Movie Night

Tonight was a perfect movie night, rainy and windy outside - comfy and warm inside.

In order to determine which movie we were going to watch, Tom and I had a coin toss. I won - which means that we saw critically acclaimed “The Lives of Others” - instead of “Die Hard with a Vengeance” (for the second time).

I was curious about this movie, as I visited Berlin earlier this year and was quite surprised at my reaction to the city. I wanted to ask people how they felt about the Cold War, and what effect it had on their families – but I didn’t have the courage.

I walked and walked through the streets of what used to be East Berlin, trying to imagine how one wall could make such a difference to so many.

The movie was fabulous, two thumbs up.

Do You Know What Your Pug Is Watching?

David Eng, aka Uncle Dave, is a very important person in our lives.

When Tom and I are on the road, Dave moves into our house and becomes the resident Pug Whisperer. We knew we had our man after his first sleep over – after all, how many people can handle being spooned by two snoring pugs?. Not only do Tex and Maggie adore Dave - but Tom and I have complete faith in his ability to take care of our little darlings.

Last week Dave took Tex and Maggie for afternoon walks while Tom was out of town. When I came home from work, I found he had left an interesting note. It went something like this:

“I noticed that Tex and Maggie aren’t watching CNN - their usual TV Channel - and now seem to be tuned to the Home Decorating network. Are the pugs planning on doing more renovations?”

Dave is on to something. Choosing the right television show for your dog is far more complicated than it seems. For example:

Animal shows are very bad. Tex and Maggie seem to think that the animals are actually in our living room. Who can blame them if they bark and bluff charge the television, you’d do the same thing if a rhino was in your house.

Sitcoms are risky. Until you watch TV with a dog, you don’t realize how many of them use the
‘barking dog” sound in the background. Comedy’s, dramas, crime, sci fi – at some point in every show – the neighbor’s dog will start barking. This is guaranteed to cause extreme pug howling.

Apparently it’s not just Tex and Maggie who are affected by TV. I recently read an article about a man who’s built a business empire by producing videos for cats. He got this brilliant idea while working as a news producer for a local network affiliate. He noticed that after certain nature shows aired, hundreds of people would call the network to comment about the effect the programs had on their felines.

At first he thought this was funny, but it also made him think about the possibilities. He took a gamble and started making shows specifically for cats and marketing them over the internet. He now sells millions of videos - to all corners if the world – apparently cats speak a universal language. However, if you’re thinking of buying one for kitty’s Christmas stocking, you should know that cats have been known attack their TV when watching the shows.

So, to answer your question, Dave – we have decided to block the pugs from watching CNN – after all, watching Lou Dobbs can’t be good for their delicate psyches. We’re hoping they’ll pick up some handy decorating tips on the HGTV.

Most of all, thank you for taking such good care of Tex and Maggie.

Note from a Friend

Today I had a very moving email from my dear friend Monica. With her permission, I would like to share it with you:

Have just returned from Canada where everyone is wearing a red poppy button as a reminder. It's a good thing and I think of my old naval officer father each time I see one.

But for the last few days I've been in L.A... Today at LAX there were 2 Marines in dress uniform who boarded the flight. I spoke with them briefly and told them how great they looked in their uniforms. They thanked me politely but did not continue the conversation.

Before we landed, the pilot told us we were carrying the casket of a young Marine who died in Iraq. He asked us to remain seated when we landed as the family would be on the tarmac to receive the coffin with a Marine honour guard in attendance - we would disembark afterwards.

I happened to be sitting on the right side of the plane and here is what I witnessed. The father of the dead marine got out of a car with a police escort. He was an old biker with a white pony tail and a Hells Angel jacket, about 50+. His arms were crossed and he was brushing away tears from under his sunglasses as he hugged his body tightly - turning in distressed circles - back and forth, back and forth - as we passengers watched out the windows. After about 20 minutes, the hold opened and a coffin rolled out, covered in the American flag. The 2 Marines on my flight plus 6 others saluted respectfully and gently carried the coffin to a waiting hearse. They folded and handed the flag to his biker father who climbed into the back of the hearse with his son and drove away.

It was an agonizing, solemn scene that I hope never to see again - a father and his dead son's homecoming. Everyone on the plane was silent. I cried.

Pug Love

Ten things I love about Tex and Maggie:

• I’ve never had to tell them about the starving kids in China, they'll eat anything.


