Teena in Toronto

Princess Teena?

2012-01-29T09:41:00.005-05:00

I've always been interested in genealogy.

I signed up to Ancestry.ca last spring and inputted what I knew about my mother and father's sides of my family, in addition to Gord's.

And it's just like the commercials say ... small green leaves appear on the top right corner of a person's box if there is anything in the system about them. It could be historical documents or if this person is included in someone else's tree. Very cool!

The bad thing is is that it's addictive ... it's not hard for me to get lost for hours and hours in there.

I've ended up in touch with some distant cousins plus some of Gord's not-so-distant ones.

I'd heard that I was related to Marilyn Monroe and I was able to track how. Her first husband, James Dougherty, was my first cousin, twice removed on my father's side. My great grandmother and Marilyn's former father-in-law were sister and brother.

This afternoon I was checking some leaves attached to my 9th great grandmother on my father's side, Martha (1640 - 1714). I came across a document that was prepared in 1929 tracking the lineage my 5th cousin, 4x times removed, Sophia.

For fun, I started inputting who in the document would be my ancestors. It goes ultimately took me back to Pepin de Heristal, who was apparently my 41th great grandfather (635 - 714). Also included in the lineage was King Edward I of England (1239 - 1307), who I was my 22nd great grandfather. His son, Edward II, succeeded him as king. My family branched off through Edward II's sister, Joan, my 21st great grandmother.

Crazy, eh?

This is picture is of King Edward I ... can you see the resemblance?!

The County General, Toronto, ON

2012-01-28T20:34:00.005-05:00

Gord and I had supper tonight at The County General (Queen W/Shaw). It opened last year and it's the first time I've been there (Gord's had a couple beer there).

We got there about 6:30 and had to wait about a half hour for a seat ... so we were told to sit by the window (we sat on the window sill and had a glass of bubbly Riesling).

Two seats opened at the bar and they were ours.

As you can see, the place was jammed.

I ordered the 6oz County Burger and Gord ordered the Fried Chicken Thigh Sandwich.

Here's Gord's sandwich ... he said it was really good.

Here's my burger ... it was juicy and delicious!

The ketchup for the fries was made there ... it had a bite to it and you could really taste cinnamon.

Here's how your bill arrives.

The food is good and there's definitely a vibe. I'll be back!

One for the Money

2012-01-28T17:07:00.002-05:00

Gord and I saw One for the Money this afternoon.

From Toronto.com ~ A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast cash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company ... as a recovery agent. True, she doesn't even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn't stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny's biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli - yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school. (Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepherd, Debbie Reynolds)

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this movie. I enjoyed the book (and have read all in the series) so had to see the movie.

Fans of the series were quick to give their negative opinions when Katherine Heigl was cast as Stephanie Plum. I must admit I had my doubts about her in the role and she wasn't too bad. I had always pictured someone like Sandra Bullock in the role, though she is too old now.

The movie followed the book pretty closely. There were some women who were sitting to the right of us who were definitely fans. They giggled girlishly in some spots.

In the books, Joe Morelli and Ranger (especially Ranger) are hot ... smoking hot. The actors playing Joe and Ranger were definitely not smoking hot ... they were kind of bland. They should have cast these roles better/differently. Katherine Heigl was the biggest "star" in the movie.

I like Grandma Masur in the books ... she's quirky. I found Debbie Reynolds annoying in the part. She wasn't Grandma Masur.

I read an article in yesterday's Toronto Star where Katherine Heigl said she'd like to do others in the series. It should be interesting to see if she does given the poor reviews of this movie.

Book ~ "V is for Vengeance" (2011) - Sue Grafton

2012-01-27T23:57:00.003-05:00

From Goodreads ~ A woman with a murky past who kills herself - or was it murder? A dying old man cared for by the son he pummeled mercilessly. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring racking up millions in stolen goods. A brutal and unscrupulous gangster. A wandering husband, rich and powerful. A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt thinking he can beat the system. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers that may be worse than the pain of his loss. An elegant but ruthless businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the spider at the center of the web.

And Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.

I read the last one in the series almost two years ago and enjoyed it. And I loved this one.

The viewpoints bounce around by chapter. When it is dealing with Kinsey, they are in the first person. When they aren't, they are third person.

I like that we have to wait a couple years for the books in the series. It's not like she is churing them out like other authors. The wait is worth it.

There are a lot of different plots which seem to be independent and made the book complex ... but there is a point and they all come together in the end and made sense.

I found this wasn't a book I could read quickly. It's over 400 pages and dense ... and that's not a criticism because it's a good book and worth your $$.

Kinsey hasn't became a wimp over the years. She's still tough and nosy and digs where she sometimes shouldn't. Because it's set in the mid-1980s, she has to depend on other things since there were no computers and the Internet. Who cross references in phone books anymore?!

Woohoo ... it's Friday!

2012-01-27T08:22:00.002-05:00

Cat in the cockpit grounds Toronto-bound airplane

2012-01-26T20:33:00.005-05:00

Did you hear about this kitty story?

From today's Toronto Star ...

An Air Canada flight was grounded for several hours Wednesday morning after a cat got loose in the airplane and hid in the cockpit.

“We now have a ‘lost cat in airplane’ file that’s got one piece of paper in it after this morning,” said Peter Spurway, spokesman for the Halifax International Airport Authority.

Flight 603 from Halifax to Toronto had been scheduled to leave at 5:40 a.m. before Ripples the cat escaped from its carrier and ran into the cockpit.

The crew scoured the plane as the cat’s owner called out to her pet.

Eventually they determined that the cat had “weaseled its way down into the wiring of the cockpit,” Spurway said.

The cat was found and returned safely, but the flight remained grounded until the cockpit wiring could be checked for damage.

“The maintenance folks had to take panels off… inside the cockpit in order to get at the cat,” Spurway said. Once Ripples was removed, they had to reassemble the cockpit and ensure that no damage had been done to the wiring or hardware.

In the end, though, “there was no real damage done.”

He said despite the delay and some rescheduling, most passengers took the excitement in good humour.

“I’ve heard of animals…that travel in carriers down below…I’ve heard of them getting lost in the belly of the plane, or animals getting loose on airport property,” Spurway said.

“But this, this is the first time I’ve heard of this.”

The flight finally took off around 10 a.m. local time.

So glad he was found safely.

As much as I love kitties (and tabbies), I'd be pissed if I'd been delayed almost four hours because of this. I hope the owner will be more careful with the carrier next time.

The former Downtown Dodge Chrysler site, Toronto

2012-01-25T16:40:00.004-05:00

The building is almost gone ... except for a piece of what used to be the garage.

It didn't take them long to demolish it.

Here is the southwest corner on Thursday, January 12:

Similar view on Saturday:

Same view today:

Here is the southeast corner on January 12:

Here is the same view today:

And here's the part of the garage they left.

When the condos are built, this is what they will look like (looking at the southeast corner):

Thanks to Gord for taking today's pictures for me.

PEI Humane Society

2012-01-24T20:30:00.002-05:00

The Rick Mercer Report was good tonight ... especially when he paid a visit to the PEI Humane Society.

Tuesday workout

2012-01-24T19:45:00.001-05:00

Gord and I went to the gym this evening.

He did an hour long aquafit class.

I spent 30 minutes on the stationery bike while reading V is for Vengeance.

Then I found a spot on a mat and did a 35 minute guided meditation I have on my ipod.

I hadn't been to the gym since last Saturday. Eeek!

Kung hei fat choi!

2012-01-23T18:12:00.004-05:00

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year.

Have you checked your horoscope for the year? You can find it here.

I was born in the year of the Tiger. ... here's mine for the year.

The tiger has a very dominant travel sign this year. Wealth and travel seem to be interrelated. Beware of accidents. You are very spiritual — almost psychic — and are drawn to work in international trade, travel, logistics, army or policing. Surgeons and butchers will do particularly well this year. Those in religious, spiritual or metaphysical endeavours will also prosper. Work that involves analysis or logic does not appeal to you. Remember the more mobile you are, the more money you make. You will generate more income in a sales or marketing job than you would at a desk job. Romances may be weak, so be happy with what you have. Expect a healthy year ahead, but be mindful of accidents that may lead to bleeding.

Highlights for people born in tiger years:

1998 - Your mind seems to have trouble settling down. You have a big imagination. Don’t let it interfere with your studies.

1986 - Your income comes with hard work. At least it pays off well for you.

1974 - Your work will be smooth because of help from your boss or someone elderly.

1962 - You will have a good circle of friends. You will favour partnership business. You will do better outside the office.

1950 - You can help a lot of people. Hence you would do well as a teacher or councillor. An education career is good for you.

1938 - You should refrain from all kinds of gambling or speculations. Pay more attention to your health and enjoy life.

So I've got to be out of the office often (which isn't hard considering my job) and stay away from sharp objects.

How is your year looking?

Book ~ "Taken" (2012) - Robert Crais

2012-01-22T21:42:00.004-05:00

From RobertCrais.com ~ When Nita Morales hires Elvis Cole to find her missing adult daughter, she isn’t afraid, even though she’s gotten a phone call asking for ransom. She knows it’s a fake, that her daughter is off with the guy Nita will only call “that boy,” and that they need money: “Even smart girls do stupid things when they think a boy loves them.”

But Nita is wrong. The girl and her boyfriend have been taken by bajadores – bandits who prey on other bandits, border professionals who prey not only on innocent victims, but on each other. They steal drugs, guns, and people – buying and selling victims like commodities, and killing the ones they can’t get a price for.

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike find the spot where they were taken. There are tire tracks, bullet casings, and bloodstains. They know things look as bad as possible. But they are wrong, too. It is about to get worse. Going undercover to find the two young people and buy them back, Cole himself is taken, and now it is up to Joe Pike to retrace Cole’s steps, burning through the hard and murderous world of human traffickers to find his friend.

But he may already be too late ...

Though I've been a fan of Elvis Cole for many years, I've found the last few books just okay. The last two have been focused on Joe Pike, Elvis' best friend, and Elvis just had small parts in them. While I like Pike, the books where he is the focus are more serious.

I thought this book was the best one he's written in a while. While it's not as whimsical as past books with Elvis, there were glimpses of Elvis' humour and charm.

The chapter grouping was interesting as they jumped around in time (but are clearly labeled) and are written in different voices. When they are using Elvis' voice, they are in the first person. Otherwise, they are in the third person.

The story and concept was interesting ... smuggling illegal ("undocumented") aliens into the States but having them stolen by bajadores who then collect a monthly ransom from their families. If the family don't/can't pay, they are "sent home".

It's great to have Elvis back!

The former Downtown Dodge Chrysler site, Toronto

2012-01-21T13:25:00.001-05:00

Last week I talked about the former Downtown Dodge Chrysler site they were getting ready to demolish.

Here's what it looked like.

They started knocking it down this week.

Here it is today.

I wonder how long they'll wait until they start building the condos.

Book ~ "If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)" (2011) - Betty White

2012-01-20T23:59:00.001-05:00

From Goodreads ~ Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White's wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask Me mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven-decade career in Hollywood. Longtime fans and new fans alike will relish Betty's candid take on everything from her rumored crush on Robert Redford (true) to her beauty regimen (I have no idea what color my hair is and I never intend to find out") to the Facebook campaign that helped persuade her to host Saturday Night Live despite her having declined the hosting job three times already.

Featuring all-new material, with a focus on the past fifteen years of her life, If You Ask Me is funny, sweet, and to the point-just like Betty White.

This is a quick read ... I read it in a couple hours.

It's not a deep book but it's entertaining. Betty talks about getting old, having pets, her love for animals, red carpet parties, her late husband Allan Ludden, and more.

Considering she just turned 90 this week, she's still going strong. I hope I'm that lucky.

Book ~ "The Garner Files: A Memoir" (2011) - James Garner and Jon Winokur

2012-01-20T19:05:00.006-05:00

From Goodreads ~ After suffering physical abuse at the hands of his stepmother, Garner left home at fourteen. He became Oklahoma’s first draftee of the Korean War and was awarded with two Purple Hearts before returning to the United States and settling in Los Angeles to become an actor. Working alongside some of the most renowned celebrities, including Julie Andrews, Marlon Brando, and Clint Eastwood, Garner became a star in his own right, despite struggles with stage fright and depression. In The Garner Files, this revered actor and quintessential self-made man recalls “trying to decipher” William Wyler with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine, breaking Doris Day’s ribs, having a “heart-to-heart and eyeball-to-eyeball” with Steve McQueen, being “a card-carrying liberal—and proud of it,” and much more.

