BBC Books

Apparently the BBC reckons most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.

Instructions:

1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
2) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.
3) Star (*) those you plan on reading.
4) Tally your total at the bottom.

How many have you read?

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X +
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee X
6 The Bible X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte X +
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman X +
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens X
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott X +
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy X
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller X
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare X +
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier *
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger X
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger X +
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot X
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell X
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy *
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky *
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy X
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis X +
34 Emma - Jane Austen X
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen *
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis X +
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini *
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres *
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden X +
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell X
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery X +
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood X
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan X
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel X +
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth *
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens X
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez *
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov *
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas X
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac X
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X +
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie *
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker X
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce X
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath *
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome X +
78 Germinal - Emile Zola *
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray X
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker X
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert X
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White X +
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle X +
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad X
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole X
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas X
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl X +
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo X

Total: 61

I don't know why Hamlet and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe are under separate cover when the complete works of Shakespeare and the Narnia series are also listed.

I also don't know why The Davinci Code is on this list. Not even remotely in the same league as the others.

Running...stopped...running

Need to get back on the running track. Got sick (again) and then had a lot of trouble getting back into it. I'm hoping that blogging that I am planning on taking a treadmill run tomorrow evening will ensure that I get on that treadmill. Here's hoping that there will be a running log posted tomorrow with my (possibly diminished) stats.

25 Facts About Me

This is an exercise that a lot of people are doing on Facebook. You post any 25 facts about yourself. I found it interesting, so I thought I would post the results here, for those who read my blog who don't have Facebook.

1. Music means the world to me. I can't walk a block (alone) without my iPod, go a day without listening to some kind of music or without playing or singing. It's in my blood, handed down from generations gone by and in my soul.

2. I am a self identified nerd...and finally proud of it. It took me a long time to get here, but I'm glad I'm here.

3. I have a coin collection. Mainly Canadian, specialty quarters, a penny for almost every year from 1900 and specialty items from the Royal Canadian Mint. (See number 2)

4. I love languages. I speak English, French and Italian. I took German in university and would love to learn Spanish. I am trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to learn Russian.

5. I wish people were more polite to each other in public places. Especially on the TTC.

6. I write but have never worked up enough courage to submit any of it to anyone beyond school/ university.

7. I've been in unrequited love more often than in requited love, and that fact makes me more than a little sad.

8. I love living alone. After years of family and roommates, it's bliss. I've never lived with a partner for more than a few weeks temporarily, so I don't know how that would go. :)

9. I have R.A. I am in drug related remission, but I've found it very difficult to be asymptomatic and not look or seem sick, but still have a disease that will be with me for the rest of my life.

10. I love Yoga and practice everyday. It helps keep me sane. I hope to attend an Ashram in India someday soon.

11. I've recently started running again, and am training for a 5K in the the spring.

12. I love my bike! I ride to work everyday it's not way below freezing and/or there is no heavy precipitation.

13. I will be on sabbatical in 18 months, and am planning a trip around the world.

14. I love to travel (see 13) and could see myself in a job that required frequent international travel.

15. I've struggled with body image my whole life and wish I could just get over it.

16. I have exceptionally bad plant and animal allergies. I love cats and can't own one. I love being outdoors, but in the spring and summer I keep the allergy medication companies in business.

17. I used to be wholly committed to artistic expression through drama. Over the years, I've become disillusioned by unreasonable demands placed on actors by the industry (whether it be theatre, television or film) to look a certain way, unless for a very specific character role. When I was in the "biz", I was told by more than one casting director/ agent that I was too fat to play the ingenue but too pretty to be a character actor (ie: play the funny best friend) so I ended up quite lost. I trained in England, where at the time, "real" people were represented on stage and screen, but I've noticed that now, similar North American aesthetics are being applied.

18. I wish I could remember my dreams more than just a few fragments after I wake up.

19. I am a sap through and through. I cry at books, movies, television, touching scenes in real life, even some heart string tugging commercials. Unfortunately, I hate waterproof mascara. it's too hard to remove. ;)

20. If I could snap my fingers and bring about global change they would be: stabilizing the climate, the emancipation of women in countries still waiting and an end to deadly conflict. I've always been an idealist, and don't think it's a bad thing.

21. I have wonderful friends and family. I am thankful everyday for all they are and do.

22. I don't have a "best" friend, except for when I have a partner. I prefer to have many friends, a chosen few who are invited into the inner most circle of my life.

23. I love watching performances of any kind. Even kareoke! :)

24. I've really enjoyed getting to know the friends on Facebook who have taken the time to do this. Thanks for sharing!

25. I found this exercise much harder to complete than I thought, and learned a lot about what I really think in the process.


No one has really commented on them, so I'm thinking they may not be as out there as some, but that's ok. They're meaningful to me, and that's what matters.

Running Log 06/02/09

Well, I had my first running "set back" today. I knew I was tired and probably shouldn't go for a run but was stubborn and went anyway. I tried to up my speed and ran out of steam at 20 mins. The only good thing about it was I took some more time off my mile, at 12 minutes and 23 seconds.

Time: 21 min
Distance: 2.83 km
Speed: 8 km/hr
Intervals: None. 1 min cool down.

So I guess the lesson here is, don't run when you're tired and don't increase too many things in one go. 20 min of running is better than no min of running, so all was not lost. Onwards and upwards!

My Abs

Today at Yoga, we were doing this crazy balancing pose that uses only your abs. I really wasn't able to do it very well, and it got me thinking about a conversation I had with Amy. I was talking about how I had abs, underneath the pudge. Well, apparently I don't! I know that I have some abs, as I wouldn't be able to do many moves in Yoga or run without them, but I was surprised at just how far I have to go. I really hate working my abs though, probably because they are so weak, and it takes so much effort to work them. Oh well, onwards, and hopefully, towards stronger abs!

Running Log 04/02/09

Time: 32 min
Distance: 4 km
Speed: 7.6 km/hr
Intervals: NONE!!!! Whoot! 2 min cool down.

Today I took 30 seconds off my minute/mile time. So I ran a 13 minute mile.

I'm very proud of my continuous running, and upping the sped a little, but am frustrated at the slow progress with shaving time off my mile, which will get me to that 5K in 30 min. I know all progress is good, and I'm certainly not backsliding, but I'm just impatient. :)

Running Log 01/02/09

Whoot! Second run dehors, 4.4 kms, 35 min. At times I felt like I was crawling, but I'm very proud to say I did not stop once from start to finish!

I may do this 5k in 30 min yet... :)

January 2009 Books and Movies

French Women Don't Get Fat
Mireille Guiliano

This book was a good read. More of a lifestyle recommendation than a diet book, it does contain some very interesting recipes and a lot of solid advice. Guiliano is a mite condescending at times, but because she speaks the truth, it didn't bother me so much. Give the Leek Soup a miss, it's really not that great, more like leek flavoured water. I don't think one could live on it and the leeks themselves for a weekend without going completely nuts. Not to mention the only weight you would lose would be water weight. Her website is pretty good, I would be interested in reading her follow up book.

The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger

This was an amazing book. Well written, incredibly interesting plot, excellently drawn characters, just amazing. It's five hundred pages plus, and I read it in under a week. I would have been done sooner if work hadn't gotten in the way! :) Clare was really lovely, as was Gomez. I wasn't the hugest fan of Henry, but he was definitely interesting. It was very sad, made even more so by the readers fore-knowledge. Thoroughly enjoyable, if you haven't already, go out and read it at once!

Runaway Bride

Cute, but not spectacular. Had all the same people from Pretty Woman in it, so the actor chemistry was spot on, if not a bit repetitive. It was funnier than I thought it would be, and I was surprised to see what a great job Christopher Meloni did with his role. I'm so used to seeing him as Eliott Stabler on SVU, it took a moment to adjust. As I've said before, I'm not the world's greatest Julia Roberts fan, but I liked her in this. Definitely wouldn't have gone to see it in a theatre all those years ago, but on TV, it was a good distraction.

Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year
Esme Raji Codell

This was an incredible account of a first year teacher working in a Chicago inner city school. So many of the things she wrote were exactly how I felt in my first year. This book was filled with so many positive moments yet so many negative ones as well. It clearly outlines the joys and frustrations of teaching. I would recommend it to non-teachers, if only to understand that this job is more than the sum of its parts, a fact few people truly appreciate.

