disaster girl, unleashed

if you were to "stop by" right now, unannounced, you may have a tough time finding me... i'm buried in piles of stuff.  i was on the hunt for my SIN card.  it was an innocent mission to begin with...  i knew it would be in 1 of 2 drawers or possibly in a suitcase (i had a specific one in mind).  you see, i'm very organized.  it comes from not having a lot of space.  i store things in compartments, and i typically have a pretty good idea of what is inside of them.  tonight, when i couldn't find my card in the top 3 places, i began to panic and started to go through all of my compartments.  and going through my purses in case it had stayed in there.

while i was destroying my organized, compartmentalized life, i was thinking about... this post.  originally i had wanted to yatter on about how busy i have been over the last few weeks and how nice it was to have a whole week without any plans ahead of me.  while i calmly searched through my things, i thought about how last week, if i didn't do my laundry or grocery shop on a certain day, it just wouldn't get done.  there wasn't enough time. now i am left wondering... have i subconsciously given myself a make-work project?  because if that is the case i'm not friends with my subconscious right now!

as difficult as it will be for me, i am going to have to save cleaning this up until tomorrow.  i have made plans tonight and i'm not cancelling them on account of this mess.  but i have good news: i did find my card.  it was in the first drawer i looked in, but somehow i overlooked it.  my eyes and my memory failed me.  it happens.  take a look at this: i was so smart as to clip together all of the cards that i don't wish to carry in my wallet, you may also notice 2 boxes on either side, as examples of previously mentioned compartments...

fortunately for me, i have nothing to do for the rest of the week.  so after [what will likely be] a long day at work, i get to look forward to coming and putting my crap away...  maybe this is what having kids or a dog is like?  oh no, wait, i did this all by myself.

food

i used to love cooking.  i became less interested in preparing meals when i was working at atlas cafe.  the shifts weren't conducive to regular meal times.  additionally, the food there was so amazing i had to eat it all the time.  when i moved back and lived with my parents, my mom did all of the cooking.  she is an amazing cook by the way!  and then i moved to the city and when you're living on your own it's sometimes cheaper to pick up something small rather than do a full grocery shop.  at least for me, anyway.

last night i decided to host some friends for a party that included dinner.  i psyched myself out a bit because it had been so long since i had really cooked for anyone but i think it turned out okay... in true "vicky" style, i had to over-complicate the dinner by making all new recipes.  i guess i figured it had been so long since i made my regulars, i may as well try some new things...  luckily mike was an excellent helper.

leftovers

i didn't follow any set recipes, but i did read some for inspiration.  actually, the spanokopita i followed closely.  i can't believe they turned out! pictured from top left: chicken drumsticks and thighs marinated in spices, tzatziki, tapenade, quinoa, salad,  slow-cooker ratatouille, and lemon potatoes.  i was happy with the way everything turned out.  but the best part was watching people eat the food i made.  it's just as watching someone open christmas presents.

tcb

being that i'm on a serious motown kick, i picked up this record last weekend.  at the time, i had no idea what tcb was.  in hindsight, it should have been obvious.  taking care of business, the title of this musical from 1968.  it is really fun to listen to.  not only because the music is awesome, but there are some talking interludes that are funny and make you feel like you've travelled back in time.

---------- 

tcb - i first heard this acronym from my brother.  i have a feeling he really likes acronyms.  he also coined aqap (as quickly as possible).  and i feel like this is a good time to mention that he is participating in a fundraiser called live free.  this is the email i received from phil this morning that i'd like to share with you:

As you may know I'm a volunteer board of director with Halton Food For Thought (HFFT). HFFT ensures hungry kids are fed at school and given a better chance to learn.
We are in the midst of one of our major fundraising campaigns. This one is called Live Free. The point of Live Free is to give something up for a day.
I'll be giving up coffee on that day. Most of you know I really enjoy coffee and consider this a pretty big sacrifice given that I’ll be a parent any day now (I'll keep you posted on that too).
Please consider donating and know that your money will go directly to purchasing food to feed hungry kids at Halton schools.
You can donate by clicking here and any donation is appreciated.
Thanks


