I Am Shaggy. Like Dog!

I also, apparently, sit pretty when I want things, and prounce about on a red carpet.

That being said, I am doing everything I can to resist grabbing a pair of scissors and running to the bathroom to chop at my bangs.

I am determined to make it through to Saturday, when I have an appointment with the lovely Tasha for a cut and colour.

But the bangs...they are looking at me, and begging to be cut. It is making my monkey crazy.

Bloodletting. Which Some of the New Season TV Shows Make Me Feel Like Doing.

So I'm on meds that may or may not destroy my kidneys. As such, I have to get yearly blood tests to make sure that the kidney does not turn into cement while everyone's back is turned. Last year, I came out of the lab looking like a novice heroin user with a case of the shakes, so my enthusiasm for the letting of blood that needed to be done today was at an all time low.

Imagine my surprise when the medical assistant assigned to my visit was able to fill up two vials on the first stab. And then imagine my shock when I removed the tape and cotton ball to find only a small pinprick to mark where the needle was placed. Hours later, and I am bruise and ache free. Who knew that was even possible?

***

Every autumn, I look forward with hand-clapping glee to the new TV season. We're halfway through the premieres of brand spanking new shows, and I am both pleased and appalled with what is classified as being good enough television to make it to the air. So let's make a couple of lists running it down.


The Verdict To Date

Added to Viewing Rotation

• Studio 60
  
• Saved
  
• Kidnapped
  
• Six Degrees
• Men In Trees
• Brothers & Sisters

Teetering On The Edge - Episode Two Will Be Make or Break

• Jericho
• Shark

Pass

• Vanished
• Celebrity Duets
• Justice (why only give Victor Garber lines that must be shouted? Why?)
  
• Standoff
• 'Til Death
• Happy Hour
• The Class
• Smith

Coming Up in the Weeks Ahead

• Ugly Betty
• Runaway
• Heroes
• Help Me Help You
• Friday Night Lights
• 20 Good Years
• The Nine
• Big Day
• Notes From The Underbelly
• 30 Rock
• The Knights of Prosperity
• Day Break

Angry New Wave Ponies

A couple of friends travelled up to visit me this weekend. I did not like that they had to leave to go back to their own homes. It made me irate. Like a pirate. Fun times should not have to end.

The lovely hilarity began on Friday evening, when, driving back to my home on the highway, a strange blue car began to keep suspicious pace beside us, on my left hand side, as we approached the exit before my own. Seeing this happening out of the corner of my eye, I pretended to not notice the driver's attempt to capture my attention, because what if that driver was BATSHIT CRAZY? And what if he had A GUN? Southern Ontario, it's a crazy place for drive-by highway shootings. Except not. But I digress.

So I pretended not to notice and chattered away to my friends, until I could see that there driver waving (or were those OBSCENE GESTURES?) at us, and my front seat passenger friend starting to wave back. So I peered out the window, expecting the worst.

And I saw...my brother. And almost collapsed on the floor laughing. Randomly seeing a relative driving beside you on the highway is like being in first grade and seeing your teacher at the mall. Or going to a restaurant and seeing a co-worker who lives no where near the city you live in sitting at the table right beside the entrance.

Which happened as well, that night.

It made me wonder if Canada really was as small as all those people on TV try to make you believe it is.

The next day, we walked a bargazillion kilometres around Toronto. And saw angry ponies. And a travel agency for time travellers from the 80s.

I also retained my title of Shopping Enabler. I warn you - go shopping with me, and you will end up buying something.

Later on, we filled our bellies at Susur. And though I was remiss in photographing the plates, I think I have enough cred to be believed when I say that it was one of the better meals that I have ever had there. This time around, the vegetarian tasting menu consisted of:

• Amouse Bouche: Three Asian-style spoons, the first holding a thin strip of jicama rolled around tightly diced summer vegetables, the second a vegetable based jelly, and the third displaying two heirloom grape tomatoes in a basil sauce.
• 1st Course: Summer vegetable curry with foam over dal
• 2nd Course: Pan fried potato gnocchi with an heirloom tomato reduction
• 3rd Course: White asparagus and orange segments bathed in an orange cream sauce
• 4th Course: Spinach noodles with summer vegetables, tomato water and spicy peanut sauce
• 5th Course: The now familiar tiered dessert tray plus a plate of four more wee desserts for the table to share

The gnocchi melted in my mouth, the orange cream sauce made me wish that I just had a mug of it to drink straight, and the noodle course was the most amazing, fresh and lovely palate cleanser ever.

