Category Archives: Just For Fun

For the Love of Ivana’s

I’m home sick today. What’s better than surfing the net on a day alone at home and diseased? I was checking out my Twitter and unofficially approving my followers when I came across a strange little French man.

His photo caught my attention, it’s kinda creepy. Little did I know what I would come across once I clicked on his profile:

“What are you doing? As ivano nothing. I just enjoy to read what the ivanas are doing around the world.”

“Kisses to all the Ivanas. You have the most beautiful name in the world. la “grâce de Dieu” ou le “pardon de Dieu”… Jewish origin.”

“I be happy to talk with all girls you have the name of Ivana. My mother wanted to call me Ivana…but I born as a boy…Ivano. Funny”

This is just a sample of what he’s tweeted. I then clicked to see who he’s following… ONLY IVANA’S. What to do? Allow him to follow me and entertain me with these silly tweets? Or block the crazy?

Censorship at it’s best

A few years back when Snakes on a Plane came out, I had purchased the title track by Cobra Starship specifically because it had the famous line from the flick delivered by Samuel L. Jackson opening the song. It’s one of the most hilarious lines I’ve ever heard in a movie.

It was on FX recently and the most hilarious line is now THE MOST HILARIOUS line. I love censorship.

Shit Needle

My friend, J.Co, has been in Korea, teaching for the past year. Before she left, I had sent her a link to a blog post written by Boy’s friend, Joel. I wanted to warn her of children wanting to play shit needle with her.

What is shit needle? Shit needle is a game Korean children like to play, in which they attack unsuspecting victim’s dungholes with their 2 index fingers pointed together.

I’ve fallen victim to this game and it is not fun. I now walk with my hands covering my bum when I am with this person, specifically when I’m walking up a set of stairs.

J.Co attended the Korea Floritopia 2009 festival and posted the lovely photo below on her f-book. Shit needle really is popular, not a myth like I had thought. Ch-ch-check it out:

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I love this so much. Also, to add a little fun and excitement to your otherwise blah Tuesday afternoon, play this shit needle-inspired game (which was linked from Joel’s blog post). Poopie!

Thanks for the pic, J.Co!

XOXO, Gossip Girl

blair4

OMG! OMG! OMG! I’m trying to calm myself down but I’m too excited. I’ve always been a huge fan of east coast style (eeer… New York style to be exact) and finally it’s made easy!

Anna Sui is releasing a clothing line for Target inspired by my fav show, Gossip Girl. I can’t wait for this to debut! All it takes for me to be best dressed in the office is a day off, a few hours in a car to Buffalo, anxiety at the border and fighting crowds at Target. It will be well worth it, n’est pas?

Who will I dress like? Hmmmm… it’s a toss up between B and Vanessa. Who’s style do you like?

Check out the line here.

xoxo,

Gossip Girl

Man vs. Hot Wing

Happy Monday! I hope that weekends were great and that strange wind/rain storm that swept through Ontario didn’t leave you with a tree in your living room.

I was a spectator at one of the greatest events of the year! My friend, Wingman, took on the hot wing challenge at Duff’s Wings this past Friday. He’s been training for this event for a few weeks now, I believe chowing down on 20 ‘Death’ wings each visit.

For those of you unfamiliar with Duff’s, there’s a 8 layer rating system with wings ranging in heat from ‘Mild’ (oh, so boring) to ‘Armageddon’ (never tried it but I’m sure the world would end if I do). ‘Death’ being just below ‘Armageddon’. Each Duff’s location has a wall of fame which includes the record for the most amount of wings eaten in an hour – 83 (mild ones) – and the top 5 records for most ‘Death’ and ‘Armageddon’ wings consumed in an hour. Wingman was ready to take on the ‘Death’ wing record – 51.

I arrived just after he had started on his first 30. He was pounding those wings back faster than I could’ve imagined. Sauce on his face, runny nose, red blotchy face and messier hands than those seen on a 2-year-old who’s just thrust his hands into his chocolate birthday cake. Observe:

The first 25

He downed 30 of those in a mere 22 minutes! He totally had this. The next order of 30 arrived and before he dug in, he took a sip of water. Nooooo! It ignited the fire pit formerly known as his mouth. He did continue to trek on but was moving a bit more slowly. I was getting worried as he reached the 35 wing mark. His paced has slowed down, in fact he was taking a 5 minute break! No time for breaks! At this point, our table, along with several other onlookers would shout out which wing he’d completed as he threw them into the bone bucket.

