On Life, Love and Other Mysteries

It's the weekend, y'all!

2010-09-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Catching the Spirit

So, it's elections time all over the place it seems: municipal elections in Toronto coming up this month; elections to the US congress coming up in November; and presidential and gubernatorial elections in Nigeria coming up, eh, technically in April next year but, hopefully, sometime before the end of 2011.

Anyway, in the spirit of things, I thought I'd showcase my candidate potential for any unemployed campaign managers out there looking for a candidate to boost. Or for any political parties that are short of credible candidates (cough, cough, Nigerian parties take note). After all, how hard can it be?

Here's a sampling from my campaign manifesto, for instance, thought up in about five minutes flat while washing my hair, microwaving dinner and cleaning the kitchen, all at the same time.

If elected, I promise to implement the following:

1) Mondays to Fridays will be officially renamed, 'The Weekend'. All relevant weekend activities will be shifted to those days immediately.

2) Ice cream will be officially reclassified as the vegetable that it is. For all of you going, 'huh'?, cream comes from milk which comes from cows which feed on....grass!

3) Same reclass applies to chocolate, which, as you all know, comes from the cocoa pod which, hello, grows on an actual tree!!!

4) Merely thinking about exercise for 5 minutes will result in the immediate loss of 2 pounds, and 3 inches around the hips.

4) For our collective sanity, the only people legally permitted to release music albums from now on will be those who can actually sing. Britney Spears, Justin Bieber et al, take note.
5) And only those who can actually act will be permitted to be in movies. Nollywood, I'm talking to you.

As you can see, I'm well on the way to campaign victory. With positions like these, how can I not be loved? I mean, I'll actually make more sense to the electorate than 79.56% of those actual running out there! So give me a call at 010-516-778-9210 and let's talk- if you've got a big checkbook, 'cos you know these candidates, I mean, campaigns, cost real money!

'So how did the dinner go?'

See here for the earlier gist on that. Sigh. I worked late and I missed it. And left the next day. Oh well, there will be other hot, single, available accountants in the future, I am sure. And no, putting 'hot' next to 'accountant' is not an oxymoron (although I'll leave it at that, as I think I face a losing battle with that one).

Useful thoughts...

-Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart.

-Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them

-Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Till next time

Have a great week, and have a listen at this....love, love, love Switchfoot!

Time to come back

2010-09-20T17:54:00.001-07:00

I've been blogging in my head for days on end now...guess it's time to come back.

Random Adventures in Travel
You know you've been travelling a bit when you start to recognize the airport staff...and they in turn start asking you, 'You look familiar, have you been here before?'

Things that go 'squeak' in the night
Houston...3am...4 star hotel...something runs across my neck...and then my face...rats!!!
I don't know what the hotel staff did about it after I told them later that morning, but I slept with the lights on every other night after that.

And back in Pitts...
Got my first ride ever with a female cab driver coming in from the airport in Pittsburgh. Go 'D'! But maybe try 'n' rock the seatbelt next time.

You know it's a Steelers' game when your room service waitress delivers in an NFL jersey. And yes, they won.

Wonder if it's something in the air...
Seems like somethin's always cooking in Pittsburgh. In the summer when I was here, the furries were having a convention at my hotel. Cue people in life size animal costumes, or just heads and tails, everywhere. Weird. This time, it's probably one of the safest places on the planet, thanks to the SWAT team convention taking place at my hotel. Cue lots of fit, crew cut guys in black tops and khaki pants everywhere. Cool.

And you thought accounting was boring...
There's a new, very single male addition to the accounting department at my client. Tomorrow I get to out with the entire department for dinner. I shall report back on what transpires regarding sitting arrangements.

I think I wanna go home!
Travel food price list
2 apples at airport....$3
Bowl of granola with skim milk, hotel...$10
Saucer (I kid you not) of brown rice with vegetables, hotel....$8
Bottle of water from in-house coffee shop, hotel...$2.44

Home grocery price list
Bag of apples....$3
Box of granola....$6
200g bag of brown rice...$3
Pack of 24 bottles of water...$3

So The Hague is now a village?
Completely unable to pay for a train ticket to Schiphol with a credit card in Den Haag this summer. But I could do it in Amsterdam, so why not here? 'Because Amsterdam is an international city' (exact words from customer service). Crickets.

