"Beauty and the Beast", Stage West, Toronto, ON

At Stage West, Mississauga ~ Disney's musical extravaganza is filled with technical wizardry, special effects and illusions, as well as dazzling production numbers and memorable songs by Tim Rice. Bring the entire family to experience the enchantment of an unforgettable performance of Broadway's classic musical. Based on the Academy Award-Winning animated feature film!

Gord and I saw Beauty and the Beast this afternoon. I'd seen it twice before years ago as a major production so was curious to see how Stage West would do it on a smaller scale.

They did a good job with it. Eric Craig and Steven Gallagher were funny as Lumiere and Cogsworth.

The Rex, Toronto, ON

Gord and I met Malcolm and his wife, Mary, at the Rex (on Queen Street W) this evening to hear some blues. Gord and Malcolm have been friends for almost 20 years ... they met in a baseball pool (which they are still in).

Malcolm and Gord

Teena and Mary

Teena, Mary, Malcolm and Gord

Jerome Godboo Blues was playing. If you dig blues, you'd like Jerome.

Malcolm, Gord and Mary

Then we walked up to College Street and had supper at the Cafe Diplomatico.

Malcolm, Mary, Teena and Gord

First BBQ of 2008

We had our first BBQ of 2008 tonight.

Gord BBQed steak for supper ... after he dug a path across our terrace to the BBQ!

The Canadian Book Challenge

I just found the Canadian Book Challenge and joined.

The rules are simple. Read 13 Canadian books (books by Canadians and/or about Canadians) before Canada Day (July 1). Make sure to blog about each one! Participants will have their name entered in for some kick-ass prizes. Well, not really. If you've ever seen a Canadian gameshow, you know we're not big on monetary rewards.

Since the challenge started in October, I've read nine Canadian books:

"Duty: The Life of a Cop" - Julian Fantino

"Last Resort: A Memoir" - Linwood Barclay

"Bad Move" - Linwood Barclay

"Lone Wolf" - Linwood Barclay

"Toronto: Then & Now" - Mike Filey and Rosalind Tosh

"Stone Rain" - Linwood Barclay

"Bad Guys" - Linwood Barclay

"The Song of Kahunsha" - Anosh Irani

"Only in Canada You Say: A Treasury of Canadian Language" - Katherine Barber

Happy Good Friday!

The CN Tower climb ... 1776 steps!

Dawn mentioned on her blog that she is doing the CN Tower climb on April 19 in support of WWW-Canada.

I've always wanted to do the climb ... but always forget when they happen.

I've signed up for it. Gulp!

If you didn't know, that's 1776 steps ... just over 1100 feet up! According to Wikipedia, it's the tallest metal staircase on Earth!

The stairs are intended for emergency use only and are not open to the public, except for three times per year for charity stair-climb events. The average climber takes approximately 30 minutes to climb. The fastest climb on record is 7 minutes and 52 seconds in 1989 by Brendan Keenoy, an Ontario Provincial Police Officer. The fastest record for a woman belongs to Chrissy Redden, who climbed the stairs in 2000 in 11 minutes and 52 seconds.

I won't be breaking any records!

I'd really really appreciate it if you would support me on my climb ... click here to donate!

If you'd like to join me on this climb, send me an email at purple4mee2@yahoo.ca.

Book ~ "Duty: The Life of a Cop" - Julian Fantino (2007)

From Chapters.ca ~ Julian Fantino is the highest profile police officer Canada has ever produced. In a remarkable career spanning almost 40 years, he has led four police forces and continues to leave a huge imprint on law enforcement, not only in this country but right around the world. This candid and hard-hitting memoir of his life from his humble beginnings in Italy to his move to Canada and his eventual rise through the police ranks, from a street cop on the beat to top cop in the biggest city in the country, recounts his experiences as a rookie fresh out of police college and his time in the drug squad, homicide, and other areas of policing. He tells about the hard realities of organized crime, especially the fight against the Mafia and outlaw motorcycle gangs, and offers insights from one who is in the trenches into the sexual exploitation of children, police corruption, terrorism, and the many failings of the justice system. He touches on issues of concern to all Canadians and delves into the pressures and politics of being a big-city chief at the local, national, and international level including battles with special-interest groups and the media. But as Fantino describes in this refreshingly candid and hard-hitting as-told-to memoir of his life, one thing never changed: his steadfast commitment to the principles of integrity, honesty, and accountability. He recounts with passion, humour, and honesty the ups and downs the joys and sorrows of a life devoted to public service.

