Look-alikes

Anyone else notice that The Big Bang Theory’s Zach (Penny’s ex-boyfriend) looks like J.P. Arencibia of the Toronto Blue Jays?

Particularly funny when you watch the karaoke scene…..

Things Toronto Taught Me: Part Deux….. or Trois…..

So today I re-started my blog which I had inadvertently abandoned in favour of starting a Twitter business, moving, and getting a new job.  Okay, so the “move” was a 30-minute walk away from my other place, which I stayed at for about one night a month, but still.  I moved.

I got an e-mail that people liked my last post, so I’m gonna post another.  Just like that, you get more reading material.  I can see this becoming cyclic….. and I’m okay with that.

One category I forgot about was my “Things Toronto Taught Me” segment, mostly providing an outlet for my frustrations of society in the biggest city/metropolis/megasuperexpansivethingy in Canada.  Yes, Spell Check, I realize that isn’t a word, but thanks for providing it some colour.  Gahh, I’m in Canada, Spell Check — colour is supposed to be spelled with a “u”!  I digress.

Today’s submission of factoids and junk I learned in the big T.O.:

• Winter doesn’t really start until the snow sticks to the ground….. and that surprisingly won’t happen until the end of December (if then).  In Niagara where I grew up, we’d have snow right at the beginning, and a few weeks full of lake effect winter before Christmas arrived.
• The sickest people in the city will always ride the TTC.
• The ones hacking up a lung will always choose the seat next to you.
• Some people are immune to winter.  This becomes especially evident on Friday and Saturday nights, particularly in front of clubs with long lineups.
• This will always make me giggle to myself, and snuggle deeper into my sensible coat, double-mittens, and an awesomely fuzzy hat (if I can ever find one).
• Uggs were not invented by Canadians.  At least I doubt it.  If they were, well I’m stumped.
• Scarves better not go out of style.
• What few animals there are in the city get dumber as it gets colder.  Today we almost ran over a squirrel who stopped in front of us and pretty much could have written the tunes for his own funeral by the time he realized he should turn back around.
• It may not be winter, but it’s pretty flippin’ cold to me.
• Swans must be pretty smug in the bird world at this time of year.  Okay Toronto didn’t teach me that, I just thought about it now.  But they’re probably all like, “I’m a swan, I’m white, nobody can see me, squawk squawk squaaaaaaaawk.”  Of course their honk is annoying as heck, so they’re probably just as much of a target as usual, just, you know, smug-er.

Um, so that’s all I have to say about that.

Stupid smug swans.

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Wouldn’t It Be Nice…..

….. if pop/soda/carbonated beverages could stand on their own as drinkable beverages when they lose their fizz?

 

Also, am I the only one who has trouble swallowing those drinks because of the amount of fizz??  I actually have to let them sit open for a while or shake them if I don’t want to feel like I’m just gulping air!

Primavera P6 Mouse Scrolling Issue: a Ms. Compy Fix-It Mystery!

Hi all,

So I’m at my new job and am trying to use Primavera P6 with my Microsoft Notebook Optical Mouse 3000….. and for some reason, it won’t let me scroll.  Anyone else have this issue?  Anyone resolve it?

Ms. Compy Fix-It needs your help! ….. 🙂

Chocomint Spritz Drink (and an update on me, too)

Woah.

That’s really all I can say about not having written to you guys for so long.  Oops, sorry.  Well, I’m living in a new place now, unpacking is almost complete, and I’ve started a business (unofficially).

For today, just to get the creative juices flowing, I’ll post a refreshing drink I’ve come up with to replace a high-sugar soda drink that would normally quench my thirst on a hot summer’s day.

Chocomint Spritz Drink

What you’ll need for this drink:

• equal parts Sprite (or 7-UP) and soda water
• ice
• 8 small, or 5 large chocolate mint (Mentha piperita) leaves

How to make:

Combine all ingredients.  You’re going to probably adjust the proportions of sugary Sprite and soda water to suit your taste.  Reach in with your hand and roll the floating mint leaves between your fingers, keeping them in the liquid of the drink so all the flavour gets infused nicely.

Tip: Start with less Sprite than you think you will need, and add more to taste.  If your taste buds get a flavour of the super-sweetness of 100% Sprite first, it’ll be hard to adjust the soda water to live up to it, and you’ll end up with just mint in Sprite (which is probably good too, but kinda defeats the purpose)….. so consider it a soda water drink, being sweetened a bit with Sprite instead of the other way around!  😉

That’s it!  Really refreshing, and half the sugar normally in soda.  If you don’t have a chocolate mint plant….. get one!  😉  Haha but really, if you don’t have one, try regular mint leaves!

Marketing Done Right: How Starbucks Has Befriended Their Army

I have been in awe for a while over Starbucks’ ability to turn buyers into promoters, and today I received an e-mail that is a perfect example.  The e-mail was as follows:

“Hi,

As you know, Canada Post is on strike. And that means, for as long as this goes on, we won’t be able to send you postcards for your birthday drink you’ve earned.

But rest assured: we’re keeping track of all the good things we’re supposed to send your way. And once the strike is over, we’ll send you those postcards you were supposed to receive – with an extended expiration date so you can enjoy them.

Thanks for your understanding and patience. And if you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-STARBUC.

Starbucks Card Team”

Just to get this straight: I’m receiving an apology e-mail for not receiving a bonus gift due to something outside of their control.  Ahead of time.

