The T-Mobile Dance

I got this in an email this morning and thought it was worth sharing


'Subject: Smile for today...
Life's for sharing by T-Mobile Last Friday Jan 16, 2009, T-Mobile launched their new commercial C2. It was shot at Liverpool station in London. They used 400 dancers and 10 hidden cameras. No one but the station employees And dancers knew what was going on... it was aired on You Tube and TV and you can see the number of passers by that shot what they could with their Mobile phones. It has to be the best commercial yet..... enjoy!!!!!'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM

I've recently started following this recipe blog called Tastefully Done. It's a pleasure to see the delicious new recipes pop up every now and then.

Well, I baked a trout fillet today, and made some pork chops, as I think we've had enough fast food this week. K likes the fish with just lemon pepper and tarragon.

L and her friend got chosen as camp counsellors at the spring confirmation retreat that their school does. It's neat because she was one of the confirmation candidates herself a few years ago. Her resume is going to be so full of accomplishments if she doesn't lose track of them all.

K found out that another school friend will be moving on to the same high school next year. When K warned him of the bullying threat, he said 'Man, we're dead'. Then they decided they'll just have to stick together.

News

Facebook: Taking a cue from Twitter in sharing?

TV neither helps nor harms toddlers, study finds

Canadians find new therapy for severe asthma

Best Job in the World

Three Ontario, Canada residents are in the running for the 'Best Job in the World' Australian promotion and have a look at one of the contestants: Mitchell
...it's an entertaining pitch. There's a more detailed news clip below.


News

Three Ontario Residents In Running For "Best Job In The World"

Why Facebook is losing its cool

Around The World, Women Thought More Responsible With Money Than Men

The Foods That Will Boost Your Immune System

Shopping and cooking on a budget

If the shoe fits

No Door

Note that as of Mar 17, 2009 I discovered the 'fake $5' is actually just an older note.

The past few mornings have been cooler, requiring a sweater.

They started putting up a wall in a part of the basement where there should have been an opening. I think it was a misunderstanding. I had mentioned I didn't want a door there, meaning just a doorway. But 'no door' on a diagram can mean 'continue the wall'! The guys said they don't mind us checking up on them, the sooner a problem is found, the better.

I'm taking my mom for a dental appointment today. L survived her first day of the lifeguard course. She said you have to be strong as you have to lift a lot of bricks out of the water. One kid was sent home. The instructor is very tough apparently. Oh, L found another fake $5 in a handbag that she hadn't unpacked for 2 years. So these fake bills have been around for awhile. I think I'll upload some pictures to try to show the more obvious differences.

Hopefully M will barbecue the strip loin steaks I have marinating for dinner. I also have corn on the cob. I realize I love coffee with cream in it, but try to stick to 1 percent milk.

News

Too much folic acid may trigger cancer

Cows seem to know which way is north

Monkeys reward friends and relatives

Facebook cuts off Scrabulous after legal complaint

More Canadian men doing grocery shopping: study

Fingers are walking online to the Yellow Pages

Nutmeg Side Table

Well, here's what the infamous 'nutmeg' coloured side table looks like now. M ended up finishing the job. I actually like it.



L is engrossed in 'Twilight', a young adult vampire novel, by Stephenie Meyer. It's a best seller and much-hyped by one of my sisters and some of my nieces.


News

Virtual storefront finds success on Facebook

Antibodies from 1918 flu still work well, study says

Madonna Turns 50

Treatable heart disorder kills hundreds of kids

Eating race is on at Food Network

Counterfeit money

Note that as of Mar 17, 2009 I discovered the 'fake $5' is actually just an older note.

So yesterday I'm at Mac's milk buying a froster and the cashier rejects my $5 bill as being counterfeit. Sure enough, it was and I think I got it there in the first place as I only use that particular purse when I'm out on my walks.

Then this morning, at our garage sale, a lady presented L with a couple of fake fivers. Luckily we were on alert. The lady seemed innocent enough, but it's alarming to think of what must be out there now. She thought she got it at a restaurant downtown. If you put a real five dollar bill up to the light you'll see a hidden face inside the bill, that's a quick test for the newer bills anyway.

The garage sale was ok, but we didn't have the usual crowds, it being a long weekend. I'm now exhausted. L loves doing the sales part.

