So, I'm meeting a guy for drinks tomorrow night and I'm trying to figure something out. I don't know if this is something he does all the time - it's too early to tell - but in our last couple email correspondences, he's replied back to my email queries in fairly succinct direct responses. And I don't know if this is annoying or not.
Here's a pseudo-excerpt of our last emails:
Me: I know we decided on meeting at X less than an hour ago but do you have any objections to a change in venue?
He: Nope.
Me: ....I was thinking of going to Y....have you ever been?
He: I have been a few times but never for drinks. Let's go there instead.
Me: ...Do you have a cell number I can reach you at in case something comes up and I'm running late, etc...
He: ###.###.####
I don't know...these to-the-point responses seem to lack charm and imagination. I should be more open and optimistic though, right? At least he's flexible and accommodating...
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
3 nights, 4 days
Our trip to Brazil was short, intense and very productive. Our flight late Sunday night was delayed a couple hours because of mechanical problems so we didn't leave until 1:30am, which meant we had more time to enjoy the Maple Leaf Lounge at Pearson. This was my first visit to any First/Exec Class lounge so I have nothing to compare it to - the furnishings had a retro-60s vibe which were forgettable but what impressed me the most was the self-serve open bar!
There was beer on draught, wine and various liquors available for mixed drinks. I was hoping that there would be a bottle of port in the mix and found one sitting on the bar with the Grand Marnier and other after-dinner liqueurs. Happy!
The flight was supposed to be 10hrs+ but our pilot knew of a "short-cut" that shaved about an hour off our time. We had Executive Class seats and our 767 was re-furbished with sleeping pods so I was actually able to lay flat and have my best sleep on a plane ever! I waited anxiously for the seat belt light to go off and when it did, I quickly adjusted my seat and laid back for what turned out to be about 6hrs of shut-eye. As a result of that, I didn't get to enjoy all the other perks of flying Executive like the Grilled Alberta Beef Tenderloin with Morel Mushroom Sauce and the better wine selection - a small price to pay though for some rest. We arrived in Sao Paulo in time to head to our hotel for a quick shower and made it to the office around 4pm. We spent a few hours there setting the agenda for the next few days and before heading out for a low-key dinner at a pizza restaurant which was surprisingly good.
The next few days took on the same rhythm - we'd meet in the hotel's executive lounge for breakfast around 8am, get picked up around 9am, work until about 7:30 and then head out for dinner with our partners. We usually arrived back at our hotel around 10:30 and then we'd have our own de-brief over drinks in the hotel bar for the next hour or two before finally calling it a night. All in all, it was a great experience as business trips go.
The flight back was unremarkable. We arrived back in Toronto around 5:45am yesterday and I took a cab to my mother's since that's where my car was. I slept a couple hours, woke up in time to catch up with my mom over dim sum and then headed back downtown to my place. I was a bit torn between going back to bed and fighting through the fatigue. I opted for the latter, fully expecting to hit the sack early so I did a bit of cleaning and then soaked in the tub for awhile before settling in to catch up on my TV. My quiet night in didn't play out as expected though - I joined a couple friends for dinner and drinks in the Annex and finally got home to reunite with my bed around 10:30. What a great sleep!
There was beer on draught, wine and various liquors available for mixed drinks. I was hoping that there would be a bottle of port in the mix and found one sitting on the bar with the Grand Marnier and other after-dinner liqueurs. Happy!The flight was supposed to be 10hrs+ but our pilot knew of a "short-cut" that shaved about an hour off our time. We had Executive Class seats and our 767 was re-furbished with sleeping pods so I was actually able to lay flat and have my best sleep on a plane ever! I waited anxiously for the seat belt light to go off and when it did, I quickly adjusted my seat and laid back for what turned out to be about 6hrs of shut-eye. As a result of that, I didn't get to enjoy all the other perks of flying Executive like the Grilled Alberta Beef Tenderloin with Morel Mushroom Sauce and the better wine selection - a small price to pay though for some rest. We arrived in Sao Paulo in time to head to our hotel for a quick shower and made it to the office around 4pm. We spent a few hours there setting the agenda for the next few days and before heading out for a low-key dinner at a pizza restaurant which was surprisingly good.
The next few days took on the same rhythm - we'd meet in the hotel's executive lounge for breakfast around 8am, get picked up around 9am, work until about 7:30 and then head out for dinner with our partners. We usually arrived back at our hotel around 10:30 and then we'd have our own de-brief over drinks in the hotel bar for the next hour or two before finally calling it a night. All in all, it was a great experience as business trips go.
The flight back was unremarkable. We arrived back in Toronto around 5:45am yesterday and I took a cab to my mother's since that's where my car was. I slept a couple hours, woke up in time to catch up with my mom over dim sum and then headed back downtown to my place. I was a bit torn between going back to bed and fighting through the fatigue. I opted for the latter, fully expecting to hit the sack early so I did a bit of cleaning and then soaked in the tub for awhile before settling in to catch up on my TV. My quiet night in didn't play out as expected though - I joined a couple friends for dinner and drinks in the Annex and finally got home to reunite with my bed around 10:30. What a great sleep!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The Time Traveler's Wife
I don't know why it took me this long to read The Time Traveler's Wife, but it did and I get now why it's an international bestseller. What a fantastic love story! I'm tempted to watch the movie but am turned off by the reviews which are mixed at best. Such a great read, though!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Travel-worthy
I'm leaving on my first ever business trip tomorrow night - and it's an international one at that all they way to Sao Paulo, Brazil!
I spent about 5 hours at the office this afternoon finishing up a document, printing off stuff for my trip binder and backing up all our files onto a USB for easy-access the 4 days we're there.
