I'd like to thank the Academy...

I can't believe I haven't updated this blog in over a month.  I hate looking at my favourite blogs and not seeing an update, and I try not to let that happen with S&G, but oh well...

Life is good... but busy!!!, which explains the lack of blogging.  Although I am not a teacher, I do work at a school and so the energy inevitably comes back to campus and my workload the moment the academic year starts again.  I love it though!  During the summer I am so bored, and although it's nice to have a break and have things quiet down a bit, I much prefer overwhelmingly busy to overwhelmingly bored.  Always.

Right now my plate is full of work associated with an event that takes place this Tuesday, so the end is in sight!  Things are in good shape so it's just a matter of working my butt off until Tuesday at around 10:00 pm, spending the rest of the week doing the follow-up on the event, and then... well, starting work on the next event, which takes place on November 6th.  And then when that's over, I'll work on the next event, which takes place on January 18th... and then I have a bit of a break.  Event-planning is hard... and I'm not even an event planner.  Oh well!

In other news, I have not been reading.  I really need to make time to read, but I always want to do something mindless when I'm not working.  I will try to get reading back into my life.

And the award for the most boring blog update goes to...


Currently reading: Nothing.
Posts to come: My thoughts on "Orange is the New Black"... eventually...

I Don't Care / I Love It

I have an upcoming post on my cat (!!!), but in the meantime, here's a track that I've been playing on repeat today. It was featured in the latest episode of "Girls" (have I written about "Girls"?) and my sister sent me the link to the video last night and I can't stop pumping the jam.



Bringing media content back to S & G.  What is this, a blog of essays?!

Upcoming posts... Spoon, Girls, RuPaul

Reader's Digest

I can't believe it's already January 22nd!!!  This month has flown by.  It happens to be pretty much my busiest month of the year at work, so it was a stressful and overwhelming start to the year.  But, with the biggest project in my portfolio behind me, I'm feeling very successful, accomplished, and productive.  That is a great way to begin 2013.

I don't have anything in particular to blog about today, but I was feeling like I'd been neglecting ol' S&G.  So - how about a bit of a general update?  Perhaps even a list of things I want to blog about when I have more time / I'm in the zone.


My cat: I got a cat.  His name is Spoon.  I've never had a pet before in my life, save for a hamster and maybe some fish... and an infamous turtle (ask me about that story as I'm unlikely to blog about it).  Spoon and I already have a beautiful, budding friendship, and I have no doubt I'll want to dedicate one - if not many - entry to him in the near future.

Hobbies: I wouldn't call myself a workaholic.  I love my job, but I make time for lots of other things, too, and it's not that often that I find myself "burning the midnight oil".  However, when someone asks me, "What do you do?", I'm determined not to reply with my job title.  Therefore, I am cultivating a number of hobbies that bring balance and fun to my life, and which I can state to people proudly.  I'd love to write about a few of them soon.

My iPad: I got an iPad and I really enjoy it.  I may or may not blog about it.


That'll be all for now.


Currently reading... Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington, Quiet by Susan Cain
Posts to come... An overview of all contestants to date on "RuPaul's Drag Race" ... and maybe sometime on my cat and my hobbies.

Happy New Year | rc-4: Concluded

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Bring it on, 2013!


I am back to work today, in ways both professional and personal, so it felt timely to update good ol' Sugar & Gravy.

How was your holiday?  Mine was great!  It was the perfect balance of seeing family and friends, eating food, sleeping, resting, socializing, and more.  I had a great New Year's Eve, too; very low-key with some loved ones.  The holiday felt long, too, which is a surprise... not to say that it was easy getting back to work today, but still, it feels nice to be back to routine.

I owe everyone a salute to John Lennon, but it just doesn't feel right anymore, being nearly a month since the anniversary of his death.  Moreover, there's not necessarily a significance to the 32nd anniversary of his death, so perhaps I'll save it for 2015... here's hoping I keep S&G up until then.

I also owe y'all an overview of all contestants (seasons 1-4) on "RuPaul's Drag Race".  This post I will absolutely do, as it's partially written and I think will be a lot of fun to write and get feedback on.  I hope to get this written in January, but I won't make any promises yet.


rc-4 Year-End Update
What I will do right now is give my rc-4 update.  Another year has ended, and so therefore has another one of my reading challenges.  Reading Challenge #4, more commonly referred to as rc-4, was to read 20 books in 2012.  Once again (17/20 in 2011), I have not completed my challenge.  In fact, I only completed 60% of it, but.....