And now the weekend is over. And my head feels better for it.

Travelling in September is Always Hit or Miss

Today, as I wait for my friends' plane to arrive, I ponder how more miss then hit it is. Especially when their arrival time kepts being pushed back. And back. And back again.

I will say this, however - expect another Susur-based food porn post after this weekend is over!

Sometimes I feel like I need to branch out and try new fancypants places, but, erm, if it ain't broke?

Read about previous gastronomical events:
. Dinner with Kate (July 2006)
. Dinner with Brad (Feb 2006)
. Lunch with Lorne and pre-blog Susur-love history (Jan 2006)

I Am Not A Quitter. Okay, I Am. Plus, Models.

But at least I gave the jewellery making class a fair shot. I figured that since I was just as disappointed and frustrated with the subject matter and lack of teaching style of the class instructor, coupled with the fact that I could teach my own ass the techniques that were being demonstrated each session, it was time to cut bait and salvage whatever I could from the class fees.

In much more excellent news, America's Next Top Model returned to the airwaves last night. I may be horrid with my love for watching delusional young women compete and the drama that ensues, but I am not ashamed. Hilarity, thy name is ANTM.

The only thing that I dislike about The Models (hi Kate!) is the amount of, and way that young women have attempted to turn shrieking into a serious and valid form of communication. Until the first kid gets the boot, I feel like I've tuned into America's Next Top Cheer Camp. This year, the notion was doubled when a number of the girls performed actual cheers in their first face to face with Tyra and the Jays.

Ready!? ALRIGHT!

Chick Advisor

Earlier this week, Jeneane at Allied, a fellow Blog Sister, pointed me on over to Chick Advisor, a Toronto-based social recommendation site or for products, services and restaurants. Currently Toronto and Southern Ontario-centric (and damn, that's nice to see for once!), I can see this sucker exploding to talk about the good and the bad in cities across the country, and, eventually, in city-centres 'round the world.

Check it out, and if you're up to submitting your own reviews, register and babble on, my lovelies.

Disorganization + Harsh Lighting = Frustration

I've been lax in talking about my first jewellery making class, haven't I? I put it down to being peeved about that whole day and not wanting to relive it, blog-form.

After spending the afternoon running back and forth between condo and cable company to replace not only my original PVR that decided to get all crazy on my ass and not record correctly, but the first replacement box that they gave me which, itself, was broken straight out of the box, I raced on over to the arts college and walked into a room that was lit by the harshest flourescent lighting that I have ever encountered.

And the headache began.

The instructor began to speak, and it was obvious that she had prepared nothing in advance of the class and was decidedly winging it. And badly at that. And she was repeatedly interupted by classmembers who asked her to clarify points that she made by repeating back exactly what she had just stated, in the form of a question, followed by "Is that right?"

And the headache grew worse.

I had to leave with a half hour left to class, as I couldn't deal with sitting at a desk, doing nothing, while the instructor went from student to student, demonstrating the same technique, over and over. Plus, the headache.

I have higher hopes for this week's class, as we'll actually be doing things with our own hands, instead of simply watching and taking notes.

But really? I'm starting to wish that I had sprung for the glassblowing class instead. Molten sand! How can that be made bad?

I Covet, I Long, I Want With a Passion

That almost defies reason.

That's the thing with wanting something. At first blush, the need is so strong, it's almost overpowering. I learned long ago that the wait, it is a good thing, as it draws a line between things that I want to develop a long, lasting relationship with, and things that I'm giving the eye as a passing fling.

I generally give myself a couple of weeks to mull my desire over before plunging into a major purchase. And right now? I am currently debating my need for these:




































Rabbit! Monkey! Oh, dear. Necklaces from the Merric Collection by Odette New York.

The Good Blogs

So you might have noticed a new widget (Hi Kate!) in the left hand column over there. Just what is that freakish thing? Why, that's a traffic driver.

