A Survey Done By My Youngest Sister...

Sometimes I think my sister is the most hilarious person. Ever. Check out her answers to a Christmas survey...

Christmas Fun

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper!!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Absolutely REAL. I pity those children who have to grow up on decorating fake, perfect looking, no smelling trees *cough*Rachel*cough*

3. When do you put up the tree? I'm pretty sure in the next week and a half or so :0)

4. When do you take the tree down? If I had my way, never

5. Do you like eggnog? Have never had it, on account of the fact that if I did, my tongue would swell to the approximate size of my head. So I think I'll avoid that experience.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember I got my first discman, it was like, metallic purple and I played my Destiny's Child cd in it. I was the shit.

7. Hardest person to buy for? I would say Mom or Dad. Though as long as you make Mom happy, Dad is too, so it's really just Mom

8. Easiest person to buy for? Either of my sisters

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, I made on in like, grade 3 or 4 and they had these wooden figures that we coloured with makers. Yep it looks as nice as you would imagine.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Maybe email?There are actually some really cute ones you can find online

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? That's hard, I feel grateful for any gift I recieve as I know there are some people in the world who don't even get anything.......probably some jewellery from Claire's that I got in highschool

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf, or Christmas Vacation, or The Grinch with Jim Carey, and I also love all the old specials that they show on tv.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I actually started early this year, like, middle of November

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Any kind of cookie, and turkey, mmhhhmmm

15. Lights on the tree? Yes! But NOT those dumbass LED lights that don't even light up, they're just already coloured. I love the tiny ones that are really bright and it looks all glowy. (see what happens when you mess with my routine mom and dad? Bring back the OLD LIGHTS!)

16. Favorite Christmas song? All I want for Christmas is you, Have a Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives, and any one sung by Harry Connick Jr., Josh Groban, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home Home Homeee!!

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph (not gonna lie, I just sang the song to myself like, 3 times to make sure I got it right ahaha)

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Silver glitter star!!

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?Christmas Morning, after breakfast and stockings and all that jazz

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The ruthless shoppers who get in my way while I'm trying to do my job. F@#$ off.

22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Mmm, I love all the ones we got at Disney World

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey...mashed potatoes, gravy....mmmmm

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Edward Cullen

Jesus Took My Wheel

Annie and I went to the JLC last night to see the singer and A.I. champ, Carrie Underwood.

It was definitely interesting, I'll have more to say about the narcissistic video, costume changes, headband, guitar 'playing', confetti, audience members and my little sis later.

Right now I have to give a test.

Check out the favorable review she got in the LFP below...


Journey worth the ride Tue, October 7, 2008

CONCERT: Carrie Underwood takes about 9,000 fans at the JLC along on her whirlwind ride to success

By JAMES REANEY

Carrie Underwood was in full voice introducing some of her new material from Carnival Ride to an appreciative crowd at the JLC last night. (DEREK RUTTAN, Sun Media)
Carrie's country carnival ride had thousands along for the hits and the glitz at the John Labatt Centre last night.



With about 9,000 fans jamming the London arena, U.S. country superstar Carrie Underwood hit the stage with Flat on the Floor from her hit album Carnival Ride.



The fans thundered out the final seconds of a big-screen countdown before a virtual Underwood was seen in faux leather in a video of a desert scene. It was the first of many looks -- ranging from Wonder Woman on the prowl at a honky-tonk bar to leather-jacketed rocker -- for Underwood on the night.



Of course, Underwood and her fans need those costumes. Not too many American Idol champs headline tours where they prove they can cover Randy Travis (a lovely I Told You So, in an unplugged-style mini-set) and Guns 'n' Roses (a noisy, butt-kicking Paradise City in the encore). Underwood is the only one.



The 2005 American Idol champ departed from the stage by a lift, just as she had arrived. Underwood left waving goodbye after the night's finale Before He Cheats had attracted a fierce and happy singalong from the thousands of sisters of all ages she had in the house.

About 90 minutes earlier, Underwood had arrived to huge cheers and flashes from countless cameras and cellphones. She was soon taking songs from Carnival Ride (Sony/BMG) out to the big walkway into the centre of the crowd, strutting with style,"I was so scared. Nobody was going to come," Underwood said at one point, talking about her fears as she prepared for the tour being her first as a headliner.



It was one of many times when she talked in an unaffected and seemingly unscripted way. She kidded her first outfit of the night -- which combined silver boots, an odd combination of Madonna in a vest at the top and a loose, multi-coloured skirt -- as superhero garb giving her the impression she just might fly when she was on stage. That outfit didn't fly, but Underwood soared in many other ways.