New Beginnings

2008-01-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

Holiday Highlights
Welcome back, readers! What did you do for the holidays? I got to spend time with a cool family, the G's; some of the funniest, friendliest people I've met. All through my stay there was a running battle between Mrs G and the GPS in her new Benz. Even if she already knew the way to where we going, she was DETERMINED to get the GPS to work. Each time, after almost fighting with the system (she was convinced her son had sabotaged it to prevent her from using it), we would finally input the destination and started going. Then the drama would start.
GPS: 'Please get ready to turn right in 200m'.
Mrs G.: 'I don't think so. Acainto, please check the handwritten directions that I gave you earlier. What do they say?'
GPS: 'Please turn right NOW'.
Mrs G.: 'Thank you; I know my way home.'
GPS would then shut up and sulk for a few minutes. Then after a while, it would start again.
GPS: 'Please keep left and get ready to take highway xxx.'
Mrs G.: 'I don't like that highway; I think I will continue straight.'

Yes, indeed, the battle of the GPS was fought long and hard, but it was truly won by Mrs G.

In between all the cooking and eating, we somehow found time to watch BET's award show. When a rapper came on, Mr G. said, 'What's his name again?Is it not Twopenny?' -- It was fifty cent...
Then it was Mrs G.'s turn: 'That one looks like Doggie Dog'-- It was Snoop Dogg.

Then we had to make plans to attend all the various parties. Mrs G, taking into account African time, commented about one of the parties: 'They said it was going to start by 3pm, but it's a lie.' We finally got to that one by 8pm.

It was truly a holiday to remember.

Here's hoping you had a good break yourself! It's back to work way too soon. Speaking of which, I have to soon find time to share some of the crazy stuff I did in the name of work these past few weeks!

How to pick up a hot waiter, and other useful tips

2007-12-19T18:05:00.001-08:00

Bye Bye Bahamas
Alas, my heart was broken, as 'Ski-Masker' (backstory here) called to inform me there would be no trip to the Bahamas as he had been run over by a bus while on the way to get me my tickets and would be using my deposit to pay for his funeral. Well, what kind of hard hearted person could ask for their money back after that? Note to best friend: if you say, 'I told you so', one more time, you are NOT going to outlast the snow outside.

(No) Sex in the City
Anyway, I've had no time to be miserable. I met up with a bunch of girlfriends last Saturday for brunch and the official launch of the Toronto branch of the '(No) Sex in the City' group: sassy, sexy, single gals with a lust for life and a passion for God-stuff.

Our eyeballs nearly fell out when we walked into the restuarant, Dr Generosity, on Bloor St West. There were definitely some hot waiters in the house, I tell you!

It's one of those hip, whimsical places, so the table clothes were covered in brown paper and each table had crayons to play with. So anyway I and my friend N get talking and next thing she's writing her number on the table covering so I can remember to call her about a place to stay.

Of course the next logical thing to do enters my head, and I start writing notes for our waiter on her behalf, next to her number:
'This is her number'.
'Call her; she's really hot'.
'She made me do this.'
'She will kill me if you don't call!'

You gotta know my friend; she's one of those with the gift of saying exactly what pops into her head at that moment. Along the line she mentioned she'd gotten a new bed, big enough for her to be able to sleep with a really tall guy. So I helpfully informed the waiter:
'She can sleep with a 6ft 8in guy, so you're okay.'
And then when she mentioned she'd considered going into sex therapy sometime ago, of course I had to write,
'She also knows a lot about sex therapy!'

You never know, that sort of info might be useful for guys to know.

Anyway, the waiters had a good laugh over it all as we were leaving. N, if you read this and he calls, be sure to ask him if he has a brother for me!

For those of you who prefer a more direct route with your eye popping waiter, try this line which one of the girl's said had worked for a friend in another restuarant:

'Waiter, there's something missing from my bill: your number.'

His Cheeseburger
While we're on the subject of all things foodie, now is as good a time as any to remind ourselves that you, yes, YOU, are GOD's very own CHEESEBURGER!!! I love this wacky song (lyrics here) from Veggie Tales that manages to remind us of God's deep love while growing ever more frantic in the pursuit of a cheeseburger that involves an overnight stay in a fast food drive through!

Thoughts for this time of year
I know. I know. People say "It's the thought that counts, not the gift", but couldn't people think a little bigger!

Christmas is in my heart twelve months a year and thanks to credit cards, it's on my Visa card statement twelve months a year also.

A sure sign Santa does not like your child: Along with presents, he leaves a hefty bill for shipping and handling

All the best for now! And if you know any sure fire pick up lines for hot guys, be sure to pass them on!!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2007-12-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

Miracle of Miracles!
Yes, my people, big things have happened since my last post (read here), and I am happy to report that I and one other lucky person will shortly be heading to the Bahamas, FOR FREE!!!

It all happened a few days ago, when a man approached my best friend and I in a coffee shop and said he had overhead us lamenting not being able to escape to sunnier climes and wanted to help us out. Once I heard the magic words, 'FREE TRIP' and 'BAHAMAS' in the same sentence, I screamed so loudly, someone almost called 911.

After that, everything was arranged so quickly, that my best friend can't believe it and is still pinching me, instead of herself. She is sooo overly skeptical-- something about it being dodgy that the man insisted on wearing a ski mask and dark glasses in a coffee shop, but I say, dodgy, fuzzy or wuzzy, hey, if it's 40 degrees below zero like it is now, you need not only ski mask but ski jacket, ski hat, ski gloves and even skis to navigate these frozen streets. Take this ski resort, girl; I'm off to the Bahamas!!!

Then she had issues about his address, something she couldn't quite place her finger on-'Mr Y. A. Hooze, Apt 4, no.19, Kip Driming Avenue'. I say, an address is for going to, not for putting your finger on! Quit worrying girl, we are on our way!!!

Then she even had questions about why, if he said the trip was free, he insisted on my handing over $x,xxx right away. I say, girl, what part of d-e-p-o-s-i-t do you not understand? He says once we land there, we'll get it back. Out of my way, girl, I'm on the runway!

THEN she wanted to know why, if he said he'd be back right away, I was still waiting in the coffee shop five days and 65 espressos later. I say, get thee behind me, thou weak in faith; obviously it's been too cold for people to walk about freely, which is precisely why I'm leaving in the first place!!! I KNOW he'll be back shortly-- I can still see his gold teeth sparkling in that wide smile as he waved 'bye!!!

Then she pointed out to me that the coffee shop employees had now started wearing face masks, and the fact that I hadn't showered or anything for the past few days just might have something to do with it. At this point, I yelled for the manager to throw her out, but for some reason, no one wanted to come near where I was, so I just decided to ignore her.

So, since she has annoyed me thoroughly, I have decided I am NOT giving my best friend the extra ticket (once I get it). Which is why YOU, yes YOU, may be on your way to the Bahamas with me shortly! Just drop me a line to say why you are the most deserving party, and I will announce the winner at the end of the week.

Wisdom for life's journey
In the meantime, here are some of my favorites from my reading to pass the time while waiting for my free tickets.

-If you come to a fork in the road, take it (also a spoon, or a knife) - Yogi Berra

-Be careful about reading health books. You might die of a misprint. -Mark Twain

-Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. -M.T

-I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places. -Henny Youngman

And finally a little something for all you drivers out there:

-When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.

-If your wife wants to learn to drive, don't stand in her way.

Seen on a bumper sticker on a car well past its best days:

'Answer my prayers: please steal this car!'

Okay, off to pack my luggage for my trip- Woo Hoo!!!

Nassau on my mind

2007-11-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

A word is enough....
So last week and this saw the first snowfalls in Toronto, heralding the start of the --drum roll--(in) Famous Canadian Winter!!! Come on, y'all: let's hear it for the season of the deep freeze, snowstorms, chattering teeth, frozen toes and ten layers of thermal underwear!!! Woo hoo!!!
As a civic-minded individual, I feel it's my duty to pass on useful advice to anyone out there who's planning on wintering in this City, or anywhere in Canada for that matter - a la Stephen Colbert, "I Am A Winter Survivor (And So Can You!)" So here are the absolute top three tips for surviving the Canadian Winter:

1) Run away to the Bahamas
2) Run away to the Bahamas
3) RUN AWAY TO THE BAHAMAS!!!!

