Burn After Reading

Gord and I saw Burn After Reading tonight.

At the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Arlington, VA, analyst Osborne Cox arrives for a top-secret meeting. Unfortunately for Cox, the secret is soon out: he is being ousted. Cox does not take the news particularly well and returns to his Georgetown home to work on his memoirs and his drinking, not necessarily in that order. His wife, Katie, is dismayed, though not particularly surprised; she is already well into an illicit affair with Harry Pfarrer, a married federal marshal, and sets about making plans to leave Cox for Harry. Elsewhere in the Washington, DC, suburbs, and seemingly worlds apart, Hardbodies Fitness Centers employee Linda Litzke can barely concentrate on her work. She is consumed with her life plan for extensive cosmetic surgery, and confides her mission to can-do colleague Chad Feldheimer. Linda is all but oblivious to the fact that the gym's manager Ted Treffon pines for her even as she arranges dates via the Internet with other men. When a computer disc containing material for the CIA analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of Linda and Chad, the duo are intent on exploiting their find. As Ted frets, "No good can come of this", events spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control, in a cascading series of darkly hilarious encounters.

I've been wanting to see this for a while.

It was a whacked movie. There was always something twisted going on.

Very funny movie!

The Corned Beef House

Gord and I have been wanting to check out the Corned Beef House for a while. But every time we've gone, it's been closed.

We had supper there tonight.

We both had a 10 ounce corned beef sandwich on light rye. It was a lot of meat and very delicious!

Jermaine took excellent care of us! We'll definitely go back.

I took lots of pictures but they've disappeared off my camera ... the camera that wasn't working right back in August that I had repaired and picked up earlier today. I reformatted it at at the restaurant and didn't realize that it deleted the pictures.

Island Foods

I had lunch with Eduardo and Louise today.

We worked together ten years ago and get together every couple of months at Island Foods for lunch.

I had my usual, a boneless chicken roti. Yum!


Eduardo had oxtail.


Louise had a veggie roti (she's a vegetarian).

Eduardo and Teena

Eduardo and Louise

Teena and Louise

I wish this were true!

This is sooooo me!

Happy Halloween

Gord and I don't "do" Halloween.

Yes, we are the ones who turn off all the lights and don't stay home.

So don't bring your rugrats kids around for candy ... we won't be home.

Book ~ "Shoe Addicts Anonymous" (2008) Beth Harbison

From Amazon.com ~ This fiction debut of Harbison features four D.C.-area women who meet weekly to swap and chat about ... shoes. Trying to get a handle on her massive consumer debt, Lorna Rafferty posts an Internet ad looking to trade footwear with women who have good taste and wear size seven-and-a-half. A senator's trophy wife, Helene Zaharis, is dreaming of escaping her loveless marriage when she stumbles upon Lorna's post. Overweight phone sex operator Sandra Vanderslice struggles to overcome her agoraphobia long enough to attend the shoe meetings. After a few funny missteps, the threesome finds a fourth member, Joss Bowen, the nanny of a shrewish socialite's hellion boys. Joss couldn't care less about shoes but uses the group as a reason to get out of the house. Harbison does a fine job of showcasing how each woman is trapped ... Lorna by her debt, Helene by her marriage, Sandra by her self-image, Joss by her employment contract ... and how the fresh eyes of the group allow them to see themselves in a new light. Harbison creates vivid, convincing characters and handles them well. Reading this novel is like eating a slice of cake.

Like "eating a slice of cake"? Odd description. Anyway ...

This book was recommended by my pal, Jennifer. I'm not into shoes and I have been finding it hard lately to find good chick lit since all the heroines seem to be in their twenties ... I can't relate to them and their trials and tribulations.

The women in this book are in the thirties, approaching their forties, with life experiences. I cared about them and found them believable.

Definitely an enjoyable read if you are looking for something light.

Dish cloth

I finished another dish cloth tonight.


Cast on 4 stitches.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end.

Turn work.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end.

Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over until there are 56 stitches.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end.

Turn work.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end.

Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over.

Cast off the final 4 stitches.

What Does Your Favorite Candy Say About You?

What Your Love of Jelly Beans Says About You

You are a generous and open minded person. You love many things and many people. You are silly, colorful, and unpredictable. The only thing that's sure about you is that you're having fun. There are many sides to your personality. Once people thinks they know you, you surprised them with something new. You tend to be a bit experimental with your lifestyle. You are not judgmental, and you always keep an open mind.

What Does Your Favorite Candy Say About You?

Soybean Split

This sounds yummy!

1 - 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream
1 banana, sliced then frozen
1 cup (250ml) Silk chocolate

Serves 2

Click here for the nutritional content.

Click here for more recipes using Silk soy beverage.

Tic Tac Toe

Nice time waster my pal, LeeAnn, pass on to me.

You have to try it at least once!

Click here.

What Halloween treat are you?

You Are Candy Corn

Your Halloween personality is whimsical, colorful, and creative. You see Halloween as a time to get your creative juices flowing. Each year, Halloween can't start soon enough for you. You tend to go all out for Halloween. You decorate like crazy and always dress up.

What Halloween Treat Are You?

So wrong! Gord and I don't do Halloween ... instead we make sure we aren't home when the rugrats trick or treaters come 'round.

But I do like candy!

Ontario limits car phone use

Legislation due today would impose fines and demerit points for use of gadgets at wheel

Using hand-held electronic gadgets while driving would be against the law in Ontario under legislation to be introduced today.

Drivers caught emailing, texting or yapping on hand-held devices such as cellphones or BlackBerrys, or using hand-held global positioning systems would face fines and demerit points, a well-placed government source told the Star.

However, drivers using cellphones with earpieces or Bluetooth devices to carry on conversations, or using a dashboard-mounted GPS would have nothing to fear under the bill developed over the past six months by Transportation Minister Jim Bradley.

---

You can read the rest of the Toronto Star article here.

I have a cell phone (that I rarely use while driving) so I totally support this and hope it goes through. It's about time!

There are a lot of lousy drivers out there ... and guess what is stuck to their ears?! Yep, a cell phone!

Do you agree with this ban?

Book ~ "Broken" (2008) Daniel Clay

From Amazon ~ Part narrated by Skunk Cunningham, an eleven-year-old girl in a coma, Broken tells the intertwining stories of three families who live in a suburban square in the south of England. The Oswalds – Bob and his five daughters – are the neighbors from hell. They lie, steal, cheat, bully and intimidate anyone unlucky enough to be anywhere near them, including Rick Buckley, a geeky but harmless nineteen-year-old boy who lives with his mum and dad on the other side of the square. Humiliated publicly by the Oswalds in the early stages of the novel, Rick descends into madness and becomes the Broken of the title. Skunk, her brother Jed and their new friend Dillon become fascinated with what’s happened to Broken which, in turn, leads to Skunk ending up in the coma from which she narrates the story.

This is an odd and strangely engrossing book ... and I really enjoyed it.

All the stories are indeed intertwined and none of them are happy.

The author has an interesting writing style that I enjoyed.

If you are looking for something dark and different, you should check it out.

Are You a Vampire or a Werewolf?

You Are a Vampire

You are charming, sensual, and even a bit manipulative. You can't help but get people to do what you want. You have sharp senses and a strong predatory instinct. You go after what you want, without mercy. While you have the heart of a killer, many people are drawn to you. You are elegant, timeless, and mysterious. You are the ultimate fantasy object.

Are You a Vampire or a Werewolf?

What Your Cute Monster Says About You

What Your Cute Monster Says About You

You are a vibrant, vivacious person. When you live, you live as wildly and loudly as possible. You are very bold. You are willing to stand up and be a leader. Your inner demon is intensity. You have a tendency to let your passions take over. People think you're cute because you're fiery. When you get worked up, it's charming.