The Last Summer (Of You And Me)
Ann Brashares

This book was hard to get into, but ultimately, a good one. It's the story of two sisters and their dear friend Paul during their last summer on Fire Island, near New York City. Brashares is the famed author of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants books, so I was intrigued to see what she would do with a young adult novel. It was a touch self indulgent, at times, but the story was quite touching and took a sad turn near the end. This is a good millieu for Brashares, she should try another novel in this vein.

There's Something About Mary

I'd never been inclined to see this movie, given the number of people who told me how funny it was, but it was on TV so I thought what the hay. Turns out, I'm missing the gene that finds physical comedies full of toilet humour amusing. With some exceptions (American Pie being notable) I generally find these types of movies extremely off putting. There were a few genuine bits in this one that were watchable, and I did laugh a few times, but, for me, it's nowhere near the classic everyone raves about.

Becoming Jane

Proof that just because something is historical fiction, doesn't mean that I'm necessarily going to love it. It'll keep me watching, if it's well done from a costume and setting perspective (which this film definitely has in spades) but the plot still has to be there. All the pieces were there, great cast (Anne Hathaway, James MacEvoy, James Cromwell and many more), a great subject, an interesting time period, but just didn't seem to pull out a great film. Hathaway's Jane was far too bold for the period. Even if they were trying to suggest that Austen was different for her time, there was no way a woman of her standing would kiss a man the way she did in her first kiss with Mr. LaFroy. It's good, but not the best, see it if you really love historical fiction, like me!

French Kiss

Ummm, not totally horrible, but pretty terrible. Meg Ryan plays the same character in every movie! What's up with that? I usually love Kevin Kline, but his fake French accent and the presumption that his French is good enough to act alongside amazing French actors like Jean Reno, is laughable. Not to mention they didn't even translate the subtitles correctly. The premise was cute, and the French cinematography (especially in the South) was beautiful. If there's something better on, watch that.

De-Lovely

Everything is de-lovely about this film! Of course, I'm biased due to my predilection for historical anything, fact, fiction, biography etc. :) This is the story of Cole Porter, one of the greatest American songwriters of the 20th century. My favorite Cole Porter tune is "Night and Day", and it's conveniently sung in the movie by one of my favorite modern song and dance men, John Barrowman! The period is dead on, with glorious costumes and sets. Kevin Kline is fantastic, and Ashely Judd is amazing as Linda Porter. You pretty much have to like musicals to enjoy this film, but it's really worth a look. Enjoy!


Mona Lisa Smile

Another wonderful period piece. Throw in the subtle feminist movement grassroots plot and I was hooked! I'm not usually a huge fan of Julia Roberts, but thought she did an excellent job here as the influential art history professor who tries to circumvent tradition. The depiction of 1953 Wellesley College was amazing, so well done. Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal were all brilliant. Moving and thought provoking, a definite must see.

Running Log 31/01/09

To assure my small readership, I won't be blogging about every run, just about the ones that I feel I've made significant progress.

Today I went for my first winter run. Actually it was two runs, each 2.3 km long. The first run was exclusively uphill, carrying a two kilo backpack and the walks were quite snowy. It was pretty cold, -14 with wind chill. It really made a difference in my breathing. With the exception of two pauses for lights, I ran the entire way. On the way back it was much easier and with the exception of one stop because my bag was undone. I didn't run very fast, and because I wasn't on the treadmill, I didn't keep track of the distance or time. I feel that I did improve though, because it's really different to run outside. It was really tough on the way up, but I felt a real sense of accomplishment when I was finished.

Running Log 30/01/09

Time: 33 min
Distance: 4 km
Speed: 7 km/hr
Intervals: 15 min running, 1 min walking, 15 min running, 2 min cool down

Today I ran a 13.5 minute mile (I am so not a math person, I've tried and given up trying to figure out what kind of minute km that is... :( can any of the 3 people who read my blog help me?)

I'm improving, but it's seems slow. At this pace I'll have to run the 5km in 40 min. Tomorrow I go for my first outside winter run. Hopefully I don't slip too much in the snow, given my history with breaking body parts in the snow!

Running Log 27/01/09

Time: 35 min
Distance: 4 km
Speed: Between 6 and 7 km/hr
Intervals: 10 min running, 1 min walking, 10 min running, 1 min walking, 10 min running, 3 min cool down

My goal is 30 min continuous...my nutty uncle seems to think I will be able to do this 5K run in 30 min, and he's in excellent shape, so I've taken on the challenge.

I am making progress though, which is great!

I'm looking forward to when I get to put:

Intervals: None :)

Back in the Running Saddle

With my cold/borderline bronchitis finally out of my system (except for the odd cough and phlegmy stuff here and there) I've started to train for a future 5K run. I'm not sure which one I'll do, I still have to check them all out. Something along the water would be my preference. Amy and I are encouraging each other and hopefully, when the weather warms up, will start running together! It's always fun to run with a buddy.

Below are my first two running logs.

Running Log 25/01/09

Time: 32 min
Distance: 3.5 km
Speed: Between 6 and 7 km/hr
Intervals: 5 min running, 1 min walking, 6 min running, 1 min walking, 7 min running, 1 min walking, 8 min running, 3 min cool down.

Running Log 24/01/09

Time: 30 min
Distance 3 km
Speed: Between 6 and 7 km/hr
Intervals: 3 min running, 1 min walking, 4 min running, 1 min walking, 5 min running, 1 min walking, 6 min running, 1 min walking, 7 min running, 1 min cool down.

Friday night at the Rex

Went to see The Dave Young Group at the Rex with Pat and another friend last night. Here's the line up.

Kevin Turcotte - Trumpet

Gary Williamson - Piano

Dave Young - Bass

Terry Clarke - Drums

John Johnson also joined them on tenor sax. What a band! Great trumpet (of course, Kevin Turcotte is amazing) and with John Johnson, the sound is seriously sweet. Dave Young is a fiend with that bass, what a player! I was too tired to stick around for the entire second set, but what I heard was brilliant.

If you get the chance, definitely check them out!

Another great dinner party

Yesterday, after a ridiculously long rehearsal, Pat and Em came over. We decided to hit the market for fresh ingredients to create dinner. What a meal! We started off with bread and a triple cream Quebecois cheese, followed by a main of fresh tilapia in a pomegranate sauce (Pat's invention) with pan fried leeks and a parsnip/potato mash. All accompanied by a wonderful 2007 Pinot Grigio Veneto by this Italian winery. The Veneto isn't in their product list anymore, but I would be happy to try the Pinot Grigio Piave listed, as the Veneto was quite spectacular. We had some rather disappointing tartuffo for dessert. Too sweet, and too much like ice cream, not gelato. Homemade chocolate chip cookies and espresso finished off the meal. Great company, wine and food, what more could one ask for. I'm happy to be making good on my promise to myself to entertain at home more often.

2009...what's in store?

Right off the bat, I will repeat my New Year's Mantra...I don't make New Year's Resolutions.

Taking stock:

Health

Aside from the worst flu bug I think I've ever had in my life that's lasted a whole week's worth of my holidays, I'm doing ok. My RA continues to be in drug related remission, and I'm getting back to the things I used to do before the ankle break and the diagnosis. I even went skating for the first time again in 3 years! It was great, I'm looking forward to getting back to skating more regularly.

Work

New assignment this year, same place. Ho hum. Nothing new to say except for I'm now 18 months away from my sabbatical. The countdown begins! Tune in to my blog for preparation updates, and of course, the journey itself.

Dating

I've changed so many of my old paradigms, sometimes I don't even recognise myself. I've become a fan of the non traditional, and learned to fully (not just topically) accept people for who they are, and then decide whether or not they have a place in my life. Patience has not traditionally been one of the things I have in spades, although I've certainly developed in this area. As with anything, there are developments I wish for, but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. :)

Home

Looking pretty good, better the neater I keep it! :) I'm so glad I was able to get my living room drapes up, and hopefully will get the bedroom drapes up very soon. Another goal for 2009, get rid of useless stuff! I definitely have trouble letting go of sentimental things that I never look at, but when I go to throw them away, I can't. Still need to do the floors and paint, but I'm not sure I want to before I sublet. On the other hand, I want to enjoy my home fully, and done up the way I imagined, before I sublet. We'll see what happens.

All in all, I hope that 2009 brings about some real changes in my life. I'm on a mission to improve my fitness, eating habits, personal relationships and musicianship. I know, it sounds like New Year's resolutions, but really, they're just holdovers from my goals from last year. I made some amazing progress last year, so I'm hoping to continue this year.

