Chester Hill Lookout, Toronto, ON

It's a nice sunny crisp day so Gord and I drove to Chester Hill Lookout (Chester Hill and Broadview) today.

The zodiac motif

The zodiac motif

We thought the leaves would have changed more but there were still some nice colours.

"The Book of Mormon", Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw The Book of Mormon tonight.

The Book of Mormon is a religious satire musical with book, lyrics, and music by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone.  The Book of Mormon tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent to a remote village in northern Uganda, where a brutal warlord is threatening the local population. Naïve and optimistic, the two missionaries try to share the Book of Mormon, one of their scriptures - which only one of them has read - but have trouble connecting with the locals, who are more worried about war, famine, poverty, and AIDS than about religion. 

It is playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre and is the U.S. touring group.

At intermission, a woman was eating a Mormon man cookie and let me take a picture of it (alas, she'd already eaten the arms ... one was holding a bible).

It was a funny musical ... and sooooo not politically correct (plus there is swearing).  Some of the running jokes were a Ugandan man who kept saying he had maggots in his scrotum, the Ugandans singing and saying "Hasa diga eebowai" often, and Elder Cunningham calling Nabulungi by a different name all the time (Neutrogena, Necrophilia, Nicki Minaj, etc.).  Though everyone was excellent, Christopher John O'Neill stood out for me as Elder Cunningham. 

Our seats were in the second row in the balcony (so one level up) and at times it was hard to make out what they were saying (Gord and the woman sitting next to me said the same thing) so they might want to fix the sound.

Sister Sarah is coming to visit in December and she and I are going to see Donny & Marie:  Christmas in Toronto.

Am I excited or what?!

Fionn MacCool's, Toronto, ON

Sister Sarah gave Gord and I a gift certificate for our anniversary in July and we used it this evening at Fionn MacCool's (University/Adelaide W).

Gord started with Fisherman's Chowder.  He really enjoyed it.

I started with Shepherd's Pie Mini Yorkies.  I'm not a fan of Shepherd's Pie but they were really good.  I gave Gord one and he like them too.  I'd get them again.

Ipsy Glam Bag - October 2014

I received my October Ipsy Glam Bag today.

• 4 to 5 beauty products in a collectible makeup bag 
• Monthly videos showing you how to get the Look 
• Win free products in contests and giveaways

Subscriptions are $10US a month or $110US for a year.  Shipping is free in the U.S. and $4.95US per month to Canada.  It was $187.87CN for the year which worked out to $15.66CN a month.

Here's what was in it:

• Make-up bag
• Mini Glacial Cleansing Cloths - package of 10 - $5 value - I don't like them ... they aren't damp wet enough and I find the cloth rough.
• ECRU New York Acacia Protein BB Cream Beauty Balm for Hair - 1oz - $12
• City Color Be Matte Lipstick - Cappucino - $5 value
• Figs & Rouge Hand Cream - Mango Mandarin - 20ml - $6.56 value - smells and feels nice
• Jesse's Girl Mineralized Baked Shadow Powder- Esmerelda - $3.99 value

Total value: $32.55US (excluding the bag)

This looks like a fun one!

Tangle of tabby

Morgan and Crumpet

Book ~ "The Murders at Astaire Castle" (2013) Lauren Carr

From Goodreads ~ Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something.

Spencer’s police chief, David O’Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac Faraday to stay away from the south end of Spencer’s mountaintop - even though he owns the property. It doesn’t take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!

Topping the list of the ten most haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago - and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David’s warning, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet - including a wolf man. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.

Mac is the illegitimate son of the famous mystery writer, Robin Spencer.  He discovers this when she dies and leaves her estate to him.  One day he is a homicide detective and the next a retired millionaire.  He just discovered that there is a castle on the property he has inherited but it's been locked up for years because it's evil ... there have been some mysterious deaths and disappearances over the years.

Riley had disappeared years ago after a Halloween party and has become a wolf man, living off the land around the castle.  He is captured and taken to the hospital.  His sister, Chelsea, comes home to deal with it and hooks up with again with her first love, David, who is now the police chief and was Riley's friend.