I enjoyed the writing style. It was interesting to read the stories from his perspective as an insider. Obviously I know who he is but I didn't realize how involved and well-respected he is internationally.

Tourtière

Gord loves to cook and made a tourtière for supper tonight. As usual, it was very delicious!

This is close to his recipe except he also includes ground beef, carrots and bread crumbs and cooks/mashes the potatoes.

And the best part? He made a double batch so there's one in the freezer for another time!

Celebrating St. Paddy's Day

Gord and I walked to the Banknote and had a late supper (the wings were so-so, a tab overcooked, but the ribs were good).

We walked up to Queen Street to check out the status of the fire from a couple weeks ago. The buildings have been torn down and it's fenced off.

We walked to what used to be Paddy Murphy's (I'm not sure if it's still called that as there was no sign outside). The bouncer (at 6 foot, 11 inches, he is the tallest man I've ever met) said the music was techno-something-or-other and we probably wouldn't like it. So I had my picture taken with him (some chick wanted to be in the pic too) and we moved on.

We walked to the Foggy Dew, which was packed. There was live music and we stayed for a beer.

On our way home, we stopped at the Bungalow Cafe for a couple drinks. Here's Gord with Rob, the owner.

While I was gone

When I walked in after the gym, I encountered this strange sight:

KC and Byron sharing the chair! And both seemed very content.

I looked around for the other critters.

Morgan was snoozing in Byron's spot on our bed:

Nova (we are Nova-sitting 'til next Sunday) made me feel welcome by greeting me excitedly at the door.

I betcha he was snoozing on the bed before I came home, though!

Book ~ Last Resort: A Memoir (2001) - Linwood Barclay

From Goodreads ~ In 1966, when his parents abandoned their suburban Toronto split-level to buy Green Acres, a cottage and trailer resort in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region, eleven-year-old Linwood Barclay’s life took an unexpected turn.

No more rec-room train sets. Now Linwood was hauling fish guts to the woods for burial, answering distress calls from women in the ladies’ room who found themselves without toilet paper, and standing in leaky chest-waders pounding dock posts into the lake bottom.

The chores weren’t so bad, especially when he could help his father, who had been a commercial artist before he bought his way into the tourist business. And in other ways, it was a good life for a boy. He had wheels (a John Deere riding mower), a small aluminum boat with a 9.5-horsepower outboard and only one speed (fast), and Chipper, a dog that chased boats the way other dogs chase cars, sometimes with catastrophically comic results. Linwood also had access to The Chart, a cottage reservations list that was, for him, a guide to the arrivals and departures of the guests’ teenaged daughters. Summer romances could be as intense as they were heartbreaking.

When he was sixteen, an unexpected tragedy changed Linwood’s life again. His older brother, Rett, helped out as best he could, but he was wrestling with demons of his own – often withdrawing into his own complicated inner world. Linwood found an extended family in the resort’s guests, who lent him a hand, and shaped him into the man he would become.

His mother’s eccentricities (she quit driving to shame the police for having given her a ticket) made Linwood’s new responsibilities heavier than they might otherwise have been. When he finally decided to move away from Green Acres to make a separate life, she made it as difficult as possible for him.

In the midst of all this, Linwood found his vocation, and mentors, too, in Margaret Laurence, and in Kenneth Millar, who (under the pen name Ross MacDonald) wrote a highly successful series of detective novels.

