Let's Go To The Ex!

I went to The Canadian National Exhibition ("The Ex") last Sunday. I didn't go last year because I wasn't home at the end of August so I was really looking forward to continuing my annual tradition. Unfortunately, all my girlfriends have grown up and none of them really likes going to The Ex so I was reconciled to going alone. Sometimes that works out better for me because then I can go wherever I want.

I arrived around 1PM via streetcar, which takes you right into the exhibition grounds. I had already bought my reduced price pass for $7 at work so I was able to walk right in after they scanned my pass. I headed straight to the Food Building and after a quick look around, I came out the other side and walked right into one of the women from work! What a small world ... she was there with her family. After a quick hello, I headed over to The Better Living Building. Only it isn't there anymore! They're tearing it down or renovating it so I settled on the Arts & Crafts building. Lots of cool stuff in there: jewellery, decorative pillows and lamps, spices, jams, jellies, wood carvings, purses, hats, clothing, candy, etc. etc. etc. I bought some expensive jam. (Get it? JAM bought jam! LOL)

Next I headed over to the Sports and Leisure building. Other than the usual huge bikini retailer (with no change rooms to try on anything!), there were a couple of cheesy sports displays, some massage therapists and one great OBUS forme backpack sales kiosk. I almost bought a HEYS brand mini knapsack for $25. I'm always thinking in advance of my trip to Europe next spring as I've heard the pickpockets in Barcelona are quite prolific! So I need something other than a regular purse to guard my valuables. But I don't want to look like a tourist so the search is on for something chic yet versatile. After a quick browse through an area selling books (4 for $10), a made my way back to the Food Building.

The same people are there every year, selling the same grubb, almost in exactly the same spot! The only difference I noticed over two years ago was that the Tiny Tom Donuts stand was inside instead of outside. There is Greek food, Italian food, Jamaican food, German food, Chinese food, fish & chips, pizza, BBQ ribs and burgers, hot fried waffles served with ice cream and, of course, french fries. I have these so rarely that I always treat myself at The Ex with a small serving. If I bought a large, there is no doubt that I would eat them all. I absolutely love french fries over any other food, including chocolate. Shocking, isn't it?

Finally, I was ready for my favourite part of The Ex: The Direct Energy Centre. It used to be called the National Trade Centre but I simply remember it as the newest (and biggest) building on the Exhibition grounds with four or five separate salons filled people hawking their wares from all over the world. It's like a huge international marketplace with goodies from Brazil, Canada (!), China, Egypt, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, and many others I can't remember right now. I bought a set of hand towels and matching face cloths for $7, a funky necklace for $15 and a pair of earrings for $3. I also saw 50 million other things I wanted to buy but I was getting pretty tired by this point so I called it a day.

I climbed aboard a streetcar to take me home sometime after 6PM, after spending approximately FIVE HOURS walking around The Ex. My feet were sore and my back was aching. I can't wait to go back again on Labour Day Monday!!! *grin*

Commenting on My Blog

The beauty of it being MY blog, is that I get to moderate all comments.

So, in response to the weak and spiteful individual who tried to post an inflamatory comment this morning: Na na na na na!

LOL

Mexico Comes To Toronto - Part 2

Last Friday (was it really over a week ago?), Dave and Isabel Manore hosted a Mexican Fiesta at the Madison. The Mad is a well-known and very popular pub in downtown Toronto. Dave and Isabel also own a boutique hotel in Puerto Vallarta called, appropriately enough, Casa Isabel. Every year they have this big party. We pay admission and that includes all our food and at least one drink. There is a silent auction and live music. It was a beautiful summer night. Isabel subsequently told me they raised $6,000 CDN to benefit the Becas Foundation, a PV charity which raises funds for children's education. Anyway, here's a few pics of the festivities. The Goddesses, of course, were there (we can't resist a party!) as well as some friends from two borders south. Enjoy!



















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Cell Phone Stupidity

Those of you who know me well, know my feelings about cell phones. I hate them. I think they were invented by Dr. Evil. The REAL Dr. Evil, not Mike Myers' baby finger sucking, coyly bald Dr. Evil. I owned a cell phone, once. I owned it for a year. Or should I say, it owned me. I didn't have a land line where I was living and my work needed to reach me so I was required to get a cell phone. *sigh* It was the worse year of my life, communicatively speaking. Don't get me wrong. I love talking on the phone. I can (and do) spend hours talking on the phone. It is right up there with shopping for shoes and dinner with the Goddesses.

