Happy anniversary, Sarah and Joey!

Happy third anniversary to my sister, Sarah, and her husband, Joey. They live in Halifax, NS, with their two cats (Precious and Maggie) and gerbil (Lacey).

"Rocky Horror Picture Show", Stage West, Toronto, ON

It's the story of an ordinary couple and one unforgettable night at the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad-scientist from the planet Transexual. Brad and Janet have arrived on their special night, the night of Dr. Furter's "beautiful creature", Rocky, the adonis humanoid created for the release of Frank's "tension", was to be born.

This show was fabulous! I love the movie and was looking forward to seeing the play. Since it is at Stage West, I was concerned that it would be a very toned down version of the movie. We go to Stage West for the Sunday brunch show and there's mostly an older crowd.

This show is very sexual and raunchy. I was amazed that the older folks weren't running for the doors during the intermission. At one point in the show, Dr. Frankenfurter goes into the audience, sits on an old dude's lap and gives him a couple big kisses on the forehead. Rather than wipe the lipstick off, the old dude wore it proudly and that's how he left the theatre! There were a couple people participating (doing the talkbacks, dancing the Time Warp, etc.) .

I'd definitely recommend this play!

Book ~ "On the Verge" (2002) Ariella Papa

From Amazon.ca ~ Twenty-three-year-old Eve Vitali isn't exactly where she wants to be. Though she works in New York, she's still living at home with her family in New Jersey. Her job at Bicycle Boy, a trendy magazine, is far from exciting. When her college roommate, Roseanne, calls to tell Eve she's moving to New York, Eve solves her housing problem by deciding to share an apartment with her. Her best friend, Tabitha, clashes with Roseanne at first, but then the two gradually begin to accept each other. At work, Eve catches the eye of handsome Rob King, who's been called in to reorganize the company that owns Bicycle Boy. Eve and Rob start hooking up, but Eve's dissatisfaction with her job and the lack of opportunities for advancement cause her to start thinking about her original dream to start a magazine of her own.

Fun and enjoyable read.

Book ~ "Girls' Poker Night" (2004) Jill Davis

From Amazon.com ~ The story of Ruby Capote, a columnist who makes a move from Boston to New York to escape her nice but imperfect boyfriend, Doug. Ruby gets a job at the New York News writing a column that chronicles the lives of her gal pals, who get together every week to play poker. Her boss, Michael, enjoys her column but he pushes her to dig deeper, to stop skimming the surface and actually analyze her own life. Ruby is falling fast for Michael, and he seems to reciprocate, but Ruby's standoffishness makes it impossible for the two to have a normal relationship. When Michael tells Ruby about a surprising detail from his past, the revelation sends Ruby running. As her friends begin to find their paths in life, Ruby wonders what it will take to find hers.

This is a quick fun read. The chapters are quite short - sometimes less than a page. The writing is humourous and Ruby gets into many funny adventures.

Book ~ "Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood" (2003) Laurie Notaro

From Goodreads ~ In "Autobiography of a Fat Bride", Laurie Notaro tries painfully to make the transition from all-night partier and bar-stool regular to mortgagee with plumbing problems and no air-conditioning. Laurie finds grown-up life just as harrowing as her reckless youth, as she meets Mr. Right, moves in, settles down, and crosses the toe-stubbing threshold of matrimony. 

From her mother's grade-school warning to avoid kids in tie-dyed shirts because their hippie parents spent their food money on drugs and art supplies; to her night-before-the-wedding panic over whether her religion is the one where you step on the glass; to her unfortunate overpreparation for the mandatory drug-screening urine test at work; to her audition as a Playboy centerfold as research for a newspaper story, "Autobiography of a Fat Bride" has the same zits-and-all candor and outrageous humor that made "Idiot Girls" an instant cult phenomenon. 

