Stiletto Diaries

So I’m Easy. Is There Really Any Virtue In Being Difficult?

Archive for the ‘Are You Gonna Eat That?’ Category

We’ve had some interesting WTF? moments here at Chez Gibson.  Fortunately we’ve managed to capture a couple of them on camera, for your viewing pleasure.

This first photo may not seem unusual, except that we could find NO possible explanation for how that little ice stalagmite.  It was in the top tray of cubes, and there was nothing dripping from above it, and even if there was, it’s completely the wrong angle.  We couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Unusual Ice

Even better than the mystery ice cube, was this discovery while V was chopping up vegetables the other day. She practically shrieked with delight when she saw it. You really must click on the photo and view it in a larger size to really appreciate how amazing it is. Also note the location of the ‘clit’ which was NOT put there by either of us. She left it exactly how she had found it before I took photos of it. I kind of wanted to preform cunnilingus on it.  Instead we ate it :P

Pepper Vagina

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We had a fairly quiet weekend here at Chez Gibson.  On Saturday morning V was so kind as to watch the children so that Jack and I could go out for brunch.  We decided to drive to Mississuga to have dim sum at one of our favorite places.  The food was great, we both had a good night sleep so we felt fantastic, it was a really wonderful way to get the weekend started.

After trying almost a dozen different dishes, we’d had our fill.  The restaurant is located in an Asian mall, so we went next door to look for Vietnamese coffee filters.  I’ve been trying to find some for weeks, and wouldn’t you know it, we found them in the Asian grocery store, so I bought two, along with chicory coffee and some sweetened condensed milk.

We made a stop at Lowe’s on our way out of the city to pick up some bins for my arts and crafts room, which is finally starting to come together, hopefully in time for Christmas so that V and the kids and I have a place to make Christmas cards and gifts.  I do a lot of crafty type things: scrap-booking, quilting, sewing, etc, so we are using one of the bedrooms exclusively for my projects and supplies, and it’s one of the last rooms in the house that needs to be properly set up.

A package of rubber-tipped, plastic clothes pins was also aquired ;)  More on those some other day perhaps!

After we arrived at home, V and I decided to try out the new coffee filters.  She was the one who introduced me to Vietnamese coffee some years ago, so we were pretty pumped to be able to make it at home!

We got everything set up, filled the filters with the chicory coffee, poured a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into our cups, and then poured hot water into the little brewers.

Vietnamese Coffee

Vietnamese coffee is most commonly served over ice, although you can drink it hot if you prefer.  I got out two big mugs and filled them with ice cubes and once our coffee was done brewing, we stirred it up with the milk and poured it into the mugs of ice.

It was pretty good for our first attempt, although a little on the strong side.  Next time I’ll use a little less coffee to the same amount of water.

402. Make Vietnamese coffee

Speaking of list items, I only have 14 more things to do in 2008!  You might remember some months back I created a mini-list of 50 things I wanted to cross off before the end of this year, and now I’m well over half way there.

Over the weekend I also managed to finish reading one of the books on my list.  Different Loving is a wonderful book for people who are curious about kink and different fetishes and why people are attracted to aspects of the lifestyle.  This is not a ‘How To’ book, but a more objective look at the varieties of play that fall under the BDSM umbrella, and the appeal of each kind.  It’s heavy on the personal anecdotes, and each chapter includes several interviews with people who practice fetishism and kink.

361. Read Different Loving by William Brame & Gloria Brame

Saturday evening was spent relaxing, drinking wine, and watching movies together.  We drank three bottles between us, and then V and I shared a fourth bottle after Jack went to bed, so needless to say we were pretty far gone.  It was a lot of fun, although neither of us felt very spectacular on Sunday morning, LOL.

Jack let me sleep late, and once I got up and had some coffee, he and I went to work on his office.  We finished putting together the second filing cabinet in there and then sat down to tackle the mountain of papers which needed to be sorted and filed.

We got rid of our old desk and filing cabinet when we moved from Ontario, and since then we’ve totally reconstructed our filing methods, but all of our old papers (which were cleaned out of the former filing cabinet) hadn’t been sorted into the new system yet.  There were also piles of old bills and other paper work which needed to be shredded, since we only keep 5 years of records on hand and then shred the previous years as we have the time.

After supper Jack decided he’d had enough of the office, and V ran out to rent a movie and bring us ice cream (she’s such a sweetie!) so we all settled in to watch Made Of Honor.  Since I was still feeling motivated I hauled a whole pile of arts and crafts stuff down to the living room so that I could sort and reorganize it.  Most of those things haven’t been touched in nearly three years, since I never did get my hobby room set up in the last house, which we’d only just moved into around the time that this blog was started.

It felt really good to be so productive, and by the time the movie was over (which was really great, if you like chick flicks) I was finished shorting a good deal of my craft supplies.

My friend from Alberta is arriving on Thursday and I can hardly wait for her to get here!  We have a lot of plans for her visit, and I can’t wait to show her the house and take her on a tour of Toronto.  I’ve been looking forward to her visit for months, since we’ve been planning it since the spring time!

I have to take my laptop in this week as well, since the monitor is starting to go.  I’m hoping it’s just a loose connection or something.  As much as I would love to buy a new laptop right now, I can think of a lot of better ways to spend that much money.  So far everyone I have asked is urging me to get a MacBook, but I don’t think that MSN Messenger is compatible, and I’m not sure how it will work with some of the other programs I use, so I’m still not settled on what exactly to get.  Thoughts?  I currently have a Toshiba Satellite, it’s my second Toshiba laptop and overall I am happy with it, since I really don’t need anything fancy.  I don’t do much with my computer besides blogging, chatting, and photo management, so my requirements are that it be fast online, support MSN messenger, and have some good photo editing software available.  I have an external hard drive, so it doesn’t need to have a ton of memory included.  Help!

