Toronto

I went to Toronto last week.
It was a very weird experience, very familiar, but different.
A little bit American, a little European.
I arrived to a rainy and cloudy city.
I sat in a rental car for 2 hours on the way to the hotel.
I drove 40km with 5 million other people.
I drank good wine and ate profiteroles.
The hotel was a palace.

Catch Up

It's been a while, I've already ordered this year's pot of stilton.
Here's a run down of the year....

First snow of the year
We got 4 inches this morning.

Dancing With The Stars

Mario Lopez - OMG, can he be any hotter?

10-10-06

10 years since my mother died.

Mobile Phone
I got a Treo 700p
Am I cool again?

Religion

I'm not a very religious person. I respect other peoples' beliefs, but they are not mine.

Society is slanted towards those with strong religious beliefs. The general opinion, in this part of the world, is that the more religious you are the better person you are. Why do religious people think that it is alright to ask everyone to hold hands and pray before food? I'm fine going along with it, but I hate the assumption. Religious people complain when they are overlooked, so why can't I complain when I am forced to follow their beliefs.

Death

What is it like. How do people who know they are dying feel. Is it like knowing you are going away, you probably can't contact anyone ever again and will never see them? Is it more sad than scary?

Birthday

Everybody forgot!

PMP

Funny, it hasn't done much for me.

http://www.certcities.com/editorial/features/story.asp?EditorialsID=95

bluuuuuur

Why is blue cheese often called "bleu" cheese in the US?

Stilton - from England
Gorgonzola - from Italy
Cambozola - from Germany
Danish Blue - from Denmark

There are some French blue cheeses that start "bleu de…" but France is not generally thought of as the home of blue cheese. So why give blue cheese a French name; bleu cheese dressing, bleu cheese steak, for example? My guess is people are confused with Le Cordon Bleu institute and the names of dishes created there like Chicken Cordon Bleu. No blue cheese in that dish! There are more cheeses produced in England than France.

The 1lb of Stilton, I ordered this year, is almost finished :-( It has been a wonderful indulgence and so much nicer than the dried out, plastic wrapped, hard triangular stuff I can buy locally.

Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design isn't intelligent!

Joke On Virgin Radio

This was the winning joke on Virgin Radio

The angel tells them 'As a reward for being so patient through a hundred blazing summers and dismal winters, you have been given life for thirty minutes to do what you've wished to do the most.'

He looks at her, she looks at him, and they go running off together behind the shrubbery.

The angel waits patiently as giggling sounds come from the rustling bushes.

After fifteen minutes the two return out of breath and laughing.

The angel tells them 'You still have fifteen minutes left.'

The male statue asks the woman statue, 'Would you like to do it again?'

'Oh yes. Let's,' she replies. 'But let's change positions. This time, I'll hold the pigeon down and you poo on its head!!'

Cool Website

Cool Website

- Christmas lights set to music.

Too soon for snow

It was one of those mornings when I knew I wouldn't like what I saw out of the bedroom window. On Sunday it started to snow in the mountains; the weathermen first warned us there would be snow above 9000 feet, then 7000 feet, then at 5280 overnight.

When I woke at 4:30am I could see a dull light from the window. It was lighter than normal for this time of year and a sure sign that it snowed overnight. I didn't look out of the window until 6am, mainly because I knew that when I did I would frantically start putting on waterproof clothes, hats, gloves and boots.

At 6:05am I was out in the backyard armed with a broom and a feisty determination. Three young trees were bent over and touching the ground like weeping willows, their still-green leaves full of heavy wet snow. I bounded around like a cartoon character whacking their snow laden branches and shaking small trucks. These are my babies, I've known them since they were 1 inch diameter saplings, they have come so far and grown so much in 4 years. Damn it, why didn't they lose their leaves early!

Paying for Pain

What should people think about their personal trainers? I'm indifferent to mine, on a personal level, but I hate going to the gym - I hate it with a passion. It takes all my willpower on the day of the appointment not to call and cancel. I hate the workout during the session and the days that follow. Contrary to popular belief, I do not feel better, I do not feel more energized and I don't think I look any better, in fact I think I look tired and jaded. The killer is I am paying for this pain and suffering...and it's not cheap!

I do have a natural desire to be healthy, but on my own conditions. I understand, that for a consumer to feel they are getting their money's worth, there has to be measurable results in a certain timeline. But I don't want to lift weights until I am incapable, in pain and shaking. I understand the methods for gaining muscle, but I don't want to take pain killers 4 days out of 7. I hate waking up and rolling out of bed. By rolling I literally mean roll, I cannot move without pain and so I have discovered that if I roll towards the end of the bed and let my legs drape over the edge, I can become upright with the least amount of pain.

Next week is my last session with a personal trainer. I will continue to go to the gym, I will probably go more often, and I will pace myself. I will not train until I reach my maximum heart rate, I will not lift weights so heavy that I quiver with pain, and I will probably not see results very fast. I will be fine with my progress, I will not take pain killers and I will be able to get out of bed with a simile on my face!

Time to go home

My week is over. I've been to London, Brighton, Horsham and Canterbury. I've been bike riding in Sussex and drank wine in several old English pubs. We went to see a play in Guildford, I've eaten fish and chips, scampi and chips, paprika flavored Pringles and crayfish sandwiches. We painted my brother's house downstairs and I have bought loads of clothes to wear state-side. I even sent out postcards today after eating a really good Cornish pastie. It wasn't all about the food, but that did play a big part - the chicken tikka masala balti was suberb. The weather was pretty good too - it only rained one day (and we were painting that day anyway).

I worry about my brother, I hope he finds a girlfriend soon.

I'll be back home tomorrow night.

Other side of the pond

I flew over the big pond yesterday - not bad, it only took 8 hours and I managed to sleep a little. I just love those BA direct flights - whoosh straight into Heathrow... Ta-da! I'm here, no problemo... arrived and went directly for a Starbucks latte. I stayed awake until 10:30pm - was very proud of myself since there is a 7 hour time difference. I woke the next morning at 7am, blah jet lag - who are these wusses that complain?

I thought the US was reacting badly to increasing gas prices. All day we kept getting stopped by traffic jams as people lined up for petrol/gas. Because of the price increasing so much there are people demonstrating by refineries and stopping deliveries. That means that people are panicing and petrol stations are running out. We went to a place for gas and met people from the next town because it was out of petrol. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4243950.stm