah. Hence the arc. "Isn't that sweet? I had it engraved." I agreed and made sure to go in the opposite direction when exiting the elevator. I even watched her exit the mall completely. It was that creepy. I wasn't afraid for our safety, it was just a little off-putting.

music Tuesdays - The Vanity Project

2009-07-21T22:29:00.003-04:00

This week's entry is not a new release, but it came to mind when I found Steven Page's name in the news today. According to reports, he and his girlfriend bought a house next door to the apartment in which they were busted for cocaine possession last year. Apparently, this is newsworthy. I'm a fan of Steven Page but I don't need to know every detail of his life. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that his personal life is on track since the unfortunate incident, but seriously why is this information being reported as if it were of international importance? One paper even went as far as to print the address of his new home. Whatever happened to journalistic integrity? Or common decency? Leave the guy and his girlfriend alone. Let them get on with their lives. Just let me know when his new CD is out.

The Vanity Project - The Vanity Project

Released in 2005, The Vanity Project is a collection of songs written by Steven Page and Stephen Duffy. The two first became acquainted when Page wrote Duffy a fan letter. That correspondence led to a songwriting partnership that produced a few excellent tracks (Alcohol from Stunt, and Jane from Maybe You Should Drive, to name a couple) included on some earlier Barenaked Ladies albums. This album consists both of tunes that didn't make it on to BNL records and that were recorded specifically for this project. Page performs all of the lead vocals, so really, it feels like a Steven Page solo record. But truly, this album is all about the songs, so Duffy's contribution cannot be ignored. Both men show off their gift for lyrics and melody and that's what really stands out for me. I also enjoy the folk feel of the album. You can totally imagine these songs performed acoustically, outside, under the stars. Now that Page is no longer a Barenaked Lady, I hope there is another Vanity Project in his future. Wherever he may be living.

how sweet it is...

2009-07-20T21:42:00.003-04:00

I try to buy locally grown produce as much as possible. Sadly, our grocery stores are filled with imported produce even though our little patch of suburbia is surrounded by rich farm land. As I was on my way to drop the little dude off at my parents' place this morning so that I could go to a doctor's appointment, I noticed that the sign for Hutchinson Farm, located a mere 8 kilometers from my parents' house, was advertising that their raspberries were ready. I love all berries and raspberries may be my favourite fruit. So after my appointment I convinced my mom to accompany Alex and I to Hutchinson Farm.

In addition to these deliciously, sweet raspberries...

I picked up these lovely beets.

They also had some beautiful zucchini, both green & yellow, but I didn't buy any since I had some in the fridge at home. I see by their website that they also grow several varieties of tomatoes and peppers among other items. I was so impressed by the freshness and quality of what I bought today that I will definitely go back and check out these crops when they are ready.

Now I need to get a damp cloth to clean the raspberry stains off my laptop. :)

photo Friday

2009-07-17T09:29:00.003-04:00

The addition of the music Tuesdays feature has really helped me keep up with the blog. I find that I am more motivated to get a post in before the next Tuesday rolls around, simply because I don't want this to be a blog of just music posts on Tuesdays. So I've decided to start a photo Friday feature in hopes that it will get me blogging even more. And I do take a lot of pictures that just end up sitting on my hard drive. Also, I'm over a year behind in updating my Flickr, so this might help with that problem as well.

Okay, enough talking. Here are few pics from our last trip to the cottage.

The black squirrel was scurrying up a tree with a mouthful of sunflower seeds we had thrown out for the animals.

We think this gorgeous heron nests on the property. He doesn't normally get this close. The picture is a bit fuzzy because it was taken through the glass of the front door.

Enjoy your summer weekend!

...one beer

2009-07-16T21:47:00.003-04:00

It's not very often these days that I buy the beer for the household. Since I don't drink a lot of beer, Steve usually does the purchasing. But once in a while, I make the beer run. Now in Ontario, one normally goes to The Beer Store to purchase their rations although the LCBO also stocks beer. At most of the Beer Store locations you walk up to the counter, place your order, and your case of suds appears, flying down the metal rollers from behind a plastic curtain. Magic! But some locations are what I like to call, the Women's Beer Store. You walk into a giant cooled room and pick up the case or cases of choice. So why do I cal it the Women's Beer Store? Well if you follow social stereotypes, men hate shopping and women love it. Men go in, get what they want, and get the hell out. Women browse, checking out every aisle, whether it contains what they are looking for or not. I usually go into the Women's Beer Store with a pretty good idea of what I will be leaving with, but I look around anyway and always end up picking up a little something interesting. And that's what I did last week.

Brewed by Toronto's Mill St. Brewery, the Belgian Wit may just be the ultimate summer beer. It's an unfiltered, wheat beer and refreshing doesn't even begin to describe it. Orange peel and corriander give it both a fruity and slightly spicy taste. I would suggest enjoying it with a slice of orange. If you're a fan of Hoegaarden or Keith's Premium White, add this one to your list. Fantastic.

music Tuesdays - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

2009-07-14T23:00:00.003-04:00

Today's music pick is not a new recording. But it's newer than you might think.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights

I first heard of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings on The Lascivious Biddies podcast (more about them in a future installment of music Tuesdays). When I checked it out, I was blown away. This album sounds like it's straight out of the 1960's. It was recorded in 2007. Sharon and her incredible band sound like they are channeling Aretha Franklin and James Brown, just to name a few, but totally making it their own at the same time.

See what I mean? Just a few weeks ago, they played at the Toronto Jazz Festival. Steve and I went and we both agreed that this was one of the best live shows we have ever seen. And we've seen a lot of them. I took a bit of video during the show. Not the greatest quality, or steadiest camera work, but here they are doing a little tribute to Michael Jackson, the day after his death.

shiny and new

2009-07-13T09:15:00.003-04:00

I have been dying to overhaul the look of the blog for a while. I've gotten bored with the current layout. So the makeover begins today. Knowing me, it will take a while, but I'm hoping it will encourage me to blog more. So be prepared to be dazzled. Not really, just bear with me as I move the furniture around.

use it or lose it

2009-07-12T22:34:00.004-04:00

Typically, when a couple gets married, they have a gift registry at a major department store, so that friends and relations can purchase something the couple needs/wants and avoid gift duplication. Steve and I have been married for almost 9 years. And up until recently, we owned items, received as wedding gifts, that we had rarely or never used. Not that these gifts were not appreciated. But there's some sort of bizarre social pressure to register for things that you have absolutely no use for. Kitchen appliances are the biggest culprit. And we have them all. Since I've been feeling the need to purge our house of unneeded stuff lately, I've been going at the kitchen, full force. I've filled a few boxes full of stuff that we don't use and/or won't miss. They will be donated to charity. In my cleaning frenzy, I was reminded that we actually owned a deep fryer. Seriously, who needs a deep fryer? My mother is now the proud owner of a used only once deep fryer. I don't imagine she will actually use it that much either but hey, it's not taking up space in my house anymore. Then I can across the ice cream maker. Hmm, what to do. I love ice cream and it is a semi-regular grocery purchase for us. Could I make better tasting, better for me ice cream at home? Or was it not worth the time or effort. Well...

I decided to start with a simple lime sorbet.

All you do is turn limes into lime juice and mix it with simple syrup, which is just equal parts sugar and water, boiled to melt the sugar.

Throw it in the ice cream maker...

...and watch the magic happen.

The whole process took about half an hour.

And the result...

...limey, tarty, frosty goodness.

We then made a lemon sorbet that was fantastic and a strawberry cantaloupe sorbet that worked out but didn't taste so great. Not to me anyway.

With a few simple sorbets under my belt, I moved on to ice cream.

The mint chocolate chip was a hit.

As was the strawberry.

The ice creams take a bit more work but is well worth the effort. It's nice to have ice cream in the freezer that is free of unpronounceable chemicals and preservatives and that tastes delicious. Of course, you can't keep it as long but since it's rare for a carton of ice cream to last more than a few days in our house, no big deal. With my love of ice cream, I can't believe that I actually waited this long to use the damn thing. So the ice cream maker is definitely a keeper.

This week is my dad's 70th birthday. Vanilla ice cream is his favourite. I'll let you know how it turns out.

music Tuesdays - Joel Plaskett

2009-07-07T21:50:00.001-04:00

The short list for the Polaris Prize was announced today. This is a fantastic award that recognizes Canadian talent and is not based on record sales. The winning artist receives $20,000. Pretty cool. I've only listened to a few albums on the list, but this is one of my favourites.