“Thirty-eight!”

“Thirty-nine!”

“Forty!”

It was at this point where I believe he uttered the words, “I quit.” Being the great friends that we are, we completed ignored this and told him it’d be a great disappointment should he quit now. Only 3 more wings and he’d be in 5th place on the wall of fame.

So what do you think? Did he do it?

He did it!!!!

He did it!!!!

With only seconds to go, he still had wing in his mouth (he’d been chewing on that piece for a good minute or so). If you can’t tell, the squigglies above the “YES!” is fire, I’m a total Paint professional.

The poor guy was hurting. He guzzled down pitchers of water and went numbingly cold, asking for layers of clothing. Once he regained his composure and was able to walk we vacated the restaurant. But did not leave without a victory shot. Observe:

Meat Drunk outside Duff's

Meat Drunk outside Duff's

It took us a while to get him positioned as he was a bit Meat Drunk. Think, sloshed after a night of drinking because you didn’t get a job you really wanted. That drunk. Who knew meat could do it to you, too? Anyways, Wingman was a trooper and after heading home for a brief rest, made it out for more fun that same night. Quite impressive.

I can confirm that after trying 1 of the leftover ‘Death’ wings, that it is quite a feat he’d accomplished. The one I ate was cold and the sauce had congealed so the heat was barely a factor for me… that was until I took a sip of water. My goodness, almost instantly my mouth was salivating, my eyes were watering and I had to wipe a slight sweat line off my brow.

Wingman, I know you don’t have plans to head over to Duff’s anytime soon, so I’ll be sure to check the wall to make sure you’re name is proudly displayed.

Lastly, a quick shout out to his Coach, for excellent coaching and sweat gear and Wingman’s wife for wiping his face, refilling his water glass and making this awesome cape:

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Happy Birthday T.Dot!

2872669611_7321c7700a The city is turning 175! To celebrate, The Toronto Star has created a list of 175 Reasons to Love Toronto. I’m still looking in to what I would like to do to celebrate but in the meantime, I thought I’d pull out a few of my favourite reasons to love Toronto from the article.

6. We have independent bookstores in every neighbourhood – and new ones are still opening.

I was introduced to Nicholas Hoare Books and I absolutely love it! The minute I redeem all of my Chapters/Indigo giftcards, I’m going to get myself there to make a purchase.

10. There are so many Chinatowns, we’ve lost count.

I’m so excited about this. I’ve never taken full advantage of our Chinatowns and I finally have a reason to. The Boy and I took a mouthwatering Thai curries cooking class earlier this week and I am finally able to make my own curry paste. Infact, I can make 4 of them.

20. Violent crime is actually going down.

This is totally true. A recent article published in Macleans pegs Saskatoon, SK the most dangerous city in the country. Toronto is placed at 29th. Take that! Oddly enough, Caledon is the safest. This makes me feel good as I tend to get lost in Caledon everytime I go to Brampton.

26. We have a restaurant devoted to poutine.

I’ve heard this is true, I still dream of meeting you one day, Mr. Smoke’s.

32. Touring local history (and stopping for a game of chess) at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

I’ve added this to my list of things to do in the city this summer (post to come). It’s funny, I always told myself that I wouldn’t be able to live so close to a cemetary and now I do. How I chuckle everyday I walk by the sign reading: REST ASSURED, WE HAVE ROOM HERE. Plots available.

34. That guy – you know the one – who insists on wearing shorts in the dead of winter.

Why yes, I do!

35. We proudly display our favourite of Spacing magazine’s iconic buttons of TTC subway stations.

I want one! I did have a Christie one for a while that broke.

42. The SkyDome (okay, Rogers Centre) when the roof is in the process of being opened or closed.

I’ve learned to appreciate baseball just so I could enjoy a scorching afternoon at the Skydome. Never Rogers Centre.

51. Eating your way across the globe at St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday.

I love, love, love this place!

