back in a jiffy

there will likely be a pause in posts over the next few weeks. don't worry, i'm fine. it's summer -- go have yourself a popsicle or take in a neighbourhood wander. will blog as i get the chance. thank you for stopping by. love and peace to all my faithful readers. all 5 of you.

gone but not forgotten

sadly she passed away last night. i fly out tomorrow night to be with family and friends for a celebration of her life. the stories will come pouring out i am sure, over martinis i hope. just wanted to say thanks for all the well wishes, it was muchly appreciated. i am sure she is grinning up a storm over it in a cyber cafe in a corner of heaven. you wouldn't believe the high speed access there! incidentally it is also my blog bday today.

finder of four leaf clovers

my grandma could use a bit of good karma, prayer, and well wishes right about now. she's sick in hospital in critical care. here's a pic of her just last summer when she visited. it's at the drake. she hates photos of herself but i love this one of her. she is a definate free spirit, always finds four leaf clovers, and celebrates her birthday with a martini every year. she is the kind of person who likes to seek out wild flowers and make bouquets, totally has a creative, artistic streak. back in the day, she had a flair for wild hats and leather pants. there are just so many great things about her. she is sweet and a total original. thinking of you grandma and wishing you the inner strength to get thru this tough time, i know you have it in you.

road trip'in

sometimes you just have to get out of dodge, you know? take the road less travelled, amble further than you would on any other saturday. audrey and i did just that this past weekend. we went across the border to a place with trees like cathedrals, pathways dotted with fairies and angels, and welcoming porches with a beckoning lake just beyond. of course, no road trip would be complete without the roadside diner experience -- in our case, dinner at bob evan's. it's like denny's only slightly more upscale, lots o'meat and freshly baked country biscuits with a pat o butta. we played this game on the way home where we pointed at stuff out the window and yelled out random words, so instead of house it was freckle, or instead of street lamp it was chia pet.
the exercise was supposed to free you from your dull, predictable state of being, make everything seem brighter and crisper. try it. i didn't think it would work but it did! totally frees up your mind to make new associations. i think this would be a good exercise to get someone out of writer's block. anyhow, the weekend was a lark. definately glad i went.

once

see.this.movie. if it is possible for a musical movie not to seem cheezy, here's the proof. here's one movie where it make sense for the songs to be there and it really shows the collaboration and creative process for song writing in a convincing manner. it is quirky, feels authentic. a beautiful unconventional story that doesn't cave to convention. the lead is an irish musician and the music -- great. itunes was sold out of soundtracks when we checked out the site after the movie.

lucky seven

07.07.07 Can you just feel the luck oozing from today? i'm hoping i am the 7 millionth person to write this on a blog in cyber space. bring it on baby! bonus points for 7 comments, i know you can do it. even if holding expectations on numbers seems kinda silly it sure can be fun. welcoming all lucky or unlucky seven stories...

on fire

lean too close to the flames and you will get burned. this week, at laughing meditation i scalded my hands on spilt tea, also burned my tongue and my lip on the calm cool sounding white cloud tea.then wednesday i left a hand towel on a still warm burner (for thirty seconds) as i was making some ancient grains on another burner...what's that smell? smoldering, smoking, burning hand towel. totally smoked the place out. had to throw the burning towel outside douse with water, turn on all the fans and open all windows and the door. i even ran the shower for a bit hoping the moisture would remove the cloud of smoke lingering near the ceiling throughout the place. a day later, it still smells like smoke in here faintly. yeesh. whatta week. thankfully these were just small misfortunes, really it could have been worse so i thank my lucky stars. still, seems kinda funny these two burning moments so close together...maybe the universe it trying to tell me something.

brush with schmarminess: sarah polley

drake patio today around 5pm: we spotted sarah polley kicking back with pals in a great pair of sweet retro shoes i might add. she was wearing this bold print dress and had her hair pulled back for any fashionistas who might care about details of this sort. it's funny because i feel this kinship with her because we both tried on wedding dresses together at the same shop on queen back in the day. of course, i am sure she doesn't remember but it's a nice memory and it's the dress i ended up getting married in so it stuck in my mind. maybe she was a good luck charm? happy canada day folks.

fortune teller instincts strike again

had another hunch about a good friend with child! it actually almost got me in trouble because i mentioned the hunch to another friend who took my hunch as fact. sorta pre-leaked the news in a way. thankfully it didn't get too out of hand. but it was wierd because i had no idea, but really felt sure of my hunch. i will try to conjure up a notion of the sex of the baby and see if i'm right. i'll have to keep that part a secret until the arrival.

hot unda collar

temperatures soared, tempers flared. i felt zen most of the weekend but witnessed some firecrackers around town. at my laughter yoga class this fiestly 83 year old cranked out so much that my teacher up and left class and decided to take a few months sabbatical. i ended up racing after her and we did some tai chi on the grass together and then had a nice chat. she totally didn't deserve the lack of respect but she felt good for not taking it and i was glad i could cheer her up a little. it will all work out in the end. thank goodness our laughter meditation class is drama free, it's just the saturday laughing yoga class that is kicking up a fuss. how ridiculous is that? it's about laughing for goodness sake! then today, we went to the beach and in the very full parking lot this guy was standing and holding a parking space for a friend when this other car proceeded to drive into him, yes drive into a person. parking rage! it all happened in slow motion but the standing guy got so mad he kicked the car and started yelling. not sure how it all went down with the cops. we were lucky because in all the fuss we ended up getting this good parking spot as another car was leaving and there was no competition for the spot. hard to feel glad for too long because of all the drama. geez louise, why can't we all just get along?

little old ladies

went for a walk today and had to laugh at the little old ladies hosing leaves etc off the side walk, it's like a rite of passage for that demographic. brooms outlawed! another thing that made me chuckle was the crazy lady from next door. there's another pyramid of salt on the walk out front of her place, this one strategically placed at the far corner, almost at the doorstep of our house. warding off some kind of vermon i am sure. maybe she knows who took the boots?