The Cute Monster Test

My Trooper experience

As I said last night, the first concert I ever went to was Trooper in September 1977 ... I was 15.

The afternoon of the concert, my friend/neighbour (J) and I started walking to Sydney to go to the library. We lived just outside in Sydney River and it was about an hour walk (we didn't have bus fare and I wasn't into hitchhiking).

Along the way, we stopped at the Holiday Inn to use the washroom. For some reason, one of the employees told us that Trooper was staying in the motel and even gave us their room number.

We knocked on their door ... what the hell were we thinking?!

One of them said that he was going to open the door but to wait a minute or so before we went in.

The door opened a bit and the room was dark.

Here they are around that time.


J wanted to go in.

Going into their room would not have been a good idea!

So I closed the door.

J wasn't pleased!

Then one of them told us to go away and that they would be signing autographs later that afternoon at Woolco in Sydney River.

So we booted on back to Sydney River (never did get to the library) and waited for them at Woolco. They signed some notepaper and jokingly wrote something like "To the doorknockers ... Leave us alone!".

Here they are now.


There are only two original members left, Ra McGuire and Brian Smith (centre and right), and they'll soon be 60.

Yes, they've aged in the 30 years since I first saw them.

But then, so have I! Here's me at 15.

"Boeing Boeing", Stage West, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Boeing Boeing this afternoon at Stage West, starring Peter Scolari (from Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Newhart) .

Bernard, a successful architect living in Paris, thinks he can easily cope with his three airline stewardess fiancées. It’s all a question of timetables and a reliable, long-suffering housekeeper who reluctantly has the role of romantic air-traffic controller. When old school friend Robert arrives, Bernard relishes the chance to show his wide-eyed visitor his first-class operation at work. Unfortunately, schedules change, flights are delayed and a new turbo-charged Boeing aircraft is introduced and chaos ensures in this hysterical whirl wind of mayhem and matchmaking.

I didn't dig it at all. It was silly and boring.

I'd read a review in the Toronto Star last month and they weren't impressed either (giving it a 2/4).

The names of the stewardess in the program were Gloria (American), Gabriella (French) and Grechen (German) ... yet in the play they were Janet, Jacqueline and Judith.

I couldn't understand the French stewardess sometimes ... according to the Toronto Star, she was Italian. I thought she was French since she worked for Air France and sounded French. She seemed to cross back and forth between a French and Italian accent, though. So maybe they started her off as Italian but switched her to be French?!

The German stewardess was very loud and abrasive, not attractive at all which is supposedly why Bernard only dates stewardesses.

So would I recommend it? No way.

Trooper

Gord and I saw Trooper tonight at the Diesel Playhouse.

If you were around in the late 1970s/early 1980s here in Canada, you'd remember them. Click here for listen to some of their tunes.

They haven't done much over the years and played all the songs I knew ... "Raise a Little Hell", "We're Here For A Good Time (Not A Long Time)", "3 Dressed Up As A 9" and lots more. There are just two original members and they sounded great!

Trooper was the first concert I ever went to. It was in September 1977 at the Sydney Forum. I was 15 and on a first date with a fella who I would be with for four years.

34:55

Gord and I did the CN Tower Climb for United Way this morning (we got there just after 7am) ... that's 1776 steps up up up!

I did it in 34:55 (beating my time in the spring) and Gord, a newbie, did it in 32:18. Yay!

It's a tough climb and I figured out a strategy about halfway up ... sing boppy songs in my head to take my mind off it. So I had "Copacabana" and "The Night Chicago Died" continuously playing in my head. Though I know thousands of songs, those were the only two I could think of at the time.