WHO CARES?!  The challenge is arbitrary to some degree.  It's a great regular segment to blog about, a chance to discuss the books I'm reading and what I plan on reading next.  And, the whole point was always to keep me reading after I was done my English degree, and I have been.  12 books in 2012 is fine.  A book a month is likely above average, and plus - I'm not competing with anyone.  rc-4 was for me, but hopefully any regular readers got some enjoyment out of it, too.  I know I did!!!

All that said, here's what I did read:

1. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
2. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
3. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
4. Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
7. If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone
8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
9. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom **re-read
10. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb *favourite author **re-read
11. In One Person by John Irving *favourite author
12. Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane **re-read

In Sum: 12 books read, 9 new books and 3 books re-read, 10 different authors, 1 series, 6 non-fiction, 6 fiction

As for what I'm going to do in 2013 or rc-5... I'm not sure yet.  I think I'm just going to re-commit myself to reading lots, blog about it here, but not make it a challenge.  I may change my mind, but I'm a bit over the challenge: not the intent of it, but the whole being a challenge part.  I'll read, I'll write about it, but that'll be all.

All my best for a great 2013, all!  Until next time.....

Currently reading... Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington, Quiet by Susan Cain
Posts to come... An overview of all contestants to date on "RuPaul's Drag Race"

Navel-Gazing & Joni Mitchell

This was written on Sunday, August 26th but I'm just posting it now.

I had a LiveJournal from about 2004 until 2009, maybe.  It was less emotionally-charged than those of some, but it was still rife with drama, cry sessions, and the like.  It was a stage though, and an important one, so I'm not mocking it nor regretting it, but I remember when I started Sugar & Gravy in 2008 that I was deliberately moving away from that stage and entering into something more superficial, and not in a bad way. S&G has always been a great outlet for writing about stuff: movies, restaurants, TV shows, Toronto, music, weird topics that pop into my head, etc.  But even with my deliberate intentions, surely S&G touches my soul, 'cause part of it comes out of me in these lines from time to time.....

Sorry - I'm totally saturated in Joni Mitchell right now and couldn't resist.  What I'm trying to say is twofold: (1) Despite making an effort to have this blog be an outlet for the less introspective of my thought processes, when I read back on old entries, I'm still reminded of all the moments of my journey.  I remember when I started listening to MGMT and how it changed me.  I remember how emotionally invested I was in Naomily of series 3 and 4 of the show "Skins" (and why that may have been...).  I remember the smell of the Olive Oil Dry Mist I "endorsed" in this post and how my bathroom and all my towels used to smell like it in my old basement apartment in Waterloo.  So despite this not being written like a traditional journal or diary, it still brings me back to the moments when I wrote the entries in a very real way.  Then again, that doesn't mean that you - the reader - feel the emotional side of things.

That brings me to (2): perhaps it's worthwhile sometimes to let this be an introspective outlet; not in a forced way, but I shouldn't shy away from it just because that's now how I established it.  I have a physical, tangible, pen and paper journal still, but sometimes typing it all out is good, too.  I am not moving the intention of this blog from superficial to navel-gazing, but today - with all of this Joni Mitchell-listening - I'm inspired, and so I felt like trying something different.

Or at least talking about trying something different.  Now that it's Tuesday, August 28th, I'm not feeling the urge to introspect like I was on Sunday, so I won't force it, but if you read some different posts on S&G in the near future, this is why.....


And now I leave you with some raw, beautiful Joni Mitchell singing one of my favourite songs live.  Sing it, Joni, you beautiful creature.

Top 5 S&G Blog Posts of All Time

My first ever post on Sugar & Gravy was on August 1, 2008 - over 4 years ago.  I've had a few different blogs over the years (including a LiveJournal back in the day!), but S&G has stood the test of time like no other.  I was reminiscing recently, looking over different posts I've written over the years, and I realized that on Blogger you can see how many times each post has been read.  Let's ignore the fact that I've had this blog for over four years and only just realized that... Anyway, I decided to check out and see which posts made the top 5 most read list, and now that I know, I'd like to share the results with you.

Without further ado...

