New York (September 3rd - 7th, 2009)

This was my second trip to Manhattan. I was hoping that this city would be my Paris of my Swiss experience, but I don't seem to make the trip out as much as I would like. Anyway, this time around, I didn't need to do the uber-touristy sites, as I'd taken care of those on the first trip, so it allowed for more important things. Like cupcake eating.



Other than that, here are some of the sights and sounds that we took advantage of in the city:

No, we didn't stay at The Standard Hotel, but we did have lunch at the restaurant. It was quite nice, although we seemed to be tucked into a strange corner. It was quite busy and we had demanded to be sat on the patio. The decor of the place (restaurant and hotel) was really nice. Trendy. I should have expected as much being in the Meatpacking District. The whole area is wonderful. A place to spend more money then I can part with at this time in my life, but it's still wonderful.
Since the last time that I went, they opened up The High Line. It's like it was made for me. People watching, relaxing, soaking up the sun. In my crazy travel sessions, I walk so much that I always need to find somewhere to sit to let my feet and back recouperate. The High Line is the perfect place for this. Some of the chairs were on wheels. On the
railroad, you know? So you could turn the loungers into couches and such. Everything about this place is great. Even a stadium seating set up to watch cars if you're tired of watching people. We also spotted a celeb here, but of course it wasn't me that did the spotting and I'd actually admired his suit jacket before being told that he was someone famous. Shows how much I know.

Following all other tourists in the city, we went into the M&M World. So many candies and I didn't buy any. How impressive. Needed to save my money and cavities for cupcakes. This city is



a commercial, money-making machine. That's all I have to say.
Another tourist trap, the Toys"R"Us. There's a massive ferris wheel in the store. For some reason it seems a whole lot more impressive than the Fantasy Fair at the Woodbine Centre


New York's finest hard at work? Times Square is is a busy busy place, so maybe they were just waiting for something to go wrong. As we were wandering around the area, we stumbled upon a little girl who was in tears. She was lost. In fighting the crowds, she got separated from her older brother and of course, in an area like that, what's a little girl to do, but cry? Luckily, through the help of good samaritans, some luck and a cell phone number the two siblings were reunited.

I knew that getting tickets for the opera at the Met would be impossible, but a night under the stars watching opera on the big screen is a close second. I can't beleive how busy it was. Have something like this in Toronto, and I'm not sure that the turn out would be so big. That's one thing that I love about Manhattanites. They really seem to appreciate the arts. This picture doesn't even begin to show you how many people were there. I'm pretty sure that they said that there were ~1000 seats, and then there was the large group of people who enjoyed the show from the comfort of the concrete floor. My tush was numb be the end. But it was worth it.



Seems like food was a theme on this trip. Dylan's Candy Bar was impressive, yet I still didn't spend a penny there. So much candy.




Continuing on the food theme, we went to Serendipity 3 for dessert. We were already stuffed from lunch, but I HAD to go so, in we went. The portions were so large, and when there's good food in front of me, I just can't say no.
It's a problem. I got the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, which
overflowed in the cup/bowl. Does anyone finish that thing on their own? I had a little bit of lactose overload at that place and felt ill afterwards. I would have liked to see the $1000 sundae in person, but no one ordered it while we were there. The place was packed and we only got a chance to sit down after putting our name on the list an hour earlier. We had planned to eat lunch there, but ended up using the hour wait to eat somewhere else down the street to return for dessert. It's a really
cute restaurant, but maybe more of a tourist trap than I like to admit. It's not so over-laden with tourists that celebrities will still go there, but I wonder what the break down of the demographics of patrons is. There are some famous celebrity patrons who call themselves regulars. I want to find a restaurant in Toronto that I can be a regular at. I'll work on it.


One part of the city that I haven't discovered much is Central Park. This time, I found the Alice in Wonderland statue, another popular tourist site and spent awhile there waiting for a perfect picture opportunity. It was more amusing to watch the interactions
and personalities of the different people who were there and their conflicting priorities. I need to go back again next time to get a better shot of the statue. I should look into the new movie that came out and find out if it's worth seeing.


Wandering the city, we stumbled upon a huge Brazilian celebration. The set up reminded me of Fete and I thought about getting food there, but it was a big too crazy and nothign really stood out to me. There were so many people on the street and vendors everywhere. I guess there's always something going on in Manhattan. I'm looking forward to the summer in Toronto when there are festivals every weekend.

Another food stop on our trip was at Jacques Torres. I was reaching my sweet quota by this point, so I only has one little square. The Love Bug was a "key lime ganache kissed with white chocolate". How cute. It was tasty (of course). I didn't get any cavities on this trip, but I wouldn't have been surprised if I did.

West Side Story

While in New York, we went to see West Side Story. We were deciding between Billy Elliot and this one, but after many failed attempts and waiting and long line ups to get tickets to Billy Elliot, we decided to enjoy at least something and quickly got tickets for West Side Story before it was too late. As the show was quite popular, we didn't have the best seats in the house, but it worked out in the end.
Sitting the last row of the balcony, we realized that the section was only 1/2 full and so we tried to fanagle with the ushers to sit in the lower sections if no one was going to show up. They weren't biting.
Partway through Dance at the Gym, there was some strange technical glitch and all of the performers left the stage in varying amounts of character. Before the ushers knew what we up, I bolted to a lower section. The disruption was so long that everyone else got the hint and moved forward much to the ushers dismay. I don't blame them for trying to do their job, but we theatre goers want a good view!
Anyway, the show was great, of course. West Side Story is one of my favorite musicals, so just watching them go through the motions was enough for me. We weren't the biggest fans of the performer who played Tony, but the rest of the leads were well done. Anita was great.
I was intrigued by the choice to sing I Feel Pretty in Spanish. I wonder what the rationale behind it was.
Anyway, a good show, and I'm looking forward to my next trip out!

- header picture courtesy of www.broadwaywestsidestory.com

McQueen Fall 2010

Wowsa. RIP.

On the inside looking out

The traffic going west on the Gardiner is dreadful, but drivers can look at the beautiful colours of the sunset and admire the calm of Lake Ontario.
I'm slowly making progress on a mammoth paper and although I haven't been outside, feeling the warm sun shine through the windows has been a close second.
I've gone through lots and lots of orange juice today and hopefully shock of excessive vitamin C will kill this cold once and for all.
If I can just get through the next 40 hours (and do everything that needs to get done in a satisfactory manner), I will be a whole lot happier.

On a roll

Third day of 10+ hours of sleep.
I had pulled myself away from my computer, ready to do some reading, and then physically couldn't keep my head up so flopped onto the bed.
Thankfully, after about an hour of sleeping, I realized that I probably wouldn't be moving anytime soon and managed to get up to take my contacts out.
This cold is ruining me.
I was only awake for 7 hours yesterday. Most people don't even get that much sleep in a night.
I think I'm in for a rough rest of the week.

Slept in again

I can't even put the blame on the Olmypics anymore. I had planned to go to today's edition of the free concert series at the Four Seasons Centre, but I couldn't get myself together in time.
Well, I guess, technically, I could rush over there right now, but I'm so apathetic that it's not going to happen.
I hate being sick.
I really hope 2 days of 10 hours of sleep each night are working to battle this cold.
I have too much to do.

Blame it on the birthday boy

Is it acceptable that I started my day rather late because the radio station my alarm clock is tuned into is playing Chopin all day? It was almost three hours that I lazed around before forcing myself to get up. Chopin is so wonderful.

