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.

Milestones - both arbitrary and totally exciting!!

Life is all about celebrating arbitrary milestones, so...
HAPPY 286th POST, SUGAR & GRAVY!!!

In other news...
I GOT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! Now that I have it, all I want to do is drive. I was so excited to drive to work today that I left my apartment at 7:30am, went to Tim Horton's for a coffee (sweet drive-thru luxury!!!) and timbits for the whole office, and then got to the office before anyone else. It felt SOOOO good!!!

So - that means the Driving Challenge is officially over. Achieved much more quickly than I thought, it shall be deemed a total success, and I couldn't be prouder or happier!


In other other news...

1. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
2. The Girls by Lori Lansens
3. Live from New York by Tom Shales & James Andrew Miller
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
5. The Divinity Gene by Matthew J. Trafford
6. 38 Witnesses: The Kitty Genovese Case by A.M. Rosenthal
7. I Met the Walrus by Jerry Levitan
8. Saturday by Ian McEwan
9. Bossypants by Tina Fey

rc-3: 9 books down, 11 to go... nearly half-way done the year and nearly half-way done the challenge. Things are moving along well.

Bossypants was awesome!! I wasn't sure I loved it at first, but that was mostly due to the fact that I was transitioning from a serious fiction book (Saturday) to a scattered humour memoir. I say "scattered" because it jumped from story to story without necessarily any chronological order, or any other logic, for that matter. However, the further I got into the book, the more its scattered nature became part of its charm. Each chapter was essentially anecdotes about Tina's life, "advice" she has for others, and just neat stories about "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock". It was a great book, and I'd like to re-read it relatively soon to pick up on more subtleties.

I've moved from Bossypants to George Orwell's Animal Farm. I've never read it (or 1984 either... I'm a bad English grad), but it's a short novel, and so I thought it'd be a good transition from humour back to (most likely... though I don't know what I'm reading yet) fiction. I'm about half-way done and I absolutely love it! So satirical, so ahead of its time (in some ways, but obviously not in others... perhaps it's better to say that it's still relevant), and really enjoyable.


Life is good. No complaints.

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.