a mile in your boots

dN had a pair of old stinky construction boots outside our crash pad's door. upon returning from our father's day visits we came home to find that someone had taken the boots and replaced them with a black pair of imitation crocks. such a funny thing, especially with tales of urban robin hood in the hood. who takes stinky boots and leaves a pair of replacements behind? in the same position by the door, no less. how bizarre. we imagined a world where his boots had a tracking device and we can see who decided to walk a mile in his boots. did they actually expect him to wear the crocks instead? the considerate thief. ridiculous thief because the reason the boots were outside to begin with is the stench factor. stench-ola. festerville. what do you make of this?

late night film shoot

on the doorstep of our crash pad, there was a huddle of a film crew saturday night. it will be an independent film about an urban robin hood. we got the heads up from the continuity girl who was perched on our neighbours steps before the shoot began. they also shot in the alleyway between this house and next door, as well as some of the lane ways in the hood.

heaven meets earth

this week my laughing yoga teacher taught us this breathing exercise called heaven meets earth. sounds like pure poetry, doesn't it? well imagine it to the scent of steamed peonies...dreamy. we breathed and hummed in unison. we capped things off with a cup of white cloud tea of course. this week was surprizingly calm (despite a heavy work load) with the exception of hellish friday. my tuesday laughing meditation class lingered 2 days afterwards. friday, however, the xl gods were against us and a 25 minute quick fix ended up corrupting a file, the previous version i had saved did not include 8 hours of work. what a reminder to always save back ups! anyhow, the rework is thru, so the storm has passed. i met yet another one of my philosopher cabbies today -- his message today: always be happy. health is the most important thing. i left him a good tip for reminding me. ;)

mango + raspberry

it's officially popsicle season. my favourite flavours are mango and raspberry, they come individually wrapped and they are the definition of bliss. now all i need is a pair of flip flops and i'm set for summer.

guilt tripin'

the theme of late is the remains of a Roman Catholic upbring: Guilt, with a capital G. those damn guilt muscles were exercised to the form of an olympic athlete. i remember this hellish math teacher from grade 7 who guilted me out for losing a test before my parents had a chance to sign it. she would not except a note in place of the signed test. even though i got an A on it. for weeks, she laid on the heat. and yet, who did i voluteer to help after school, who did i make breakfast for in home ec? hellish math teacher, of course. i had nightmares about this woman, i kid you not. guilt causes so much unnecessary stress and really if you do somthing because you were guilted into it, doesn't that undo the niceness of it in the first place? i say, down with guilt. life's too short. it is not like we will turn into karla holmolka if we don't have it in our lives. i'm going to set my guilt-dar to sensitive and fight the urges as hard as i can. anyone with comical stories of guilt wrecking havoc or advice on smashing it out of your life, please do tell.

what's your kidnap word?

went to bookclub this week and laughed a howl when one of my fav members let it be known that "medieval times" was her kidnap word - meaning the word she'd use to let someone know she was in danger if you happened to call during a kidnapping or some other catastrophe where the bad guy is pointing a knife or gun at you. why? because she wouldn't be caught dead at medieval times, much less wearing peach! so in that way it is perfect because, she wouldn't ever suggest going to medieval times in a normal, rational state of mind. it's a code word for CALL 911 NOW! one of the other members pointed out that it might be hard to work that naturally into the conversation but you'd find a way, i'm sure. i'm trying to think of a good kidnap word myself because you never know when you'll need to use it. ;)

june bug

summer is beginning to sink into my bones. this weekend we toured the city in search of light spectacles as part of a festival called Luminato. (or should i say thinly veiled marketing opportunity er festival) we also read on a beach and at a marina, despite the overcast skiies and loom of rain. toured artsy spaces with friends on saturday. ate japanese food and fell in love with vegetables all over again. feels like the beginning of june is the start of summer goodness. definately feels like we need to hold on to it and savour it.

deluxe

as you know, this is one of my favourite words. wishing deluxe-ness on the world today.

happy birthday

it is my favourite person in the world's birthday today! can't imagine my life without him. the image of a grin sweeping over his face starting at the eyebrows fits this post, you'll just have to imagine it. just thought i'd shout it out. xo~

shut up & sing

in case you haven't heard, this is the title of a film about the way the Dixie Chicks dealt with the right wing back lash when Natalie Maines spoke her mind and said she was ashamed the President was from Texas on the eve of the war in Iraq. i thought the chicks were brave and handled the matter boldly. it must have been very tough to face that heat. personally, the story speaks to me. i feel like much of my life i've been expected to shut up and apologize for speaking my mind or having a different view point. this is the way it is in my family, it seems. i usually try to deflect and defuse conflict by making everyone laugh or telling sentimental stories. i can see the value in "making nice" because sometimes kicking up a fuss just leads to more grief and angst. in the end, would you rather be right or happy, peaceful even? i guess in the Dixie Chicks case, they took a break and then came back to say it again. this time, the message wasn't as shocking and the context had changed. it is interesting because two very American qualities were at odds, supporting their leader and freedom of speech. both highly valued. anyhow, thanks Dixie Chicks for living out loud so bravely. it helps us all.

fresh

back in action, just distracted trying to fit five days into four this week. the liver cleanse was an experiece, good in the long run I am sure. no photos of stones to report, sorry Zest. almost wished there was some cosmic stone in magenta to report. can not wait for the weekend, sleeping in and doing nothing. have a great weekend everyone!

ancient grains

on day 3, there was amaranth. day 2 millet, day one quinoa. this cleanse is teaching me how to eat, but i have a way to go before i am an expert. need to learn the tricks with these grains to give them their due. today i cooked amaranth for 45 minutes, the instructions called for 20-30 but it didn't taste right so I left it longer. the steamed veggies and alkaline broth definately feel like clean energy, good for the body. the grains have an abundance of goodness too and keep you full for hours. it is a lot of work, but we're almost past the mid point. who hoo!

rooibus tea + rain

laughter meditation class was deluxe last night. we started the class with a cup of rooibus tea, tasted sort of cherry and fragrant. there were only two of us there but the gibberish exercise and the laughter meditation were my favs. with only three of us there you would think it would have been quiet but somewhere deep from within, huge belly laughs chased one another up into the sky. even the thunder roared along with us. flashes of lightning added sparkle too, egging us on, daring us to keep going. i laughed so hard, it hurt. literally. who knew a rain storm could be such fun?!

