Babies, babies, everywhere!

Ok. Was there a memo or something? Something in the water? It seems that ALL of my friends are now having babies. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, two years ago, Mark and I went to 8 weddings. Now, the babies are upon us. But all within a couple months?

Anyway - Welcome to all the new little babes! Here is a link to more pictures.

Lila Rose Garfinkel - born April 27 to Ben and Andrea
Uisce Lily Butterfly Russell - born July 17 to Bliss and Seamus
Taylor Alexandra Porter - born July 21 to Matthew and Vicky
Simon George Keenoy - born July 16 to Sarah and Tom
Cassandra Kirk - born July 18 to Sean and Traci
Bailey Rose Jacquelyn Boyer - born August 4 to Buffy and Matt
Caia Jane Broome - born Aug 7 to Kevin and Jane
Neve Elizabeth McGrath - born August 19 to Heather and Patrick
Erin Lam - born August 19 to Ginny and Ken
Sammy Stanfield - born September 6 to Lee and Mike
Calum Lauchlan Inkster - born September 12 to Claire and Jim
Quinlan "Star" Harry Robert Band - born September 13 to Richard and Sheila
Joshua and Jada Gould (Yes! Twins!) - born September 30 to Kim and Kevin

Huh - that's a lot of girls. Only 3 boys out of all of them!

And it isn't ending! There are 4 more on the way before December!!

Almost everyone was super secret about the names that they chose for their little ones. No one uttered a peep before delivery. Ever wonder how you'd pick a name for your baby? Check out this site. It shows the popularity of different names.

I'm off to find something to drink. I'm really thirsty, but I'm afraid to drink the water....

Remembering Nana

On May 31, 2008, my Nana passed away. She was 96 years old, and a real fire cracker! I just spent a week at home with my parents, and at the end of the week, we had a little party in Nana's honour. I think it was exactly as she would have wanted it. A group of friends gathered at George Hennig Place (her assisted living home) where a few people spoke, her arts and crafts were displayed, a slide show was running, and food was served. Later that evening, some of her closest friends came back to my parents home for a cook out in the back yard, and, of course, a card game. We received some reflections from our family members, and you can read them here.

Reflections from Nana's son
Stan

Reflections from Nana's sons-in-law
Dick
Manouchehr

Reflections from Nana's grandchildren
Rick
Keith
Andrea

Reflections from Nana's great-grandchildren
Becky
Emily
Michael

Dad's eulogy gives a pretty complete account of Nana's life. At the party, my dad also read out a prayer that we think Nana would have liked. It was a nice send off for my Nana. There was a lot of love in that room, and it seems like everyone will miss her dearly.

Stella Butt 1912-2008.

Sun Peaks Is My New Favourite Mountain!

Mark and I had an extended long weekend at Sun Peaks Resort with Dave and Janice. What a wicked time!! We stayed in a condo right on the mountain (so much fun - didn't need the car once the whole weekend!) that had a hot tub on the balcony. Perfect after a long day of snowboarding.

First, I'll have to say, the food was awesome. We all contributed in the kitchen and made some fantastic meals. These were helped along by some good wines and other boozey liquids...

But the boarding!! FUN! We never had to wait in any lift lines - maybe because the Coquihalla was closed due to an avalanche?? But, we had the mountain to ourselves! The best fun was going up The Sundance Express, down Three Bears, and then dropping into the treed bits in between the runs. SO MUCH POWDER!! And, on the second day, it snowed so much that every single run had fresh tracks! Also fun was ripping down the cruiser runs off of Morrisey Express. We boarded for two full days, but didn't even get to explore the entire resort. Next time!

We got our lift passes at Costco before we left - that saved us about $15 each per day. I have to tell you - next time I want to do some wicked boarding, I will consider Sun Peaks over Whistler. It is further away, but the snow was amazing, there were no lift lines, there is plenty of fun and challenging terrain, and it is less expensive!

Check out our pics...

We're Back from Havana!

