Guilty Pleasures

Posted on January 4, 2011 | 3 Comments

Was reading Simone’s blog earlier this week, in which she shared her 3 guilty pleasures (food, music, dinner date). It inspired me to share my own.

1. (food) Dominos Brooklyn Pizza:

I don’t know what it is about this pizza, the grease, the sauce, the fact that it tastes exactly the same every time I’ve had it, but I drool at the very thought of it. I never had Dominos growing up and I recall when I first moved out on my own, Roomie and I spent the year trying to find the tastiest pizza. This one took the cake. I may or may not have Dominos programmed into my iPhone contacts.

2. (music) It’s a tie – Ke$ha and Glee cast:

I mean, she’s a hot mess, how can you not like her? And really, you know I’m going to love a song that includes the lyrics “glitter on the floor” and samples a favourite childhood song “In the land of Oz where the ladies don’t wear bras”. And do not get me started on how much I love the glitter/coloured powder part of the video above.

Glee. You know, I really couldn’t stand this show during it’s first season. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t get into it. Season 2 totally turned it around for me, I’m officially addicted. I’ve been buying the songs off iTunes and I was struggling with deciding which clip to include in this post, there are so many good ones. Teenage Dream, Forget You, Hey, Soul Sister, and I honestly have at least 15 more favourites from this season I’m just struggling in finding a decent clip. So good.

3. (dinner date) Anthony Bourdain

I struggled with this one, I couldn’t think of anyone I was shy to admit I wanted to have dins with (perhaps I should have mentioned a current crush, but there’s no sharing that with anyone). I felt that everyone who came to mind were completely obvious, who wouldn’t want to have dinner with Anthony Bourdain? I guess I shouldn’t admit this, but the first reason I want to have dinner with him is because I think he’s totally hot and then I’d like to talk food with him. Plus, can you imagine how delicious it’d be? I have yet to see him eat something on No Reservations that makes me cringe and not set off a rumbly in my tumbly.

There you have it. My guilty pleasures, what are yours?

p.s. Thanks for the idea, Simone!

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Au Revoir, 2010

Posted on January 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

A little visual rundown of the year that was, 2010:

I ran my first race!

I found this video and still die laughing at even just the thought of it

I went to Boston, attended the 2010 season’s opening day game vs. the Yankees. I wish Toronto was like this on game day.

It was a full house AND Neil Diamond was there to sing, “Sweet Caroline”, like in Fever Pitch.

I was originally looking to link the scene from Fever Pitch passively when I first mentioned the movie, but upon doing a quick YouTube search, I found this one instead and decided to give it an actual spot in this post to honour my eastern euro roots (I swear I hear an Eastern European accent in there).

Boston is also where I rekindled my romance with luscious, red lips.

I got in touch with my creative side and took a silversmith class at The Devil’s Workshop. Where I made this Twitter-esque necklace:

I quit my job (this was the morning of).

I went to British Columbia and fell in love (with the mountains).

You know, that vacation was exactly what I needed at that time. I had the opportunity to do a lot of thinking on my own that trip, to reaffirm my decision to leave my full-time job and reflect on a few other issues that had been bugging me lately. I like to think it’s where I started working on my fresh start. The crappy thing is, the memory card for our camera was messed, we didn’t know it and all of the photos we took were not retrievable – le sigh. So all I have are some I took with my iPhone.

I love to take photos while I’m eating, it’s super classy and clearly at my most attractive.

I flew in a mini airplane for the first time, ever. So exciting. So loud. So cramped. I even managed to nearly knock myself unconscious boarding the place – as I was making a joke about banging my head upon boarding.

I knocked 2 items off my bucket list. Danced on stage while a band performed and danced with a life-sized man hotdog. All at the same time.

And while several other life-changing things have happened, they’re still in the works, so I’m not ready to share, just yet. Hope you all had a great year and are excited to tackle 2011! xo.

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I’m a Year Older, y’know

Posted on December 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

A belated Merry Hoho to all of you. I’m just getting over a nasty illness, so (fortunately) I did not overeat.

