Snowshoeing at Crawford Lake

-14C today ... -24C with the windchill.

Rather than staying inside where it was warm, Gord and I went snowshoeing at Crawford Lake today. It was a Single Horizons event. Crawford Lake is about an hour NW of us on the other side of Milton.

There were about 20 of us and Sarah and Sarah were our guides. We followed the yellow trail through the woods. It was about 2.5 kms and took us about an hour and a half.

Because the trails were frozen, we used the newer style of snowshoes since they had steel grips on the bottom so we could dig in. And I didn't fall once!

Here's Crawford Lake. Yes, it was as cold out as it looks. But as long as we kept moving, it was okay.


Here's Gord:


Here's me:


Here's Gord and me at the look off (look how rosy our cheeks are!):


Here's our group at the look off:


We came across some coyote skat. You can tell it's coyote because of the white bunny fur :(


Our guides, Sarah and Sarah:


Sarah, on the left, was a fabulous knowlegeable guide!

Back at the Visitor's Centre, LeeAnn had lunch waiting for us ... sandwiches, salads, water, oranges, cookies and chips/pretzels.

As much as I whine about the cold, it was a fun day to be outside!

Trailer Park Boys: The Ricky, Julian and Bubbles Community Service Variety Show

The Trailer Park Boys: The Ricky, Julian and Bubbles Community Service Variety Show was at Massey Hall tonight. We went with Angie and Rob.

Sunnyvale Trailer Park’s outrageous bad boys, Ricky, Bubbles and Julian, make good on their court-ordered community service obligation with a politically incorrect variety show on the dangers of alcohol and drugs – including audience participation and a puppet show!

For the most part, it was a funny show.

There were hecklers screaming for Mr. Lahey or songs ... that was annoying because I couldn't hear the Boys sometimes.

And I don't think they are used to doing live shows because their timing could have been better. They got a laugh about something, instead of waiting for the laughter to end, they would keep going so I couldn't hear what they said until the laughter stopped.

Gord, Chia Kitty and I enjoyed a glass of wine during the intermission.

The highpoints:

* Rob getting called to the stage to play an electric guitar. He looks the rocker part but, alas, can't play.
* Ricky "borrowed" Alex Lifeson of Rush again to play a song with Bubbles.
* J-Roc rapped a song twice ... they said it would be part of the TPB movie that is coming out in the fall.
* Bubbles singing Liquor and Whores.

Robbie Burns Day celebration

Gord and I ran some errands this afternoon.

One of our stops was the Summerhill liquor store. Gord loves beer and they have an excellent selection.

While perusing the store, I was drawn to the sound of bagpipes.

They were celebrating Robbie Burns Day.


"Robbie Burns" merrily recited the Address to a Haggis.


There was free whisky.


We like the second one ($66/bottle) better ... the first one ($41/bottle) was too "peaty". I'd never tried whisky before.

There were Scottish dancers.

The haggis was served.


I passed because I knew what is in it ... sheep's "pluck" (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours.

Gord had some and liked it. He'd never tried it before.


The sampling room was next door and we tried some $95 merlot ($5/sample). Yum! I could get used to drinking it!

Gord has had his eye on the $110 21-year-old El Dorado dark rum and had a sample. He liked it!

The Summerhill liquor store is in the beautiful refurbished North Toronto Railway Station. The train station was originally opened on June 14, 1916. At 21,000 square feet, it is the largest liquor store in Ontario and boasts a beautiful 143 foot (43 meter) clock tower. For a little more history of the station, click here.

