Day One Hundred and Twenty-Two - Tongue Thai'd

A few years ago I had a prolonged and well-documented breakup with Thai food. Okay, it wasn't so much well-documented as it was widely and at-length discussed over MSN with Lisa during one of my bouts of unemployment. Within my first couple of years of living in Toronto I couldn't really afford to go out to eat anywhere nice and being a bummy student, I didn't really know of anywhere hip. Seth's dad came to town one time and took us out to the Queen Mother, which we both thought was just the bee's knees when it came to dining. I thought Thai food was pretty awesome. But then, I dunno what happened - too many bad Spring Rolls encounters, questionable Fung experiences, too much blatant use of ketchup in Pad Thai - something like that. When even my mum knows what Thai food is, all of its hipness goes out the window. So, yeah...we broke up and haven't really gotten back together aside from my insane love for the hot & sour soup @ Bua Thai [which Kathryn reminded me of this week and now I really want some].

Also, I happen to recall that Lisa was in a grand Pad Thai cook-off and therefore, she must cook something quite excellent. I don't cook a lot of Asian food @ home, aside from miso soup, stir fries and rice - which are not great culinary feats. So tonight, plucked from the pages of one of my most white-person cookbooks ever I made Pad Thai @ home. I was beyond skeptical and had actually been putting this off for a week. Like most of my recipes, I neglected to purchase everything that I would need so I had to improvise and just plain old neglect some things. One thing I did not neglect was the tofu. Yes, I'm a vegetarian and yes, I do like tofu in certain restaurants. But no, I do not regularly have it on hand and no, I do not cook with it. It smelled so discusting while I was preparing it [hello fish sauce - Joseph thought I was using stinky cheese that had been left out] and looked highly questionable up until the last moment...when in some great moment of glory it all came together. The noodles unstuck, the colour stabilized [and wasn't the bizarre pink shade it sometimes is in restaurants], the smell became fragrant and citrusy, the sauce ceased to really exist except to cling to the noodles, vegetables and absorb into the tofu...and bam - the tofu was practically the greatest part. It kinda made me miss eating meat, to be honest.

Oh, and yes - Happy Leap Year. No, I didn't ask Joseph to marry me. I totally couldn't find my fancy red petticoat that is necessary to wear if a fair maiden such as myself were to ask a young lad for his hand in marriage. Maybe in another four years.

Day One Hundred and Twenty-One - LFO Were Right

Even back when I was younger and bolder and stupidly confident I was always meek as a kitten when out @ restaurants or in shops. I still am. I cannot go into a store and not buy something without feeling horrifically guilty. As a result I have bought a lot of useles crap. I will endure restaurant mix-ups, having servers spill drinks on me and I tip extremely well, even for bad service and when I'm poor [tipping is part of going out, so suck it up all of you Mr. Pinks out there!]. As a supposed vegetarian I generally just eat whatever meagre vegetarian offering is put in front of me. However, the restaurant I went to for lunch today...well - the vegetarian section of their menu was called "pork & vegetarian" - hmmmm. Rather bizarre. I didn't really know what all of the items were, so it wasn't too obvious which were vegetarian, which were pork and which were both. Also, I'm so not paying $10 before tax and tip for some stir-fried vegetables [that are probably frozen] and a cup of steamed rice.

So - what's a hungry, cheap girl to do? Well, I decided to speak up [after looking through two menus] and I ordered food that wasn't on the menu. It still cost too much, still gave me a headache and still left me exceedingly hungry. What an amazing restaurant - it's so obvious why everyone loves it so much. I'm shamefully happy that they are going out of business. Money is an important commodity to me right now and now I can rest easy knowing I won't have to waste it @ their establishment anymore [my next step is not going to restaurants I know I hate just because other people like them].

And as an extra special bonus - I had a hot celeb encounter today on my way home from lunch! While cruising through Hazelton Lanes, shamefully proud of my excellent new mix on my MP3 player I was rocking out too much [I like air drumming, okay?] I ran smack-dab into Geddy Lee - lead singer of Rush! Haha! I really have the most enviable celebrity encounters. He was wearing big, kiddie-looking winter boots. He also apologized for running into me, but I apologized too - it's because we are both Canadian and therefore so polite that we apologize when the other person is clearly @ fault.

Day One Hundred and Twenty - Flying The Friendly Skies

I don't normally include many of my internets activities as part of my Extraordinary Things because they are all quite normal to me. I'm pretty much online all of the time [except weekends]. I had something different planned for today, but had to switch gears a bit when I started a migraine episode last night. I'm going to give Joseph's mum a shout out for this one as she is always forwarding online games and stuff to Joseph, who in turn, forwards them to me.

Today, in my medicated haze I played a Virtual Pilot European Geography game. Not only did I play, but I beat a real-life European. I was very surprised @ this as European geography isn't really my strong suit [as evidenced by the fact that I confused France and Germany - hey - who knew that Germany was so big?]. I normally do not like to play games that I know I will not be immediately good at and I really wasn't very good @ this, but it's strangely addictive. And while I have always, always wanted to fly aeroplanes I really hope that this isn't how Lufthansa operates...

If you want to play, too - here is the link.

Day One Hundred and Nineteen - Rear Window

My new place is the opposite of my old one in a number of ways. It's taken me a long time to adjust to being here and I have chronicled this adventure in my blog. Now that I am spending a lot more time @ home I am growing to like it a lot more. Also, it's winter and mind-numbingly cold outside so home-y-ness feels more organic than sweating it out in the summer where the evil well-insulated house [with no backyard] was the enemy. One thing is that it's very dark in here - it's like a cave [or a basement apartment, if you are less romantic] - although there are big windows. We are within an arm's length of the house next door so we don't get a lot of natural light. We do get natural light through our back window [which is the front of the apartment, but back of the house]. Until now we have left this window uncovered as that's the way I like it and I'm not shy. Joseph pointed out a little while ago that since the window overlooks the seedy alley, any seedy individuals in said alley can see right into our house [which - because it's so dark, it's always well lit] and see all of our wonderful valuables [oh, we are so millionaires].

