Long Forgotten
On the walk home last Friday, we happened upon this bike, locked to a street sign post on the sidewalk in front of some random house.
Attached to the cross bar was a yellow notice, warning the owners of the house that the bike would be taken away if they did not remove it from the post. I just think it's funny; I bet the owners of the house didn't even know the bike was there!
And I love how the bike is described as "red", but really, it was more of a "rust" colour. I bet the owner's of the house were grateful that the city took the bike away.
Anyways- I've always wondered what happened to your bike if you forgot where you locked it up... now I know!
Labels: bike, funny, randomness, walk
Keepin' the Nostalgia Alive
Continuing my tribute to my mom and her family, I decided to try out my hand at some
Dutch cuisine.
About a year ago (could've been longer, actually), I purchased this spice/herb mix from the
House of Spice in Kensington called
Bahmi Goreng (directly translated, this means "fried noodles"). I'd seen the package before- in my mom's kitchen cupboard! My
gram and my mom (and probably both of my aunts) make this dish, and just the thought of it makes my mouth water. It's a great Carribean/Dutch/Indonesian noodle dish with pork, onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, etc. So good!
The only problem with the spice mix? The cooking instructions were written in Dutch. I tried an online translator, but typing out those extremely long Dutch words with too many vowels took so long- and the translation was pretty confusing.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. There's a new employee here in eBay named Michelle, who is VERY Dutch (you just have to look at her white blond hair and her rosy cheeks!) I asked her if she spoke the language, and she said that yes, she could understand it. I thought of the Bahmi spice mix, and asked her if she could translate the package for me. Well, she did me one better- she took it home and had her mom translate it, who also wrote down her own Bahmi recipe for me. On Sunday, I finally got around the making it. It was SO easy. I couldn't believe it.
And although I didn't follow either recipe exactly, it ended up tasting wonderful. The spices brought back memories of my grandparent's old place in Lambeth (near London, ON), of family gatherings, of other great dishes my gram makes (her
trifle is to DIE for), of my dear dear grandpa, and of the happier times with my mom. I'll have to go and buy more of this Bahmi Goreng spice mix stuff- I wonder if I can get it anywhere else?
Labels: cooking, dutch, family, mom
Advanced Apology to Myself
Only because I'm not too sure who all reads this blog...
I'm writing for
blogTO now, so I'll have less time to write things up for Blurty Blurt Blurt. This might mean, actually, that things on this blog get a bit more personal... since I've got a new outlet for my more informational posts.
Check me out on blogTO!
Labels: blogto, cool website
Birthday Wishes and Beyond
Spring is officially here... and this time of year, I always think of my mom more than usual. Today would've been her 54th birthday.
Stef was saying how she'd never seen a pic of my mom, and I got to thinking- I hadn't seen one in a while either... so I dug up a photo. I kinda feel weird posting it online- after all, she didn't even get to know what a blog was, but I think a little tribute on Blurty Blurt Blurt will be fine.
This is my mom, Maria, and my brother Derek like, 15 years ago. One of three photos I have here in Toronto of my mom.
Labels: brother, derek, family, inspiration, mom
Split Needles by The Shins
This is the song I can't get out of my head today:
I've done myself an impossible crime,
Had to paint myself a hole,
And fall inside,
If it's far enough in sight and rhyme,
I get to wear another dress,
And count in time,
Oh, won't you do me the favor, man,
Of a giving mind,
A polymorphing opinion here,
And your vague outline,
I'll find myself another burning gate,
A pretty face, a vague idea I can't relate,
And this is get what you get for pulling pins,
Out of the hole,
Inside the hole you're in,
It's like I'm posed on the handle bars,
Of a blind man's bike,
No straws to grab, just the rushing wind,
On the rolling mind,
La la la la la.
They want you to decide,
Eventually, it happens,
Some gather on one side,
With all their pearly snapping,
They close the basement door,
It sets our teeth to chatter,
You never saw it before,
But now that hardly matters,
You're old enough, boy,
Too many summers you've enjoyed,
So spin the wheel,
We'll set you up with some odd convictions,
Cause you're finally golden, boy.
It's like I'm posed on the handle bars,
Of a blind man's bike,
No straws to grab, just the rushing wind,
On the rolling mind.
So good.
Labels: inspiration, lyrics, music, song, the shins
The Year of the Concert
I used to go see a lot of shows when I lived in Windsor... mostly because this one guy I used to go out with, Ryan, was a HUGE music fan with impeccable taste, so we'd slum it over to Detroit every few weeks to see a show at St. Andrew's Hall, Cobo, or the Palace (I don't even know if these places are still called these names). The one thing Detroit/Windsor has over us here in Toronto- more acts go there.