Suddenly there is a lot of interest in the castle.  A millionaire wants to buy it for his bride.  Someone else thinks a book written by an author who had disappeared is hidden there.  And  then the bodies start piling up again and it's up to Mac to find out what's going on.

This is the fifth book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it ... it is the third I've read in the Mac Faraday series.  Though it is the fifth in a series, it worked well as a stand alone ... you don't need to have read the previous ones to know what's going on.  I liked the writing style and it kept my interest ... I kept wanting to read more to find out what was going to happen.  The writing was suspenseful and funny at times.  It's written in third person perspective.

I liked the characters.  Mac and Archie, his girlfriend who worked for Robin Spencer, obviously care about each other.  Mac's dog, Gnarly, is funny and falls in puppy love with Chelsea's well-behaved service dog, Molly.  David and Chelsea are cautious since their last meeting didn't go well (David had dumped her for someone more well-endowed).

I look forward to reading others in this series and others by this author.

Book ~ "A Wedding and a Killing" (2014) Lauren Carr

From Goodreads ~ When Mac Faraday decides to do something, there’s no stopping him … even murder!

Not wanting to wait until their big day to start their life of wedded bliss, Mac Faraday and his lady love, Archie Monday, decide to elope to the little church where his ancestors had all married - along the tranquil shore of Deep Creek Lake. However, before they can say, “I do,” the sanctuary erupts into chaos when Gnarly finds a dead body in the church office.

As they dive into the investigation, Mac and his team discover more questions than answers. What kind of person walks into a church and shoots a man for no apparent reason? How do you solve the murder of a man who has no enemies in the world? Which of the seemingly kind-hearted church members is really a cold-blooded killer?

Then, there is the all-important question, how long do Mac Faraday and his lady love have to wait to get married?

Mac is the illegitimate son of the famous mystery writer, Robin Spencer.  He discovers this when she dies and leaves her estate to him.  He was a homicide detective and his inheritance prompted him to retire and act as a consultant with the local police department.

Mac and Archie Monday, who had worked for Robin, decide to secretly get married.  Just as the ceremony is about to start, his dog, Gnarly, causes a ruckus and they discover a dead body in the church office.  Eugene had been counting the church's collection when someone shot and killed him but left the money behind, so robbery isn't the motive.  Needless to say, this interrupts the wedding. Mac and David, the chief of police, start investigating and there doesn't seem to be a reason for Eugene's murder and no obvious suspects.

This is the fourth book I've read by this author and I liked it ... it is the second I've read in the Mac Faraday series.  Though it is the eighth in a series, it worked well as a stand alone ... you don't need to have read the previous ones to know what's going on.  I liked the writing style ... it was funny at times and is written in third person perspective.  I found it a bit too religious (I'm not), though ... I guess that makes sense considering a lot of the action takes place in a church.  Plus I wasn't buying the "whodunnit" at then end.  I did like the other storylines in this book with Edna and Ruth.

I look forward to reading others in this series and others by this author.

Book ~ "The Dogs Were Rescued (and So Was I)" (2014) Teresa Rhyne

From Goodreads ~ Teresa Rhyne and Seamus the beagle had both survived cancer once, so when Seamus develops yet another cancer, Teresa is devastated. 

She embarks on a massive lifestyle shift-embracing a more animal-friendly approach and trying to find her place somewhere between a hippie in a hemp skirt and a hypocrite in leather high heels. 

And then she realizes that Seamus wasn't the only beagle who needed rescuing.

This book picks up after The Dog Lived (and So Will I), which I enjoyed, with Teresa, her boyfriend, Chris, and their beagle, Seamus.  In that book, Teresa had chronicled her and Seamus' battles and triumphs over cancer.

In order to assure that their cancers didn't return, Teresa turns to a healthier lifestyle.  She becomes more aware of and knowledgeable about the cruelty and abuse of animals.  This leads her to eventually become vegan and stop using products that test on animals (cleaning products, make-up, etc.) or that an animal died to produce (leather, etc.).  Alas, Seamus passes away and Teresa and Chris adopt two rescue beagles, Daphne and Percival, and all doesn't go as peacefully or happily as planned.