Since he pointed this out, I have become increasingly paranoid and have stopped using the lights even. I have been on a quest to find the appropriate hardware to hang a curtain [one that I bought years and years ago while shopping with Lisa - we bought polar fleece blankets as well, but the curtain had never left its package]. It took a few trips to the shops and a near-encounter with a saw [which I was looking forward to]...but at long last I hung a curtain rod and curtain. It even matches our "decor" so I am quite thrilled. And no more seedy people looking @ all of my treasures...including me in various stages of undress.

And yes, I'm really very spoiled and have never put up a curtain or window covering of any sort before. In our old apartment Joseph's mum travelled all the way from Belgium to buy us curtains and even sew them together into one big omnicurtain for us. We are babies...so I'm taking baby steps.

Day One Hundred and Eighteen - Working 9-5

I would say that I have been seeking employment for about 5 weeks now. I would be lying if I said that it's going well. I tend to remain cheerfully optimistic in the blog-o-sphere, which is to say that if you enjoy the antics and musings of blog me, you just might not like the real me very much. Anyway - I'm not complaining too much as I have two great volunteer positions which are also providing valuable insights into my preferred field...but at the same time the rest of what I'm doing is just throwing crap against the wall and feeling like none of it is sticking. Well, today something stuck. I got a job interview. True - this isn't something new, but it sure feels extraordinary to me right now. I don't want to say too much about it and I'm not sure how interested I am in this opportunity...but it sure did give me some stupid hope on this stupid Monday.

I was beginning to question the whole system, honestly. I mean, I have been offered things through the agencies, but nothing that I wanted to take on. So, the tried and true method of interwebs and following up - I convinced myself that people don't really get jobs that way anymore. Good jobs anyway. I'm still not entirely dissuaded, but this is a start. Starts and beginnings are good for maintaining stupid hope.

Day One Hundred and Seventeen - I Drink Your Milkshake

Oscar parties are fun, but Oscar parties with themes are more fun. However, I didn't have an Oscar party as I don't think anyone I know is interested. What I mean by that is that I don't know anyone who would like to geek out @ the Oscars the way that I like to. So, I do this alone. Joseph was technically in the room, but was playing a new videogame with headphones in. Usually I take my cues from the films to see if I can come up with something interesting to eat or drink. This year, the choice was rather obvious. I made chocolate milkshakes. Mmmmm, milkshakes are so, so delicious. And quite easy to make, even as a first-timer.

It might have been a disappointing night for There Will Be Blood, but it was not disappointing for milkshakes. I was ready to offer mine up in consolation for P.T. Anderson, as the milkshake conquered me with the mighty power of dairy sickness. So very sick feeling. I kept waking up sweating and having bizarre dreams. I wonder if there really are milkshakes in TWBB.

So - I got half of my Oscar picks correct! Joseph also got half of his correct. So, put together we are quite the team. Half is still good.

Day One Hundred and Sixteen - Late Night Double Feature Picture Show

I have previously waxed poetic on one of my favourite T.O. haunts - the Bloor Cinema. But, I really do love it there and it is semi-historical for this young nation/city. Yes, there are mice and no there is no THX sound...but it's inexpensive and has a great vibe. I do wish they would do more theme-y stuff, even if it's a bit hacky, because it clearly brings out the people. Which is great because I am always worried that they will close...sometimes it's just me and Joseph and like four other people in the whole cinema [yes, watching an obscure David Lynch film - what of it?]. Today, they had a special screening of Indiana Jones and while I own all of the films on DVD I couldn't resist and I attended a double feature. They showed Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, meaning that I was @ the cinema for over 4.5 hours. I didn't get hungry, my knee didn't seize up on me and I didn't fall asleep, so - success!

I mean, I see why they left out Temple of Doom - but honestly, it's a great film too. Shut up. Once you see Raiders and Crusade back to back it's impossible to ignore that they are pretty much the same film. Raiders is clearly the best - especially the Nazi-melting ending, but also the capable chick and lots more adventuring [okay, and endearing, yet evil Nazi monkey]. My order of preference is: Raiders, Doom and then Crusade. Sean Connery bugs the frak out of me - I would like to slap the bejeezus out of him to make him speak properly - I swear he is putting on that accent.

Also, while I loved seeing the cinema all full - people who are new to the Bloor should understand that while they don't show amusing things onscreen warning you to turn off your mobile phone before the film [they were playing the original, all-Prince Batman soundtrack today] you should probably have the sense that God gave gravel to turn it off anyway. Also, yes it's a cheap and semi-shoddy cinema, but please don't turn up 20 minutes into the film and then proceed to yap loudly through the entire thing and jump up and down and over the seats. Me and this other couple sitting by us were getting sore in the neck from all of our half-turns and glares. You know what I mean.

Day One Hundred and Fifteen - Let There Be Light

So, as faithful readers will know I was thrwarted in my earlier attempt to change a lightbulb while standing on a ladder. Well, today I was finally able to answer that age-old question - how many skinny, unemployed brunettes does it take to change a lightbulb? The answer is - there can be only one! Today I changed a lightbulb while standing on a ladder. I have really never done this. Lightbulbs don't go out that often and when I lived @ home my dad always changed them because he was the tallest and he didn't need a ladder.

Thankfully we have hip 70s track lighting in the kitchen, as opposed to the hip 90s recessed lighting elsewhere in the house. The track hangs lower, so I could reach it while on the ladder. However, I did have to unscrew the casing around the light, which was difficult as I could barely reach and I had the lights turned off in the kitchen. But yes, lightbulb changed it was all systems go...until I realized that the bulb sticks out too much to firmly reattach the casing. Also, it makes an annoying buzzing sound. So yeah, back to the shops for more lightbulbs. They be expensive.

