This Week I..... (and my) Trip To New York City

Packed for my trip and spent time celebrating my birthday with Family. I was spoiled with 2 of my favorite movies on Blueray and a pair of Earrings. I was then taken out for an incredible dinner of Striploin Steak, Ceasar Salad, Creme Brulee, Brushetta, Calamari, Stella Artois and Specialty Coffee at Shrimp Cocktail. Came home to watch Bachlorette. Life at 43 is good!

I am a huge fan of New York City, aka as......... The Big Apple, The Big Burg, The Big City, The Biggest Gateway to Immigrants, The Burg, The Business Capital of the World, The City of Islands (the borough of Manhattan and numerous other small islands within the city limits), The City of Skyscrapers, The City that Never Sleeps, The Crossroads of the World, The Entertainment Capital of the World, The Fashion Capital of the World, The Land of Surprising Contrasts, The Metropolis of America, The Metropolitan City, The Mighty Manhattan.

I have been there before but never with my husband and it has always been my desire to share a few exciting and romantic days in New York City.......just the two of us.

Day 1- Tuesday July 14th
We dropped the kids and dog off at grandparents and spent the evening at the Holiday Inn by the airport and had dinner at Perkins. Free parking for the duration of your travels when you stay overnight in this Toronto hotel.

Day 2- Wednesday July 15th
Woke up early and took the hotel shuttle to the airport and boarded the plane at 9:00. Arrived in LaGuardia at 10:20.

Took shuttle bus from the airport to our hotel......OMG! What a ride. I am used to erratic, aggressive drivers from living and travelling overseas but Garth who is a small town boy was amazed and his face was priceless.

Checked in at our hotel and due to some fancy telephone work from a friend who let it be known to them that we were there to celebrate my birthday and our recent anniversary they gave us a King superior room on the top floor. It was wonderful.

Went for a walk around Central Park and saw Strawberry Fields, Imagine Mosaic, Turtle Pond, Tavern On The Green, The Lake and the Boathouse.

We walked over to The Dakota.

We had dinner at The Brooklyn Diner.

Walked to the drugstore to get some supplies and..............when we walked out we saw a police car with lights on drive up in haste and block off the street. I immediately felt a shift in energy around me and I became somewhat anxious. Garth stayed remarkably calm. (I swear we are morphing into each other the longer we are together.) I noticed 2 helicopters hoovering directly above us. Garth grabbed my hand with the biggest smile and asked, "Did you hear that? Paul McCartney just said 'Hello New York.' We then both heard the starting of "Get Back."

We had no idea where we were running to but we followed the music.

Paul played for 45 minutes atop the Ed Sullivan Theatre Marquee where the David Letterman show is now shot. The street was packed and the energy of the crowd was amazing. People in high rise office buidings dancing away while Paul playfully banter with them......"Shouldn't you people be working?" Every American News Station was there while Paul and his band played:
1.) Get Back
2.) A new single.....unknown to me
3.) Coming Up
4.) Let me roll it
5.) Band on the run
6.) Helter Skelter
7.) Back in the USSR
.........and so were we.

Day 3- Thursday July 16th
Went on a hop on/ hop off bus tour of downtown Manhattan and saw......Greenwich Village, Times Square, The Empire State Building, the FlatIron Building, Union Square, SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, Lower East Side, East Village, Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Garden, Macy’s, Site of the World Trade Center, Wall Street, Financial District, Battery Park, South Street Seaport, United Nations, Carnegie Hall, & Broadway Theater District.

We hopped off and toured St Pauls Chapel and the World Trade Centre Site.

Walked to Battery Park and took the Staten Island Ferry (which is free) and saw the Statue of Liberty.

Spent the late afternoon in South Street Seaport sipping cocktails and eating appetizers.

Saw Al Sharpton

Hopped on the bus and did The Brooklyn Tour which
let us see amazing views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Prospect Park and stately mansions.

When we returned across the Brooklyn Bridge we were able to see President Obamas helicopter landing on the southport Heliport.

