Bio-Blog #11 ... Tanya

This week I present another recent friend from my new life in Halifax.Tanya and I met on the third day of orientation and were thick as theives for the first semester. In fact, I can honestly say that I don't think I would have had half the fun, or met half as many people if I hadn't had her in my life. She was my saving grace. It is hard to not love Tanya. She has enormous energy and one of the most forgiving souls I have ever met. Her Cape Breton pride is infectious and no one makes you feel more at home in the maritimes than she does. She is one of the few gal friends I have that acutally makes me feel girly - her love of soccer, cars, hockey and videogames makes her a man's dream come true. These days we don't see each other much because I can't handle the party pace anymore and work for both of us is, well, hectic to say the least. But she is always there with an entertaining invite or a logical insight and I appreciate both so much!

I am ... having fun
I can ... forgive
I love ... life, the good and the bad
I will ... own a Porsche 911

What do you do? Work, MBA, Party

What is your sign? Cancer
Where were you born? Sydney, NS
Where do you live now? Halifax, NS

What has been the best place you've visited in between and why?
I have two:
1) San Francisco - my first trip on my own
2) New York – Saw Manchester United vs. Juventus @ Giant Stadium

What is your favourite:
Movie: Star Wars
Book: Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes - Cancer fits me to a tee
TV Show: TV!? what is that…do you know how busy I am
Drink: WAY TOO much…”I would like to thank the Russians for inventing vodka and God for creating limes”…quoted from my speech at the MBA Fun Awards
Hockey Team: the Habs
Soccer Team: Manchester United
Football Team: the Pats
Bar/Pub: The Lower Deck and Cheers
Thing to do at the bar: pickup…hahaha No! DANCE

Who is your celebrity hottie of choice?
Matthew Mcconaughey…mmmmm…yummy

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world ... who would it be and why?
That’s tough….hhhhmmmmm…Warren Buffet or Alan Greenspan – I know! I am such a geek

How do you know Raye? Sobey MBA Program

What 3 words would you use to describe Raye?
Fun, Bold, Curious

Do you have your own website? No just an MSN Space

The DaVinci Code - movie review

I think it's only fair that I preface this review with the following...
1 - I have not read the Dan Brown book
2 - I am not religious in any way, shape or form
3 - I was not waiting for this flick with bated breath
So, when the credits did finally roll, all I can say is that I was underwhelmed and had to ask the question - "what's the big deal?"

The DaVinci Code suffered on two fronts for me: one - as a story concept it is not all that original or controversial and two - as a film it is not all that exciting. And really, if you're going to fail on these two counts then there is not much to recommend in the movie. And that was my problem. There is not much good in this Code.

I am sure that the book is intriguing. The story does weave together a fascinating theory of the Holy Grail, the Church, and Christianity in general. In a book, these elements can be explored by the reader's mind and trigger thoughts, connections, and philosophies that are key to a solid reading experience. But on the screen, these details become overlong expositions that drag at the action. Add in lacklustre direction and the entire experience is a bit of a bore.

It always seemed odd to me that Ron Howard would be chosen to direct an action drama. They are not really his forte. And in Code this is clearly evident. The action scenes consist mainly of chase sequences but as we know the main characters are never really in danger they have no threat. This leaves scene execution to create excitement but instead it falls flat and lacks emotion due to a pallette of everyday life. Scenes that are meant to trigger a response (the self-flaggelation of Silas, the curator's body) are over-drawn and feel out of place. The violence itself is jarring in both its placement and tone as if two films were smashed together. This feeling is augmented by the use of flashbacks of the characters and illustrations of the Grail legend that all use different film techniques. The intent is obviously to make a "stylish" film but instead it causes Code to be an uneven tale.

Tom Hanks is wasted here in a role that offers little room to do anything. The dialogue is pointless and offers no character insight. The character of Silas offers Paul Bettany the chance to show how icky he can be but his villain is so psycho that it is hard to feel anything for his disillusioned and manipulated soul. Audrey Tatou - with the lovely eyes and pretty smile - is forgettable. The one bright spot is Ian Mckellan who offers a convincing portrayal of a Grail fanatic and injects his long speeches with enough enthusiasm to keep the audience interested. He is, however, also telling us the most interesting theories. But as all these characters wander through the treasure hunt they never really connect. The story moves them along from plot point to plot point but they themselves are never fully realized as elements in the legend.

