Christmas Blog #10.

This is it peeps, the final Christmas Blog of 2004. And to whoever spoke to the fly cats over at Fox programming, and got them to re-air the Christmukkah episode of "the O.C" just for me - THANK YOU!!

First off, so long Jerry Orbach. Even though we never met, like many, I feel as if I knew you well. I had a talk with my mom about why it is that I can wrap my head around an actor dying and actually feel kind of sad, but I can't even start to figure out how I feel about the devastation in East Asia. She is so smart, my mom. She said "It's because in North America we celebrate the individual". And she is right. I think we also place a premium value on North American lives (example: hundred of Americans still unaccounted for!). Sigh. So far the death toll is at 135,000 and growing. I say this often, and I'm saying it again - you don't have to look very far to see how blessed you are. As Canadians, we have cornered the market on bitching about the weather. Last time I checked, we haven't had anything like a tsunami hit us. So, I would like to welcome everyone to make their new year's resolution for 2005 to "stop complaining about the weather, and the Canadian government, and how much we pay in taxes". A lot of people would give anything to live here, remember that every day.

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suuuuuuuuuusHI NIWA!!!

Jennifer gave me some beautiful Japanese plates and chopsticks for Christmas (among many other things). When we chatted on the phone she said "I hope it's okay that there are only two plates" which made me laugh because the only person who would be eating Japanese food with me is her. Otherwise, I'm on my own (Scott does not dig on Japanese, Chinese or Thai food). How sad for me - probably should have looked into that more thoroughly before I settled in for a life of looking for friends to eat out with.

Last night, as a reward for going to the gym a total of two days in a row, I went and got myself some take out from "Sushi NIWA!". Note, you must say the name of the restaurant starting slow and speeding up, modulate your voice from quiet to loud and sound really angry when you say it...try it with me: Suuuuuuuuuuushi NIWA!. I am easily entertained. Anyway, I looked them up in google and the only match I could find was in Germany. Go figure. I am intrigued by the "Sushi Worldwide Guide" (aka "Sushi Infogate"). Guess folks really take their sushi seriously. I am pretty lightweight - I don't venture past California Rolls and veggies. Perhaps I should make them a website in exchange for a lifetime of free food. Tonight, clearly inspired by my dinner (leftovers soon to be lunch) I will go to "Zen Step". I am not sure what this class entails, but I assume it involves a world of pain.

Your arm now belongs to me.

Going back to the gym after slacking off for, well, a long time is very very humbling. We started our new year's health kick a few days early this year (I figure if I want to kick my ass into gear, waiting until I am back to working 9 - 6 every day is not the time). The time is now. So, yesterday, with my new Gwen cd in my ol' skool discman, my running room t-shirt and favourite Fila pants I got my ass on the treadmill and started running. It wasn't so bad. The bad part is the mirrors. Everywhere. I picked a treadmill that doesn't allow for any 360 viewing (except for the distant bobbing of my blonde ponytail on the far wall). I also hate looking at all of the people who are not slackers and look awesome, like they have not succumbed to the laziness and apathy of winter like I have, they are hard core and have hard bodies to prove it. Ah, screw 'em I say. You'd think they would inspire me, but no, they just make me feel superiorly unattractive. After our workout I made a gourmet dinner for Chris and Scott and we watched Kill Bill 2 (it was Kill Bill 1 that we watched earlier in the day that got me to the gym in the first place). I love Uma Thurman, man hands and all. She kicks ass. I loved both of the movies, though Scott said he preferred part 1. Not a shock, considering the first movie was way more violent and the second involved much more plot. Yes, that was a dig. Today when I go to the gym, instead of focussing on all of those fit bitchez I am going to think about The Bride kicking ass. And it will make me run harder. Because it isn't about being pretty at the gym, it's about channelling some Pai Mei up in this joint. "Since your arm now belongs to me, I want it strong."

Christmas Blog #9.

Christmas started at 12:30am for us. Yep, we stayed up late (me wrapping the last of the presents, Scott making up for the fact that he had to be designated driver for my drunken ass). Once I made Scott promise not to say "Merry Christmas" to me until the morning (kind of spoils it, IMO) I tucked myself into our cozy sleigh bed. Scott being the supernightowl that he is stayed up much later, and announced his arrival in bed by promptly stealing the covers from me and turning into a Wildebeast.

