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"

rc-4 update

Reading Challenge #4 continues...

Just this morning I finished re-reading Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane. It's a biography of John Lennon, written by long-time friend Larry Kane, a journalist who was assigned to travel with The Beatles on their two North American tours in 1964 and 1965. It's a great, honest biography of John Lennon, which all the good ones seem to be. That's how John would've wanted it.

Stay tuned for a dedication piece to John in December, on the 32nd anniversary of his death.

I'm struggling with what to read next. I think I'm going to try to dive into Susan Cain's book, Quiet, but we shall see!


What I've read so far...

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 **re-read
11. In One Person by John Irving
12. Lennon Revealed by Larry Kane **re-read

Giving Thanks

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

The first thing that I am thankful for today is my girlfriend.  She brings light to my day - every day - from the moment I get up, and that is something to be thankful for.

The second thing that I am thankful for is John Irving, his book In One Person, and good books everywhere.  After dropping my GF off this morning where she needed to be, I came back home and spent a quiet thirty minutes or so with my coffee and the last 25 pages of In One Person.  There was a lot of warmth in those thirty minutes, and like I always do with a good book, when it came to the end I got shivers, gently closed it, and spent 60 seconds or so digesting it.  I never expected my favourite author to write such an LGBTQ community-focused novel, but he did, and with an angle I've never seen, and I loved it.

I'm also thankful that once I'm done this quiet morning time and get myself showered and ready, that I'll be walking over to my parents' place - a twenty minute walk away - to enjoy a day of more warmth, loved ones around, delicious food, and a lot of blessings.

I feel lucky and I feel blessed and I feel thankful.

