Heyyy!

Simona, Cassianne and I went to see Avatar today in 3D and guess what? It was really good! We learned a new dance from the movie:).

Oh yeah, do you want to know what else happenned? Simona, Cassianne and I saw one of the workers from Tim Hortons, kick out girls that go to our school because the worker claimed, “They were losing them their customers” That is complete BULLSHIT (pardon my french ) because there were woman a few seats away from the girls who finished drinking and were chatting. The worker got her manager and the girls argued with him and then he threatened to call the police so they left.

When my friends were finished, we left so the worker couldn’t go and tell us anything. When we are walking back to the movie theater, there are 3 guys in a car, HONKING at us. We were a bit freaked out so we walked faster to the theater and Simona had her cell phone out to call the police!

What a day… I know.  So now, I’m sitting here, typing away after eating supper and GUESS WHAT? Now, I am soo BORED!

bored in a donut shop and feel like editing some of your bland iPhone camera pics?

there’s an app for that!

Oakville – Tim Hortons Free Holiday Public Skating Schedule

Glen Abbey Community Centre

• December 23  2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
• December 24  9:30 am – 11:00 am
• December 27  1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
• December 27  7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
• December 28  2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
• December 29  2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
• December 30  2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
• December 31   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• January 02      1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
• January 02      7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Kinoak Arena

• December 23   3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• December 24   9:30 am – 11:00 am
• December 27   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
• December 28   3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• December 29   3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• December 30   3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• December 31    9:30 am – 11:00 am
• January 02       2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Maple Grove Arena

• December 23   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
• December 24    9:30 am – 11:00 am
• December 27   3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• December 28   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
• December 29   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
• December 30   2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
• December 31    9:30 am – 11:00 am
• January 02       3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Oakville Arena

• December 23   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 24   9:30 am – 11:00 am
• December 27   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 28   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 29   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 30   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 31   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• January 02      1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

River Oaks Community Centre

• December 23   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 24   9:30 am – 11:00 am
• December 27   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 28   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 29   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 30   1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• December 31    1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• January 02       1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Visit Tim Hortons website to find out if your city or town has Tim Hortons Free Holiday Public Skating

The late night does not burden the early Saturday morning rise from bed. My heart is crashing and thrashing in my chest and goosebumps adorn my skin. The cold winter’s day aids in the rippling and bumping of skin; the blind could read my heart’s story through the braille that marks my body. And this story tells us all…

The Olympic Torch is arriving in Mississauga!

The drive is quick to the city centre; in Mississauga all is accessible via my Honda Civic. A city, hustling and bustling with its millions of people, at its very core has prepared itself for a celebration that has never been experienced before, and possibly never will be again. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment. And because of this, at the intersection of Princess Royal Drive and Living Arts Drive, nestled against our City Hall, Living Arts Centre, Central Library and YMCA, there emits a buzz and hum that reverberates to Mississauga’s edges, toward Etobicoke on our east, Oakville to our west, Brampton northwards and Lake Ontario cradling our southern border.

For most, Christmas preparations, or lazy weekend mornings, or brunch with family and friends have carved into their day, but for the thousands in attendance here at the heart of Mississauga, they have chosen something greater. They have heard the drum beat relentlessly, begging for our attention.

As I walk toward the festivities, volunteers hand out Coca-Cola Canada flags and RBC sponsored blue tambourines. The S.W.A.G. crowd my hands and my grip on them is suspect as my over-sized winter Roots gloves do little against the cold biting wind. My gloves match my Roots toque and my Roots scarf. They are my attempt to exemplify Canadian-ness, along with the Tim Horton’s coffee that peps my step.

The sky is grey and drab, as wintry clouds hide and mask the sun. The road I walk on is salt stained and small. Filthy piles of snow act as unimpressive guardians along the sidewalks. The crowd before me, around me, behind me, seemingly on top of me, are adorned with greys, blacks, and browns. Winter coats and clothing are rarely colourful. But peppered against all this; red, red for Christmas, but more importantly red for Canada, seems to shine more brightly today.

Proud Canadians, we are. Proud Mississaugans(?) Mississauga-ites (?) Mississauga-ers(?), we are. And our pride spurns us forward to stand against this cold and frigid day. After all, people who belong to Mississauga and Canada, we are strong people, and weather will not dictate how we live our lives and where we go. This pride that exists inside of me, leaks out from my eyes, and tears fall down my cheeks. The wind slaps and freezes the salt-tears against my face, cementing my pride for all to see. My hands tremble against the cold, or do they tremble from the emotion attached to a day like this, when the Olympic Torch will come to my hometown?

My vision clears as the blur of tears disappears. And as I look out with newly washed eyes, I see people. And what people we have in Mississauga, at this gathering! Strapped together, out of a desire to be as close to the stage and torch relay walkway, and out of necessity, to do like the penguins do as Morgan Freeman teaches us in their “Penguin March”, every form and type of person stands; old and young, male and female, immigrants from all over the world; 1st generation Canadians, 2nd and 3rd, 5th perhaps as well, and First Nations people. This is the face of Mississauga, one that is blessed with the faces of different cultures, races, histories, and stories. And in each face shines hope and excitement. We are unified by our desires today as we eagerly await the Olympic Torch.

We all stand at attention, waiting. Then in a sudden moment, almost like a dance routine that we are all a part of, bodies turn and our eyes take hold of a flame. Orange and bright, held high for all to see and witness, the Torch makes its way through the crowd, toward the center stage, where eagerly, our mayor, Hazel McCallion awaits.

The flame holds true against the violent, but fading wind; the wind realizes that today, it will not have victory over the Torch or our resolve. The wind dies down, and the flame should burn brighter, but it begins to pale, its brightness fades against the vibrancy of a new and all-encompassing light.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

With glowing hearts, we welcome you, the Olympic Torch, and as beautiful and majestic as you are, today, our hearts which are filled with hope, awe, wonder, peace, love and unity, our hearts glow brighter.

