Oh Santa Barbara, How I Miss You

Although all 7 minutes are completely worth watching, the money shot of Mary being killed by the giant letter C on top of the Capwell Hotel comes along at the 6:40 mark.

I have a long, storied history of loving so-bad-its-good TV. Eden + Cruz 4Eva.

Maryanne, I love you for sending this to me!

Ethiopian Cuisine is So a Go

Last night, my friend Amy and I went to an Ethiopian place called The Blue Nile. It was a first-time-trying food night for both of us, and it freaking ruled.

Similar to Indian, but a hell of a lot more fun - the dishes are served communal-style from a single platter called a mosseb. The mosseb is covered by a large, round sheet of tangy, crepe-like bread called injera, and each item that you ordered is placed on top of that, with a scoop of buttermilk curd placed in the middle as kind of a palate cleanser, to cut through the spiciness. You use the injera, either the one on the mosseb (which is lovely and awesome, and flavoured by the dishes on top) or the one that comes on a separate place, to eat each dish, tearing off a piece to scoop up what you want to eat.

So delicious, I can't wait to go back.

I had the vegetarian combo, which let me sample five different dishes. Excellent. I like trying a mess of things when I try a new type of cuisine. So this is what I tried:

• Gomen - collard green sauteed with onions and peppers - my favourite thing of all
• Mesir wat - split lentil cooked with berbere (spicy red pepper sauce) and garlic
• Tikil gomen - cabbage cooked with onions and peppers - my close second favourite
• Shiro - spiced and milled chick peas cooked with onions
• Debinja - eggplant cooked with tomato, onion, perfectly spiced

I wish I had made an effort to try this all before, at the one, lone Ethiopian place in Toronto. And by that, I mean to shame Collin into finally giving in to his friends and going. Because, dude, you will freaking love it.

In Which I Get Stuck In An Elevator

So, I have a bit of a pulled muscle in my right foot (and that's all I'm going to say about that, as I have vowed to myself not to injury-blog anymore) and I've been using the office's elevator to get up to my desk on the fourth floor in the mornings. Of course, since it's easier on the foot to walk down four flights, I've still been trampling down the stairs, but going up? Going up is motorized, for the moment.

Well, it was motorized. Until this morning.

Getting to work, I stepped into the elevator with two co-workers. We hit the 3rd and 4th floor buttons. The elevator doors closed. And the elevator promptly took us to the basement.

And wouldn't open its doors.

Pressing other floor buttons did nothing.

Pressing the door open button was ignored.

You know that alarm button? It sounds a bell IN the elevator, and, I fear, no where else.

I spotted the elevator phone box, and we made a call to the elevator company. The man on the other end couldn't tell us when someone would be there to let us out.

I looked at the doors. I thought about all the TV shows and movies I've seen. I thought about the fact that we had come to a landing on the bottom level of the elevator shaft. I said, "I wonder if we can pry open the doors".

I took ahold of one half of the pair, and one of the other women took ahold of the other, and pry it apart we did, allowing us all to tumble into the hallway.

And walk up five flights to begin the work day.

A Furious Update

I am still shaking my fist at Slice. But I am filled with love for a YouTube contributor. Miss Royal T, who previously has contributed non-North American English speaking Top Models for YouTube viewing put out a call for a Project Runway Canada torrent.

Being the good librarian that I am, I found a mess of them and passed them on to her.

And she began posting the series - 1st episode went up this morning - to the site.

I heart Miss Royal T. And I heart Project Runway Canada. Though I do very much hope that Iman starts to loosen up and speak more like a host and less like a stunning, stunning robot.

This is an image that pops up when you Google Iman Robot. How appropriate!

Things in Columbus That I Love

Wandering around the Short North. Wee independent boutiques and galleries and restaurants.

Dragonfly Neo V Cuisine. Vegan cuisine that is the complete opposite of crunchy granola. Excellent. Last night's meal consisted of a miso glazed eggplant amuse, and shared dishes of sundried tomato risotto and matsutake on asparagus and mashed potatoes.

Rosendale's as a place to meet and sip wine. The room has a great feel to it. I wish to one day try their kitchen out.

V Power Yoga is a super fast paced workout, and I love, love, love it. Petro-Canada kids? Excellent, excellent, excellent choice.

On schedule next week: Blue Nile.

Random and odd thing that I very much miss: Pressed cottage cheese. But I found myself a recipe for making farmer's cheese, a close cousin that itself is difficult to find in-store, so once I get into a kitchen of my own, I'll be trying it out and reporting the results. Kitchen experiment!

Fury - Slice.ca

One TV thing that I'm very, very, very sad to not be able to see, due to the relocation, is Project Runway Canada.

Imagine my delight when I went to the Slice.ca site this morning, following last night's debut of the show, to see that they are going to offer full episodes for viewing on their site!

Imagine my fury when I found out that using a non-Canadian ISP results in this:



Access to information on the web removes geographical boundaries. If there are concerns about legalities or worries about selling the show into other markets, don't offer rich content online. Because this? This makes me angry with the network, makes me turn to user generated video content sites, which does nothing for the channel's business model, and makes me consider if I'd ever have a relationship with the channel should I move back to Canada.

And then I blog about it. And send a complaint directly to the network.

Things Are Starting to Feel More Real

And more permanent. Yesterday, lead around by a relocation specialist, I toured a few apartments. And found myself a place to live.

Being a renter again feels weird. Really, really weird. But it's nice to know that in a month, I'll be in a place of my own choosing. On November 7, I'll be in a place that will give me all this:

• A 889 square foot, one bedroom apartment
• A washer and dryer located in suite, as well as all kitchen appliances, including a dishwasher and above range microwave
• A dressing area and walk-in closet
  
• A five minute drive to work from a building located in the Brewery District, just on the edge of downtown.
  
• A covered parking space, which is hard to come by in Columbus, strangely enough
• A common area with a fitness centre that is so well equipped that I don't feel the need to join an outside gym. With a studio for yoga classes. And the ability to book personal trainers who work on contract through the space. And a pool.
• Located near the biggest Kroger in the downtown area, with a great organic and health food section. I was there this afternoon. And it's bigger even then the supermarkets I'm used to from suburbia.
• An internal entrance from the building hallway, and an external, private entrance with a stoop!

Oh, November 7, I can't wait for you to arrive. And not just because it means that I get to have my own DVR again. But that makes me happy too.

Work is busy. Busy, and full of meetings, but oh, so good. The people are smart and funny and passionate and inspiring to be around. And I'm very, very glad to be there. The weather has been mid-July amazing, and I am missing the bike that I though I wouldn't need to have with me until the spring of the new year!

Confidential to the Petro-Canada crowd, I'll be making use of your awesome yoga-inspired gift next weekend, once my klutz-ass foot stops with the strained muscle. I seriously, seriously can't wait. Especially to let Julie know of Collin's mad-crush. And Jay, the nano is my lovely best friend.

Happy Thanksgiving, you Canadians, you.

This One's for Collin

From Grateful Plate

Also, to everyone, sorry for not updating more. Crazy-busy, good-busy, I am. Promise to post more words on the weekend!