Cake on a Stick

Brilliant idea. Whomever works for Starbucks and came up with this logic is probably rich right now. The cake didn't even taste cooked to be honest, but it was so lovely.

The nuts and marshmallows, delicious! Melted chocolate on the outside, I can't even begin to describe it. I'm going to go looking for a recipe to duplicate this. Get on board guys, try it. You'll never go back to cake on a plate again.

Generational Courtesy

So Friday I was in a huge line at the bank practising the fine art of being patient, when the woman behind me in line starts chatting me up. She starts to tell me all kinds of things like how she's a sign person and got a check instead of automatic deposit, which threw her off when she tried to buy shoes at Aldo downtown with her debit which she tried 6 times. I would have figured it out after 2 or 3 times, but that's just me. I guess for whatever reason she wasn't expected a line at the bank on Friday, and chatting to me was making the time go by quicker. The bank has these mats with arrows to make the line curve around to the front of the kiosks, and just as I was making a corner, this chatty women cuts the corner to stand in front of me in line. Let it be known that I haven't used the word "budged" since middle school, but she did just that. I moved to stand beside her in line so we were equal, and decided I was going to give her the benefit of the doubt until an open teller called "NEXT" to see what she'd do. Well then she has the audacity to start lecturing me about my generation and how rude we are. "Never see kids give up their seats for the elderly anymore" she says. I told her I do. But she ironically she goes on and on about the lack of respect, just as a teller opens up. Before they can even finish the one syllable word, she tromps over there and starts complain to the clerk about the long line. I turn to the guy about my age standing behind me in line, which judging from the smile on his face, has watched the whole thing play out. I smile a little back at him, and then patiently wait my turn.

10k Run in My Undies

When Aleisha signed us up for the Vancouver Underwear Affair, she opted out of the 5k walk option saying we'll be plenty fit by July. Despite having trained, I wouldn't have described myself as "plenty fit", especially when I hit the 1km mark and uttered obscenities. Aleisha kept running straight until the 2km mark, and had I not mentally blocked myself I might have too. The energy was amazing though, people lined the route to cheer us on, and only a few of them looked to be there for the wrong reasons. I pushed myself hard. The 6km was the longest of my life, most likely because I missed the 7th and 8th km marks, but man was I happy when I hit the 9th! I finished the run in 1h24 minutes and even signed myself up for next year.The after party was crazy, but it's the positive experience and good energy that will stick with me. Aleisha's already talking about crazy names and outfits for next year, so drop me a line if you're down.

Very Useless

Editing for conciseness is one of things I loved doing in Print Futures. I love the idea of still saying the same thing, but in less words. In editing my own work this way, I realized quickly I had two nasty darlings; "very" and "really". I would like to think it's because I have so much enthusiasm for life that I was trying to emphasize everything, but when every couple sentences is sporting one of those, it gets annoying quickly. The funny thing is, when I started taking them out, my writing felt stronger. The first thing I do when anyone asks me to "look something over" is take out those two words. I'm really very sorry, but no ones ever missed them.

Family Change

The Beat radio station was talking about the Bad Parent club the other day, and the membership fee was a story of how you'd goofed up and the theme seemed to be pool related stories. It reminded me of a time my dad took my sister and I to the pool when I was kid. When we got to the change room doors, he stopped and cocked his head at the "Family Change" room. Thinking, "I'm a new age kinda guy" he grabbed our hands and in we went. Like both the women and men change rooms, we were greeted by rows of lockers where we all started to change into our bathing suits. Two teenage girls came in shortly after us and gawked, which was off putting for dad, even as a new age man. We whispered about how weird the whole thing was, and how next time we'd just go to the regular ones. On the way to the pool we pasted the large rooms you were actually supposed to change in, as a family.

Mars buys 2 in 1

Of the multitude of differences between men and women, I think one of the more amusing is how we buy hair products. Women you see, buy shampoo and conditioner because they serve two completely difference functions, both of which are equally important. Men on the other hand pick up two-in-one shampoo/conditioner and think "what a great idea!" Then they wonder why women would ever buy two products when one does the same thing?

Magic Erasers

A friend of mine got us a gig cleaning her uncles new house this past weekend. We were getting paid, but man were the previous owners bad at cleaning. "See that grey shower? It used to be white..oh and that black stove, also used to be white, including the yellow grease stained vent cover.." It was hard work, but what made it a whole lot easier was magic erasers. I don't often say this, but their name is completely appropriate, they are actually magical. Marks in the window creases, on the walls, in the closet, we must have used almost eight of them in one day. I bet I did half the scrubbing I would have without them, and after eight hours I was ready to hug whomever invented them. We should make a scholarship in their honour. I bet anyone with kids who's discovered their majesty buys them in bulk. My family should all expect one in their stocking this Christmas.