"In Autobiography of a Fat Bride", Laurie contemplates family, home improvement, and the horrible tyrannies of cosmetic saleswomen. She finds that life doesn't necessarily get any easier as you get older. But it does get funnier.

Very funny book! The chapters are short and are short rants about various things. Looking forward to reading more of her stuff.

Book ~ "The Switch" (2001) Sandra Brown

From Amazon.com ~ When Gillian hears her biological clock ticking, she is inseminated. Gillian switches places with her twin, a media escort, and chauffeurs astronaut, Chief Hart, around town. It turns out to be a fatal attraction and suspicion falls on Chief when Gillian's mutilated body is found the next day. The dead woman's boyfriend, Jem Hennings, has a vested interest in focusing police efforts on Hart but Melina has her own reasons for thinking him wrong. Jem's connection with a charismatic preacher known as Brother Gabriel is at the heart of this mildly creepy mystery, in which Melina tracks Brother Gabriel to his lair and uncovers his plot while simultaneously revealing her own dark secret.

I read this book a couple years ago so knew how it was going to end but I still enjoyed it again. There's lot of action, interesting characters and a good mystery. I like Sandra Brown's mystery novels - her romances not so much.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", Stratford Festival, Stratford, ON

From Stratford Festival ~ Though childless himself, aging football hero Brick Pollitt is clearly the favourite son and potential heir of dying plantation owner Big Daddy. But why does Brick seek oblivion in alcohol, and why has he neglected his beautiful and passionate wife, Margaret - driving her, on one fateful occasion, into the arms of his best friend?

We enjoyed this play. It's three hours with two 15 minute intermissions and has some fairly well-known Canadian actors.

We had cocktails at a couple local pubs before and after the play. Supper was at Sid's Sports Bar (across from the Avon Theatre). The food was good and the price was right (half price appetizers). Great train ride down and back.

We can't wait for next year's season!

Windows, Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON

August's Girls Night Out Club's Gourmet Girls event was at Windows at the Rogers Centre. There were twelve of us and we had tables right by the windows that overlook the field.

The food was fair - there's not as much choice as at Sightlines (also at the Rogers Centre) and I found that most of it was cold. The curried chicken and rice was good so that's what I focused on. The chocolate banana cake was yummy.

I'm glad I got to experience it but I doubt I would go back again. Sightlines is a much better restaurant to watch the Jays and have a meal.

Book ~ "Million Dollar Baby: Stories from the Corner" (2005) F.X. Toole

From Amazon.com ~ The 69-year-old author wrote this collection of five stories and a novella between gigs tending boxers in their corners as a "cut man" (who stanches the blood flow and allows fights to continue). "The Money Look" is an turning-the-tables yarn at the expense of a cynical crook of a fighter; "Black Jew" is a telling tale of humble ambition woven with the lure of big money. A lacerating account of a courageous, deeply endearing hillbilly woman fighter and her sad fate, "Million $$$ Baby," is the best story in the book. "Fightin' in Philly" is a moving tale of the toll the ambition to be a title fighter takes on a man. Another innocent torn up by the fight game is portrayed in "Frozen Water." The novella, "Rope Burns," is pitting of an Olympic contender against a low-life East Los Angeles gang member at the time of the Rodney King riots.

Unfortunately he didn't live to see "Million Dollar Baby" made as a movie.

Definitely a good read if you are into boxing. I'm taking boxing classes so I found it interesting.

Book ~ "Undomesticated Goddess" (2005) Sophie Kinsella

From Amazon.com ~ Samantha Sweeting is on the verge of partnership at the prestigious London law firm Carter Spink, the Holy Grail of her entire workaholic life. But when she finds she has made a terrible costly mistake just before the partnership decision, she's terrified of being fired. In a fog, she stumbles out of the building and onto the nearest train, which drops her in the countryside, where she wanders to a stately home. The nouveau riche lady of the house mistakes her for the new housekeeper and Samantha is too astonished to correct her. Numb and unable to face returning to London, Samantha tries to master the finer points of laundry, cooking and cleaning. She discovers that the slow life, her pompous but good-hearted employers and the attentions of the handsome gardener, Nathaniel, suit her just fine. But her past is hard to escape, and when she discovers a terrible secret about her firm, and when the media learns that the former legal star is scrubbing toilets for a living, her life becomes more complicated than ever.