Soon it's back to normal

I've only really been watching the figure skating events during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, with a couple others thrown in for good measure.
In fact, I only clued into the fact that the Canadian Men won their gold medal because all of a sudden I heard yelling and cars honking from inside my condo. (I did instantly go online and watch the final minute of the game just to make sure I was in the look - thanks CTV online streaming.)
As I said in a previous post, I'm super impressed with CTV and their coverage of the games. Not having a TV, I was convinced that I'd miss out on everything, but it's been a wonderful experience.
In fact, I'm kind of bummed that it's over. I've enjoyed getting free Toronto Star newspapers and seeing Canadian spirit everywhere. The Olympics are a wonderful thing.
I even got choked up on a couple occasions. And I really hope that the winter Olympics come back to Canada again in my lifetime. The only problem is that I think we're running out of cities that can host it. There aren't too many mountains in our country. One can hope. And hopefully if they return, I will be able to go. Even if they don't come back, hopefully in the future, I'll be able to return to the Games. Just like a lot of other folks, I've been thinking about the different sports that I could take up and somehow hope that I have a gift and can manage to get to the Olympics. Sigh.
As per usual, I didn't buy any Canadian Olympic gear. I did buy a pair of those super selling mittens for a friend, and they were a lot easier to find than I had thought they'd be. There were a ton at the second location I went to, albeit, maybe I just got lucky because when I returned a couple days later, the stock was completely depleted.
I do regret not buying a Russian zip-up from Torino when I had the chance. It looks like the Russian Federation hasn't changed their design too much as I would have loved to have one of their pieces from these Games as well. Maybe in the future.
I'm obviously streaming the closing ceremonies right now, so it'll be another late night.
That's my only complaint about the Games this time around. Due to the time difference, it was possible to watch the events that I wanted live, but they made for very late nights, and I think my other commitments suffered because of it. I'm looking forward to getting back on a regular schedule because I haven't really been on one since December, and I'm about due.
Anyway, I'm not really concentrating on this post because I should get some dinner prepped so that I feel like at least I'm getting something accomplished while the ceremonies are going on. That's another bad thing. I've been spending more time in front of the computer with not necessarily anything to show for it.
Anyway, it's been fun. I still wish I could have been there, but what can you do. At least I had my internet and laptop.

Growth

I put mustard on my sandwich for lunch today. I liked it.
So, six years ago, when I made a conscious decision to force myself to eat this stuff that just tasted weird (I had the advantage that it way everywhere and on almost everything that I ate) in hopes that I would get used to the taste, little did I know how effective my actions would be.
Granted, I perhaps never liked mustard prior to my European adventure because I had only encountered the canary yellow French's variety. While abroad, I only had fancy mustards.
So what does that make me? A mustard snob?
Anyway, point is, perseverance pays off? It hasn't quite worked out so well with olives.

Bats!

The bat cave at the ROM is soon to be up and running again for the public. It's one of the major attractions at the museum and I remember enjoying going through the space as a child. Every group I take through the museum wants to visit it, and I love watching their reactions as they walk through the mock-up of the Jamaican cave.
Anyway, it's been a long time in the works, but they finally renovated the space and I'm impressed how quickly it got completed.
I haven't had the chance to walk through it yet, but I will be next week, for sure.
The ROM has declared March to be Bat Month to pump up the opening and hopefully draw more visitors to the museum. It's not-so-coincidentally planned so that March Break falls during the celebrations.

A sign?

Rykiel everywhere!
I was hoping to get a striped sweater from Rykiel's capsule collection for H&M, but when I finally showed up today, of course all of the good stuff was already gone.
Wandering The Room, it was clear that they were pushing the brand as well. Lots of accessories.
I was a little dismayed that The Room wasn't overflowing with PS1's. Actually, I was a little scared that they were all sold out, but there were still a couple specimens to drool over.
Do I regret not buying that voluminous Rykiel coat in 2008? No, I loved it, but I'm sure that I will find another lovely coat in the future when I'm ready to splurge.
Oh yeah, there are fashion shows going on all over the world right now. I didn't bother watching the live streams online, but in some of the pictures that I've seen, I've got to say that I love, love, love the Burberry Prorsum collection. Am I surprised? No.

Fashion is weird

Look at this bag from the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2010 collection. It's a garbage bag. Okay, it's probably some sort of industrial strength vinyl thingy, but essentially it's a garbage bag with some hardware and a partially leather strap attached to it. Look, it even has a drawstring to tie up your stuff. Is this some sort of tongue-in-cheek effort to say that ladies have a bunch of junk in their bags? For ~$2000, I'd rather swath my 'junk' in something a little more demure. Styling this bag as a simple rectangular silhouette does make it look a bit cleaner, but just imagine the garbage ties pulled up and cinched in and, well, sitting like a bag of garbage on her hip.
Although, I have to admit that I hope it shows up in the Yorkville boutique. I want to see this bag in person.
Also, if I had a gazillion dollars, I would probably enjoy getting some outrageous bags too. Okay LV, you win this round.

- picture courtesy of vogue.com

Sad-face

How much do I miss skating right now?
Are you sure I shouldn't go back to it next year?
I can do it, really I can.
I'm sad. Very very sad. (This is probably why it's best that I'm watching the Games by myself. So I can wallow in self-pity.)

Tweet, tweet!

I feel like Twitter would have come in handy while watching live events like the Olympics. Especially when I'm watching them alone by starting at a little 3.5x6inch video feed on my Macbook.
Actually, I don't know. I do like my alone time. And Twitter sometimes makes me want to barf. Just like Facebook. (yes, I'm a hypocrite because I have an account)

Amelia?

Why does Liz Manley keep saying Amelia instead of Amelie?
Also, it's Saint-Saens, not Saint-Jean.
Otherwise, she's not too bad a commentator.

Olympics

They're happening. And I'm not there. I'm kind of sad.
Not having a TV, I thought that I would miss out on the whole thing, but this past weekend, I had the luxury of being at an event where they set up a hospitality room for us Olympic junkies. And then the whole weekend, we were pampered with leather couches and a TV hooked up just for us. Definitely not the regular treatment.
The opening ceremonies were wonderful. The only part that I had reservations about was the lighting of the torch. It had nothing to do with the malfunction with one of the arms, but I guess the rumor of the avatar of Terry Fox made me expect something pretty amazing.
Anyway, upon returning back to the city, I was worried that I'd be back in my non-TV bubble, but CTV is doing such a bang up job.
I've been able to watch complete events live and then go back and watch other events that I missed. Every so often the feed will freeze, but no major problems. I'm terribly impressed. So I can watch the events live with commentary, or later on with no talking. I'm glad that they show the entire event, right from the first skater to the last. Okay, it's just skating that I really care about. I'll watch highlights of the other events, but I guess I really only need to watch the skating events live. For us hard-core fans, they even have the detailed protocols for each of the skaters. So impressive.
Well done, CTV, well done.
I really hope that the Olympics will return to Canada again in my lifetime and I hope that I will have enough money lying around to go. I also hope that a miracle will happen and I'll be able to participate in the games as more than just a spectator.

Better late than never

Happy New Year folks. I hope the year will be grrrrreat!

Dedicated folks

I've recently been taking a circuitous route to get to school. I'll walk through the Skywalk to Union Station instead of hopping on the 510 up to Spadina. It's a nice little walk. I should try to make it a regular habit. Although it would mean being a little bit more organized in the morning.
As I've had a pretty relaxed schedule for the past little while, I've taken the stroll during regular 9-5ers lunch hour. I get a little amused at the folks who stroll along the walkway getting their midday workout in. And then I marvel at the power suits that carry their gym bags to the conveniently located GoodLife for their serious midday workout. That's commitment.
I hate working up a sweat. And I hate not being able to go home and recuperate in the comfort of my own home.

