Tim Horton and polar bears...

Brilliant knits in Iceland... if you like Fair Isle! (I don't...).

I can't say I agree with you re. wanting the 9 months of "real snow". But - maybe that makes you a true Canadian! Check out the Far North in Canada (or else Alaska, I suppose, if you want to remain Murcan).

One caveat - if you go TOO far north they do not sell such things as pringles, diet coke, etc locally and one must order in sufficient quantity every six months or so at great expense.

Anyway, you might want to check out this issue of Walrus Magazine before you think about moving North. It was quite interesting reading... but solidified my desire for warm temps. If you catch me bitching about the humidity in the summer, please come north of the border and slap me hard.

I think my fingers have thawed well enough to return to my "phallic" Secret of the Stole II:



(Phallic?!?! What was up with that?! Perhaps a trip to Toronto to check out the yarn shops would be therapeutic? What say you?!)

And guess what - there is now a museum dedicated to Tim Horton! It is located in Cochrane, Ontario - his birthplace.

Come to think of it, given your desire for colder climes, it might be a good idea for you to make a pilgrimage to Cochrane, which is located here:



In other words, northeast of Timmins (named after Tim as well? Hmmm) - which is as far north as I have been, and only in the summertime.

Wikipedia says that Cochrane Town contains many references to polar bears. Its mascot is a large polar bear statue known as Chimo. There are also live polar bears at the new "Polar Bear Conservation and Educational Habitat and Heritage Village" which opened in the summer of 2004.

Sounds like it's right up snow-mad alley! What say you?

why didn't I think of that?!?!?!?!

Holly: we need an agent sooner rather than later.

(Wrong agent? Just trying to get your dirty little mind off more current Bonds. I'm a bit of a hypocrite though, because this ruse is not quite working for me...

STOP THINKING ABOUT DANIEL CRAIG, KRISTINA!!

That's better. Besides, as you know I am rather partial to older Scottish blokes:

OK - I can focus now. What was I saying? Oh yes ...).

We desperately need an agent. Look what I saw on the way to work this morning...

We have missed out on yet another golden opportunity! Check out the blurb:

I could have written that book. And you could have written the American companion volume "Why Krispy Kremes just don't cut it: Tim Rules!

So... let's get going on it. It's winter, it's cold and we can spend lots of quality time scheming and writing...

Ahem, not to mention daydreaming.




You are truly, truly wicked. I don't think that JJ will let me watch Casino Royale tonight given that I've already made him see it three times in the past two weeks!

Any zombie problems lately?

Ta-ta,

Kristina

don't hate me...

Dear Southern Friend:

Well, I just returned from the Boxing Day sale at John Fluevog. I have good news and bad news. In time honoured tradition the bad news first.

I located nothing on sale. Well, that's not strictly true. I located three fab "last pairs" of shoes for $99 and swooped them up joyously. The sales person then raised an eyebrow and said "Dear, who are those for?!?" Turns out they were size 12.

But, undaunted, I perservered - and the good news (for me, although not for my pocketbook) is that I acquired not one, but two new pairs of shoes!

Here is the first, called Saint Michael:



And the second? So new, they're not even on the website yet. They are close in appearance, however, to Supervogs and they are cherry red/burgundy in colour. Pics on my blog tomorrow.

Don't hate me, dear friend. I just couldn't resist. All the money I didn't spend abroad (because I didn't feel like shelling out double for clothes I could buy in Toronto) was burning a hole in the pocketbook. And, they appear to have lowered the prices in the shop up here to match the US ones, which makes it easier to justify. I'll tell JJ that one pair is for Aphrodite. Do you think he'll buy that?

And - you should get yourself a pair. I have it on good authority that they are not only Satan free but Zombie free as well!

I must say it is really good to be back in TO (aside from the rather paltry snack situation). I'm munching on a slice of Mamma's Pizza and enjoyed a Boston Cream from Timmy's this morning. And - it's 13 celsius out!

shameless yarn-coveting hussy!

Dear Holly:

Well, I hope this weekend is treating you well and that you are not snowed under down there. The weather has settled up here finally although it is $#*($&*@#($&*(@#$&*@$# cold. What are you, Ogre, Pigs, etc. up to these days?

Me - a quiet weekend at home rolling around in my stash - JJ is at work, poor sod. But don't feel too sorry for him. He works at a Canadian Forces base which is a large training facility. As such, the weekend work comes with unlimited quantities of top-notch food catered in for trainings, banquets, etc - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Paid for by yours truly, Canadian Taxpayer - my tax dollars at work!!!

(If I have remembered not to gloat too much at him at 5:00 a.m. when he is stumbling around trying to leave the house and swearing and trying to find his bloody necktie, he sometimes brings some home for me as well. So, I can't really complain.)

So - his job on the weekends essentially consists of:

- playing spider solitaire
- doing the weekend cryptic in the Globe and Mail
- watching videos
- eating free delicious food

For this, he gets paid $17.85/hour. Not too shabby.

