Art...

I went to the yearly art show at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on the weekend. There were some pretty amazing artist, by far my favorite was Dorion Scott.
Wish I had loads of cash to spend on beautiful art work, alas I must admire from afar

http://www.dorionscott.com/

SO EXCITED!!!

Yes it's true that I will be 30+something next month but that doesn't matter, I am SO EXCITED to go Sunday and see ......

Has it really been more then a week....

Well it's been a fun few days away from the computer. I had the most beautiful time at the cottage! We have not had weather so hot and sunny there in several summers! The days pretty much went like this :

* wake up

* go for a run

* jump in the lake

* drink coffee

* sit at the beach

* jump in the lake

* some more sitting at the beach

* more jumping in the lake

* nap

* play cards

* eat a lot of food

* drink wine

* camp fire

* SMORES!

* sleep

REPEAT!

The heat wave continues here, I was supposed to run tonight but it's just way too hot! 43 with humidity is just crazy! I'm not complaining though, we'd be upset if it was cold.

I'm happy to report that my tomatoes are still kicking despite this heat! The plant is now almost as tall as I am!! I'll try to remember to take a pic soon.

Happy Canada Day

To my fellow Canadians, Happy Canada Day!

I'm off to the cottage for the weekend starting tomorrow evening. Gotta love a LONG weekend!

Toronto Police, my heros!

This weekend the G20 Summit in Toronto has unfortunately brought out the worst in a small group of people. In the face of this the Toronto police have done an outstanding job. It is very frustrating to hear them being criticized by ignorant and frankly unintelligent individuals. I'm not one for getting up on a soap box but I've never seen anything like what has/is unfolding in the city I love before here.

Violence is never ok. Destruction of property is never okay. People should realize that the chaos causes so much distraction no one knows in the end what message these "protestors" are trying to convey. It's pointless and scary frankly.

I could go on and on but my message today for those who might read this is...

Toronto is a great city, the people who have tarnished that this weekend are not the majority. I have nothing but respect and admiration for the police who are doing everything they can to keep peace and control in our city.

so easy to make him happy

Cottage cheese....who knew it was that simple!

Monday

10 Random facts about today:

1. I had to get up at 4:30am today

2. I had lunch in Montreal

3. Watching Modern Family made me laugh out in public

4. My cat Milo is sitting at the door "crying" to go out in the hall

5. I signed up to swim two days a week at 6am for the summer (what was I thinking!)

6. Order Red Curry Veggies but received Green Curry Veggies

7. Got to ride in my friends nice new 5series BMW

8. Am watching Lie to Me while I type this

9. There are a pile of dishes on my counter and they will probably still be there in the morning

10. I really want to buy these: So Cute!

PLUS! Check out this Blog Give Away!

http://flourishdesignandstyle.blogspot.com/

She's giving away some beautiful cards, check it out!!

It's a great Blog with beautiful posts that will inspire everyday!!!

So You Think You Can Dance...

I'm completely addicted to So You Think You Can Dance!

Yes I'm Canadian but I love the American version best (I'm sorry!)

I adore Mia Michaels ADORE!!!!

My pick for front runner after week one.... the Canadian of Course! Mr. Alex Wong

INCREDIBLE!!!!

photo from http://www.fox.com/dance/photos/#contestants/meet:60284

Who are you rooting for?

is that a tomato?

YES! I have not only managed to keep my tomato plant alive (so far) but I have baby tomatoes!!!!

Tough day..

I discovered that "playing" my guitar is an instant stress reliever....I say "playing" because I'm still just learning. I'm sure my neighbours would call it butchering the music LOL

What do you do at the end of a tough day?

True Blood...

Here in Canada you have to pay big bucks for some of the fun US channels like HBO. So if you're a little thrifty like me you wait your favourites to come out on DVD and either buy or rent the season all at once. I do love that I can download tv shows pretty inexpensively to iTunes!

Last year I was introduced by friends to True Blood. They owned and lent me season One. Now it's not for the faint at heart and I'd say you have to be fairly opened minded :)
Well Season Two just came out on DVD here in Canada and renting was the way to go! I hate to admit that I watched the entire season in the matter of a week! This season was even more crazy and over the top then the first and yet I couldn't stop watching! I hope this doesn't make you all think I'm a total freak but I willingly admit that I look forward to see what craziness they can come up with for Season Three!