Phil

i keep thinking to myself i haven't done any volunteer work in a while... and that i'd like to... but i haven't gotten around to it yet.  considering all that phil and alison have on their plate - it is pretty amazing (and inspiring) that he is taking this on.

auto show

dear friends,

my father and i went to the canadian international auto show.  he had been there all day and i met up with him after work. in addition to looking at cars, we entered contests and i played the driving games that the kids seemed to be most interested in.  we grabbed as many freebies (re-usable bags and a couple of ford metal water bottles) as we could.  i noticed there were a lot of white cars this year.  when i'm at this event i become torn between looking at the cars i love and want, and the practical cars that i could potentially afford.  ultimately the pretty cars win.  and the fast ones.

afterward we went for dinner at the salad king which has been shut down for ten months.  you can read the full story here.  i heard about salad king through my friend rob when he was visiting in '09.  the food is really good and reasonably priced.  my dad said it reminded him of new york style places that are built for maximum capacity.  i wouldn't know, i've never been to new york... but it made me laugh because natalie was just in new york and complained about having absolutely zero personal space.

in other news... i went to the beaver on queen with a friend i haven't seen in 7 years or so.  i really enjoyed seeing her.  it's amazing when you can pick up right where you left off with someone.  i guess it's because some things never change.  i will also be seeing another friend from years ago, dan lidbury, and in a later post i will tell you more about what he is up to.  the city is starting to feel like a really big humberview... filled exclusively with the people i really like... and absent of some of the friends i was/am closest to.  i am fortunate to have so many familiar faces in my life right now.  especially really sweet, kind and awesome ones.

martinkas

i keep thinking about that waterfall in hamilton.  there is so much beauty in southern, and all of ontario.  i often feel like i'm missing out because i live in the city.  it's generally pretty nice to not [have to] have a car but i miss out on a lot of exploring.  even though there are quite a few nice parks in toronto, you can never escape the fact that you're in a city.  there are clues everywhere: whether it's the sound of sirens, the tops of apartment buildings or the number of people.  it's still metropolitan.  there are definitely perks to living in the city and i enjoy it for now.  opportunity, diversity, shows, restaurants...  but i look forward to being closer to nature again one day.  even my brother and alison's backyard in oakville is a nice escape.  or my parents' condo on the lake.  so i try and remind myself that even without a car, i can still explore.  and that when i'm older i'll look back and remember fondly the time i spent in the city.  and as i said in an earlier post there is always beauty to be found in the city.  this is what i woke up to on monday morning, right outside my window:

in other news: i'm preparing martinkas for my family for march 1st.  this is a tradition that my baba (grandmother) taught me as a young girl.  while i always thought it was an exclusively macedonian tradition, i have learned through my friend wikipedia that other cultures have the same tradition.  but here is how we do it:  on march 1st we all tie a thin handmade bracelet around our wrists.  baba and i used to use red, blue and white embroidery thread.  according to wiki, it's supposed to be red and white (we may have been using blue to use up extra thread that baba had laying around).  white symbolizes winter and purity and red symbolizes passion and life...  you wear the bracelet until you see the first red bird (probably a robin, but it could also be a cardinal) and when you see the bird, not only is there hope for spring, you are to make one wish.  you must remove your martinka and toss it toward the bird as you make your wish.  the bird will use it to help build their nest for the spring and you will have your wish granted in return.  it is such a wonderful tradition that i've carried it on now that she's gone.

three movies, one day

life as we know it: i started this movie on sunday night and fell asleep (typical)... and watched the rest when i woke up on monday morning.  i thought it was cute.  not terrible.  had a couple of funnies.  i think i more liked it because phil & alison are having a baby soon and it made me think of how fun that is going to be.  but ultimately it was nothing to write home about... even though i'm doing just that.  hmm...

never let me go: i watched this movie on monday afternoon and i couldn't really get into it.  i kept wondering when the plot was going to start.  maybe i wasn't in the right mood, because devon said she loved it.  i've heard that the book is really good.  eduardo from the social network plays one of the main characters and so he constantly reminds me of eduardo.  it definitely has an interesting concept, a futuristic world (but set in the 60s) where clones are raised to be donors to keep people alive for longer... 






