Christmas and other stuff

If you have a large beard, like, say, Santa Claus, do you use shampoo when you wash it? And if you shampoo, would you also use conditioner?

Why is the idea of a gingerbread house so much more fun than actually decorating one? Granted a 20 mo. old perhaps was not the best decorating partner as she was much more interested in eating candy than putting it on the house.

There is such a thing as too much Sesame Street.

I want a George Foreman Lean Mean Spin Frying Machine. Mainly so I can say it over and over again.

some favourite things

Joe Fresh. T-shirts for the price of lunch. Sweater dresses for less than $50. What's not to love?

NYC. I love New York. Yes, it's a cliche, but it's true. The noise, the chaos, the people, the variety, the energy, the shopping, the museums, the park.

Audio books. I am completely addicted and now walk around with my earphones in all the time. New books, old favourites, dramatizations, it doesn't matter. There are few things better than someone reading you a story.

St. Lawrence Market. Perhaps because I love food, perhaps because I love chaos, but mostly because it's fun, fresh and a little bit like NYC.

YSL. A tad more upmarket than Joe but I honestly believe that I would be ecstatic to have only YSL handbags for the rest of my life. After a Chanel Suit, a YSL suit is next on the list. (for when I win the lottery or become a famous author)

OK. back to job searching, I wonder if YSL is hiring?

so ...

I saw a mention of this and had to check it out.

big mistake.

I am actually torn. I thought nothing was uglier than the original.

ladies and gentlemen, may I present, the high heel croc.

I am stuck

in the windowless room BEHIND the photocopying room with no internet access and a man who cannot make normal conversation.

no wonder people go nuts.

oh Colin, how I love you

I just watched Valmont and am not a little torn.

While I have an strong affinity for Colin as Mr. Darcy, he is quite delicious being bad.

Guess I'll just have to pop in P&P for a little comparative research.

and we're back

I realized that I am using my facebook status updates as mini-blog posts and have decided that it might be better to simply start writing the blog again.

Here are the things that I have noticed lately:

Someone (not me) bought Palmolive dish soap and our kitchen now smells like the MSH 7th floor pump room.

I really missed having LEGO in my life and didn't even know it. There's something really therapeutic about just sitting and making something.

I can very easily fill my days not working.

I hate working with people who aren't competent. (Obviously this falls under my whole life philosophy that people, in general, are stupid but you'd think you would have to be mildly able to get the job in the first place.)

Bottled flavoured water is kind of creepy. Why not just drink juice?

The YSL Majorelle in Sahara and the Chanel 'sac rigide' in petite matelasse are some of the most gorgeous handbags I've seen for a while and I am lamenting that I can think of no reason to justify their homecoming.

Grocery shopping is more fun with the child in the cart looking and pointing at everything.

I think ROME was the best thing ever and I am very very sad that it was cancelled.

Our neighbours have gardeners, their back yard is 30 by 30. No wonder we can't afford to buy a house in this neighbourhood.

aaargh.

Yes, it's been a million years. What's new. Had a baby. She's the most awesome thing ever. Back to work today.

I have now spent 9 hours. yes, that's correct 9 hours trying to configure my remote access and am basically no closer than I was 9 1/2 hours ago.

Just needed a vent.

thanks.

Hurrah!

I hate Crocs.

If for some reason your brain has told you that this is a viable form of footwear to be worn in public, please stop reading this blog.

broken glasses

the saga continues...

The other arm broke off!!! explain to me how two months of regular wear can cause both arms to snap off a pair of $300 frames???

Apparently (according to the optometrist) I take off my glasses incorrectly and it is my fault. How do you take off your glasses incorrectly?

GRRR

the vacation thus far

Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island.

1. church service with a hatemongering minister
2. bamboozled (through no fault of the people who invited us to a "concert") into a second church service on the same day - which contravenes my no more than one service a week rule
3. arm of glasses snapped off immediately upon arrival at second destination - had to convince nice lady at my optometrist to FedEx a replacement arm which cannot be adjusted as they took it right off the pair on display, so the glasses sit very crooked on my face
4. emergency contact lens fell out of right eye while driving on the highway, and I was the one driving!

Other than that the weather has been lovely, excepting the torrential down pours on our visit to Louibourg (weather forecaster obviously on crack), saw some whales, played some golf, did some canoeing and am about to go play tennis for the first time.

taking a stand

No longer will I be the only one to move to the side when approached on a sidewalk by two or more people who have not got the manners to move into a single file for 5 seconds so that we can pass each other without my ending up in the street.

