65 Degrees, Toronto ~ Winterlicious

From Toronto.com ~ Named for the ideal temperature at which to serve red wine, this new steakhouse is as beautiful and sultry as its predecessor, Brasserie Aix. An ante room opposite the kitchen shows off a handful of cozy booths, outfitted with newly installed red leather banquettes and velvet curtains for the ultimate in plush privacy. And, the main dining room still dazzles with an antique iron chandelier, imported from Russia. Dark wood tables and red leather upholstered chairs further emphasize the aura of old-school steakhouse.

Tonight Gord and I checked out 65 Degrees as part of Winterlicious. It's not too far from home so we walked there and back (about a half hour each way). We had a 9:00 reservation as that's all we could get. It was jam packed! We kept expecting someone to knock over something on our table as they were whizzing by. And it was also very loud. The back room where we were seated about 100 people ~ and by the noise factor, it was obvious.

I had tomato bisque and Gord had cream of broccoli soup. We both went with the steak with a dab of mashed potatoes (the other choices were a chicken thigh or trout) and chocolate torte for dessert.

We probably won't go back because it was so jammed and loud. Granted it was Winterlicious but we weren't impressed enough to go back. It's on the trendy College Street strip and there are so many other choices.

Book ~ "Everybody into the Pool" - Beth Lisick (2005)

From Amazon.com ~ Lisick, a natural storyteller, plunges not only into the pool but also into details, some undeniably gory, about her transformation from ultratanned homecoming queen (high-school freshman with a hunky senior as her date) in a puffy-sleeved, plaid dress of royal blue, lime green, canary yellow, bright pink, and hues of purple into a young woman living illegally in a warehouse as raw sewage falls from broken pipes and the upstairs occupants. Lisick employs a whacked-out, loopy humor that many will find charmingly off-the-wall as she recounts such larks as traveling as the sole straight girl with a lesbian punk band and spending an evening at a Catholic charity fund-raiser selling raffle tickets (and filching some of the cash). Readers will also learn of Lisick's open-minded, not entirely successful quest for bisexuality in the early 1990s and her stint as a giant banana.

Most of the stories are funny. It's a quick read and I'd recommend it.

Biffs, Toronto, ON

The Chillin' Chicks took advantage of Winterlicious (120 restaurants in Toronto offer fixed menu meals for $25 or $35 for an appetizer, entree and dessert ~ it's a great way to check out restaurants you've never been to).

We went to Biff's, a French restaurant. A friend of Deb's, Sylvie, came too.

We had an awesome waiter named Jacob. He was very nice and took good care of us.

I went off the Winterlicious menu and ordered steak and fries. Upon Jacob's recommendation, I had creme brulee for dessert. It's the first time I've had it and it was quite tasty. Liz's birthday is next Friday so Jacob wrote "Happy Birthday" on the plate in chocolate with her creme brulee. Very cute!

It was a fun time catching up. Lots of laughs!

Book ~ "The Immortal Highlander" - Karen Marie Moning (2004)

From Amazon.com ~ For eons, Adam Black has aided humanity and meddled in its affairs, much to the chagrin of the queen of the Seelie Court. He has finally pushed her too far and finds himself, a once powerful Fae, invisible and very human. But he is still as resourceful as ever and finds a way to reach the queen and plea to have his curse lifted with the help of a young lawyer, Gabrielle O'Callaghan, a human born with the ability to see his kind. As old enemies yearn to take advantage of his weakened state, threatening his life and all existence, Adam discovers that Gabrielle threatens a heart he never thought he had.

This isn't my usual kind of book. I read it because it was recommended by sweet angel and dylan.

Gabby is a lawyer in today's world and Adam is fairy who is thousands and thousands of years old. He needs her help to get back to his old world and state after his queen punishes him. He has been turned into a human form, though Gabby is the only one who can see him. When he touches her, she also becomes invisible. Wacky story and premise but I enjoyed it.

I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

Book ~ "Alternate Beauty" - Andrea Rains Waggener (2005)

From Amazon.com ~ She couldn’t change the way the world looked at her, so she changed the world. Ronnie Tremayne is a big girl with big dreams: she wants to be a fashion designer. But as her model-thin mother never fails to remind her, in fashion, image is everything – and Ronnie is a size 28. When she learns that her job managing a plus-size boutique is in jeopardy because her weight is “disturbing” to the clientele, Ronnie loses control. After a late-night binge, she dozes off wishing for a world where fat is beautiful. When she awakens the next morning, it is. Now the ideal woman, Ronnie is thrust into the spotlight. She attends the best parties. She has her mother’s approval. Her boss invests in her clothing line. And the men! But as her appetite for life grows, Ronnie’s appetite for food shrinks. She soon becomes unrecognizable–inside and out. And while navigating the giddy highs and miserable lows of this so-called perfect world, Ronnie discovers what she should have known all along: it’s not the size of your body that matters, but the size of your heart.

It was a really interesting concept and I had a hard time at times wrapping my head around it because it's the opposite of all we know. It was quite funny to see skinny women put down and to read about all the ways women were trying to gain weight. I'd recommend it!