Book ~ "The Fattening of America: How The Economy Makes Us Fat, If It Matters, and What To Do About It" (2008) Eric A. Finkelstein & Laurie Zuckerman

From Amazon.com ~ Everyone knows Americans are growing fatter but health economist Finkelstein crunches the economic figures behind the nation's obesity epidemic and the results aren't pretty. Along with health-care writer Zuckerman, researcher Finkelstein delves into how modern technology reduces the cost of producing higher-calorie processed goods, decreases our activity level and puts our health in danger. Finkelstein debunks myths about the long-range cost of food production and consumption and scrutinizes the impact of genetics and U.S. fiscal policy on the nation's waistline, frequently using economics metrics in his analysis. Generous with summaries of major points, Finkelstein simplifies current stats to explain how the country's thunderous weight gain is straining Medicare and Medicaid and hurting our military readiness. The only positive effect he sees from the obesity epidemic is the creation of the ObesEconomy— a market sustained by gyms, diet drugs and other products and services designed to curb weight gain. Horrified by studies that reveal that obese children have a quality of life similar to children with cancer, the investigatory economist even throws in some health tips on dropping pounds. Despite a frequent reliance on economic tools and indicators, this combination study/motivational guide makes for a pleasant educational read, comparable to a vegetable puree snuck into a dessert.

I find books about weight loss interesting.

Though I found Finkelstein to be an arrogant ass, there was some interesting info.

It didn't preach how to lose weight and offer a new and improved diet plan.

It was more about why we are becoming overweight ... junk food is cheap and available, healthy nutritious foods are more expensive, we are working more so don't have time to exercise, etc.

Is the fact that we have medical plans that take care of us encouraging us to not lose weight? We pop pills to make us well.

Should governments impose "fat taxes" on foods that contain lots of sugar and fat like they do with cigarettes and alcohol?

If parents have allow their children to be overweight, is it child abuse?

What do you think?

Book ~ "ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income" (2008) Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett

From Amazon.com ~ Problogger.net is where bloggers worldwide go for advice and information on enhancing their blogs presence. Whether you're just starting out or have been blogging for years, these two professional bloggers show you how to turn your passion for blogging into extra revenue. This practical guide to creating and marketing a blog with the potential for generating a six-figure income shows you how to choose subject matter that works for you, handle technical issues, and evaluate your blogs success so that you can use your blog to generate income indirectly.

I've been blogging for 2.5 years and I still find the blogging phenomenon fascinating.

So when I come across books about blogging, I read them.

I have no dreams or ambitions about making a six-figure income by blogging (wouldn't that be nice, though?).

But it's interesting to read about someone's theory on how to do it.

The first part of this book was more of a how-to-blog, a lot of which I know but was interesting nonetheless. The second half actually got into the details of the different ways of making money from blogging.

Belly dancing workshop

I went to a belly dancing workshop this afternoon at Arabesque Academy this afternoon. It was a Single Horizons event.

There were twelve of us and Sarah was our fabulous instructor.


We learned lots of moves including shimmies (top and bottom), figure eights, ribcage circles, belly rolls and hip thrusts. It was a fun workshop but my body doesn't move that way. Ha!

Chia Kitty was there too. His body doesn't move that way either.


Sarah showed us afterwards what a pro looks like.


Sarah and Chia Kitty got acquainted after the class.

Chris Frolic Hypnotist Show

Gord and I attended a Singles Horizons event tonight ... the Chris Frolic Hypnosis Show. It's the third year we've gone to it.

Here's LeeAnn, the owner of Single Horizons, and Chia Kitty:

Have you ever been hypnotised? I haven't ... I'm nervous of what I would say and do. Ha! I listened to Chris' weight loss CD last Sunday, though ... I bought it a couple years ago and find it very effective.

It's hilarious to sit back and watch the volunteers.


Chris and Chia Kitty got along okay.

Chia Kitty didn't want to be hypnotised either (for the same reasons as me!).

Gord bought Chris' Beat Stress Now CD.

Here's LeeAnn, Chia Kitty and Teena:


Here's Gord, Teena, Chia Kitty and LeeAnn:


On the way home (in yet another snowstorm!), we stopped at the Cock and Tail, a pub in our 'hood. It was packed!

Chia Kitty had a hard time deciding which draught to have.

Stratford Festival, Stratford, ON

I just ordered tickets for Gord and I for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

Whoohoo!

We are seeing Cyrano de Bergerac with Colm Feore in June and West Side Story in August.

Gord and I have been going to Stratford twice a summer to see plays for about four years.

