Visiting with Gord's family

Gord's son, Ken, and Ken's girlfriend, Jasmine, are moving to British Columbia in a couple weeks.  Today we drove to Gord's mom's (about 2.5 hours NE of Toronto) so Ken could say good-bye to his family.

We had lunch with Gord's mom, Minnie.  She lives in the country and Gord and I took a walk around to check out the leaves changing colours.

Minnie rents out some of her property to a soy bean farmer

There are a couple fields of soy beans

Ipsy Glam Bag - October 2016

My October Ipsy Glam Bag arrived today ... the theme is Black Magic.

• 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 works out to $229.07CN for the year ($19.09CN a month).

Here's what I received ...

• Make-up bag
• Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker Fragrance Rollerball - 10ml - $20 value - I like it
• tre'StiQue Matte Lip Crayon in Belize Bordeaux mini - $10.67 value
• Ciaté London Fierce Flicks Eyeliner - $18.28 value - I like this style of eye liner.
• VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind Brighten & Define Eye Shadow Palette in Vanilla/Espresso - $20 value
• TATCHA PURE One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil - 15ml - $4.80 value

Total value: $80.75US (without the make-up bag)

"LUZIA - A Waking Dream of Mexico", Cirque du Soleil, Toronto, ON

The company I work for hosted a VIP night tonight for our clients and intermediaries to see Cirque du Soleil's LUZIA - A Waking Dream of Mexico.  There was an extra ticket and I was asked if I wanted to go ... shah!  Gord and I had seen it last month and enjoyed it so I didn't mind seeing it again.

Discover LUZIA, where a waking dream transports you to an imaginary Mexico. Experience a wondrous world that inspires you to explore your senses, enveloped in light and nurtured by rain.

It takes place in a tent that has been set up in a parking lot by the east end of Toronto Harbour.

When we entered, there was a photographer waiting to take our pictures.

My colleague, Baljeet, and I

There was also a woman wearing a steel skirt with champagne glasses.  Servers walked around with appies and later during the intermission roasted marshmallow ice cream and cream puffs.

Gord and I had sat in the second level in the centre ... great seats!  Tonight our seats were right up by the stage ... my seat was in the third row in the centre.  While it was fun to be so close ... so close I could see facial expressions ... I would rather be further back in the seats Gord and I had because we could see the whole stage.

I stood up to take this picture

We were given a gift bag with a book, a CD and a handkerchief.

I still had no idea what the story was about (I never do with Cirque) but that didn't matter ... the show even the second time around was amazing.  There is a large cast and there is always something going on.  There are lots of acrobatics, balancing, hoop divers, juggling, singing, laughs (the clown was funny throughout the show trying to get water for his canteen), a contortionist (he was freaky!) and more.  With this show, there was a rotating rain machine which was cool.

It was definitely worth seeing the second time.

Toronto Argonauts 20 ~ Calgary Stampeders 48, BMO Field, Toronto ON

Through work, Gord got a couple free tickets to this evening's Toronto Argos game.  They now play at BMO Field, which isn't too far from where we live so it was a nice walk down and back.

The Toronto Argonotes, the Argos' official band, played enthusiastically outside the stadium before the game.

We paused as we walked to our seats to watch the Argos warm up.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada.

There was a ceremony before the game honouring former Argo players Michael "Pinball" Clemons, Rodney Harding and Derrell "Mookie" Mitchell.

KC's tree, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Toronto, ON

I went for a long walk today and as I was going by Trinity Bellwoods Park, I stopped by KC's tree.

We had it planted almost five years ago in her memory.

The leaves on some of the trees are starting to change colours.  The park is beautiful this time of year.

KC's tree is the smaller one behind the one with the red leaves on the top.

Book ~ "Laying Down the Paw" (2015) Diane Kelly

From Goodreads ~ Police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner are back-with a vengeance.

IT'S A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD.
When a raging tornado hits Forth Worth, Megan's squad car is flipped over-and her devoted police dog, Brigit, is not amused. But that's not all that's upside-down. The streets are littered with looters-and members of a violent street gang-and no local business is safe. It's time to get back on all fours and see that the job of protecting the public is done.

BUT WHO'S LEADER OF THE PACK? 
But Megan, outmanned and outgunned, has no choice but to let the gang members get away. Later, when she learns that one of them is a suspect in an unsolved murder case, Megan is determined to see that justice is served. But will she end up in the doghouse? Her investigation has her and Brigit barking up the wrong tree at every turn. Meanwhile, a killer's on the loose ... who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Megan is a police officer in Fort Worth, Texas.  Her partner is Brigit, a German Shepherd.  The majority of their job is patrolling the streets and responding to calls.  When a body is found brutally murdered in a park, Megan is the first to arrive.  The detective who will be in charge knows how keen Megan is to advance so lets her tag along with the investigation.

Dub is a 15-year-old who has been in and out of juvie and foster homes.  His mother is a drug addict and his father is unknown, though Dub suspects it's the guy who keeps feeding his mom drugs and beating her up.  He currently has a sweet deal living with Wes and Trevor but moves back with his mom because of a sense of guilt.  That puts him in a bad neighbourhood and an even worse crowd.  He does what he has to do to survive.

After a tornado hits, Megan comes across four guys who had just looted a liquor store.  She suspects one of them is tied to the murder in the park and a string of burglaries in the area.

This is the thirteenth book I've read by this author and I liked it.  It's the third in the series ... reading the first one had introduced me to this author and then to her Tara Holloway series.  I liked the writing style ... it was funny and sarcastic at times.  It is written in first person perspective from Megan's point of view and third person perspective from Brigit's point of view (which is funny) and Dub's perspective.  As a head's up, there is some swearing.

I liked Megan.  She's getting more confident as time goes on.  Though I find Brigit funny and likeable, I find it hard to believe that a trained K-9 dog would be as undisciplined as she is at times when she is on the job.  For example, she steals a toy from another dog or eats food given to her by a bad guy rather than being alert to defend Megan.  Seth, Megan's on again boyfriend, is a bit annoying because all he seems to want to do is have a sleepover with her.

Book ~ "Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE" (2016) Pat Patterson

From Goodreads ~When Pat Patterson was 17 years old, he was asked to leave his home after telling his parents he was in love ... with a man. Moving from Montreal to the United States in the 1960s, barely knowing a word of English, he was determined to succeed in the squared circle. Back when homophobia was widespread, Pat lived in the super-macho world of pro wrestling.

In this fascinating and revealing memoir of revolutionary talent, pioneer, and creative savant Patterson recalls the trials and tribulations of climbing to the upper ranks of sports-entertainment - as a performer and, later as a backstage creative force.

Many in the WWE Universe know Pat Patterson as a ring legend, the prestigious first holder of WWE’s Intercontinental Championship, a WWE Hall of Famer, and one of Vince McMahon’s “stooges” during the Attitude Era. But Patterson is no stooge. He has long been one of Vince McMahon’s trusted advisors. Still active in WWE today, Pat delivers his no-holds-barred story of going from unknown to WWE luminary.

Pat Patterson was born Pierre Clermont, one of nine kids, 75 years ago in Montreal.  He always knew he was different and it wasn't until he discovered wrestling that he found his passion in life.  When he was in his late teens, he revealed to his parents that he was gay and his father asked him to leave.  Pierre borrowed some money from one of his sisters and headed to Boston, speaking very little English, to pursue his dream of being a wrestler.  Over the next 50+ years, he won many championships and eventually became a colour commentator and the right hand man to Vince McMahon, owner and CEO of  the WWE.

This is Pat's story.  He talks about being on the road and his interactions with many wrestlers from the 1960s right up to today.  He was/is quite the prankster and jokester.  He talks of meeting the love of his life, Louie, when they were young and spending 40 years together before Louie passed away in the late 1990s (he is still missed).  In those days, one didn't acknowledge being gay and Louie was referred to as his friend (Pat came out as gay publicly in 2014).

I'm not a big wrestling fan (though I did watch it in the 1970s and 1980s and even went to Wrestlemania VI here in Toronto in 1990) but I thought his story would be interesting and it was.  Because I haven't tuned in wrestling in many years, I hadn't heard of some of the current wrestlers and didn't get the references to things like WWE Legends House.

 As a head's up, there is swearing.

Monk's Grill, Vancouver, BC

I am flying home to Toronto this morning and had an early lunch at Monk's Grill at the Vancouver Airport.

I ordered the Brick Pressed Peri Peri Chicken without the salad.  I asked Simin, my server, how hot the peri peri sauce was and she was "medium" and suggested I get it on the side so I did.  The potatoes were good ... having them sitting in olive oil and balsamic vinegar was a surprise.  The chicken was okay ... it was a bit dry and not juicy.  The peri peri sauce was good and I dipped my chicken in it.

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

I had to spend a couple days in Vancouver re a client expo and I stayed at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on West Georgia Street (at Burrard).

It's a huge old hotel (it opened in 1939) and has over 550 rooms.  It was close to the client's site plus I wanted to stay in a hotel that had rooms with some character for a change rather than a cookie cutter.  Apparently there is a ghost in the hotel of a woman in red (she didn't make herself known to me).

Source

Cactus Club Cafe, Vancouver, BC

I had lunch today with my pal, Leanne, at the Cactus Club Cafe at Canada Place.

It's next to the Olympic Cauldron from the 2010 Winter Games

Cardero’s Restaurant & Marine Pub, Vancouver, BC

I had supper this evening with my brother, Lance, and his wife, Mei, at Cardero's Restaurant & Marine Pub.

There is a bar section

Book ~ "The Assistants" (2016) Camille Perri

From Goodreads ~ Tina Fontana is the hapless but brazen thirty-year-old executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the all-powerful and commanding CEO of Titan Corp., a multinational media conglomerate. She’s excellent at her job and beloved by her famous boss - but after six years of making his reservations for restaurants she’d never get into on her own and pouring his drinks from bottles that cost more than her rent, she’s bored, broke and just a bit over it all.

When a technical error with Robert’s travel-and-expenses report presents Tina with the opportunity to pay off the entire balance of her student loan debt with what would essentially be pocket change for her boss, she struggles with the decision.  She’s always played by the rules. But it’s such a relatively small amount of money for the Titan Corporation - and for her it would be a life-changer.

Tina is the 30-year-old assistant to Robert, owner of a large media conglomerate, and is living pay cheque to pay cheque, barely able to afford anything.  One day she makes flight arrangements for Robert and puts the cost on her credit card, which she expenses and gets compensated for.  The airline, though, comps his flight and sends Tina a cheque for the amount.  It's about $20,000 which is just enough to pay off her student loan.  After much deliberation, she decides to keep the money (thus, stealing) and pays off her loan.  But what she has done is quickly discovered and she is blackmailed into scamming more money from the company.

This is the debut novel by this author.  For the most part, I like the writing style.  At times it was amusing and sarcastic.  It's written in first person perspective from Tina's point of view.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I wasn't crazy about the story line.  Tina's been Robert's assistant for six years and is good at taking care of of him.  But she has no ambition and would rather whine about her lack of funds rather than do anything about it.  The other assistants in the company were the same.  They begrudge their bosses because they have so much money than they do.  I didn't feel any sympathy for them ... they chose to go to college/university and rack up student loans, live in New York City, not have part-time jobs on the side, look for better jobs, etc.  When Tina was caught on her scam, rather than going to Robert and pleading ignorance/stupidity, she lets herself get blackmailed, which keeps snowballing and getting worse.

I didn't really like any of the characters.  I found Tina boring and pathetic at times, though she did find herself in the end and was stronger and more confident.  Emily, her new best friend, who is also an assistant, is beautiful and has a lot of things, which she acknowledges were gifts from men.  My initial thought was that she was prostituting on the side.

Apparently this book speaks directly to a new generation of women who feel stuck and unable to get ahead playing by the rules. It will appeal to all of those who have ever asked themselves, "How is it that after all these years, we are still assistants?"  Really?  How about not expecting promotions to drop on your lap and try working for them?!

Toronto Oktoberfest, Toronto, ON

Gord and I went to Toronto Oktoberfest this evening.   We went last year and the year before and had a fun fun time.

Join 5,000 others dressed in dirndls and lederhosen at Toronto's largest Oktoberfest, celebrating Bavarian heritage with food, beer, music, and a fun fair modelled after the original Munich event.

This two day festival takes place in a massive Festhalle tent and outdoor Bavarian Village.

There will be lots to do, from eating, singing, mingling, sporting lederhosen, listening to polka music, speaking German (or attempting to), and performing the chicken dance!

It was held in a tent at Ontario Place (a different tent from last year).   We got there just before it opened at 6pm.

The first 500 attendees got a huge stein (we did ... yay!).  They are a heavy glass stein this year (the last two years they were large and plastic).

Drink tickets were $8.50 each.  Two tickets filled the stein with beer (I just had a half stein).

My pal, Larissa, and her friend, Andy, sat with us.