"Grease", Stage West, Toronto, ON

From Stage West ~ Grease is the word at Stage West! The wild and wacky 50's are back with the return of this sensational musical! Set in 1959, Grease is a 50s rock n' roll musical about young summer love and the students of Rydel High. Grab your favourite Pink Lady and travel back to when beehives were in and coils were cool.

I've never seen the movie (though I knew the basic plot) so it was good to finally see it in some format. Stage West has put together a good production and it was enjoyable. As usual, I ate way too much!!

Poor KC

KC hasn't been herself the last couple weeks. She seemed kind of listless. It hurt to jump down from the bed or couch and she seemed hesitant to jump up onto things. She's usually a lazy dog inside but loves going to the park. We've had her to the park a couple times lately and she wasn't as excited as she usually gets.

I took her to the vet tonight. The vet says she has degeneration in her back. Not surprising considering she is going to be eleven this year. So he gave her a shot of an inflammatory and gave me medication for her (it's liquid so we have to put it on a piece of bread every evening). If this doesn't help, he said it would probably be her heart murmur that's making her this way and we'd treat that.

January 14 update: KC is doing much better on her meds. She seems like her old self again. Yay!!

Book ~ "Breakfast with Tiffany : An Uncle's Memoir" - Edwin John Wintle (2005)

From Amazon.com ~ Failed-actor-turned-New-York-literary-agent Wintle undertakes the biggest challenge of his life when he agrees to serve as a surrogate single parent to his 13-year-old niece, Tiffany. Since the author of this combination memoir and de facto guide to nontraditional parenting is a self-described gay, obsessive-compulsive "drama Queen (yes, with a capital Q)," the book at first promises to be a madcap romp in an Uncle Mame sort of way but soon becomes something more serious (and interesting) as the author begins revealing heretofore hidden aspects of himself. As for Tiffany, what you see is what you get: she is 13-going-on-30, and her reaction to the word no is to fly into a scenery-chewing, expletive-spewing, door-slamming rage. No wonder one of Wintle's friends coolly observes, "Teenagers are evil, vile creatures." Of course, Wintle would have us believe they're not (well, most aren't), but with Tiffany as Exhibit A, he'll have a hard time convincing most readers of that.

Interesting story and I enjoyed the writing style. I found this book on a top 100 list of books from 2005 and thought I'd give it a try as I like bios. I'd recommend it!

Book ~ "Up the Amazon Without a Paddle" - Doug Lansky (1999)

From Amazon.com ~ This enjoyable collection of anecdotes recounts more than 60 of the author's fun-loving, hair-raising and off-the-wall excursions around the globe. His broad and balanced travel coverage takes many forms. One moment he's elegantly cruising the Caribbean on a luxury liner, the next sleeping under the stars on Mount Sinai. Any lover of adventure will enjoy accounts of blowgun hunting, 'gator wrestling, volcano hiking, and ostrich riding. Unusual experiences include test-driving a Ferrari, enduring a Chinese opera, and playing Finnish ice golf. Through Lansky's writing, one is rewarded with the pleasures of a novel, the excitement of a thriller, and the insightful information one would expect from a guidebook.

This is this second of his books that I've read (I also read Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer) and I enjoyed it. He enbarks on many adventures and makes them sound very fun and interesting.

Feline asthma

The last couple of days, Morgan has been having problems breathing. The first couple days it looked like he was just trying to hack up a furball (as he is prone to). But it got more intense and I thought maybe he had swallowed something and was trying to cough it up. Yesterday I could really see his breathing was laboured.

I took him to the vet this morning and they did XRays. It turns out he has developed asthma. The vet gave him a steroid shot and I'm working from home today to keep an eye on him. Though his breathing is still a bit laboured, he hasn't been gasping for air. I have to take him back tomorrow to get checked out again. 

January 4 update:  I took Morgan for his check-up tonight. Though he isn't wheezing anymore (yay!), his breathing is still a bit laboured. And he only had one episode (gasping for air) last night (yay!). So he's going on a puffer twice a day. Then we'll try and wean him down to once a day, then once every two days. He'll have to do it for the rest of his life.  Here's the puffer/contraption:



The left side is a mask that goes over his mouth and nose. The vet did it tonight and he didn't mind it too much.

January 5 update:  I gave Morgan his blasts from his puffer twice today and he didn't seem to mind it. What a good kitty!

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.

New Years Eve

We started off our New Years celebrations with Gord BBQing steak and potatoes. Very yummy! We had a nice Syrah to go along with it. It's our New Years Eve tradition ~ this is our fifth New Years Eve together and we've done it four out of the five (we spent New Years 2002 in Cuba).

We headed off to the Foggy Dew to bring in the new year ~ it was only $10 a ticket, it's one of our favorite pubs and it's within walking distance from home.

There was a very good Celtic band and we had a great time.

