A weekend of culture... sort of.

Friday
Part of my job is doing really cool things, like going to street namings and flag raisings. On Friday night, we took part in Culture Days by "officially" opening the Listening Lights on Market Avenue. I was afraid that we wouldn't have many people out, but we ended up attracting a nice little crowd. (Thank you, Twitter.) And I didn't even mind working late or hanging out in the rain.

After the opening, we wandered over to Bannatyne for a pizza at Corrientes. My half was amazing - arugula pesto, smoked salmon (for authenticity, please pronounce the L in salmon), sunflower seeds, goat cheese, red onions, and a fresh arugula salad on top. Seriously nom. My fella had something with chicken. I think. Too busy eating.

Saturday
The first part of the day was pretty typical - Starbucks, Costco, the gym, more grocery shopping, more Starbucks - and, come to think of it, the second part was pretty typical, too - dinner, movie, SNL. The bestest part, other than discovering that my T-fal ActiFry makes perfect wings, was watching The Iceman. I had to watch with one hand over my face, but it was so, so good.



Sunday
After a fun class at the Reh-fit, I hopped on my bike, collected my fella, and embarked on a big River Heights adventure, which, of course, included beers at the Grove. I had a big, yummy toasted wheat beer...followed by a big, toasty nap. Perfect.

And, of course, Sunday night's big event was the finale of Breaking Bad. It, too, was perfect.

I heart donuts.

Did I ever tell you that I have this thing about finding random hearts in nature?

I'm not sure if a Tim Horton's box can be considered "nature", but I was delighted when this little beauty showed up in my office today. And, the best part? It was an old-fashioned plain - my favourite.

Weekends are delicious.

When it comes to tucking into a big bowl of noodles, one of my very favourite things is the Spag Boo at Cafe Carlo and one of my fella's favourite things is the Fett Chile at Cafe Carlo. (See? We're a match made in heaven!) To avoid the chance of ever getting bored with the Boo/Fett, we try to limit our visits there to once every several months, or until the cravings get too strong.

This weekend was one of those "can't wait any longer" times, so we made our resos for Saturday night and started fasting.

As usual, the service was endearingly pokey and the food was fantastic. Due to some glitzy re-branding, my beloved Boo is now called "Mediterranean Spagattini", but it was just as good as ever. So was the bread. <--- joke="" p="" private="">
On Sunday, we decided we'd better venture out on a healthier persuit, so we packed a picnic, loaded up the panniers on my bike, and headed for a sunny spot in Omands Park. It was a beautiful first-dau-of-fall. And the sandwiches were pretty good, too.

 

Socks, rocked.

Things that rocked my socks this weekend:

Friday night was absolutely perfect to join the "Canola Girls" for an elegant little fall supper. Of course, in true Canola-style, we were shuttled out into the middle of somewhere (a farm close to Newdale, MB) and treated like royalty. Dinner was prepared by the amazing MJ Feeke from Benjamin's in Selkirk and I have no problem admitting that I went for seconds on the veggies...and potatoes and salad and bread. We also had the chance to take part in a frank and open discussion about GMOs with a real, live farmer and someone from Monsanto (I know!) It was great to see the gang again and I was more than just a little jealous when the Be Well campers got on their bus and headed for the Barn in the Bush.

Saturday night, my fella and I put on our dancing shoes and went to the Pyramid Cabaret for Factory Reset Redux. The event was both a fundraiser for two community AIDS organizations and a tribute to former Happenings DJ, Eldon Ross. (Oh, how I loved Happenings.) The music was amazing, as I expected it to be, but it was seeing all the familiar (yet slightly older) faces and dancing 'til two that made my night.

 

On Sunday, I started to panic about the number of bikeable days left this year, so I grabbed the chance to take Norma Jean out on a loooong bike ride. Instead of my usual "to the park and back", I decided to go out to Assiniboine Forest and then out to the Perimeter via the Harte Trail. The trail is fine, packed gravel and winds along an old railway bed. For most of it, you have farmland/forest on one side and houses on the other. (That being said, the semi-urban setting is still pretty rural; I even saw a big deer wandering down one of the side streets!) The whole adventure took a couple of hours and I managed to put another 34kms (round trip) on my bike.