7am came too soon...7:30am was not far behind that. We finally got up and Scott (bless his heart) brought me a cup of coffee as per our morning ritual. Out the door to his folks by 8:50 - not bad for us, really (we are chronically late, always due to Scott and his late ass self). Into the beloved new car and pop the Best-Christmas-cd-EVAH: aka "Take 6 - He Is Christmas", commence is singing along to the wicked harmonies, and moderate car seat dancing by me (must be seen to be believed). We arrived at Scott's folks house by 9:10 and added our gifts to the offering under the tree and placed his folks stockings with the others (note: I started the tradition of EVERYONE getting stockings - used to be just Scott and Chris). Since I am a princess, Scott does my stocking each year, likely blowing a significant amount of his budget on that one piece. He outdid himself this year, bestowing upon me a hello kitty key chain, kiss my face moisturizer, sour wine gums, cool socks and an In Style magazine. Wic-ked. I am a lucky girl.

Apparently we were all going to reign it in this year, (Scott's mom swears she did), but I didn't see it. We are all incredibly blessed and totally spoiled. I got a mess of presents (beautiful work clothes, 2 purses, leather gloves, Sun Moon Stars perfume, the Gwen cd, kick ass skechers, hello kitty date book, pink slippers, Japanese dishes, books)...and that is just grazing the surface. Scott got a bunch of clothes, a pile of books, and even more dvds. Brought to mind what my mom once said "Never begrudge your husband spending money on clothes or books because you will like him a lot more if he looks good and is educated". Word!
It would be Christmas without a little basketball and random napping (see my bro-in-law Chris and his pooch Scout). We watched both the Pistons/Pacers game and the Lakers/Heat game. My folks called from BC for our annual "open the gifts for each other over the phone and ooo and ahh". Once again, I am totally spoiled as is Scott. We are REALLY hoping that next year they will come to Onterrible for the holidays - now that would be a gift unto itself! Chris and I took his pooch Scout for a walk where Scout pooped like 3 times (I am impressed).

Wonderful dinner prepared by Scott's mom with awesome goodies for dessert (thanks to my friend Christine's mincemeat tarts, and Jen M's Skor bars and date bars!). After dinner we went home and watched Napolean Dynamite which Scott loved and I liked. Very funny message from my best friend Jennifer W where she says that she is on her way to the outlaws house for Christmas brunch and that her Christmas promise is that she will not tell her sister-in-law to "fuck off". Love. It! If you want a funny Christmas read that will make you feel better about your crazy family, go read about Adrianne's Christmas.

All in all, this was a very calm, nice, relaxing, blessed Christmas day. And that's really nice, because we all know that it isn't the gifts that make the day great, it is the people. I am so thankful that I have such wonderful people in my life and I am grateful for every moment I have with them (even when they drive me crazy).

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Christmas Blog #8.

I'm proud to say that I did not step foot in a single store today. Wait, that is a lie. I bought booze, but that was for me, so it doesn't count as Christmas shopping. Scott and I are just about to head over to his folks place for our annual Christmas Eve hang out at the house while everyone but Kat wraps their presents. See, I am organized. My gifts are already wrapped, and bowed. Done. I was lucky enough to get some time with my friend Christine today. We did our cookie exchange (you would not believe how good her gingerbread are). Since my gingerbread ended up looking like a special needs person decorated them, I am glad she helped me out. I also scored some mincemeat tarts and lemon sugar cookies so I am pretty stoked. This year I have a selection of desserts for Christmas Eve and a different selection for Christmas Day. I am very pleased with myself, yes.

You're probably wondering why does Kat have "The O.C" Christmas episode image on her blog? Because I am a dumbass and I forgot to tape it so I am wondering if anyone has it and will lend it to me? No? Thanks for nothing, guess I'll have to wait for season 2 to come out on DVD. As for the previous blog's mention of a laminated card, I'll have to think on that. It has 10 spots on it and I am fickle so these names tend to rotate (completely defeating the purpose of lamination). But off the top of my head, the most consistent regulars are: Jon Stewart, Jude Law and Benjamin Bratt. I'll do some more thinking on that and come up with a full list. Now it's time for merriment and cheer and Scott's annual egg nog overdose. Wish us luck and Merry Christmas!

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Hey Jude, I saw ya nude...

...don't try to fake it, I saw you na-a-a-kid [I wish!]. In case you didn't read the People Magazine article that sez Jude Law is the sexiest man alive, I thought I'd remind you. Well, actually, I think that may be a bit of an exaggeration...I mean, how do they really know? But he is pretty doable. I think his appeal comes from his:

a) stunning eyes
b) impish grin and imperfect teeth
c) accent (damn!)

