Season's Greetings....

Have had to take a break from the blog world for a bit. Vacation to UK was great but cut short due to a family emergency. Will update blog soon. Hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season.

Peace

Quote of the Day:

and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

Charles Dickens

"We're off on the road to Nairobi....."

Come on, can't you just hear Bing Crosby and Bob Hope singing the famous theme song from one of their popular "road pictures" .... Except on this road trip farce, the female "straight-man" isn't Dorothy Lamour. Nope, it's our girl Rona Ambrose. Yep, our intrepid Minister of the Environment stood up on the world stage, speaking before the United Nations in Kenya for the climate change conference. Now, Ambrose could have used the opportunity to explain what the Conservative government is going to do about addressing Canada's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But not our girl Rona, what does she do.... she used her limited time on the world stage to slam the former Liberal Government. She stated such gems as "When Canada's new government assumed office this year, we found an unacceptable situation" and "We found that the measures to address climate change by the former Liberal governments were insufficient" Fair enough, I understand that it is very common practice, here in Canada, for new Governments to slam the previous government and lay blame or generally just pass the buck but this was no domestic speech given in the House of Commons. This was a speech given to the world, and Ambrose used it to showcase, not Canada's environmental vision, but rather Canada's political bickering and infighting. Way to go Rona....you do us proud.....


On another note: JB and I are "off on the road to the UK" I decided, on impulse, that it has been far too long since I have been to visit family. I was speaking to one of my cousins via e mail and thought to myself "i really should pay a visit and right before Christmas would be a nice time to see everyone" So, I went to the Air Canada website and low and behold a "seat sale on international flights" Serendipity! We leave for London on December 1st and have a jam packed 10 days to visit my cousins in Wales and hopefully I make it up to Glasgow for a couple of days. It has been ages since I have been to Glasgow and I truly miss the place. I am very excited to be going over and everyone over there is extremely excited that we are visiting. Our first two days we stay in London and JB has expressed the desire to visit a really old pub or I should say pubs. A day trip to Bath is definitely in the plans. JB is interested in seeing the ancient Roman baths plus one of my younger cousins is currently studying at Bath University. He has already instructed his Mother to tell me to ensure that we don't visit Bath on the Thursday as Thursdays are all day lab work for him.
So, Thursday may be the day we trek up to Glasgow for a couple of days. I will definitely be hitting Buchanan Street (photograph on the left) I have many happy memories of lots of shopping trips to Buchanan Street with my Mother and my Aunties. I bought my first Burberry trench coat with matching scarf and bag at the Burberry store on Buchanan Street many years ago. I still have the scarf, the coat and the bag.

Will be cluttering up this blog soon with lots of photos and notes from the trip.

Quote of the Day:

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

St. Augustine

Random Thoughts

This is going to be one of those rambling blogs cause a/ I have not been able to update my blog in a while b/ my mind is rambling all over the place (nothing new)


Quote of the Day:

“When (Harper) tells you that this is a clean air act, it’s just something out of George Orwell. I mean it’s like saying black is white, white is black. It is truly Orwellian in its thinking”
Bob Rae, Liberal Leadership hopeful

A brief update from my previous blog about Rona Ambrose and our Governments "Clean Air Act" Mr. Harper allowed Rona to speak (photo is of Rona defending her new Clean Air Act, in Parliament) and it appears we Canadians will have clean air by, oh..... sometime in the year 2050!!!! Yes folks, we can count on nice clean air by 2050, about the time the planet will be running out of food. All three federal opposition parties panned the bill, casting doubt on whether it will ever become law. Dr. David Suzuki has a great "letter to Mr. Harper" on is website this past week.

Catching up on another recent blog...my movie package arrived from Amazon last Thursday and I happily watched "Whisky Galore" on the weekend. It was just as entertaining as I remembered it to be. It was a bit bittersweet for me as I didn't have my parents around to laugh along with me. Along with the Ealing box set, I ordered some Christmas CDs, yes I have a ridiculously large collection of Christmas CDs. Mostly by jazz and blues artists. Along with the Christmas CDs I purchased a copy of Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album. It is an album I have always felt I should own but never got around to purchasing. There are numerous great songs on the album that I remember hearing as a kid on the radio. The songs "Carey", "This Flight Tonight" and "River" are classics. I remember belting out the song "Carey" as a kid as it was very popular back in the 1970's. At the moment. it is my current "anti-stress" cd. I have it playing in the background on my lap top this very minute, as I endure yet another insane, stressful work week. The words from the song "River" are very apropo at the moment and take me far away: " I wish I had a river. I could skate away on. I wish I had a river so long. I would teach my feet to fly" This song is a beautiful song and it gets me thinking about Canada and winter and snow and ice and Hockey.
Yes, Hockey, as JB just did a double take. Some of you have heard my rants about how I have pretty much given up on Hockey in recent years. I hate what the US has been allowed to do to the game. I hate the promotion in recent years of goon players whose only purpose is to fight and batter and bruise better players BUT I recently watched the CBC 10 part series "Hockey: A Peoples History". The series reminded me about all the things I love about Hockey. How it really is a truly Canadian sport and how important it is to our identity as a people and a nation. I was particularly impressed with the amount of time spent on the history of Women's hockey.

As the sales pitch for the series states " CBC’s epic series chronicling the story of a game and the soul of a nation. Born as a game of survival against the snow and ice of a Canadian winter, hockey gave a new country it’s first heroes and champions." If you can catch the series it is definitely worth it. Some of the footage is incredible and the interviews with hockey greats and the great sportswriters are fascinating to listen to. Stephen Brunt's discussion on the greatness of Bobby Orr is nothing short of poetry (Brunt also has a book coming out on Bobby Orr).

The series is one that every Canadian should see. It will take all of you back to those Saturday nights when as a kid you were allowed to stay up late and watch Hockey Night in Canada. In our house we got not only the bonus of getting to stay up and watch the hockey game but we also got the added treat of a big bowl of Hostess potato chips with the best chip dip on the planet and a glass of coke or Canada Dry ginger ale. Bet all of you have the Hockey Night in Canada theme song going through your heads now.......just in case you need a reminder here ya go.....


Hockey Night in Canada Theme song

I am deranged but so, so playful.......

This weekend was JB's annual trip with "the boys" to Buffalo, NY to see the Buffalo Bills play the New England Patriots. I was scheduled to go in to work on Saturday evening but for the remainder of the weekend I planned on just watching movies and vegging out. Being the oncall Manager for work, this weekend, I ended up getting called on Friday night and was up until 4am due to an outage. I went to bed and woke up late Saturday morning. I Dropped JB off at his buddies house in the early afternoon, as they were car pooling to Buffalo. I knew I had a few hours to kill before I went back to work so, I made some 9 bean soup and a pot of tea and clicked on the TV. I was lying on the sofa and had the TV on The Movie Network. A movie was just starting and I noticed it was directed by Liev Schreiber. Now I am a huge fan of Liev Schrieber, the actor. He is one of those actors who reminds me of the old school actors from the 1930's and 40's. He has a fantastic voice and as all good actors you never really see him "act". He has been in some great films and stage shows so I was intrigued that he had Directed and written the screenplay for this film. I thought "what the hell, there is nothing else on. I will watch this film"

Boy am I glad I did. It was one of the most lovely and entertaining films I have seen in a very long time. The movie is called "Everything is Illuminated". It is based on a novel written by Johnathan Safran Froer. The story is about a young Jewish American man who endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village, that was ultimately razed by the Nazis, with the help of a local who speaks weirdly funny broken English. The three, plus grandfather's deranged dog, travel in an old car from Odessa into Ukraine's heart. The film does an amazing job of showing the sweeping landscapes of Ukraine. I remember my father telling me that when he was growing up, the Ukraine was known as "the bread basket of Europe" with never ending fields of wheat and never ending farmland. The film does a great job of capturing this beautiful landscape. It is a perfect backdrop for the three men, with dog, as they travel within the heart of Ukraine on their quest.

I thought Elijah Wood was perfect as the lead character Johnathan, who collects bizarre items in ziploc bags and has more phobias than a Woody Allen character. But the stars of the film, for me, were Eugene Hutz as Alex, Johnathan's guide and Alex's Grandfather's dog or "Officious Seeing Eye Bitch" named Sammy Davis Junior, Junior. Eugene Hutz, as Alex is a larger and funnier version/combination of "Boris" from the Smirnoff ice ads and one of the "wild and crazy guys" from SNL(Saturday Night Live).

This is a movie I could watch again and again. It even has a cool soundtrack which includes Eugene Hutz's band "Gogol Bordello". If you have a chance to rent this film, do so. You will not be disappointed.

Trailer for movie

Quote of the Day:

Alex: [referring to the dog] This is Sammy Davis Jr. Jr... She is Grandfather's Seeing Eye bitch. Father purchased her for him not because he believes Grandfather is blind, but because a Seeing Eye bitch is also a good thing for people who pine for the opposite of loneliness. In truth, Father did not purchase her at all, but merely retrieved her from the home for forgetful dogs. Because of this, she is not a real Seeing Eye bitch, and is also mentally deranged.