As I was yesterday:

Today I reached a goal I set on Jan. 1 of this year.  Every January 1st for about seven years or so now I start over.  I start my workout journal, my biking journal at ZERO.   For those of you who really know me you might understand how difficult it is for me to see a big fat ZERO where there were THOUSANDS just 24 hours earlier.

My goal is to ride as many miles as possible on my bike(s).  Whether it is road miles.  Or roller miles.  Or trainer in the bike room miles.  They all count.   And, now, every year I want to top 10,000.   Because I did it once.

Check.  Done.  Did it.

Did I celebrate with pizza?  No.  Ice cream?  No.   I didn’t even technically document it yet.  I will do that on Sunday morning when I total this week’s miles and add to the total for the year.   But I reached it this morning.  And I am happy.  Oh, I did have some applesauce.  And don’t think I am crazy and don’t enjoy food.  I do.  But today I already had fruit pizza, a Tim Horton’s bagel, and a Tim Horton’s tuna snack wrapper.   So maybe I did celebrate, I just didn’t recognize it.  OH!  And two cookies my sister in law, the best baker ever,  made.  Okay, I did celebrate!   Sweet.

And no, I don’t get to stop for the year.   Now I want to add more miles.  I have had years where I surpassed the 10,000.  On one of my injury free years I rode 11, 022.  On my broken hip year I rode 8007.  That was the first year I tracked by miles and not time on the bike.  On my broken back year I rode 10,500.  On my hysterectomy year I rode 10,399.   Part of me wants to say the number is not important.  But just a wee small part of me.  Most of me revels in the big numbers.   For many reasons.

ONE:   BECAUSE I CAN!   It is so rewarding to me to wake up every morning and BE ABLE to get up and go ride in the bike room.  I have read my way through thousands of miles.  I have emailed many a sleeping friend or family.  I have sung to many a YouTube tunes, once to the annoyance of Nessie who came in and told me to be quiet.  I have said the rosary.  I have put my head down and tried to sleep while I peddled.   No, that didn’t work out so well.  But I peddle regardless.

TWO:  Because I do not want to be a chunky butt again.  Yes, if you know me, you know I was large.  VERY large.   I have no problem what so ever facing that.  I don’t want to go back.  To everyone who loves me enough to say “you never looked like you weighed 235 (240) pounds”, well, yes I did!  The higher the number of miles the more likely I am to not go back to that heart stopping weight again.

THREE:  I love the goal!  I love the challenge.  I love the quiet moments every day.  I love the music I listen to, the books I read, the videos I watch.  I love the time I spend peddling and doing something positive for myself every day.

FOUR:  I feel good riding.  I feel good after I ride.  I feel good later in the day when it gets a little crazy and I think back, or ahead to the next morning, of that peaceful 45 to 60 minutes on the bike.  Soothing my soul with peace or music.  Working my muscles in a safe and sweaty way.  Taking time to make the best of what I have.  Regardless of injury or physical set backs, riding the bike has always given me a way and a reason to get up and go.  Keep myself moving.  Healing sometimes.  Happy all the time.

Did it!

Yay!

there is nothing in the world that’s more interesting than doughnuts. but where did these tasty pastries come from? i set out to the tim horton’s a few blocks up the road to find out.

after a little careful observation, i’ve concluded that doughnuts come from the other side of the door that says “employees only” in tim horton’s restaurants. they sit in a window display until someone buys them: their destiny lying finally in the consumer’s hands. mine ended up in the garbage can.

Regulation Canadian headgear

This weekend the kids went skating. (Actually it was the fourth time this week that we’ve gone, but we live in Canada and IT’S THE LAW.  Then we all go to Tim Horton’s for coffee and maple glazed donuts where we sing Gordon Lightfoot songs and complain (politely) about our universal health care program. )

The kids and I love to skate. I love everything about it –  the cold metallic smell of the rink, the children’s sweaty helmet heads, frozen pink cheeks, and saying the word “Zamboni.” 

We enjoy most winter sports; skating, tobogganing, hot tubbing.  I have a particular affinity for those snowy activities which end with hot chocolate and Bailey’s Irish Cream. 

But we don’t ski. It’s too expensive and I am too irritable and impatient to wait in lift lines. 

So when my son expressed an interest in getting a hockey stick this year, I showed the usual restraint and spent equivalent to the annual gross national product of a developing nation on all manner of hockey equipment. If you ask my son, it was worth every penny. 

How many goals has he scored? Assists? Games played? Um, that would be none, none, and NONE. 

It turns out he has as much interest in hockey as he does in soccer, but he LOVES the equipment and gear. He wears the chest protector, shin guards, elbow pads, gloves, and helmet when we go grocery shopping, because “it makes me look like a Transformer.” 

I thought for sure he would love hockey. After all, he is Canadian and it’s got two of his great loves: sharp blades and sticks.  But rather than put the equipment and his skating skill to proper use, he has much more fun using the winter weather and hockey equipment in his typical manner: 

Building faceless snowpeople and then chopping them up with his hockey sticks. 

My backyard now contains all manner of mutilated snow creatures of all shapes and sizes, in various stages of agony, dismemberment and meltdown. At night the neighbour’s Christmas lights cast an eerie glow over the scene. It looks like the movie set of  ”Frosty the Snowman : Christmas Village Massacre.”  My son is having a blast out there, and he sleeps the contended and deep sleep that only small children know.

So what if he’ll never be a Wayne Gretzky. He just may wind up the nations best snowman chopper-upper. Either way, that hockey stick was the best $20 I’ve spent in a long time.

“I should have bought a fucking Hortons,” so Peter told me.

Maybe yes. Maybe no.

Peter Bell is an original.

He and I were Ontario Nutri-Lawn franchisees in the 1990s. He was in a partnership with a “friend” Marc Thiebaud at OGS, in the Oshawa/Whitby area.

Peter is smart. He didn’t take the legal dead-end like I did. But both he and I signed based on false earning claims delivered by wonky pro forma income statements.

In 1998, from the franchisor’s unusual point of view, Nutri-Lawn had 24 successful Ontario territories (ie. open, paying royalties).