Book ~ "You've GOT to Read This Book!" (2007) by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks

From Amazon ~ Canfield and Hendricks stay in the inspirational mode with this collection of dozens of entertainers, sports personalities, businesspeople, writers, environmentalists and activists telling up-by-their-bootstraps stories involving books. Some, like Dave Barry (inspired by humorist Robert Benchley) and Lou Holtz (David Schwartz's The Magic of Thinking Big) are well known. Other are recognizable for the products they've created: Craigslist founder Craig Newmark praises The Cluetrain Manifesto, which mirrored his own early belief in the power of the Internet. Among the more memorable contributions is that of 21-year-old Farrah Gray, who spent his early childhood on public assistance, read Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success at age 11 and made his first million at 14. Two contributors — motivational speaker Lisa Nichols and eBay COO Maynard Webb — cite Stephen Covey's best-selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey himself was uplifted by heady reading — Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and E.F. Schumacher's A Guide for the Perplexed — both books, he says, affecting everything from his parenting to his teaching. It's a mixed bag, more uplifting than literary, but readers may find the book that turns them on the way these contributors were.

As a reader, I wanted to read about the books that had inspired others.

Quite a few of the books listed are religious and spiritual, which didn't interest me. But there were some that sounded appealing. I have requested some from the library and I'll let you know when I read them. For this list, click here.

As I was reading this book, I was wondering what book has inspired me enough to be listed in a book. I'm read many many books ... and I can't think of just one.

What book has inspired you?

The genius of man

My pal, LeeAnn, sent me this.

Here is something that is a real eye-opener!

The world as we know it is changing faster than we realize ...

Gonna be a bear

The Booze Test

Oh oh! It was a fun test, though.

82%LUSH

How many countries can you name in 5 minutes?

Pretty pathetic considering I forgot the other 232!

38

Would you eat your buddies in a blizzard?

Must be close to lunch time cuz here's another one ...

33%

How many cannibals could you feed?

I know it's silly but ...

Lord of the Wing's guide for wings

You know I love love love chicken wings!

And I've become a fan of the Lord of the Wings' blog.

He recently posted a guide for classifying wings.

It's definitely worth checking out! You'll learn more than you ever thought you would about wings.

Go on over right now ... and tell him Teena sent you!

Blended Learning course

I started a course this evening at George Brown College called Blended Learning which runs for the next eight weeks.

Blended learning combines on-line and in-class learning activities. Gain the skills and knowledge needed to design, develop and deliver blended learning. Learn how to apply individual elements of blended learning, and use practical exercises to reinforce theoretical knowledge.

I completed George Brown's Instructing Adults certificate five years ago and this course wasn't offered as an elective back then (I took NLP instead).

I thought this course would give me some interesting updated skills as a trainer.

High Park Hike

I led a Single Horizons hike around the perimetre of High Park this morning.

There were 20 of us and it took about two hours.


The leaves are just starting to turn.


Afterwards, we had a late lunch at Mackenzie's Pub. I had fish and chips which was very good.

Dish cloth

I just finished a dish cloth and it was really easy.


Cast on 4 stitches.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end.

Turn work.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end.

Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over until there are 56 stitches.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end.

Turn work.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end.

Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over.

Cast off the final 4 stitches.

CreativFestival

I went to the CreativFestival this afternoon with Pat.

If you are into knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, scrapbooking or beading, then this was the place to be!

Pat and I spent almost four hours walking around. There were lots of fabulous wools and patterns ... I was tempted but didn't buy anything.

Pat bought a kitty quilt kit similar to the one Joey gave my sister last month.

Are You a Witch?

You Are 45% Witch

It's unlikely that you're a witch. At least, no one thinks you are. You may still be interested in witchcraft, but you're by no means a stereotypical witch. While you don't seem all that witchy, people may think you're a bit weird. You're definitely a little offbeat. No one really knows what to make of you sometimes.

Are You a Witch?

Banana bread ... from scratch!

I made banana bread this afternoon.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

** Our oven tends to get too hot so I only had to bake it for about 50 minutes.

Chummy Chums

Has anyone heard of Chummy Chums?

I just read about it on Craigslist.

New women's social network! Lost touch with childhood friends?

Chummychums.com is bringing women together of all ages and from all walks of life who are looking for the same thing - FRIENDSHIP! Browse through profiles of local gal pals, participate in forums, create blogs, etc!