Happy New Year! All the best in 2009!

December 2008 Books and Movies

Good-bye Lenin

Absolutely brilliant movie! D gave this to me for xmas, knowing I liked historical fiction. It centres around a family in East Germany right before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The mother suffers a heart attack and falls into a coma. When she awakes, the family decide it's best to keep her in the dark about the opening to the West, lest it upset her and cause another heart attack. The lengths they go to are very comical and the film is very well written. It's in German with subtitles. Definitely see it!

Don't Be That Girl
Travis Stork, MD with Leah Furman

This was not a very helpful book. It was poorly written (sorry Leah, I don't think it was your writing) and full of cliches. The types of women he describes are true enough, but it really comes off as "I know best, because I was on The Bachelor, but more importantly, because I'm a doctor". The overwhelming tone was, it's not him it's you. Of course I, and everyone else, knows that it takes two to tango and that sometimes it's the guy and sometimes it's the girl. So it seems a bit insulting to read something that insinuates that there are tons and tons of wonderful guys out there, just ready to date, as long as you fix all of your problems first. There are always the token "well it's not always this way" statements thrown in, possibly for legal purposes, :) which I suppose is meant to make one feel better. Give it a miss, there are a gazillion better books out there that deal with this topic.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Really enjoyed this movie. Yes, the excessive CGI was a bit distracting, but the story was pure and engaging. I didn't quite cry, but was misty eyed at parts, which for me, is always a good sign. The story is unique, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The hero is born old and gets younger over time. Brad Pitt is well cast and Cate Blanchett is wonderful, as usual. I love historical fiction, and the production company certainly used gobs of money to make every detail historically accurate. Good film, go see it!

Irish Girls Are Back in Town
Various

Another great collection of short stories by Irish authors. Of course I didn't love every single one, but found some great authors that I will definitely look into. Particular mention should go to Julie Parsons, Morag Prunty and Cecelia Ahern (the Irish Prime Minister's daughter) who also wrote P.S. I Love You. There's a Scottish version of this collection, so I'm looking forward to discovering more new authors.

Twilight

In a word, fromage! Wow, that movie was super cheesy! I meant to read the book before going, but now I'm glad I didn't, because I have a feeling I would have been really disappointed. I will still read the series, but the movie definitely fell flat. There was some gorgeous cinematography of Washington State and the fight scene was pretty cool at the end, but the love story was stilted. A human falling in love with a vampire has been done so many times, there's only so much you can do with it. Oh and you could totally see the white powder they used on the vampires. Cheesy!

Chasing Harry Winston
Lauren Weisberger

Hmm. Well, it's no The Devil Wears Prada, or even Everyone Worth Knowing. For a third outing, not really up to par. That being said, I still read through it fairly quickly and enjoyed the characters, if not the plot so much. Two friends make a pact to change their romantic lives, with the marriage seeker having flings and the socialite to look for a man to marry, while the third friend looks on but doesn't join in. Of course, her life ends up changing as well. I did really like the character of Adriana, she was a hoot. I'll still read Weisberger novels, but I'm hoping that the next one is another Prada.

Ensemble, c'est tout (Hunting and Gathering)

Great movie of an even greater novel. I enjoyed reading this novel so much I even got it out in French after finishing it in English. The film stayed fairly true to the book, although there were necessary cuts due to the sheer length of the book. A couple of things I thought were turning points in the developing relationship between Franck and Camille were left out or worse, watered down, such as the first time he cooks for her and the first time she resumes drawing. An important pair of characters, Camille's "guardians" were not a part of the film. I adore Audrey Tautou in her French movies, The Davinci Code, not so much. Guillaume Canet is beautiful, and a wonderful actor. I really liked Laurent Stocker and Francoise Bertin as well. Excellently cast, beautifully shot and a great story, go and see it!

The Next Thing on My List
Jill Smolinski

Great chick lit. Fun, breezy writing style, interesting plot, non cookie cutter herione, a few plot twists and she doesn't end up with the guy you think she will. Although I know it was a deliberate plot device, to lead the reader on, I still suckered me in, so it was well done. The story is about a girl who sets out to complete a to do list made by a girl who suddenly dies and her adventures while doing it. The characters are well drawn, although a couple of introductions were a bit abrupt or even completely out of left field. I found myself searching for one character, paging through the parts I'd already read, because she was introduced with such familiarity. That's small potatoes compared to some of the clunkers I've read. This was a nice easy read.

3 Women

Very interesting. Robert Altman is pretty wacky. Lots of interesting stuff here: role reversal, feminism, accurate portrayal of the mid-70s, great cinematography of California and cool (for the time, 1977) special effects, fantastic, eerie score with lots of flute. It's hard to describe the plot, you just have to watch it. Lots of ideas will swirl around in your mind once you've seen it, they'll drop in days afterwards. Excellent film!

Certain Girls
Jennifer Weiner

Warning....spoilers!

Oh Jennifer Weiner, what were you thinking! It was such a great book right up to the end, and then kablooie! Why, why, why did you think that killing off the best character in the novel would make your novel better? I thought it was a bad, bad move. It completely erased all the great writing and made it very difficult to finish. I almost didn't keep reading after that. It was just plain bad writing. The death happened too quick, instead of feeling like an out of nowhere surprise, it just felt like sloppy writing. Not a fitting ending for Cannie, not a good follow up to Good in Bed. A real shame, I was expecting more. Oh well, I enjoyed it 3/4 of the way through.

Torchwood: Season 1 DVD

Absolutely brilliant! Pretty much watched it straight, one episode after another. A bit of science fiction, a bit of fantasy, lots of real life, set in Cardiff (I have to go there, I can't believe I spent nearly 2 years in England and never went to Wales), great case, cool sets, fantastic stories, the list is endless. I watched most of season 2 on the Space Channel, but was quite confused sometimes. I'm less confused now and gagging for more! I know Season 3 is being shown in the UK, but have no idea when it's coming here. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

Wonderful Company

Last night I held a dinner party for D and two friends. I didn't really cook (just bought, heated up and put together stuff) but it was a weeknight, so I simply didn't have the time. The company was fabulous, we ate well, made our way through 2 bottles of red (one of which was an amazing 2006 Chateau Timberlay Bordeaux), had wonderful conversation in three languages and finished the evening with a homemade (not by me) maple sugar pie. The entire evening was a real treat and made me realise I have to do this more often, with more of my friends. Looking forward to the New Year, when they will host!

Wee Big Band at the Old Mill

Tonight I went to see one of my directors of music play in Jim Galloway's Wee Big Band at the Old Mill. I'd never been to that venue before, it's pretty cool. The band is quite slipperish, but the sound was cool. Bob DeAngelis was subbing in, I just love his clarinet sound. There was fair amount of xmas music in the second half (which I complimented by having a gorgeous English date pudding with toffee sauce...mmmm) including a great arrangement of Jingle Bells (in actual fact a Thanksgiving song that was so popular it stuck around until xmas) and The Duke's Nutcracker Suite. I especially liked Arabesque Cookie, what a groove! It was a touch expensive at $35 but worth it to support my peeps. :)

Birthday Party and New Hair

Here's a pic of my new hair:



Unfortunately for me, I had a severe allergic reaction to the dark rinse and have spent the day going to the walk in clinic for help. I've been prescribed a heavy duty anti-histamine and a cortisone lotion for the rash. It's pretty icky. And my head is sooooo itchy!!

Party was fun, although I would have preferred to have held it in my condo party room. Betty's was a great alternative though. There were a lot of people there, but unfortunately a few were missing. I managed to chat to everyone, then the stragglers and I went back to my place to watch an episode of Torchwood. I think I've gotten John addicted to it! :)

November 2008 Books and Movies

James Bond: Quantum of Solace

Hmmm, that's the first thing that came to mind when this movie had finished. Daniel Craig is still as gorgeous as ever, but this movie really was a string of action sequences with a bit of plodding plot in the middle. It's my theory that a Bond girl should have that special something that men and women alike fancy. Unfortunately, although Olga Kurylenko is a pretty girl, she wasn't a Bond girl. They did a bit better with their choice of Gemma Arterton, she at least had a unique look about her. I enjoyed Judi Dench as always, as well as the gadgets, so it wasn't a total loss. It just felt like the director took a lot of the things that were "James Bond" out of this new film, somewhat like the martinis he was drinking on the plane. Apparently, that type of martini is exactly what he drinks in the first book Casino Royale, but not what was established in the first movie. To quote someone from the IMDB board, remarkably unremarkable.