The glittery butterfly image on her headband was cuter. It saved what was not a good hair day and also gave her the superhero vibe, she joked.



Early in the set, Underwood turned around the lyrics to All-American Girl to "all-Canadian. On-stage help came from a five-year-old princess identified as Holly Siviero with Underwood kneeling to share the microphone.



The Grammy winner with the biggest-selling American Idol champ's album, Some Hearts, showed modesty and wit in keeping her career video montage short enough so that the screen went blank just as Idol host Ryan Seacrest was about to name her as the winner. Underwood and her tour handlers also showed they know how to move uptown as she emerged from a big, blue, ultra-sincere gown during Checotah, a song paying tribute to her Oklahoma hometown. "It doesn't matter," she said of the mispronunciations visited on Checotah. For the record, it sort of rhymes with "Dakota" and sounds gorgeous when Underwood sings about it. Gorgeous, too, was the skirt she wore underneath the gown. That look emerged as Underwood went uptown in the song's video. Production values and glitz -- lighting, videos, screens, a confetti shower finale -- were strong.



She saluted Cape Breton songwriter Gordie Sampson for his role in helping write Jesus, Take the Wheel and Just a Dream. Both are songs Underwood said she'll sing "for the rest of my life."
Along with The More Boys I Meet, So Small, Some Hearts, Last Name, Get Out of This Town and other Underwood hits, they received terrific treatment from the star and her eight-member band. U.S. group Little Big Town opened strongly for Underwood.

Please Don't Pass The Nuts Blog

Ch-ch-check out the new fave blog, "Please Don't Pass The Nuts".

Whiskey sours aren't exactly the most nutritious, but better than Annie's long list of allergens.

A Unique Experience?

Yes, last Sunday I entered my very first spa.

Not exactly something I saw myself doing- but kind of interesting.

Annie, Maggie, Gramma and I drove over the spa on Windermere.

It was very different stepping right in, and we started with colour selection for our PEDICURE. For me the selection was very easy. My favourite colour, the colour of my car and the colour of my political party was the first one I picked: orange.

For my family, it seemed more like a crisis. Choosing colours is not an easy thing for my sisters (or my gramma!) to do quickly. It was odd considering that most of the colours were just different shades of pink and red.

Before we knew it our spa people (what do you call someone who gives you a pedicure?) came up behind us. Each of them called out our name, and it was mildly reminisct of my childhood playground.

We were brought into the back and there were four seats that were very cushion-y. Strange...they were on a platform and this presented my first issue. How the hell do I get up there? First I had to take of my nasty flip flops...and I guess you'll first have to know about my philosophy about flip flops. I buy one pair a year (for about $20...the Airwalks are my favourite). And by the end of the summer (around this time) they are very odd looking and a bit rank. And considering that the ones I wore on this Sunday were the same ones I tromped around Australia with they are a bit weird looking. They have traveled over 30,000 kilometers, and they look it.

Anywho- I took those off (and praying that Yoanne didn't pick them up) and then had to figure out how to get up on the stair and in the comfy chair. After a little help, I got up there.

When we were all up, I had to test the water...and I did it with my hand. Big mistake. I guess you have to do this with your foot. Whatever. At least I didn't think the water was laced with Mr. Clean, as Annie thought.

So the pedicure started...and I'm realizing that someone is touching my FEET. It was bizarre.

And I had a lot of questions. Because as she started she opened up a sterile package of big metal tools. And those big metal tools were going straight for my size eleven wides...

My questions were along the lines of:

What is that?
What are you doing?
What's that for?
What am I smelling?

And my family was not kind.

Besides that, I had no idea what to do in the long silences. I would look over, and all three of them would be quiet or have eyes closed. How do you sleep when someone is messing with your feet? Anxiety begins for Jessie...

Meanwhile, my fear of kicking the poor woman because of my ticklish feet did not happen. Thank god. But when I did look over at Annie, she did have the jimmy legs...moving all over. Luckily, Marta (her pedicure-person) had a firm grip on her oddly shaped mini-feet (seriously, her toes are waaay stumpy).

About mid way through, Yoanne took a bag and put it on my foot. It was hot. I asked about 3 questions rapid fire. Turns out this was the wax I had heard about. Earlier that day Maggie and Annie had mentioned something about melted wax. And I was a touch concerned.

Me: They do what?!

I would love to know who thought of this little treatment with hot wax. How does that get discovered? Was it an accident? Who was the guinea pig for that? Someone still needs to explain the logic.

Well, this is what they do- they slip your foot into a bag filled with melted wax. An odd sensation really.

But when all was said and done, my feet were the cleanest they have been since grade 3.

And I think I actually might have liked it-just a little.

