how many boxes does it take to hold my vogue collection?

Its that time of year again!

Time to sort through all of the massive amounts of stuff that have made their homes here with us on Charlton Avenue West for over the past nine months.

Yes folks!
here's the simple math for you:

9 mths of me driving
+
160km's to work each day
x
5 days a week
+
1 car accident
-
an average portion of my life due to the aprx drive time of 40minutes-3hours
+
2 nervous breakdowns
-
mileage of rental car=2weeks/14 days
+
gas=85.0-112.9/L

------------------------------
total: time to leave Hamilton


Its taken me by suprise how good it feels to cleanse and detox your house and move on to another unwritten path.

This new place even has a pool and a grand piano!
Come on, who wouldn't take a pool and a piano over steel?

It just feels good to pull everything off the shelves and ponder over why I purchased all of these odds & ends in the first place? Humans really are just born to work/produce/consume.

Anyway,
again its late, but this is whats been going on:
I have been packing alone as DMC has a trial this week. Its midnight and I haven't heard from him since 5pm. Not sure where he is or what he is up to. Hope bibby didn't drop him in a tub full of gooey cement.
And to make matters more insane: our apartment building told me that the elevators are booked ALL of Wednesday.
So now the movers that we did reserve for Wednesday said they never received our booking and cancelled on us.
So I decided to go for good old U-haul, and now they tell me that we can't have a truck for 2 days in a row as its "busy season", so I am not even sure if we can rearrange to have it just for "one" day which leaves us to Thursday.
John-the-axe-murderer-landlord screamed and argued that we must be out:
"midnight of the 31st--OR ELSE!!!"

--I am dyin to see John on the porch at 11:30, AXE in hand...


Anyway, hope we can just get out of here sooner vs later.
So I will take apart my PC here tonight and she will cry digital tears...


Lola just had her bath! so she is smelling like Lassie shampoo, too bad you can't smell the daisy-fresh scent.

time to go through the stack of mags leftover by DMC for me to "sort".
"SORT!?" -I said? there is no sorting required!

Just use extra tape!

sniffany & co.

how cute is this???

kerr's top 40

Only the finest Malt is allowed down on Charlton ave west

Congratulations on becoming a new lawyer Greg.....you truly are

ALL THAT!

Jibacoa strapless little number

Its funny how a big Torontonian like me can race around a FANTASTIC country like Cuba in +47 weather heck you can:
-hike
-ride a horse
-swim in a cave
-hike through a cave
-snorkel all over the place
-chase hemmingways ghost out of his hotel
and then race back to my hotel and look THIS good...
did I forget to mention that I was also sick for the past 2 days?

At this dinner we gave our waiter a bag of toys for his 2 little girls, he was SO happy.
Beanie Babies are still cool somewhere on this earth at least...

come on england?

Before B&B move across the pond we had the chance to spend some time with Brent at BP'S and had a great trivia match --Shaft was the winner.

Beth was busy trying to deliver a baby!

It will be a very sad good-bye.

But we are not saying goodbye.....just "until we meet again..."

We will miss you both very very much!!!

But we are quite happy that you are getting out of the hammer to do what your hearts are telling you to do:

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
p&d xoxox

MG =She’s In It For The Money Bootleg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeWnWKxd1RU

bad boy astor

This is Lola's favorite little man "bad boy astor"....does your pet have a fav little critter?

en route!

A canoe trip around the lake....!
We had no idea what Lola would do once we put her inside the Crowe's giant red canoe,
but she seemed to really enjoy it...!

It was awesome to have her aboard! What a brave little Scottie!
Thank you Dave for being our favourite tourguide too!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Lola the explorer!

A good shot of Lola the explorer on our big August long weekend hike up at the Crowe's nest!
"can I drink this water??? I'm SO thirsty....and its SO cold!!!!!!"

The Crowe's nest 2006

We all had a wonderful time at The Crowe's Nest this August long weekend...!

Such perfect weather this year!!!

Lola loved the canoe trip around the lake...and we all went for a nice refreshing swim!
We had a good hike through the forest along the old logging trails.
After 1 year with us, Lola has become a much more confident rescued dog...we are so proud of how far she has come! She actually led the hike this year! She was SO determined.
Our big dog small pacakge led us even through the small streams...the cold water ran high against her legs & tummy, but she was a brave little scottie and seemed to love the outdoor adventure!

Thank you Lee & Wayne for the warm hospitality -as always!!!
It was great to see you both again...please come visit us in Toronto soon.



Also, the s'mores were awesome!



xoxoxoxo

We love you too Lola!

We were first kind of afraid of you...but we have totally grown to love your
big dog small package style! Happy 1 year livin with us spoiled cats...!
Love always Maui & Guinness xoxox

Lola's 1st full year

Happy birthday Lola, its been 1 year since we rescued you!
We love you and are SO happy that you are part of our team!

The photographer at El Capitolio

"SUPER ROMANTICO!"

"SUPER ROMANTICO!"

This was taken by an old Havana man and his 100 year old portrait camera
on the steps at El Capitolio. This landmark was modeled after its U.S. cousin, the Cuban Capitol is a stunning architectural work of grand scale--it's actually a bit taller and longer than the Washington version. There's not a whole lot to see here, but it's worth climbing the steep steps.

If you look closely at the photo the old man actually did *2* Cuban style cut & paste jobs
in +48 sun in less than 3 minutes...otherwise it would have been just a shot of the giant staircase and us. I also love his accidental thumb print signature at the side!

"super romantico!" he exclaimed over and over the entire time.
"no computer" he said as he pointed to the 100 year old antique with a plastic fixer jug hanging off its side.


All for $1 peso.

Havana Club Rum factory tour

Nothing like a rum museum tour in Havana at 9am!

Shots for everyone!

Make sure that when you open a new bottle...tip the bottle so that it spills the
top inch off on the floor as a sign of respect to all of the slaves that helped build this
Cuban rum empire.

DMC in Jibacoa

Ok here he is, my one and only super dave!

Here are some of the ruins of a small house that was built so that the landowner could "breed" his slaves to produce stronger slaves after slavery had been outlawed in the country.
The human race is quite awful. But has the world gotten any better?

Horses at the coffee plantation

This is Rolland, me and Lorraine on our Cuban horses!
Dave was our photographer. The horses took us for a short trip around the coffee farm.

Coffe plantation, Matanzas province

Part of our tour included a stop over for lunch at a local coffee plantation farm.
This used to be home to many slaves that were brought over from Africa to work the land.
It was a very sad experience to see the iron chains that were attached to their necks & ankles.
It was more disturbing to see ruins of a small house that was built so that the landowner could "breed" his slaves to produce stronger mightier slaves after slavery had been outlawed.
This tree was one of the oldest and largest in the area. The slaves used this as their
sacred prayer tree which was as ritual from Africa.
Touching it you could feel the hope and also the extreme suffering that had happened here.

The old man in the background grew up on this farm, he was 76 years old and had been there all of his life. His farm which has been in his family for many centuries was now owned by the government. It was hard to leave the farm and see the man off. This was his life.
Showing the chains, the sacred tree, the horse rides, the deep water well dug by slaves...
After riding one of the horses, we ran for water bottles.
Guai told us that the horses would "get a drink later" after I asked where there water was.
I then noticed that the horse handlers didn't even have one bottle of water for themselves let alone for the working animals. The sun was very intense. I then felt terrible for riding the horse. But figured they were used to the heat.
So of course it was strange to leave the plantation and for us to all get back in our jeeps and never see this old man again. He rested his tired arm on the iron gated entrance and looked at me and smiled anyway while we drove away.

free range jibacoa

This photo was taken after a long wild crazy fun day of jeep off roading...
and jeep "pushing".

Its difficult and at times frustrating to imagine living the actual "Cuban way" of life
until you are stuck on a hot jungle highway pushing your friends that just ran out of gas!
Cuba's national sport is hitchhiking.

We sipped REAL coconut milk from REAL coconuts during this bumper-to-bumper
ordeal...I told our tourguide Guai, that up on our side of the world coconuts are available,
but come wrapped in plastic and the milks been replaced with water...as the milk is then sold in tin cans. He coudln't understand this complex chain of coconut events.
He thought our world was the good life and that his world was poor and empty.
I spoke to him all day and let him in on the real life we live...and how his was in fact better.
We went to a coffee plantation to have lunch and I mentioned how our meats/chicken etc is loaded with chemicals and are raised in tiny cages after farm chickens, roosters and turkeys ran past my feet. I told him that they would be "organic-free-range" because they were allowed to roam and to have a good life.
I then said that his life was pure, healthy & simple.
He let us know that the lunchtime banana's were straight off the trees on the farm.
I then told him that ours are shipped bright green before they can ripen on the tree.
His eyes bugged out in disgust...I am not sure he feels the same way about us tourists anymore
and or where we come from. I tried to let him know how it really is, and that it isnt all its cracked up to be in his mind. I also wished that we could have taken him home to Canada to be "free?!" to be the biologist he studied to become and not a tourguide trying to survive within Castro's regime.
We then wondered how he would feel about seeing both worlds like we had and letting him choose which is actually better...or the ripest.

Roof Garden at Ambos Mundos

http://www.casaparticular.com/hotel-view.asp?lID=1&hID=119&show=1

While in Havana we went to this famous hotel for mojito's...

