Friday Fun...

What could be more fun than working through the holidays?

I know:
1) Actually having to do a lot of work and...
2) Not being able to organize your desk or get caught up on little housekeeping things because you're actually doing work and...
3) Not being able to enjoy coming in late, long lunches or leaving early which most people do that work during the holidays because you're actually working and...
4) Working while knowing your husband has 16 days off and...
5) Expecting to work a half day on New Year's Eve knowing that that it will be more like a full day and lastly...
6) Coming back to work in 2008 without having been able to enjoy the holidays to their full extent because you've been working the whole time

Now that's fun!

Friday Fun...

The Nutcracker like you haven't heard (or seen) it before...

Enjoy...

http://www.strategymag.com/screeningroom/20061218/holidaycard.html

Friday Fun...

A family was at the dinner table. The son asked his father, "Dad, how many kinds of boobs are there?"

The father, surprised, said, "Well, son, there are three kinds of breasts. In her 20's, a woman's breasts are like melons, round and firm. In her 30's to 40's, they're like pears, still nice but hanging a bit. After 50, they're like onions".

"Onions?"

"Yes, you see them and they make you cry."

This infuriated his wife and daughter so the daughter said, "Mom, how many kinds of 'willies' are there?"

The mother, surprised, smiled and said, "Well dear, a man goes through three phases. In his 20's, his willy is like an oak tree, mighty and hard. In his 30's and 40's, it's like a birch, flexible but reliable. After his 50's, it's like a Christmas tree."

"A Christmas tree?"

"Yes. Dead from the root up and the balls are just for decoration."

12 Days and Counting....

Okay, so technically it's 13 days but in my opinion Christmas starts on Christmas Eve and that is only 12 days away...

It's hard to believe that the holidays are less than two weeks away. Actually, I wouldn't really call them "holidays", not for me anyways. I won't be taking any time off this year except the statutory ones but I think that's okay. The office is always really quiet, we usually only have to work a half day on the 24th and 31st and the rest of the days I'm sure we'll take long lunches, numerous coffee breaks and probably leave early. When I think about it like that why would I want to waste a vacation day on that...I mean, I would much rather take a day off in the middle of a busy time when I could actually use the time off.

It would be nice to spend time with the family but there will be lot's of time to do that and I'm sure they don't want to spend 24/7 with me anyways!! Dave has 16 days off (as he keeps reminding me) so it will be nice to come home to a clean apartment and dinner on the table...maybe some clean clothes in the closet too. Or, maybe I'm kidding myself...if there's any chance Guitar Hero is under the tree then it's a whole 'nother story and take-out will be looking pretty good.

Our decorations have been up since the end of November, all of our shopping is done, presents wrapped and under the tree. I've been playing Christmas music at work since mid-November...I know that's a little much, but it helps pass the time and I think if people see you with headphones on they don't ask as many random, annoying questions.

I also took this past Monday off to do some Christmas baking - I made 5 things but have realized that isn't near enough and I had so many ingredients left over that I will have to try and find some time to make some more goodies.

We are having our Holiday Hoopla on Saturday. Lot's of people haven't responded but it looks like it will be a great turnout nonetheless. Some of the people we haven't seen in months so it's always nice to get together and catch up. It'll be a long night but I'm in for the long haul and there will be plenty of cheer to go 'round.

Friday Fun...

Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary and his wife was really pissed.

She told him, "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the drive-way that goes from 0 to 200 in under 6 seconds!!"

The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke-up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway.

Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway and brought the box back in the house.

She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale!

Ouch...

Move to the Back of the Bus...

A lot of what we do in life revolves around lining up and waiting.

(Cue bulleted list)

(Bulleted list removed because the list is long and never-ending)

So, why, if everyone generally takes their turn and the chaos is somewhat organized do people constantly think that the bus stop is any different? I mean, why would anyone think that if I've been standing outside in the cold, watching two full buses go by without stopping and waiting 15 minutes for the next bus to stop, that they can just stroll across the street and hop on the bus without waiting more than one minute? I guess first come first serve is more like closest to the door wins. Stop being a selfish prick and wait your turn in the bloody cold or the pouring rain until your the next one to get on the bus and then show your very cool metro card and get on your merry way, a**hole.

Have a nice day!

Cubicle Christmas...

'Tis the season for parties, getting together with friends and family, and silly drunkeness with co-workers. Usually the calendar has filled up by now with random work engagements and especially with all of the Agencies we work with (at least 7 major ones) but we've only seen one invitation come through so far and I have already declined...and I feel good about that.

Last Tuesday we had our CM&C holiday party which is Corporate Marketing and Convergence (all of the Marcom groups including Wireless and Sponsorships etc...). It's about a group of 80 and this year we were invited to a murder mystery at Vaughn Estates. A very nice location and free drinks with a fantastic dessert bar...what more could one ask for? The mystery was hosted of course and we spend most of the evening sitting at our respective tables listening to the "guests" aboard the SS Minnow try to figure out who killed the Captain. We had Mrs. Thom sitting with us (she was always a bit typsy) and I was able to figure out the killer which is great but the event didn't leave time for mingling or just casual conversation which was kind of crappy. Luckily, my name was drawn and I won a $50 GC to the LCBO...the next draw was for a $300 GC to Holt's but I'll take my booze and run.

Last night was our RHP Christmas party at our director's house. We have officially had a re-org and three of our team have branched out and although it has only been a few weeks since this happened it definitely feels different and it was great to have everyone back together again for one last hoorah. There was a lot of baby talk as one of our agency partners (the only outside person invited) is due in 3 weeks and there are 6 others (on our team of 10) with children or babies on the way...too much baby talk for me but somewhat fun to listen to as well. We had a secret santa/gift stealing event and I stole these cute little christmas jewel boxes and a lovely picture frame from my new manager...good times!!

Usually we would have an RHP party but with the re-org and RHP being no longer that's another one shot down. We were all looking forward to a repeat of last year or something similar - hanging out in a box at a Leafs game, all you can eat and drink followed with a portable DVD player and lovely fleece jacket. Ah well...there's a new regime now!

This past Monday we did have a cubicle Christmas and that was a lot of fun. There are 5 of us that sit in an area together and we took the latter part of the afternoon to listen to xmas music, drink egg nog, eat yummy treats and decorate our cubes. It's amazing what a little garland, lights and mini trees will do to an area. Did I mention that I created a fantastic village out of Swiss Chalet chalet's, complete with people, trees and snow?! To top it off we're heading to the Keg Mansion on the 21st for our cube buddy holiday lunch.

Most of us are still waiting for a few more Agency invitations but looking at the calendar I just don't have the time... And, these parties definitely don't compete with Gregger's "let's go to the falls in a limo, have lot's of tasty bevvies, gamble the night away and come out on top because I didn't open my own wallet" Christmas party but I guess that's the difference between companies with under 40 employees and those with over 20,000. And no, I'm not complaining - I don't mind, really, I don't.

November...