The Good Blogs is a network that connects like blogs together, rotating updated blogs in community and posting links to those blogs through that there list you are now a-beholding. The communities that they have available right now are a wee bit limited (hey, let's put all the chicks together), but, dammit, it's a good thing, and pretty much ensures that you'll have something new and exciting to read. Well, new and exciting after you read the NEW and EXCITING and REFORMULATED (what?) stuff here.

So check out them there other blogs. And if you've got yourself a little spot on the Interweb, sign yourself up.

Thanks to Kate (yes, the one at the top of this post) for the finger pointing the way.

Eureka: Separated at Birth

One small complaint that I have about living in Canada is the amount of time it sometimes takes to get original TV programming airing in the US to air up here. This year alone, Project Runway, The Closer andLaguna Beach have started anywhere from weeks to months after beginning their run on US TV.

It's understandable, of course, as these shows come from specialty channels and a whole buy-then-air deal has to be made between US and Canadian TV outlets, so I reckon I shouldn't complain too much...especially when a show like Eureka, an original program from US's SciFi Network, gets picked up by Space.

I confess to geekdom. I confess to love of clever sci-fi shows. And now I confess to a love of Eureka.

And I love it not for the eye candy, though it does help. Even though I always seem to mix up Colin Ferguson with my Keen Eddie boyfriend, Mark Valley. But, c'mon - they could be brothers, don't you think? Which is which? I put the pictures up, and I can't even remember.

You're ON NOTICE!

Thanks to Adrien for leading me to this bit of awesomeness.

Create your own!

There's Something Refreshing About September

Call it a bargazillion years of schooling, but September always makes me want to start something new and exciting and fresh. And so, I'm a-headed back to the hallowed halls. No, this time I won't be stuffing another book-learning degree under my belt (although I have been thinking about my 25 year Doctorate plan...working while schooling, it'll be the only way to do it), but will be exercising the more creative, less "science best practice this is

what works", use my hands to make the picture in my head real bit and learning the basics behind jewellery construction. And classes start next week!

I know, some of you might be saying, "Dear girl, don't you already make jewellery? And what ever happened to your plan to make and sell your fine (okay, more like "funny") art?", to which I answer, "I do, but always fear that since I've never actually learned any techniques from any one and have gone the lick-and-a-prayer route that things might fall apart, I reckon I should learn the rules of construction before I figure out workable ways to break them. And the art is still a go! Especially now that my home is completely mine again".

And then I would realize that the conversation I just had was completely with myself, and I would ruefully scratch my nose and pretend that it hadn't happened.

Anyway, the course that I'll be taking is at a local arts college that specializes in things like furniture making, and animation, and interior design as real-ass multi-year degree courses. Thankfully, they offer evening community classes as well. And that makes me happy like you don't even understand.

Next semester, I'm eye-ing the introduction to glass blowing.




I live for danger.

PS: I Am Still Self Centered

As I prefer to believe that when a character on The Smart Woman Survival Guide shouted "It's a monkey!" as a diversionary tactic, that it was actually a shout-out to me.

The end.

Don't You Ever Leave Me Again!

I have very deep, heartfelt relationships with magazines. Okay, with a couple of magazines. Unfortunately, they usually go under or undergo a "rebirth" that completely strips away everything that I used to love about them. Case in point: Sassy and Jane.

But, Radar? Radar entered my life. Then left due to bankruptcy. Then entered it again when the editorial staff found it some pockets filled with cash. And then they left again, due, again, to money woes. But now? More, bigger pockets, and a slow, but steady, and much less grand re-enterance.


Today, the Radar website was reactivated. Crazy new content, and an archive of old. Hard to kill, indeed. I can't wait until the physical edition starts re-publication. There's something so right about the tactile sensation of holding cynical brilliance in your hand, and flipping through the pages, deciding where to stop.

Jesus Christ, It's Actually Done!

Well, except for paint touch-ups, that is. What am I talking about? Why, my bathroom renovation, of course!

As trauma filled as it's been, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

By the way, I painted and installed the light fixture and all the accessories myself.

Before we start, you might want to take a look at what it looked like on Day One of the project.

Okay then, here we go.

From the hall door, looking in:




From the opposite corner, inside the bathroom. The first is the door to the hall:




And a couple of close-ups of the sink and shower system: