This makes me so happy.

Now that I can embed clips, I'm finally able to share my favourite clip on the Internet. The entire Internet! I originally saw this clip on tv, so the quality was better and made it that much more amazing. But, hopefully you get the beauty from this. It makes me tear up every time I see it...it's all about the song. So beautiful. It makes me happy - if I could start each day watching this clip, the day would have a fighting chance to be perfect. If you're not moved, you have no soul. Sorry to tell you.

Flight of the Conchords - update

My brother just introduced me to Flight of the Conchords. Hilarious. Seriously, some of the quirkiest, funniest stuff I've seen in a long time. It reminds me of what Beautiful South would be like if they had a television show. It's got songs, but not to the point of annoyance. Plus it has awesome cameos, including Kristen Wiig, comedienne du jour.

Take a look at this clip - I've been watching it over and over to catch all the hilarity.



Lovely Michelle has helped me embed clips! Yay! Just need to figure out how to make it smaller. It's a work in prgoress.

Randomness

Trivia. Sigh. We started out strong last night, even in the comfy fireplace chairs. However, we lost it pretty quickly. I blame the lighting - it was all off. I have to get in the zone and everything has to be just right. No, the irony of the word 'trivia' and how seriously we take it is not lost on me.
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Today was a productive day - yearly physical and an accompanying tetanus shot. Seriously, why? Every 10 years? Does this really prevent anything - and am I really traipsing around rusty nail yards. Although, I could go for a Rusty Nail right now.

My doctor is pretty chill. He's from South Africa and I like to listen to his accent. His receptionist is a little too frosty for my taste, but she lets me take off my sunglasses when I'm getting weighed.
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After the doctor visit, I decided I needed a treat so I headed to the Vachon Factory Outlet. Yes, people, this does exist and it's worth the trip to Nash Road. Dentist be damned, I piled up my arms with Billot Logs and Flakies (all about $1.49 a box!) and then....brace yourselves....I saw a very interesting development in the boxed pastry arena.

Maple Billot Logs.

Yes. For those days when you want to feel a little more Canadian.
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I just watched "Tropic Thunder". I had heard really good things about this (Dru, I'm looking in your general direction) and was super disappointed. It was an enormous waste of time. If I hadn't already committed to a day of loafing around...

Birthdays - and too many pics, I know.

Ok, so I am planning another birthday. As an event planner, it sorta goes with the territory, but when it's for a friend and when it's a landmark birthday, there's added pressure. I'm looking into Toronto clubs and just got off the phone with Muzik.

Now, instantly, I don't want to go there because of the club's spelling, but I'll let it slide. I don't know if I've just been around Toronto insanity for too long, but their bottle service rates didn't sound that ridiculous. However, "Patricia" (way too normal a name to be working at this club - it must be Sequoia or Pachritia) just actually used the term "very L.A." to describe the VIP treatment. Not only that, but she used it to describe the chocolate chip cookies that are available. Sigh.

2008 was a year of big birthdays for my group. Almost every three or four weeks from April until September, there was a crazy blowout. They all have the same formula and are always a tonne of fun. Dinner, hotel, pre-drinking, party hats (yes, you have to wear them!), cake, drunken games, clubbing, Popeye ciggies, throwing up or falling down, and hangover breakfast. Classic elements.

Here are some pics from the Big Birthday Year.

Easter Contradiction

The Saturday night/Sunday morning flip. I've been familiar with this since drinking age kicked in and I was still a regular church goer. Now, I am only a C&E (a term I learned this weekend which means Christmas & Easter churchgoer) but I still have the ability to make the switch pretty successfully.

This past Saturday night I hit up the club with my two favourite dancing boys (honestly, guys, it's like watching a show with you two sometimes - I love it) and stayed out late - a night complete with accidentally terrorizing the elderly in their homes, devouring Brie, rockin' it in wool socks at Metro and ending up at Koi.

The following Sunday morning, a mere four hours later, I was gussied up in my Sunday finest to attend Easter church with my family. With my headache pounding and the blasted sun shining through my shades, I was still in fine form, having mastered the switch. Although, my skills must be slipping, because while my parents went for tea and conversation after the service, I retreated to the car to wait out the nausea.

It struck me halfway through the hymns that while I was singing by memory the words to "He Is Risen" and "Alleluia" that morning, I had been bustin' out a wicked version of "I Wanna F*#k You" and "Gold Digger" the night before. Huh.

All in all, my weekend had the best of both worlds. One included street meat and greasy 3am pizza and the other provided me with not one, but two, ham and scalloped potato dinners. Eating post-bar has a fend-for-yourself mentality - apparently Hamilton bar-adjacent restaurants run out of 'za. Or maybe they're just tired of dealing with drunks at 3:30 in the morning. Huh.