It has been so long since I posted other than my "Friday Fun" and I'm not sure why because we have been very busy doing a lot of stuff. I figured a bulleted list should suffice - to get everyone caught up and for me to remember what we've been up to:

- November 3rd we found ourselves in Delhi for my girlfriend from college's wedding. I knew her husband during school but haven't seen either of them in almost 3 years and Dave had met them once. We weren't expecting a spectaculr night and told my parents we wouldn't be that late but it's always great when the unexpected happens. We had a great time - the guys at our table were a lot of fun. While I drank, Dave chatted (being the DD of course) and we didn't end up leaving until about midnight. The wedding was very nice and it was good to see my friend...even if it was only for a few minutes of conversation.
- November 10th was C&C's housewarming and also a nice time. It seems like everyone around us is putting down their money and making the big move. It's a cute little place in the Tobs and a great starter for them...very exciting. This time I was the DD and Dave definitely took advantage!!
- November 16th were the CMA Awards (Canadian Marketing Association). It's a big-deal night and everybody and their mom are there, dressed to the nines of course. Our whole RHP team went because we won Gold for "Integrated Campaign over $1MM" - it was for our RHP Re-Launch in the Spring and is kind of a big deal. Everyone looked lovely and we danced the night away but I didn't last until the wee morning like some...
- November 17th were our baseball awards. As you will remember, Backdoor Sliders represented this year and won the B Championship! Yours truly and my lover won for MVP's and Jonny B won "Most Fun or Most Sportsmanlike" - I'm not really sure. We had people over for pre-festivities and post-festivities. Gregger brought GH3 and we are kind of addicted - I think it was almost 4am before we finally shut 'er down for the night! Good times!
- November 24th Dave went to the men's baseball banquet. Although he wasn't actually on the "official" team, he was on the roster and was a spare that ended up playing a lot. Seemed like deja vu from the weekend before. People over for pre-festivites and post-festivities. Gregger brought GH3 and we are kind of addicted. I was out with Lindsay that night and came home and played by myself for about 2 hours but the boys didn't get back until about 2am and pretty much passed out.
- November 26th Dave and I went to the Transiberian Orchestra. It was awesome and they are fantastic. I was a little disappointed with the first half which is called "Christmas Eve" - it could have been great but there was too much narrating and the songs people were singing were rather slow and not so recognizable. But, they rocked out the last half and their lighting, lasers and pyrotechnics were great. I would definitely recommend them and would go again...maybe not for "Christmas Eve" though!!

So these were all of the major events for November...maybe it doesn't seem like much but when you tack on bowling on Mondays for me, multi-sport on Wednesdays for the both of us, hockey on Thursday for Dave and the random lower-key Friday nights playing Wii it makes for very busy times and that doesn't even include household randoms like laundry, cleaning and shopping. Blah...

Friday Fun...

My new manager is due in March with her first child, a baby girl. And there's a lot of women on our team that have children under the age of 2...they used to tell new people to stay away from the RHP team because everyone there gets knocked up. So, it's not entirely true, there were a lot of us that haven't and won't be anytime soon but with all this baby talk, all of the time, you always hear advice, tidbits of information and stats. This one actually kind of creeps me out.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

Friday Fun...

Yippee for Friday!! I know that I have been a slacker and haven't posted anything in a while...I plan to get back on track and post more than every Friday...in the near future! For now, enjoy some tricky questions.

What is the longest word typed with only the left hand?

What is the longest word typed with only the right hand?

What is the longest word you can make using only one row of letters on the keyboard?

Friday Fun...

20 More Things to Say at Work Each and Every Day:

1. It’s a thankless job, but I’ve got a lot of Karma to burn off
2. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
3. And your crybaby whiny-assed opinion would be?
4. Do I look like a people person?
5. This isn’t an office. It’s Hell with fluorescent lighting.
6. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
7. Sarcasm is just one service we offer.
8. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
9. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
10. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
11. I’m trying to imagine you with a personality.
12. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
13. Can I trade this job for what’s behind door #1?
14. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
15. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
16. Chaos, panic and disorder…my work here is done.
17. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
18. I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted a salary.
19. Who lit the fuse on your tampon?
20. Oh, I get it…like humor…but different.

Friday Fun...

20 Things to Say at Work Each and Every Day...

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of shit!
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
6. I have time for one person's problems each day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.
8. I don't work here, I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a damn word you're saying.
10. Ahhhh, I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
11. I like you, you remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision; I just don't give a damn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connections between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I, flypaper for freaks?!
20. I'm not being rude, you're just insignificant.

Friday Fun...

Halloween has come and gone...there were a lot of great costumes this year...Dick in a Box being the favourite at many parties I'm sure (not sure if they looked as great as Gregger though)!!

BUT, I think the best costume of the year goes to Jillian Ross...she brought the phenomena of 2007 to life...and I'm sure people will be hopping on the band wagon next year if this addiction keeps up!!

Happy Halloween...

October 31st...considered one of the best days in my calendar year. It's not just a day where ghouls and goblins, princes and princesses walk the streets begging for candy but it's a chance to decorate your house with spooky spiderwebs and blood stained curtains and to watch movies like Halloween and Night of the Demons. It's also a chance to carve pumpkins and roast the seeds...delicious. It's also not just one day to celebrate either, the entire month of October is great for fall pumpkins and leaves and everything red, orange and yellow.

Halloween is my second favourite holiday next to Christmas...okay, I know, Halloween isn't even a holiday but who pays attention to details?! This year I have been a slacker - work has been busy and we cancelled our party so the festive spirit didn't run through my veins as it usually would. Don't get me wrong - I wore my best spider shirt and black wig to work today and I bought a halloween music CD in early October. I also put up my pumpkin photos at work and talked about costumes and decorating with everyone I could...some people just aren't that into it.

I already have costume ideas for next year and the party will be on...last year we decorated the apartment to the nines...scary you ask? I think so. Wait until we have a house.

"Don't ever laugh when a hearse goes by for someday you are going to die..."

Cheers to Halloween!

Friday Fun...

Five Surgeons from big cities are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on. The first surgeon, from New York, says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."

The second, from Chicago, responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded."

The third surgeon, from Dallas, says, "No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order."

The fourth surgeon, from Los Angeles chimes in: "You know, I like mechanics...those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over."

But the fifth surgeon, from Washington, DC, shut them all up when he observed: "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the ass are interchangeable."

Everyone likes a good politician joke. Thanks Mom B!

Friday Fun...

Another toy has been re-called...what is the world coming to?

Stuffed...

Another holiday has come and gone and we have given our thanks many, many times. And we have eaten turkey for many, many days from sandwiches at lunch to homemade soup at dinner...delicious!

This past weekend Dave and I hosted our first holiday and prepared our first turkey dinner. We took care of the turkey, gravy, stuffing and mashed potatoes while we had our guests all bring the side dishes and B-Rock bring the beer. Yes, he isn't considered a guest and yes, he got off easy ;) Dave's parents came down on the Friday and are here until the end of this weekend so they came over Saturday with C&D, C's mom and my parents and grandparents as well. It was a great visit with lot's of good conversation, baseball watching, pinball playing and relaxation.

Sunday we had some friends over for more pinball, cards and Wii...a great night that went into the early morn' and everyone feeling pretty tired the day after. That didn't stop the boys from heading to Burlington Monday afternoon to take a bus trip to Buffalo for the Monday Nighter. Sure, the bus overbooked and the 5 of them didn't get on, and yes the tour guide gave them their tickets and left them in the mall parking lot and drove off, and yes they didn't get to tailgate or have a BBQ but I am pretty sure it all worked out in the end considering they got a full refund, the tickets to the game and hired a limo to take them in style. Not to mention that Dave's team came out victorious with seconds left on the clock.

Sufficiently stuffed until Christmas...good times.

Friday Fun...

What five letter word, no matter how you pronounce it, is always pronounced wrong?

Friday Fun...

An elderly Ukrainian man lay dying in his bed. While uffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly melled the aroma of his favorite Ukrainian perogies ith fried onions wafting up the stairs.

Ahhhhhhh! He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed. Gripping the
railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. Downstairs, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen, where if not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were hundreds of his favorite perogies. Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of love from his wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

He threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the perogies was already in his mouth. With a trembling hand he reached for the perogies at the edge of the table, when suddenly he was smacked with a wooden spoon by his wife.

"Piss off." she said. "They're for the funeral."

Friday Fun...

I don't know why I had a dream about Star Wars last night but thought this was appropriate. Actually, now that I think about it we were watching a movie this week where I believe someone quoted Yoda (or at least talked backward)...either way...Happy Friday!

Riding the Pine...

It's a great figure of speech especially in this case. No, we weren't benchwarmers. Yes, we were champions!!

Last night were the finals for our softball league which was broken into an A and B division for play-offs. We were the first team in the B division finishing .500 for the year which is pretty damn good. And we had the honour of being the only team to not get mercied by the big boys from the old A division. Actually, we kept some of the games quite close and only lost by 2 runs both times we played Stir the Pot which took the A division title last night as well.