See, I have always been a sucker for a man with an accent. At one of my last jobs, the account rep at our ad agency was from England, and I would call him when I was in a bad mood because listening to his voice would just make me smile. If he wasn't there, I would call and listen to his voice mail. Stop calling me a stalker. I'd say it's more a fetish, really. Anyway, back to Jude Law. This guy is so big, he doesn't even have his own official website. That's big my friends - he doesn't need one. That's like, Julia Roberts big. Scott just looked over at me photoshopping his picture and said "his hair is all fucked up and I heard he likes to torture kittens". See, that's not nice Scott. You should be nicer to Jude, he's never done anything to you. Also, his hairline is receding a teensy bit, so we'll cut him some slack in the hair department. Plus, when it's all fucked up like that, you kind of imagine that he just rolled out of bed (your bed!) and that's a pretty nice thought to have. Jude Law has earned his place on the laminated card ladies. That's big time. And with how crappy and stressy the holidays can be, it's important to focus on sexy beasts like Jude Law. Where is the mistle toe when I need it?

Christmas Blog #7.

So, we survived the day. And yes, we went to the Eaton Centre. Scott promised me yesterday that he wouldn't be a grumpy bastard, even if he was hung over. He held true to his promise...even though he was hung over. Last night at Mike and Mel's Christmas Party was alright. I knew most of the people, and the rest, well, whatev. A certain husband of one of our friends who regularly hits on me was at it again...last week he was all "Kat, I gotta tell you, I am really attracted to you" and I just look at him like, dude, I just got married to your buddy, wtf? But I don't say anything, so I am probably just as much to blame, because if I truly wanted it to stop I would be like "dude, cut it out, you are totally pissing me off" but instead I just blush and look away. Except on the way home, with pregnant Steph driving (not like she has a choice being DD) I am all "You guys! You totally won't believe this!". And then I tell them that their buddy totally looked down my shirt, and Steph is all righteous and awesome like, "I totally saw him do that and you should tell him to fuck off and that he is being totally inappropriate and disrespectful!!". And Scott and Shane are totally hammered in the back seat, trying to mosh and arm wrestle and giggling like little gurlz...I don't even think they heard us. So in the morning, Scott makes us yummy western omelettes and hash browns and bacon and rye toast, and he makes THE BEST omelettes. He is very critical of himself though, and since Shane and Steph will be coming back for New Year's, he has promised to do better. I may even chip in and make pancakes or something [this is a lie].

Anyway, onto the shopping. Once Shane and Steph are on their way to see Shane's cranky Grandma, we get dressed and head out to the Eaton Centre. Despite my best and oldest friend Jennifer's concern, it was okay (by the way, she shared Steph's sentiments about the dude who fancies me...). I picked out some wicked Skechers,(pink of course). Scott may or may not have gotten them for me. We went to Tristan and I tried on a whole lot of clothes... the shirts were cute, the pants were totally "high in the rise" (aka cameltoecity). Unfortunate for me, because I really could use some new pants...Anyway, onto The Gap, and I found a cute overpriced black sweater.... snack/break to have some New York Fries in the north food court to discuss our exit strategy, then onto The Bay to buy some impersonal crystal (like this) for family members that may or may not bother to contact me for Christmas plans. See, we picked stuff that we also happen to like, so if they flake out on us, we won't care, we'll just keep the gifts meant for them for ourselves. Funny moment of the day - when Scott asked me what kind of wine I would buy to go with the wide bottom decanter I was getting...and I said "I'll get her a bottle of chateau shut.the.fuck.up." Feel the love.

PS: Belated congratulations Jennifer and S on your nuptials on the 17th!! Enjoy your first Christmas together as newlyweds!

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Random thoughts and I need some coffee.

I went to the Eaton Centre on Wednesday night to do some shopping for that holiday coming up. As you can imagine it was insane. Not as insane as it will be today, or tomorrow, when Scott and I are stupidly planning to return to said mall to finish our shopping [we are idiots]. I bumped into three people I know...the first was in Indigo, searching for a book that was probably fantasy or maybe science fiction or maybe just fiction (why the hell do they split out the fiction that way!! Hey Heather - you don't have enough inventory for that and you are just pissing. me. off.). So, the system sez they have 2 copies, but it only gets updated every two days, so clearly it is wrong because the guy who is helping me can't find it. Then he asks one of his coworkers if she knows and she helps me look on the fantasy/sci-fi tables and she is really nice and says she can look up if they have it at the World's Biggest Bookstore, or maybe I should check Coles downstairs? (I mean, Heather owns like all of them, so she will eventually get my money.) I thank the helpful Indigo woman, and I'm walking away thinking...do I know her? And I turn around and interrupt her with another customer to stare at her nametag, and there you have it....it's 'col! Holy shit! We exchange "wow, you look greats! How are you are doings" and then she has to get to work and I have to get to shopping, so we say goodbye and that is my story.

