Overall - a sucky holiday season!

You know how there's this thing where women get some sort of amnesia about how much pain is involved in giving birth, so they'd actually be willing to go through it again? There must be something similar about spending the holidays alone, because I don't remember spending the holidays alone being so horrid the last time I did it, which was fifteen or so years ago. On the other hand, I DID catch up on my sleep.

The lone bright spot was getting to see Kristen and Allan for a few days, a trip I just returned from Saturday night. We ate, we shopped, we laughed our asses off, as we usually do when we get together. We make, and get, jokes that no one else seems to understand, or else we get that 'wtf' look.

I just got the new laptop I ordered at the Future Shop Boxing Day sale. It's great - I can play more than one poker tournament without staling the computer.

Hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE, or I'll hunt you down and kick your ass!!!

TTFN,

C

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!

It was probably the best concert I DIDN'T get to see...

Last night, Bedouin Sound Clash played at The Basement, the University's pub. A friend (who eons ago made me promise not to mention him by name in my blog) and I decided at the last minute to see if we could get in.

The event was sold out, but we were told to stand in a line for people with no tickets (we had dubbed it the "Loser line"), and, after all the people who had tickets, and/or were on the guest list were let in, we might get in if there were no shows. The line for people who had tickets snaked around the corner, through the woods and up the road to Grandma's house. This was at about 8:15 pm. We were told that the band wouldn't be going on until 11 pm, after two opening acts.

They didn't start letting ticket holders in until almost 9 pm (when the first opening act started.) There were three or four hundred people in line. The staff was soooooo disorganized. There were two bracelets - a green one that proved that you had a ticket or were on the guest list, and a blue one that signified whether or not you were legal to drink. Instead of taking bunches of bracelets through the line, checking for ID and tickets and handing out bracelets accordingly, so all the staff at the door had to do was search purses and check for bracelets, there was a couple of people who were randomly checking and handing out ONE colour of bracelet, while there was a HUGE logjam at the door with people who were still handing in tickets, checking themselves off the guest list, AND checking their coats and getting bags searched.

By 1045 pm, they STILL hadn't let in all the people in the ticket line, and the band was supposed to be coming on in 15 minutes. We just said "screw it" and went back to the DH and had another couple drinks before toddling off home.

If I had been one of the people still in line at 1045 after missing both opening acts, and about miss the first set of the main act, I would have walked up to the front of the line and demanded my money back. What a big, giant clusterf***.

Michigan vs Ohio State this weekend!!!

This Saturday marks the annual Michigan/Ohio State game. My understanding of the situation is, if Michigan wins, they capture the Big Ten title, and go to the Rose Bowl.

GO BLUE!!

What a busy freakin' weekend!!!

Friday Night - Windsor International Film Festival

Film - Weirdsville

The opening scene has a mouse swimming, trying to get out of a grungy toilet. I was somewhat afraid that the movie would go downhill from there, but I was wrong. The movie was brilliant with an awesome soundtrack that comes out on CD November 27, 2007.

Saturday Night - WIFF and a late Halloween party

Film - Persepolis

This animated film from France won the Jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is about a Iranian girl's childhood during Iran's war with Iraq. She tries to find her own identity during the ousting of the Shah, a war, and Islamist rule.

I need to see the movie again. Maybe next time I'll spend less time trying to compare the subtitles with what was being said....

Late Halloween Party - Denis and Monica's place

After Persepolis, Maria and I stopped off at my place to a) let the dog out, and have a play, and b) pick up the bucket o' frozen daiquiris from the freezer, before heading off to Denis and Monica's late Halloween party. There was a nice mix of people and pets (My puppy scratch is healing nicely, thanks for asking) and tons of food. A good time was had by all, especially the
guy who went in drag. He looked better in a dress than I do *sigh*.

Sunday night - In Remembrance - a Concert by the Windsor Classic Chorale and Friends

One of the Grad House gang is an alto with the Windsor Classic Chorale. They had their first concert of the season last night - the second of what is an annual event commemorating Remembrance Day. There was a piper, a trumpet player, a cellist, and some local celebrities reading letters from soldiers from the World Wars. It was a beautiful concert.

In non-weekend related news, I booked my accommodations for my annual Holiday trip to visit Kristen. Too late to back on pet-sitting with Bandit, Greg...

TTFN,

C

WOOHOO!!!!! My afghan swap squares are DONE...

...well... at least the ones I have to mail out, anyway. I'll be posting pics of the squares I receive soon.

In other news, Kristen came down to visit this weekend, and bunked at my house. We went to the new Bistro on the corner of Riverside and Ouellette. I had the soup of the day, which was Sweet Potato. It tasted like, and had the texture of, liquid pumpkin pie filling. It was yummy.

TTFN,

Well... THAT didn't take long!

Over 1300 people played in the Blogger Championship tournament I mentioned a few posts ago.

I went out 1259th. My pocket aces got cracked by pocket kings. First card out the door on the flop... a king.

Oh well, maybe next year.

TTFN,

C

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker

Here we go again....

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 7840997

TTFN

C

I've been seeing a lot of movies lately...

... as single people usually do. I've kept up with almost all of the movies I wanted to see this summer (although I was wondering if I would have to go see The Simpsons by myself).

Last week Lorne and I went to see Eastern Promises. I thought it was an excellent movie, with a fight scene that will go down as one of the most memorable in movie history. Lorne's review is here. I would only repeat most of what he said, but he said it so much better than I would have.