And for the rest of you...
If, however, you are the die-hard survivor type and feel inspired to take your bold, brave (last) stand in the face of the elements, then here are the tips you'll need:

1) Buy the biggest snow shovel you can find
2) Wait for the first snow storm
3) Go to the parking lot where you last saw your car
4) Dig out said car from under ten feet of snow
5) Get into your car
6) Hit the gas
7) Race to the airport
8) RUN AWAY TO THE BAHAMAS

Okay, I've done my part; my conscience is now clear, and I can now sleep in peace.

Who knew?
Apparently, flying in the Arctic is just as heartstopping as flying back home:

You know you're flying with an Arctic bush pilot if:
-You don't buy a ticket - you buy a chance!
-The pilot yells out the window to get the polar bears (not the cows, this time) off the runway.
-In-flight movie? You don't need one - your life keeps flashing before your eyes!
-You see a passenger waving a rifle, but he's demanding to be let off the plane!
-Before you take off, the pilot tells you to fasten your rope.

And one last one for the snowmen:

Lessons we can learn from a snowman:
-We're all made up of mostly water.
-Accessories don't have to be expensive.
-If you're a little bottom heavy - hey, that's okay!
-Sometimes sweating too much can have disastrous results.

All the best...I'm off to dream of the BAHAMAS!!!

Life is a funny thing

2007-11-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

Becoming a millionaire (well, almost)
What would you do if the only thing that stood between you and becoming a millionaire was a piece of paper...that you had been expecting for several years? Keep waiting, or move on? I met some people like this a few weeks ago. Everything is in place: excellent business plan, great organisational structure, wonderful prospects; the only thing they need to cross the magic line was a permit from a foreign government, which they arevstill waiting for, after three years. Every so often there is a flutter of excitement as it seems the permission has finally been granted...and then another delay sets in. Some have given up and moved on. Some keep waiting, because they know that once that permit is in hand, they're literally instant millionaires, thanks to the stock market. That's how good their business plan is. Are they right to keep waiting? Who knows? Either they'll have the biggest laugh at the end, or they'll end up mourning what could have been. What would you do?

Mysteries of Life
Why do people still tailgate you when you're going up to 120kmh on the highway?

How come anything you buy will go on sale next week? (Erma Bombeck)

Why is that, in movies, it does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors?

And also in movies, why is it that if a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long?

At least I found the answer to this one...
Why is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence?
-Because the animals have been doing their business in it!
Don't waste energy envying others; you never know just what the whole story is. Enjoy your life!

Keeping us well- informed:
Sometimes news headlines are a little off the mark. Sample:

"Something Went Wrong In Jet Crash, Expert Says"
(We would never have guessed)

"Include Your Children When Baking Cookies"
(Yup, for that extra special taste)

"Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years In Checkout Counter"
(And I thought I had a long wait at the checkout at my local grocery store)

"Stolen Painting Found By Tree"
(Could someone please get the tree to join Crimestoppers ASAP?)

Always good to know:
Fact: More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes

Have a great week, and stay away from those donkeys!

Riding the Rocket, and horses, too

2007-10-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Horsin' around
Things you should know about horseriding:
1) Stables are very smelly
2) Horses are HUGE up close, and are NOT toilet trained (droppin’ as they’re walkin’)
3) You WILL get dirty. You may even fall off
4) But you will definitely HAVE FUN!!!

I started riding this summer and have thoroughly enjoyed bouncing around like a sack of potatoes in the saddle and working leg muscles I never even knew existed.

Sadly, I may have to give it up…this chica is starting to save for a downpayment on a house, and has to do a dreaded BUDGET…horse riding being the one thing I do just because, it may have to face the cut…boo hoo.

Goodbye horsey pals: Atticus (you stubborn old thing; I have to fight you to do you the favor of cleaning your hoofs everytime!), Chester, Rolo, Manfred, Fortissimo (one of the biggest horses in the world, I’m sure). Sob.

While I’m at it, if anyone out there is feeling generous and overflowing with the milk of human kindness and warmheartedness, etc., and would like to donate to my house downpayment fund, puhleeze drop a line. What’s in it for you? An autographed of me and my favorite horse, both of us smiling (quite a sight). Who knows? You might even help me return quicker than I thought to stepping over/into horse poo and cleaning out dirty hoofs and staggering around carrying saddles that weigh almost as much as I do.

