OK, it is the weekend - no short single topic blogs for me!!

WinterCity Delights!

Just a brief follow up on Friday’s blog. I scooted over to Nathan Philips Square last night in time to see the spectacular show Pi-Leau by Close-Act. It was uncanny how the square gave the perception of being underwater watching the aquatic animals floating overhead in an undersea adventure.

The “creatures” are actors harnessed in a rig (allowing them to do somersaults high above us) which was wheeled around the square and as they did the audience (which were occupying the same space) were pushed aside to make room.

This made quite the jolly scene as we tried to stay out of the way of these rolling contraptions. But it did mean that we got to experience many of the actors (with their marvellous “costumes”) up close.

I got some great pics, a few of which I have uploaded to this blog. Close-Act performs this show next weekend, Fri and Sat at 7:00. They also have another different acrobatic act performed in each of the afternoons.

The WinterCity Finale show is next Sunday at 6:00 p.m.

Addiction Fascination?

I had to chuckle as I read the article in the Saturday Star's Insight section by Geoff Pever. His commentary was about our fascination about addiction stories. Californiation and Celebrity Rehab are just a few examples of some recent TV stories which capitalize on this. He made the point that George W. Bush should have given up the bottle with the help of AA (he joined no "program" when he kicked his habit). If he had joined AA he would have learned in Step xx to "promptly admit one's mistakes".

I think all of us should pay attention to that notion. Mistakes are part of life. We all make them. Little ones, big ones, mistakes of no consequence and mistakes that shame us to our very core. The important part of a mistake is how one owns up to it. Firstly, acknowledge and understand what the mistake exactly was. What went wrong and why? What could have happened differently? Who was hurt? Then, with whatever avenue is available, make amends to whomever we may have wronged. Lastly, take what ever lessons that can be learned from the mistake and to apply those lessons to our life going forward. That is the way to grow and improve our lot in life.

Talking about addiction, I was dumbfounded to see my old friend Basile (yes, I blogged about camping with he and the girls just yesterday), on the CBC Sunday news program just today! He was being featured in a story about the Homeless World Cup of Soccer, which was held in Melbourne Australia in December, 2008! Basile was the team captain and spoke on the program about his challenges with addiction and the resulting homelessness. I was shocked and awed to see him being featured on this current affairs documentary. If you want to know more about “Homeless World Cup Soccer” you can go here:
http://www3.homelessworldcup.org/


Anyone applying for the title of “Recessionista”?

Recessionista was a new word I encountered this week. The word was used to describe an individual who is embracing the recession and making the best of it - what we need to come to cope well in these recessionary times. In context of the radio talk show I was listening to (guess which station the program was "Fresh Air") the word was being used by Anita Steward who was discussing with the program host what we can do to reduce our food budget. The ideas were not unique - buying locally and cook and dine more often at home than out at a restaurant.

I could take those thoughts to heart. Particularly buying local, which is slightly less convenient given my local farmer's market is closed for the season. I love to cook but lately, with only myself to cook for, my cooking has been limited to the weekends - when I prepare one or two meals which also double as my week day lunches - brown bagged to my office kitchen and microwaved at noon hour. Somehow I have slid into week day evenings becoming more often opportunities for socializing over dinner out with friends.

I really don't prefer restaurant meals and they have become rather routine. Dinner out is no longer special and at the end of the week I have spent a fair penny during these evening. I am going to rethink this and see if I can get more into cooking during the week than I have been. I think I will need to get a larger fridge to handle all the leftovers, though!

Political Commentary

Will Obama meet his first challenge in the Canadian public's perception that he is Canada Friendly? I recall some months ago, before I was swept up in Obama fever that there was some discussion that he had a protectionist stance and this may well not bide well for Canada if he won the US election. So I guess no surprise in the wording of the legislation his party is putting forward for approval this week. I can only hope that he has a change in heart and really listens to what may happen if we end up in a global trade war.

Budget week - what do you think? The Newfie's are not pleased with the budget however Ralph Goodale, the Liberal House leader said the provisions which penalize Newfoundland appear to be a "mistake" and could be reconciled. We shall see if this is corrected. From my reading Harper has a bone in his bag for just about every interest group. The big stickler is that most of these bones require matching funds from the provinces and the municipalities to liberate the federal money. While the Ontario government has said they have money in the bank, this might not be true of all provinces. Moreover, municipalities are being as hard hit by the recession as everyone else.

Toronto’ Mayor has already complained that the money will present challenges. Since they have already allocated all the money they have to current projects and the Federal money can only be attached to new projects they will need to backburner their ongoing priority projects and start new ones rather than expedite what is now in progress. Hmm, some good points, I think. Wonder if Harper is going to notice this "mistake" and offer a correction?