I like reading bios and I find it interesting to read bios of celebrities.

I like James Garner ... he seems like a nice guy. He's got a fairly interesting story.

He's got a temper but he knows it, especially when he's golfing. He has opinions about a lot of things. At times, I thought he sounded crusty ... and then I got to the chapter where he said he is proud of being a curmudgeon. Yep, he is.

The chapters are broken up into subjects ... there's golfing, Rockford, racing, politics, etc. The last chapter is full of anecdotes of people who know him.

It's interesting to read his opinions of different people ... and he's not afraid to name names (for example, he thought Bill Murray was a jerk in a golf tournament).

Shhh ... she's sleeping

2012-01-20T17:29:00.001-05:00

Morgan was snoozing on the couch just now and we realized we hadn't seen Crumpet for a while.

What trouble was she getting into?!

I glanced down and noticed her snoozing on their toy shelf (yes, they have a toy shelf!) on some pet blankets.

We've never seen her there before.

Shhhhh ... don't wake her up!

Almost snowbound

2012-01-19T16:50:00.003-05:00

I had a meeting in Tillsonburg this morning.

I drove down yesterday and stayed about 25 minutes away because I didn't want to take a chance on the weather.

When I woke up this morning, I looked out the window and it was clear.

When I came back from breakfast about 9:15am and looked out the window, here's what I saw:

Oh oh!

And it never let up ... in fact, it got worse.

Driving south to Tillsonburg was scary. I was following Dave, my co-worker (he also spent the night), and at times I couldn't even see his car.

We had our meeting and then went to lunch. Visibility was non-existent and the roads were full of snow and slippery. There was no way I was driving back to Toronto so I headed to the local Howard Johnson's to stay there for the night while Dave hit the road for home. I was in the lobby asking about rates when Dave called me to say the roads weren't too bad.

So off I went.

Just south of Kitchener/Waterloo, there was a big truck on its side on the westbound lanes along with a couple vans that had run into the middle barriers.

It was a scary drive at times but I made it home. Yay!

Elm Hurst Inn & Spa, Ingersoll, ON

2012-01-18T22:17:00.004-05:00

I have a meeting tomorrow morning in Tillsonburg. Rather than drive down tomorrow (it's about two hours west of Toronto), I came this afternoon. I didn't want to chance the weather ... as it was, I ran into some snow east of Woodstock.

I'm staying at the Elm Hurst Inn in Ingersoll (about a 20 minute drive from Tillsonburg) ... there are not a lot of places to stay in this area.

James Harris erected the James Harris Cheese Factory on the grounds of what is now Elm Hurst Inn & Spa in 1865. One year later, the factory was the birthplace of a 7,300 pound cheese, co-manufactured by local producers to put Ingersoll on the map. The famous 'Mammoth Cheese' travelled to exhibitions in Toronto, Sarasota New York, Paris France and London England.

The Harris family later planted commercial apple orchards on the property. In fact, their vaulted buffet room is the original apple shed.

The Elm Hurst mansion restaurant was built in 1872 as the personal residence of James Harris and family. A fine example of the Gothic Revival style, it remained a stately family home for more than a century.

The last Harris heir sold the property in the mid 1970s and the house was transformed into a popular dining establishment that opened in 1979. An addition was added to the rear of the original structure five years later, with the 49-room Elm Hurst Inn & Spa being built in 1988.

I heard they are adding another 51 rooms this year.

Here's my room ... it's large.

I had supper in the restaurant ... there isn't anything else within walking distance.

They are having a promotion this week to celebrate their anniversary and rolled the prices back to 1975. Needless to say, it was quite a busy spot. I was seated in a cozy room which was probably a parlour back in the old days. I ordered the Roast Prime Rib of Beef (Yorkshire pudding; natural beef jus) for $14 (usually it's $27 to $34).

Hot rolls arrived.

About a minute later (I hadn't even had a chance to butter a roll), my meal arrived on a "don't touch the plate, it's hot" plate ... surprisingly the food wasn't. It was just warm. It was just okay. The veggies (I ate the peppers and carrots) had the texture that they'd been frozen.

Christine, my server, was friendly and helpful. She suggested I try the Black Forest cake. I'm not a fan of Black Forest cake but it was good.

You know how much I love love love baths so I had to check out the jacuzzi. It was huge (way too big for one person) and deep. I watched Dragons' Den while soaking in green apple bubble bath.

I went to set the alarm at 9:09pm and saw that it was actually 11:20pm. Huh?! That gave me a bit of a shock (how did I lose two hours?!) until I confirmed that it wasn't that late. I wonder how long it's been two hours ahead without anyone noticing.

I'm having a comfortable stay here and, though it's fairly isolated, would come back. WIFI is free as is parking and a continental breakfast tomorrow. I booked it online at a rate of $139 which is a great deal! Ingersoll is just a couple km away.

Book ~ "The Internet is a Playground" (2011) - David Thorne

2012-01-17T14:00:00.001-05:00

From Amazon ~ From the notorious Internet troublemaker who brought the world the explosively popular Next Time I'll Spend the Money on Drugs Instead, in which he attempted to pay his chiropractor with a picture he drew of a spider; "Please Design a Logo for Me. With Pie Charts. For Free," which has been described as one of the most passed-on viral emails of all time; and, most recently, the staggeringly popular "Missing Missy", which has appeared everywhere from The Guardian to Jezebel to Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish, comes this profoundly funny collection of irreverent Internet mischief and comedy.

Featuring all of Thorne's viral success, including "Missing Missy", The Internet Is a Playground culls together every article and email from Thorne's wildly popular website 27bslash6.com, as well as enough new material, available only in these pages, to keep you laughing-and, indeed, crying-until Thorne's next stroke-of-genius prank. Or hilarious hoax. Or well-publicized almost-stint in jail (really).

This was recommended to me back in September by a fella in Winnipeg and I just read it this week. I'd never heard of David Thorne but it sounded like a fun book ... at it was. At times, I actually laughed out loud.

It's a collection of rambling emails back and forth with the intent of Thorne to see how far he can push the other person. And in most cases, they keep writing back, obviously pissed off. I don't know if the emails are real or not but most are funny and silly.

My favourites include:

Missing Missy
Overdue Account
Permission Slip
Simon's Pie Charts
Blockbuster Late Fees
Party in Apartment 3
Massanutten - I laughed out loud at this one. He was suggesting there may be bears in the area and took this picture to prove it.

The response: That looks like a dog with a blanket on it. I'm not going to waste anyone's time sending an officer out to check that.

The non-email stuff was hit and miss. Bob's Guide to the Internet was funny, especially his view on blogging:

I read a blog once by someone who had bought a scarf and he went on for about three hundred paragraphs about his scarf and where he bought it and how it made him feel. The last time I bought a scarf I wore it. End of story. I didn't write a novel about it.

If you're looking for something different, you should check it out. As a head's up, the language and content at times is for mature readers.

30 pound cat named Tiny abandoned

2012-01-17T07:34:00.001-05:00

There is a a story in today's Toronto Star about Tiny, a 30 pound cat, who was stuffed in a taped box with another cat and abandoned. Yes, 30 pounds!!

The days of gluttony are over for one fat cat out east.

Tiny, a 30-pound house cat, was stuffed into a duct-taped box with a normal-sized cat one-third his size and dumped at an animal clinic in Fredericton, N.B., shortly before the New Year.

...

Nancy Garon, Tiny’s foster mother, brought him home to get him in shape. So she has him chasing a laser dot, which he never catches, wrestling with a toy fishing pole and hunting rodents. He will lumber onto the scales every Tuesday as part of a weight loss challenge to raise funds for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

...

Tiny’s blubbery body has affected every facet of his life. He is notoriously lazy, walking only short distances before settling into a cat nap. He cannot clean himself, so Garon must. And he is so obese he can only leap short heights. He can pounce onto the couch, but needs help getting into Garon’s bed to sleep.

...

The Fredericton SPCA is raising funds through Tiny’s Weight Loss Challenge. The money will go to an emergency pot for special needs animals such as two older female dogs that need surgery soon.

Tiny remains up for adoption, “But I am falling for him, so he might have a forever home here,” Garon said.

You can read the entire story here.

Such a sad story!

What kind of a person would (1) let a cat get that fat and (2) stuff it in a box with another kitty and leave them on a doorstep?!

Standard tip in Toronto restaurants now 20%?

2012-01-16T15:12:00.006-05:00

There is an article in today's Toronto Star about tipping.

A 20% tip could be the new normal.

A small but growing number of Toronto restaurants are urging customers to tip more than the customary 15%.

Diners at new Roncesvalles Ave. restaurants The Westerly and The Ace are prompted to tip 20% on their bill when paying with credit and debit cards on handheld terminals.

“We feel we are providing great service. Waiters don’t get paid too much,” said Tom Earl, co-owner of The Westerly.

I thought this was an interesting comment by an owner. If you don't think you are paying your employees well enough, give them a raise, Dude. Why expect me to subsidize your payroll?!

You can read the rest of the article here.

To me, tipping isn't something someone should take for granted. Depending how the service and food are, I tip accordingly. Crappy service = crappy tip.

We discovered when we were in Bermuda a couple weeks ago that there are no taxes but a 17% tip is added onto your bill automatically at most restaurants. It's already built in so you have no choice. Luckily we had great service in the restaurants we checked out.

How do you feel about tipping?

January 20 update: There is a follow-up story in today's Toronto Star about tipping.

Beth Davyduke, co-owner of the Westerly, one of the restaurants whose hand-held terminals prompted a 20% tip, says she has changed the prompt to let the customer fill in a percentage. “We made a mistake. We don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable. It’s totally between the customer and the server.”

Aveda Institute Canada scholarship

2012-01-15T20:16:00.010-05:00

Looking for a change in career?

Here's some fun news for you!

Aveda Institute Canada is giving away five hairstyling scholarships! Yep, five!

The winning candidates will receive the grand prize of full tuition at one of their top hair schools in Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Victoria.

The last day to submit a video is March 31, 2012 at 11:59:59am ET.

What do you have to do?

Step 1 - Make a video
Create a video to show why you are BORN TO STYLE and why you’ve got the talent, passion and determination it takes to develop your hairstyling skills with the Aveda Institute Canada.

Step 2 - Upload and share
Visit www.avedainstitute.ca/scholarship to enter the contest. Upload your video then share your entry with the world! Share your Aveda Institute entry page link with all your family, friends, fans and followers and get them to rate your video. Share your talent with the world!

Step 3 - Hair showdown
Their panel of hair and beauty professionals along with their faculty will hand pick five aspiring hairstylists in each city to advance to the final round. These future hairdressers will participate in a live head-to-head competition and runway show putting together a complete look in front of a panel of style experts and hairstyling heavy hitters. The winner in each city will be awarded a full scholarship to the Aveda Institute hair school!

Videos will be judged on:

Boldness and clarity of artistic vision
Originality and creativity
Demonstrates candidate is fashion forward and understands the Aveda mission
Overall Impression

Put your link as a comment if you enter ... I'd love to see it!

And I want a free haircut!

Book ~ "The Wealthy Barber Returns" (2011) - David Chilton

2012-01-15T18:16:00.005-05:00

From the Globe and Mail ~ A lot of David Chilton's new book, The Wealthy Barber Returns, is devoted to a basic message that could help a lot of people and fix some of the country's most pressing financial problems.

Mr. Chilton thinks people are spending too much money and he wants them to cool it so they incur less debt and have more money to save for retirement. It sounds like a simple solution to a complex problem, but Mr. Chilton has a way of making the simple approach work.

Mr. Chilton speaks in his own voice in the new book, not through the fictional cast of characters he used last time. He strikes just the right tone as a witty regular guy who happens to know a lot about money and is glad to share.

The book is built on a series of short, very readable chapters on topics that range from lines of credit and credit cards to a look at whether it's better to save in a registered retirement savings plan or tax-free savings account. The best material is on spending, though.