Good times happen in transit
Connected again recently with a girl whom I'd grown up with back home and who'd moved here a few years back. We bumped into each other for the first time in over a decade on the subway last summer, in one of those golden moments that leave you speechleess. Neither of us knew we were in the same city. She normally drove to work; I normally took another subway line. And still we managed to end up at the same station, on the same platform and in the same subway car at the same time that morning. I'd been meaning to call, but for exams...glad she took the initiative...I know she's been having it rough...God, be her strength and comfort... By the way, have you ever met up again with long lost friends in mysterious ways?

Commuter Commandments (part 1)
While on the subject of transit, I'd like to do my bit to help make things a bit easier for the longsuffering commuters who daily take on the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission, aka 'The Rocket'- in name only, it seems). So, fellow transit-ers:

1)If you're going to hold on to the overhead strap, have mercy on the rest of us: at least put on some deo.
2)If you're going to do your break up over the phone, have the decency to wrap it up before you reach your stop. Some of us won't have time to catch a daily dose of reality TV otherwise.

Just discovered
Lovely, dreamy little composition by Joe Hisaishi- 'Summer'. Listen here. So beautiful....

Moving on up
This weekend I took my workout to the next level…my body aches decided to move on up, too.

Blue Sky High

2007-10-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

Dream Days:
It's been gorgeous autumn days lately- misty mornings (like the fog when the harmattan rolls in from the Sahara back home), warm days, pleasant breeze, baby blue skies, cotton wool clouds...*sigh*...some things should last forever....
...and some things shouldn't, like the guys who just won't give up...

Priceless moments:
-Getting off work early today!!!! You have no idea what a high it is to get off before 5pm, until you’ve gotten home at 2am.
-Getting to work with cool senior staff who actually care about you as a person and go out of their way to help you work better: Thanks to y’all for helping erase my memories of previous 'terror masters'
-Getting to hear from the one guy I'm currently nuts about, whom I thought I'd lost contact with…speechless…

What you get for $150 a plate:
I got my personal fashion philosophy from the immortal words of comedienne Sheryl Underwood: "Ladies, if you're going out, at least put on some lipstick; 'cos I know without makeup, I look just like Wesley Snipes".
Anyway, thank God I took that to heart and did a little bit more than just shower a couple of days ago before heading out for work, because I ended up getting roped into attending a fancy Chamber of Commerce dinner in the evening at a 5 star hotel, complete with mini fashion show, high powered guests, the works.

Top 3 likes about the dinner:
1) Queenah, upcoming designer from Liberia based over here, who got to showcase her work during the dinner. You go, girl!
2) Hanging out with my really cool, no nonsense manager- super smart high achieving gal, yet totally down to earth.
3) Short speeches, and NO African time!!! (It was hosted by South Africa--"Indaba!")

And bottom three:
1) Bad, really bad food. This was the main dish, for $150 a head: one burnt, sorry, caramelized, pearl onion; 4 or 5 sticks of withered carrots; tasteless chicken, bland mashed potatoes and broth that was supposed to be wine based but looked and tasted like cough medicine. Don’t even get me started on the dessert. Thank God the ticket was free- or else I'd have led a protest!
2) Brotha at my table who turned up looking like an extra from a rap video- and was trying to network for some serious money for a huge investment. Good for meeting P. Diddy, but maybe not so good for a biz dinner.
3) Terrible table manners from brotha and his pal during the dinner. No thanks for putting the spoon for the table salad dressing, which everyone else is waiting to use, in your mouth. Thank God you held off putting it back in the dish.

What's running through my head:
'New Day', by the Robbie Seay Band. Listen here (song #2)

Pointing us in the right direction:
Some church signs have a way with words.
Faves: 'Jesus is the Potter, not Harry'
'Wal mart is not the only saving place'
'Don’t let worries kill you- let the church help'

And let's not forget church bulletins:
Sample: 'The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water.” The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus.” '

R.I.P
Lucky Dube. Too soon.

Bird on the brain, and other diversions

2007-10-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

Keeping the shrinks in business:
Q: What do you do if your pet chicken injures a leg?

A: Simple: wipe out your life savings to get it surgery, like she did.

Why the chicken did not cross this road: (I was driving)
'Anytime I get on the road, I say a prayer- for the other road users'.

I am a road trip junkie. I first fell in love when I was a kid back home, and my dad would take us on these loooonngg trips from Warri in the South of Nigeria where we lived to Enugu in the East, where my granddad lived.