Wonderful Music abounds in Liberty Village

Went to the Liberty Cafe this week and had a great night listening to music. The main act was “Big Rude Jake”.

The entertainment started with this musician playing guitar and singing. I thought it could be described as blues but my dinner companion, T. thought that it was a bit more hill billy - and it was. He had a bit of difficulty keeping tempo and many songs seemed to speed up as he went along, but on the whole, I liked his music. I thought he was great enough, but shortly after he started other musical friends started arriving and it was clear that it was to be some sort of a Jake and assorted friends night.

It was a delightful evening of music - not sure who all the folks were by name, but there was a woman with the sweetest voice who plaid a ukulele (as well as piano) and sang some wonderful songs. At one point she sang a Leonard Cohen tune and by request several more, despite some difficulty remembering lyrics. The evening was all the more intimate because of this. There was another fellow who accompanied her on piano and another woman with a spectacular jazzy voice who sang (among other things) a bosa nova tune. A great evening was had by all.

The food and ambience of the Liberty Cafe is great. Want to check it out?
http://www.dine.to/theliberty

WinterCity Festival

I saw the other night that they were constructing a big stage at City Hall. As it turns out this weekend starts the 2 week Toronto Winter Festival called WinterCity. It is Toronto's turn to get out and enjoy outdoor activities and yes, dare I say, defy the weather. I am hoping it won't be as bitterly cold as it has been during January. Hard to resist the urge to stay indoors and cocoon rather than go out when it is -15 and below.

We are all familiar with the wonderful events that are organized in the City of Toronto during the summer; seemingly there is something every weekend. For instance, Beaches Jazz Festival, Taste of the Danforth and Caribana to name a few. WinterCity continues Toronto's tradition of free music venues, street entertainment and more.

This Year's WinterCity features concerts at Nathan Phillips Square, street theatre by Close-Act and RBC's Winterlicious Lodge. There are also "warm up" events at lots of indoor venues. There are lots to do and see during the next two weeks and I would encourage everyone to get out and enjoy.

The "Spectacle show" is presented on the stage at City Hall at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday night on both weekends. The act is a Dutch street theatre troupe Close-Act presents the North American premiere of an act they call Pi-Leauis. They are an acrobatic act presented by RBC. The description sounds quite incredible as Nathan Phillips Square is transformed into a mythical under-water world that floats high above the audience. I am sure to catch one of the performances.

At the same time as WinterCity there is the annual Winterlicious restaurant promotion. During this 2 week period many Toronto restaurants are featuring a Winterlicious Prix Fixe Menu at a significant discount price. It is a chance to try some of Toronto's upscale restaurants at a fraction of the normal price.

You can get more information about WinterCity and Winterlicious at:http://www.toronto.ca/special_events/wintercity/index.htm

Into the Deep Freezer - Again!

Ok Dudes, we are in for another weather roller coaster. It was a pleasant stroll into the office this morning. Seemed like a spring day when I went out to lunch. Less pleasant as I left the office and walked toward home. Still warm, but the wind had come up and it was clear that the cold was returning and being driven to our town rather quickly on the tail of an Arctic wind. I took the photo to the left on my walk home. I guess they figured that one wouldn't know what to do when cautioned about falling ice.

I suspect tomorrow I am going to want to cocoon inside rather than go out on a long walk.

News item of the day: Watching the Market Watch TV show tonight they were making viewers aware of the rising concerns regarding the potential of cell phone use to increase incidence of brain cancer. Scary! Of particular concern is the use of cell phones by young people. Apparently since the brain is smaller a greater percentage of it is exposed to the electromagnetic energy. There is a study ongoing in Canada which will have results in about 5 years, but a small study conducted n Europe showed a 5% increase in brain cancer users who used a cell phone for more than 10 years. Scary stuff for sure!!!

So now let me tell you about the Toronto One Read Event. As I mentioned last blog there are a number of events celebrating March as Reading Month. As part of Keep Toronto Reading 2008, the Toronto Library choose Consolation by Michael Redhill as the one book all Torontonians should read. The library held a number of events throughout the city about the book’s themes and issues. I read the novel and have to say it was my best read of the year. I look forward to this year's selection.

For those of you who haven't read it, I must first point out that it has a special significance to anyone who has lived in Toronto. Every page refers to a Toronto street, landmark or noteworthy historical event. There are two parallel plots each similar in theme but set more than 100 years apart. I won't go into more, you can go here if you want a to know more about it.

http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ktr/onebook/about_consolation.jsp

Next item: Going on a cruise is great fun; riding in an OPP cruiser, not so much...

