No substitute for the zoo

These ads brighten my day. I adore them. Clever, simple, effective.

There are tons more... this series is dogs that are made to look like other animals, but there's also one I've seen of a hairy man eating a banana... hilarious.

Somedays I am proud to be a new Albertan... and others?

News: "Adapt to our voting patterns or go back where you came from" is the message from a man looking to run for the PCs in Calgary Egmont. Craig Chandler says people who have moved here have told him they plan to vote Liberal. He says the conservative culture made Alberta what it is and if people don't like it they can leave. Premier Stelmach says that message isn't coming from the PC Party. CityTV Edm., CHED

Yikes. I think many Albertans fail to realize that without immigrants (either from other countries or other Canadian provinces) Alberta would be in incredibly bad shape right now. Alberta needs people badly to keep this economy going the way it is. Labour shortages are already at dangerous levels... imagine what they'd be like if people started leaving!

I agree that Alberta does have a somewhat small "c" conservative culture... but that shouldn't be a problem, even if people do want to vote Liberal. I don't see it as a "take it or leave it" situation, it's certainly not what democracy is all about. I function quite well here thankyouverymuch.

Colour me impressed

Oh McGuinty. I love it when any politician is willing to make something completely controversial into an election issue. It shows that they are not only willing to make a decision rather than sit on the fence, but they are willing to place their political life on the line for aforementioned issue.

Which is apparently how it is with McGuinty and pesticides (full article here).

Mr. McGuinty will make a provincewide ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides on lawns, gardens and parks, which can pose a health risk, part his platform for the Oct. 10 provincial election, a Liberal party source said yesterday.

"We're going to better protect the health of kids and families," the source said. Ontario would be following Toronto and many other municipalities in the province that have enacted such bans.

It's actually slightly surprising that the provincial government is moving on this so fast. It's been a little more than a year since we passed a bylaw banning the cosmetic use of pesticides in London (Ontario, not UK)... and when we were talking to citizen groups and the Medical Officer of Health, etc. there... they seemed to think that it would follow smoking and take years for the province to take a stand.

Good for you McGuinty. For proving us wrong.

Haunted by lemony visions... and the prospect of more weddings

A couple weeks ago I had this incredibly random dream which involved light, fluffy, lemon cupcakes. I can not gets this vision of cupcake heaven out of my head, even though I have long since been a huge lemon fan. Must. Make. These. Cupcakes. The need haunts me and I know not why.

I think there may be a problem with the fact that every time I get a drunk-dial in the middle of the night I fear it is another friend telling me that they are engaged. Who calls me after 4 a.m., boyfriend in tow, merely to tell me how in love they are and yet how they are thinking of me at the same time? ...oh right, Erin does. Stay away from the Koolaid.

Speaking of weddings, my cousin is getting married in Cuba in the spring and I'm seriously considering going. Even with the prospect of Europe. One of my friends called me "moneybags" last night when I was explaining this to which I say... no mortgage, no little family, no car... what else is there to spend money on but travel? Works for me.

Megpie's wedding countdown is three weeks. Brother is getting married in five. Airplane tickets have (finally) been purchased and I don't nearly hate Air Canada so much anymore due to the lovely ticket counter lady at the airport. Though I still hate them plenty. West Jet is my airline love. The dress is nearly ready. My bags are far from packed. My duties are still a little bit unclear. But I am getting a little bit excited. It'll be good to go home and see all the friends/family who I have left back in Ontario. And I shall get to spend the night with the littlest sister in her university abode, which will be all sorts of girly fun (though she must wake up in the morning for class before we head home to the farm).

Still reading Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. Still loving Klosterman. Even though at times he is ridiculously pretentious and I don't particularly agree with him... I can't remember actually laughing out loud at a book so much. In weird places. Like on the bus surrounded by sweaty strangers. Hilarity. People should read this book if only for this reason. The man is funny.

Last night, went to Packrats with my peeps. Had the best wine of my life. And the food. Oh the food was amazing. Everyone must go (or try to go) here. My new favourite restaurant. Ever. Also, check out the Fringe. Because it is arty and awesome. And deliciously dirty.

Memories of summer

My lovely lady E sent this to me this morning at work for a little reminder of the greatness that was her visit. Ahhhh what a good year it's been!

Wine at 10 a.m.? Yes, please!

In the midst of slaving away this morning, I dug into my purse for lip gloss and pulled out a bottle opener (left over from Saturday night). *sigh* Too early in the day for that I'm afraid.

I'm currently reading Chuck Klosterman's "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" and find myself literally laughing out loud as I go over his words. Hilarious. And yet he also caters to my cynical side.

In the first chapter, Klosterman talks about "fake love". He surmises that no woman will ever be able to completely satisfy him, just as he will never be able to fully satisfy any woman, because both parties will measure the relationship against the prospect of fake love. The man has a point.

We're given chick flicks and sappy love songs and fairy tales and Harlequin romance novels... and the other sex is supposed to compete with that? Maybe this is the real reason why girls fall for jerks. Because we can maintain the flicker of hope that these guys will get better and that happily ever after will exist whereas with "nice guys" what you see is what you get. You get into a relationship with a guy who is already compassionate and romantic and nice and that's as good as it's going to get. And too often, it's not good enough. It just doesn't measure up to the concept of love we've dream of since we were little girls and so we throw it back and try to catch something new. Someone new. And then we wonder why we can't find anyone "good enough".

Ridiculous, let me tell you.

In love.

Have I mentioned yet how much I love this province? ...Oh right, I have.

Stampede with the girls was completely spectacular. It combines my hicktown roots with my big city love. Nine days with four girls in our apartment or crammed into a hotel room in Cowtown and there was no drama. Oh how I adore these people. We're already planning our next getaway... Belgium or the south of France (depending on where the Big E is next year)... and NYC the year after. Oh the joy of having a real job with real time off.

My own birthday was fabulous as well. Took in an Eskimos/Roughriders game with my PR gal pal from London, Suz. There was beer and a streaker and mad cheering... everything a football game should be. The next day, the roomie surprised me with tickets to Mamma Mia!... which I can not begin to describe. We're big fans of this "Broadway across Canada" thing. We also had a lovely party where friends new and old came together to have some drinks and plenty of laughs. "We picked good friends," the roomie said after. I agree.

A year after being in this lovely province, we've actually gotten around to seeing more of it. Last weekend we went white water rafting on the Kicking Horse River in Golden, BC. 35 degrees + SPF 60 and this girl is doing fine! It's no small miracle that I don't resemble a lobster. Rafting was so much fun... I definitely recommend it. And, I adore the mountains. Oh Ontario, we had beaches and good times... but the mountains... oh the mountains!

With all these engineer friends I have, I need one to develop a "pause" button for summer. I don't want it to end. I'm definitely not looking forward to -40 and snow for eight months. Looks like I may have to take up a winter hobby... like snowboarding perhaps.