e.x.h.a.l.e

you know that feeling, that relief...when a huge weight is lifted from your shoulders and you can breathe, and laugh and perspective is finally within reach. life isn't perfect, nor is it always kind but it feels good to let off some steam once in awhile. i feel grateful (or greatful) for all the gifts that have come my way, especially lately -- both the obvious ones and those in disguise. it's like some of the dots are connecting and my emotions are detoxing along with the rest of me. i am out of practice in this dept. what can i say? i am truly a work.in.progress. collecting the moments, both sunny and cloudy and movin' on up. it feels brave at times, fiasco-like at others. i will be stronger from all the changes, and it feels good.

i am starting a one week liver cleanse tomorrow for health reasons. it's alot of vegetables, grains and apple juice. it won't be easy but i think it's long overdue. we'll see what happens, the end result is a bunch of stones full of salt and toxins -- toxins I've been carrying around inside my hard working liver my whole life. that's a metaphor I am sure. once you start seeing metaphors in life, they just keep coming and sometimes they are laugh out loud funny. like having constipation at your inlaws, sorry to be crass. that wasn't the case this weekend, but still -- it's an example. hope that made you chuckle. thanks for listening. bonus points to anyone brave enough to post a comment. i could use the support. that feeling that someone understands.

take that universe

the anthem of fighters, sing it sister.

my moon my man

love, love, love feist and this song. don't you? sublime.

silver lady speaks

there are times when it feels like the universe is saying Talk to the hand, girl. this week is definately like that. woke up to jack hammers that sounded like they were in the office early monday morning, it was like the theme song for the week. it's just been the small stuff, but it is almost funny how one after the other hassles have lined themselves up. hopefully the sky is clearing now. i feel like this silver lady pic speaks to the universe, saying RESPECT and then socking it to me. yeesh.

the doors

the excitement this week was the arrival of... wait for it. our new front door(s). double door, in fact. here's the work.in. progress captured for all to see.

before...


during...


after

the jar of pickles whispered

openned the fridge this morning and heard this sound "shhhhhhhhhhh...." i leaned in to the jar of soy whipped cream and thought maybe something had gone awry with the spray bottle. the shushing continued but this wasn't the source. i leaned closer and realized it was the jar of pickles. our fine traditional polish jar. how bizarre!

strange trash

wish i captured this on film. the crazy lady next door left 5 fans on the sidewalk as trash this week. she has the tiniest house, was there a fan in every room or is there some feng shui ritual involving fans that i am not aware of? she is a woman of the elements. first water out the window, then mountains of salt on the sidewalk, brooms in the window, now fans. any theories?

gather round

here's a snap of the grill on our lower level fireplace. i love the intricate detail, imagine the stories it could tell. snowy nights with the crackle burning behind it, rosy cheeks and chatter gathered round. stockinged feet lounging along side. makes you ache for hot coco and a good book. anybody have any good camp fire stories to share?

tattoo dreams

the angels invading my dreams have a funny sense of humour. last night the feature was all about deciding to get a tattoo on my face. the word soul beneath my eye, though i considered deluxe as an option and a few different symbols that had meaning at the time, one incorporated a cross. there was some sort of peer pressure on the tattoo until i finally realized i could say no and that plain skin was more beautiful. george clooney made a cameo. we actually played this video game together, i think i kicked his ass. anyhow george agreed that no tattoos was beautiful. i considered getting the tattoo somewhere less obvious, at the nape of my neck but decided against it. the tattoo artist did a sketch of just an O below my eye to help me see what it would be like...it looked alittle marilyn monroe. i commented that it would work if i was Oprah or Olivia. silly me.

luck

friday the 13th, the eve where mischief and hooligans make off with the jewels in life. good luck turned inside out. managed to escape catastrophe today, though my brow has furrowed itself into quite a crankola knot. any advice on ways to chase these blues away? i am sure this too will pass. i hearby summon the sweet angels of lady luck to soothe away any foul spirits from the weekend, to remind me of all the good of late and to keep on shining. today is the kind of day where i need to reverse any broken words that fall upon my ears.

obladi obladah

life goes on, alahala life goes on. as the wind chases your coat tails and you look up in the sky, the wind sighs knowingly and the spirit of spring makes itself known to the universe and you. i have been chased by crazy dreams lately -- lost on a film set parking lot where even zach braff's cell phone does not work for me. security guards hinder instead of help and different parts of my life mingle but it is like the dream soundrack for ill communication by the beasty boys. lots of missed connections and lost messages. here's hoping tonight sweet angels breathe a soulful kiss instead.

kickin' it old skool

this has been our expression of the day for the last couple of days. i woke up the other morning thinking of that expression "work is a four letter word" and then i was obsessed with thinking of four letter words that i love, like love, live, soul, sale, walk, sing, save, calm, grin, fate, face, eyes, kiss, rain, moon, star, give, take, make, eats, skip, cure, heal, bliss, oh that one has 5...happy easter all, sorry for the pause in posts, life.in.progress.

open wide

in the spirit of spring here is a snap of our work.in.progress sun room.

lucky pink sweater

i call this my lucky pink sweater because within hours of the sweater coming into my life, two new gigs came our way. who hoo! this week is going to be so deluxe.

3 minutes

wandered off the street into a gallery on ossington where they were taking names on a sign up sheet for a three minute relationship. there were several people waiting and the incentive was simple, there's hardly a wait right now. audrey and i looked at each other, are you game? we were not. i must admit i was curious. what happens in a three minute relationship? speed dating gives you 7 minutes I think. they were capturing this art project on film so maybe we'll discover the mysteries in a documentary some day. it was a surreal moment.

artifact found: a safe + a pot

artifacts found: a safe + a pot
someone left a safe and an oversized pot (minus the tree) outside our garage at the work.in.progress house. we think it was our portugese neighbour with the garbage conspiracy theories. he has a habit of leaving random objects around the neighbourhood. It's an odd pairing though. what do you think it means?

