What are People Thinking?

So I'm driving back to work on the 401 today. **for any readers who don't know what the 401 is, it's basically the main highway/freeway here in Ontario** I drive this highway every day to work in the morning, then back to work at lunch time and tend to see stupid driving left, right and center. Never before have I seen what I saw today though! Over in the right lane, I see this white van - one of the ones that don't have side windows - and what do I see sticking out of the driver's window? His sock-covered foot!

This driver was actually driving with his shoe off and his left foot sticking out of his window! On the 401!! On what is known as part of the busiest stretch of the 401 at that! The traffic was flying today and jam packed. Oh I really don't get people sometimes... Here's hoping there was an OPP officer hiding out at one of the upcoming ramps. That person deserved to be nailed before he causes harm to someone else.

The New Addition to My Desk

Is it bad that getting a new stapler at work excites me??? In my job, I do a LOT of stapling when preparing engineer approval drawings for new jobs. The stapler I have is old and always jams and just plain doesn't want to actually staple sometimes. So I was finally able to put in for a new one! I was blown away with how many choices I had in the catalogue. Seriously, how complicated can picking a stapler get? Using my better judgment, I decided to go for the prettiest one! lol Alas, pictured above is my brand new Swingline Ergo Pro. I was so excited to get her out of her packaging, that I even got a plastic cut on my thumb! Oh how I lead an odd life sometimes..

A Vent About My Cat

I have never met such an oddball of a cat in my life! Meet Boo. I rescued her from the humane society in December 2007 when she was about 4 months old. Right from the beginning, she was the snuggliest and most thankful cat I have ever known. This cat loves people and just loves to be snuggled and hugged. She even greets people at the door like a dog would! So that behaviour alone shows she's quite unique. On the other hand though, she has this other side to her that absolutely drives me crazy!!! Plain and simple, she is a bitch. lol When I am not home, or when I am asleep, she eats all of my plants and spreads the dirt every where.. she takes my coasters and hides them.. takes my hair elastics and hides them.. she even hid my passport at one time!.. she climbs the counter in the kitchen and takes my sponges, garlic, seriously anything she can get her little paws on. It drives me nuts! To top it off, this morning I come downstairs to find my butter dish, which I store 2 shelves up above my counter top, broken in 2 on the counter! Grrr! Any tips on how to control this cute and snuggly little beast of mine?

Burn Burn - My Review

So my favourite band released their 7th studio album on July 21. I thought about reviewing right away, but decided that I really needed to give the album some time so that I could give it my true and honest opinion. I have literally been listening to this album over and over in my car since the 21st and decided that I really do love OLP's latest work. Many people are giving this release poor reviews, and I even admit that I was a bit skeptical at first. But after listening over and over, and really immersing myself in the music, I came to realize the poor reviews are only coming from individuals who really are not true OLP fans. They are not coming from people who have been listening to the band from their start in 1994.

One of the things that I have always loved about OLP is that every single one of their albums is unique in it's own way. You can hear a single and immediately place it to it's respective album. That is one of the main reasons why I think this band is so great. If you listen to their work right from the beginning, you can hear the growth between the members of the band over the years. "Burn Burn" is most definitely not like the album "Clumsy", but in my opinion, it's a different "Clumsy" for the band. "Burn Burn" is a more grown up and mature album written, performed and produced by men who have wives and husbands (as opposed to the 20-somethings who came out with "Clumsy").

Raine's voice and the tone of their songs just overall has a more mature and worldly feel. The sound of someone who is knowledgeable and has seen a lot. Aside from the one song Monkey Brain, the majority of the songs do not sound like what some would dub 'normal' OLP songs, but I think that's the true beauty of this album. It takes a lot of talent to write and release such a variety of music. Not sure where I'm going here? Look at the likes of Nickelback.. I couldn't even tell you how many albums/singles that band has released. And the main reason for that is that every single one of their albums and singles sound similar. They don't experiment or go off course to see what else they can do. They have their one sound, and that's it. In my opinion, that is not true talent.

Overall, I most definitely give "Burn Burn" a 10/10. It's different, creative, moving, and deep. I can listen to it over and over without getting sick of the songs. And in my books, you can only do that with the best.

Well done boys!

My Summer Vacation - Part 1

My boyfriend and I made the trek down the 401, up the 416 and ended up in our Nation's Capital. We visited with my brother and his girlfriend, did some shopping, LOTS of walking, and ate some great food, and I even got a parking ticket! (which with the help from my incredible boyfriend, was cancelled). In terms of food, I just have to say that I discovered Cora's for the first time and seriously, if you like breakfast, you will LOVE Cora's! Check out their website to see if there is a location near you! Unfortunately I was too hungry when my breakfast hit the table to take any pictures because the food was stunningly beautiful! ....But we were able to get a shot of me enjoying my afternoon snack!

Now, as awesome as the walking and the food was, that was not the main purpose for our visit to the great city of Ottawa. The main event and highlight of my summer to date, was to see my favourite band, Our Lady Peace, in concert at Bluesfest. I've seen them many times, and this was one of their best shows. The crowd was amazing, the weather was perfect, and the band... well, they still remain my musical heroes! I honestly wish I could see them perform every day.

I think the best part of the show would have been at one point, front man Raine Maida walked over to the side of the stage we were at. He then proceeded to climb up the scaffolding (something he tends to do a lot) to get a real good look at the audience. The look on his face was absolutely priceless and it just shows how genuinely appreciative he is of his fans 15 years after later.

After our visit to Ottawa, we ventured a little further east to our next destination - Cornwall. I was born and raised in Cornwall and we went to visit with my grandmother. Unfortunately the visit was not a casual relaxing one, but we went to work by helping her do some painting in her house. It was not a fun time, but that's what family is for right? :)

All and all, even though the last half of our vacation was definitely not as much of a vacation as the first, it was still an incredible week away. Definitely looking forward to Part 2, which begins August 28!

My Return

Time sure does fly by when you're busy doesn't it? I can't believe that I have not been able to find the time to dedicate to my beloved blog since returning from my holidays. Things just haven't really stopped let it be at work, home, or the farm. I am always go - go - go! Finally I have found the time to get back into the groove and get this baby updated!

Holiday Time!

Finally it is time for me to embark on my summer holidays! I'm not really venturing far away, but am very excited for a well deserved and much needed break from the office. I have not had a week off since before Christmas, and to make it even better, my boyfriend has the week off too!!! Looking forward to spending some good quality time away with him with not a care in the world! I'm not sure how much access I will have from the computer so if there are no new posts on this blog, I shall return! :) I will however do my best to try and continue on with my music one though. Have a great week everyone.