Oi. Birthday parties.

Good to see all the wonderful amazing people. Good to chat (although didn't get to spend NEARLY enough time with some people). Great food. Cute cards. Funny pictures.

too
much
drink

I love the Rivoli.
I don't like pretentious clubs.
I do like to dance.

I don't like hangovers.

I had such a nice birthday dinner with Jessica tonight.

She came over to see my apartment - she was my first guest when I hadn't even moved in fully yet. It looks so much better now. I was proud! We went out to have a look at my outdoor pool and I finally got a tag for it - only $2! Now I can go out for a leisurely swim on those hot days that JUST left Toronto. (I have great timing.)

We went for a walk down to Davisville station and then I walked back up Mount Pleasant. I really do love where I live. It is perfect.

Jess gave me a good idea for how to decorate my last remaining bare wall. I want to take close-up photos of nature - very colourful ones - frame them as 4x6 and put a line of them across the upper 1/4 of the wall. It's gonna be COOL!

But that's after I manage to get a couple of other things crossed off my to-do list.

One of which is getting my bad-self to Jacob to buy a dress for my friend Tan's wedding. Apparently they are having a big sale. Yay for me!

Another to-do is eating brownies and ice cream before I go to bed.

I turned 30 today.

My workmates took me out for my free lunch, which was really nice. They are a great bunch of people and made me feel so special. I got invites to go out for a drink or over for dinner this evening... just thinking about them makes me wanna give them all a big hug.

I can't wait til I get together with everyone at my "surprise" birthday party at the Rivoli on Friday. It will be so nice to have all of my favourite people in one place. What a wonderful way to spend an evening. I think I will drink chocolate martinis.

I am eating some seriously yummy bread.

I bought it last night at My Market Bakery on Baldwin St. in Kensington Market. Although I quite love Kensington (and the Moon Beam Cafe decaf iced latte that I finally got to try), I find it a little expensive compared to the Chinese markets about 5 seconds away. You really need to know your prices.

However, this bread is AMAZING! Some sort of wholegrain deal with a crusty outside and magically moist and soft inside.

Of course, it helps that I'm eating it with garlic-basil infused olive oil. Mmm!

Last night I went on a gourmet expedition and brought Alex some olive and roasted red pepper sourdough with jalapeno havarti. No surprise that he liked it.

I got myself some really expensive aged Gouda at the cheese shop. And some grape tomatoes. And perfect strawberries for dessert. What a lovely summer meal.

Then we went to see Kid Koala perform (for free!) at the Harbourfront Centre as part of the Dim Sum Chinese festival held there this weekend. If you've never heard of this guy (I'll admit I was a sketchy on his details) then you have GOT to check him out! He's a turntablist and, if asked, I would have said I wasn't into it.

I am a changed woman.

He was so amazing! My jaw literally dropped (yep, they call me slack-jawed Cathy) at some of the stuff he was doing. Anyone who doesn't think that this is real musical talent really has to see one of these shows and understand what's going on there. I'd wager that a turntable is the most difficult instrument to master. I couldn't believe the stuff he made it do!

In short, I was glad we went.

In other news, I FINALLY checked out the Distillery District for the International Circus Festival.

This meant 2 things:
1. I got to see some pretty cool performers
2. I got to try out Balzac's coffee again!

Since I'm cutting down my coffee intake, I had to really hold out for the whole rest of the day, just to partake. It was hot and strong - just like I like it. FINALLY!

I also managed to try some of Soma Chocolate's freshly churned lemon ice gelato ("artisan gelato churned everyday in our chocolate lab" - seriously, what does that really matter?). (No, I didn't try the chocolate - I had priorities!) The lemon ice was tart and refreshing and expensive and it's now making my mouth water just thinking about it. Did you know that the secret of good gelato is that it's very dense and flavourful? Anyway, I guess that's why it costs more than a whole 2-litre tub of Chapman's ice cream.

And if you've held on throughout all this talk of food, I think it's fair to say that you're rather interested in me and deserve to know the BIGGEST news of the weekend: I BOUGHT A COUCH!

My good friend and style aficionado, Anita, had recommended the place she got her couch to me. She got a custom-made futon couch that's gorgeous for really cheap. So I finally got around to paying them a visit.

And now I, too, will have a custom-made pull-out loveseat for my darling apartment! I'm so excited!

I'm a little nervous about the fabric I picked - it should be interesting to see how it will look with my green walls and blue kitchen chairs. But I got it all, plus delivery, for $560! Damn I love it when I'm a good shopper!

Now, this place is a little out of the way, but it's so worth it. If you need a couch, pay Tony a visit at Liberty Home Furnishings - 2906 Dundas Street West. It's so cool, they don't even have a website.

Just got back from rollerblading (rather, inline skating) with Anita. Totally awesome.

I need to do this stuff more often.

Sometimes I don't feel like I really take advantage of all the things that Toronto has to offer. The path from Queen's Quay out to the west is fantastic!

We stopped to watch the rowers and dragon boaters for a long time, just chatting away. It was such a gorgeous evening, and even though we were in the "middle" of the city, it all seemed so far away. I feel great.

I'm trying to wean myself off caffeine in preparation for a doctor-recommended detox diet. It's been two weeks and it's giving me migraines.