We went over to the Sheraton Hotel in Manhatten and saw Obamas Motorcade.

Had dinner at McGees Pub.

Day 4- Friday July 17th
Took uptown tour during the morning and saw.....Central Park, Lincoln Center, Theater district, Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City, St. Patricks Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, American Museum of Natural History, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Apollo Theatre and Harlem neighborhoods, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim.

During the afternoon we spent time walking along Bleeker Street in Greenwich village. We went for a carmel frappacino at Starbucks and saw Nicole Kidman who sat right beside me. She even used the same public washroom as me. She truly is stunning.

Took bus to Canal Street however I am not comfortable haggling and we returned to hotel for a much needed nap.

Had a lated dinner at Vizio and then walked to Central Park to see and hear the New York Phil Harmonic Orchestra play and see fireworks.

Walked back to Carnegie Deli for Chocolate Cheesecake.

Returned to the hotel to learn of the deathe of Walter Cronkite.....RIP



Day 5- Saturday July 18th
Went back on the downtown loop and hopped off at St. Patricks Cathedral. It is the most beautiful church to me and full of history.

Walked to Rockerfeller Square and spent the afternoon shopping along Fifth Avenue.

Had lunch at O'Connollys Pub.

Picked up souveniers for the girls from American Girl and treated myself to a watch.

Took the night tour with the most amazing and fun tour guide which included evening and nighttime views of Central Park, Times Square, Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Chinatown and Little Italy.We were able to see all the glittering lights of the City that never sleeps and it included a stop in Brooklyn for magnificent views of Manhattans skyline.

Had an amazing dinner at Rosie O' Gradys.

Day 6- Sunday July 19th
Took shuttle bus from our hotel to Airport and returned to Toronto late afternoon. Drove to Brantford to pick up girls and continue to visit with my parents.

Song Of The Day: In The Summertime By Mungo Jerry

This great summer themed song was featured in the official soundtrack of the 2005 film, Wedding Crashers.

The City Of Tomorrow

Check out this amusing video that mocks the future and all the conveniences of a dream world.

Song Of The Day: A Summer Song By Chad & Jeremy

Chad and Jeremy were a singing folk rock duo in the 1960s that sang with such harmony on this lost summer romance song.

Link Of The Day: Run Pee

I know when I go to the theatre I always have a water bottle with me and most likely I still order a jumbo-Sized drink. Not always a good idea when the featured flick involves an intricate plot. You can now get relief, and the most out of your movie-going money, with RunPee.com, a site that’s like a friend who’s seen every flick out there and knows when the bathroom break moments are.

Song Of The Day: Under My Skin By Gin Wigmore

Virginia "Gin" Wigmore is a New Zealand singer/songwriter with a very distinctive voice.

Kush Support

Check out this flesh toned and phallic instrument that rests between a woman's breasts. Apparently it is not a joke.

Song Of The Day: Love Train By The O'Jays

The 70's were fun!

Clever Pringle Ad

I'm embarrassed by how much time I wasted clicking through this clever this Pringles ad.

Song Of The Day: Marlene By Kevin Coyne

Makes you want to roll down the windows and sing along.

50 Greatest Trailers of All Time

The IFC decided that the best trailers are those that most effectively combine art and commerce, and that sell and entertain with equal skill in span of two and a half minutes. See the 50 best here.

Song Of The Day: Nowhere With You By Joel Plaskett

Love this song.

Creative Shopping Bags

Link here to see some clever shopping bags that were used in advertising campaigns by various companies from around the world.
My personal favorites are the one for the Bulgarian Beer, the skipping rope one and the Barbell Bag.

Song Of The Day: Viva La Gloria By Green Day

This is song that I can so relate to as I turn a year older fighting to hold on to my youthful idealism.

Make It Yourself McDonalds Items

Check out these do it yourself McDonalds recipes.
It should probably be noted that these aren’t the recipes used by McDonald’s, but these clone recipes were reverse-engineered with little more than taste buds and passion.
If you’re thinking of whipping up some homemade nuggets or a hot apple pie, take a peek and see how it turns out!