Text to landline service

This is weird.
I assume that this has something to do with this service, but I don't know for sure.
I got a "text message" on my land line in the form of a automated voice mail.
Unfortunately, I don't know who left it, because I haven't memorized anyone's phone numbers and I couldn't reach my cell phone fast enough to check who's number it belonged to. The crappy thing is that there's no way of listening to the number of who sent it again. Sure, I can listen to the message, but that wasn't going to help me.
Anyway, there's probably a big chance that the person that sent it will read this and tell me, because I would like to know to properly respond.
But yeah, the service is weird, because it forces me to listen to a creepy robotic lady's voice.
And this isn't the first time that I've gotten such a message either. Maybe I should tell more people my cell phone number?

Edit: Nevermind. I figured out who it was. I had the reverse whitepages website pulled up just in case it happened again tonight. I'm pretty sure in this case, they thought they were calling a cell phone.

Invisible City

I just got home from watching Invisible City. I had desperately wanted to see this film at Hot Docs 2009, but ended up going to Taiwan instead. Of course I was excited to go to Taiwan and a couple other places (written up here, here, here, here, and here), but I had this feeling that I would be missing out on a very special documentary.
Luckily, The Royal Cinema is screening the film for a week and TVO is screening it as well as hosting a discussion forum about the documentary.
Tonight was the premiere of the film at the Royale and Hubert Davis (director), Mehernaz Lentin (producer), and three of the cast members (Kendell, his mom - Sandy and Ainsworth Morgan) were in attendance.
In education, there's a lot of talk about defining moments. Could this have possibly been one of mine? Did I (re-)discover my passion through watching this film?
For fear of forgetting (I wish that my internal dialogue had an instant transcriber), I'm just going to write a couple words to come back to if I don't get around to flushing out my thoughts from tonight in a more productive space. Teacher identity. Creating a safe environment. Caring. Knowing your student. Taking care of the person before the student. Making learning meaningful. Relevant.
I feel like I've already forgotten about some of the things that this film made me think about.
Very quickly into the film, I asked myself yet again if I'm making as much of a difference as I can. I don't think I'm courageous enough to take the steps to reach my full potential on that front. Or perhaps, (to make myself feel better) I have just chosen a different path. A different outlet for change.
I'm not going to talk about all of the issues in the documentary because there are too many. And depending on the viewer's personal experiences, I'm sure different messages ring stronger than others.
Of course, even better than the amazing documentary, was the Q&A afterwards. It started off with a bang. Kendall's father was in the audience, seeing the film for the first time. It was moving and I heard many sniffles around me. I thought Sandy's voice rang through the strongest. To persevere as a parent, to maintain as much physical and mental presence as possible with your child, to love unconditionally and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Kendall's story seems to be a successful one, although there were bumps along the way. No doubt, this has something to do with his mother's passion, but I'm sure some of the more tumultuous stories also have a parent/parents who are trying their best, so to a certain extent I take it with a grain of salt. There is no guidebook to parenting and most are doing the best they can, no matter the method.
Anyway, it's pretty clear that I loved this film. I'm sure that there are many other films like it out there, and I hope that this one along with all the rest get out to as many people as possible.
There are many things that I have experienced in my life which shape me or compel me to want to do something. I wonder if this will be one of the things that I act one.

Like a knife in my heart

Loewe has an e-shop. I've been looking for this bag since my hair appointment ran late that one summer's afternoon in July of 2008. The next year, I was told that the house was going back to its roots, especially as it's the 35th anniversary of the Amazona, and only selling this version. I could cry.
Okay people, stop rolling your eyes. At least I'm not being overly demanding and lusting over this one. I do have my limits, although, it's soooooo beautiful and I would be extremely happy if it showed up on my doorstep. Even better was the grey stingray version. Wowsa.
I want to cry myself to sleep now.
Stuart Vevers, I beg you...if you still are at the helm of the company (and if it's not you, then this is a plea to the next guru of the Spanish house) please, please, please keep these bags around until I can somehow scrounge up the cash to get one.

Wow

He's a little too showy for me, but this is great.

Winter coat

I think winter has finally hit. This week was the first time I pulled out the heavy duty winter garb. At some point I want to get a fab coat. It's gotta be a warm one, because I'm getting old and can't seem to deal with chilly weather as well anymore.
The city has jumped onto the Canada Goose bandwagon, which seems like a pretty expensive bandwagon for Torontonians to embrace. I'm not sure if people know any better. Those darn TNA parkas are still running rampant around the city. A more affordable choice by far.
I really hope that Moncler never hits it big in the city, because it's going to be awhile before I feel comfortable splurging on a nice coat. I don't know if I'm down the shininess of their parkas, but at least it's something that you don't usually see on the streets. The styles look pretty cute. Holts definitely doesn't have the entire collection, but at least it's nice to see a couple in person. Maybe I should try one one for torture's sake.

Scheisse

Excuse my German.
So, I lost another connection to practice my French (although maybe I can miraculously develop some schweizer deutsche skills) and I actually have make some sort of decision about grown-up things? I thought I was paying someone else to do that for me.
I have to admit, it was kind of nice to listen to a Swiss accent once again.

Ouchie

Is it feasible to think that my ankles and feet have been hurting because my place has hardwood flooring instead of carpet? I'm convinced this is so.

Goodbye, dirtpile

I'm going to miss my view of the dirt pile. Or maybe it's more of a ditch. I now have pretty much the same view as before, but better. Of course, I don't have the dirt pile. I got used to that pile of dirt with random trees and weeds growing in it. I would sometimes see the odd groundhog running around. Sometimes the ditch became more presentable. Sometimes a bulldozer would come to try to give it a facelift. Sometimes more dirt was added to the collection. It was a work of art.
I'm going to miss hanging out on my balcony and knowing that the only people that could easily see me were construction workers and those stuck in traffic on the Gardiner with superpower eyesight. That they'd wonder what kind of a weirdo would nap in the sun on her lounge chair. Sometimes I would pull down my Alinghi cap so low thinking that if I couldn't see anyone, no one would be able to see me. I never did end up sleeping overnight on my balcony. It wouldn't have really been an under-the-stars experience like I'd made it out to be in my head anyway. I did curl up under a blanket and let my mind wander on a couple chilly nights though.
The dirt pile was supposed to become a low-rise building. Containing two schools, some residential units and something else that I can't seem to remember. The condo corporation is now trying to swing putting in a 40-something floor high-rise. Unobstructed view, gone! The board is hoping to compromise with a 14 floor building.
It's nice to have a second space to hang out in. I kind of like the emptiness of it. No distractions except for the dirt pile and the rest of the view. And full amenities too. A girl could really get a lot accomplished here if she wanted. Much more enjoyable of a space compared to the no-windowed room in the ivory tower. One day I hope to move on to a room with a view. On top of that, perhaps I will become super rich and have a completely vacant unit to hang out in.

Another nod to a great busker

I've made a quick mention of this busker before, but this article gives a little bit more insight into who he is. I hadn't heard any updates about what he'd been up to recently, so it was great to read about some new adventures. It's kind of interesting. I mean, I know lots about his life and I'm sure he knows lots about mine, but I don't know if we've official met. We must have. As kids or something.

It's sale season

Although it seems like the city is perpetually on sale, we're now getting into the nitty gritty, end of season sales. They are everywhere, but I've been pretty good about staying away from shops so that I won't be tempted to buy anything. Last week, I did go window shopping just so that I could get out a bit. It was a pretty nerve wracking week.
I hadn't gone into Davids for quite some time and I was in the mood to pretend to be able to afford a new pair of shoes, so a little visit ensued. I had been eyeing the black suede Louboutin Globe booties for quite some time, so I decided to put them on in my moment of make-believe. They were splendid. I had thought that the detailing was all cutouts, but the gold made them better than I thought they would be. I also tried on another more sensible pair of shoes, which were also quite nice, but they were also part of my make believe romp. I would like a pair of booties, but all the ones I like seem to be insanely priced. How predictable.
I was also thinking that although I'd love to wear fabulous outfits everyday, I don't think I live in a world where those fabulous outfits exist. I'm not talking about the money aspect of it (for once), but I just think I live in a world where it doesn't makes sense to dress like a superstar. Not only do I not like to stand out in a crowd, but I don't know if it's appropriate for my life right now (or ever, I'm sure). Come to think of it, there's probably only a teenie weenie percentage of the Toronto population where these fabulous outfits would be deemed appropriate. Or maybe I'm just oversensitive and I should be glam regardless. Oh well, I'll never have to worry about it - shoes from Davids are part of my la la land collection.