Day One Hundred and Fourteen - Envelope Please

[okay - I had this fully ready to roll yesterday, but it posting it Blogger frakked up - rather than throwing my laptop across the room as my rage would normally dictate I simply said fiddle-dee-dee and decided to worry about it tomorrow. it's now tomorrow and I have to redo about half of this.]

So - I was planning to do this tomorrow, but after watching the very fabulous Jon Stewart on Larry King Live last night and the exceedingly fabulous Amy Sedaris on Letterman last night - I figure - no time like the present! I am happy to present to you, faithful readers my predictions for the 80th annual Academy Awards. I am making my Oscar predictions public for the first time ever! I suppose I felt inspired by Stephen Colbert's predictions two years ago and I need to be more like him [which means I need more balloons suspended over my head, too - someone needs to get on that]. One of the things I allow myself to get nostalgic for in my previous job was my infamous Oscar Pool. So, if you are participating in one, feel free to use my predictions - although, I should qualify this by saying that I've never actually won an Oscar Pool and I have seen a grand total of TWO of the films nominated...in any category. So yeah, take these for what they are worth. Joseph has seen more as he goes to see films with his boss, so I am incorporating his insightful input in here as well. And now, on with the show! In alphabetical order...

[this is going to be lengthy so get comfy or just stop reading here, but I promise it's not as pretentious as these things tend to be]

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
I think this is really the only prediction I'm sure of, so I'm making it my mortal lock of the night. I don't really have any reasoning aside from all of the buzz around him - he is an extremely capable actor, so good on him. For me, though I adored Viggo in Eastern Promises [yes! one of the two films I've seen] and I did award him with Best Nudity of 2007 in my Best of 2007 round-up. He was amazing in that film and seems like a stellar dude.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men
Sure, why not. I think his role is the most iconic what with that hairstyle and all. I'm not sure if that counts as uglying himself up [the Academy loves that - mostly for women though], but it's something. The supporting awards are always a bit of a quirky crapshoot though.

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
I'm picking her based on the buzz for her on the ONTD website. They love her. I think Cate won't get it because she seems a more likely winner in the supporting category and apparently that film was a stinker. Ellen Page? She is a bit of a darling @ the moment, but I feel like she's just playing herself.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Yes, the supporting awards are super quirky, so imagine my surprise to find out that Cate already won one? For Aviator? Okay. So yeah, this is kinda what the category is all about - an old woman, an exceedingly young one and one who has uglied herself up/messes with gender. Yes, I changed my answer after I posted this. Because while I got caught up in "who should win" I realised that the Academy is far more likely to get caught up in "oh my goodness - a beautiful womans is playing a man!" I forgot I was supposed to be predicting, not voting. And if I sucked it up enough to vote for Ratatouille and Juno I can certainly do this.

Best Animated Feature Film
Ratatouille
I would actually designate this as my other mortal lock for the night, even though I said that there could be only one. People seem to love this film, but sorry - I can't stand Disney/Pixar. The animation style is not my flavour and I just don't think we should encourage rodents in the kitchen. I would really like to see Persepolis and yeah, I did shamefully laugh @ the extended trailer for Surf's Up when I saw Spiderman 3 in the cinema [it was introduced as "a true story"].

Best Art Direction
Sweeney Todd
I think the Academy has previously smiled upon Tim Burton and while he won't technically get the award I think it speaks to his style of filmmaking. This award tends to go to big, bombastic type of films where the art direction is the film.

Best Cinematography
No Country For Old Men
I'm just kinda feeling this win. No particular reason. I think it's really tough to judge cinematography when you haven't seen any of the films as it's somewhat of a slowburn type of thing. It should stick with you and I feel like this film is sticky. Pluse the nominee is nominated twice!

Best Costume Design
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
This category is often tied to Art Direction, but this time I think a departure is necessary. I think that the costumes in Sweeney Todd are visually interesting, but too cartoony - which I think is the point. Period pieces get this award often, so - go for it.

Best Directing
There Will Be Blood
I was surprised that P.T. Anderson has not been nominated for best director previously as both Boogie Nights and Magnolia seem pretty Oscar friendly. I think that the Academy will return to the one-two punch of Best Director and Best Picture winner being the same. I will be honest and just say that this film appeals to me a lot more than No Country for Old Men, which I think is the only competitor. They could split the vote and upset though. I just can`t get into the Coen brothers.

Best Documentary Feature
Taxi To The Dark Side
The Academy likes to go blockbuster in this category, too. Well, documentary-blockbuster. Which - great - it`s nice to see documentaries earn money, but I feel like the others get overlooked. As austere as the Oscars are - they secretly revel in controversy - my opinion anyway - and they are counting on Michael Moore to open his big, fat mouth. However, I'm casting my vote for Taxi To The Dark Side as it seems to have picked up considerable steam and is very current. People have short attention spans and Sicko feels like it was released four years ago.

Best Documentary Short
Sari`s Mother
I would like to see all of these, actually. But seeing documentary shorts is a bit difficult unless you really know where to look. This short deals with many different issues, so maybe that`s why I picked it. Political. I would most like to see the prison beauty queen one.

Best Film Editing
No Country For Old Men
This tends to go to one of the films that will pick up multiple awards. I feel like this film has more stories to tell than There Will Be Blood, so it gets my nod.

Best Foreign Language Film
Beaufort
I wouldn`t be particularly interested in seeing this film, but I think it will win. I think it will draw parallels with current military situations and left-leaning Hollywood should eat it up. Also, with Palestine winning last year, this is a nice companion piece.