Song Of The Day: You're Aging Well By Dar Williams

Seeing that today is my birthday I thought this song was most fitting.

Happy Birthday To Me

At 43.....

I’m glad I did not spend my whole childhood in the same place. It taught me to make ME my home.

I still dislike clowns and spiders.

I am in love with non-conformity, sleeping at odd hours.... if I so please and, laughing too loud at a stupid joke that only I get.

I am in love with the fact that I am becoming the person I want to be, and that I have finally......at the cusp of 43............stopped making excuses, or concocting explanations for my idiosyncrasies.

I am what I am, and who I am.

I feel light in spirit. I feel like one of the luckiest people on earth. I have two girls who brighten each day. I have a husband who adores me. I have parents who love me. I have friends who stay with me on this wild adventure. I am loved. Life is good.

This Week I..........

Worked four 12 hour night shifts.
Went to my family doctor for daughter and myself.
Had more blood work done.
Welcomed my daughter back from the cottage.......yeah!!!
Hosted a sleepover in the backyard with 5 girls in a tent.........I'm sure my neighbors love us.
Play dates, play dates and more play dates.
Had friends and wee ones over for morning coffee and conversation.
Went swimming with Garth and the girls. Hung out in Sauna and whirlpool.

Attended Garths specialists appointments with him.
Watched Alan King Documentaries.
Felt a malingering sense of grief all week as I hear of death of celebrities and attended a memorial service for the loss of a family member of a dear friend.

Song Of The Day: 21 Guns By Green Day

This song features on the soundtrack of the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (and also features it four times in the film itself.)

Cool HP Printer AD

In response to a call from Hewlett Packard for user-made advertisements, two students (Matt Robinson and Tom Wrigglesworth) at London’s Kingston University pulled off a mesmerizing synchronized printing routine with a stable of HP printers. The ad is both artistically and conceptually impressive.

Song Of The Day: Please Put The Phone Down By Pilot Speed

Pilot Speed (formerly known as Pilate) is a Canadian rock band that formed in 1999 in Toronto, Ontario.
On June 26, 2006, the band posted a message on their site stating that, due to legal restrictions, they decided to change their band name before it incited lawsuits from companies outside Canada. As a result, they altered their name to Pilot Speed.

The Interview Project

Check out The Interview Project. David Lynch has launched this cool series which features brief video interviews with interesting people. I love hearing the stories of peoples lives.

Song Of The Day: All You Did Was Save My Life By Our Lady Peace

The video for this new tune by Our Lady Peace was shot up by my parents neck of the woods in Ancaster, Ontario.

Jim Carrey Is Going To Be A Grandfather

Jim Carrey's rock musician daughter Jane Carrey is expecting her first child. "I am very excited," Jim, 47, says in a statement. "Jane is going to be a great mom." His 21-year-old daughter, who sings for the Jane Carrey Band, is having the baby with her fiancé, Alex Santana of the rock band Blood Money. Jane is the Liar Liar star's daughter with his first wife Melissa.

Deal Of The Day: Free Slurpee Day At 7-Eleven

On July 11th, 7-Eleven stores across the country celebrate their birthday by giving away free Slurpees. To celebrate their 82nd birthday, the chain plans on handing out 5 million frosty beverages at participating locations. The Slurpee cups will be imprinted with codes that can be redeemed for $7.11 lawn seats to select Live Nation shows. Enjoy your Slurpee at a regular pace and don’t get a brain freeze.