From the franchisee investor another picture emerges. From 1990 to 1997 of the 24 territories:

1. there were 17 franchisee ownership changes,
   
2. 3 were on their 3rd franchisee, and
3. 11 were on their second.

In 8 years in Canada’s most prosperous province.

Zero bankruptcies because everyone else sold their pig of a business to the next mark. I defied their stupid, hard-to-enforce non-compete clause and took my customers into another company while I fought them in Court. Mine (I think) was the only legal challenge and subsequent, rather high-profile bankruptcy.  Summary

Peter and I both got hung out to dry, but God, we had a few laughs.

Churning: the rapid selling, failure, retaking and re-selling of franchises. Can be intentional or unintentional but the outcome is the same for the investor. Useful to change the logo (old on top).

Lipstick on a pig.

A hallmark of even the bluest of “blue chip” systems.

Timmies, Tantrums and TSN Prospects:  Chronicles of a Serendipitous Puck Mummy

After a day off from the rink,I headed back this morning for what I knew from past experience would be an awesome time.  The annual Tim Hortons’ IP Jamboree at the Metro Centre with the Mooseheads.

This was our fourth (and sadly, final) year at this event as we went with Noah for two years when he played IP and then Gabrielle last year and today.  I have learned over these four years that 5 and 6-year-old hockey players love: a) playing at the Metro Centre; b) playing at the Metro Centre with Moosehead players; c) jumping on bouncy castles at the Metro Centre; and d) eating all the timbits you can at the Metro Centre.  

And that’s what the Tim Hortons’ IP Jamboree is essentially – a great big smorgasbord of hockey, bouncy castles, timbits and Moosehead players.

IP teams from all over attend this event. The Metro Centre crawls with pint-sized hockey players jacked up on timbits and adrenaline.  A free event sponsored by Tim Hortons in another example of their unfailing dedication to the sport of hockey in this country.

The event also showcases Moosehead players who spend their time patiently playing with young children who idolize them.

And the Mooseheads are so patient. And kind.  And generous.  And forgiving.  As was evidenced today when Gabrielle stalked down two players who were taking a break sitting in the stands to have them sign her stick.  She informed them she had been at their game the night before (one they had lost…).  When they asked her what she thought of the game, she told them that she cheered for the other team and was happy the other team won.  Good god.

She did follow that up with the explanation that her daddy scouts for the other team so that’s why she thought they were the best.  The players could not help but laugh in the face of her honesty. Luckily they had signed her stick before she told them of her allegiance.

Great sportsmanship, great event, great hockey.  And that’s the truth.

The ticket to neighbourhood popularity

During the past few weeks the weather here had been unseasonably warm. In fact, we had the first November on record with no snow fall since record keeping began in 1937. This is unusual for an area whose residents typically gather in October to swap techniques for thawing frozen pipes and share news of weather stripping sales.

With the nice weather hanging around, we had delayed (read: I procrastinated) getting the kids and myself proper winter outerwear.

Then the calendar flipped to December.  You know the saying about March “coming in like a lion, and going out like a lamb?” Well from now on, I will refer to November 2009 as the month that “came in like a the sweet lady who works at the library and smells like lavender and candy, and went out like an irritable, slightly overweight caffeine dependent mother of two who was given the wrong muffin at Tim Horton’s .”

By the first day of December, we had snow, sleet, and sudden freezing temperatures.  I had planned to rake the dead leaves from the yard before the first snow came, but my rake is now encased upright in 5 inches of frozen slush. Come spring, instead of being met with fresh green shoots of fescue, I will instead be faced with a groaning brown carpet of rotting maple leaves and raccoon crap.

Last night it was -20 with the wind chill. For those of you in warmer climates who may be unfamiliar with the term “wind chill,” it’s what Mother Nature invented after she thought to herself, “I really don’t like these Canadian people.” I think she’s jealous of Universal health care and 12 month paid maternity leave.  Or maybe she just heard one too many Celine Dion songs on EZ Rock while having a tooth extracted.

So this week, the mad dash to Canadian Tire for winter wear began. We all now have waterproof mittens, new toques, felt lined boots and long thermal underwear. I have environmentally friendly ice melter for the walkways, a new snowbrush for the car, and the kids are getting snow shovels under the Christmas tree. PM bought me a snow blower, my larder is stocked with hot chocolate and Godiva white chocolate liqueur and the electric blankets have been dry-cleaned.  I have given obligatory warnings about tongues on metal fence posts and discussed appropriate frost bite first aid measures.

This family is ready for a Canadian winter.  

So come on Mother Nature;  BRING IT.

I Am Canadian!

Yup, I am.

I am back! After the many birthday parties given to me by my various groups, relatives and friends, my neurons seem to be working alright for another blog post..

And since I always start the month of December in festive mode and mood, what a better way to continue the celebration than to write about, yes, Christmas..

I was reading through my December issue of Readers Digest Canada few hours ago when I’ve stumbled on this cartoon page, which shows a kid telling Santa “I won’t be writing you this year – you can find my list on my blog” in the Last Laugh section. (Photograb below)

Photograb from Readers Digest Magazine Canada (December 2009)

And since the whole magazine joyously talked about Christmas stuff, giving, and other philanthropic endeavours, I might as well talk about the Yuletide Season in yet another festive (or sarcastic) mood by literally giving you a list of what I want and what I suggest everyone to get as Christmas gifts for themselves or for their love ones..

Okay, cut me some slack people.. I know I am 28 and I am too old to come up with a list for Santa but this is not for the old stinky fat white chimney guy.. And yes, I know that Santa is a fictional character who sits his ass and eggs to boil in 365 days and only goes out his cave during Christmas eve (the only date in the Calendar when he goes for a sleigh ride with the equally fat-assed Rudolf the runny nose reindeer)

Before, I’ll go too far writing why I dislike Santa, Here’s a list of the things I want or rather suggest you folks to have as presents on Christmas eve this year..

Kids, you can pick one from my list and ask your folks (not Santa) to buy one or bulk for you as Christmas gift..