We were back in Havana again! No, I didn’t get married again – Mark was attending a design conference, and I was there to test the mojitos and the cuba libres. I think we both had a successful trip!

Things were a bit different than last time – there are actually stores with products on the shelves for Cubans to buy, it wasn’t quite as safe as I remember it, but it was still beautiful. Also, they are really pushing to get Vieja reconstructed and renovated. There was a lot of construction underway as they try to bring Havana back to its former glory.

We revisited some of our favourite haunts – The Hotel Nacionale was just as serene and beautiful as we left it. What a beautiful relaxing place to go to get away from the madness of the city!

Justina is still going strong as the neighbourhood mother. She takes care of everyone, and had such a beautiful welcome for us. Well, she was really into Mark – I’m not sure if she noticed that I was there as well! Gotta keep an eye on these Cuban women - they can be quite aggressive!

This time, we didn’t stay in a hotel. We stayed at Lilliam Vigil’s B&B and it was fantastic. Lilly, Javier, Ramon and the rest of the crew were so welcoming and helpful. It was great to live with a family, instead of hanging out with other tourists, so we could get a different perspective of Cuba. We had beautiful breakfasts each day consisting of seasonal fruits; fresh bread, butter and preserves; bacon and eggs; and knock-your-socks-off Cuban coffee.

We drove to a couple different beaches. Bucuranao Beach was so awesome. We were the only tourists on the beach. We played with the Cubans and watched their kids playing in the sand and water. When I left my Vanity Fair with them, they all crowded around it to see the splashy magazine. We had some awesome food too. Another day we went to Santa Maria del Mar. It was very touristy though. The sand was nice, but I found myself wanting to go back to Bucuranao. And no locals came by with food!!!

Dave, Janice and I rented scooters which were in varying degrees of repair… It was awesome to have the freedom to rip around the city, but after only 2 minutes on the bike, we’d be covered with soot, road guck, and exhaust. We could almost peel off a layer of ick after a ride! Not to worry though, the torrential rain basically washed most of it off when we were riding around. The rain in Cuba is not like Vancouver. I think we got one year’s worth of rain in about 30 minutes. Just so happened that we were riding around in our scooters at the time. Although scary because we couldn’t really see, it was pretty funny to be caught in it.

We also went to Zanja Market. That was a cool experience. This is where local Cubans shop for food. There were stacks and stacks of fresh eggs out in the sun for people to buy. And meat. In the sun. You’ll have to see the pictures to really get a sense of what was there.

The trip was awesome, and I really thank Lilly and her family for taking us in and being so welcoming. I am looking forward to my next trip there so I can see them and see how much their little daughter has grown! Check out our pictures! And, check out the pictures that the rest of our group took.

The Aunts Visit Vancouver!

Two of my aunts and my cousin finally made the trek to Vancouver to visit their relatives!! Aunt Cynthia, Aunt Doris, and Ethel (a new cousin of mine!) spent some time with my parents in Spruce Grove and The Rockies, and then they took a short jaunt to Vancouver. The weather was perfect (although, they found it a little cool if you can imagine!) and we did some fun stuff!

They didn't have much time, so I tried to cram in a few 'typical Vancouver' things. First, we visited Capilano Suspension Bridge. No one I know that lives in Vancouver has actually gone to the bridge unless they are taking tourists there. Funny huh? But it was pretty spectacular. The Treetops Adventure was also really fun. It was a chance for the out-of-towners to see what our nature looks like - the water, the trees, the plants... Very different from the Philippines!

Then, off to English Bay to eat by the water. It's funny how Vancouverites sit on a patio and pretend they are in nature when there are sirens, trucks and other pollution spewing vehicles zipping past. Ah, the outdoors!

That evening, I cooked Thai food for everyone. Duck and lychee red curry, cilantro and garlic prawns, and chicken and thai basil noodles. Then, off to watch the sunset at Kits beach. I drove around a little bit more, but then noticed that Aunt Doris was nodding off in the back seat. ...I hope she wasn't drooling!! ;-) Back to the hotel for them!