I always move to the side. No more. You're not better than me and entitled to the whole sidewalk while brushing past me without a moment's thought to something other than your LV monogram hand bag. It's tacky and you're tacky and I refuse to step aside.

Superman vs. Jack Sparrow

I know, it's not a fair contest, Superman is SUPER and Jack Sparrow is a sexually ambiguous, drunken, brain addled Sea Captain, but I don't think either one is going to contest the fact that they are fighting for the same audience.

I really enjoyed Superman. I was skeptical. I don't have the same kind of memories about seeing the original Superman that I do about Star Wars or Indiana Jones. I never felt nostalgia for the series but this film gave me a fresh start from which to enjoy the story. All in all I found it an enjoyable film, if a tad too long. Kevin Spacey was so much fun to watch, Parker Posey was slightly under-utilized but great when given a little space to manoeuvre. Brandon Routh was inoffensive and Kate Bosworth was one dimensional. My main thought after watching the film was that both Brandon and Kate were far too young to be playing the characters. Unofficially this movie picks up after Superman II and they looked like they were juniors in college, not a "Pulitzer prize winning journalist" and guy who'd been gone for 5 years.
The movie worked in a couple of interesting twists and I'm interested to see what they'll do next. I'm really hoping that for the next they will have figured out how to make the flying actually look like flying.

Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Man's Chest, was almost an homage to Curse of the Black Pearl instead of a sequel. Admittedly it would be near to impossible to capture the magic of the Black Pearl. All in all the movie was enjoyable except for a couple things that are still bothering me in a narrative sense (which I will not spoil but if you really need to know, ask me and I'll put it in the comments section); the unrelenting use of CGI, one character would have been much more effective without all the over-the-top special effects; and the editing. Why is every movie these days 1/2 an hour longer than it needs to be???

My final verdict, see Superman on the big screen, save the Pirates for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

everyone should know ...

Before you're allowed to graduate from High School you should know:

- what flatware to use in any dining situation (and how to set a proper table)
- how to sew on a button
- how to use an iron
- how to do laundry
- how to make a meal using more than one pot
- (boys only) how to tie a proper tie (clip-ons are for children)
- (girls only) how to walk in high heels (a topic controversial enough for its own post)

You should also
- achieve 90% or better on a test based on "The Urban Etiquette Handbook" It's not just appropriate for New York
- prove attendance at the symphony, ballet or opera
- write a 1000 words acknowledging and demonstrating why the book is always better than the movie

And finally you should take the following pass/fail test consisting of identifying the errors in the following statements (all based on actual statements made either in the media or in conversation and witnessed by persons known to me):

1) "Saddam Trial: Defense rests, calls for death penalty"
2) Speaking of an industry that is currently consolidating, it was noted that the industry is "balkanizing".
3) An on air CBC reporter who said Trinidad and Tobago fans are very compassionate about World Cup Soccer.
4) Complimentary means mutually supplying each other's lack
5) Using the term "dearth" when referring to something of which there is a lot. (especially when pronounced darth, as in Vader)
6) A headhunter in his written report said the candidate was very compassionate about his chosen field.
7) Brief (verb) means to interrogate (as a pilot) usually upon return (as from a mission) in order to obtain useful information

and I could go on.. it's/its, their/they're/there, your/you're, orient/orientate, ...

If you fail to observe something wrong with all 7 points above, please stop reading this blog.

to box or not to box ...

I normally enjoy change. I like trying new things. Moving to a new city does not stress me out. Eating at a new restaurant, shopping at a new store, jumping into a brand new type of project at work are all fine with me.

There are a few changes are very stressful to me. Last night the instructor for my boxing class was out of town. There was a replacement. I did not enjoy the replacement. Our regular instructor is terse, funny and motivating in a non-threatening sort of way. The replacement was this little sprite of a girl with the hugest biceps I've ever seen. I'm sure she's lovely in person but she put the headset on and started shouting and I almost walked out.

I don't enjoy working out. I don't enjoy sweating. I don't run, jump or "bounce" in place. I wear two shirts just in case one rides up and shows my stomach. This is not my comfort zone and I do not enjoy having to deviate from my routine.

If you are my instructor don't say my name to encourage me to "push through the burn!" Don't say my name to point out that I'm doing something really well. Don't come next to me and bounce in a manner meant to make me follow along.