Friends forever

Oh debt, you and I will be friends for many years to come. I will tend to you with bi-weekly payments and in 5 years you will probably try to screw me over by raising my interest rate. Thanks.

Adulthood

Tomorrow, unless something goes terribly wrong, I'll be holding the biggest cheque that I've ever held. It's strange how a little piece of paper can be worth so much. I still feel like it's all play money. Monopoly money, if you will, just not quite as colourful. I wonder when it's going to hit. Little things have made me slowly realize that I'm taking the next step towards adulthood, but when is this one really going to sink in. November was a terrifying month. I just wanted December to hurry up and be over. January has been a stressful time, but soon it should hit. At least, I sure hope so. I need to get back to my regular life. There's too many other things that I need to start concentrating on.

An anniversary of sorts

15 years ago, I officially quit figure skating. Since then, and probably due to that difficult decision, I went back on the ice to start my career, reclaimed my love for the sport and proceeded to skate more than I ever did as a young athlete. I found success in the sport like I never had, improved more than I could have imagined, became more involved in the figure skating community and ended up pushing myself to become an elite athlete. I'm sure that I would have never ventured down this path had I not decided to quit skating all those years ago. Perhaps my path would have led me to extraordinary experiences had I continued to skate, but my actual journey has been atypical and, well, interesting to say the least. In many ways, it's shaped me to be the person who I am today.
No matter how much skating I've done since then, I still consider 1995 the year that I quit figure skating. All of my on-ice adventures in the past little while have been...I'm not sure what I can call it. A hobby? A whim? A chance to strive for something that I never imagined possible?
Right now, I'm at a crossroads. There's nothing more that I can aim for. At this moment, there isn't an outlet for the type of skating that I wish to pursue or at the calibre that I need given where my life has taken me for the moment. In the summer, I may be able to get some ice time and work on my next goal (although, not quite at the same kind of level as my other most recent ones). The most plausible solution for the time being, which I've kind of ended up doing, is to stop skating altogether, but it's been difficult. I have managed to find another outlet to distract myself from the skating void and it was going pretty well until just recently, when I had to confront my demons. I still feel like there's more to accomplish, but I have to try to see the light at the end of the tunnel and focus on all the other wonderful things that I have due to my decision to, ummm, not quit (because that's what I did in 1995), but take a break from skating.
It's hard to stop altogether when you've got a lovely pair of skates in your closet with fancy blades that you invested in. I just got home from the rink. It's the second time that I've been skating since the big break up (that's what it feels like). Tonight was much better than the first time. I was so proud of myself. I did everything that I could do 15 years ago. I think it will help me to get over my break up by going back to the mindset that I'm a freeskater. I just happen to be a freeskater with dance blades. The sooner I forget about turns and footwork, the faster I can get over my sadness. I was so proud that I landed a bunch of 2Lo. I admit that I didn't try any combinations tonight, but I was so happy at everything else that I did do.
I am happy to still be involved in the sport, just at a different capacity - I guess it's only normal to go through a period of adjustment after you quit. Albeit 15 years after the fact. Maybe if I continue to focus on my off-ice skating goals, I'll start to forget about the on-ice ones that were out of my control. The only problem is that I'm not sure how much control I have over these goals either.
But the most important thing is that I can still jump! I can't believe it. After all this time...I've still got it!

I'm a Robarts Library user!

I probably could have gone through my entire university career without setting foot into a university library...and I've been a university student for many years. We're lucky these days to have so many resources online.
I did go into Robarts Library once before, but it was a quick in and out and I really had no idea what else was in there, let alone did I want to find out. For someone who loves walking through libraries (I like the architecture and the smell of books, even though I don't really like to read), I was pretty intimidated by that building.
Although many university libraries are beautiful on the inside, the atmosphere is totally different compared to other libraries with picture books and magazines. You see, they're usually filled with stressed out students. Students who are very studious, or, at least, much more studious than me. I get all anxious and filled with self-doubt. I usually like to live in a state of awesomeness.
Robarts is no exception and it's ginormous. I didn't even know how to begin to find the book that I needed. Luckily, the friendly information crew didn't laugh in my face and gave me a guide to the library. I get the feeling that I'm not the only one who's at a loss when entering the building. I had no idea that there are 14 (14!!!) floors to the building. You never would have guessed from its avian-looking exterior. I was thrown off by the guard that checked your ID before letting you into the elevator and then zoomed up to the 11th floor to find my book. I give the building props. It's a well run machine. I mean, there are different drop boxes for books depending on their call number. Everything is clearly marked, and there really is no reason to feel like you'll get lost in the place. It was pretty obvious where I needed go.
I quietly oooh-ed and aaah-ed the motion sensored light switched at the ends of each row in the stacks. I applaud their efforts at saving energy. I quickly found my book and used a footstool that was conveniently placed at the end of the row.
I was pretty sure that I wanted to wait in line to check out my book with a human when the info crew told me that I could go to a self check-out kiosk. More stuff aimed to intimidate. Of course, there was nothing to worry about. Having conquered finding my book, I figured that the self check-out might be just as fun as its counterpart in the grocery store (I love them). Sure enough, I had a ball of a time checking out my book.
I wouldn't be surprised if I never have to go to Robarts again (except to return my book), but if I do, I won't be so scared.
The only thing that could have made the experience more entertaining would have been if the stacks had those rolling shelves. I'm not talking about the ladders attached to the wall that roll around so you can reach the books at the top of the shelves built into the walls, I'm talking those crazy shelves with the big steering wheel attached to the end of the row and rows of shelves are all stuck together to save space. Now that would have been pretty awesome.

Mental note

Sobeys is having some crazy sale today. Maybe it's shipment day and they want to clear out stock. Mental note, check out the store next Tuesday to see if it's a weekly thing. If I can figure out when this overpriced store has some deals, I can be the ultimate lazybones.

Phew

Yesterday, I went skating for the first time in over six months. I've been keeping active since I took a break from the rink, yet, I felt so wobbly out there. And I won't even tell you about how out of breath I got just warming up.
My left leg has gotten so much weaker and I was struggling to do a series of turns and pulls on that foot. It was dreadful and demoralizing. I felt like I was just learning how to skate again. Strangely enough, however, I managed to haul my now, much larger bum into the air and land 2S and 2T. And they felt good. I'm so glad that I'm still able to freeskate with dance blades on my boots.
I was a little worried about how I feel going back on the ice, but luckily, it was okay. I only got depressed about my decline in skating ability, but not necessarily the circumstances that I was skating last year. I'll have to find some sort of venue which matched my skating goals. I think next summer, I might be able to take a step forward, we'll see how it goes. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back on the ice again soon so that I won't be so rusty...ever, again.
And I got a blister. Some things never change.