Friday, we went to Granville Island and marveled at the produce and the stores with strange kitchy stuff. Have you seen the dragon store there? Weird!

Then, off to Go Fish for some lunch. What a line up for the fish-n-chips! Well worth it though.

The ladies wanted more shopping! So, off to 4th Ave to check out what the young, beautiful people are wearing. Apparently, they are wearing expensive yoga gear these days...! We kept searching for 'sale' signs, but 10% off just doesn't cut it for these seasoned shoppers!

Saturday, we met up for lunch with Keith and Rory at Phnom Penh for some Cambodian/Vietnamese food. Holy cow. What a fantastic restaurant. Great service, delicious food, fun company. Awesome time!

Then, they went with Keith and Rory out to White Rock before heading back to the airport. It was a whirlwind tour, but fun nonetheless!

Check out the pictures !

Chicago - Bang Bang!

Mark and I went to Chicago at the beginning of May to visit our friends Helene and Casey (...and Henry and Lola!). Chicago is an amazing city with great art and fantastic architecture. We had an awesome time, but as usual, needed more time!

My impressions? Chicago is a vibrant and bustling city. It is also one of the loudest cities I've ever been too! The train running through the city is deafening, and the horn honking is constant. I thought traffic was bad here in Vancouver. Well, we don't really have much to complain about!! People are really packed in there too - but the housing is just beautiful. There is a lot of brick and stone homes that are built to last. Tons of character in all the buildings, and you know they are solid.

One of the highlights was taking the architectural boat tour downtown. You'll see from the pictures that the buildings are quite fascinating! We walked Magnificent Mile, checked out Millennium Square, ate at some great restaurants, and ate at one brutal restaurant. We went to Second City, put together a BBQ, played with the dogs, said hi to old people, and went on a ferris wheel ride. Then, we ended up the trip with tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's house and neighbourhood. All in a few short days!

Here are the photos. Buy us a glass of wine, and we'll tell you the stories!!

I've Been Bad

It has been a long time since I've posted. Not because I haven't had anything to say - everyone who knows me knows that I am opinionated!! No, just because life has gotten in the way. So, my first post is about Heather's birthday party!! Yay!! Heather turned 21 (she is insisting), and we had a bit of a get together for her. Here are the pictures for the evening.

The theme was Thai food. And booze.

First course was Galloping Horses
Second course was Prawns with Coriander and Chili
Third course was Crab and Green Mango Salad
Fourth course was Stir Fried Noodles with Holy Basil

And of course, chocolate cake from Fratellis for dessert!

Check out the recipes and tell me what you think of them! As for what is really happening in the pictures ...what happens at girl's night STAYS at girl's night...

Happy Birthday Charlie!

Last Saturday was Charlie's birthday! He turned five, so we thought we'd take him for a real treat. Off we went to Doggie Style Deli on Denman. What a fun place! He had a showcase of food to choose from. The way he ate the lamb and veggie dish, you would have thought I hadn't fed him in 4 days! Ben and Othello also came to help Charlie celebrate. I think Charlie knew it was a special day!! See the pics

Ben and Andrea are married...

It seems that this is the summer of weddings for us... Ben and Andrea did it up 20s style at the beautiful Hycroft Manor. So beautiful. All the details were done perfectly. What a magical evening!

Kim Watson is Getting Married!

My good friend Kim Watson is getting married!! We started off with a few drinks, off to Coast Restaurant and ended up at The Republic. Kim was a little wobbly by the end of the night, although maybe it was those crazy high Stephane De Raucourt shoes she was wearing... Check out the pictures.

Billy and Michelle Tied the Knot!!

Our good friends Billy and Michelle got married Kootenay-style last weekend. What a colourful, meaningful and personal wedding. Colourful gypsy/bohemian garb was the name of the game as we were specifically instructed 'no funeral wear'. The ceremony was beautiful. It was held in the Grey Creek Community Hall - a quaint log cabin right on the shore of Kootenay Lake. The clouds parted, the sun came out, and the wind died down. Thank you Mother Nature! Billy and Michelle visited the four pillars - Air, Fire, Water and Earth.

