Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday Fair Confessions

Last year, I did a Friday Confessions devoted to the Shawville Fair, so I think I’ll continue that tradition…

Linking up with Mamarazzi!

FridayConfessionalMamarazzi

I confess…that last night, I experienced the fair as an “old lady”.  OK, my mom will kick my ass for saying that, but I took her to the fair last night, and quickly discovered that it’s not all about the beer tent for the older ladies.  It’s more about touring the exhibits and having verrrrrry lengthy chats with long-lost friends and family.  (Honestly…it wasn’t so bad.)

Fair image

I confess…that I went for a long walk before going to the fair, and then because I was crunched for time, I didn’t eat supper.  The common sensical thing to do would be grab a bite to eat at the fair, but I’ve sworn off fair food again. (I know.  There’s something wrong with me.)  Hence, I did not eat anything last night.  At all.  And I woke up this morning feeling like my stomach was eating itself.

I confess…that sitting in the beer tent, where we went with my aunt & uncle “just to chat”, and listening to a well-know local wheelchair-bound character singing at the top of his drunken lungs…was pretty priceless.  I’m not sure if Mom, Aunt Marion, and Uncle Eric were entertained or horrified.  I was thoroughly entertained by it!

I confess…that I did not have one beer last night – NOT ONE – yet I woke up hurtin’ anyways.  For some reason, I have a very sore lower back and a very sore hip, to go along with my very sore heel.  Awesome.

I confess…that I’m currently making plans to get drunk at the fair for the first time in, like, five or six years.  It’s going to be a good ol’ “Jillian Show”, as my pal Robbie likes to call it.  Hopefully Linds and I can get Ryan to co-operate and play his role in this plan.  (That’s right.  He gets to play the part of DD.  Lucky him!!)

I confess…that even though I have professed to dislike Kim Mitchell for years now, I’m kind of excited to hear him play “Patio Lanterns” and “Go for a Soda” live tonight.  I really hope it doesn’t rain.

KIMMITCH_AKA

I confess…that beyond it being fair weekend, I’m so very glad it’s the Labour Day long weekend.  One extra day to sleep in.  Love it.

That’s it for today!  For the  locals…hope to see you at the fair!

Everyone else – have a great long weekend :)

Thursday, August 30, 2012

It’s the end of the summer…

It's the end of the summer,
It's the end of it all,
Those days are gone, its over now,
we’re moving on…

Truth be told, I hate that Theory of a Deadman song. 

It fills me with a sense of melancholy at a time of year when I’m already wistfully looking back; already starting to miss the long hazy days filled with sunshine and lawn chairs and cool drinks in hand.

And yet, it’s the song on my mind these days, as the evenings grow cooler, the days gradually become shorter, and the first bittersweet signs of autumn begin to creep in.

People laugh at me when I moan about the poor kids having to go back to school, but I’m not lying when I say there’s an ache in my heart – a heaviness, as I drive down my road on the way to work and I have to wave at the boys out waiting for their buses.  Maybe they’re actually excited to go back, and there’s no doubt their parents are clicking their heels with joy.  Yet, it takes me back to those mornings when I had to pose at the end of my laneway with my backpack on, glaring at the camera, usually tears filling my eyes.

I loved school – but I hated going back at the start of each year.  It always broke my heart having to say good-bye to the summer.

It still does.

I don’t think I could have asked for much more this summer.  Weather-wise, it was spectacular (as long as you weren’t a farmer) – record-breaking heat waves; long, dry spells perfect for sun-tanning on my mom’s patio with a Palm Bay in hand; warm nights at the ball field and those wonderfully cheap ‘ball park beers’. 

There were fun wedding festivities, a road trip, a few days of reminiscing at the camp, pool parties, and a train ride to Toronto.

I turned 29.  And it wasn’t terrible.

A satisfying summer filled with good times with family and friends.  Really, I couldn’t have asked for more.