Then we discovered water backing up on a floor drain in the basement yesterday. I called the Waterworks Department in our town and they came right away to have a look. It turns out it's a sanitation drain as opposed to a storm drain. They gave me the name of a trusted plumber and he came today and snaked out all the grease buildup. The town would've paid if the problem was at the property line. The plumber is going to come again and put a video camera inside just to make sure there are no other long term problems. It's lucky this all happened before the basement work started. We'll just make sure all the right pipes won't be covered up accidentally. The plumber was fascinated with my fake $5 and bought it off me with a real $5, so now I feel whole again!

News

Defriending, the better part of Facebook valour

Record heat, flooding force Arctic park closure

Just your luck

I'm so pleased that the Cerebral Palsy truck came early and took 14 bags of donations. The basement is looking so much better. We bought our new basement tiles yesterday so let's hope the contractor shows up towards the end of the month as expected! The tile place can store them for us for at least a month. We have a kitchen design almost finalized at the Rona Hardware store and they seem to be having an August sale according to the kitchen designer.

I was out this morning for a short walk with a friend.

I learned that one of K's school friend's family is going into personal bankruptcy, having lost their business recently. It's shocking and sad. Life seems to have things in store for us beyond our control and it seems to just boil down to your luck sometimes.

News

Scrabulous returns with a new name and new rules

A glorious half hour

L reports that her sister's friend saw Nadal, Federer, Andy Roddick and a bunch of other tennis stars practicing at an indoor court yesterday due to all the rain. It took a little while for everyone to notice who was playing. Then the excitement began. She is so miffed that yet another friend saw Nadal riding in a golf cart at the Roger's Cup today and she still has not laid eyes on him in person!

I have the house to myself for a glorious half hour...another blogger recently said that her family stresses her and she gets flustered when everyone is around, and I know exactly what she means. I suppose I should treasure these moments as one day I may get old and lonely.

News

ROGERS CUP
The merchants of tennis

Trans fat battle being won on some fronts: report

Facebook gets a facelift to help users share

Drug restores speech in Alzheimer's; experts worry

Cells from humans grow blood vessels in mice: study

Quail eggs

I went for a haircut today. Friday traffic is bad, and all the summer construction doesn't help. I've been going to the same hairdresser for more than 20 years, if I think about it! They treat me really well, especially if they're not too busy. I get a hot cup of coffee and my favourite magazines handed to me. I've changed hairstyles maybe twice in that time. Exciting person I am.

Afterwards, I stopped by the T&T Chinese supermarket. I picked up some tiny quail eggs which I have a vague memory of from early childhood. It has a recipe in the package, it seems you just boil them and can use them in appetizers. K might like these. They also had some great looking cherries, oranges and atulfo mangoes.

L went to an afternoon movie with a friend. In the evening we'll go to dinner at a restaurant with my mom, my sister and her family and our visiting actress cousin. K is progressing with his daily piano practice which includes sightreading, ear training, scales and memorizing his 5 pieces.


News

What Your Grandparents Can Teach You About Saving A Buck And Saving The Planet

North Pole ice may completely melt away this summer

Facebook asks its users to state gender

Step-a-thon

This is a 'new' drink that L discovered, it's called Arizona Green tea with Ginseng and Honey. It's only 70 calories per cup and very light tasting, like a flavoured water.



Coreopsis in bloom


Poppy in bloom





I'm going to a step-a-thon at the gym this afternoon. It's to raise money for a kid's foundation. I'll also see my old step instructor who is visiting for the event.

K is going to a fancy Batmitzvah party tonight, he's looking forward to seeing all his friends. I didn't bother getting him a new suit jacket, he should be fine in a dress shirt, tie and dress pants. It's quite warm today as a matter of fact. L is playing a lot of tennis this afternoon, hope the weather co-operates, she is terrified of any kind of lightning and rightly so. We saw so much lightning last night, wow.

News

Are HDTVs the office 'windows' of the future?

Manners still matter when you're poking on Facebook

High commodity prices could slice into growth, warns G8 - that would be like oil and food

Duck-billed Platypus

Well, the guy from the alarm company came right on time to replace our battery so it's all done, and we'll be billed $200 or thereabouts. He was nice enough to show me how to do it and tell me where I could purchase them, we just have to remember to call the alarm company before we tamper with the box, as they'll think it's a break-in. These batteries should last a good 5 years or more, though.

I saw on TV that Hallmark is making these recordable Mother's Day cards, may be a good idea for M to get one of those for his mom as she likes cards, and recordable is even better for a more personal touch. She really needs absolutely nothing gift-wise.