Except the story continues as I search and search and search for a very specific gift (I have looked for hours and hours for this gift). See, I like to give gift suggestions to people like...top 40 cds, main stream dvds, best-selling books, perfume, you know - STUFF THAT IS EASY TO FIND! Whatev. The second People I Know sighting occurred on the escalator - I turned around and there were two of my new coworkers from the xbi. We say hello, I tell them my saga of woe, one of them is super quiet and sez nothing, the other is super helpful and points me in the direction of a store that might have just what I am looking for and at a decent price and who cares if their Christmas commercials would make the baby Jesus cry? I found a version of the item that I think is good and fits the majority of requirements, Scott is not sure of and I just don't care anymore. I am turning into scrooge. Bottom line is the item as it was described does not exist in this universe (maybe on Mars?) and this is the best I could do. So today, I have to clean my house. It is nasty and disgusting. I need to actually cook something for dinner (if I eat one more frozen dinner or pizza I am going to stop pooping). Then we are off to Mike and Mel's annual Christmas party with our friends Shane and Steph. And I need to develop a strategy for tomorrow's day of insaneness. Wish me luck. Ps: Goodbye Vince, have fun partying with Bruce Springsteen in Jersey.

I kinda always knew I'd end up your ex-girlfriend.

Before I forget...gotta mention that I am very disappointed that Google didn't list Gwen's official website as its first ranking when I searched on her name....gwenstefani.net came up and the nodoubt.com came up, but no gwenstefani.com. Damn. Get it together folks - we're counting on you! Anyway, whatev. I was talking with one of my friends today about Gwen Stefani. We both agreed that she is super hott and super sexy. But she can't sing worth a damn. And it totally doesn't matter. (See previous comments for reasons.) She is brilliant in her own right, and a fucking rock star by anyone's standard. Sure the boys in No Doubt have to produce the hell out of her vocal tracks, but it doesn't matter. She's quirky and has personality x 10. I have every single one of No Doubt's CDs...well, not the first one, but I believe that between Scott and I we own 2 copies of Tragic Kingdom. I am hoping to get a copy of "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" for a certain holiday coming up...I've heard mixed reviews, but I know it will be awesome. And yes, her husband is a bit of a self-indulgent wanker, but WHO CARES? I suspect that at some point in the near future there will be a baby Gwen and I am predicting she will have a messed up name like...Possum. You heard it here first.

I am twelve years old, yes.

I have a bit of a Hello Kitty fetish. It isn't all crazy, like I don't have a Hello Kitty computer or anything, I just really like Hello Kitty. I think that maybe the reason I have embraced the colour pink is that it is a way I can be closer to Hello Kitty without being all I LOVE HELLO KITTY ALL THE TIME!! I'm not sure, it likely merits further analysis by a healthcare professional. But, I'd probably have to go down the US to see someone decent (I mean, we're so backed up here in Canada...). I would like to point out that while I would have purchased the Hello Kitty alarm clock, my husband vetoed it due to the pepto bismol pink colour of it. So, instead, I think I am going to have to figure out a way to get this awesome calendar...

My husband is lovely and ridiculous.

Lovely: One of the things he did to welcome me home from my trip to BC was buy a bottle of Hpnotiq. He had read an article in the newspaper back in April about its rise to fame and how it's the hip new drink all the rappers are into. Apparently R.Kelly had a fully stocked bar of it in one of his videos - I think he even named a song after the stuff...you'd think that would be enough to dissuade Scott, but no. Scott is gangsta, [that is a lie]. I have to admit, I was a bit curious to try this $40+ bottle of booze. I was also looking forward to breaking in my new brandy glasses that we received as a wedding gift. We decided to save this blue booze until we were decorating the Christmas tree (kick of the holiday season in style!) - so at 7:30pm, Scott poured our drinks and then went to get our camera to take a picture. Well, no batteries, so the pictures from the official website will have to suffice. Anyway, the drink is tasty (we had it on the rocks with a slice of lemon). $40+ tasty? Me thinks not. Chupse. But, Scott felt all legit, so I suppose it was worth it. I think next time I'll mix it with some vodka, pour it in a martini glass and call it a Hypnotini. How ya like me now Jay-z?

