domo arigato...

My husband went to Japan and all I got was...



...this delicious bottle of 17 year old Suntory Whisky. Really the gift is for him, but he says it's for both of us so I plan to consume my fair share.

"For quiet times, make it Suntory Time."

who draws the crowd and plays so loud, baby it's the guitar man

I can't promise that this will be the last post related to BNL's Bathroom Sessions, but I had to put this one up.

How cool is it for Ed Robertson to do this!!! These guys really appreciate their fans. And that's why we're so damn loyal!

the best is yet to come...

There is hope for the Toronto Musical Theatre scene!

Back in the 1990's the scene was thriving thanks to Livent and the Mirvishes. So far this century, musicals have struggled to keep a decent run in Toronto. Even the brilliant Mel Brooks show, The Producers barely lasted a year. (Sadly, the Broadway production closed yesterday after a 6 year run.) Hopefully, Dancap will be able to revive the fledgling musical theatre scene. Personally, I can't wait to see Avenue Q, Jersey Boys and The Drowsy Chaperone. Each of these shows have been smash hits on Broadway. There's no reason why they shouldn't enjoy long runs in Toronto. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

turn your lights down low...

Great news!
But why is it taking so long? Seriously, 2012?!?

my life

The Soundtrack to Your Life

I saw this on Pel's blog and had to try it out.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A FILM, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.).
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...because you're not.

Opening Credits:
I Could Die For You - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Waking Up:
Lovers In A Dangerous Time - Barenaked Ladies

First Day At School:
Pull Me Through - Jim Cuddy

Falling In Love:
The Sad Cafe - Eagles (how depressing!)

Fight Song:
Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand

Breaking Up:
All I Can Do Is Cry - Etta James (how appropriate!)

Prom:
Soft and Wet - Prince (I am not making this up!)

Life:
Do You Know? - The Odds

Mental Breakdown:
Uptight - Green Day

Driving:
Magic Bus - The Who (excellent!)

Flashback:
My Funny Valentine - Chet Baker

Wedding:
Tango Till They're Sore - Holly Cole (well, there was some serious dancing at our wedding)

Birth Of Child:
A Case Of You - Joni Mitchell

Final Battle:
10 Dollar - M.I.A.

Death Scene:
Jump, Jive, An' Wail - Louis Prima (hee, hee)

Funeral Song:
The Night Pat Murphy Died - Great Big Sea (I get the feeling that my funeral will be a great party!)

End Credits:
Never - The Cool Waters Band

What's your soundtrack?

i want candy!

Hi. My name is Vivian. And I'm a Facebook-aholic.

I've been on Facebook for about two weeks. It's pretty much all I think about. I actually just spent the last three solid hours on Facebook. I even taped 24 instead of watching it(Kiefer, please forgive me), so that I could be on Facebook. I think it's safe to say, that I have a problem.

Of course, it's not all bad. I have reconnected with friends from University that I haven't spoken to in over 10 years. And I'm in closer contact with friends that I see more often, yet not often enough. So is it really all that bad?

As long as I still manage to get the laundry done, it's all good.

I think this video is a good summary of the Facebook phenomenon. My friend Robyn, who I haven't seen in about 6 years but am now in contact with again thanks to Facebook, sent me the link.

i hate myself for loving you...

I have resisted the urge since I first heard the song, but I could resist no longer. Today, I bought the debut album by Mika from the iTunes Music Store. His first single, Grace Kelly, is getting serious hype and radio airplay. I usually stay away from music that gets this sort of attention because it is usually over-produced crap. But there is something about this guy. I've never heard anything more eclectic! He seems equally inspired by the Beatles, Erasure, Robbie Williams, Queen, ABBA and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. And his voice...holy crap this guy can sing! I'm hooked and I am no longer ashamed to admit it!

And if you don't believe that he can cut it live, I went looking for proof and found this.

take it outside...

One of the things I love about the Internet is how it breeds creativity. I saw this featured on blogUT. Miranda July is a performance artist, writer, director, actress and musician. To promote the release of her latest book, she has created an entire website on a dry-erase board. Sometimes the only way to get noticed is to differentiate yourself from others. This very clever website might just do the trick.

And yes, I ordered the book.

June Callwood, 1924-2007

June Callwood passed away this morning at the age of 82. She was a remarkable woman. She fought hard for social justice and Canada is a better place for her efforts. Click here to see her final media interview.

clap for the wolfman

Our friends Julie and Greg gave us a bottle of Wolf Blass Gray Label Shiraz (2003) a while back. Since they are getting married tomorrow, we figured tonight would be an excellent time to crack that sucker open! And we did.

We decided to go the wine snob route and decant it. We bought a funky little funnel on a recent trip to Niagara on the Lake. It has a cool corkscrew look.


Decanting it really showed off its gorgeous, deep cherry colour.


After letting it breath for about half an hour, it was time to taste. If I was only allowed one word to describe this wine it would be, pepper. From the aroma to the taste this wine is all pepper all the time. There are some other spicy notes and the slightest hint of bitter chocolate too but pepper is the dominant flavour. It mellowed out as it sat in the decanter but the bold spicy flavour and long finish remained. It made an excellent accompaniment to our gourmet pizza dinner.

$33.25 at the LCBO.

jeepers, creepers...

Last night I went over to Elizabeth's for a CSI viewing party. Basically, the two of us sit around, drink wine, eat snacks and watch the new episode of CSI. It's always a great hang.

Elizabeth has two wonderful cats, Othello and Leo. I love cats and have a particular fondness for Othello. He is a soft, fluffy, black cat. He's getting up there in age and is missing most, if not all, of his teeth. Consequently, his cute little tongue is usually hanging out the side of his mouth. It's very endearing. I was petting him, as I usually do, as he sat beside me on the couch. I remember rubbing my eyes at one point and then all of a sudden they were very itchy. I went to the bathroom to wash my hands and was shocked by my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were very red and my eyelids had begun to swell. I could feel my nasal passages filling up. By the time I got home my eyeballs were swelling! Who knew that your eyeballs could swell! I popped a Reactine, covered my eyes with a cold, wet facecloth and crawled into bed thinking that all would be well when I got up in the morning. No such luck. My eyes were completely swollen to the point that I could not see out of my right eye at all. It actually took about 5 minutes of standing in the bathroom with the light on before I could open my left eye enough to see how bad it really was. Not pretty! In addition, I thought that Niagara Falls was coming out of my eyes! My tear ducts were in overdrive. Needless to say, I did not go to work today. No one needs to see this!

It's a few hours later now, both eyes are open, and the swelling has gone down considerably, I'm sure in part to the Reactine. I was told by a doctor a long time ago that I probably had a mild allergy to cats but I didn't really buy it as I have never had a reaction like this. While in university, I took care a friend's cat for a month until he found it a new home and I never had so much as a sniffle. Weird. Of course, this won't stop me from playing with Othello or any other cat for that matter. But next time I might bring gloves.

if you could read my mind...

Alright e-Liz. This one's for you. I found this on Pel's blog.

I'm ashamed at how few of these I have read. Does it count if I have seen the movie? Is it wrong that if I've seen the movie, I don't want to read the book? Is there something wrong with me because I have zero interest in the Lord of The Rings?

Look at the list of books below:
* Bold the ones you’ve read,
* Italicize the ones you want to read
* Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)