Even before play-offs started we knew we would meet our arch rivals in the finals...the Pine Riders. It would have been a shock if either team hadn't made it through. We decided to make it close by forfeiting our first game vs. iTeam due to a car breaking down with 4 of Sliders in it but we battled bat and won the rest of the games that night.

Last night was a hay day! Everyone was jacked to play and we all came with our "A" game. One bad inning led us to a first game loss 13-11 but we kicked them where it hurt the 2nd and 3rd games winning 16-5 both times.

The games were everything you could have hoped for - shooting the box (them not us), kicking the bats (again them, not us), drinking beers during the game (I think you got it - them not us), and arguing (okay, on both sides). Our favourite army pant wearing friend Kevin even pulled a grade two move on us when he was on first base after ripping another one up the middle. He called "time" and said that Cordog was chirping him and trying to egg him on...I guess Cordog called him a bad name and didn't like that. Ahhh little Kevy had his feelings hurt and had to cry to Santa! ;) The umpires were also on a huge power trip - maybe Santa thought he was umping the World Series, I'm not sure but all in all it was exactly what was expected.

And I enjoyed every second of it.

Another season in the books, this one as champions. It feels pretty good and I can't wait until next year.

Friday Fun...on Thursday!

While in China, a man is very sexually promiscuous and does not use a condom all the time. A week after arriving back home in the States, he wakes one morning to find his penis covered with bright green and purple spots.

Horrified, he immediately goes to see a doctor. The doctor, never having seen anything like this before, orders some tests and tells the man to return in two days for the results. The man returns a couple of days later and the doctor says: "I've got bad news for you - you've contracted Mongolian VD. It's very rare and almost unheard of here. We know very little about it."

The man looks a little perplexed and says: "Well, give me a shot or something and fix me up, Doc." The doctor answers: "I'm sorry, there's no known cure. We're going to have to amputate your penis." The man screams in horror, "Absolutely not! I want a second opinion."
The doctor replies: "Well, it's your choice. Go ahead if you want but surgery is your only option."
The next day, the man seeks out a Chinese doctor, figuring that he'll know more about the disease. The Chinese doctor examines his penis and proclaims: "Ah, yes, Mongolian VD. Vely rare disease." The guy says to the doctor: "Yeah, yeah, I already know that, but what can we do? My American doctor wants to operate and amputate my penis!"

The Chinese doctor shakes his head and laughs: "Stupid Amelican docta, always want to opelate. Make more money that way. No need to opelate!"

"Oh, Thank God!" the man replies.

"Yes," says the Chinese doctor, "You no worry! Wait two weeks. Faw off by itself!"

Niagara Falls = Baseball...

They go hand in hand...

When I was younger I played competitive fastball for many, many years. Every year we would have a tournament in Niagara Falls called "The Teddy Bear Tournament" - it was a great tournament and solid competition, especially because many teams would come from the States to play. But the most fun was staying at the top of Clifton Hill, at the Oasis Hotel and hanging out after the games with the team and parents. Yes, we got ourselves into trouble but it was all good fun and was a highlight of the season.

Whenever I think of Niagara Falls I think of the good times we had there - checking out the falls, going to Nightmares and Ripley's Moving Theatre, drinking at Rumours Night Club and having a strange guy give us free shots at a shady pub north of the strip. But, I also think of baseball and this weekend I am returning.

No, it's not going to be the same - we are older, more mature and wiser...okay, who am I kidding? Yes, it's going to be practically the same...playing baseball, checking out the falls, going to Nightmares and hopefully Ripley's Moving Theater, having drinks (many more drinks), maybe meeting strange men and doing body shots...toilet papering the other teams cars...you get the drift.

I've wanted to play in Provincials since I started playing slo-pitch and now the time has finally come. It may not be my regular team (I'm just a spare that they want to play as much as possible) but I am on the roster and I am really looking forward to it.

Cheers,
Jenn

Friday Fun Answers...

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends, Boxing

2. North American landmark constantly moving backward. Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons, Asparagus and rhubarb.

4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside, Strawberry.

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)

6. Three English words beginning with "dw", Dwarf, dwell and dwindle.

7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar, Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, bracket s, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.

8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh, Lettuce.

9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet beginning with "s", Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

Friday Fun

They walk among us (part I)...

I walked into a Blimpie's with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for a sandwich. I handed it to the girl and she looked over at a little chalkboard that said "buy one-get one free". "They're already buy-one-get-one-free", she said, "so I guess they're both free". She handed me my free sandwiches and I walked out the door. They walk among us.

A friend of mine bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it." For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. My friend decided that people were too untrusting of this deal. It looked too good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50." The next day someone stole it. They walk among us.

One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when one of them shouted, "Look at that dead bird!" Someone looked up at the sky and said, "Where?" They walk among us.

Turn It On Again...

Although it was grey, windy and humid and I thought a tornado was going to swoop in and hit us, Friday night turned out to be a great success.

When I logged on myself and a co-worker at 9:55am one Monday morning back in March I never thought the day would finally come. Five months passed and the tickets sat in a drawer waiting to be free. Well that day finally came last Friday and man was I pumped.

It wasn't exactly the ideal scenario as I would have preferred a solo show but I figured if I can't see just one I might as well see them all, and Dave and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Sure, he only recognized 4 songs and I recognized maybe 7 but the 4 minutes of song followed by 10 minutes of jamming was amazing (and that happened 2 or 3 times). Did I mention that there were guitar and keyboard solos followed by an amazing drum duet? Did I also mention that the stage was phenomenal? It had an amazing lightshow including fireworks and the entire back of the stage was a video screen. I've posted some pictures online, but my camera doesn't do them justice.

I'm sure you have figured it out, but just incase, who did we go see? I couldn't feeling it coming in the air but I definitely knew we were in a land of confusion. It was Genesis people...not Phil Collins on his own (who by the way is the cutest ever) but it was still worth it and I was so glad to have the opportunity to see him live.

Rock on!

Friday Fun

I've officially changed the name of the "Friday Funny" to "Friday Fun" - I think this gives me more options as to what I can post and may not necessarily be funny but definitely fun (at least in my opinion).

Have fun with this - answers will be posted sometime next week...watch for them! Comment if you want and maybe you can help eachother out with the answers...

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

By the Sea...

This past Friday I headed to St. John's, NFLD. I was meeting a few other co-workers there as it was the launch party for Rogers Home Phone. We held a concert on the Saturday night and had a great time in general.

It was my first time in NFLD and it is beautiful. I was only there until Sunday so didn't have the opportunity to explore too much but you can definitely spend some time there - drive up the coast and really enjoy yourself. Many people say it reminds them of Ireland...I haven't been there either but if that's what Ireleand is like - I'm all over that too.

From the moment we got in the cab, the cabbie became our official tour guide - pointing out everything along the way that had a story or was a part of history. Everyone is so friendly and laid back. Friday we spent shopping and sitting on a patio - the weather was actually hot and sunny and then that night we went to The Cellar - a cool little restaurant where we enjoyed great food and a few drinks. After dinner we headed to George Street...

George St - for those that haven't been there and enjoy wetting their whistles is the place to be. It's blocked off from traffic and everyone walks around from bar to bar...rumour is there is almost 100 bars in a two block radius. We headed to Trapper John's for the inaugural "Screeching In" - screech is a NFLD delicacy - a wonderfully dark rum (okay, maybe not so wonderful). There are a few traditions depending on where you go - this one had you down your shot, say a little poem, and kiss the ass of a puffin...no, it wasn't real. But some places make you kiss a frozen cod - I'll take the ass end any day!

Saturday was the night of the concert. Myself and two other girls were in charge of selling concert t-shirts - a pretty easy task. Opening act was Joel Plaskett and he was really good..,an up and riser who is already quite popular in Toronto. And of course the main show was Great Big Sea - how cool is that?! This was my frist time seeing there and what a time to see them - they hadn't been home in 5 years and NFLD isn't a stop on their next tour. It was an amazing concert and I had 3rd row seats...I definitely can't complain. After the concert we went to a quaint little bar for a wrap-up party and a lot of drinks and then headed back to George St. We went to O'Reillys again - a local band performs there each night and then we went to a dance club (I was feeling like grooving). It turned out to have a 70's rock cover band but they were awesome...playing classics from Elton John, AC/DC and Fleetwood Mac. I didn't stroll into my hotel room until after 3am.