Also, congratulations to Jupiter, whom I selected at random to recieve the bottle of lubricant as well as some other fun goodies.  Keep an eye out for other give-aways in the near future ;)

*Title Courtesy Of My Spam Folder

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I know, I know, I am woefully behind on the blogging front.

I’ve been devoting a great deal of my time to other projects, none of them related to sex or this blog.  Speaking of sex, that’s also taken up a fair bit of my recent attentions ;)  I’ve missed writing here, and I am sure you’re all getting tired of the Twitter posts and nothing really of substance.

Last week V and I took the initiative to cross something small off of my list, and we made fried green tomatoes together.  They had a mild flavour, and we actually quite liked them.

50. Eat fried green tomatoes 

Fried Green Tomatoes

On Saturday afternoon Jack took the kids and I to watch my favorite CFL team play on their home turf.  I’ve been a fan of the Hamilton Ti-Cats since high school, despite the fact that they seem to do progressively worse every season.  Maybe I just have a soft spot for the underdogs, but no matter how badly they play, I keep rooting for them.

Hamilton was playing during the first CFL game I’d ever been to.  Jack took me to my first football game seven years ago, and although I generally don’t get a lot out of watching it on TV, I quite enjoy watching games live.  We used to have season tickets to the Calgary Stampeders, so I’ve been to a number of games since then, and even one very chilly Grey Cup game a few years back.

At any rate, I was looking forward to watching my Ti-Cats play again, especially in their own stadium.  Jack got us great seats.  We were just about dead center of the field, and only a few rows back from the side lines.  It was great!  The kids were having a ball, we all shared popcorn and cotton candy, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

Of course, I’d forgotten to charge the good camera, which promptly died after I captured only a few shots. It’s charging right now, so I’ll have to put up the lower quality ones I shot with my PowerShot.

 Hamilton Football Game

#83

Ti-Cats VS Lions

Marching Band

The half-time show was provided by this really awesome marching band from one of the local high schools.  They did a great job, and were very entertaining.

316. Go to a Hamilton Tiger-Cats game in Hamilton

Hamilton lost (no real surprise there) but I’m consoled by the fact that the Edmonton Eskimos (my second favorite team) is somewhere around second place overall in the league.  I hope I’ll be watching them play at the Grey Cup in November (Jack and V and I are making the trek to Montreal for a weekend to party and watch the game).  It didn’t matter that they lost, we had a ton of fun together!

After we got home and put kids to bed, V and I decided to go out for the evening and have a few drinks together.  We got dressed up and caught a cab downtown to our new favorite bar.  It wasn’t too busy yet, so we ordered some drinks and grabbed a table on the patio.  Before long the place was packed, and the line to get in was at least half and hour wait.

We danced and admired the dozens of attractive men around.  It was a really great time.  You know, I am SO SO glad that V ended up moving out here.  There is nothing like having a best friend to go out with whenever you feel like it.  Nia was away for the weekend, and although she is a most excellent partner in crime, before V moved, she was my only pal really.  If she was away, I basically had no one local to go out with.  Now that V is here, we provide each other with constant entertainment.  Another bonus is that she and Nia get along and like each other, so we have gone on several outings together.  I’m actually hoping that this weekend Nia will join V and I at Goodhandy’s for the evening.  I haven’t seen Todd in ages and I miss the club and the people I have met there.

Last night I went on a date with another new Dom.  We enjoyed each others company, but the chemistry just wasn’t there.  I am sure we shall become good friends, which is never a bad thing.  I’m not discouraged.  I’ve had two dates recently with really smart and interesting men, and even though the attraction hasn’t been there, it’s been great to meet new people and feel like I am back in the dating game.

Tomorrow night is the kink munch and Jack is planning to come with me.  I am excited to introduce him to my friends and aquaintances there.  I think Nia is going to attend as well, so at least he will know her as well, which helps when you’re on the shy side.

I’ve got some great toy reviews coming up (finally!) and I am hoping that since school has started again and things are settling into some semblance of routine again, I’ll have more time for regular blogging.  Thank you for bearing with me during the last few weeks.

*Title Courtesy Of My Spam Folder

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I haven’t allowed myself time to blog as of late due to wanting to make the most of the final week of summer, not to mention my birthday weekend, which was all kinds of fabulous really.

Tickets to Bedouin Soundclash and Blue Man Group for September comprised part of my birthday gift from Jack.  He also went halfers with me on a new bicycle, so that V and I could start riding together.  I’d seen a specific model in the states that I really wanted, but we couldn’t find it here and I didn’t want to wait until our next trip to America, so I went with my second choice, a Raleigh Matterhorn.

106. Buy a bicycle

V and I went for a spin last night.  Probably my first bike ride in almost ten years.  We rode down to the nearest 7-11 and picked up a jug of milk, which I carried home in the crate we rigged up on the back carrier rack.  It was pretty funny, and even though the ride wasn’t all that long (around half an hour total) my legs were burning by the time we got home.  Clearly I am WAY out of practice.  I am really excited about biking more while the warm weather lasts though, and it’s certainly going to help me get back in shape.

