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

Two endorsements

I am ALL. MOVED. IN.  Yes, ma'am.  My girlfriend and I are moved into our new apartment in the Young & Eligible area.  There is still lots of settling in, tidying, etc. to do, but it already feels like home.  I can't wait to post more about how it feels to finally be here, but I'm not ready yet.  So instead, I'd like to endorse two services.  I know, this blog is not usually about that, but when I get such incredible service as I have on two fronts in the past week, I need to advertise.  Here goes.....

Canadian Automobile Association a.k.a. CAA.
When I first got my car (Hubble) last summer, my parents recommended I get a CAA membership.  Like the obedient daughter I am, I did so, and didn't think about it much after that.  When the time came to renew, despite not having once used CAA's services, I renewed.  I'm glad I did.  The other day my GF noticed that my tire was flat.  It's been a crazy week of moving so I didn't really have time to take care of it that day.  Another day passed and I wasn't able to take care of it then either, but I started to have a hard time turning my wheels and my car was making weird noises.  On the morning of our big apartment painting day, I was planning on picking up the GF at 9am.  Around 8am I mentioned casually to my mom that my tire was flat and asked her if she thought I'd be able to pump it that day, since it was Labour Day.  She then asked, "Don't you have a CAA membership?"  She went on to tell me that if I called CAA they would come over and deal with the tire, whether that meant pumping it full of air or replacing it with my spare tire (which I didn't even know I had).  I called them around 8:20 and the gentleman on the phone couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful.  Less than 30 minutes after that, a service vehicle came, the mechanic removed the tire, got the spare, and put it on.  I was on the road before 9:00 just as I'd planned, with the peace of mind that my problem had been taken care of.  Anyway, moral of the story?  CAA is amazing and gives great service, and I'm glad I renewed.

A & D Moving, Toronto.
A & D Moving was recommended to me by my aunt for my move from Port Hope to Toronto (storage unit while I lived at my parents' place for two months).  She's been using them for 15+ years and has always loved their service and said their prices are "as reasonable as they get".  With that recommendation, I booked them right away.  The move from Port Hope to the storage unit was almost seamless, but it was such a crazy day that it didn't sink it quite how good their service was.  It was on my move-in day to the new apartment the other day that really sealed the deal with A & D.  Their minimum is 2 hours and they did the full move in less than 2 hours.  They started before the originally scheduled start time and moved everything so quickly and carefully.  When they arrived with the stuff at the apartment, one of the movers asked me if the paint was fresh, and when I said yes they were extra careful not to hit the walls.  They were friendly but not overly talkative, professional and efficient, and they even put my bed together!  Now that is service.  I highly recommend.

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.

Discovering T.O. #10: Trinity Bellwoods Park

I spent a good chunk of Saturday and some of Sunday, too, writing a blog post for Sugar & Gravy that is very different in tone from the ones I've been writing as of late.  However, I got busy with other things and haven't yet finished it.  I promise that it will see the light of day sometime soon, but in the meantime, here's something more pressing.

Yesterday I spent about five hours in Trinity Bellwoods Park.

TB Park is not a new hot spot by any stretch, but it was my first time being in the park for any length of time, which is why I'm writing about it.  I always hear about so many people spending the summer's most beautiful days there, and I kept meaning to give it a try myself.  The other day my friend Waleed and I were trying to think of something to do together and I suggested it be something free.  That's when I was finally compelled to put a desire into action, so we decided we would meet at the park around 12:30 pm, have a picnic, and hang out.

That's exactly what we did.  I got there around 12:30 and started with a little journalling.  Waleed arrived about 30 minutes later armed with everything two ladies could need for a day at the park -- a great mat to lie on, a bottle of green tea, and then he made us delicious tuna sandwiches with mustard and other fixin's.

For the next four or so hours we just relaxed.  We randomly saw two friends, my sister and her boyfriend stopped by for a bit, we played cards, we talked, we people-watched, and we ate a bag of Cheetos.  The weather was perfect -- sunny and warm, but with a consistent breeze that kept it completely comfortable all day long.  Plus, we found a great shady spot under a tree, so it really wasn't hot at all.

What I loved most - and I had a similar moment when my girlfriend and I went to Centre Island - was seeing so many people taking advantage of something free and beautiful the city has to offer.  The park was PACKED!  People, dogs, bikes, birthday parties, baseball games, families, friends..... there was such a positive energy there, and I was really happy to be a part of it.  The time flew by, just chatting and taking it all in.  Again, it's one of those times where I felt I spent a summer Sunday exactly the way it's meant to be spent.

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 

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

Discovering TO #9: Yours Truly

Friday, July 27th was my 3-year anniversary with my girlfriend.  Being that we both love trying out new restaurants, we decided that our gift for each other would be to treat ourselves to a special meal at Toronto Life's #1 rated restaurant of 2012: Yours Truly.  I'd been dying to try out YT, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.  I booked well in advance, and on the big day, I picked up K from work and off we went to Dundas/Ossington to celebrate!

We had a relatively early reservation, but we still arrived in the neighbourhood with over an hour to go, so we started by walking up and down Ossington a bit to see what was going on.  That's when we spotted Bellwoods Brewery, an awesome bar/restaurant/microbrewery.  The spot had such a relaxed, community feel.  There were picnic tables scattered around their patio, and if you were in a group of two, you might just end up sitting with another pair and even get to chatting with them.  K and I kept to ourselves, but I loved the vibe and it having a beer outside was the perfect way to start the evening.

Around 6:00 (I told you it was early), we walked up to Yours Truly for the main event.

The restaurant itself was nice - dim, simple, stylish.  We were seated at a table somewhat cramped in the corner, but it was good enough.

The draw of YT is that they do things so differently.  It's my understanding that they have two dining experiences available - they have two or so seatings of their Yours Truly experience, which is what we took part in.  It's a $45 4-course prix fixe.  The second experience is the Carte Blanche, which is something like 10 courses around $100 all-in.  It was a celebratory day, sure, but we've gotta be fiscally responsible.  So our prix fixe worked like this: you got a menu with a matrix - 4 rows and 3 columns.  Each row represented a course, and each item in the columns was the main ingredient of that course option (all unique and seasonal).  So basically you pick four ingredients, and those are your four courses.  I'm an adventurous diner because I've basically never met a food that I didn't like (except I don't really like cold cuts), so this was a fun and easy experience for me.  I chose lox, bream, chicken, and cheese.  I won't go into detail describing each course, but I will say that each was extremely delicious.  Each course was also extremely creative, consisting of some ingredients that I'd never heard of, and also combinations of ingredients I could've never imagined.  It was the kind of meal where you almost had to close your eyes when you took your first bite of each course, to experience every flavour and let it all roll over your tongue.  It wasn't just about nourishment; it was about a total dining experience, trying new things, and treating ourselves!

One other thing - as if four courses weren't enough, we also enjoyed a signature YT cocktail each (I had the "John Candy" and K had the "Cibelle"), as well as three amuse bouche, which were delicious!


I also want to add that one of my favourite parts of the Yours Truly experience was the service; it was top-notch!  All the servers had clearly bought into the mission of YT in its entirety, fully knowledgeable on every course option, flavour combination, and even the strangest of ingredients.  They were friendly, attentive, and not at all overbearing: my favourite qualities in serving staff.

And that wraps up my 8th edition of "Discovering T.O.".  Let me know if you ever check out Yours Truly and tell me what you think!


Currently reading... In One Person by John Irving
Posts to come... full rc-4 update!