Just let me work in the back of the room. I will do my best but I am not having fun and will not pretend to be. Let me be invisible and I won't spend the entire class thinking about punching you.

literary ramblings

So I've been on a bit of a reading binge for the last month. Here are a few of my thoughts.

Mina by Jonatha Ceely. I started this book skeptically as the introduction describing the discovery of a "journal" in an 18th century farmhouse is tedious. The first person tone of the introduction is self-important and off-putting. The pretentiousness ends completely once the narrative proper begins. It's not a romance but it's the story of a relationship between two very different people under unusual circumstances compounded by past tragedy. The journey taken by the main characters towards understanding and accepting each other and thereby themselves makes for a compelling read. Skip the introduction.

Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding must be read with an open and tolerant mind. This is not Bridget Jones. It needs to be read like it's a James Bond movie. Don't take it seriously. Once you begin to read it like a Vin Diesel movie, it's funny and entertaining. I'm interested to see what Olivia Joules might do next. As KG said to me today, "it is crying out for a sequel."

Holy Fools was my introduction to Joanne Harris. I am familiar with the movie Chocolat based on her novel of the same name, but you can't judge a writer based on the movie. (Obvious exception that proves the rule is The Godfather by Mario Puzo.) I was compelled by the female protagonist and her journey to keep herself and her daughter safe in early 17th century France. The mystery running through the plot and the constant threat of witchcraft make it hard to put down. The writing is delicious although you will wish she made some different choices.

Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught follows a successful formula. If you've read her other contempory mystery/romances, you'll feel like you're putting on a comfortable sweater. Characters from two of her previous novels make cameos. The protagonists are smart and independent but have serious communication issues. The plot is formulaic but the writing is good enough to keep you interested in how the ending you know is coming will come about.

Quattrocento by James McKean combines two of my favourite genres, Art and History. I love to read about artists. I even enjoy reading about art historians and restorers. The protagonist is an art restorer who falls in love with a woman in a painting. Then there is some time travelling. If you can get past the time travelling and the fact that the modern guy immediately fits right in, knows the correct Italian dialect to speak, and of course lands in the exact place he "needs" to be, it's not a bad story.

Anybody Out There? is, in my opinion, Marian Keyes most ambitious novel to date. It takes us back to the Walsh family and shows them at their best. I can't say anthing about the plot without spoiling it, but you'll laugh out loud and you'll need to keep the tissues close at hand. I have read all of her novels many times. This is her best.

Luxury

I was thinking about other things that could be bought with my End of Student Loan Celebratory Shoes money now that I actually have a pair of Louboutin's (though they are pretty casual and some fancier pumps or sandals might be in order) and discovered that I may have a bit of a problem. Not an addiction per se but simply a slightly skewed reality as to what is an appropriate amount to spend on certain items.

This got me to thinking about my favourite things to do or buy for less than $10 that make me feel pampered and special.

1. a new pair of socks
2. the Sunday New York Times and the time to read it.
3. a really well made sandwich
4. a long walk with someoneyou can have a great conversation with
5. a nap in the afternoon
6. Vogue
7. watching a classic movie like Breakfast at Tiffany's or Roman Holiday or Casablanca
8. a trip to a museum (depending on the museum this may be more than $10 but will make you feel special and pampered and, as an added bonus for the extra expense, smart)
9. giving yourself a manicure and pedicure
10. orange soda (not orange and cream soda, but straight up Orange Soda - I dare you to drink some and not smile)

Passover

Please go visit this. It's the funniest shoe story I've ever seen.

Happy Passover and/or Easter.

under pressure

while singing the Queen and David Bowie song in your head...

Just back from a Charity Event for Invest in Kids. When it 's a trivia challenge, there is A LOT of pressure to repeat as champions. All I can is that fact that last year we won, and that the Victory Cup had a place in the wedding of me and the BC has now entered Invest in Kids lore. Really, when you participate in anything, your ultimate goal can only be to be remembered, and trust me, we will.

Also decided that wearing the same skirt four times in a row was not very classy... may not have been the best luck to wear my new dress, but trust me, it's very pretty.

people who need a swift hard kick in the pants

"Peace Activists" who require military action to free them from hostage situations.

Two Words

Christian Louboutin

As you may know I have been coveting a pair of black and white Ferragamo wedges and decided to bite the bullet and see if they still had my size. They didn't but they did have these in my size and for about 2/3 the price.

I love my income tax refund (and the husband who lets me buy things on credit until the actual refund arrives!) Mine are similar but not asymmetrical and with a little bow. I'm just wearing them around the house and smiling.