As a dog lover, I liked this book.  I liked the writing style ... it was funny and sarcastic at times yet honest.  I liked learning more about the beagle rescue and the support system they have.  In the author's journey to figure out her place in the world as a vegan, she even visited some animal sanctuaries such as the Gentle Barn (I'd read the Gentle Barn's owner, Ellie Laks' memoir in March ... it's an excellent book!).

For the most part, I liked this book.  While I applaud the author for becoming a vegan (I love animals but could never become a non-meat eater), I found that she got too extreme in her zealous about it.  She's reading a lot of books and watching a lot of documentaries to become better informed ... that's all I needed to know.  I know the horrors that happen and didn't need her to give me the graphic and gory details of what she was reading and watching, which is what she did.  It's not what I was expecting when reading a book about rescue dogs and I skipped those parts.

Book ~ "Death, Taxes, and Mistletoe Mayhem" (2013) by Diane Kelly

From Goodreads ~ Christmas is fast approaching when IRS Special Agent Tara is assigned a new case involving a jewelry wholesaler who’s repeatedly claimed large theft losses on her tax returns.  Was Nadine Gramercy really robbed or were the thefts a mere ruse to pocket tax-free profits?  Tara believes Nadine belongs at the top of Santa’s “naughty” list. 

Her investigation takes her to Chisholm Trail mall, where she meets Fort Worth Police Officer Megan Luz and her fluffy K-9 partner, Brigit. Though Megan believes Tara is barking up the wrong tree, she agrees to provide backup if a bust goes down. 

Moreover, they decide to team up as matchmakers to find love for Chris Rasmussen, a pediatric nurse who moonlights at the mall playing Santa Claus. Chris has a warm heart and a body that’s hot enough to melt to the polar ice caps. This sexy-yet-sad shopping mall Santa was recently dumped by his fickle fiancée, leaving the not-so-old elf more jilted than jolly. Can Tara and Megan solve the crime ... and lift Santa’s spirits in time for Christmas?

Tara is an IRS criminal investigator and her boss assigns her a case.  It's Christmas and Tara would rather be shopping but she gets on with the job.  She's investigating a jewelry wholesaler who has had a serious of mysterious robberies.  Tara discovers a clue and poses as an auditor in a jewelry store in a mall to dig through their files.  There she meets Megan and her K-9 partner, Brigit, who agrees to be back-up in case Tara needs it.

In the meantime, the hunky Santa in the mall is recovering from being jilted by his ex-fiancée.  The woman who runs the Victoria Secret store is recovering from a recent divorce.  There are sparks between them but they won't act on it so it's up to Tara and Megan to bring them together.

This is a novella (#6.5) in the Tara Holloway series.  I've read all seven novels (so far) in this series and have enjoyed them (it's the ninth book I've read by this author).  I liked the writing style ... it was funny and sarcastic.  And because it's a novella, it's a quick read.  It works as a stand alone as there was enough information so you know what's going on.  Plus because it's a novella, it doesn't get into a lot of detail.

This book is written in first person perspective from three points of view ... Tara's, Megan's and Brigit's.  And yes, it works.  It's especially funny when it's Brigit's perspective.  It is an introduction to Megan and Brigit who were featured in their own novel early this year, Paw Enforcement, which I read and enjoyed ... it was how I discovered the author in the first place and since become a fan.  I liked Tara, Megan and Brigit working together.
 

Book ~ "Where I Belong" (2014) Alan Doyle

From Goodreads ~ Singer-songwriter and front man of the great Canadian band Great Big Sea, Alan Doyle is also a lyrical storyteller and a creative force. In "Where I Belong", Alan paints a vivid, raucous and heartwarming portrait of a curious young lad born into the small coastal fishing community of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, and destined to become a renowned musician who carried the musical tradition of generations before him and brought his signature sound to the world. He tells of a childhood surrounded by larger-than-life characters who made an indelible impression on his music and work; of his first job on the wharf cutting out cod tongues for fishermen; of growing up in a family of five in a two-bedroom house with a beef-bucket as a toilet, yet lacking nothing; of learning at his father's knee how to sing the story of a song and learning from his mother how to simply "be good"; and finally, of how everything he ever learned as a kid prepared him for that pivotal moment when he became part of Great Big Sea and sailed away on what would be the greatest musical adventure of his life.

