Wednesday

Things that sucked today...

I got food poisoning from the Mickey D's that I ate on Tuesday to make me feel better about THAT crappy day. Lesson learned.

Tuesday

Things that sucked today...

1 - woke up late
2 - forgot documents at home and had to double back
3 - worked all day on a project that was a day late
4 - found out my school assignment email was not received and...
5 - made the submission of our paper late
6 - found out a lady down the street who hates my car called my landlord asking for my car to be moved off the street in front of her house!

My response ...
1 - stayed at work an hour longer
2 - picked up the documents and walked to work to enjoy the 13 degree weather
3 - got the project done
4 - sorted out the email problem
5 - cried a bit
6 - left the car there ... for a bit anyway

Grey Day

It came and went again. The 95th Grey Cup filled up my Sunday evening with high hopes of prairie-filled joy and a battle to the last down. And I was not disappointed. The game was exceptional - if lacking in scoring. With Bomber QB Kevin Glenn out of the game (after last week's broken arm!) it appeared that the Riders were in a favoured position. And although I was hoping for my birthplace province to take the big prize, I knew it wouldn't be guaranteed. And luckily I was right. The game was a tough fight with the defense doing most of the work. Without many memorable plays I found myself turning my attention to other highlights on the big screen. These would include the Brady-esque hotness of backup QB Ryan Dinwiddie and the song stylings of Lenny Kravitz. Yummy.

As for this year's party and can only offer a bit of "meh". I know, sounds horrible. And this is not to say that it was not a fun affair - it always is. But, a mellow vibe, a new location, a lackluster drinking game attempt and some new non-baller fans made for a social gathering a little low on the fanaticism of past years. I offered my sincerity to the rum gods and Ash provided his usual BBQ goodness but at the end of it all it was rather anti-climatic. Still, I can only say how lucky I am to have CFL friends and generally awesome social group that will put up with me while I yell at the screen and chug my drinks in the corner. Can't wait for next year in Montreal ... I am SO going to be there!!


Grey Cup 2005 ... Grey Cup 2006

Christmas Wishes

This picture is of me and my cousins many years ago. I love it. So much has happened since then. Of course I had that bad haircut then that I swore I would never get again! Oh well, you can't be awesome all the time.

One thing I have managed to do is post my Christmas wish list every year on November 24. The hard part this year was compiling a list at all. People have been SO good to me in the past and I have satisfied many of my own DVD desires so I did not have much of a list this year. Still, I managed to find a few things for my heart's desire:

2007 Requests
- Photoshop software
- a knitted hat in autumn yellow or orange
- Beastie Boys greatest hits CD

Things carried over from last year...
- a craft cutting board about 11X14 (they are green)
- a big, beautiful ATLAS of the world

Things on DVD...
- Out of Sight, The Usual Suspects, Heat
- Seasons of "Felicity"

Smile makers
- massages, pedicures and facials
- After Eight chocolates
- Winners, Old Navy, Reitmans Gift Certificates
- Hugs and Love
- Good health for my family and friends

Vanier Cup

So the coolest thing ever happened last night. I got to sit in the campus pub of a school I go to and watch the final game in Canadian university football in which my school's team was playing. It was SO much fun. Sadly, our team lost. Oh well. At least I was there!

Small Screen Crushes

I must admit to a new TV crush these days. Since September I have been watching "Dirty Sexy Money" for the soap factor and Donald Sutherland's voice. However, over the course of that time I have fallen completely for the unassuming and wonderful handsomeness of Peter Krause. This is a change for me because I had never really noticed Krause before in spite of all the press done for "Six Feet Under" (which I have yet to watch). But Krause is fantastic. He has a genuine quality on screen that is devastating. He is a man's man. He loves his wife and daughter. He has a great smile. He looks wonderful in a suit. Hell, even his side-burns get me hot under the collar. That is how good he is. That is what makes him crush-worthy. And then I got thinking about it and realized that at the age of 42 Krause is obviously a MAN and my crushes are finally reaching some maturity. Which made me think of who else is curling my toes on the small screen this season:

Eric Dane (35) - I have to say that the new season of "Grey's Anatomy" is being very good to McSteamy.