This is a follow-up to his 1989 book, The Wealthy Barber.

The chapters are short and snappy so it's a quick easy read. It's written in a very relaxed way ... sometimes funny, sometimes cheesy.

It's very high level. If you are looking for a lot of details, this isn't it. But it does give you things to think about ... if you want more info, you'll have to go looking for it. As someone who is in the industry, it's a good "starter" book.

Saturday workout

2012-01-14T15:53:00.002-05:00

Gord and I went to the gym this afternoon.

I started with a 20 minute meditation/hypnosis I have on my ipod ... I did the one focused pumping me up to exercise.

Then I spent 30 minutes on the stationary bike while reading The Wealthy Barber Returns.

I finished off with 30 minutes on the weight machines while listening to Right Said Fred's Up.

The gym was busy ... everyone is still psyched with their new years resolutions.

Book ~ "Save Me" (2011) - Lisa Scottoline

2012-01-13T23:02:00.001-05:00

From Amazon ~ Suburban mom, Rose McKenna, is forced to make a split-second decision after an explosion goes off in the school cafeteria in which she volunteers. Should she rescue her own daughter, Melly, trapped in the bathroom, or lead the girls standing in front of her, who constantly bully her daughter, to safety? Her choice reverberates throughout the little town of Reesburgh, PA, as she is cast as the villain by the local news anchor, parents, and the school. While her attorney and husband construct a defense plan that includes filing a lawsuit against the school, Rose sets out to seek the truth behind this mysterious, accidental fire. With the help of a construction worker who may know the cause of the explosion as well as an incognito visit to a local factory, Rose slowly unravels the truth and along with it some hidden secrets in Reesburgh's dark past, including one horrifying buried memory of her own. At the quick pace of a thriller, Scottoline masterfully fits every detail into a tight plot chock-full of real characters, real issues, and real thrills. A story anchored by the impenetrable power of a mother's love, it begs the question, just how far would you go to save your child?

This sounded like an interesting premise and it started out promising. After an explosion in the school's cafeteria, lunch mom Rose has a life threatening decision. Does she rescue the two girls who have been bullying her daughter who are right there or does she go find her daughter, Melly, and save her, leaving the two bullies? Rose is able to do both and becomes a hero. But things change very quickly and every resident in the small town turns against Rose and there are threats of legal action.

I found the writing really boring and draggy. This could have been such a better book. I wanted to give up on it a few times but kept going.

With Rose going through so much, you'd think Leo, her loving husband who is a lawyer, would have been there for her. But he has a case pending that has to take up every second of his time while all this is going on. Though he seems caring to Melly, I would want a more more supportive husband who is there with me while the rest of the town is hating and ostracizing me. And then he has the nerve to whine when she's making "family" decisions without him! Dude, you were too busy working instead of being there for your wife.

Leo hires Rose the best criminal and civil lawyers but she doesn't listen to them. She could lose everything and even end up in prison but she wants to play nice and not hurt anyone's feelings. Really?! Everyone in the town hates her!!! Instead she starts poking around to see if the explosion really was accidental ... she's the only one who thinks things might not be how they seem. Really??!! And guess what? She figures everything out.

The subplot with Kristen, the special ed teacher, was a waste of time.

The outcome was unbelievable ... I didn't buy it.

Needless to say, I'm not recommending this book.

Winter has finally arrived

2012-01-13T09:30:00.001-05:00

It's snowing!

It's currently -5C (-13C with the windchill).

The former Downtown Dodge Chrysler site, Toronto

2012-01-12T13:46:00.002-05:00

When Gord and I decided to buy a new car in March 2004, we went to our local car lot, Downtown Dodge Chevrolet.

We walked around looking at the cars but nothing really grabbed us. Greg, a sales guy, came out and really started doing a hard sales job on us. He even insisted that we borrow a Neon for the afternoon so we could check it out and run any errands.

Um, okay.

The "errand" we had planned for the afternoon was to drive to different car lots to check out cars. For security reasons, we had to leave him the registration and keys to our car, which was understandable.

We ended up checking out maybe five car lots in the west end of Toronto. The second one we went to is where we found the car we ended up buying.

When we returned the car to Greg, I sat in our car while Gord went to get the registration and keys. He was gone a long long time so I finally went looking for him.

I found him inside with Greg, his manager and another sales person. It's like they were holding the registration and keys hostage until we bought a car from them. Really?!! Needless to say, if there was a glimmer of a chance we'd buy a car there, it disappeared then. We got stern and said to give us our stuff back now, which they did.

Greg called us every evening for a couple weeks trying to sell us a car, even after we told him that we'd decided to buy one elsewhere.

The King streetcar tracks were replaced a couple years ago. Downtown Dodge Chrysler closed shortly after they finished repairing the part in our 'hood. I had read they said it was because our part of King Street W was closed for months which cut off traffic that could have been coming to their lot to buy a car.

Rumours started right away that there would be condos going up there. And eventually the DNA3 signs when up.

Over the years, the space was rented out for various events including Toronto Fashion Week.

Last week, the demolition walls went up around the site which means the building will be coming down soon.

Here it is this morning.

Here's the same view as the last picture as it looked in the 1980s.

From blogTO:

The King West of the 1980s was a remarkably different place than today. One of those areas that's undergone an almost complete transformation, prior to a condo boom that kicked off in the late 1990s, for over 100 years the street was dominated by Massey Ferguson, one of the world's leading manufacturers of agricultural equipment. The Toronto Works of Massey Ferguson took up much of the area along King West from Bathurst to Sudbury Street as far back as the late 19th century when the company was Toronto's leading employer.

Walter the fat Oregon cat

2012-01-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

Our tabby, Morgan, is a big boy and I know could lose some weight.

I had started cutting back on his food last spring ... but then we got Crumpet and it was hard to keep Morgan restricted with a growing kitty in the house.

I heard this morning about Walter, a 28 pound cat in Oregon who has been placed in a shelter because his owners couldn't keep him anymore. This is definitely a big boy who needs to lose some pounds.

I hope they find a good home for him and he lives a skinnier healthier life.

The sale of 157 Coxwell Avenue

2012-01-12T10:05:00.002-05:00

One of Toronto's oddest looking houses will be up for sale next week.

From the architect/designer's website:

157 Coxwell Avenue is a three story, 800 square foot, two bedroom resin - impregnated plywood house. This multicoloured building measures approximately 16 feet by 16 feet and stands on four steel posts. Access to and from the building is via a 32 foot long bridge. The interior features two full bedrooms, a four piece bathroom, combined open space kitchen, dining room and living area, and in the summer of 2003 a green rooftop. Passive cooling and heating will be designed into the structure to minimize utility expenses. Hot water radiant in-floor heating of a concrete floor (the thermo-mass) further economizes on winter expenses. In warm weather the building uses the stack effect drawing air in at the bottom and pulling it through the building and venting it out the top. The air travels over the cooler concrete floors as well as acting as a cool breeze on the resident's skin drawing the heat out through the rooftop vent. 157 Coxwell is a livable, comfortable and an instantly recognizable home.

Pictures source

I've driven by it a few times and it does catch your eye.

Click here to see some pictures of the inside (aren't you curious?!) and here to read how the tenants like it.

Would you pay $349,000 for it? Do you think it will sell quickly?

January 20 update: There is an article in today's Toronto Star stating this house has sold.

The tiny box house on Coxwell Ave. has sold for "well over" the asking price of $349,000 — to a couple with two young children.

The buyers, an architect and interior designer, beat out five other bidders with vision rather than money, by bringing their own architectural plans to the table.

...

The final price tag can't be disclosed yet because the offer is conditional until Friday, said listing agent Jennifer Scaife. It's believed to be more than $400,000.

Wow!

Corin Raymond needs your Canadian Tire money

2012-01-12T08:27:00.002-05:00

I've been hearing about Toronto folksinger Corin Raymond and how he's asking for donations of Canadian Tire money so he can record an album.

Huh?

It all started when Corin wrote a song called Canadian Tire Money and people started giving him Canadian Tire money at concerts. He didn't know what to do with it ... until he discovered The Rogue Studios accepts it at par. Sweet! So now he's trying to get enough to make the album.

If you are interested, he's recording the album at The Tranzac Club on January 24 and 25. Apparently you can even buy tickets with Canadian Tire money.

Here's his Facebook page.

Gord and I have seen him somewhere in the last couple of years ... the Cameron House maybe? I remember him because I liked his voice and this song stuck with me (I even had it on my ipod 'til my old laptop crashed and I lost it).

Wednesday workout

2012-01-11T19:14:00.003-05:00

Gord and I went to the gym tonight right after work.

We did the 30 minute Core class (it was good).

Then Gord did a 60 minute Haitha yoga class.

I'm not into into yoga so I spent 30 minutes on the stationary bike while reading Save Me followed by a 20 minute guided meditation I have on my ipod.

My food take was right on today (three days in a row ... whoohoo!).

Hello, my name is ...

2012-01-10T07:36:00.006-05:00

Everyone is all abuzz with Beyoncé and Jay-Z naming their baby Blue Ivy.

There was an article in today's Toronto Star that talked about them being the latest in a long line of celebrities to name their children after the colour ... Cher and Gregg Allman’s son (Elijah Blue), Alicia Silverstone’s son (Bear Blu), Spice Girl Geri Halliwell’s daughter (Bluebell ), John Travolta’s daughter (Ella Blu) and Maria Bello’s son (Jackson Blue).

Candace Alper, a baby name expert on YummyMummyClub.ca, was interviewed. She said one of the biggest trend in naming babies lately has been a new spelling on a classic name, particularly the silent "H" ... so Kate spelled Khate or Ryan spelled Rhyan.

A silent "H"?! Huh?

"Different and interesting is awesome until you walk around your whole life explaining yourself to people," said Alper about the trend.

I can dig it.

My name really is "Teena", not "Tina" and it's not short for anything. Of course, no one ever spelled it correctly so when I was younger, I was constantly having to spell it for people. Now it depends on how important the correct spelling is. If it's a supper reservation, "Tina" will do. If you are writing me a cheque, I'll make sure you get it right.

Book ~ "Disturbance" (2011) - Jan Burke

2012-01-09T23:47:00.003-05:00

From Amazon ~ Despite her reporter’s nose for trouble, Irene Kelly’s life has almost returned to normal—the Las Piernas News Express wobbles along in defiance of its financial woes, and with the help of her husband, Frank, and a good therapist, she’s recovered from the debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder that haunted her after her near-fatal encounter with notorious serial killer Nick Parrish. Until she receives some unwelcome news: Parrish, once thought permanently paralyzed by the injuries he sustained fleeing recapture, is walking again. And the rumor among the Moths, Parrish’s online fan club, is that he’s coming after Irene.

Suddenly Irene is on the other end of the microphone, being hounded by the media for interviews and plied with questions she’d hoped never to have to answer again. She tries to believe that she is safe from Parrish, who is imprisoned in a maximum security facility, and that the growing stream of threats from the Moths is all just talk. But an unnerving prank soon lets her know that someone, at least, wants her to be afraid. And when a young woman’s body turns up in the trunk of a car near her home—naked, frozen solid, and decorated from head to toe in elaborately painted moths—it becomes clear that Irene will once again find herself pitted against a brutal murderer. She knows the twisted hunter who is stalking her all too well . . . or does she?

I'd read a couple in the Irene Kelly series in the mid/late 1990s and enjoyed them ... then forgot about the series for some reason.

I read about this one in the newspaper last month and it reminded me about the series so I checked it out.

Though it has been a while since I've read the first couple and more have been added since then, I didn't feel lost. If you haven't read any of them, you can pick this one up and go with it. There are enough references so you know what's going on and who is who.

I liked the style of the writing. It's fast paced and gritty. The characters are likeable (at least those who are supposed to be likable) and believable. I bought the ending.

It has inspired me to start at the beginning and reread the books and keep going with the ones I've missed.

Monday workout

2012-01-09T21:09:00.006-05:00

I haven't been to the gym since the beginning of September. I was out of town a lot in the fall doing seminars, which meant I ate out in restaurants often. That should have been my push to get to the gym, right? Well, not in my twisted mind ... I figured why bother exercising since the damage has already been done?!