Still, the cell phone was always THERE. Always ON. I had to take it with me EVERYWHERE. When I didn't, people would call me and give me shit for not answering the phone WHEN THEY CALLED. They hated leaving a message because it gave me the control as to when I called them back, not the other way around. And I was constantly feeding cards into the damn thing. Then I would get these text messages in Spanish, which I could never understand. And if I ever had to recall a message, I had to go through the menu in Spanish. I didn't know what the hell she was saying but I got to know which numbers to press to bypass her. I hated that bitch! LOL

Recently, I've witnessed some pretty stupid cell phone behaviour. For example, at work (I work in law office), we all have phones on our desk. Mine is a regular office phone with my number, my boss' number, a hold button, flashing lights, etc. I use it to make calls to other people and people can call me on it. What an invention! Anyway, I work with people who own cell phones which, by the way, are not allowed in the office. Regardless of this rule (and numerous other rules which have apparently been made for the sole purpose of being broken), cell phones ring in my office all the time. And they don't ring ring. They play stupid little songs. Or buzz. Or beep. Every time a different one goes off, I think it is the fire alarm.

A couple of weeks ago, the Goddesses and I met for dinner at a local steakhouse in the Village, recently renovated. OK, it was The Keg Mansion on Jarvis. We had drinks in the bar at 7PM and were showed to our table around 8PM. About an hour later, a young family came into the restaurant. Mother, father and a young daughter who was approximately 7 years old. They were a beautiful family and seemed relatively normal until the cell phones were placed on the table. Then all semblance of the "happy family" disappeared. First the wife's cell phone rang and she answered it. The caller must have asked, "What are you doing?" because her response was "Not much. What's new with you?" NOT MUCH??? She's out for dinner with HER FAMILY and she takes a personal call. Since when do cell phones replace human beings? GRRR!!! She hung up and then the husband's cell phone rang. Same scenario. It was pathetic. I wonder if they call each other from opposite sides of the bed to say goodnight.

I've also seen this happen in the dog park. Picture this scene. It's a beautiful, warm, sunny morning. You are going crazy, waiting for your master to take you for your "morning constitution". It is the highlight of your day! Your owner grabs his keys, your ball, affixes your leash and heads out the door. But he can't forget the cell phone! Just in case someone needs to call him at 8AM and ask him for his opinion about the state of the economy. So there you are, in the park, your most favourite place in the whole world, with the person you love the most. And he's got the ball, which you're dying to chase and slobber all over. Trouble is, Master Dearest is too busy on his cell phone to pay much attention to you and your needs. So you bark and jump up and down, trying to get his attention for just two seconds. Just long enough for him to throw the ball. It's a very sad thing to see. Even sadder when you substitute a SMALL CHILD for the dog. I've seen it. Disgusting behaviour by people who are more attached to a small electronic device than to their own family, friends or other human beings.

I used to date a really nice guy, and his cell phone. We fought about it constantly. I wanted it off. He wanted it on. I won. The woman always wins in arguments like this. We have the ultimate trump card. Hehe! I recently talked to a guy from a dating website who had a similar experience but with a business associate. These two bachelors met through business and decided to hit a patio and do some serious girl-watching. Bachelor #1 (my friend) was looking forward to enjoying a drink and some good old-fashioned "guy talk". Bachelor #2 took a call on his cell phone five minutes after they sat down and proceeded to talk for longer than 20 minutes to someone not even there. Bachelor #1 was pissed but did nothing. I couldn't sit for longer than TWO minutes without saying something! I don't know where he found the restraint.

So many people in Canada have cell phones now that they are starting to take out the phone booths. This really ticks me off because I don't have a cell phone. I don't want a cell phone. I have no intention of EVER BUYING A CELL PHONE. I somehow need to communicate this need to the phone company. I figure I'll have to make a trip out to the airport to call them. *sigh* I have to stop now before I really get worked up. I need to go to bed and I won't be able to sleep if I carry on with this rant much longer.

End Breast Cancer

Here is an awesome way to help continue the fight against Breast Cancer. Frito-Lay of Canada is donating $1 to End Breast Cancer for every person that signs onto their site this weekend.