Trailer: Big Fan

For legions of people, sports teams are religion and their favorite players are their idols. This notion sparks the premise of Big Fan, the exhilarating directing debut from Robert Siegel, the screenwriter of The Wrestler. Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt), a 35-year-old parking-garage attendant from working-class Staten Island, is the self-described “world’s biggest New York Giants fan.” One night Paul and his best friend, Sal, spot star Giants linebacker Quantrell Bishop at a gas station in Staten Island. They impulsively follow his SUV into Manhattan to a strip club, where they finally muster up the courage to talk to their hero. The encounter starts out as a dream come true for the fan and then turns into a nightmare as a misunderstanding ignites into a violent confrontation, and Paul is sent down a path that will test his devotion to the extreme. Patton Oswalt is perfectly cast as Paul, infusing him with a humanity that renders him empathetic instead of pathetic. Big Fan resonates with truth and insight, and the result is a film that will make you laugh and wince at the same time—a very winning combination. The film stars Patton Oswalt, Michael Rapaport, Kevin Corrigan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Matt Servitto and is due in theaters on August 28th, 2009.

Beware Of Pissed Off Customers

Dave Carroll of the Halifax band Sons of Maxwell had his guitar broken by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. They gave him the runaround and ignored him for nine months, so he wrote a song and put it up on You Tube, where it is now on its way to going viral.

A Lesson On Interjections

This one goes out to Uncle Jimmy. Garth loves this one also. It was School House Rock Karoke Night in our home tonight and Garth totally nailed this one.

Song Of The Day: Hold Up My Heart By Brooke White

American Idol finalist Brooke White performed this song live on the eighth season second results show.

July Love List

Online window shopping at Anthropologie/Aerie/Amazon/Target/Sephora/Aeropostle/ Tiffanys/ Harrods/ Juicy Couture.
Drinking tea from a teacup & saucer.

Coffee because it is the miracle drug, energy inducer I need to reach the end of my day as a sane person.
Kettlecreek popcorn.
The Coffee House.

BBQ smells.
Pedicures.
Clean kitchens.
Getting a genuine & meaningful compliment.
Love notes from my daughter Alley.
New freckles on my childrens nose.
Naps, in the sunshine.
Flip flops or better yet....walking around barefoot.
Reading outside.
Baseball (Go Jays!)
Lawnmower sound (from a distance)
Running further than I thought I could.
Reading in bed with fresh sheets.
Hearing a song that brings back a dreamy memory.
A handpicked bouquet.
Walks around the neighborhood at night.
Drinking from a straw.

Trailer: Jennifers Body

Jennifer’s Body stars Megan Fox, Adam Brody and Amanda Seyfried in a tale of a possessed cheerleader with a habit for bumping off High School boys. The film, directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody will arrive theatrically on September 18th.

Song Of The Day: Last Ont To Die By Rancid

Frontman Tim Armstrong explained that the song, "is about the survival of our band. Over the last eighteen years we've seen a lot of bands and friends pass on, quit or move on for various reasons, yet we keep moving forward."

Top Ten Things That Sound Cool When Spoken By Optimus Prime

New On DVD

Here is some new stuff on DVD that is of interest to me and may be to you.

Coco Chanel.....Shirley Maclaine plays the fashion icon in this flick, which originally aired on TV.

Push..........A group of young American ex-pats with telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities are hiding from a clandestine U.S. government agency. They must utilize their different talents and band together for a final job enabling them to escape the agency forever.

Knowing.......A teacher opens a time capsule that has been dug up at his son's elementary school; in it are some chilling predictions......some that have already occurred and others that are about to -- that lead him to believe his family plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.

Night Train.........Two Passengers and the conductor discover that a person has passed away on their Night Train cabin. They come across valuable diamonds on his person, that they wish to keep for themselves. So, to make it look like the man never boarded the train, they conspire to dump his body in a river that the train passes. Their scheme to get rid of the corpse escalates to the point where they have to chop up his body just to fit him into a small trunk. They then become paranoid, as they might turn on each other.

Five Fingers.......When a young Dutch idealist travels to Morocco to start a food charity he's kidnapped by local terrorists and has to engage in a mental chess match to learn his captors' objectives.

Deal Of The Day: Free Sample Of The New Fragrance Boss Orange

Complete this form and get a free sample of the new fragrance Boss Orange.