Even Hef lets the Bunnies speak once in a while......

The smiling woman to your left is the Canadian Minister of the Environment, Ms. Rona Ambrose. I was going to make this blog a rant on how we have the most boring Prime Minister of any Prime Minister Canada has ever had. I was going to rant about the fact that on the day our Prime Minister and his government axed $17.7 million from the human resources department's Adult Learning and Literacy Skills Program as part of a wave of spending cuts. His wife Laureen was out on the streets of Ottawa, clad in a yellow T-shirt and handing out newspapers in the drizzle as part of a CanWest media company literacy promotion.

There is just so much to rant about when it comes to Mr. Harper and his Government.

But, my real concern/rant of late is about the Governments new "Clean Air Act" and the apparent lack of urgency that our Government appears to have in fixing our environment in general. It is quite concerning. It is clear that our Minister of the Environment has and is basically undermining our work with the Kyoto Agreement. Canada will miss its second deadline this week to put forward a Kyoto plan. Instead she decided to have a press conference with Prime Minister Harper on the Governments supposed "Clean Air Act". An act where Ms. Ambrose has opted for and suggests the use of Intensity-based targets rather than a ban on greenhouse gas emissions. This means environmental emissions would be relative to the economic output of various industries. That means even though individual emission limits for each barrel of oil or piece of coal could be lowered, if production increases, the overall amount of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants could grow.

Many environmentalists believe capping greenhouse gas emissions is key to tackling climate change. Critics of intensity-based targets say the approach allows heavily polluting industries, such as Alberta's oilsands, to continue to grow and pollute, while remaining under government-imposed limitations.

Hmm should we be suspicious that this woman is from Alberta? Should we be concerned that she wasn't allowed to discuss her plans at a recent press conference and that the Prime Minister did all the speaking for her. Should we be concerend that when on the hot seat about Kyoto and greenhouse gas emissions she blamed the previous government and further went on to state that the Liberal government had spent "at least $100 million" in foreign carbon credits. When the real number was, well, ZERO! And to think she's in charge of setting new policy on an issue that may be critical not just to Canada's international reputation, but also to the future state of the world.


Anyway, rather than me rant on anymore about it. Watch Rick Mercer's rant from this weeks show. "The Mercer Report" is a weekly show hosted by Rick and he is one of the great Canadian comedians and political satirists. He has a knack for clearly expressing what a lot of Canadians are thinking. Check out the video clip. If it doesn't load go to the Mercer Report and click on "Rick's rant for the week". I am lousy at setting up video links on this blog.


Quote of the Day:

“Whoever makes two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, deserves better of mankind, and does more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together” Johnathan Swift

Uisge gu Leoir (Whisky Galore, for you non Gaelic speakers)

Growing up we watched a lot of movies. My Parents were bonified film junkies. My Father would give us lessons on why certain films were so great. We would watch what are now considered some of the greatest classics made and as a result we have grown up to appreciate the cinema. When we were very small my parents would take us to the drive in. Being the practical parents they were, they would take us to the drive-in in our PJ's, so that they could catch the latest flicks or blockbusters from the early 1970's and we got tired and fell asleep in the back seat of the car, we were already ready for bed when they got us all home. My Father would take my sister and I to see some of the great classic films of the 1970's. I think he would tell my Mother that he was taking us to see the latest kids flick when instead we saw Godfather, Godfather II, And Justice for All (my dad loved Pacino and Brando), All the Presidents Men. My father obviously felt our little minds could handle the not so child friendly scripts and violence in some of these films. But then we were of the era of "Bugs Bunny, Road Runner Hour" cartoon era.

Both my Parents were fans of the Director, Alexander MacKendrick. Alexander McKendrick was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1912 and grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1941 Mackendrick was sent to North Africa, then Italy as part of the psychological warfare division shooting newsreels and documentary coverage as well as working on leaflets and radio news for the Allied commando effort. When Rome was liberated in 1943, Mackendrick was made director of the film unit and one of the projects he approved was Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini, 1945), a film that owes much to its documentary footage. In 1946 he was offered a contract with Ealing Studios, a relatively emerging production company that brought hope for Britain's movie culture by dominating the 1950s with its peculiar brand of comedy. Ealing Studios churned out some of the best classic British Films such as "The Man in the White Suit", "The Lady Killers", "Passport to Pimlico", "Kind Hearts and Coronets", "The Lavender Hill Mob" and one of my Mother's favorite films "The Blue Lamp". The title of the film refers to the blue lamp which traditionally hung outside British Police Stations.

While at Ealing Studios, MacKendrick directed the classics "The Man in the White Suit", "The Lady Killers". In 1957 he also directed, though not for Ealing, "The Sweet Smell of Success" a film noir classic and another one of my Father's favorite films as not only was it directed by MacKendrick but it also starred Burt Lancaster. A favorite actor of my dad's.

But, the MacKendrick film that has that special place in my heart and always reminds me of the great times I had watching movies with my parents was the film "Whisky Galore". "Whisky Galore" is the first movie MacKendrick directed for Ealing studios. The film was based on the story, written by Compton MacKenzie and Compton MacKenzie's story was based on a real-life incident that occurred in 1941 on the Hebridean island of Eriskay when the S.S. Politician ran aground. The famous tale of how a group of local Scottish islanders raided a shipwreck for its consignment of 24,000 cases of whisky has grown into a legend.

The film is a gem. It is considered one of Ealing Stuidios best comedies. An ensemble comedy that focuses on the moral obligations of a tiny Scottish village after the steamer S.S. Politician crashes on shore leaving an unguarded cargo of whisky, was both a British and international success. Soon Ealing, aided by Mackendrick, was well on its way to leading the revival of the national cinema. The story fit within the studio formula of an eccentric group dealing with an extraordinary situation, and its unassuming humor benefits from the peculiarities of its townsfolk. Particularly from the pompous naivety of the English Captain Waggett (Basil Radford) who declares himself as the voice of reason and attempts to stop the town from raiding the ship. The first Ealing film to be shot on location on the isolated island of Barra, a documentary-style approach captures the villagers in daily routine: farming, working around the house, congregating at the local pub. Once a shortage of whisky occurs, the town plunges into desperation, and the bucolic Scottish tranquility is shattered by a cry of “There is no whisky!” The whisky is subsequently recovered, and they work together with crafty strategies to dupe the Englishman. Notions of tradition and propriety, however, prevent the townsfolk from turning into a violent mob and overthrowing Waggett.

Over the years, I have been searching and searching for any copy I could find of "Whisky Galore" as it is never shown on TV, here in Canada. I would search EBay and debate purchasing what looked like shady, illegal copies and many VHS copies,prior to DVD's were not compatible with North American players. I would drag JB into vintage video stores to see if they could obtain a copy for me. I was determined but never had any luck. Finally, I just gave up a couple of years ago and reasoned "surely some company is going to re-release this film and some of the other Ealing classics" and I will just have to wait.

It's been more than a couple of years that I have even attempted to resurrect the search for a copy of the film but I am happy to report that my search has finally ended. Last night while perusing through Amazon.ca I was doing my usual circuitous searching. Starting at books by Hoffer, to new jazz releases to Christams CD's then on to classic films on DVD. I noticed that "Sweet Smell of Success" was newly packaged into a DVD and then I thought "hmmmmm, "sweet smell of success...Alexander MacKendrick....I wonder....WHISKY GALORE!!!" I clicked on the name Alexander MacKendrick and waited with bated breath and up popped I couldn't believe my luck. There staring at me was the lovely face of the actress Joan Greenwood superimposed on a whisky bottle. I almost did a little dance. I immediately whipped out the visa card and ordered it.

I glanced at the usually entertaining "Amazon Customer Reviewed" section. There was one comment that stated "This is a pretty pricey Box set for , lets face it, only 1 great film being WHISKEY GALORE! and good PASSPORT TO P. . If the set was cheaper i'd consider it but for now lets release these seperately please" This person fails to understand that there are some things that some of us just can't put a price on. For me, it would be to have my own copy of "Whisky Galore" and all the happy memories that would come from watching this film again. Plus, the other films in the box set are no slouches either.

The set should arrive in 1 to 3 weeks.


Quote of the Day:

Dr Maclaren: It's a well known fact that some men were born two drinks below par.