the fighter: from what i saw i think it's a really good movie.  especially if you're into seeing guys get socked in the face and lots of blood.  but i fell asleep halfway through.  i was trying to stay awake though!  i'm hoping to pick up where i left off on tuesday night...

family day

on saturday night my parents hosted a party for my brother, aunt and uncle's birthdays.  near the end of the evening i sat down on the couch next to my grandfather with mike's iphone to play angry birds.  without saying a word, my grandfather took it out of my hands and started playing with it.  i don't know how an 82 year old man without any knowledge or concept of technology picks up an iphone without question and starts playing angry birds like he's been doing it for months.  but it happened.  and i can't get over it.  there was no dialogue about the touch-screen technology or how the game was played.  it seemed to be entirely instinctual.

on our way to hamilton today (with mike and my parents) we drove along the beautiful north shore road in the sunshine.  and then stopped at my new favourite antque store on ottawa street.  i picked up this ring:

then we drove up into the hills of hamilton, overlooking the escarpment, to this waterfall (i will add the name once i remember it) . . . 



funny day

i woke up this morning from a deep sleep.  i can't remember the last time i've been that conked out.  it was marvelous.  mike and i had a nice morning that included tea and old motown songs before i headed home.  due to it's proximity to mike's house, i had to stop in sonic boom.  i picked up one of my most favourite movies, grizzly man (i know it's an odd one but...) and the album i ordered over a month ago.  on my way out i decided to stop into ghazale and treated myself to a carrot/apple/ginger juice (which is now churning in my stomach... in a good way?).  the lady handed me the drink and said "drink some" so i took a big sip "drink some more, i'm going to give you extra" i gulped back as much as i could and she refilled my cup. 


waiting for the subway with my friends

when i got to dundas west i sat down and waited for the bus.  i sat next to an older lady who had a small jack russell sitting on the seat of her walker.  the dog whimpered at me, and the lady asked me if i had fifty cents.  there was something about her that made me feel like i wasn't being duped.  maybe it was a scared and helpless look?  during our conversation she told me that she is sick and ohip doesn't cover all of her prescriptions.  a lot of her stories didn't line up but she was certainly interesting to talk to.  when my bus finally arrived i said goodbye and she said if she had enough change she would "get a coffee and a chicken sandwich, the dog eats the chicken and i eat the bread" ... side note: she spoke in a ukrainian sounding accent, although she had said earlier that she was from germany, and she happens to speak macedonian?? ... being that she didn't look overly mobile i went and got her the coffee and the sandwich.  she was so delighted that she gave me this necklace:

please try and contain your jealousy



it's pretty stylish.  i tried to refuse it (several times) but she insisted.  the gesture was kind.  i told her as i left that if ever see her again i'll be sure to say hello.  she told me she was going to be rich on monday and asked where she could find me.  with a deep sigh... i told her that i was sure we'd meet.

full moon

today wasn't the best day.  and on the subway a woman pushed me as i was trying to step out of her way and i tweaked my back trying to keep my balance.  it's funny, it was around 9 degrees and sunny but people (including myself) seemed extra grumpy.  so here is what i think might make the world (and my world) a better place. 

i'd like:

• spring to start springing
• people not to litter
• earbuds that never tangle
• a 3 day weekend, every weekend
• a piece of mail that isn't a bill or junk once a week
• often finding things in the first place you look
• more kindness and patience
• less selfishness

in other news.... i got the review of the day on yelp today and am so thrilled.

and it's the friday of a long weekend.  i have a couple of new records to listen to, books to read, free time and family time.  it's going to be a good weekend, damnit.

this is my mind, vinyl.

the harder they come

after work i stopped by bmv and sonic boom.  i find that browsing is soothing and relaxing after a long day.  i think it's because you have to make time for browsing... so many things we do have a designated time limit, but if you're really into browsing you could be anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours.  well that, and it's really rewarding to find something awesome for under $10.

i found a couple of good deals at bmv - books.  i'll review them once i'm done.

and after years of searching, i came upon this little gem:

which is the soundtrack to the movie.  i've never actually seen the movie but i love the soundtrack.  and it was in very good condition.  it's late now and i'll have to wait until tomorrow to listen to it ... it's been a couple of years since i've heard it.