the death of cool: facebook

join my anti-social network, ASSbook.com yes, i am nursing my inner bart simpson in response to the latest craze of webbies, facebook.lately it seems to be on everyone's lips, are you on facebook? like there is this world of 1000 thread count sheets and lush living if only you join, show your mug, share your contacts list. the answer is no. i am not on facebook. i will admit to being tempted to see what the fuss is about, but i woke up the other day thinking what if there was an anti social network. one called assbook. i checked, and sure enough it exists. gotta love the web. i think the problem with facebook is that we graduated from highschool,and there is someithing so very uncool about aching to relive it, to cheerfully fill out your form and feel proud as your friends rack up. how about connecting with your friends in the real world, over coffee and talking to their yes, face. am i wrong here? i think the best way to find out your friend's status has changed from attached to single is over coffee chat, a walk, a gallery hop. the very sentiment of you're missing out on so much fun, makes me want to head for the hills, embrace my inner bart simpson, call a friend, go for tea and cupcakes. never mind that facebook was cool to the people still in highschool, ages ago. touché.

hope springs eternal

there was a hint of spring in the air yesterday, warmer weather, melting snow, sunshine blasting. here's hoping the weather is a sign of good things to come. we'll weather the storms and arrive on the other side in sweet, savvory spring.

soul survivor

went to my first laughing meditation class tonight, it was the inaugural class with only 5 in attendance. we started with a cup of mint tea. there is no talking and a chime of this bowl from tibet signals change to the next exercise. there was this great gibberish exercise which was so fantastic. a cacaphony of chitta chatta non-sense, we were re-setting our brains, making room in the attic, messing with the pull of the brain into constant internal conversation and commentary. i imagined these wacked out faces in a cafe, speaking in a language i didn't understand, parts of their faces blurred, even a penguin appeared. we laughed a medition, hummed and there was an exercise where you were encouraged to be the kid let run wild in gym class; a wild animal of laughter with no rules, no eye contact. it was crazy but fun. it felt more soulful then our regular saturday class. there was one moment in the class, in the darkness and the stillness of silence that i felt -- this is the first time i've been truly alone. like i was floating in a black hole. it was like all emotions were on pause. i didn't feel scared or worried. i felt calm but outside my body and personality. it is like exercise for your soul. we ended with a quick cup of mint tea and headed back outside into the cold, dark night. the subway attendant let me thru with 5 cents shy of my fare, he was listening to "sitting on the dock of the bay" which seemed quite perfect. i also overheard 'eleanor rigby' enroute home and sang out loud with it. the soundtrack of my soul, perhaps?

bonnie + clyde

two pidgeons moved into our work.in.progress house via the chimney. they were trying to get out of the cold but once inside they tried to make a quick getaway and the windows baffled them. dN nearly jumped out of his skin, thinking he was alone at the house when all of sudden he heard them cooing. he chased clyde out and bonnie disappeared into the rafters. we left a window open to aid her escape. did i mention we are in a super chill out in TO these days, minus freakin' 30 with the wind chill. no wonder the birds needed to a place to crash. fly blackbird fly, into the light of the dark black sky.

out loud

finally bothered to fill out the profile for this blog. it's an odd thing, i like to fly under the radar most of the time but decided to see what life would be like on the other side. it was only mildly painful filling it out, feeling like i had to fit into the blank spaces, we'll see who finds me via the new profile. welcome if you are new to the site! i may have to mess with it abit. so far life out loud feels pretty quiet. ;)

after the storm

a high-as-a-house tree was struck by lightning and fell across our street, making mash of a parked car's trunk, blocking the street from traffic. the sidewalks alternates between skating rink and melting crunch. march definately came in like a lion, here's hoping she's out like a lamb.

snow day

there is snow and snow and more snow falling from the sky today. walked half a block and felt like i braved the elements at the north pole, my hat was covered in snow and my glasses fogged over. above, there was a huge clap of thunder then the street lamp I was walking beneath lost power. are these signs? i may need to stay inside for at least 24 hrs. all this fuss about the weather reminds me of snow days when i was a kid. growing up in sudbury, we actually had to dig out our front door occassionally from snow and we survived the odd bit of snow in june. then again, people i went to highschool with actually snowmobiled into school, parading their YAMAHA gear around the halls with pride. i used to make snow forts in the woods complete with ice couches made via multiple thermoses of hot water. it is funny because no one ever cancels anything because the weather is too hot in the summer, it is nice that we get these built-in excuses in our canadian winters. and it's officially march, spring - yeah right. long live the snow day!

elixir

shout out to elixir organic spa on king near bathurst. they offer food grade facials, synthetic free fabulousness! it is a small shop, but the vibe is good and the owner is really nice and very open to offering advice on other good health and wellness services around town. my skin seemed to say -- ahhhh. thank you, as it soaked in the aroma-filled goodness. so nice to know that eveything they used, i could eat. i went the day before valentine's day, it was a gift from my mum from christmas. very lovely.


Check out this gem: http://www.elixirspa.ca/

oscar fatigue

anyone else sick of the oscar's before they even begin? i am having flashbacks to last year, that hung over feeling at the end -- thinking that was just one marathon promotional commercial disguised as an awards show. easier to catch the red carpet highlights in the trash mags and the acceptance speech goofs on youtube. maybe it is just that none of the best pictures really have my vote, though many of the others i've seen in the race leading up to hype night were good. ah, long live the art house pic!

the year of the pig

happy chinese new year! let me look into your future, i see many a sweet and sour pork dish there. the year of the golden pig. supposedly, this golden swine is good luck. likeable even. however, because it is the year of the fire boar apparently we're in for some major climate or political struggle this year. they should have waited to release charlotte's web until this year. maybe charlotte would have wove a warning into her web. some fire pig! last night we had fun looking up our signs on wikipedia and learning about our inner and secret animals. they are determined by the month and hour of your birth. so apparently i'm an inner monkey and a secret ox. i had no idea it was at least a four part process. take that western zodiac... i do love the idea of having an inner monkey though. cracks me right up. oh the mischief that awaits an inner monkey in a fire year. all kidding aside, the more i think about it, the more i am beginning to see the chinese new year as a second chance on new year's resolutions. a fresh start, take 2.

rattle and hum

woke up this morning to hear the rattle and hum of something clattering about in the furnace room. landlord is on the case. went to yoga this morning and made a mental note to remember the lovely sunshine streaming thru the space. a yoga mum came to class and actually left her two boys in the basement to play while we tried our best not to hear them upstairs. i guess it was a PA day or something. right as we were about to go into corpse pose, one of the boys peeked his head out asking his mum if he could get his mittens - it's cold in the basement. she said, no, you don't need them. just 10 more minutes for relaxation. kinda funny really. i think that is an example of not being able to have your cake and eat it too. anyhow, the clatter in the furnace has now been silenced. it is friday, lovely friday. can't wait for saturday!

and best picture goes to...