Joel Plaskett - Three

This album actually consists of three sets of nine songs. Many of the songs have the same words repeated three times, such as the first single, Through & Through & Through. So obviously the number three is some sort of unifying theme. Plaskett is an excellent lyricist and that really stands out on this album. I'm a sucker for good lyrics. Mostly, I just find this album really easy to listen too. There is something very Canadian about his sound, but I couldn't even begin to tell you what that means. Maybe it's the hint of folk and country influences. Maybe it's because the music just feels real and uncomplicated. I don't really know, I just know that I like it.

alvin, simon, theodore?

2009-07-05T22:17:00.004-04:00

We spent about 5 days at the cottage last week, basically just getting it set up for later in the summer when we plan to be up for 2 weeks. As is the custom, we put peanuts out for the wildlife. As you will see, the chipmunks are extra friendly this year.

music Tuesdays - Burton Cummings

2009-06-30T18:01:00.001-04:00

It's the day before Canada Day and we are at the cottage. The weather has been okay, but not fantastic. At the moment, a thunderstorm is brewing. You know how there are certain records you pull out when it is raining? Well this is one of them for me. And it's Canadian, perfect to celebrate the birthday of this great nation.

Burton Cummings - Up Close and Alone

Burton Cummings has enjoyed an incredible musical career both as a solo artist and as one of the two front men of The Guess Who. In 1996 he released Up Close and Alone, a selection of songs from throughout his career. Recorded at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, the album features Burton and a piano. No other musicians. At times, it sounds as though there is a symphony on stage with him. He knows exactly how to manipulate the piano so that it sounds like there is a drummer, bass player, guitarist, or any other instrumentalist there. This album makes me want to practice piano again. Also the liner notes are excellent. Burton talks about each song and gives some great anecdotes. His banter on the recording is also great. One of the best tracks is his imitation of Gordon Lightfoot doing Rod Stewart. Very funny. I can't really pick a favourite track because they are truly all fantastic. But The Guess Who songs are probably the ones that really standout for me, particularly "These Eyes" and "Undun". A must for any fan of Burton Cummings or The Guess Who.

no one can hurt you now, because you know what's true...

2009-06-26T09:42:00.003-04:00

I was 10 years old when Michael Jackson released Thriller. I was an awkward, sensitive kid who had trouble making friends and was always being teased. The class bully was the biggest and most vocal Michael Jackson fan in school. In my desperate attempt to be accepted by the girl who teased me more than anyone else, I became a Michael Jackson fan and made sure that everyone knew about it. Suddenly, the bullying stopped and I had made a new friend.

At that point in my life, I was too young to understand the importance of this record and Michael Jackson's contribution to pop music. Last year, when the 25th Anniversary edition of Thriller was released I didn't hesitate to download it even though I still have the original vinyl in my collection. The new edition came with lots of bonus footage including the Grammy Award performance from 1983 when he won 8 of the prestigious trophies for the Thriller album. What amazes me about this performance is that even though it was lip-synced, the audience went nuts. You never see people sitting in the first few rows at an award show standing up and dancing during a performance. Typically, this is where the artists and celebrities sit and they don't normally show that sort of enthusiasm at these types of things. But he was that engaging and charismatic on stage. And the music, was brilliant for its time. There was nothing else like it. At one point, you can even see the orchestra musicians getting into it, clapping and grooving along.

My guess is that few people really knew the person who was Michael Jackson. So much has been written about him in the press. His eccentricities, his troubled family, the allegations against him. We will never know what is true and what is fiction. But what I do know is that his music was a very important part of my growing up. That's what I choose to remember.

Thank you Michael. May you rest in peace.

ETA: Because I am an idiot, and went with my memory instead of doing research, I referenced the above video as being from the 1983 Grammy Awards. It's actually from the Motown 25 tv special from the same year. Oops. Thankfully, me error doesn't make the performance any less significant.

music Tuesdays - Lee Harvey Osmond

2009-06-23T15:09:00.005-04:00

Tuesdays are typically the day of the week when new music is released. So starting today, I'm going to attempt weekly album reviews. Well not really reviews. Mostly just me raving or bitching about some record in my collection. It may not be a new release, but just something I would recommend. Or not.

LeE HARVeY OsMond - A Quiet Evil

About a month or so ago, Elizabeth and I went to The Casbah in Hamilton to see LeE HARVeY OsMOND. This group is led my the enigmatic Tom Wilson (Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Junkhouse) and the album includes quite the lineup of Canadian talent including Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson of Skydiggers, Margo and Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies and Colin Cripps to name a few. The album is a mix of sultry, bluesy, folksy, moody tunes and the band puts on one hell of a live show. I picked up the CD at the show that night but it's only appeared in the Canadian iTunes Music Store today. I give this one a "hell ya". Here's a little sample.

listening to you

2009-06-23T09:35:00.002-04:00

When I was in the hospital with Alex, a woman came by from McMaster University who was involved with a study involving hearing and infants. Was I interested in participating? Sure. I filled out the form and forgot about it. Then last week, I received a phone call. They were looking for 5 month-olds to participate. It wouldn't be painful or intrusive. They would play sounds and measure the activity in Alex's brain. Sounded interesting, so I booked us in.

When we arrived, I was thrilled to find out that the research is music related. Dr. Laurel Trainor is Director of the Auditory Development Lab at McMaster University and head of the McMaster Institute for Music & the Mind. The study that Alex was a part of is one that gathers data on how infants perceive sound in order to understand how they develop the hearing skills to learn language and music. Since an infant can't tell you what they are hearing, they place a net of sponges on their heads that measure the brain's electrical activity. Pretty cool. So they rigged the little dude up. He actually giggled when they put it on his head. And he looked downright adorable.

Once the net was in place, Alex sat on my knee while two young students kept him entertained with toys, puppets, bubbles, and a DVD. All the while, short, rhythmic blasts of white noise came out of speakers all around the room. The hardest part for me was not tapping my foot to the rhythm since they asked me to keep him as still as possible. That and not talking. But we managed to get through 18 minutes of the 20 minutes they aim for. Once the little dude started fussing and crying a bit, the research assistant, Elaine, stopped the sounds. She was happy with the data collected so we didn't have to try again. Alex was presented with a little toy and a cute certificate (that included the above picture and the designation of "junior scientist") and we were done.

When Steve came home and I shared the experience with him, he thought it was cool that this kind of research was being done here, right in our backyard. I agree. And I'm glad that Alex was able to be a part of it.

overload

2009-06-21T21:09:00.005-04:00

Has it really been more than a month since I last posted? Really?

I've written about 1,000 blog posts in my head. While I'm in the shower, doing laundry, mixing formula... I just can't seem to get to the computer to get them down. The shift in priorities caused by having a baby has really made me think about how I spend my time when he does not need my attention. So I'm in the process of streamlining. I'm cutting back on the huge number of blogs in my Google reader. I've already unsubscribed to a whole bunch of podcasts that I wasn't really listening to/enjoying anymore. I'm making more time for the activities that I really get something out of. And blogging is one of them. I'm not going to make some crazy commitment to post a certain number of times per week. But by getting rid of the other stuff I've been wasting my time on and getting nothing out of, I'm making more time for blogging on a regular basis. So consider this a rebirth of sorts.

It's nice to be here again.

a day in the life

2009-05-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

...you may dig wintertime but spring is my joy

2009-05-09T10:14:00.004-04:00

We have two gorgeous old maple trees in our yard, one in the front and one in back. Just over a week ago, they were still in their leafless winter state. Then one morning after a rainstorm, we woke up to this.

Life is good.

the taste of delicious

2009-05-08T22:10:00.002-04:00

So the healthy eating plan isn't going so well this week. I haven't been feeling well (fighting a cold) and the little dude is teething. My eating has been sporadic and not as well balanced as I would like. However, I have not gained any weight back so it's not too bad. I probably won't have lost any when this week is done. Rather than stress about it, I plan to get back on track tomorrow. So tonight, I enjoyed a fabulous dinner made by my awesome husband. I have likely mentioned before that Steve has the gift of being able to throw together a meal from whatever happens to be in the fridge. He attributes this to spending his youth watching cooking shows. Whatever the reason, I am very grateful for his cooking prowess.

So tonight, he made an incredible mushroom risotto. He claims that he really hasn't mastered the art of making risotto yet but I haven't sampled one that has sucked yet. But I do urge him to continue trying. :)

With the risotto, we enjoyed this excellent wine. I found the 2008 Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere in the Vintages section of the LCBO for only $13.95. This wine is produced from organically grown grapes and is fantastic. Deliciously fruity and smooth with a hint of vanilla.

