Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas deficit

Last night on Christmas Eve, I could not find any of the following movies a-n-y-w-h-e-r-e on Bell ExpressVu:

1) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (hello: Christmas STAPLE)

2) A Christmas Story (Come ON!)

3) One Magic Christmas (Good day Mary Steenburgen!)

Ok, maybe that last one's a long shot, but my bro did say it was on just last week. Fine and dandy... but last week wasn't Christmas eve. I settled for Denis Leary's F%$*in' Christmas or something like this, and Stephen Colbert's Christmas special, which wasn't all that bad... bit of Feist and Elvis Costello action within.

Still!!!!

Ideal Christmas

Ideal Christmas meal: Gourmet vegan feast.

What's with this combo of murdered bird and 'Christmas Pudding,' which, in my mind's eye, is basically glorified (if this is possible) Christmas cake slathered in a sauce crafted from brown sugar (...maybe!?) and god knows what else.

Did you know this pudding also has suet in it?

What are we doing to ourselves?

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

FLA

In several dozen hours I'll be on my way to Florida (December 26th to be exact.) Can't WAIT to update you all with some of the gems that happen there. Can't WAIT.

Flimzo's

KZ: Sorry for the massive delay.

SoooooOOOOOoooo, little bit of an ongoing saga just came to an end. It all started last weekend when I was in Wat town trying to pick up some gift certificates from Quizno's. They had a sign up and everything, that indeed they were selling g.c's. So KZ and I went into the store and asked for somma deez. Next thing I know Quizno's employee #1 is on the phone trying to reach "someone who knows how to do the gift certificates." There was also one other employee in the store with her. She appears from the back a few moments later, phone in tow (proof that she was actually attempting to reach someone), telling me she couldn't reach anyone and can't help me out. Dang. But whatever sister.

Get back to Toronto next day. Try to check out Quizno's at Richie and Spadine. Go in there, ask for some certs. Lady tells me they got 'em, but actually two minutes later they actually don't, and only have ONE $5 dealie left. Grrrr!!!! Come on people. I was just about ready to give up here.

Go back next day on my lunch ('cause they told me they'd have some more "tomorrow morning." This time I called beforehand too, just to cover my bases.) Arrive at Q-no's, get the goods, meander my way out (not without nabbing a 10 Vegetable salad from Lettuce Eatery on my way back to work).

Then, I find myself waiting for the Spadinal streetcar. Sometimes this car can be a bitch... but it ain't the only one! Waiting there in the middle of Spadine, with a few other brazen souls, when who should approach the median, yelling - no less - but Raul: Macho Commander. This dude was IN-SANE... UNsane. The only way I knew that it was Raul: Macho Commander, was by the hand-stitched full length poncho he was wearing, draped on top of his winter coat. This man disgusted me, along with about 10 other people waiting at the stop. A dude was even snapping pics with his phone. Raul had in tow a large hard top suitcase that had handwritten notes plastered all over it, one of which read, "Professional Procurator. High legal experience." There were more notes on the other side of the case detailing the services he provides, which I couldn't make out. The front of his poncho said "Latino America Commander." As if this get-up weren't enough, Raul was pacing the street, repeating the same phrases and gestures over and over again. Something something something in Spanish, with some gesturing originating from the crotchal region of his body and then a hearty laugh at the end of each repetition. He was yelling this at people far and wide. But, he didn't even seem to be that crazy.

My words don't even do this experience justice. I should have gotten the whole thing on video.

In many ways this incident was totally weird and insane and I wish people were there to have experienced it with me. But at the very same time, this was probably one of the more normal weird things that generally happen in the downtown vicin of Toronto.

Friday, December 19, 2008

1 dot FM

Ok, ok, I know I've been sorely lacking in bloggage. Get over it. (Hahaha)

After just speaking, well, Facebooking with old high school chum Paul, I was inspired to belt out a little rant about the expression, "What a small world!"

People soooo overuse this phrase. Someone saying, "Oh, your sister-in-law is on my hockey team. What a small world!" does not actually denote a small world at all when you both live in Waterloo. I'm sorry, it just doesn't, so refrain from using that tired catchphrase. Why are people so blind; blind to the language they use...?!

Right now I'm listening to a radio station at work that is all Christmas music all the time. There are even some techno Christmas remixes. Who knew? Certainly not me. Even some Motown Christmas mixes. Even some... ok, enough. It's just Christmas music.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

All SORTS!

Went to the One of a Kind Craft show on the weekend. Great, great time had by V-Barrz and myself.

I bought a handmade silk-screened T-shirt and some 'licious goodies, including these from The Bean Ladies. I can't really tell you how good these are. You really have to taste to believe. By FAR the best flavour TBL make - I'm definitely going to have some sent to my home, and so should you!!

On our way out (after making our way through the show in a cool three hours) I came upon this little booth selling weird things made out of acrylic. They had a key chain that looked like it had three real licorice allsorts on it. I wanted to buy this as a gift for someone, but then second guessed myself. I am now really kicking myself for it. B said it would have been a real hit. Daaaaang. Why did I dew that?

Oh, and another amazing booth, green certified too, was selling pepper mills--incredible, incredible pepper mills--fashioned out of tree branch chunks. Definitely one of the coolest finds at the show. I will post the link later. I'm sure MP would appreciate, and approve ;-)

Full bod

This morning I had the unfortunate experience of suffering the full body drive-by slushing.

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Holy Mother of India

Ok, so, I can't not write about Mother India on here this morning.

This place is the cat's mee-ow. Last week I went there twice, the week before once, and this week so far, once again. It is a veritable GEM. I can't say enough good stuff about this place. The Saag Paneer is absolutely outta sight and the Eggplant Roti is a very close second. B swears by the Butter Chicken, the meateater he is.

The stuff there is so fresh, it's really almost unbelievable. I'm really at a loss for words for Mother India. Please, in the words of Neil Buchanan, host of Art Attack: "Try it yourself."

God I love the theme music on that website.