Addiction is a very sad thing.

Even sadder is the fact that I actually FEEL crappy. I don't have that little bit of relaxation when I have my first cup of coffee in the morning. Even though I know coffee does not relax me, I FEEL that I am more relaxed when I have it. Much like any type of regular smoker. It is the psychological aspect that I'm addicted to.

However, I'm persevering.

Thank you Raye, for my very first 30th-birthday celebration. Yummy Thai food and Much Ado About Nothing in High Park, girly conversations out on the patio at the Kiwi bar nearby. Could it have been MORE of my favourite things?

And now she'll be off to Halifax for the year. Boo!
But at least I get to visit her there - Yay!

Something is wrong with me. I feel like something is missing. And yet, I feel like there is way too much going on and am horribly anxious.

My mind is spinning.
Sometimes I wish I could just walk over to my friend's house and hang out and laugh and feel comfortable.

Since that's not possible, I'll just try to think of what I really like to do - what would make me feel better and go do it. Like Raye would.

I totally love Boston, even when I'm just there on business.

We flew in last night, staying at a ratty Howard Johnson near Fenway (not recommended), only to wake up early for a meeting with our client.

I suppose the meeting went better than I expected, although there's a lot of work ahead of me. No surprise, I suppose.

We discovered a really great eco-transportation service (totally recommended) that uses hybrid vehicles. I wish they had this service in Toronto!

And we ate a pretty good restuarant for lunch, Stephanie's. I had a very satisfying cup of clam chowder and an amazing seared-tuna salad. Mmm!

Of course, Air Canada then delayed our flight, so I sat in the airport writing up meeting notes and then had a very interesting conversation with the Account Director about my professional life. I love conversations with genuinely smart people. They're quite inspiring.

And now I'm back in the over-heated city, over-tired and a bit lonely.
Boo!

* * *

Dear Raye: I like you. Thanks for the talk!

Sometimes, I just really need to talk.

Outside, it is a gorgeous summer day with the Toronto Street Festival raging outside my door. And where am I?

And I spent the day with my parents making a cute little table, putting up a curtain rod, making curtains and then, after they left, cleaning, putting together a shoe rack and unwrapping my full-lenth mirror.

I'm pretty excited about the bright new curtains and my newly intalled air conditioner!

I even got to feed my parents at my new cute table!

And now Sarah is on her way to being the first person to see my place. Lucky girl!

1. tie a white streamer around your head.
2. turn down the lights and turn on a blue light
3. play some funky music
4. fill the top of some barrels with bright paint
5. bang away

Now you know what it's like to see Blue Man Group.

Quite an experience. I totally recommend it. What a laugh.
Thanks Jane!

I believe the people responsible for the Logan Movers moving scam have finally posted.

Check out the comment here.

I think they believe themselves justified in stealing from me.
And they seem to have creative math skills.

Just got back from IKEA.

Who doesn't love that place?

I got a new table and cute curtains and a full-lenth mirror. I'm all set to cutify my apartment.

Now if I could just find the time to make this table so that I can finally have people over for dinner...

Sarah did graciously give me her chairs so I actually have somewhere for people to sit if they come over. Of course, I should probably get my air conditioner installed first so that they don't die of heat if they do come over.

For now though, my bed is calling me ever so sweetly.
And Jack Johnson is singing a lullaby.

Stratford is such a gorgeous town.

Alex and I were looking at real estate prices there and they were seriously cheap. I mean, a big red-brick house with a separate garage in town going for $170 000? It makes you wonder what's WRONG with the place.

It's so quiet there. No tall buildings. Some cute shops and restaurants. The necessities like Canadian Tire on the outskirts. Tree-lined streets filled with gorgeous houses with well-kept gardens. Theatre.
What could be more perfect?

It was a good day, although I suppose I was a little disappointed by the play itself. It was good, but I think I expected better, after reading the review. And, since I can get cheap tickets, I was going to buy another set for an 8pm show of something interesting. But sadly, Alex wasn't up to it. Which is strange because he LOVES theatre. Instead, we went to see Batman Begins. It is an excellant movie, but just not exactly what I'd had in mind for my Stratford weekend.

I am not very good at pressing for what *I* want if I think someone else doesn't want it. I really need to be more selfish. In the end, what I do doesn't benefit ANYONE.

At least I got to wander around the shops and drink AMAZING coffee at Balzac's, which I discovered also has a location in the Distillery District in Toronto. I'm totally going to seek it out. It was some of the best coffee I've had in Canada.

And we watched the Stratford Canada Day Parade, which was not the BEST parade I've ever seen.

But I guess once you've seen the Alliston Potato Festival Parade, everything else is a let-down.

And we spent some time together in the sunshine and managed to keep it a pretty inexpenive trip!

I think I'd like to go back next weekend. Any takers?

Last night I finally saw Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It was pretty good. I mean, aside from the cheese-city dialogue and some of the less-than-stellar CGI, it was pretty cool. At least less cheesey than the second movie. Thank God, because I don't really know how it could have been MORE cheesey.

And now I'm off to Stratford for my Christmas present theatre event that I organized myself. Sigh. Will I get used to this?