Sunday, October 31, 2010

Weekly Winners - Halloween-ish


Adding to my excuses for the lack of posting recently:

1/ The camera was "lost" while I was away on business. I came home wanting to take pics and to rectify this, purchased myself a new one for me, myself and I (for my birthday week, of course).

The Man found the other camera in his backpack about an hour after I came home with my new toy, of course. Mansearch at its best.

2/ I've been fighting for my laptop time. Busy people with busy Webkinz to tend to keep getting in my way...



"Busy people" are just lucky that they're pretty darn cute. We're happy as long as these remain extensions of the removable kind.


And I cheat here, a bit. I didn't take these, but had to share.

GaGa by day, stomping out spiders with killer heels...

GaGa by night, partying it up with Andy...

( I was apparently yelling my age at everyone last night - gin and tonics are as good as lie detectors, I suppose!)

A happy and safe Halloween to you all tonight!

(And make sure to check out Lotus' gallery of gifted winners)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Day 10 at 45

As I sit here watching my 5 year old surf Justin Bieber Youtube videos, I'll share with you some of my observations after 10 days of being a midlifer...
  • I can still sport a flush as red as a Danish flag - especially while 190 people are singing "Happy Birthday" to me while waving it...
  • I can still contemplate entering what looked like a bong cafe (but no, I didn't - I probably would have just ordered a coffee anyway.)
  • My ass still inspires wolf-whistles - well, they originate from my husband but hey, I'll take them while I can get them...
  • In the spirit of keeping said ass, I was still able to make an 8:30 AM BodyJam class after a longer than 9 hour flight home the afternoon before...
  • I'm still young enough to appreciate Eclipse (wooden acting notwithstanding) but old enough to love The Kids are All Right (beautiful Annette and Julianne make it easy, and I'd take Mark Ruffalo over Jake anytime - rawr...)


Celebs attend The Kids Are Alright screening at the Sunshine Theater in NYC, NY on June 30, 2010. The film staring Julianne Moore and Annette Bening showcases the chaos ignited when the children of a middle aged lesbian couple seek out their biological father, played by Mark Ruffalo. Fame Pictures, Inc

  • I was cynical while witnessing the banal banter between Amanda Seyfried and Christopher Egan in "Letters to Juliet" but tears welled as I saw the genuine love in the gazes between Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave. Both still gorgeous and still together after all these years. Pass me a tissue please. (And by the way, what a waste of the talented Gael Garcia Bernal - if he said "amazing" and "incredible" one more time during the movie, I would have tossed my earphones into the barf bag...)
  • (and you are correct, you CAN squeeze a lot of movies into an overseas flight. It's the only chance I get to watch movies nowadays)
  • I enjoy being a woman but not yet "one of the girls" (ie. I get to join the girls' club once I hit 50, apparently)
  • I'm old enough that I actually own outfits that I can recycle as Lady Gaga for an upcoming Halloween party. Dare me to? I've done Depp, Gaga should be a breeze - just don't call me a hoarder, m'kay?
Now if I could only stop waking up at 5:30 AM ... I know, it's a sign. Sigh.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Friday Fragments - Mundanity & Artistic Brilliance

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Mommy's Idea

Don't forget to check out the home of glorious Fragments( Mrs. 4444)
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Yes, that was me, the insane woman who had her tan minivan windows wide open, radio blaring, as she swatted at a dozen Drosophilidae, trying madly to get them to fly OUT through the window. I was feeling particularly charitable by not automatically squashing them. I hadn't even yet had my coffee.

Such safe driving. Stupid flies. Made it look like I was waving my hands like I just didn't care.

Another gratuitous opportunity to post another danceable tune:



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Have I ever told you that I can't draw a straight line if my life depended on it? Unlike the rest of my family (Dad, sister, brother, and now I found out my Mom as well, since she started taking watercolour classes)... I don't have an artistic bone in my body. The one time I accompanied my sister to her interior design studio during an all nighter way back in our university days, to try to help? She asked me to cut a straight line. Fail. She sent me home.

I do, however, love original art. So what's a girl to do? Thank her lucky stars that she has a friend who is an artist.

Yes, I guess my cool factor shot up a bit. My good friend, super guy, fantastic father to two cutey-patootie (sp?) kids - who also happens to be married to someone with her own cool cred in the entertainment industry...is a true artist - Jonathan Dunkelman.