Knitting Under the Influence
Claire LaZebnik

Good and bad. Good for the unique story elements, knitting and autism, bad for the predictability of the storyline. I knew exactly who the three girls were going to end up with at the end from almost the beginning and of course, not one of them could end the novel single. That would be the real tragedy! I'm trying out authors from the short story collection below, but this one, I would give a miss.

How To Be Single
Liz Tuccillo

This book didn't get the best reviews, but luckily, I didn't read them before I started. The overall tone was a bit negative, but the characters were finely drawn and there were some uproariously funny moments. This is not a how to novel, but the story of one women's research on how to be single around the world. Just as a warning, the Thomas story is heartbreaking. I'm think I would actually read her next outing, if it was a piece fiction as opposed to a manual like "He's Just Not That Into You".

American Girls About Town (Short Stories)

I originally ordered this book from the library based on a search for Jennifer Weiner novels. I didn't realise it was a book of short stories until I had it in my hot little hands. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it also included a story by Lauren Weisberger (The Devil Wears Prada) and disappointed to find a story by Cindy Chupack (I really didn't like her novel effort, although I liked her writing for SATC). I also found a few others I liked (Nancy Sparkling and Claire LaZebnick) and have put their novels on order. There are a few other short story anthologies of this ilk out there (Irish Girls About Town, Irish Girls Are Back in Town and Scottish Girls About Town) so we'll see what they're like. At the very least, perhaps I'll find some other authors to read.

A Great Birthday!

Had a lovely day from start to finish. Work wasn't too bad, and I was able to get away relatively early. Went to part of band practice where everyone serenaded me with "Happy Birthday". That was pretty cool, I've never had a whole band play for just me before! Way too much yummy food and drink, all of my favorites, pizza, mushroom salad, calamari, tartuffo, pinot grigio, espresso...it was delish and too filling. D gave me a lovely present, a hardcover copy of Chekhov's novellas. He is my absolute favorite Russian playwright, with The Cherry Orchard being the best of the bunch. I'm really looking forward to reading the story collection. It's too bad that the day had to fall in the middle of the week, with two more work days to go. Can't wait to party on Saturday night, should be fun!

John McLeod's Rex Hotel Orchestra

What a band! Or should I say, what a big band! Great sound, really tight, and they even had two french horns!

The line up was fantastic: David Braid on keys, John Jonson and Andy Ballentine (I teach his kid) on alto sax, Kelley Jefferson and Alex Dean on Tenor, Reg Schwager on guitar, just to name a few. There was even a surprise visit from Bob DeAngelis playing some Xmas music.

Well worth it, especially with a stellar arrangement of "It Don't Mean a Thing" featuring the trombone section and another of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" featuring the trumpet section.

The trumpet section were a hoot, a lot of them know each other from the Rob McConnell Boss Brass days, so they were acting like naughty school children, talking while the teacher is teaching type thing. They could surely play though! John McLeod is awesome, especially on flugle. Here's a clip

Well worth the $10 admission. They play on the last Monday of every month, check it out!

Soulless

Fantastic! I love seeing indie/fringe theatre. Click here for the synopsis. Great acting, simplistic set design, intimate space, just what I needed to get my head back into theatre again. I had lost my way somewhat, because of the crap I'd been seeing. I'm inspired to see as much Canadian independent theatre as I can. All thanks to this this website, which is awesome. Check it out!

Banana Boys - The Play

Went to Hart House Theatre tonight to see a play by Leon Aureus based on the novel Banana Boys by Terry Woo. I know the author slightly and had read the book, so I was interested to see how it translated into live theatre. The results were mixed. Although a great novel, it doesn't lend itself very well to story telling on stage. The playwright and director got around this by introducing elements of 1970s style collective creation giving the actors authorship of their work. The resulting blocking was quite powerful at times. Is being CBC (Canadian Born Chinese) as relevant now as it was 8-10 years ago? I'm sure I can't answer that question, but according to the playwright's notes, times are a-changing. I'm glad I saw it, and wish the playwright and author continued success.

Remembrance Day

Through a number of odd happenings, I had a very powerful and spiritual experience this November 11th. The afternoon before the Remembrance Day assembly I found out the trumpet player I thought was coming to play the Last Post for us, was actually not booked. I never received the message. Knowing that I would never find a player in that short a time, I went in on Tuesday and found myself a school trumpet. I took a trumpet minor in high school, played a little in dance band years ago, and taught middle school band 4 years ago, so to say I was rusty would be a huge understatement. As I started to practice, it sounded, well, worse than a grade nine student, to be honest.

As the soldier I had booked was taking to the students, I slipped outside the gym to warm up. Still not great. Moments before 11:00 am, I told myself: "You have to do this, for everyone who has served and especially your grandfather, a World War II vet and not long gone from this world". I honestly believe that he helped me today, because, although not picture perfect, I played every note clearly and didn't kak once. For those of you in the know, the Last Post is HARD, with G's out of nowhere, not to mention all note changes are done with your embouchure as it is all open. I had tears in my eyes at the end, as I know I did my grandfather and myself proud.

It was a profound moment in my life and I'll never forget the feeling.

Lest We Forget.

Halloween Street Party

What a blast! Every year Church street closes between Isabella and Alexander for a massive costume street party.

Here are some of the highlights.



Em and I



Bert and Ernie



Awww!



Alf!



Creepy guy from the Saw movies



This guy's costume was fabulous! Orange fleece pants and black duct tape, orange work gloves and an actual traffic cone with a working yellow light on top.



Facebook fun!



Obama and a drag Sarah Palin



Your furry lovable pal, Grover!



Davy Jones

I'm looking forward to going next year, although based on what I saw, I'm going to have to jack up the creative juices for the costume. D says he's going as the Pet Shop Boys character from the video of "Can You Forgive Her". That'll be cool!

Mark it for next year and come on out!

October 2008 Books and Movies

Burn After Reading

Excellent movie! John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney and the Cohen brothers are a good combo. Funny as h*ll and quite dark. I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end, and that is saying a lot, considering some of the movies I've seen lately. Highly recommend it, go see it!

Goodnight, Nobody
Jennifer Weiner

Well, no one is perfect, so I knew there had to be a clunker in there somewhere. This book was just bad. The heroine was one of those really annoying klutzy, always saying and doing the wrong thing all the time, types that I really can't stand. Maybe it's because they just make me so uncomfortable thinking about real life situations while making those kind of gaffs. The worst part was, the plot dragged on and on, then didn't actually satisfactorily resolve! Bad author, bad! It's about a housewife who investigates the murder of one of the neighbourhood "perfect mommies" while recounting flashbacks to her single life in NYC. Give it a miss, there are others that are much better.

Meaghan Smith, Lori Cullen, Ron Sexsmith

Great night at Massey Hall. I've always loved the venue, the acoustics are wonderful. Meaghan Smith is a fantastic up and comer out of Toronto, looking forward to getting her full length album when it comes out.

Lori Cullen didn't quite win me over with her look and first song, but after a while she started to get in. Great lyrics and expressive singing.

Ron Sexsmith is someone I didn't know much about before I went. I knew he was a singer/songwriter and had written a number of tunes for other artists. He touched me so much, I came home and immediately downloaded one of his songs. Really reflective, wonderful melodies, great guitar and piano playing. A real treat.

Fashion Week Party

I went to my first fashion week party! It was the after party for Evan Biddell's show, the winner of Project Runway Canada. It was a fun night, people watching at its best. No one paid much attention to Em and I (we're not industry people or models, and weren't wearing quite the right clothes - case in point, apparently tights are quite big right now, and we both had bare legs between our skirts and boots.) which was fine with us. The lighting was interesting, because everyone wants to see what everyone else is wearing, so there were lots of lighted parts of the room, where people could preen and be seen. Everyone posed for everything! Pictures, friends, alcohol shots, whatever. It was pretty funny. Most of the men were gay, no one else could pull off those outfits. The straight men were fashionable, but I wonder how many of them were dressed by their significant others? Hmmmm. :)

Bike Riding on the Island and in Tommy Thomson Park

Three separate bike rides, three excellent adventures. Tommy Thompson Park is a big nature reserve just east of downtown. There's lots of paths to explore, although some of the roads are a bit dicey. The Islands were fantastic as usual. I love the quaint other world feeling of Ward Island, and the light off the water, through the clouds was stunning. Hanlan's Point Beach was quite warm for fall. My second foray into the park was more exploratory, all the way to the lighthouse. When I was on Ward Island, I could see the lighthouse in the park, and I was hoping that it would be vice versa, but the fog was so think, I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of myself. Oh well, maybe next time. I'm busy researching more places to bike ride, although I'm partial to being near the water. :)

Veritas

Unbelievably good restaurant. All organic, locally sourced food, innovative combinations and display, truly a unique gastronomic experience. I had the Arctic Char sourced from some little farm in Kleinburg and D had Mennonite farm raised chicken with wild rice fritters. We shared a gorgeous chocolate ginger cake with caramel creme fraiche. The cappuccino was slightly disappointing, but that's ok. I've been meaning to try it for a while, and it was well worth the wait!