On Friday night Jack took me out for dinner to celebrate my birthday.  V was kind enough to watch the kiddos for us so that we could have a date and some time to ourselves.  We decided to try this Japanese place I’d heard good things about.

I decided to seize the opportunity to accomplish a list item, and ordered a hot sake before our meal.

 Sake

It tasted a bit like vodka, and plum, and finished very much like a strong wine.  It was interesting to try, but I don’t think I’ll make a habit of drinking it, LOL.

435. Drink sake

It was really nice to get out together and have a date.  After we had eaten we went to a local pub and had a drink together.  We were actually planning on spending a few hours there together, but the service was so dreadfully slow we gave up after our first round and went home to drink instead.

The three of us stayed up late into the night of course, talking and laughing and playing Yahtzee.  It was a very good way to begin my birthday weekend!

On Saturday we celebrated with cake and with buying my bike and some accessories (like the aforementioned rear rack, and a kickstand).  Later that evening V and I went out to a bar I’d been wanting to check out, and we had a great time there.  The atmosphere is right, the drinks are cheap, and there are plenty of attractive males to look at.  We danced some, but spent most of the night sitting on the patio, enjoying the very warm night, and meeting a number of new people.

When we stumbled out into the street after the bar closed, the first mission on our minds was street meat, followed by finding a cab ride home.

We wandered through a sea of people downtown, until we came across a hot dog cart.  I loaded my sausage down with sauerkraut, bacon bits, ketchup, and mustard.  We wandered down the street in the hoped of hailing a cab while we ate.  Eventually we found one that wasn’t occupied and made it home, where we discovered that neither of us had house keys.  I called Jack on his cell phone and he came down to let us in, and then promptly went back to bed.  I followed soon after, falling into bed beside him around 4am.

Sunday was a laid back kinda day.  V and I went to Mississauga in the afternoon to do some shopping.  I picked up some things at Lush, including shampoo for my dreads and some skin care items.  V picked up shampoo at the Aveda store, and we looked at shoes and clothes together for a while.  When the mall closed we got a table at Earl’s and had a martini while we waited for Jack and the kids, who were meeting us there for supper.

It was dusk by the time we finished eating, which was perfect since we were going to the Chinese Lantern Festival that evening in Toronto.  It was a fairly quick drive to Ontario Place from where we were, but traffic and parking nearby were horrific due to the exhibition in Toronto.  We found a spot sort of nearby, and we didn’t mind the walk at any rate.

The lantern festival wasn’t cheap by any means (we had a coupon for $3 off per person and they let our littlest one in free, and it still cost us $83) but it was SO worth it.

 You can click on any of the following photos to see them full sized.

Dolphins

Arch

Raccoons

Fox

Eiffel Tower

Penguins

Alligator

Chameleon Up Close

Baby Deer

Antelope

Zebras

Walrus

Tigers

Elephant

Egyptian

Pyramid

Church Of The Saviour On Spilled Blood

Dragons Encircling The Pearl

Undersea Display

Killer Whale

Crab

Shark

Sea Horses

Spotted Dino

Leaning Tower Of Pisa

Big Ben

Porcelain Pagoda

Taj Mahal

Statue Of Liberty

Parthenon

250. See the Chinese Lantern Festival in Toronto

Honestly, if you have the opportunity to see it, GO!  It’s not the kind of thing you go back to every year, but certainly a ’see it once’ at least.  Also, the kids had a ball, and loved every minute of it.

We all grabbed ice cream at the end before we headed home.  The little ones were exhausted, so we bundled them into bed as soon as we got into the house, and then us adults sat up watching re-runs of 90210 until 3:00 in the morning.

On Monday, my official birthdate, we all went for brunch buffet around noon, and then V and I put the final touches on her bathroom and unpacked most of her things.

That evening we opened a bottle of Ice Cuvee that I’ve been saving, to celebrate.  That bottle was followed with a few glasses of Merlot, and by the end of the night V and I were feeling pretty good, LOL.  It certainly wasn’t as wild or busy as past birthdays, but it was lovely just the same.

Nia gave me the most hilarious pin and magnet, which I will feature here in future Favorite Things.

This Friday Jack and V and myself are going to the Journey concert in Toronto, and then on Saturday Jack is taking to see the Hamilton Ti-Cats (my favorite CFL team) play on their home turf.  Sunday I have tentative plans to go for drinks with a new potential Dom, so lots to look forward to for the weekend!

Thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes or left comments here!  It was much appreciated :)

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Despite my serious bout of the flu, we decided to go ahead with our trip to the states over the weekend.  I was feeling mostly better, and I didn’t want to pass up the chance to see more of America, and to cross a thing of two off of my bucket list.

After some discussion, we decided to camp out, rather than spending a ton of money on a hotel.  We found a KOA in Lewiston, just across the border from Niagara Falls, and north of Buffalo.  Since all of our camping gear was still together from my weekend at Forbidden, it was fairly quick and painless to pack up.  We planned to eat out the entire time as well, so I didn’t need to worry about groceries or cooking.

We didn’t get on the road until late in the day, but it didn’t matter as we were not in any rush to get there.  If I have daylight for setting up the tent, I am generally content.

Getting across the border took only moments.  The security officer asked us a few questions and basically waved us on.  That makes two really easy border crossing experiences for me.  I’m going to keep up with manifesting that it will be easy every time, since it seems to be working, LOL.