Most times on trips I just love to sit back and think and dream (sometimes even when I'm the driver!!)

Some trips have a way of sticking in your mind. Like one sunny day after church, a while back, when a guy asked if I would like a ride to the subway on his motorbike. I said, sure, thinking, that's just a right turn and five minutes down the road. I got on, he took a left turn and next thing we were on Highway 401 (major highway, up to 12 lanes in some places). I mean, Canadians are nice, friendly and polite people but somehow, something happens when they get behind the wheel. So I hung on for dear life. When he finally stopped and I got off, he had to laugh when he saw my face.

Oh yeah, I eventually did end up at the subway. It turned out he knew where I was going and wanted to get me to a station closer to home than the one near the church... very nice of him, I think...

Any one else out there with a crazy road trip story, give us a shout.

Tag line of the day:
Ad on the subway: '(name brand mouthwash): because your blind date for dinner doesn't want to meet your chicken shwarma from lunch.'

Once more for the bird:
Best chicken shwarma place in Toronto, hands down (if you don't mind missing a blind date, that is): 'Orly's Place,701, Sheppard Av East, (416) 222-8595. I found it by accident and returned by design. Totally love at first bite. Forget the menu; just go along with whatever Grandpappy behind the counter recommends. Guaranteed not to disappoint, or you can call me for a refund!

A little too much excitement can zing

2007-10-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, Oh dear…
First day back at work in weeks and am already pulling overtime...sigh; shoulda been a rock star. And WHO came up with idea that professionals shouldn't get paid for overtime??? I'd like a few words with them...I could have been a millionaire by now!
No surprises: my all time fav quote, from my all time fav star: 'My name is Bono and I am a rock star..'

All in a work day:
Normally what passes for excitement at work is the hope that, somewhere, buried in all those spreadsheets, you might spot another 'Enron' in the making. Today I managed to cause a ruckus of another kind, at a client’s site.

I was doing another one of those interminable Q&A sessions with one of their managers, tracking down all the miniscule details my files required. I asked about some spreadsheets and he was trying to turn his monitor around so I could see the screen – when it slipped and crashed to the floor. He had a glass screen shield, and it broke into a million pieces. Shock, mortification and embarrassment all rolled into one big, tiny moment….I went back to my team and told them. We managed to joke a little about the client charging us for the damage...

Then I realized I was focusing all on myself. You see, the client manager has impaired use of an arm, which is why he couldn’t reach out and grab the monitor when it slipped. He is already quite conscious of this impairment, and I wondered if he might be blaming himself for the incident…I really hope not…I said a prayer for him as I sat there. Happily, he came by and we laughed a little at the end of the day….hope he’s alright….

On a lighter note:
Kudos to everyone out there who takes the time to brighten up the day by wearing T-shirts with zingers. Favs sighted so far:

1) 'Behind every great girl
is a guy checking her out'

2) Front: 'I can only be nice to one person a day'
Back: 'Today is not your day. Tomorrow’s not looking good either'

What's a girl to do?
So P. called back yesterday-a 10 sec voicemail to ask me to call him back. It's only been, like, 2 weeks since he said he would call, after the fiasco of the last time we spoke. Okay, would I have been EVIL if I had picked up the phone and yelled down the line? I mean, how many times should you let a guy have a second chance at a first impression?
I think I've been TOO well brought up. I sent a polite email... if he really wants to reach me, now he knows how....

Clubbin' update:
For all of you drum and bass fans in the Toronto area, this one's for you: Sound Ministry, a new club church, with worshippng to electronic music and spoken word. The next meeting is October 13, at The Loft, 619 A Queen Street West, just east of Bathurst. Adam V., the DJ's who's running it, is a really cool friend of mine. Go Adam!

Men on the menu, and other tidbits

2007-10-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

The stuff of dreams...
I dream about the man I'd like as my closest friend: someone who's passionate about pursuing God, and is kind and generous; someone who's willing to share his heart through his words and his actions; someone who is honest as he speaks and as he listens, and seeks integrity in his life; someone who's comfortable sharing the solitude of summer evenings or swapping silly jokes over pizza; someone who's open to seeing the wonder in creation over and over again (I'm still taking applications, by the way!)