1st Bike Accident

Owie, owie, owie! In two years of regular commuting, I have never fallen, not even a wobble. But yesterday, I hit a streetcar track half buried in water, and went flying over my handlebars. I'm pretty banged up, with my left shin and right shoulder taking the worst of it. I even have a scrape on my chin, just like a scrappy kid. I'm glad I was wearing my helmet and that my instinct was to protect my head, that I didn't land under a car or transit vehicle and that I'm basically ok. Not riding the bike for a few days though. I have to get the alignment checked out, it actually feels funny. Ok, that's it, no more bike accidents!

Spamalot

Great show based on a greater movie! Very funny, I laughed my way through most of it. The actor playing Lancelot was really good, and had unbelievable gams. Wow! The Lady of the Lake character was pretty annoying, but she was written that way. The actor playing her had some pipes on her. Fun costumes, cute sets and great jokes, an awesome way to spend a Tuesday night.

September 2008 Books and Movies

Ten Canoes

Wow...it's really hard to put into words how I felt while watching this film. It's really a time capsule, depicting Australian Aboriginal life as it was before the Europeans. It's beautiful and strange in so many ways, the cinematography, the artistic shooting, the diverse culture, it's quite breathtaking. There are so many layers to the story, it's at once a parable, a cautionary tale, an exciting adventure story and a living history. Wonderful, and well worth watching.

Good In Bed
Jennifer Weiner

This was a really good novel. I've read a few of Weiner's books now, and although I feel she basically recycles the same heroine over and over, (plus sized, witty with a swimming mother and absent father) they are infinitely readable. I'm definitely thinking that either Jennifer stole from SATC or vice versa, because there are just too many similarities for it to be a coincidence. Perhaps she wrote for the show? This novel's plot about breaking up with someone and feeling you made a mistake, when every one around you is telling you that the person is not right for you, resounded very clearly. Especially the eventual resolution. (Look Ma, no plot spoilers!) The twists and turns are interesting, although towards the end it's pretty dark. Apparently there's a somewhat recent sequel following up on Cannie's story, so I'm looking forward to reading that as well.

The Matchmaker

Cute premise, bad screenplay. Loved the Irish setting, and Janeane Garofalo but the movie was, at times rather slow. The ending was telegraphed from a mile away, but the leading man, David O'Hara is really pretty. So that more than made up for it. Take a look if you love Ireland and want a few laughs. Just don't expect to be rolling in the aisles or sniffling delicately into a hanky because of the swooning love story.

Mallrats

I generally find Kevin Smith movies much the same and this was no exception. I did like it better than clerks, mostly because of a trip down memory lane courtesy of Shannen Doherty. The lines were funny, I actually didn't want to kill Jay and Silent Bob and the ending was cheezy and romantic. I laughed quite a bit, so I would definitely give it a watch.

Little Earthquakes
Jennifer Weiner

I've come to really like this author. Her books draw you in, I wasn't expecting to read it so quickly. This topic, about 4 mothers to be, didn't really grab me at first, as I can't relate as much as some, but I was soon addicted to the zany characters and funny situations. One thing I did notice though, were some disturbing similarities to plot lines from Sex and the City. They seemed out and out copied. There was nothing like this is in the other Jennifer Weiner books that I've read. I'm looking forward to the next one, Good in Bed, that expands on a nominal character from the book of short stories I recently read.

Vicky, Christina, Barcelona

Being a Woody Allen film, I figured it would be funny in parts, if not all. And it was, although the constant dead pan narration got on my nerves. I really want to go to Barcelona now, as I'm sure most people who see it, who haven't been there want to as well. The leading man is very sexy and the whole film had a wonderful sensuality to it. Pretty good, go see it!

August 2008 Books and Movies

Perfect - Young Women Talk About Body Image
Helen Hines, Editor

A lovely collection of true life short stories out of Britain on body image. A really useful school or youth group resource, as it deals with all different shapes and sizes, image problems and their solutions to them, both negative and positive. It's also a great way to encourage young writers as the contributors themselves are budding writers. An excellent resource.

Brunelleschi's Dome How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
Ross King

As always, Ross King has written a fabulous book about an extremely interesting part of history. As usual, it took me an age to read it! The cupola of the main cathedral in Florence is an architectural wonder. The first of it's kind to be raised without centering, it's absolutely massive. If you love history and architecture, this is the book for you. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

The Guy Not Taken {Stories}
Jennifer Weiner

Great collection of short stories! Wonderfully written, obviously somewhat autobiographical. Many of these could be fleshed out into full novels, and made into movies. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

X-Files: I Want to Believe

Uggg! Completely disappointing! I was such a fan of the show, and even liked the movie that came out after the series ended. This movie was pure drivel, and badly acted to boot. I really expected more from Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny (well maybe not Duchovny :) so much) and Chris Carter. The plot was completely devoid of anything alien like, and the romance between Mulder and Scully was far fetched to say the least. Did anyone else notice that when Mulder went to phone Scully, the name programmed in the phone was Gillian? I thought that was pretty funny. Give it a miss, not worth even a rental.

Big Fish

A lovely, whimsical film about a son trying to understand his father, who always embellishes the truth in his storytelling. I was surprised that Tim Burton directed the "regular" scenes so well. Both Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney were fantastic, and I thought their southern accents were pretty good. The British always seem to have a better time of learning accents, likely because there are so many different accents in Britain, and a big part of drama training in Britain is dialectal class. The tall tales were fantastic, and it was great to see that at the end, they had a ring of truth. I laughed and cried a few tears, so it was a great movie for me.

Machiavelli: Philosopher of Power
Ross King

This was a good read. To examine Machiavelli as a person, to see what his everyday life was like, was incredibly eye opening. Previously, all I really knew about him was his "eye of the beholder" reputation, which, to be honest, isn't very flattering. The Oxford dictionary defines the term "machiavellian" as "an intriguer, an unscrupulous schemer", but this is based on how he was portrayed by dramatists such as Shakespeare and Marlowe. Of course, his writings, especially The Prince, are a reflection of his thoughts and do contain some of those elements. I found Ross King painted a fairly likable character, and it's made me want to learn more about Machiavelli.

Avenue Q

Fantastic!!!!

Absolute must see for anyone who grew up with Sesame Street. With songs entitled "What Do You Do With a BA in English", "The Internet is For Porn", "If You Were Gay" and "Schadenfreude" how can you go wrong? Excellently written, wonderfully acted and puppeteered, this show puts a grin on your face for practically the duration of the show. It's only playing until Aug 31st so hurry if you want to see it. I'm so glad I was able to catch the show!

Oakville Jazz Festival

Or what would have been, if it hadn't been completely rained out and cancelled. Luckily for me, I was able to have a lovely time in Oakville in spite of the change in plans, with spending time with a dear friend, watching the Olympics, seeing a bad movie, a nice dinner and a trip to Chapters before taking the Go Train home. Hopefully next year the festival will be back on!

Fergus

I've always loved doing this gig. Fergus is a small town in Ontario that hosts an annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games. Nowadays I only perform in the tattoo that opens the games on Friday night, but I used to stay up for the whole weekend. There's so much to see, the dancing competitions, caber toss, tug-a-wars, piping competitions, not to mention the beer tent with live music. But it's not a place for sleep, which would explain perhaps, why I'm not so keen on staying on the Fergus grounds anymore. There are a number of campsites and B&B's outside the grounds, so maybe one day, I'll go back to going up for the entire weekend. Because it's a yearly event, it really gets you thinking about where you were the year previously and what has happened to you since. The tattoo went very well, afterwards we had a little tailgate party, went to the beer tent to listen to Seven Nations, a cool celtic rock band out of NYC. Good times!