Ridiculous: Last night we went to our friends Jeff and Korrie's wedding reception. They got married down in the Dominican Republic last month and threw a reception for all of their family and friends who weren't able to go down south with them. Nice party - open bar, good food to eat, all of our friends, what's not to like? As per the wedding requirement handbook, they had the typical wedding DJ - old white dude playing old white dude music. I'm talking Kenny Rogers. At one point our friend Harry (coolest brotha this side of Mississauga) and Scott approached the DJ and asked him to play something they can dance to. A few songs later we hear "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock. You know the one...and the old white dude DJ is looking over at us like "Hey, see, I got cool music". And Harry and Scott start busting up - but they got up and danced anyway. If you have never had the pleasure of seeing Scott dance, I'm not sure if I even have the words to describe it. He definitely has rhythm, and he has moves, but somehow, he makes people laugh. It's not really in a mean way, it's more in disbelief - like, this white guy is out there bustin' a move and he is the ONLY ONE who is dancing all crazy. He gets REALLY into it. I couldn't bring myself to join him (partly because I was exhausted from my trip back from BC, but mostly because I was laughing too hard). All I could manage to say was "Hands off ladies, he's coming home with me!" which got an even bigger laugh. As my mom would say, that Scott, he sure knows how to have a good time. And he loves egg nog, but I'll let him tell you about this evening's egg nog discussion in his next blog (to be titled "the nog blog"). Yes, he loves it THAT much.

Christmas Blog #6.

Today I made Gingerbread cookies. My mom made Pizelles. We went and saw the move “Closer”. We watched the Christmas episode of ER. I finished my first ball of Romanian wool for the scarf I am making knitting and figured out that I will need to go back to the wool store tomorrow and buy another ball, or it won’t be long enough. Damn.

First things first – the movie “Closer”. Not for the faint of heart – there is a lot of cursing. And not just the seven words you can’t say on television either. Wow. And I watched this movie with my folks! Good thing they’re cool. I think this is a good movie…Jude Law is luscious, Natalie Portman is pretty hot, Clive Owen is sex on a stick. Julia Roberts, is, Julia Roberts. Gotta say I did not feel the supposed chemistry between Jude and Julia. I mean, I personally felt plenty of chemistry with Jude, but we won’t go there. But I do recommend the movie – probably more of a renter than anything else. The Aviator trailer looked awesome though. Maybe I just have a soft spot for Leo?

Alright – onto ER. I MISS KIM! Bring her back. What is Carter doing with this new chick? And he kissed her tonight – on the lips. So not cool with that. Also, nice light-hearted Christmassy show on euthanasia. Wow – can’t wait to see what they do when they want to be a downer. Scott taped the O.C. for me so I’ll have to wait until I get back to Toronto to watch that (if any of you email me and tell me what happened…well, it won’t matter because I’m terrible with the names of characters and I won’t know what you’re talking about anyway).
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Why I love British Columbia.

London Drugs - you have no idea how cool this place is. It is like if Best Buy made a baby with one of the fancy Shopper's Drug Marts. Apparently they are slowly moving east, so we may be in luck. Seriously, this store is wicked.

The Vancouver Club - Ian has a membership to this fancy club. He took me to lunch there on Tuesday and I am still full. You would not believe the seafood table - crab and lobster and shrimp and salmon...and that's just the stuff I like! Also, they know your name there...we walked in and the woman at the front desk was all "Hello Mr. D....". It's like a really really posh "Cheers" (Where everybody knows your na-a-ame...and they're always glad you ca-a-ame). They do a Christmas dinner that is so wonderful, you don't eat anything all day before you go, and then you don't eat for a week after.

Fresh fish - you cannot get anything like this in Ontario. You just can't, it's not the same. When you buy seafood here you know that is came from the Pacific Ocean and was not farm raised somewhere in the Maritimes.

Fresh air - you cannot get air like this in Ontario, especially if you live between Hamilton and Toronto (belch belch cough). It just feels good to breathe here. Especially when you are up at Whistler.

Mountains - I think when you live here they sometimes fade into the backdrop. Not me, whenever I look out the window my breath is taken away - they are stunning, and humbling.

Family - my folks and their dogs are here. The only problem is that my husband isn't.

Christmas Blog #5.