Hope you all had a great weekend. I made an appointment today for a consult with my tattoo artist next week, can't wait to tell you more!

World's best Boss

So my boss is a giant Mac geek and I too this year have transformed into one.
I'd say that saving for a long time to get my MacBook, quickly followed by my iPhone purchase was all made worth it today when I took advantage of my BOSSES suggestion... Used my iPhone's tethering feature to get internet access on my Mac at the cottage and worked from here today! Genius! Now, being that the cottage is for relaxing I'll be logged OFF the rest of the weekend! This was just a great way to be away from the office and not have to use up a vacation day.

Working "remote"

This will be my "office" tomorrow

a new addition

Just home from a lovely evening with my friend J. We've been friends since grade nine and though we went our own ways for a few years after high school have reconnected. It's one of those special friendships that you find out aren't just by default. When you're young and in high school you tend to be friends with people because you're all in the same situation doing the same things. Then the big bad world opens up and you have to figure out who you are on your own (well at least this is how it appears from my experience).

I feel really lucky that after that time apart we came back together as true friends. Friends who know each other so well from our years of high school bonding but who have so much to share and learn from each other now. She's one of the few people in this world who I can be 100% myself with and who gets me. Well I found out the exciting news today that I'm going to be an Aunty! I couldn't be more happy for her and look forward to spoiling this new little one like crazy!

There was a time that when I found out my friends were pregnant I would think "lost another one to the dark side" LOL but after many new babies in the circle of friends, I now know how much fun they bring. Yes it requires a lot of understanding at times that your friends aren't always as available as you'd like but there are so many special moments that you wouldn't have otherwise. Like last Sunday morning I'd been trying to get together with N and it wasn't working out. She said that she and her little guy were going to free swim if I'd like to join them. OF COURSE Aunty B would love to come! If getting in the pool and splashing around with a 2 year old is all it takes to get a little time with N then count me in! Not to mention that N is more then just a mom and I'm certain appreciates a conversation about something other then the Backyardigins from time to time :)

So embrace the big changes and little people in your life. You're missing out if you don't !

Sunday Morning Run...

I have so missed Sunday morning running... Yes it's a little early to be up and out by 8:30 on a Sunday morning but it's worth it!
This morning it was raining and only 12, a little chilly for a run in the rain but when you get going ya heat up in no time!
Today was a nice 5km working our way towards 10k in a couple of weeks.

The best part of Sunday running is coffee after! LOL Lets be honest, the reason most of us run is to eat!
Last night I made a delish new recipe from my BFF Martha LOL

I highly recommend this Asparagus, Snap Pea and Avocado Pasta
(click pic to link to recipe)



From Everyday Food, June 2006

I recently got an iPhone (can't tell you how much I love it) and bought the Martha Stewart Everyday Food App.
You get a new recipe every day! You can search on it for any recipe you'd like and can make shopping lists right in the app. You can email the lists, save recipes to a favourites list. It's super handy in the grocery store!

Well enjoy the rest of your weekend :)

The most fun kind of Mail...

There's something super fun about going to the mailbox, expecting a pile of bills and recycling, I mean flyers, only to find a notice that a parcel has arrived for you! When you weren't expecting one, it's ever better!!!!

To my delight that is what happened to me this morning. After popping out to grab a coffee (yes when there is a Second Cup coffee in your building you tend to get lazy about making it at home), I stopped at the mailbox to see what had piled up while I had been away. This is when I found the ever exciting little white slip of paper letting me know a parcel was waiting for me.
I handed it to the nice man at the front desk and waited patiently. He came back a few moments later and handed me a big envelope that definitely had something fabric inside. I looked at the return address and knew I was in for a treat!

I rushed upstairs and ripped open my surprise. There was a lovely note from N saying she wanted me to remember how "fabulous" I was and to wear this around the house so I wouldn't forget :) It was a cute black t-shirt care of HBO Sex in the City merch that reads "Single and Fabulous" bejewelled with little pink "rhine stones" and a gold martini glass.