New York State

When we got to the KOA it was dusk.  Jack and I made quick work of setting up, although he has never had to set up this particular tent before, and I have (many times now) so I may have been a tad short with him.  At any rate, once it was up and our stuff was inside, we got the kids ready for bed and I took a quick shower.  We got them bundled into their sleeping bags and then Jack and I sat down and breathed a collective sigh of relief.

I got the fire going, and we sat together for a while and just relaxed.  We were both exhausted from the packing and then unpacking and wrangling of gear and children, so we didn’t linger long.  We were glad to crawl into our bed together and cuddle up to the sounds of the frogs and the crickets outside.

Our children do not believe in sleeping in, so morning came painfully early.

Once we were all dressed and assembled for the day, Mags (the GPS) showed us to the nearest Denny’s.  We all had a satisfying breakfast (and plenty of coffee for Jack and I) and then it was off to Target to do a little shopping.

I fell in love with a black leather hobo style purse, which Jack insisted I purchase (between that and the tickets for Bedouin Soundclash and Blue Man Group I think my birthday gifts are covered).  We picked up a few clothes for the kids while we were there, and a backpack for the littlest one, since she starts school this fall.

There were more stores, but we mostly just browsed.  We were not so much there to shop, as to see if it’s really worth it to cross the border for future purchases.  On some items it certainly is, which is useful information, since it’s only an hour to Buffalo from where we live.

For lunch we headed into downtown, to Anchor Bar, which is the home of the original buffalo chicken wing.  Apparently, before they turned them into the now-popular pub fare, chicken wings were only used in soups or discarded entirely.

Anchor Bar

The place was busy, a testament to its popularity.  The inside of the bar itself is divided into two halves, one being the original and the other being the addition which was built to accommodate the growing business.

We were seated in the original part of the building, the walls lined with photos of celebrities, everyone from Willie Nelson to Hillary Clinton, most of them signed.  There were also countless newspaper articles, awards, and other recognitions bestowed upon the bar, framed and hung on the walls.

Jack and I decided to split a bucket of mild wings (which is really less of a bucket, and more of a platter) which is 50 wings, served with their signature homemade bleu cheese dip.

When the wings arrived we were impressed with the size of them.  Some pubs serve wings that you swear must have come from a miniature chicken because of the diminutive size.  Not so at Anchor Bar.  We also noticed that the wings didn’t have any sauce on them, but instead appear to have been dusted with some sort of a spice blend.  I appreciated that, because it’s less messy, and makes it easier (and less slippery) to eat them.

Anchor Bar Wings

We dug in enthusiastically.  Now, I’ve eaten chicken wings at a LOT of restaurants and pubs over the years, and I’ll say right now, the wings at Anchor Bar truly ARE the best I’ve ever had.  In fact, I am craving them as I write this.  Jack and I both feel that driving an hour and some into Buffalo to eat there again is not an unreasonable date night idea.  In fact, we will likely use any excuse we can from now on to go to Buffalo for wings.  SOOOOO FREAKIN DELICIOUS!

The mild were good, but hardly spicy, which I suppose is the idea.  Next time we shall go for medium and see what those are like.  I am not a fan of food that is so hot I can’t taste anything but pain in the mouth, so I was glad that they offer a mild that is actually mild and not just one step down from wanting to claw my own tongue out.

453. Have buffalo chicken wings at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, where they were invented

Jack and I couldn’t finish the whole 50.  He quit at 23 or so, while I wussed out at only 11.  They were just too huge and I just wasn’t starving enough.  Next time we’ll order a bucket again, but I’ll make sure I have an appetite!

We picked up some coolers on the way out to our campground, and some marshmellows and watermellon for the kiddos.  It had been a really full day, and we were looking forward to relaxing after the kids were in bed.

Back at camp the kids played ball and chased each other around while we sorted out our purchases and put the coolers on ice.  I set up the iPod and the speakers on the picnic table so that we could listen to some music.  As dusk fell I got the fire started so that the little ones could roast a few marshmellows before bed.

After sticky fingers had been washed, pajamas had been buttoned on, and tucking in had been completed, it was just Jack and I by the fire.  We started in on the coolers, and roasted a few marshmellows ourselves.  Then Jack got out the travel chess set we had purchased earlier that day and we sat across from each other at the table and set it up.

Chess Game

Since it was already dark, we were playing in pretty low light, LOL. We didn’t mind though. It was so peaceful being together by the fire with drinks and my slow songs playlist going on the iPod.

The picture above was taken with the flash on, and here’s one taken without the flash, by the light of the headlamp we had perched over the board.

Chess In The Dark

Jack was a good teacher, and we actually played for quite a while before he win the game. I look forward to many more chess games with him in the future, and hopefully my skills will improve and I can win a few times ;)

189. Learn to play chess

After we put the chess game away, we played yahtzee, another mutual favorite. It was a close game, but Jack won again, by three points.

We’d had enough games, and we were getting sore from sitting, so we slow danced by the fire, under the stars. I laid my head against Jack’s chest in the dark while we wrapped our arms around each other and swayed to the soft music.

I left Jack to tend the fire while I trotted off to the showers to have a quick rinse down. I’d been sweating all day in the heat and I don’t like going to bed feeling sticky and gross. The cool water was a welcome relief from the humid warmth of the evening. Once I was sufficiently refreshed, I wrapped myself up in a towel and walked back to our campsite. I remarked to Jack that I missed the freedom I’d experienced at Forbidden, and that being naked outside is something I’d like to relive again as soon as possible.

He took his turn having a shower. While he was gone I got the munchies and opened the package of leftover wings from Anchor Bar. I don’t like cold chicken, but how to reheat it? I stuck one of the marshmallow sticks through a wing and held it over the fire until it began to sizzle a bit. It was actually pretty good, if not time consuming, LOL.