Shaving Tips From Gillette

Gillette has posted a series of instructional videos designed to show men how to shave their ... areas. There's How to Shave Your Armpit, How to Shave Your Back, How to Shave Your Head, How to Shave Your Face, and How to Shave Your Chest.
The video below is my personal favorite, How to Shave Your Groin, only because it cracks me up to think that a bunch of suits encircling a boardroom table decided to kick the video off with this little gem: "When there's no underbrush, the tree looks taller."

Song Of The Day: Notion By Kings Of Leon

Can I tell you how much I love the sweet sound of this American Rock group? Apparently so do the masses as this is their third single in the top 20 of Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks.

Either / Or?

Vegetable garden or flower garden? Flower Garden

Silent treatment or yell? Yell

Drive or take the train/bus/ferry/tram/subway? Drive

Tip by service or tip by percentage? By service

Carnivore or no? Carnivore

Theater or DVD rental? DVD rental unless it is a must see on the Big Screen or I need a night out.

Angel food or devil’s food cake? Devils Food Cake

Snack fanatic or dessert freak? Dessert Freak

Salad or fries? Fries

Sun or shade? I love the sun around me while I sit in the shade.

Flip flop or Birkenstock? Flip flops

Beach or lake? Beach

California or Florida? California

Lemonade or Iced tea? Iced Tea

Sunglasses or hat? Sunglasses

Margarita or Mo jito? Mo jito

Water skis/wake board or mountain bike? Wake board

Take vacation or avoid tourists? Vacation sounds lovely.

BBQ steaks or BBQ salmon? Steaks

Convertible or motorcycle? Convertible

Bike or skateboard? Bike

Take pictures of the fun, or take videos? Pictures

Coconut or mango? Mango

Lie on the grass or lie on the sand? Sand

Lounge chair or hammock? Lounge chair

Trampoline or… not? Definitely

Song Of The Day: Taller Children By Elizabeth &The Catapult

Singer Elizabeth Ziman grew up in New York, she met her bandmates at Boston's Berklee College of Music. I like their jazzy-pop sound.

New On DVD

Here is some stuff that is new on DVD that is of interest to me and may be to you.

1.) Two Lovers.....Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow team for a romantic drama.
2.) The Education Of Charlie Banks.

Trailer: The Informant

Matt Damon with a mustache. Check out the trailer for The Informant.

This Week I......

Watched Bachlorette.......I think her judgment is impaired.
Worked a 12 hour day shift
Worked two 12 hour nights
Went shopping with my family
Went grocery shopping
Attended birthday celebrations for wee ones in the neighbourhood



Watched "Transformers 1"........I like it the first time and still find it to be an enjoyable flick.
Went to Theatre to see "Transformers 2".........Painfully long and a whole lotta cheese.
Celebrated Canada Day with friends and family
Watched "Imagine Me & You" ........so-so
Watched "Then She Found Me" .......so-so
Watched "Taken." ..........loved it.
Went to the Oshawa Farmers Market
Missed my youngest daughter as she left to stay at a friends cottage for a week. She called to tell me she went cliff jumping. Says she jumped off a 15 foot cliff and could only do it once as her tummy felt funny when she jumped.
Celebrated milestone birthday with friends.
Spent afternoons lounging in the backyard reading, playing Trivia and listening to tunes.
Read my first graphic novel and thinks this might be a great way to read books.

Song Of The Day: Hold Your Head High By Heartless Bastards

I love the vocals of frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom from this Austin trio. This song is about how friends can help you get through bad times.

Before They Became Famous

Here's a fun site that lists odd jobs celebrities took before they became famous.

Inside Neverland

The media was invited to tour the star’s fabled estate and here are some never before seen pictures of the property.

Celebrity Death Toll 2009

2009 has been a bitch for celebrity deaths. Here are some recent celebrities that I am/was aware of during their lives that have died in the past few months.