Much is made of Ernest Hemingway’s predilection for staying at the Hotel Ambos Mundos; he wrote the first few chapters of ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ in room 551, which is now maintained as something of a shrine.
The rooftop terrace view was incredible and you can see a church with its giant 'bell' off in the distance.

Hence the inpiration regarding the title of his novel.

Old Havana cigar lady and misc roaming dog at large

I had to snap this shot real quick as this old Havana lady was charging to do so!
She also spotted me with camera in hand...or was it my lilywhite office cubicle skin perhaps?
Anyway, she saw us and then quickly released her fan to block her face from taking a good picture.

She also has a giant cigar in her mouth.

The wild dog happened to get in the shot, which I love most about this as his spots happen to match the vibrantly colored wall.

Old Havana was a magical place indeed.

We gave out our old ball caps and assorted little toys..it was wonderful.

Havana

YOU...!

yes YOU....!

get under my boot!

Canada Day in Cuba

This was taken outside our 'ocean-view' room on Canada day...
I didn't want to wear my hockey sweater...but I am wearing red lipstick!

Jibacoa

This was taken just outside our room...
every night we got to watch the giant sun melt into the ocean...

Matanzas, Jibacoa & Havana 2006

We are back in Canada now...just about in 1 piece
despite our jeep pushing the other 4x4 jeep that ran out of gas "the Cuban way"
while we were all driving in the jungle aka: the 'Cuban forest', and then on the provincial highway. We survived swimming & hiking through giant sodium chloride caves,
being tugged underwater by our dive leader hand-in-hand in a sea of a million jellyfish to see everything and also to take pictures with our 'hightech waterproof camera'.
The best part of the dive was seeing a big fish down below hiding inside a pile of rocks and shells and there I was, watching him then get hit on the head by the leader throwing rocks to cover his hole/lookout...and then the fish would push them out of its mini-cave....it was funny.
Then our leader kept throwing them on him....this was kind of insane.
And he joked that he tortures this poor fish everyday.

We loved the trip and met a lot of people.
Despite the short length -altogether it was an amazing trip visiting
the cities of Matanzas, Jibacoa & Havana.

I have to sort through my 1GB of photo's but this shot was a goodie taken in
Havana's biggest city square where Fidel gives his "IMPORTANT" speeches.
I can't believe Dave and I are sporting a smile while standing on a tarmac in aprx +45 humid heat.

As our tour guide said,
"you only live once"
So thank you Guai, for showing us your version and highlights of your special country
frozen in time.

Cigar?

Well, for those that care to read the pblog, for whatever reason that still
makes you hover and or gravitate towards this ever shining pblog light...
If you care to dive into my inner workings of daily life=
yesterday I got promoted at work.

And I also got another raise.

So to celebrate all this hoopla,
I have decided that we should sneak off to Cuba this Sunday...

This time we will go visit
Havana and Varedero
as we are staying at a place that is
right between the two
Our place is situated next to a mountain
of lushness and small villages

Maybe I will run into Hemmingway's ghost again
I just hope I don't run into a hurricane.

We are bringing MORE toys than last time for the children
and MORE baseball caps & clothes & make-up!

At least a fashionista can help the people stay fashionable...

YOU'RE IN OIL COUNTRY!!!

Edmonton Oilers' Michael Peca with Ty Conklin during practice Sunday

I *heart* Peca

I *heart* my Conklin playing card...its going to be worth hundreds!

I *heart* Alberta beef

I *heart* WEM

I *heart* the Oilers

Lets go boys..you can do it!

girl in red #2

Wow,

I am not sure why this painting didn't sell
on ebay.

My brother says its because I didn't give it a swanky name like "madonna" or "britney" so a lot of people can't stumble across it.

Oh well.

Do I have any offers?

Email me and let me know if you're interested!
Thanks.

-p

Clemente

Francesco Clemente,
Why can't I know you personally?
I wish you could paint a giant
canvas of me.

our momma

Team fabulous!

At left: Lola, Center: Guinness & at right: Maui
#1 momma=ME.

Just enjoying our long weekend here in The hammer.
Can you believe the Oilers won...AGAIN.

"Woot woot"

best interview via BBC

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=386136&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770

oh and here is me in Niagara on the lake....nice town...lots of wine....

also with my hair blown out....how slick is that?

CHILES

http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.c/qx/chiles-coat-arms.htm

I just found this tonight, thought it was amazing!

ceasefire

Jack wrote me back today, but I still haven't heard from Steven yet...

Thank you for writing to express your dismay about the recent decisions by Prime Minister Harper and his Conservative government to stop the lowering of the flag on our nation's Peace Tower and to ban media coverage of the return of our fallen soldiers.