Book ~ "meowWOW!: Curiously Compelling Facts, True Tales, and Trivia Even Your Cat Won't Know" (2007) Marty Becker

From Amazon ~ Are you crazy about cats? Prove it! With this illustrated quirky compendium of all things cats, you will delight in the most obscure factoids about the history, the biology, and the quizzical nature of our feline friends that will test your knowledge and fill you with wisdom.

Whether you're a cat lover, a trivia buff or searching for information before you adopt your first kitten or adult cat, everything you always wanted to know (and everything you didn't think of asking) is revealed! Who's the smartest cat on record (besides yours!)? Why do cats chatter? What are the most popular cat names? When can a kitten use a litter box? Why does your cat lick you? Why do cats eat grass? Is catnip a good treat?

Jam-packed with tips from two of America 's most well-known feline experts—Marty Becker, D.V.M., and syndicated pet-care columnist Gina Spadafori—the cat really is out the bag thanks to this charming gift book.

Fun and informative book that explains a lot about our boys.

Now I know why Morgan likes to lick my head ... but why does he have to do it at 6:30am??!!

Apple and Spice Bread Pudding

Here's a recipe I found on the getcracking.ca site that sounds yummy!

Apple and Spice Bread Pudding

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Servings: 8

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter or margarine (30 mL)
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
Cooking spray
3 cups day-old white or whole wheat bread cubes (750 mL)
1/2 cup raisins (125 mL)
2 cups milk (500 mL)
4 eggs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (75 mL)
1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (2 mL)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (1 mL)

Directions
In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in apples. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Spray shallow 1-1/2-quart (1.5 L) baking dish with cooking spray. In dish, combine apples, bread cubes, and raisins.

In medium bowl, beat together eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until sugar is dissolved. Pour over apple mixture. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Bake pudding in preheated 350ºF (180ºC) oven until knife inserted in centre comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Serve hot, warm or chilled.

Suggestions
For a delicious treat, serve pudding with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Visit getcracking.ca to learn more about the nutritional benefits of eggs, find easy and delicious recipes and see what else you might not have known about "nature’s multivitamin."

How British Are You?

You Are 30% British

You're about as British as a half-hearted Anglophile ... in other words, a piss poor Brit. If you are indeed from Britain, you probably consider yourself a European more than anything else. If you're trying to pass for a Brit, you're going to have to try a little harder. Go to a football match. Drink until you puke. And head in to work the next morning totally hungover.

How British Are You?

Book ~ "Sitcoms: The 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time" (2007) Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik

From Amazon ~ The most beloved, most groundbreaking, and most entertaining TV comedies of all time are celebrated in words and pictures.

In 101 lively chapters and lots of special features, the authors explore our favorite form of popular entertainment, the TV situation comedy. Of the many hundreds of shows that have debuted over TV's 60-year history, the authors have carefully selected the most influential, popular, and enduring ones, from Gilligan's Island to Seinfeld, I Love Lucy to Will and Grace, creating a history of the medium that goes beyond stats and trivia to reveal all that goes into the creation of classic television, from the writing and all-important casting to the directing and, of course, the acting.

Each chapter of Sitcoms features numerous photos, many rare and behind-the-scenes, along with cast lists, artists' biographies, "off-set" tidbits, critical commentary, and all of the relevant statistics. Special features cover such topics as famous unseen characters, sitcom pets, spin-offs, sitcoms made from movies, and many more. It's a visual and informative feast for TV lovers, from nostalgia buffs to the TV Land generation.

Fun book about our favourite sitcoms. I found myself saying, "Oh ya ... I forgot about that show! Oh ya ... I forgot about that show!"

Scarborough Heights Park

After checking out the Scarborough Bluffs, we stopped at Scarborough Heights Park, which is above the Bluffs.

There were a couple paths that I followed so I could take a look at Bluffer's Park, where we'd just been.


It's a lovely park with lots of room to run around. Needless to say, KC had a fun time!