Sunday we packed up and hit the streets again. We went to Signal Hill - the view is amazing and then enjoyed a lovely aqua massage. We strolled back into Toronto around 10pm. All in all a terrific time...it makes me want to do a road trip out East...Dave will be up for it...sometime.

Friday Funny

I'm in a rush so not much time,
Thought you'd enjoy this little rhyme.

I'm off to Newfoundland tomorrow,
I have a day off work to drown my sorrow.

Rogers Home Phone has launched, I'm going for free,
I'm headed to the launch party, to see Great Big Sea!

Happy Long Weekend!

Diamonds are Forever...

And a rare achivement these days. Last weekend Dave and I headed to Waterloo for a much anticipated 60th Anniversary party for my grandparents. Their anniversary is actually today but we thought celebrating the weekend before the long weekend was a better idea.

My parents and I have been planning this party since the beginning of the year, at first it was going to be at my parents house and in their backyard but after much discussion my grandpa decided it wanted something more formal...that's what it became very similar to a wedding reception.

The hall was at a senior's residence and it was beautiful. The food was amazing and the caterers and bartenders were very nice. Approximately 80 guests attended including family and friends from all over Canada (Nova Scotia, Thunder Bay, Yukon...). The party started at 5pm and didn't end until 9pm (later than we had expected given the majority of people were over 70). The first hour was meet and greet (of course the bar was open). My dad and I put together a DVD of pictures I had asked the guests to send me that played throughout the whole reception and music played from the 30's and 40's.

I had the honour of being the Emcee...my first time. I was a little nervous but all went well - I was a natural (as you could imagine!). I said my spiel before and after dinner...prepared a speech, passed the mic to my dad, then to my grandma and then to my grandpa. All speeches were short but sweet.

My grandparents are the most amazing people I have ever met - they have stuck together through thick and thin and are an inspiration to many. They have had a life any of us would be happy to lead and they are still going strong. They may be 87 and 92 but I hope to share many more milestones with them and all be around for all of the small things inbetween.

Cheers to love and laughter and happily ever after.

Friday Funny

I haven't been around much and am getting pretty lame with my Friday Funnies.

Some people obviously have too much time on their hands:

But what a great surprise for kids or husbands when they open up their lunch everyday!

Lions, Tigers and Bears...

Oh my!

Well there weren't lions or tigers but Hunter had a premonition that we would see large animals, probably a moose or bear...and that didn't happen either (thank goodness!).

Last weekend (we had Friday off) Dave and I headed to Algonquin with our friends Hunter and Jenny. It was my first time camping in the wilderness and I have to say that it was what I expected and I could do it again (but once or twice a year would be plenty).

We parked the car at about 12pm, picked up our canoes and loaded everything on - the sun was shining and it was getting warmer - a beautiful day ahead. We had to get through two portages and three lakes...by the time we got on the 2nd lake it started to rain, the sky turned grey and thunder and lightning could be seen/heard in the distance. We made it to our lake, picked a site (which was beautiful) and got the tarp up and a fire started. It rained most of the day until the late evening...sitting there damp and cold, able to set the tent up at about 11pm at night. What was I getting myself into?

Saturday was much nicer...still not t-shirt and short weather though - actually I had on four layers to be exact. We just hung around the site chatting and later Jenny and I went for a few hikes on the trails. We met Ranger Roy who the boys had a coffee with while he cleaned up our fire pot and moved our boom box to a fresh spot (thanks!). Hunter had all of the camping necessities and the little extras you sometimes don't think about!

Sunday was the best day of the weekend...of course! We had breakfast, packed everything up and headed back onto the open water for the trek home. As we were leaving there was a car in the ditch so the boys pulled him out with Hunter's truck and we continued on our merry way. A good deed is always a nice way to end a great weekend. But what's even better is getting stuck on the already cottage congested 400 because of a two lane closure - we came to a 45min complete stop but managed to make it home by 8:30pm.

Short and sweet - I could have talked about all of the laughs and details of what we did but you get the jist. We'll do it again next year and then I won't be the rookie!

Friday Funny

Waiting in Amish country last Friday I mentioned that a young man, probably early 20's, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt tucked in stopped by to see if we were okay.

He came up to the car and Dave explained the tow truck was on the way and thanked him for stopping. After that the conversation went a little something like this:

Amish: "Where are you guys from?"
Dave: "Toronto"
Amish: "Oh yeah, I was there last night."
Dave: "Cool, partying or something?"
Amish: "No, singing."

Amish: "Yeah, we're Christian, you know spreading the good word."
Dave: "That's cool."

Dave: "Wow, awkward." said under his breath but definitely out loud.

The conversation went on a few minutes longer - the young lad was meeting up to play some baseball in one of the corn fields because "if you build it, they will come" or some shit like that.

It was a completely random conversation and if Dave blantantly hadn't said "thanks for stopping and we're okay" I think he might have wanted to hang out in the backseat, spreading the good ol' word a little more. Maybe not so funny, and I've probably offended some but what the hell...it was pretty damn funny to us.

Amen.

Clutch This...

It's been a busy and short week for me...we're heading up north again tomorrow so I wanted to ensure I got in one last blog before we left (or maybe two!).

This past weekend was supposed to be a restful and relaxing one at the cottage - pick up a few things we need for this weekend, have a visit with my parents and grandparents, watch some baseball, play some bocce and just take it all in. Well, we did all of the things above but also had a quite eventful and entertaining Friday night.

Our cottage is about 3 hours from Toronto and 1.5 hours from Waterloo (where both of my parents and grandparents live). A we were just on the outskirts of Waterloo heading toward Wallenstein; aka "Horse and buggy country" the clutch on Calvin died. Dave was pretty impressed that it had lasted us 136K as they usually go earlier than that. Well, needless to say we were stranded on the shoulder as horses passed by waiting for the tow truck to take us back to Waterloo. It would have been easy if any of my family weren't already at the cottage or if I had keys to one of their places but I didn't bring them with me... After an hour the car was towed to my old mechanic, my parents drove back the 1.5 hours to pick us up and we left our keys in the mail slot saying we would pick up the car Sunday night. Saturday afternoon rolls around without a call, so we call the mechanic and he says "on any given day, especially with this type of car I could find a clutch but nowhere in KW has one right now..." So needless to say we needed to get back to Toronto for Monday, neither of us could take the day off and stick around.

Calvin wasn't ready until Tuesday afternoon so my parents drove him back home and picked up their own. Okay, so this isn't such an exciting story but there were a few highlights:

1) Two young guys stopped by at different times to see if we were okay. The second came right up to the car and talked to us for several minutes...a very awkward conversation...hmm, maybe decent for my Friday funny.
2) Why would it take so long to get a clutch? 2002 was the first year they used a new clutch in Cavaliers...I guess they are a hot commodity!
3) It's fun trying to figure out how you will get where you need to be when you are three hours away in a town that doesn't really have too much to offer and family who offer ideas before thinking them through.
4) Eventhough we knew the car was in the garage we stopped by on our way home Sunday night. Dave had his tools in the trunk and I had my baseball stuff. A cleaner was inside so we tapped on the window and asked if he could grab our stuff...of course that is probably completely against the rules and he was hesitant but he took our keys and grabbed what we needed. You gotta love a man that will bend the rules to help out those in need.

$1,800 dollars and a slightly rabbit hopping clutch later all is well again and Calvin is home.

Friday Funny

I was looking for some pictures on my Uncle's website that I could use for a slideeshow I'm making for an upcoming party and came across this dandy. It's from their camping trip in Cape Cod this past weekend...

How can something so beautiful be so phallic?

5th Annual Cottage Party

After taking the Chi-Cheemaun to Tobermory we were on the last stretch to our final destination...Kincardine. This is the 5th year we have invited friends up to our cottage for a weekend of relaxing, drinking, eating and games...some more than others and I'm not exactly sure if anyone is relaxed by the time Monday rolls around.