In this memoir, Linwood Barclay looks back with humour, sadness, and affection on the singular circumstances of his coming of age.

In the last couple months, I've discovered and read Barclay's Zack Walker series and really enjoyed them.

This bio (I enjoy bios) was also a good read as it was funny, honest, sad (with is brother's illness and his father's death) and frustrating (I would have had very little patience for the antics of his mother but he handled her very well).

My friend, Deb, lives not too far from where Green Acres is so I've been to some of the places he described.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Casey's Restaurant, Toronto, ON

The Chillin' Chicks (Deb, Franca, Liz and I) met for supper tonight at Casey's. It's been a while since the four of us have been together. We used to work together more than ten years ago and still get together on a regular basis. It's nice that we've remained great friends after all these years!

In an attempt to eat healthy, I ordered the prime rib sandwich I had yesterday. Prime rib wouldn't be ready for an hour. Okay, how about rotisserie chicken? Nope, no chickens ready. So I ended up have chicken parm and pasta.

Deb and Liz

Teena and Franca

Franca, Teena, Deb and Liz

Franca, Teena, Deb and Liz

My boys

Byron and Morgan looked so cozy this morning.

They used to sleep together when they were kittens (they were foster brothers and we got them together) but it's rare that they sleep this close to each other now.

Book ~ "Bad Move" - Linwood Barclay (2004)

From Goodreads ~ In the too-quiet town of Oakwood, only the lucky die of boredom... and new homeowner Zack Walker isn’t feeling lucky. Whoever said the burbs were boring will think twice after reading Linwood Barclay’s hilarious debut mystery, in which Dad learns the hard way that he doesn’t always know best.

Zack wouldn’t blame you for thinking he’s safety-obsessed. True, he masterminded a plot to trade his family’s exciting city lifestyle for one of suburban tranquillity. True, even after this strategic move, Zack still has issues with family members who forget their keys in the front door, leave their cars unlocked, or park their backpacks at the top of the stairs — where you could kill yourself tripping over them. Just ask his wife, Sarah, or his teenage kids, Paul and Angie, who endure their share of lectures.

Zack knows that he needs to chill out and assume the best for once — but we know what happens to those who assume.

When Zack realizes their two-faced developer sent a petty thief to fix their leaky shower, he starts fighting hard to ignore the fact that Oakwood isn’t the crime-free paradise he was hoping for. But his brief state of denial comes to an abrupt end when, during a walk by the creek, he stumbles across a dead body. Even more shocking, Zack actually knows who the victim is — and who might want him dead.

With a killer roaming around their neighborhood and Zack’s overactive imagination in overdrive, he’s sure things can’t get any worse. But then another local is murdered — and Zack’s paranoid tendencies get him implicated in the crime. While his wife is trying to remember why she married him in the first place, and his kids are considering whether it’s time to have him committed, Zack decides there’s only one thing he can do. To protect his family — and avoid being busted for a crime he didn’t commit — he’s going to have to override his safety-first instincts, tap into his delusions of machismo, and track down the killer himself.

With reading this book, I've finished the series of four "Zack" novels by reading the first one last. Ha! There had been small references in the next three books so now I know what they meant.

This was an enjoyable read as I've gotten to know and like Zack, Sarah and their kids. I found the first part of the first chapter a bit slow but it picked up very quickly after that. And just when you think the book is over, it's not.

I'd definitely recommend this book and the series if you are looking for a mystery that isn't too heavy. The characters are likeable and the style is funny and sarcastic, which I enjoy.

Casey's Restaurant, Toronto, ON

My aunt, Sandra, was in town for the weekend from Kingston. We met for lunch today at Casey's (I had a delicious prime rib sandwich!).

I hadn't seen her in a while and it was good to catch up!

She is my mother's youngest sister and is just five months older than I am!

Snowbound

I was supposed to go out for supper tonight with the Boxing Babes but we cancelled because of the storm.