We Desire
That the air of understanding always move through us
That the fire of passion always burn between us
That the water of love always flow around us
That the abundance of earth always manifest for us
That the spirit of our family and friends always be with us

After the ceremony, we were treated to an amazing dinner and then tunes spun by Miroslov. Check out the pictures.

A Fountain of Fun!

I wonder what happens when you drink Diet Coke and then eat a Menthos... Check out this video. The science of food is cool.

Pork ...and Ham??

This can of Pork and Ham is way better than just the plain Pork.
I love shopping at T&T.

Faith the Dog

I thought our little blind Charlie was an amazing dog. Check out Faith the Dog. This shows how adaptable dogs are.

Beautiful and Fantastic

As a kid, did you ever think "I'm going to run away and join the circus!" Well, Ryan Mellor did (I'm not sure about the running away part, but he did join the circus!) Ryan is now working here at UBC for a short stint until he is called back to England to perform with Full Moon Performers. His specialty is juggling, but it is a modern and magical form of it. Check out the videos.

Pasta Frenzy!

I had a blast the other night. I decided to finally break out the pasta maker that my parents gave us for Christmas! Ya, it took a long time for me to build up the courage, but I had some alone time (rare) and decided to try it all by myself!! What great fun! First I had some difficulties figuring out a proper recipe - it kept coming out too dry and crumbly. But after some trial and error, I felt like I was in the heart of Italy cranking out my spaghetti. It's amazing how simple it really is (when you have a KitchenAid).

4 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tbsp water.

How easy is that??? The fun part was cranking it through the machine. When you fold it and put it through the rollers, sometimes it snaps - remember doing that with Silly Putty??? In the end, we had reams of fresh pasta. And seriously - it takes 1000 times better than store-bought.

Snakes and Weasels!

Just about every kid I knew had a hamster, weasel or some sort of rodent as a pet. Did you ever wonder what happened to the poor guy after he kicked it? Miranda has found the perfect home for these lost pets.

Lowbrow and Pop Surrealist Art has soared in popularity over the last few years. Combine this artistic style with Taxidermy, and you have a campy collectible for those who appreciate oddities.

My Taste Buds Are Dancing!!

Last night, IBC had their Christmahanukkuanzahah Holiday Dinner. Anyone can make reservations, but not everyone can make a 9 course French Dinner!! Mark and Ben enlisted the help of our friend Colin, and they put together a feast with wine pairings for each course. Each course got a little bit better than the last one. And, I don't think it was the 9 bottles of wine either!! Thanks guys for putting on a great show. Can we do that every week??? Check out the yummy menu.

Is the Season Too Stressful for You?

Sometime all we need is a little relaxation therapy. Try this!
bubbles!!

New York: Conan Eats Subway...Alone

Tonight we had VIP tickets (thanks Keith) to a taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and was thrilled to get a chance to talk with Jon directly about his role as a political satirist affecting an entire generation. After the show we went for a walk before dinner and as we passed a Subway Restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, we noticed a solo character hunched over his sandwich focussing intently on his meal. It as Conan Obrien. Seriously, it was Conan Obrien! Sitting all alone after taping his nightly show eating what looked like a veggie sub with the chips, coke and cookie combo. After introducing myself, we chatted for a minute about subjects such as his hair (yes, it really looks like that) and had a moment together, before I left him, alone with his sandwhich, to enjoy his fabulous celebrity meal. I wonder where Jon Stewart eats?

New York: Not So Big After All

If you are a member of our tribe and follow this blog, the odds are good you know who Blog guru Seth Godin is, or have at least seen his name on this site before. Today I went for a walk through SoHO with my friend and collaborator Piers Fawkes when we bump into none other than Seth Godin on the sidewalk and chat for a bit. It's kind of how my trip to New York has gone so far - seemingly endless moments of coincidence and serendipity.

