Early Christmas with Gord's family

Yesterday afternoon Gord, Ken (Gord's son), KC and I drove to Gord's sister and brother-in-law's, Judy and Doug, to have an early Christmas celebration. They live north of Belleville (about 2.5 hours from Toronto).

The highway was fine until we hit Coburg and it got snowy and slippery.

When we turned off the highway, the road main road to Judy's wasn't much better.

We came across a car that had slid off the road and flipped.

There were lots of emergency vehicles to take care of it.

We got to Judy's safe and sound. Yay!

Doesn't their tree look nice?

They made a delicious supper ... ham, venison, mashed potatoes, gravy, yellow beans, pickles, beets, coleslaw, a cheese/broccoli casserole and corn.

Here we are after supper.

Minnie (Gord's mom) and Madison (Gord's grandniece/Minnie's great granddaughter)

Judy (Gord's sister) and Madison (her granddaughter)

Doug (Judy's husband)

Kyle (Judy and Doug's son/Madison's dad)

Kerri (Kyle's wife/Madison's mom)

Brother and sister ... Judy and Gord

Keith, Gord's stepdad

Madison playing with the noisy guitar we gave her ... hee hee hee

Ken (Gord's son), Gord, Minnie (Gord's mom) and Judy (Gord's sister)

Ken (Gord's son) and Keith (Gord's stepdad)

Madison and Kyle (daughter and dad)

Doesn't the tree look nice with the lights out?

We came back this afternoon. Again, it was snowing when we got to the main highway and slippery.

Before we left, Doug and Judy had made a delicious breakfast ... eggs, peameal bacon, refried potatoes and toast. Yum!

It was a fun time and, as always, it was good to see everyone.

Book ~ "Some Girls: My Life in a Harem" (2010) Jillian Lauren

From Amazon ~ At the age of 19, Lauren was trying to get a fledgling acting career off the ground while working as a stripper and call girl. When the opportunity arises for several girls to travel to the island of Borneo to be a part of the harem of the Sultan of Brunei’s youngest brother, Prince Jefri, for a few weeks, Lauren jumps at the opportunity. Telling her family she’s headed overseas for an acting job, she travels to Brunei for what she thinks will be a diverting and exciting two weeks. Once she arrives at the expansive estate, Lauren finds her only duty is to attend lavish parties each night and hope that she will be the one chosen to steal away from the party with the prince. Two weeks turns into a year, and Lauren finds herself increasingly involved in the vicious competition for the prince’s attention. While the surprising and exotic subject matter is sure to pique interest, Lauren’s graceful, introspective prose lifts her unusual memoir far above the level of mere titillation.

I can't say I ever warmed up to Jillian. She spends a lot of time in the beginning telling us about her upbringing (she was adopted, her dad was abusive and her mother let it happen). She was a college drop-out who became a stripper and then an escort ... all by the age of 19. Then off she went to Brunei to join a harem for easy money and gifts.

It was interesting to read how it was to live in a harem. I found it surprising how much she loved and wanted Prince Jefri (aka Robin) considering she knew going in that it was just a job and she was one of many.

She eventually searches for and finds her birth mother. There wasn't excitement with this considering how much she talked about being adopted.

It sounds like she has found herself today, though it doesn't give a lot of details as to where she is and what she is doing (not a big surprise).

If you are looking for something different to read and experience, this could be it.

The Forks, Winnipeg, MB

I went for a walk this morning to The Forks.

The Forks is a historic site and meeting place in downtown Winnipeg located at the confluence of the Red River and Assiniboine River. For at least 6000 years, the Forks has been the meeting place for early Aboriginal peoples, and since colonization has also been a meeting place for European fur traders, Métis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and tens of thousands of immigrants.

I cut through Union Station (we have a Union Station in Toronto too).

The Forks is quite a large area with lots of fun stuff to do.

There's a skating rink ... not surprising it was empty considering it was 10am on a Wednesday morning. Still, there were tunes cranking!
I headed towards the Forks. It was really really cold (way below freezing) and the rivers are frozen. Brrr!

I checked out the Forks Market.

It reminded me of Granville Island in Vancouver. You can buy meat, fruits, veggies, jewelry, clothing, souvenirs, etc. under one roof.

I thought the sign in the wine store was hilarious!

The Forks Market is definitely a place to check out if you are in Winnipeg. I noticed there were a couple outdoor patios ... what a great place to have a beer in the summer!

Earls Kitchen & Bar, Winnipeg, MB

Winnipeg has more snow than we do in Toronto and it's just as freezing cold.

I had supper tonight at Earls. We don't have them in Toronto and it's been years since I've been to one.

I had a pint of their house beer, Albino Rhino Honey Lager (made exclusively for them by Whistler Brewing Company).

It was tasty!

I had Jeera Chicken Curry (authentic spicy Indian curry, tender chicken, coconut jasmine rice and fresh baked naan bread).

It was good and spicy.

The restaurant was fairly busy considering it's a Tuesday night.

My server, Kelly, was great! She was fun to talk with.

Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg, MB

I'm spending the night in Winnipeg and heading home tomorrow night.

I'm staying the Fort Garry, an older hotel (it was built almost 100 years ago). It's a lovely historic building.

Here's the Christmas tree that greets you in the lobby.


And here's my room.


It's pink with a king-sized feather bed. I bet I'll have a fabulous sleep tonight!