Actor James Roberston Justice as Dr. MacLaren in Whisky Galore

"Elmo wants to play"

Great gift for your friends who are parents

If you really wanted to piss of some of your friends who have children. This latest Elmo toy would certainly do it. I keep watching this video and I am fascinated by this latest offering for children( i love the dogs reaction). This latest model seems to have been designed using the latest updates in robotics for kids toys. Personally, I find this toy a bit disturbing and really annoying (don't worry Mo or Paulus. JB and I won't purchase this for your offspring. we are not that mean) I guess if you are three years old, the age that Elmo is supposed to be in real life, you would find it appealing? I remember the "tickle me elmo" buying frenzy from the 1990's when parents were fighting tooth and nail for that doll. I remember there was controversy after the release of the doll with parents groups that misheard one of Elmo's phrases. His "Hug Elmo" phrase was misunderstood by many as "F--k Elmo". The voicing was revised so that the phrase sounded clearer and unmistakable.

On another note. It's Turkey Time!!! This weekend is Thanksgiving weekend. Not to be mistaken for American Thanksgiving which is in November and celebrates the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock and sitting down to a nice dinner with the Native North American Indians before setting out to spend hundreds of years of cleansing the land of their culture and tribes. JB and I having both had extremely stressful months at work, actually forgot it was Thanksgiving coming up. We didn't really make any plans for dinner with what family we have in the vicinity. I usually make a turkey with all the fixin's and I enjoy doing it but this year I said to JB that I just felt like going away, doing nothing but relaxing and playing golf. Out of some bizarre need not to buck tradition, I will probably make a small turkey with fixins and gravy on Saturday as I really can't not make something Thanksgiving related for fear the "Thanksgiving gods" will strike me down for abandoning family tradition. I feel we should have some sort of turkey dinner plus I don't have to worry that my chowhound brother doesn't have food for the weekend as JB and I are gone Sunday and Monday.


We have decided to go to Niagara region and visit some wineries and play golf at the Whirpool Golf Course, near Niagara Falls and at the Niagara on the Lake golf course, the oldest golf course in North America. Niagara on the Lake is a lovely town, I have written previous blogs about it. I will be hitting the Niagara Home Bakery for Empire biscuits! Unfortunately, as we decided to book our weekend only two days ago, there were no rooms to be found in Niagara on the Lake. The only available rooms we could find were in Niagara Falls. JB much prefers Niagara on the Lake as do I but it is only a short lovely scenic drive along the Niagara river between the two towns. Niagara falls has become somewhat "Disney-fied" but I find Niagara Falls fascinating. It has evolved into this giant playland for kids and adults. The adults get two casinos and plenty of bars and clubs and the kids have Clifton Hill where there are wax museums, arcades etc. It has very much changed since my visits there as a child. Any time relatives came over from Scotland we had to make the trek to Niagara Falls as they all had to see this "wonder of nature". With the recent additions of the casinos and the increase in tourists, the actual town of Niagara Falls would be unrecognisable to anyone who has not been there in the last 15 to 20 years. There are all the typical touristy restaurants such as Hard Rock Cafe, TGIF's etc. If you ignore all of the tourist crap and just stand by those falls and watch the power of nature it really is awe inspiring and the area on the Canadian side where the Canadian portion of the falls are located still looks the same as it did 50 years ago. The Niagara Parks Commission has done a great job of keeping the parklands around the falls pristine and the ultimate place for photo ops. And yes, to end the debate, the Canadian falls are much larger, nicer and better than the American falls.

“It is with roses and locomotives (not to mention acrobats Spring electricity Coney Island the 4th of July the eyes of mice and Niagara Falls) that my ''poems'' are competing.” e.e. cummings

Collibus -Fideles-Caledoniis

Have the CCR (creedence clearwater revival)song "Who'll Stop the Rain" floating around in my head today. As you can see by the weather pixie on my page it is indeed PISSING down rain today. Normally, the rain doesn't bother me that much particularly during the week as one is normally at work. Unfortunately today is the day that I along with Espinoza and Lee decided to book off work and go and play golf at a new course we found. We rationalized that it couldn't possibly rain all day today as yesterday we awoke to thunder and lightening and heavy rain and by about 10am the clouds parted and the sun came out and it was a lovely day. Well, this morning at 6:35am i was awakened by a huge CRACK of thunder over our house and I thought "hmmmm a repeat of yesterday" I got up out of bed, got my coffee and as most golfers do, flipped the TV on to the weather network. The overly cheerful weather network lady chirped on about heavy rains moving out of the area today and the storm watch being lifted for GTA etc etc. I can hear the rain pelting down and about 10 mins later it stopped. "Cool" I thought. Then the blackberry pins started between Lee and Espinoza and I. "are we on" "ya, lets meet there rain will probably stop" "i checked the weather network it is supposed to move through" I drove JB to work and I could see the sky getting lighter and I thought "great, same as yesterday" I then dropped JB off at work and headed west towards Mississauga to our new "find". Driving west the sun was starting to really look like it was going to make an appearance. I arrived at the course. Got my clubs out. Walked down to the pro shop where I was greeted by the most friendly golf pro and pro shop staff I have ever encountered. I apologized that two of our threesome was late and Golf Pro said "no problem at all. the course is practically empty. you ladies will have the whole course to yourself this morning but it's a bit wet out there on the greens after all this rain" Lee arrived and Espinoza was still lost. Lee and I did some stretching, and in between stretches I took panicked calls from Espinoza who was completely lost. Lee and I stretched some more, looked out at the lovely course and inhaled and both said "man, it's better to be here than at work" After my third cell phone call from Espinoza, she finally found the place. We then marched down the path to the first tee. A daunting, long, long par 5 hole. You know it's not good when the 5ft 1in Lee yells from the tee box "where am I aiming? I can't see any flag" I yell back my usual answer "just hit it straight down the fairway" which she did!

This course is modeled on a Scottish course or as their website states:

The BraeBen Golf Course has been designed to be"True to the Scottish Highlands"The name of the course -"BraeBen" -is Gaelic for "slope" and "mountain or hill". The new, public 18 hole Championship Course features dramatic terrain, tall rough grasses, gnarled trees and shrubs, pristine fairways, greens and tees, punctuated with challenging pot bunkers - all reminiscent of golf's early beginnings. As in the highlands of Scotland, wind will be a factor on most days.

I read with interest a review of the course from "Fairways Magazine" that states the course is actually built over the old Britannia hills landfill site and that they have won environmental awards for the design of this course. It's pretty amazing that they have turned an ugly, eysore of a landfill site into a beautiful greenspace in an urban setting.(Photo is of the first hole looking towards the green). First hole over, we all triple bogied the hole, we march down to the second hole. Second hole is a short par 3, we then get to the third hole and then the fourth hole and I tee off, Espinoza tees off and then Lee gets to the tee box and again says "where is the flag? I don't know where I am aiming" Again we say "just hit it straight onto the fairway and figure it out from there" As, Lee is about to tee off, I look up and say "man, it sure looks like it is getting darker" Then it happened "BOOOOM!!" Thunder, then after the thunder a couple of drops and then a few more drops. Undaunted, we are determined to finish the hole. When we get to the green it is now pouring rain and I then notice that I am the only one who remembered my golf umbrella. It starts to come down like a monsoon. Lee and I both have on waterproof jackets but Espinoza has nada, just her nice trendy cotton track jacket and baby blue cargo pants on. I do up my jacket and grab my waterproof Burberry rain hat (a gift from my sister)out of my golf bag and hand Espinoza my umbrella as she is getting drenched. We decide we will finish this hole and then head back to the clubhouse for a snack and a beverage to warm us up. It's a long way back to the clubhouse from the 4th hole and we realize we are walking the wrong way. True to the course name, it is really hilly and your can't see any landmarks or buildings from our locale. We then backtrack and cut across another hole and disturb a gaggle of Canada geese who are just sitting in a group watching us walk by. One of them, probably the alpha male of the bunch decides to challenge us and starts to hiss at us. I hiss back "shouldn't you be flying south!!" The goose then lifted his beak in the air and did an about face and walked away. Guess I won that challenge. Clubhouse in sight, we think "great we can sit down have a drink and dry off" We enter the pro shop and the oh so friendly pro shop gent says "it's really coming down, eh?" I say "yep, we really thought it would not rain until later today we tried but only made it to the fourth hole" He then says "do you ladies want rain checks for your green fees today" All three of us say "Sure! thats great". He then says "I just need your white receipts from this morning" we all reach in and grap our soaked receipts. Lee then gasps "Oh no, i lost my rain cover for my clubs somewhere back there on the course" I suggest that Lee and one of us take one of the covered golf carts and drive back along the paths to find it. Espinoza volunteers to go with Lee and I wait and guard our clubs. They arrive back about 10 mins later with the found rain cover. We then ask if the clubhouse is open for lunch and are told that because the clubhouse is hosting a private function it will not be open til 2pm. It is only noon. We decide we can't wait til 2pm and instead, since we are in the hub of suburbia, we drive off to one of the many boring chain restaurants in the surrounding area. We all split a carafe of red wine and some pretty good sandwiches and look at each other and say "even if we couldn't golf it is STILL better than being at work!"

