T.O.

Home from spending the weekend in T.O. with A. and wishing I could still be there. The flight out on Friday was fairly uneventful except we flew in one of the new Westjet planes that didn't have satellite TV installed yet. Boooo. We checked into our hotel and went to the Elephant and Castle for dinner. (Does every Delta hotel have an Elephant and Castle attached to it? I noticed the Vancouver Airport Delta has one as well.) Then we went for a walk past Eaton Centre and over to Nathan Phillip Square. There were people skating and music playing and it looked really nice. Unfortunately it was cold and windy and my ears were aching from the wind so we went back to the hotel.

Saturday was spent shopping at Eaton Centre and meeting A.'s sister for lunch. We went to H&M and I was a little disappointed - all I bought was a sweater. In fact, I wasn't in much of a shopping mood (and haven't been for a while.) The weather on Saturday was gorgeous and I was very happy to spend time outside. We walked a lot and just generally enjoyed the sunshine. By the time we had to head over to Danforth for dinner it was raining but thankfully it wasn't too cold. We had a lovely meal at Lolita's Lust and then went back to the hotel so we could go up to the pool.

Sunday we woke up to a grey and miserable day. It was cold and it was pouring. Unfortunately we had planned to go to the markets as well as some other outdoor activities but there was no way we were going to spend all day out in the cold. Instead we went to a Thai restaurant for lunch and went back to the mall for a bit. We were both pretty sick of shopping (and I was cranky) so we got in the truck and went for a drive around downtown. Along with the rain it was really foggy so we couldn't even see the CN Tower. But, even with the disappointment of the day, it was really nice just to be able to spend some time together. A. had to drive home Sunday night so I spent the evening in the hotel room watching TV and getting ready to leave on Monday. We hardly saw anything we wanted to but there is plenty of time in the future for that.

Now here I am, back at work, willing February to pass as quickly as possible.

Books 2 & 3

Book number two took me three months to read, mainly because the subject matter is so intense. Shake Hands with the Devil by Romeo Dallaire tells the story of his time as the commander of the UNAMIR mission in Rwanda. The horrors that Dallaire witnessed caused him to contemplate suicide once he returned home and frankly, it's not hard to see why. The atrocities commited in this small country that no one seemed to care about would make anyone rethink the nature of humanity and their place in it. The writing is detailed but almost detached which makes the subject a little easier to stomach. This was an amazing book and one of those stories that makes me think I should be doing something more with my life.

The Lion's Game by Nelson DeMille is the second novel that features John Corey. This time we find him working for the Anti-Terrorist Task Force (ATTF) which is a joint force between the FBI and NYPD. The story centres on a Libyan by the name of Asad Khalil who is on a mission to avenge the deaths of his family and countrymen at the hands of the Americans. This is a nice easy read that covers a realistic topic. It was interesting reading about Corey and his colleagues trying to figure out what Khalil was up to next and what his motive was when you, the reader, already knew. This is the third DeMille book I have read and I've enjoyed them all.

Funny Little Frog

Who wants to go to Belle & Sebastian with me on March 24th? I'll be buying tickets tomorrow so let me know. (They're $39.50.) A. what do you think?

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Also, don't forget to vote on Monday!!

They're multiplying!

After cleaning out my bathroom I confirmed something that I have suspected for quite a while - I am a product hoarder. I have a mass of small bottles of shower gel and lotions that I'm never going to use. The question is, what do I do with them? I don't have space in my condo to be storing things but I feel bad throwing them out. They've never been used and it seems like such a waste. I need suggestions.

Only 2.5 weeks

In another fit of spontaneity I have purchased a (very cheap) plane ticket to Toronto for the end of this month. This way A. and I can spend the weekend wandering around the city and the end of February won't seem so far away. I am very excited and can't wait until Jan. 27th.

So, everyone who has been to T.O. what should I do while I'm there?

50 Book Challenge

My efforts at keeping track of what I read last year went a little downhill once I went overseas but I've decided to give it a go again this year. So, in the spirit of the 50 Book Challenge here is my first book of the year.

Plum Island by Nelson DeMille is the first of three books (so far) that feature the main character of John Corey. John is a NYPD homicide detective who is convelescing in Long Island after being shot. The story revolves around his involvment in a double murder investigation and his efforts to discover why two of his friends were murdered. The murdered couple worked on a top-secret government facility called Plum Island where they dealt with highly infectious diseases. John suspects there is more to the story than the official line put out by the FBI and takes matters into his own hands. It was an interesting read and Corey makes for a good main character - he's cocky and arrogant but above all, sarcastic and funny. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes cop mysteries and is looking for a light read.

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On that note, I also need some recommendations for things to read this year. They don't have to be new books just ones that you really enjoyed.

And here I always thought I was just intimidating

My good pal Day called me the other day and in the course of our conversation she mentioned this Maclean's article which states that men are generally turned off by funny women. She said it made her think of us - two attractive, intelligent and ambitious women (although admittedly she is MUCH funnier than I am) who, on the whole, have never really had very many boyfriends. I always thought that maybe we were just intimidating but apparently it comes down to something I never even considered. Who knew that having a sense of humour could be considered a bad thing? Thankfully, I seem to have found someone who is secure with his own (wacky) humour and even says mine is one of the things he finds attractive. Frankly, I would never even contemplate being with someone who didn't make me laugh and I'd hope it would work both ways. What's the point in being in a relationship that is devoid of laughter and fun? I'm glad I am able to make A. laugh (even though it's generally when I'm acting strange) and I hope that it continues. Maybe it's just the unfunny men who are turned off by funny women.

The wait is over...

Eeee... after hoping and praying for years, the wish has finally come true - Belle & Sebastian are playing the Commodore on Mar. 24th! I am sooo there.