I had to laugh at my brother's comment left on my face book site. IHe had commented that he had never been on a cruise, but he had been in a cruiser and that wasn't very much fun. I laughed!

Well I have been on a few different cruises, but not in the last many years until the one I went on in December. This one was in some ways far better than any I have been on before but somehow also a bit too posh. I still remember my first cruise (I hate to say how many decades ago). It was a Greek ship. Cruising was certainly not then what it is now. It was the disco 70s and I had an Afro perm and you can probably picture the scene. The ship was not the cleanest, and as I recall the cabin steward (an old fat man) asked that I tip him with a bottle of brandy as he would need to share any money I gave him. I had a party in my room and he brought ice and glasses and I gave him another bottle of brandy in thanks. I recall there were only 3 bars/clubs, no theaters or ice rinks. There was a casino and we did bingo there during the daytime. And the bathroom! It was so small you could sit on the john and shower at the same time.

This cruise was quite a contrast. The Royal Caribbean's "Liberty of the Seas" is the biggest cruise ship on the seas in the 2008/2009 sailing season. There is a "Grand Promenade" in the centre of the ship which is sort of like the interior of the Eatons Center - towering about 6 floors with balconies from the rooms on either side looking out at the promenade. We had an outside cabin with a nice balcony to view departures and arrivals or just to gaze out at the expanse of sea. The room was large - there were 3 of us sharing so that was important. Not that we spent much time in the room. I just counted up the number of bars -- I didn't even get to have a drink in every single one -- there were at least 10, if you count the one deck side and the one in the theatre. The formal dining rooms were over 3 levels with a scarlet O'Hara staircase joining them. Near the top of the ship there was a buffet dining room and there were several different eateries off the Promenade. Oh ya, there was a huge casino, a 2 level disco an an ice skating rink. Add to that the climbing wall, the surfing hill, on deck golf and all manner of on board entertainment, you could very well have stayed on ship the whole time and not been bored.

But of course we didn't and that will be the topic of another blog.

So enough for one blog - the hour is late and my bed calls.

Happy Thursday!

Just a short start on my blog this morning while I coffee is brewing. I got in late last night and once again was not able to do my blog in the evening after work. This week has been a busy one - lots of folks at work to catch up with - lunch and dinners out every day with friends and colleagues. Great way to start back to the "grind".

This picture is my entry to the "so you think you have it bad contest". Not sure how this happened but sure glad this prank wasn't played on me!

So, having just written a paragraph, I must run off. Perhaps I will have a chance to write a bit more during lunch, today is a quiet day with no plans for either lunch or dinner. So stay tuned for the completion of this blog later today.

Ok, so I will admit it... I have this urge just to veg and do nothing more tonight. But I decided that as I sit here by the fire, rum and tonic at the ready, dog at my side, laptop in my lap, tv in front of my face I would open my blog and make an effort at finishing up today's entry. I just got back from getting a load of groceries and after a long day of brain activity at work I would rather sit and veg. However, I am a determined soul and having just been reminded of the promised finish of this entry I am motivated to get it done.

Well, I could write about the weather - did you hear that we have had more snow this year so far than last year at this time - and last year was a record setting year! Or, I could write about how Lake Ontario is starting to freeze up. I was noticing as I got home that the grey/blue shoreline is receeding as it is being consumed by the white snow and ice at a rate of about 8 or 10 feet a day.

But no, I am going to blog on for the next couple of blogs about the Canada Reads event. (OK, a few comments about the weather and or noteworth local events might creep in as well. I discovered Canada Reads last year. March is "Reading Month" and there are lots of events which promote reading in that month. Canada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by CBC. The books are announced in November and the contest is held during March of each year. During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series of five programs. At the end of each episode, the panelists vote one title "off the island" until only one book remains. This book is then billed as the book that all of Canada should read.

Canada Reads 2009 will be aired from March 2 to March 6, 2009.
For the 2009 competition, the books chosen by the participants were:
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, defended by Avi Lewis
The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant by Michel Tremblay, defended by Anne-Marie Withenshaw
Fruit by Brian Francis, defended by Jen Sookfong Lee
Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards, defended by Sarah Slean
The Outlander by Gil Adamson, defended by Nicholas Campbell

I have started reading The book of Negroes which is by all accounts an exceptional book. Will keep you posted.

Tomorrow I will tell you all about Toronto Reads.

And I promise a Cruise story or two on the weekend!