Honourable mentions: scrambled eggs, bagels and sangria for breakfast on Saturday (followed by a 2 1/2 hour nap...lol) and pizza made with fresh dough from Deluca's. Twice.

Vive le Weekend!

Things that made me ridiculously happy this weekend (in no particular order):

The 4th annual Winnipeg Tweed ride. This time, with 100% more fella! We had a blast winding around Wolseley, Assiniboine Park, and Wellington Crescent before heading downtown for a picnic on the lawn at Dalnavert.

My first drink in the Palm Room at the Fort Garry Hotel. I ordered a Kir Royale, because why wouldn’t I?

Laying on a blanket in Assiniboine Park. Also, sitting on a lawn chair in Assiniboine Park. (Ever notice that you feel guilty for laying around the house doing “nothing”, but a simple change of venue makes it perfectly acceptable?)

Finding my favourite brand of Oatmeal at Costco after months of being forced to eat icky porridge oats. Where did it go? Dunno, but I’m glad it’s back.

A Random Act of Saskatoon Pie. Thanks, Heather!!

Being the meat on a Shel/Susie sandwich at the 100 MileDinner. So many laughs, such good food. I also got to take home the centerpiece because I had the “worst seat in the house”. We also got a shout-out for adding to the "cool factor" of the evening.

What I did on my summer vacation, part one - Hecla, Mb

Well, the Mascot just got back from a full FOUR WEEKS at camp. We didn’t have a lot of time for an epic family vacation before he left, so we decided to take a 3 day/2 night trip up to Hecla to do… nothing.

Seriously.

Nothing.

Nothing but relaxing, swimming, reading magazines, eating, watching movies, walking, snapping pictures, laughing, sleeping and just loafing about.

And, unless you are a golfer, Hecla is the perfect place to do nothing.

DAY 1

We started our trip on Wednesday morning with some errands and brunch, and then pointed the car north on Highway 8. Less than two hours later, we arrived safe and sound (despite a bizarre killer bee near-incident) at Hecla Island. $12 bucks (cash only!) for a park pass and we were in!

Our first impression of The Lakeshore Hecla Resort was “Oooh…ahhh…oh!” The Mascot is fairly easily impressed, but the lobby and then, finally, the room pretty much blew him away. We had already called dibs on the beds (I always like the one furthest from the door), so we quickly settled in and made ourselves at home. Once I was unpacked, I almost started to wish that I had brought more things; there was SO much storage space in the room and in the bathroom!

Once we had a little decompression time, we headed down to the pool area. J had his goggles, I had my fancy bicycle magazine, and we had nothing but sunshine and time. I read while he swam and, really, it was just about the nicest, quietest 90 minutes of the past decade. We were less than 200km from home and felt like we were a million miles away.

Of course, all that relaxing works up quite an appetite. And a thirst. We changed into our third outfits of the day (the best thing about of traveling has to be the arbitrary clothing changes) and went out to the patio for dinner. The kid had chicken fingers and fries (because he’s a kid) and I had fish tacos and a pail of wine (because I am a lush). Everything was fresh and delish, but it was the scenery that stole the show. Absolutely perfect.

After dinner, we went for an epic walk on something called “Lighthouse Trail” and, guess what… we found not one, but TWO freaking lighthouses. I was in heaven. As soon as my pockets couldn’t hold any more pebbles and I had taken enough photos, we headed back to the hotel to watch a movie and eat cake. Again, heaven.