Blackened Chicken Wing

Hot Coals

When Jack returned we had another drink or two and then headed for bed. Once we were settled in, we very quietly fooled around (there is a divider in our tent, but it’s certainly not sound proof) until he made me cum with his fingers. That put me right to sleep until the following morning.

The kids were sad to leave after we packed up our gear and loaded it all back into the van. We took them to a Bob Evans restaurant for breakfast, which was awesome! I had these pancakes that were stuffed with vanilla cream (it claimed to be cream cheese, but it was more like a pastry cream) and then topped with pecans and banana caramel syrup. OMG to die for!

Jack had blueberry french toast with the same vanilla cream and regular syrup and that was delicious too.

Once breakfast was finished it was time to head back to Canada. We hardly had to pause to speak to the border patrol, and he waved us through. Man I am just awesome good luck at border crossings or something.

We were going to take the kids to Niagara Falls, but it was a bit overcast and we wanted to have supper at Earl’s in Mississauga that evening, and Jack needed to stop at home for something, so we decided to save it for another day.

After stopping at the house to use the bathroom and check on the animals, we went to Mississauga for dinner (also amazing, but that’s a given, since we love Earl’s) and Jack showed me where the Princess Auto store is there because I had been wanting to go. Sadly it was closed, but at least I can find it now. Princess Auto is a brilliant source for cheap BDSM stuff if you have some imagination. Cable ties, all sorts of straps and winches, chain, and lots of other little goodies to be found there.

Last week I picked up a fibreglass ’snow pole’ at a farm supply store. It cost me just under five bucks, and it’s a brilliant cane. Jack used it on me last night and it leaves an ouch. It’s heavy, so it’s like a stingy thud, not at all like the bamboo cane I have which is lightweight, even though they are similar thickness. It bruises deep, although it doesn’t welt as much as a traditional cane. I like it a lot, although I think it requires a warm up.

At any rate, it was lovely curling up together last night and getting a good rest together. I woke up feeling really refreshed today.

This evening I have a date with a new man I’ve been chatting with recently. At 49 he’s old enough to be my father, but I don’t put a lot of weight on age anymore. I’m tired of dating boys my age. They are too immature, too moody, with none of their shit together and not enough experience. Older men are just…simpler. They are generally comfortable with themselves, know what they want, and don’t get all caught up in drama. Certainly there are exceptions on both sides, but this man is exactly what I am looking for.

He’s already poly, and kinky, and he’s self contained and confident. He enjoys seduction for the sake of it, and we share a lot of the same thoughts and feelings on BDSM and power exchange. He lives alone, and has several other partners at the moment, which means he won’t be demanding too much of my time, and that he can have guests whenever he wants.

I’m hopeful we will connect as well in person as we have online. It would be lovely to have a play partner again. I feel like I’m already totally over Varick, so this isn’t a rebound situation, it’s just another potential friend and lover.

So I am sure I will have details to share tomorrow :) I will let you know how it goes!

Also only seven more sleeps until my 26th birthday!

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We enjoyed our complementary breakfast on Thursday morning before checking out of the Holiday Inn and heading for Chicago.  A generous blogger pal of mine had offered to tour us around for the day, and we were looking forward to a break from driving and having a chance to see the sights.

On our way to Chicago we crossed over the Mississippi River, which was quite a sight.  It will forever remind me of this song, which I picked up somewhere as a kid.

Muddy Water

Mississippi River

Illinois

Neat Water Tower

Chicago traffic was horrific, and we had to stop twice to pay tolls in the city.  TOLLS!  Just for the displeasure of driving on the freeway.

Mags actually did a good job and led us right to the hotel.  We got checked in and smuggled the ferret inside.  Once we were settled I called up my friend, who fetched us from the hotel and drove us around for the evening.

First stop of the day was pizza!  I’d had the Canadianized version of Chicago deep dish pizza, but let me tell you, it is NOTHING like what we had.

Since neither of us were driving, V and I had margaritas.  We ordered the spinach pizza, which was basically crust, spinach, two kinds of cheese, and sauce.

The stuffed pizza is made with a crust that is flaky, like a pie crust, yet still holds together like traditional pizza dough.  They make the pie extra deep, and then layer the spinach on the bottom.  On top of that they add a very generous inch of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Then they cover it with a paper-thin layer of pizza dough, and spread marinara sauce on top. This preparation keeps the layers and flavours separated, so that you can enjoy them in a more individual way. It was the most incredible pizza I have ever eaten.

Authentic Chicago Pizza

422. Eat Chicago deep dish pizza in Chicago

I may go back to Chicago just for the pizza, it was that damned good.

Next our tour guide drove us along the lakeside so that we could see the marina (OMG so many boats) and check out Lake Michigan. We got to see a condominium building where Oprah apparently owns a suite.

We also stopped by Wrigley Field so that I could get a couple of photos for Jack. I think it would be so cool to go to a game there someday (I think it’s on Jack’s bucket list, so maybe I will get to eventually :D)

Wrigley

Wrigley Field

After parking downtown we walked to Millennium Park. There is a really neat splash park there, featuring two very large, rectangular fountains built out of glass bricks. The fountains not only change colors during the evening, thanks to lights inside, but on the front sides faces are projected onto the glass. The faces change regularly, and generally just stare and blink at each other (the ‘towers’ are situated across from each other, with a pool of water between them).