Filled with the lore and traditions of the East Coast and told in a voice that is at once captivating and refreshingly candid, this is a narrative journey about small-town life, curiosity and creative fulfillment, and finally, about leaving everything you know behind only to learn that no matter where you go, home will always be with you. 

I've been a fan of Great Big Sea over the years and have seen them many times in concerts.

I first discovered them in the mid 1990s when they were just starting out.  Sister Sarah, my friend, Leanne, and I had gone to the Exhibition Grounds here in Toronto for an east coast show (Sister Sarah and I are originally from Nova Scotia) and Leanne is from Vancouver (she moved back there in 1997).  Cape Breton fiddler Sandy McIntyre played in the beer garden before the show at the bandshell.

Leanne (with Sandy McIntyre fiddling on stage behind her) - mid 1990s

Leanne and I - mid 1990s

The Irish Descendants were headlining and Great Big Sea was opening for them.  We'd never heard of Great Big Sea and they were good!  And cute!  And yes, the Irish Descendants were good too.  Alas, I didn't take pictures of Sister Sarah or the show.

Alan Doyle was one of the members in Great Big Sea.  He seems like a nice guy and I was interested in reading his story.  I figured it would be a good one and it was.

Doyle tells of growing up in a small fishing village just outside of St. John's, NF.  His family (dad, mom and four kids) didn't have much but they didn't realize that because they had what everyone else had (or didn't have what others didn't have) ... they didn't even have a bathroom for many years.  Most of Petty Harbour is related to them somehow ... kinda cramps your style when you're looking for a girlfriend because most of the girls are either your cousin or Protestant.

We hear what it's like working on the wharfs when the fisherman would come in and his job was to cut the tongues from the codfish and try to sell them for pocket money.  Things improved when he got a job when he was 16 in St. John's in a museum as an interpreter.  Plus he started picking up gigs in bands, which eventually led to him meeting Séan McCann and forming Great Big Sea.

I liked the writing style ... I thought it was honest and humorous.  I bet Doyle would be a fun guy to sit and have a beer with.  The dialogue is great because it's written phonetically and I could hear Newfie accents when I read it.  At times, there is a bit of swearing.  Throughout the book there are pictures of when he was younger ... with his oversized glasses and peach fuzz moustache, he was stylin' (NOT!).  Ha!  His mom's bread sounds and looks amazing ... I haven't seen "double" bread since I left Nova Scotia.

This was a fun yet interesting book about an east coast Canadian who started with not a lot financially and has done well for himself.  I'd recommend this book.

Update:  The author was recently at the reference library talking about his book and Gord and I went.  Nice guy!

Book ~ "You Have the Keys, Now Drive: 10 Essential Steps to Get Unstuck and Live a Happier Life" (2014) Danny Stone

From Goodreads ~ Danny Stone, an experienced Life Coach, shows you how to take control of your life by providing you with a 10 step program to help you get unstuck and live a happier, more fulfilling life. Whether you are feeling stuck in your job, your relationship, want more financial success, or desire more happiness and fulfillment, this book will help you achieve what you want. 

In this book you will discover: 

• How to identify where you are stuck and how to move forward 
• The importance of taking time for self-reflection to provide clarity and space to make major life decisions 
• How to shift your perspective to help you get unstuck and create lasting change 
• How to replace negative self-talk with positive mantras.

This book helps you take control of your life and get yourself out of the "mud".  Regardless of how awesome you think your life is, we could all be happier.  That's why I like reading books like this.