Day 2

I woke up on Thursday morning with a slight shmoo torte-hangover and decided to hit the fitness centre to work up a sweat and work off some guilt. When I got there and saw the lone treadmill facing a tv, I changed my plan and headed outside to tackle Lighthouse Trail again. It was a warm, sunny morning, but there wasn’t a single person outside, so I made like I was the Prancercise lady and shimmied my way through the woods. It was oddly enjoyable, but I would’ve DIED if anyone had witnessed it. DIED

 

I had slowed to a perfectly normal walk just in time to emerge from the trees and came face-to-face with a doe. As in, doe a deer. A really big, really beautiful female deer. I had one of those rare, life-affirming moments where you stare into the eyes of a majestic animal and feel yourself get stronger and braver. No, really. I did. And you are not going to get *that* running on a treadmill. It took me a very long time after she wandered off into the woods to turn around and go back to the hotel. I did a little yoga (because no one was watching and WHY NOT?) and then sat on the rocks by the older of the two lighthouses, listening to my iPod and building teeny, tiny pebble inukshuks. Serenity now.

The rest of the morning was spent convincing the Mascot to get up and go for breakfast, waiting for and then (eventually) eating breakfast (clearly a different staff than at dinner), and then sitting by the pool and reading yet another niche magazine (mid-century modern homes) while J swam. As you can imagine, it was EXHAUSTING.

We decided to take a break from the hotel restaurant and drive to Gull Harbour for lunch. It was a blazing hot day, but the screened porch of the Lighthouse Inn (yes, another lighthouse!) was cool and breezy. I was randomly craving tuna salad and fries, so that is exactly what I had. I think the kid had a chicken burger, but it was gone so fast that I am not sure.

After lunch, we made the big 10 minute drive to the very quiet and historic Hecla Village for ice cream, which we managed to find (in sandwich form) at the General Store. We took some time to wander around the town’s cemetery and take some cool pictures at a century-old log house before making our way back to the hotel for a wee nap.

It was a beautiful evening, so we decided to eat dinner on the patio again. We had heard that pizzas were pretty good, so we each ordered one – veggie and feta for me and pulled pork for the Mascot. While we waited (and I made my way to the bottom of a noggin-sized Caesar), we watched three young siblings who had abandoned their dinners to try their luck at catching frogs in the ponds beside the patio. Unfortunately, none of them fell in. So much for dinner theatre!

Anyway, the pizza was fantastic; thin, crispy crust with a good dusting of cornmeal and just the right amount of charring from the wood-fired oven and, in the case of my “Veg Head”, lots of grilled, marinated veggies and cheese. The Mascot, after plowing his way through most of his 15” pie, said that it was the best hotel food that he had ever eaten. High praise, I tell ya.

We spent the rest of the evening holed-up in our room watching movies and YouTube videos. Good times.

Day 3

I shouldn’t have been bummed to wake up to rain, especially after two days of perfect weather, but it did put the kibosh on my plans to walk to the lake. Instead, I rolled over and grabbed another hour of sleep and then hauled the Mascot down to breakfast.

Again, it was a painful wait to get our food (which was really surprising, considering how great dinner service was on both nights), but once it came (French Toast for me, chocolate chip pancakes for J), it was ok; nothing extraordinary, but we were just so happy to get it that we tucked right in.

After breakfast, there wasn’t much left for us to do except pack up and check out, so that’s exactly what we did. And there, I suppose, is where our story ends. (Unless, of course, you’d like to hear about the ride home and how it’s possible to hear “Blurred Lines” approximately eight times in two hours…?)

Countdown to Tweed

 

I don't know about you, but I am getting very excited about the 4th annual Winnipeg Tweed Ride, taking place on Sunday, September 8, 2013. 

 

This year's ride will be in two parts, allowing participants to tally-ho as much (or as little) as they want. For those who are really keen to tweed it up, there will be a noon start at Vimy Ridge Park, then a leisurely cycle through Wolseley to Assiniboine Park.

 

After a wee snack by the duck pond, we will regroup at the Pavilion for the start of the second leg of the trip. Departing at 2pm, the group will cycle around the park and then take Wellington Crescent all the way to Broadway. (Ciclovia/Many Fest will be on, so there will be lots of bikes, people, and activities, including a wine tasting and live music!)

 

We usually pose for a picture on the steps of the leg before making our way to Dalnavert for croquet and another snack. And then we'll wrap things up in high-style in the Palm Room at the Fort Garry Hotel around 4pm.(Hobnobbing is hard work, I tell ya.)