Sugar & Gravy Top 5

1. Naomily: Ultimate Satisfaction - I wouldn't call this my most memorable blog post of all time, nor one that fills me with a sense of pride, but still, it doesn't really surprise me that this is my #1 most read blog post.  Why doesn't it surprise me?  Well, because for a period of 2-4 weeks, I Google/YouTube-searched the word "Naomily" on a daily basis.  Pathetic, I know, but there, I said it.  So, having once been a Naomily-obsessed individual, I probably would've fallen upon this blog post, too, if I hadn't written it myself.  I hope Naomily fans all over the world enjoyed it.
2. Sex and the City: In Review - This was an important, well-researched, lengthy, and satisfying post to write.  I'm glad to see it made the top 2.
3. Today I Am Entertained - References to the MBTI, Audrey Tautou, and "Hoarders"?  How this managed to be so widely read, I'll never know.
4. My trip to France - This was one of my most annoying posts to write because of all the photos I included with it.  However, I planned to write it from the first day I arrived in France, and it was a great way of ensuring that I documented my experiences as I travelled.  I also worked hard to distill my experience into highlights, which was tricky, but satisfying.  Very pleased this was well-read.
5. Lastly, My Shameful Secret - This was a fun post to write and I'm delighted that it was read by so many people.  As much as the tone of the post is tongue-in-cheek, I really did carry my "shameful secret" around with me for a while (7-8 years, to be exact), and though I would often joke about it, it really started to get to me.  This post was cathartic, and also motivational.  Knowing that at least some people were now aware of my inability to drive, drove me (ha!) to achieve this goal.  Like I've said before, accountability really motivates, so thanks for reading!!!

As a bonus, I thought I'd add two honourable mentions, so to speak.  Two posts - both Waterloo-related - that I really enjoy: Ode to Waterloo & Niko Niko