I hope you feel these things today, too!

~~~

rc-4 update: 

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
10. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
11. In One Person by John Irving

5 non-fiction, 6 fiction, 9 authors represented, a variety of subject matter.  Perhaps hitting the goal of 20 books read in 2012 is unlikely to happen, but who cares?!  I'm reading!

She's Come Undone

My friend and I had a great conversation recently about books.  Together we turned our noses up at Fifty Shades of Grey and went on to discuss what we were reading and what our favourite books are.  I mentioned I was reading John Irving's latest novel, In One Person.  She said, "I love John Irving!!!"  I said, "Me too!", and told her which ones I've read (A Widow for One Year, The Cider House Rules, and The World According to Garp).  She shared her Irving reads, and then said, "But as much as I love John Irving, he's competing against one other favourite author ...[dramatic pause]... Wally Lamb."

The friend that I was chatting with is one of my best friends, but I still reeled at her other favourite author.  Could she be serious?!  How was it that we shared the same two favourite authors?!?!  I love Wally Lamb, but even more than that, I LOVE his book She's Come Undone.  This conversation excited me so much that I soon put aside In One Person and began to re-read (my fourth time) She's Come Undone.  I'm reading it right now and it's as good if not better than the other three times I've read it.

Unlike other books I've read recently - the Hunger Games trilogy, or even Tuesdays with Morrie which I love, but still... - She's Come Undone is like nourishment.  The writing is so strong and powerful it's like actual food... like oatmeal, the kind of food that sticks to your ribs, prepares you for the day, warms you up, and stays with you for more than just a few minutes of satisfaction.  The story is deeply upsetting, sometimes depressing, but it's always done in a way that fills you up rather than leaving you simply empty and depressed.  I love this book, and it hasn't lost its effect on me.

This is good timing for a rc-4 update:

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

Currently reading... She's Come Undone (duh!), In One Person
On deck... A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

RC-4: Updated

I have been promising a full update on rc-4 a.k.a. Reading Challenge #4 in which I challenge myself to read 20 books in 2012.  Like it or not, the year is almost 2/3 over.  That makes me want to scream!  I mean, I'm fine with time passing just as quickly as it wants to, but it still comes as a surprise to know that... my France trip was nearly eight months ago... I've been in Toronto again for nearly two months... and that the time aspect of the reading challenge is 2/3 done while the reading aspect is not even 1/2 done.

BUT, that said, the reading challenge series was never meant to make me feel bad or guilty; it was always intended to encourage me to read more, and so even if I only make it to 10 books this year (50% of my goal), it's fine... as long as I'm reading.

So here's what I've read so far this year...

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

Currently reading: In One Person by John Irving (FANTASTIC so far!!!)

Posts to come: nothing on deck for y'all at this point, but surely I'll be posting soon!

Love,

Sugar & Gravy 

The Hunger Lames

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins… everyone was talking about it, my girlfriend devoured the trilogy, and – despite my biggest deterrent: hype – I was intrigued enough to dive into the series.  

I liked reading the first installment (The Hunger Games) because it was easy and quick to read, the chapters were short (which can be a really nice thing), and because it was a literary idea like I’d never read before.  It was imaginative, original, creative, and fascinating; these are great elements in a novel.

I started reading Catching Fire (the second book of the three) because I had to know what happened next.  I read this novel even more quickly than the first.  I loved this one in particular because it went in a direction that I had never predicted.  It was surprising and even more engaging than its predecessor.  I was hooked!

Then I moved on to Mockingjay and I faltered.  I pushed through the first bit and then couldn’t get hooked again.  It lay gathering dust on my kitchen table for weeks… I think it took me nearly 2.5 months, if not more, to get through it in the end.  It just didn’t deliver like the others did.  Sure, it was a new story, but it wasn’t that same action-packed, page-turning excitement that had me racing through the first two. 

Then – worst of all – the ending fell flat.  I liked what I gathered some of the overarching themes were, bleak as some of them may be, but it was just so… unsatisfying.  It wrapped up too quickly without enough loose end-tying.  It just kind of went splat – there you go, it’s over.  The definition of anticlimactic.

Was it worth the read?  Absolutely.  But as my friend Waleed said, “It’s not a good sign when you’re really happy you’re done.”

[This whole unsatisfying experience was heightened by the sigh of relief and overwhelming sense of sustenance I felt when I dove into my current read: In One Person by John Irving.]

Posts to come... a full update on Reading Challenge #4 + anniversary dinner at Yours Truly & a beer beforehand

Muskokes

Summer in Ontario doesn't quite feel like summer until I get to spend some time at a cottage.  I got my 24 hours in Sarnia, but it's not quite the same.  I just got back from 48 hours on Lake Rosseau in Muskoka and now I really feel like I've had that summer experience.  (Lucky for me I'll also get 48 hours in Southampton on Lake Huron next weekend!)

My 3 days in Muskoka were incredible!!!  My GF and I arrived there on Sunday around 1:00pm after the oh-so-necessary stop at Weber's on Highway 11.  My dad met us at the marina and off we drove to the cottage which is on an island I can't remember the name of.  My parents rented this cottage for about two weeks and I'm so glad I was able to spend some time there.  It's newly built and is that perfect combination of creature comforts and real cottage living.  Everything's very clean and new but also comfy and cozy.  There are tonnes of different spots to cuddle up and read, sit down and play cards, or lounge and get some sun.