This week, we went to see The Kingdom. I had such high hopes for this movie. Then I started seeing reviews, most of which were borderline, or bad. It was okay, but I could have dne with far less of the"Americans are here to save the day" crap. Oh well.

Next week it will probably be Across the Universe.

TTFN,

C

Canada Geese walking across California Avenue

There was a small flock of Canada Geese strolling across California Avenue on my way to work this morning. By the time I got my phone out of my purse to take a picture, most of them had walked across the street.

Sorry about the grainy pictures. It's the camera in my cell phone, after all.

I had a birthday on Friday

Yep, birthday number 41. As most of you know, I'm usually on vacation on my birthday because I don't like a big fuss made over me, but, due to circumstances beyond my control, I ended up working last week. Dina had the "brilliant" idea of having a Department gathering with cake (mmmmm... chocolate......) and gave me a beautiful plant arrangement. Pics are here.

Lorne and I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum. Great movie...needed popcorn. ;)

TTFN,

C

I GOT IT MOST OF IT CUT OFF!!!!!

Today was haircut day!!! I raised $775 for the Canadian Cancer Society!!! YAY me!

Thanks to all those people that donated! Pictures are here.

TTFN,

C

It's not just the Monarchs that are out en masse...

I'm a campus celebrity...

The University's DailyNews published a story about my fundraising efforts for my hair cutting adventure, coming this Sunday. Tory J, University phtographer extrodinaire took a great picture, as always. Now that I think about it, there have only been two pictures of me taken in the last five years or so, that I actually liked, and Tory has taken both of them.

It's here.

TTFN,

C

EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!

Chocolate Manufacturers filed a petition with the US FDA to change the manufacturing standards for hundres of foods - including CHOCOLATE!!!

They want to add other fats beside cocoa butter. Ick!!

Full story here. Guittard Chocolate's Opposition site here.

TTFN,

C

Monarch Butterfly and Funny Bandit pic

How cool is this? I came home this afternoon and found a Monarch butterfly fluttering around my yard.

While I refilled Bandit's treat food container, Bandit put her head in the bag, and got stuck. I had to take a picture. Sorry Bandit, I'm putting it on my blog.

TTFN,

C

I'm getting my hair chopped off for charity

Yes, you read correctly. On August 12, I will be getting my hair chopped to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. The event is being held at Colasanti's Tropical Gardens in Ruthven.

Email, or leave a comment, if you'd like to make a pledge.

I'll post pics (before, during, after) next week.

Stay tuned

C

Bandit gets her stitches out and Harry Potter


Bandit got her stitches out. As soon as the fur grows back, you'll never know that she was ever injured.

In other news, the last Harry Potter book arrived at 9:45 on Saturday morning. Yes, I've already finished it.






TTFN,

C

Bandit got into her first fight... and lost

Bandit and the dog next door got into a little fight on Friday night. I think Bandit must have been guarding her toy. Before Bandit knew what hit her, Sheba (The dog next door, twice her size) defended herself, and sank her teeth into Bandit's face. One of the teeth sank right through Bandit's cheek, the other went above Bandit's eye...missed by about an inch or so.

You can't see the stitches above her eye in this picture, but there's a couple there. I had just brought her home from the vet when this pic was taken, and she was still pretty groggr. I had to go to the emergency vet, which of course jacks up their prices. They had to put Bandit out to shave her and put in the stitches. Over $400 bucks, and I still ahve to get the stitches taken out...

TTFN,

C

I just found a new comic..... Unshelved. It's kinda quirky. I like it.

TTFN,

C

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!!

Kristen and Allan's Wedding - the sequel (This time, it's LEGAL)

Kristen and Allan renewed their vows this past Saturday, and finally were able to make legal the church-sanctioned ceremony held over four years ago. Allan's son, Jason, and I reprised our roles as Best Man and Maid-of-Honour, respectively, to sign the marraige license. Hmmm, I wonder what would have happened if at the last minute, either of us had refused...... nah that wouldn't have happened.

It was short ceremony, followed by a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in Fonthill.

Pictures are here in my Facebook site. For those of you who don't have Facebook, click here. Enjoy!

TTFN,

I'm only posting because Kristen is nagging me!!! :P

As some of you may, or may not, have heard, Greg and I broke up. Turns out he only used me to get free tuition to finish his degree, and then dumped me after having a months-long affair with a chick he met on the internet (and I just thought he was cruising for porn, like normal guys, silly me). As you can tell, I'm still in the "angry, men suck" stage of the recovery process.

In other news, the 16th International Workshop on Matrices and Statistics starts this coming Friday. If I manage not to kill anyone (They know who they are.), or have any type of complete meltdown, I'll be really surprised. Stay tuned.

(There Kristen, happy, now ;) )

TTFN,

HAPPY EASTER!!!

The ultimate gadget!!

I'm surprised it took so long, but the rimroller has finally arrived!!!

What is a "rimroller", you ask? For those of you who are fans of Tim Hortons "Roll up the Rim to Win" contests, this gadget rolls the rim of the cup up for you!

It really works! Greg ordered me one. I came home for lunch today, and he's all excited because it had finally arrived. I took my time, going downstairs to get something to nuke, and putting it in the microwave. Greg was doing his 'excited dance', getting more impatient because I didn't rush over to the coffee table to look (I'm SO evil that way.). I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it.

Lee Valley admits that its not their usual thing to sell, but it was such a great Canadian product, they decided to distribute it. You'd think Timmy's would be selling them at their stores (at about $5 each).

If you order one, better order a bunch of other stuff. Shipping was almost 8 bucks!

TTFN,

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!!!

Hope it's a good one!!!

TTFN,