Book ~ "Fall Down, Laughing : How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody" (2000) David Lander

From Amazon.com ~ In the summer of 1999, David Lander revealed publicly that he suffers from multiple sclerosis - a secret he'd kept for fifteen years even while living and working in Hollywood's celebrity fishbowl. Diagnosed with the illness after filming the last episode of Laverne and Shirley, Lander continued to develop his film and television career while hiding his illness. His success was a testament to his physical and emotional strength and his determination to prove that those with M.S. can still enjoy fulfilling and challenging lives. Over the years, Lander tried everything to improve his condition: exercise programs, alternative medicine, support groups, the latest crop of designer drugs. Weaving his experiences against a backdrop of entertaining celebrity anecdotes, Lander offers a message of affirmation that will provide information and hope to millions of M.S. sufferers, their friends and caregivers.

Quick interesting read. Very inspiring!

Book ~ "Fishbowl" (2002) Sarah Mlynowski

From Amazon.com ~ Roommates Allie, Jodine, and Emma are about as different as three people can be. Allie is enthusiastic but immature; Jodine is cold and closed-off; Emma is a stylish good-time girl. Despite the fact that they get on each other's nerves, they get along well enough, even after Jodine wakes up one night to discover that their kitchen is on fire. With no insurance, the girls are forced to come up with creative ways to raise money, including throwing big parties at a local bar and offering a seminar for men hoping to meet girls. Meanwhile, each roommate has her own man troubles: Allie pines for her friend, Clint, while the cute repairman flirts with her; Jodine is bored by her loyal boyfriend; and Emma has fallen for a sexy guy she meets at one of their parties, only to discover that she's smitten with Clint.

There are four narrators in this book and I found it hard at first keeping them straight. But once I got to know the characters, it got easier. It's a funny story and I enjoyed it. It was cool to read a book set in Toronto, rather than the States.

The best Christmas present!

The most special Christmas gift I received this year was from my sister, Sarah. She's into scrapbooking (she's very talented!) and put together a frame of pix of she and I.

Clockwise starting at the top left are:

1. Christmas ~ 1982
2. New Years in Cancun ~ 1998
3. New Years in Cuba ~ 1999
4. On a cruise around Toronto harbour ~ maybe 1992
5. At a family reunion ~ maybe 1996
6. Being cool on a patio in Toronto ~ maybe 1990
7. New Years in Cuba 1999

For my birthday two years ago, she put together a small album called "Teena ... a step back in time" with black and white pix of our parents (before I was even thought of!) and me up to the age of five. It meant a lot to me.

She's the best sister in the whole wide world!

Book ~ "Speedbumps: Flooring it Through Hollywood" (2005) Teri Garr

From Amazon.com ~ As Garr describes growing up on the fringes of 1950s and '60s Hollywood in a "gypsy showbiz family," studying ballet, ignoring school and sneaking into auditions pretending to be older than she was, readers will realize hers is a pretty familiar Hollywood story. She didn't sleep with Elvis or one of the Beatles but she was next door when her girlfriend went to bed with Elvis, and she sat in the recording studio during the making of Yellow Submarine. Garr worked her way from smaller parts (dancer in Viva Las Vegas and other Elvis movies) to bigger ones (Tootsie and Mr. Mom) until her career was finally on track. Alas, this is when she discovered she had no life—no husband, no baby—and started scrambling. She'd also developed a limp and some intermittent neurological tics. In 1983, a specialist diagnosed multiple sclerosis and prescribed the medication Garr has become a spokesperson for.

Not an overly exciting life story but worth the read.

Tourtières

Gord has taken some cooking courses and one of the things he learned in his last one was how to make tourtières. That's what he made for supper tonight. Basically it's a French Canadian meat pie made with ground beef and pork. Very yummy!

A recipe similar to his is here.

Merry Christmas!

We had a quiet Christmas. I was sick today and yesterday ~ I spent most of today in bed. But I'm feeling a lot better now. Yay!

Gord made a very yummy Christmas dinner. He did a couple of cornish hens stuffed with rice with dressing (Stove Top) on the side.

I yakked with my sister (she lives in Halifax, NS) for a while this evening. It was their turn to have her husband's family over for Christmas dinner ~ she had 25 people! Whoa!!! But it sounds like all went well.

Book ~ "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" (2004) The Fab 5

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy : The Fab 5's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better, and Living Better - Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley and Jai Rodriguez

From Amazon.com ~ A witty, yet sound manual based on the hit television show. A chapter is devoted to each star's area of expertise – Ted on food and wine, Kyan on grooming, Thom on decorating, Carson on fashion and Jai on culture. The pages are chock-full of color, including quality photos, "hiptips" and "straightguyFAQ" boxes appear on almost every other page. Each chapter contains one or more lists of five items, such as classics every man should own, elements of a perfect shave, and dishes not to order on a date. Underneath the humor and the occasional sexual innuendo are the book's strength and appeal: sincere, commonsense advice on how to be "you–only better."

Even though it's directed at guys, I found it interesting and funny.

Christmas overload?

There is a house (at Brock/Dundas W) not far from us that really gets into the holiday season every year. And though it doesn't seem possible, every year they seem to add another decoration and/or light. These pictures don't do it justice.