The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky. went to the vintage rep cinema, bloor cinema, last night. there is something perfect about the big band music booming before the show, the red curving walls, the worn theatre chairs, the heavy velvet curtains pulling up to unveil the picture. this is the way watching a movie should be, forget buildings shaped like space crafts or rubix cubes. perhaps it is that the theatre reminds me of castro theatre in san francisco which is even more dreamy, complete with wurlitzer performance and tons of architectural drama. anyhow, that is just the set dressing to tell you about the main attraction. the movie. so beautiful, heart-breaking, stunningly innovative. i can not believe it was not even nominated. obvious politics at play, damn you brad pitt. it is timeless. in fact, the movie spans 1000 years and examines love, death, the meaning of life, the boundaries of science and faith, the fountain of youth...it's amazing, especially because the visual effects were made on the cheap with magnified droplets of various liquids and substances -- makes you feel like you're traveling thru space as it has never been witnessed before.

bonjour bri-ROACH

one of the nice things about working for yourself, is that sometimes you get to have a little slice of saturday on wednesday. i had a breakfast meeting at bonjour brioche yesterday morning. this popular East end brunch spot is difficult to get into on the weekend, but mid week there is elbow room to spare and the same delish features like salmon scramble with rosti caviar, horseradish and creme fraiche alongside fresh baked bagette. i even treated myself to a cafe au lait, in a bowl no less. deluxeness. only one small problem. ok, two small problems. after i had cleared my plate, my meeting pal who was sitting facing the open kitchen leans in and tells me he just saw, wait for it... a roach scuttle up the wall. i quickly turn around to see one of the kitchen staffers spraying something on the wall in question with a paper towel. my meeting pal must have a stomach of steel because he still put away two pain au chocolat which he ordered from the pastrie window where he had spotted another roach nestled in the goods. insane! anyhow, i wish i knew about the bug problem before i ordered. i felt like it was my civic duty to alert my fellow foodies, to tell you to stay away until they have fumigated. yeesh.

pursuit of happyness

Martin Frohm: What would you say if man walked in here with no shirt, and I hired him? What would you say?
Christopher Gardner: He must have had on some really nice pants.

watched this flick and felt inspired. the trailer doesn't do it justice. makes it seem cute-sy and hollywood when it is actually quite genuine with a good story. it was also set in SF which brought back lots of memories especially since our first days there were spent in the Tenderloin area where the Glide church is, Canadian dollar at an all time low. you actually feel the financial pinch alongside Chris; along with the shame. will smith's character is well drawn, he never blames anyone for his tough time and he never plays the pity card. brave, brave.

also saw Children of Men, clive owen is fabulous. i love the way the future isn't that different from today --just has a few technological advancements, different politics but it is believable because it is almost like today. you can feel the sorrow of a world where children no longer exist. this makes the film feel so vulnerable, it is very personal, yet the future of the human race is at stake. i have to say that i have been loving the oscar noms this year, haven't been disappointed yet. still so many to see.

perfection

still savouring the deluxeness of this perfect saturday. woke up, dN read some cool articles from Wired magazine aloud, then I ate homemade guacamole and corn chips for breakfast before jetting off to laughing yoga class. best laughing meditation yet, lots of crazy laughs chasing one another up into the sky. felt like my soul opened up and basked in the collective glow. next stop, chinatown for mother's dumplings. a slice of heaven, i tell you. wandered queen, coffee in hand with my pal audrey. came home all flushed and cheery from an afternoon of laughing punctuated by good stories & insightfuls -- watched xfiles with dN and my brother-in-law under cover of sleeping bags. leftover hot and sour for dinner. tonight? a night out at the movies. another oscar pick, children of men. (couldn't convince the boys to see dreamgirls, sorry zest...it is next on my list i swear) my apologies if this post is alittle catalogue-y but i felt i had to record it in the order of progression, almost like you couldn't describe a meal with the appetizer last. ahhhh...namaste.

notes on a scandal

One Woman's Mistake Is Another's Opportunity...

ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh...this is one juicy flick. judi dench is killah in it, absolutely creepy and perfect, such a hard boiled, meaty role for her and she nails it to a T. good reco jP. so far, my vote is for her for best actress. cate blanchet was great too, easy to see why she had hearts a-flutter, though for an art teacher she seemed to do very little in the way of ...art work. kudos to the writers too because i was soooo tired in the theatre last night but couldn't bear to miss a wink of this drama. we also watched Pan's Labyrinth on the weekend, which was a "cover your eyes" gory "fairytale." the kind of movie that could give you serious nightmares if you weren't careful. not sure what to see next, any suggestions? working my way thru oscar noms.

it's 5am...

are you sleeping? i am not. the guy upstairs insists on loud, rowdy parties almost every friday and saturday night. last night's party just wrapped up a few minutes ago. i managed to sleep thru most of it but the pounding vibes woke me up at about 4am. all sorts of thoughts went thru my head -- pounding on his door in my pjs, calling my landlord and waking him up to have him place a call to the tennant, playing my music loud and obnoxiously at 7am-9am just so he can get a taste of what it is like to try and sleep thru a racket. of course, i did nothing. well almost nothing, i suppose this blog is an indirect something. i just don't want the bad karma. plus it makes me feel like a 90 year old crank who wants to end all the fun those crazy youngsters are having. ah, the dilema. any suggestions?

s l o w

the nice thing about January is it seems like the pace of life is a lot slower, measured. like everyone is still sleeping and sort of hibernating from winter. gives you time to think and try to do things the way they should be done. unhurriedly. without stress.