During my 48 hours there I had 4 swims, 2 periods of lounging in the sun, 2 sleeps averaging 9 hours each, I finished 1 book (Mockingjay... which I've been reading for what feels like 2 years... more on that another time), played Gin Rummy twice, Boggle once, Dominion (new favourite game!) 3 times, ate 2 delicious dinners... the list goes on.

Needless to say, I enjoyed every moment, and was glad to have my first real cottage moment of the Summer of 2012.  More to come!!!

Currently reading... In One Person by John Irving
Posts to come... my thoughts on The Hunger Games trilogy / an update on rc-4 + my 3-year anniversary dinner at Yours Truly (Dundas & Ossington)

Life in TO

Guess what?!?  For the past 10 days I have been, and moving forward I will continue to be, an official resident of the city of Toronto.  I haven't truly lived here since 2005... it's pretty wild how time flies.  5 years in Waterloo, 2 in Port Hope, and now I'm back... and I couldn't be happier!

Was it hard to leave Port Hope?  Not really.  My two years in PH were formative and important and happy and satisfying, but the time was right to make the move, and I was just flat-out excited when moving day (June 30th) finally came.  But it's important to note that I really did love my apartment in PH and it was somewhat sad to say goodbye to that great place, but onwards and upwards!!!

At least, it will be upwards soon... temporarily I'm living at my parents' place, and likely will be until September.  It's a pretty sweet gig for the meantime, and I'm grateful that I have a place to stay.


So how have I enjoyed my time back in the city???  FULLY.  The weekend I moved home just happened to be: Toronto Pride + the Canada Day long weekend + my sister's 30th birthday.  Does it get any better???  On June 30th, once all the moving craziness was done, I spent the evening celebrating 3 decades of my sister's life at the historic Lambton House (built in 1847) in the west end of Toronto.  She rented out a room at this great venue for a private party with a bar and her own DJ.  It was awesome - great music, great friends, quirky drinks (including "The '82" and "The Extra Dirty 30"), a dress code theme ("indie darling"... I was inspired by Hannah from "Girls"), and generally a lot of fun!


On Sunday, July 1, I woke up, showered, wore my finest combo of Pride and Canada Day-appropriate clothing, and headed down to the Church-Wellesley village to celebrate the gorgeous weather and the special day.  3 friends and I started the day off at Lola's Kitchen, which I believe I've mentioned before.  We were lucky enough to get a table on their patio and we took our sweet time enjoying many summery drinks (mimosas, Caesars, sangria, and watermelon spiked lemonade), their delicious food (I had the day's special: grilled cheese Benedict - delightful!), and the perfect combination of summer sun and heavenly breeze.  

Once we finished, we headed down Church St. from about Charles all the way to Carlton, checking out the vendors, people-watching, and generally taking it all in.  We crossed Carlton, down the subway stairs, and up to the corner of College & Yonge, and found a good spot to watch the parade out front of Hoops Bar, just north of College on the west side of Yonge.  It was a great spot to watch from, and despite feeling complacent about Pride every year when it comes around, once again I was overwhelmed by my own pride while watching the parade - pride for my city, my community, myself, and the amazing people I saw marching for various causes, all in the name of acceptance and gay pride.  Yes, I may be proud all year long, but what's the harm in marking a day to celebrate it in particular?  Nothing.  In fact, it's wonderful!!!


After about an hour or so of parade-watching, my girlfriend and I headed back up to her house for a Canada Day BBQ.  We ate snacks, drank beers, watched the Jays' game, sampled some delicious summery cocktails her sister put together (all tea-based... very cool), and then dug into the feast -- home-made burgers, corn on the cob, salads... TO DIE FOR.  Kudos to Steph for all her labour.  It was very well-received.


THEN we had the holiday Monday, on which we celebrated my sister's birthday again: the family edition.  We had a great little lunch in the backyard and then went to Canada Square movie theatre to watch "Take This Waltz", Canadian director Sarah Polley's second feature film, starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Luke Kirby, and Sarah Silverman.  I don't want to go into too detailed a review of this film.  My feelings about it are complicated which makes me feel like Sarah Polley did exactly what she intended, which I respect and appreciate.  I loved how unashamedly she highlighted Toronto - it was such a thrill seeing the city displayed without trying to pretend it's somewhere else, presumably in the states.  The acting was really incredible, and there were some extremely powerful moments.  Overall I liked it and I'm glad I saw it.


The rest of the week was pretty uneventful.  I'm working part-time from a home office in Toronto which has been a great new routine to adjust to and I'm finding it to be a very productive situation.  I saw some apartments and actually applied for one yesterday (stay tuned!).  Then on Friday night I went to Mississauga for the evening with some of my very besties and had a very chill time, eating Thai food and watching "The Comeback".  