Sometimes, there is just nothing better than a good meal with someone you love.

steppin' out

2009-04-29T22:31:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was an unusually social one for me since having the little one. I'll tell you about it in a couple of parts, starting with the Knitter's Frolic. I headed to Toronto with a couple of friends from my knitting group to check out this event. What's that you say, knitting group? Why yes. Almost a year ago, shortly after I joined Ravelry (an online community for knitters) I started hanging out with this awesome bunch of ladies. We get together every two weeks at a local cafe to talk, laugh, eat and knit. It's funny how a group of strangers who meet online can bond in such a way but we truly have. I always look forward to our gatherings.

Anyway, I realized after, that it was actually my first time ever attending a big knitting event even though I've been knitting for quite a while. And for my first knitting event, it was a pretty good one. It was held at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto. My only major complaint is that it was stinking hot in there! Part of the venue was air conditioned, but it seemed that the other part was not. By the time we got out of there I was boiling! But that didn't stop me from shopping.

This inky blue loveliness is Malabrigo Sock Yarn. One day, hopefully soon, I will turn it into this.

I have no idea what I will be making from this Manos del Uruguay Wool Classica but I seem to have no self control when it comes to this yarn. I see it, I buy it. I bought some in the fall that became...

...a very warm and cozy little cowl. Or snood if you prefer.

Uh, wtf? Have I lost my mind? Apparently yes, because I purchased this drop spindle and some roving. With this simple device I am actually going to make yarn. Well, theoretically anyway.

So there you have it. Confessions of a knitting geek.

it's been one week...

2009-04-28T21:01:00.005-04:00

So I started what I am calling the "healthy eating plan" just over a week ago. And it's going well. I lost 5 pounds in the first week. Now don't worry, I know that's a lot for one week. But I've also been on enough diets to know that it is very common to lose a big amount in the first week and then taper off as your body gets used to the change. Miraculously, I have not had a sliver of chocolate or other sweets since starting the plan and my fruit & veggie intake has probably doubled. And the best part was that I actually broke a few rules too. We were out Sunday night and I enjoyed a fabulous gin martini and a huge, yummy dinner. I didn't do as well on the exercise front (the Wii is not hooked up yet) but I did get out for a couple of walks. But no guilt here. I'll just try to get more exercise this week. So I'm happy to call week 1 a success!

baby got back

2009-04-19T12:09:00.003-04:00

It's no surprise that I'm carrying around a little extra weight post-pregnancy. Truth be told, I'm in the worst shape of my life. I am embarrassingly overweight and out of shape. And I've had enough of it. Beginning tomorrow I am taking steps to take off the excess weight and to get healthy. And for the first time in my life there will no fad dieting involved. I've tried it all: Weight Watchers, South Beach, no-carb, low-carb, no-fat, low-fat, you get the picture. These always work for the first little while. And then I fall off the wagon and the pounds pack on again. It's time for a lifestyle change.

It took a long time for me to gain the excess weight and I know it will take a while for it to come off. So I'm taking baby steps. Making small changes over time towards a healthier lifestyle. So here's the plan.

The Food Plan
1) Drink water: I used to be pretty good at this, especially when I was pregnant because I was constantly thirsty. But I just kind of stopped drinking water. So I just need to get back into the habit. It shouldn't be that difficult.
2) Cut out sugar: This one will be tough. Sugar is my downfall. I love chocolate. I love pop. I need to stop consuming both. I'll work chocolate back into my life once I'm at healthy weight but for now, the daily consumption of this delicious substance is over. As for pop, I would like to cut it out completely. Forever. The stuff is just nasty and has zero nutritional value. The only sugars I intend to eat are those that occur naturally, like in fruit.
3) More plants/less meat: It's not that I don't like fruits and vegetables, it's just that I really like meat. I could easily eat just a steak for dinner, with no veggies. From now on, meat will take up a much smaller place on my plate than veggies. I'm also going to try to eat more fish. I love fish, I just never know how to cook it. I'll just have to learn.
4) Less and healthier carbs: This one shouldn't be too tough either. I switched to eating just whole grains years ago. But while I was pregnant, I craved carbs like you wouldn't believe. So I got back in the habit of eating too much. I just need to cut back.
5) Less alcohol: I love wine. Love, love, love it! I would be miserable without it. So I'll still drink it, but only on weekends and not in excess. And no hard liquor. Not even gin. :(
6) No shit: No food substitutes allowed. No aspartame, margarine, etc. Nothing manufactured. Only real food. Stuff grown in the ground. Stuff that has to be harvested. Animals that were not fed chemicals. You know, the way food used to be before the 20th century hit.
7) Making allowances: There will be times when these rules will be broken. Parties, special occasions, bad days, etc. I will not beat myself up over these things. I will allow myself time to be human and overindulge once in a while. Then I will start over again with the next meal.

The Exercise Plan
I have never been fond of exercise. Gym was my worst subject in school. I am lazy. But soon, I will have to chase an active child as he discovers the world. I better be in shape for this.
1) Walking: Walking is easy. Put on running shoes, place baby in stroller and go. And now that the weather is warmer, there is no reason why I can't do this everyday, or maybe twice a day. And if it's pouring rain there is the treadmill that's gathering dust in the basement. Time to set it up again.
2) Wii Fit: We bought the Wii Fit while I was pregnant. I haven't tried it yet but am hoping it will be a good way to exercise. It certainly is convenient: something I can do while the little dude is sleeping. I'll let you know how this pans out. I can't wait to find out my Wii Fit Age. I'm predicting somewhere in senior citizen territory.
3) Yoga: I have wanted to do Yoga forever. A new yoga place opened up within walking distance from my house. And they have a mom and baby class. They also do hot yoga which I really want to try. I think I'll start with the walking and the Wii Fit first. Once I lose enough pounds to not be totally embarrassed wearing exercise clothing in public, I will try the yoga.
4) Running: I took a learn to run course a few years ago and love it. I don't know why I stopped running. I will start again.

So that's the plan. It's nice to have it all written out here. Kind of makes it real. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

no joke

2009-04-01T22:30:00.004-04:00

Yes I've been away for a while. But I'm back! So what took me so long?

I mentioned in a previous post that I wasn't sure if I was going to blog Alex's birth story. Well I'm not. Not in great detail anyway. But here is the condensed version and why it has taken me so long to get back into the swing of things as far as blogging and the rest of my life is concerned. And it's not really his birth story anyway, more just what I dealt with afterwords.

Alex was delivered via C-section. Everything seemed to go well, but I ended up having to have a blood transfusion 2 days after he was born because my hemoglobin was too low. Then about 10 days after we got home, I had to call an ambulance to take me to the hospital because my incision had opened up and was bleeding. A lot. Turns out the incision had become infected. Thankfully, I did not have to be admitted to hospital but I needed a nurse to come to my home every day for two months, and then 3 times a week for a third month to clean the wound and change the dressing. I also spent 2 weeks in January on IV antibiotics leaving me unable to care for my child. I could not feed him, lift him or change him. The only way I could hold him was when someone placed him in my arms for a few minutes each day. It was really brutal. My husband was amazing during the whole ordeal and my family was fantastic. Especially my mother. When Steve was at work my mom was here, caring for the baby, doing housework and looking after me. And the home care nurses were truly incredible. I don't know what I would have done if I would have had to go to a clinic every day to be treated (which was the first option suggested to me in emergency.) And then there are the friends who brought food and comfort when I needed it most. I am a very lucky person.

Alex must have known that something was going on with his mom, because he has been a truly fantastic baby from day one. He only really cries when he needs something. Otherwise, he is a happy and content baby. Even though I was in a great deal of pain and incredibly frustrated with what was going on, I was, and still am, thankful that Alex was healthy. I would rather me go through the problems then him.

So now that the nursing visits are done, and my parents are not coming over everyday to help me out, I finally feel like I have my life back. Alex, for the most part, has developed a routine. All of this has made it possible for me to do other things, like blog.

I'm very happy to be back!

crime of the century

2009-04-01T22:22:00.004-04:00

Seriously, did someone actually think this was a good idea?

There are no words.

tell me, that I'm still asleep...

2009-02-25T02:03:00.004-05:00

WTF?

Steven Page has left the Barenaked Ladies?

Could this be the end of one of my favourite bands?

Sadness.

the ignorance is bliss

2009-01-30T11:51:00.000-05:00

I so could of used one of these while I was pregnant.

This would have been so much better for my ego.

Thanks Chip Chick!

pah rum pum pum pum...

