December 24: Pancakes

1. No big rush hour: morning commute into downtown.
2. Bill the time anyway: work cancelled for the afternoon.
3. Kids' Christmas Eve: being served imaginary pancakes.

July 21: Benassi

1. On my way into the subway, fumbling for change since I had forgotten my pass at home, a tourist emerged and randomly offered me his day pass.

2. On my way to a club, the driver said, ‘You're too old to go to the Guvernment.’ After I let him have it, he explained, ‘You're not dressed like a teenager.’ I later realized it was for my own good. (Next time, I will dress like a teenager.)

3. On my way back to my younger days, I was infected by the one and only Benny Benassi, beautiful inside and out.

May 23: (A) Sandwich

1. Being my own midnight party of three – me, myself and I.
2. Buying the last fresh pizza slice for half price – didn’t hurt to ask.
3. Covering my skin in a mask made of eggs, honey and garlic (!!!) – remarkable thing, smelling like an old sandwich.

May 11: Fragrant

1. Senses: Cheese fondue and white chocolate fondue, among other delectables - the dinner I never ate. Inhaling fresh mint from R's Mojitos being prepared in the kitchen. Inhaling a few other things, too. A delightfully fragrant houseparty.

2. Mush Mush: The taxi driver accepted what cash I had, even though I was $1.50 short and had no way to access an ATM. He was so cool about it when he could have given me a hard time.

3. Sparkle: An ice-cold bottle of Perrier sat in the fridge waiting for me to crack it open and guzzle its bubbles.

April 29: Passage

1. Women who email: Instructions enabling domain configuration.
2. Women who bond: Downtime on our shift today at the film festival.
3. Women who write! See passage below from a book I am reading. I'll post the reference tomorrow.

‘He released my finger from his mouth and leaned into me, his mouth at my neck. His lips searched my face, grazed my cheek, my eyebrows, my forehead as if he was touching the raised letters of an old gravestone, trying to read the story of a life from its beginning. He wrote the future onto my face with his lips.’

April 23: Miles

1. I learned that I have just enough miles left in my points program to go hang out in Chicago.
2. I received an unexpected phone call from my grade two best friend.
3. Perfect timing as J and I left our homes/offices, hopped in a cab and caught the 1145pm screening of King Corn. I don't want to plug too many films, but if you eat food in North America, you owe it to yourself to see this.

April 22: Helvetica

1. The true highlight today was getting into a sold-out film titled Helvetica. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, people lined up around a city block, hours in advance, to get into a movie about a font. Was it worth it? Yes!
2. Having tea with J and B in the middle of Yorkville, watching all the puppies, followed by chit chat on a sunny bench in an old square at University of Toronto campus (watching all the puppies).
3. Ending the night with a screening of an excellent film titled The Protagonist. Like the earlier film, the director was there to answer all kinds of questions.

March 14: Tickets

1. Bloggy Award wrote some nice things about my blog.
2. People are taking my books and magazines (I have to lighten my shelves and want to find them all good homes).
3. Two free tickets to the MAC warehouse sale this weekend.

March 9: Babes

After a family brunch in ABU DHABI:

1. Babes on the bus! En route back to Dubai, we meet three Etihad Airways flight attendants on their way to some kind of nautical bash. The chatter begins: hellos, where-are-you-froms, stories, tears, advice, talk of men, women, film (specifically, Water) and travel. ‘Dump him!’ ‘He doesn't love you!’ ‘You must visit Goa...’ We also learn that the streetlamp designs change once you leave Abu Dhabi and enter Dubai. Locals give you the neatest information.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

2. Three-way date at Madinat Jumeirah, a new complex, part of which is built in the style of an old souk (market). Steak dinner and ice cream desserts are followed by tea on the steps, where ideas are brainstormed and Project Caviar is born.

3. VIP hook-ups to one of the hottest clubs in town, courtesy of a friend's roommate. Trilogy's rooftop boasts a fabulous view of Burj Al Arab. For reasons unknown, people there call it ‘Triology’ – huh?

February 27: Sale

MADRID, Spain

My incredible hostess and friend interrupted her sleep at 1am to open the door for me - in addition to feeding, providing for and enlightening me all weekend to this very cool city.

1. Alejandro's taxi arrived perfectly on time for the airport.
2. I met the same nice flight attendant returning to Italy.
3. Another chance at playing The Big Turd and catching some zzz's. I don't care how many hot businessmen were on that flight.

MILAN, Italy

1. No major damage in terms of shopping until today. Thankfully, the girl at Coccinelle reminded me to fill out a tax refund form.
2. Sonya, her sister, her boyfriend and I all met for tea at Duomo. It was so nice to see familiar faces in a strange city again.
3. Bruno Magli shoes on sale at the airport, right outside my gate to Damascus. A mere fraction of what I'd pay on this side of the pond. Destiny.