Saturday morning I woke up relatively early, my sister picked me up from my friend's in Mississauga, and we drove down the 401 + the 402 to Sarnia, ON, my mom's hometown, and where some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins live.  We spent 24 hours at my uncle's place, which used to be my grandparents' house, so I've been there many times before.  He's done some incredible work on the interior and it's so amazing to spend time there, filled with memories of the time spent there as a kid, but then to be surrounded by a beautiful variation on the place I've known so well.  We arrived around 3:30, spent some time relaxing and catching up with my aunt and uncle, and then my aunt tucked me into the hammock where I read Mockingjay and took a snooze.  [Aside: I'm finally getting back into Mockingjay.  I'm determined to finish it this month and move onto something totally new.]  After a snooze and a shower, I joined more family and friends for a perfect summer dinner: BBQ'd ribs.  It was a delicious meal with fabulous company and I went to bed fully satisfied and fell fast asleep with the sound of the waves in my ears.


Sunday morning we woke up early and after some breakfast down by the lake, we took 3 dogs (my sister's, uncle's, and aunt's) for a long walk down the shore.  The combo of sun and breeze was delicious and we took our sweet time walking.  When we got back to the house, I went for a swim.  The lake was more wavy than you would imagine, and I felt like a kid again - turns out 15 years later it's just as fun to jump into the waves as it was before.  After that we had sandwiches by the beach, a little more reading and sunbathing, and then we packed up the car and headed back to TO.


So - needless to say, life in TO is off to a wonderful start!  I can't wait for whatever comes next...

rc-4: Kelly Cutrone enlightens

Guess what?!?  10 more days until I move to Toronto.


In other news, it's been a while since I updated you on Reading Challenge #4 a.k.a. rc-4.  Almost 6 months in and 7 books down.  Not bad, but I'm going to have to kick it up a notch to reach my goal of 20 books in 2012.


My latest read (which I finished this morning) was If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone -- Fashion PR Queen of New York: known for dressing in black, speaking her mind, and appearing on a variety of reality television shows, from "The Hills" to her own, "Kell On Earth".


The book wasn't what I expected.  I had been unsuccessfully reading Mockingjay, the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy.  I had really hoped to read the trilogy without stopping, but I regret to say that Mockingjay simply did not hook me.  The first book, The Hunger Games was fascinating throughout, hard to put down.  Catching Fire was so far from what I expected that it kept me engaged the whole time.  Mockingjay, on the other hand, was such a change of pace (read: slow) and just a whole other kind of story that I couldn't push through the first third.  It's now gathering dust on my kitchen table.  I'll try to get back to it next, but I won't force it.  I will finish it soon enough (everyone says it's worth pushing through for the sake of the ending), but if I'm not engaged, I'm not engaged.


Anyway, back to KC's "memoir".  First of all, I'd been reading The Hunger Games, so moving from that to a PR powerhouse's memoir, if you want to call it that, was a tough transition.  Secondly, feeling somewhat well-versed in spiritual language and ideals, it felt a bit rich to have spiritual advice coming from someone who I've seen straight-up call someone on their eating disorder in the middle of a bar on "The City".  However, when I got past my skepticism, I started to realize that Ms. Cutrone genuinely had a lot to offer.  She tells her own story - which is tumultuous and comes with all sorts of twists and turns - interspersed with both business-related advice as well as spiritual suggestions.  It's got a good flow, a fresh tone, and I actually got a lot out of it.  Definitely worth a read if you're looking for something different and light.  We'll see what I get to reading next.

rc-4 so far...

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

Say no to procrastination

It happened to me again.  I had a task on my to do list that I kept putting off and putting off and putting it off made me anxious but I still wasn't getting it done which made me more anxious and then finally... I got it done.  Today.  And, as always, it was much easier - and as it turned out, cheaper - than I thought it would be.  Once again the lesson is that procrastinating does nobody any good.

What was the task, you ask?  Well, as you might remember, my laptop died last summer.  It fully kicked the bucket, though thankfully the hard drive was saved.  My friend W told me that I could go and get the hard drive cased and it could act as an external hard drive.  I kept meaning to go and get it cased but, as I said, kept putting it off.  FINALLY today I dragged myself to Canada Computers in an ungodly area (north of Finch) and told the employee who greeted me at the door what I needed done.  I thought I'd have to hand over my hard drive and leave it with them for a few weeks and then pay $100 to get it back.  As it turned out, it cost $14 and involved nothing more than opening the box, casing it, screwing in some screws, and handing it back to me.  AMAZING.  Short, sweet, and now I have the luxury of enjoying all the music, movies, and TV shows I thought I lost forever last summer.

I love when that happens.....


Currently reading: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Next post: Discovering T.O. #5 - 416 Snack Bar, Lola's Kitchen, and Ha Long Bay

rc-4: Commercial Fiction

Time for a quick & dirty Reading Challenge IV update.


rc-4 so far...

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

Quite the mix so far, I would say.  Non-fiction, memoir-ish in the form of short stories, full-blown memoir, psychological thriller, and... commercial fiction, for lack of a better genre.

Speaking of The Hunger Games, I'd like to make a few brief comments about it.  I'm about 20 pages away from finishing the second book, Catching Fire, and plan on starting Mockingjay right after.  What do I think of it?  I love it.  Completely engaging and a real page-turner... almost to the point of being a bit manipulative.  As my friend said to me, it feels like a book meant to be made into a movie, which would be a bit off-putting if it wasn't so engaging.  I can only compare it to The Da Vinci Code in that regard.  I'm loving it though.  Will it be one to re-read?  Maybe, maybe not, but this is one series I'm willing to read to find out what all the buzz is about... unlike Twilight which I've never read, seen, and will never read or see.