Taye Diggs (36) - If you saw the November 15 episode of "Private Practice" then you understand that he is still ALL about getting a women's groove back!

Matthew Settle (38) - Playing the dad on the teen soap "Gossip Girl" is not the easiest gig but somehow he manages to make a charater named Rufus totally sexy.

David Boreanaz (38) - Always nice to have a past crush still on the list this time trading the brooding for the wise-cracking on "Bones".

Michael Vartan (39) - Being the victim of adultery and a CEO never looked so good as when Vartan is the good guy on "Big Shots".

Blair Underwood (43) - Playing the maybe bad guy on "Dirty Sexy Money" looks good on him - as do the jeans and fitted leather jackets.

Dylan McDermott (46) - The stubble makes the all difference here as McDermott manages to make a philanderer a smoldering and sincere treat on "Big Shots".

Tim Daly (51!) - The joke may be that Addison moved to L.A. for his kiss but watching him on "Private Practice" and you are inclined to agree it was worth it.

Football Weekend

Another weekend = another set of football games. This weekend was ALL about finals. It was all about deciding games. It was the weekend where hopes and dreams were on the line for players and fans. It was an awewome weekend!

Saturday afternoon I put on my warm clothes (polar fleece socks this time!) and sat outside in the crisp fall air to enjoy the Uteck Bowl. This game is the east final to determine which team form the atlantic-quebec region will represent in the Vanier Cup. And this year the SMU Huskies were playing in front of a hometown crowd after a few years of disappointing performance. Their opponents were the Rouge et Or de Laval and in spite of SMU's clean season they were decidedly the underdogs in the battle. But something positive was in the air that day. SMU ran the field. Laval never got their game together. It was wonderful to watch. After some initial disappointment with our endzone seats, our position turned out to be quite advantageous for two of the touchdowns. And in the end it was our team that was victorious and heading to Toronto to play for the highest honour in Canadian University football. They will be playing the U of Manitoba Bisons (who demolished Western 52-20) at the Skydome next Friday night. Go! Huskies Go!

Today was the finals for East and West divisions in the CFL. Today determined who would be in the Grey Cup this year. And although my horsies were ousted last week I was very excited about today's games. The chance to have an all-west Grey Cup is a joy to me and I was cheering for a Bombers vs. Riders outcome. I was not disappointed. Again, both games had the winning teams pegged as underdogs. And once again the teams came on strong and overwhelmed their competition. Winnipeg toppled Toronto 19-9 showing a return to their early season form and responding to the previous Argo wins that had kept the Bombers from first place. The Saskatchewan and BC match-up was more intense with a final score of 26-17 and built on the Riders ability to capitalize on BC errors. So two teams with ecstatic fans will head to the Skydome on November 25 and fight for the cup. Now I just need to decide which side I will cheer on!

Cycle Blog - Day 14

Warm morning today - like, 7 degrees warm - so it made for a good ride. Today was laps. Methodical pedalling which was good because I am all crampy for other reasons and my thighs were really aching. It was tiring but refreshing. I got 16kms done this morning. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit. So the cycle blogs will continue to day 21 and we'll see how I'm doing. Two-thirds done so far.

Cycle Blog - Day 13

Another clear morning and I actually brought my camera this time. Actually, the ride was decidedly shorter and less intensive as usual because I was busy taking pictures. It was a lovely morning. I am really enjoying the time when the clear air gets into my head and clears my mind. I am really coming around to being up early and getting my heart going. Of course there was a deadly hill that made me feel like my heart was going to burst through my chest but, I fought up to the top anyway. Ahhh ... success. So I was getting home later today and I missed the classical music "cage match" on CBC 2. But you can't get everything before 8am!

Cycle Blog - Day 12

It was minus 5 this morning which did not make me want to go outside and be active. But it wasn't raining so the deal was I had to go. And what a morning. Crisp and clear. We came down the hill to Point Pleasant park and the sky was full of fire. . The morning was gorgeous. We stopped by the shore. The grass was fuzzy with white frost. The water was calm and dyed a soft mauve with a golden swath painted upon it. Everything was quiet except for the rustling sound of leaves falling to the ground, the waves lapping the shore and the muffled blast of a container ship coming into the harbour. It was beautiful. Then we took off to ride around the park this morning. The change of scenery was invigorating even if the hills were challenging. Overall, the mix of weather, effort and enjoyment made it one of the best morning rides yet. Wish I had brought my camera!