this is the title track:

on a more philosophical level...  i heard a quote tonight: whatever you resist, persists.  i was told it is a carl jung quote but i can't find concrete evidence of that at the moment.  it makes me think about procrastination.  we're all guilty of it.  but anyway, i guess it means you can't run away from anything...   because wherever you go there you are....

words

i was listening to a wiretap podcast entitled couples on the subway today.  it aired on the 13th but you can listen to the episode here.  it begins with scott kravitz's story of how he acquired his (now deceased) dog, ann... he further explains his inability to be in the moment for his fear of it ending.  and goes on to say his biggest regret was not taking enough pictures.  he says photography forces you to choose between living in the moment and documenting it... and he feels that you can't do both.

and from it i learned a welsh word: hiraeth.  according to wikipedia it has no direct english translation... according to scott kravit's friend it means:

"a longing for something you already have . . . that feeling when you're in a moment so wonderful that all you can do is mourn it's passing even as it is happening"

then he looks it up online and learns that hiraeth actually means, a longing to be in wales...

well i liked the meaning he initially gave us better...  so i didn't want to believe him.  upon further research (does wikipedia count as research?) i learned it could also mean:

"homesickness tinged with grief or sadness over the lost or departed. it is a mix of longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness, and the earnest desire for the wales of the past."

scott attempts to quantify the real definition by saying "if someone is in wales and still feels hiraeth that's probably close enough."  too funny.  anyway. it's an interesting thing to think about: living in the moment. and the podcast is good for at least 3 laughs.  and maybe one single tear.

knitting fail

this is a dishcloth i started knitting in early december for mike's mum for christmas.  that was 2 months ago, for the record.  it's based on the same one i made for my mum one mother's day a few years ago.  it was all going smoothly until i took a closer look and noticed i had made a couple of mistakes.. instead of finishing it i just stopped.  whether or not you know anything about knitting - i believe it is evident that i am approximately 3 rows away from completion.  realistically, not many people are going to notice the mistakes i made but for some reason this was reason enough not to finish it.  not long ago i took all my incomplete knitting projects and turned them back into balls of yarn.  that took an unexpectedly long amount of time but i felt a lot better afterward.  once that was over with i was able to start this dishcloth. and now here i am, daydreaming about a new project and still dreading the old one.  the solution is simple:  finish the last three rows (in roughly 4 minutes or less) and cast off.  the end.

i started thinking about the dreaded dish cloth yesterday.  i had called andrea to wish her a happy birthday. (imagine sharing your birthday with saint valentine?...)  she was telling me about the yarn harlot, which is a blog that she suggested i would like.  our conversation went something like this:  "the yarn hartlett?" "no, the yarn harlot, like a whore...let"  "ohh!" we had a good laugh about that. (and hartlett isn't a word so i'm not sure exactly what i was thinking) and the blog is fantastic... thanks andrea!

tonight i was chatting with amy online and she sent me a link to this video:

and i was moved.  i will be doing some research on this newfound adele character.  and listening to this song on repeat.  thanks amy!

cliche topic

you can't really escape valentine's day, whether you love it or hate it...  so why not like it? 

after spending years of refuting this day, i have finally realized that it's only about romantic ideals if i make it that way.  and if i make it that way, i'm supporting the notion that romance is the reason to avoid it or celebrate it and contributing to the reason i don't like it in the first place. 

...just to clarify i have been opposed to the idea of valentine's day whether or not i have been in a relationship.  i think the reasons why are fairly obvious.  but mainly i thought it was discriminatory, overly commercial and full of expectations.  but every year my parents have sent me a valentine and it wasn't until this weekend that i realized they've been trying to tell me this all long...

so today i'm celebrating all kinds of love.  and spreading as much love as i can.  i still think it's a silly holiday but i want to focus on the fact that i am thankful to have love in my life.  i am lucky. 

thank you to all my friends and family.

old man's valentine

valentine's at trinity bellwods

beirut - the flying club cup

i can never seem to get the name of the album right.  is it meant to be that way or is there really a flying club cup? because a flying cup club just makes more sense to me. am i supposed to care enough to remember if club comes before cup or vice versa?  admittedly i don't like the album name, but i do like the album.  this was the first beirut song i ever heard, and i was pretty much sold.  and here is the video that introduced me:

it comes from the people at la blogotheque, you may have heard of their take-away shows and if you haven't the nantes video is a good introduction.  you get the idea.... take... away... show... and put a video on the internet.  yep, it's that simple folks.

