Quick Pic

Heres a quick photo of Alana and Auntie Robyn sitting in front of the xmas tree. Shes here to visit her granddaughter Hadley (who is a little cutie) and it was lovely to see her. Take note of how pale Alana's Canadian tan is compared to Robyn's NZ one. Very jealous!

Doctor Schmoctor!

Doctors......where do we begin!

'Greys Anatomy', 'House' and 'ER' are religious experiences for us. We watch these shows every week without fail. However the truth is, we watch them while feeling like big fat frauds. We watch them with the shame dripping from our big fat fraudulent bodies. Because the truth is....we absolutely despise doctors!

We hate the way they walk, we hate the way they talk and we hate the way they tell you that they know whats up when all along you were coming down. Yes, we hate doctors. Yet every week we stupidly turn on the TV and watch our favourite white-coat fight to save a life.

Admittedly it helps that all the doctors are good-looking. (The patients aren't too bad either!) Yet these doctors intrigue us. They captivate and hypnotise us. They give us hope. Why? Because they care.

So we watch these shows and we dream. We dream of a world where the doctors know your name, where they know your ailment, where they want to save your life. We dream of a world where they don't put the bottom-line before treatment, where everyone receives immediate medical care, where there are no waiting lines. We realize these are crazy dreams....yet this is the world we would like to live in.

So we watch 'Greys Anatomy' and 'House' with sour tastes in our mouths. These are brilliant shows with brilliant story-lines. But they lie. Because health care just ain't this pretty!!

Twas The Weekend Before Xmas...

Matt gave Alana a lovely Valentines Day gift all the way back in February that we have been too busy to use. So, feeling exhausted after a very long year, we decided to use it this weekend.

His gift was a two night stay at the secluded Millcroft spa retreat in a little town called Alton (one hour from Toronto) and it was just what the doctor ordered. We slept, we watched movies, we drank wine and we strolled around the beautiful grounds. There was a stunning lake and waterfall and the food was exquisite!

Our accommodation was a little 'Crofts' cottage that came complete with fireplace and hot-tub...everything two weary people could want...and it was very very peaceful! So we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and because it was so lovely we will definately go again. Only next time we'll try out the spa treatments.

Here are some more pics of Millcroft.(This is our favourite....its the cutest little warning sign you ever did see!!)

Run Obama, Run!

Think Hilary is destined to be next in the Whitehouse? Think again!

I'm not sure how much the UK & down under know about Barack Obama, but in the last 2 months this guy has gone from zero to rock star!!

What better response to a stupid southern white man than an intelligent black one from Chicago.

Keep an eye on this guy, if he runs for President, we're running right along with him!!
http://obama.senate.gov/

Can't We All Just Get Along??

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2006/12/14/2787953-sun.html

If you're reading the above news story you will have experienced a mere smidgen of the hypocrisy that political correctness has created in North America. These events are constantly happening in the name of 'equality'. However we think they are just trying to p*** us off!

When they're not banning Christmas trees to avoid favoring christians, they're holding votes to stop gay's marrying to protect...you guessed it.... christians! While they won't allow you to wear a cross because religious symbols are banned....they will allow you to tell Muslims that Islam is 'going down'. And although they will suggest that you reuse, recycle and bicycle, they will also tell you that global warming is a secular farce and God will prevail. Confused? So are we!

Right now we go about our day in a dazed and confused state, wondering hopelessly what we are supposed to believe this week. In fact, this stupid war of beliefs is only getting worse, and what is ultimately suffering is our poor little planet...oh...and our poor little heads! Of course, the majority of people just want everyone to live their lives in peace and to not bother each other too much (except of course when you're driving in Toronto and then its every man for himself!) But as always you never hear from the ordinary people. Its only the nutcases that speak out.

Consequently this has led us to the conclusion that if it ever does get worse here we will just have to move again. Although at this rate we will have eliminated the entire Western world and we will be forced to think more seriously about emigrating to Russia!

Or perhaps, as we've not really lived anywhere we're that enamoured with yet, except maybe Sydney (we're stupidly hoping California will be an island from all this North American nonsense... wishful thinking we know!), we'll just stamp 'Currently Without Country' on our passports and be done with it.

Hey...it works for us! Happy Holidays everyone! :)

Bad Mojo??

http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/09/13/murder-suicide-chelsea.html
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20061214/sassafraz_cleanup_061214/20061214?hub=TorontoHome

If you click on the above links you can read up on what we consider to be suspicious events that have occured following our visit from Dad and Diana Crombie.

First we find out that a few days after they left Toronto three people were murdered at the hotel they stayed in, and now the restaurant we all went to, Sassafraz, has burnt to the ground.
(see previous post under 'Family')

Coincidence you ask? Maybe. Voodoo curse? Very well could be. Either way we will continue with our investigation and we'll keep you posted with our findings.
:)

Work Do!

Matt's work held their annual Christmas party this Saturday night at his boss Alan's favourite fancy steakhouse. It was a fun filled night involving bottomless glasses of wine (all free of course) and the best steak ever tasted. There were also some hilarious moments involving film footage of all the staff on their Survivor trip a couple of weekends ago.

Matt was the champion of chugging down the most disgusting concoction known to man (it involved seafood, citrus and some other revolting ingredients), while others searched through animal dung for hidden items. Charming stuff!!

Everyone at his work was very friendly and it was all in all a fantastic night. We are looking forward to a re-run next Christmas!