Book ~ "Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison" (2010) Piper Kerman

From Amazon ~ Just graduated from Smith College, Kerman made the mistake of getting involved with the wrong woman and agreeing to deliver a large cash payment for an international drug ring. Years later, the consequences catch up with her in the form of an indictment on conspiracy drug-smuggling and money-laundering charges. Kerman pleads guilty and is sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Entering prison in 2004—more than 10 years after her crime—Kerman finds herself submerged in the unique and sometimes overwhelming culture of prison, where kindness can come in the form of sharing toiletries, and an insult in the cafeteria can lead to an enduring enmity. Kerman quickly learns the rules—asking about the length of one’s prison stay is expected, but never ask about the crime that led to it—and carves a niche for herself even as she witnesses the way the prison system fails those who are condemned to it, many of them nonviolent drug offenders. An absorbing, meditative look at life behind bars.

I started off not liking Lauren ... I found her too cocky and arrogant. That's also the impression I got of her from her picture on the back cover. I didn't feel any sympathy for her.

But I kept with the book and am glad I did. Yes, she is more priviledged than most of the others in prison but she gave a good account of those she encountered. There were so many that it was hard to keep track of most of them.

It sounds like she grew a lot and is more appreciative of what she has. It would be interesting to see if she has kept in touch with the friends she made in prison and if she has been "giving back" to others given her experience.

Heading to Winnipeg

I flew to Winnipeg this afternoon. I have to conduct a couple retirement planning sessions tomorrow afternoon.

Because of the unpredictability of the weather (you never know when there will be a snowstorm), I flew out this afternoon rather than tomorrow morning to make sure I arrived.

As I was waiting to board my plane, it didn't look good ... it was snowing in Toronto. The plows were clearing the runways, etc.

Visibility wasn't good. Believe it or not, there is a plane getting ready to go. Can you see it?

Oh, there it is!

We ended up leaving 1.5 hours late and surprisingly it wasn't because of Toronto weather. The plane was originating in Halifax and it never arrived. So they had to scramble to find us another one.

Christmas on Brock Street

Gord and I don't do any decorating for Christmas.

We don't have a tree ... we don't have room for one and our cat would destroy it (he's 8 years old but sometimes thinks he's 8 months old).

Plus we don't have storage space for the ornaments and lights the rest of the year.

I used to put up lights outside but time has gotten away from me the last couple years.

There is a house in our 'hood on Brock Street that more than makes up for Gord and I. We drove by this evening and there is was in all its glory!

There's everything from snowmen to Santa to candles to the baby Jesus.

I think it's hilarious how dark the houses on either side of it are ... it would be hard to compete.

How about a side view?

They go nuts at Halloween too. You have to love their enthusiasm!

I'd hate to have their hydro bills, though.

Book ~ "You Could Live a Long Time: Are You Ready?" (2010) Lyndsay Green

From Chapters Indigo ~ Are you ready to live a long time, or do you dread it? Author Lyndsay Green has interviewed forty successful seniors to talk not just about the problems of old age but its strength and benefits.

These seniors were from all walks of life and from all over the country, living in Victoria, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Kingston and Halifax, aged 75 to 100. They have been identified as the self-reliant seniors we would like to be and they share their wisdom and strategies for independent and happy living. The book combines their advice with cutting edge research, to arrive at specific suggestions for what we should be doing now to prepare for old age, and includes resources to help us implement the advice, including:

Money isn''t everything, and won't cure ill-health or loneliness. Cultivate new friendships now. To keep your dignity, give up your pride. You need a work plan instead of a retirement plan To keep a home, consider leaving your house. If you push too hard to stay young you''ll get old faster.

The unique message is that we should not try to avoid old age. Instead of trying to do the impossible to stay forever young, Green comes to the radical conclusion that in order to get as much as possible out of our old age we will need to embrace it.

I work in the retirement industry as an educator ... I conduct seminars encouraging participants to sign up for their company-sponsored retirement plan so financially they can have the retirement they hope for. As such, I like to read books about retirement planning.

This was a unique book in that there was only one chapter on saving for retirement and being financially stable at that time ... and it's towards the end of the book.

The majority of the book is focused on how to have a happy retirement. This includes cultivating friendships now so you'll have them then, deciding ahead of time whether you'll stay in your house or downsize, giving away things you don't need now so there won't be that burden after you're gone, volunteering and feeling needed, hanging out with younger people to keep you younger, staying active and exercising, etc.

I liked that it gave a different twist on retirement planning ... its a good book for everyone to read, no matter what age you are.

Book ~ "Call Me Russell" (2010) Russell Peters

From Goodreads ~ Up-close, personal, and yes, funny - this is the must-have celebrity memoir of the year. 

This candid, first-person memoir chronicles Russell's life from his humble beginnings in suburbia as a scrawny, brown, bullied kid with ADD all the way to his remarkable rise as one of the world's top-earning comics. This is a shockingly honest book filled with poignant memories of his family, his life and his career. 

"Call Me Russell" is a deeply inspirational story for aspiring artists of any culture about having hope, working hard and dreaming big.

Russell Peters is an Anglo Indian comedian from Brampton (about a half hour from Toronto).

Gord and I think he's hilarious and saw him in June 2007 when he sold out a couple nights at the Air Canada Centre.

So that's why I wanted to read his autobiography. It was very honest about how close he was to his dad (who died in 2004), the women in his life (he got married in July 2010) and how he's made it to where he is today.

It's a good read if you are a fan!