Girl's Night (oh what a night).

Rachel, Chels, ZeeNoixy and moi, getting our drink on.

Friday night me and my girls got together for a good old fashioned sleep over at ZeeNoixy's. We weren't ALL there (we missed you Vonster!) but what we lacked in numbers we made up for in enthusiasm. For the boys...yes, there were pillow fights and tickle fights and we stripped down to our bras and panties to eat dinner.

OK, now that the men folk are gone, I can tell the truth. Ladies, we spent most of the evening talking about food and finances. We tried to bitch about our boys, but they're pretty great so there weren't as many grievances aired as there should have been at an event like this.

ZeeNoixy made a delish dinner....



We talked till we ran out of air...



and once the pregnant one went to bed (there's always a pregnant one nowadays) the rest of us drank a little too much, cause hey, that's how we roll...



Saturday morning we headed home, leaving the trace amounts of snow and all that hospitality and warmth up North with ZeeNoixy...I'm so lucky to have such great girlfriends.

The Widow.

I've been following the coverage of Gerald Ford's State Funeral. These things are always fascinating for the pomp and the grandness of it all. Ford left office when I was all of 2 years old so I can't say that I remember his Presidency or felt touched by it in any substantive way but I've always been struck by the relationship that he seemed to have with his wife.

I was watching her on television, standing by her husband's coffin, elderly and frail. As they were playing "Hail to the Chief" I wondered what thoughts were going through her head. She's not mourning a President or reflecting on what went wrong with some of his young aides like Cheney and Rumsfeld. She's not thinking about how unfunny Chevy Chase is. I'm pretty sure she's not dazzled by the ceremony either. I bet she's thinking about the man she had coffee with every morning. I bet she's thinking about the little things. And I bet those break her heart more than anything.


Gerald R. Ford stands in the doorway of their apartment at 1521 Mount Eagle Place, Alexandria, VA as Betty Ford reads in the yard. 1952.


Betty Ford, Gerald R. Ford, Jr., Michael Ford and Jack Ford sit at the kitchen table in their apartment at 1521 Mount Eagle Place, Alexandria, VA. 1952


Representative and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford, Jr., pose for a photograph prior to departing for an unidentified diplomatic reception. 1958.

Whoa.

Oh, Bob Woodward, you SD, you!

So I'm sitting here right now watching Larry King. I think that I'm in for an evening of old men in big glasses saying nice things about a man, a former POTUS who frankly, seemed like a nice guy. An honest guy. A decent guy. Then Bob Woodward shows up and starts stirring the pot. He has some conversations that took place between him and President Ford in 2004 on tape. He was instructed not to play these tapes publicly until he released a book based on them or until President Ford passed away. They're scratchy, they're almost garbled but the intent is clear. Ford did not agree with what Bush was doing in Iraq. He would have done it differently - sanctions, things like that - not war.

When President Bush made his statement this morning about Ford's passing he said "For a nation that needed healing and an office that needed a calm and steady hand, Gerald Ford came along when we needed him the most".

Ironyyyyyy!

Looks to me like his Nation needs a little healing right about now. Hell, the world needs a band-aid and an aspirin while we're at it. Seems like Gerald Ford knew that. Seems like everyone but Mr. Bush knows it sometimes.

Strength, wisdom and good judgment. Whatever happened to that stuff?

On Boxing Day...

First things first, for my lovely American friends, since they asked:

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas (December 26th) and is observed as a holiday in the UK, and in other Commonwealth countries, like Canada. They say it got the name because it's the day that people "box" up their Christmas decorations and put them away until next year. I personally like to wait until after the new year to take down my Christmas cheer, but I'm one for procrastinating. Remember, Bloggy McBloggerson? I told you I'd write on Boxing Day and here it is, the day after Boxing Day and you're just hearing from me now.

Boxing Day is probably the biggest shopping day all year in Canada (much like your day after Thanksgiving). There are massive sales and people line up for hours to spend some of the dough that Santa left them on computers and cookware and skinny jeans. Do you see, my lovely Americans, how we are different and yet the same?

I wish I were shopping right now instead of sitting at my desk at CSIS pretending to get work done. I tried to be productive, I really did, but there's only so much you can do when just about everyone else has taken the week off. Bah-boxingweek-Humbug!