We take the train down in the morning and come back at night (it's a two hour ride each way) and that's part of the fun of the day. We love the train! No stress of traffic of the highway and we have a glass of wine (granted it's raunchy train wine).

Stratford is a lovely place and we like to wander around. It's always such a nice day out for us.

We didn't go last summer ... none of the plays interested us.

Book ~ "Nova Scotia Drink-o-pedia" (2008) Graham Pilsworth

From Amazon ~ A "spirited" look at the history of drinking in Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Drink-o-pedia is a collection of anecdotes, bits of trivia and stories. From alcoholic drink staples like rum and beer to tea, coffee, and even water, Graham Pilsworth's fun history of Nova Scotia's drinking habits is jam-packed with interesting and little-known facts. The book discusses the role of women in rum-running, the development of Alexander Keith's business empire and the importance of coffee in Nova Scotia culture. The book includes photos, advertisements and artifacts, as well as original and humorous illustrations. The sections are divided by "drink": rum, beer, whisky, wine, moonshine, tea, coffee, soda, and water.

Sister Sarah gave this book to Gord for Christmas.

It interested me because I'm originally from Nova Scotia and I like rum, wine and beer.

It's a fun book to read. I like history and I learned a lot about the names and brands I had grown up with.

In case you always wanted to know ...

To cure a man of drink, take an eel and put it in rum but don't leave the eel in long enough to die. Then give the rum to the person to drink. But don't tell him about the eel. If he drinks it, he will never touch rum again.

Rum of the Month - January - Smuggler's Cove Dark Rum

From guest blogger, Gord. And I must say that I agree with him ... it is a very delicious dark rum!

"Just like smugglers using the cover of the night to deliver their goods during prohibition, this rum's rich and deep auburn darkness conceals within the history of its making."
Quote from Rumshop.net September 2003 newsletter

For Christmas each year, Teena's sister, Sarah and her husband, Joey, send us some much appreciated bottles of rum, which are not available here in Ontario. One of my favorites is Smuggler's Cove Dark Rum brewed by Glenora Distillery located in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Glenora opened in 1990, not just as a distillery but also as a nine room inn complete with a 50 seat dining room and a pub on the grounds.

It's major claim to fame is being the only producer of single malt whisky in North America with their Glen Breton Rare Canadian Single Malt Whisky . They are very proud of this and you can read about their whisky production all over their website.

The also have extensive coverage with their battle with The Scotch Whisky Association over the use of the word "Glen" in it's name. Their claim is that "glen” is a Scottish term, and only whisky produced in Scotland should be called Scotch whisky. Glenora claims they use the "Glen" to reflect the region as the distillery is located in Glenville, Cape Breton, outside the town of Glenora Falls, and do not call their product "Scotch". The battle has seesawed back and forth.

Glenora is very proud of their whisky-making and their entire website is almost dedicated exclusively to their single malt whiskey.

Being a rum drinker and a fan of Smuggler's Cove, I was puzzled by Glenora's lack of enthusiasm for their rum product. I had to do a very thorough search through their website to find where they even admit to making rum. And they mention it almost in passing: "In addition to distilling single malt whisky, which is presently aging in oak barrels, Glenora blends and bottles Smuggler's Cove dark, white and amber rums."

They don't even mention that at the 2003 International Rum Festival, it won a Gold Medal in the Dark Rum Category. Not too shabby but I found that gem on another rum website.

Smuggler's Cove is an excellent tasting rum and stands the ultimate test of being sipped on it's own. It has a nice molasses taste and is a very smooth going down. I really enjoy this rum. You would think that Glenora would show a little more pride in having made this.

Hey Sarah!
Hey Joey!

Did you notice the picture at the top of this article. We're out!

New Years Day dinner

For supper tonight, I made Cornish hens, dirty mashed potatoes, carrots and stuffing (so what if it was Stove Top, it was yummy!) along with a Hillebrand Chardonnay.


And the kids had something special too ... Merrick's Thanksgiving Day Dinner (turkey, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, & Granny Smith apples).


They were swarming me when I opened the cans.


It didn't take long for the plates to be cleaned off!


And here they are snoozing an hour later!

Happy New Year!

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.