And honestly, I’m so ready for fall

The thoughts of cozy sweaters and scarves, evening walks in crisp cool air, mugs of hot tea, the beautiful changing of the leaves – and yes, even the nights at the ball park, when you wonder if maybe you should have brought a pair of mittens along, because hanging on to the cold beer can with icy fingers feels like the dumbest thing you’ve ever done…

It’s impossible to forget Shawville Fair.  The official kick-off to ‘the changing of the seasons’.  And that wild ride begins tonight.

So much to look forward to.  So much excitement building for all the fun that fall brings along with it.

…Yet still, that uneasy ache. 

There’s a sadness at letting summer go that lingers, taking hold of me, making me wish we could go back and do it all over again.

I’ve never been good with good-byes.

And watching this summer fade, and slowly slip away?

Well, it feels like one of the hardest good-byes yet.

It's the end of the summer,
But we'll see it all again.
So hold on to this moment till then…

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

WWTKW: Another shot of “Would you rather…”

I’ve had a Single Girl Files post brewing in my mind for a while…I contemplated airing it out today, but I’ve decided to let it stew for another little while.  I’ll play along with WWTKW instead.

“Would You Rather” was so much fun last time that Mamarazzi thought we would play again for this week's We Want To Know questions...  Linking up with her & Crazymama!

008TSD_Katherine_Heigl_063

This week’s questions:

{one} WYR...Never be able to look in the mirror again or always get dressed in total darkness?
{two} WYR...Receive $50 a day for the rest of your life or $50,000 right here and now?
{three} WYR...Have extreme narcolepsy or have a bad case of tourette's?
{four} WYR...Be able to rewind 24 hrs 3 times a year or consciously control your dreams?
{five} WYR...Be fluent in every language around the world or be the best in the world in a category of your choosing?

My answers:

{one} WYR...Never be able to look in the mirror again or always get dressed in total darkness?

I’m already a pro at getting dressed in total darkness. 

Well, not really… but my closet is big and terribly messy, and it’s pretty dark.  Half the time I’m in there, rooting around, pulling out items of clothing, having no idea what I’ve actually got.  Sometimes I take my phone in with me and turn the flashlight app on, but usually, I just reach in blindly, and hope and pray I pull out something I can work with.

Never being able to look in the mirror again?  That’s not even an option.  I need to be able to see my fatness and horrible hair.  Plus, I’m kind of vain, you know.  (I realize these are contradictory statements.)

mirrormirror

{two} WYR...Receive $50 a day for the rest of your life or $50,000 right here and now?

Oooooh.  That’s kind of tough.  At $50 a day, you could save up pretty quickly for whatever you want.  But $50,000 right now could get me a new set of wheels, some new clothes, and secure those hopes of going South for a week this winter, plus a few other things…  Yeah. I’ll take the $50,000 please.

big-money-bags

{three} WYR...Have extreme narcolepsy or have a bad case of tourette's?

Well, who knew WWTKW could be so educational.  I kind of didn’t really even know what narcolepsy was, other than a Third Eye Blind song that I used to like, so I pumped it into the ol’ google machine, and this is what Wikipedia told me:

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by excessive sleepiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times, such as while at work.

Whaddya know.  I think I already have narcolepsy. I guess I’ll stick with it.  I love sleeping.

{four} WYR...Be able to rewind 24 hrs 3 times a year or consciously control your dreams?

Part of me would really like to rewind 24 hours, 3 times a year, but that could get risky.  Messing with the past is a kind of scary prospect to me. 

On the other hand, being able to consciously control my dreams sounds like a fantastic idea.  My friend Lindsay told me about a Channing Tatum dream she had recently, and I was like, “Dude, I never have good dreams like that.”  I can think about Channing Tatum all I want before falling asleep, and instead dream about my brother being chased by a gingerbread man.  Or about my entire high school graduating class hanging out in my friend Sara’s playhouse and getting into a big fight, with one guy eventually whacking the other over the head with an axe.  (not even joking.)