I had a lovely Christmas which started on Saturday with a trip to visit some of the Robeau's family in Sarnia. We were treated to a yummy dinner and lots of great conversation. We then drove to London, Ontario that night and spent two very comfortable nights at the Hilton (fancy!). London was were we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning with the Robeau's family and where we were treated to the warmth that comes with watching little kids open piles of presents. Expensive video game? Pack of crayons? Didn't matter, it was all gold to them. Next year, I'm wrapping up a rock and putting it under the tree, just to test their level of appreciation. Christmas afternoon we headed back to the T.dot, Oscar Peterson on the CD player and coffees in hand, to have Christmas dinner with my family. My sisters prepared a feast of turkey and the trimmings that was just perfect. It was a great hang, just chillin' and yackin' and everything it should be.

Boxing Day we headed to the movies to check out "Dreamgirls". Suffice it say that any movie that inspires a Toronto audience to cheer, hoot and applaud DURING the movie was a lot of fun. Applause break = recommended.

Here's hoping you all had a lovely holiday weekend filled with family, friends and stuffed fowl.

Holiday Video of the Week...Penultimate Edition.

How could it possibly be Friday already? Well, it's been a busy week filled with Christmas shopping, lots of crazy overtime at CSIS and one jazz show, last night at the Rex with the Robeau that made me realize one of my favourite feelings in the world is the reverb of an acoustic bass felt through my hands clutching my pint of Heineken. Sheer bliss. Especially after shopping and working late.

Tomorrow we are off to points South and West to visit the Robeau's family (armed with Christmas tunes and lots of coffee). We'll be back in town in time for Christmas dinner. I'll check in with you, Bloggy McBloggerson, on Boxing Day.

Merry Christmas to all and to all...a good night!

A Charlie Brown Christmas (full length)

YOU may already be a winner.

Congratulations. Beating out candidates including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong-il, James Baker, Rummy and Bush, YOU have been selected as Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2006.

Say what?

That's right. The annual award, which identifies the person, or people, who most affect the news and people’s daily lives, for good or ill, this year goes to anyone who has used or created content on the internet.

"For seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, Time's Person of the Year for 2006 is you," the magazine's Lev Grossman wrote.

What do you think did it? Was it the fact that I kept my Flickr account updated regularly this year? I mean, if I slipped and only updated once in a while, would they have gone with Ahmadinejad? You're right. Probably not. I bet he doesn't even have a digital camera. And you GOTTA know James Baker can't even remember his password. Maybe it's because I bit the bullet and started a myspace account despite the fact that I am at least 10 years too old to be dabbling with such things. I'm pretty sure Kim Jong-il has a myspace account. Hell, he's probably on facebook too. Not me, you've got to draw the line somewhere. I'm guessing Lil' Kim's myspace profile talks a lot about hair products, being misunderstood and Tom Cruise. Now, that's just a guess, mind you, but are you going to question TIME MAGAZINE'S PERSON OF THE YEAR when she tells you something like that? No. I didn't think so. Stay down.

A few words of advice to the US Administration's Axis of Stoopid, in case they want to have a shot at making it to the top of Time's list next year:

Mr. Bush, talk more about your hair. People love that.

Rummy, talk about what moves you. Art, movies, jazz icons. I dare you!

Mr. Cheney, if your pet or your lesbian daughter ever poop on your lap or on one of those old pacemakers you keep lying around, talk about it! Maybe you'll get the sympathy vote.

Bottom line, for all three of you, spend less time waging unpopular wars and more time watching SNL digital shorts on youtube. You'll thank me later. Hopefully via email.

Holiday Video of the Week!

Christmas Time For the Jews

In honour of the first night of Hanukah, some sheer brilliance courtesy of Robert Smigel and the always festive Darlene Love which aired on SNL last season. Enjoy!

About Last Night

We had our office party at CSIS last night. Evidenced here with Camillo and I, singing our brains out. Have you ever seen two people look more foolish? What a riot. All of my photos are in this set. If you want to party, party with the theatre folk. Those are my words of wisdom for the day.

Win, Place & Show.

There will be more information following on this exciting project in the near future, but for now, just let me tell you that I'm helping to Produce a play reading showcasing excerpts from three plays written by Ron Fromstein (my friend and recent Director on "Letters to Liam").