They are committed to raising up to $100,000 through this site. I just signed on myself and they are presently at $17,235+. There is a long way to hitting $100,000 and we need your help.

There are no other obligations by signing on, and you won't receive any other emails or offers from them, unless you check off the box to get them. So please, just take a minute, and click onto their website, and please forward it to your friends.

Click Here

Thanks for reading!

Mexico Comes To Toronto - Part 1

Earlier this month, I received an email from Carmen, the owner of El Arrayan, one my favourite restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. She and her partner, Claudia, were coming to Canada on vacation and I made her promise to contact me with their itinerary. The email came with a request for help. Could I find them a hotel for one night and also help them get tickets for the train between Toronto to Montreal? No problema! I booked the hotel for their late arrival and met them for lunch the next day with train tickets in hand.

A week later, they returned to Toronto and we arranged to meet for dinner. As they were staying with friends in the Beaches, I took a streetcar out there one night last week and we had a marvelous dinner! I think I ate the BEST guacamole I've ever had in MY LIFE -- it was chunky, not pureed. (I hate that mushy stuff!) The conversation was in English and Spanish and I'm happy to say, I've retained a lot of my second language since April.

Anyway, I can't resist another plug for Carmen's absolutely AMAZING restaurant in Vallarta. There's a reason they were voted #1! Her filet mignon with mole sauce is one of the few things I miss about living there. Here's a pic of Carmen and me enjoying a local brew:

Get Involved!

I am posting this as a favour for a friend:

Hi Juliana, I have a petition online to request Wasaga Beach Council make changes to the burning by-law. With our denser population, hundreds of fires can burn here at any time. The air is so bad (worse than any bad day in Toronto) and tourists are actually complaining about the air quality. I don't know if you've been here lately, but it's absolutely unacceptable. I have a petition and a video showing what I'm talking about on my website.

First Article on the Page

I'd appreciate if you could sign the petition and send it along to anyone else who cares about the environment.

Please take a moment to sign her petition. I did.

A Worthy Cause

I don't usually ask people for money but this is a very worthy cause. I sponsored myself for $20 and I encourage you to match that amount, if possible. However, please feel free to donate as little as $5 or $10. Every little bit helps! And thank you very much for your pledge.

Juliana

The Ride for Diabetes Research is a highly successful fundraising event for diabetes research in Canada thanks to people like you who are supporting our participants by making a pledge donation. By pledging me, your money will be going towards finding a cure for this disease by funding some of the most progressive research in the world, with some of the biggest breakthroughs coming from Canada.

You can pledge quickly and safely through our secure on-line pledge option. An electronic tax receipt will be e-mailed directly to you. Click on the following link to use your VISA, MasterCard or American Express.

Sponsor Me Here

For more information about the Ride for Diabetes Research and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, please visit www.jdrf.ca. Again, thank you for your support.

Hot, Hot, HOT!!!

I remember last summer in Mexico and living in hot temps with high humidity for months on end. I also remember thinking that the summers in Canada were much more pleasant and I couldn't wait to get home to one. Well ... today we reached 35C in Toronto and, with the humidex (an odious Canadian invention, by the way), it felt like 47C on the skin. For all my American readers, that's 116.6F or HOT!!!

Last night apparently was the hottest night on record in Toronto. I slept with the window open, the fan OFF, wore pjs and slept under a sheet and comforter. I guess I'm still acclimated to down south. I wouldn't mind my blood thickening a bit before the fall and winter get here. Thank the Goddess I still have all my cold weather clothing.

The AC is a mixed blessing. I have it on now (5:45PM) because this is, in my opinion, the hottest part of the day, but I will turn it off before bed and open my window once again. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it at work and am constantly complaining about the cold. I seem to have a constant scratchy throat from it. The weather will break soon, I hope.

We have another long weekend coming up and, other than Caribana, which I have no intention of attending, there isn't a lot going on around town. I might take a couple of day trips to outlying areas for a change of scenery or try to catch a movie. What do you have planned for this weekend? Whatever you do, stay cool and well hydrated. Dehydration is a very serious condition and it kind of sneaks up on you without warning. Take care and be careful.