We had dinner at his place last weekend, and he shared his studio/man cave with us - the place where all the genius happens.

A number of years ago, we commissioned some portraits from Jonathan. We treasure these pieces, as they capture the essence of our kids at such a wonderful age, when they were really just starting to discover the world around them. Both kids were about 18 months old at the time of the paintings:

Jonathan has created some even more wonderful masterpieces since that time - I particularly love his landscapes. You can even see some of his work at the Art Gallery of Ontario, for sale or for rent. Be sure to check out his gallery.

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Both kids were off sick from school this week. Back to school viruses - not out of the ordinary. So I worked from home. After picking up some files from the office, I stopped at Costco to get some cough syrup for the boy. The moms with coffee in hand, wearing trendy yoga pants, while pushing the carts full of Christmas decorations, groceries, fidgety children, whatever they could fit in there... and I realized that I had popped back into my former world. Just for those 15 minutes.

What a strange feeling it was. It wasn't that long ago that THAT mom -was me.

Amazing.

*****

You know your kids have totally taken over when you end up spending $25 on elastic bands.



But they are pretty cute and kinda cool.

*****

I'm going to Europe for work again - traveling on Sunday, yes, Thanksgiving weekend. So that's not so nice.

I've got a couple of presentations to work on and present while I'm there. And strangely, I'm not nervous.

That in itself, is pretty amazing too.

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Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends. Fantastic weekend to everyone.



(There's been a paucity of good material here of late. I've found a blog wave that I will have to join - 30 Days of Truth which I stumbled on at my friend Nancy's. Who linked to Adam's and Terra's. And so on, and so on... and I can't wait to get into "real" blogging again. Stay tuned.)

Friday, October 01, 2010

Friday Fragments - What I am is what I am

and what I am is a SOCCER MOM!!!!


(And I thought I was flashy... I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Those are pretty sick, aren't they? And well deserved, after all he's now officially in the rep league. He's gotta glow.)

The soccer DAD is over the moon. We're waving goodbye to our weekends and anticipate some touring, but this is exciting for us. Something new, right?

The biggest thing about this? The boy wanted it. He worked for it.

And he made it.

My baby is no longer a baby.

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Does this song not make you just wanna break out and DANCE?



At the wedding a couple of weeks ago, I was so ready to hit the dance floor and party. After all, I wasn't driving and the DJ was fantastic! But alas, it's difficult to get into the party mood when you've got a tired 5 year old and 10 year old wanting to get back to the hotel, wedding'd out after 5 hours.

I need to find a dance floor.

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In useless celebrity information, is anyone else shocked that Nancy Wilson and Cameron Crowe are getting a divorce? I'm still gobsmacked because I didn't even KNOW they were MARRIED!!!! For over 20 years, no less!

I loved Heart when I was a kid (a baby, really - and honestly still do) and although I was mesmerized by Dreamboat Annie's unbelievable rock voice, I was in awe of Nancy's high kicks while she whipped her guitar around. The blonde Wilson sister - can she ever play guitar. (So many links, I know - remember, I still love them....)

Married to Cameron "Say Anything-Almost Famous" Crowe. And now divorcing. So sad.

I used to be on top of these things. My family would call me Ms. Entertainment Tonight. As a teen I could list any trivial celebrity gossip- who was married to whom, who was starring in which movie, who was dating the sister-in-law twice removed from the director.... that sorta thing. I could have out Perezed Perez.

I guess I've just lost my touch.

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Speaking of talented young women, for those of you who caught Glee this week, were you not amazed at the triple threat that is Heather Morris? She out-Britneyed Britney, as far as I'm concerned. I've honestly never been a great fan of Britney. After Tuesday's episode, I've got to admit the songs are pretty catchy, if a bit overtly sexual.

And yowza on the guest appearance of John Stamos. I wasn't a big fan of Uncle Jesse either.

But now I'm beyond a total Gleek.

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Two weeks from now I will hit a semi-milestone birthday. Smack dab between 40 and 50. I don't know why, but for some reason this is hitting me more than turning 40 was. Perhaps it has something to do with the advancing grey hairs and sore knees after my workouts.

Oh to be young again. I'll just have to remember to take my Tylenol with me to the gym tomorrow.

Peace out.

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Mommy's Idea

Don't forget to check out the home of glorious Fragments( Mrs. 4444)

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