For my part, I am avoiding housework, trying to make more headway on JJs cardigan and admiring my new yarn acquisitions, not necessarily in that order. Here's just one of them:



I had intended to get up early and drive JJ to work so that I could head out to the Shoe Company later - a coworker acquired a very funky pair of pink and black boots there the other day for $30 and said that they have deep discounts on all of last year's boots. However, last evening's sojourn with the Tenant Advocates took its toll, and I couldn't get out of bed. I could take the bus up to the Shoe Company, but I'm not yet into dealing with the extreme cold. (I think I'm still also mourning the end of Garage Sale/Yarn Sale Season, to be honest.) I do need to get my @$$ off the couch and get to the dollar store to see if I can find some styrofoam or light plastic fruit for another Carmen Miranda headdress as I am going to a Christmas party next Saturday where I have to do a party piece, and want to play Carmen with a headdress I can actually wear for more than 2 minutes. I also need to hit the Turkish store for some provisions (Greek food at half the price! Go figure!!!). But I think this will all have to wait until tomorrow - I just have to keep telling myself that if I drive JJ to work I can make a stop at Tim Hortons on the way back....

Let me know your news!

Cheers,

Kristina

Cross that Border Hat

Dear Kristina,

How is Canada today? It's so windy in Michigan, and even though my math is bad, I pretty good with the directions and I've got a feeling that if you see a hat that looks like this...

the wind took it from me and I believe it's now somewhere near Buffalo and may make it up to your way by around 2 this afternoon.

I could always knit another, but really, why look back when there are so many more silly hats to fill the world with?

Speaking of filling, does Tim Hortons no longer make the custard filled Tim Bits, or are some evil donut girls hoarding all the good ones in their little aprons? Or am I required to ask special for the good ones?

Also, my love of Timmy's started when I was 15. I went on a cross border trek with an older boy not realizing that Canada is a great country full of donuts and beer. Oh, do they still make Durango, a weird Berry flavored malt beverage concoction?

Anyway, I was gleefully allowed into the country. But because of my very Michigan/Canadian border accent, it took several hours for me to regain enterance back into the states. Why? 15 year olds with older boyfriends who don't expect to leave the country don't carry their birth certificates with them when planning on going to a movie.

You Know I Want a Tim Bit Nation!

Oh, in a perfect world, there would be no more zombies, a good yarn store within walking distance, solar power for all, and White Castle and Tim Horton's would get married and make the perfect fast food union...only here people, in the

49th Dimension!

Sorry Kristina, but I spoke with my mother in law last night and I was informed that Thanksgiving was going to be a "dry" event this year. After much shock, amazement and choking on my deep fried sweet potatoes (a festive treat) I said this...

"With all the zombies I have been fighting while you were off in New York for the last 5 years, not to mention the charity knitting I've had to do and slap your name on it to keep you in good graces at the Grange, the one thing I am Thankful for is the sweet, sweet cheapness of Californian hooch! This will not be a dry Thanksgiving. I will also not bow down to Miracle Whip!"

Since I burn all that I cook, I ordered a smoked turkey from the smoke house down the road, and the Ogre was in charge of pies.


This here is what I'm bringing....




That's just what I'm bringing for me. Screw the rest of the fam.

a timbit nation! and Thanksgiving centrepiece

Holly:

The true name for someone from Windsor, according to my source, is a Windsorite. Do commit it to memory so's you can "pass"...my smart@$$ friend Kenn (the one who told me that "people from Windsor" = "people who want to move to Trana ASAP) said that you can contact him if you want to learn the secret handshake.

For those who are not familiar with the wonder that is Tim Hortons (or Timmy's, as some of us lovingly call it), here is an explanatory blurb (gotta love Wikipedia!):

Tim Hortons franchise stores are plentiful in Canadian cities and towns. As of July 1, 2007, there were 2,733 outlets in Canada and 345 outlets in the United States.

Tim Hortons has supplanted McDonald's as Canada's largest food service operator; it has nearly twice as many Canadian outlets as McDonald's, and its system-wide sales surpassed those of McDonald's Canadian operations in 2002. The chain accounted for 22.6% of all fast food industry revenues in Canada in 2005.

Tim Hortons commands 76% of the Canadian market for baked goods (based on the number of customers served) and holds 62% of the Canadian coffee market (compared to Starbucks, in the number two position, at 7%)[emphasis added]

And guess what? They have outlets in Michigan!! According to Tim's website they are currently hiring at their locations in Adrian, Canton and Saline, Michigan - in case you're interested... :-) It's never too young to send the Pigs to work to bring in some craft cash, methinks.

They even have an outlet at CFB Kandahar - they pay $1,000/week tax-free over there or so I've heard. But that might be a little far to commute.

I know that you have a big holiday tomorrow - sorry I'm so delayed getting this centrepiece idea to you, but if you start now you should have it done in time:


A turkey made from tampons!!! The website also has the following crafts which should be of interest to you:

(a) a menorah! (for that demanding Piglet who might want to celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas this year...)

and

(b) an addition for your zombie-fighting arsenal.


So - get craftin'!!! :-)

And a happy turkey day to you - with or without tampons...

Cheers,

Kristina

PS. Do check out the Soo - I was just there on business and they have the best Value Village I've ever been in. And I've been in (quite a) few...