A fun read! It's the latest by the author of the Shopoholic series (which I find very funny).

How I spent my summer vacation

We headed to Burnaby on Saturday, July 23, to spend a couple days with my friend, Leanne, her husband, Sam, and daughter, Marron. We stayed at the Best Western in Coquitlam. We used airmiles and ended up with a two bedroom suite. Very nice!

It was nice to see Leanne, Sam and Marron as it had been a while since I've seen and hung out with them. We went to a Greek restaurant for supper that night. Very yummy! Then we took a walk around Burnaby Mountain (where Leanne and Sam got married) - great views. After they dropped us off at our hotel, we found a pub nearby called the Foggy Dew and we had a couple pints on the patio.

Sunday, Leanne, Marron, Leanne's mom, Shirley, Gord and I went to Storeum in downtown Vancouver. It's a "theatrical presentation" of British Columbia's history. It was very entertaining. That afternoon, Leanne, Sam, Marron, Gord and I went to Capilano Suspension Bridge. It's a swaying 450 foot bridge that crosses above Capilano Canyon. Once there, we (Marron, Gord and I) did the Treetop Adventure - suspension bridges from tree to tree. Then it was supper at White Spot.

Monday, Gord and I drove to Whistler. We stayed at the Whistler Pinnacle. We had a nice room with a full kitchen, balcony and a big jacuzzi. We loved Whistler! It's such a cute town. We spent the afternoon walking around the Village.

Tuesday (our third anniversary), we took the gondola up Whistler Mountain and went glacier hiking. Neither of us knew what to expect - but it blew us away. We hiked to Whistler Glacier and then got our gear on - helmet, crampons, harness, rope, etc. And off we went climbing up 500 feet over snow and blue ice. Wow! Our guide, Monica, was great! We were surprised at how warm it was - probably about 20C. Then we came back down - it took a lot less time. We had lunch at the Roundhouse - we were starving!! Then we took another gondola to the Peak - what a view! We headed back down to the Village and had a couple drinks at Black's Pub. We were exhausted so it was an early night.

Wednesday, we took the gondolas to the top of Blackcomb Mountain (it takes three gondolas and a bus to get to the top). There were people skiing and snowboarding. The air was so fresh and cool - about 12C. We had a beer at the restaurant patio. Best place we ever had a beer, surrounded by mountains. We had supper at Milestones that night (across the street from our hotel) and then went to a pub called the Dubh Blinn and sat on the patio listening to Guitar Doug.

We headed back to Vancouver on Thursday. We went to Granville Island that afternoon - it was very close to our hotel. There is a microbrewery there and we'd gotten to like that beer (Granville Island Brewery). Then we headed for Robson Street. Natalie, our waitress at Black's Pub in Whistler, said the Cactus Club makes the best Bellini's so we had to check 'em out. They are better than Milestones'. Then we went to Cloud Nine, a revolving restaurant. It takes 80 minutes to make the revolution and you get a great view of Vancouver. We ended up in Gastown for supper. Along the way back to our hotel, we came across a pub called Doolin's. There was a Celtic band playing called the Halifax Wharfrats so we stopped for a while.

Friday, we walked to Stanley Park by way of English Bay. We walked around the park (9 km). We walked to Yaletown on our way back to the hotel and came across a microbrewery. We sat on their patio for a while. Onwards again we stumbled upon a Brazilian street festival. Free food and booze so we stopped in. Later that night we went to a bar called the Two Parrots on Granville Street for a late supper. There was a jukebox and there was quite the selection of tunes being played by the customers.