Let's see... Bea Arthur....... 86, cancer, April 25
Dom DeLuise...... 75, kidney failure, May 4
David Carradine..... 72, hanging, June 3
Ed McMahon.........86, health problems, June 23
Farrah Fawcett..... 62, cancer, June 25
Michael Jackson.... 50, heart attack, June 25
Billy Mays.......50, heart disease, June 28
Harve Presnell...... 75, cancer, June 30
Karl Malden...... 97, natural causes, July 1
Ricardo Montalban......88, heart failure, January 14
Natasha Richardson, 45, British actress, epidural hematoma.

Song Of The Day: By Ozark Mountain Daredevils

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are most widely known for their singles "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" in 1974 and "Jackie Blue" in 1975 but I happen to like the grittiness of this ditty.

Stop Making Excuses

We all make excuses.
Just stop talking about it…
And just do it!

Song Of The Day: Long Long Time to Get Old By Great Speckled Bird

Great Speckled Bird was a Country rock group formed in 1969 by Canadian musicians Ian and Sylvia
I like the opening drum beat and the shout out to Yonge Street.

Trailer : The Box

The Box is an upcoming thriller due out in theatres on October 30th which stars Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella, James Marsden, Gillian Jacobs, Michele Durrett. It is about an unhappily married couple who receive a small wooden box on their doorstep. At the push of a button, the box brings its bearer instant wealth but also instantly kills someone the bearer doesn’t know.

Famous Canadians

Last evening we headed out with friends to join in the Canada Day festivities and watch the annual firework display hosted by the Rotory club of Bowmanville.
An impromptu game broke out between my husband, Uncle Jimmy and myself that each time a firework graced our sky we had to shout out the name of a famous Canadian. Silly I know but I am all for being patriotic and silly.
It was a never ending list and we did not struggle to come up with some pretty amazing Candians however as I reflect there were definately some oversights......this is mainly for you Jimmy.

Tom Green, Mike Myers, Kim Catrell, Evangeline Lilly, Martin Short, Mary Pickford, Matthew Perry, Elisha Ann Cuthbert, Donald McNicol Sutherland, Eugene Levy, KD Lang, John Candy, Diana Krall, Keifer Sutherland, Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara, Robert Munsch, Dan Aykroyd, Ivan Reitman, Avril Lavigne, Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Nelly Furtado, Jay Ingram, Barenaked Ladies, Corey Hart, Sass Jordan, Pierre Trudeau, Chis Hineman, Steven Sabatos, Daniel Cook......

As a special treat Jimmy.....Click here.

Trailer: Couples Retreat

Check out the trailer for "Couples Retreat", the upcoming comedy starring Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love.

The film is due out on October 9th, 2009.

Song Of The Day: Sentimental lady By Bob Welch

This song induces a warm glow.

Deal Of The Day: Sampler Package

Link here to complete registration form and receive samples such as Head and Shoulders, Tampax, Mach, Always, Gillette, Olay and Pantene.

Deal Of The Day: 1 Year Free Subscription To Maxim

Click here to get your free 1 Year subscription to Maxim Magazine compliments of Sony.
Click on the link that says “Click here if you are a Canadian subscriber”.
Fill out the form and use the redemption code “YSON”.

Happy Canada Day!!!

What A Great Way To Wake Up

Today is my first day off work through the week since school has finished and my daughters began their summer holidays. Each night before retiring to bed my husband prepares the coffee and whomever of us two is up first just has to press the start button. This morning I woke up to find my sweet youngest daughter had come down and made the coffee and then went to the cupboard and set out two mugs for Garth and I. Beside the mug was a handwritten note that read ( spelling errors inclusive )......... "good morning family. It is a very rainy day. I hope this Adutude changes. I pressed the coffie button. I cleand the house, loaded dishwasher, got your coffie cups out........Love Alley." I could get use to this through the summer.

Song Of The Day: Fever By Peggy Lee

Written in 1956, this song was a rhythm and blues hit for Little Willie John that crossed over and became a pop standard after being transformed, with additional lyrics, by Peggy Lee and became her signature song.

Things I Like To Do On A Rainy Day

Stay in my pajamas and read the paper.

Watch all the morning talk shows. Cook a great comfort meal for dinner.

