Hands Down

Taggart and Kathryn
... a moment of clarity for the upcoming mother's day

Winning Addictions

A small post from on the road. Currently I am calling a hotel home. I eat in restaurants alone. I live out of my suitcase. It's awesome!!!

In my free time, I have continued my reliable retail therapy and have come to the conclusion that I am ADDICTED to Winners. It is more than just a passing diversion in my life. It is a twice-weekly shopping extravaganza that involves a systematic process. I can't control it. The soothing feeling of wandering through the racks and finding that unique skirt or well-fitted shirt that will complete my wardrobe. The sad part is that I have no money. Although working at the moment, all my incoming funds are allotted to VISA to pay off my previous Winners purchases. Yes, I am an addict. Admitted. Lets move on.

In other fun revelations, I discovered the Outback Steakhouse in the big box shopping complex near my hotel. LOVE IT! Being a Keg-devotee, I was unsure about venturing elsewhere. But I must report sincere satisfaction. The steak was well-seasoned (even though I took the "light seasoning" option) and juicy!!! It was served with one of the best looking steamed veggie side dishes (broccoli, carrot, snow pea, yellow zucchini) that I've seen in a long time. But the best part was the garden salad that was fresh, filling and served in a bowl that was big enough to actually toss it! Get the mustard vinagrette and you won't be disappointed.

Now off to eat chocolate and popcorn and watch a movie. The addictions keep coming. I think I need a man!

Eye of the Beholder

What is beautiful? What is hot?

Following on the heels of my previous post, I must comment on the lack of beauty-recognition in my "real" life. Last night, at the super-duper birthday bash of some friends, the topic of hotness came up alot. Thanks to the help of my cousin's hair straightener (Must get a ceramic one! $150!!! Maybe have to wait.) I was rocking very smooth & straight hair that garnered many compliments. Mixed with a sprakly eyes and a flirty shirt, I was apparently looking very nice. And yet...the flaw comments were still very easy to generate. The first response is still to find the crack in the finish or the problem with the attribute. Why is this so?

And I was not the only one. Every women conversation I had dealt at some point with the challenge of feeling beautiful and attractive. In particular because one of the hosts (our very own Fickle Feline) had blogged about this same topic last week! Sadly, it appears that the most effective way to reaffirm hot status is to have it declared by the opposite sex. Maybe this is because our beautifying in often done with (for my hetersexual self anyway) men in mind. So when my friend Scott tells me I look great, it somehow hits home more than when my friend Cathy does it. Or the random moments - such as the guy that approached Cathy at the subway station just to comment on her beauty. Wow!

The one consolation is that women are not the only ones in this game. Men are just as insecure in many ways. One such friend is so frustrating about this particular esteem issue. He consistently makes body-conscious remarks but to see him you want to hit him for his ridiculousness. Recently I got to see some pics that reveal him to have a truly lust-afterable torso (what men want - what women want men to have!) and I think its time he gave his head a shake and embrace the fact that he's got "it".

But I can't possibly enforce such edicts when I can't follow them myself. So maybe we all need to step away from the mirror and put more stock in the reflections of our friends. Ahhhhh, wouldn't that be hot!

WTF Happened to My People?

Okay, I know I don't normally do the rant thing here. I leave that domain to Kat - who is exceptional at the articulate mud-slinging (and I would link you there if I only knew how!). But I just had to say - What the Fuck happened to People magazine?

The first weekend in May is about the "50 Most Beautiful People". This is the release of the annual collection of celebrity photos that is the best newsrag eye-candy outside of Vanity Fair's Hollywood issue. For years I have gobbled up this trifle to glimpse the wonderful studio shots of hotness that made headlines in the past year (cause the issue is really about who is kinda buzzing at the moment rather than beautifying) and read up on the random dancer/poet/ecologist selections that also made the list. It is a ritual. And it was a very satisfying one until today.

In all bluntness, the 2005 issue SUCKS! There is no portfolio of smiling faces, brooding hunkiness nor sepia-toned grandness. Instead, there is a mish-mash of themed collections that are more inane then the section divisions of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. "Transformations" ... "World Beauties" ... "Games with Hot Guys" - the biggest offense as it attempts to put a fun spin on the manly pics but instead steals valuable photo space for useless googlized nonsense! In fact, it's hard to tell if 50 people are even represented at all!