I celebrated a birthday a couple of weeks ago. Amid all of the holiday hubub my friends made time to celebrate – because we all knew I sure as heck wasn’t planning anything. I hate having to compete with baby Jesus. For real. Christmas parties book up every weekend, I just don’t want to do it. Although, some years, I find myself wishing I was more important than Jesus’ birth… just give me one year. (I immediately take this back, good ol’ Catholic guilt is on high alert.)

Anyways, two of my besties took me out on my actual birthday. I had planned a nice day to myself, which, too be honest, I was really looking forward to. I had a spa day scheduled at my favourite spa in Collingwood and was going to spend the night in the village at Blue and head out to board a bit the next morning. Unfortunately, I got a call the morning of (which woke me up, by the way) to inform me that the roads into Collingwood were closed and they were closing up for the day due to inclement weather. Seriously. What. The. Eff. I wanted this so badly. So, after some tears and stomps, I picked myself up and went on with my day aka I went to work. Post-work, friends took me for dinner and drinks. It was so nice. They’re special and i wish everyone had friends like these.

We got to the bar after dinner and I ordered what I consider to be the most obvious winter drink (please, please sense my sarcasm): sangria. And made an attempt to take a somewhat artsy photo of my glass. While I did not eat the flower, I thought it looked quite pretty.

The next weekend, a friend was having a dinner party and the sneaky bugger, got my a special dessert cupcake and they even sang me happy birthday.

So, a year older. What came of it? Hrm. A lot, I guess. I’ve learned a lot. Grown more than I could imagine. And have learned how to stand up for myself. I’ve learned it’s ok to do what I want sometimes and that I don’t always need to please people. What a novel concept.

I think I’m finally understanding the concept of happiness. Being happy. Living a happy life. And doing what’s right for me. And I really like it. While 2010 has been my most challenging year to-date, I also think it’s been one of the best years. Because amid all of the awful things I had gone through, there were a lot of good times, too. I’ve met a lot more people and put myself in situations where I feel vulnerable and uncomfortable and come out fine. I’ve learned how to enjoy time alone, in public. And while I’ve already mentioned it, I think the most valuable lesson I’ve learned this year is how to be happy and I am so grateful for it. Often times, I think we all think we’re generally happy, but are we? Really?

I’ve stripped my life of everything I had in January 2010. Job. Apartment. Boyfriend. Even cat (although I will be getting her back once I find myself a new apartment). And while this transition was a total shock to my daily routine, I’m so grateful for it. Without it, I wouldn’t have known true happiness. And while, I’m still grieving over the loss of the person I thought and was planning on spending the rest of my life with, I’ve walked out of that relationship learning several lessons. And really, can I say it was a waste of time? Definitely not. I had some of the best times of my life with this guy. I also had some of the worst, but I think that’s inevitable when you spend nearly all your time with this person.

So, yes, I guess I’ve closed this chapter of my life. Moved on from a lot of things and looking forward to what’s to come. It’s like I’m getting to start over again. Except I’m not 19. I’m dressed better, a bit smarter and more confident – so this second go-around should work out fine.

Happy Birthday to me!

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I Don’t Want to Love You

Posted on December 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

But I do. My ugly, gross, stinky, salt-covered boots. You look terrible on my feet and I was ready to throw you away but winter hit fast yesterday. My other boots were still packed away and you were sitting in the hallway ready to have my foot tucked in.

“I just have to run out to the car quickly,” I thought. “I’ll just throw these on.”

On you went, ugly boots. And when I came back in, I took you off and felt an instant rush of cool air on my feet. Do. Not. Like. I threw my slippers aside and put you back on. And I wasn’t able to take you off. Even when safe and warm inside my house.

I hate that I love you. This relationship is strictly function over fashion and it’s not going anywhere else.

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How Often is too Often?