In the end, Code goes on too long about something not that amazing in a way that is hardly fulfilling. From my point of view, you would do better to see the last Indiana Jones film again and watch Kevin Smith's Dogma. The former offers a truly great Grail-hunters adventure. The latter actually creates some debate over the last Scion and a testing of faith. Or better yet, just read the book and let your own mind have the adventure.

House Freakin' Fantastic

So my other favourite medical drama did the season finale thing right. At first I was annoyed that both House and Grey's appeared to have the same thing going on - a key doctor gets shot and grapples with the potential loss of the gift that makes him great. Oh no! It could not be that both shows created the same story. But it was not the case. In the latest "House" episode everything goes full tilt. It is complex, creative and graphic. And it pushes you until the very end to question its very reality. And then, in that last moment it revealed only enough to make you demand more. An excellent finale. I should never have doubted it - House always comes through in the end!

Road Trip ... Day 3

Sunday arrives with an overcast morning. We slept all right considering the scary knocking that occurred at 1am. It turned out to not be due to the ghosts but rather the drunk bridal party that arrived late. Still - it was a good thing we had planned to sleep in that day! We skipped breakfast to hit the road and travel through the historic Acadian area of Clare. Does it sound bad to say that the geography of the area is definately less-inspiring than the south shore. It falls in grassy plains towards the ocean rather than rocky cuts. But it was fun to count the churches. But our task was to get to Digby so Cathy could have scallops. Our plan to travel the Digby neck was pushed aside when we realized we didn't have the time. So plan B was a tour of the historic Annapolis valley instead.

In Annapolis Royal (the oldest town in Canada and the origial capital of the area) I enjoyed a walking tour courtesy of Cathy herself. I tell you, we make a good travelling pair! So with my chai latte in hand, I set off on a sunny walk of the heritage properties in the town with Cathy reading the details from an informative pamphlet. SOOOO much fun. And the architecture is amazing. The entire town is filled with inns and antique dealers. It is perfectly established as a great romantic retreat (.... someday ...) or afternoon strolling place. And Fort Anne is a mini-citadel. I love the old military places. Which made our next stop - Port Royal - a cool tour. The fort was re-built in the 1930s to replicate the original built under Samuel de Champlain's suggestion. The entire place has been constructed using whole and peg fasteners and the details of the rooms is excellent. I would have liked a bit more interpretive information though.

The day continued with another hike. Thank goodness I packed my boots cause the trail was wet and muddy. We did the 4km trek in Delap's Cove that took along the shore of the Bay of Fundy to a lovely waterfall. It was SO interesting to see how different the shore was on the opposite side of the province. I can't imagine doing a better tour with a friend who had never been to the province. After we had exercised again we took the road through the valley - but the blossoms were just on the verge of exploding. Cathy read the details of the towns we passed and we munched on low-fat Pringles and high-sugar 2-bite brownies. By 9pm we were back in Halifax with a good chunk of the province behind us. One of my best May 2-4s ever!

Road Trip ... Day 2

We arrived in Lunenburg on a rainy evening. I had booked us a room at the Bluenose Lodge (first pic below) and it was a good call. The proprietor had left us a handwritten note to welcome us to our third-floor room. There is something about B&Bs in old properties that always makes me smile. I was actually SO giddy when I saw our quaint room that I jumped up and down. And things only got better from there.

Lucky for us we awoke to total sunshine. The morning was spend touring the town of Lunenburg that has been designated a UNESCO heritage site. It is really such a cute town that is filled with pretty homes, art galleries, and interesting shops. I loved having the time to just wander in the sun and poke into the various businesses. Then it was down to the water front to see the Bluenose. Lucky for us the famous ship was in port being fixed-up for the season.

The day continued with a journey down the south shore. We stopped at various spots to watch the waves crash against the rocks. I find this atlantic coast of NS to be very rugged and wild. The ocean comes rushing into the rocks with force. The wind whips up the coast. It is not a welcoming edge to travel but its beauty is undeniable.

Late that afternoon we took the gravel road to the seaside adjunct location of Kejumkujik National Park. WOW! What a good decision that turned out to be. In truth, it was all thanks to Cathy who had actually done some research on things in the area and came across the hikes available in the park. So we decided on doing the 4km and ended up walking the entire 8.5 route around the headland. We ate lunch watching seals play in the waves. We enjoyed a maritime oat cake (LeHavre Bakery makes THE best!) on a rocky beach. We wandered through the low brush that has bowed to the salty air for centuries. I got a wind-burned face and I couldn't have been happier!