63. Bumping into a towel-clad celeb at Stillwater Spa.

WHAT?! This happens??? I did not see anyone when I was there.

81. Exploring the cottagey, car-free Ward Island neighbourhood and wondering why we don’t all live there.

This is, by far, my most favourite thing to do in the city. Unfortunately, my obsession of exploring gorgeous homes doesn’t just end on the island, there’s Cabbagetown, Palmerston Ave., the Annex, my neighbourhood… So. Many. Homes. With. Character.

This city is just amazing and I’m happy that I’m finally taking the time to explore it. I cannot wait until all of the snow is gone and I can start crossing off the things on my “Toronto To Do” list.

Image courtesy of peo pea on Flickr.

Commercial Sleeptalk

2711616881_94fc5bc67e2Last night, my cousin, Cherry Mary Muffin (a nickname my Dad gave her as a child), gave me a call (I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was asleep when she called). We managed to have an entire conversation quoting our favourite commercials (specifically infomericals). Here’s a little taste of what was said:

Me: OMG! Every time I see the Whiskas commercial featuring Hubert, I think of you. “I’m a carnivore. I need meat. MEAT.”

Cherry Mary Muffin: Yes! The part with him on the roof and he gives the camera the cold shoulder.

M: Hilarious! By the way. What’d you think of the slap chop?

CMM: You’re gonna love my nuts. (note: please watch the linked video above to get a full understanding of the rest of this conversation).

M: You don’t want a boring life! You don’t want a boring salad! Stop having a boring life!

CMM: These onions are making me cry. These onions are making you cry. You don’t wanna cry anymore. Listen, we’re gonna make America skinny.

M: Did you hear that Billy Mays call out Vince on Adam Corolla?

CMM: No!Have you seen his informercial for Mighty Mend-It?

M: Is it the “sewing” tool for single men?

CMM: Yes! Like glue! How do you feel about the Snuggie?

M: I feel I need it in sage green! My goodness, seriously one of the best products ever. I love the dramatization of life pre-Snuggie.

CMM: Just wear a robe the wrong way!

M: It’s not the same.

CMM: There’s a Snuggie rip-off, you know?

M: Yes, and it’s double the price. What’s it called again?

CMM: Hang on. I’m looking into it. The Slanket!

M: Not as good. I think, next Christmas, I’m buying all of my gifts from infomercials. Makes life easier. My Dad will get an Aquaglobe, Snuggies for the family, you can have a commemorative Obama coin, how about the Slap Chop with Gratey gift?

CMM: If you think about it, with the Slap Chop and Gratey, you really get two gifts in one.

M: No, they need to be gifted together. Otherwise, you’re having a boring life. You know, Vince is really creepy looking. I checked out his Wiki page, the one you sent me, and movies about feces? SICK!!!

CMM: Tell me about it.

M: Alright dude. I’m out. Come over next week.

CMM: Later. Meat.

And there you have a phone conversation between me and my cousin. It’s a wonder I don’t talk on the phone more often.

Unintentional Participation…Thank Goodness

146009045_7cb66733e3Phew. Thank goodness I listened to my inner food devil and gave into a piece of bread smothered with Nutella last night. Yesterday was World Nutella Day and I only discovered this today. Who knows what would’ve happened had I not observed this day.

I love Nutella, it’s my favourite condiment, really. I remember, as a child (and sometimes as an adult), I used to eat it by the spoonful. One summer, my cousins and I were at the cottage, all seven of us were sitting in the great room passing around a jar of Nutella and a spoon and I’m positive we managed to polish off that jar in 10 minutes or so.

Mmmmm…Nutmella (as I so affectionally refer to it ever now and then). Have you had it? Do you love it?

Image courtesy of moog on Flickr.

12 Years in the Making

I think I’m still flying high on adrenaline as I’m running on about 2 hours of sleep. I must prepare you before you read on, some of you may lose an ounce of respect for me, some may be surprised, some will be jealous. This post is now officially announcing my love of boy bands. Not all boybands, just one.