...And nightmares:
I first bumped into S. at a Christmas party last year. He was tall, dark and drinking like there was no tomorrow. The only thing he was hitting on harder than the bottle was me, and I had to attach myself firmly to another guy I knew, for 'safety'. This other guy, I have to say, had done his own hitting on me in the past, but when he saw he was not getting through, he backed off but remained a real gentleman, which gives him an 'A' in my books.

Anyway, I managed to evade S's clutches that night, only to be bump into him at a barbeque, this summer, and to find that he remembered me, and wanted to continue from where he left off (with the beer and with me). He was determined to get my number, and spent over three hours tracking me down inside and outside the house, bottle(s) firmly in hand. I even tried the single girl's ultimate weapon: 'I think-no, I'm sure- I might actually have a boyfriend; so sorry', but that was not enough for him.

What part of 'no' do some guys not understand?

Anybody else out there had encounters with guys that were 'hard of hearing' ?

Happy Shiny News:
My church just started another satellite congregation for young adults (20 to 30ish)--so exciting! Let's hear it for TACF NORTH YORK!! If you're ever in the North York neighbourhood of Toronto, you're very welcome to come on by!!! Or if you can't make it, you can download messages here, or watch live services at the main congregation here.

Who I'm listening to:
Mat Kearney - totally rocks!

Sometimes a girl tries a little too hard...

2007-10-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Oops:
I decided to break in my new boots by pairing them with a mini jacket, blue jeans and figure hugging top and then hitting the shops... I was clicking down the main aisle of a giant store, feeling pretty cool, especially after ignoring the guy who'd followed me in from outside and tried twice to get my attention, when I slipped...

Desperately seeking:
Shea butter/cocoa butter, in Toronto. Please pass on any leads; thanks in advance.
Plus, has anyone heard of/tried Quincy Herbal skin treatment products? I've read some good reviews but wonder how the stuff actually stacks up in real life...

Bon mot:
A good hairdresser is a girl's best friend.

Random musings

2007-09-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Stress/unstress:
Just finished the biggest exam of my life last week and seriously need to decompress. Please, these just have to be the last exams I'll ever take in my life!
I thought nothing could beat going through an MBA but this stuff was no joke- 1,000 CA candidates in a giant hall, stress levels at 110%, over 3 days...may God help us all.
On the bright side I've managed to not be assigned to any clients by The Firm for this week, and some of next- a minor miracle.

Why we love guys:
In the rest of my life, I went to a couple of body shops to check on fixing some small scratches on my rear bumper which mysteriously appeared a few weeks ago. I nearly died at the estimates- either repaint the whole bumper for almost $300, or just paint over the area for $200!!! Not having a clue about any of this car stuff (sorry to let you gals down with a 'dumb chick' moment), I called up this friend, the sweetest guy I know, and he laughed, telling me I could get it done for like 5 bucks with off the shelf stuff-- the body shops were taking me for a trip because I was a woman. So Saturday he'll show me what to do. Meanwhile since I'd told one shop I'd be there at 8am Friday morning I ended leaving a message at midnight to cancel, hoping I didn't sound like a psycho (who makes calls at 12.21am to a business apart from me????)

Guilty pleasure:
http://www.onlinenigeria.com/ ---free Nigerian movies. I can't get enough of them, however cheap, cheesy and unintentionally hilarious they sometimes end up being.

Ego trips:
Guys at grocery stores, watching you with open mouths or retracing their steps to follow you

And on the other hand:
Guy who says he's dying to call and when you finally connect he's having a three way conversation with you and his underlings at his office....arrggghhh!

To die for:
Best friend who's there for girl time and dragging you into all kinds of crazy stuff. Honestly, I'm in her life just to keep her safe.

Last adventure: riding class 5 rapids in the Niagara gorge, just above Niagara Falls (only class 6 rapids are stronger and more dangerous).
This is the tour we took: http://www.whirlpooljet.com/.
I tell you, those waves were strong and mean!! I was in serious prayers every time that boat plunged doooowwwwwnnn in the water ('God, if you get me out of this alive, I promise I won't do this again! Jesus! Save me, pleeassee!!'). While I'm feverishly calculating the distance to the shore in case the boat capsizes, she's screaming her head off in excitement, loving every minute!

Next adventure, if she has her way: car racing.

To do:
Get some sleep.