When a good dream happens, it’s wonderful.  If I could make that happen at will, that would be awesome.

channing tatum 3

Why yes, I will take this opportunity to post a dreamy picture of Channing, thankyouverymuch.

{five} WYR...Be fluent in every language around the world or be the best in the world in a category of your choosing?

I want to be the best at something.  That would be SO cool.  I would hope it would be something I could do at the Olympics, and get like a million gold medals for it.  Like the Michael Phelps of Skeleton racing or jumping on a trampoline. 

Definitely.  That’s what I want, for sure.

michael-phelps-didnt-win-all-those-medals

Imagine that’s me.  Except I’ll probably keep my shirt on.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Randomly, Tuesday…

It’s Tuesday, and I feel random.  Let’s just go with it.

Linking up with Impulsive Addict & Shawn for Talk To Us Tuesday

Talk2Us …as well as Stacy Uncorked for Random Tuesday!

randomtuesday

  • I pray to the Car Gods that they grant me six more months -  just six more damned months!!! – to save some funds for new wheels.  My poor ol’ Rav is gasping for breath, and I need it to last just a liiiiiiiiiiitle while longer…
  • The issue now is it’s leaking oil from somewhere.  Boys have explained to me where it is leaking and what needs to be done to fix it, but I don’t really understand.  I don’t speak car.  So I tried explaining it to my co-worker Pat yesterday, in hopes that he could help me out.  He then took the shop mechanic Denis out to look at it, and then they asked me to come out to discuss it.  Solemn-faced, Pat said to me, “We think the problem is the loose nut behind the wheel.”  I was so confused.  I was all like, “Whaaa?!?  It’s leaking oil, what the heck does that have to do with a loose nut behind the wheel?!?”  He pretty much doubled over laughing at me.  Apparently, I’m the “loose nut behind the wheel”.  God, I can be stupid sometimes…
  • These car issues are quickly destroying any hopes I had of going South this winter.  :(
  • So, to cheer myself up, here’s my Song of the Week:
  • I love that No Doubt is back.  Love.
  • As fall approaches, I’m getting the urge to re-vamp my wardrobe yet again.  I need new sweaters and new jeans and I want scarves and boots and everything… Swear to God, I haven’t bought new fall/winter clothes in two years.  *sigh*
  • I think I have finally successfully hooked one of my friends on Friday Night Lights.  I’ve only been talking about it for seven frigging years.  Welcome to the FNL Club, Lindsay!!  I’m so glad you’re enjoying the eye candy. ;)

friday night lights

Friday night lights 2

  • Speaking of Friday Night Lights… I think one of the characters on the show may be inspiring me to cut my hair even shorter than it already is.  I love Tyra’s bob in Season 2.  I realize that I look nothing like Tyra, but… I really love her hair.  And I kinda want to try it.  Am I crazy?

friday-night-lights1207-103

213 Tyra Volleyball

(Along with the ‘do, I’d take Landry too…)

  • I’m now in Week 3 of trying to lose weight, and I’m feeling really damned good about it.  Last night, I finally joined the group of ladies who have been working out together a couple of nights a week.  We walked the perimeter of Shelley’s yard a bunch of times, then got in the pool and did our own little version of “water aerobics”.  We laughed our asses off, and I now understand why Brenda has been bugging me to join them for weeks now.  Already looking forward to Wednesday!
  • Fair Weekend is now only a few short days away, and the excitement is building.  Got my pass, and I’m all ready to go… Bring on the Kim Mitchell, the Terri Clarke, and the Chad Brownlee (whoever the heck he is!!)
  • It’s a weird time of year.  I’m so looking forward to fall, yet there’s this bittersweet feeling of watching summer fade away.  It’s been a long summer – and it’s been a pretty decent summer.  It’s time to let it go.  I’m truly ready for the turn of the seasons, and yet… it still makes me sad to say good-bye to the summer.  These weeks of transition, with the kids going back to school and fall activites starting to creep up on us, kinda make me want to cry…

Well, before I go and get any more sniffly and sentimental, I think I better shut this post down.  