Before that though, I made a stop at Sephora to pick up my Beauty Insider birthday gift, a trio of Shimmer Lip Glosses perfect for travel, as well as their retractable foundation brush and angled eyeliner brush. I don't know why I hadn't gotten them sooner since I travel so much - they're certainly much more convenient then my full-size MAC equivalents!
There's more last minute prep to get through but first...dinner calls!
I spent about 5 hours at the office this afternoon finishing up a document, printing off stuff for my trip binder and backing up all our files onto a USB for easy-access the 4 days we're there.
Before that though, I made a stop at Sephora to pick up my Beauty Insider birthday gift, a trio of Shimmer Lip Glosses perfect for travel, as well as their retractable foundation brush and angled eyeliner brush. I don't know why I hadn't gotten them sooner since I travel so much - they're certainly much more convenient then my full-size MAC equivalents!
There's more last minute prep to get through but first...dinner calls!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Hello 33
Today's my birthday.
I turned 33, and frankly, it doesn't really feel all that different from 32. The day was notable for the many lovely well wishes I received today: postings on my Facebook wall, MSN messages, emails, text messages, phone and video calls, and a very well attended lunch with my team at work.
I celebrated tonight by heading to the gym to work-out with my trainer, KB, who I have a serious school-girl crush on. (I've been meaning to blog about my decision to work with a personal trainer but haven't had the time to organize my thoughts properly thanks to the project that's kept me busy the last 9 mos.) Anyway, I feel like a silly minor-niner for admitting this but he made my day by giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek when I told him I was spending my birthday working out with him. And when we ended our session, he opened up his arms to give me another hug to wish me a good trip as I'm leaving for Brazil on business Sunday and will miss training next week. *sigh* No joke, just thinking about it makes me feel like a dope.
So, to recap the last year:
* I'm still single and (admittedly) half-heartedly looking;
* My niece, Piglet, continues to bring so much joy - I have this one photo of her smiling the sweetest smile you ever did see as my wallpaper and it never fails to make me smile too;
* I had a fantastic 2.5 weeks in Europe this Spring and spent some really good QT with my extended family;
* I've settled into my new home and have met some really great neighbours; and
* My work life is progressing well - I'm on another major strategic project that has raised my profile considerably and has challenged me to grow.
Life is good.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Handcrafted Rugs from Amy Butler!
I literally gasped when I saw this image below of one of Amy Butler's new rug designs. Can we say gorgeous?!
I think this one here, Bright Buds, is my favourite:
I think this one here, Bright Buds, is my favourite:
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Lazy Sunday
It's been a lazy long weekend Sunday - I spent the first couple hours in bed reading a cheesy Nora Roberts romance and didn't get up until after noon after which I killed some time watching a couple episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer before deciding perhaps it might be a good idea to head out and enjoy the late summer sun...
So out I went onto Queen West to browse the shops...and ended up in trouble at Girl Friday where I picked up this numph sweater:
It doesn't look like much in the photograph but the wool's hand-dyed so every sweater is a little different.
And then there was my stop in Cat Tilt, where I found this gorgeous Hard Tail cotton wrap in white with a subtle laser-burnt pattern:
After all that browsing, I felt the need for a snacky-snack so made a stop at the recently opened Quaff Cafe:
YUM!
So out I went onto Queen West to browse the shops...and ended up in trouble at Girl Friday where I picked up this numph sweater:
It doesn't look like much in the photograph but the wool's hand-dyed so every sweater is a little different. And then there was my stop in Cat Tilt, where I found this gorgeous Hard Tail cotton wrap in white with a subtle laser-burnt pattern:
After all that browsing, I felt the need for a snacky-snack so made a stop at the recently opened Quaff Cafe:
YUM!
What do you do
I spent the last couple hours on Skype talking to my cousin's now ex-fiance. I called me to tell me she had something to tell me and I thought it was that she was pregnant. But instead, it was to say that she and M had broken up after a month-long seperation. He essentially told her that after 12.5 years together, he didn't love her in that way any more and that she should move on with her life.
So what do you do when you break up with your best friend? I thinks that M is confused - she's asked him for answers, explanations as to how he could fall out of love with her and the best he can do is to say that the passion isn't there anymore...to which we both wonder, is he being unrealistic to think that a relationship maintains the same level of passion throughout the life of the relationship? Doesn't it mellow out and settle down? We would both think so.
I thought that she had found the love of her life - that they were in a comfortable place - but maybe it's that comfortable feeling that was their undoing.
I'm certainly not taking sides - I love them both having met them the same time in 1999 (M and I didn't grow up together, he being in Amsterdam and me in Toronto) - but I can't lie and say I don't sympathize with how confused I feels having been in a similar position a few years ago when my ex broke things off.
I really hope they work things out because they seemed so good together....but if they don't, I hope they're able to let each other go without inflicting too much unintentional damage...
So what do you do when you break up with your best friend? I thinks that M is confused - she's asked him for answers, explanations as to how he could fall out of love with her and the best he can do is to say that the passion isn't there anymore...to which we both wonder, is he being unrealistic to think that a relationship maintains the same level of passion throughout the life of the relationship? Doesn't it mellow out and settle down? We would both think so.
I thought that she had found the love of her life - that they were in a comfortable place - but maybe it's that comfortable feeling that was their undoing.
I'm certainly not taking sides - I love them both having met them the same time in 1999 (M and I didn't grow up together, he being in Amsterdam and me in Toronto) - but I can't lie and say I don't sympathize with how confused I feels having been in a similar position a few years ago when my ex broke things off.
I really hope they work things out because they seemed so good together....but if they don't, I hope they're able to let each other go without inflicting too much unintentional damage...
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