In November, I had signed up for eight boxing classes on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The second class I went for a tumble. I was supposed to shuffle right which I did ... except my right foot forgot to move, my knee twisted over and down I went. It was weeks before I could walk without pain (I iced it a lot) and that was the end of the boxing classes. It's still twingy if I move funny.

Even though I was exhausted (I would rather have had a nap), I went to the gym this evening. Yay, me!

I had a good workout ... 30 minutes on the stationary bike while reading Disturbance, 30 minutes on the weight machines and a 20 minute guided meditation I have on my ipod. Then I walked 1km home.

I ate right today ... I'm back on the meal plan the naturopath I saw in August put me on. I track everything on FitDay. Would you believe I had 46.3 grams of fibre?! That's a lotta fibre!

Heel Detox

2012-01-09T09:02:00.002-05:00

I usually do a detox once a year.

I started the Heel Detox today ... I've done it a couple times in the past (it was recommended by a naturopath).

Deeper than a usual detoxification!

Detox-Kit stimulates the key organ systems involved in the drainage and detoxification process. It helps relieve symptoms of illness caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and exposure to toxins. Detox-Kit stimulates the body’s natural processes of elimination to cleanse itself of toxins and restore balance to the body.

Detox-Kit contains 3 homeopathic preparations:

Lyphosot - supports the lymphatic system
Nux vomica-Homaccord - stimulates the liver as well as the gastrointestinal excretion pathway
Berberis-Homaccord - supports the kidneys and gallbladder

Benefits

Supports the organs of excretion and stimulates cleansing processes
Helps eliminate toxins and restore balance to the body.
Gentle, well-tolerated and easy to use.

I like it because it's easy to do (just 30 drops of each in 1.5 litres of water a day for three weeks) and there are no special foods to eat. Needless to say, you should eat as healthy as you can to have it work the best. I never feel any different after doing it but hopefully it's done what it is supposed to do.

I've done the Isagenix cleanse a few times. While I liked the results (nine pounds lost in nine days) and felt great on days 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, I didn't like days 1, 2, 8 and 9 when all you can have are four capfuls of Cleanses for Life, six Isagenix snacks pellets, two Natural Accelerator Capsules and lots of water. I don't do starvation well.

Do you detox?

Housework is indeed evil

2012-01-08T14:51:00.006-05:00

I've been on vacation since before Christmas.

On my list of things to accomplish while on vacation was some housework that hasn't been done in a while. Since I'm back to work tomorrow, the deadline was looming!

We live in a condo in a townhouse and the smoke detectors in the eight units in our block are connected. If we set ours off, the other seven go off until I hit a button on ours to turn it (and the others) off. Our oven wasn't too bad but needed cleaning because the smoke detectors are so sensitive. We rarely use our oven as we have a toaster oven ... but when we use it, our neighbours usually know it! I'd sprayed it yesterday and cleaned it along with the rest of the stove and exhaust hood this morning.

I gave the bathroom a good cleaning. And did six loads of laundry.

When I clean the oven, I clean the fridge. I took everything out and threw away all that was outdated. We had a bottle of soy sauce that expired in 2009! I never use soy sauce so never noticed. I did unwittingly use light mayo earlier this week that expired a couple months ago. I ended up throwing out about 15 bottles of stuff!

I moved on to the cupboards. I didn't throw out much (just a bag of outdated bread crumbs) but they are organized again.

Then I tackled the junk drawer. Again, not much was thrown out but it's organized ... for now.

How often do you do heavy duty cleaning?

Siegel-Schwall Band - I'm a Hog for you Baby

2012-01-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

Enter the Haggis - Bagpipes on Mars

2012-01-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

Enter the Haggis - Donald, Where's Yer Troosers?

2012-01-08T12:49:00.000-05:00

Book ~ "The Best of Me" (2011) - Nicholas Sparks

2012-01-07T16:12:00.005-05:00

From Amazon ~ In the spring of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths.

Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for the funeral of Tuck Hostetler, the mentor who once gave shelter to their high school romance. Neither has lived the life they imagined ... and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. As Amanda and Dawson carry out the instructions Tuck left behind for them, they realize that everything they thought they knew -- about Tuck, about themselves, and about the dreams they held dear -- was not as it seemed. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers will discover undeniable truths about the choices they have made. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past?

I'm not a fan of Nicholas Sparks' books ... I find his stories too sappy. Since this was his latest, I thought I'd check it out since it's been a long time since I've read any of his stuff.

This book is really sappy. But I kept with it and finished. It was an okay story, just not my kind of book.

Amanda and Dawson were high school sweethearts and haven't seen each other in almost 25 years. Amanda has married and kids. Dawson is still a loner. Yet when they are thrown together because the death of their friend, Tuck, they still have the same feelings. I found this unbelievable. I can't imagine pining for someone all that time.

Dawson thinks he's been followed for the last few years. We discover if he has or not been (I thought this and the resolution was dumb).

Dawson's family has a bad reputation. His cousins, Abee and Ted, are especially violent and feared. Why didn't the town ban together and get rid of them permanently?!

I found the ending really cheesy.

Update - The former Toronto Business Development Centre building

2012-01-06T15:13:00.001-05:00

The building that housed the Toronto Business Development Centre was in our 'hood.

They demolished it at the end of 2010. Here is was.

We had heard they were clearing the way for the King Liberty Pedestrian/Cyclist Link but it's still under review.

Since then, it's been a vacant lot with a leasing sign. Here it is this morning.

Should be interesting to see what becomes of it.

Update - The old United Foods Wholesale building

2012-01-06T13:24:00.002-05:00

United Foods Wholesale was in our 'hood ... there were always vans and trucks pulling up in the loading docks to stock convenience stores.

At the end of 2010, Urbancorp put signs up advertising their upcoming condos (they built our condo corporation and many of our residents refer to them as Urbancrap).

In May 2011, they started demolishing the building.

Here is the progress this afternoon ... the hole has been dug and the walls have been started.

It will eventually become this:

Introducing ... the (Sub)urban Tourist

2012-01-06T12:40:00.004-05:00

It was a nice surprise today to discover that the (Sub)urban Tourist is highlighting me (yes, it's all about me!).

So I thought I'd return the favour and introduce you to ...

(Sub)urban Tourist is a personal blog about travel, enjoying the outdoor lifestyle and exploring good food and dining experiences. Focused on Ontario and Canada in general, (Sub)urban Tourist is also about foreign travel, trends, and social media apps that make exploring so much easier. This blog strives to share knowledge and insights with our readers.

Editor-in-chief is Margaret ...

A Mississauga native, Margaret is a public relations professional by day, occasional blogger by night, and explorer (with fiancé Frank) on the weekend. A desk job during the week means that she itches to get out into the open, whether it's for a hike, a road trip or just experiencing something different. Her interests include travel, dining, the outdoor lifestyle and social media.

I've been following the (Sub)urban Tourist for a couple months and suggest you check 'em out ... right now ... go on ... get over there!

Book ~ "Dying for Dinner" (2008) - Miranda Bliss

2012-01-05T21:33:00.006-05:00

From fictiondb.com ~ Things are really cooking for Annie with her transition to the restaurant biz full time. But what's meant to be the first day of the rest of her life might be the last day of someone else's.

Annie is finally leaving the safety of her old bank job to work at her boyfriend Jim's restaurant, Bellywasher's. Lucky for Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, she's working as the manager and staying safely away from the flames. And lucky for Annie, she's working with her best friend, Eve, the hostess.

Things start taking a turn for the worse when Jim's old friend, legendary cook Jacques Lavoie, doesn't show up to teach their cooking class. When Annie goes to fetch him, she finds his assistant dead and Lavoie nowhere to be found. With his odd disappearance and evidence mounting up against him, it looks like the cook has really landed in the soup. Now Annie must sift through every morsel of evidence--before someone else gets served their last course.

This is the fourth in the Cooking Class Series ... I finished the first one on Sunday. You don't need to have read the others to know what's going on ... things from the other books are mentioned but not in great deal so as to not give too much away.

As in the first book, I still don't understand why she and her friend, Eve, are encouraged to investigate murder. Annie is a teller turned office manager of a restaurant and Eve worked in a department store and is now the hostess of the restaurant. They have no experience or background ... they are just told over and over (and over!) that they are good at investigating.

Other than that, I don't mind this series. The books are light and I enjoyed the writing style.

Some characters from the first book are expanded (like Annie's ex-husband, Peter, and Chef Lavoie ... I don't know how big their roles were in the last two books since I haven't read them).

I found the storyline believeable and I bought the ending.

Update - Former site of Famous PEOPLE Players

2012-01-05T13:35:00.003-05:00

Here's an update on the former site of the Famous PEOPLE Players building and the building behind it which were in our 'hood.

Famous PEOPLE Players was founded in 1974 in the spirit of personal development and team achievement. It began with a theatrical black light show in Toronto that was stunning in its visual effect.

Liberace discovered Famous PEOPLE Players in 1975 and hired the troupe to open for him in Las Vegas. From 1975 to 1985, Famous PEOPLE Players toured with this entertainer, winning rave reviews that inspired the world. These achievements resulted in a CBS Emmy Award winning movie called "Special People".

Meanwhile, in Toronto, the show and the restaurant flourished, attracting groups from far and wide, international visitors, celebrity benefactors and continuing acclaim.

Here is the Famous PEOPLE Players building in September 2009.

These industrial units housed businesses ran north right behind Famous PEOPLE Players ...

Famous PEOPLE Players and the blue building were knocked down in August 2010 and they started clearing and building right away.

Here's how it looked this morning.

Update - The old Fairgrieve building

2012-01-05T12:58:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd give you an update on the old Fairgrieve building that is in our 'hood.

I received some emails from the original Mr. Fairgrieve's great grandchildren who had given me some background:

The Fairgrieve in Fairgrieve & Son was Archibald Fairgrieve. He emigrated to Toronto from Edinburgh by himself as a teenager in about 1880. The "Son" was Frederick who was born in 1885 (the start date for Fairgrieve & Son). Fred's three sons (Bruce, Donald and Douglas) all worked for the family company. Donald died in 1990 and Bruce and Douglas died in early 2010 at the ages of 92 and 87.

Fairgrieve & Son started as a metal stamping company but they made it big as manufacturers of wringer washing machines. The old Eaton's Viking wringer washers were made there. The family company was taken over in 1971 but the factory was in use until 1979.

When I moved into the 'hood in 2001, it was being used as a garage and some artists had studios.

Here it is on Christmas Eve 2010. We thought it was a cool old building and had wished they'd renovated it into loft-style condos.

Alas, they demolished it January 2011 and by February 2011, it was gone.

Here it is this morning ...

Eventually it is supposed to look like this.

My review of the Grotto Bay Beach Resort

2012-01-04T20:21:00.003-05:00

Gord and I stayed at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort from Saturday, December 31, to Wednesday, January 4.

We were supposed to leave on Tuesday, January 3, but all flights to and from Bermuda got cancelled that day due to gale winds.

The person at the front desk offered us our room back for a rate of $139US plus taxes/services ... so about $180US for the night. We were originally on an all-inclusive package which included all drinks, food and a bus pass. It would costs us $99US each and we decided not to take that option since we hadn't taken advantage of it when we had it.

Food

Because it is off season, the poolside bar/restaurant were closed. There was only one restaurant open and that was in the main house. When we arrived, we had lunch since our room wouldn't be available to us until 4pm (we had a four hour wait). Gord had the buffet (not a lot of choice but he said it was okay). I ordered off the menu .. there is a good selection of things to choose from (American-based like sandwiches, burgers, wings, etc). The service was very slow as there were only two servers (they seem to have a skeleton staff since it's off-season) so have patience. Though we had the all-inclusive option, we only ate there for four breakfasts, two lunches and two suppers. The food was good but the slow service drove us nuts so we went elsewhere.

If you are not on the all-inclusive plan, expect to pay a couple dollars more than what you are used to at home. Tips (17%) are included on your bill automatically if you aren't on the all-inclusive plan (for most restaurants in Bermuda, tips are automatically included in your bill).

Food and drinks can add up ... you'll pay a couple $$ more than you're used to at home. It's a pain that for every meal/order you have to sign for it. It's not like in resorts in Mexico where you have a wrist band and can wander around getting food and drinks and then wander off.