New York: Buzzing With Energy

First impressions of New York? Well, frankly not as BIG feeling as I imagined, though by any comparison, it is a huge metropolis. The moment we arrived here though, there was an energy in the air that was palpable. It almost crawls on your skin and buzzes in your ear. The sounds, smells, flavours seem amplified here somehow. No wonder my artist friend (and brilliant tour guide) Sarah moved back here. Here is a random sampling of photos taken our first day here.

Boston: More Chowdah?

Boston is a picturesque blend of very old (like Paul Revere's house) and very new (such as "The Big Dig" under the city). The historic buildings, ethnic neighbourhoods, friendly pubs, bright fall colours, inviting aromas, bland fashion - everthing is slightly different than home, yet comfortable and familiar. I won't go into long detailed descriptions here, but you can check out some random photos from our wanders through the city. Only one question: What's with all the Dunkin' Donuts out East?

Luke, I am ...dressed up in a ridiculous costume!

Happy Halloween from Darth Chuckles!! He may look very menacing here, but he's actually a pretty mild mannered dog. We've been working on a light saber routine, but it hasn't caught on yet.

Zoom Zoom Zoom!

We bought a car from the future!! No, it doesn't run on garbage or old grease from McDonalds, but it is a 2006 Mazda 3 Sport GT, and it is only September 2005! How crazy is that? Watch out for us...zoom zoom zoom!!! (Ah, marketing really does work)

Learning English is FUN!

Now that I'm working with English Language testing at UBC, I have been poking around the Internet trying to find good ESL sites. CBC and Carleton University have teamed up to produce a really great site that makes learning fun! The topics are All-Canadian and they've made it super interesting. CBC ESL Site

Mermaids don't have two tails!

Have you ever wondered why the mermaid in Starbucks' logo has two tails? She's actually a mythological twin-tailed siren called Mulesine found in a 15th century French fable. The story goes that Mulesine married a mariner (who I guess figured he'd scored big by marrying a pretty young mermaid) but she would never let him see her in the bath. Wait...mermaids take BATHS? Anyway, the legend is that eventually her husband spied her scrubbing down her scaly pair of fish gams in the tub and freaked out. She disappeared forever. What that has to do with a coffee shop is beyond me, but apprently a mermaid with two tails can seduce stupid land lubbers for only so long - until he actually sees her naked I guess. Wait..how did they have children? What a dumb fable.

There's another interesting story behind recent revisions to the Starbucks logo to make it "less naughty" that you can read about here: Less Naughty

Gourmet Triple "O" Sauce?

There's a strange new advertising trend in Vancouver recently. Top echelon celebrity restauranteurs like John Bishop and Iron Chef winner Rob Feenie, who already have to worry about over exposing themselves on television, are now are appearing in TV ads espousing the accolades of White Spot's burgers and fries. They're even selling their cookbooks at White Spot locations! This just doesn't seem to make sense. Why would gourmet chefs of that stature risk it all by endorsing the burger joint across the street? Don't they think this is rather "off brand" and a risky move for a quick paycheck? It makes one wonder what grand strategy these gastronomic entrepreneurs are employing or if they are getting caught up in their own celebrity status? Aren't there more important things back in their own kitchens to worry about rather than how fresh the food is at a notoriously mediocre burger joint? Mind you, White Spot's Double Double burger with Triple "O" Sauce is really quite yummy.

Cruising the open road

One of the best ways I can think of to spend a relaxing weekend is winding up a coastal BC highway on a stylish ride like a Buell M2 Cyclone. For those who enjoy blasting through city streets, there's the unique new Buell CityX with it's streefighter meets motocross naked design and translucent blodywork.

The Peter Principle

How can companies avoid the pitfalls of The Peter Principle and keep employees motivated and constantly pushing their limits? With proper educational foresight, a corporation can have rewarded, educated and productive employees.

With 18 years of school and 10 years in the workforce, I've found that I have become a bit of expert in the field of Education and Learning & Development. I can be a little opinionated sometimes, and finally with my blog, I have a venue to post it! Send me a comment - tell me what you think!