Ron has been a playwriting powerhouse recently, winning both the Toronto Fringe 24 hour playwriting competition and the National Canadian Playwriting contest. He has also placed second and third in some other prestigious contests - hence the title "Win, Place & Show". I'm very excited to be working on this!

Happy 5th Anniversary, Mr. Robeau.

People find it strange that the Robeau and I celebrate our anniversary on December 12th as it is also the anniversary of my Dad's death (20 years ago today). It's a coincidence, nothing more, nothing less and the truth is I think it is a happy one even though I can't really articulate why. It's now also the unofficial birthday for Bernie the wonder Cat, but that's another story.

A little while ago, one of my sweeter friends, who was having man trouble asked me what drew me to the Robeau in the first place and I told her it was my "post 9/11 mindset". I was laughing. She was confused. The truth is, I'm not even sure how to answer that question, except with the obvious things like "we have so much in common" and "he's nice" and "he makes me laugh" and really, who wants to hear that?

I'm glad we ended up together, whatever the reason. The last five years have been just swell - filled with laughter, music and interesting discussions. Now, I'm not one for sentimental declarations, especially on the intornet, so I'm left asking only, "where the hell did the time go?". Happy Anniversary Mr. Robeau. Tonight we eat steak, drink wine and toast the fact that you can still stand to live with me after all this time. And, um, thanks for that.

Fete.

Yesterday, the Robeau and I flung our doors open for our many wonderful friends, near and far. We had a great time, it was lovely catching up with everyone and indulging in some wine, cheese and nog.

Mo took some great pictures (and I tinkered with them in iphoto because I couldn't help myself. Even though I know that I will look back in another 24 hours and say, "you should have walked away...what's with that matte?")

Enjoy Your Holiday Video of the Week!

Every Friday in December I'll be posting a new holiday themed video. Enjoy Dinah Shore, Fred MacMurray and Ann Miller's unusual and fun rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside".

And hey, have a great weekend!

Hootie

Jay McShann passed away today in Kansas City. He was 90 years old. During the late '30s and early '40s, McShann led one of the best blues-based big bands of the day. Only Count Basie's band approached McShann's in terms of popularity. That's going to be the second line in his obit. The first is going to be that Charlie Parker was a member of that band before he became "Charlie Parker". The reality is that McShann was so much more than Charlie Parker's boss. It's been said that he's the creator of a certain style of music, one that combines swing and blues and quite frankly, changed the course of popular music. I don't go in for saying people "created" stuff like that, but I will say he was a true innovator, a magnificent player and a hell of a nice guy.

After work for his band dried up, McShann fought in WWII and his career took a dip when he came back home. There was a resurgence in his popularity though, starting in the 1970's and stemming from several recordings he made right here in Toronto. Back in 1972, saxophonist, band leader, and Downtown Jazz Festival artistic director Jim Galloway brought McShann to the now-defunct Bourbon Street club for a gig and from that time on Toronto became a frequent tour stop. McShann recorded close to a dozen albums in the city for John Norris' Sackville Records, each one of them filled with his contagious sense of fun. An aside: Galloway is one of my very favourite sax players, but I have to say his greatest gift is that archivist's soul of his. He's been responsible for bringing so many of the greats to this city - I feel very lucky to have been around to witness them playing on the stages at the Jazz Festival and in the intimacy of this city's clubs.

My personal favourites from McShann's Sackville catalogue are Just a Lucky So and So which features Galloway (doubling on baritone and soprano), the great Don Thompson (on bass) and Terry Clarke (drums) and Saturday Night Function where McShann and the quartet join forces with Buddy Tate (on this date they are called the "Sackville Allstars"). This is "feel good", swinging, bluesy music of the highest order.

A few years ago in the film American Splendor Paul Giamatti's Harvey Pekar is found in one scene at a flea market, looking for a Jay McShann record (and McShann is featured on the soundtrack). I got such a kick out of that when I saw the movie on the big screen because even though I was well aware of McShann's stature in the business, to me, he was practically one of us. Hell, I showed him how the sinks worked out by the porta-potties during that jazz fest show. It's hard to put the reality of a man who was so approachable and easy going next to the contribution he made to his art.

It sounds trite to say that it's the end of an era because his era, in a lot of ways, ended a long time ago and in a lot of ways, will never end. It is the end of a great run though, but I'm happy to say his music will live on.