Let's call it minor damage: three pairs of shoes and a handbag. How was I to know I'd be in Europe during sale season?

February 22: Jeudi Gras

MILAN, Italy

1. Sore thumb: I discovered a local pizza joint full of workers on lunch, where no one spoke any language but Italian. I stuck out, but dutifully finished all my pizza like any hungry worker would.
2. Nice couple: The family-run hotel agreed to hold my second piece of luggage while I go visit Madrid.
3. Wandering: After a sunny, café-filled afternoon, I found a beautiful old building hosting a free Australian aboriginal art exhibit, part of a clever tourism initiative.

All the children in Milan are in costume today. It's like Halloween in February. I asked the mothers in the park. It's Jeudi Gras (they celebrate Mardi Gras all week long). This may or may not explain the prevalence of confetti on the landscape.

MADRID, Spain

1. I scored three seats again and a nap on my flight.
2. Alejandro and Greta patiently found me at the airport.
3. Greta and I hit the streets for a late-night celebration. Everywhere was packed, so we went to an Irish pub. You can always count on the Irish!

February 21: Confetti

MILAN, Italy

The highlight was Sonya et al (see Bonus below). Nothing can beat that. Here are the others:

1. A really nice guy from Texas at the train station gave me his 48hr metro pass to use up the next day (he is an English teacher in France, in case you happen to know him).
2. I walked through a colourful, confetti-covered park, where the guard at the planetarium let me in the building to warm up and check it out, even though it was reserved for school children.
3. Full of horse meat from my panino breakfast, I, for the second time in under three months, was saved by H&M with an affordable, hip jacket (I have a habit of being woefully unprepared for the weather).

You gotta' respect a city that wears good shoes.

February 20: Soup

TORONTO, Canada

1. I got a lift to the airport and saved $20 on a cab.
2. The girl at Tim Hortons agreed to fill my lentil soup cup with hot water, so I was able to eat something healthy before boarding the plane.
3. The flight was near empty, so I settled in to sleep on my three seats.

I have this system: I sit in the middle seat, fasten my fully loosened seat belt, lie down/curl up sideways, and open my large brown cashmere scarf into a blanket. It is thin, warm and blocks all light. Basically, I look like a big lump of turd. If you have seen such a turd in your travels, it was probably me.

Wicked Bonus: Sonya

February 27 - MILAN, Italy

I am back after a wonderful time in Spain (I could write 10 Good Things each day). I must mention Sonya.

I arrive last week in Milan thinking I'll spend two days on my own browsing the shops (if you don't shop here, spend the extra time in Rome or wherever). Sonya - a friend of a friend whom I met once in Toronto last year - is at the airport picking up her sister from Boston. She recognizes me and stops me in my tracks (I am a moron and nearly don't recognize her). Sonya lives here. We take the ride into the city with some Waterloo guys stopping over en route to Dubai. She invites me for dinner. I join her sister, boyfriend and friends that evening. A lovely time is had by all. My Milan experience is radically improved.

All by 100% happenstance!

February 16: Drums

1. Two people in queue let me in ahead of them, so I could shop'n'run to work on time.
2. I found out I don't need to work on Saturday.
3. I scored some red wine, which Kevin and I drank (like kids) behind the club in Little Italy. Then we went in to meet all kinds of friends and see Samba Squad, the loudest drumming party I have ever experienced. If you don't count the partial hearing loss, it ranks as one of the great nights out of 2007.

February 13: Raspberry (Beret)

1. Email from a friend in Madrid who excellently offered to pick me up at the airport next week.
2. Booked a night in a Milan hotel that won't cost a fortune (it will be the most expensive week of the year, with the annual Exhibition).
3. This site linked me in the header. Thanks!

And the light raspberry tea I am drinking at the moment. Other than these, today rhymed with Zit.

January 22: Wonderful

1. I bumped into a waaay back former colleague of mine.
2. We had a wonderful little opportunity to catch up.
3. She told me I look *exactly* the same. BLESS HER, SHE MADE MY DAY.

January 5: Friday

1. Friday has arrived. I've got nothing against that.
2. The boss is out. I've got nothing against that either!
3. I'm having a good hair day, all things considered.

January 3: Banana

It's only dinnertime, but it's been a good day. If anything spectacular happens by tomorrow, I'll just have to include a bonus post, won't I?

1. Breakfast: *ripe* and delicious banana, 8:15 am, on a crowded subway car - in my *seat*, yessss!
2. Chat: did a little pleasant bitching with Margaret about our workload, then Elena called to wish me a happy new year.
3. Dollars: I received a lottery ticket in a gift card from my boss - and I won $2!