Let me point out the awesomeness about this (as if it needs delineating):

• Starbucks offers a free drink for card-holders’ birthdays: This makes people happy because they’re receiving something free; it also attaches a more personal feeling towards Starbucks due to receiving a ‘gift’.  There are some who would argue this increases customer loyalty because it invokes the feeling of obligation to return the favour — which, in this case, would be returning to purchase again.
• This drink has NO size or type limitation: this makes people feel a little giddy for ‘screwing the system’ if they want to get a Venti super-expensive fancy drink….. or, simply, allows people to get the drink they normally would choose.
• This gift can usually be used within a month (or two?) of the person’s actual birthdate: This allows people to not feel a need to use the gift card right away (avoiding any association with stress or rushing).  From the business perspective, it also allows the person more time to potentially forget about cashing in the gift.
• They will not be cancelling (or ignoring) these usual gifts, even though an entity outside of themselves is causing their delay.  They even take it upon themselves to apologize for the delay.  They owned up to something that wasn’t even their fault, and were the better company for it.
• This anticipated message was sent with an affirmation that the expiration date will be extended — in case anyone was worried about getting their gift in time.  This way, even these somewhat caffeine-infused worries are alleviated.

Rest assured indeed!  If Starbucks opened a bank, I would consider switching.

Pierogi/Pirogi/Perogi Topping: Maple Pecan Bacon Bliss

Hallo there friends 🙂

Today’s post is a recipe for a change.  Well, not even for a full meal, but for a pierogi (or perogi, or pirogi, if you prefer) topping.

I first tried this at the amazing Cafe Polonez on Roncesvalles in Toronto, but honestly wished I got a little more than the small cup, because it was so good!  Now, I’m making perogies and want that flavour (or at least, how I remember it), so I’m experimenting and so far, without having made the actual perogies yet, it tastes really good.

Mix crushed pecans with equal amount of (real) bacon bits, and splash in a modest amount of real maple syrup.  I thought about buying real bacon to cook, but honestly, this is quicker and drier (no grease left over), and easy to mix up.   I used a package of Oscar Meyer real bacon bits, so they’re a little chewy, which is what I was hoping for.  I’m sure it would work just as nicely with real bacon pieces, but make sure they’re small enough to spoon onto your perogies.  If you find your mixture is sweet enough but needs more liquidity, you can add a dash of water (I did), or a dash of oil (I did that also).  Or you can keep it as a dry topping to add to your sour cream….. if that’s your style  😉

I’ll let you know how the final product fairs.  I’ve thrown the mix into the fridge to hopefully meld the flavours even more.  Plus, I’d like to see if this is okay to prepare beforehand, so less to think about when making the actual perogies.  Oh, and I totally plan on frying onions as well, and may or may not actually add them to this mix.  Probably not, cuz then I’d have to cut them small and I like fried onions long and skinny  🙂  Anyway, I’ll update this when it’s been eaten!

*Update: I have since made at least 3 batches of this topping, it was THAT AMAZING.  The first couple of times were using the crushed pecans I’d picked up in the bulk section (pecans are flippin’ EXPENSIVE!), but not being able to find anything less than like $10 without going back to the grocery store, I picked up some salted sunflower seeds from Shoppers Drug Mart for under $3.  Honestly, it’s the crunch that matters.  The taste is slightly different, but I wouldn’t say it’s worse, because it’s still flippin’ AWESOME.  And incredibly quick.  Real bacon bits and sunflower seeds (approx. same amount), mix with real maple syrup and a little water to loosen up the syrup, and suddenly pierogies are incredibly more delicious.  I don’t think I’d eat them without this topping anymore.  So as for the update: 5 FLIPPIN’ STARS.  Wait, lemme find a picture for that.  Screw it, I don’t want to give someone credit for a picture of stars.  I can make one.  Here: 5 flippin’ stars.

Rating

An Ideal Vacation: Prince Edward Island + a joke! (A cheesy one, but a joke nonetheless)

Hello folks!

Today’s Ideal Vacay is Prince Edward Island!

I have little knowledge about the province as I’ve never been, but really, how bad can a place be when they’re known for potatoes?  Since that’s about the extent of my knowledge (other than it’s home to the Anne of Green Gables series, and the Dragon’s Den presenter who started a business selling pieces of P.E.I. land as touristy gifts), instead I’ll offer one of my favourite jokes at the end of this post.

As always, if you’ve been to P.E.I. and love it, I want to hear what you saw and did that you really liked!  If I were to go there tomorrow, what would you recommend seeing and doing?

 

And now for my cheeeeezy joke:

 

There were once three thieves, running away from the police.  They were pretty dumb, and desperately needed a place to hide, so they took off down a dark alley.  There, they found three potato sacks, so they each climbed into one.  Shortly after, the police arrived.

The main cop kicked the first sack.

“Meowww…..”

“Must be a cat,” she said, and continued down the alley.

The cop kicked the second potato sack.

“Woof!  Woof!”

“Ahh, just a dog,” said the cop, so they kept on down the alley.

The cop kicked the third sack, and heard clear as day:

“Poooo-taaaaaa-tooooooo”

An Ideal Vacation: New Brunswick

Hello folks!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated my Ideal Vacation Series, so I thought I’d give the next province a shot.

New Brunswick: I’ve never been.  What do I know about it?  Well, I know of Moncton.  That’s where my boyfriend’s sister’s family lives.  I know they get a lot of snow.  I’m not sure how much in comparison with the rest of Canada, but it seems they’re always creating roads through banks of the stuff.  I’ve heard it’s very pretty.  It also has a Costco.

Have you been to New Brunswick?  Hit me up with suggestions on where to go and what to see and do!

One Food I Will Leave for Others to Enjoy…..

I seriously doubt I will ever summon up the courage to try Balut. (a.k.a. bird fetus) ….. and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t ever *want* to.

But, to each their own!

P.S. I was going to attach a photo, but decided it would require a warning for the weak-stomached. You can thank me later.