Bake a little something for dessert as well.

Watch old movies...... that may induce sleep. A nap while the rain patters on the roof is the best kind of sleep.

Sit outside on my covered porch or under my gazebo and enjoy the smell of the rain.

Take an afternoon bath and put on fresh pajamas.

Song Of The Day: The Fear By Lily Allen

I like this song as it reveals Lily's fear of the world becoming a superficial, sterile place where everything is sponsored, while also offering commentary on life as a celebrity and society today.

Disney Princesses......The Modern Version

I like these images by Vancouver B.C. photographer Dina Goldstein. She places fairy tale characters in modern day scenarios. In all of the images the Princess is placed in an environment that articulates her conflict. The “happily ever after” is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues.

This Week I......

Worked four 12 hour dayshifts with 3 of them in intensive care.......ugh!!!

Went for a Stella with my workmates while sitting on the patio at Bobby C's

Went to my dentist for more work.

Watched my youngest daughter and 6 of her school chums get picked up from school in a white stretch limo and be whisked away to a party to celebrate the end of school.

Chauffeur my eldest daughter to a multitude of end of school parties.

Attend a photo shoot with my parents and siblings and their families.

Made this recipe and got rave reviews.

Watched Rightous Kill and was very disappointed.

Bought the sweetest tasting Strawberry Pie from here.

Visited and caught up with neighbours.

Had my parents stay with us overnight and pick up their animals. Believe it or not Dad......I actually missed Jo-Jo this morning. The kitchen was awfully quiet.

Song Of The Day: Many Rivers To Cross By Jimmy Cliff

I love this song of heartache....."its only my will that keeps me alive."
Many artists such as Cher, UB40, Linda Ronstadt, Desmond Dekker, Joe Cocker, Elvis Costello, U2, Bill Withers, Lenny Kravitz, The Black Crowes, The Walkmen and Annie Lennox have released cover versions of the song.

Deal Of The Day: Free Pedometer

Get a free Pedometer from the Canadian Space Agency:

On the occasion of Canada’s First Expedition mission, the Canadian Space Agency invites you to Get Fit For Space with Bob Thirsk.
Run, walk, cycle, swim and prepare to blast off and reach new fitness heights with Canada;s space program!

Sign-up for the challenge and receive a free “Get Fit for Space” pedometer.

Song Of The Day: Where Is My Mind By The Pixies

"Where Is My Mind?" was prominently featured during the final scene and ending credits of the 1999 film Fight Club and has been covered by artists such as James Blunt, Toadies, M.I.A., Chantal Kreviazuk, Nada Surf, Gavin Rossdale, Raine Maida, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Song Of The Day: Gimme Sympathy By Metric

I really like this upbeat song about taking risks. "After all this is done who would you rather be the Beatles or The Rolling Stones?

It Might Get Loud

It Might Get Loud is a new documentary that puts U2's The Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White in a room together.
The film follows these "three virtuosos from three different generations" and shows them where they feel most comfortable: White writing a song in Tennessee, The Edge strumming in a Dublin studio, Page in the house where Stairway to Heaven was composed.
It all leads up to a glorious meeting, where the musicians chat, play together and "teach each other songs."
It Might Get Loud opens Aug. 14, but you can watch the trailer now. The website includes a Q&A with the filmmakers and a handful of photos.

Tim Horton’s Free Summer Swims

Tim Horton’s is once again offering Free Summer Swims. This time there are free swim lessons at almost all Ontario cities. Capacity restrictions apply so make sure you go early.

Song Of The Day: Black Or White By Michael Jackson

I love this song that promotes racial unity. The song's introduction and main riff, are performed by guitarist Slash and Bill Bottrell. Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, and George Wendt. A young Tyra Banks, just beginning her career as a supermodel, is seen dancing to the song in the ending of the video, as well as actress Peggy Lipton.

Concept Art By Disney For Alice in Wonderland

Check out these images, released by Disney as Burton works on the remake of Alice In Wonderland.