Eating at Grandma's also has that mentality though, since they manage to consume an entire meal in about 7 minutes flat. Before your fork is down, the table is cleared and dessert is plated in front of you. How do older people do that? What's the rush? After dinner, I realized what the rush is - the weather channel loop for their neighbourhood. If they miss it, they have to wait another 15 minutes.

India Alfredo

I saw the following news blurb on the City Pulse ticker tape yesterday.

"World's oldest woman turns 115 in L.A. Enjoys extra crispy bacon and sweets."

Is there anything better than that?

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Double dose of trivia this week, but only a single serving of victory pie.
Monday night, Kevin and I won, against all odds. Well, against the one obstacle that has been plaguing us in past weeks - the fireplace seats. Whenever we score these comfortable seats that bask in warmth, our trivia scores plummet. The heat turns our brains to mush.

But this week we came out on top, even though we accidentally answered the question:

"Which type of pasta is used the most in North America?"

with the answer:

India.

Yeah. Uh?

I am tired of hearing about:

- Twitter. I barely know what this is, but it's everywhere and super annoying. Yes, I know I write a blog, but if I ever become so self-involved that I think people care what I'm doing every minute of the day, someone stage an intervention.

- Rihanna and Chris Brown.

- Zac Efron

- Recession. Until this actually affects me in a real way, leave me out of it. I've always been thrifty and never really had money so not much is changing for me!

- Michelle Obama's style. Obviously, I adore her, but even I'm getting tired of hearing all about how she wears J. Crew to appeal to the masses and how she's revitalizing the White House. Snore.

- In the same vein, Jason Wu.

- Tax harmonization. Again, if someone would just explain how it will affect me in 15 words or less, that would be great. I may have to cut back on audio books for the blind.

Showin' the love...

Here are some pictures of LG Fashion Week. I think it's safe to say that every single thing you see, was a product of our involvement. We primarily did decor, but also handled walls, layout, signage, tent and of course, mannequin fondling.

Randomness

- Shouldn't these cars be taken out of circulation unless they are actually driven by plain clothes police officers? Every time I see them I immediately ease up on the gas, stop talking on my cell phone (is that actually illegal yet?), and place my hands at 10 and 2. Then as it passes me I see it's actually this lady and I get furious for being unnecessarily cautious.

- The Billot Log is a gem of modern confections. Yes, it's unnaturally pink and I'm not even really that sure what a billot is in this sense, but they are highly delicious. Perhaps, they are the root of my cavities....hmmm. But, whatever negative side effects they possess, it is my professional recommendation that you all try one...at least once.

- The Stag and Doe. We are all familiar with them. If you haven't had the unfortunate experience of attending one, then surely you've heard of their purpose. They are a blatant money grab intended to encourage your friends and family to pay for your wedding expenses.

How about this? If you can't afford to have the wedding you want, why not wait until you can? Why should I be expected to go and throw loonies at a bottle of Jack Daniel's while eating cheese squares and kielbasa while on break from my "shift" at the Crown & Anchor table?

They are always, with no exception, held at a legion hall or a Knights of Columbus hall, require guests to buy tickets, offer cheap drinks (the only upside, except that it's probably you who has to work behind the bar serving them) and people are forced to play games that yield lousy prizes and empty your pockets.

Stop the madness!!

I believe this is the year of the Celebrity Doppelganger Encounter. In the past month alone, I've met:

Nick Cannon

(I asked him to sign my Drumline DVD. Mariah bitch-slapped me.)

Akon

(I asked him to not throw me off the stage. Since he still has charges pending, he obliged.)

Busta Rhymes

(I, uh, asked him, um...oh right, what Martha Stewart is really like.)

The flurry of CDE's that I've had recently is not that uncommon. I've known the following CDs for years.

You know who you are.

Today was my first day off since the blur that was LG Fashion Week and naturally I decided to spend it in the dentist's chair.

Things I hate about the dentist:

- the guilt about not flossing. Dentists do an incredible job of making a grown woman hang her head in embarrassment and admit that she "doesn't floss as much as she should." And we know we can't lie to them, they know! They always know....I think the blood gives it away.

- the blood

- when the dental hygienist wears glasses and you can see your mouth's reflection in her lenses. It adds another dimension when you can not only feel and hear the pain, but see it as well.

- the sharpening of the instruments and the fact that those instruments then go in your mouth.

- the grittiness left behind from the polish. Please. Polish? Give me a break.

- those cardboard pieces they stick in your cheeks for x-rays

- how my eyes water after I've been in the chair a while - it's not crying! It's gravity.