I have this thing about Sarah Jessica Parker. I friggin' love her, and I love the show Sex In the City, and yes, I was terribly sad when it ended. I don't, however, really like her Gap ads (I think that Lenny Kravitz is losing the little pigment left in his skin every time that gawd awful "Lady" commerical airs). He hasn't been cool since the album Five came out, so whatever. Anyway, as usual, I digress. There is something about the Gap that says Christmas to me. I was in the Gap on Monday buying myself a new pair of jeans (I love the ankle length for shorties!). As I was checking out, I glanced at the sock rack. Totally wrong move, dumbass. They had me at hello. 6 pairs of assorted pink/green/grey/black socks and a pair of jeans later I left the store, breaking the cardinal November 1st/no more shopping for yourself until after Christmas rule. Scott reminded me of this on the phone later that night, and I was all "but I needed jeans and that isn't something one buys for someone else!" and he was all "wull, still". So, I changed the subject and told him "but I also got you something today" and that seemed to peak his interest for like a minute.

In other Christmas news, I also made my famous Cranberry Chocolate Almond Bark with White Chocolate today. This is batch #1 for my mom - I have to make batch #2 for Scott when I get home. I think that the bark is his favourite sweet ever - he would like me to make it more often than just at Christmas, but I make him wait all year for it. I have to prove my value/remind him why he keeps me around. I also started addressing Christmas cards today. Tomorrow I will commence writing unique and personalized messages and forging Scott's signature...gotta get those cards in the mail asap if I want them to reach their destinations by Christmas! And no, the cards are not homemade like last year, they are store bought (what do I look like, Martha Stewart?. Tomorrow: Gingerbread Cookies! Stay tuned.
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The happiest day of your life.

I just surfed over to DomesticGoddess.ca to see what Jennifer has cooking. By the sounds of it, she is having a very stressful time planning her upcoming wedding. As you know, Scott and I got married this summer and it was an awesome day. Our honeymoon in Jamaica was terrific (despite having to leave Jamaica a few days early due to Hurricane Ivan). But don't kid yourself, planning a wedding is incredibly stressful, and that's when everyone behaves themselves. Imagine how it is when people who in theory should be supportive act like total assholes. Yeah, it totally sucks.

In the six weeks before our wedding I got 2 cold sores, had 3 freak out attacks and spent about 5 days in bed, all due to the incredible amount of stress I was under. And it wasn't the getting married part that stressed me out; I knew that Scott was the man for me, no question about it. What stressed me out was that there were some people who up until that point had been really important to me and they were being really awful and brutal about our wedding. Essentially, they were attempting to highjack our day and make it about themselves, they wanted to be the stars of our show. One parent called me the day before the wedding and yelled at me on the phone because he had "forgotten" that he wasn't the one walking me down the aisle, even though I had told him months before. On the day of the wedding, he wouldn't wear the boutonnière we had bought for him. He scowled during the entire ceremony, talked through the speeches, felt up one of my bridesmaids, hit on our photographer, didn't even give us a gift and then threw his own after-party where he talked shit about us and told everyone there how disappointed he was in our day. Nice guy, eh? There was also plenty of other drama leading up to the wedding that I won't get into, but it made things unnecessarily difficult.

You know what the worst part of it is? The part that I am still kicking myself over? It's that I let the behaviour of a few people really overshadow how I feel about a day that was truly beautiful. The vast majority of people had a great time and were so supportive. Our wedding party, and Scott's parents and my Mom and Ian were so wonderful and generous with us, be are truly blessed. I am still trying to figure out why some people weren't able to behave decently on a day that wasn't about them, it was about honouring the love Scott and I have for one another. I guess there will always be small people out there. The key really is to focus on the overwhelming love and support we received from our family and friends and that we continue to be blessed in our lives. The other night before I left for BC, Scott and I laid in bed and chatted about all of the funny and wonderful things that happened on our wedding day and during our honeymoon - it was so much fun to talk about it - there were things that I had almost forgotten (already!). We talked about the bartender in Jamaica named Dennis who made us rum drinks every day (Scott told him we would name our first born son Dennis!), the Texans Ang and Geno that we met, the night I fell asleep in bed (too much sun) and Scott stayed up drinking Red Stripe and watching boxing, eating Thai food and Japanese food and having a huge breakfast every day...there are so many great things to focus on! And that is just the honeymoon!

Okay, time to go to bed. My dog Scout is asleep at my feet and snoring. Reminds me of Scott, who I really miss!! Only 5 more sleeps until I'll be back in the T.dot.

The theme song for my life.

Do you have a theme song for your life? If you do, what it is? If you don't, why not? My theme song is there to remind me that no matter what, don't let anyone get you down, don't let anyone rain on your parade. I also use it to remind me that I am the one who controls and is responsible for my own happiness. If you haven't heard this song already, go to Jill Scott's site and take a listen - it will make you want to get up and move your body.