2009-01-23T09:03:00.003-05:00

I'm not a religious person so maybe that's why I find this completely hysterical. Macleans published a column by Scott Feschuk that totally cracked me up. He uses the idea of baby Jesus as a blogger to describe society's current obsession with social media. That's how I see it anyway. Read through the comments on the Macleans website and you'll see that not everyone agrees and some find the article offensive.

Hi! I’m Baby Jesus. Hope you enjoy my blog!

A new batch of shepherds showed up. I’m liveblogging it. 3:22 Bowing. 3:23 Kneeling.

Baby Jesus: the Blog

User Profile: I am the Son of God, the Prince of Peace and the Messiah. I am also good with tools.

Likes: Carpentry, Fish, Hugs

Dislikes: Money-changers, Cruelty, Shaving

What I’m Doing Right Now: Various people are bringing me laud

12/25/0

4:33 a.m. Hi, I’m Baby Jesus. Welcome to my blog! It’s a place where I can write down my feelings about stuff and junk, tell you about what’s going down here in B-hem and keep you up to date on the redeeming of mankind. Enjoy!

4:54 So this is antiquity. Question: are there always this many cows around?

7:22 I don’t know about these swaddling clothes. Swaddling is pretty 10 B.M. (Before Me) if you know what I’m saying. What do you think? Answer my online poll.

10:36 Just spent the last 90 minutes being adored. Next up: an hour, maybe two, of being beheld. Surprisingly fatiguing.

11:51 Man, this is awkward. There’s this kid who’s been playing his drum for me for, like, ever. Which is great and everything, and the ox and lamb seem to be enjoying themselves—but has no one in this town heard of a melody? Maybe if I smile at him he’ll stop.

12:08 p.m. Pah-rum-pum-pum-pum. Oh great, now that’s going to be in my head all day.

1:39 Let’s take a question from the mailbag. Shepherd23987612 asks: “Baby Jesus, will sinners burn in the fires of Hell for all eternity or for a finite period that reflects the severity of their transgressions?” Good question, Shepherd239etc. (Spoiler alert!) Eternity. Remember: I don’t make the rules, I just serve as a physical manifestation of the omnipotent deity who does.

2:12 While it is true there are no limits to my capacity for forgiveness, let’s try to keep things civilized in the comments section, okay? It’s getting out of hand. Kill everyone under the age of 2? That’s real classy, KingHerodRocks.

3:03 Angels. They are beautiful. Truly one of God’s most inspired creations. I just had no idea how much they shed. There are feathers everywhere.

3:08 How’s this sound: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto other others.” Needs work, right? I’ll give it a polish.

3:22 A new batch of shepherds just showed up. I’m going to liveblog it:

• 3:22:08 Bowing.

• 3:23:44 Kneeling.

• 3:25:16 I think I saw a full-on genuflect there.

• 3:26:11 And again with the bowing.

5:46 Frankincense and myrrh?? I guess it’s true what they say—you really can’t have too much aromatic resin.

6:18 Back to the mailbag. Shepherd 123954644 asks: “How would you feel if over the course of many centuries the joyful celebration of the miracle of your virgin birth was slowly but inexorably transformed into an increasingly secular event characterized by binge eating, an insatiable lust for consumer goods and blindly pagan reverence for a mythical, chronically obese, gift-giving hermit?”

Honest answer: I’d be a bit bummed. That said, what’s with all the cynicism? Doesn’t anyone have a question for me about the Good News I bring and the fact that I am both the light and the way?

8:44 I’ve had to turn off this blog’s comments feature—some of the stuff was really getting personal. (Yes, I’m talking to you, JesusSucks.)

I’m sorry about the brightness of the star over my manger—but it’s an essential part of the overall effect. It wouldn’t be much of a “star of wonder” if shepherds had to stand around debating which one it was, would it? Sorry you walked all the way to Sidon because you followed the wrong star, Wise Men, but Almighty God had to respect municipal bylaws relating to light pollution. Jesus!

Oh, great, you’ve made me take me in vain. Thanks a lot.

Also, an important note: while yes, technically speaking, I am responsible for all these shepherds wandering into town, that does not mean I have to cover their bar tabs.

9:17 Just talked to the Holy Father. Asked if there’s a different species I could be redeeming. He’s going to get back to me after he predetermines the outcome of today’s chariot race.

Thanks to my friend Peter for sending this one to me.

your song

2009-01-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

All you Canucks out there may have heard about CBC Radio's play list for U.S. President Barack Obama, 49 Songs from North of the 49th Parallel. Canadians were given the chance to vote on which songs would best define Canada to the new president. Well leave it to The Hour to come up with their own spin on things. They compiled a play list for former President George W. Bush. And it is excellent. You can see the full list here. I think it really captures his tenure as president. Here are a few of my favourites.

American Idiot - Green Day
2 + 2 = 5 - Radiohead
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta - Ghetto Boys
Thank God I'm A Country Boy - John Denver
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
The Man Who Sold The World - David Bowie
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin

always buzzing just like...

2009-01-11T11:50:00.009-05:00

I have no idea how I missed it but back in July, John Mayer released a double CD set of live tracks. Before you start judging me, yes, I am a huge John Mayer fan. The man is a brilliant musician. His guitar playing is virtuosic and his song writing inspired. People seem perplexed when I say that I really like the guy. I guess that's because I don't listen to a lot of "artists" who are currently played on mainstream radio. But John Mayer actually knows what he is doing, not like most of the ass clowns who make the charts. But I digress.

Where The Light Is, available in both audio and video formats, is a collection of Mayer's tunes performed in 3 distinct sets: an acoustic set that includes an excellent version of Tom Petty's Free Falling; a trio set featuring two of the most brilliant musicians currently walking the earth, bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan; and a band set, including his regular band line up. This recording further demonstrates what a talented and versatile musician this guy is and gets my highest recommendation.

baby I love you

2009-01-10T20:01:00.006-05:00

As you may have suspected from the absence of posts, Em has arrived.

Blogworld, meet Alex.

He arrived on January 3 at 5:46am and has been rockin' our world ever since. I'm in the process of deciding on if I am going to post about his birth story or not as it was a bit of an ordeal. In the meantime, I've got some sleep to catch up on.

reflections of a life you once lived...

2008-12-31T22:56:00.002-05:00

2008 has been quite the year for us. At times heart-breakingly difficult and at other times joyously happy. I look forward to 2009, knowing that it will be a very different year for me, with new and exciting challenges. Here's hoping you that you and yours have a fantastic 2009!

what a difference a day makes...

2008-12-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

Well it's been quite a day.

I had my weekly checkup with the obstetrician today. My blood pressure was a little high so she decided to send me to the hospital for further tests as a precaution. She assured me that she thought everything was fine with Em and me but she would rather that I have some tests done just to be certain. I think I managed to remain calm until I left her office but then panic set in. The 3 minute drive from her office to the hospital felt like 3 hours. I called Steve to let him know what was going on and tried to sound as relaxed as possible so as not to frighten him. I reported to hospital admitting as instructed and they had my chart ready to go, since my doctor had already called over to let them know I was coming and what she wanted done. From there I headed to the labour and delivery ward, where I met Casey, the nurse who would take care of me. She was awesome from the get go. She got me settled in a room, explained that they would take blood and urine samples, take my blood pressure again and hook me up to a fetal monitor. Her demeanor really helped to calm me down and push all the horrible "OMG there's something wrong with my baby" thoughts out of my head. I was hooked up to the monitor for about half an hour and Em performed brilliantly. (Yeah, Em!) She took my blood pressure twice during this time and it was normal. All I had to do know was wait for the results from the blood and urine tests. Luckily, there was TV in the room to keep me occupied. I started to doze off, likely because I had only slept about 4 hours the night before, and Casey came back in with a lunch tray. She said they had an extra tray and thought that I might be hungry. I could have hugged her. I was ravenous, but didn't even realize it from the combination of exhaustion and panic I was feeling up until this point. Casey informed me that they were just waiting on a few more results but everything looked really good so far. Once all of the results were in, she talked to my doctor and both agreed I was good to go. The whole process took about 2 hours, which is exactly what my doctor told me to expect when I left her office.

I realize that what I went through was a very minor bump in my pregnancy experience. I've been lucky to have a relatively easy pregnancy with no major concerns along the way. This experience only further reminded me of how lucky I have been. I'm not sure how women with high risk pregnancies cope. I guess you just do what you have to do. I'm just thankful that Casey was so awesome during the whole thing. It gives me confidence that we will be in good hands when the time comes for Em to emerge.

like a bowl full of jelly

2008-12-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

For the morbidly curious, here's how I'm looking these days, at approximately 38.5 weeks pregnant.