Robert Munsch

I don't know for sure if I loved to read Robert Munsch's books when I was a kid. I did love listening to them being read. Especially by him. I have no idea where my parents got these recordings, but even to this day, when I read his stories that I have the recordings of, I can still hear his voice.
Last night, I re-read some of his stories, and wondered how I could preserve those memories. Today, as I went to his website to do some research, I found out that you can download him telling his stories.
I'm listening to Mud Puddle as I type this. It's very similar, but not the same recording that I listened to as a child. Speaking of Mud Puddle, I'm still hoping to find a specific version of the story. When I think of the story and hear Robert's voice telling the story, I see pictures from the story. All of the books in the stores have a newer illustrator's version of the story and I really want a visual image to remind me of all of those great memories that I had as a child. Hopefully I'll find it in my lifetime. I'm sure it can't be too hard, if I actually made an effort.
I was also just thinking about how incredible he would be to have speak to teachers or soon-to-be-teachers about passion and engaging an audience.
Ha ha ha...now I'm listening to Mortimer.

Olympic tickets

Figure skating tickets to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are finally available again!!!
Don't get too excited, you need to be a millionaire to buy them. Tickets are going for 10 times the original price. It's absolutely ridiculous. At least it's so ridiculous that I'm not even tempted to buy the tickets anymore. Sure, I'd love to go, but these prices are so crazy. I can't afford to go to the Olympics this time around, but even if I could, I'd be tempted to use that money to buy bags. Many, many, bags! Ha ha.
I just can't figure out how people knew that these Olympics would sell out so quickly. Why didn't people go crazy like this over tickets for Torino? It's not like I bought tickets to make some extra cash, but when I found out that I couldn't attend a couple of the events, I was just happy to get some money back. Most of the events weren't sold out.
I guess as Canadians, we love our winter sports and Olympic events.
It'll be amusing to see how expensive these tickets get.

My Olympic moment. Sigh.

I'm impressed with myself. I've already been awake for an hour, and it's early (by my standards).
Yesterday, I was truly convinced that I would miss out on all of the Olympic fun. I didn't think that it was in the cards this time around. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to give up that easily.
Last night, I took another look at the Torch Relay Map and noticed that, this morning, the torch would be down the street from me, literally. I figured, a couple hours less sleep for one morning wouldn't be too big of a deal, so I set my alarm clock and hoped for the best.
Just over an hour ago, I bundled up and headed out to the cold outdoors. I had to do a little jogging to catch up (and pass - for photo ops) with the torch, but it was worth it. I'm such a suck. A nice, brisk, early morning run. I was due for one anyway. Even the CN tower was lit up to mark the occasion.
I marveled at the motorcade with coppers, Olympic people and the minibus for those finished their leg of the relay and needed a ride. I admired the sleek outfits and the torch. I was amazed at how short of a distance each carrier had. I could have jogged it no problem.
I did apply to be a torch bearer. I've come to realize that I didn't take the best route. Essentially, the way I applied was in a draw, but I probably would have had a better chance if I had applied in writing. On the way home from my outing this morning, I thought about all of the great things that I could have written. It would have been good. Then, I realized that, although it would have been cool to have been chosen
and to have that life experience, I'm okay with the fact that it didn't happen. I really don't need to be a torch bearer. I was happy to watch it go by. Also, it would have fed into my pack rat habits and I would have had an outfit that I would never wear again and a big torch that would clutter up my home. I swear, I'm not making up excuses to make myself feel better for not being in the relay. I was actually thinking that I would have tried to give away the items to some sort of charity or something. I even restrained myself from taking freebie giveaways from the relay. Like I said, I'm a terrible pack rat.
Anyway, I had my Olympic moment. I'm glad that I made the effort to see the flame go by. I might have regretted it otherwise.
I actually followed to torch further than I thought I would, and I wasn't the only one. And then there were the people who just happened to be in the area at the right time. Silly dog walkers, joggers and people who have to go to work way too early.
Now I'm trying to decide if I should go back to bed.

The Olympics are coming.

It's here. The flame is going through the city today. I'm probably not going to see it and I've decided to attend other commitments instead. I'll be missing out on all of the festivities. Oh well.
I'm sure I could have made an effort, but I'll just keep my fingers crossed that the Olympics will return to Canada again in my lifetime. I won't be going out west to watch the Olympics even though logistically, it would have been a lot easier than the last time. I still can't believe that all of the figure skating events are sold out. They did just release some relatively inexpensive practice session tickets. Those would be great as well - you see some crazy stuff on practice sessions.
As much as I would have loved to go to the Olympics again, I have my priorities and for the next little while, they don't involve spending copious amounts of money on tickets to sporting events. Hopefully I'll be able to watch the events on a big screen TV and enjoy the Olympics, just in a different way from the last time.

Cupcake tour of Manhattan

I went to New York at the beginning of September and still haven't written about it. I'm planning on doing so in the next little while.
As part of the trip, we decided to do a little tour of some of the cupcake vendors in the city.

1. Baked by Melissa
We had the best cupcakes first. These bite-sized cupcakes (which I forgot to take a picture of - I was too excited to eat them) were
delish. They were one-bite shots of flavour. My favorite was the peanut butter and jelly. I would have liked to try the mint chocolate chip and cinnamon flavours had they had them. The cupcakes were not too sweet and exactly what the write-ups described. Just like min-cookies, I could eat a ton of these things. I'm glad that we only bought a small box to split. Oh man, they were good.

2. Magnolia Bakery
I didn't take a picture of the cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, but if you really want to see what they look like, you can see a previous post from my first trip to New York. I would say that although there are many many people (tourists and New Yorkers, alike) that flock to the bakery, they were probably my least favorite cupcake of the bunch. The one thing I do like about it is that it's across the street from the crazy Marc Jacobs stores with the ridiculous sales.

3. Crumbs Bake Shop
I really liked these cupcakes as well. They were massive (more like, big muffins) and came in some interesting flavours. It was hard to decide on just one. I think that's the great thing about mini-cupcakes. You can sample more. This cupcake was creamsicle flavoured and was quite good. My only complaint about their cupcakes was that the icing was too sweet. Other than that - yum.

4. Cupcake Cafe
Nothing too special about these cupcakes, but for aesthetic appeal, these ones are the definite winners (although, the mini-cupcakes were quite well done as well). They looked like oil paintings. I wonder how they got the petals to have different shades on them. They were, what I would call average cupcake size. They were tasty, but nothing super special.

5. Buttercup Bake Shop
These cupcakes were battling for last with those from Magnolia Bakery. In my mind, they were your average, run of the mill cupcake. They looked generic, and they tasted generic too. They were a smidge better than the Magnolia Bakery ones, but I think that's because they weren't as dry.

6. Kyotofu
The final stop on our cupcake tour. Their award winning Chocolate Souffle Cupcake was...ummm, okay. I don't think my opinion
about the cupcake was hampered by cupcake-fatigue, but I didn't find the cupcakes to be too spectacular. They were unique, so I'll give them points for that, but they weren't anything exciting. I'm not a big fan of Asian flavoured pastries, so that probably didn't help matters. I guess I'll say that there are more than enough cupcake shops in the city that I'd rather go somewhere else.

So - lots of sugar in a short amount of time. A cupcake for breakfast isn't a bad thing, is it? The clear winner in this tour was the mini-cupcakes, with the giganto-cupcakes coming in a relatively close second.

Oh my

Stumbled upon a website about Stephen Wiltshire.

Jealous

This is great.

One day

Okay, okay. Next time, I should just get over myself and go for it. I'm such a scaredy cat. This looked like it would have been fun. Maybe I shouldn't have bailed on the opportunity that I had available to me. Oh well.

Hello kitty!

I'm cat sitting for a week. It's been awhile since I've had a cat. I don't plan on owning any cats in the near future. I don't plan on owning any kind of pet in the near future, for that matter. But it'll be nice to have a cat for a week. He seem pretty personable (wait, should that be felinable?) so far. It will be a dandy time, I'm sure.