Cheers Ladies!!

Green Thumb....never had one...

Back in October of last year I moved into a new condo. The biggest selling feature and best benefit of this new place is the awesome patio! My old place was patio/balcony -less which meant I had no out door space of my own. Well all that has changed now and I couldn't be more excited! Dinner parties and quiet Saturday mornings out here with the birds chirping couldn't be nicer!

I love color and decided that I would make an attempt at keeping some plants alive. You must understand that this is a big feat for me! I killed the cactus that was given to me when I moved in here, I wish I was kidding!

So here is a picture of my summer "garden". I'd like to introduce you to my pansies, tomato, herbs and pretty pink geranium!

Wish me (or should I say them?) Luck!

p.s. don't you love the little green table? I picked it up at an antique show last weekend.

Back from the Blog Hiatus

I'm back! Hopefully it hasn't been too long that you have forgotten me!

So this Blog is going to take a topic turn... I'm sure that the dating life will sneak in here and there but for the most part it's just going to be about the fun and adventurous things that go on in my world. The quest of Online dating came to an end after one too many mr.wrongs being "matched" to me. The real life possibility didn't work out but... have no fear, LIFE is AWESOME!

Today I got home from a quick trip to Montreal. There for business, I had my very first POUTINE experience! MAN alive! My local friends took me to a little greasy spoon where you could only pay cash and they gave you more food then you'd need in a day! It was DELISH! I had poutine and two loaded hotdogs (relish, mustard and coleslaw, who knew?!?!) Admittedly I couldn't eat the whole poutine, it was just too much but I gave it a good effort. I'm going to have to detox for a week to get the cheese and grease out of my system... did I mention how excellent it was!

It's been a busy couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to a nice quiet weekend at home. I'm in the process of down loading (from iTunes) Season 1 of Nurse Jackie, I watched an episode on the plane ride home and decided I'd check it out. I'm dying for Season 4 of Dexter to become available here in Canada! Gotta love ShowTime!

One of my latest adventures is getting back into the world of running! I used to run a lot and have done a few half marathons. I live by a strict "if it's not fun, I'm not doing it" policy so I truly run because I enjoy it and have fun doing it. I've joined a 10k clinic through the Running Room and am a week into it so far. I love the group and feel so great to be getting back in the swing of thing. Really my secret is that I run so I can eat ICE CREAM! I recently tried the Mint Areo McFlurry and haven't stopped thinking about getting another one since! LOL

Happy Friday, have a great weekend!

MIA

I know it's been a while since I posted, here's the thing... I haven't been checking my online account.
I got disheartened with all the bad matches and something seems to be developing with a "real" person :)

So I'm thinking about making over this blog about a new adventure but I'll give it a little more time.
In the meantime I might test out a topic or two for the blog and see what you think. I'm still a 30something TakingaChance on life.

Stay tuned....

Hero of the week...

Meet Mr.Contradiction: He's passionate about the environment "making it better then how I found it..."
His profile pic seadoo-ing seems like an interesting choice. They are a bit of a gas guzzler aren't they? Hm....

Random Friday

It's friday so I thought I would compile a list of random little things that make you go "huh?" for the week :)

Most passionate about....clocks?

Can't live without....coffee and cheese TOGETHER! yikes

Quote of the day .... "I'm as fun as bubblegum"

The first thing people notice about me...." I work a lot to hit my goals"...or...."that I can hold up good conversations"

Spell check people, come on!

"thru" I think he meant "Through"

"healty" I think he meant "healthy" (not just once but 4 different places spelled incorrectly)

"socer" translated to "soccer" I'm assuming

"laylaty" I believe can be interpreted as "loyalty" O and A are on opposite ends of the keyboard!

(as a person that relies very heavily on spell check, I promise never to close a match for poor spelling alone!)

Scrapping the bottom of the barrel...

So I've started getting what are called "Flexible" matches...it's politely explained as additional options for you when matches that meet your criteria can't be found. So these "Flexible" matches give you even more options, aren't you excited??!? LOL Oh I know I am. My friend and I had a complete giggle fit the other day reading some of these profiles.