Have a great Tuesday, peeps.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday. Nice to see you.

I don’t suppose there’s ever been a Friday that I wasn’t happy to see.  The best day of the week, in my humble opinion.  So let’s kick this weekend off with a little confessing, shall we?

FridayConfessionalMamarazziLinking it up with Mamarazzi

I confess… that I had a doozie of a sinus headache last night, and it kind of made me loopy.  It started building in the late afternoon, and by the time I’d cut my grass (probs didn’t help), and went for a walk with Brenda, it had built right up into a boomer.  Popped some Advil, heated up my Magic Bag, and went to bed…then somehow woke up at 4 AM on the couch???  No idea how I got there, or why I went there… a headache-induced mystery, I suppose.

bulldog-with-headache-450x640

I confess… that after having a bad one like that, and I’ve shaken it, I live in fear of it coming right back again.  This morning, I can still feel it lingering.  It’s faint, and I know it’s either going to fade away completely, or come booming back.  I pray it fades…

I confess… that I’m so very excited to go out for dinner with some of my favourite ladies tonight.  It feels like it’s been a really, really long time since we had a good ol’ girls night out.  I can hear the Boston Pizza fishbowls calling my name!

fishbowls

I confess… that I *may* be going off the page a little with the diet today.  I mean, I’m pretty sure the Boston Pizza fishbowl is strike one.

I confess… speaking of fishbowls… My fish is totally living in the ghetto right now.  I don’t remember the last time I cleaned his tank.  He kind of just hangs out in the corner all the time, just him and his big goiter.  It amazes me every day that he is still alive.

I confess… it alarms me a little that I can’t even take care of a fish, yet I cry all the time over how badly I want babies.  I’m pretty certain I’d take better care of the baby, though.

I confess… that the highlight of my life right now is spending every evening with the men of Friday Night Lights.

friday-night-lights-061010

I confess… that I’m starting to crave autumn.  With the fair coming up next weekend, it’s inevitable.  I’m ready for the leaves to start turning colour, cooler days, warm sweaters and jeans, and all the fun activities that September and October bring.

I confess… that this weekend is to be mother-effin’ hot.  Kinda of kills that fall buzz.

I confess… that I put one of my rings on my left-hand ring finger one night this week and left it there all evening.  Just to see what it would feel like.  Girl’s gotta play pretend sometimes, to make herself feel better.

That’s all I got for this Friday, yo! 

Have a good weekend, friends! :)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Thursday Thoughts

  • Our Internet was down at work yesterday.  Tell me, what did we do before we had the interwebs?  I felt like I was missing my right arm all day.  And I still had access to Facebook and Twitter on my BlackBerry.  If I’d forgotten it at home, I really would’ve been lost.
  • Remember back in March, when I dedicated a post to one of our best beloved Quyon girls, Mae?  Well, Mae and her chipstand – which is in the process of being sold – were kind of a big deal around here yesterday, as everyone was talking about her front-page feature in the City section of the Ottawa Citizen.  I admit, I had tears in my eyes as I read the article.  It just won’t be the same without her serving up the poutine!