1. NHL Jersey. I am a big hockey fan and I cheer for the Flaming C of Red.. So, regardless of the team you’re cheering and betting, a new NHL jersey of your favorite “pucker” (be conscious about the spelling.. It’s “P.U.C.K.E.R.”) is always a good choice for a Christmas present.. Although, it’s pretty costly and can even be more expensive than a one-day wage of the giver, what counts the most is the smile you put on someone else’s face when they unwrap their gifts..

Just be sure that the NHL team you’re cheering for is winning more and sucking less.. Otherwise, it’s always a shame to put on your jersey when you go watch the big game..

2. PlayStation Portable Go (PSP Go).. It’s the new and refined version of the old and slim PSPs.. Of course, it is still manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment and was released on the 1st of October this year and is commercially available after the Hallow’s eve.. For more of the PSP Go’s specification an functionalities, click here

3. Snow Board.. Since winter has finally arrived and is here to stay for quite a long time (7-9 months), what a way to enjoy weekends, after-school and after-work hours than to go out and play in the snow.. Afterall, no one wants to have winter pounds without doing some workout..

But before snowboarding, it would not hurt when you have to have your Insurance first, just so things will be alright when you and your snowboard stumbled along the way to some medical terms like, X-Ray, MRI, CT Scan, halo brace, and oh, anesthetized skulls..

4. A Portable Blu-Ray Player. Yes, Panasonic and CES developed the first portable Blu-Ray Technology Player mid this year and it’s out in the market.. What’s the edge of this technology over the portable DVD player? Well, let me talk techy here.. Fundamentally, Blu-ray’s video play and playback quality are in High-Definition (HD) with resolution of 1080p against 480i resolution of a regular DVD..

Blu-Ray’s another perk can upscale old and/but compatible DVD players to 1080p for enhanced motion picture (but not in HD)..

Another reason why you should get a portable Blu-Ray player this Christmas is its storage allotment. If single layer DVDs can hold 4.7 GB and double layer discs hold 8.5 GB, Blu-Ray drives have 25 GB and 50 GB for its respective layers..

5. A perculator.. Coffee and of course, tea are always the best beverages during the cold months.. So it won’t hurt if you include a coffee maker or a perculator in your Craiglist.. Afterall, a Venti size Espresso Chocolate Truffle from Starbucks would Make you $5 poorer (that’s including tax), and a large Cap Double Double from Tim Horton’s would make you $3 poorer (again, that’s including tax).. Admittedly though, Starbucks is my guilty pleasure and yes, I’ll soon be working with Tim Hortons..

So why not wish for a perculator where all you have to do is go to the grocery store and buy a bucket of brewed coffe beans for $10 that would last for few weeks than spend the same amount for two cups of coffee on a daily basis.. (Not unless you own a Starbucks or Timmys store)..

6. A Round Trip Ticket for an Out-of-Town Holiday.. Yes, who doesn’t want to go on a Holiday.. Although this idea seems to be just a wishful thinking, I guess, if all is well with the finances, then, it’s a good gift that someone can give to their families or to themselves.. Sometimes, we all need to take time out, chill out, unwind and give ourselves time and peace or all hell break loose..

If on a tight budget, then the best alternative is to book a hotel in the nearest city you haven’t visited for a while, get a full tank, hit the road and rev up for a holiday.. Just be sure that the weather comes to term with your plan..

I’ve included this in my list because the idea of spending Christmas in a hotel room this year sounds cool and rewarding.. I might go to Banff or Edmonton..

7. A 1-Year IMAX movie pass.. The power of the 3D and it’s sorround sound system.. Winter movie line ups are always the best.. You can make the whole family enjoy a popcorn and pop with your IMAX movie pass gift.. For sure, the vermins in diapers will love every movie they’ll see in those Robocop-inspired 3D glasses..

8. iPhone 3GS.. Upgrade your or someone else’s phone.. The iPhone 3GS technology is a “mutation” of the old iPhone units..

With all its touch feature and functionalities plus video capability, the iPhone 3GS is a perfect gift for a techy nerdist.. true to Apple’s claim, it’s the fastest iPhone ever..

But if you’re on a tight budget, trust me, an Apple gift card is just as perfect as giving the hardware itself..

9. 1-Year Gym Membership.. If you have issues shedding those extra fats and weights or have friends who are as fat-assed as Santa Claus himself, a year gym membership is considered a gift for a cause.. Trust me, giving gift like this is a Lord’s work.. Not only that you’re saving yourself or anyone from heart attack, obesity or even early passing, but you’re doing a great job showing that you care much getting fit and being healthy..

10. A Bible.. You must be saying, “WTF!” or “WTH”, but hey, it’s the only portable library in the whole wide world where the accounts of the birth and death of the reason why we celebrate Christmas are written..

I am not a big religious fellow, but if Chrstians have the reasons to celebrate Christmas and do their wish list, the bible told so perfectly..

Dig this, “No one can spell Christmas without Christ and thus can spell Satan without Santa!”..

In finishing, more than the monetary value of the gifts we give, the thought that we’re sharing our blessings in our humble way is more important.. As humble as when Christ himself choose to be born in a manger rather than in a heater-equipped room..

IT’S SHOUTOUT TIME

Okay, this is surely a very long blog with a lot of people I really would like to thank for remembering my birthday, giving me gifts, throwing parties for me and greeting me with well wishes.. But since I don’t want my readers to get tired reading a lengthy post, you people know who you are, so I leave this blank line _____________________ for you to assume that you’re one.. Kiddin’!

Thank you!!
JUST SO YOU KNOW
Am giving you one of my trivia this time with my quotation, “No one can spell Christmas without Christ and thus can spell Satan without Santa!”..

Okay the title of this blog by others standards should be SILS.  But I didn’t like the sound of that.  So I used my own logic and came up with SILP.  Sounds better.

Though it does not do justice to what I just ate.  