I've seen Elliot Smith, Stereolab, Sonic Youth, the Dandy Warhols, Grandaddy, Sloan, Violent Femmes, the Breeders, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, George Clinton, Pearl Jam, Coldplay, and of course, the Tragically Hip. Just to name a few. And I've got the concert tees to prove it!
this year, I think, I'll be seeing a bunch of shows. I just get the feeling. So far, I've seen The Shins (last night-
awesome show) and Sloan, and next weekend I'm going to see The Rheostatics. And I'm definitely buying tickets to the Virgin Festival this fall. I'll get to see the Smashing Pumpkins again! And Bjork's gonna be there! I also
need to see Sarah Harmer play live.
I can't wait- it's all gonna be so awesome. There's something about seeing a band play live; it shows us that the band members are real people- they make mistakes (like James Mercer forgetting the words last night- he so cute!), they interact candidly with each other and with the audience. You connect with them, even though they can't see you. I really dig it.
The one thing I've learned from all these year's of concert-going? The closer I am to the stage has a direct affect on how much I enjoy the show. If I can't feel the music in my chest and see the expressions on the musician's faces, it's hardly worth it. So who's up for some elbow action?
Labels: concert, music, sloan, smashing pumpkins, the shins, windsor
LEARN TO READ OR GET OFF OF EBAY
I don't know why exactly, but today, I'm way less tolerant at my job than I normally am. I answer customer emails in the morning, and I understand that some people out there are as internet savvy as others, but today, it just seems like people out there (ebayers) are just plain moronic.
For example, someone asks:"The camera is supposed to come with a cap to cover the lense opening. Do you have it?
How do you keep dust out if you don't?"
My response had to be:As stated in the description, and as is visible in the photos on eBay, this camera does come with a body cap.
This happens ALL THE TIME. READ THE GODDAMN DESCRIPTION PEOPLE! That's why we take the time to WRITE the goddamn descriptions! YOU CAN READ, RIGHT?!?!
Here are some more...
Their Question: Hi is this a new strap?
My Answer: As stated in the description on eBay, this is a new strap.
Their Question: OK, one more quick question. Is this a Store demo camera, or one someone has owned for some time.
My Answer: This is a used camera, as is stated in the eBay auction title and description.
Their Question: Hi I just wanted to double check with you about a few things with regards to this item... 1. Is this item brand new? 2. What is your warranty policy on merchandise?
My Answer: As stated in the description on eBay, this is a new flash. Also, as stated in the description on eBay, the flash is covered by a one-year warranty from the manufacturer, which is Canon Canada.
Their Question: I hate bidding games. How much to buy this lens?
My Answer: Sorry- there's no Buy it Now option on this auction. (But in my head I'm thinking- this is EBAY! Which is an AUCTION site. Auctions are won by BIDDING on the item being AUCTIONED OFF).
Their Question: I'm really apologize! Could you please cancel my bid for this Item because I didn't relize that it is a used len.
My Answer: How could you not realize this was a used lens? It states so in the title, and again in the description. Please let me know how you failed to realize this was a used lens.
Yeah- so I lost it a bit on that last one. But I am genuinely curious as to how he could've missed the fact that this is a used lens. Meh.
Rant over. Day still has six and a half hours. FACK!
Labels: computers, frustration, office, rant, work
Hedgehogs Can Write?
The porn industry's favourite rodent visited the Gladstone Hotel to promote his new book,
Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz. A couple friends and I decided to catch the interview with Eye Magazine's Sasha Van Bon Bon, but unfortunately we were too late. Ron was still there, though, signing books, boobs, booties and whatever else you wanted his Sharpie to stroke. What I found funny was the swarm of guys around him. Of course, Mr. Jeremy
is a hero in the eyes of most men between the ages of 25 and 65.
We didn't get to hear the Hedgehog chatter, but we did see some strange woman's nipple being bitten by Ron. She was a bit flustered, but hey, it’s Ron Jeremy! With 70s being porn projected onto the big screen on stage, it was hard to steer the conversation away from fornication. My friends and I shared some of our more memorable porn experiences.
My very first porno movie encounter was at a friend's house when I was about 12. She had two older brothers, and the family was less than conservative. One afternoon, we happened upon her oldest brother watching a “video”. I tried not to look, but ended up getting an eyeful of sex- an
extreme close up of penetration. This was my first visual proof, confirming what I'd read and been told about the act of lovemaking.
To my right, a friend told us about the first porno movie she saw. It involved fellatio between a man and a multi-tasking hermaphrodite. To my left, my friend told about how he once found a friend's father's porno mags. The dad was a gynecologist, and therefore, his fetish was with the opposite hole. Interesting first impressions! Makes me think, what kind of porn out there influenced you early on? Was it outrageous and scary? Or did you just browse the magazines to read the articles?
"It's
actually only this big," he says.
Breakfast Review #7... Poor John's Cafe
After a party with the ladies on Saturday night, a breakfast with James was called for. We met up at Stef's and headed over to Poor John's Cafe at 1610 Queen Street West.
We got there around 2pm (which was really 1pm in our minds), and got the last available table, conveniently for three. The bubbly waitress was there in a jiffy (really- I think she skipped over, she was so enthusiastic) to take our orders. I decided to go traditional with two eggs over easy, bacon, marble rye toast, and the maple homefries. Stef got a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese. James just had coffee (he'd already had breakfast over at
Sneak's). The menu didn't seem to have too much to choose from, but it might have been just a brunch menu.