I love, love, love the Backstreet Boys. Ever since that fateful day in the 6th grade, I was in my basement watching the Hit List, I remember Aashna introducing a new entry on the countdown, Backstreet Boys – Get Down. I was instantly hooked. Just seconds into the video, I had already figured out which one was my favourite. The one, the only Mr. Nickolas Gene Carter. Sure, I’ve enjoyed looking at all 5 of them over the past 12 years, but there was something about that Nick.

Let me put this adoration into perspective for you. You know how some couples have a list of celebrities they get a “get out of jail free” card should you end up cheating with them? I don’t need a list, I just need one person. This would be Nick Carter.

Fast forward to present day. I was out for dinner with a couple of friends on Sunday night, one of them mentioned that Nick would be celebrating his 29th birthday at a club in Toronto (well, Thornhill to be exact). I was in shock. I took advantage of this rare opportunity and immediately purchased tickets for the event.

So, last night, some friends and I head over to Nava for the birthday bash. Enjoy a meal there (to ensure we get prime spots) and gush over our BSB memories, it was great to feel 12 again. My love shows up and I’m thisclosetohimseriouslysocloseIdidn’tknowwhattodowithmyself. So I did the obvious thing and just stared, like a crazy stalker. Nick Carter

Although I didn’t get to converse with my love, I got this photo and I left happy. All is well with the world.

Blockbuster Movie: Starring my Playlist

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So I’m sitting at my desk, killing time and a thought popped in my head (yes, surprising!). I don’t think I can really know someone until I peer at their iPod. Sounds a bit odd, but if you think about it you can learn a lot about someone by scanning their playlist…really.

I thought I’d let you all get to know me a bit better via this fun little game. I randomly scanned my iPod to fill in the fields below, by the end of it you’ll apparently have my biopic in the form of music.

Now I must warn you, I do have a very diverse array of music on my ‘Pod, judge all you want, laugh it up even, but I hope you’re laughing at yourself too when you catch yourself singing that catchy tune.

Opening Credits: So Here We Are – Bloc Party - Good, mellow beat that I can totally see fitting for the opening credits, not too sure if the words work all that well though.

Waking Up: Drain the Blood – The Distillers – Now this doesn’t work at all…for me anyways. I do like this song though.

First Day At School: Club Foot – Kasabian – Maybe if it was just the beat and the background singing and I was an Upper Easter Sider in Gossip Girl.

Falling In Love: Get Down – Backstreet Boys – Maybe if I was 13 again and falling in love with Nick Carter (like I did when I first saw the video for this song).

Breaking Up: Thnks fr th Mmrs – Fall Out Boy – Is it some sort of ironic thing to remove all of the vowels in the song title? Anyways, songs serves its purpose at this point in the biopic.

Prom: Why Can’t I? - Liz Phair – Ohhh…how exciting. At this point, I think I’m at the prom with a boy but want to be with another one, the one I love.

Life’s OK: Pin – Yeah Yeah Yeahs – According to this song, life’s ok…when I’m sleeping with people.

Breakdown: Electric Feel - MGMT – Not quite.

Driving: Du Matin Jusqu’au Soir – Edith Piaf – Ohhh…driving in France.

Flashback: Seductress of Bums – The Raveonettes – Flashing back to the days when Life was OK.

Getting Back Together: This Love – Maroon 5 – Kind of the opposite of what is supposed to be happening.

Wedding: Every Part of Me – Sam Roberts – Not first dance material.

Sex Scene: Fantasy – Mariah Carey – Lacks passion, but it’s a sweet, sweet fantasy, baby.

Birth of Child: Pour Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard – I think it’s this song that leads to conception of said child.

Final Battle: Waiting for Tonight – Jlo – Don’t let this sexiness of this song fool you because I’ve been waiting for tonight to kick your butt with the same Jlo glow.

Funeral Song: Four to the Floor – Starsailor – Promoting life, not death.

Dance Sequence: Simple Kind of Life – No Doubt – This is where I realize that I can have a simple kind of life and just dance the rest of my life away (although I’m dead now? Or was that my nemesis that died?).

End Credits: Lucky Star – Madonna – And they lived happily ever after…unless I’m the one that died.

Le fin.

Wanna play? Here’s how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)

2. Put it on shuffly/random

3. Press play

4. For every question, type the song that’s playing

5. When you go to a new question, press the next button