How Oprah helped me "get" Lady Gaga

I can't believe how rarely I've been posting on Sugar & Gravy.  I don't have an excuse or explanation.  I try to pause at moments like this and think, "Has S & G run its course?"  The answer for now is, "Not yet".  So here is a long overdue entry.  I'll try to update more frequently moving forward.


~~~


I have tried to write this post in particular a number of times but keep getting distracted, writer's block, or just forget.  No more.  I will write this post... today.

As I've said before, I wasn't a big fan of Lady Gaga.  I probably said on occasion, "I hate Lady Gaga".  I realize now that "hate" was too strong a word, and furthermore, I didn't hate Lady Gaga, I hated the hype.  I hated hearing about her latest dramatic, artsy, controversial, or one-of-a-kind performance.  I hated hearing people talk about how unique she is, how crazy her style is, and how great her music is.  What's so special about Lady Gaga?  I mean, I find her songs pretty catchy and her style can be pretty fierce, but... why the hype?  I guess more than hating Gaga or hating the hype or hating the fans, I just didn't get Lady Gaga.


When I saw that Oprah was doing an episode of her show "Oprah's Next Chapter" with Lady Gaga, I realized this is it.  If I'm ever going to *get*, appreciate, and/or like Lady Gaga, this is how it's going to happen.  Oprah has an uncanny ability to open my eyes and heart to someone/something, and so if she can't do it for Lady Gaga and I then no one can.


Turns out - unsurprisingly - she could.


If I remember correctly, the episode started with footage of the launch of Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, which was held at Harvard University with Oprah co-hosting.  I'm often skeptical of celebrities and their causes; I can't always tell what's genuine and what's just for publicity.  However, with Oprah on board, I knew it was legit.  Also, hearing Lady Gaga speak about her cause, her mission, and how strongly she cared about it... well let's just say my heart was opening up to her.


After that, Oprah visited Gaga and her mother at their NYC apartment, where Gaga still lives. Lady Gaga seemed herself - no crazy outfit, no crazy make-up, no crazy wig.  She looked beautiful: clean, simple, and comfortable.  As always, Oprah and her interviewee spoke candidly; you got a real sense of who Lady Gaga is.  I was reminded that she's close to my age - just a year and two months (exactly) older.  She was very smart and confident, thoughtful and well-spoken.  It was a great interview, about the fame and how her life has changed, how she grew up and who she is now.  Oprah also spoke at length with her mother, and they both just seemed so down-to-earth, and... real.  Authentic.  Genuine.


The biggest moment came when Oprah made a comment along the lines of her passing the torch to Lady Gaga.  This is extremely significant, I thought, because Oprah is saying that Lady Gaga is more than a singer/songwriter/performer.  She's a world figure, a leader, capable of real change and impact.  That's what really opened my eyes.


Finally, when Oprah asked Lady Gaga's mother what she wanted the world to take out of this interview, Mrs. Germanotta said: "I want people to get my daughter."  When I heard her say it, I knew I did in fact now get Lady Gaga.

Discovering T.O. #5

I'm ashamed to say that it's been over 2 weeks since I last posted on here.  Oh well, no better time than now to update and get on with it...


I think now is a good time for another installment of "Discovering T.O."


This past Saturday, we celebrated my sister's bachelorette with a very classy day of enjoying some treats the city has to offer.  My sister is a very low-key kind of girl, and her bachelorette reflected that.  Guests were invited to attend one or both parts of the day.  The first was...


High Tea @ MoRoCo Chocolat:


My sister (the engaged one) loves tea and baking, so my other sister (the organizer) suggested high tea at MoRoCo in Yorkville.  She had been before and loved it so we all took her word for it and went there Saturday afternoon.  


It was a very classy affair, to begin with.  Beautiful decor and atmosphere, great service, and a really delicious menu.  We began with a glass of champagne, followed by having our orders for tea taken (they provide loose-leaf tea selection; you choose yours and they bring you your own full tea-pot of it, with a beautiful tea-cup and a strainer).  When your tea arrives, so does all the food (see photo below).  The bottom tier of the tower has finger sandwiches, second tier has the most delicious scones you've ever tasted (complete with cream & custard), and the third tier has a variety of chocolate-coated and other sweets (strawberry dipped in chocolate, macarons, etc.).  There was no rush to enjoy all of this and, as I said, the service was fantastic!




Next on the menu...


Dinner @ Gio Rana's Really Really Nice Restaurant (a.k.a. "The Nose"):


We took the TTC from Yorkville to Leslieville for dinner at Gio Rana's.  Some of the guests just went to the tea, but 6 of us made the trip together from one hip neighbourhood to another and had 2 more join us.  My sister (the organizer) booked us in their private room/vault/wine room, which provided an extremely cozy, cool, and intimate eating experience.  We all kicked off the night with dirty martinis and then a couple of bottles of red wine to go with the delicious Italian food we were served.  I chose the Involtini as my main: stuffed pork wrapped in a rib-eye, topped with goat cheese.  As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get any better.  I had the salad special of the night as a side, which was also delicious.  A very perfect dining experience, with an Irish coffee to cap the night off.




Currently reading -- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain


Posts to come -- the long-awaited (I'm sure) Lady Gaga post, my thoughts on "Downton Abbey", and my feelings on The Hunger Games

Weekend Mish-Mash

It's been nearly two weeks now since my last post.  I used to post more frequently maybe, but I'm trying to write in a more thematic way than before, as you may have noticed.  That being said, I don't want that to keep me from posting, so here's something new - unplanned & random.


I'm now over three months into rc-4 and 4 books down.  Not exactly the right rate of reading (alliteration!) if I want to get to 20, but I'm not concerned.  The fourth book I read was Thomas Harris' Silence of the Lambs.  I was assigned this book in one of my English courses in university and read a fair bit of it but wasn't able to finish it before the end of the course, so I finally got down to getting through the whole thing... and it was GREAT!

The book appeals to me in the same way the movie does - a unique story, a fantastic protagonist (Clarice Starling), and the best elements of a psychological thriller without being downright gratuitous.  There are moments in the book - again, just like the movie - that are downright gross, upsetting, and creepy.  That being said, it all fits, and none of it seems gross just for the sake of it, so I let myself get creeped out by those moments and that's part of the fun.  The important thing was that it was a great read, I was engaged start to finish, and I'm glad I made it to the end this time around.

Having finished the book I figured it was high-time I re-watch the movie "Silence of the Lambs" with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.  Luckily it was on Rogers on Demand, so I watched it on Good Friday (how appropriate).  It was just as good as I remembered.  Jodie Foster is the PERFECT Clarice Starling, and the movie does a good job of taking liberties on additions and making smart decisions on subtractions so that at the end of the day, you've still got the same great story.  That said, there's nothing quite as good as the book.


In other news, I had a bit of a "Discovering TO" moment yesterday when I finally got my chance to have fish & chips at Penrose Fish & Chips on Mt. Pleasant.  I had heard this place raved about a number of times and so how appropriate (actually this time) that I got my first taste on Good Friday?!?  Let me tell you... it was worth the rave reviews I had heard.  The atmosphere was simple and classic, unpretentious and family-oriented.  The take-out line-up was literally down the street.  The main event - the fish & chips - were perfect.  Crispy, crunchy batter wrapped around light, fresh halibut & home-made fat fries with lots of vinegar, salt, and ketchup at the table to enjoy them with.  YUM!!!  We finished it off with one piece of lemon meringue pie and four forks.  It was PERFECTION.  I left feeling full but not bloated, which to me is the sign of a good meal.  On top of that the company was the best you can have, so that didn't hurt.  Oh, and this place is literally newsworthy - a cameraman from CityTV was there to film the Good Friday tradition there and my friend ended up on the news that night reporting that Penrose is worth the wait!  Yours truly snuck in there, too, don't you know...  So glad to have had my Penrose experience!  More to come, to be sure.


And finally, I haven't yet reported that I'm now a "Downton Abbey" lover, but I am and I'm proud of it!  I was introduced to it last weekend and wrapped up season 1 last night.  I had heard a lot of hype, but I knew that it would be something I'd enjoy, so I fought my aversion to hype and dove in.  OMG it is good.  It has all the elements I like in a television show - good writing, good acting, good cinematography, tasteful drama, and exposure to a world you've never seen before (I hope I don't sound pretentious as I think I might, having just said cinematography is an element I like in TV).  Anyway, I love the show and highly recommend it.

Now - back to my Easter weekend..... pajamas, guilt-free TV and movie-watching, my new book (The Hunger Games... speaking of hype), and good old-fashioned chillin'.

What should we call me??

I've got a meaty post comin' at you sometime between today and Tuesday of next week, BUT...


In the meantime -- I'd like to introduce you to a site that makes me laugh harder than any other: http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/.


Thank me later.

Manicures & High Heels

In advance of my upcoming review of "Sex and the City", the entire series, I wanted to write (as promised) of how manicures and high heels make me feel.

I was a tomboy for all of my early years.  You could maybe still consider me one, I don't know.  I was the only girl at the boys' birthday parties.  I played hockey.  I frowned when my first pair of underpants had flowers on them (true story).  I put up an enormous fuss when told to put on a dress.  You get the picture...

As a result, despite growing up with 4 sisters, I missed some so-called crucial steps to "being a girl".  I could barely put my hair up in a ponytail at 14, I got dresses only for occasions that required them, and I think I applied mascara for the first time at 18.  Once again, you get the picture...

When I was in Turkey in the summer of '09 (can't believe it's already been that long), I told my mom and sister, who I was travelling with, that I wanted to quit biting my nails.  I'd been biting them (as you might remember) for at least 14 years, I would guess, and so it was a big undertaking.  The goal was to not bite them on the trip and reward myself with a manicure on the second leg of the trip in Abu Dhabi.  After all, where else would I get my first manicure???

The experience was in a word - and I'm not really exaggerating here - profound.  I never really got it.  Why paint your nails?!  What's the point?!  Do people think of you differently?  Does it make any difference at all?