ADHD docs

In my search for online TV streaming, I came across a couple documentaries about ADHD on the TVO website.
I've only had an experience with one student who undoubtedly had ADHD. It was a fascinating learning experience. It made me feel inadequate as an educator. I know that there's only so much that can be done, with all of the other variables at play, challenges and pressures of the job, but that didn't stop me from wishing that I could do more. I know for a fact that I did more than some other teachers would have done, but I still felt like I should have been able to do more. That I could be better, somehow.
The documentaries didn't blow me over, and I didn't learn a lot from them, but it did give me more insight. I believe the more contexts that I can get, the more that I am informed, even if it's not a new infobit.
Educators have a tough job. There's a lot to know, and I don't think our education prepares us for our job adequately. I also don't think that this will change any time soon. This isn't a post to blame anyone by any means. It's not a pity party either. I love what I do. It's a wonderful profession and I think that there are great things about the system, but there are also areas in which it can be improved.
Teaching is complex. Students are complex.
I'm proud of some of the things that are happening in schools and our educational system. I'm also terribly embarrassed about others.
I feel like there's no much that I need to know. So much more that I need to know. Although it's sometimes demoralizing, I hope I continue to have these feelings and continue to learn.
Also, being a parent is hard. I guess being a kid is hard too.
Okay, I have no idea where this post is going. I do know that I'm happy that I found these videos.

Shopping

I haven't actually gone shopping in awhile, so today was nice. Really nice.
I got great use out of my Metropass and went all over.
My stint in Yorkville was the most entertaining of the day.
I finally ventured into the new Burberry boutique. I had made a conscious effort to stay away all this time, but you can only stay away for so long. I'm quite happy with the store. I made nice with a salesperson who kindly gave me a tour of the store, and pointing out key items from the different labels under the brand. To say I found a couple items that I wanted was an understatement. It was tough.
Hermes was kind enough to create a gift list (with pricing) for shoppers. They also had H shaped butter cookies with orange sprinkles on top. Yum. If you want to stock up on stationary, they have post-it notes for $50. I'm just saying. They also have a purple crocodile Lindy for $38,000 in stock. It's exquisite.
The new Teatro Verde on Yorkville is quite grand. It fits right into the neighbourhood.
On the same streets, I bypassed the shiny new Diesel on the way to Anthropologie. The fancy condo above looks great on the outside. I wonder what the units look like. Anyway, Anthropologie is also a perfect fit into the neighbourhood and I was surprised to find some things that I liked. They do stock some different stuff from the New York location, however, as I saw some cardigans from Preloved in the shop.
I also set foot into the flagship Harry Rosen on Bloor Street. Men must have a field day in there. The Armani section was the most enticing. The greys and purples were fantastic. I found lots of great stuff, but who do I have to buy for in that shop? Sorry friends, I'll have to win the lottery first. They also have felted rocks by Ronel Jordaan as part of their decor. I wonder if she came up with the idea before Stephanie Marin?
Of course I did go to a lot of other places to shop but I can't talk too much about those spots. Don't want to ruin any gift surprises. I didn't actually get any gifts, but the ideas are slowly developing. It was only the first day of shopping, afterall. In chatting with salespeople (some of them were so great!), I learned a lot about products, made some lists, did some price comparisons and will make my purchases in the weeks to come.
It was a nice day.

I'm free!

I'm going to go rancho relaxo for a little while until things get going again.
I've still got a big list of things that I can work on before the end of the holidays, but at least I'll have my nights back. Yet, I'm sure I'll still continue to sleep in somehow. This next little while will show how much of a self-starter I can be. A good test for my future, I suppose.
I'm also going to brave the shops tomorrow. It's time.

Also, completely unrelated, but I'm watching episodes of The Facts of Life. I've never seen it before. Now that I've got some time on my hands, I'm sure I'll be watching tons of mind numbing shows, especially since a bunch of season finales on my regular shows just happened.

Snow!

It snowed today! The first of the season! It was the lightest of flurries, but it was there.
Wheeeeeee!
I wonder when I'm going to succumb to switching to my winter coat?

Taken aback

Lunch today consisted of various salads, pot pie (chicken or vegetable) and rice. A colleague who was serving herself at the same time as I was, made a comment (as I opened the lid of one of the containers) that surprised me. She said something along the lines of, "Oh, it's rice! I bet you'll want to take some of that, being Oriental and all."

Variations on a theme

This past weekend, I realized that Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World uses the same melody found in many songs including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the Alphabet Song, and Baa Baa Black Sheep.

The Blanket Statement by the Hudson's Bay Company

I have a lot of blankets. They're so cushy, and I've been given quite a few for various commitments. I also seem to buy a bunch, myself. I really don't need any more blankets, but one that I wouldn't mind adding to my collection is the iconic Hbc Point Blanket. I've admired it for a long time.
I've been reading about the event for The Blanket Statement hosted by the Bay on Queen St. West in many, many, many, places.
I can't stop drooling over Smythe's reincarnation of the blanket.

Learned something new today

I had no idea that this existed. How many people actually use these things?

Another life experience (update)

As promised, the afternoon of my post, I went to an American Apparel shop to try on some heavy duty leggings. I finally figured out what size I am in their store, and was ready to take the plunge and buy some discounted items on their online shop.
Only, the discount didn't work.
I think the company figured out that their discount had mistakenly overflowed into their regular priced merchandise and pulled the plug.
And I didn't act fast enough.
I was actually looking forward to to owning hipster clothing.
It must be a sign. I can't find another explanation for it.
I'm not meant to own clothing from this company.

Sparkle!

How could I have missed this?

Another life experience

American Apparel had a crazy "Rummage Sale" this past weekend, here in the city.
I saw an ad for the sale somewhere on the internet, and then a couple days later, saw it on multiple other sites and then found out that there was a facebook page set up for the sale. This should have been my first clue that things would not end well.
I've never bought anything at American Apparel before. When it first came out in the city, the prices were higher than they are now, and the overstuffed racks of gold shiny leggings and neon fake-dancewear made me cringe. At the time, the word "hipster" was not on my radar. I was confused and aghast at what they were selling. Sadly, my sentiments have not changed since then.
The thing is, I have been looking for a good pair of leggings for quite some time now. I am very particular about the leggings that I'm looking for and so far, American Apparel is the only non-luxe boutique that offers the product I want. Yeah, you'd think that buying a pair of leggings would be easy, but trust me, it's not.
So, I figure that this sale, is the perfect chance to snap up some leggings and maybe some tights at a good price. I should have known that it wouldn't be so simple.
My strategy is to go on the first day of the sale, in the morning while people are at work or school. I showed up and am vaguely surprised to see a looooong line snaking around the corner of the nearest intersection. Turns out, tween and teens will skip school for these kinds of sales. Darn it. I join the end of the line and go through my plans for the day. No problem - I can just delay everything I had planned by an hour. An hour in, I've moved about 10 meters forward and thanks to the girls behind me, am reminded that teenagers have a skewed sense of personal space. This, however, may be a smart strategy to battle the cold weather. None of them seem to be wearing late-fall/winter coats and their leggings would not meet my criteria for purchase. I marvel at the kids strutting down the street without coats on and the girls wearing their hiked up kilts and ankle socks. I'm too lazy to bring out my reading, but I probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate on my articles with the stories of so-and-so cheating on her best friend's boyfriend and so-and-so thinks she's so cool, being screamed in my ear. Oh my.
Every so often, I see someone walk by with a large shopper bag filled with purchases from the sale. I guess there's good stuff to be bought. A flyer is passed out with the pricelist of items for sale. It's very enticing.
Starbucks, McDonalds and other local vendors must be so happy this sale is happening in their neighbourhood. Hipsters will spend lots of money on lattes and food.
At one and a half hours into my slow death, I've only moved half a block, but the girls behind me have started listening to their i-pods and I get a much needed break from their rambling and ranting. The sun comes out and warms my body (thank goodness I wear so much black), although by this point my feet have gone numb and the short stint of sun isn't long enough to bring them back to life.
I make a couple calls for moral support, and just as I think it's not worth my time nor energy (realistically, I'm only looking to buy 2 or 3 items) to stand in this line, we move forward. 2 meters.
I overhear a shopper tell a fellow line-waiter that it's not worth it. Items are not being replenished as advertised (it's just stuff that people don't want after throwing them on the floor or in the incorrect bin that's getting put back on the racks) and everything has rips and tears in it. Okay, I ready to bail, until I look down and see the massive shopper of clothes that she's just purchased. Huh?
I'm starting to feel a little bit hysterical from the cold and waiting and realize that I really have to leave. The line is not moving fast enough and I do have things that need to get done that day. After two hours of waiting in line, I've moved about one block (half a block to go) and am actually disappointed with myself that after all of that time, I have nothing to show for it. I feel like a quitter. I had gone so far, just to bail.
As I walk away from the line (I'm sure to the cheers of the girlies behind me), I can't feel my feet and am astounded that I can walk on stumps. I'm shaking from the cold and happy to sit down in the warmth of the streetcar. My muscles feel sore from tensing in the cold for two hours and I start uncontrollably twitching as my body returns to a normal temperature.