Jill Scott's "Golden":
I'm taking my freedom
pulling it off the shelf
puttin' it on my chain
wearing it 'round my neck
I'm taking my freedom
puttin' it in my car
wherever I choose to go
It will take me far

[Chorus]
I'm living my life like it's golden...

I'm taking my own freedom
puttin' it in my song
singing loud and strong
proving all day long
I'm takin' my freedom
puttin' it in my stroll
I'll be hop-steppin' y'all
lettin' the joy unfold

[Repeat Chorus]

I'm holdin' on to my freedom
Can't take it from me
I was born in-to it, it comes naturally
I'm strumming my own freedom
playing the god in me
representing his glory
hope he's proud of me...

[Repeat Chorus]

hope he's proud of me...

living my life like it's golden....

A hard day's night.

My day started at 4:30am. I woke up in a bit of a haze, thinking, "nah, it can't really be time to get up?". But it was - and with only 3 hours of restless sleep to get me through. I hauled myself out of bed, started up the coffee, ignored the hungry yowls of Bossa, and got into the shower. Still moving slowly, I fixed myself some coffee and attempted to make myself look reasonable. Scott, still unconscious, managed to sleep through all of this until at 5:15am, I cruelly suggested that he get up and have some coffee so he could drive me to the airport. He's a good sport, and he will be rid of me for a week, so he managed to get vertical and get moving. Only took 20 minutes to get the airport and I was on my way. Easy check in, but drama at the security checkpoint when they made me take my brand new boots off and put them through the xray machine. What is that about? Do I look like a terrorist? I didn't know that the Danes were harboring WMDs. In their boots. I bought myself the latest Vanity Fair to make myself feel better. Then onto the plane, whole row to myself, slept for 2 hours. The only hiccup was getting lectured by the patronizing West Jet stewardess about the timing of my bathroom visit (does she not understand that bathroom emergencies do not care about turbulence?). Whatever. And the plane was freezing (that's how West Jet keeps their fares so low, don't ya know). All in all, an uneventful trip.

Now I am surrounded by my folks and Scout and Coco. Good times. Good food for dinner, good company, what more could a girl want? Well, I'd like my husband to be here, but that wasn't going to happen this trip. Instead, he is home taking care of our kitties and paying the mortgage. And that folks was my day. Tomorrow I will blog about how good it feels to breathe the unpolluted west coast air...if it weren't for Scott, and my job at the xbi, I would never come back.

Christmas Blog #4.

Does the idea of Jessica Simpson screaming the carols make you feel all warm and fuzzy and Christmasy inside? Nah, me neither. I am oddly fascinated with her though - I don't really understand her relationship with her guy Nick. Scott says that Nick probably puts up with her stupid-ass-bubble-head-self because she looks like a porn star (a really pretty one). To quote the white teenage girls Scott met on the GO Train last week, my response was "true, true". I mean, if they can be all hardcore/gangsta, I certainly can. So, back to Christmas...today Scott and I went to the Bay with his folks to do a little Christmas shopping. I am not really sure what presents I bought or were bought for me, but I know I got a brand spankin' new red wool jacket and a pair of new leather high heeled boots. I am going to look super awesome in them. Awesome. This is my "congratulations for getting a job at the xbi" gift to myself. Tonight I have a bit of packing to do (and by a bit I mean a lot). I tend to bring much more than I need...plus there's all the gifts for my family, and I need to have room for all the gifts I'm going to bring back with me. Anyway, if you need to reach me, email me, I'll be checking in regularly and I will, of course, be blogging (you didn't think you were going to get off that easily, did you?). Now, time for the Raptors game and then to bed early (7:30am flight tomorrow morning!).
Christmas Blog #1 | Christmas Blog #2 | Christmas Blog #3

I (sometimes) have incredibly bad taste in music...

As part of my "congratulations on having a new job at the xbi" gift, Scott is going to make me a mix cd to listen to on the way to work. Since I'll be gone for a week, he says he'll have it ready for when I get back. Apparently he also considered getting me a pink Ipod mini, but decided against it. Too bad for me, eh? He asked me to come up with 20 songs that I would like to have on the cd, so I came up with a list for him. It strikes me that I should be incredibly embarrassed by my request list because there are certainly a few songs on there that are questionable. I have added a "*" where I acknowledge that I should know better. Solitaire will be happy to see that the new Destiny's Child singles have not made my play list (also not on my Christmas list thank you very much).