Glass Brick Water Feature

Projected Face

The kids seemed to be mulling around in front of the towers, apparently waiting for something. We paused to watch, and then the faces pursed their lips, as if to whistle, and water came pumping out of an opening situated where their mouths were. It was so neat, and kind of weird, LOL.

Weird

Splash Park Face

Beyond the splash park, was the enormous silver bean (better known as the Cloud Gate) which is an impressive art instillation, inspired by liquid mercury. We walked all around it and underneath, and our guide snapped a couple of photos of V and I standing against it.

428. Get a photo by the Cloud Gate/Giant Bean

Giant Bean

Cloud Gate

Stainless Steel

There also happened to be a concert going on at the neighbouring stage, which is an impressive structure in itself.

Concert In The Park

I almost stepped on an enormous insect, which looked something like a wasp. I still have no idea what it was, but I snapped a picture anyway.

Giant Bug

We strolled away from the park and towards the Sears Tower, which was the last Chicago item on my list.

Downtown

Lion

I stopped at a Starbucks to use the bathroom and grab a coffee. Outside, above us, were the raised tracks of the train system in Chicago. They were featured a few times in the Batman Begins. It was really cool to see the sparks arcing off the rails as some of the trains passed overhead.

Raised Train Tracks

I was really excited to see Chicago at night, from the top of Sears Tower. We stood at the base and looked all the way up to the top. The Skydeck is near the top of the tower, 1,353 feet up (103rd floor if I remember correctly).

After we purcheased passes, we watched a brief documentary on the building of the tower. It was fascinating to get a glimpse of how the tower was constructed and the length of time it took to be completed.

Once that was over, we got into the elevator and up we went. The elevator ride lasted for almost a minute, and then we stepped out onto the Skydeck.

The view was breathtaking. Pictures really don’t do it justice at all.

293. Take a photo of Chicago from the Skydeck of the Sears Tower

Chicago

Lake Front

Downtown

Baseball Diamond

Chicago At Night

We wandered and looked for at least half an hour. The reflection on the windows from the interior lights made it difficult to get a really good shot, but I did the best I could. I hate shooting through glass anyway.

Once we’d seen our fill, our wonderful guide drove us out of downtown and back towards our hotel. He was kind enough to stop at a liquor store so that we could pick up some coolers, and then dropped us off for the evening. We would never have enjoyed Chicago the way we did without him (and it would have cost us a fortune in cabs) so I hope that he knows how sincerely grateful both V and I are for his generosity, and for sharing some of his interesting knowledge of the city. If you ever come to Toronto my friend, I hope you’ll allow me to show you around :)

V and I enjoyed the warm evening and had a couple of drinks on the lawn of the hotel. Eventually we retired to our air conditioned room, looking forward to sleeping in the following morning.

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On the morning of Friday, July 25th I found myself on the back of a motorcycle, headed east of Calgary towards Bragg Creek.  A friend of mine had offered to take me for a ride out to Elbow River, followed by lunch somewhere together.

Since I’d already seen the Elbow Falls, he took me a short distance upriver, to an area less frequented by tourists.  It was a gorgeous day, the perfect temperature for a ride in the country and basking by the river.

I took a few photos from down in the river valley, before we took a bit of a hike up the side to a sort of a ridge.

Elbow River

Cliffs

Upriver From The Falls

River Banks

The following photos were taken from up on our perch above the river.  My friend had the good sense to bring a blanket, which he spread out on the grass for us.

On The Ridge

River Bank And Foothills

Foothills

We laid on our backs under the warm summer sun, and it felt like we had the world to ourselves for a while.  He ran his hands over my shoulders and gave me a massage, which was exactly what I needed after nearly four weeks with family.

After a bit of playful banter he stripped off his clothing and managed to coax me out of mine as well, with some persuasion (and plenty of foreplay).  It was magnificent being nude outdoors in the sunshine, in the company of a handsome and intelligent man who was quite set on making me cum.  I could feel the heat of the day on my bare breasts and belly while he played my body like the keys of a fine piano.

“Do you want me inside of you?” he asked, while I was lost in the afterglow of a wonderful orgasm.

“Yes” I sighed, while his fingertips traced lazy lines over my skin.

He settled himself between my thighs, and although we were on something of an unfortunate slope, we managed a fairly comfortable sort of entanglement.

He fucked me slowly, taking his pleasure from prolonging the experience.  I do adore a man who takes his time and really savors every moment as if he may never have sex again.  When he was close to climax he sped up, taking me hard and fast until he came with a groan and several ‘Oh-Gods!’

We remained there for a short while, touching softly, until we decided we were peckish enough to get dressed and head back towards the city.  I wish we could have spent the rest of the day there, or perhaps several of them, but one must take what they can get when it comes to such things.

He took me to a little diner for the best Montreal smoked meat sandwich I’ve ever had in CowTown.  Afterwards we sat outside enjoying the warm weather until he had to depart.  I hope it won’t be so long this time until I see him again, as our last get together was well over a year ago.

A series of bad directions on my part, and important appointments on V’s part left me somewhat stranded down on 17th ave for the better part of an hour.  It was strange being down there alone, only because I realised that I felt like I didn’t belong anymore.  My cell phone had died so I couldn’t even call LD to let him know I was running late.

Eventually I managed to hail a cab and arrived at LD’s late enough that he’d begun to wonder what had become of me.  It was lovely to see him, and we had a really nice visit before I dragged him into his bed and had my way with him.