Leave a comment (or email me) if you would like to join in the fun, or just want more info. This will be my third year taking part and I think this one will be the best ever! 

 

You want some fries to go with that shake?

 

Read my review of the T-Fal ActiFry here.

Feeling Fringy – Dungeons & Dragons Improv

As part of our pre-camp Fringing activities, the Mascot and I attended a late-night performance of the Dungeons and Dragons Improv show.

This was our third show and, just like our previous ones, it did not disappoint. The cast was as clever and silly and quick-witted as ever, but with a whole new set of characters (and a few guest stars.) My favourite character, Cosro the Terrible, wasn’t a part of this production, but I was happy because the same actor was back as Taxx, a thoroughly lovable (and thoroughly out-of-it) wizard.

The action and laughs were non-stop and my only complaint* about the whole show is that an hour was too short. But, as they say “you gotta leave ‘em wanting more”… which is why I have plans (and much-coveted tickets) to see the show again tonight!

Our review: 4 geeky thumbs up!

*My other complaint had nothing to do with the show, but OHMYGOD, the girls behind me were so vacuous that my hair was blowing back.

Free Press Review

FP Rating *****

Average Reader Rating ****1/2

Oh, this little show’s grown up so fast — five years old already and still with mostly the same outrageously funny cast.

Heck, we suspect the 2013 edition of the nerdalicious DnD Improv Show features the best mix of characters yet, a Game of Thrones-y bunch, from the noble Sir Gregory Gallahad (dashing Toby Hughes, natch) to the adorable dragon Deloris (Katy Bennett, cheekily stealing the show in her best role of this series). There’s also a deliciously sinister talking chicken.

Look, it doesn’t take a bowl of magic pipeweed to understand why DnD sells out every time: take 14 of the best improv comedians in Winnipeg (Fraz Wiest, who plays zonked-out wizard Taxx, might actually be the funniest person in the city), give ’em swords and sorcery and decide their fate with dice. If you like awesome things, find a way to come and play.

— Melissa Martin

Feeling Fringy - Wonderfully Amusing

Fact: In 1983, I was hauled up on the stage of a magic show to have swords stuck through my neck.

Fact: Thirty years later, I found myself on the stage of a magic show, this time to participate in a little “arts & crafts” segment.

Fact: Both experiences were equally thrilling and both left me without a shred of a clue as to how the tricks were performed.

 

Last week, the Mascot and I had the pleasure of seeing the Fringe show “Wonderfully Amusing” at the John Hirsch Theatre. Did it live up to its name? Absolutely. The show was funny, clever, fast-moving (but not too fast-moving), and hugely entertaining. Comedian Matt Falk and Magician Chris Funk were hilarious and engaging and well-deserving of their standing ovation.

I was amazed by everything I saw, but the Mascot played it cool for a couple of tricks that he claimed to know how to do. (There were a few, though, that I could tell kinda blew his mind, which, to me, was worth the $10 that it cost to get in.) There were a few card tricks, a little slight-of-hand, some mind-reading, and lots of audience participation. Although no rabbits were pulled from hats, there was a bowling ball dropped from a sketchpad...

Our review: 4 big, enthusiastic thumbs up!

Free Press Review

FP Rating: ****

Average Reader Rating: ****1/2

Calling your show Wonderfully Amusing can be considered risky or cocky. Thankfully, comedian Matt Falk and magician Chris Funk are pretty much right on the money with the title of their 75-minute production.

The likeable pair play off each other like skilled veterans and both local performers get a fair share of laughs. There is plenty of audience participation during the illusions and no seat is safe if you want to avoid getting on stage.

Some highlights include a variation of Russian roulette, an arts and crafts segment, a bit of sleight of hand with a 10-dollar bill that is almost better in slow motion and a grand finale that earned them a well-deserved standing ovation on opening night.

And, of course, there are some card tricks, because what would a magic show be without a card trick? Funk asked. “Original,” Falk deadpanned.

Wonderfully Amusing is entirely entertaining.

— Rob Williams