- the bill - this girl has no benefits (well, at least not those accepted by health practitioners) and I was shocked to find out that if I want to fix my 4 cavities (yes, 4, Peek Freans be damned) it will cost me $710!!!! If dentists want patients to floss, try telling them how much if will cost them if they don't! Speak to me in a way I'll hear you. Naturally, I haven't made that appointment yet.

**Does anyone know what exactly happens if cavities are left untreated?**
**More importantly, does anyone have $715 to spare? I'd like a sandwich too, please.**

Things I love about the dentist:

- the little sink beside my chair - how convenient would that be on those mornings of The Great Hangover?

- how the water fills up the cup and then stops right when it should.

- the heavy lead blanket thing they put on top of you when you get x-rays. It's the most action I've seen all week. It's like that Sex and the City Season 6 episode...you know the one.

- free toothbrushes

Today's posts brought to you by....

Alexander MacKenzie

Yes, he is a real person. In fact, he was Canada's second Prime Minister. I did not make him up and yes, he is different from William Lyon MacKenzie King.

I spent two summers working 12 hour shifts at Stelco and it taught me many things. I learned that when steel is red, it will burn any exposed skin. I learned that men are animals, especially when they've been caged up for 20 years among only men. I learned that a measuring tape can provide minutes of fun. But most importantly, I learned the names and order of all our prime ministers.

Go ahead, Kevin, doubt me again...I'll get that veto back if it's the last thing I do.

Crown from Burger King: free with purchase ($5.26) and an embarrassing amount of begging the teenage boy behind the counter. Crown came with a side of nausea and regret after consuming 2 Whopper Juniors.

Crazy Eyes glasses: $2.25 - eyebrow shaping and blue eyeshadow $17.50 extra, but I think worth every penny.

3 vodka cranberries: let's say...$15.00

The ability to look like the Crazy Burger Queen: priceless

I'm at LG Fashion Week this week - it's at Nathan Phillips Square and each day is a 16 hour blur of running furniture around, gulping lattes, ogling fashionistas, flashing VIP passes with the snobby demeanor that is required here, and catching all the shows I can.

I'm extremely exhausted and sore - each day brings a new inexplicable bruise - but am enjoying the chaos. I will post pics and stories once I am able to sleep more than 5 hours - sometime next week.

Read This Book

Obey your friendly neighbourhood librarian - we're not messin' around.

Oh, and speaking of librarians - our internet was down all day today and we had to keep running next door to the Jane and Dundas branch of TPL. Two days before Fashion Week, we're going crazy and not having internet was just not acceptable.

So, I sat down beside a smelly cat woman and started furiously emailing. I was fielding a call when Man Librarian came up, looked at me over his half-glasses, cleared his throat and pointed fiercely to the sign next to me:

Cell Phone Use Prohibited

I hung my head in shame, but not before I shot him a dirty look. I am shaming my degree. Seriously, we librarians are bitchy!

My boss said that the gun shots at Jane and Dundas are louder than my cell phone. Sad, but true.

Blue Mountain education

What I learned this past weekend at Blue Mountain:
1. Putting liquid dish soap in a dishwasher is not a good idea.
2. It is possible to have a great time at a ski resort without actually skiing.
3. I do have a threshold for bacon consumption. This goes against everything I thought I knew about myself. Serious reflection required.
4. People do not think About A Boy or Little Miss Sunshine are good movies to watch....ever.
5. Pouring bacon grease into a garbage will apparently start a grease fire.
6. Playing Jenga still makes me anxious.
7. Cougars can swim in hot tubs.
8. I hate jujubes - especially offered by aforementioned cougars.
9. A deal breaker for me is if a person says "Fuckin' eh!"
10. Or has his name tattooed on his back.
11.Watching a girl fight is highly entertaining until one of the gang members starts coming your way.
12.I can put on my makeup in the dark or while inebriated. I didn't look half bad - the boys weren't complaining! (Nick Cannon, I'm talking to you.)


What I did not learn this past weekend at Blue Mountain:
1. How exactly the grease fire starts - how does it ignite?
2. How to extinguish a grease fire without water.
3. Why I often wake up more bruised than the day before.
4. How to ensure I have enough milk for the sponge-like Frosted Mini Wheats.

Overall, I think it was a great learning experience.

Cheeky on the rocks, please.

Ok, I've just spent the last 10 minutes trying to find out how to throw a screen shot into this post. Whatever, you can see it here if you really want to.

http://gibsonsfinest.ca/thehouse/

I just saw this billboard downtown on my way home from trivia. It made me do a double take.
Is this inappropriate? I think it's cheeky and I'm sure someone will get up in arms over it.