If you are not on the all-inclusive plan, the Swizzle Inn (which is fun) a couple blocks away is the only place within walking distance to eat. Otherwise, you have to either take a cab or rent a scooter to eat.

Bar

There is only one bar at the hotel and it is very small. The service is extremely poor. Most times we had a 15 minute wait even if the bartender was there, we were first in line and there was only six people sitting at the bar. He was either talking to his buddy, talking on the phone or blatantly ignoring us. If he's busy, he should at least acknowledge us and let us know he was in the middle of something but they don't. It was maddening considering the ability to have drinks was included in the cost of our stay. Once you do get a drink, though, it's a generous pour and the liquor is high quality. Beer selection are a handful of American brands.

Nightlife

Nightlife is non-existent. As I said, there is only one bar and it is very quiet and slow. We were there for New Years Eve (we had dinner at the gala) and it was dead until 11:45ish. People showed up just before midnight, had their bubbly and then headed back to their rooms.

Room

Our room was a good size. We had a king bed, a balcony and a mini fridge. Our building was in the middle of the resort, halfway between the beach/pool and main house (walking to the main house was a steep uphill climb so beware if you have health problems).

WIFI

There is no WIFI in the rooms. You can use it in the main house but you have to pay for it. It is $10/hour to $70/week per device. Rather than buying it there, we would walk a couple blocks to the Swizzle Inn pub as they have free WIFI and we'd have a couple drinks while we got caught up with the world.

Property

The property is nice. It's not large so it's easy to get around. The pool and beach are fairly small. Alas, the weather wasn't great so we didn't get to enjoy them. The highlight are the grottos (caves) ... definitely worth going in and looking. You can even swim in there if you want. The water was very clear but chilly. There are tons of roosters and chickens all over the property and Bermuda running free. The roosters crow all day. We thought it was cute.

Location

The resort is less than ten minutes from the airport (you can see it from the resort) so you don't have to spend a lot of time on a bus getting there. And as everyone else has said, you can't hear the planes. The resort is a short bus ride ($5US return) from St. George's, a small historic town. There's not a lot there but it's worth spending a couple hours and checking it out.

Hamilton is about a 30 minute bus ride in the other direction. If you want to take the longer more scenic route, take bus #1 or #3. We went there on Monday, which was a bank holiday, so nothing was open which sucked. We walked around a bit and then took the ferry to the Dockyards. That's definitely a spot the check out. The buildings date back hundreds of years and there's so much history. The old and new prisons are there. There is shopping, a navy museum and a couple of pubs (one has a brewery and makes its own beer). We had a great time.

You can pick up the Bermuda Railway Trail nearby. It's 18 miles that has been turned into a hiking/walking trail. We spent a couple hours on it and ended up in Coney Island Park, which you can see from the resort. It was about a five mile walk there and back. Another must to do!

The Swizzle Inn pub is a couple blocks away. We spent a fair bit of time there because (1) free WIFI, (2) good food and (3) fun atmosphere. Even if you are on the all inclusive plan, you should check it out.

There is a convenient store in the hotel that you can buy snacks, etc. There is a bulk store across the street from the hotel but isn't really helpful unless you want something similar to a Costco. There is a gas station a couple blocks away where you can apparently buy booze, etc.

All-inclusive versus non all-inclusive

If you plan on staying on the resort and never leaving it, I recommend you take the all-inclusive option. Just remember to be patient because service is slow and you will be eating and drinking in the same place for every meal in the off-season.

If you plan on venturing out and exploring Bermuda, I wouldn't recommend the all-inclusive plan. We had it and definitely didn't get our money's worth. We ate and/or drank elsewhere every day for a meal.

Though we had a good time, we won't be going back to the Grotto if/when we go back to Bermuda. It was too quiet and isolated for us. And as I said, the service was friendly but slow in the restaurant and practically non-existent in the small bar. Considering the cost being there, they need to work on their customer service in that area.

We're home!

2012-01-04T15:34:00.003-05:00

After the crazy weather yesterday and last night, we had our doubts whether our plane would be leaving today or not.

We could hear the wind howling during the night.

This is how it looked from our balcony when we woke up about 8am ...

It was still really windy but at least the sun was shining. The water was really choppy.

We walked up to the main building for breakfast and discovered that our noon plane was still on schedule. Yay!

We went back for our suitcases to catch our ride to the airport. We just got to the main building when it started raining ... and then Bermuda said good-bye to us with a beautiful rainbow.

Our flight was on time and we were home in our condo by 3pm.

We had a fun vacation but it's nice to be home again.

St. George's, Bermuda

2012-01-03T17:55:00.001-05:00

Since Gord and I were unexpectedly spending an extra day in Bermuda, we took the bus to St. George's (about 20 minutes away).

St. George's (formally the Town of St. George or St. George's Town), located on the island and within the parish of the same names, was the first permanent settlement on the islands of Bermuda, and is often described as the third successful English settlement in the Americas, after St. John's, Newfoundland, and Jamestown, Virginia. However, St. George's is claimed to be the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the New World. Although Jamestown is normally described as having been founded in 1607, this was actually James Fort, which was not converted to Jamestown until 1619, seven years after the founding of St. George's. After the capital of Virginia was transferred from Jamestown to Williamsburg in 1699, Jamestown fell into disuse. Only below-ground achaeological remains of the town exist today. As the claim of St. John's to official establishment in the 16th Century, and to permanent settlement since that date are difficult to verify, St. George's is not simply the oldest successful English settlement in the New World, but was also the first such town established.

It was windy and kind of raining when we got there.

You can tell that it is an old settlement ... the buildings were awesome!

The weather got progressively worse as we were walking around (raining and windy) but we kept moving.

Look at those waves!

Gord got too close to the edge and got soaked by a wave.

When we caught the bus to go back to our hotel, it was still drizzling and the sun (what little there was) was setting.

It was a fun place to explore and I'm glad we got to see it.

Tavern by the Sea, St. George's, Bermuda

2012-01-03T16:47:00.002-05:00

While we were walking around St. George's after our late lunch, we came across the Tavern by the Sea and stopped in for a couple drinks.

It's right on the water ... I imagine it's a happening spot during tourist season.

We like pubs and sat at the bar.

It's quite a big place.

Gunther was friendly and took good care of us. He moved to Bermuda from Austria 31 years ago and married Valerie, a local.

Wahoo's Bistro & Patio, St. George's, Bermuda

2012-01-03T14:05:00.001-05:00

Gord and I had a late lunch at Wahoo's Bistro & Patio in St. George's.

There wasn't too much open in St. George's (a lot of places open seasonally).

It's a cute spot. There is a small front section.

They have ice cream in the front.

Gord and I headed to the back patio that overlooked the water.

The rain and wind really picked up while we were there ... good thing it was enclosed. We got to experience why our flight was cancelled earlier.

Gord had chicken wings and fish chowder (he really liked the chowder).

I had honey fried chicken and fries ... it was good.

Our flight got cancelled

2012-01-03T11:50:00.002-05:00

When we woke up this morning, we looked outside and it was quite windy.

We packed our bags, dragged them up to the main building, had breakfast and went to check out ... then discovered that our plane had been cancelled because of gale winds. We are automatically booked on a flight tomorrow. We got our room back (and obviously had to pay for tonight) but declined the all-inclusive option (it's $99 each per day).

I have the rest of the week off but Gord was supposed to work tomorrow so he sent an email to his boss letting him know what's going on.

Here's the weather when we got back to our room ...

And then it got worse ... a lot worse!

Frog & Onion Pub, Bermuda

2012-01-02T19:29:00.002-05:00

At the end of the walkway in the Victualling Yard was the Frog and Onion Pub.

The Frog & Onion Pub was created and opened in 1992 by a Bermudian (The Onion) and a Frenchman (The Frog).

Situated in the historic cooperage, which was completed in 1853 after the war of 1812. A cooperage is a workshop that built, repaired and dismantled barrels, casks and kegs.

The provisioning of wooden ships during the days of sail required that almost all provisions be packaged in barrels or casks so they could be man-handled, loaded and stored in the cargo areas of the ship. Empty water casks needed to be taken ashore in ships' boats for refilling at the watering place.

The cooperage space and adjacent Victualling Yard were converted to five storehouses in the 1940s and now finds itself home to The Frog and Onion Pub and so continues in the victualling business.

You know how much Gord love love loves beer. When he knew we were coming to Bermuda, he did some digging and discovered there is a brewery at the Frog & Onion and it was on his list of things we had to do.

It's a cute huge place that is built in the historic buildings. There are two patios.

Gord tried the sampler of five of their beer ... his favourite was the porter, with the IPA coming a close second.

I had the St. David's Lager ... it was tasty.

We sat at the bar.

Charles/Charlie (but don't call him Chuck!) took very good care of us. We had a ton of questions and he was very patient in educating us about Bermuda.

We were getting hungry so had lunch there. We both got burgers and fries. Here's Gord's ...

I know, mine looks boring but it was delicious!

Definitely a fun spot to stop in and spend a couple hours.

We had just missed the 3:30 ferry back to Hamilton so stopped in at a bar near the ferry dock for a drink to wait. Charles, the bartender from the Frog & Onion, showed up there too so we had a drink together. Once we got back to Hamilton, he took us to one of his favourite bars, the "Beach" (the Bermuda Bistro at the Beach aka the Shame of Front Street), for a drink.

The Dockyards, Bermuda

2012-01-02T13:50:00.001-05:00

Gord and I headed to Hamilton this afternoon. We took the longer bus route (30 minutes) so we could see some of the country.

Because today is a holiday, nothing was open 'til 1pm. We walked around for a while and then took the ferry to the dockyards (a 20 minute ride).

HMD Bermuda (Her/His Majesty's Dockyard, Bermuda) was the principal base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic between American independence and the Cold War. Bermuda had occupied a useful position astride the homeward leg taken by many European vessels from the New World since before its settlement by England in 1609. French privateers may have used the Islands as a staging place for operations against Spanish galleons in the 16th Century. Bermudian privateers certainly played a role in many Imperial wars following settlement. Despite this, it wasn't until the loss of bases on most of the North American seaboard (following U.S. independence) threatened Britain's supremacy in the Western Atlantic, however, that the Island assumed great importance as a naval base (the attendant Bermuda Garrison of the British Army existed primarily to protect the naval base).

After the closure of most of the base as an active naval dockyard in 1957, the base fell into a state of disrepair. Storms and lack of maintenance caused damage to many buildings. Beginning in the 1980s, increased tourism to Bermuda stimulated interest in fixing up the dockyard and turning it into a tourist attraction. Currently, cruise ships regularly land at the dockyard during summer months. To serve these visitors, several former warehouses have been turned into artists shops and a pedestrian mall has opened in the clock tower building. The keep area is now the site of the Bermuda Maritime Museum and the Dolphin Quest attraction. There are also several restaurants on site. Money is still being raised to repair the remaining damaged buildings and build a second dock to attract additional cruise ships.

It was a fun ride and we got to see more of the country. This is the view of Hamilton from the ferry.

Here we are approaching the Dockyards.

We got off the ferry and started wandering around.

We like historic places so found the Dockyards fascinating.

We stopped for a smooch under the Moongate.

Then we started wandering some more.

The Casemate Barracks, an old prison, was scary looking! I'd hate to have been put there. It closed in the 1990s and the new prison is next door.

We wandered back along the water.

The Victualling Yard was huge ... it used to be used as a storage area.

Definitely an interesting place to spend a couple hours.

Book ~ "Cooking Up Murder" (2006) - Miranda Bliss

2012-01-01T22:39:00.004-05:00

From Amazon ~ Annie and Eve are lifelong best friends who have absolutely nothing in common - except a lack of skill in the kitchen. So when they sign up for a cooking class at the local gourmet shop, they figure the only things at risk are a few innocent fruits and vegetables. But on the first night, Annie and Eve see their fellow student Beyla arguing with a man - a man who later turns up dead in the parking lot. Now the friends feel bound to uncover whatever secrets she's hiding, before someone else's goose - perhaps one of their own - gets cooked.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.

The premise is kind of silly. Annie works as a teller in a bank and Eve works in a department store. They come across this predicament and decide to solve the mystery.