Repatriation

re·pa·tri·ate

To restore or return to the country of birth, citizenship, or origin

I heard this phrase used on the news the other day and thought of my own repatriation. I'm not sure it's going so well. I'm still living in one room and sharing the rest of the condo with my roommate. It's her place so I'm feeling a little bit like an unwelcome houseguest, even though I pay rent and buy my own food and supplies. There's just something about being in your own place isn't there?

To that end, I will be moving back into my condo on October 1st. Considering my birthday is October 2nd and my anniversary of buying the place is October 7th, this date seems rather auspicious to me. Unfortunately, I don't own very much -- a bed, a desk, a box of pots, some wineglasses, linens and towels. My Dad is giving me a couple of plastic lawn chairs and an old stereo cabinet so I'm not entirely destitute. And my Mom's giving me a vaccuum cleaner. LOL

But I keep feeling like I'm caught in a bit of a twilight zone ...

I find myself still drawn back into discussions about Puerto Vallarta and I'm still getting emails from people who think I can help them with vacation accomodations and tourist attractons. But I'm really not interested. The more news I receive from down there (parks being plowed under, pollution, storms, crooked politicians, unbearably hot weather, blah, blah, blah), the happier I am to be here. So I think it is important not to dwell on my old life there and concentrate on bulding my new life here.

Pickle Power!

Aliens. Pickles. A misunderstanding. This is the first of three brand new tv spots for Bicks Pickles.

Watch this!

P.S. It's Canadian eh!
_________________

These Made Me Giggle ...

Summer In The City

It's been a wild weekend here in Toronto. As if World Cup soccer wasn't enough, there were 18 events happening there this weekend. Included among them was the Molson Grand Prix (closing down the Lakeshore), the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (Nathan Phillips Square), Celebrate Toronto Street Festival (held at four major intersections along Yonge Street), Taste of Lawrence Festival (on Lawrence Street, naturally) and Corso Italia Toronto Fiesta (in Little Italy). The last event will be extended until the wee hours of the morning given Italy's win over France. The last time they won, St. Clair West was packed with half a million Italian-Canadians celebrating.

I love the city in the summer but it is getting exceedingly difficult to decide what to do! Thank the Goddess I don't drive because with all the street closures, I can only imagine how long it was taking people to get around town. Living downtown does have its advantages. I can walk everywhere! On Saturday, I gave my girlfriend's kids a bit of walking tour. We meandered down The Esplanade, cut through the St. Lawrence Market, strolled past the Flatiron Building with its beautiful three storey mural, admired the architecture inside BCE Place, zipped through the underground to Union Station and walked along Skywalk to the foot of the CN Tower.

From there, we headed down to Harbourfront to enjoy the free music, buskers, the international marketplace, the world cafe and the breeze off the Lake. I think the kids enjoyed themselves. What do you think?














This is my "little" godson, Martin Luc. He's taller than me now. *sigh*














And here is his sister, Julie Marie (my namesake) with younger brother, John Patrick, enjoying their ice cream (and that's their Dad, reading).

Luck Has Nothing To Do With It

I had a conversation this week with someone who was consoling a friend whose partner had dumped her on a special occasion. And another time, the same person had been dumped on her birthday. And yet another time, on Valentine's Day. My friend seemed to think that this was all just "bad luck" for this poor person and my comment was that her friend was the one common denominator in all those relationships and must take at least some responsibility for what happened to her. Good or bad, luck had nothing to do with it.

People often tell me I'm lucky to have lived in Mexico, like I just woke up one morning and decided *BAM*, I'm moving to Mexico! It took a lot of planning, hard work (two jobs), downsizing (selling almost everything I owned), changing my lifestyle (putting a tenant in my condo and renting a single room for more than a year). As I've said to people over and over again, luck had nothing to do with it.

Now that I'm back, I found a place to live in my own building and I started a job, on the date and at the salary I wanted. You think that's lucky? BAH! What people don't know is I spent hours on the phone and internet, searching for a place to live, trying to set up interviews long distance, posting my resume online, etc. Again, luck had nothing to do with it.

I had a conversation this morning with my dear friend, M.A., who knows me better (and longer) than anyone. We were talking about my job and she said she wasn't surprised when I got the money I wanted and started the date I said I would. She said I have an ability to focus on what I want and to work towards it with determination. A positive attitude is also imporant. Apparently, luck has absolutely nothing to do with it!