So, here's the list:
1, 2 Step - Ciara feat. Missy Elliott*
Pass That Dutch - Missy Elliot
Dip It Low - Christina Milian*
Drop it like it's hot - Snoop feat. Pharrell
Lean Back - Terror Squad (original not remix)*
Golden - Jill Scott
Bad Boy - Keisha Chante
I Try - Talib Kweli
Crabbuckit - K-OS
Suicide Bounce - Nas feat. Busta
Encore - Jay-Z
Talk About Our Love - Brandy & Kanye West
If I Ain't Got You (Kanye West Remix) - Alicia Keys
My Prerogative - Britney Spears*
Vertigo - U2
What You Waiting For - Gwen Stefani
Rich Girl - Eve/Gwen Stefani
Somebody Told Me - Killers
My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne
Eight Easy Steps - Alanis Morissette

It should be noted that the last three songs are listed as such because I can live without them. Also, Scott is really good at playing things in an order that flows, so they probably won't be in this order. Head Rabbit & Foot, we can start the asshole webring now. Thank goodness Jennifer is not around to see this - she might decide to never ever speak to me again.

The tide is turning.

Can you feel it? Oh yes, the tide is definitely turning. Took a while, but it was totally worth it. Now that it is "officially" official I can tell you. I GOT A NEW JOB. A REALLY GOOD ONE. Yes, I am now working at...the xbi. Yeah, that's it, the xbi. And since it is:

a) incredibly risky to discuss one's work on one's blog or on the blogs of your friends and family
b) nobody really cares about what other people do for a living
c) I find it really boring reading about people's day jobs

that is the last you will hear of it. Solitaire was telling me she hopes I am still able to update my blog regularly now that I will have 'more' to do. Not to worry, I will update my blog (and I'll have lots of time to come up with interesting content during my commute). As my reward, I am going to fly out out to BC on Sunday morning to spend a week with my folks and my dogs Scout and Coco. This means that Scott has the house to himself for a whole 6 nights (hopefully it will still be standing when I get back). I figure if Jennifer and Adrianne are on vacation, I should be too.

Tonight, I am going to celebrate by watching a Raptors game with Scott and perhaps I will treat myself to a glass of my favourite wine as well. Cheers!

Who the hell is this Tony Pierce guy?

My friend Solitaire of Solitairesoul and maybe Sistagirl's Revenge or is it Kim speaks...everybody listens(?) asked this question yesterday on Text Machine. And you know what I did when I read her question? I sadly shook my head at my computer monitor. How can she not know who Tony Pierce is? She calls herself a blogger.

Tony Pierce is the best blogger on the internet. He is awesome. He has written 2 blooks (he has a new one out that you should go buy). He wrote a blog on how to blog that I refer back to every once in a while. Scott has been reading Tony Pierce for years now and just shakes his head at me like, "I have been telling you about this guy FOREVER and now you act like you discovered him". Well, I know I didn't discover him, but I totally dig his righteous blogging and his honesty. Tony also does fabulous photo essays that will take your breath away or at least make you think. And he likes pretty girls too - and he puts random pictures of them throughout his blogs, though I enjoy the pictures of celebrities making asses out of themselves much more. He curses, he talks out-of-school, he tells you what he thinks about politics and sports. He isn't always right, but he is always interesting.

And that, Solitaire, is who the hell this Tony Pierce brotha is. Go check him out.

Limbo cool, Limbo fine.

I am currently in a state of limbo. You know the feeling, neither here nor there. I'd like to announce something, but I know better because it isn't "officially" official. And I feel kind of apathetic, like, why bother really doing anything, because soon it will be official and then I will totally be doing A LOT. So I might as well sit on my ass and eat my leftover pseudo-congratulations dinner Thai spring rolls for breakfast. I could do some cookie baking, but that would take some effort and perhaps propel me out of my state of limbo. So instead, I wait, killing time by tinkering with my blogger template. And wonder - why do the Catholics think limbo means "the temporary place or state of the souls of the just who, although purified from sin, were excluded from the beatific vision until Christ's triumphant ascension into Heaven"? I mean, that's just silly. Clearly, as both Elmo and David Hasselhoff will tell you, the limbo is a dance. Maybe that's my problem, I am not dancing nearly enough (if at all). I should get off my ass and dance, and try not to put my back out while I'm at it. And then I'll have a nap and watch Days of Our Lives to see if my prediction of a Belle and Sean getting back together in time for Christmas is on track. After all of that, maybe I will have the evidence I need to make everything "official"...I'll let you know.