yesterday was the coldest day of the year. it was also the first day of a lululemon warehouse sale. took one look at the 'round the block line filled with freezing deal-seekers and decided that cheaper yoga pants weren't worth the pain. there is something very anti namaste in that picture. seems kind of cruel to host such a sale on such an icebox day. i think they should have served chai tea to the deal-seekers. this was one case of slow not being a good thing i guess. then again maybe they should have made a system -- appointment cards upon showing up. then again a long line is good PR so maybe they liked the idea of selling stuff so good you'd freeze your ass off to get it. the sale runs for 3 days so we'll see if i make it back.

good find: cereal for dinner

laughed at this song this morning and thought it was worth sharing. it's called Cereal for Dinner.

there is something deluxe about breakfast at odd hours, don't you think? this song is about the non-deluxe variety of breakfast at any hour, in that kind of sloth way. reminds me of life in university.

lucky number 7

i am having one of those moments. the kind where you know you are being too overdramatic and crazy but it happens all the same. wait for it to pass. count your blessings and laugh like it is going out of style.

return to senda

the week before Christmas we received a small envelope addressed to mimi maxwell. with all the pre holiday mail, we opened it up thinking it was a Christmas card for us - not seeing the mimi until afterwards. anyhow it was an invitation for drinks from an old friend, maybe even flame - norma jean. hmmm...upon further investigation it wasn't like they had the wrong address, everything was correct except the name. could this have been mail sent from the past, arriving late? what era is it from? is mimi maxwell a code name for a spy, artist or vagabond? it definitely sparks the imagination. i leave you with one question:

who is mimi maxwell?

all theories, evidence, and wild guesses accepted. gladly.

sugar plum fairies

may sugar plum fairies dance in your head and may your home be filled with laughter and joy. here's hoping 2007 is a lucky 7 kind of year.

absurdity witnessed: voice from within

went to the bank machine last night, couldn't figure out why there was someone at the outside one when the inside one was free. went in, pulled out my wallet, when a hand stretched down over the darkened screen from within. a voice said, Hey! i screamed and ran outside. i waited and used the outside machine but realized i needed a deposit envelope from inside. i finished up, went back inside and again - the hand and the voice. screamed again! and then i said, "just getting an evelope!" obviously it was a repair guy -- or maybe a robber! -- i didn't really stick around to find out, i will call the bank today just to be sure. the voice and the hand at that confidential moment really spooked me, i have to say. in hind sight, i should have asked more questions - after all he was pretty far away inside the machine and i am sure everything is on tape. maybe shouldn't have used the other machine. i wonder why they wouldn't lock the door when the machine was being serviced. an odd experience to be sure.

rooms with a view

here's proof our new windows are now blinking back at the street. check out them beauties. only the second floor so far.

[CM] Glico - Pocky Sesame feat. Satoshi Tsumabuki

had a pocky picnic today on the sunny front steps of our house. flavours du jour? milk+ honey and chocolate mouse.

brush with schmarminess: MUCH legend

so last night was a blast. went to a fabulous agency party hosted by Capital C, agency of the year no less. the theme was Sofia's Marie Antoinette meets chalkboard drawings as you can see from the invite. there were tiaras at the door and a tray of big flashy fake bling rings as you checked your coat at the door. welcome to fabulousness. anyhow the whole place was dripping with chandeliers, velvet curtains and amazing set design in the chalkboard sophisticated style. there were boas and silk dresses and waiters in costume. the food, one silver tray of deluxeness after another. i wish i could remember specifics, sorry foodies. i noticed this woman in a gwen stefani-esque outfit who wore her tiara well when i first arrived but we didn't chat much. anyhow, my gang convinced me to crash another party with them across town and i ended up beside the tiara girl once more. we both couldn't part with our tiaras so we bonded over the coincidence. i told her i had been eyeing her LAMB-esque get up at the other party with a fashion nod. she fold me it was one of those cheap fashion finds, not an original but she loved it too. turns out she runs a site called The Yummy Mummy Club. she handed me her card. i didn't look closely enough at the time. without missing a beat, we continued chatting about the web and yummy mummies in general. turns out, it was Eric Ehm herself.

another brush with schmarminess: bare naked

dN zipped into our local indie video store and who did he see with his wife and a gaggle of kids...Jim Creeggan, bass player of the barenaked ladies.

patience + prudence

fell in love with this charming little song from the 1950s called Tonight You Belong To Me by two sisters named Patience and Prudence. You can sample it here.

here are the lyrics.

I know (I know)
you belong
to somebody new
but tonight
you belong
to me.

Although (although)
we're apart
you're part
of my heart
and tonight
you belong
to me.

Way down
by the stream
how sweet
it will seem
once more
just to dream
in the moonlight...

my honey, I know (I know)
with the dawn
that you
will be gone
but tonight
you belong
to me.

Way down (way down)
along the stream
How very very sweet it will seem
Once more just to dream
In the silvery moonlight...

my honey, I know (I know)
with the dawn
that you
will be gone
but tonight you belong to me.
just to little old me.

another brush with schmarminess: metric

ate lunch at luna cafe next to Emily Haines from Metric. how cool is that? the whole time i kept admiring her lululemon yoga gear, didn't even know it was her! she was with this other dude who looked like a musician too but i couldn't place his face. the funny thing is they were playing some tunes from their first album and i was thinking to myself, this is the theme song for the cafe! this is the song i fell in love with last time i was here. in case you are a foodie and really don't care about the emily bit, but just what we had for lunch. it was divine. organic freerange chicken sandwich with sundried tomatoes and a side salad. dN had the pork sandwich special.

listen up

new fav, give it a listen. www.jimnoir.com

one man's trash

recycling day, garbage day, you know the drill. one week it's blue bin, the next trash. green bin every week. our neighbour, an older Portuguese gentleman had us cracking up this week. despite our efforts to clarify things for him, he is convinced there is a garbage conspiracy against him. every week he puts all his undivided trash out on the curb. every week he shakes his head when some of it is left behind. he noticed everyone's green bin was picked up every week. so he invested in 5 green bins and placed his trash in them, then placed them on the curb and watched.
so we witness him opening the neighbours green bins -- empty. and then opening his own -- still full of trash. couldn't figure out what the trash guys have against him. he looked accusingly at us, like we are somehow in on it.

now...chocolate?