Posted on December 10, 2010 | Leave a comment

I get it. It’s Christmas. Companies are trying to get my to buy gifts for family and friends and sometimes I feel, more often than not, myself as well. I’ve signed up for quite a few newsletters and promotional offers through companies I’ve approved (I used to work in direct mail so I know all of your secrets, youwill not make money off selling my information Company xyz). I like to be in the know when Banana Republic is having a 3 hour sale – 40% off dresses and getting Holiday Baking tips from the Food Network but my inbox has been bombarded lately. Like, seriously, I’m starting to get annoyed.

Perhaps I’m irritated because I no longer work in an office and am not necessarily in front of a computer all day, welcoming any and all distractions. I’m actually busier than I was when I had a full-time job (odd, eh?). I really don’t think I’d be writing this post if I were still a 9-5er.

Have you noticed the increase in promotional emails lately? Do you wish you could get the satisfaction of crumpling up or tearing the paper like you do with snail mail junk mail? Hitting the delete key just doesn’t give me the same satisfaction. Le sigh.

 

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Heartbroken

Posted on December 8, 2010 | 2 Comments

Without giving away too many details, here’s what’s happened in the past few months. S and I are no longer… for a few months now. I couldn’t find an apartment in time to move out, so I had to temporarily move back home with my parents (whomp. whomp).

Now here’s the heartbreak. Penny was not welcome at my parents’ place. I had put up a fight to have my little furball come home with me, however, my Dad is very set in his ways and knows little Peeps would rule the house – he does not like that. The kicker in all of this is that my family has a cat, Kelsey. She’s kinda broken, as in she drools whenever you pet her. It’s gross. And weird. Kelsey also knows that my Dad does not care for animals as pets, only as workers and food. Ugh.

Fortunately, I have an amazing friend who’s offered to care for my little Penny until I get things sorted and someone moves out of the building I’m waiting on (picky, much?). The first night I dropped her off, she totally took over the place, was into everything and did not hide. She loved it. And she still loved me.

About a week had gone by between my first visit and last. I was so excited to see my little chicken last week. I was hoping she’d feel the same. I was wrong. Cat daughter is extremely upset with me. She attacked me. Even hissed (I’ve only ever heard this happen once before). Then went over to her new (temporary) mom, lay on her lap and purred. Then glanced over at me with disgust.

Heartbreak. She better not be behaving this way when I claim her. I’m looking forward to seeing her again. Next time, I’ll bring presents – like that guilty ex-parent who only sees his/her children on chaperoned visits. Meow. And now, perhaps a moment of silence for me and my cat daughter? Here’s hoping things with her get back to normal.

 

 

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If it’s for Charity

Posted on November 17, 2010 | Leave a comment

It can’t be that bad, can it?

Let me backtrack a bit. The month formerly know as November is no longer. The month has been taken over by the female repellent: moustaches, and is now known as the month of Movember. While it sounds like growing a moustache for the month of Movember is all fun and games, it’s serious stuff. The Mo represents your support for testicular and prostate cancer… man cancers… moustaches. The shtick is genius and it’s totally taken off.

I found myself at a Movember event (MoGasm) at the Gladstone earlier this week and met two lovely ladies who work for Movember and got this awesome tee:

Back to my story, met 2 ladies from Movember and after trashing dirty ‘staches for a bit, we discussed how successful the campaign has been year after year. I shared with them that I was a Mo’ Sista in their first year and the only reason I didn’t continue with it was because my Mo’ Bro had decided to keep his moustache indefinitely.

Movember employee, Sonam, was so happy she had met a first year Mo’ supporter. I mean, we are a rare breed. In 2007, when Movember first started, there were only 2,400 Canadian Mo’ Bros and Sistas and they raised about $500,000. 3 years later, over 100,000 people have registered and they’ve raised over $10,000,000 (and there are still about 2 weeks left in the month).

So head over to the website and support ‘stache growth. And ending man cancers. If you have already or aren’t in a position to donate, there are other things you can do. For example, tomorrow is “Have Sex with a Guy with a Moustache” day. For real, you’re not a whore if it’s for charity.

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Posted in Charity Work, Toronto

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