Mae Photo: Chris Mikula, Ottawa Citizen

  • Last night was a good night.  After being severely disappointed that the Quyon Flyers’ first game of the playoffs was cancelled on Tuesday evening, I was grateful that we were able to make the trip to Manotick for the game last night.  A 6-1 win, lots of laughs with my nephew Caden (who was doing his darndest to embarrass me), and snuggles with Baby Neve…  A perfect August evening at the ball park!
  • Now I’m disappointed that I have to wait over a week for Game #2.  *sigh*
  • So, I’ve told you guys all about my Keurig and how much I love it.  But honestly, this morning, I was wondering how I ever actually survived before I had it.  Like, how did I even function?  I used to get up in the morning, get ready for work, and never, ever, have a sip of coffee.  I now feel like a zombie until I get a few good mouthfuls into me.  This week, I’ve been enjoying Green Mountain Hazelnut with a splash of fat-free French Vanilla Coffee Mate.  It is making my life.
  • How sad is that I’m that excited about my coffee?  I think it’s pretty sad…
  • Shawville Fair is on the horizon once again, and as we all know, the best part about Shawville Fair is…the food.  OK, so, others would tell you the big white tent, but not me.  I’m allllllll about the delicious fair food.  Remember last year, when my dad bet me that I couldn’t go all weekend without eating fair food?  I was successful, and it pleased me.  This year, though?  I ain’t making no damn bets with nobody. 
  • That’s not to say I intend to go overboard or anything – I mean, I’ve been doing really well for the past week and a half (down almost 5 pounds so far, woot!) - and I wouldn’t want to kill that in one weekend.  But I WILL have a slice of Billy T’s pizza.  I WILL have a 4H cheeseburger.  And I WILL probably have a Beavertail.  Just letting you all know well in advance, K?
  • Holy cow.  Just as I typed that, I got this sudden competitive urge that engulfed me – this self-imposed challenge, like, “Dude, I bet you can do it again – no fair food again this year – if you tried.”  WHAT THE HECK?!?!  Now my own HEAD is making bets with itself?!?  … crap.  -_-
  • Amazingly, this is the date that I started my last weight loss project, one year ago today.  I dropped 32 pounds between this date and Christmas of 2011, and then gained most of it back.  Funny how a year can both seem so long, yet so short.  Probably wasn’t super healthy of me to drop that much weight, then pack it back on in, all within the span of 12 months.  I’ll try to do better this time around.  But in my defence…it was one hell of shitty year.
  • I have two new favourite songs.

I actually loved this song back when Phillip sang it the week he was crowned the American Idol, but then kind of forgot about it.  I finally thought to download it last week, and I pretty much have it on repeat.  Along with…

Damn you, Taylor Swift, and your catchy damn songs.  It has literally been STUCK in my head for four days.  I only wish I had an ex that I could picture singing this to.  It would totally enhance it for me.

Happy Thursday, kids. :)

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Tuesday 10: TV Boyfriends!

I had plans for this Tuesday post. 

It was going to be one of those pour-my-heart-out posts.  The kind where I tell you all about how I need to change; to find myself again; to dig myself out of this rut I’ve been in for far too long…

But then, when I sort of shared these feelings with a friend recently, I was told to get over myself. 

And then, Lena’s Tuesday 10 theme this week is TV Boyfriends

And I figured that would be much more entertaining than listening to another one of my sob stories, right?

So.  Let’s do that instead.  TV Boyfriends it is.

Tuesday10

10. Chachi from Happy Days

chachi and joanieI think I’ve mentioned before that Chachi was one of my very first crushes.  I thought Joanie was the luckiest girl in the world…

9. Pacey from Dawson’s Creek

joey and pacey While the rest of the world rooted for Joey & Dawson, I was always a Pacey fan.  I like my men a little troubled, I guess.

8. Chandler from Friends

chandler and monicaI realize they got married, so he might also be in the running for best TV husband as well, but Chandler & Monica have always been my favourite Friends couple, and I was so excited when they first started seeing each other on the show.  I heart Chandler.  He was a really, really good boyfriend.

7. The Salvatore Brothers

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

OK, so.  I’ve just left off the end of Season 2, I have no idea what happens in Season 3, or what lies ahead in Season 4… Where I’m at, Elena’s boyfriend is Stefan, but Damon is pining for her hard.  Really, though, can you have one Salvatore without the other?  As far as I can tell, that girl has the best of both worlds…

6. Brandon from Beverley Hills 90210

brandon and kellyKelly had it rough, eh?  Dylan or Brandon, Dylan or Brandon… While I’m always a sucker for the bad boy, I think if it came right down to it, I always knew Brandon was the better boyfriend.  He’d have been my pick.

5. Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights

friday-night-lights-gilford30 As I’ve mentioned recently, I’m re-watching my seasons of Friday Night Lights, and I’m toooootally a Matt & Julie fan.  Where I’m at right now, she’s ditched him for the Swede, but Matt & Julie are one of those “destined to be together” couples.  Plus, he’s the starting quarterback with a super-soft side, and looks damned good in his uniform…

4. Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell

zack and kelly Who didn’t want to be Kelly Kapowski?!  I mean, Zack was the BEST!!  He had the coolest phone, and the coolest hair, and the guy was just the shizz.  I still sometimes daydream about being Kelly Kapowski, and having Zack as my boyfriend…just hanging out at the Max all day… *sigh*

3. Big from Sex & the City

hotness-carrie-and-big-2753805-524-360 I admit, I hated Big a lot of the time.  He could be a really crappy boyfriend.  And he could make me so friggin’ mad.  (As he did Carrie). … But that’s what makes a legendary, epic relationship, right?  Fiery passion.  Big & Carrie had that in spades. 

2. Leonard from The Big Bang Theory

THE BIG BANG THEORYAgain, I’m not all caught up on my seasons of Big Bang, but as far as I’m concerned, Penny’s a nut job for not sticking with Leonard.  I mean, sure, he’s a geek, and he has to drag Sheldon around with him every where, but is there anyone sweeter out there than Leonard Hofstadter?  I don’t think so.

1. Dr. Alex Karev from Grey’s Anatomy

alex and izzie I always wanted Alex & Izzie to end up together on Grey’s.  I was probably one of the few people in the world who didn’t fall madly in love with Denny Duquette when he swept Izzie off her feet, because I wanted her to be in love with Alex.  Alex is a little dark, a little twisted, and he seems to have the worst luck in the girlfriend department… But there was evidence that he could be a really, really good boyfriend.  Oh, how I adore him.

I feel like I'm forgetting somebody… that wasn’t the easiest list in the world to make!!

Who are your picks for Top 10 TV boyfriends?

Also linking up today with the lovely Impulsive Addict and Shawn for Talk To Us Tuesday!

Talk2Us

Monday, August 20, 2012

Small Town Girl Meets Big City

Alrighty.  This is coming at ya a whole week late, but I’ve finally got my Toronto pictures uploaded and ready to share!

For those of you who already read Lindsay’s T.O. post…I’ll try to not repeat her exactly word for word… ;)

So Linds, Ryan, Rebekka, and I set off on our adventure to the Big Smoke after work on Thursday, August 9th.  We had decided to travel by train, because, well… I had “Take a train somewhere” on my 101 List, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to cross that off the list!

I have only taken a trip by train once before in my life, back several years ago when Lindsay was still going to school in Guelph, and her parents surprised me with a train ticket to visit her one weekend.  The only problem was that I was super-nervous about doing it all as a first-timer by myself, and I really didn’t get to enjoy that part of it – worrywart that I am.  It was much more enjoyable with friends!

We arrived at Union Station in downtown Toronto late that night, and walked to the hotel we thought we were staying at – only to be told that our reservations were actually at a different property, a few blocks away – The Residence Marriott instead of the Renaissance Marriott!  No biggie, right?  Except that I had made the big mistake of packing my over-the-shoulder travel bag instead of my suitcase on wheels. 

I am a girl.  I over-pack.  It weighed, like, eleventy billion tons.

Thankfully, I had brought my pack-horse with me (aka Ryan) and he relieved me of my super-heavy bag, letting me wheel around his instead.  I am eternally grateful, because if I’d had to carry it the whole time, I probably would’ve broken my shoulder.  (If that’s even possible.)

Lesson learned.

OK.  So, Friday morning we were up and ready to head to the C.N. Tower – yet another item on my 101 List that I was excited to cross off!

Ryan had already made it clear that there was no way in hell he was going up that thing.  Here, he is confirming that!

Linds, Bek, and I left him on the ground while we rode the glass elevator up to do the Sky Walk and the Glass Floor.