I say, go back to the layout of the 1990s. Forget this tabloid-style, wire-image, faux-article bullshit and just give me 50 immaculate photos of 50 beautiful people. That's what it's supposed to be about afterall!

In Search of the Unattached Relationship

So the question on the table was: "can you have unattached sex?". The details included the idea that it would be a consistent scenario with an individual - therefore not a one-nighter - and that the purpose would be to get laid without the hassle of romanticism. The verdict was that MAYBE it could be done, but it's complicated.

But is it really so complicated? An odd question coming from me, who tried valiantly to do the fuck-friend thing with disastrous consequences (the eventual friendship excluded). But I'm wondering now, a little bit older, a bit more cynical, and long-time unattached if the situation might not be a good one. The challenge is really finding the other person.

Usually these situations are called "flings" and they occur randomly in your life when you're on vacation. The time horizon is a key factor to the the unattached sex "relationship" because it precludes thoughts of a future. The idea being that you can enjoy someone's company for a specific period of time and that's the end of it. But can you manufacture this scenario? Can you find a willing partner, set your deadline and get the goods without having to go away? The odds tend to favour "no" as a response.

But that seems a little short-sighted to me. Wouldn't it be better to have an established single partner for a period of time then dealing with the stress of multiple moments to fill the the void? I think its called "taking a lover". So if you could find a decent attractive person with whom you share a bit of chemistry - couldn't you lay this option on the table? The answer to that is still open for debate. And the discussion of this topic at tonight's wings night seems to suggest that someone will always get hurt in this type of situation so its best not to try. But wouldn't it be nice if you could get it worked out right?

Snow WAY!

April 23, 2005
Wrote my last exam.
Sudbury got 2cm of snow.
I have arrived at the end of my degree.
Spring, apparantly, has not arrived yet.

A Good Friend...

In an attempt to procrastinate my Labour Relations exam studying to the nth degree today, I actually cruised the silly links on the MSN homepage. One story caught my attention as it outlined the necessary elements to making/having/keeping long-term friends.

If you've been reading this site, you will have noticed that friendship has been a bit of a theme recently. As my life is about to move to Halifax, I find myself reflecting on my existing friends and working to solidify those budding relationships. So I offer these pearls of wisdom to you all. Please let me know where I may improve. A good friend...

...listens as well as talks
...is respectful of others' opinions
...takes initiative in organizing social outings
...has a positive life attitude
...is able to be intimate without being indiscreet
...has a similar moral code to your own

Plus One Perfection

For the first time in my life, I got to be somebody's "Plus One". This title means that I was a guest of someone who was a guest elsewhere. The title implies two things: I am going to an event and the person I'm with doesn't have a date.

The event is question was the David Usher concert. My date? Beth. In a stroke of last-minute serendipity, tickets to the sold out concert became available and J-man offered them to Beth. In a move of great friendship, she offered the other ticket to me. When we arrived at the concert, Beth was found on the Guest List with a "+ 1" beside her name. I AM the +1. And it couldn't have been a better opportunity. The concert was excellent with David Usher's wonderful voice resounding richly in the small venue. It was intimate and rocking at the same time.

My first David Usher experience came with the Ryerson frosh concert in 1994 when he was just emerging on the music scene as the frontman for Moist. Ahhhh, Moist - one of the nostalgic bands of that first year of university. Even then, it was David's haunting voice that carried the music to new levels. The man has power that echoes effortlessly.

My next experience was among the giant throng of people assembled for his show on Parliament Hill for Canada Day 2002. Even from across the entire lawn he was mesmerizing. The man can rock a pair of jeans like nobody's business. I promptly went out and bought "Morning Orbit" on that presentation alone.

So that brings us up to date. Last night's show was the best $20 I've spent all year. A solid performance of new and vintage material. Exceptional backing from a tight group featuring guitar, drums, keyboard and electric violin. His vocals, as always, are pitch perfect to his recorded sound and even more evocative in their live incarnation. The jeans are still impeccable. The tight Tshirt and nice arms are new additions. The gold wedding band is a sexy statement for a rock star. He was personable and fun-loving with the crowd and the time passed much too quickly - even with two encores.

If all invitations are so satisfying, I'll be Beth's +1 anyday!