first spinach, then carrots. now chocolate? i think i jinxed chocolate eaters with that first post. the convenience store on the corner was selling them 2 for 1. discount poison.

fortune teller: redux redux

again and again. pinged my friend about his baby, hadn't talked to him in ages. they are due in november but i had a hunch. anyhow, sure enough he messaged me from the hospital. his wife was in labour, they were due to have their baby within the hour.

a moment of silence

we observed a moment of silence at 11 o'clock for remembrance day today, it was the middle of my first laughing yoga class. it was such a contrast, the one moment everyone sat in stillness, reflection. the rest of the class was a comical succession of exercises meant to get people laughing, even fake laughter was encouraged because it leads to real laughter eventually. there doesn't have to be a reason. they even do a laughing meditation where the lights go down and people lie on the floor and then just laugh themselves silly, eventually ending in an ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. as crazy as it sounds it is oddly addictive, really makes you feel so great, full of happiness and appreciation for life. a lovely mix of people from all walks of life gathered, all united with the sole purpose of laughter. isn't that beautiful?

taxi cab wisdom: trinidad style

took another crazy cab ride yesterday, this cabbie was from trinidad. wild grey hair tucked under a ball cap, a blanket shawl coat, chucky e cheeze sketches of his grandkids and stories about his life in trinidad, divorce, friends lost over money issues, his flashy boat and time in prison. yes, it was a long cab ride but he had such a fire and wit to him i just had to smile and beg him to keep telling me stories. he went on and on about "people have no class" and how one of his friends who scrimped and saved to buy a house only to serve tiny, sour grapes when visitors came by. he said the greatest gift in life is contentment, whether you are rich or poor -- to be content in life, that's what it is all about. i've come to expect a dose of philosphy with every cab ride. sweet.

when a white cat crosses your path

is it good luck? well hopefully it makes up for the weekend. let's just say that it felt like the weekend gods were conspiring against us 80% of the time. though i met a friend for tea today and she told me about this yoga laughing class where people gather to laugh for healing. sounds new age-y but interesting. a social experiment. i wanna try it. apparently kids laugh 300 times a day, and adults only 19 times. she went to the class with a friend and felt so relaxed and happy afterwards. LOL X300, go ahead, I dare you.

if you carve it, they will come

(photo stolen from flickr) we went to fiesta and all that was left were the tiny pumpkins, so dN carved three crazed mini pumpkins, two were one eyed beasts with pointy teeth and we sat out on the front porch with our toques to hand out chocolate goodness to those who came looting.

this one kid said in mobster-style, hey what're you guys do-in? like we were up to no good or something, we said "renovations." the door was cranked open and behind us you could see our work.in.progress illuminated by construction lamps. the first crew had a cranky belle, who when asked who she was replied haughtily "Belle!" and stormed off. cranky belle, that is! it was pretty funny. there was one kid dressed as a bird, probably 3 or 4 years old. he happily declared "i'm a bird!" we also had cbc radio bellowing "the raven" by edgar allen poe for impact. quoth the raven, `nevermore.'


our street is a mix of over the top halloween houses with all the tricks, music, tomb stones, strange mood lighting and then the anti crew who don't turn their lights on, not even blinking at the parade in the hood.

trick or treat.

sopranos-athon

confession: we have been watching season upon season of the sopranos lately. everywhere we turn, we think we see mobsters. fugedabudit.

koco ny: the perfect card

koco ny: these are my favourite cards on the planet. art meets poetry = sublime

found this article about the company in my web travels today. how cool is that? i have a few friends that are anti-cards, but let me tell you...sometimes the card is the best part of the gift. long live the greeting card!

fisticuffs

fisticuffs - a fight with bare fists

on sunday i went to the movies in yorkville and there was a car stalled on the one-way street blocking car upon car with no end in sight. well, ok a two hour wait for a tow truck but almost no end in sight. apparently there were frozen brakes and the car couldn't even be pushed to the roadside. we found out the news from a fellow walking the sidewalk who told us some of the drivers almost got into "fisticuffs" over the issue. now, as rough and tumble as this sounds for us uber polite canadians -- i found the expression fisticuffs kind of sweet and old fashioned. i imagine two handsome gents getting into fisticuffs over some pretty lady. cartoon wounds, not real ones. the kind accompanied by Bam! Gadzooks! and a gigantic yellow starburst of some sort. as a lover of nostalgic words, i beg you to post some of your favs, pretty please. zesty, i know you have it in you.

a matching set

of twisted ankles! dN twisted his left foot at volleyball yesterday, he's on crutches. what a pair! unbelievable but true. hopefully the wicked winds of luck have blown thru town.

luck be a lady tonight

friday the 13th folks, beware the twists of fate.

first sight of snow

not even halloween yet and snowflakes were caught streaming across familiar skies. brrrrrrrrrr....feel the chilly.

water works

as we approach the luckiest day of the year, it seems every day there's a new catastrophe. yesterday, killer carrots. today, water fiasco. we had city water officials come by the office, two plumbers and my landlord camped out almost all day fixing some hairline fracture in a pipe. we were without water for about 4.5 hours. not exactly a catastrophe but still everything seems to be tending towards chaos lately.

what are you planning to do to ward off evil on friday the 13th? grab your clove of garlic and leave me a comment sharing tales of unluckiness near and far. i dare you.

killer carrots

first spinach, now carrot juice. who knew it could be so dangerous to be a health nut? i have bought this juice quite a few times and shudder to think if i accidentally, absent-mindedly had forgotten to refrigerate for a few hours. what kind of twisted world is it that millions of donut-eaters, chocolate addicts, & twinkie fans survived in true homer simpson bliss while the poor carrot juicers and spinach eaters suffer dire consequences?

such shocking symptoms:

Symptoms of botulism can include: double-vision, droopy eyelids, altered voice, trouble with speaking or swallowing, and paralysis on both sides of the body that progresses from the neck down, possibly followed by difficulty in breathing. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

unbelievable but true. sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

give thanks

here's wishing everyone a happy thanksgiving. turkey, pumpkin pie, fall walks with tons of colour - hopefully minimal drama with the family. here's thanking the heavens for good health, good friends, and the sweet moments in life.