This year we had some early arrivers Thursday morning and in total had about 20 people come and go over the course of the weekend. There were many bocce ball championships and dips in the lake - it was warm until Sunday but even then some of us mustered up the courage. The weather was beautiful the whole time, not one drop of rain but we did have a fire ban so no bonfires for us (a litle disappointing considering I can't even recall ever having a ban before and we are right on the beach next to the water). Ah well, we survived.

With no fires during the evening the drinking games became the main past-time - from 3-Man to 3-Man H to H to H and drinking dominos to pussy shot bocce there was a game for everyone. Honorable mention goes to the Pearl Jam concert live on the deck and Catch Phrase which helped keep the designated drivers entertained too. 10 cases of beer and umpteen bottles of alcohol later, Monday arrived too quickly and another weekend had come and gone.

As usual, it was another one for the books. I'm already looking forward to next year and what's in store...

Road Trip 2007

We're back from the great north...okay, not really the great north but we are back from our Road Trip 2007.

If it wasn't for a 2km stretch worth a 1.5hr stretch in the Soo we would have made it to T-Bay in record time. We got to Dave's parents around 10pm and had a quick visit and enjoyed Taco Time (Dave's favourite and a must have everytime we go) before calling it quits after a long day on the road...about 15 hours to be exact. Friday morning we ran a few errands and dropped by to visit our favourite Persian Man. For all those from the north or that have known the B's a while - it's a Thunder Bay delight and I never pass up the opportunity to enjoy a few tasty morsels of fresh, soft donut, covered with mouth-watering strawberry creamy goodness on top.

Friday afternoon the B's picked up B-Rock and we were on our way to camp...1.5 hours north of T-Bay. The weather was hot and humid which is surprising for that area. We didn't get one drop of rain, it was hot in the shade and the lake felt like you were swimming in a bathtub. We spent a few nights fishing...I caught the two biggest fish =) and the rest of the time eating, drinking, swimming and playing cards and Yahtzee. All in all a really great time.

Wednesday morning we were up at dawn for the long trek back to my cottage. We left at 7am to ensure we caught the 10pm Chi-Cheemaun from Manitoulin to Tobermory. We got to the ferry at 8pm, had a bite to eat and a relaxing two hour ride, arriving at the cottage just before 2am. It took 19 hours of travel time but we survived.

Did I mention that Dave and I had to not only put up with B-Rock all week but his flatulence did prevail every day of our holiday?!!

Gone Fishin'

I'll be out of commision until after the long weekend...I know, you guys are disappointed you won't be receiving your regular Friday Funny...hang tight - I'll be back.

We're heading up to the far north - to be isolated without email or phone...all we will hear are the sounds of the loons on the lake, the whip of the fishing line as it's cast, and the smell of the sweet outdoors or maybe that will be B-Rocks flatulents...

Swing Batter Batter Batter...

It was another busy weekend but this time full of good ol' baseball!!

Friday night we went to the Jays game...add another tick to the loss column and another boring game for us this year. We're headed there again tonight to see my main man Justin Morneau - hopefully they will continue their streak...I mean, the Jays haven't won more than 4 games in a row all season.

This weekend we also had our league baseball tournament and that was a lot of fun. We went 1-2 on Saturday but only lost our last game 9-7. We managed to make it to Sunday and play against the team that beat us 18-9 Saturday afternoon - we reciprocated the pounding and actually mercied them 17-5. Right after we played another one of the top teams in the league that beat us earlier in the season by about 16-6 and we only lost 8-7. A heartbreaker to lose but I feel pretty damn good about it. Yesterday we had another season game against the tournament winners and we kept it close - another 8-7 loss.

We went into this season knowing that we were in a much more competitive league and might get our asses kicked more than a few times. We have managed to play all of the top A teams and although we have lost most games and our record is 6-7 we have lost 4 games by less than 2 runs... Our defense is awesome, it's just our bats that haven't got going this year. We're on the home stretch of the season now - 5 games left all against teams we have lost to earlier so we're due to come out on top. It's been a great ride, the games have been close and it's been a lot of fun. We can't ask for much more...well, maybe a few more wins but we'll work on that for next year.

There's a few teams from the old "B" division that have their complaints and are looking to voice them but we are looking forward to the challenge and are ready to show those "A" teams we can hold our own. We've earned their respect now we just need to serve it up...Backdoor Slider style.

Saturday was also J-Rod's birthday!! After the tourny we headed to the Tobs for a BBQ and pool party to help him celebrate - it was nice to relax and have a few drinks after 3 afternoon games and a few bumps and bruises.

Friday Funny

Impossible???

Friday Funny...

A father put his three year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers which she ended by saying: "God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, God bless Grandma and goodbye Grandpa."

The father asked, "Why did you say goodbye grandpa?" The little girl said, "I don't know daddy, it just seemed like the thing to do" The next day grandpa died. The father thought it was a strange coincidence. A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her prayers again which went like this:

"God bless Mommy, God Bless Daddy and goodbye Grandma.." The next day the grandmother died. Oh my gosh, thought the father, this kid is in contact with the other side. Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say: "God bless Mommy and goodbye Daddy."

He practically went into shock. He couldn't sleep all night and got up at the crack-of-dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch sent in and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be okay.

He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound. Finally midnight arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief and went home.

When he got home his wife said "I've never seen you work so late, what's the matter?" He said "I don't want to talk about it, I've just spent the worst day of my life."

She said, "You think you had a bad day, you'll never believe what happened to me. This morning my golf pro dropped dead in the middle of my lesson!"

Our last weekend of freedom...

Okay, not really our last weekend of freedom but it was our last weekend to do what we wanted without an agenda until mid-September. We managed to fill our weekend with fun things to do but sitting here right now, I'm tired...as usual.

Friday we took my sister in-law for a b-day dinner at Kelsey's and then went back to our place to play some good ol' Mario Party. It's a less intensive Wii game but still pretty fun and pretty frustrating - I'm surprised Dave hasn't smashed our glass table or thrown the remote across the room...he's learning in his old age.

Saturday Dave did a side job in the afternoon and I went and got a long overdue haircut. It's nothing special, just a trim but going to some shady ethnic salon in the mall always reminds me of why I will always go back to my stylist in London for as long as I can...she's worth the drive. Sure, it was easier when my parents lived there but I still have friends there and I plan on calling them up for a place to crash because I just can't fathom paying $40 for a trim and not even one that is all that hot.

Given that this was our last free weekend without pre-determined plans we went to the 5 Drive-In to see "Knocked Up" and the most recent installment of "Die Hard". I absolutely love the drive-in - getting there at 7pm, playing yahtzee, throwing the ball around, just hanging out until 10pm when the movies finally start. It was funny to run into G&L, so they also helped pass the time waiting! Knocked Up was super funny for the first half but went on a steep downhill from there (only my opinion of course) but Die Hard was great, John McClane back and at his finest (well, as good as he can be after all these years).

Sunday we went to the Jays game, had great tickets in the HSBC VIP section! And what a stellar game to watch...Towers almost went the distance and the Jays squeaked out a 1-0 win in the bottom of the 9th. I think I'll be posting about my boys in a future post soon. After the game we walked to Nathan Phillips Square for the Outdoor Art Exhbition - it was terrific. So many beautiful pieces and talented artists...I just need to remember to have a big wad next time, as the average piece cost $600 (for small) and $3000 (for large).

Another great weekend for the books. Here's to the rest of the summer, before we know it, it will be over.

Friday Funny

Nothing like some good porn to get the weekend started...























Okay, so this might be geared toward women but I like their style! The blurbs are a little small so I'll help you guys out:

• "Ooh, look, the NFL playoffs are on today. I bet we'll have no trouble parking at the crafts fair."
• "Hold that thought a second, I want to pull over to ask for directions."
• "I know. Let's take you shoe shopping!"

Happy July...