• Some people call them stubborn, I think it's cool they refuse to do stupid pet tricks.


• They don’t care what kind of car you drive, as long as you roll the window down and let the wind blow in their ears.


• They make great air guitars.


• They’re not going to tell anyone that you’ve been known to do the occasional interpretive dance.


• It's all or nothing with them – they either love you or hate you.


• Doesn’t matter if you come home from holiday or from taking the garbage out – they’re always damn happy to see you.


• They love sharing your eggs over easy and don’t get bent out of shape if you break the yolk.


• They knew all along that there were no weapons of mass destruction.


• Their tails act as barometers - curled if they’re happy – down if they’re sad. Shouldn’t people be that easy to read?

12 Steps

Here’s a tip for those of you who are thinking of starting a blog - think twice about what you put in writing. Take it from me, some things are better left unsaid. Never, under any circumstances, talk about the monkey on your back. Trust me, it will come back and haunt you.

For example, if you’ve been reading my blog, you’re aware that I’m addicted to diet coke. In the spirit of keeping it real - I’ve written gritty, real life accounts of my day to day struggle. Big mistake.

For the most part I’ve managed to stay clean, but occasionally I fall off the wagon. Before the blog - most people wouldn’t have thought twice if they saw me drinking a diet coke – in their eyes, I was just another woman enjoying the real thing.

Now if I have a diet coke, people assume I’m on a bender. At one point, I even heard a few of my friends talk about staging an intervention. It’s driven me underground – I now do most of my drinking behind closed doors.

Sure, it hasn’t all been negative – as I’ve meet other people who also struggle with this demon. It’s comforting to know that I don’t walk alone. Steve / Chris, you know who I’m talking to.

Girls Gone Wild

I’m always suspicious when I meet a woman who doesn’t have girlfriends. Seriously folks, without the chicas - I’d be the scary woman on the block - the one living with 20 dogs.

Last week is a perfect example of how much fun a girls night out can be. The women in question:
Monica – an unusual combination of sophistication, glamour and earthiness, a hippie dressed by vogue
Gloria – funny, spontaneous and wise, the perfect partner in crime
Darlene – serene and soulful, totally lacking in desire for the material, focused on living in the moment

Highlights:

Niagara Falls at Night
After two full days of meetings at Niagara on the Lake, the four of us are sharing a ride to Toronto. In the car I casually mention that I have never been to Niagara Falls, a place I dreamed of visiting in my childhood. Even though it is getting late and we’re all a little brain dead, the chicas insist on a detour. I am finally going to see one of the natural wonders of the world.

Love and Sex
After bonding at the falls, we head for Toronto. As we drive the conversation turns to men. Gloria and Darlene discover that they both have a crush on a famous Canadian talk show host, they laugh and compare notes. Imagine our delight when we arrive at Monica’s daughters house and find out she is dating Darlene and Gloria’s crush - the sexy CTSH we had just been discussing. To put it into context – Monica’s daughter is a tall, beautiful blonde - and the director of the Gemini’s and Juno’s. We beg for details, nothing like living vicariously. Monica nonchalantly mentions that it reminds her of the time she dated Peter Jennings – by far the best line of the evening.

Hockey Players
After dropping Monica off, we head to our hotel. While checking in we are approached by Tony Esposito, who invites us to join him and Phil for a drink. Gloria and Darlene explain that Tony is a hockey icon – the Stanly Cup rings should have been a tip off. We pass on the drink, but the chicas manage to get autographs.

The Morning After
The next morning we meet in the lobby for breakfast. We find out that we've just missed the Dali Lama, who is apparently staying at our hotel. Big news – and in our world more exciting then seeing a rock star – we all high five.

A great adventure and exactly what I needed. So much fun in fact – I think the four of us should get matching tattoos.

Vino

One of the perks of my job is the people I work with – creative and interesting individuals– many of whom have become close friends. Case in point, a recent business dinner at Peller Estates Winery at Niagara on the Lake, which can only be described as magical.

Like most of you, I enjoy a glass of good wine and have a fairly good understanding of what it takes to bring it to my table. But this dinner opened my eyes to a whole new world, the philosophy of the grape.

For example, veraison – the instant that the plant decides to shift it’s focus from the vine to the fruit - a turning point that determines if a wine will be great.

Similar to life – the ability to listen to our inner voice and trust intuition can make all the difference. Maybe Bacchus was on to something.