On the way home from work I suggested to David to go through Tim Horton’s.  I could save some time, and eat my dinner on my way home so when I got home I could just go ride my bike.  I wanted soup.  Never mind I told him, having to turn left to get in to Tim Horton’s, then left to get out of Tim Horton’s at going home time would take longer than going home and heating up soup.  I’ll just eat at home.  Progresso and other soups do a decent job of creating a nice, heatable and will do for dinner kind of soup.   Soup, toast, applesauce… yes toast.

I walk in the door and am greeted by a wonderful smell.  I don’t like using the word smell, smell can also indicate  bad.  Fragrance?  Food can be fragrant.  To me anyway.  Oh man Nick is cooking again.  I dropped all of my stuff and made my way to the stove.  Big pot.  Oh man what is it?  What is it?   WHAT IS IT????

I lift the lid…………….oh my golly!  SOUP!  But this isn’t soup, it is SOUP.  I could see peas, carrotts, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, sausage, beans, rice oh man but the smell.   I mean  the fragrance was more than vegies simmering in a pot.  There was magic going on in there.  I don’t know what it is.  I don’t know the charms, and incantations and potions he uses.  And I did not care.    I hurried in to my bike clothes and yelled down the steps, thoughtfully,  before just taking ….  “HEY NICK CAN I HAVE SOME OF YOUR SOUP?”   I’m his mother in law and can kick his arse, so what’s he going to say, no?  Of course he said yes.

I was a little giddy.  

Food does that to me.

I got my bowl.  Soup.  Ireland spoon.  Water bottle.  Toast.  Because toast makes me happy.  And then, only when everything was just right.  I ate some SILP.

I have to say it was probably the best soup I have ever had.  I had a feeling.  That anticipation of something good going to happen.  And it did.

Personally, I have no problems with Nick being a great cook.  A better cook than me.  I would gladly never cook again if it meant he would cook always.  But I can’t do that.  I can only indulge sometimes with his cooking.  Because when he cooks, I can not stop myself.  I ate some SILP.  I am now riding, hoping somehow that couple of gallons of SILP disappears before I get off of my bike, because if it hasn’t, I fear it will disappear. 

What a great day.  I looked out my window at work all day to the greyness of a cold day.  It felt good to be outside, but coming and going from your car for work purposes does not really let one enjoy the day.  So it was getting out of work and heading home that I was looking forward to.  I always do.  Eat a little.  Ride a little.  Do a little TKD.  Talk and sing with Grace O’Malley.  Give Hootie a little grief.  See what Brittany and Nessie are up to.  See if Nick is hunting, or cooking by the fire.  Spend some time sitting and writing, reading, talking to David about our cabin. 

But today there was SILP.  SILP makes a grey day perfect.  Cold and grey outside.  Warm and aroma filled home inside.  Perfect. 

Sorry Progresso and Tim Horton’s, you’ll never compare.  You’ll do in a pinch.  But it won’t be SILP.  It’ll just be soup.

Bedtime at our house requires the patience and problem solving skills of a Broadway production co-ordinator.

Every night I am called upon to meet the demands of two over-confident, demanding “stars,” and often have to shout stage directions like “Brush your teeth! BOTH sides!” and “If your lunch box is still in the car then you’re eating locker fungus tomorrow!” while attempting to squeeze in a weekly bath. If I want them in bed before midnight, I need to start the routine at lunch time. Even so, by 9pm I’m usually exhausted and they’re eating Red Dye #40 straight from the package.

I cannot understand why these kids will not go to bed. How can they not be tired? Dingly Butternuts spends his day building exhaustively complex couch cushion fortresses and kitchen utensil weaponry and Dog Lover uses as much energy as an Olympic tri-athlete on worry. I hear about them at bedtime; when they have percolated all day, so that they form a sticky, concentrated syrup of dread, as thick as old coffee, forgotten in the heated pot.

The other night was not-so-unusual, and at bedtime she expressed concern over:

1. Needing braces. Specifically braces with headgear that will make her look “like a tomato plant.”

2. Whether or not to spend her allowance on jeans, an iTunes card or University savings.

3. Getting bifocals.

BIFOCALS! She’s 10! Although with my apparent premature aging issue, her concern may be warranted.

I worried a lot as a child but about stuff that was possible or real – having to wear a bra in Grade five, what kind of horrible second-hand clothing my step mother would bring me home to wear, middle of the night alien abduction.

It’s a family trait I guess, because I still worry about many things, again possible and real: flying, catching horrible diseases, Armageddon, getting the wrong muffin at Tim Horton’s. But as I get older, and my will to live slowly diminishes, I have realized that these things have a way of working themselves out. Having a military size stash of hand sanitizer and an occasional disregard for other’s feelings helps.

Of course, I handled my daughter’s anxiety with trademark concern. I told her that by the time we finished paying for my education and saved enough money for her to go to University, all of her teeth would be false and she’d have cataracts anyway, so she should just go ahead and buy those jeans.

London

The brand name Tim Hortons is ubiquitous in Canada. Driving along Canadian city main streets it seems a Tim Hortons outlet appears every several hundred yards. There are some 3000 branches, the majority located in Canada with around 500 in the U.S. They began in the 1960s initially only offering coffee and donuts. Now they do soup and sandwich style lunches offering combo deals as well as a range of bakery goods. Good coffee has been a consistently strong feature of the brand.
We were travelling east towards London, Ontario on Highway 401 and feeling like a bite for lunch stopped at Ingersoll, a fairly small town close by. The Tim Hortons Ingersoll branch is strategically located being one of the first retail premises encountered as you enter the town. We noticed people eating there who appeared to be truckers and delivery drivers.
My partner and I both had some chicken noodle soup which at 2.59 Canadian dollars [equivalent of 1.47 GBP] was very reasonable. The soup, served with crackers of course and not bread, was just a little greasy but still very good. I had a chicken sandwich too was quite wholesome. It had some vinaigrette dressing which I would have appreciated knowing about beforehand. In Canada the sandwich default tends to be with dressing rather than without as is the case in the U.K. We both had a tea as refreshment poured in a Tim Hortons container, a familiar sight in Canada.
The bill in total was moderate and the service, Canadian style, was once again civil and cordial.