A Not So Typical Friday

On the way out of my building this morning, I nearly got into an altercation with a man who wanted to walk in as I was walking out. Previously, he was trying to use the console to get buzzed in but when he saw me, he made a beeline for the door. I assured him that I was NOT going to let him in. He was quite pissed. LOL

Walking down the Esplanade, an older man jogged towards me wearing the usual shorts and tshirt, running shoes and socks. But he was also wearing a headband AND navy blue gloves. What the f*^%?

As I was cutting throught the Market, I noticed a man and woman walking together, obviously shopping for produce. The man was wearing baggy sweat pants and as I passed them, he was scratching his crotch rather vigorously.

Prodeeding down Front Street, I passed a young boy on a scooter, wearing shorts, tshirt, a ballcap and a floor length black cape tied around his neck. Super Scooter?

And finally, as I turned the corner towards BCE Place, I passed an overweight man wearing a Hooters tshirt from North Carolina. It had a HUGE coffee stain on the front of it, right under the "HOOT". That one made me laugh out loud and draw the following conclusion:

BOYS ARE STUPID!

Have a nice day ...

Six Degrees of Separation

My girlfriends always joke that I know everybody. This is patently untrue. How could I know everyone in the whole world? I still haven't met that guy in Outer Mongolia although he has promised we can do lunch the next time he's in Toronto. *grin*

Anyway, another example to support my friends' cockamamy theory happened last week when we were all attending a wine tasting. We met a woman there who asked me where I worked. When I told her the name of the firm, she said:

"Well I know it is a big office so I'm sure you don't know the person there who I know."

I said, "You're probably right. We're on 5 floors and I've only been there two months. So what is your friend's name?"

She: "Diane Smith" (name changed to protect anonomity)

Me: "I sit right beside her!"

And so it goes ... the world is a very, VERY small place. *wink*

More Pride Photos

I went to the parade today. Next to San Francisco, Toronto has the largest Pride parade in North America. It was a beautiful sunny day here today. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Pride Parade 2006

My New Look

I had a few too many drinks the other night ... LOL

Party With Pride

My life is rife with Geminis. As a result, I've been busy with birthdays lately. On Tuesday night, I was invited to join some friends in The Village to celebrate two birthdays. We met for dinner at Cafe California which, coincidentally was hosting the Fourth Annual Men's Underwear Fashion Show from The Bay. It's Pride Week in Toronto and this restaurant is in the heart of The Village. Or course, wild horses couldn't keep me away from this event ... LOL For a close up and personal view of what I saw, check out this slideshow.

Honour Thy Father

My Dad lives in a townhouse complex where, every year, they have a communal garage sale. I offered to come down and lend a hand, bringing a few of my own things to sell. I took the train late Friday afternoon from Toronto to Kitchener. Normally, it costs $27 to travel about 100 kms but with a $10 off coupon from work, it only cost me $17. Dad was there waiting for me. Whenever we're at the Kitchener train station together, I always think back to April 1984, when I joined the military. My Dad took me to the station so I could catch the train to CFB Trenton, where we were going to catch a military flight down east for my basic training.

Anyway, my Dad got on board the train with me, obstensibly to help me with my bags but I knew he just wanted to hang around and delay saying goodbye. I was sitting with 3 guys who were also new recruits and we were all nervously optimistic about our upcoming adventure. Eventually the train started moving and my Dad was still on board. As the train started pulling out of the station, he hugged me goodbye one last time and then went looking for one of the train officials so he could get off the train. We felt the train stop and as I looked out the window, I could see my Dad, standing there at the side of the tracks, waving goodbye to the train. That's just the kind of guy my Dad is ...

MY DAD'S FAVOURITE SWEATSHIRT














WHAT THE SWEATSHIRT REALLY SAYS














MY DAD














BTW, that hat he's wearing is made in Mexico. He bought it in Dallas, Texas during one of his visits to see my brother. Another funny Mexican-related thing happened during the garage sale. Two couples came to look at our stuff and I noticed they were speaking Spanish to one another so I asked them, in Spanish, where they were from. They answered Veracruz and then the conversation flowed, in Spanish and English (for my Dad's benefit). I learned that they had only been in Canada for one year and were there to eventually work on the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. BTW, they absolutely LOVE Canada and the husband, Mario, told me he felt it was much better for them than going to the U.S.A.

Try to spend some time with your father this upcoming weekend.