oh, the dish

ok folks, the story begins. last weekend our neighbour installed this eye sore of a satellite dish, pretty much as close as possible to the dividing line on our semi. we called the home owner to let her know her tenant had done so and asked nice and politely if she would mind asking the tenant to please move it. she seemed not to care. still feeling that chilly retort.

in addition to being an eye sore the satellite blocks part of the view from our front tiny window.



now as much as we respect their right to do as they please with their house, would it have been so terrible to install it in a less intrusive place, let's say one that does not block the view at all from my soon to be office?

are we over-reacting? feels so unreasonable and rude.

a little slice of heaven

flashback: sept 2003, laduree on rue bonaparte. we slid a note beneath the latest "collection" of delicate macaroons behind glass in the chocolate shop. tasted as many flavours as possible on the pont des arts strewn with student artists and distracted parisian locals. a little piece of heaven. established in 1862, no less. the french are so damn cool.

more taxi cab drama

took a cab today and we got a flat tire, on the gardiner just before the jameison exit. you can imagine with my swollen ankle that i wasn't about to walk from there. so the cabbie offered to drive us to king. it was the lumpiest ride ever but i am just glad we didn't end up in an accident. the moment we got out of the cab, another car sped thru the intersection almost hitting a school kid playing chicken with it. crazy day, i tell you.

hairspray

john waters has been around town shooting hairspray with john travolta and queen latifah. recently spotted the proof on dupont near bathurst, on dundas near palmerston, on queen, in roncesvales. this shot is from roncesvales near the mack's gym. basically they were hard to miss. the retro cars, massive 50s make-overs of non-descript patches of street, tons of detail. hollywood north.

brush with schmarminess: kos

a craving for a drake burger appeared today and wouldn't die, so we ventured to the drake and indulged. half way thru, kos walks in and sits with a bunch of the hipper than hip staffers at the table behind us. i didn't even notice. dN filled me in afterwards. i had burger on the brain, completely. anyhow, now that i think back, i remember thinking hey -- that guy is cool, without really recognizing him. anyhow, there you have it. another brush with schmarminess. a bit ho hum, i'm afraid. i will say that i thought he was British because he was dressed much cooler than everyone else.

o happy day

flashback: three years ago today, we walked down the makeshift aisle of french cafe chairs at Balzac's and exchanged I dos at sunset. there was a small crowd of family and a few friends. we took over the gallery space in the loft with our own photographs and at the end of the night there were polaroids of everyone splashed across the silver coffee bar. my crazy grandma wore a j.lo-esque number and danced everyone to shame. we have known each other almost 10 years. he is still my mcdreamy of mcdreamies. makes me laugh, carries me when i've fallen, the list goes on for miles.

she slips...

she falls. down the stairs. twists her ankle. now the proud owner of a silver pair of crutches and bizarre goose egged ankle with matching bruises. on the mend though. don't even think of calling me hop-a-long.

hot wheels

if kit had a makeover, this would be it. this is a car worthy of tricked out super heros. spotted here in a moment of uncharacteristic calm.

flashback: northern exposure

two weeks ago we ventured north in search of ...wait for it, filing cabinets. inherited from my dad's office. they are moving to a smaller space and he wanted us to have something from his business. passing the torch if you will. so we jumped in the car, hooked up the trailer and ventured north to my hometown.

once we got there, it was nostalgia city. it has been quite awhile since i had been back and so every bump in the road and silly anecdote from childhood came rushing back. we went to Deluxe, a family run burger joint known for their fries and this crazy orange bbq sauce. they have been across the street from McDonald's for as long as i can remember and they have this hilarious sign with one golden arch. kinda like -- take that, you double arched corporate giants!

some of my parents' friends and coworkers were around to chit chat and soak in the collective nostalgia. while we were there we also found my box from childhood -- the one with random notes to friends, old report cards, gymnastic medals and the like.

after a lunch of wild turkey surprize and blueberry pancakes at Eddie's (surprize! no turkey) -- we made our way back to the big village. the French River Trading Post was our only stop. got some fudge for my friend Sally whose middle name should be Fudge, she loves it so much. anyhow, that's when i snapped this shot and it brings back the flood of memories that were lurking about in a dusty attic at my dad's office. kinda funny how junk food was part of the nostalgia -- but you know, you need alittle grease to fuel such a long journey. hungry bears, i guess.

absurdity witnessed: salt

crazy chinese lady next door is up to new tricks. first a pile of salt appeared on the sidewalk out front her house, en route to our office/crash pad. today, another pyramid appeared on the road about 2 paces away from the first one. at first i though maybe someone was cleaning up from a party -- someone had tossed their cookies and this was the clean up solution. now that there are two, i am beginning to wonder if it is tied into the brooms and the water and the music. the piles seem to be somewhat aligned with her front walk, is this a feng shui magic?

theories anyone?

face lift

before: red paint



almost after: no red paint

yes, we gave ourselves a face lift at the work.in.progress house. when i say almost after, i mean that we are still planning to redo the trim and we'll be installing new windows and a double door so it's more like an in-between stage...but still -- huge change! i love the details in the brick above the windows and along the edge of the house. it's coming along!

dream life: just add pork

no pork before bed for me, my friends. brings on the strangest dreams. last night i dreamed that i went on a road trip on a tour bus with scarbie and a gaggle of girls from highschool. i had sofia (coppola) on the brain and she was there -- asked if she could go with one of our parents on their super bus because it had crazy bubble pods in their bus that you could lounge in and she was prone to car sickness. everyone looked at her like she was a diva. i actually rode a rinosaurus bareback facing his tail and was kicking myself for not taking pictures of the bears and elephants i saw stomping thru the river.

care to analyze anyone?

e-spy

read a creepy article recently that g-mail uses ad technology that scans the text in your emails and serves ads up that relate to your message. so much for privacy. i think yahoo must use something similar because i've seen ads related to the content of my mail there as well. this is the equivalent of bell wiretapping your phone and sending you brochures related to that camping trip they overheard you planning or even worse, anger management courses for the fight they overheard. is that the price we have to pay for free on the internet? we should boycott!

remember, remember

the 1st of september. i can't believe august is officially over. happy long weekend all!