Espinoza drops Lee and I off back at the golf course and we go back to the pro shop and ask if we can use our rainchecks for Saturday. The weather network says it is going to be a lovely weekend with lots of sun! We have a 10:38 am tee time for Saturday.

I am now at home, watching the rain pelt down and the trees bend in the rather gusty winds that have developed. Going to uncork a bottle of wine and relax, read a book and enjoy the rest of my day off.


Quote of the Day:

When I'm on a golf course and it starts to rain and lightning, I hold up my one iron, 'cause I know even God can't hit a one iron. - Lee Trevino

Token Chicks

Wow, it's been over two weeks since I have updated my blog. It's been crazy at work and it has been a physically and mentally draining month thus the last thing I wanted to do was sit in front of the computer even longer and think of a blog to write.

Film festival premiere of "Stranger than Fiction" was great. Loved the movie. It was very exciting to sit really close to the stage and see Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson in person (photo is of Emma arriving the Elgin Theatre in Toronto for the premiere) She was gorgeous and he (Dustin) was hilarious. JB(a huge Dustin Hoffman fan) wrote a blurb about our encounter with Dustin when he and the other actors were exiting the theatre. Dustin looked at us and said "thanks for having us in your city. It's a beautiful city and a great film fest". At one point just before the movie was to start. JMan's wife looked down from our balcony seat and said to me "is that Demi Moore sitting there?" I stood up a bit from my seat and peered over the balcony to check out the thin, tanned woman in a really expensive long black dress with long dark perfectly coiffed straight hair, gorgeous shoes on sitting with her legs crossed, nervously bouncing her foot up and down and CHEWING GUM LIKE A COW CHEWING IT'S CUD!! sitting beside her was a guy dressed in a corduroy jacket, jeans, running shoes and a baseball cap which was pretty much covering his face. I assume it was Aston Kutcher.

I have been playing my usual weekly golf game each week which kept me sane as well as my weekly lessons with Espinoza,Lee and JB. Two weeks ago I played in my first golf tournament and won two trophies! One trophy was for closest to the pin for ladies and one for longest drive for ladies. I must say that the trophies were a bit of a given as the other women playing in the tournament were not regular golfers. All the same, it was nice to A/ play a round of golf at a championship course for free and B/ take a day off work to play with some co-workers.

I love the egos of some of the male players when they see a woman arrive with her own clubs and golf gear on. They sit at the starters box and wait to watch you tee off. So of course I had to try my utmost to make my first drive look really good. It gets even more hilarious when you stop for a lunch break between the front 9 and the back 9. You meet up with the players ahead of you and the group behind you and chat and ask how each others game is going and then you encounter that one male. You ladies who golf know what male I am talking about. The group behind us had one of THOSE males. You know the ones who have to talk and talk everything up as god forbid anyone think or know that he isn't as good as anyone else on the planet. Any woman who plays golf has encountered this species of male more times than we care to remember and we have all had the following conversation with this male and usually it occurs after they have seen you swing and watched your drive from the first tee. Since buddy was in the foursome behind us, he saw a few of my drives and shots. Here's how the conversation goes, it doesn't alter much from golf course, city, country.

Insecure Male Golfer: "So, how often do you golf"

Female Golfer (me): "I dunno, about once a week minimum sometimes two times a week"

Insecure Male Golfer: "well really! That's great you can get out that often" (as if I should be home vacuuming or cleaning or doing the laundry instead)

Female Golfer (me): "ya, it's important to play this game regularly or you just won't get good at it"

Then comes the classic male ego boosting, chest thumping boast:

Insecure Male Golfer: "yep, well I don't get out that often and this year I have been so busy and have not had the time to play as much as I would like. How's your game today. You know, back at the eighth hole I had a great drive ball went 240 yards, my score is great today not too many bogies"

Female Golfer (me) rushing to get out to start the next 9 holes: "wow, good for you. Enjoy the rest of your lunch. See you at the awards ceremony later today, good luck on the back 9"

As I was walking out of the clubhouse with my co-worker Tony, who is actually a very good golfer but with no ego or sexism when it comes to golf. I whispered "My ass he drove the ball 240 yards. I saw his swing" Tony just laughed and said "I know, I know, what are you going to do" What amazes me is that "Mr 240 yards" didn't appear to drive far enough on the 7 hole as he didn't win any trophy for longest drive or closest to the pin.

I regularly read "Golf for Women" magazine and one of my favorite regular columns is the "What's Bugging Me Now" column written by Senior Editor Stina Sternberg. This months column is a classic example of discrimination against women in the golf world. Article is included below and link to the Magazines version is here:

What's Bugging Me Now

On a recent Sunday, a friend invited me to play golf at her club in the New York area. My friend is a new member at this club--she spent a half-dozen years on a waiting list and paid a lot of money to join--and I was excited to play there. She told me we had to tee off in the afternoon, because the opening-day tournament was being played in the morning.

I asked my friend why she hadn't signed up for the tournament--after all, she was new at the club and trying to get to know people. She also plays to a 3-handicap and might have had a shot at winning the trophy. "It's just for guys," she told me. I asked when the women's opening-day tournament was being held, because, surely, she'd be a lock for that. "There isn't one," she said. There isn't one? At this modern-day country club, a woman is welcome to spend the equivalent of a hefty down payment on a house to join--and to wait patiently for six years to be allowed to play--but because of her physical anatomy, she's not welcome in the opening-day tournament? Even a low-single-digit handicap woman who plays from the white tees and would have easily beaten half the field of male players?

It's time for the clubs to wake up and realize that we're not living in the 1950s. Women work, women play good golf and women should have the same privileges as men. If not, we should get some of our fees and dues back. Because last time I checked, we're not getting any discounts for being discriminated against

Quote of the Day:

(About Annika Sorenstam on the men's tour) "I hope she misses the cut. Why? Because she doesn't belong out here."

Vijay Singh (Fijian golfer)

Overture, hit the lights......

drrrrrum roll,.....Well, it's that time of year. Roll out the red carpets and slap on some glitter: The 31st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off tonight. For the next nine days, the city will be swarming with Hollywood heavies, international auteurs and A-list celebrities. Of course with A-list celebrities you also get hordes of celebrity hounds infiltrating the downtown/Yorkville area of the city. These "autograph hounds" will make their way in to the city in droves particularly on weekends where they will tie up traffic, pedestrian traffic included and generally cause disruptions to our lives. In particular JB and I will more than likely NOT get into our usual breakfast diner that we head to on weekends. These celeb hounds and wanna be seen losers apparently have nothing better to do than go on an neverending quest for that potential brief glimpse of Brad Pitt, who is supposedly arriving on Saturday night, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie etc etc. JB wrote about one of his favorite actors in his blog yesterday and has hilarious photos of the lengths he is going to ensure he is not photographed. I almost feel sorry for the these poor, pampered celebs as apparently the majority of these movie stars love coming to Toronto. They like this city and love the film festival and usually the majority of Torontonians are not that star struck anymore thus they get left alone. Unfortunately, in recent years as the festival has grown it has gotten a bit haywire and we are descended upon by autograph seekers, paparazzi and all the other "accoutrements" that follow movie stars. I remember one September a few years back. JB and I waked into the bar at the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, during film fest. The walk through Yorkville was our route home from work and we would stop in at that bar or a couple of other bars in the neighborhood. Anyway, there right in front of us sitting by himself enjoying a beer was Liam Neeson. I whispered to Jim, "wow, that's Liam Neeson sitting over there" JB responded "cool" we then walked to our own spot in the bar and along with all the other patrons in the bar we LEFT HIM ALONE. I doubt this would happen now. The entire area of Yorkville is just packed with people milling about with their photos, DVD's and other things to have signed by their favorite movie star.

What I do find even more annoying/entertaining than the celeb hounds and paparazzi are the hilarious antics of the "serious film fest goers" and so called "journalists". These people walk around with their Festival Pass around their neck everywhere they go as if it is some sort of status symbol or as one would wear a gold Gucci necklace or a rolex watch. They sit in the restaurant patios around Yorkville or walk along Bloor street with their haughty "yes, I am important, look at me I have a pass around my neck for the film fest" attitude. With their film fest guide in hand they sit and look to see who is looking at them and those passes DO NOT come off. I sometimes wonder if these people wear their festival passes to bed. They stand in line at one of our regular breakfast/ diner spots with their passes in clear view along with their pens and note pads as if to suggest that their film pass should grant them a table faster than the rest of us waiting in line. They all sit and name drop and constantly seem to use the word "milieu" in sentences.