Instead I spent the day watching movies on TMN:

Starter for 10 (James McAvoy) - Not a good movie at all but I usually enjoy English movies so stuck it out.

The Number 23 (Jim Carrey and Virginia Madsen) - Boring ... I never made it to the end.

Vacancy (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) - I wasn't expecting much so found this one not too bad. It was weird to see Wilson in such a dramatic role, though.

Grilled - Though I hate Ray Romano, I don't mind Kevin James. This sucked big time and I didn't make it to the end of this one either.

Blades of Glory (Will Ferrell and Jon Heder) - We had seen it in the theatres when it first came out. It's a good timewaster the second time around.

Perfect Stranger (Bruce Willis and Halley Berry) - Not a great movie but it has an interesting twist at the end.

Titanic (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) - This wasn't on TMN. I tend to watch it whenever it's on. I saw it in the theatres on Christmas Eve 1997 in the old Runnymede Theatre (which is now a Chapters bookstore).

Good luck, Gord

Gord is heading to Chicago to kick some American butt!

There is a fencing tournament there this weekend and he is in two events. I think he said that he is the only Canadian entered.

I was going to drive him to the airport but, because we are currently having yet another snow storm(!!), he took a cab instead.

Gord loading his gear into the cab

It's hard to see him waving goodbye!

Our street

I've been checking the airline's website and his flight hasn't been cancelled or delayed.

Update: Gord just called (3:45pm) to let me know he made it okay. The skies in Chicago are blue and there's very little snow.

Book ~ "Lone Wolf" - Linwood Barclay (2006)

From Goodreads ~ Newspaper writer, family man, and reluctant hero Zack Walker has stumbled onto some dicey stories before, but nothing like what he’s about to uncover when a mutilated corpse is found at his father’s lakeside fishing camp. As always, Zack fears the worst. And this time, his paranoid worldview is dead-on.

While the locals attribute the death to a bear attack, Zack suspects something far more ominous—a predator whose weapons include arson, assault, and enough wacko beliefs to fuel a dozen hate groups. Then another body is discovered and a large supply of fertilizer goes missing, evoking memories of the Oklahoma City bombing. But it’s when he learns that his neighbor is a classic Lone Wolf—FBI parlance for a solo fanatic hell-bent on using high body counts to make political statements—that Zack realizes the idyllic town of his childhood is under siege. The fuse is lit to a catastrophe of unimaginable terror. And with time running out, Zack must face off with a madman.

This is the third in Zack Walker series by Barclay. I enjoyed it as much as I did the others.

The writing style is funny and quick. Though I figured out some of the twists ahead of time (like Zack, I got one backwards), it was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

Lone Star, Toronto, ON

I had a fun supper tonight.

Gord and I met Catherine, Jen, Laura, Julie, Eric and Charles at Lone Star. I worked with them for three years (until last March) and have stayed in close touch with them. They were great to work with and I miss them!

I had a delicious burrito! Yum! Yum!

Antigonish

I went to St. Francis Xavier University (St. F.X.U.) in Antigonish. I ended up staying on here after I graduated in 1983 because I had met my first husband (who was from there).

I haven't been back for a while so drove down for a couple days.

I had lunch with Joyce. I was in a dart league and bowling league with Joyce and we went to bingo quite often. She was my matron of honour for my first marriage.

Joyce and Teena

Then I headed to Darlene's for a visit. Darlene is a sister of my first husband. She bundled up her two younger kids and we headed out to visit her mom (she wasn't home).

Carson, Devon, Darlene and Striker

Then I went to the university and bought some X wear.

Then I checked into my hotel room. Pauline and Diane soon arrived. Diane and her husband, Paul, moved to Toronto around the same time I did (late 1980s) and we hung out together there. They had two kids and moved back home to Antigonish. I hung out sometimes with Pauline and her husband, Perry, when I lived here. And Joyce arrived shortly thereafter.

Pauline, Joyce and Diane

It was great to catch up with them!