But I enjoyed the writing style ... it's casual and funny. Definitely light reading if that's what you are looking for.

It's the first in a series and I look forward to reading the others.

The Bermuda Railway Trail

2012-01-01T17:39:00.003-05:00

Gord and I went for a walk for a couple hours this afternoon along the Bermuda Railway Trail.

The Bermuda Railway was a 21.7-mile (34.9 km) common carrier line that operated in Bermuda for a brief period (October 31, 1931 – May 1, 1948). In its 17 years of existence, the railway provided frequent passenger and freight service over its length spanning most of the archipelago from St. George in the east to Somerset, Sandys Parish, in the west.

Construction and maintenance proved to be exceedingly costly, as the Bermuda Railway was built along a coastal route to minimize the amount of land acquisition needed for the right-of-way. In so doing, however, extensive trestles and bridgework were necessary. More than ten percent of the line was elevated on 33 separate structures of timber or steel construction spanning the ocean. In addition, the proximity to the ocean made rot and corrosion a significant problem. This, along with the introduction of private automobiles to the island after World War II, would ultimately doom the line.

In 1984, 18 miles (29 km) of the defunct rail line's right-of-way were dedicated as the Bermuda Railway Trail for hiking and, on some paved portions, biking. The Bermuda Tourism Department publishes a pamphlet describing the Trail's highlights, which Frommer's travel guide calls one of its "Favorite Bermuda Experiences", extolling its "panoramic seascapes, exotic flora and fauna, and soothing sounds of the island's bird life".

It's a gorgeous spot to go for a walk!

Exploring Grotto Bay Beach Resort, Bermuda

2012-01-01T13:15:00.003-05:00

We woke up to a sunny 2012 ... yay!

This is looking towards the ocean from our balcony ... quite a difference from yesterday.

Gord and I headed to breakfast and then explored the resort. It's not a big place ... just 244 rooms.

This is from the main building looking towards the ocean.

Here is the kitty who lives on the property.

There's the pool ... we spent some time there late this morning. The temperature was about 70F and the sunny kept disappearing. The hot tub is REALLY hot.

We checked out one of the caves on the property. You go down this path.

Then you have to go down these stairs.

Here's the beginning. You have to squeeze down this narrow stairway.

Once you are there, it is awesome.

We dipped our toes in the water and it was chilly. Here's Gord.

Then we took a walk along the beach. I love the beach but the water was a bit too chilly to swim in. But I walked in the Atlantic Ocean for a while ... whoohoo!

This is looking back at the resort from the beach.

There are chickens and roosters EVERYWHERE! These guys are on the lawn outside our balcony. The roosters crow about every ten seconds all day. That's what I woke up to about 7:15 this morning. Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Happy New Years!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

New Years Wishes

I wish you Health .... so you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the Love of friends and family ... and peace within your heart.

I wish you the Beauty of nature ... that you may enjoy the work of Mother Nature.

I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities ... for those things that really matter in life.

I wish you Generosity so you may share ... all good things that come to you.

I wish you Happiness and Joy ... and Blessings for the New Year.

I wish you the best of everything ... that you so well deserve.

New Years Eve

2011-12-31T23:59:00.006-05:00

The hotel had a New Years Eve celebration.

As part of our package, Gord and I were able to go to the gala dinner (it would have cost us $75US each otherwise).

Here we are when we first got to the dining room.

Appetizers, soup, entrees and dessert were included.

I didn't like any of the appetizers so Gord had mine ... he had Olive Oil Poached Maine Lobster and Trio of Hudson Valley Foie Gras.

I didn't like either of the soups so had mine ... he had the Maine Lobster Bisque and Baby Corn Soup (with duck confit rillette and chervil).

We both had the Black Angus Beef Wellington (it was okay).

For dessert, Gord had the Elixir Seasonal Fruit Salad and I had the Apple Crumble Crostate (with cinnamon gelato).

The food was okay (I'm not really into fancy schmancy food). Had it not been included for us, we would have done something more casual and cheaper. The service was really slow and unorganized. We got there at 9pm and finished at 11pm. We didn't get acknowledged until 9:30am and had to keep asking for our next courses and wine.

After supper, we went to the lounge where the festivities were taking place. There was a band. They played Motown-like tunes and were good. There weren't many people there but everyone was dancing.

Here are me and Gord just before the countdown.

10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6- 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 ... Happy New Year!

Bubbly was served at midnight and we headed to our room with a glass of bubbly about 1am.

Grotto Bay Beach Resort, Bermuda

2011-12-31T18:15:00.004-05:00

Gord and I decided to go something different for New Years this year ... we are spending a long weekend in Bermuda.

We left early this morning on an 8:15 flight and got here about noon.

Here is our resort.

We are on an all-inclusive package so all our food and drinks are included.

Our room wasn't ready 'til 4pm so we had lunch. Gord had the buffet. I started with wings and then had a burger/fries (I barely touched my fries, though).

They were good.

Here's the restaurant.

The lobby of our hotel is very festive.

Alas, it was raining ... here's Gord.

Here's our room ... it's cute. We're on the second floor and all rooms face the ocean.

The rooms don't have WIFI which is inconvenient. They have it in the lobby but they charge you for it (from $10 for an hour to $70 for a week). We'll head to the Swizzle Inn and use their free WIFI (and spent the money we would have spent on WIFI on a cocktail instead).

The Swizzle Inn, Bailey's Bay, Bermuda

2011-12-31T17:15:00.012-05:00

After we had lunch, we still had a couple hours before our room was ready so we walked a couple blocks to a pub called The Swizzle Inn.

The Swizzle Inn is Bermuda's oldest and certainly most famous pub. Established in 1932 in a 17th century roadhouse, the "Swizzle" as locals call it, is home to Bermuda's national drink the Rum Swizzle. This potent rum and fruit juice cocktail is legendary for making the locals "loco" and the tourists "tipsy"!

Since 1962, the Swizzle Inn has been owned and operated by the Correia family. Johnny and Jackie were the husband and wife team for many years and then their son Jay took over in 1990. 2002 marked the 40th anniversary of the family running Swizzle Inn which coincided with Jay's 40th birthday.

A number of changes to the business have taken place over the years including the opening of the restaurant in 1973, opening the second floor to dining and a gift shop in1993 and expanding the patios and parking lot in 2000. However, one thing that has never changed has been the unique pub area with its graffiti and business cards as well as the rustic furniture and fixtures. The visitor books date back to 1942 and are full of funny anecdotes about people's visit to Swizzle Inn.

It's a cute spot ... though it was raining, we sat on the patio. Here's the inside.

We shared a shaker of their signature drink, the Swizzle, and are taking home the shaker as a souvenir.

Here we are ... exhausted and wet but having fun.

Here's me giving the Swizzle Inn a thumb's up!

Gord enjoyed a local beer, Oscar's Amber Ale.

There were lots of birds hanging out with us on the patio.

Yep, we're still having fun.

Oxana was our server and she took great care of us.

It had stopped raining by the time we headed to our hotel ... yay! This was our road home.

The Swizzle Inn is a fun spot and I bet we'll be back! The food looks great and they have free WIFI.

January 1, 2012 update: Gord and I went to the Swizzle Inn to surf and catch up with the world (WIFI is free whereas our hotel charges us). We ended up staying for supper and had some yummy pizzas.

Gord had pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms and green peppers ...

I had pepperoni, bacon and tomatoes ...

Yum!

January 3, 2012 update: Since we didn't take the all-inclusive option for today, we had supper at the Swizzle Inn.

I had the Buffalo Style Wings (tossed in Jay's ring of fire sauce) and Butt Kickin' Chili Nachos (A mean hombre! Heap of tortilla chips topped with Monterey Jack, onions, diced tomato, jalapeños and Johnny's butt kickin' chili. Salsa and sour cream as well) ... both were good. The meat in the chili was like stew beef rather than burger, which I was expecting.

Gord ordered the The Swizzle Burger (Seasoned 6oz all beef burger with crisp bacon, real cheddar, lettuce and tomato on a sesame bun) and onion rings which he said was good.

We had some drinks and surfed and got caught up with the world.

Kitties aren't much help packing

2011-12-30T20:03:00.000-05:00

Morgan loves to sleep on suitcases.

Gord was packing his suitcase this evening. He had it on the bed in our bedroom.

Morgan made it difficult because he climbed on it and went to sleep.

Crumpet wasn't much better ... she went to sleep in the clean laundry (I'd taken it from the dryer and put it on the bed so we could fold it).

Gord finished packing and put his suitcase in the living room ... Morgan wasn't too far behind getting comfy again.

Ritual Spa, Toronto, ON

2011-12-30T14:00:00.004-05:00

Gord and I got pedicures this afternoon so our feet will look great in Bermuda.

The place we usually go to closed last month so we went to Ritual Spa (King W/Niagara).

It was bustling there with people getting pedicures, manicures, haircuts and waxings. It's really white and I didn't find it overly cozy.

My feet are now nice and soft. My toes are Opi's Meep Meep Meep.

It's hard to see the actual colour so here it is:

They look great!

The woman who did my toes was fairly quiet but answered questions when I asked.

The woman who did Gord's toes was more chatty. She had a bandage covering the entire tip of her nose. She said she had been bitten by a pit bull on Christmas Eve and required many stitches.

Foggy Dew, Toronto, ON

2011-12-30T12:26:00.002-05:00

Gord and I had lunch today at the Foggy Dew (King W/Niagara).

It was fairly busy there ... not a big surprise considering it is the Friday before New Years Eve at lunchtime.

It's been almost a year since I was last there. Gord sometimes stops on his way home for a pint or two after work on Fridays.

We both ordered Beer Battered Fish & Chips (cold water caught Cape Capensis, chemical free white fish filet in Kilkenny Cream Ale batter served with fresh hand cut fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce).

I got mine without the coleslaw and tartar sauce.

It was good and filling.

Cosmic Alpine Scratcher still rocks

2011-12-29T15:06:00.001-05:00

This afternoon the kitties used the Alpine Scratcher ... I'm on vacation this week and have spent the last couple of days chillin' at home alone so this was riveting stuff!

Morgan uses it as a scratching post. We'd got Crumpet a carpeted scratching post when she moved in and she uses that ... but she is attracted to the toy inside the Alpine Scratcher. Morgan supervised.

Got it!

Lost it ... gotta get it again!

Look at that happy girl!

Book ~ "Letter to My Daughter" (2011) George Bishop

2011-12-28T15:28:00.005-05:00

From GeorgeBishopJr.com ~

"Dear Elizabeth,

It’s early morning and I’m sitting here wondering where you are, hoping you’re all right."

A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey “everything I’ve always meant to tell you but never have.”

In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, growing up in an intensely conservative household. She recounts her relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents’ disapproval, the fateful events that led to her being sent away to a strict Catholic boarding school, the personal tragedy brought upon her by the Vietnam War, and, finally, the meaning of the enigmatic tattoo below her right hip.

This is a quick read ... it's less than 180 pages ... I started it last night and just finished it.

Laura and Liz have just had a fight and Liz takes off. We don't know the details but it doesn't really matter. What matters is that Laura realizes that she is everything as a mother that she swore she would never be. So she sits down and tries to make it right by writing a letter to Liz, giving her the details of her life from when she was 15 to 18 back in the early 1970s. The Vietnam War is happening and there are still racial prejudices. Being Cajun is only one step above being "colored" ... significant considering the story takes place in Lousiana.

The voice obviously is Laura's ... the book is actually one long letter to Liz. The chapters alternate from current to the past.

I really enjoyed this book. It's hard to believe a man wrote it since it is written in Laura's voice.

Cosmic Alpine Scratchers rock!

2011-12-28T12:08:00.005-05:00

When we got Byron (2002 - 2010) and Morgan in December 2002, they were three months old. Byron loved to rip at a chair we had in our spare room.

We bought a couple scratching posts but he wasn't interested and kept at the chair. A catsitter recommended the Cosmic Alpine Scratcher ... in her words, "It's all about the angle". I got one right away and Byron and Morgan loved it and Byron left the chair alone. Yay! I've bought many replacement inserts over the years.

Fast forward to this summer when we got Crumpet and she loved it too. She was small enough then that she could fit in the hole where the toy was.