Cycle Blog - Day 11

Sunday morning and I am a half hour late even though the start time was 8am. Oh well - you do what you can the morning after the first snow of the year. Most of the snow was already gone by biking time but it was still wet. And chilly. And I got soaking during the ride and my sneakers were squishy sponges that made my feet feel like popsicles. It was not a fun hour outside. Of course I was the one who said we should go out even though I don't have water gear. But it is over now and I am going to take a warm shower.

Snow Ball

Today was the Loney Bowl - the AUS (Atlantic University Sport) final for football. SMU played St.FX for a shot to go to the Uteck Bowl next weekend to play the winner of the Quebec league and the winner from there heads to the Vanier Cup. It was a chilly and windy day so we were all bundled up in our coats with fleece blankets and mittens. I love the idea that Canadians will sit outside in crappy weather to watch sports. I love that we have athletes that will play in such conditions.

The first half was a bit sluggish. The first point on the board was a 1-point safety due to a dropped ball kicked to the end zone. Nobody thought much of it at the time but it would prove to be the ultimate point. By the half, the SMU Huskies were leading 18 to 11 and although the expected blowout wasn't occurring it looked like SMU was going to secure their Uteck spot. And then the second half happened.

I can only say that the second half is what football is all about. St.FX came back in force with two touchdowns to lead the game 24-18. SMU couldn't seem to catch a break as a series of fumbles in the red zone were costly turnovers. By this point the crowd is totally owned by the game. The St. FX fans can see a possible win. The SMU fans are freaked at the possibility of NOT making the finals after a clean season. But then SMU gets a touchdown and with the convert it places them in the lead by ONE point. After a field goal attempt by St. FX goes wide and gets run out the challenge became one of possession strategy and time management. Could SMU run down the last 5 minutes of the game to ensure their win? Can anyone play ball in crazy snow flurries when your feet and hands are frozen?

The answer to both questions is YES! And by one lucky point scored in the first quarter the SMU Huskies are heading into the Uteck Bowl, hosted on their home field, next Saturday. What a great afternoon!!

Cycle Blog - Day 10

First weekend morning cycle means an extra half hour of sleep. Of course I set my alarm wrong again and JUST made it on time. I think my subconscious is not yet on program with the biking thing. At 7am on a Saturday the city is quiet. The sky was slightly overcast today and there was a chill in the wind. I think we are hitting the turning point of the seasons now. Today I was really tired. My legs felt tired. Not sore. Just a dull thudding to them that made it hard to keep going. Wade was feeling it too so we kept the morning short. Down to the beach at Point Pleasant and a two sets of step-ups on the picnic table. I only fell twice! Man, those things are hard!! The slow grade back up the from the park was easier to do than before (in spite of my dead legs) and gave me some hope that I am actually getting a bit better at this stuff. Either way, it got me out of bed and more productive before 10am then any weekend (biking, coffee at Uncommon Grounds and 6 loads of laundry all done!) and sets the day up well. I might be hooked - but don't quote me yet.

Point Pleasant this morning...

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Cycle Blog - Day 9

At three weeks in this should really be Cycle Blog #15 ... that was the plan anyway. But life has a way of getting in the way of plans, especially early morining ones. Today was chilly. Zero degrees - so I put on my polar fleece leggings and it helped. But, my toes did get cold. The goal for today was 10 laps on Young Ave. which would be 20kms. I got 7 of them done in our allotted time. The thing about the laps is that my muscles really start to feel it. Unlike the diverse terrain (namely the death hills) of cycling around the neighbourhood, the laps get my body into a rhythm and it becomes much easier to find my weaknesses. Namely, my thighs. But it wasn't all bad. I am actually starting to mentally enjoy getting up early and starting my day this way. And with each lap the sun was getting higher and shining in autumn gold through the leaves of Point Pleasant Park (which is at the end of the street). It was a lovely distraction.

Here are some sunny leaves taken on a different - more leisurely - day:

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Writer's Blog

Today I handed in a paper for a class and it has been a pain in my ass for weeks. I had my ideas but I could NOT get the writing done.