the song immediately stood out because of the way it made me feel.  i neglected to become critical of any musical factors because of that powerful feeling.  so around 2 years ago i got this record:

and it's a good record.  and i still listen to it, which is maybe why i'm reviewing it so long after the fact.  but mainly i love listening to nantes.  his voice is very.... unique, and maybe that's a good thing but i can't say i am really a huge fan of his singing style or his voice.  the overall composition (the feeling) i think is great, and the cover is pretty ... retro looking .... so that's fun.

the darkness

this song is stuck in my head.  i remember when it came out about 7 or so years ago.  it's ridiculous, hilarious and awesome at the same time.  like most good things in life.  and that's all i have to say.

commuting chronicles

some days, i can't bear to go underground and take the subway.  while i know it's the faster and warmer route, i sometimes opt for the streetcar.  lucky for me, i have the option. 

today was one of those days.

the first car to come was packed and i couldn't get on.  i knew this was a bad sign and it occurred to me that taking the subway isn't that bad but i decided to tough it out despite the bitter cold and obvious volumes of people.  the next car to come (about 6 minutes later) was also packed, but i managed to squeeze my way into the back doors.   a couple of stops later i felt a tap on my shoulder.  this frightened me a bit (since i'm not used to anyone tapping me on streetcars) but i turned around and noticed the man behind me was motioning that he wanted to exit soon.  i had nowhere to go, so i thought... maybe i misunderstood him.  i removed one of my headphones (listening to the best of ricky gervais) and said "pardon?"  "i'm getting off here, do you want this spot?  it's a good spot."  he said.  i was delighted.  it was a better spot than where i was standing, and the fact that he went out of his way to offer it to me was a real treat.  those random acts of kindness really do something special for my spirit.

so as the streetcar continued west and people began to thin out i found a seat.  sitting ahead of me was a couple around my age.  the young man was very outspoken and he had several outbursts that i could repeat, but this was my favourite:
"hey, guy, where'd you get that jacket?"
[muffled response i can't quite make out]
"but like, is it special or something?  like what's the point of it?"
"warmth"
"oh, warmth eh? i thought like, i don't know, maybe it was for charity or something, like if you bought one some of the money went to charity or something. i don't know, everybody is wearing them, i see them everywhere.  but i guess warmth is a good enough reason."

the streetcar went out of service at queen and i had to wait a little while for the next one.  it was cold.

anyway when i finally got on the bus to go home, a drunkish, 40ish year old man stampeded onto the bus and exclaimed "is this bus going to mexico?! it's way too cold out there!" no one really acknowledged him, except for a young boy around 5ish? . . . i couldn't hear their whole exchange, but the best part went like this:
"the leafs are gonna win some game, a game tonight, soon, i mean, sometime, soon" (drunk man)
"well i don't even like the leafs" (young boy with his dad)
"you don't like the leafs!?"
"i'm a montreal canadiens fan, and so is my dad"
at this point the whole bus was cracking up.  the exchange went on but i don't remember any more specifics.  it was pretty cute especially considering that the man seemed to smarten up a little and level with the child instead of being a belligerent drunk.

photo credit

so that's the ttc for ya.

tgif

another week, another friday. i'm glad this week is over because it's been a long one...  that might have something to do with the bitingly cold temperatures in the negative twenties.  besides drying out your skin and causing your bones to ache this weather did give us some time with the sun and we didn't have to trudge around in piles of brown slush.  the temperature is supposed to rise a bit this weekend, i hope.

i'm feeling fortunate to have finished up this week with the core group of thursday nighters: megan, phil and alison. p&a have been busy preparing for the baby. meg and I were informed that this will likely be the last thursday night for a while. at least until phillys is ready for us.

in keeping with the theme of ending the week on a high note, we had a delicious dinner and lava cakes (c/o megan) for dessert. and watched some of the funniest shows on tv in real time (namely parks & rec and 30rock).
 