Check out my review of Tim Hortons – I am grian1954 – on Qype

Today was the last day of classes!! YAY!! Time to seriously go and study…. argh!!

I must learn to love the subjects which is kinda hard to do as I have no idea what the subjects are talking about. Ugh, I think I’m going to be doing a lot of studying which I don’t really like doing. *sigh* no choice I have to do it. Really have to focus on Chem though… the only subject that I am currently failing in. I also go EASIA and Stats to worry about.

But putting the studying aside I went to WEM today and I told myself that if Fruits & Passion did not have the fragrance trio that I wanted I would go and use my $5 for something else. And that was what ended up happening. They have everything else except for the fruity scents… ugh but I picked up some other things with the money meant for the fragrances. I went into LUSH for the first time today. Yay me! Ended up getting 2 massage bars I was actually thinking about getting the Strawberry one or the Therapy one but neither smelled good. Like they were smells that didn’t describe me so I didn’t want to have that on my body. The Sales Associates were really nice and knew there stuff too not to annoying like what I read on the net. Ahaha, I got a tin for free and got two Each Peach because I really like the crispy orangey type smell to it. It melts quite quickly so I cut it up once I got home and put it in a container. I pray that it won’t like melt while sitting on top of my makeup box. But I got a backup and that one is in the tin which is great. ^_^ I think that the next time I go to LUSH that is the only type of product that I will get.

Well actually I was thinking about getting the Mask of Magniminty I believe is what it is called and it’s quite cheaper than the Body Shop but doesn’t last as long so I’m debating about that or going to go and buy the Body Shop Seaweed one. But my current mask which is Body Shop blue corn isn’t planning to run out soon I’ve used about 1/4 of it. Still a lot left to go.

The only other places that I went to were Dollar Store and Dollarama. Wait, is there a difference between them? Yes, yes there is… the Dollar store has everything for a dollar while Dollarama has stuff that is over a dollar and is labelled. I personally like the Dollar store better for like hair clips and candy and Dollarama for general stuff. So what I ended up getting from the Dollar store is 4 sour belts, and 30 hair elastics which were in a set pastel colors! Really pretty cool stuff and from Dollarama I got more running tape and nail file for a Christmas stocking. I still have a dollar left and that is for next time I go to WEM I’m going to get more sour belts. So yummy!

On the way back I decided that I would stop by Tim Hortons and get a hot chocolate because the wind made the weather really really cold!! So I stopped by there and had to try to retreat to someplace warm as quick as possible. Man, freezing cold! I bought a large hot chocolate (as I have a ongoing hate for coffee) and a donut for my sister. Camped out at my sister’s high school while waiting for her to finish up her stuff. I should buy Tim Hortons more often the stuff there is actually ok. By the time I reached my sisters high school my hot chocolate was on the verge of mildly warm. Still yummy…

Ended up coming home and my sister bullying me on the way home which is kinda strange because she is 2 years younger than me but still ends up beating me up. Hate that. So, I am off to work on homework and I smell great too!! So positive I am seriously loving the Each Peach massage bar. My sister says it smell like Pledge (cleaner for wooden surfaces) and lemongrass combined. I don’t think I smell like that but it was quite interesting taking a trip to LUSH.

I am seriously craving a Whopper from Burger King…. no must focus on studying. STUDY!!

Here’s another Thanksgiving tradition for you: The Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Game. Now you may say the Lions are the worst team in the NFL, but I’ll have you know that we have won TWO games this year. Two, people. And next year, maybe we’ll win three. Ha! I am a huge Lions fan, have been since the Barry Sanders days, and I WILL be at the Superbowl when we get there. That’s folks, you heard it here first, the Lions are going to the Superbowl! YAYYYYYY!!!!!

Ha. Anyway, the Lions game on Thanksgiving is a years-long family tradition. So we went to Ford Field. There were 11 of us in the gang, two of whom were friends of mine that moved to Chicago after college. I was so happy to hang out with them:

The beginning of the game was cool cause the Lions scored the first touchdown but then it pretty much ended right there on our end. There’s always next year!

So, we took a stroll around, checked out the merch and grabbed some Polish sausages. Mmm. My mom, older sis, Aunt and cousin were working a Big Boy stand so we kept stopping by and saying hi to them too.

That’s no dirty-water city hot dog, right there!

The best part is that while we were walking around, we saw the Tim Hortons cup walking around, holding hands with a little girl!

Now isn’t that the cutest little cup of coffee you ever did see?

Go Lions! ROARRRRRRRR!

Leaves crackled and swept by in the breeze, swirling sometimes upward–one moment close enough to step into, then speeding on ahead the next, taunting the walking friends yet again.

“Look at the leaves, man.” He shivered as it gusted yet again, fleece providing little comfort without the shell. “This wind…”

“Yeah, it’s crazy.” His companion finished another sentence. Their conversations had taken on the character of a compulsive action: something that never rightly had to be done, but was done nonetheless. Whether it was dictated by habit, society or just a notion of “what friends do” didn’t matter; it just happened. But after years spent together, it was also entirely unnecessary.

This day, there didn’t seem to be much to say, remarks about the weather aside. Each of the young men walked quickly, zipped into their collars and shivering–hands occasionally leaving a pocket to push glasses back into place or point out a squirrel making final preparations for a winter that just hadn’t come yet.

November, and no snow, he thought, finger combing his hair back into place–something his friend never had to worry about. This was due in part to early onset baldness, but mostly because he enjoyed the idea of one day becoming a stunt double for Jason Statham. And after seeing him in a full suit on Halloween, he had to admit that there was a fairly close resemblance. There hadn’t been any snow then either, it all just melted away.

They crossed an intersection at a brisk pace, forced at the end into an awkward jog by a speeding car, hands jammed into whatever warmth there was at the bottoms of their coat pockets. The wind didn’t slacken with the crossing, just kept gusting, harvesting great leaf tornadoes from the gutters and sending them crashing to the ground moments later.

“It’s like… a different kind of ocean or something. Jesus, dude, look at it!”