This brings new meaning to the phrase "Cat Lover"

I don't even know what to say aboout this article. A woman had some house guests and they decided to boil the neighbour's cat because they were hungry?? I guess there are some people I will just never understand...Cat Eaters

How to Make a Weekend Stressful

Starting Friday evening at 8pm our crew at Industrial Brand Creative had exactly 48 hours to concept, write, shoot, edit and deliver a 30 second commercial public service announcement (PSA) for Room to Read as part of The Great Canadian Commercial Contest. Needless to say, we didn't get any sleep until Saturday morning. Fourty four teams competed, each producing a PSA for one of five different not-for-profits. It was quite the experience, and in the end our commercial turned out great, but it sure led to a long, stressful weekend. You'd never guess it was shot right here in the lower mainland!

Time Waster

Wow. I didn't know I could waste so much time on a site! I'm not crazy about cats, but take a look at the 'My Cat Annie' link. It's pretty funny. Check out ze's page.

Juror's Choice goes to... More Than Just Peanuts!

We did it! After eluding us for two years, we finally won Juror's Choice in the CANstruction competition. We spent Friday and Saturday stacking, taping, and gluing together cans of food to create Snoopy, Woodstock and the dog house. My knees are bruised and my back is broken, but seeing that all the food will go to the Food Bank, it is really worth it. More Than Just Peanuts

CANstruction is Underway Again

I went with the Industrial Brand Creative team to the CANstruction kick off this morning, so I guess we're in it for out third year! Now all we have to do is come up with the perfect idea, search for the right cans, make David crazy with AutoCAD...then build! It's great cause - all the cans go to the Food Bank at the end of the event. The build is on March 4th & 5th, and everyone can go see the sculptures March 6-12 at Canada Place. This is such a great event. Last year, we created a giant film reel. For more details on the competition, check out the CANstruction Vancouver website.

George W Deranged???

I don't really consider myself political, but after seeing and experiencing Cuba firsthand, I found this article intriguing. How many other world leaders would stand up like this to George Dubble-yah? Article

Mr. and Mrs. Busse!

Well, we did it! We stole away on a Cuban adventure and came back husband and wife. Our trip was perfect and I want to share it with you! Pictures and Journal

Crazy Microbe Stuffed Animals?

What is with these crazy stuffed animals? I miss the days of snuggling with bunnies and teddy bears. Who wants a cute little HIV toy?GIANT MICROBES

Andrea? A responsible banker?

Some fool thought Andrea was responsible with her money and finances and featured her in articles in The Vancouver Sun & Ottawa Citizen. Funny. Article

They Got Me Good

Yup. It's true. Apparently everyone around me was conspiring to plan a stag party with a poker tournament. I didn't have a clue at all. Check out the photos and you'll get the idea - I felt about as dizzy as some of them are blurry. STAG

Chickitie China the Chinese Charlie

Well, if his mom is half Chinese, then I guess he is a little bit Chinese. So, let's celebrate diversity!

Family Visit

Mom and Dad are here! They are babysitting Rory while Keith and Keltie are away on holidays. I think my parents will need a holiday after taking care of the two year old for the week!! Good thing they are retired... At least they are getting their exercise. Today, my mom did the bird dance 15 times with her grandson Rory.

CRX Memories

I miss my old CRX. She was always good to me and I feel bad I was so rough with her at the end.

Commie Cuba

We finally (fingers crossed) got all the paperwork sorted out for getting married in Cuba. Thank god - what a hassle. You'd think we were going to a communist country or something. Crappy systems man. Anyway, it looks like January 19th might be the day we do it - coincidentally our 3 year anniversary. That's pretty cool.

Welcome Aboard

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your pilot Mark Busse speaking. Welcome aboard Industrial Brand Airlines Flight #336. Our flying time from Vancouver to Edmonton will be approximately 1 hours and 15 minutes. We will be cruising at 32,000 feet at a speed of... Er - folks, I have just been informed that, due to a slight maintenance oversight, we have only enough fuel for 12 more seconds of flying time - so if you will please fasten your seatbelts and repeat after me: "Our Father who art in Heaven..."