After we’d gotten each other off, we gathered ourselves together and went out for Vietnamese food before V’s big going-away soiree later that evening.  LD knows where all the best sort of restaurants are in Calgary, and after we ate we caught a cab over to Marda Loop where everyone was meeting for the party.

It was a really great night, aside from running into Q, who never called me again after we fucked during the May long weekend.  He saw me in the pub and approached me, which resulted in several moments of very awkward conversation.

“Hey, how are you?”

“I’m good, how have you been?”

“I’ve been good.  So are you in town visiting?”

“Yup, just out for V’s send off party tonight.  She’s moving out to Toronto with me.”

“Oh, nice”

Then we stood there, uncomfortable, until we sort of wandered apart.  I did my best to completely ignore and avoid him for the rest of the evening.  He didn’t approach me again, much to my relief.

It was so much fun seeing everyone that night.  We stayed up late into the night, only making it into bed shortly before the sun began to come up. 

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I feel totally overwhelmed by the amount of writing I need to do to catch up with everything that has happened to me over the past week, so bear with me if it takes a while to get it all written.  Also, some of it may seem brief, since I am over a week ‘behind’ in terms of posts.

Anyway, here goes :)

On Thursday, July 24th, Jack and I drove down to the Calgary Farmer’s Market for the first of several list items I planned to get done that day.  Mission #1:  Ostrich meat!

Calgary Farmers Market

The booth was easy enough to find, since I’d seen it there before. I decided to pick up ostrich jerky, since it’s ready to eat and because I love jerky.

Ostrich Jerky

It was quite tasty, and typically salty. I actually prefer it to beef jerky, and it has a nice texture.

369. Taste ostrich meat

Since we were at the market, and feeling a little peckish, I also had the opportunity to cross off an additional item:

87. Buy fresh produce at a farmers market

Raspberries

The raspberries were super delicious, and it didn’t take Jack and I long to eat them all.

From the market we headed downtown, where I dropped Jack off so that he could spend some time with P, while my pal X and I launched our RoboLoo-Cupcake-Tubby Dog Adventure!

Crave was the first stop of the evening, where I picked up a half dozen of thier extra yummy cupcakes, for myself and Jack and the kids.

Crave Cupcakes

Some of the icing got a little melty in the heat of the day, before I had a chance to take a photo. Melty icing certainly did not compromise their deliciousness however.

Cream Cheese Icing

381. Eat a cupcake from Crave

While we were down in Kensington, X suggested we stop in this cool toy store and check it out. I could have spent a ton of money in that store, but I restrained myself and settled for a couple of boxes of mints. Yes, I said mints.

Last Supper Mints

Bacon Mints

The bacon mints really ARE as horrible as they sound. If the smell isn’t enough to make you wretch, the flavour of a pigs ass full of toothpaste certainly will.

Fortunately Tubby Dog and Robo-Loo are close together, so it was easy to hit them both without having to struggle with parking on 17th Ave.

Robo-Loo (actually called Exeloo) is a glorified, automated, talking outhouse in Calgary. X told me about it ages ago and I’ve been obsessed with going there ever since.

Robo-Loo

You push a button to enter and a robotic voice welcomes you inside and informs you that you have exactly ten minutes to deposit whatever it is you need to. What happens after that, I have no idea, because I didn’t want to mess with the robot potty.

The robo-loo plays soothing music for your enjoyment while you empty your bladder. It dispenses toilet paper at the touch of a button, and even sprays its interior clean between uses.

Hand Washing Sign

Exeloo Inside

TP Dispenser

Exeloo Sink

I’ll admit I was a little nervous about getting trapped in there, since the door is automated, but all was well. Let me tell ya, if my bathroom sang and talked to me, I might not ever leave it.

377. Take a pee in the robot potty in Calgary

As we made our way up the block towards Tubby Dog, X informed me that there is a ritual one must observe when going to said eating establishment. Apparently shouting ‘TUBBY DOG’ progressively louder as you approach is an important part of the Tubby Dog experience.

If you have never been to or heard of Tubby Dog, it’s basically a hot dog joint for people who are entirely excessive. It’s a popular spot for street meat after a night of alcohol soaked debauchery. They play old school cartoons on a projector screen and the entire place smacks of retro goodness.

I ordered a Cheetah dog, because I love sauerkraut, and X went for the infamous A-Bomb, one of the most popular, and exceedingly messy dogs on the menu.

We grabbed our food to go, and wandered a couple of blocks away, to the front steps of a church. It was only then that we discovered we didn’t bring any napkins.

Tubby Dogs

Somehow we managed to eat them without getting cheese and other toppings all over ourselves, quite the task to be sure.

452. Have a Tubby Dog

It was a lot of fun hanging out with X, since I haven’t seen him in a few months, and because he always has dozens of the most insane stories ever.

After I dropped him off at his lair, I picked up Jack and we headed back to where we were staying to drink some wine and eat some cupcakes and giant bird jerky. It was pretty much a totally perfect day all the way around.