He turned back, but missed what his friend had been referring to. As they passed through suburban Portland, his mind was filled with questions and lingering fears–half-certainties which for anyone else would have been resolved the previous night but for him proved only fodder for an overactive analysis.

But, betrayed again by the body which wouldn’t submit to logic, he found himself smiling as he broke from these thoughts into the simple memory of it. And his friend, beside him once again, knew what he was thinking.

“Dude, I’m not even going to listen to you talk about her anymore.”

They both laughed. “It’s okay. I don’t even know if there’s anything else to say.” He scratched his beard for a moment, trying to hide his widening grin behind his hand. “I’m hungry anyway. I think there’s a Timmy Ho’s around here somewhere, you down?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The conversation turned to food as they rounded a bend and spied the red Tim Horton’s sign in the distance, evoking its own memories and banishing, for a time, the nervous excitement which almost constantly plagued him now.

I woke up one morning and told my self, at the age of 42, that I needed to start drinking coffee.  Until that point in life I could not stand the taste of coffee.  But the smell of it reminded me of my parents.  They drank coffee.  And many times during my youth I made them coffee, took them coffee, periodically sipped it just to make sure I didn’t like it.  It smelled soooooooooooooooooooooooo  incredibly good.  How could I not like it?   Back then I knew how to make it for mom and dad, how much to put in the coffee maker, or even making instant in a pinch for them.  But I did not like the taste of coffee.  But that morning, at the age of 42, I woke up knowing I had to drink coffee. 

I had David go through the drive through of Tim Horton’s and I got an iced cappucino.  Coffee, I discovered, is good. 

I graduated to hot coffee, with cream and sugar.  Cream and Splenda.  I still need that.  I can not do black coffee.  But I can now chew chocolate covered coffee beans.   More than a  few years ago Ben, my ‘go ahead and try this’ friend, had received some coffee from Hawaii.  Ben, who always loved coffee, and before I loved coffee, thought I could try to chew these coffee beans from Hawaii.  Like he did.  Why not?  No, they were not covered in anything.  The beans smelled sooooooooooooooooo good.  Why wouldn’t they taste good?  Popped a couple in my mouth, one crunch, ran for the bathroom to spit them out before I threw up.

I love the bottled frappucionos’, coffee ice cream, and a few drinks from Starbucks.  Though their coffee is kind of bitter for me.  I don’t think good coffee has to be bitter to be good.  So if by that I fail to meet Starbuck standards, I hang my head in shame.  I love the idea of Starbucks, and given a chance I’ll go there.  But for a frozen drink, low fat, low calorie, or in their terms “skinny”.   Just drinking something with “skinny” in the verbage makes me happy, even if  it is vicariously through the drink that I have “skinny”.

Now I can drink hot coffee, iced coffee, iced cappucinos, chew coffee beans in some form, and generally appreciate the goodness of coffee. 

I feel like a grown up.   Kind of.   I sometimes think I am going to be busted for being an imposter coffee drinker.  I get a little giddy ordering coffee like I was my parent or something.   I love the feeling I get when I order, and drink coffee.  It’s like when I made coffee for mom and dad, and carried it through the house, smelling it.  Thinking it was the best smelling stuff EVER (maybe even a little more so than Dad’s Old Spice, or Mom’s Royal Secret).  But when I order it now, still, I get that feeling I got when I made a cup, carried a cup trying to smell away all of the flavor before I got to mom or dad, and gave it to the adult.  I feel like the kid I was when my world was protected by my parents and it smelled good, and it was something I really shouldn’t have.   It represented being adult.  And the fact that as an adult, when I drink it, it gives me that innocent feeling of childhood, I love it more. 

Police in Ontario are searching for a convict who was assisted by two other men in a planned escape from a Hamilton hospital. The escapee, Fawad Ahmed Nouri, was visiting the hospital, under escort, for a follow-up appointment to treat gunshot wounds he received in a shootout with police.
Nouri was shot during an armed robbery attempt at a Tim Hortons in January.
Ten months later, Nouri is on the lam and facing additional charges.
Nouri’s freedom has come at a hefty sum.
If he stayed in prison and served his time, he could have paid the low price of $395 to have his record removed permanently with a pardon from the Canadian Government.  
Express Pardons could have made the pardon process painless and hassle free. Instead Nouri chose two masked gunmen to assist him. He will now be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life.
If you are serving time for a crime or have finished a sentence, choose Express Pardons to help free you from your past mistakes.
There is less chance of getting shot!

When you think of an eclair, you probably think log shaped dessert, filled with cream and covered in chocolate.  I always picture a Tim Horton’s eclair for some reason as my point of reference to this sweet treat.  I have a vivid memory of looking at eclairs in the glass case in front of the cashier at Tim Horton’s when I was a child. 

I don’t even know if Timmy Ho’s makes these things any more because the last time I set foot into one of these caffeine fueling stations must have been at least 15 years ago!  Sorry the picture below is so small but it was the only one I could find that matches my memory.

Fast forward to this new idea- designer eclairs by noneother than Fauchon.  I would have never expected eclairs to receive a fashion makeover like the one’s over at Fauchon in Pairs, but I guess anything is possible.  These techonocolour pastries are stunning and I am not sure how anyone could possibly take a bite and ruin the works of cream filled puffs.  Imagine a platter of these designer eclairs at an event or individual customized works of art brought out for guests or tailored to the aesthetics of a table>  I’m sure Amy Atlas would love these!

Check these out:

via histoiresdisa

via materialiste.com

via 8tokyo.com

Ei viime, mutta sitä edellisenä viikonloppuna tulikin sitten käytyä Kanadassa. Perjantai aamuna lähti bussi Chinatownista matkaoppaamme KingKongin opastamana kohti Kanadan rajaa ja sieltä nopsasti Torontoon pienen veneajelun jälkeen. Meidän pieni 5 suomalaisen ja 1 saksalaisen seurue ei veneilemään lähtenyt, vaan me tyydyttiin kirtelemään autiokylässä. Tai ainakin tähän aikaan vuodesta se oli kovin autio. Kai siellä kesällä on elämää, mutta näin syksyllä/talvella se ei järin eläväinen paikka ollut. Ja silti mielummin kiertelin siellä kun läksin mitään saaria kahtelemaan. Kyllä sitä saaria riittää Suomessakin.