It's hard to believe that we are already in July - I think that as an adult time has gone by much quicker for me. Perhaps it's the mundane, everyday tasks at work, or maybe it's just that we have less to look forward. I don't think it's the latter though because I always am looking forward to something...even if it is just an evening program on TV! (I know, that's lame).

This past long weekend Dave and I went to our cottage for our annual get together with my parents, our longtime family friends (the Eddy's) and their daughter (our roommate Linds). The tradition started many years ago - even before kids were invited and now we bring along anyone who might be "in" with the group at that particular time. Although, Fernando has taken a pass the past two years!!

It was a wee bit chilly and the wind was strong so we didn't spend too much time outside, which for some reason cut down on our alcohol intake and made the days and nights more sedated. But ,I'm not complaining, we ate a lot, had great conversation and had great cottage sleeps.

Too bad long weekends can't last a little longer.

Friday Funny

It's not funny but I think the hand art below is pretty neat!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

This past weekend Dave and I went to Niagara Falls for a romantic evening of love and laughter...okay, not really for love but we did have a lot of laughs and a great time. This was only Dave's second time to the falls, the last time he was only about 13. Growing up playing fastball we always played in the Teddy Bear tournament there and always stayed at the top of Clifton Hill - lot's of great memories and I love going back.

Saturday started out a little rough with Dave coming home that morning not feeling 100% after a night with the boys but he pulled his stuff together and we were on the road by about 1pm. We got to our swanky accomodations - the Cadillac Motel just in time to watch the rest of the Jays game and have a quick nap. The motel really was first class, complete with baby blue fixtures in the washroom with pink and black tiles and lovely brown shag in the room with wood paneling on the walls. It was cheap and we weren't feeling the heart-shaped jacuzzi so it worked out just fine for us.

We had reservations at the Skylon Tower in the revolving dining room for 5pm - it was a very nice meal and we enjoyed looking at everything from above - the view of the falls was beautiful and we saw a lot of rainbows (of course!). After dinner we walked down to the falls and then journeyed "behind the falls". The rain coats were lovely, we got wet but it was really neat to be down there and get to look at the small portals about 1/3 into the falls. After we walked back up and decided to check out the 3D/4D History of the Falls movie - what a complete waste of time. The acting was terrible, the water squirted onto your face was the 4D effect and the story was brutal. 20 minutes was way too much to handle so I would definitely recommend this to anyone (obviously!). We took a walk through the casino (which was beautiful), spent $10 on slots in less than 5 minutes and then walked down Clifton Hill checking out the hot spots ending back at the falls to see them at night with the lights. We were tired from all of the walking so called it an early night and enjoyed watching Finding Nemo back in the room (it was one of the five channels we got)!

Sunday we went to Nightmares (my favourite thing to do in Niagara Falls) and eventhough it was the middle of the day and there weren't other people around helping to add to the ambiance we still had a great time. They take photos now as you go through and we looked great - Dave had a somewhat scared look on his face and I was laughing - the guy pointed out that was kinda strange but I guess I just enjoy being scared and get a good laugh out of it. I had a wax hand made (which was really cool) at Ripley's Wax Works (or something like that) and then we headed home in time to see the 9th inning of the Jays game and Dustin McGowan almost get a no-no.

All in all a terrific weekend...slow starting but well worth the wait.

Friday Funny

Coming soon to a street corner near you!

I'm thinking these are already being used somewhere, probably in Europe.

CN goes Neon

For those who haven't listened to the radio lately, walked downtown at night, or read the paper, something is happening in Toronto that's going to be big and I've been talking about this forever...maybe they were listening. Whoever they are.

The CN Tower - the world's tallest freestanding building is lighting up. For 31 years the tower has stood in the heart of the downtown and is a popular attraction site for tourists. Who wouldn't want to visit this? Especially at night, it lights up the area and can be seen for miles and miles - can't you see how spectacular it is in the picture to the right?

A few weeks ago at a Jays game (of course) we watched the elevator move every few minutes down the shaft - we finally figured out they were adding neon lights. On Tuesday when we were at the Jays game we saw it lit up - bright red, green, blue, purple, red and white, yellow and pink, solid colours and rainbows.

Now this will be something that people will talk about and you won't be able to miss it. The official unveiling is June 28th. I think they are still working on the settings and testing things out but it really does look pretty cool. Sure it doesn't help the energy crisis but I'm sure they are using the most efficient lights and what we spend in hydro will pay for itself in the added revenue (I mean, that's the plan right?). Eiffel Tower watch out, you've got nothing on us now.

This Week in Baseball

I've been lazy, not in real life but definitely on blogging. I thought perhaps it's because I don't have anything really interesting to share, thought provoking or mildly exciting or maybe it's just because I'm not as into this blogging thing as I thought. But then I started thinking about it and I always ensure that I post on Fridays and I think about posting often just never get around to it. So, things have just been busy, we're out every night this week and have a busy weekend ahead of us. We also don't have one free weekend until after the long weekend in September...that's a lot of plans and a lot of busyness.

This past weekend my parents came to visit and we went to the Jays game Friday night. We have been to more losses than we can count this year so it was great to see Doc come out on top. Saturday we went with them to the IMAX to see Spiderman 3 - I wasn't expecting much based on what I had heard but I actually found it quite entertaining. Those movies are always better with the IMAX experience but I think I actually enjoyed it better than 2, maybe not though...I can't exactly remember 2 that well.

Monday we had our own baseball game against the Beavs and we got ourselves another tick in the win column. Tuesday we went to the Jays game again and we got back on track with the losses, 10-1, very dismal and boring but we met up with Starnes who spotted us in the stands so chatting with him helped pass the time. Tonight I spared on a women's slo-pitch team - we had a double header and it was great playing with all ladies again. It was my first time pitching with the strike-zone but it was successful as we won both games. Tomorrow we are headed back to the Rogers Centre and hopefully will see another good game as I think Roy is back on the mound. Our friends, the Black Sox are playing in a tournament this weekend so we might try to catch a game Friday night, we'll have to see though - that's a lot of ball games. But then again, I can't really complain, I love the sport.

Friday Funny

It was a busy week at the office but I wanted to make sure I posted my regular Friday Funny!

The Secretary of Defense is briefing President Bush on Iraq. "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."

"Oh no!" exclaims the president, "That's terrible!"

His staff is stunned at this unprecedented display of emotion, watching as Bush sits, head in hands.

Finally, he looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

Friday Funny

It's been a long week, I'm tired and I'm feeling like this poor little guy!

Happy Friday!

Monday, Monday

Another weekend has come and gone...the weeks seem to be getting longer and the weekends shorter. We did have a nice weekend though - not very productive but if you consider catching up with friends productive then we did a great job of that.

Friday night we had a sleepover with four of our friends. We spent the night playing the Wii (of course) and were entertained by the main event: Wii Boxing Challenger, Gregger, taking on Wii Boxing Champion, the Rod. There was no clear cut winner after three rounds and the judges decision gave Gregger the belt. Stay tuned this summer for the re-match of the year.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early (nobody should get up at 6:30am on a Saturday morning) and headed to the ferry docks for a day of Hope Volleyball on Centre Island. We kept the trend alive and were "feeling good" by 9am. However, this time we stayed on the island until almost 7pm - it gave our bodies a chance to relax and wear off the effects. While feeling like we had 8pm hangovers - it wasn't nearly that bad. The Back Row Attackers finished 4-2, while the Lost Soles had a late day rush to finish at .500. Good times had by all!

Sunday was the usual - nap on the couch all-day, watch baseball and order Chinese. What could be better really?!

Friday Funny

In honour of D, Rod and Hunter's recent trip to Kentucky I thought this was appropriate. I'm not sure if they met anyone like this...but I heard their a dime a dozen in those parts...

After living in the remote wilderness of Kentucky all his life, an old codger decided it was time to visit the big city. In one of the city's stores he picked up a mirror and looked in it. Not knowing what it was, he remarked, "How about that! Here’s a picture of my daddy."

He bought the "picture", but on the way home remembered that his wife, Lizzy, didn't much like his father. So he hung it in the barn, and every morning before leaving for the fields, he would go there and look at it.