Saturday, we went for a 75 minute cruise around the harbour. Then we walked up to Yaletown and had a late lunch at Dix - huge meal of ribs and chicken. Way too much food. We sat on the rooftop patio of our hotel for a while before heading out to the casino. I won playing roulette (my first time playing) - I started with $20 and left with $120.

Sunday, we flew home. Just before we landed in Toronto, the pilot turned off the lights of the plane so we would watch a lightening show happening below us.

Great vacation! Amazing weather!

Happy anniversary to Gord and me!

Gord and I celebrated our third anniversary by

gracier hiking on Whistler Mountain!

Happy birthday to me!!

This is me celebrating my 43rd birthday!

We just spent the day on Whistler Mountain.

Jalapeno, Toronto, ON

From Toronto.com ~ True Mexican flavour in the heart of Toronto. Jalapeno's Mexican Restaurant serves common Mexican dishes like tacos and fajitas but also offers more traditional regional dishes. Jalapeno's has a wide selection of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes and features a live Mariachi band on Saturday nights. The dress code is casual and reservations are recommended.

With much trepidition, we tried Jalapeno. I hadn't heard many good things about it lately. But it's in our 'hood and Gord likes Mexican food.

I arrived early and was able to have a table on the patio. There was a roaming duo of musicians. The service was good. We started off with a pitcher of Sangria. I had a chicken enchilada and deep fried ice cream. I'm not a big Mexican food lover but it was okay. Gord went with the waitress' suggestion of chicken with mole sauce. Neither of us was too crazy about it - it's a bitter chocolate sauce.

I wouldn't be heading back too soon - only because I'm not a big fan of Mexican food.

Book ~ "False Profits" (2005) Patricia Smiley

From Amazon.com ~ When investors accuse Tucker Sinclair of doctoring a business plan, they approach Sinclair's boss and mentor, Gordon Aames, and demand their $11 million back. Sinclair goes in search of the plan's primary author, a neurologist, Milton Polk, and discovers Polk is dead. In an unlikely scenario, Sinclair injects herself into a charity luncheon given by Wade Covington, a powerful man connected both to Aames and the murder victim. Clarification of Covington's murky relationship to Polk and of a convoluted insurance scam take up most of Sinclair's energy, though she finds time for sparkless visits with her ex-husband and skirmishes with her Aunt Sylvia, who's determined to get her hands on Sinclair's beachfront cottage.

It wasn't a bad read - it was slow in some parts but has the possibility to become a good series.

Sightlines, Roger Centre, Toronto, ON

Gord and I checked out Sightlines, a restaurant at the Rogers Centre (formerly known as the SkyDome) with our friends/neighbours, Monica and Mark. It's a nice restaurant that overlooks the field so that's where we watched the Blue Jays get beat by Tampa Bay :(

The buffet is set up in stations - Italian, Asian, Southwestern, desserts, etc. There was a lot of choice and I ate soooooo much. The only puzzling thing was that there was no chicken in the meals. You get to eat until the end of the seventh inning.

Fred's Not Here, Toronto, ON

From Toronto.com ~ Fred may not not be there to greet you, but the staff at this smokehouse and grill reserve neither tables nor courtesy solely for their tuxedo-clad clientele. Suits, guys 'n' dolls, and camera-carrying tourists receive the same welcome. But do reserve a spot at this formal bistro-style destination in the heart of the theatre district--it gets busy. The fusion cuisine offers a cornucopia of flavors, from Thai to New Miami: U.S. prime steak, rack of lamb, and fresh game in the winter, including venison, rabbit, pheasant, and, you guessed it, emu and ostrich. There's also a fine assortment of pastas. Many of these items come right out from the smokehouse and off the grill.

Gord and I went to Fred's Not Here (King Street W) tonight. We were lucky enough to get a table on the patio. I had pork quesadillas, fish and chips and apple normandy. Gord had duck instead of fish and chips. The food was yummy and the service was good, considering how busy it was. We would go back.