Plus she loves to rip apart cardboard with her teeth so I had to tape it together in many places. As you can see, it is well-used and well-loved.

Because it is in such bad shape, I bought them another one for Christmas. It had the angle but it wasn't an Alpine Scratcher. The scratching part was different and they weren't too crazy about it.

Alas, they ignored it even after I put catnip on it. Good thing I'd kept the old one.

I was near a Pet Valu this morning and bought them a new Alpine Scratcher ... the real deal! As soon as I put it on the floor, they both went to it ... Morgan was scratching and Crumpet as trying to get the toy inside, no catnip needed. Success!

Look how happy Morgan is!

Book ~ "Physical Education" (2011) Maggie Barbieri

2011-12-27T20:23:00.005-05:00

From Amazon ~ College English professor and sometime amateur sleuth Alison Bergeron would’ve been thrilled to hear that her husband, NYPD Detective Bobby Crawford, was leaving Homicide if that were the whole story, but it turns out that Bobby’s next assignment is even worse - undercover. As if worrying about his involvement in a case he won’t talk about at all wasn’t bad enough, Alison is forced to take over the women’s basketball team at St. Thomas after the coach dies of a heart attack during a game. She may not know much about basketball but she’s no stranger to sleuthing, and it isn’t long before she suspects that the coach’s death may be more than unexpected but premeditated as well.

With Bobby deep undercover and Alison always on her way to deep trouble, it’s only a matter of time before they run smack into each other in Physical Education, the latest in Maggie Barbieri’s charming Murder 101 mystery series.

Alison and Crawford are married, his ex-wife is in London, one of his daughters likes Alison and the other daughter is being a bratty bitch to Alison because her parents have moved on.

For some reason, Alison is made the coach of the basketball team when the the coach dies on the court (she has zero experience coaching a basketball team).

Then she has everything else going on ... Crawford is being secretive and lying; her friend, Father Kevin, is still on suspension with the church and the university; and the body of the mail guy is found in the trunk of her car.

I found this book hard to get into. It was so serious in the beginning and not the usual funny sarcastic style. About halfway, when things start to be revealed, it picks up and get better.

Alison's friend, Max, isn't in the book much (yay!) but when she is, she is her usual annoying self. The mystery of what was happening to Father Kevin which started in the last book is resolved (yay!).

There are quite a few plots going on that came together at the end. It was the first book in the series that I really bought the ending.

Lazy day

2011-12-26T19:54:00.004-05:00

Gord and I were lazy today and chilled at home.

We watched TV and movies and ordered pizza for supper.

Even Crumpet and Morgan got into the lazy spirit and snoozed in bed for hours this afternoon and evening.

K-tel International

2011-12-26T13:42:00.003-05:00

Gord and I watched a show about K-tel International today. It was quite interesting as it was part of our childhoods.

Remember them?

They sold handy products that you just couldn't live without in 1960s and 70s like the Veg-o-matic, the Bottle Cutter Kit (you could save money and turn your bottles into glasses!) and the mood shirt.

Then they got into the record business making compilations.

One of the first records I owned was K-tel's Fantastic ... it came out back in 1973 when I was in grade six. It wasn't 'til years later that I realized that the songs I thought I knew had extra verses ... K-tel would cut songs short so they could fit more on the record.

From the Vinyl Voyage:

More than any other K-Tel album I own, this album suffers from short versions of the songs. K-Tel managed to fit a lot of music onto their vinyl. This was often accomplished by making the gaps between the songs shorter and the grooves not as wide. K-Tel albums were not known for their fidelity. Many of the songs on this album fade early or are edited shorter. Some of the songs are less than two minutes long.

But that's okay. They still manage to give us almost 45 minutes of music on a single album. And the thing that Fantastic demonstrates about K-Tel is the eclectic variety that often appeared among the tracks.

Happy Boxing Day!

2011-12-26T00:01:00.001-05:00

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26th. It is a statutory holiday in the federal jurisdiction and in Ontario. If it falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, the working day immediately preceding or following Boxing Day is considered a legal holiday.

Boxing Day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr), originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. It originated as a holiday for members of the merchant class to give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. The gifts were an expression of gratitude similar to the bonuses many employers offer their employees today. These gifts, usually given in boxes, gave the holiday its name, "Boxing Day."

Also related to the origin of Boxing Day is the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The contents of these boxes were distributed amongst the poor, by the clergy, the day after Christmas.

Today, Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations. It is a time for family and friends to gather with lots of food and fun. Outdoor sports such as soccer, horse racing and hunting are popular on this holiday. Retailers offer huge savings on many items on this day, making it the biggest shopping day of the year in Canada.

Source

Christmas supper

2011-12-25T19:11:00.001-05:00

Gord and I usually have Cornish hens for our meal on Christmas Day.

I checked two grocery stores on Friday and they were sold out. So Gord and I had a chicken for supper tonight instead.

The furkids had a good meal. I rarely give them soft food ... they only get it on special occasions. Tonight was a special occasion and they got chicken and liver dinner.

Here's Morgan chowing down ...

And Crumpet ...

Though messy, they both cleaned their plates off ...

No doubt they were happy kitties.

Merry Christmas, Morgan and Crumpet!

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2011-12-25T16:39:00.002-05:00

Gord and I don't really celebrate Christmas. Our tradition, though, is to see a movie on Christmas Day.

We saw Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol this afternoon.

In the 4th installment of the Mission Impossible series, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise)and his team (Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton) are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt by the team to stop him at the Kremlin ends in a disaster, with an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF being implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to invoke Ghost Protocol, under which the IMF is disavowed, and will be offered no help or backup in any form. Undaunted, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks to Dubai, and from there to Mumbai, but several spectacular action sequences later, they might still be too late to stop a disaster.

We saw it in IMAX ... the theatre (which holds about 400 people) was packed. It's a great venue to see a movie like this. There is lots of action that is awesome on the HUGE screen.

With this movie, you have to leave your sense of belief at the door. There's no way that some of the things could happen (like Cruise running sideways on a tall building in Dubai) ... but it was fun to watch. You just have to go with it.

I liked Simon Pegg and he's funny.

It's over two hours but it never seems to drag.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Santa bootcamp

2011-12-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

Precious Christmas gift

2011-12-24T13:11:00.004-05:00

My sister always gives thoughtful gifts.

This year's Christmas gift is a glass memory box. Inside is our father's service hat (he was in the Canadian Armed Forces in the navy) along with pictures of him in his uniform and a copy of his enlistment application.

He died in 1971 when I was eight and I don't have anything of his so this is an extra special gift.

Thanks, Sister Sarah!

Christmas is for kitties

2011-12-24T12:40:00.005-05:00

Morgan and Crumpet did well this year for Christmas ...

Sister Sarah's kitties, Sunny, Shadow and Charlie, gave them some cool gifts. They both got crackly toys ... Morgan's was blue and Crumpet's was pink. Morgan took a liking to Crumpet's.

Crumpet didn't quite understand how to play with this toy. You are supposed to bat it, not bite it, Silly Girl!

My pal, Leanne, gave them a stocking each of toys. I dumped them on the floor ... they checked 'em out and played with 'em.

Even with all their new toys, they went over and checked out their old toys on their toy shelf (yes, they have a toy shelf).

Alas, it didn't take long for Crumpet to rip off the yellow ball of their new toy (it's not the first time she's done that!).

Our kitties love toys and are very happy!

Holiday celebrations

2011-12-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

Gord and I don't celebrate Christmas.

We don't put up a tree. We don't have room for one, we don't have room to store the decorations the rest of the year and, knowing our kitties, they would think it's their own personal giant toy.

Gord and I don't buy each other gifts. Instead we buy theatre tickets for the upcoming Stratford Festival (this summer we're seeing The War of 1812 and The Pirate of Penzance).

I did put some decorations out.

Here's our door ...

A Christmas dog is on a shelf in the living ...

And, of course, Christmas towels ...

Christmas towels?! When I met Gord, his only decoration was the towel on the left. So we've kept up the tradition. My sister, Sarah, gave him another one a couple years later so that's out too to greet us when we come in the door.

Animals Sing "12 Days of Christmas"

2011-12-23T21:51:00.000-05:00

Animals of YouTube singing "Deck the Halls"

2011-12-23T15:02:00.001-05:00

This never gets old! Ha!

Getting free groceries rocks!

2011-12-23T09:26:00.000-05:00

I have a President's Choice MasterCard that gives me PC points.

I buy our groceries weekly at a nearby No Frills and use my MasterCard. I let the points accumulate all year and cash them in this week every year.

I went to No Frills this morning and cashed my points in when I paid for our groceries. The bill came to $144.76 and I had 90,516 points ... so I got $144.76 in groceries for $54.76! 90,000 points = $90.

Whoohoo!

Book ~ "52 Ways to Wreck Your Retirement: ... And How to Rescue It" (2011) Tina Di Vito

2011-12-22T23:53:00.003-05:00

From Amazon ~ Retirement planning isn't something that happens at a specific point in time or at a specific age - we are all affecting our retirement plans every day with every decision we do or don't make. Canadians are living longer, and the average retiree in the future may have as much as 30 years of retirement to plan for, and there are many simple things that will impact our eventual retirement life.

52 Ways to Wreck Your Retirement identifies 52 things we do that could wreck our retirement, explains why it puts your retirement at risk, and provides the strategy to correct the mistake, or better still, avoid it entirely.

52 Ways to Wreck Your Retirement is not a feel-good book about how wonderful retirement will be or an alarming fear-mongering book about dying broke, nor is it a get-rich-late-retirement solution. Quite simply, it is an easily-accessible and practical guide written for Canadians of all ages that gives you the tools you need to better manage the financial and personal aspects of your retirement.

I work as an educator in the group retirement industry and like reading books about retirement planning. This one just came out last month and is written by the head of one of the competitors of the company I work for.

The book covers all areas of retirement and has 11 parts:

Starting to plan for retirement
Mistakes around investing
Mistakes around debt
Saving for retirement
Pensions
Living in retirement
Spending in retirement
Paying too much tax
New realities about retirement
Protection planning
Not asking for help

Not much was new to me but it was interesting to read it from someone else's perspective.

It's a good book if you are looking for a high level explanation of everything from Canada's government programs (C/QPP and OAS), accumulation and payout plans, the effect of the sandwich generation, downsizing your home, etc.

Santa's a Canadian!

2011-12-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

Book ~ "How to Talk to a Widower" (2008) Jonathan Tropper

2011-12-21T22:10:00.001-05:00

From GoodReads ~ Doug Parker is a widower at age twenty-nine, and in his quiet suburban town, that makes him something of a celebrity—the object of sympathy, curiosity, and, in some cases, unbridled desire. But Doug has other things on his mind. First there's his sixteen year-old stepson, Russ: a once-sweet kid who now is getting into increasingly serious trouble on a daily basis. Then there are Doug's sisters: his bossy twin, Clair, who's just left he husband and moved in with Doug, determined to rouse him from his Grieving stupor. And Debbie, who's engaged to Doug's ex-best friend and manically determined to pull off the perfect wedding at any cost. Soon Doug's entire nuclear family is in his face. And when he starts dipping his toes into the shark-infested waters of the second-time around dating scene, it isn't long before his new life is spinning hopelessly out of control, cutting a harrowing and often hilarious swath of sexual missteps and escalating chaos across the suburban landscape.

Lady Banana had recently read this and recommended it so I thought I'd check it out.

It took me a couple chapters to get into it and I'm glad I stuck with it.

I enjoyed the writing style ... most of the time it was funny and sarcastic. It's almost like Doug was talking to me. As I was reading this, I could imagine it being made into a movie.

I felt bad for Doug. He was widowed before he was 30. He thought he had found "the one" in Hailey (who was more than ten years older than him) and would spend the rest of his life with her. But when she is killed in a plane crash, his life is destroyed and he has to find a way to rebuild it ... but he doesn't want to. Instead he spends his days and nights with his buddy, Jack Daniels. A year later, the bathroom still has her products on the counter and her red bra is still hanging on the back of the door where she'd left it.

His thought processes are interesting ... he blames Hailey for catching that plane, he blames himself for letting her leave on the business trip, he blames her because now he has to start all over again, etc.