"You were born to be great.  You were born to live your passion, live your dreams, have success and develop strong relationships."   Danny Stone

I liked the writing style.  I found it conversational ... it was as if the author was sitting and talking with me.  I liked that he told stories from his own life ... such as growing up in a low-income neighbourhood in eastern Canada, the impact his grandmother had on him, moving to Toronto, etc.  For me, it demonstrated his honesty and sincerity ... that he has written this book to share his experience and knowledge to help others, rather than just writing to make money.

At the end of every chapter, there is a "Try It Out" ... an exercise to put into practice what the chapter had discussed.  In the appendix, there are worksheets to support the chapters ... such as the Wheel of Life Worksheet, which let you know which area(s) of your life you need to focus on (career, money, health, family and friends, etc.), the Life Decisions Worksheet, which helps you when you are struggling to make an important decision, and more.

Click here to check out the first chapter.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Toronto Oktoberfest, Toronto, ON

Gord and I went to Toronto Oktoberfest this afternoon.   We'd never been before.

Dig out your lederhosen and dirndls and join us for Toronto’s only authentic Oktoberfest party! Inspired by traditions started in Munich, Germany over 200 years ago, Toronto Oktoberfest brings a taste of Munich to the City as it captures the essence of authentic food, drink and merriment. 

 For the third year in a row, guests will experience the best in Bavarian fare, German and European biers, entertainment, and an atmosphere so authentic, you’ll feel like you’re in Munich.

It was from 11:30am to 5pm and we got there about 12:30ish.

It was held in a tent that held about 1,500 ... apparently this afternoon there were about 1,000.

We were given a giant beer stein when we got there ... it held two beer.

Gord had bought ten drink tickets online ... they were $8 each rather than $8.50.  I had four tickets and he had six.  One ticket got you a half stein and two tickets got you a full stein (we got half steins).

Here are the drinks that were available.

I liked all the beer I had.  I started with a Oktoberfest beer from King Brewery at the Weihenstephaner booth (it was my fav of the day).

"“Life, Death and The Blues", Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Life, Death and the Blues with Mary and Malcolm tonight.

“Life, Death and The Blues argues for us to see The Blues as an international art form that belongs to all of us; an art form that we all need to keep alive,” says Artistic Director Andy McKim. “Raoul and Divine definitely keep the music alive by leading us deeper into the personal, passionate, social and sexual world of The Blues.”

This innovative concert/theatre hybrid, created by Gemini nominated actor and Maple Blues Award winner Raoul Bhaneja, is a performance that combines autobiography, interview, live music and multi-media to explore the power, passion and meaning of The Blues.

Under the direction of Eda Holmes, Bhaneja will be accompanied by the Juno award-winning Canadian R&B/Soul singer Divine Brown with music provided by band members - Jake Chisholm on guitar, Tom Bona on drums and Chris Banks on upright bass.

Bhaneja is an Irish/Indian actor and musician.  The play is about how he got into the blues ... a blues musician who befriended him when he was young, a few other big music names he encountered along the way, and then a trip to Chicago where he has a cab driver take him on a tour of the South Side to some famous addresses in the history of blues music.  The play was accompanied by pictured projected on a big screen in the back of the stage.

I found the story itself was kind of unfocused and rambling, especially when he paid tribute to a young black Montreal street rap musician who he didn't know who was killed (and the murder is apparently unsolved).

The highpoints were when there was singing ... I wished there'd been more.  I would have liked less talking and more music.  I thought all the musicians were extremely talented.  At one point, Divine Brown sang a gospel song and it was powerful. 

Each night features a different performance interview and jam session with a living blues legend ... tonight was Jay Douglas and he was awesome.  He is originally from Jamaica and told us about the link between the blues and reggae.  He then sang a couple songs, along with some fancy dance moves.

I would like to see any of them in concert ... they were that good.

The Wheat Sheaf, Toronto, ON

Before Gord, Mary, Malcolm and I saw Life, Death and the Blues tonight, we met at the Wheat Sheaf (Bathurst/King Street W) for supper ... it's one of the oldest pubs in Toronto.

Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo, Kitchener, ON

I spent most of the week at a pension and benefits conference in Kitchener.  It was held at the Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo and that's where I stayed from Tuesday evening 'til today.

I had a king executive room: