Mandarin, Toronto, ON

We celebrated the Chinese New Year at the Mandarin (Eglinton/Yonge) tonight.

It's a Chinese buffet restaurant and the food was really good. We all ate too much but it was a lot of fun! Thanks for organizing us, Angie!

Jenn, Darlene, Amanda, Andrea, Anita, Vitra,
Yvette, me, Angie and Jen

Vitra and Andrea
Me, Jen and Amanda
Angie, Jenn and Darlene

I was born in the year of the Tiger (1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)

• Loves power
• Brave, relentless, graceful
• Tends to make enemies because tiger is seen as a threat by others, and tiger likes to be blunt with words
• Able to make wishes a reality – eg. Wants to lead, so acts like a leader
• People allied with tiger will be well looked after
• Chooses to work in larger companies, to accommodate high ambitions
• Doesn’t like to have position of power challenged, and will fight to keep status
• Will not complain when frustrated, but instead will make efforts to overcome the difficulty
• Generous with money
• Prefers to hit the town at night, instead of staying at home for a quiet evening
• Tends toward possessiveness and jealousy in relationships
• Faithful

Book ~ "For One More Day" - Mitch Albom (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ Grief-stricken Charles "Chick" Benetto goes into an alcoholic tailspin when his always-attentive mother, Pauline, dies. Framed as an "as told to" story, Chick quickly narrates her funeral; his drink-fueled loss of savings, job ("sales") and family; and his descent into loneliness and isolation. After a suicide attempt, Chick encounters Pauline's ghost. Together, the two revisit Pauline's travails raising her children alone after his father abandons them: she braves the town's disapproval of her divorce and works at a beauty parlor, taking an extra job to put money aside for the children's education. Pauline cringes at the heartache Chick inflicted as a demanding child, obnoxious teen and brusque, oblivious adult chasing the will-o'-the-wisp of a baseball career. Through their story, Albom foregrounds family sanctity, maternal self-sacrifice and the destructive power of personal ambition and male self-involvement. He wields pathos as if it were a Louisville Slugger—shoveling dirt into Pauline's grave, Chick hears her spirit cry out, " 'Oh, Charley. How could you?'.

I've read Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven and thought they were okay. I enjoyed this one more.

It's a quick read. The message of the book ... You need to keep people close. You need to give them access to your heart.

The Rhino, Toronto, ON

On our way home, we stopped off at The Rhino. We'd discovered this bar in the summer and liked it.

If you are a lover of beer (as Gord is), then this is the place for you! They have quite an extensive list of beer and drafts ... 226 beer from 42 countries!

Gord had a Wellington Arkell Best Bitter, a Canadian beer

I had a Cooper's Sparkling Ale from Australia.

Gord moved on to Belgium with a Chimay Blue.

I went to Jamaica with a Red Stripe.

Mitzi's Sister, Toronto, ON

Gord and I went to the gym this afternoon for a couple of hours (I had school this morning). Then we walked to Mitzi's Sister on Queen W for supper (about a half hour each way). I'd heard that they made good burgers and that's what we had ...

8oz of grilled beef served on a pada bun topped with crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, grilled red onion & roasted garlic mayo

It was a really good burger! The fries were a mixture of Yukon gold potatoes and sweet potatoes. I found the burger was filling so only ate about half of my fries.

Terroni, Toronto, ON

The Boxing Babes met for our monthly supper ... this time at Terroni downtown. I had the Natalina pizza - tomato, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, hot calabrese salami and garlic.

Susan, Trish, Shawna, Monica and me

Monica, me, Susan, Trish and Shawna

Susan, Trish and Shawna

Me and Monica

Look who got a furcut tonight!

She was getting way too wooly. Don't worry ... she has a sweater to keep her warm!

Book ~ "The Ultimate New York Diet" - David Kirsch (2006)

From Amazon. com When supermodel Heidi Klum needed to get into tip-top shape for the Victoria's Secret fashion show--just eight weeks after giving birth to her second child--she turned to David Kirsch and his Ultimate New York Diet.

The Ultimate New York Diet provides the tools to slim down safely in record time: A diet that's broken into three phases over the course of eight weeks, so you can see results fast and be inspired to stay on track; advice on how to make healthy choices at all types of restaurants, allowing you to eat out every night; 64 quick, easy-to-prepare recipes for healthy, satisfying meals; ten-minute workouts you can do anywhere--from your cubicle to a taxi cab--that will leave you feeling exhilarated and more focused.

David Kirsch has written this book for the needs of people with busy, multitasking lives--people who want to be on top of their game when it comes to their careers and their bodies. This is not just a diet; it's a life transformation. After completing The Ultimate New York Diet, your attitude toward food, exercise, and wellness will be forever changed and you'll finally have the key to a fit and fabulous body.

If you don't mind giving up carbs, alcohol and fruit until you lose the weight you want, then this may be the plan for you. I'm a big fan of carbs and fruit so would find this plan too restrictive. Plus there is a large focus on protein shakes and his personal products.

Book ~ "Batteries Required" - Jennifer Apodaca (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ Samantha Shaw’s dating service, Heart Mates, is barely paying the bills and her relationship with private investigator, Gabe Pulizzi, isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of her knack for romance. And now Sam’s friend, Angel, has disappeared just as she was about to launch a new lingerie business, leaving behind a ransacked, bloodstained house. Detective Logan Vance—alias romance novelist R.V. Logan—is busy fending off the advances of a lovesick fan so, with Gabe in tow, Sam questions Angel’s ex-husband, Hugh Crimson. Sam knows her friend’s divorce has been filed under "unpleasant" but she can’t believe Hugh’s capable of ex-wife-napping—or murder. If Hugh isn’t a killer, who messed up Angel’s house—and why?

I enjoy mysteries. I enjoy comedies. This was a combination of both. I'd never read any by this author but I'll be checking out the others in the series. The supporting characters are funny, especially Grandpa and Ali, the beer drinking ex-police dog.

Jennifer Apodaca homepage

Book ~ "5-Factor Fitness: The Diet and Fitness Secret of Hollywood's A-List" - Harley Pasternak (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ Actors Halle Berry and Benjamin Bratt, pro basketball player Rick Fox and rapper Eve all work out 25 minutes a day, five days a week. They eat five meals a day, and each meal takes five minutes to prepare. And they look like a million bucks. Although this sounds too good to be true, Pasternak, who trains the above-mentioned stars and others, insists it isn’t. This easy-to-follow lifestyle guide explains Pasternak’s program. Intensity and variety are the keystones of the exercise portion, which simply requires dumbbells and a bench (the plan does include a suspiciously scant five minutes of cardiovascular activity, which readers can complete by power walking or jogging outside, or using a cardio machine at home or at the gym). The diet portion of the plan seems sensible enough; Pasternak urges readers to eat foods that include low-fat, quality protein; moderate carbs; fiber and healthy fat; and to drink sugar-free beverages (he allows one day a week to be a "cheat day"). "Real results" sidebars profile non-famous people who’ve benefited from Pasternak’s approach, including a 74-year-old professor, a 45-year-old film producer and a 37-year-old real estate agent. Backed up with scientific research and including recipes, this book is a refreshingly simple addition to the current diet and health offerings.

New twist on what I already know but it was an interesting read. Everything is in fives.

I've been come a grazer, as he suggests, in the last couple years - Harley says to have five meals a day. Not a hard plan to follow and I like it because it's using real food and non-complicated exercises.

Harley Pasternak's website

Body Blitz, Toronto, ON

After class this morning, I headed to body blitz, a woman's only spa, to spend the afternoon getting pampered.

When I checked in, I heard a woman behind me say, "Teena? We used to work together." I looked at her and didn't have a clue who she was ... she was in a robe and her hair was wrapped in a towel. Then she said where and her name and I realized right away who it was. It was Claire, a woman I'd worked with when I first came to Toronto twenty years ago. We shared an office in a law firm where we were account writers. We both left at the same time and didn't keep in touch. She's since travelled the world, gotten married, has a four year old son and recently moved back to Toronto after living on a mountain in a village in Spain for a few years. It's funny because I was just thinking about her the other day.

I started first with the theuraputic waters. I knew that bathing suits were optional ... I wore mine (I'm shy and modest) and was in the minority. I did the circuit:

The sea salt pool was a pleasant 98F, the cold plunge was a refreshing 65F and the hot tea pool was an amazing 105F. The steam room and sauna were get for my sinuses!

Then I had a 60 minute full body massage, which was very nice. I think I dozed off when she was doing my back.

Next was the 60 minute body mud with winter mud (wintergreen and eucalyptus) ... An outstanding body blitz triple-tiered treatment guaranteed to leave you feeling replenished and restored. Using our wash and scrub mitt, the skin is cleansed, exfoliated and stimulated to prepare your body for the mud treatment. As one of our signature muds from the mud bar is applied neck to toes, your body is heated with our specially designed body blitz infrared lamps. All your sins are sweated away while your body absorbs the nutrients from the mud the way Mother Nature intended. The body is rinsed and moisturized using our mint~lime body lotion.
I didn't realize I'd be naked except for a "disposable thong" (which she cut off me at the end) but I got over it very quickly. Pretty well every bit of my body was exfoliated, covered in mud and then moisturized including between my fingers and toes, armpits and boobs. You lay on a vinyl bed and get hosed down with warm water ... it reminded me of when you wash your car with a hose.
It was a nice afternoon and I'd definitely go back!

Book ~ "She, Myself & I" Whitney Gaskell (2005)

From Amazon.com ~ The Cassel sisters find solace in one another as they stumble through divorce, childrearing and existential crises. Each outspoken sister narrates her own trials. Controlling divorce attorney, Paige, keeps a tight rein on her emotions as she comes to terms with her gay ex-husband and shies away from an over-eager boyfriend. Social, emotional Sophie gives birth to her first child and then struggles with post-partum depression, a shaky marriage and a crush on her pediatrician. Their baby sister, restless Mickey, flexes her newfound adult independence by giving up medical school in favor of a culinary career, falling hard for a married chef in the process. Connecting the tales are the three sisters' easy camaraderie and their bemused horror when their divorced parents reunite. The Cassel sisters' problems are never very menacing - they attract bland men and succeed professionally with ease - and it's difficult to sympathize with their dithering; Paige's realization that she doesn't know what she wants applies to all three. Fortunately, none linger in indecision in this slight novel and Gaskell moves each sister along to a frothy but ultimately satisfying conclusion.

This book had possibilities. I liked the idea that it would be written with three different voices. But it came across as three bad Harlequin romances stuck together. I didn't care about any of the characters and the three sisters were so whiny and indecisive.

I did find the writing style pleasant to read ... that's the only reason I stuck with it 'til the end.

I wouldn't recommend this book.

Book ~ "The Secrets of Skinny Chicks" - Karen Bridson (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ Bridson profiles 25 svelte women, including models, actors, athletes and regular folks, to reveal exactly what it is each one does to look so great. These women share with you their tips for planning menus, exercising, and staying motivated as well as advice on boosting metabolism. You will learn how to adapt these secrets into your own life safely and realistically.

Twenty-five women, who reportedly don't have high metabolisms, were interviewed. I found it amazing how poor some of their diets were. It's no wonder they have to work out two hours a day. You can eat junk but you have to work out extra hard to get rid of it. They were making room in their diets for cookies, donuts, etc. For me, it's all or nothing. I can't stop at one cookie so I avoid them altogether.

The fifty tips were good ... common sense stuff that was a good reminder.

Book ~ "Me vs. Me" Sarah Mlynowski (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ This is what happens to one woman when her wish comes true and she's able to choose both paths that open in front of her. Gabby Wolf isn't sure what she wants most: to marry her boyfriend, Cam, and stay in Arizona or move to New York for her dream job, producing a popular news show. She wishes she could have it both ways and, the next thing she knows, she's living two lives, going back and forth between planning her wedding to Cam in Arizona and working at the fast-paced, exciting job in New York. Neither life is perfect. Though she adores Cam, his overbearing mother is hijacking her wedding plans, while in New York, her roommate is somewhat unbalanced and the dating scene is dismal. As time goes on, the choice doesn't become any easier. Gabby still loves Cam, though she's starting to love her newly assertive self that emerges in New York, too.

It sounded like an interesting premise and I'd read a couple of Mlynowski's books in the past. I was enjoying the book ... until Arizona Gabby started getting really wimpy and letting her future mother-in-law walk all over her. I didn't mind New York Gabby (she was assertive and exciting) so wanted to finished the book to see how it ended.

Would I recommend this book? No.

Raclette with Yvette

I went to my friend, Yvette's, for supper tonight. I've known Yvette since we worked together in 1999. Her boyfriend, Brian, was there too. Gord was at a work function so didn't join us.

Two of her ferrets (Lily was snoozing)

Romeo

Cloe

Spunky and Yvette

Yvette had told me back in November that she had a raclette. She tried to describe it to me but I didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

A raclette, I now know, is a grill. You can cook anything on it ... we had chicken, beef, peppers and onions. Under the grill are containers that heat up. In ours, we put cheese with potatoes, carrots and/or peppers. When the cheese melts, you put the contents on your plate and eat it.

Brian and Yvette and the raclette

Brian and I

When everything is cooked

Yvette and I

Racletting (is it a verb?!) is fun! It's very social ... you sit around yakking watching your meal cook. And it's fairly healthy ... because everything is cut up, it seems like you have eaten a lot more than you actually have.

I hope Yvette invites me back again soon for another one!

Book ~ "PS, I Love You" Cecelia Ahern (2004)

From Goodreads ~ Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish each other's sentences. 

When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, overcome her fears and discover a world she never knew existed.

Despite the depressing topic, I liked it. It was funny at times and I liked the writing style. And I liked that the ending wasn't what I was expecting, which would have been too predictable.

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", Fairview Mall Library Theatre, Toronto, ON

McMurphy is a charming, devil-may-care rogue who contrives to serve a short sentence in an airy mental institution rather than work in a prison.

He takes over the yard, and he accomplishes what the medical profession has been unable to do for twelve years - a presumed deaf and dumb man talks and others move out of introversion. He stages a revolt and makes demands on behalf of the patients. This, he suddenly learns, is a mistake. His charm does not work on the head nurse, however, but only aggravates her antagonism towards him.

Gord and I enjoy live theatre and this Single Horizons event was a good opportunity to check out a theatre we'd never been to (Stage Centre Production at the Fairview Mall Library Theatre). It's a small theatre that seats 260 people. All are great seats because the seats are elevated above the stage.

The play was good. Having seen the movie, I was curious to see how it would be done as a play. Most of the actors were good, especially the guys playing the patients. The actor playing the doctor, though, wasn't very good.

LeeAnn (owner of Single Horizons), me and Margaret

Book ~ "Museum of Kitschy Stitches: A Gallery of Notorious Knits" - Stitchy McYarnpants (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ Hideous hats, ridiculous wraps, embarrassing neckties, and more they're all on display at The Museum of Kitschy Stitches, a photographic gallery of knitting and crocheting horrors. Want to see sci-fi inspired headgear from the 1940s? Gender-bending sweater sets from the '50s and '60s? Groovy outerwear from the '70s? Museum curator, Stitchy McYarnpants, has sifted through decades of vintage catalogs, patterns, and advertisements to assemble this astonishingly awful collection. Along the way, she provides sidesplitting commentary about the models and their very unfortunate fashion choices. It's essential reading for knitters and nostalgia buffs!

This is a great book for knitters. Some of these patterns are really scary. Some?! I mean ALL! Definitely worth a look if you are a knitter to see how styles have changed over the years.

Stitchy McYarnpants' website

Book ~ "Turning Thirty" - Mike Gayle (2005)

From Goodreads ~ Matt Beckford has a good job in New York and lives with his beautiful girlfriend, Elaine. But when Elaine breaks up with him, Matt finds himself on a new course, requesting a transfer and moving back home to Birmingham to live with his parents in the interim. 

Matt is none too thrilled by the prospect of turning 30 while living in his childhood home but he finds himself revisiting his youth by reconnecting with two old friends: his best friend, Gershwin, now married with a young daughter, and Ginny, the girl who was never quite Matt's girlfriend but with whom he shared a strong connection.

Though I'm on the other side of 30, I really enjoyed this book and the writing style. Matt is a nice guy trying to find himself. With mere months before his 30th birthday, Matt laments that he is not where he thought he would be at this age as he reconnects with his past.

Book ~ "Hitched" Carol Higgins Clark (2006)

From Amazon.com ~ Clark's winning ninth mystery to feature PI Regan Reilly. With her wedding to Jack Reilly, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad, only a week away, Regan thinks she has everything under control. But when she arrives to pick up her wedding dress at Alfred and Charisse's Coutures in Little Italy, she finds the young husband-and-wife designers bound and gagged, a wedding dress shredded on the floor and four others missing, including her own. In spite of all she must do before the wedding, Regan agrees to investigate. Jack, hoping to solve a big bank robbery case before their nuptials, is more than supportive. To Regan's surprise, not all the brides-to-be who've lost their gowns are that distraught. Regan's and Jack's cases convincingly intertwine as the sleuthing trail leads them from the streets of New York to Las Vegas. With her usual cast of quirky characters, Clark's lighthearted romp will keep readers guessing who will and who won't make it to the altar.

Entertaining but nice mystery. There were lots of mysteries intertwined and there was a very happy ending. It's worth the read ... it's just not as edgy as I'm used to.

Hypnotisin'!

Remember the CD I bought back in November?

Lose Weight and Feel Great ... without sacrifice or willpower. Learn how to: feel better, control those cravings, remain at your ideal weight. A highly regarded weight loss program. This is a 3 week program.

I was supposed to listen to it for 21 days in a row but I only listened once because I ended up going to Nova Scotia for a week ... and then the holidays arrived.

I listened to it tonight. The same thing happened as the last time ... I barely remember what he said in the middle ... something about wanting to eat healthy, wanting to be active, etc. But when it was time to be alert again, I was.

So I'm going to do it for the next 21 days and I'll let you know how it goes.