karl pilkington

is my new favourite human being. 

i've been listening to the ricky gervais out now podcasts.  it's ricky, stephen merchant and karl pilkington talking about different subjects to promote their upcoming (now outdated) audio books.  despite being anti-headphones on the ttc, this has been worth it.  i'm the only person on the train smiling on my morning commute. actually i'm more than smiling, i'm in stitches.  and maybe a couple of people look at me like i'm a crazy, but that's okay.
here is a link to listen to some of the podcasts, alternatively you can upload them through itunes or purchase the audio books.  once i'm done with these i'm going to start watching an idiot abroad.  they have several different projects so i'll be sorting [laughing hysterically] my way through them.

you know who else is funny?  stewart lee. 
disclosure: to all harry potter fans [i know you're reading this because you're my biggest supporter robyn], please don't take him personally, he probably secretly loves hp.  to people who don't like the f word, please plug your ears around 1:12.  thanks.

i have one final funny.  it came from darryl's trash can this morning.  it really summed up the day for me, so i kept it. enjoy.

dr. seuss

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.

if you learned from him as a kid, you can still be learning from him. have you ever read one of his books now? it really makes you think.

tweet tweet

just when i was beginning to get excited at the prospect of starting a twitter account, the "no" votes on the poll started to take the lead.  as i am writing this, they are tied at 7.

thanks to all of you who have voted. 

i think there is still a day left to vote so please keep voting.  i appreciate your advice, and i have a burning curiosity as to where people stand on certain, let's call them issues...

but i have a confession to make... i already started an account.  it happened last night.  i was doing some research for this post before i fell into a comatose-like sleep... i wanted to pull up some of the twitter accounts that i occasionally follow:
overheard newsroom
douglas coupland
whitegrlproblems
shitmydadsays (i wish this never became a book or a show, can you say too much of a good thing?)

while searching around i found a couple other funny accounts... so i thought, well heck, i don't want to have to do this searching every time, so i created an account and hit "follow" . . . then it suggested all kinds of accounts i might want to follow, including: blogto, cbc, cp24.  now i can have two of my favourite things [funnies and news], right at the tip of my fingers.

i don't know if i will produce anything funny or interesting in 140 characters or less.  but i've been known to have a good one-liner here and there... so i'll let you know if anything comes tweeting out of my mouth.  for now the account is being used simply to follow other people.

tweeter?

top two

i picked up joe cocker - with a little help from my friends at my new favourite store....  antique avenue, located on ottawa street in hamilton.  my parents took me to ottawa street to browse around the second hand stores.  there were a lot of great stores there, but antique alley was my favourite.  i had never seen a store quite like it!  it had that familiar musty thrift store smell, and was jam-packed with amazing collectables.  one of the owners told me that all of the items came from one guy who lived on a farm and had like 3 barns full of stuff.  one day i guess he decided to get rid of it... well according to this article, his wife wasn't as big into collecting and they were planning to move off the farm.  the prices at this store are insanely reasonable and i hope when i go back it hasn't been too picked over.

it has definitely been my most listened to vinyl over the last 2 weeks.  my favourite song on this albums is do i still figure in your life.. 

number two this week is hall & oates - rock and soul part 1.  i found it in the new arrivals at sonic boom on bloor.  hall and oates sure had a lot of boppy hits, and i've been listening to them on repeat:

favourite songs include, she's gone, rich girl, maneater and you make my dreams.  it is quite the contrast to the first album but that helps keep me balanced.

interesting fact: ottawa street is home to the first tim hortons, opened in 1964.

q-tip - the renaissance

3 weeks ago i ordered an album through sonic boom.  they told me it would arrive within a week.  i don't mind waiting a little bit longer except i'm worried that it's gone missing... and i would really like to listen to it.

in december i ordered  2 t-shirts through threadless.  they never came.  i was so disappointed.  they refunded my money but i would have rather received the shirts.  one of them is out of stock and they're not reprinting it.  i don't often order things, online or otherwise..  somehow i have this feeling that if i can't find it, it wasn't meant to be... and that maybe i would find it another day.  the rare times i've thought something is worth ordering i've been let down. maybe it just isn't a good idea. 