Tästä sitten matka jatkui Kanadan rajalle ja sieltä Torontoon 4 tähden hotelliin uinailemaan. Meitä tosin oli kuusi ja meillä oli 2 kahden hengen huonetta, mutta siksipä se matka niin halpa olikin. Ja ne sängyt oli niin leveitä että Even kanssa iha kivasti mahduttiin samaan sänkyyn. Tosin mie taisin nyysiä häneltä peiton ainaki toisena yönä. Sori vaan.
Aamulla olikin herätys sitten jo 6.15 kun matkan oli määrä jatkua 7.15. “This is KingKong. Is everything ok? Lememble to take evelything with you.”

Eli siinä seitsemän aikoihin raahauduttiin takaisin bussiin ja sieltä syömään aamupalaa Toronton Chinatowniin. Ei kyllä tullut mitään kiinalaista pöperöä natusteltua, vaan löytyi uusi rakkaus! Tim Hortons nimisetä ketjusta saa ehkä parhaat leivonnaiset ikuna (siis sellaiseksi kahvilaketjuksi). Miljoona kertaa parempi kun joku käpynen Starbucks. Lähimmät Tim Hortonsit harmi vaan on miulla NYCssä asti niin ei viitti ihan sinne joka päivä lähteä kahvittelemaan. Ja kun jos siellä maksaa joku perus leivonnainen sen 99senttiä ni vähän hakkaa Starbucksin hinnat kans.
Mutta Tim Hortonsin hehkutuksesta takasi asiaan. Taas oli vuorossa jonkinlaisia turistikierroksia joille tiukkabudjettinen seurueemme ei osallistunut, vaan tyydyttiin kirtelemään Torontossa (ja istumaan kaffella) sillä aikaa kun muut kuunteli KingKongin selityksiä.

CN Tower

Torontosta matka jatkui Niagaran putouksille jossa sitten lounastettiin Skylon Towerin pyörivässä ravintolassa, joka oli kyllä aika 80-luvulle jämähtänyt aina kasari tarjoilijatarta myöten. Ruoka oli.. Ihan jees. Ei mitään huikeeta mutta ehkä miulla on vähän korkeet standardit tuon lohen kanssa kun isin savustama/loimuttama lohi on parasta ikuna.
Mutta siis siellä Skylon Towerissa sitten oli sellanen näköalatasannejutskahommeli jossa sitten kierreltiin ja räpsittiin kuvia vähän enemmän ja vähemmän.
Ja lisää kuvia tuli otettua sitten kun mentiin ihan putousten lähelle. Täytyy myöntää että luulin niitten putousten olevan isommat, mutta kyllähän nuo ihan näyttävät oli kummiskin. No okei.. Ne USAn putoukset oli vähän surulliset siitä kulmasta mistä sinä päivänä kaheltiin, mutta Kanadan Hevosenkenkäputous oli vähän vaikuttavampi. Sääkin suosi niin ei tarttennut palella vaikka putouksen vesisumu kastelikin kaiken kameraa myöten.

heposenkenkä puro

Sitten mentiin hotellille, joka ei ihan ollut yhtä loistava kun edellinen, mutta kyllä sielläkin kelpas 3 henkilön majailla 2 hengen huoneessa. Isot oli sängyt.
Ilta olikin vapaa ja meidän suomalaisvoittoinen seurue taapersi kahtomaan putouksia pimeällä. Ei ne sen kummemmat ollu ku päivälläkään. Kun oltiin tuijoteltu putouksia riittävän kauan, suunnattiin Niagara Falls Canada Hard Rock Cafeseen jossa jopa miekin sain ihan laillisesti ostaa pari drinkkiä. Oli kyllä mukavaa. Herkku margaritoja. Namskis! Illan tosin vähän pilasi ihan järkyttävän massiivinen selkäkipu joka tosin vähän helpotti kävelymatkalla takaisin hotellille, jossa kaheltiin sitten Bridget Jones 2:sta ja paineltiin omiin huoneisiimme “nukkummaan”. Siis toisin sanoen telkkari auki ja kahtomaan mitä sieltä nyt sattui tulemaankaan.

Aamulla olikin sitten herätys taas ihan liian aikasin ja bussissa tulikin sitten nukuttua aika lahjakkaasti. Vähän jäi Niagara “Liverin” (matkaoppaamme KingKong oli siis kiinalainen eikä oikein osannut sanoa ärrää) maisemat kahtelematta kun nukutti niin makiasti.

Kotona oltiin sitten jopa melko hyvissä ajoin kun ruuhka ei ollut mikään kamala ja kaikki bussissa olijat olivat joka paikassa ajoissa. Ei tarttennu ketään ootella mikä oli aika jees. Tosin ne raivostutavat huutavat espanjalaiset ois voinu vaan jättää jonneki matkan varrelle. Niin raivotuttavia ne oli.

Viikko reissun jälkeen meni aika normaaleissa merkeissä. Lauantaina tosin olin töissä ja sunnuntaina menin suomikirkolle (kyllä vaan. olen käynyt täällä kirkolla, en siis kirkossa, enemmän ku suomessa moneen vuoteen) leipomaan myyjäisiä varten. Eipä miun tartte uskovaine olla pystyäkseni kirkolla leipomaan kavereiden kanssa pipareita ja karjalanpiirakoita.

Tämä viikko onki sitten lyhyt. Perhe lähtee keskiviikkona Floridaan ja mie jään vaan koiravahiks. Ja Teemukin tulee kyläilemään keskiviikkona ja tuo miulle tuliaisia Suomesta. Reinot on siis kohta täällä! Pitäs vissiin paketoia jouluahjat jos meinaan ne huomenna hälle antaa Suomeen vietäväks. Pitäs vissii ees ostaa ne lahjat. Hups.. No mie taianki tästä mennä jouluahjaostoksille tasan ny. Heihei!