It reminds me of the time my mother called....someone? The city? The FCC? The company? I have no idea who she called to complain, but she did about a billboard with a girl dressed suggestively wearing red lipstick and red heels. She was a little too Lady of the Night for the intersection of Main and Dundurn.

I bought the jeans she was wearing.

You've come a long way, baby?

My job is a contradiction. Some days I get to dress up, go to fancy A-list parties, get VIP access and hobnob with celebrities (by this I mean, shake Rainn Wilson's hand, ride in an elevator with Flo Rida - the whole time looking at my feet because I wasn't certain that's who he was - and make sure Diddy/Puffy/Daddy/Combs gets his Moonlit Mist candle in his green room). Other days, and actually most days, I find myself in the most peculiar of situations.

I'm often required to drive a 16-foot cube truck around town, toting anything from lion statues, chandeliers, and carpets to Christmas trees, couches and migrant workers. I end up at construction sites, garages that pose as storefronts for velour drapes, but really house an intricate pirate community (you know who you are), the Home Depot lumber yard, a field in Strathroy in search of a 350lb statue named Xenia (saucy minx), various car dealerships and countless loading docks.

As a tall, slight brunette who enjoys wearing sunglasses anytime between the hours of 8am and 8pm regardless of weather and who has a penchance for high heels, I fear I am often 'misunderstood' by the people I come across at work. Sure, I can pretend that I fit in at the party with Lindsay Lohan and Thelma Houston (although, who am I kidding? I don't at all), but I stick out like a sore thumb with a sapphire ring on it at the stockyards and construction zones.

Everyone knows it's a man's world, but it's never more clear than when you are the only female in sight trying to pretend you belong there. I've learned you have to buck up, look them straight in the eye (through the sunglasses if possible) and convince them that, you too, can drive this scissor lift, thank you very much! I am fully capable of lifting these ________ (insert heavy piece of furniture, slate piece or migrant worker here). I don't need your help one bit! Oh, but could you pleeease get the door for me?

Other times, (Sexual Revolution be damned!) it helps to act as clueless as they interpret and expect you to be and perhaps even flirt a little (this may require the removal of sunglasses). I don't condone this behaviour as the ideal way of handling it, but I'll admit, when I turn on the doe eyes and shrug my shoulders, I can usually get the gruffest of men to help me out.

Except for that one time that I hit this guy's car while backing up my huge cube truck. Hello? Can't he hear the incessant reverse beeping? And besides, I'm just a helpless young girl, too delicate to be put in charge of this big machine...

Bitter. B-I-T-T-E-R. Bitter

There are several things I am good at: alphabetizing quickly, peeling carrots, driving while eating/reading/sleeping, printing neatly, remembering your name if I only met you once and didn't really like you, avoiding exercise, making a Cosmopolitan (kinda), and drawing eye balls, but only the left one.

Another thing I think I'm quite adept at is spelling. I actually love spelling and grammar and nothing makes me happier than finding an error in a restaurant menu. Sure, I'm not perfect, I know, but I'm pretty good.

So, perhaps you can imagine my anger and disappointment when I lost an important trivia question about spelling. The question was required spelling and the word was about spelling!!! Double whammy.

I am a trivia addict. It's a serious addiction that I share with my trivia other half, Kevin. We're both pretty good and make a great team as we both know random stuff the other doesn't. Plus, we both like to play geography flash card games. I don't know why no one else wants to play.

Kevin and I have a veto between us. At any point, whoever has the veto can use it to challenge the other's answer. I have had the veto power for about a year and a half. I use it very sparingly. Last night, one of the questions was: "How many 'S's are there in the word misspells?"

I was convinced the answer was 2. I mean, look at it, which looks right to you?

- mispells
- misspells

Whatever. I used my veto confidently. When the answer proved to be 3, Kevin was elated. Seriously, the guy had glee all over his face and kept rubbing his hands together in a maniacal way. He now has veto power. And I have nothing....but shame.

I am pissed! Seriously, so angry. Yes, I am aware that it's only trivia and by nature, is meant to be trivial, but come on!!

I need to get the veto power back. It's all about hand. I need hand!

I hate you Absolut Five. And here are the five reasons why:
1. You do not taste like Pear, Peach, Mandarin, Citron or Raspberry. You taste like tears, shame, nausea, fear and loathing.
2. You are way more than an actual shot. Drinking one of you is like guzzling water after finishing a half marathon....at least I imagine that's what happens, never having run a half marathon. Yet.
3. You make me feel like a giant with your tiny replica of a regular bottle. Actually, no, I kind of like that.
4. You make my eyes water.
5. You are the catalyst of my peer pressure. At 27, I still feel it whenever someone hands me one of you. I am devising a plan where I fill you with 7-Up and no one will know.