If you're interested to find out more about Jay McShann check out his NPR Profile which has lots of great details and sound clips and will make you feel well rounded and like the smartest kid in the class. I defy you to keep your toes from tapping. Enjoy!

Stay a while and sit a spell...

I'm giving a big shout out today to some new faces who I think came by via a very nice review from Bitter Mistress over at the blog review site Ask and Ye Shall Receive, which has the delightful url "I will fucking tear you apart". She thinks I'm funny and that I have good hair and that alone is enough to make me love her. Forever and for always. She also thinks my template is kaka poo poo and I'm inclined to believe her, if only because of the aforementioned comments about humour and good hair. Also, I've been thinking about it and I once painted my bedroom walls burgundy. There was another time I thought it would be a good idea to buy a cable knit sweater. So, you see, I'm not always batting 1000 when it comes to style choices. I'm willing to take suggestions though, so if anyone has any thoughts on the template - it's merits, or what you'd like to look at when you come by my little corner of the intornet please, let me know. This ain't no democracy, but I'm happy to listen!

So, thanks to Bitter Mistress for the kind words (and for making me spew diet coke out my nose with the "short bus" badge) and welcome to you new readers. I hope you can stay a while and sit a spell...

Running with Scissors

Early last February on a cold, wet Saturday afternoon I got a BAD haircut. Now, I'm not what I would consider an overly vain woman. I mean, I like to try and look nice, but I'm not too picky about things like haircuts. I have big hair. It's curly somedays, wavy others and frankly, it has to be a really, really bad haircut for it to look any different than it usually does. My hair eats haircuts for breakfast. So you can rest assured when I tell you that this was a bad haircut, it was a truly horrendous haircut. I was butchered people. Butchered.

It was with a great deal of reluctance some ten months later that I headed to the salon with Mo on Saturday morning. She had just discovered a new hairdresser, a fun Albanian woman named Mirella who came to Toronto by way of several years in New Jersey. She gave Mo a great haircut, she wears her lip liner darker than her lipstick and (I was promised) she was prone to using the adjective "freakin'". How could I turn down an opportunity to hang with someone like that? It might even be worth getting butchered again. Besides, things were getting desperate...I couldn't let my trust issues get in the way.

Here's my freakin' Before Shot:



Hard at freakin' work



The After Shot, freakin' shocking!



Never have I felt so "smooth". I felt like the Cowardly Lion after they get their makeovers when they arrive in Emerald City. All...buffed and shiny. Of course, I could never blow it out like that myself so in the interest of full disclosure here I am abusing my web cam at CSIS, so you can see what the haircut looks like for real.



You can tell it's a good haircut because it makes my cheeks look so thin.



Well, Bloggy McBloggerson, that should put all those rumors to rest that I'm a thinking person who writes about things like the Liberal Leadership vote on her blog. I was going to write about Dion and his future but political leaders, they come and they go. A good haircut is forever.

What made me spew Diet Coke out my nose today:

From Today's New York Times

SARAH McLACHLAN: ‘WINTERSONG’ (Arista). Anyone susceptible to holiday depression should steer clear of Sarah McLachlan's "Wintersong." It's not just that the album includes Joni Mitchell's despondent "River", or that Ms. McLachlan's own new "Wintersong", sung alone at the piano, is almost as forlorn. Most of the album's production is far more lush, but even songs that are usually cheerful or pious - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Silent Night" turn morose as Ms. McLachlan makes them slow and breathy, with sobbing breaks in her voice. Backed by Diana Krall on piano in "Christmas Time Is Here", she sounds nearly suicidal. "Wintersong" is a triumph of sorts: a strong contender for the mopiest Christmas album ever. JON PARELES

I've been wondering for quite a long while why just about everyone who covers this beautiful Vince Guaraldi tune makes it sound like the saddest song ever, but McLachlan's is truly the saddest of the sad. I can see pensive, or thoughtful....melancholy even, but every new version I hear just makes it sound SO sad. If you want to hear this tune covered (what I would call "right") try Rosemary Clooney's recording or John Pizzarelli's (the most upbeat of any I've heard). Toronto's Emilie Claire Barlow has released a holiday disc this year and her version, while not happy, is not morose either and happens to be quite beautiful.

--

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year

Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there

Christmas time is here
We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year...