i think my ability to be patient comes from my passion for thrift stores and garage sales.  it forces you to endure.  you have to invest time to rummage, to find the right thing at the right price.  you have to go every week (or as often as possible).   i love to browse but i hate to shop (ie. in a mall).  there is something unique about second hand stores.  you start to see the same faces.  the same people scouring the same shelves for the items they love.  for items they may need or may just want.  you form a bond with them and the people who work there.  who understand what brings you there every week.  you work for your finds.  and in a way, you learn a bit of history..  and a lot about people.

the album is called the renaissance and i'll let you know more about it when it arrives.

respect

ALISON: my talented sister-in-law may as well be a chef. her passion for food is evident at any meal time.  in the kitchen she is innovative, environmentally concsious and does her best to keep the ingredients fresh and local.  she offers recipes, meal ideas, and other foodie insights on her blog: the pink truffle

AMY: amy is an incredibly hard working woman and dear friend.  she started lawns to gardens in 2009.  they have been working to provide fresh veggies for the people of the comox valley.  she is also an incredibly talented knitter - aka the knitty gritty - no website yet but she should consider putting some of her stuff online (hint hint).  in her "spare time" amy also works for her local girls group.

ANDREA: another very dear, and talented friend of mine started luvurtuqs.  andrea is one of the first people and best friends i met while living on vancouver island.  her toques are out of this world.  and that is no exaggeration.  you have likely seen me sporting one as i am one of her biggest fans.  you will not find anything else like this, i guarantee it!  andrea is also a talented seamstress... she makes re-usable bags and aprons for the above mentioned lawns to gardens girls.

ANGELA: i met angela while working at mount washington.  myself, angela, andrea and angie became good friends.  she has now moved back to her roots and runs dogg'inn on the east coast.  her knowledge and passion for pups has always amazed me.  i have learned so much from her and when i get my own dog one day it will surely benefit from that knowledge.

ANGIE: my best friend angie has created stuck on the west coast. she designs wicked decals to affix to whatever you might be into. she is talented in everything arts. if you've been to my apartment you would have seen two of her paintings up on my wall, a felted alien she made, and a variety of knitted goods. check her page stuck on the west coast on fb.

IVAN: as mentioned in an earlier post, visual inclination was started by ivan in 1999... at the ripe young age of 15! (sorry if that was a secret) but you have to give him credit. this guy has been working towards building his empire for 12 years now.

JESSE: brother12 is skilled in production and the dj world. i think it would be safe to say there is a constant stream of beats in his head. i can no longer find his tracks online!! so he better send them to me so i can post.

JENNIFER: another amazingly talented friend of mine started dolce amore cupcakes (based out of mississauga) with her friend nikita.  i have had the pleasure of sampling some of her work and it was amazing.  my favourite to date has been the mango.  these desserts are works of art.

MIKE: i have known mike for about 12 years.  he has been writing and recording songs probably since before he was born. you can find him playing shows in toronto but lately he has been working his butt off at finishing his new album.  we are very much looking forward to hearing the finished product!  in the meantime, check out his website and myspace. 

PHIL: my skilled brother has created a legacy in the hockey community.  you can find him shouting out drills in both the us and canada.  i will always be his number one fan.  i even have a signed puck from his days with the caledon canadians.  his website features tips and insight for all things hockey.

ROBBIE: here is a link to my cousin robert simeon aka robbie's website.  look out for this guy as he will be taking over canada in no time!

ROSS: ross hyndman is a landscaper in the greater toronto area.  i can't think of a time that i've seen ross and not heard about his latest project or idea, that kind of  passion and dedication is sure to pay off.  he has a vast knowledge of all things horticultural and a keen eye for design.

TODD: is my old roommate and friend who is an incredibly modest and talented artist. click here to admire some of his work.

and special mentions to....

• chelsea & teneille : firefly : new beginnings
• courtney and rebecca  the green room
• paul & salinas the blue toque
• atlas cafe & avenue bistro
• toni for becoming a yoga instructor
• nat for making this necklace, (among others) and everything she does:

if i've missed anybody please let me know and i will be doing another post like this one.

i truly admire and respect all of these people and all of the people who are pursuing a dream, who take chances and who invest time and energy in the things they love.