Seriously, I should be renting myself out to play Santa Claus at Christmas parties!

'tis the season...

2008-12-23T05:10:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that I've already been off work for a week and a half. Between preparing for the arrival of Em, Christmas and ongoing home renovations that we're trying to get done before the 25th, time has really flown by. I was just starting to get stressed about it all last night when there was knock at the front door. Before I could waddle my way over to open it, I heard a chorus of young girls singing Christmas carols. I opened the door to find a group of about 8 girls ranging in age from 8 to 14 gleefully serenading me. And they were good! I don't know who they were but they all seemed to have the same logo somewhere on there clothes that had the words "dance" and "academy" in it. They were collecting donations for the food bank and as I gathered a few cans from the pantry they continued to sing. It was a reminder of what this holiday season really should be all about. So today, as I finish my shopping and run all of my various errands, even though the malls will be crowded with cranky last minute shoppers, I will think of my happy carolers and smile.

writing on the wall

2008-12-13T19:46:00.002-05:00

I spotted this at the corner of Bloor and Bedford in Toronto on Thursday. Totally cracked me up.

hello, hello...

2008-12-09T22:00:00.003-05:00

I am so thankful that the labour and delivery ward at my local hospital does not look like this.

There is actually a hospital in Taiwan that features a Hello Kitty themed maternity ward. Seriously. And it's not just the rooms. The staff are actually dressed in pink Hello Kitty garb. The nursery is adorned in Hello Kitty decor. It's all Hello Kitty, all the time. I have nothing against Hello Kitty personally but would I want to give birth surrounded by all of this pink cuteness? Definitely not.

baby face

2008-11-30T22:52:00.003-05:00

My co-workers threw a baby shower for us just over a week ago. Now I love a good party but I'm not great with being the centre of attention. Thankfully, the people who planned it knew that and it was a casual event with no embarrassing party games. Luckily, Steve was able to be there too so I had someone to share the spotlight with, especially when it came to the opening the gifts portion of the program. We were completely overwhelmed by their generosity. The gifts filled up the backseat and cargo area of our Ford Escape. I'm pretty sure that we don't need to actually purchase anything else for the baby. I was blown away.

The big hit of the party was the "guess the baby" game. My co-workers were encouraged to bring in a picture of them under the age of 3 and we had to try and guess who everyone was. I not only brought in one my pics, but one of Steve too. I must say, we were both pretty darn cute.

Me, at about 3 months old.

Steve. We think he's about a year old. Check out that leg chub!

And that marks the end of NaBloPoMo 2008. I made it through my second one! I will likely take a couple of days off of blogging but I will be back soon. There is far too much going on for me to stay away.

it was good

2008-11-29T22:05:00.004-05:00

We went out with Elizabeth & John last night. We met for dinner at La Luna and then met up with Kim at The Casbah to see The Sadies. I've been lucky enough to see this band live a few times now and they are awesome. Their music is hard to describe but their are hints of surfer rock, country and bluegrass.

I took a pictures last night but they're pretty crappy so here are a few I took of them at the Grand Stage Music & Arts Festival this past summer in Paris, Ontario.

Travis Good

Dallas Good

Sean Dean & Mike Belitsky

The Brothers Good

They had a fantastic opening act too. A band I had never heard of called Young Rival. I picked up their EP. Turns out they are a local band, hailing from Hamilton. I was really impressed. Check them out.

a change will do you good

2008-11-28T18:55:00.004-05:00

My dad has been working hard on our house the last few months doing all of the renovations that Steve and I have wanted to do ourselves but simply don't have the time for. When I arrived home form work today his latest project was done. Our master bedroom. He replaced the old, worn hardwood with bamboo, painted and replaced the window blind. I don't have a before picture for comparison but you'll just have to imagine an oak floor in a slightly yellowish stain and pale yellow walls.

A little different, eh? We were looking for a lighter version of this colour but it really doesn't exist. We were both a little timid about painting our bedroom such a dark shade, but now that it's done, I think it looks awesome. And once we get the furniture back in and some pictures up on the wall, we'll be ready for one of those home decor magazines!

lips like sugar...

2008-11-27T22:10:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post tonight as I just got home and am completely wiped.

Went to a holiday baking demo tonight with a few of the girls. It was part of the McMaster University Alumni Event series. I've been to a few of these events now and they are quite good. Tonight's featured one of the best bakeries around, Weil's Bakery in the lovely Westdale neighbourhood of Hamilton. They taught us how to make a few yummy desserts (including creme brulee!) and treated us to samples of each of the desserts. And there were door prizes. And I won this very cool wall mounted scale/timer/clock thingy!

Now that my sugar high is wearing off, I'm going to bed. Nighty night folks.

'tis a gift to be simple...

2008-11-26T22:21:00.003-05:00

We just received a copy of the most recent Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue in the mail. It's their Christmas gift guide and it is full of wacky gadgets. Here are a few that cracked me up. Or made me scratch me head. Or both.

The Fish Agility Training Set

Seriously? Are there really people out there who train their fish to do tricks?

The Personalized Woven Photographic Image Throw

Because nothing says creepy like a giant picture of your loved ones on a blanket.

The Star Wars Nutcracker Set
Honestly, I don't even know what to say about these.

The 14 M.P.H. Cooler
Now this I can get on board with! I might need it for next summer's camping trip.

The Talking Pet Bowl

This would totally freak my cat out! It might actually send him over the edge.

Hope this helps you with your Christmas shopping!

it's not unusual...

2008-11-25T21:12:00.000-05:00

One of my favourite Tuesday rituals is to check out the new releases on iTunes. Today I was not disappointed. Tom Jones has released her first studio album of new material in 15 years. I downloaded it. And it's awesome.

I have to admit, it's also a bit of a nostalgia thing for me. I remember watching the re-runs of Jones' variety show This is Tom Jones, that originally aired from 1969-1971. I remember the skinny stick-like microphone he used, the untied bow tie he often wore around his neck and that near the end of the show he would mop the sweat off his face with a towel and then throw it to some woman in the audience who would shriek in delight. Just the thought of it totally cracks me up but back then it was so cool. And even now, at the age of 68, he can still illicit the same kind of enthusiastic reaction from an audience. As far as I'm concerned, that's the mark of a true entertainer.

if a picture paints a thousand words...

2008-11-24T21:55:00.001-05:00

Just got home from a full day of work and an excellent massage. I'm sipping a cup of tea before bed and writing up a quick post. Well, writing may not be the best description. I'm too tired for words, so here are a few pictures I took this summer at the cottage.

We had a rainy spring and early summer at the cottage resulting in an more mushrooms than I have ever seen.

A spiderweb on a foggy morning.

Misty morning on the lake.

Family of loons.

A maple leaf that peaked too early.

Blue jay in a tree.

One of the odder fungi I came across.

The old heron that lives on the point.

the final countdown...

2008-11-23T20:02:00.000-05:00

I started counting down the days to my last day of work before maternity leave back in September. But it wasn't until last week, that I actually counted the days until my due date. It was actually Steve who pointed it out, but now I can't get it out of my head. As of today, there are 42 days until my due date. That's just over a month. Until life as we currently know it, completely changes. Or does it? I've spent a l0t of time over the past few months thinking about this. Almost everyone I know who has children keeps telling me that "life is never the same" and "everything changes" and they make it sound so drastic and dire. Yes, I realize that Steve and I will be responsible for a human life who will rely on us for absolutely everything. But we're not changing, are we? We'll still be the same people, just with another little person around to take care of. Of course our lifestyle will change. We won't be going out as much and we'll be spending money differently. We won't be getting much sleep for the first little while, not they we get enough sleep now. I guess I'm just having trouble imagining how different and life changing this whole thing is going to be. But I guess I'll find in approximately 42 days.

what's your name?

2008-11-22T19:54:00.002-05:00

One of the questions you are asked constantly when pregnant is, "have you decided on names?" Steve and I have a few ideas but have decided to make up our minds when we actually meet the kid. We've had a few people lend us baby name books, but I was intrigued to find a link this site on Lifehacker today. At What A Lovely Name, you can view a list of potential names based on character traits. So if you click on the words "strong", "leader" & "independent" and select boys names only, it returns a list of 18 names of various ethnicities, including Wolfrick, Havelock & Zenon. Interesting choices. None are names that I would want to saddle my child with but it is fascinating to see what they come up with. It also gives you the meaning of each name. Wolfrick is German for "wolf ruler", Havelock is Scandanavian for "sea battle" and Zenon is apparently derived from Zeus. Again, interesting, but I think we're going to stick with something a little more, er, normal. Maybe something that won't get the kid punched out on its first day of school.

sing, sing, sing...