I think it's important to stay light hearted about this whole process. The funny thing is that some times when you're looking in one place for something you think you want, you might not notice that it's shown up somewhere else. So just be open to all possibilities, even the "flexible" matches LOL :)

This is not the Miss America pageant!

I think this guy missed the memo that this isn't a pageant.

Meet Mr. I-want-to-save-the-world:

"If I had a wish that could come true, I would wish for every child to be loved, nurtured, and cherished on this planet. I have a feeling that this would be the only way in which we could conquer all and eliminate all the turmoils on this earth."

I hope you got the laugh from this that I did!

CLOSE MATCH!!!

Well I'd like to report that things are looking up in the world of "matches" but they seem to be on a slippery slope!
I'm not here to whine and complain though, simply to state an observation.

I got "matched" with another "Mr. Sex" today. I really find it interesting that some people are so blunt about it. Does that fact that you're online suddenly mean all tact goes out the window. I'm at a loss for what to say really. When you get a "must have" from someone (aka second communication ever!) that says "must have a partner that is sexually mature, adventurous and can comfortably express either desires..." REALLY??? again I realize that by some peoples standards I'm a prude, still okay with that but I ask, would you say it on a first date? Didn't think so!

The toper on the cake for this match was his "can't stand someone that is overweight". Don't get me started!

CLOSE MATCH!

Jaw on the floor.....

Now it's possible by some people's standards I could be considered a prude but I'm okay with that. If the astonishment at the profile I just got "matched" with puts me in the prude category I will wear the label gladly...

Meet Mr.Sex....

The one thing he's most passionate about " I put my heart into what I'm passionate about, I'm passionate about sex..." REALLY?? This is breaking cardinal rule number 1!!! But it gets better... The remainder of his profile (aside from his creepy profile pic) appears like that of a "normal" person. Now this "match" decided to send me a communication request so out of curiosity I thought I'd see what questions he sent me. I find that this is a very telling first impression. You have a list of probably 40 questions to choose from and pick 5 that you'd like to start off with.

(these are the questions he sent me)

Question 1. How do you feel about premarital sex?

Question 2. How would you asses your verbal intimacy skills?

Question 3. Are you a passionate person?

I can't even remember what 4 and 5 were I hit CLOSE MATCH! so quickly...

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE! LOL

I am trying not to loose faith that somewhere out there Mr.Right exists I guess I just haven't met him yet....

To give you an idea of the alternate question choices, here are the 5 I usually send when/if in communication with a "match"

Question 1. Your idea of an adventure is:

a. white water rafting

b. karaoke

c. trying a different route to work

d. ordering a dish you've never tried before

Question 2. If you could take a dream getaway for a week where would you go:

a. hawaii

b. paris

c. hiking in the mountains

d. cottage by the sea

Question 3. Which dates sounds the most fun to you?

a. attending a lecture on a topic you enjoy

b. bargain hunting at a flea market

c. going bowling

d. visiting a local comedy club

Question 4. How often do you find yourself laughing?

a. i crack myself up

b. most of the time but am serious when needed

c. most of the time i'm serious but occasionally have a laugh

d. generally i'm a pretty serious person

Question 5. Outside a romantic relation, are you competitive?

a. i'm extremely competitive

b. most of the time i'm pretty competitive

c. on rare occasions i'm competitive

d. i'm never competitive

Staying Hopeful

How many kids do you want.......WHAT?

All girls know that there are just some things you don't ask on a first date...probably not even for the first month or more. One of those is "So if we get married, how many kids would you want? "

Well I had the pleasure of being asked that question in my VERY FIRST communication with a "Match". I'm sorry but you just don't do that. Can you image in the look on a guys face if over coffee on your first date (or a blind date even) you asked him that. He'd run for the hills screaming!

I have set for myself a few "rules" during the quest of online dating.

#1 Rule: If you wouldn't say it on a first date... it shouldn't be in your profile info and you shouldn't ask/state it in your first few communications with someone. Don't ask me about kids, don't ask me about my favorite sexual positions, don't ask me how much I weigh, etc , etc!