Now, JB and I are both movie lovers and despite my bitching about the hassles the film festival brings. We are lucky enough to attend at least one showing each year as we get comps for a festival premiere either through work connections or a friend. We have been lucky enough to see Michael Moore in person when he presented his film "Bowling for Columbine". One year we were able to see the premiere for the film "Love Actually" and were sitting just above Colin Firth and Laura Linney in the lovely Elgin/Winter Garden theatre(photo above) One of the reasons I do like attending the premieres is because I love sitting in the Elgin/Winter Garden theatre. This theatre was recently completely restored back to its original beauty. It is the last operating double decker theatre complex in the world, containing two completely separate and restored Edwardian theatres. It is now a National Historic Site owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Foundation. One of the Centre's greatest treasures, discovered during the restoration, is the world's largest collection of vaudeville scenery hand-painted flats and drops dating from 1913. If you are planning a visit to Toronto there are free tours of the theatre provided during the week and on weekends. It is a gorgeous building and for years it sat empty and unused. Thankfully it has been restored to its former beauty.

This year we are attending the premiere of the new Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson flick "Stranger than Fiction". When I saw the preview/trailer for this flick a month ago I thought it looked great and thought "ya, that's a movie Iwould go see" So, I was really happy when our friend JayMan e mailed me on Tuesday morning and said "hey, are you guys free on Saturday night as I have four tickets for a Festival Premiere."

Check out the trailer. And no, I won't be bringing my DVD copy of Sense and Sensibility for Emma Thompson to sign.

Stranger than Fiction

Quote of the Day:
“Celebrity-worship and hero-worship should not be confused. Yet we confuse them every day, and by doing so we come dangerously close to depriving ourselves of all real models. We lose sight of the men and women who do not simply seem great because they are famous but are famous because they are great. We come closer and closer to degrading all fame into notoriety.”
Daniel J. Boorstin

Albert Speer is alive and well and living in Dubai

Today I was doing my usual surfing around "the net" and from my previous blogs y'all know what that means. I end up on a wacky circuitous drive down the internet highway and I never know where I am going to end up.

Having just watched the amazing Spike Lee documentary "When the Levees Broke" this past weekend. I decided to see what some of my favorite "non-right wing" news websites were writing about on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina sinking New Orleans. Rewinding a bit, if you can get the chance to see Spike Lee's documentary, I suggest you watch it. It is an incredible piece and I think one of his best works ever. It is at times heartbreaking to watch. I had to keep getting up to find kleenex. The interviews with famous jazz musicians, leaders, black leaders, regular people on the street, are so incredible it will put you through a whole range of emotions. You will find yourself shaking your head and wondering why on earth and how on earth GW Bush is still President of the US.

Anyway......I thought to myself "hmmm, I should check out "Mother Jones" site as I have not checked it out in a while. I was reading the "special coverage" page on Katrina and deciding on which of the articles to read first when out of the corner of my eye I noticed an animated "ad" for another Mother Jones article.
What caught me was the catch phrases to get you to click on the animation and take you to the article: "Worlds largest theme park....Biggest Mall.....Tallest Building.....Despotic Ruler....Indentured Labour.....Dubai....Welcome to Paradise" these words are animated across the artistic rendering of what the Dubai skyline will look like in 2008 when the 'Burj Dubai' (worlds tallest building) is completed by 2008 . Now, I don't mind if Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum wants to invest and spend gazillions of his dollars to build a city that is essentially Disney World in the dessert or as the article suggests putting up buildings like "Donald Trump tripping on acid" but I do mind the not so nice reality of that old 18th century thinking that indentured labour is okay. Even more shocking the use of women as sex slaves and the use of child labour. As the article states: Dubai lifestyles are attended by vast numbers of Filipina, Sri Lankan, and Indian maids, while the building boom is carried on the shoulders of an army of poorly paid Pakistanis and Indians working twelve-hour shifts, six and half days a week, in the blast-furnace desert heat.
Dubai, like its neighbors, flouts ILO labor regulations and refuses to adopt the international Migrant Workers Convention. Human Rights Watch in 2003 accused the Emirates of building prosperity on "forced labor." Indeed, as the British Independent recently emphasized in an exposé on Dubai, "The labour market closely resembles the old indentured labour system brought to Dubai by its former colonial master, the British."
"Like their impoverished forefathers," the paper continued, "today's Asian workers are forced to sign themselves into virtual slavery for years when they arrive in the United Arab Emirates. Their rights disappear at the airport where recruitment agents confiscate their passports and visas to control them"

Can it be true or is it just another attempt by the lefties and left wing media to bring down yet another succesful businessman? Cause, according to the Sheiks own website, where you can read his poetry and share his "vision" (he appears to be marketing himself as the Anthony Robbins of the Middle East) it states: Through leadership, vision and innovation, Sheikh Mohammed hopes to guide the people of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and, indeed, the Middle East, toward a brighter future. That's great! This guy can't possibly be the ruler of a country that is abusing workers as all the investigative reporting states. How can it be so. I will let you read the article and check out the Sheiks website yourself and draw your own conclusions. I can only say that I am leaning toward the "left wing media" on this one. The ending paragraph of the article says it best.... "Yet the future that he is building in Dubai -- to the applause of billionaires and transnational corporations everywhere -- looks like nothing so much as a nightmare of the past: Walt Disney meets Albert Speer on the shores of Araby."

I do want to throw a big "F---K YOU" to the likes of Rod Stewart and David Beckham for supporting this despot (David Beckham owns a beach front property on Dubai and Rod Stewart, an island (rumored, in fact, to be named Great Britain)). I guess they both really, really, really, want to forget their working class British upbringing. You would hope that when folks like that start making oodles of cash that they would try to remember where they came from and do something to make the world a better place rather then supporting a country where there is forced labour and forced child labour to boot. Ooooops, guess I just gave away which way my thinking really is leaning towards on this issue, as if there was a doubt.


Quote of the Day:

Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question,
'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there
comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic,
nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Do you wanna go faaaaaaaastah!!!!!!

It's August and it's a few weeks before the September Labour Day weekend. In Toronto that means it is time for the CNE or Canadian National Exhibition. Torontonian's, who seem to shorten all names refer to the CNE simply as "the Ex".

Out of the blue I ended up at "the Ex" on Monday evening as JB's Sports Network sets up an interactive booth for kids at the CNE (the ol' get them hooked on a brand while their young, marketing angle) As JB works in Public Relations for said network, he was down there to make sure things were running smoothly. He suggested I meet him after work and we have dinner.

If you are from Toronto or you have been to Toronto in August you have more than likely walked through the Princes Gates (photo above) to enter the CNE, many, many times. While I was waiting for JB to meet me at the Princes Gates. I stood there looking at how lovely they are and looking at the details and all the carvings and the fountains on the side. The gates were opened in 1927 by H.R.H. Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother, Prince George. The Princes' Gates have become a symbol of the Canadian National Exhibition. The nine pillars on either side of the centre arch of the gates represent the participating provinces of Confederation (Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949) of Canada. The figure at the top of the arch, Nike the "Goddess of Winged Victory," is a much loved Toronto sculpture. Torontonians were very, very upset and worried when Nike was taken down in the late 1980's for repairs and cleaning. She was returned to her rightful place on top of the gates looking eastward over the city skyline. The Princes' Gates were designated as historically significant under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Ex is a tradition for many families. The Ex was founded in 1879 to encourage the development of agriculture, manufacturing, industry, commerce and the arts. It is now the largest annual fair in Canada and the fifth largest in North American with an average attendance of 1.3 million visitors annually.(got that from their "history of the ex" page). I remember as a small child my parents taking us every summer to the CNE. As I walked through the gates on Monday night a flood of memories came over me. As a kid the start of the CNE was always a bittersweet time because you knew when the Ex started you were 3 weeks away from school starting! You would go with your CNE pass which was handed out with your final report card each summer and immediately head for the midway to ride on the rides. I have a vivid memory of being very small and riding on one of children's rides on the Midway. It was a floating ride with little boats on a spoke that went around in a circle at a very low rate of speed, but as a 4 year old it seemed pretty fast. You had your own steering wheel and each little boat had their own bell that you could ring. I can still see my Dad smiling and waving at me each time I went around in my own little speed boat while my Dad motioned to me to ring the bell. Scattered throughout the grounds of the CNE are numerous buildings each designated for a specific purpose during the exhibition. Many of them are now designated heritage buildings as they were built from the late 1800's onward. The "Better Living Centre" was where all the latest appliances would be showcased. I remember my parents going there to check out the latest models in vacuum cleaners one summer. Sadly, now "The Better Living Centre" is more like a huge dollar store with booths showcasing all those "as seen on TV" products.

The Automotive building was where all the latest models of cars were showcased but Toronto now has a huge auto show in February each year. Now the Automotive Building houses the "Farm,Food and Fun" exhibit. The farm exhibits used to be housed in, you guessed it, "The Agricultural Building" which seems to be used for a different purpose this year. Beside the Agricultural Building is the Horse Palace. Being an ex equestrian, I used to spend a lot of time in the Horse Palace during the CNE. My Mother and I would go down a few times to watch the various horse competitions. They do seem to have horse "related" shows going on there but they have strayed a bit from the usual hunter/jumper and dressage competitions.