2008-11-21T18:46:00.004-05:00

As I was heading into work today on the Go Train and flipping through the contents of my iPod, I found Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I had forgotten that I had downloaded this so it was an unexpected treat to come across it. It's basically a short musical created by Joss Whedon, the brilliant mind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that was distributed solely on the Internet. It's clever and funny and very entertaining. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you are a Neil Patrick Harris, Buffy or musical theatre fan.

if the band just never ended...

2008-11-20T22:12:00.002-05:00

Great Big Sea was incredible last night at Hamilton Place. Seriously. Each of the guys in this band are fantastic multi instrumentalists and singers on their own. Put them together and the stage is overflowing with talent, passion and energy. Truly an awesome show.

They played a bunch of their hits plus whole lot of tunes from their latest album Fortune's Favour. At one point, everyone left the stage except for Alan Doyle. He explained that the boys in the band were taking turns doing a solo each night and tonight was his turn. The only stipulation is that they pick a tune that they have never played in public. Because Alan first met Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor from Blue Rodeo in Hamilton, he decided to do Falling Down Blue. And it was a fabulous rendition. See for yourself.

rainy days and mondays...

2008-11-19T18:34:00.002-05:00

So today was neither rainy, nor a Monday but it was overcast (it's now snowing) and it might as well have been a Monday because I have felt like crap all day. The baby decided to kick my ass today. I've had some lovely "morning sickness". Thankfully, I'm feeling better now and well enough to head out to the Great Big Sea concert at Hamilton Place. I can't guarantee that I will make it through the whole show, but since we do have front row tickets, we have to show up, at least for part of it.

Luckily, today wasn't a total loss. Once the nausea wore off enough so that I could sit up without feeling horrible, I was able to finish a few knitting projects.

I started knitting this blanket for myself, but it's going to be a Christmas present for my dad instead. It's very soft and will be a cozy couch blanket for him.

This is my first attempt at the famous (among us knitting geeks anyway) Baby Surprise Jacket. And it turned out really well. It will be mailed to Boston this weekend, to friends of our who just welcomed a new daughter.

These don't look like much, but they are going to very useful once Em arrives. They're burp cloths. The colourful one is actually a bit short, but I was using leftover yarn and didn't have enough of the colour. So I'll likely use it as a washcloth instead.

It feels good to know today wasn't a total waste.

watcha got cookin'...

2008-11-18T20:26:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to marry a guy who loves to cook. If I was single, I would probably have take out for dinner every night. When Steve is away, I pretty much survive on a steady diet of Swiss
Chalet. It's not that I don't enjoy cooking, I'm just too lazy to cook for myself.

Steve loves to cook. And he's good at it. He has the ability to open the fridge, survey the supplies and whip up a magnificent meal from whatever he finds. Tonight, for example, we feasted on spaghetti with pesto and grilled vegetables. He credits this skill to countless hours watching cooking shows on television. Whatever the reason I am very thankful for it. Not to mention, full.

oom pah in the park with Ned

2008-11-17T19:28:00.005-05:00

I've blogged about my love for Sesame Street and The Muppets before, but I just had to post this. Steve has a much better memory for TV stuff than I do. I didn't really remember Simon Soundman until he reminded me and we looked up the clips on You Tube. Here's one of Steve's favourites.

Awesome!

comedy tonight

2008-11-16T12:18:00.002-05:00

Steve and I have been pretty busy this weekend purging, cleaning and re-organizing the house. As a treat, we are heading into Toronto tonight to see comedian Gerry Dee at the Panasonic Theatre. You might remember him from Season 5 of Last Comic Standing. Really funny guy. Here's a teaser.

those cats were fast as lightning

2008-11-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

This evening, I witnessed an incredible display of hard work, physical fitness and total kick-assness! My dear friend Elizabeth graded for her orange belt in karate and totally blew me away. For 2 hours she worked her ass off, showing us her best moves as we cheered her on. I can't tell you how proud I am of her. And also a little bit frightened. Believe me, you don't want to meet up with her in a dark alley.

Way to go babe!

grab your coat and get your hat...

2008-11-14T20:48:00.002-05:00

I've been avoiding buying a maternity size winter coat. I just didn't want to shell out the cash for something I might only wear for a month. I had hoped to get by on layers of sweaters and fleece but nothing in my current wardrobe can actually button around by ever expanding girth. A quick trip to Old Navy yesterday solved all of my problems.

I had tried on this coat on a previous visit but couldn't justify paying full price for it knowing that I wouldn't be wearing it for very long. But yesterday, the sign above the rack made my heart skip a beat. 50% off. And they had one left in my size. Excellent! And I look pretty good in it too, if I do say so myself. In fact, it highlights the baby belly so nicely that three people offered me their seat on the subway this morning. All at the same time! A worthwhile purchase indeed.

i'm so tired

2008-11-13T22:04:00.003-05:00

I just got home after a long day and someone needs a cuddle.

How can I deny him?

brand new love

2008-11-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

The latest Serena Ryder album dropped yesterday. And it is mighty fine. It highlights her brilliant songwriting and fabulous voice. I'm really digging all of the songs but especially Hiding Place and her awesome cover of You're No Good.

Also cool is the fact that she is lending her song Sing, Sing to one of my favourite organizations, the Coalition for Music Education in Canada. They put on an event annually called Music Monday, in which they demonstrate the importance of music education by having students all across the country put on outdoor, public concerts. They choose a new song every year for these students to perform. Sing, Sing is an excellent choice for Music Monday 2009.

By the way, if you too feel strongly that music is an integral part of the education of Canadian children, consider becoming a signatory. It doesn't cost anything to add your name to the list of supporters of music education.

I got the chance to see Serena live this past summer at the Burlington Sound of Music Festival. The pictures in this post are a few that I took at the concert. It was a fantastic show! Her band was excellent and I was pleased to see that her bass player, Anthony Lavdanski, was a recent graduate of the school that I work at. It always makes me smile to see "my kids" on stage.

what is it good for...

2008-11-11T12:10:00.005-05:00

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada, a day in which we remember those lost in battle. The soldiers from various wars that died in the name of freedom. Whether you agree or disagree with the principle of war is not important here. What is important is that we all take a moment to honour those who sacrificed and were sacrificed.

Lest we forget.

turning Japanese...

2008-11-10T21:32:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed a decadent Monday night dinner with Elizabeth this evening. She spent the day hanging in Toronto with a friend and then met me at work. We headed to one of my favourite restaurants, Sushi Inn. Toronto is full of sushi restaurants and quite a lot of really good ones. This one is on the top of list because the food is damn fine and it's close to work. Plus, they will deliver to my office. And it's so close, that they send a guy on a bike! Awesome. While I cannot enjoy any raw fish at the moment (due to the pregnancy) they do make a wicked dragon roll with shrimp tempura and avocado. Delicious. So if you get the chance, check out Sushi Inn. You can tell them I sent you, but it won't get you anything but a confused look.

the sweetest thing

2008-11-09T22:12:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to think that there might be some truth to this nesting thing they talk about with pregnant women. I have made muffins and bread the last three weekends in a row. This is highly unusual behaviour for me. I've often thought about doing these things on a regular basis, in order to reduce my intake of the store bought, over-processed versions of these items. But usually that urge loses out to sheer laziness. So seriously, what's up with my sudden interest in baking? I guess it's really not such a bad thing, but if I do start sewing my own clothes and cleaning the grout between the tiles on the kitchen floor with a toothbrush, you'll know I've lost it.

Here's a few samples of my recent baking adventures.

banana chocolate chip muffins

a loaf of whole wheat, fresh out of the breadmaker

relax...

2008-11-08T23:34:00.003-05:00

It's late Saturday night and I am finally home. The conference was good, although exhausting. Happily, I attended a baby shower this evening for my friend Lianne, who is due a couple of weeks before me. Our clever friend Mia threw a spa shower. So instead of the traditional baby shower with dumb games that no one wants to play , we enjoyed manicures, pedicures & massages along with yummy food and good conversation. A lovely way to spend some time with my friends, unwind after a busy few days and wish Lianne all the best too!

The posts of quality will begin tomorrow. I'm off to bed.

laughin'

2008-11-07T17:49:00.003-05:00

Another quick post between conference events.

