Smile for The Day

Veronica: shew shew shew.

Ted: What is that?

Veronica: That is the sound of me deflecting your whiney complaining with my happiness shield.

From ABC's Better Off Ted

Prohibitions

Archery and Snowmobiles make this an interesting list of prohibitions!


Sign on the Wall of St. Paul's School. Burlington, ON, Canada

Carving The Turkey

My first time ever!

Christmas Eve

The Cream Cheese is enjoying her first Christmas!

At Least Jon Loves Canada

This is what you get when you visit www.thedailyshow.com when you are in Canada!

Rude Awakening

Seriously?!

Who knew that the moment you crossed the border to Canada you get cut off from your Netflix account!?

Sadness.

I Made It!

Hockey At Baggage Claim

Here I am waiting for my bags in Toronto ... and look there is a TV with the hockey game on ?!

Up Up and Away

Up and out the door at 3 am today.

Starting the journey home.

My goal -- to make it up Hamilton Mountain in time for dinner at Swiss Chalet. Wish me luck!

Corner of LJ Village Drive

Tonight on my way home I passed this Dude on the Corner of LJ Village Drive.

His sign says, "Will watch Fox News for Food".

Fox News For Food

Dude on the Corner of LaJolla Village Dr. Sign says "Will watch Fox News for Food. Peace :) "

Bug Reports in HD

Lovin' reading my bug reports on an HD Cinema Display!

Where No Monument Stands

I spent the evening in a beautiful old church enjoying a folk concert. The headliner was John Gorka - who I had never heard before. During his second song I had a bit of a Gordon Lightfoot flashback ... I swear I cold hear Gord singing "The Wreck of the Edumnd Fitzgerald" off in the distance. By the third song, Gordon was gone and it was all John. He is rather quirky in person but if you close your eyes and listen to the music - you can't help but be moved.




At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border
(from poetry180)
William Stafford

This is the field where the battle did not happen,
where the unknown soldier did not die.
This is the field where grass joined hands,
where no monument stands,
and the only heroic thing is the sky.

Birds fly here without any sound,
unfolding their wings across the open.
No people killed — or were killed — on this ground
hallowed by neglect and an air so tame
that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.

Tippie's Totally Awesome unChicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

  2 Tbsp olive oil
  1.5 cups diced onion
  1.5 cup celery
  5 carrots
  4 potatoes (small - med)
   Tbs organic wheat flour
  3 cups “unchicken” chicken stock or strong vegetable broth
  2 cups diced “Gardien” chicken scallopini or "Gardien" 7 grain crispy tenders
  1 package Pillsbury pie crust
  Melted vegan (or regular) butter as needed

---

Directions

• Cut heads of broccoli and cook in microwave in an inch of water for 3 minutes, let cool and then cut into bite sized pieces
  
• Puncture holes in potatoes and cook in microwave for 3 minutes let cool and dice
  
• Dice carrots and place in water and microwave for 4 minutes
  
  
• Using a small stock pot, heat oil and sauté onion and celery until translucent.
  
• Add flour and stir until well incorporated.
  
• Pour in stock and stir, simmering until filling has thickened.
  
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Add remaining cut vegetables and "chicken".
  
• Stir until mixture is well coated
  
  
• Roll out pie crust and cut it about 1/2 an inch larger than the ramekin/baking dish you are using.
  
• Place filling in ramekin and top with pie crust.
  
• Dab top side of crust with a little melted butter.
  
  
• Bake in pre-heated 420° oven for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown.
  

Inspired by this recipe.

Thought For The Day

Whatever you are, be a good one.

-- Life is Good

Thought For The Day

I can be changed by what happens to me. I refuse to be reduced by it.

-Maya

Give Thanks Every Day

• Start each day with the attitude "I am awake and have an opportunity to live a beautiful day"
  
• Look at everyday experiences and nature with fresh eyes and innocence
  
• Think of life as a gift and find the good in all situations
  
• Each night re-count the good things that happened that day
  

Know or Go

My friend is Canadian. What country is he from?

Look Who Is Hitting 50!

Veteran on the 10 Dollar Bill

If you have a Canadian $10 bill, look at the back right side of the bill. You will see an old veteran standing at attention near the Ottawa war memorial.

• His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died last month at the age of 90.
  That he managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War.
  
• Born in England, he one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique - the Blitzkrieg.
  
• He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel.
  Enroute to hospital, his ambulance came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire.
  
• Evacuated from Dunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of the sister ships with them were sunk. Recovered, he was sent to allied campaigns in north Africa and Italy.
  
• Enroute his ship was chased by the German battleship Bismarck.
  
• In North Africa he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, Rommel
  
• sent into the Italian campaign, he met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital.
  
• They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again In the afternoon by a British padre.

After the war they settled in Chatham where he went into politics and became The warden (chairman) of the county. At the age of 80 he wrote a book about his experiences and on his retirement He and his wife moved to Ottawa. One day out of the blue he received a call from a government official
Asking him to go downtown for a photo op.

He wasn't told what the photo was for or why they chose him. "He had no idea he would be on the bill," his daughter said.
And now you know the rest of the story of the old veteran on the $10 bill.

On the left are Peace doves and the words to the poem In Flanders Fields

Look Who Is Turning 6!

Debunking the Rumours

I deny any wrong doing in the recent acquisition of a second monitor at work !