His family are characters but I liked them ... all are hurting over things in their lives and trying to makes the best of it.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it ... it's happy and sad at the same time.

Happy (early) birthday, Peter!

2011-12-21T10:11:00.001-05:00

I work with a fella named Peter and his birthday is next week.

Since most of us won't be in the office on his birthday, he baked some things and brought them into the office this morning to celebrate with us. How nice is that?!

He made an orange angel food cake ...

And an apricot pie (it had a fancy name that I've forgotten) ...

Both were very good! I'd never had apricots so it was a delicious introduction.

Thanks, Peter! And happy (early) birthday!

Houston Steaks & Ribs, Toronto, ON

2011-12-20T19:27:00.001-05:00

I met my pals, Deb, Franca and Liz, for supper tonight ... we worked together in the mid 1990s. They are with the company the company we worked for was eventually sold to.

Almost 20 years later, we are still close friends and try to get together on a regular basis.

We had supper at Houston Steaks & Ribs (Yonge/Wellington).

It was a busy spot.

Here are Liz and Deb ...

Here are me and Franca ...

Liz and Deb ordered the Seafood Linguini (sautéed shrimp, scallops and lobster meat in rosé sauce topped with arugula and citrus gremolata).

Franca ordered tilapia and rice.

I ordered the Roasted Chicken (1/2 chicken marinated in their mixture of spices and fresh herbs; served with red wine demi-glace sauce and French fries).

We all enjoyed our meals and cleaned our plates. Liz and I split a bottle of red wine.

Here are the four of us ... Liz, Deb, me and Franca ...

It's been a while since the four of us have gotten together and it was great to catch up ... and there was a lot to catch up on!

I hadn't been to Houston before and liked it. The service was good ... Stacy took good care of us. She let us sit for a long time afterwards so we could sit and yak. I'd go back.

South of Temperence, Toronto, ON

2011-12-20T13:00:00.001-05:00

I met some former co-workers for lunch today ... all but two of us are still with that company. Though I left in 2007, happily we still get together for lunch every once in a while.

We met at at South of Temperance (Adelaide W/Yonge).

It was a busy spot ... lots of holiday luncheons happening, I guess.

It's festively decorated for the holiday season ... this was above our table.

I ordered the BBQ Burger and fries.

Whoa! That's a burger!

I had to mash it down a bit to cut it in half to be able to eat it.

It was a good burger ... I've never had pulled pork or crunchy potato sticks on a burger before and it worked for me. In fact, I ate all the burger! The fries were good too but needless to say, my attention was on the burger.

And here we are: Laura (she's with another company now), Julie and I ...

Eric and Norma ...

Me, Jen and Susan ...

It was a fun time catching up!

I'd never been to South of Temperance and enjoyed it. The service was great (the manager came over to ask how things were and helped me on with my coat when I was leaving) and the food was delicious! I'd go back.

Book ~ "The Suite Life: The Magic and Mystery of Hotel Living" (2011) Christopher Heard

2011-12-19T22:17:00.005-05:00

From Indigo ~ Hotel living has always seemed exotic. Why did Claude Monet, Greta Garbo, Coco Chanel, Vladimir Nabokov, Howard Hughes, and many other mercurial individuals desire such a life? Besides answering that question, The Suite Life features interviews with high-profile celebrities who have also chosen hotel living, such as Johnny Depp, Warren Beatty, Keanu Reeves, and Criss Angel.

Author Christopher Heard was conceived in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto and now lives there as the writer-in-residence. The Suite Life is the culmination of a lifelong fascination with iconic hotels and those who have opted to reside in them. It tells of the enchantment of being exposed to many varied energies at the same time and describes the uniqueness of life lived in a place where people can let their inhibitions relax.

Living in a hotel is many things, but first and foremost it is magical.

I had read an article in the Toronto Star a couple months ago about this book. I hadn't heard of the author but apparently he is a "TV and radio personality and an author with several celebrity bios to his name".

What attracted me to this book (so I reserved it immediately from the Toronto library system and just got it on Friday) was that the author lives in one of Toronto's historic hotels, the Royal York. I've been to a few functions there (Christmas parties and conferences) and it's a grand old hotel.

The book is split up into three parts:

A private oasis of solitude ... with room service - details famous personalities (from the likes of Howard Hughes to Johnny Depp) and their experiences living the hotel life
Some kind of epic grandeur - provides the history and stories of the Royal York
Suite dreams - discusses the author's experiences living in the Royal York and surrounding area such as the personalities he's met and living through the G20 last year

It is an interesting book and I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it to anyone who lives in Toronto, who is interested in different ways of living and/or who enjoy getting a bit of insider gossip about personalities.

Here's a quote by Heard in the Toronto Star article:

"You don’t think about towels. You don’t think about making the bed, or taking out the garbage.

"One of the great lessons of hotel living is that you become very minimalist," said Heard, who personalized his room with photographs and his 5-year-old daughter’s artwork. "You just have what you need, what is of current concern. You don’t keep piles of magazines around anymore.

"And you don’t have neighbours. Your neighbours are here for two days, then gone. Whereas the maids that come in regularly and the door people that you see every day, they are the constants in your life."

It sounds like quite a life ... how would you like to live in a hotel?

Jack Astor's, Brampton, ON

2011-12-19T12:28:00.000-05:00

I had four enrolment seminars to conduct in Brampton today ... 9am, 10:30am, 1pm and 2:30pm.

I had headed out for lunch about 11:30am and went to Jack Astor's, which was a five minute drive away.

The hostess who greeted me was very friendly. After she seated me, she asked me if I wanted a newspaper. I had my book but thanked her.

A server came over right away and asked me what I wanted to drink ... I ordered a Diet Pepsi. She said that Rachelle would be my server.

Rachelle was very friendly and chatty. I ordered what I usually order when I'm at Jack Astor's ... Chicken Parmigiana (fresh chicken breast, lightly breaded and topped with smoked Mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce; served with bowtie pasta, tossed in a creamy cheese sauce).

I don't like parm cheese so asked that none be sprinkled on my pasta or the plate. When my meal arrived, there is was. But it was quickly fixed.

My meal was delicious!

Given the season, the restaurant was busy with what seemed to be holiday luncheons.

I'd go back the next time I'm in the area.

Cat in a box!

2011-12-18T16:36:00.003-05:00

No matter how spoiled a kitty is and how many toys she has, sometimes a box is all she wants or needs.

Here's Crumpet ...

Sunday morning family pix

2011-12-18T11:18:00.001-05:00

Before we left Gord's parents' this morning to head for home, we took some pictures.

Here are Gord, Minnie (his mom), Keith (his son) and Keith (his stepdad). Great shot!

Grandparents and their oldest grandson ... Keith, Ken and Minnie.

Here are Ken, Minnie, Keith and me.

Wandering around on a country morning

2011-12-18T09:58:00.002-05:00

Gord's parents, Minnie and Keith, live in the country, about 2.5 hours NE of Toronto.

You can't even see their next neighbour.

Their home is an old farmhouse that they have added to over the years. It is the house where Keith, Gord's stepdad, was born and raised (Keith is in his mid-80s).

Gord's parents moved there full-time about 25 years ago (they lived in north Toronto before that and would head to this house on the weekends).

Gord and I took a stroll around their "yard" this morning.

It was frosty!

This old barn near the house has always fascinated me ... the stories it could tell. Years ago, it was a working barn (Keith's dad had cows, horses, sheep and chickens).

Gord and I went in it ...

So different and much more peaceful that Toronto!

Early Christmas with Gord's family

2011-12-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

Gord's family lives about 2.5 hours NE of Toronto. We drove there this afternoon for an early Christmas celebration. Gord's son, Ken, came with us.

We'll spend the night at Minnie and Keith's, Gord's mom and stepdad. We got there before everyone else so had some time to catch up.

Then Kyle and Kerri arrived with their kids, Madison and Colton. Kyle is Gord's nephew (Kyle's mother, Judy, is Gord's sister).

Here are Minnie and her new great grandson, Colton ... her smile says it all!

Gord's sister, Judy, and her husband, Doug, arrived ... Madison was happy to see her grandpa!

Hanging out before supper ...

Grandma Judy and Colton ...

Suppertime! Minnie had baked a ham and we all brought something (I made potato salad and brought some wine). There were also devilled eggs, coleslaw, macaroni salad, tomatoes, tomato juice, pickles, buns, etc.

After supper, cousins Kyle and Ken ...

Grandpa Doug and Colton ...

Dessert! Doug and Judy made pies ... blueberry and lemon meringue (my favourite!).

Hanging out after a delicious supper ...

Then we opened gifts and hung out some more ...

It was great to see everyone and to meet Colton (he was born in September).

Bâton Rouge Restaurant and Bar, North York, ON

2011-12-16T22:20:00.004-05:00

Gord and I met his friends and their wives for supper tonight at Bâton Rouge in North York.

Gord has been friends with Alfred, Craig and Kevin for about 50 years (since they were eight years old!).

I ordered the Bâton Rouge Chicken Tenders Platter (their signature chicken tenders made fresh to order, hand-battered and fried to golden perfection. Served with their famous BBQ and our original Dijonnaise sauces for dipping) with garlic mashed potatoes. They were good!

Gord also got the tenders but he got his with French fries and coleslaw.

Most of us got ribs and tenders. Here are Craig's ribs, fries and beans.

Christine got the pork chop special and veggies.

A couple desserts were ordered but I was too full.

And here we are ... Alfred, Christine, Kevin, Rosemary, Qianna (hiding behind her mom, Rosemary), Rachel, Wendy, Craig, me and Gord.

Here are Alfred and his wife, Christine.

Here are Kevin and his wife, Rosemary.

Here are Rachel and her parents, Wendy and Craig.

And here are me and Gord.

It's been a couple years since we've gotten together so it was fun to catch up.

Our server was Nick and he took good care of us. Though we were a party of 10, I like that he didn't automatically put the group tip on.

Book ~ "Back on Murder" (2010) J. Mark Bertrand

2011-12-16T17:33:00.005-05:00

From Amazon ~ Roland March, on the verge of being cut loose from the Houston Police Department after suffering a personal tragedy that has affected his job performance, is given one last chance after he notices evidence of a missing female victim at a gang-related multiple-murder scene. March tries to connect the female victim with Hannah Mayhew, a teenager who performed outreach work for her church and who recently disappeared from a local mall; his superiors are unconvinced but they agree to transfer March to the Hannah Mayhew task force. He continues to investigate the connection, working under the radar, with the help of a youth pastor, to prove his suspicions. In his personal life, March tries to reconnect with his wife, who is also suffering. Carefully drawn details of police work, well-delineated characters, multiple interesting cases, and a vivid Houston setting add to the strong mystery.

This book interested me because I like murder mysteries. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't great.

Though it was less than 400 pages, it seemed like a looooong book. I kept checking the chapter menu to see how far along I way and how far I still had to go.

I found that there were so many characters in this book, especially the number of cops, that I couldn't keep them all straight.

Something happened in March's past that haunts him but you don't find out what it is until about midway. Given what it was (I kind of figured it out anyway), it would have been better knowing what it was so you'd understand his behaviour.

The ending was so-so, not overly exciting. This was the first in a series but I won't be rushing out to read the others.

Moe's Deli & Bar (Trudeau Airport), Dorval, QC

2011-12-15T11:46:00.001-05:00

After you go through Security in the Montreal airport, there are only two restaurants to choose from. Tim Hortons is good if you don't have much time and Moe's Deli & Bar is good if you want a sit-down restaurant.

I caught an earlier flight home today (12:15pm instead of 1:15pm) and still had an hour for lunch so I ate at Moe's.

I sat by the window and got some work done (free WIFI).

I've been to Moe's a few times and the food is good ... I've had a burger and chicken parm. I felt like something different today so ordered the jumbo smoked meat sandwich on rye and fries and a Diet Pepsi. As you can see, they aren't kidding when they call it "jumbo"!

I hadn't had breakfast this morning so was hungry. I managed to eat most of the sandwich, a couple of the fries, and none of the pickle or coleslaw. It was good and I was quite full afterwards.

The service wasn't the fastest, though, so I'm glad I had time. There were four servers and less than 20 people in the restaurant yet all the servers seemed to disappear for periods of time.