Seth MacFarlane is one funny man. He's the guy behind Family Guy, one of the funniest shows on television, as far as I am concerned. Recently, he started his own You Tube channel. Great stuff and here is one of my favourites.

me have a soft boiled cookie...

2008-11-06T22:40:00.001-05:00

Another quick post. Another busy day. I'm exhausted. Steve and I are attending a conference this weekend, and even though it's only in Toronto, we are staying at the conference hotel. Which just happens to be a DoubleTree Hotel. And when you check in they give this warm, delicious, gooey, chocolate chip cookie. I can't even begin to tell you how yummy these cookies are. So delicious that my co-worker Jennifer and I stopped at the front desk before heading to our rooms to see if we could get another cookie. And we did. So while I type this, I am enjoying this yummy bedtime snack.

Nighty, night folks.

baby, one more time...

2008-11-05T22:30:00.004-05:00

Just got home from a very long day. I promise some quality posts in the days to come but to fulfill this month's requirement...

Obviously, with a baby on the way, I've been doing some shopping. And who can resist an adorable onesie. I may have to order this one.

Thank you Cafe Press!

election day

2008-11-04T07:10:00.005-05:00

To all the Americans out there, please vote today!

Feist was incredible last night! More on that later this week. For now, I thought I would share my Halloween costume.

I know, not much of a costume. I wore orange to work last Friday, and one of my crafty co-workers thought we should dress up my baby belly for the occasion. Needless to say, it was a big hit.

i feel it all...

2008-11-03T17:48:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth and I are going to see Feist tonight! I'm so excited. I hear she puts on a great show. Plus, I just love going to hear live music. Nothing is more impressive to me than musicians who can cut it live. I can listen to just about any style of music if it's performed well. I have no time for lip-syncing and I get angry when I hear a singer live who obviously can't sing, meaning that their album was entirely doctored and therefore completely bogus. Seriously, that totally pisses me off.

I've been going to a lot of concerts since becoming pregnant. I realize that my concert going will not be as active once Em arrives on the scene, so I'm trying to get in as many shows as I can before then. And since I've been such a bad blogger over the last number of months, I will take advantage of NaBloPoMo by posting about my busy concert going summer. Stay tuned.

lazy sunday afternoon

2008-11-02T18:59:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth and I got together at my place this afternoon to watch the new Blue Rodeo DVD, Blue Road. It felt bizarrely decadent to sit in front of the tv with some yummy snacks on a sunny Sunday afternoon. ahhhhhh........

So the DVD is fantastic. A must for Blue Rodeo fans. It includes a beautifully shot documentary, with some very funny moments, a few songs recorded while making the documentary including the great new song Losing You, and a bootleg style recording of the first half of their Massey Hall concerts from February 2008.

So now it's back to reality. Making dinner, doing laundry, planning for a very busy week ahead. My posts will be brief this week, but I'm determined to stick to the NaBloPoMo mandate and blog every day.

Until tomorrow...

here I go again...

2008-11-01T22:05:00.002-04:00

First day of NaBloPoMo and I almost forgot to post!

I'm actually quite uninspired as far as blogging goes tonight. So I thought I would share one little tidbit with you in the form of one of my favourite clips from this week's episodes of The Hour featuring former Canadian Prime Minister, Paul Martin. If you're not Canadian and don't watch The Hour, chances are this will mean little to you. But it sure cracked me up.

http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=909824847

making it work...

2008-10-30T22:02:00.001-04:00

I can't remember where I came across this but I've been using it a lot lately and thought I would share the love.

You know how sometimes you want to print something from the internet and you end up wasting paper and ink because all of the extra stuff on the page, like ads and headers,etc.? The fine folks at Print What You Like have come up with the solution. You can go to this site, enter the url for the page you want to print and then edit out all the stuff you don't want or isolate only what you do want. So that news article, or recipe, or whatever goes from being 5 pages of mostly crap, to one concise page of just what you need. Brilliant!

are you ready?

2008-10-28T22:44:00.003-04:00

Happiness arrived by mail today.

This is the brand new CD/DVD set from Blue Rodeo. It includes audio and video from their Massey Hall concerts in February 2008 and a documentary about the band. I wanted to pop in the DVD player right away but Elizabeth and I are planning a viewing party so the CD will have to do for now. I get the feeling that I will not be disappointed.

all in time

2008-10-27T22:03:00.001-04:00

Once again, I've been a very bad blogger. There are two main reasons for this. Knitting and sleeping. I've been doing a pretty serious amount of knitting lately. I can't seem to finish a project, but I sure start a whole bunch of them and get about 95% done before I drop one and move on to something else. Other than that, I've been spending most of my free time sleeping. This baby is kicking my ass, sucking all of my energy. People keep telling me to get ready for the sleep deprivation that inevitably occurs when the baby arrives. No need to worry. I am so there.

With November around the corner, I've been thinking of trying NaBloPoMo again. I think I might be insane just for considering it, but it might be the kick in the ass I need to get back into blogging again. So this week is a test run. If I can blog daily for most of this week, then I will participate in NaBloPoMo this year. If not, I will at least try to blog more often than I have been.

Do we have a deal?

Hey Grandma

2008-09-30T19:24:00.005-04:00

Just one reason why the current American election is far more interesting than the Canadian one.

Yes, this is for reals!

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

everywhere sign...

2008-09-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

Walking along Yonge Street last week, on my way to get my hair cut, I experienced one of those moments when I wished I had my camera with me. A man in a motorized wheelchair whizzed by me with a large cardboard sign taped to the back of his chair. The sign read:

Your ad here.

To rent this space

call John

416-***-****

You've got to love that kind of ingenuity.

sweet dreams are made of this...

2008-09-07T20:32:00.004-04:00

Up until a couple of hours ago, there was a chance that I was going to be on strike tomorrow. Thankfully, a tentative settlement was reached. But I have to admit, I was kind of hoping for a couple of extra days off after the hell of the previous work week. Don't get me wrong. The last thing I wanted was to be on strike. All that means is way more work to catch up on once the strike was over.

Well as it turns out, all I need is one of these babies!

The Nappak is a portable sleeping cube, perfect for that much needed, mid-afternoon nap. I'm way more productive in the morning and by about 2pm, I'm totally ready for a little siesta. Now if I can just get my hands on one of these! Don't you think the world would be a much more civilized place if we all still took our afternoon nap?

true colours shining through

2008-09-07T19:27:00.000-04:00

Old news to many, but I just came across this again and had to blog it.

These buttons were actually being sold at the Republican state convention in Texas back in June.

Sadly, the fact that this button was even produced should surprise no one. Anyone who thinks that racism in America is on the decline is sadly mistaken.

Very sad.

all of these lines across my face, tell you the story of who I am...

2008-09-07T08:38:00.000-04:00

I recently started listening to a podcast called The Moth. It turns out that the podcast is just a snippet of this incredible story-telling series that has been going on for over 10 years in New York City. Each week, the podcast highlights one of the stores from their live series. The stories average about 10 minutes in length and each is completely riveting. Some are hysterical, some incredibly sad, some inspirational, and some just plain bizarre, but each of them leaves me wanting more. I think it's partly because the way they are told: true stories told to a live audience by the people who lived them. It's also because of the range of story-tellers, from the average joe to the famous authors, actors, comedians, etc. It brings us all down to the same level. Everyone is just another person with another story to tell.

this is what my youth was for...

2008-08-25T20:45:00.000-04:00

I am a big fan of Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. I've loved both shows for as long as I can remember. Steve bought me the first season of The Muppet Show on dvd and we spent the better part of a rainy day at the cottage watching it. I was reminded that one of the most brilliant part of the show was the celebrity guests. From Vincent Price to Harry Belafonte to Madeline Kahn to Alice Cooper, the lineup of guests was incredibly diverse but always excellent. Each guest always fit into the show perfectly. So when I heard that Feist was appearing on the first episode of the latest season of Sesame Street, I went straight to You Tube to find the clip. And I was not disappointed. Check it out.

hello. how are you? have you been alright...

2008-08-10T19:15:00.004-04:00

uhh...hi. Remember me? I used to write this blog...

It's been a crazy few months in my little corner of the world. As a result, I have seriously neglected my blog and numerous other things. So here's the short-ish version of the story.