What I found fascinating while walking around the CNE on Monday night was how much the food building has changed. When I was a kid it was where you went for tons of free samples of candy and soda pop. It would be where the various big name food manufacturers would introduce their latest products. There was never any "ethnic" food at the food building. How times have changed. These days the food building fare has changed to reflect the more multicultural population of Toronto. But don't panic, you can still get Tiny Tom doughnuts and H. Salt Fish and Chips (my mothers favorite CNE snack) As I ventured into the Food Building on my quest for my CNE fix of a tray of curly fries. I noticed all sorts of different food kiosks now selling all sorts of ethnic fare Greek food, Indian food, Lebanese food,West Indian food. JB queued up for a shawarma which he said was excellent. I chuckled and thought when I was a kid the food building was where you could get fries, fish and chips, sausages and the most "exotic" dish you could get was a bowl of spaghetti and meat sauce for a dollar. Now you can get tandoori chicken and head over to the cheesecake stand and get a capuccino and a slice of cheesecake for dessert.

The Bandshell is still there but the music has changed from when the old swing bands from the 1930's and 1940's would play there. It was built as a replica to the Hollywood Bowl, in the 1930's. This summer the Bandshell's attraction is a show called "Hollywood-The Movie Song Show" where you can watch live performers sing, along with dancers and visual props of your favorite movie. You HAVE to check out the link that "showcases" this show. I could not stop laughing but then hey, the show IS free with your admission to the Ex.

I have not been to the Ex in quite a few years and it brought back a lot of memories as I walked through the gates. It was kind of comforting to see that it really hasn't changed that much yet it has changed a lot and truly reflects the multicultural population of Toronto. It is wonderful that all the old buildings are still there and are used and maintained. I can't say I would go every year as I used to when I was younger and like most Torontonian's we may not go every year but we would probably fight tooth and nail to ensure that the CNE went on each year.

I do have a hankering to head to the midway again and climb on the "Polar Express" and fly around in a circle so fast that the centrifugal force squishes you into the person you are sitting with while the music is blaring and the ride operator screams through the microphone "do you want to go faaaaaaaster!!!"

JB is back at the booth on the weekend so perhaps I will trek down again and meet him for lunch hit the polar express and get a belgian waffle ice cream and sit by the Princess Margaret fountain and watch a new generation of youth experience this end of summer CNE tradition.

Quote of the Day:

Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Samuel Ullman

Panthera Tigris Sumatrae

I decided to check out my mutual fund results this morning as they have been taking a beating the past couple of months. I was happy to see that they are climbing up again. My mutual funds are with AGF. This company uses a Tiger as their logo, stay with me...The Toronto Zoo has two new Sumatran baby tiger cubs and AGF, out of the goodness of their Corporate hearts (i am sure not because of the advertising it will give them) has funded "The AGF Baby Tiger cam" it is pretty cool and fascinating to watch the Mother tiger, Brytne, and her two cubs,yet to be named. As Blake Goldring,President of AGF, states on the Toronto Zoo website "Through the Tiger-Cam we can witness the previously hidden world of one of nature's most endangered animals, the Sumatran Tiger. Please come back and visit often - these cubs are growing and changing - in front of our very eyes!" Thanks Blake and hopefully your fund advisors at AGF are constantly on the look out for environmentally friendly and responsible companies with which to invest our money with. Makes me sad that we can't have a web cam in Sumatra where we can watch Sumatran Tigers frolic in their natural habitat! I just checked the web cam and Mother tiger is giving one of the cubs a bath...


Quote for today:

If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen.

Henry David Thoreau

Kobayashi Maru (for you trekkies, keep reading)

Bless this house O Lord we pray; Make it safe by night and day;
Bless these walls so firm and stout, Keeping want and trouble out:
Bless the roof and chimneys tall, Let thy peace lie over all;
Bless this door, that it may prove ever open to joy and love.

Apoligies but todays blog is a bit of a mish mash of things.

First off, Yes!! the roof is finally finished. The "roofers" showed up on Saturday afternoon to finish the job. I was so happy it made me think of the old hymn "Bless this House" which my Grandfather used to sing sometimes. It was a very popular hymn in the 1920's and 1930's. I was tempted to find a recording of the hymn and play the one line "bless this roof......" over and over again until the roofers left.

The weekend was not as relaxing as I had planned. My Saturday morning golf game with Espinoza and EL was great, very relaxing and a good work out. My friend Zahur joined we three ladies and it is always entertaining when Zahur joins us. Zahur is the type of person who is never stressed, always calm and laid back and he always has hilarious stories to tell us, in his cool African, British accent. Zahur loves golf and is one of those players who never gets stressed or upset. He keeps everyone else relaxed during the long 18 hole journey of the golf game. Zahur reminds me of Yul Brynner from the Ten Commandments. He has the same shaved head and speaks the same way as Yul (even though Yul was not African). When I sms'd Zahur and said we need a fourth for golf on Saturday he said to me with a flourish a la Yul "Then, I shall be your fourth!" not many guys use the word "shall" these days.

While I was out golfing, JB was at the Toronto Beer Festival (he wrote about it in his blog today, photos included) I had the rest of the day to do what I wanted. I decided to go grocery shopping and pick up some items and get something to BBQ and then hit the liquor store for some wine and then go home and relax. I had every intention of pouring myself a nice Leffe beer and reading the new Vanity Fair Magazine, out on our back patio alas, when I drove up to the house, I noticed the familiar white van of the roofers. I just wanted to sit out in the back and relax and read a magazine but the hammering and other noises was making me crazy. It was even worse when they brought out the flame thrower to melt the tar to attach the sealant to a portion of the house that has a flat roof on it. I decided to go inside and close all the windows and prep dinner.

On Sunday, JB and I went for our weekly golf lesson and then got home to find the roofers back at work, doing last minute fix ups and cleaning up all the debris. Once they left, we decided to go to Golf Town as they are having a huge clearance sale. I got a great deal on a 56 degree approach wedge (you golfers will know what that is)in an "oil can" finish and we both got a great deal on two bag carts. It saves us renting a cart each time we go and play.the cart in the photo is the model we bought. It has some nice extras such as the tee holders, ball holders and water bottle holder, not to mention the holder for the scorecard and pencil! This is most important as it is a pain to continually be pulling out the score card from your pocket or golf bag and then searching for a pencil to input everyone's score after each hole. Back at home JB unpacked the carts and put them both together. I was called and emailed about work issues on and off all day on Sunday.

Sunday night my brother arrived home and noticed the roof finished and the debris all cleaned up and quipped "oh, have our lodgers finally moved out?"

Back at work today and thankfully my Director is back! This afternoon, I got into a discussion with one of my co-workers about those annoying "team building" posters that are sold from the store "Successories" I am sure you have all seen them before. The posters with the beautifully photographed nature scenes or sports scenes with the requisite statements such as "A positive attitude is a powerful force. It can't be stopped!".....well, some bright person has developed their own "successories" poster campaign utilizing old stills from the old Star Trek series... There are three pages of these hilarious "motivational posters" one of my favorites is the one below. The caption states "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am." I just can't stop laughing!














Celtic Chancers update: The boys are close to the border of Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Their latest message: "slept in car in field 2 sound of horse size dogs barking. Woke 2 sound of cow eating wing mirror. Had breakfast with local farmer & flies." (if confused see previous blog "From London to Ulaan Bataar")


Quote for Today:

Today's quote is for our a**hole Canadian Prime Minister who apparently could not attend the rather large AIDS conference happening in Toronto this week. His "people" are saying that it could not fit into his calendar. It appears the likes of Bill Clinton, 1000's of dignitaries from all over the world including numerous women from Africa fighting to get much needed drugs to their countries, does not make our Prime Minister CLUE IN, that perhaps he should have attended the opening ceremonies with the other dignitaries from all over the world. I am embarrassed and disgusted that this man is our Prime Minister and every Canadian should remember this come election day! (Ii never voted for the boob to begin with so my conscience is clear!)

great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind.

Daisaku Ikeda - Japanese Peace Activist

The Frazzled Female

Man am I jealous of my sister who is on a beach in Phuket, Thailand for three weeks!

This week has been brutal for me. Although this week was a short week due to last weekend being a long holiday weekend, trust me it felt looooooong. Not sure if it is due to some wacky alignment of the planets or if the moon is full but people are NUTS this week. To add to the zaniness my Director is off on vacation and she asked me to be Acting Director.

Anything that could go wrong this week did. From the wee bit of family drama on the weekend with helping JB's sister move herself and the niece and nephew out of the house she shared with her husband and the children's father. To the monosyllabic, low IQ roofers hired to put a new roof on our house this week. Not to mention the insane outages and bizarre incidents at work this week.