A friend of mine writes about cars for the press. It is his "dream" job. And yet he struggles to write on demand these days.

And these incidents made me think about the Writer's Strike going on in the U.S. right now. It made me think about the work and the effort the people put in to deliver my favourite shows. I thought about how rough it must feel to have to be creative, clever, funny, insightful, topical, etc. on demand all the time. And even then there is no guarantee that the script is produced. And then you are sharing the responsibility with other people so not every episode that airs is one of your episodes. And then your show gets cancelled and you don't have a job for who knows how long and the only money you have is the residuals from your previous work. Well, all I can say is that it would drive me crazy to live like that.

Then the business side kicks in and I wonder about base salaries and residual percentages and overhead costs and everything else that is involved in making a show a reality. It is alot. I'm sure the beautiful orange plexiglass set on "Ugly Betty" (not to mention all the greenscreen technology!) isn't cheap. I bet the tailored scrubs on "Grey's Anatomy" cost a bit dough. I reckon the special effects teams on "Bones" rack up some cash. Plus everybody else in the pipeline is looking for their paycheque of this one entertaining vehicle. And when you are managing this many variables even the smallest percentage changes can mean the difference between profit and loss.

And then I got all lost in the argument. But it is an intriguing one to have and one that questions our assumptions about entertainment and the balance between creation and business and output and return. I found this great video from the Writer's Guild that explains their position. Without being able to study the financial from the a studio it is hard to determine if these demands would be crippling. What do you think?

From Mitch

"Men are strange beasts and the only ones that are easy to figure out are dumb and assholes."

Good to know.

No Cycle Blog - Sleep In

The thing about getting up to cycle at 6:30am is that it is hard. It is especially hard when you are making a lifestyle change to do it. And sometimes you realize that climbing out of bed that early just for a bike ride is not the most helpful thing you can do. Which is why Wade cancelled biking in order to be well-rested for mid-term exam. Fine by me - I am spending late night hours working on a project paper for my class. Which is why I totally enjoyed the extra 2 hours of sleep this morning - come 1am tonight I am going to need it!

Cycle Blog - Day 8

Another Monday morning after a weekend of drinking and the biking is hard. I wonder when I will ever learn. Got to sleep in a bit today since I was already at Wade's because the power was out at my place and I was crashing on the couch. Of course those extra minutes were wiped out by having to sleep on a sofa and deal with the incredibly LOUD neighbours so I hardly felt rested this morning. Thanks to the time change it was a brighter morning. I was good on the first two hills then lost Wade in the morning light and got lost for a bit. We traded bikes for a bit and I got a good workout but my brain wasn't in it and I could feel myself fading. So glad I made it out but not one of my better days. I would be moving forward if I didn't keep killing all my weekday efforts with my weekend socializing. Oh well.

Cycle Blog - Day 7

Back on the bike this morning after 3 days off. My sickness has waned and nasty sore throat has been replaced by snottiness. Oh well. Today was about doing laps. Big loops around Young Avenue ... up and back ... up and back. This morning we did six loops. That equals 12 kms apparently. Yay for me. I even got my bike onto the highest gear for the last two loops so I am getting better. Not so hard on the heart today but my legs were aching. My thigh muscles are too weak to keep the cardio going at times. I am going to be sore tomorrow!

Happy Maker

Every time I get caught up in my own life and have a down day I am fortunate to find new pics of my niece and nephew to make me smile. This one reminds me how small Maebe still is because I have seen the lego box and it is not that big. I think this image is like a mini-version of those ball rooms that kids get to play in at McDonalds or something. Granted she won't be doing any diving in this pond but it is still cute. And look at her hair! All that hair! I love it! She was a purple fairy for Halloween. It appears that purple is emerging as HER colour. Tag was a skeleton pirate and it was way cute - in a disturbing kind of way. He has so much energy! One thing I really notice is how different the pictures are because of the ages. When Tag had his first Halloween he was 7 months old. Maebe is only 4. So while Tag was holding himself up and mugging for the camera, Maebe is still working on her vision and sitting up. Once again I am astounding by the development of children and how wonderful they can be to watch. It really is a happy maker.