By the next morning, I've convinced myself that it wasn't meant to be and that I'm probably better off not getting into the sale. And then I get an e-mail from someone who's waiting in line. I waver (as always) and soon find myself in line beside her. I don't stay for very long, as I have plans that I do not want to tamper with (and the line is not moving any faster than it did the day prior), but a new development is that the organizers are now giving timed entry tickets so that potential shoppers do not have to wait around and can go and come back at a later appointed time. Just before leaving at 10.30am, I hear that they are giving tickets for a 4pm entry. I'm happy to leave, but wish my compatriot luck.
Yet again, I thought I was done with the whole gong-show, until later that day, I get an e-mail saying that there is a 6pm ticket with my name on it, if I want it. Like a sucker, I bite. I show up that evening, join a shorter line, and wait about 20 minutes to get in.
Once inside, we begrudgingly join yet another line (mandatory coat/bag check) and wait another half an hour, at least, this time in the warmth. In the distance, I see chaos.
It brings me back to my Club Monaco warehouse sales of my childhood where people are going crazy. Clothes are everywhere, and there's not much that is worth buying. I figure I'll be out of the there pretty quickly. I scan the racks quickly (definitely not a rummager - hmmm, why did I think I would enjoy this sale, again?) and end up with a couple items, mostly picked up off the floor and hidden underneath the overflowing racks. Strange, everything seems to have a rip in it, except for items sizes XL and above. So we're buying defective merchandise. Oh, great. I am actually tempted to get two different dresses. One would need altering and would only be worn to the beach, and the other has at least 2 rips that would need to be stitched up and I don't really know how well it fits.
I leave with nothing.

The kicker, I have developed a cold from Friday's antics. I hate being sick.

Now that the sale's over, for some reason they've decided to have a crazy sale on their online store. Clearly they have extra stock left from the sale. Apparently the webcode promo works on their regular stocked merchandise too. It's only for a couple days, so I'm actually going into the store today to try out sizes and see if I actually want to take the plunge. I'm wondering if the past couple days were supposed to be a sign that I should never engage in anything American Apparel.

One of a Kind Show

The One of a Kind Show, Christmas edition is in town and I decided to take a break from my writing (not of this, silly - it's end of term) and head over thanks to a little free re-admission scamming.
I haven't been to the show since I was in university, and in those years, it's become massive. I was a little overwhelmed with the space upon entry, but once I started snaking up and down the aisles, it was pretty manageable.
I didn't see anything too inspirational, but that's not to say that I didn't see things that I liked. There were many variations on the same theme, but that's not atypical of a craft/art show.
The only thing that I saw that I would be tempted to buy for myself was a dessert stand, but it was way out of my price range. It was beautiful.
The show is strategically split up so that, for the most part, similar artisans are stationed in the same area. One thing that I found a little odd was that one end of the hall had a higher percentage of vendors from Quebec. I wonder if that was on purpose. I admit that I lingered in that area to try to re-train myself to understand French.
Oh, do people in the city put sheepskin lining in their baby strollers? Also, (again, in the strollers) do they put their babies in little sleeping bags to keep them warm instead of just covering them with a blanket. I'll have to keep my eye out for that.
There was stuff that I would probably be interested in buying a couple years down the line, but for the moment, I was pretty satisfied to leave the show empty-handed.
The food section was a tasty break with their free samples.
It was quite busy today, and lots of purchases being made. The holiday shopping frenzy is definitely underway!

Cosmic bowling

The last time I went bowling was in high school. It was a long time ago.
Last night, we went cosmic bowling!!!
It was so much fun. I got caught up on some of today's music videos (along with classics too - Bob Seger, Brooks And Dunn). Remembered how heavy bowling balls are got a couple strikes!
My mostly black outfit meant that I didn't have to stand out in the crowd, although I got the most colourful shoes of the night. With the blacklights on, my shoes were fluorescent orange, yellow and green. It was wonderful.
I wish I took pictures, but every since I lost my camera case, I haven't had my camera in my bag and so I don't carry it around with me at all times. Next time, I'll remember.
My best game was 165 and hopefully we can go bowling again soon!

Pop-up shops

I've never experienced the phenomenon of the pop-up shop, but there's a couple popping up strategically in time for holiday shopping. Unfortunately for me, it's bad timing as this week it going to be a little hectic and I'm not going to be in town for most of it.
For everyone else who's in town, here are a couple that showed up on my radar:

Holt Renfrew
560 King Street West.
Wednesday, December 2 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 3 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday, December 4 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 5 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 6 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Housed in Toronto condominium development Fashion House, the pop-up will feature a curated assortment of Holt Renfrew’ brands merchandised as a shared shopping experience that has a decidedly unisex outlook.

Burroughes Building
639 Queen Street West.
Thursday, December 3, 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday, December 4, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 5, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 6, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Burroughes Designer Department Store Holiday Pop-Up Shop, a four day showcase of great Toronto labels selling quality fashion, design, home and beauty buys including Philip Sparks, Carrie Hayes, Dalish Cosmetics, Petals, Soos Jewelry and Susana Erazo.

The Loft
52 St. Lawrence Street, Unit #324.
Saturday, December 5 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 6, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Gather your girls for the ultimate holiday treat. Sip, shop and share! Sip on some bubbly
Shop four Canadian designer lines: Psalms 91:1 Accessories, Brazen Hussy dresses, 442 McAdam handbags, and Aime by Monica Mei womenswear. 10% proceeds will go towards Dr. Roz Healing Place: a centre for empowerment and healing. PLUS, spoil yourself with cupcakes by prettysweet and mini-makeovers by Mary Kay Cosmetics!

Le bal

Although I know that there's no way that I would ever be able to attend this event (especially as a deb), but I'm still a little bit jealous that Le Bal is happening today and I'm not there. I can't wait to see pictures of the gowns.

Copy cats!

Every time I see them in the store, I make a mental note to ranting about them, but with my lackluster memory, it's taken awhile to actually follow through.
Skechers has totally copied MBT Shoes. The Shape-ups idea, is definitely not original. The give away? The ugliness of the shoe. I blatantly love to promote all things Swiss, but I draw the line here. I didn't see many people wearing MBTs, but the few times I did and when I saw them in stores I cringed. They're horrifically unflattering and I don't really know how much they work. Of the two people I personally know that wore them, one, ummm, could have used the toning but none of us really saw any results. It could be that this person didn't really do a lot of walking, so I'm not sure how they expected to see the apparently benefits of the shoe. The other, I have no idea if it made a difference. She's so fit, that it probably wouldn't make too much of a difference.
Anyway, my point is - Sketchers or MBT, they're both ugly.