We have a decorative outside wall that's crumbling in parts due to water damage, so we just re-hired the guy that fixed it 7 years ago. He's still 50% cheaper than the other quotes and seems honest. Actually, I didn't tell M that I just re-hired him, so my blog knows it first!

Think I'll go out for a walk now, as I missed the gym this morning and the sun has come out. We're having baked chicken wings and roasted zucchini and asparagus for dinner. I don't know why I always feel so busy, but I'll fold the laundry later.


News

Scams thrive on Craigslist, police warn

Be Prepared: Gov't Urges Canadians To Plan For Emergencies

Facebook users willing to let employers see profiles

I've always been fascinated by this little known mammal, ever since I saw it in an encyclopedia when I was a little girl:
Scientists map the genetic makeup of the platypus

Low vitamin D levels linked to depression in elderly

Summer walk

Went for a lovely summer walk around the pond with a friend. We browsed through an art show at a gallery then had a summery drink at a coffee shop. All of a sudden we're in shorts and tshirts. I took a picture of a little frog sitting on a path, then we witnessed a well-dressed woman take a dramatic a spill, she was walking her dog and was ok. Then in the coffee shop, a lady had left her dog outside tied to a chair, then we heard 'crash, bang', it seems he had taken off down the street dragging the chair, then we see the owner dashing outside after him. She caught him and brought him back! Summer at its best. It's supposed to become more seasonal next week.

Made a lovely baked trout today, the simplest dishes can be the best. I just put a bit of lemon pepper and some herbs and voila.

I just read about goodreads website, it's like Facebook for readers, as their website describes it:

'If you're a reader, you may want to check it out.Goodreads is a free website for book lovers. Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone's bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don’t stop there – join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing'

Complete Recipes has recipes for everything, there is even an ethnic category

Hassleme is a website that describes itself like this:

'Not eating enough fruit? Forgot to feed the fish again? Need a little help keeping your New Year's resolutions?
Tell us what to hassle you about, and we'll nag you via email at semi-unpredictable intervals.'



News

Abdominal fat may make you hungrier, fatter: study

It's a big leap to the halls of higher learning

Facing our past on Facebook

Downsizing proves to be very uplifting

Setting the stage for sales success

First Day on the Job

L had a great time at the fabulous sweet sixteen party she went to last night. She had a friend over the hour before, they got dressed together and had fun doing the nails, hair and makeup. M dropped them off and said the Golf Club venue was stunning and had a wedding atmosphere, everyone all dressed up. The birthday girl wore red and the guests were told to wear black and white. She was totally surprised and very happy. The hall was tastefully decorated in black and white with hints of red here and there. There was a formal seating plan and there was a dinner dance with kid food (pizza, etc).

I just registered K for a piano exam this summer, setting goals! He had a classmate over to work on a project.

L loved her first day on the job today. She reports the time passing by so quickly and can't wait for her next session. I'm so proud of her. She managed to exchange some shifts and has her times arranged for next week at least. We filled in her first TD1 tax form! She wants to save at least a part of her money.

I went for a walk this evening, it was a bit cool but lovely and sunny. Lots of people out with their bikes and their dogs. It's pizza for dinner tonight.

News

How To Drive Safely Following A Flood

Forgotten pennies in piggy banks -- unclaimed savings accounts

Alcohol linked to increased risk for breast cancer

There may be several Mrs. Trumps, but there’s only one Ivana

24% of Canadians see bad side to Facebook: poll

Sauteed cabbage

It's 8C and overcast today, like it's trying to rain.

The gym was crowded today, of course, Monday morning. I didn't get to use a few of the weight machines as I didn't want to wait around.

I was at the grocery store today and decided I should start buying the tuna with less mercury. So I made a point to check it when I got home. Albacore canned tuna (white tuna) is the one to avoid due to the higher mercury levels. It seems skipjack, yellowfin and tongol have much lower levels as they are smaller fish. They recommend 1 to 4 servings per week for women and children under age 11. So we try not to have it more than once or twice a week. It's good, quick food that everyone likes, however. I also didn't take any of the plastic grocery bags and took my groceries to the car and packed them in the re-usable bags I had in the trunk.

