February 23, 2005
I have a little something coming out in a 'little something' Ottawa magazine. It's got a half decent circulation all around town and I wrote an article for it. It's called City Health and the March/April issue hits newsstands next week so if you're local, bend over and pick one up at your local grocery, drug or health food store or wherever else it may be floating around. And, if you're not local, you can read it here once it's published and, if you are a really big laurele fan and live out of town, I will send you a copy (basically that would be my few and far between relatives and my really good friends who are getting a copy whether they want it or not). The other news is that I pitched another idea to this magazine and the editor is interested. It would be neat if it's accepted as it would be an ongoing thing. So cross what you can for luck and stay tuned!
February 21, 2005
“I think Thompson has remained a writer of significance because, essentially a satirist, he has displayed an utter contempt for power — political power, financial power, even showbiz juice,” novelist Paul Theroux wrote in 2003.
1937-2005
Hunter S. Thomspon is dead
from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
ABC called him a 'counter culture icon' and mentioned his love of guns.
'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' was considered his most successful novel.
RIP
February 21, 2005
Man oh man. The W hotel's internet service did not like my frontpage and would not let me update my site! I'm now in the lounge at Air Canada in Toronto and updating the stuff I wrote while away.
Have I mentioned yet how excited I am about all of the snow that has fallen here!
Blah!
February 17, 2005
Wake Up Breakfast Menu at the W San Francisco
*make sure you read to the end
6am-11am
*xyz special scramble ($14)
daily special with scrambled egg whites, aidells sausage and hobbs’ applewood
smoked bacon
*two egss prepared any style ($14)
choice of hobbs’ applewood smoked bacon, aidells chicken-apple sausage or
sliced hobbs’ ham, Yukon gold potatoes and toast
*fresh herb and cheese omelet ($14)
with manchego, goat andparmesan cheese, Yukon gold potatoes, and toast
buttermilk pancakes ($12)
fruit, granola and Vermont maple syrup
*to order, press the 24 hour in room dining key, please note a $3 charge per
delivery, 15% gratuity included in the 20% service charge and appropriate
taxes will be added to your check for your convenience.
*foods such as French fries and potato chips cooked in oil at high
temperatures can produce proposition 65-listed chemicals such as acrylamide,
which is known to the state to cause cancer, broiling, grilling and barbecuing
fish and meats can produce proposition 65-listed chemicals such as
benzo-z-pyrene, which is known to the state to cause cncer, nearly all fish
and seafood contain some amount of mercury and related compounds, chemicals
known to the state of California to cause cancer, and birth defects or
reproductive harm.
*certain fish contain higher levels than others, pregnant and nursing women,
women who may become pregnant and young children should not eat swordfish,
shark, king mackerel, or tilefish. They should also limit their consumption of
other fish, including tuna.
(Makes you want to just dig in doesn't it? Bon Appetite -Ed’s note)
February 16, 2005
Sea lions are so cute but boy do they smell if there's no wind! Yup, Pier 39 is a must on any trip to San Francisco! They're noisy, smelly and somewhat funny looking but they are so cute at the same time. I could watch them all day.
February 14, 2005
Happy Valentine's Day..if you really do celebrate love on this particularly cupid day. Going out for dinner can be a pain as it becomes painfully obvious that your meal and therefore your enjoyment, is being timed to the tune of 45 minutes so that the table can be bussed and ready for the next 45 minute reservation of love. Well this year I worked around this and spent the big V day at Alcatraz. I know what you're thinking. How could a former prison which is now a museum on an island, which can only be accessed by ferry, be romantic? Well, it's not really but it was lots of fun. And yes, it rained again (my first time going there it rained sea lions) but I think it helps make the atmosphere. I know now that we shouldn't have told the kids that this is where ungrateful children on holiday go if they jump on the hotel beds too much or ask for too many things including toys, candy and more credits for the arcade but what's done is done!
February 12, 2005
Well, I'm off to the streets of San Francisco today! Yippee! I will post from the Bay area soon. In the meantime, check out my latest column in the local paper.
February 10, 2005 again
I'm aware that my 'about laurele' section doesn't really say much about me and originally that's how I wanted it. But now that I am a blog surfer (really a writer who can procrastinate with the best of them and likes to know what others are thinking and doing) and feel I know so much about my cyber friends, I feel like I should share more. Either that or I'm afraid that they just think that I'm the boring girl from Canada with a sleek up do! So here goes!
*I am a Cancer in every sense of the word:)
*In grade six, my teacher, Mr. Hart 'saw' something in my gait when we were running around the block (we didn't have a gym) over and over in phys ed and told me to give up the 100 and go for the 1500. Such was the start of my long distance running Mr. Hart, himself a marathon runner, great teacher and gentle man, later died of a heart attack. He was the fittest man I knew.
*When I was about ten or eleven, my Aunt Marg (dad's sister) took me to the Palace in Toronto to really learn to groove on roller skates. That year I received my own pair, as a gift from my Nan and years later you could still see me getting my groove at the outdoor rink at Ontario Place.