Best Makeup
Pirates of the Caribbean
Seriously - Norbit. Wow. I just can`t give it my vote as I think it`s probably the most terrible film ever to be called Academy-Award nominated. Please think of a more terrible one. I`m sure there was something better. Also, I`m sure they used makeup in Pirates of the Caribbean and I`m sure it was lovely. Please accept an Oscar.

Best Score
Atonement
This is the kind of film that just looks like it has a great score. It kinda has to. I can just picture Kiera Knightley and that McAvoy fellow just atoning and enjoying the quality score.

Best Original Song
That's How You Know - Enchanted
You've gotta figure that since this film is nominated three times that one of the songs will win - the odds are in your favour with this bet. I have no interest in this film or any of the songs and the whole thing sounds pretty lame-o, which fits right in with Oscar-winning songs. I picked this title on a whim.

Best Picture
There Will Be Blood
I really think it could go to either No Country For Old Men or Blood, so yeah - go with your gut [I think that's what Colbert would want, although he has the DaColbert Code to go to and I do not]. Over the last week this film has just captured me. It seems very iconic and the milkshake scene made me a believer. Drink it up!

Best Short Film - Animated
Even Pigeons Go To Heaven
The National Film Board of Canada is always all up in this business. I would like to see all of this films, but again - I have no clue how to make that happen. Maybe go down to the NFB and rattle some cages. The animation looks great in this [and interesting animation all around - I hate the same-iness of popular animation] and the story seems interesting.

Best Short Film - Live Action
The Mozart of Pickpockets
The three short film categories are always difficult to pick - sometimes they go hardcore/serious and sometimes very whimsical. I know - it's the quality of the film, not necessarily the story - but I haven't seen them. This one looks vaguely whimsy-ish, but not sickeningly so. Yes, I got all that from a little picture.

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum
So, to prevent a three-peat by the second nominated film that I saw [all will be revealed in due time - like, the next category] I turned to Joseph to inquire about sound in this film. Apparently, there were crowd scenes and other good action-y stuff, so I'm giving it the nod. Matt Damon! I should mention here that Live Free or Die Hard should have totally been nominated here - another tragic Academy oversight.

Best Sound Mixing
Transformers
Yes, Transformers. This is the second film. The sound was great in this film. But I think that's largely due to the fact that large robots sound cool. One of the best sounds ever in fact.

Best Visual Effects
Transformers
Because - rock 'em, sock 'em robots! While I didn't really enjoy this film, I loved all of the robots and explosions and fighting robots. Stupid Shia LaBeouf who seems hellbent on destroying that which I love. More robots please! Like, why can't Optimus Prime be in the new Indiana Jones film?

Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay
No Country For Old Men
I've heard that this is a faithful rendering of the book that has been translated into a film with great success. Also, I feel like if either this film or Blood cleans up I haven't given either of them enough.

Best Writing - Original Screenplay
Juno
I really, really hope I'm wrong about this one. However, I don't think I am and I am mightily tempted to make this my third mortal lock of the night. For me, this film suffers from the Uncanny Valley effect. It's too hip, too clever, too "people really talk like this" and so edgy [written by a former stripper]. However, it's a critical sensation and media darling so it will win.

Okay - I'm done [again!]. Please be sure to thank me when you win your office Oscar Pool. Or leave me a comment showing me why I'm wrong - I will update on Sunday.

Day One Hundred and Thirteen - Total Eclipse Of The Moon

I suspect that this might be a popular thing on the many Thing-A-Day blogs out there, but perhaps everyone else is better @ actually leaving the house and paying attention to their astronomical surroundings than I am. It's particularly sad when you consider that I have been to Space Camp [multiple times!] and I was a full-on space nerd for years and years [yes, I built my own telescope]. And while I have seen many solar eclipses [and yes, I did look @ them because I'm bold that way and since I'm totally not blind I think it's a scam] - to the best of my rememberance I have never seen a lunar one.

Thankfully today the cosmos saw fit to remedy this and everything aligned properly and I witnessed a lunar eclipse. Even better was the fact that I didn't have to go outside to witness this, though I did have to stand in my unheated back hallway thing [have I mentioned that it's been insanely cold here since like...forever, I think?]. The eclipse was really cool, especially when the Earth made it turn all red. I mean, I've totally fried my brain cells that remember stuff about astronomy, so all I know is that lunar eclipses lay the beats down to solar eclipses. Suck it solar eclipses!

Day One Hundred and Twelve - I Coulda Been A Contenduh!

Today I had to go down to the Harbourfront Centre and since it was like -17 or something [that's Celsius, my American friends] and windy and icy and I'm wearing a skirt, I thought - hey, why don't I go on a little jaunt along the waterfront? That's a perfectly cromulent suggestion - thanks brain. So, I did - I took a walk on the waterfront [alone and in the winter]. And, let me tell you - the sea was angry today, my friend - like an old man in a deli trying to send back soup.

Okay, it's not a sea, it's a lake [a Great Lake!], but it was still angry. Lots of waves and white crests [which I've not really seen in Toronto, although I don't tend to go to the waterfront in the summer since my summer working @ the harbour]. And, lots of birds - I guess they were too lazy to fly south for the winter. Also on the harbourfront is an ice rink [manmade], but apparently there were adverse conditions due to weather, but people were skating [and really, isn't "cold" the main condition for ice?] and having a jolly time [why don't they have jobs?]. It was also much, much colder on the waterfront than anywhere else in the city.

Also, I accepted a volunteer position with The Power Plant. I'm very excited about this as it will require me to actually speak to people about art - modern art installations. Unfortunately I couldn't see the gallery today, but I am getting a tour next weekend - yeah!