The move on the weekend went fairly smoothly. JB's two friends Jayman and RB came up to help with the move and Sis and kiddies seem reasonably adjusted to their new space. Unfortunately our roof is not progressing as smoothly. The roof work was started last week and is not finished yet. They can't finish til next week because one of the so called "tradesmen" shot himself in the foot with the air gun used to shoot nails into the new roof tiles and secure them to said roof. I wondered about their competency as roofers when they showed up to start their roofing job at 3 pm in the afternoon the first day and then were outside working in the dark of night sweeping and cleaning up the mess they made during the afternoon because they did not hire a bin to throw all the debris in. When I questioned why there was no bin, i was told "oh don't worry, we have a dump truck coming to pick up the debris" The last straw was when they showed up at 6:45pm on Sunday. That's when I lost it and snapped "are you actually planning to start work and disturb us on the Sunday evening of a long weekend? and just how does it take FIVE days to put a roof on a house??" Suffice to say, I did not hire these roofers and did not pay for them. If I had they would have been sent packing and a more reputable roofing company would be called to finish the job.

On to the next crisis: this morning I awakened to my Brother swearing like there is no tomorrow. Intrigued as to what would have him swear more than normal,as he can swear with the best of them, I ventured down stairs to the basement kitchen to find him straddling the drain in the floor with a plunger trying to plunge the backed up sewer water back down the drain in the floor. I simply sighed, look up towards heaven and found myself quoting my Fathers favorite coping mantra "these little things are all sent to try us" With my brother using every swear word known to man with each plunge and each plunge getting a different swear word all it's own, I finally said to him "look, stop, some of the water has subsided" I washed the floor with anti bacterial floor cleaner and told him I would call a plumber and ask to have the drain snaked. I then realized that I had to be at work for a meeting. Had a shower, got ready, called a cab and was sent quite possibly the worst cab driver in Toronto. It was particularly nice when he started clearing his throat only to hork up a loogie and spit it out the driver side window towards oncoming traffic. I thought to myself "Yep, today is going to be a great day!!" It was not to be, work was insane. I e mailed JB and said "day from hell" to which he responded "that means what time for pick up?" I sent back "ASAP"

JB picked me up, got home,stepped over all the roofing debris neatly piled waiting for the mysterious dump truck to come and retrieve it. I called Brother's Plumbing asked how much to unclog a basement drain was quoted a reasonable rate and said "can you send someone now" A nice chap arrived snaked the drain and all is back to normal. I washed the floor, again, with PineSol to kill any germs that may have been sitting in the overflow water and all is back to normal in the basement. Man that bottle of Pinot Grigio we had with dinner was finished fast!!!

Let's just say that I am looking forward to this weekend. I am not on call and I have all my fingers and toes crossed in the hopes I will not be called for an escalation requiring the Operations Director. Coglero was supposed to be our houseguest this weekend as he was going to drive in from Ottawa and he and JB were heading to the Toronto Beer Festival which is why, as my previous blog states, we couldn't head to Fergus this weekend. Alas, poor Coglero is feeling under the weather and has placed himself on some bizarre cleansing diet. Coglero or no Coglero JB is not missing out on the Beer Festival. I decided to take a pass on the Beer Fest this year as I find I seem to just stand at the Guinness booth and down Guinness samples then move to the Stella booth and then back to the Guinness booth. I never seem to walk around and try the other beers. Rather than attend beer fest with the boys, my girlfriends Espinoza and EL have booked an 8am tee time for Saturday. There is nothing like a nice early morning golf game to make you forget about the week that passed. How can you feel stressed when surrounded by nature and such lovely vistas.
The photo is of the 13th hole at Four Seasons Golf Club located just north of Toronto. We are very excited because we found out that Four Seasons actually means just that open all four seasons! They keep the course open ALL YEAR. You can play nine holes on the course in the winter. I expect they have a blizzard rule in effect but we are game to try and play golf in our polartec turtlenecks! Anything is better than hitting balls inside as we are normally stuck doing during the long Canadian winter.


Quote of the day:

Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body. Seneca

Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a',

If you grew up in Canada,with ex-pat Scottish parents as I did, doubtless you were brought up in an environment so Scottish you felt more Scottish than Canadian. From a very young age my sister and I were sent for Scottish dance lessons. My Mother belonged to the RSCDS, belonged to the SNP (they have tons of supporters in Canada) and was also a member, and for a short time, the conductor of the Toronto Gaelic Choir. I was so involved in Scottish dancing, Scottish events and Scottish shows, Scottish dance competitions that I began to think it weird to see a man in any other form of clothing but the kilt. My father would constantly educate us on the history and culture of Scotland. The struggles, the wars, the clearances, the beauty of the country and how we should be proud to have such a heritage and history to look back on and to never forget our ancestors and the past.

The Scottish culture is so much a part of the heritage and foundation of Canada it is hard to escape it. In Nova Scotia (New Scotland) the road signs in some towns are in English and Gaelic. Here in Ontario, you have access to tons of Scottish Festivals that promote the culture, food and of course drink of Scotland. There is a Burn's Society, RSCDS chapters across Canada, a St. Andrew's Society, the lists of Scottish related societies are endless. The St. Andrew's Society, here in Toronto, was founded in 1836. Scots who had already established themselves in this new city set out to assist immigrant Scots just arriving here. Over the years the St. Andrew's Society has maintained a keen interest in its people and its mandate. These days they have expanded their charitable endeavours through the legacy of the St. Andrew's Charitable Foundation.

My parents came to Toronto in the mid 1950's along with many of their friends and acquaintances, from Glasgow. But they never, ever lost their love for Scotland. They never forgot where they came from. The pull from their Motherland was strong. They never let us forget our heritage and it was the same for most of the families that came here. It is a testament to the power of the land and the culture and probably the reason the English were never able to stamp it out, no matter how hard they tried. If anything it only made it even more prevalent all over the world. Sure, you can clear the Scots off their land and try and ban their pipes and kilts and tartans but it wont work, you only make the culture stronger. As proof, there are chapters of the RSCDS in Tokyo and La Paz, Bolivia! There are pipe bands from all over the four corners of the earth.


My Scottish culture rant today is all due to the fact that this upcoming weekend is one of the best and largest Scottish festivals of the summer here in Canada. People come from all over and congregate in the little town of Fergus, Ontario for the 3 day Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games. I was hoping to make it up to Fergus this weekend as I was in the mood to see some pipe bands, sheep dog trials and some highland dance competitions and of course the heavy competition. Nothing like watching a huge guy in a kilt toss a telephone pole over on its end. Alas we have other plans this weekend which I agreed to without realizing they fell upon the same weekend as the games.

Next years Fergus weekend is already blocked off in my calendar. JB will be even more indoctrinated into the Scottish culture. He has mentioned a desire to see the sheep dog trials as he is amazed at the talent of the Scottish collies. I must say, JB does get extra Kudos for donning a tux and taking me to the St. Andrew's Ball when we were first dating, years ago. That was just a full on assault of "Scottishness" (i know it's not a word)! He even ate the haggis, tatties and nips second course and didn't complain at all, must have had something to do with the fact he loves malt whisky and it was flowing at the Ball. I have noticed in subsequent years that he has taken a wee bit less haggis each year, when the serving platter comes his way. The Ball is held every November and the 48th Highlanders provide the music and the entertainment for the evening. Won't get JB in a kilt yet, he prefers the tux.


A Celtic Chancers update:. The tracking page shows them reaching the Kyrgyzstan border.


Quotes of the Day:

For that is the mark of the Scots of all classes:
that he stands in an attitude towards the past
unthinkable to Englishmen, and remembers and
cherishes the memory of his forebears, good or
bad; and there burns alive in him a sense of identity
with the dead even to the twentieth generation.

Robert Louis Stevenson

We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation.

Voltaire

Me and Thurman

I meant to post this on the actual date but did not have the time to sit and write a reasonable blog about Thurman.

Two days ago, on August 2nd, it was the anniversary of the death of Thurman Munson. Thurman was the great New York Yankee catcher who died at age 32 in an airplane crash.

I take a lot of flack here in TO (Toronto) for being a Yankee fan. I endure comments like "you traitor, you should be supporting the Toronto Blue Jays", "you are just on the Yankee bandwagon" or my favorite "Sure, you just like the Yankees cause Derek Jeter is cute" The last comment always makes me laugh because ya, you got me, because the only reason a woman could POSSIBLY watch baseball is because of one cute player.

My sister and I being born in the mid to late 1960's grew up as children without a Toronto Blue Jays. We did not have a baseball team in Toronto when we were kids. Being less than 2 hours from the New York State border, we watched Yankee game feeds. My sister had her black NY Yankees baseball cap and we would love to watch the play off games with our Dad. Dad would explain the rules of the game, helped us appreciate the sport and respect the history of the game. My Dad would tell us about the great players of the 1940's and 1950's and about the struggles of the black players and the wonderful history of Baseball. He read a lot about baseball history and would tell us all the funny road trip stories he had read about from the 1920's onward.