Well, I can only speak from my own perspective, but yes, yes, yes.  It does make a difference.

Somehow, it makes me feel prettier.  I look at my hands and rather than just various shades of pink, I see these colourful nails that stand out and transform my fingers.  I feel elegant.  I feel more grown-up and professional.  I feel like people might think differently of me; that I take care of myself and take pride in my appearance.  Superficial?  Maybe... but also not, because the prettiness I feel goes deep.  I don't mean pretty in the shallow sense; I mean a full-body feeling of confidence and power.

[And as a side benefit, getting manicures really helps maintain the health of my nails and keeps me from wanting to bite them... 'cuz they're so pretty.]

I experienced the same thing recently when I bought my first pair of real high heels.  By real, I mean an actual heel (not the hilarious kitten heel), and not just plain, but with a bow and other ornaments.  I put my feet in them, stood up from the bench at the shoe store, and pulled my pant leg up.  My leg was completely transformed.  It looked more muscular, more feminine, and more defined.  My posture was different.  I felt different.  When I walk around in heels I feel tall and powerful, elegant and poised.  Once again, I know it may sound superficial, but it doesn't feel superficial.  It feels real, the feeling has depth, but at the end of the day I don't need to qualify it, I just need to enjoy the transformation.

On the reading list -- Still finishing up When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (loving it!  15 pages to go), and then I think I'll follow that up with The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (which has nothing to do with the film).

Post to come -- My thoughts on the series "Sex and the City" in its entirety & What's the deal with rc-4?

Wonderful Weekend!

Man, I must be in a writin' mood.  Two posts in two days.  Oh well, when the muse is with you, the muse is with you...

First a little something fun:



What a sweetie!


I've been having a great weekend!  It's a long weekend here in Ontario (Family Day), so the usual luxury of the weekend is made that much more luxurious.  I've had a great mixture of chill times, time outdoors, movie-watching, friend-seeing, food-eating... the whole gamut.  In the food-eating arena, I went to Frida last night as I mentioned I would, and it was as delicious as I remembered.  Tasty margaritas, succulent jumbo shrimp, and the best guacamole I've ever had in my life!!!  On top of all that, I had with me some absolutely fabulous company.  Great evening!!!

Today was an adventure with my boy Waleed.  As his birthday present, I wanted to do something fun together.  W. and I are going to be friends forever, so buying expensive things isn't always necessary; I'd rather have a fun experience together, so that was the inspiration for this gift.  We started the day off with brunch.  We met at the Bloor Street Diner where I was having a coffee and thinking that the all-you-can-eat brunch sounded tantalizing.  When Wal arrived we asked how much the AYCE brunch cost and it was $25.95 each before tax.  That was a little too steep for the two of us, so we finished our coffees, paid for them, and headed east to Sunset Grill at Bloor & Church.  There we got 2 filling breakfasts for $20 TOTAL!!!  I'm glad we resisted brunch at BSD -- another time.

After a yummy breakfast at SG, we headed to surprise #1, which Wal had NO idea about.  Where did we go???  The Bata Shoe Museum!!!  I hadn't been there since I was 12 or so, and Wal had never been, and I thought it would be a fun experience.  We went to lots of museums together in Paris, but why not in the city where we both (kinda... sorta...) live?!  It was a lot of fun.  We started downstairs where the history of shoes is charted, and then we followed that up with the Roaring Twenties exhibit, which was really well done.  We also saw the Art in Shoes | Shoes in Art exhibit, which was cool, too.  We were there probably an hour or so in total, and then we headed to surprise #2.

Surprise #2: Seeing "The Iron Lady" at the Varsity Theatre in the VIP theatre!!!  Wow... what a movie.  It was really fantastic to see such a strong, powerful woman's journey.  It was also well-done; watching Margaret Thatcher's struggles with sanity/dementia.  Jim Broadbent acted well, as he always does.  But, let's get to the most important thing:

MERYL.  MERYL.  MERYL.
Meryl Streep... how do you do it?  She is, without a doubt, the greatest actress of our time.  For that matter, she may be the greatest actress of all time.  While watching the movie, you completely forget that it's Meryl.  That is definitely thanks to the talent of the make-up artist, too, but... oh Meryl... you really just nailed it.  You were Margaret Thatcher.  You were completely in the character.  The accent, the facial expressions, the voice...  You were absolutely flawless.  Win or lose the Oscar, there is no debate about your talent.  Congratulations on the performance of a lifetime!!!

Never mind the special treat of enjoying a movie in the VIP theatre.  It's not something you want to do every time you see a movie, but for a treat it's worth the extra bucks.  You've got a small, intimate theatre with a great view of the screen.  You've got extra comfy seats and a side table for your treats.  You can have beer while you watch your movie!  And, in my last experience in the theatre, I even had an employee serve me my treats!!!  It's a fun little treat.  (Say treat again... treat!)

So that was the birthday adventure with Waleed.  A lot of fun!

I also saw another great movie this weekend: "Beginners".  I'd been wanting to see this since I saw a preview for it; it seemed like a really new idea for a movie.  Beyond a fun story line, it also had a creative multimedia-esque approach.  The acting was also really good.  I loved Melanie Laurent, and Ewan was great, and Christopher Plummer was at his best.  It was a well-written movie and quite moving.  I loved it!