Day One Hundred and Eleven - Every Third Monday In February

It's not every year that one bears witness to the creation of a new holiday. Until the creation of Family Day Ontario had eight public holidays. Family Day was declared a thing on October 11th of last year, so this is our first one ever. That's why today's Extraordinary Thing is not really a thing at all...yet. Today I celebrated Family Day. And really, since it has not existed [in Ontario] until now, no matter what I do - *that's* celebrating Family Day. There are these dopey adverts on the radio about people being stressed out over coming up with something that can serve as a tradition for future Family Days. It is dopey, but it's kinda true. I mean, all holidays have traditions, but maybe it took a while to get them right.

So today, I didn't do too much of anything that was unusual. Maybe one of these things can serve as my Family Day tradition, but I guess we will have to wait until next year to find out.
- I volunteered @ the museum
- I didn't see my own family, but I saw a lot of other families and contributed to them spending quality time together
- I watched an xmas episode of 90210 while it was snowing out and then I thought it might be time for xmas - made me feel seasonal
- I watched Battlestar and ate a lot of heart-shaped peanut butter cups
- I made a dinner that was all green - pesto pasta and french-cut green beans
- I drank beer and played videogames
- we welcomed a new computer into the house

And yes, I dislike the term Family Day. It seems very close minded. But I think that's probably just my own bias showing. Also, my friend Courtney in British Columbia doesn't get this holiday and I think that sucks.

Day One Hundred and Ten - You Don't Win Friends With Salad

It is my friend Kathryn's birthday today, so I decided to take some inspiration from her for today's Extraordinary Thing. She is much more health conscious than I am and as I sat next to her @ work for eight months or so, I got a good sense of her food preferences. Also, I'm nosey and I would harass her about what she ate for dinner on a pretty much daily basis [yes, this is the type of thing you have to deal with when I am your friend - I'm quite charming]. I was concerned that she wasn't having enough hot dinners in particular...and also not using The Griddler enough.

So today, in honour of Kathryn I made and ate a salad for lunch. It was a big salad [the whole bag of greens actually]. It's true, I'm not only a terrible vegetarian, but I am a terrible vegetarian that doesn't like salad and has never had salad as a lunch [I think this makes me a terrible woman as well as women tend to love salads]. It's not that I don't like salad - I just don't find it to be a meal. And, it's cold. There are few cold items that qualify as a meal for me [sushi is one]. I think every meal should include warm food and if it doesn't...I would probably rather go hungry. In fact, one time I had a cold salad for dinner and then I threw up. A lot. True story.

The salad was pretty tasty and garlic-y and filling enough. But then I played lots of Wipeout and I had to eat a lot of gelato. A lot.

Day One Hundred and Nine - Table For Two

Joseph and I went out to celebrate Valentine's Day [okay, more of an excuse to go out for dinner, not really in honour of that day] a bit late. Not just because Valentine's Day was two days ago, but because we couldn't get a reservation until 9:30 p.m. So, I was pretty starving and it was freezing out and I had to arrive @ the restaurant alone...and to my surprise I was led to a special booth. In fact, it's not really a booth, but like a tiny private room...or closet. A very dark one.

So tonight I dined in a super-private area of a restaurant. You could even pull across a thick velvet curtain and completely close off the area. Our waiter would knock every time he would come over. It was like being swathed in velvet, in fact. Big tapestry type things hung floor to ceiling and there was only a blue light...and also a disco ball. It's a very eclectic place. The food was also very good, but I was disappointed that I couldn't have my favourite catfish and collard greens. But, mmmmm - pecan pie and crab cakes. And privacy - you can't top not having to listen to other people's conversations and having to censor yourself. Really very awesome.

Day One Hundred and Eight - Hair x100

So this morning I read on the Hotmail sign-out website [you know the one - I think it is a main source of news for Joseph who is a bit too lazy to go elsewhere for news] and it had an article debunking hair myths. Being so ultimately girlie-girl [ahahahaha] I just had to click. Most of them were things I knew already. However, one of them was the thing about brushing your hair 100 strokes to increase it's healthiness. I think the idea is that it distributes your head's natural oils so that your hair looks and feels soft and shiny. It was probably popular back in the 1950s when women had more time on their hands and making oneself pretty was mission #1 in life. Also, I saw it in The Brady Bunch film and I love that movie.

So tonight before retiring to bed I brushed my hair 100 times. It didn't really take that long, but after about 10 brushes my hair was as untangly and brushed as it gets. The rest just made me static-y and then I started to notice more strands of hair coming out [and I normally seem to lose a scary amount of hair]. Apparently that's exactly why you shouldn't do this - it can make your hair fall out. However, my Google-fu reveals that websites are still split on this - some people are saying it's some ancient Chinese secret to reinvigorate your chi.

Also, it's been exactly one year since I last cut and coloured my hair. Oh my, we have had some awkwardness, but now it's okay and I can't justify doing anything to it on my budget. Also, one year since Britney Spears shaved her head...we are like star twins.

Day One Hundred and Seven - Reason #1 - Why I'm A Good Canadian

Okay, so the reasons why I'm a bad Canadian are varied and apt [I hate hockey, Roots and displaying the Canadian flag everywhere - especially when travelling]. I don't even get offended when people assume I'm American [shocking, I know]. However, let me submit to you at least one reason why I'm a good Canadian, on this most loving and tender of days. Today as part of my Valentine's Day intimate, homecooked dinner I made split pea soup from scratch. I figured it was appropriate as it is a very man's man kind of soup and therefore appropriate for a man [isn't that strange?]. And I just happen to be dating a man, so it all worked out.

This is the first time I've ever made my own split pea soup or really tasted anything outside of the Habitant [poverty soup!] variety. It is indeed a humble and inexpensive soup, but also incredibly rich tasting and very filling. I added fake bacon bits on top to give it that extra rugged appeal. I felt like a French-Canadian lumberjack or something. Which, really - isn't that exactly the type of feeling you are trying to create on Valentine's Day?