My Dad was a Thurman fan,and a Yankee fan for years. To me, Thurman just looked like a baseball player. When you watched him play you knew he was focused on nothing else but wining that game for his team.

Thurman Munson was a member of the New York Yankees for 11 years and has been called one of the greatest catchers of the 1970s. He joined the Yankees in 1968 and a year later he was their starting catcher. The '69 season was a dark spot in an otherwise glorious history for the Yankees. It was the year following the retirement of Yankee legend Mickey Mantle whose skills, along with the Yankees performance as a team, were in a steady decline. That decline hit rock bottom in the summer of '69 as the Yankees were without a true superstar for the first time in their existence. When Babe Ruth slowed down, Lou Gehrig was there to carry the torch, who passed it on to Joe DiMaggio, who had subsequently passed it on to Mantle. There did not seem to be an heir to the torch until a stocky young catcher from Canton, Ohio was called up from the minors during the tail end of that terrible season.

He started his career by winning the 1970 American League Rookie of the Year award when he batted a .302. His intense attitude, sharp thinking and leadership soon earned him the position of team captain. The first captain of the team since Lou Gehrig had passed away in 1941. He also earned three Gold Gloves due to his defensive playing abilities behind home plate. In 1976 he won the Most Valuable Player award for hitting .302 and 105 RBI's. During his span with the Yankees he led them to three American League pennants and two World Championships. Thurman Munson had many uncomplimentary nicknames reflecting his unimpressive physique rather than his baseball skills, among them "Squatty Boy" and "Jelly Belly." He was supposedly insecure, often irascible man noted for being difficult with umpires and media. He felt he was unfairly overshadowed by star catchers like Johnny Bench and Carlton Fisk (their rift was well known), he once dropped three third strikes in a game so he could throw to first base and pad his assists total. Brash and cocky, Munson was a most untypical rookie. Once he told veteran second baseman Willie Randolph, "Relax, I like you."

By 1979, however, the strain of catching was taking its toll on Munson's body. In constant pain, he sometimes found it difficult to crouch behind the plate. Yet he remained a superb catcher whose mere presence and tenacity got the best out of his pitchers. Yankees ace Ron Guidry always insisted Munson deserved half the credit for the left-hander's Cy Young Award season of 1978 (25-3, 1.74 ERA, nine shutouts). "I went the whole year never shaking him off one time," Guidry once recalled. "He always knew exactly when to say something and when to shut up. I don't remember him ever chewing [teammates out] and pointing fingers [during a slump]. He'd just say, 'We're not playing as a team we're better than this.' "

From 1975 through 1977, Munson hit over .300 and drove in at least 100 runs a season while averaging just 16 homers-and catching 387 games. By 1976, the Yankees were back in the World Series, swept by the Reds. New York got 30 hits. Munson had nine of them. But in 1977 and 1978, Munson Yankees won it all. Rewarded both with triumph and gold, Munson bought a small airplane. Thurman always wanted to be close to the town he grew up in, Canton, Ohio. He wanted his family to live there. In an effort to get himself home faster during off time he decided to purchase the Cessna and learn how to fly. His love for piloting always made Yankee owner George Steinbrenner nervous. Munson was still a rookie pilot and the day he died he was practising landings and take offs in his Cessna. He had spent less than 40 hours in the air with his new jet. On August 2nd, the Cessna plane stalled while landing, scraped some trees and crashed into a cornfield with its wings shorn off. Two other passengers, a friend and a flight instructor, survived and began attempting to drag Munson from the wreckage. He was calling for help when jet fuel leaked and the plane exploded. Munson's body was so badly burned that he had to be identified by dental records. He had a broken jaw, a broken rib, a bloody nose and a bruised heart among other injuries.

At the request of Munson's widow, Diane, the Yankees played the Orioles the next night as scheduled. It was probably the most emotional occasion at Yankee Stadium since the fatally stricken Gehrig's famed farewell ("I am the luckiest man on the face of the Earth") July 4, 1939. The Yankees lost 1-0, but probably most of the crowd of 51,151 didn't care or even notice. Before the game, the Yankees stood at attention as a portrait of Munson appeared on the video screen. Players had their heads bowed, and they were crying. It was horrible. To this day I remember watching that game. It was heartbreaking to watch Munson's best friend Lou Piniella standing weeping on the field. I was crying, my Father was crying and my Mother was crying.

Three days later, on Aug. 6, the Yankees chartered a plane to attend Munson's funeral in Ohio, where Munson's best friends and team mates Bobby Murcer and Lou Piniella delivered eulogies. "The league told us if we didn't get back for that night´s game, we'd have to forfeit it," Steinbrenner said. "I told them to stick it." The Yankees did return in time and defeated Baltimore 5-4. Murcer drove in four runs and had a game-wining homer.



I keep this photo of Thurman on one of the walls of my office. I bought an official MLB copy on E Bay. I just love the look on Thurman's face, the focus, the look of a team player as he walks back to the dugout to prepare to get up at bat. It reminds me of my time as a kid, my time watching baseball with my Dad and my sister.

To this day, Thurman Munson's locker has remained empty ever since his death. It serves as a small, silent tribute to this much-missed Yankee ballplayer.

I have included the following moving tribute to Thurman, written by Michael Paterniti in 1999:

The House That Thurman Munson Built

by Michael Paterniti
September 1999, Volume 132 Issue 3

Trust me, he said, and the last great brawling sports team in America did. Twenty years after Thurman Munson's death, Reggie, Catfish, Goose, Gator, the Boss-and a nation of former boys-still aren't over it.

I give you Thurman Munson in the eighth inning of a meaningless baseball game, in a half-empty stadium in a bad Yankee year during a fourteen-season Yankee drought, and Thurman Munson is running, arms pumping, busting his way from second to third like he's taking Omaha Beach, sliding down in a cloud of luminous, Saharan dust, then up on two feet, clapping his hands, turtling his head once around, spitting diamonds of saliva: Safe.

I give you Thurman Munson getting beaned in the head by a Nolan Ryan fastball and then beaned in the head by a Dick Drago fastball-and then spiked for good measure at home plate by a 250-pound colossus named George Scott, as he's been spiked before, blood spurting everywhere, and the mustachioed catcher they call Squatty Body/Jelly Belly/Bulldog/Pigpen refusing to leave the game, hunching in the runway to the dugout at Yankee Stadium in full battle gear, being stitched up and then hauling himself back on the field again.

I give you Thurman Munson in the hostile cities of America-in Detroit and Oakland, Chicago and Kansas City, Boston and Baltimore-on the radio, on television, in the newspapers, in person, his body scarred and pale, bones broken and healed, arms and legs flickering with bruises that come and go like purple lights under his skin, a man crouched behind home plate or swinging on-deck, jabbering incessantly, playing a game.

I give you a man and a boy, a father and a son, twenty years earlier, on the green expanse of a 1950s Canton, Ohio, lawn, in front of a stone house, playing ball. The father is a long-distance truck driver, disappears for weeks at a time, heading west over the plains, into the desert, to the Pacific Ocean, and then magically reappears with his hardfisted rules, his maniacal demand for perfection, and a photographic memory for the poetry he recites... . No fate, / can circumvent or hinder or control / the firm resolve of a determined soul.

Now the father is slapping grounders at the son and the boy fields the balls. It is the end of the day and sunlight fizzes through the trees like sparklers. As the boy makes each play, the balls come harder. Again and again, until finally it's not a game anymore. Even when a ball takes a bad hop and catches the boy's nose and he's bleeding, the truck driver won't stop. It's already a thing between this father and son. To see who will break first. They go on until dusk, the bat smashing the ball, the ball crashing into the glove, the glove hiding the palm, which is red and raw, until the blood has dried in the boy's nose.

I give you the same bloody-nosed boy, Thurman Munson, in a batting cage now before his rookie year, taking his waggles, and a lithe future Hall of Famer named Roberto Clemente looking on. Clemente squints in the orange sun, analyzing the kid's swing, amazed by his hand speed, by the way he seems to beat each pitch into a line drive. If you ever bat .280 in the big leagues, he says to Thurman Munson by way of a compliment, consider it a bad year.

When the Yankees bring Thurman Munson to New York after only ninety-nine games in the minors-after playing in Binghamton and Syracuse-he just says to anyone who will listen: What took them so long? He's not mouthing off. He means it, is truly perplexed. What took them so goddamn long? Time is short, and the Yankees need a player, a real honest-to-God player who wants to win as much as blood needs oxygen or a wave needs water. It's that elemental.



Quotes of the Day:

"I'm a little too belligerent. I cuss and swear at people. I yell at umpires and maybe I'm a little too tough at home sometimes. I don't sign as many autographs as I should and I haven't always been very good with writes."

"I like hitting fourth and I like the good batting average. But what I do everyday behind the plate is a lot more important because it touches so many more people and so many more aspects of the game."

Thurman Munson

**thanks to the Official and Un-Official Thurman Munson web sites for some of the stats and quotes**