July 2008 Books and Movies

Deal Breakers: When to Work on a Relationship and When to Walk Away
Dr. Bethany Marshall

Good topic, not dealt with very well. The doctors speaks of 5 personality types (Scriptwriter, Little Boy Lost, Man in Charge, Man Without Fault, Invisible Man), how to recognize them, when to work on a relationship with them, and when to walk away. It seemed to blame the man exclusively, with only one tiny paragraph stating that if you found the book didn't resonate, to re-read it with yourself in one of the roles. Blanket statement much? There were some good ideas there, but deeply submerged in a ton of gobbledygook. I'd give it a pass.

Sybil
Flora Schreiber

Excellent read and very hard to put down. Even with the controversy surrounding the validity of the MPD claim, this book shines as an example of overcoming a demonic childhood. The details of abuse were horrific, but the ending was very uplifting. A great read for anyone interested in psychology or an interesting story.

Born Into Brothels

Amazing documentary! The kids are heartbreakingly beautiful set amist a horrendous backdrop of crime, poverty and prostitution. It was really nice to see the updates at the end, even though not all of the children got out of the brothel. It's too bad that so many people have negative things to say about the filmmaker. I think she has worked tirelessly to help in anyway she can, without judgment or superiority. An excellent film.

The Stepford Wives

This updated version of the 1975 movie was good, but more of a black comedy than a horror flick. I decided to read the book first, so I wouldn't picture the movie while reading the book. They changed a lot of things, some good, some bad, but I'll need to see the original movie before I can make a true comparison. I enjoyed it for what it was, and thought the casting was very apropo.

The Stepford Wives
Ira Levin

Creepy! But what do you expect from the man who wrote Rosemary's Baby? This is an excellently written novel, a deceptively easy read, that packs a literary punch firmly within the time frame in which it was written. A searing commentary on a typical male reaction to the Women's Lib movement in the 1970's, a twisted concept (perfect women robots replacing the freshly killed real wives) and thrilling to the end.


State and Main

Really good movie! Love David Mamet as a playwright, so was pretty sure it would be good with him as director and screenwriter. There were a few weak links, ever since SATC, Sarah Jessica Parker just seems to channel Carrie in everything she does. This movie was filmed in the middle of SATC madness, so I understand why she had a little trouble losing Carrie. I am also not a big Alec Baldwin fan. But I loved so many others in the film, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Stiles, Rebecca Pidgeon, just to name a few. This movie was definitely over looked in 2000 and well worth seeing.

Summerlicious

Blink and you will miss it, Summerlicious is almost over! Twice a year 4 and 5 star Toronto restaurants put together a set menu for the "plebs" to enjoy. Today I had lunch at Jump with a couple of friends. It was really good! I would definitely go there again for a proper meal. Their Summerlicious menu had a lot of choice. I had 10 mushroom soup (not cream based) to start, red snapper for the main and lemon creme for dessert. It was delish! Very hard to make up my mind though, there was an interesting avocado and tomato salad, shrimp pasta and chocolate torte as well, among other things. Loved the decor and the skylights, but the bathrooms didn't match the upscale feel of the restaurant. The bar is beautiful, very old school. All in all, a great experience!

Staying +++

I must say, it's been tough these past couple of weeks. My grandmother is still in the hospital recovering from spinal surgery. My mother has had another bout of vasculitis, but is thankfully back on the proper medication. My volleyball has abruptly and extremely rudely been terminated. My course for work is supremely time consuming. My arthritis has acted up on 3 separate occasions, causing me to freak out a little about the validity of my drug related remission. I seem to be either at a standstill or crossroads when it comes to my heart. I'm a touch down in the mouth these days.

Deep yogic breath, in then out, through the nostrils.

Yoga is great, I'm really proud of the small but steady progress I've been making. I am getting stronger in mind and body everyday. My meditation is richer and I feel that I have been seeing clearly through my third eye. I know I am flying in the face of all sound advice from friends, but I feel I am going against my intuition if I ignore what my gut is telling me. Maybe I am just listening to what I want to hear, maybe not. Time will tell. Yoga has definitely increased my patience, something I was horrible at before. I managed to hang my drapes! Yay! I know it doesn't sound like something major, but considering there was a surprise metal sheet in behind the drywall, it really was an accomplishment that took way too long to complete. The drapes really make the place look great. I still have to drill the holes in the bedroom for those curtains, which is going to be the same hassle as the living room, but having done it once, I'm confident that I can do it again. My friends are fantastic, especially after the volleyball fiasco. My family is really pulling together to be there for my grandparents. My sister and her boyfriend are really happy, and have just come back from a wonderful Mediterranean cruise. I'm being asked to do a number of paid gigs, one of which is out of town in upstate New York.

So the bottom line is, the more you think positively, the more positive things come your way. The corners are starting to raise! :D

7 Months

There's a great line from Charlotte York in SATC:

"It takes half the total time you went out with someone to get over them."

The other girls have varying opinions about whether or not she is right, and can't come to a unanimous conclusion.

So this is where I'm at now. The halfway mark. All I can say is that it must be different for everyone. Granted I've done a few things to keep myself in a holding pattern, but it is the path my heart and "third eye" (yogic centre of knowledge and intuition) has instructed me to follow. I continue to listen and adjust as necessary.

My heart chakra is very open, which is what allows me to feel and receive love so fully, but it also keeps my emotions very close to the surface, where they can overflow, if I'm not mindful.

My next step is to work on my root chakra, which will keep me centered and grounded, helping me live a balanced life. In keeping with this approach, I will stop creating a blog entry for each month that passes. This is not to say that I will forget, but I am going forward in a different way.

I can't predict the future, but I can learn from the mistakes of my past to ensure I do not repeat them. I empathise with those who are on a similar journey and wish you all well.

June 2008 Books and Movies

Hunting and Gathering
Anna Galvada

This is an English translation of a beautiful French novel entitled "Ensemble C'est Tout". It has recently been made into a movie starring Audrey Tatou as Camille. Of course it has very limited release here in Canada, with practically no advertisement. I'm glad I read the book first and am looking forward to reading it in the original French as well. Most movies change the book, and I'm sure this is no exception. The characters are so finely drawn, so quirky, so engaging. I practically read it in one sitting and it's over 400 pages long! There's no narrative, so sometimes the dialogue is a bit difficult to follow, but even if you need to re-read a passage you will get more out of it. I highly recommend this book, it's absolutely stunning.

Get Smart

This was really, really funny! Best line in the movie was the Alan Arkin "Swordfish" line. I kept laughing well after it was over. Steve Carell has the best dead pan. Ann Hathaway, whom I've always liked a lot, held her own really well. The Rock was a lot of fun as well. A fun couple of hours, definitely go see it!

The Importance of Being Earnest

How could I have missed this gem when it first came out? I love the plays of Oscar Wilde and Colin Firth! Excellently done, with a great cast. Apparently the director, Oliver Parker has also done a version of An Ideal Husband, which, of course, I now have to see!

13 Going On 30

Cute chick flick take on the 80s movie Big. I don't generally like Jennifer Garner, but she was very convincing in this movie. The fashion from both 1987 and 2004 was spot on and of course, I love any movie genuinely set in NYC, not Toronto or Montreal masquerading as NYC. Although the love interest was pretty weak, there was the requisite "happy ending" so all turns out ok.

In Her Shoes

What a wonderfully funny, heart-wrenching and beautiful story. I've loved Toni Collette ever since I first saw her in Muriel's Wedding. I was impressed with her very realistic American accent. I'm not always a fan of Cameron Diaz, but she was really great in this. I love shoes, so all the pretty shoe candy was a big plus. Francine Beers (who was Mrs. Cohen aka Ol' Lightning Rod in an episode of SATC) had some of the best lines. Although a touch predictable in places, I really enjoyed it.

Toronto Jazz Festival

Once again I volunteered at the Toronto Jazz Festival and saw some great performances while doing it.

Sunday, June 22

I saw the Geri Allen Quartet. Great pianist with wonderful phrasing. Loved the added synthesizer sound. Another big highlight was her tap dancer, he was phenomenal! They were followed by the Alto Summit (Red Holloway, Donald Harrison, Greg Osby, Bobby Watson) who were exceptional. Alto Sax has never been my favorite jazz instrument, but I was moved to pieces by a soulful, smooth ballad. They also played Herbie Hancock's Cantaloupe Island to great applause.Great show!