If anything, my toes are ready to vote NDP (that is if we get a candidate in this riding...).

Maybe This Will Work For Maggie's Class?

Teacher rewards pupils with signed photos

A handsome teacher in China is offering pupils autographed photos of himself to encourage them to work harder.

Ji Feng, also vice principal of Zhiyuan Foreign Language Elementary School, is so popular among students that a lot of them were asking him for pictures.

"I came up with the idea of giving them my signed pictures as a reward," he told the Nanjing Morning Post.

Students who put in exemplary work can now pose for a picture with Ji who then signs the printed photograph.

Ji added: "It absolutely is not narcissism, but a way of encouragement. And only the students who perform the best can get such a reward."

Ji said three students had so far submitted work good enough for signed pictures - but he hoped to give out many more.

She's Gonna Cry

She's so gonna cry. Hard.

The Spirit of Christmas

Getting Into The Holiday Spirit

There was just a report on Detroit news about a holiday event that happened at the Somerset Collection in Troy, Michigan.

For those you don't know about Somerset Collection it's a high end shopping mall that attracts the snobby, elitist and consumer happy, i.e. Anne-Marie.

Sometimes members of my family will make the trek to the good ole U.S. of A. to shop until they drop, either financially or physically.

Well, it seems that an incident occurred at Anne-Marie's shopping Mecca.

Or should I say outside Anne-Marie's shopping Mecca.

It seems that swiping a parking space is no longer just an annoying event during the busiest shopping season, it can be harmful to your health.

Here's the down low: a car is waiting for a primo spot. Another car swoops in and takes it instead. A heated exchange started, insults thrown. People get out of the car. Fists are thrown.

And in stereo-typical American fashion a HANDGUN is whipped out.

Definitely on the naughty list.

Just another example of consumerism rearing its ugly head.

Merry Xmas!

Very Funny

Well, good news is I found the cables!!!

I'll be posting a beautiful video blog of the apartment...

But before that, I've got a couple YouTube.com videos that you must see:

First one is a commercial (I know) for Master Card that Mags showed me...



The second is a video of a kid on a roller coaster. It makes me cry it's so funny. My favourite part is when the mom won't stop laughing. At all.

I'm Craving Some Of That Raspberry Cordial

So, I was prepared for a nice cozy evening with my littlest sister only to be turfed out of the family room and exiled to my room. Currently, Annie is downstairs with her friends making lots of noise.

I can't wait until I have my place. (Speaking of which I spoke with my super Super, Igor, yesterday....things are moving quite nicely!).

I guess this is the thanks I get for letting her use my car.

If I can't hang out with that Anne, I was left to the other Anne.

This is a hilarious melding of two great things. Kelly Clarkson and Lucy Maud Montgomery.

In the 6th grade I made a marionette of Lucy Maud Montgomery and re-enacted the scene where Diana gets shit-faced on current wine.

Screw this, I'm going out tomorrow.

An Experiment

Maggie at Rock the Park.

If I don't post in 24 hours, please send a seach party for me.

Whose More Adorable?

Little Rachel woke up in time to attack Maggie when she came home from the Muskokas after I picked her up from the bus station.

I tried to get rid of her red eyes, but I'm still getting the hang of Picasa.

Rachel kept asking what Maggie's name was...I don't think she was too sure about the new hair.

She did give me a hug, if only to say to me, "Thanks Jessie, for bringing Maggie home."

Whatever.

Our Teeny-Tiny Cabin

Here's how we travelled from Halifax to Montreal. Our cabin. Annie and I shared. Here's a transcript of Annie climbing the ladder to get to the top bunk.

Scene: Tiny train cabin, it's dark, lights are off, Jessie is in bottom bunk.

Jessie: 'Night Anne.

Anne: 'Night.

Annie grips ladder.

[Bang!]

Annie: Ow!

[Crashing, metal pinging]

Annie: Gah! Oh...Ugh...

[Bang!]

Annie: Argh...Ugh...Gugggg.....

[Bang! Crash!]

Jessie: Need some help?

Tee Hee.

I believe this is a good metaphor for our family dynamics.

Maggie loves to tease uncontrollably and hamming it up for a camera, Annie hates, well, a lot at the moment.

My Sisters.

Nice. This is how they walk downtown Halifax.

What's That Stain On Your Jacket, Annie?

It looks like bird poop.

White Knuckle Squeeze

Annie is freezing. We're waiting for Dad to stop taking pictures of the damn sunset.

Awaiting Her Gentlemen Callers

At the creepy B & B.

She Sees A Seal...Maybe.

Taken in Digby, Nova Scotia where, apparently, there are absolutely no homosexuals.

CHUG!

LOVE IT!