Many other Canadians share your concerns and have questioned what it is our Prime Minister is trying to hide by dishonouring our soldiers. I think we can agree that we should be honouring our fallen soldiers every chance we get.

If it is appropriate to lower the flag here on Parliament Hill every time an unelected senator dies, why is it not appropriate to lower the flag every time one of our soldiers dies serving our country? Please be assured that the federal NDP will continue to press this matter and you can view our latest interventions, including those madeon April 27th, by checking: www.parl.gc.ca

Again, I appreciate the time you have taken to register this concern with me.


Sincerely,

Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth) Leader,
Canada's New Democrats

To catch up on recent news and issues, please visit: http://www.ndp.ca/ or http://www.ceasefire.ca/

GRADUATION DAY!!!

LOLA HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ALL REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE "BEGINNER EDUCATION" SPONSORED BY THE PETSMART PET TRAINING PROGRAM: MAY 7, 2006

CONGRATS LOLA!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

may 2004-2006 2 years ahead of you baby

So it is May 1st, 2006...thats great you may say....April showers bring May bloggers,
its been 2 years now since my first post. Congrats to me right?
Sure.
I was cool before you were cool my friend.
Its all about being in-the-know, and finding whats Uber hip and Uber chic (not sheek, shick)
Its all about being bigger bolder better bonanza extravaganza big.

So happy to be 2.

I found this painting on ebay, I thought it was intense.

Plus she looks 2 years old.

I hoped that I could just swap it with my own ebay painting sale, I thought it was romantic and wonderfully simple. Sorry I didnt catch your name. And sorry again ebay bidders you have poor taste when it comes to purchasing REAL fine art out there.

Karate kids' rescued after Japan mountain quest

TOKYO (Reuters)
- Three Singaporeans were found safe Thursday after getting lost on what they said was a mission to find a legendary karate expert on a snowy mountainside in Japan.
One of the three men told police in Hirosaki, near the northern tip of Japan's main island, that they had come to Japan after his dying father, a martial arts expert, had ordered them to seek out the karate teacher, TV Asahi said on its Web site.

"Japan looked so small on the world map that we thought we would be able to find him straight away," one of the group, aged between 25 and 50, was quoted as saying.

All three were dressed in light clothing and huddling in an abandoned car when they were rescued from the slopes of 1,600-meter (5,249-ft) Mount Iwaki in the early hours of the morning after calling for help on a mobile phone, a police spokesman said. "Neither police nor local people know of anyone running karate classes in this area," the spokesman added.

Lola takes the cake

Today is Sunday, Lola's favorite day.
Her favorite day of the week includes a visit to her favorite pet store for dog school.
Yes, she is a purebred so why wouldn't she hit the books more than other dogs?!

She is a brain.

Its her third class, so it was all about trying to lay down today, this was quite difficult
with a stockboy and a giant forklift carrying a skyhigh load of Iams mini-chunks in view.
We will practice all week...and hope she gets it.
She is always busy meeting every dog in class, making sure they are all happy etc.
She is quite like her big brother Guinness where its all about being social.
And also she is quite like her Big sister Maui where its all about being regal and oh so purebred.

Spicegirls for hire...aka: wannabe..aka: "if you wanna be my lawyer.."

Just browsing for a reputable lawyer tonight and I wasn't able to find one.
It is a funny thing when all you can find are mad portraits of madmen...
and or women.

And I have to laugh at all of you and your greasy hair and bad ties...oh and the mugshots from
Jimbo's-1hour-photo-lab...real nice!

Shame on you!
and shame on you if you refuse to even post a "law-protrait" at all.

and tonight, I found the worst Leah Mclaren rip-off portrait...EVER.
Maybe it would have been good for lets say...a smug
tongue-in-your-lap
globe weekly rag feature....

but for a legal site?

Rules=
1) Black and white, Vs. color? (maybe)
lets say YES if the rest of the photos are in fact ARE black and white,
2) Rules,
You can't avoid the rules.
3) Suit,
yes.
Lawyers wear them.
4) Sassy grin
Come on buster, its a given.
5) Pose,
Arms resting at sides.
Nothing fashionable, law is dry.
Nothing more nothing less. This isnt Vogue.
Its the law (stupid)
6) Jimbo's-1hour-photo-lab
Sorry Jimbo, but your experteez just isn't cuttin' it sugar.
Please go to a REAL studio.
7) Touch-ups,
Go easy.
Its called photoshop, get it.
Remember, the more you fake yourself the more you break the laws of nature.
And you are representing the law.

And who is really gonna believe that you ARE the law?

2005 pet of the year award