So, that was my weekend!  Lots of fun, and back to reality on Tuesday!

NO NAIL BITING CHALLENGE

What's the key to achieving goals?

Declaring them on Sugar & Gravy.

Aside from graduating from university with a BA in Honours English and getting my G2, I think one of my best achievements in the past few years was quitting biting my nails.  I had been biting them for as long as I could remember and was frankly sick of the way they looked, the pain, and the embarrassment of having such nasty nails.  I decided to stop biting them, and I did.

Unfortunately, it hasn't lasted.  I don't know if I just let myself get back into the habit or if work-related and certainly emotional stress/distress lately have driven me to bite them.  Either way, I'm sick of doing it all over again and must break the habit!!!

SO - I solemnly declare to quit biting my nails once again!!!  Please join me on this journey.

Blue skies are coming.

Happy 302nd post, Sugar & Gravy!!!

In other news, this is my anthem for the week:



Enjoy!

Getting things done week

This is a getting things done week. Now that I've entered the working world, every week is a getting things done week, really, but this is a work-related and personal getting things done week. For example, right now I'm updating my iPhone w/ new tunes via the Hype Machine and updating my blog, which I've been meaning to do for ages... with a substantial post.

So what have I been getting done? Well... work has been incredibly busy, which is overwhelming, but also great! What I love about my job is that there's so much variety - I never expected as a fundraiser to double as a production assistant with a film crew!! That'll be fun. Work is so busy that I brought work home with me today. It's not a necessary part of my job, and it's not unusual to be replying to/sending emails after the work day is over, but today was different - I brought home a stack of work to get through and just finished getting through it. What was great was that it wasn't overwhelming, but really satisfying! I was able to organize myself outside of the work day, so that when I start my day in the office tomorrow, I won't have to waste time figuring out what I need to do, but I'll be able to do it! I also won't have to start the day sending emails - but instead will hopefully have the replies by the time I start working. Definite efficiency... I can see why my Dad has done it for all these years. Anyway - I enjoyed the experience of taking my work home. (Speaking of being efficient with emails [or not!] - check out this post on my other blog Life After WLU).

What else have I been up to?

Well here's a big advancement: remember the driving challenge? Well I took 5 lessons with my instructor, and have gone out to practice with my Dad about 3-4 times, and I'm feeling pretty confident with my driving. I need a little more practice, but I think I'm ready.

Remember my goals?

1. Get my G1 by December 31, 2010.
2. a) Register for driving lessons by February 28, 2011.
   b) Book my road test by May 31, 2011.
   c) Get my G2 by August 31, 2011.
3. Get a car by December 31, 2011.

Notice that a 3rd goal has been (added and then) struck out - 2b) book my road test! Yes that's right! I have booked the road test to get my G2. It is set for June 1, 2011. Just over a month away and I could will be a driver. I was a little hesitant to announce this, especially the exact date, but I find that "being accountable to others" makes a goal more likely to be achieved. So hold me to it, dear readers, and I won't fail!!! As always, I'll keep you posted.

Sidenote: my computer just randomly turned off. I'm hoping it doesn't do that again, but if it does - God bless Blogger for auto-saving my post. Saved me ultimate heartache.

Moving on...

I'm also continuing on in the reading challenge. Unfortunately it's slow and steady (emphasis on slow), but it's still in progress. I'm reading HP7 and totally loving it!!! Can't wait to finish it before the 2nd installment of the movie. Next on my reading list is finishing my friend Matthew Trafford's book The Divinity Gene. It's amazing, and the perfect book to take pause with as it's a collection of short stories. I'm about half-way through, so after HP7 I'm all over it!

Anyway, I think that's it for now. I'm paranoid that my comp will shut down again, so I bid you adieu!

HAPPY 251st, S & G!!!

Guess what?! This is my 251st blog post on Sugar & Gravy. What a momentous occasion! Well, it would've been if it was the 250th, but I missed that one. Oh well, it kinda works with the whole tone of S & G, you know? Nonchalant, chill, and unconventional.

So how do I celebrate my big day?! With a youtube video, natch.



Note Maya's incredible understanding of death for someone her age. She completely gets it.

Merci!

To all my readers (assuming there are a few):

Too Much Hype

I love Hype Machine! I really don't pay attention to the individual blogs that have their posts aggregated on the site, but now I think I'll pay attention to one of them: Salacious Sound.

I read an amazing post on it today that responds to another blog entry posted on November 18th. You've gotta check them both out. Very definitive 2009.

BI ALERT!

I know... I haven't posted in forever.

In truth, I got a new blog. It's anonymous and will stay that way, but needless to say I've gotten a little preoccupied with it. That said, I don't intend to abandon my most lovely Sugar and Gravy, just bear with me.

Anyway, today's news is:
Sia (singer of "Breathe Me" - one of the most beautiful songs ever, and also the last song ever played on "Six Feet Under") is bisexual and is dating JD Samson of Le Tigre.

Tell me, does it get any better?