Day One Hundred and Six - And There's A Picture of a Train

Okay, so it's Valentine's Day tomorrow and I'm unemployed. Generally speaking, Joseph and I don't really celebrate it, although we do use it as an excuse to go out for dinner [not on the actual day] because I like going out for dinner. My favourite Valentine's gift was when he bought me the Swiffer Wet. It was amazing and when I told my mum what he bought me she was quite horrified and told me to immediately break up with him. Ha! I'm hoping for more cleaning apparatus again this year, but I'm not holding my breath. Also, my mum sent me $20 for Valentine's Day [because my life has become that pathetic] and I can't decide how to spend it. The money has to be spent, though.

I do have a special homemade meal planned for tomorrow, but just in case I am once again struck down by Captain Migraine today I created two lovingly handcrafted Valentine's Day gifts. And yes, they are both lame-o and cheesetastic. I think Joseph would be disappointed if they weren't. I don't want to say too much about them as he has been known to read le blog, except I will note that they are the sort of thing one might give to another if one were in grade seven. Which, mentally - I'm already there.

Day One Hundred and Five - Spring Cleaning

I don't really get the appeal of spring cleaning. I mean, spring is a lovely time of year - birds are singing, the sun is shining and all of that jazz - so why not...I dunno - GO OUTSIDE and enjoy it? Wouldn't that be better than inhaling bleach fumes and working yourself silly inside? Spring seems to be a very short season in these parts - a brief period of time in between the insane numbing coldness of winter and the insane blistering heat of summer. I will be able to enjoy spring as I'm doing my spring cleaning right now [it's seriously beyond cold out there and more snow than what Toronto has seen in decades so no, I'm not going out there].

Today - in one of my traditional fits of cleaning I completely gutted and cleaned the refrigerator. I have really never done this before [go on and judge me, but I never claimed to be an adult]. There have been many times when the fridge becomes a "clutter fridge" and I will toss out everything that is ancient or I can't deal with washing up due to grossness. I will spot clean the fridge when something bad happens. But this was brand new. I removed everything - I mean, really everything - even things that I thought couldn't be removed and I scrubbed it down twice - once with scrubbers and once with a soft cloth. Lots of chemicals were involved and I now have a nasty rash and a very sore knee. I actually had to take some of the fridge parts into the shower to get hosed down.

The reason I haven't done this before - aside from laziness - is that the fridge scares me a little. Ever since the summer when I lived with Seth and our fridge broke twice [or three times?] I'm freaked out that the fridge is going to die on me. My mum probably warned me not to stand in front of an open fridge for risk of burning out the motor [however, I know she fully cleaned ours like...every other week - she is a cleaning fanatic - this apple falls far from the tree]. But the fridge is still happily humming away [our old fridge made Law & Order sounds]. I'm sad that the "clean fridge smell" doesn't stick around, though.

Day One Hundred and Four - I'm The Re-Birthday, I'm The Re-Birthday, I'm The Re-Birthday Boy Or Girl

So, fourteen years ago today I had a near-death experience. It was as a result of my own idiocy, so you don't have to feel bad or think of me as some sort of great, strong individual or anything. I've decided not to get into the specifics here as everyone who I know is aware of what happened - I'm not ashamed though - if you are curious I will share [my heart did stop for 27 seconds and the doctor told my parents I wouldn't live so it was kinda serious]. Every year on this date I celebrate it as my re-birthday - in a way it is more important than my original birthday as without this one I really wouldn't be alive. I try to mark the day somehow without being too melodramatic about it - I used to bring gifts to the hospital that saved my life when I still lived @ home. Today is a good "It's A Wonderful Life" check for me.

Today was pretty crappy for me - I'm sick, the weather is beyond frigid and the museum was pretty slow during my shift and my internet was out. After waking up from a nap I watched 90210 and it was the episode with the near-death experience of Dylan [horrific episode, by the way]. Then on South Park it was Cartman's near-death experience [and he becomes a psychic detective, which unfortunately didn't happen to me - I didn't even see the light or any of that]. Anyway, I needed something lazy to do so I researched near-death experiences, my particular "illness" and its treatment. I actually learned a lot, which surprised me [I like to think that I know everything]. I really came very close to death and other people who weren't as lucky as I am...they took even fewer risks [and were much older, strangely] than me. I actually became kinda retroactively scared - I really was indestructible.

Another thing that scares me is how little I've grown up, despite the fact that next year I will be twice as old as my rebirthday.

Day One Hundred and Three - I Pity The Dirt

Soap on a rope has a long and somewhat high-larious history in my family. It was always a much sought-after and treasured xmas gift. When my godfather first got soap on a rope he didn't understand the point of the rope [I don't either]. So - he put the rope around his neck while showering. As one might imagine, that didn't really work out to his advantage [though I'm sure he would be delighted with me retelling his story].

For some reason soap on a rope is only for men so I have never been given it as a gift. However, Joseph got soap on a rope [from me!] which afforded me the opportunity and I used soap on a rope. More specifically it is Mr. T soap on a rope. I think I had enough of the Mr. T staring @ me while in the shower, to be honest. The whole experience was really not fantastic. The rope is quite mystifying as to its use and purpose. The smell was okay [not masculine enough actually], but the soap suds rinsed off like some sickly yellowy-orange nuclear radiation mess. And, for future reference "Mr. T shaped" is really not the best shape for soap. I think I will leave soap on a rope to the men.

Day One Hundred and Two - Imagine The Freedom

I'm not normally one to play the lottery, but I am unemployed, so I figure that anything that might result in money is a good thing. I've heard people say that they can justify playing the lottery because it's so cheap. Well, yes - $2 really isn't much of an investment if you can turn it ito several million...but if you don't win [and really - chances are that you won't] - that is one mighty expensive piece of paper. You can buy a whole 200 pages @ Zellers for half of that. Anyway, over xmas on a scratch ticket I won $4 so today I invested my previous lottery winnings into a new lottery ticket and I used the Quick Pick feature. I have never used the Quick Pick because I always reasoned that the computer has already picked those numbers - why would it pick them again? However, my strategy of picking my own numbers has never really made me a millionaire, so I decided to give it a chance. The numbers are nothing I would have picked, which I guess is the point. If I win, I am going to continue this project, except that the Things will become a lot more interesting. Like riding a giraffe.

I actually have a bonus Extraordinary Thing for today as well [you lucky devils]. It was totally unplanned, but I watched a film with DVD commentary. This was on TV and it wasn't the normal director/actors yapping over the film, it was done just with text in the part of the screen that is normally black when one watches a widescreen picture. Kinda like Pop-Up Video. I'm a nerd so I like learning all of the stuff that goes into making a movie [also I don't really understand @ all how they make movies], but it was a little distracting [but I hate the yapping over the show/film thing a million times more]. I wouldn't recommend it if you haven't already seen the film as it is a bit spoilery as well as distracting. However, I had seen this one many a-time. The film? Die Hard.

Day One Hundred and One - P&C Party

[is my spelling numbers with letters thing really pretentious? because i love it. i love spelling things with letters.]

Today is an ultra special three-for-one in terms of Extraordinary Things, so let's hop to it. The first thing is that I attended a Chinese New Year party. Actually, it ended up not being so much about Chinese New Year, but that was the theme for food and dress [for me anyway]. I asked Lisa for some help in an exciting greeting for New Years and I spelled it out on my velcro shirt [not entirely made of velcro - just the patch across my chest - and I don't care how much money it cost me, I love it]. Also, I brought fortune cookies to the party. Which brings us neatly to thing number two.

I went to a potluck without bringing something that I cooked. So I guess this could be interpreted as a "congrats on being an a-hole" thing, but it really wasn't. As previously mentioned I was struck down with a migraine yesterday and it continued today. So, I was heavily drugged and unable to do much of anything. So, instead of beating myself up over it [or not showing up to the party] I went to the party with two bags of ruffley chips and two containers of my favourite store-bought dip [yes, I had an ode to chips and dip in my SuperBowl recipe mail out and it really is my favourite appetizer, as Rory instructed us to bring]. And yes, I brought the fortune cookies too - they were a hit.

Thing number the third is that I went to a party and I didn't drink. Since I have been old enough to drink [note - this does not mean legal to drink, just "old enough"] there haven't been many times when I have declined a tasty beverage. However, with my migraine episode I really couldn't so I brought with me a big jug of knock-off Five Alive and I got positively giddy on all of the sugar. That stuff is not juice.

Day One Hundred - A True Warrior Shows His Strength In Hot Water

Okay, so my thing for today was going to be me changing a lightbulb while standing on something as I have truly never done this. I went out and found the right lightbulbs - which was an effort in and of itself - we have strange recessed lighting throughout the house and there are so many choices. I came home all set to change a lightbulb and...my ladder isn't tall enough! Yes, I am short and yes, I guess our ceilings are kinda tall. Boo-urns! Then I started to get a migraine and things kinda went to hell...[Joseph put the new bulb in though and it didn't explode or anything].

I decided to try out one of my xmas gifts - this one from my cousins in Alberta. It is this coffee/tea infuser thing - which is sort of the opposite of a French press [which I use daily] - instead of putting a plunger down, you lift it up and everything flows down. When we got the gift [it's for me and Joseph] we couldn't figure out how it worked and the instructions were in Korean [I think]. Well, apparently Joseph and I had too many xmas beers [cold frosty beers on a warm xmas morning!] as this thing is quite easy to use. I had bought some clearance loose tea @ Zellers today [I am nothing if not classy] and I used my new tea infuser with loose tea. The results were mixed - the tea was a fabulous "there will be blood" colour [it was raspberry/strawberry tea], smelled fantastic and was intensely flavoured [sour in a good way - I made it too strong, I know]. However, it only made about half a cup so I had to reboil the water.

And yes, this is post 100! And it kinda sucks! I'm ambitious...

Day Ninety-Nine - I Just Felt My Chakra Open, Honey.

There's nothing quite like yoga to make me feel like the tubbiest bitch on the planet. I have been doing yoga since I was 14 years old and I think most people @ my Catholic high school thought that the yoga people were a coven of witches. However, I still suck out loud @ yoga. My flexibility is incredibly limited and now with my knee and ankle problems, half of the poses [the left ones] are humilatingly difficult to attempt.

I generally practice yoga @ home, though I'm not very disciplined about it. I have been trying to go back to a yoga class and my efforts have not been successful for the last month. We had another snowstorm last night, but still I attended a yoga class. It has probably been about 5 years since I have been to one. Like I said - I always feel so incompetent - watching people who seem to be even more out of shape than I am - and how they can manipulate their bodies into doing things that seem impossible. Sometimes when they bend or fold in half and grab the bottoms of their feet they look like ventriloquist dummies. This both cracks me up and freaks me the hell out. The yoga instructor called me out for being new to the class, called me sweetie and also touched me. Normally this would fall under the three strikes rule, but I was encouraged. Why? Because there were other skinny bitches like me who couldn't do many of the poses! Yeah!

I think my knee will hate me long-time tomorrow. I'm used to more ab-focused yoga or Ashtanga yoga which is all about movement and power. This was more about legs and stretching. I'm not a fan, but it is free and I'm cheap...