Steak Hopping Travel Bug

I Know You Want To Be Canadian - Please!

My First Webcam Cache

Here I am at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier - arms outstretched!

GCQN13 I found you!!! Check out the cache description here




Special thanks to MaddieMoof, Daschpeeg and Lisa for all your help!

Gabby Interview on TEDS

Gabourey Sidibe on Ellen.

My favourite line

Ellen: I can't believe this is your first performance. You did some acting before ... somewhere?!
Gabby: Ah, Yes. I was an Indian *and* a Pirate in the Lehman College production of Peter Pan.

Toe Tapping Fun!

The Script

Fresh off touring with U2. The Script played Hard Rock San Diego last night.

Check out how close C- and I were :)

Auto-Tune The News

Welcome To Macintosh

Fun documentary about the history of Apple by some Fanboys!

On My Way To The Olympics!

Today I launched TB2RR0D.

Goal - to make in to Vancouver in time for the Olympics!

Loot

This rather odd collection of loot was waiting for me when I arrived at work today.

Curious the things people leave on my desk....

Look Who Is Turning 5!

We Are Family

Tourist In My Own Backyard

An Aussie, a Spaniard and a Canadian play tourist in San Diego.

Polling Craziness

Recently Published Poll. Interesting....

Happy Haircut Day!

I *love* haircut day. On the way back to work I stopped and picked up a salad and pizza!

My Fortune

Some pursue happiness;
you create it.

- fortune cookie

75 Today

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

Look what happened when I tried to watch streaming TV on Hulu :(

First Visit

Little Miss O has her first visit with Uncle R

P!nk

Off work at noon today and heading to Los Angeles!

My Dometic Disaster

Before things went terribly wrong...

Turns out the silicone bread pan wasn't a good idea. An hour and a half later and the bread was still goo inside :(

Travel Bug Hotel

Tonight, I stopped by the local travel but hotel today to pick up a travel companion for my upcoming trip.

Look who is going to be traveling with me - The Great Canadian Champ, EH!

A Little Bit Of Spain

A little bit of España comes to my office beach.



A cool little Gaudi lizard from Barcelona!

What's Cooking ?!

Homemade buttertarts going into the oven. Yum!

Change Of Seasons

The first sign of fall is here. All the flower bed in the
neighbourhood have been re-planted with plants in autumn colours!

Goodies For My Trip Home!

A few travel bugs and geocoins to drop off in caches while I am home in Canada!

The Queen

The Queen enjoys a mellow Saturday afternoon.

Today's Going To Be A Good Day!

Thought For The Day

A few interesting snipits from this article.

It's not enough to just sit there and have compassionate thoughts. Your compassionate thoughts need to be reflected in what you do. You need to help other people. Once you start to see through the myth of status, possessions, and unlimited consumption as the path to happiness, you'll find that you have all kinds of freedom and time. You give up greed for freedom.

- David Edwards

Welcome!!

Heading to the airport to welcome a friend that is visiting California for a 3 month vacation ... that has started off a little rocky. INS didn't believe my little Spaniard friend was coming for pleasure. So she spent the day in interrogation and detention :( I hope these balloons will help her feel a little more welcome!

Bag Of Goo

Action @ last!

Today I get to feed my bag of goo (aka friendship bread starter).

Canadians Speak Out

FTF on Queen Of The Cream Cheese!

Location: California, United States
FlagMan found Queen of The Cream Cheese Comes For A Visit (Traditional Cache) at 9/8/2009

Log Date: 9/8/2009
With the new description, I was able to zoom in on the cache pretty quickly tonight. I forgot a pen, though, so I left my fingerprint. I'll try to get back there sometime to sign properly. Loved the Gumby and Pokey figures. TNLNSL

Twitter Freebie

Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch?

Free Quinoa burger for following @burger_lounge

I Pledge

I honour of all the controversy over the President's back to school speech!

Look Who's Turning 4 !

Little Miss O on her 4 month birthday!

A New Cupcake Supplier?'

O.K. They are no Sprinkles but they are 2 miles away instead of 122 miles ... so this is a decent local alternative until I can make a pilgrimage up to Beverly Hills!

Magic # 20

Someone cached their way home from church today and hit magic #20!

GC1Y0MR Has been found!

Location: California, United States
SD-W- found Love Your Lifeguard (Traditional Cache) at 9/4/2009

Log Date: 9/4/2009
WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO FTF I had a birthday party to attend at the shores this afternoon and too my surprise I got a blank log to boot. Water temps were over 75 degrees today. What an awesome SD summer. TFTFun

Cream Cheese Has Been Deployed!

Waiting to be found, under a tree in my neighbourhood park!

GC1Y8QY Queen of The Cream Cheese Comes For A Visit

Cache #2

This one is called "Queen of the Cream Cheeses Comes For A Visit".

It is going to be deployed in my neighbourhood park ... in honour of the recent visit of little Miss O!

Getting ready to deploy cache # 2

Can You Find Me ?!

Look who just had her first geo-cache approved and published!

Location: California, United States
Love Your Lifeguard (Traditional Cache)
Click here for the scoop de scoop.

First Find Of The Holiday Weekend!

Everything Is Amazing Right Now -

Look Who's Taunting Me!

From Little Miss O's Facebook Page...

Auntie Tippie has HOW MANY cache finds? I've got TONS! Hurry up Auntie!