Cheerios - Send a Cheer

I'm so tempted to go out an buy a box of Cheerios. It's not my breakfast of choice (I don't eat breakfast in general - yes, I know it's not healthy), but the Send a Cheer campaign makes it really tempting to change my eating habits. Although, I have to say, I've got a fresh box of Raisin Brand waiting to be opened. I think it's a couple months old. Ooops.

Survivor #1-billion (or something like that)

I can't believe how many seasons of Survivor there have been already. Currently, the show is airing season 19 which was shot in Samoa.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm watching this season. It's actually really good. There's one guy who is a serious-*ss player. I hated him at the beginning, but now I'm in awe. I think that's how they set him up, and it's working like a charm.
Impressive.

Keeping it together

Someone spilled/broke a bottle of red wine on the platform of the Spadina subway station. It took all of the energy I had left from a long day to keep from keeling over.

La Suisse me manque

Last night, I said tschüss as I left a friend's place. It just came out. It kind of surprised me after I heard myself say it. All of sudden I was happy and sad at the same time.

GAME OVER

J'ai ri apres avoir vu ces clips. Allez les Suisses!

The Room at The Bay

I was tipped off about the revamped version of the St. Regis Room at The Bay, Queen Street West location opening up as The Room. Today, I finally made my way over to see the place.
Incredible.
They did a fantastic job with the renovations, making the space roomy, sparse and bright. Fantastic merchandising and visuals. They instantly won me over by carrying labels such as Repetto, Sonia Rykiel, and Balmain, among others and many, many Proenza Schouler PS1's. Their selection included, a drool-worthy purple suede version and a stunning blue clutch. Man alive. Beautiful.
I also saw lots of pretty frocks, that I would currently get no use out of, but would love to own. Moschino, Elie Tahari and Erin Fetherston (whom I'd never heard of before).
They edited the space and products so well. Tons of beautiful pieces by tons of beautiful designers.
Well done.
I'll be going back for more browsing in the near future, I'm sure.

Luella

Apparently, Luella is going through some financial issues. Basically, they have no backing. A couple other fashion houses have been going through similar struggles this past little while, but have managed to pull through. Hopefully, Luella will as well.
One of my first bag-crushes was a Luella bag. The classic Gisele. I never bought it, because at the time, I couldn't even imagine spending that much on a bag. Oh, how things change.
So it's bad news for Luella, but good news for shoppers. Everything's on sale!

The Sleeping Beauty

Tonight, I attended the opening performance of The Sleeping Beauty of The National Ballet of Canada. I selected this specific performance to attend as it worked into my schedule and it had many dancers that I wanted to see.
I have a horrible headache, so I'm going to bed, but here's a couple highlights from the night:
- Penelope Reed Doob gave an extremely uninspiring Ballet Talk. It was the first time, I wished that I wasn't sitting there. It was absolutely dreadful.
- Spotted: former Princess Aurora's, Vanessa Harwood and Karen Kain
- Rotten luck sitting beside an audience member who shouts brava or bravo after after every single variation. Of course many of the dancers deserve such praise, but I don't think it was necessary during this performance. I mean, c'mon - the corps?
- Sitting in the third row is fabulous. You can see everything. I found myself staring at the dancers' faces more than their dancing. I'm so blind, that it's just such a treat to be able to see the costumes and faces up close.
- Bridgett Zehr is a little bit too skinny.
- The Ballet Boutique is copying Freitag by making their own messenger bags and totes out of ballet posters, seatbelts and other recycled materials.
- Standing ovations and prolonged curtain calls seem to be the norm these days. I often believe that the audience has no clue what's going on, but they think that they're supposed to behave that way.

Thoughts from yesterday

- My body has decided to crash and I'm sleeping in on a regular basis. Condo hunting has quietly taken its toll.
- Paul Popowich now has the educational standard required to teach high school but for some reason didn't graduate with his peers in the spring. Failed practicum, perhaps? Practicum deferral due to filming obligations?
- Convocation Hall is smaller than people make it sound. I think I was expecting something of Roy Thomson Hall-esque proportions.
- Nota Bene has tasty food. Yucatan Hot and Sour Soup reminds me of a Grade 8 field trip.
- Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon are easy on the eyes. This actually surprises me.
- My condo smells like mold. Last year it smelled like sewage. Unless something goes terrible wrong, I won't be around next year to find out what the next smell will be.

Art of the Trench

Hmm.

More shows to numb my brain

I've added two shows to the background noise-list...and both happen to be linked to education.
1. Community. This show takes place at a community college and focuses on the interactions between a group of diverse classmates who's connection is Spanish class. The characters are hilarious.
2. Glee. This show takes place at a high school and focuses on a group of students who belong to the glee club and various teachers at the school. There is singing and dancing and some stars who I noticed way back when there hadn't hit it bit yet. Two of the characters were in the original production of Spring Awakening and Lea Michele, who played Wendla stood out in my mind as being such a strong presence. There's an episode of Glee where Kristin Chenoweth guest stars. I've been a big fan of hers ever since she appeared (as an unknown) on the Rosie O'Donnell show as Sally with the cast of the revival of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown for which she later went on to win a Tony. Of course, she is now fabulously successful (I would have loved to see her in Wicked, well any show, I guess would suffice). so anyway, seeing the two of them on the show was cool. The show doesn't have much substance to it and I imagine that it's catering to a small demographic. Every so often they'll be a nugget of insight to the life of being a teacher, but other than that - it's very much a in-the-background kind of show.

My heart still belongs to Improv Everywhere

When I first found the site, Improv Everywhere, I was quick to bookmark it. I have not read a post that did not make me smile. Most, if not all make me laugh out loud. I somehow clicked to a worldwide network of spawns of the original, and was interested to see what the Toronto version had to offer. After visiting the Improv in Toronto site and taking a look at the different missions that they had done, I was very hesitant to bookmark the site. Knowing however, that I probably would not have the chance to participate in the New York based, Improv Everywhere missions, I thought, what the heck, I'll give my hometown friends a chance to prove themselves worthy of my affection.
Sadly, I am still disappointed.
This past Friday night, a couple of friends and I took the plunge and decided to participate on their Stop dancing where no one is watching... mission. This mission would be perfect for me. I guess my expectations were too high and I'm too much of a dancing snob and perfectionist to give it enough of a chance. I did have fun learning the routine, and was pleasantly surprised at how fast non-dancers could pick up choreography, but my problem stemmed more in the fact that the people running the show grated on my nerves. It was before the mission even began that I was doubtful of my participation of the actual event. The speech and arrogance that our leader portrayed (and this was not the leader of the Improv group) made me sick.
Although we did not follow through and participate in the final event, it was kind of fun to be a part of the preparation. Going to an off-site location, learning about the mission, learning the dance (I still have the music and choreography in my head) and meeting a couple new people. The age demographic for the Toronto branch is much younger than the original counterpart, which did throw me off a bit. There was quite the mixture of individuals who answered the call for agents.
Once at the mission site, we waited around for the mission to start and it was quite clear that there wouldn't be as large of an audience (and media presence) as the organizers had expected. I wouldn't call it a flash-mob, per se. I'm pretty sure a 75% of the people in a area wearing flickering lights/glowstick necklaces means that something is up. It looked like everyone participating had a wonderful time and I don't necessarily regret not completing the mission. It's hard to say.
Another mission is coming up pretty soon - I'm undecided as to whether or not I will participate. There could be a small amount of agent interaction on this one, so it might be a bit better. I still dream of the day that I can be an agent with Improv Everywhere, or would be happy to participate in other dancing missions in the city. Just tell me about your demographic of agents beforehand.
Also, Improv in Toronto was setting themself up for failure. Did they seriously think that they could compete against this (wheeee for 3:35!) or this (like, hello)?!?