Day Ninety-Eight - Canadian House of Pancakes

Shrove Tuesday [or, Fat Tuesday - but I don't necessarily want Tuesday getting a complex] always seemed to be full of possibilities. Pancakes for dinner! Binge on everything you are giving up for Lent! Go for it! But then...such disappointment. While pancakes on the weekend weren't terribly unusual, pancakes for dinner did not happen. And every year I would trick myself into thinking that this Shrove Tuesday would be all that I dreamed of in terms of dinner items. It never was. For some unexplainable reason my family would always, always make potato pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Gross. Honestly, I probably like potato pancakes these days - but back then they were as mysterious and unpleasant as that weird cassarole thing that we had to eat on Good Friday. Yknow - with the tuna fish and the potato chips? Let's just say that Easter in general was no good in terms of foodstuffs. So there I was - year after year, a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed youngster sitting in front of a plate of non-buttermilk badness.

Enough! This year Shrove Tuesday seems incredibly early, but I was ready. For the life of me I cannot make pancakes [or omelettes - I'm not good with flipping] so I enlisted Joseph's expertise and I had buttermilk pancakes with bananas, chocolate and real maple syrup for dinner on Shrove Tuesday. I like to call them Chocolate Monkey pancakes. Delicious. However, now I would really like some potato pancakes - just so I can confirm that I do like them now. I like being difficult.

Yknow - the International House of Pancakes should headquarter themselves in Canada. After all - we do have the maple syrup.

Day Ninety-Seven - Gone With The Wind

My dad would have been 56 years old today. I have no doubt that he would have had an enjoyable day [and who knows, maybe he did? I'm not wise enough to speculate on this kind of thing] - the day after an exciting SuperBowl and it was beautifully mild out for a February - felt just like spring. Unlike me, my dad liked attention and even embarassment on his birthday - he liked/expected/demanded [ha!] gifts, parties, celebration...he would have gotten on incredibly well in ancient Rome. Anyway, I'm not trying to get weepy - a birthday is a positive thing.

Today I decided to pay tribute to my dad by doing something in his honour. Like me, my dad had a rather focussed amount of interests. Not to say that we are bit a obsessive about certain things, people, events, activities or whatever...but yeah, a little bit. I don't really share any of my dad's interests, but I know enough about them that we could speak about them. Except for the obvious one - my dad was a Civil War buff, while most of my Civil War knowledge comes from Gone With The Wind and that one episode of South Park. So today I researched the Civil War [while drinking a beer]. Wow. There's a lot to know - it was intimidating to even start this. My dad used to say that he forgot the content of books after he read them so he would just buy more [he had a lot of Civil War books and also a pretty graphic one of the Vietnam War that I read @ a tender age]. I am distanced from my dad in that I have a terrific memory [a good and bad thing], but I like learning the same things over and over again, too. Every time I think I will learn something new [like when I watch American Justice over and over] and I usually do.

So...yeah - I'm still not sure I understand what attracted my dad to this subject - I guess I was trying to make a connection. But then, I wouldn't expect anyone to get why I'm interested in the things I am either. I do get the psychology behind it though...we're both a little crazy.

Day Ninety-Six - Nacho Nacho Man

The Kirklands had the best SuperBowl parties when I was growing up. Featuring a big pot of chili, nachos, margaritas [and beer of course] and accessible, non-intrusive football-themed party games, it was really something to aspire towards. I once tried having a SuperBowl party when I was 14 years old, but I invited only other 14 year old girls who weren't so much about the football. They ended up not watching the game at all and squealing over the halftime show. It was the same year that they came out with Crystal Pepsi, causing my dad to run out during the game to buy it. Even as a diehard Coke family, we were so impressed that it was clear AND tasted like a cola. I think people were easier to impress back then. I'm still not sure why it being a clear cola was a big deal at all.

Anyway - thoughout the years I've had an on and off relationship with the NFL, but it will always be there due to my dad's influence. For the SuperBowl this year I decided to try something new and I made nachos @ home. I'm not sure why this was so intimidating to me as it's actually quite simple. The nachos were so delicious that barely any stomach room was left for my black bean chili, served with avocado salsa. And blue margaritas [in honour of both teams having blue on their uniforms].

It was a great game - it's always nice to see the underdog win. And to have Tom Brady put in his place a bit. I just hate that guy so much.

Day Ninety-Five - These Got Peanuts And Soap In Them!

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but apparently I have gone some 29 going on 30 years of somewhat well-rounded life without ever eating waffles. Unless my mum can confirm otherwise. I only realized this last night as Joseph and I were watching Invader Zim. Normally the food on Invader Zim looks entirely discusting and is enough to give one a weekend case of anorexia. This time, Gir prepared waffles and they looked tasty. Just a bit crunchy on the edges. Then, I thought - I've never had waffles! Pancakes, sure. Gaufres in Belgium, sure [please note that Belgian Waffles you get in North America are not the types of waffles you will get in Belgium].

Today I decided to remedy this situation and I ate waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. We went to the Golden Griddle, since I was more in the mood for that kind of vibe, rather than going for anything more classy. I generally favour savoury to sweet, but these were quite good. Though I did feel like I was just eating dessert. Not breakfast/lunch. Also delicious? Home fries.

Day Ninety-Four - <3

We had a massive snowstorm starting at around 5am today and therefore I was unable to complete my originally planned "thing" for today. So...improvisation led me to my trusty Wikipedia where @ the beginning of each month I research all of the holidays and observances for the upcoming month. Fortunately, I found something for today that was easy enough to accomplish. Because, snow day = laziness [and I should know as I come from the home of snow days - I'm an expert].

Today I celebrated Wear Red Day. I'm pretty sure this is an American thing, although I know that the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation also has designated February as Heart Month. Anyway - I wore red [Hello Kitty hoodie] and I prepared a heart-smart dinner consisting of a five-vegetable stir-fry served with long-grain rice and dark chocolate for dessert. To be honest, I'm not really concerned about my heart/cardiovascular health. I'm young and I exercise sometimes and I think I eat well enough [especially since quitting my job - the closeness to Havana and the store was too much for me to overcome for my weak willpower]. However, I know that there are genetic considerations, but I think I'm still in pretty good shape. The less I stress the better.