Another update to come soon!

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'.

Happy St. P's & 2 films to see

Happy St. Patrick's Day, readers!  I hope you're out celebrating your Irish heritage or at least pretending to be Irish for the day.  Whether it's enjoying a green beer, fryin' up some spuds, or wearing a ridiculous shirt that says, "Kiss me, I'm Irish!", I appreciate your support of my heritage today.

Personally I celebrated today by finishing Frank McCourt's memoir, Angela's Ashes.  10 weeks into 2012 and 3 books down.  Only 17 more to go! ...Anyway, on to the point of this post...

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently saw two films that I think are really important:

1. Almost a year ago I saw that a documentary called "Miss Representation" was playing on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).  I was at my parents' house at the time so I PVRed it and then forgot about it.  Recently I was flipping through their PVRed shows and saw it there.  I was relaxing with my Saturday morning coffee, so I thought, why not?!  I spent the next two hours watching a documentary that really shook me.  In the simplest terms, the film is about the negative portrayal of women in the media and how that leads to a shortage of women in the government and other high-powered positions in the corporate world.
   
   A barometer for my world is my Facebook news feed.  I was an active volunteer in university in the LGBTQ community and as a result crossed paths with queer activists, feminists, and the like.  Now, my news feed is in large part made up of videos, articles, and personal statements about issues of homophobia, sexism, misogyny, etc.
   
   I am wholeheartedly against these things.  However, when they are the bulk of what I see on Facebook, I have become very desensitized and find myself with compassion fatigue.  So, I stop thinking about the problems and how they impact me and those around me.  When I sat down and watched "Miss Representation", it was like a smack in the face -- these are real issues!  There is a real problem!  I watched esteemed women like Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Rachel Maddow, and Gloria Steinem talk about this real issue, and I felt overcome with an urge to weep for women everywhere.  I know this sounds dramatic, but it felt dramatic!  I felt like I had totally forgotten that these are real problems affecting me and every female in my life and the world.  It was a wake-up call.  It was a very powerful & important film, and I strongly recommend it.
   
2. The day after I watched "Miss Representation", I went over to my sister's place for a delicious brunch and another engaging film.  She and I watched "We Were Here".  This doc is about the AIDS crisis in San Francisco in the 80s.  It really outlines the spread of the virus, both physically and also the social spread of information; from the early days hearing about the "gay cancer" to learning about potential meds to help those with AIDS.  The story of it all was told by artists prominent in the area at the time, individuals who had partners die of AIDS, and nurses who helped comfort patients in hospitals during their final days.  It was well-made, well-told, and emotional.  Another one I highly recommend.

What's the deal with rc-4???

So, I said a while ago that I thought I had already revealed rc-4 a.k.a. Reading Challenge #4.  As it turns out, I had written the post, but never posted it.  However, based on what I've read so far in 2012, I don't think my original plan for rc-4 is really going to work... Therefore I've got a better - but less exciting - idea.

So what?!  Who cares?!

Reading Challenge #4 is to read 20 books in the year 2012.
Yes, I know this was the challenge for rc-3 and 2011, but I didn't complete it and I want another go at it.

Why does my original plan no longer work?  Well, the original plan was to read up to 50% of my book collection, as I've realized that I've only read about 26% of my collection (sad, but true).  This is a great plan, BUT it means I'd need to read about 26 books this year (ambitious) AND so far the two books I've read are a new book I bought and another that I borrowed.  So... that's not gonna work.  I'm just going to go with 20 books this year, and - as always - I'll keep you posted along the way.

rc-4 so far...

1. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
2. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Currently reading -- Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Posts to come -- Discovering Toronto #3 (though I write about the city all the time, this is the 3rd official Discovering TO post): The Power Plant & Bar Volo

~~~

Reading Challenge Summary:

1. Reading Challenge #1 was to read 8 books in a 4-month period.
2. Reading Challenge #2 was to read 8 books in a 4-month period... BUT 50% had to be fiction.
3. RC-3 was to read 20 books in the year 2011 (17/20 ain't so bad).
4. RC-4 is to read 20 books in the year 2012.

Soul Nourishment

I'm at work right now, but had to take a blog break because of what's nourishing my soul at this moment.

My friend R. burned me a mix CD for Christmas (a long-time tradition) with this track on it and I've been playing it non-stop in the car.  Seriously.  Like, it ends, and then I start it again. So I finally brought the CD into my office to upload it to iTunes so I can listen to it all-day any day.  Watching these gentlemen live(ish) in the video above is even better.  Oh, to have a talent like that (as my boss said after I emailed her the vid).  She's so right! 

This isn't like listening to your average song though. No. For me at least, there's something about the music that just fills me up. Throw in some hot coffee and a quiet day in the office and it's straight-up soul nourishment. 

Other things have been nourishing my soul lately... Baths. Reading before bed (What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell). Cocoa butter. Eating meals at the kitchen table (instead of in front of the TV). Hearing the words "I love you".