Gift List

It has been requested that we post a list of christmas gifts that we want. Asides from the obvious 'BMW' request from Matt, this year we would prefer not to swap the usual items....instead we think that swapping gifts that help others might be a nice change instead.

If you click on the links below you will be taken to websites that have interesting gifts that help a needy animal or person. On one of the links you can send money that cleans one oiled penguin, helps a dog or even feeds a hungry bear. On the Oxfam link you can send a needy family a goat, chicken and even an education. Its a fantastic way to turn what is essentially a consumer filled nightmare into something that means so much to someone else. Some of these gifts even help the environment!

We think its kinda cool...plus you avoid sending each other items you know are just going to end up in the storage cupboard. To these families that goat is the difference between life and death. And really, haven't we all got enough scarves and socks by now??!!

Anyway, let us know what you think. Otherwise, in reply to the gift list request...you really don't have to send us anything this year. All we really want from everyone is a phonecall and maybe a smile over the webcam...thats plenty enough!

Here are the website links.....there are many many more out there. These are just some of our favorites.

http://www.kintera.org/site/c.adKCIPNyEqG/b.1160005/k.8F75/Rescue_Animals.htm
http://www.oxfamunwrapped.ca/
http://wwf.ca/HowYouCanHelp/PandaStore/PandaStore.asp?product=DR630&IGNOREcart=
http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
http://www.charitygifts.com/

Happy Festivus!!

Jaded.... the perfect word to describe how we are currently feeling about this Christmas season. Not because we don't enjoy Christmas, but because here in North America you eat, breathe, smell and live Christmas for more than four loooooooong weeks! So Matt came up with a novel idea to help get us through....we celebrate 'Festivus' this year instead.

What is Festivus you ask? Festivus is a make-believe holiday from the show 'Seinfeld'. On 'Seinfeld' the character George and his wacky family celebrate Festivus every year. However, in what could be considered a most unusual turn of events, this make-believe holiday is now celebrated by families everywhere.

A few key points to Festivus are;

• Drinking is encouraged with hearty beer, rum, bourbon, or wine.
• Seeing as how one of the Latin derivatives of Festivus means feast, some celebrations have indulged this by celebrating with a 'Turducken'. (see picture below)
  

A 'Turducken' - a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken, covered with bacon!! (Matt's note: Surely they could stuff the chicken with beef first?)

• An aluminium pole is generally used in lieu of a Christmas tree or other holiday decoration, shedding holiday materialism.
• The celebration of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances, which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served.
• In the Airing of Grievances, each person present at the celebration tells friends and family of all the instances where they have disappointed him or her that year.
• The head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned to the floor.
• A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.

The Airing of Grievances will pose some obvious long distance problems for us....however Skype could resolve this. The other issue will be the pinning of the head of the family. Not because it can't be done...but because there is some considerable disagreement from Alana as to who the head of our household is.

Nevertheless, the part that has swayed us both is the drinking and the aluminum pole. While we do like our pop-up tree, the pole just has that edginess you will never get from standard Christmas decorations. (see previous post) Plus the added bonus is that if you didn't want to part with the pole at the end of Festivus, there is no reason it couldn't remain as a permanent decor feature. You can't do that with a Christmas tree now can you?!!

So that's Matt's interesting idea . If anyone else is feeling overwhelmed with Christmas (aka 'the consumer season') we would love to hear your comments on celebrating something different. Perhaps the best compromise will be to celebrate both. Festivus on the 23rd, Christmas on the 25th. Either way, we will definately not be eating Turducken!!

Happy Festivus everyone!!

A Bitter Taste in the Mouth

We didn't want to post these sad pictures but we felt an obligation to spread the word.

A student at Alana's school shared these images of 'food dogs' on a Chinese farm. ('food dogs' are dogs bred solely for human consumption). Currently millions of dogs in China are living in these tiny crates 24 hours a day, without food or water, until they are finally slaughtered (skinned alive) or they die of stress and dehydration.

There really is no further explanation needed. The pictures speak for themselves. All we ask is this....the next time you buy something thats 'Made in China'.....think twice won't you?!!

Rental Property

This post is mostly for the benefit of Dad Crombie who has some 'before' photos that he took of Curzon Street. As he will be able to see we have stained the floors (they aren't in the best condition but they will be fine for renting), we have painted the horrible old 70's kitchen white (it is still horrible but it was the most cost effective way). There is new kitchen floor tile, new front and back doors and new inexpensive fixtures like door-knobs etc. The bathroom has had to be replaced as it was completely rotten, but that is the unfortunate condition many of these 100 year old Toronto houses are left in.

So here are the pics of our little (temporary) rental house. Temporary until we move into it ourselves!

Under a Blood-Red Sky

The leaves have finally fallen from the trees and a long, cold winter is waiting around the corner. Yet, just when we were feeling positively depressed, Toronto surprised us.

On this particularly dark Saturday night it put on a light show that cheered us right up. The sky turned blood-red and thanks to the bare trees we were able to see through the branches to the city beyond. It was stunning. Not even the enormous clouds carrying freezing rain above could dampen the view.

So Matt, standing in a flimsy t-shirt and big smile, braved the cold and posed on the roof-deck for your viewing pleasure. Hope you enjoy!

Dog TV

This is how our two fat couch potatoes spend their day while we are out....watching reality television. Their current favourite show is "Dog Walking with Owner", however "Strange Cat in Garden" and Squirrell up a Tree" are also big hits.

For anyone living with a bored dog this really does work. Just remember to turn the tv off at night (close the blinds) or you will be kept awake with the barking. Happy dog days everyone!