I just made some delicious sauteed cabbage, i think I'll be doing all my vegetables like that this week, it's pretty simple:

Sauteed Cabbage

half a cabbage, finely chopped
2 tbs non hydrogenated margarine
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp mustard
half an onion chopped
half a tomato chopped
half a cup of vegetable or chicken or beef broth (low sodium, even better)
half a cup of water

First, heated a couple of tablespoons of margarine, a tablespoon of olive oil, then added half a chopped onion, and the mustard and some minced fresh garlic cloves. Add half a chopped tomato and then stirr in the cabbage. Add half a cup of low sodium vegetable stock, and half a cup of water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

News

Beware Of Facebook Identity Thefts

Food price inflation changes how we shop

Retractable Snow Tires Could Be The Real Wheel Profit Deal - But Will Ontario Get On Board?

Just plain lazy

We went to L's school's play last night. It was amazing. I couldn't fault the costumes, the rollaway set decoration and props. Even the programs had the most professional cover drawn by one of L's friends. The band did an amazing job with the music. They even had a pony come on stage with the impression of pulling a carriage. And someone's beautiful dog also had a role. They had real guns fire some blanks (to wake M up). They had a knife fight and stunt fighting, really well executed. And the kids sang the songs just like Disney characters, looking off into the sky when they sang. It was about 3 hours long including a 15 min intermission, would've cut that by about half an hour. And they had well choreographed dance numbers (tap, jazz, ballet type numbers). Even good comedy thrown in. Tonight's show is sold out.

Well, K produced the results of 3 math tests I've never seen before. It's like a whole unit of work I didn't know about. If he had not been outsmarting himself as usual...like deliberately keeping me in the dark to avoid review. Now I know why some of the teachers ask to have the test signed. He managed to avoid me signing the art one awhile back that I still haven't seen.

He has a good math teacher, hard tests. I now see that at the top of every test he puts an inspiration quote like 'baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical', which I think most of them don't notice. And he seems to have given them 3 unit quizzes leading up to the unit test. Lots of opportunity to achieve.

Well guess what we're doing today. (Math, math, and more math) L has tennis in the afternoon. She got 98% on her last math test. She thinks he's just lazy and she's probably right.


News

Obama's America looks a lot like Canada

Message in a bottle

Cars now most affordable since 1991

New treatment limits bleeding stroke damage

Moroccan man gets 3 years for fake Facebook profile

Encryption defeated by manipulation

Holiday shockers and swaps

News

25,000 lottery ticket turns out to be a nasty trick
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17961.aspx

Man pays for $25,000 car using spare change
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17962.aspx

U.S. study probes racial trends in Facebook users
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071224/facebook_study_071224/20071224?hub=TopStories

Hungry girl's holiday shockers and swaps
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/hungrygirl/14872/hungry-girl-s-holiday-shockers-and-swaps

Vitamin D

A lot of the regulars showed up at this morning's aerobics class. The instructor did a surprise Christmas number at the end of class for us, so we felt special. One of my friends was telling me that she and her husband are off on a 5-week trip to Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam in early January. They are retired and she is very adventurous. She did say they are going to 'wing it' for most of the trip.

It's so slushy and mild outside.

It seems we have to start taking vitamin D tablets now according to the latest news. We already take omega-3 tablets.

News

Skin colour linked to Vitamin D deficiency
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071218/vitamin_071218/20071218?hub=Health

Plastic bottle danger warning
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17803.aspx

Green tea may cut prostate cancer risk
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071219/greentea_prostatecancer_071219/20071219?hub=Health

Facebook 'is' is no longer
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071219/ap_on_hi_te/techbit_facebook_is_2

Toronto's smallest house up for sale
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17815.aspx

Gene engineering corrects Fragile X in mice
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071219/sc_nm/retardation_mice_dc_3

Facebook

My sister just joined Facebook and loves it. It's a social networking site that seems to be really catching on. Sort of like blogging, I guess.

Some friends dropped by last night, they were delivering baked goods to all their friends. L made soft Mississipi Mud Cookies ( http://www.recipezaar.com/257028 ) which turned out quite nicely and we had them with cups of tea. K had 2 of them.

I did about an hour of exhausting shovelling this morning.

M did another hour of shovelling this afternoon. The kids went tobogganing and had a fabulous time apparently. They came back for sunglasses as the snow was spitting in their faces. I may go out again later if the snow plough comes by, it usually shoves a mound of snow on the driveway.

I'm charging the camcorder battery as K has a music concert this week, and the battery should still be good for Christmas morning. We haven't used it for months. It's good that the storm happened on a Sunday and at the same time we can get caught up on the chores and little things, being stuck at home.




News

1 in 4 Canadians on Facebook
http://www.thestar.com/article/284017

'Crippling' storm hits Ontario
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071216/sunday_storm_071216/20071216?hub=TopStories