The man's many trips to the barn began to draw Lizzy's suspicion. One day after her husband left, she searched the barn and found the mirror. As she looked into the glass, she fumed, "So that's the ugly bitch he's runnin' around with."

Reality Bites

Another season has come and gone with a few of my favourite reality shows. Okay, not necessarily my favourites as I think some of them have run their course and should be put up on the shelf with "Who Wants to Marry My Dad" and "Apprentice", left to get dusty and yellow around the edges. But, I'm a sucker for most of them and I watch them because I enjoy the drama and the terribleness of most of them.

Apprentice ended quite a while ago (thank god). I've heard rumours Trump is not getting another deal...that's too bad, I thought maybe the next season could be everyone living in a trailer park no matter if you win or lose. Boise, Idaho would also be a great location. I didn't really care for any of the three finalists but it was interesting to see they were all from the original team that lost week after week. I think he made the right choice (I can't even remember her name because she played in the shadows) but James was just super annoying and so was Nicole, especially with her love of Tim.

The Amazing Race: All-Stars also ended some time ago. While I was hoping the blondes would be standing first on the podium, again I was disappointed. The ladies did definitely represent as 5 of the 6 finalists were women. I'm glad Mirna and Shmirna were the last to waddle in and while I thought Eric and Danielle were annoying beyond belief, they played an okay game. The last leg seemed a little easy and I didn't like that it was one that came down to time and the run wasn't much to Phil but what can you do? I wouldn't consider the game All-Stars but it was decent and I enjoyed it. Now let Canadians play so I can have my shot!

Survivor ended a few weeks ago and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the final episode. Yau-Man was the man and I really wanted him to go all the way but we had to know his deal with Dreamz was going to come back to haunt him. At least the haunting of the car still looms and neither winner of the car won the game. Final tribal council shed images of the first Survivor with Susan...it was great and I loved some of the questions. Alex, filling his lawyer boots and Lise sticking to her white trash routes...it was classic! Cassanda and Dreamz had no chance so I was glad to see the black man win...wait, they were all black - that must have been a first. Go Earl Go!!! He played a strong game and deserved to be in the end, let alone the winner!

America's Next Top Model - now this finale was a little disappointing. With only being an hour they had a lot of stuff to cover but on the other hand it was nice not to see everything dragged on and a bunch of bullshit fills involved. I was hoping for Renee but in the end ANTM got their first ever latina-winner, not to mention someone who was part-deaf (okay, so it took me a few weeks to figure out that's just the way she talked and wasn't doing a Marlee Matlin) and part-drag queen. It's too bad that Renee had solid pictures throughout, won a ton of rewards and yet she is too-old looking, what a criticism for a 20yr. old. I'm sure it will help all those teens out there that are dying to make it in the modelling world to go out and get new noses and eye lifts to help keep them young way into their 20's.

American Idol ended on Wednesday. While this is one of those shows that I don't enjoy all that much, I watch it because it's on. However, from the start Jordin and Blake (best performance of the season by anyone) were my two favourites and I think they both have potential so I was happy to see them in the finale. I am very happy for Jordin and hope she doesn't get swept up in the drama and actually makes a name for herself. While Blake was my favourite hands-down and was actually incredibly happy he didn't win. Just like Chris Daughtry, he now has the chance to do his own thing, and I think it's going to be beat-boxing great.

The Bachelor ended on Monday. I don't know why I watch these shows, I never feel the love anymore...Trista and Ryan was the last one where you knew the connection and knew that it was legitimate and real, despite the fantasy world they were living in. Again, I was hoping for Bevin, eventhough she looks like a troll/chihuahua mix. I don't really understand why Danielle made it anyway near the final three and it was a little shocking considering they hardly had any intimate or one-on-one moments. Tessa is the big winner - she plans on moving to Hawaii in the next few months but no plans for marriage...baby steps. I hope it works out but the odds are against them. Bring on The Bachelorette - let's get some more men in on the action.

Just a quick recap for the books... I'm hoping for a summer of Big Brother and Rock Star but I'm thinking I'll only be batting .500. At least Big Brother gives us three nights of pure enjoyment a week. What more can I really ask for?

Big Brother
July 5, 2007
8:00pm on CBS

Friday Funny

Okay...so I definitely think this is funny and the whole site is actually pretty good. If you're looking to waste a few hours this is the place! There's quite a few skits with famous people and the site was actually created along side Gary Sanchez Productions (Will Ferrell's company).

The Landlord

Enjoy!
J.

Vacay in Florida!

I always look forward to long weekends but by the time the following short week comes along I know it's going to be long and busy because you are cramming five days of work into four. It never fails and that's always the way it's been - at least where I have worked. Ah well, tomorrow is Friday and now I will take a short break to reflect on my past May 2-4 weekend.

Florida was fantastic - the weatherman was right (for maybe the 3rd time in his life)! The weather was beautiful, 30+ everyday.

Our flight was at 6:35am from Buffalo so we managed to get on the road at 3:40am...of course there are some stops along the way - for gas and for Timmy's. Not to mention going 25 minutes the wrong way, having to circle back the 25 minutes to find out we couldn't get onto the ramp from that side and having to circle around once again. It was pouring rain, we had to wait at customs, traffic was good but when we parked the car we knew we had to make a dash for it. Luckily, a shuttle bus came out of nowhere right to our car, we got to the check-in and the lady said "Going to Cincinnatti?" and we said "Yes" and she said "No - it's closed." duh, duh, duh. That sucks - she said we need to be here a 1/2 hour before and we were two minutes late. We said we would carry-on and she managed to check us in after some complaining. The security guard took us outside and around the building to another shady security check-in. Since we we're all checking we emptied all of the large bottles of liquid we had including sunscreen, perfume, shampoos etc... and razors. We arrived at Gate 1 with about 10 minuts to spare and realized our gate was all the way to the end...Gate 26. We started running and by running I mean full out sprint... At about Gate 7, we turned around and couldn't see two girls but then lo and behold they had been picked up by one of the handicap trolleys! They picked us up on the way and we made it with minutes to spare... I have never had an experience like that again...and I don't want to have another one but it did make me realize that I am sooo ready for the Amazing Race to let Canadians play!!



Anyways, we arrived in Florida Thursday afternoon, went for a great lunch at Bahama Breeze (so delicious) and saw dolphins swimming in a little inlet. We made our way to the condo which was great and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool. Friday was our shopping day (of course) and that evening went to Cody's (a local bar) for some drinks and bar burgers...(the most mouth-watering burgers you can imagine for only $1.50 at the bar).

Saturday we spent the day at the beach, swimming in the ocean and working on our tans. That evening we headed to Bonefish...probably not the best part of the trip as one of us had the ahi tuna, raw style, and it wasn't very pretty...(not me since I can't do fish - thank goodness!). Sunday we lazed around and headed to Tarpon Springs for dinner - a cute little greek town by the water - very "kitchy" but nice!


And then it was Monday...more time by the pool and then back home... The trip started out a little shaky but all-in-all it was fabulous!! We all got along amazingly well and we didn't even have any boys or much alcohol to keep us entertained. True sisterhood - that's hot!

Friday Funny...on Wednesday

I won't be here on Friday - re: the previous post. This isn't funny but amazing...I'm sure you've seen Julian Beever's work before but if you haven't he is fantastic. Below is just a small sample of his chalk drawings.

T.G.I...the L.W.

The forecast is sunny, slight cloudy periods with highs of 30. There's a 30% chance of thunderstorms but that's only for Thursday and well...I'm sure we can keep ourselves entertained and busy...maybe check out a few outlets and stuff.

The ladies are headed to Florida tonight for the long weekend, staying at our friend's condo and I am soooo looking forward to it. This will only be the 2nd and 3rd days I have taken off this year...not bad considering we are at the end of May already.

We don't have too much on the agenda - do some shopping (of course!), hit some nice restaurants, check out a local bar - 2 for $5.00 cocktails, and lie by the pool basking in the sun. My plan for this trip is to spend as much time as possible getting some quality R&R - after all, we're only there for four and change days. Main goal = get rid of the winter paste...I don't need everyone to still be blinded by the white when I get back.