On February 14th, one of Steve's aunt's passed away unexpectedly. She and Steve's uncle didn't have kids and there was no other family to take care of all of the details that need taking caring of when someone dies. Normally, Steve and his brother would share the duties but since David and his wife Tera had just welcomed their first child into the world a week before, there was not a lot they could do. Steve took the lead with the rest of us helping as much as we could. Unfortunately, it was not a simple task. In addition to the funeral, etc. we also had to find care for Steve's uncle, who was being cared for by his wife until she passed. Then there was the matter of the will, power of attorney over his uncle's affairs, emptying and selling the house (no small task as they hadn't really thrown anything out since they moved into the house in the '60's), selling the car, emptying his uncle's workshop and finding a new home for the cat. (Sami has been the bright spot in all this and became a very welcome addition to our family.) And all of this was happening over 500 kilometers away in Ottawa. So when we weren't dealing with our daily lives of working, etc., we were travelling to Ottawa to take care of things there. Grueling to say the least.

Fast forward two months to mid April. In the midst of this stressful period, we find out that I am pregnant. Blogfriends, I'd like to introduce you to "Em".

This is Em at 13 weeks. We're at about 20 weeks now. Em is short for embryo. We started calling it that before it reached the fetus stage and it just stuck. So Em it will be until it emerges in early January. Needless to say, we are pretty excited. Pregnancy has a way of being all encompassing. I find it difficult to focus on much else. Especially since all I wanted to do for the first three months was sleep. This producing another human life stuff completely drains you of all energy. It's crazy.

Fast forward again to late May. Another one of Steve's aunts passes away unexpectedly. She never married or had children so again it falls to Steve and David to take care of things. So in the midst of dealing with the grief of losing two much loved aunts and the joy of a baby on the way, there is now another funeral, an apartment to empty, another car to sell and more will and estate stuff to deal with. And doesn't it figure that the closing of the house sale in Ottawa and the date we need to vacate the apartment in Toronto are both July 31. Luckily, with my niece being a few months older, Dave and Tera are able to do a ton to assist. Between the four of us, we manage to get it all taken care of. All this time, I was concerned for Steve's well being. It's a lot to put on one person but as usual, he puts his head down, gets the job done and comes out at the other end, tired, but relatively unscathed. I am very lucky to have such an amazing man for a husband.

Once my parents heard the news about the baby on the way, my father turned into Mike Holmes and started renovating our house. Seriously, he's been working on stuff that I didn't know needed fixing. He's determined to get everything done before the baby arrives but really, I think he's just been bored since he retired from his carpentry business last year. The man is a master craftsmen and spent the last 25 years of his working life making curved wooden stair cases for grand, expensive homes big enough to house a dozen families. As a result, our house is in this permanent state of flux. When I'm not working or sleeping, I'm picking out paint and flooring and consulting with dad on the next project. Don't get me wrong I am incredibley appreciative. Sometimes it's just a bit hard to live in a house that is in constant renovation.

So now it's August and I'm finally finding the time to sit down and blog about all of this. Once Em arrives in the world the posts may be few and far between again but I'm determined to blog as much as I can between now and then. I've really missed it. There is something very therapeutic about getting it all out in the written form. Even when it's not all serious life stuff like this post. The next post won't be as heavy. Promise.

conjunction junction, what's your function...

2008-04-20T21:28:00.002-04:00

I don't profess to have the best command of the English language. I am fully aware that at times, my grammar stinks. But I like to think I have a decent grasp on punctuation. I recently came across two blogs that I added to my Google Reader because they show everyday misuse of the apostrophe and quotation marks. And I find this highly amusing.

The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks highlights exactly what the title implies. It's quite funny to see how people misuse the quotation mark, often making the opposite statement of what they are actually intending. This one is a personal favourite.

Apostrophe Abuse is another blog that I am enjoying immensely. I'm always floored at how many people do not understand how to use the apostrophe when omitting letters. This is a great example. We're=we are not where. Seriously!

I'll throw one more link in even though it's not grammar related. Passive Aggressive Notes makes me laugh my ass off. People submit notes that they have seen posted in public or for a specific audience. It's hysterical what people will write in a note rather than expressing face to face. Case in point...

Obviously, it takes very little to keep me amused.

take me as I am...

2008-04-20T20:18:00.001-04:00

My dear friend Elizabeth tagged me on a meme a while back. Here is my overdue response.

6 Quirky Things About Vivian

1. Labels on cans and bottles must always face forward in my universe. In the fridge, in the pantry, in the shower, even the cat's stash of food in the downstairs closet. This probably stems from the years I spent working at Kmart in my teen years stocking shelves and such.

2. Like Elizabeth, I too have the ability to converse in song lyrics. I've often thought that if my brain was not overfilled with song lyrics, I may have been quite the intellectual.

3. The bed must always be made before I go to sleep. I just hate the feeling of getting into an unmade bed. And if Steve dares to go to sleep before me without making the bed, I will wake him up so that the bed can be properly made. I don't care how soundly he is sleeping. Sorry hun.

4. And speaking of bedtime, I am paranoid about forgetting to set the alarm. I check it at least 3 times. In a row. I will set it and then check it 2 seconds later. And then 2 seconds after that. You know, just in case. Of course, I almost always wake up before the alarm goes off.

5. When driving, I will make several right turns around the block to avoid making a difficult left turn in heavy traffic. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the car accident I had in high school. Honestly, I just hate the pressure of having the long line of judgemental drivers behind me, wondering why the hell I haven't turned yet, when all the while I'm searching for the sweet spot in the oncoming barrage of cars and pedestrians coming at me in all directions. Hmm...maybe I shouldn't drive...

6. I have no problem listening to the same song over and over and over. If I'm really into a song at a particular moment, I can repeat it 20-30 times or more. And I never get sick of those songs. Ever.

So there you go. Just 6 of my many quirks.

And since this is a meme, you're it Pel.

i won't grow up...

2008-04-15T21:15:00.005-04:00

If there has ever been a rock band that was meant to write a children's book and cd, it's the Barenaked Ladies. Case in point, check out this animated video for one of the songs from their forthcoming Snacktime release.

It's obvious that these guys grew up on Sesame Street, School House Rocks and other classic children's programming of the 1970's. I can't wait to get the book and cd when they come out in May. And no, I don't have kids. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy it, right?

we know the game and we're gonna play it

2008-04-04T22:10:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure that I understand the phenomenon of the rick roll, but it totally cracks me up. If you haven't experienced it yourself here's how it works. You will be lured to a weblink thinking it is one thing and it turns out to be the video for Rick Astley's 1987 hit song, Never Gonna Give You Up. If you take the bait and click the link, then you have been rick rolled. I myself, because I am completely naive and gullible, have been rick rolled. Several times. And I laugh my ass off every time. I was just rick rolled a few minutes ago, but it wasn't the original Astley video. Instead, I got this.

Hilarious! And just in case you are interested, here is the original clip.

and I feel fine

2008-04-01T20:43:00.001-04:00

I am listening to the brand new and long overdue R.E.M. album, Accelerate. If you were ever a fan of this band, you will love this recording! And if you are too young to know who they are check it out anyway. And then go back in time and listen to Life's Rich Pageant, Document, Automatic For the People and Out of Time just to mention a few. And then explain to me why there is so much shit on the radio these days. The world needs more music like this!!!

And while you're at it, check out this important message from R.E.M. front man, Michael Stipe. :)

cool for cats

2008-04-01T20:30:00.001-04:00

Have you seen garfield minus garfield?

I first heard about this hysterical sight on Derek K. Miller's blog. I've since seen it referenced on countless other blogs. So I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Please check it out. I laughed my ass off! You may too.

and i'll print it on a t-shirt...

2008-03-29T21:36:00.002-04:00

A little while back, I posted about a cool initiative called the Joy T-Shirt project. If you purchase a shirt from this site, you can submit a photo of yourself to be used as a t-shirt design. I purchased a t-shirt a couple of months ago, submitted by photo and kind of forgot about it. Then, I received the following email:

Hey Vivian I just wanted to thank you so much for participating in the Joy T-shirt project it truly means a lot. I must apologize for the long delay as things have been a little hectic and I have fallen behind but am in the process of getting some help. In any event I just wanted to let you know that your profile pic is now posted on JoyTshirt.com. Once again thanks for your patience and please continue to spread the Joy! Wishing you well. Kindest Regards, Jeff Woodrow

That's right people! You too can own a t-shirt with my face on it. But the picture itself is not the point. When I decided to purchase a shirt, I went through every picture available. And it wasn't looks that made my decision. I decided that I wanted to choose a picture of a person who lived outside of North America and who listed interests that I found cool. I chose Sabry. He is a 39 year old from Algeria who lists his passions as "Hanging out with friends, sleeping in on weekends, smoking the hookah." Amen, brother.

So check out the site and if you feel the joy, order a shirt. And check out my profile.