*In grade 7, after much practice, I won the local free throw competition (most baskets) at the school, local and regional level. The local cable network covered the event as did the newspaper. I still have my newspaper clipping and to this day can't believe that I wore tight Levi cords and a velour v-neck to throw basketballs. I also remember that I did not have my own cheering squad there and that I hitched a ride with Bernadette Francis-the best ball player at our school (she was in grade 8).
*In grade 7, when the two catholic schools merged, I was told by an 'enforcer' to 'throw' both the long jump and the high jump competition or Margaret McDonald would pound me. I didn't give in although I was scared. But I was more mad and came first in high jump, 1500 metres, 800 metres and a second in long jump. You guessed it, now only did I beat Margaret, *I won the 'all around athlete' medal for most points at track and field.
*Sports were often my solace-kept me from thinking or feeling out of control. I was a great athlete and no one could take it away from me.
to be continued.......
February 10, 2005
Do you ever have days that you wish you had an understudy? Someone to fill in when you are under the weather, have other plans or plain don't feel like doing what's in store for you on a particular day? I could have used one this week for sure. But the week is almost finished and as I drag out the suitcases and check the long range forecast, I'm starting to get a bit excited about my trip to San Francisco. Only two more sleeps. That's how we measure things in our house-by sleeps. It works well for trips, special days and visits. Not so good for accurate height or furniture measurements. But like everyday life, you take the good with the bad right?
February 7, 2005
I love the Beatles! They remind me of my parents, my dad in particular. Call it illusions of grandeur, fact or fiction. I just feel happiness, nostalgia and my dad, whenever I hear Beatles songs-even when it's Paul M singing them at the Super Bowl half-time show.
I enjoyed a great yoga class tonight! I never would have thought that I would get what I do from yoga and that I would want it, need it! It's great and my teacher Kim is even greater! Thanks especially for tonight Kimmy!
And to Rosa, you rock and are in my thoughts! And since I am feeling humble and especially thankful right now, I want to thank all of my friends, both near and far, who support me and my writing and my writing dreams. I need you and I thank you.
February 5, 2005
I think this thing that I write here is somewhat boring. Not nearly as risqué and interesting as some of the other sites I read. I am contemplating a change for this page...maybe just more honestly, maybe more of my real life sarcasm, funniness of fuzziness.. I'm not sure. I just know that it needs a little 'something something.' I'm one of those people who is always reorganizing, rearranging and decorating so why should this place be any different.
Stay tuned!
February 3, 2005
Some of you will remember my friend Thomas. I wrote about him last year on February 5, 2004. He had just passed away. He was my friend. We had met many years early when I decided to add some 'natural' highlights to my hair. Over the years we learned about each others lives, our families and our children. Thomas left us a year ago and I still can't believe he is gone. His memory is forever alive, especially at the salon. I 'see' him at his chair every time Luci does my hair now.
On this day, one year later, there was a tribute to dear Thomas. Many, many clients made the trek to the salon on this day, to honour and remember Thomas's spirit. There had been no eulogy at his funeral and so this was a chance to hear more about this selfless, unassuming and funny guy. It was beautiful to remember Thomas in this way, one year later. To listen and share ''Thomas' stories. I remember talking with Thomas shortly after 9/11. I was sitting in his chair by the window-the chair with the view, and we were talking about the devastating effects of 9/11 and the many questions these terrorist acts posed for the future. We both agreed that life was too short and that it was in times like this that we remembered that you have to take time to enjoy, to stop and smell the java beans. A few weeks after this conversation I learned that Thomas had cancer. Thomas was given bad news with a short deadline. But Thomas fought hard and other than maybe one time throughout his treatments, if I didn't know, I would have never guessed that he was ill. Thomas eventually lost his battle here on earth but he didn't go without a fight and the words that brought both a smile to my face and shivers down my arms came from his wife Linda, when she shared a quick story about her childhood sweetheart. She told us that Thomas never gave up and that he didn't acknowledge that the cancer would lead to the end. When he talked about dying he would say. "when I get hit by a bus' and so he told Linda that when he did leave the world after getting hit by a bus, he wanted a plaque made that said, "hit by a bus and really pissed off." Thomas loved life, his family and his work and he didn't leave it all willingly.
Groundhog Day, 2005
Well, Puxatawney and his family members stationed around the globe saw their shadows today. Well, I would probably try to see my shadow too if someone was poking me with a stick to wake me up from my comfy winter slumber. It's the best revenge to a population praying for early spring. Groundhogs are hibernators so I'm sure they don't appreciate the mid-winter wakeup call! I know I wouldn't. The bottom line is six more weeks of this. If this is anything like today I'll take it. It's a balmy -4C with no wind-chill and lots of sun here. A nice lead up to spring for sure!
Overall, today was a great day. Three wonderful things happened today and I am feeling good about all of them. More details to come soon!
Happy GD day!