Thank god it's the long weekend! Have a good one everybody!

Waterloo-Hoo

This past weekend D and I went to my parents new place in Waterloo. Technically it isn't new since it's me grandparents old house but it was different and nice not having to drive the extra hour to get to London. The house looks really nice - they still have quite a bit of unpacking to do but it felt like home...and it felt just like it did when I lived there for three years except more modern! D spent the weekend putting together the main bathroom while I helped my mom organize the rooms and decorate!!

My grandparents, who now live 5 minutes down the road, came over on Saturday and we celebrated our April birthdays. A little past due but I don't think that really matters. My grandma, grandpa, dad, D and I are all April babies...the only one left out is my mom. She always makes jokes about how everyone gets to celebrate but her but then we have to remind her that she gets a month and party all to herself...hardly fair I think.

All in all it was a great weekend - we're a little tired this morning but then again...it is Monday. And, the Survivor finale was a good one. I was disappointed that Yau-Man couldn't make it all the way, but our number two pick to win was Earl so all ends well.

Friday Funny

An old man and a young man work together in an office. The old man always has a jar of peanuts on his desk, and the young man really loves peanuts.

One day, while the old man is away from his desk, the young man yields to temptation and scarfs down over half of the contents of the jar. When the old man returns, the young man feels guilty and confesses to his crime.

"Don't worry, son. I never eat the peanuts anyway," the old man replies. "Since I lost my teeth, all I can do is gum chocolate off the M&M's."

Blow Jays

If you recall I did a very nice and supportive post at the beginning of the season highlighting my #1 team the Blue Jays. I have reverted back to my family nickname for them the "Blow Jays" which seems to be the trend recently.

Yes, it is early in the season, and yes, we have Reed Johnson, BJ Ryan and Gregg Zaun on the disabled list, and yes, we will hopefully snap out of our 8-game losing streak but the question is..."what the f*@!??" I mean, why would anyone want to take advantage and kick the Yankees while their down? That's a crazy notion.

Last week it was surprising to see a stat that showed the Blow Jays had the second best bullpen in the American league...suprising because current stats now show they have blown 6 save opportunities and given up 46 (league-leading) homeruns in the first 33 games of the season.

We need BJ back as soon as possible... I mean, Frasor is a piece of shit, and well, Marcum, Zambrano and Towers also in our bullpen are shitting the bed too. Janssen and Downs are holding their own and Accardo is our secret-weapon but when will these guys be able to turn it around? It doesn't help that majority of our starters can't seem to get past 5 innings and their inconsistency is very consistent. We all need BJ in a big way - if you know what I mean.

Reed Johnson is being missed as well - now don't get me wrong, Adam Lind is holding his own and doing a great job...but he has hit a standstill at the plate only being something like 3 for his last 32. We need Reed's energy and spark at lead-off - we need someone to light the fire under these guys.

And don't get me started on Thomas or Clayton - I gave them props at the beginning of the season and thought they would be welcomed additions to the team but so far...I don't think that $20 million or so is being spent too wisely. Hey Frank - why don't you try swinging when the balls down the pipe - you might actually be able to get it out of the infield.

Ah well, I could go on forever but I won't waste anymore of anyone's time. They have the potential and there is a lot of season left...I just hope we can snap out of this whirlwind while we still have a shot.

We're heading to the game tonight - hopefully Doc will be back with avengeance after his last dismal showing. Fingers-crossed that we take a least one from the damn Red Sox.

P.S. - Manny get a haircut and Captain - well, how's that "C" feeling?

TV Links and More...

A co-worker passed this on to me yesterday and after searching for several of my favourite TV shows and movies I have decided this is a great site - I know there are many like it but whatever!

http://www.tv-links.co.uk/

Have fun!

Happy Anniversary to...

...us!!! Today is our 2nd anniversary! It's hard to believe just two years ago at this time we were sailing the caribbean waters getting ready to pledge our love and our lives to each other...forever.

The day couldn't have been more perfect and it was great to have the most important people in our lives there to share and celebrate with us. Everything about the cruise was amazing and we made many great memories to take home with us. We talked about doing it again in 5 years and trying to get everyone together but I might be pushing up that deadline as I am dying to go on another cruise. It's my favourite way to vacation hands-down.

Thanks to D for two phenomenal years - I couldn't have asked for more and wouldn't change anything. I look forward to growing with you and for new experiences and memories for many years to come!

Cheers to us!

Friday Funny

Two blondes were in a parking lot trying to unlock the door of their car with a coat hanger. They tried and tried to get the door open, but they couldn't.

The girl with the coat hanger stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and her friend said anxiously...

"Hurry up! It's starting to rain and the top is down."

Time to Reflect...

Last night D and I went to dinner at one of his work friend's homes. It was only the second time I had met "Mar" and the first time we had both met his wife, "Nad". It was a great evening -Mar is a great cook and whipped up some delicious bruschetta, garlic bread, salad (with homemade dressing) and homemade lasagna. We watched a few slideshows from their wedding and recent trip to Belize and had great conversation. They are a very easy going and talkative couple - ones that you meet for the first time but feel you have known forever.

While the boys were talking shop, Nad and I were discussing a little bit about where we came from and our family background. She was surprised that I was an only child since she didn't actually know that many. She also asked if I missed not having siblings and my response to that is always the same - how can I miss something I didn't have? My parents always made sure I had friends around and always allowed me to bring friends on trips etc. Talking about life and the past got me thinking...

Everyone has their ups and downs, some much more significant than others. I've been lucky enough to have a lot of ups and not too many downs...actually, I can't really think of anything significant to complain about at all. I'm lucky and I know it. My family is wonderful, my friends are great and I was lucky enough to find the most perfect person for me ever (with big thanks to my good friend Edward). Love you D!

Ahem...Anyways...I had a quick reflection on the past and how I got to where I am now. It's crazy to think about how things might have ended up if you did this or said that or went there instead of here. Right now I am fully satisfied with the life I am living:

1. We have all of our close friends in the city and manage to see them on a somewhat regular basis. Family is close and even those that aren't we still have great communication with.
2. I enjoy my job. I actually never dread getting up in the morning or staying late at night - it's all in a day's work. And, yes, the perks are nice!
3. D is finally going to be on a full-time schedule and in the meantime has had the opportunity to do some great jobs and have some unique experiences and really hone in on his skills (he's a very handy man to have around!).
4. I love our apartment, sure we may not be "homeowners" but that will come and for now, we are living within our means and enjoying ourselves. Everything we need is at home...for us, there isn't that much of a need to really leave the apartment except for a breath of fresh air and some sunlight.

What would have happened if I went away for school? What if I had stayed in Visual Art and not withdrawn from Uni? What if I didn't work in retail full-time for four years? What if I didn't live with my grandparents for College? What if I was never introduced to Edward when we were 11? There are so many variables in life...and I am 100% glad I was on the right track, my track.

What's left? What more could I want or ask for? Well, the only thing ever on my list besides happiness, love and money (it does make the world go round) is a kitten...and I don't think in the whole scheme of things, that's asking too much ;)

J...B...J!

Finally, American Idol had a great "theme" for the evening - my main man JBJ!!! Sure, most of you think Bon Jovi is lame but he is tried, tested and true and I can't believe if you didn't hear "Livin' On A Prayer" at a bar on a Saturday night you wouldn't find at least your foot tapping along or strumming your air guitar to the beat.

My fave idol this season, Blake, did not disappoint. He has gone weeks without beat boxing and what a week to pull it out. If you missed tonight's episode - log online and I'm sure there will be clips. He was fantastic. It's hard to believe that they only get a week to practice and he has time to re-arrange one of their most popular songs, teach the band, change the rhythm five times throughout, throw in several lines of beat boxing and still do the song justice! Second fave this season didn't bring her best but I can't believe that she won't make it through another round. Final two: Blake and Jordin! Bring it on!

PS - Sanjaya was finally not allowed to collect $200 or pass GO last week. Thank you America for putting me out of my misery.