I was a little worried about doing this.  There were a bunch of people already on it, and I hesitated, saying, “I’m a big girl…I don’t know if I should go on here…”  One of the employees over-heard me, and she laughed, jumping up and down on the Glass Floor, saying, “It can hold 15 hippos, get on here!!”  …So I did!

Pretty incredible, huh?

I was very glad I made the trip to the top… It was breath-taking, despite the overcast skies and gloomy weather.  Our tickets also permitted us to see a movie in the tower – Lindsay & I opted for the motion ride film, while Bek and Ryan (our squeamish pals) saw the 3D flick.  Ours was fun – not sure what it had to do with the C.N. Tower, but still fun!

This picture was taken in the gift shop.  It was shortly after this that Ryan informed me my zipper was wide open.  I’m really glad that didn’t show up in the picture!!

After that, we hit up the Blue Jays store in the Rogers Centre to get our gear for the following day’s baseball game that we had tickets to.  And then, I don’t remember what we were trying to do, but we kinda got lost…

Next on our list of things to do was to hit up the Hockey Hall of Fame and Real Sports, but for some reason, the power was out in that area and they were closed.  We made our way to East Side Mario’s for lunch instead, and while we were there, the skies opened and it really started to pour.  We opted to pick up some drinks at a nearby LCBO, and then retreated to our hotel room for the afternoon.

Well-rested and with the weather cleared up a bit, we headed for a late dinner at Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant.

Naturally, the coffee comes with a hockey stick!

The Chocolate Puck for dessert was sooo yummy… and sooo cool!!

We were so full after a delicious dinner, that we decided to relax in our room playing Asshole and having a few drinks.  I may have had a few too many – I recall laughing uncontrollably over the stupidest things…  But it was fun.

Saturday – Jays game!  I was super excited to go to my first MLB game.  We dressed up in our new blue apparel - (except for Lindsay, who decided to cheer for the Yankees – go figure, she cheers for the Leafs, but not the Jays?!?) – grabbed a bite to eat a pub near the stadium, then headed over and found our seats!

We had great seats just beyond first base, 19 rows up.  My only disappointment was that Brett Lawrie was injured and not in the line-up. :( 

He’s hot.  He’s tattooed.  He’s Canadian.  …SO SAD that he wasn’t playing that day!!!!

Fortunately, before I left, my mom told me how much she likes Edwin Encarnacion, so I made sure to take pictures for her – and literally spent the whole weekend trying to learn how to pronounce his name!  (Still kinda sounds like Kim Kardashian when I say it, for some reason…)

The Jays lost 5-2, but I had fun booing Derek Jeter, dancing in my seat to the be-boppin’ music that they played for each individual Blue Jay as they came up to bat, and laughing when the mascot rocked out right in front of us during the 7th inning stretch.

Of course, the Jays won on Sunday.  When we weren’t there.

For our last night in T.O., we talked about walking down to Real Sports again, but opted for a shorter walk and ate at the Lone Star.

Lindsay quite enjoyed her Three Amigos!!

I vowed not to eat as much as I did the night before.  I failed.  So the leisurely stroll back to the hotel afterwards felt good, and I tried to take some nighttime pics of the C.N. Tower, all lit up and so pretty…

Then a man saw us trying to take pictures and offered to take a group photo for us. He told us we looked like “good kids”!!

The plan was to return to the hotel room and have some drinks and play cards again, but my cohorts apparently were too tired… Ryan was snoring within minutes, and the rest didn’t last much longer!

Now that I’m a little more experienced with taking the train, I’m already plotting my return to Toronto… There’s still so much I’d like to do!  I’d love to make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Real Sports, and of course, take in a little of the night life.  I’d also love to go to another Jays game – it was a highlight for me.  I love watching ball.  And I’d want to spend some time visiting with my T.O. relatives, of course!!

It was a great trip and I had so much fun with Lindsay, Ryan & Rebekka.  We made a good travelling team!

Looking forward to our next adventure :)