Monday, June 23

Tonight I caught a tiny snippet of Ahmad Jamal. Another great pianist, with a fantastic band. I was sorry I couldn't get there sooner to catch Oliver Jones and see a few more tunes from Jamal.

Wednesday, June 25

Tonight I worked my first volunteer shift. What a night! Saw The Blind Alabama Boys, they were absolutely amazing. The highlight of the night was their version of Amazing Grace set to The Animals "House of the Rising Sun". My shift was in the Green Room, so not only did I get to see the Boys up close, I also met another great, the pianist Robi Botos. The night began with the Cyrus Chestnut Trio, who were very good as well.

Thursday, June 26

I was late to this concert due to a rehearsal, but what I saw was phenomenal! Roy Hargrove, Frank Wess (great flute!), Paquito D'Rivera (holy cow can that man play the clarinet!), Roberta Gambarini (love her voice!) and many more. The crowd was electric and the musicians were incredible. Very nearly my favorite performance of the festival.

Friday, June 27

Worked my 2nd shift of the festival tonight in the Green Room for the John Abercrombie/Mike Stern/John Scofield show. Wow, those are some serious music fans that came to that show. There was no room, even to stand, so I had to listen to the show from outside the tent. The evening ended with an impromptu duet between Stern and Scofield, which was awesome. There were big crowds looking for autographs at the end of the show. I was pleased to see that the kid with the guitar was able to get his instrument signed by both Mike Stern and John Scofield. He was so happy!

I also caught a snippet of the lunchtime Galloway's Surprise Swing Session, luckily, when Guido Basso (!!) joined the fray. It's so great when you get a treat like that, I was blown away.

Saturday, June 28

By far, my favorite show of the festival! The show was sure to be a sell out, so I bought a ticket to ensure admission. Hilario Duran started the night with his trio, which included Mark Kelso on drums and Roberto Occhipinti on string bass, playing a few world premieres in his set. Wonderful, I always enjoy Hilario when I see him. Then came Arturo Sandoval. I was absolutely blown away. This man just kept pulling rabbits out of his hat. Trumpet, piano, vocals, percussion, keyboards/synthesiser, the man can do it all. I was flabbergasted by the high and low range of his trumpet, he literally sounded like a tuba at one point. His band was fabulous, especially the bongo player. Roberto even came into the tent to watch Arturo's bass player do a solo. The night ended with getting my ticket signed by both Hilario and Arturo, a wonderful keepsake from a brilliant night.

Sunday, June 29

First up was the Sapporo Jazz Orchestra, a teen big band from Japan. They are all studying at a jazz high school and they are good! Definitely look for some of them in 10 years to be playing the circuit!

The DMBQ lunchtime concert blew me away. Co-fronted by Tara Davidson, Mike Murley and David Braid, they also played compositions by all three. I had been told by many people that I had to see Mike Murley play sax, and they were right. The control, the overtones, simply amazing. David Braid's compositions are so lyrical, so melodic, especially the tune "Interior Castles". Mike and Pete enjoyed the show as well, it was a great way to pass the afternoon.

Looking forward to next year!

Dirty Dancing: The Stage Show

Just got back from seeing this, what fun! Totally cheesetastic, it followed the movie pretty spot on, with a few added scenes that didn't really enhance the basic story. The coolest part was to see how they used amazing technical theatre devices to show scenes such as when Johnny and Baby practice lifts in the water. I found the plot extensions to be quite indulgent, so I'm curious as to the dramaturgy behind them. The girl playing Penny was an unbelievable dancer, she had the most amazing legs! Johnny was played by an understudy tonight, and flubbed his line 3 times, so that kind of took away from his performance. I wonder what the "real" Johnny is like. Of course, no one can top Patrick Swayze in the movie! I've seen it over 30 times, thanks to countless sleepovers in Junior High. :) What a fun way to spend a Thursday night!

An Emotional Day

Whew, sometimes life can throw you a doozy. Between my grandmother is in the hospital recovering from emergency spinal surgery, my mom is not doing very well, and work, the stress levels are rising. Which is why I do yoga, but today, my emotions just wouldn't be subdued. We had to do some partner work today, and while the instructor was demonstrated, I guess I decided unconciously that I wouldn't be able to do it. So when I tried, that's just what happened. And then everything just came pouring out. The instructor has seen everything, and was very supportive. It was a little embarrasing to cry in front of the other yoga goers, but I'm not sorry it happened, as it was a new experience and I learned something from it. I know I'm sometimes more than a little frustrated at my limitations in yoga, and it does seem that, often times, I'm the only one who isn't able to do a move. It's a huge challenge to try and accept my body the way it is working on any given day, and not pass judgement or compare myself to others. The day was rounded off by visiting my grandfather, which was a bit sad because he is really living a life of isolation, with his increasing deafness, and my grandmother in the hospital. I'm happy to report that she is doing better, although she is still on bed rest. They can't move her to rehab until her wound has healed. I feel quite drained, but hopefully I'll sleep well tonight.

ETT Annual Dinner

Went to my first ETT Annual Dinner this evening at the Royal York. It was pretty fun, good food (pistachio crusted halibut in a lobster bisque with lemon dill risotto and chocolate pecan tart with melon gelato for dessert) and dancing. They showed the completed 10th anniversary DVD that the Communications Committee I was on worked most of the year towards. I'm looking forward to the next event, a boat cruise on the Northern Spirit.

May 2008 Books and Movies

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Not quite as good as the first one, but still, really enjoyable. They've upped the ante with the CGI and the New Zealand landscape is breathtaking. Throw in a good looking cast and some very impressive battle scenes and you have an enjoyable 2.5 hours.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Beautiful Italian cinematography, great cast and some very funny moments are the good points. Bad writing, choppy plot transitions and far too much emphasis on how terrible it is for a late 30s woman to be *shocked gasp* single were the bad points. It was really 50/50 for me, I spent just as much time liking the film as I did not liking the film.

Snow Cake

Quite literally, one of the most beautiful films I have seen in a long time. Dealing with a quite rare topic, adult autism, Snow Cake is very very special. Sigourney Weaver gives one of the most amazing performances I've seen and Carrie Ann Moss and Alan Rickman are wonderful with just the right amount of pathos. It was funny, in a poignant way and made me cry buckets towards the end. It's a joint venture between the U.K. and Canada and shot in Wawa, which in itself made for some stellar cinematography. I can't recommend it enough, really worth seeing.

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling
Ross King

Again, took me a while to get through it, but another great read from Ross King. I love the way he incorporates conjecture to make the drier bones of history come alive. I finshed this book with a burning desire to see the Sistine Chapel in person, it's on my list!

Dan in Real Life

Quite enjoyable, much like Little Miss Sunshine, a dark comedy. Made me laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes. Love Juliette Binoche, although I think it's really interesting that North American movies are the only ones where you see someone speaking English with an accent. In foreign language films, people hardly ever have an accent, I don't think they would even be hired if they didn't speak near flawless French, Italian, German etc. But all things foreign translate into better North American box office returns, I suppose. Steve Carell was excellent, he really has wonderful poignant comedic timing. The family dynamic was fantastic, loved Dianne Wiest as the mother. The house was just as much a part of story as the characters and the music tied it all together. The plot plodded somewhat in the middle, but overall, a good film.

Remember Me?
Sophie Kinsella

Love Sophie Kinsella, but she's gone back to using a Becky Bloomwood character, klutzy and constantly inappropriate in every situation. I'm not a fan of her characters that I get frustrated with while I'm reading. Her best character to date is Samantha, from the Undomestic Goddess. I liked Lexi too, even more when she she wised up to the fact that her "perfect" life was a crock. Still a fan of Kinsella's tight writing style, although this one was not quite as funny. That being said, I couldn't put it down and was finished in 2 days.

Sex and the City: The Movie

Of course this movie deserves it's own blog posting! :)

Though no movie, no matter how great, can replace the familiarity of one's favorite TV show, I can safely say that I was pleased with the end result last night. Were there some cheesy lines, liberties with characters and full out plot holes? Absolutely! But it was great to catch up with the "girls", see some amazing fashion and fall in love with NYC all over again. I wouldn't be sad if they decided to relaunch SATC as a show about women in their 40s, but then again, they do already have Lipstick Jungle for that. I'm definitely a Big and Carrie fan, so I had a good cry at several intervals. A lot of critics are saying that Jennifer Hudson was weak, but I quite liked her and the soundtrack she contributed. I consider myself to be almost a devotee to the show, and was quite prepared to hate the movie if it paled in comparison to the show. I was pleasantly surprised and will be buying the DVD to add to my collection and of course, for the extras. For die hard SATC fans, this movie will slightly disappoint, but over all, Michael Patrick King did a good job, and hopefully we'll see a sequel soon.