The last leg of the day's journey brought us to Yarmouth. Admittedly, there is not much there! But after an ODD adventure trying to check in to our B&B for the night we sped off to catch the sunset at the lighthouse on Cape Forchu. It was a winding tour and at times if felt as if we were heading off to nowhere. The lighthouse itself wasn't all that impressive - but the sunset was purty! Again, Cathy and I were the two people having the MOST fun out of the small group of tourists that happened to be around. And we had lots of photo fun trying to take our hotness shots with the falling sun. What a great way to end the day.

We stayed at the Churchill Mansion overlooking Darling Lake that night. It is a wonderfully weird place. And its haunted. Really - what's better than staying in a haunted mansion while on a road trip? Seriously!

Road Trip ... Day 1

The best thing about having a friend come to visit is that I have an excuse to plan a road trip to the places in NS that I haven't been yet. So with Cathy around for the week we decided to tour the southwest corner for the May long weekend.

I booked off early from work on the Friday so we could get to Peggy's Cove for the afternoon. It was my third trip there but every time it is different. This time it was full-on fog and windy rain that greeted us on the rocky shore. I was almost disappointed until Cathy's unwavering enthusiasm made the dreary afternoon a funtastic - if totally chilly - event. One of the challenges for the trip was to find a cheesy gift for her man back home. She settled on the lobster salt&pepper set that she is lovingly displaying in the pic above.

In the end, the fog, wind, and grey skies made for a dramatic tour of the famous town. It also helped to keep other visitors to a minimum allowing for some prime photo opportunities. They may not be postcard perfect but they are a true reflection of a Nova Scotian spring!

The Path to a Bear Soul

At the beginning of May that I decided to take a break from sugar. A break from the white stimulus. It is a toxin afterall. I decided to try and go an entire month with no junk food. No chocolate. No candies. But later this week - a full 18 days - I cracked. Also, in a conversation at work we discussed the "high" that shopping brings. And I reflected on my retail therapy process and the cycle it runs in my life. And then today I read my Rob Brezsny horoscope and it had this to say...

Excessive consumption of junk food has contributed to rising obesity levels in humans. Now wildlife experts report that bears are suffering a similar fate. The animals are so fond of the greasy, sugary scraps they scrounge that many are getting fat. The weight gain has had a surprising side effect: Many female bears are giving birth to three cubs at at time instead of one or two. You can draw metaphorical guidance from this vignette as your meditate on your own life, Pisces. Is there an instinctual part of you that has become overly fond of artificial sustenance and clever but worthless confections? It's high time to give the wild woman ... within you some gourmet soul food.

OH! and the totally appropriate graphic I found online is courtesy of Elizabeth Williams.

Bio-Blog #10 ... Justin

So this is Justin. One of my trusted commerce buddies who teaches me about cars and inflates my ego cause he asks my advice on things. Justin always amazes me because he has been so diligent in making his dreams come true. He has always wanted to write about cars - so he went to the newspaper and got a job doing that very thing. He also contributes to an online auto site. I think it's so cool. He wears really bad running shoes and still dresses like he's in highschool. One day I'm gonna take him clothes-shopping and he's gonna help me buy a car ... that's what friendship is about!

I am ... a hopeless gearhead and independent type
I can ... do all sorts of cool stuff...like cook and swim
I love ... the thrill of the open road and cute fluffy animals (especially my puppy Tundra)
I will ... some day get paid lots of money to drive really cool cars.

What is your sign? Gemeni
Where were you born? Between my mothers legs
Where do you live now? Sudbury

What has been the best place you've visited in between and why?
Quebec class trip at the end of highschool. It was the first taste of independence and freedom which I still wish for!

What is your favourite:
Movie: Bad Boys 2
Book: Anything with the Hardy Boys
TV Show: Family guy, of course
Drink: Sleemans honey brown

Who is your celebrity hottie of choice?
That hot chick from Hannibal...what's her name.....she's old but i dont care (that would be Julianne Moore)

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world ... who would it be and why?
Bill Gates because he proves that even ugly skinny nerds can make it big.

How do you know Raye? From School

What 3 words would you use to describe Raye?
Loves Shoes Alot

Do you have your own website? yes www.pacenews.ca