The food arrived a while later, enough time for an average Sunday morning after a party conversation. The eggs were perfect, the toast was pretty, the bacon was nice and lean- spread evenly over the potatoes, presumably to hide them. I think I got the last of the batch, because unfortunately, they were tough and dry. Not too mapley either, sadly. The coffee was good and strong, though, so that made up for it. And the place was nice- Formica tables and vinyl bound chairs- the sun shining in the big front window helped too!
SO- on a scale of 1 to 5. I'll give the service a
5. The food a
4. The atmosphere a
5. Cleanliness a
5. Cost a
4.5 (my eggs were $6.75). Overall-
Poor John's Cafe gets a
23.5 out of
25!
Wear What You Love But Never Wear
That was the theme of
Stef's girl's night on Saturday, and everyone had a great time picking out their outfits and explaining why they wore them!
I wore an old gray wool skirt that I haven't worn since high school- I don't know why- I guess I just didn't really have the occasion to wear it. Perfect for the party! I got the skirt at Value Village in Windsor years ago. I wore a purple linen shirt that my friend Shannon brought back for me from Brazil about ten years ago, and I had my black jacket that now has some pesky detergent stains on it. I also wore the new necklace that Stacey got me for Christmas this year, and of course- my
Fluevogs. Of course!
All the outfits were super... check out this link to see all the photos I took:
Labels: fluevogs, photos, stef, value village
Facebook Scares Me
That's right. Facebook scares me.
It's a bit disconcerting how quickly it gained popularity (or so it seems to me). And it's unsettling how much information you can find out about anyone registered. Meh. I don't know. It LOOKS cool, nice and clean... but something so streamlined, and seemingly too good to be true? There must be a catch.
Anyways- I've got a trillion new messages in my email inbox from Facebook, so I'll talk at you later.
Breakfast Review #6... The Brown Cow Restaurant.
It's been a while! But we went somewhere new for breakfast on Sunday, and I brought my camera along. We walked over to Roncesvalles, and up to The Brown Cow Restaurant. It was damn cold that day, and the quick service of never-ending coffee was more than welcome. It was around 11am on Sunday, prime breakfast real estate, yet the place was almost empty. I didn't really take note of that though, because I was admiring the simple, clean decor. Diner style booths and bar stools, with an industrial touch. I thought it was nice and utilitarian.
The menu was extensive... regular diner fare, with a bit of gourmet thrown in here and there with some flavoured aioli. I chose the chicken with avocado and brie on a triangle ciabatta and fries. First of all... the fries were amazing. Homemade, to be sure, and garlicky! They were awesome. The sandwich was good... but not as good as I'd hoped. I couldn't even taste the avocado- it was in the "aioli"- and the bun was a bit too crusty. But I ate it all!
James and Stef each had omelets, which looked really tasty, with yummy sauteed mushrooms and other veggies. They said it was a bit greasy though. The price was pretty good... $8 for my sandwich and fries, and I think the bottomless coffee was only $1.50. The waitress was very nice, saying, "Excuse me," before each question. There were flat screen TV's playing some obscure MuchMoreMusic show with Brandon from 90210 and the guy from Ed, and I couldn't decide if televisions in restaurants were a good idea.
SO- on a scale of 1 to 5. I'll give the service a
5. The food a
3.5. The atmosphere a
4. Cleanliness a
5. Cost a
4. Overall-
The Brown Cow gets a
21.5 out of
25!
Lacking Inspiration?
Here are a couple cool,
free, things to do, if you're looking for some rallying spirit or creative musing:
Rally for Kyoto: With Keith Stewart, Dave Martin and more, plus performances. March 11th, 12 noon. Nathan Phillips Square. Free.
www.canadiansforkyoto.comZoo: Last week to check out
InterAccess's fantastic show about modern tech and nature. On until March 17th. Free.
Read the NOW Magazine article.
I like FREE things.
Speaking of Maps...
I just watched the ending of Marie Antoinette (beautiful film... I loved it), and so I decided to read up on Marie Antionette (beheaded in 1793, four years after the movie ends) herself and look up Versailles on Google Maps. All I can say, is holy extravagance! And the fact that you can zoom ALL the way in is pretty damn neat.
CLICK HERE to see the crazy grounds of the palace. It's Hu Mon Gous.
Labels: history, maps, movies
The Answer is Blowing in the Wind
I honestly thought I was going to blow away on the way home from work today. It was insane! Ice pellets in my face, propelled by 60 km/h gusts of wind! Iiieeee!! It was great though... I felt so alive!! LOL
I'm terrified by the weather, but it fascinates me to no end. One of my favourite sites:
I could stare at that site forever.
Labels: cool website, environment, weather
Attached to the cross bar was a yellow notice, warning the owners of the house that the bike would be taken away if they did not remove it from the post. I just think it's funny; I bet the owners of the house didn't even know the bike was there!