Shingleback Shiraz

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GOOD MORNING!!! I am writing this at a picnic table near Sheridan, Wyoming at about 7:30 in the morning. V and I pulled into a KOA (Kampground of America) last night at the end of Shasta & V Do America - Day Two. The trip has been really awesome so far, although our patience and resiliency are being put to the test. A plethora of things have gone wrong right from the beginning (the U-Haul was late being returned before our rental, the lights hook-up wouldn’t work, we packed the trailer until 2am, etc) but we have taken it in stride. We are laughing a whole lot at any rate. I have missed blogging. I feel like I am SOOOOO far behind, with so much to write. Last week in Calgary I was able to visit with some of my friends, and cross off quite a number of list items. In fact, here is a summary of what I have managed to accomplish recently:

167. Sleep under the stars

283. See the World’s Largest Penguin

369. Taste ostrich meat

377. Take a pee in the robot potty in Calgary

381. Eat a cupcake from Crave

449. Ride on the back of a motorcycle through the country

452. Have a Tubby Dog

I have a ton of photos from both Alberta and here in America to get posted once we reach home, not to mention at least half a dozen blog posts to write regarding the tail-end of my time in Calgary and then our road trip across the country.

Getting in to America was far easier than I expected. The border security officer that we spoke to was friendly and easy going (and cute!) and he teased us about bringing V’s pet ferret into the States. They scanned our trailer and sent us on our way. I would say that once we actually got up to the gate, we got through in about 10 minutes total (and that includes the scan thing they did). Super awesome! We love you border security people!

Montana was really gorgeous for the most part, and the people were really friendly (you always get a few of the other kind, no matter where you go). Cell service down here is sort of interesting (I can only get it intermittently) so if I go long stretches without Twittering, that is why.

We are hoping to stay at another KOA tonight, close to Lincoln, Nebraska. Tomorrow we are going to make our best effort to get all the way to Chicago, since we have sight-seeing plans with a fellow blogger, and tentative cocktails with CunningMinx.

V and I are really enjoying the drive through America. We are especially enjoying the much cheaper gas (don’t you dare complain about gas prices America! We pay about $20 dollar more per tank than you do :P)

Well, I’d better get V and the ferret up so that we can get a move on, or we may never make it to Chicago, LOL.

I will do what I can to get another post or two up before we get to Ontario, but no promises :)

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I can’t exactly recall when I initially heard about the traveling exhibit known as Body Worlds, but I’d pretty much forgotten about it until Jack and I caught part of a documentary on the procurement and processing of bodies used.

Perhaps it’s curiosity with the morbid, or my fascination with the inner workings of the human body, but I decided to add it to my bucket list, in the hopes of catching it when it passed through Toronto at some future juncture.

As it worked out, Body Worlds happened to be at the Telus World of Science Center here in Edmonton during our visit, and after discussing it with Jack, we decided to take it in while we were in the neighbourhood.

Tickets were purchased and printed, and off we went, looking forward to some time to ourselves (no we did not bring the kiddos) as much as we were anticipating the display itself.

The first rooms of the exhibit felt crowded, although it was only a matter of waiting a few moments until you could edge close enough to the displays. There were glass display cases in the center of a hall-like room, filled with limb pieces (hands, feet, etc) which had been plastinated. On the sides of the room there were large banners with information on them regarding how society has depicted death in art and literature throughout the history of man.

The plastinated individuals were fascinating, and perhaps a little unnerving to examine. The latter reaction was a result of reminding myself at every display that once this individual was living, breathing, with family and friends and a story of their own. It’s easy to disassociate them from people, but that’s what they were at one time, and still are really, and I think it adds to the experience if you remember that.

We lingered at one display, called The Smoker, which shows quite clearly the effects of smoking on ones lungs. Jack gave me a bit of a scolding look, since he knows I am still apt to smoking socially (I was a regular smoking from 12 - 19) as I wrinkled my nose over the sight of the blackened organs.

I know, it’s horrible for me, and that certainly hits home when you get a good look at around five pairs of tar-laden lungs.

Further into the exhibition there was a small, separate room, devoted to the beginnings of life, although framed in death. Embryos at each week of development (there was a gap between week 10 and week 16) were on display in tubes and glass boxes. I had actually never seen anything like it. An embryo, only the size of a kidney bean, already has visible hands, feet, and eyes. A man standing across from me audibly gasped when he looked closely enough to see this. That particular specimen was only seven weeks along at the time of its preservation.

The somewhat infamous Reclining Pregnant Woman was also on display in that particular area. She died of a terminal illness somewhere around the 8th month of her pregnancy, and her baby could not be saved.

“The baby had already turned*” Jack murmured behind me, while we looked over her skinless figure, the walls of her abdomen cut away so that you could clearly see the infant inside of her.

Of all the things we saw that day, it was the only display that disturbed me.

My favorite piece was The Horseman. Perhaps because I love horses and spent so much of my young life around them, and it was of particular interest to me to have an opportunity to examine the muscle structure and the enormity of their lungs and other organs.

The entire exhibit was really incredible. Jack and I both enjoyed it a great deal, and I’m very grateful that we were able to catch it during our time here in Edmonton.

432. See the Body Worlds exhibit

Body Worlds Sign

After we finished at the Science Center, Jack took me for lunch at one of our favorite Edmonton restaurant chains, Tokyo Express.

We sat near a window and enjoyed some dumplings and our rice bowls. I always order the salmon bowl, and Jack always orders the teriyaki chicken bowl.

Tokyo Express

It was really wonderful to have some time together after being apart for so long.

After our late lunch he drove me down to Whyte Ave and we sauntered into Lush to pick up a few things. I needed another hunk of Ice Blue soap for my dreadlocks, and Jack wanted to pick up a massage bar or two. We browsed a bit, and after I found my soap, we also bought a Soft Coeur massage bar, and a Therapy massage bar, which came with a free tin (when you buy two). We totally loved the Wiccy Magic Muscles bar we bought a couple of months back, it was wonderful for sore muscles, so I am looking forward to trying out these new ones.