Or a second run of the show....please, pretty please with a cherry on top? :)

6 months

I write this, feeling extremely sentimental, after shedding more than a few tears at the opening of Sex and the City, the movie. (More on that under separate cover.) I feel so many things 6 months in. I still believe in love, although some days it's harder to believe than others. I believe in myself, although being kind and forgiving to myself is really hard sometimes. It's easy to beat yourself up for your mistakes, but only by forgiving yourself can you really move forward. I am trying my best not to drive myself crazy by wondering where anything is going and want to concentrate on living my life day by day, moment by moment, remembering that each element "is what it is".

Dental Damages

Ok, I've pretty much had it with these root canals! I sure hope that this is the very last one I ever have to experience. Something about the part of my mouth that was affected didn't take the freezing, so it was pretty painful. Not to mention the expense, ouch! Anyway, I'm glad to have it all squared away, and hopefully (as I've just taken a codeine) I'll be able to sleep well and will awake tomorrow with minimum tooth discomfort.

Eat Pray Love

I've decided to give this book its very own blog entry because of the sheer impact it has had on me while reading it. To date, Eat Pray Love is the most influential book I have ever read. It spoke directly to my stomach, brain and heart. Elizabeth Gilbert's writing style had me laughing out loud and crying gut wrenching tears. There is something for everyone here, and certain parts of this book spoke to me so clearly, I actually book marked them, (page 65, pages 148-151 and page 178) something I have never done before. It's inspired me to continue with my yoga, embrace daily meditation and experience fully the simple pleasures of life. Although I wouldn't consider myself to be searching so much for a spiritual experience with God the way she did, it has brought up more and more questions of that nature for me. I've been very comfortable for over 15 years with my agnostic borderline atheist beliefs. I wonder if it's a temporary by-product of reading the book, or if this will kick start a deeper spiritual study. The book has definitely solidified some plans for my year off. I will go to Italy to see all the parts I have yet to see, and I will go to India. I'm so glad I read this book, for me, it is a bookshelf classic, destined to be read again and again.

Back in the Sand!

It feels great! I'm so happy I can play volleyball again. I actually did better than I thought I would do! I signed up for individual intermediate 6s (which is always a crap shoot) but I was so lucky tonight. My team is loads of fun and best of all, good players! We won 3 of our 5 games tonight, and the losses were by a small point margin. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season!

5 Months

When I initially thought about today's date, I felt somewhat disappointed in myself. I'm just not where I thought I'd be at this point. I know I have to be kinder and gentler to myself, accept my limitations and strive to move past them. All I can do is redouble my efforts and move onward and upward with love in my heart and a cool head in the driver's seat. I have made all kinds of progress, and the best part is that I feel better, even though I sometimes slip back into old patterns. It's really great that I can recognise when it happens, and redirect. This is a huge step for me. One minute at a time changes to one hour at a time, to one day at a time. Patience is a hard lesson, but one I'm determined to learn.

I remain, a humble student of life.

Namaste.

April 2008 Books and Movies

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story
Leonie Swann

This book has a great hook. They find their shepherd lying in the meadow with a spade stuck in his chest and decide to solve the murder. You really get into the characters, pausing only to remember...these are sheep! It's pretty funny. The downside is, the story is far too convoluted to make for really good reading. Too bad, I really enjoyed it until about halfway through.


The Darjeeling Unlimited

Not so good. I was expecting to like it at least a little, as I really enjoyed The Royal Tenenbaums, but not so much. The best thing about it was the gorgeous Indian cinematography. Anjelica Huston was another highlight, she's fabulous. I found Owen Wilson's character really annoying. Makes me want to visit India even more now, so that's a plus.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Not the best movie I've ever seen, but not the worst either. The blood looks like red paint, but it's the concept that's really gross. Typical Tim Burton, creepy, weird and starring Johnny Depp. I'm not surprised he's married to Helena Bonham-Carter, she's weird too! Loved the sets and costumes, 1840s pre Victorian...there were lots of boobs hanging out of dresses which wouldn't have flown when Vicky was queen. :) The music was great too, it would be interesting to see the stage show.

Prime

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It was a funny, poignant romantic comedy. I put it on as I was doing some housework, and all of a sudden, I wasn't working, I was watching. Meryl Streep is one of my favorite actors, and it was the type of movie that suits Uma Thurman to a "T". Enjoyable couple of hours with a non traditional ending.

The Amber Spyglass
Philip Pullman

Wah! I didn't want this series to end. It was that good! Best book of the three, Lyra and Will's character development is stellar. The ending is so sad, but you know it's the right one. The Mulefa were a bit weird to wrap your head around, but really added a layer to the story. Pullman puts his views forth plainly in our world view, whereas before he hid them in Lyra's world view. So glad I read these books, they were excellent!

Music Musings

Just got home from the third and final recording session. There were three flutes and one piccolo booked on the gig, so I wasn't very exposed by any means. One of the flute players couldn't attend yesterday's session, so there are at least two pieces on the upcoming CD that you will be able to hear just me.

I do feel I am growing as a player, but I still have so far to go. I'm a little torn about what direction to follow. I attended a symposium for work today, and it was very enlightening. There are so many things I could do, work on my classical singing, take my singing in a whole new direction with jazz, work on my piano chops for work, increase my ability on other instruments and of course work on my flute/piccolo chops. I'm quite inspired by my dear friend, who is hard at work on his own musical endevours.

I had a good concert on Saturday, the pic solos went very well. It was very cool to have Dave Devall (the weather guy from CTV) as the announcer, he was very good. The summer looks busy musically, but we'll see how much I actually do. It's all about the balance!

New Trailer for the SATC Movie

I am so super excited for this movie. I love love love Sex and the City. Have done ever since I found out about it while it was in its 3rd season. I own the DVDs, can quote it backwards and forwards and can watch it again and again without getting bored. I even have the SATC trivia on my Facebook page that I've won 1800 points and counting. I just saw the new trailer on the movie website. Very interesting! It would seem (although trailers always mislead) that Carrie is finally going to marry Big, but something happens to stop the wedding. Also there's a funny moment with Miranda and Steve. He says something about something being "just the one time", which could mean that he cheated on Miranda, but I don't think so. I think it has something to do with Brady, either he left him alone, or hit him or something. It seems that Sam is getting bored of Smith, and is coveting other men, and Charlotte is finally pregnant after adopting the Chinese girl. It all looks very glam and movie ish, but I wonder how it's going to translate, 4 years after it ended. I've been invited to a very girly night out for the movie premiere. Dinner and cosmos (of course) before going to see the movie. I can't wait!

2008 National Jazz Awards

My first experience going to the National Jazz Awards. Something that struck me was, how small the jazz world really is. I recognised a lot of people from the last three years of volunteering at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival.

My favorite vocalist, Emilie-Claire Barlow, won in her category. Unfortunately, she wasn't performing.



I love, love, love Hilario Duran, so was super excited when he won in two categories. Sadly, he wasn't performing either.



I wasn't able to see all the acts, but here's a few I did catch:

Nikki Yanofsky



Sly Juhas, doing double duty with both Brandi Disterheft and Elizabeth Sheppard:



The Brandi Disterheft quartet, including her vocalist, Sophia Perlman, whom I really enjoy after listening to Autobeauties on Brandi's CD, Debut:



It's a type of event that's better to go to with other people, so you have someone to talk to during the speeches! Some were very, very long, especially Jim Galloway's introduction of a lifetime achievement award for Geoff Chapman.

The tributes to Doug Riley, Jeff Healey and Oscar Peterson were extremely moving. Video clips, family member speeches and musical tributes were lovely, especially Reg Schwager's guitar tribute to Jeff Healey.

A nice evening out, although it would have been much better on the weekend!

Jackson's Christening

There's a new baby in our family, my cousin's son, Jackson.



He's very cute! Today was his christening.





Afterwards, there was food and very sugary cake, yum!

First Bike Ride of 2008!

What a beautiful day for a ride. It was really fantastic! I biked along the Martin-Goodman trail to Cherry Beach, then to Tommy Thompson park (a man made conservation peninsula) then to Woodbine park. It felt so good to be on my bike, I'm so glad it's finally spring. Looking forward to biking to work on Monday!