CLOSE MATCH!

p.s. update on Mr.NoReply....I hit CLOSE MATCH!

Reply Etiquette

No really over the top profile's to share with you today, saving a couple in my back pocket for a future post. So instead I pose a question, How long is too long to wait for a reply?

Let's put it into context. Someone initiates communication with you. You go back and forth through the first few stages of "guided" communication and are now in the wide open world of email. They send you a message which you cheerfully reply to at some point within 24 hours or so. If you reply right away you might look too eager or desperate but within a day seems polite, no? Great, you hit send and now you wait......and wait......and wait..... 5 days...no reply...

Now I totally understand that maybe that person isn't interested, maybe you've said something completely ridiculous...Hopefully a pleasant "hope you had a great weekend, did you do anything fun ?" Doesn't count as ridiculous or offence but you never know.

It will be interesting to see if a reply comes and when. Maybe they will hit the infamous CLOSE MATCH button.... It seems important to keep perspective when deciding to take a chance in this online world of dating. Here's a few things to keep in mind while working your way through this mine field of potential husbands and totally mr.wrongs:

1. You're not the only one getting sent new matches each day


2. He's probably talking to someone else at the same time as he's talking to you


3. Be patient


4. Don't sell yourself short or settle


5. If it's not this guy, there will be another


6. IT ONLY TAKES ONE GOOD ONE to make it all worth it!

Let's just call him Mr. Angry

Meet Mr. Angry, the latest Romeo sent my way:

"I am a paying member on this site. I will a reply to your initial contact, even if I don't think we're a match. If you are into long email discussions, go away. I'm not into that. This process is about meeting real people in the real world. Are you up for a challenge? Contact me. I dare you."

Do I really need to say anything??

CLOSE MATCH!

Most thankful for....SLEEP?

Within a person's profile you list different information about yourself to help people get a sense of who you are. For example things you're passionate about, top three things you're most thankful for, five things you just can't live without...

I think I was "matched" with one of the 7 dwarfs today! Snow White look out Sleepy is cheating on you!


Sleepy's profile reads... The one thing I'm most passionate about is being able to sleep in...3 things most thankful for 1. Getting a lot of sleep 2. My mother doing my laundry 3. Air. It doesn't end there! Top 5 things you can't live without, any guesses what number 1 was? correct, Sleeping in on Saturdays!

I get it people, I love a good Saturday morning sleep in like the rest of you but COME ON! What kind of message are you sending a potential date when you advertise that your favorite hobby/passion is sleeping. That really gives a girl confidence that you're a barrel of fun! At least you could be sure of a good conversation starter..."so , what thread count are your pillow cases?"


CLOSE MATCH!

What's it all about?

So what is one to do when they turn 30 and are still single? Well apparently the answer was to take a chance with online dating...

I have a great life, I have amazing friends, good job, etc but I'd love someone to share it with. At this point I've been on more blind dates then I can count and the resources are running dry. I've been told I'm a very "married" unmarried person! I spend time with my friends and their kids (who I adore), I work, I come home, I go running, spend more time with friends.... not so much into the bar scene and not willing to take up random new hobbies just to try to meet someone. So the next best option was online dating. I'm willing to give it a shot and really put some effort into it.

I picked a reputable company and spent the time filling out my profile as honestly and openly as I could. I've posted a few pictures (I have a theory about this but I'll save that for later) and hope that I have put my best foot forward....

Now the fun begins when you see some of the crazy comments, statements and photos that potential "matches" have entered on their profile! It is these funny and sometimes bizarre things that I read that have inspired me to share them with you. I promise at all times to keep identities completely anonymous, really I couldn't share them even if I wanted to. This is strictly for entertainment value only.

Bizarre Item #1: Hooters Girl Profile Photo.....REALLY???
I wish I were kidding but sadly I'm not. A recent "match" that I received decided to post not one but four photos of himself posed with Hooters Girls. I can't help but scratch my head wondering what he was thinking? He must reazlie that this is being sent to women he hopes to date and not his facebook friends, right? Clearly my reponse was CLOSE MATCH!