It's amazing how busy King Street is on a Friday night. The restaurants are packed and there are people continuously walking around.

Book ~ "How to Make Love Like a Porn Star" (2004) Jenna Jameson

From Amazon.com ~ Jameson's career began at 16, when she fell for Jack, a tattoo artist. At a party, Jack's neo-Nazi uncle raped Jameson. Unable to face her father, a Las Vegas cop, she moved in with Jack. Within a year, she went from high school cheerleader to stripper to nude model to porn actress, with a stop along the way to become a crack addict. But, as the porn world would have it, the harder she fell, the more everyone wanted her, and she quickly became a top nude model and porn star, and the country's highest-paid feature dancer.

This is the latest book that our neighbourhood book club is reading. It's the biography of porn star, Jenna Jameson. To be honest, I'd never heard of her (still haven't though I've IMDBed her and she's done a ton of movies).

It was an interesting read - discovering how she became one of the most famous porn stars. If you are looking for a light read (but a heavy book - there are lots of pix of her) and enjoy learning about others, you'll enjoy it. Warning: the language is quite colourful and descriptive.

There is quite a variety of books read in our club. Everyone gets a turn to pick a book. We've read stuff by James Joyce, Lance Armstrong, Janet Evanovich, Nino Ricci, Alastair McLeod and many more.

Southern Accent, Toronto, ON

From Toronto.com ~ Stroll up to the 1940s bar for Cajun martinis, fresh-lime margaritas, and bourbon sours. Then step over to your dining table for entrees from a menu that changes every two weeks. Of course, certain basics don't change, such as the preference for organic ingredients and the insistence on fresh foods. At the same time, there aren't too many joints in town where you can enjoy catfish, as well as staples like calamari, steamed mussels, crab and lobster.

Every summer, we have Summerlicious here in Toronto. 120 restaurants around the City offer fixed menus/fixed prices. It's a good chance to check out restaurants at lower prices than usual.

We checked out Southern Accent tonight (Bathurst/Bloor). It's a Cajun restaurant. I had mixed greens salad, blackened chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and rhubarb/strawberry crumble. Gord had a chilled cucumber soup, jambalaya (with chicken and shrimp) and bread pudding. The food was very good and we'll be back. We split a pitcher of sangria.

"Black Donnellys", Stratford Festival, Stratford, ON

From Stratford Festival ~ Evil erupts in the seemingly innocuous setting of rural Ontario when James Donnelly, head of an Irish immigrant family, defies the attempts of a sinister secret society to drive him off his farm. This groundbreaking classic reveals the long-unacknowledged truth behind one of the most shocking episodes in Canadian history.

We are huge live theatre fans. For the last couple of years, we've had a Mirvish subscription. Nothing attracts us with the upcoming year of plays (could care less about the upcoming "Lord of the Rings") so we bought tix for other plays instead at theatres we've never been to (a couple for the Stratford Festival and one at the Shaw Festival).

The first of our two Stratford tix was The Black Donnellys today. We took the train. Why do the two hour drive when the train will take you there and back? We got there a bit early (1:00pm) so had a beer at a pub called Molly Blooms.

The play was at the Studio Theatre, a very small and quaint theatare. The play itself wasn't all that great - I gave it a 2/10 - but the entire Stratford experience made up for it. Stratford is a cute little town.

After the play, we walked through a park along the river to a restaurant called Sawyers. It advertises that it's on the river so we had visions of eating on a patio next to the river. Instead, we ate inside because apparently the bugs will attack you if you eat outside. Plus, you can't see the river because of all the trees anyway. The food was pricy but the portions were good and tasty. Then we walked back downtown again and had a beer at a pub called Sid's while we bided our time until it was time to go to the train station to head on home.

The train ride there and back was a nice experience. The cool part is that we ride right by our home (we are easily amused!).