Stiletto Diaries

Being down with a cold makes for a slow week on the writing front.  Allow me a brief update of some recent happenings.

On Wednesday night V and I had some drinks, slipped into something comfortable, got out the scissors, and chopped off my dreadlocks.

It was time for them to go.  After sporting them for a year and a half I began to long for brushable hair.

“Wait until it’s a craving” V advised, to help deter me from doing something I might later regret.

Two months passed, and finally I was ready.  Jack was gone on business this week, which gave V and I ample time to cut them and then comb out whatever was left.  We put a bottle of sparkling wine on ice and gathered up everything we needed.

The cutting-off part didn’t take nearly as long as we expected, but the combing out nearly made us insane. It took three hours and nearly a whole bottle of conditioner. We laughed some, and came close to tears of frustration, but eventually every dreadlock nubbin had been detangled.

I was so relieved to get into the shower and rinse out all of the conditioner, even though my head was so sore I winced every time I touched it.

Early the next morning I had an appointment at a salon for a proper cut. V accompanied me, and I took a couple of images to show the stylist, to give her a clear idea of what I wanted. She seemed really cool and progressive, which was reassuring, especially since I’ve never really had a good experience at a salon (my aunt has always cut my hair).

I was thrilled with the cut when she was finished. She left it longer on top so that I can spike it or fauxhawk it, and then much shorter on the sides. She was really impressed with how much length we were able to keep after cutting my dreads off.

I decided not to get it colored that particular day, but when I go back for a trim in six weeks I plan to have her do something fun with it.

My head felt WAY lighter after we cut the dreads off. It was a really strange sensation. It’s been an adjustment, but I got tons of compliments on the new cut over the weekend.

I also got to cross something off of my list. I held a spider. It was a very tiny spider, but it still counts and yes it was still a scary experience.

3. Hold a spider (of the non-poisonous variety)

I may have forgotten to mention that I also quit chewing my nails some time back, which was especially exciting since it was the very first thing on my list.

1. Stop biting my nails

Photos of my new toys and other details from the weekend will have to wait until tomorrow.  Jack is coming home this evening and I can’t wait to see him!  I hope everyone had a great weekend

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Before I regale you with delicious tales of nudity, debauchery, and hot midnight fucking, I’m going to conclude the photo/list series regarding the visit from my friend.  I know, I know, you want the sex, but these posts are more or less for my own benefit, so that years from now I can look back fondly and remember the fun we had while she was here.

One of the days she was here found us in downtown Toronto on a land and water tour courtesy of The Hippo, which is an amphibious bus designed to give you a unique look at the city.

We had a really good time on the tour, the guide was casual yet informative, and I learned some new things about Toronto.  Going into the water was a lot of fun, and I think we both enjoyed the experience very much.

474. Take a guided tour of Toronto

Once we’d finished the Hippo Tour, we grabbed a sandwich at Richtree Market, and then sauntered over to Queen Street to do a little shopping.  I found a really nice pair of earrings, locally made, out of aluminum no less, and my friend got a pendant that she’d been hunting for.

We also happened across a portion of Canada’s Walk Of Fame, on our way back to the truck.  I snapped a few pics for Jack, whom hadn’t been by there before.  If we hadn’t been in a hurry we probably would have walked all the way around the building to see the rest of it.

We also toured the country extensively, and spent some time out at Elora Gorge taking photos of leaves and birds and of course, the water falls.

477. Visit the Elora Gorge

Upon seeing the swans in the photo above, in the exact pose shown, my daughter remarked “Oh look! They make a heart! That must mean that they are in love.” It was adorable.

I was so glad to have my friend here for a week, even though she’s vanilla. It was a blast to play tour guide and a great excuse to give my camera a workout and capture some of the beauty of Ontario in autumn.

*Title Courtesy Of My Spam Folder

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Some weeks ago I had the pleasure of hosting a good friend of mine from Calgary for several days, and taking her to see some of the sights in and around the GTA.

The second day she was here, we spent a good part of the day searching for relatives of hers in a nearby cemetary (some of her family is from the area) and I had the good sense to bring my camera.  It was a lovely day, and a great opportunity to take some autumn photos.

During her visit I was able to work in a few of my list items as well, such as visiting the famous St. Jacobs Market.  We were both enamoured with the market and the amazing selection of meats, cheeses, and fresh produce available.  I stocked up on peppers, strawberries, pie pumpkins, and squash.  It was impossible to see everything in the time we had, so I hope to go back again and see the rest of what the market has to offer.

476. Go to St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market

After spending the morning at the market, we made our way down to Niagara On The Lake to visit some wineries and tour historic downtown. The red wine grapes were heavy on the vines, waiting for the late harvest, and we took in four wineries and I brought home half a case of different varieties, along with a wine journal since Jack had mentioned wanting one.

Once we’d seen what we wanted to see in Niagara On The Lake, we drove over to Niagara Falls, as the day was coming to a close. My friend had never been there, and it’s quite a sight when you’ve not seen it before. We lingered for some time, snapping photos and wandering down the wall that overlooks the falls and the river.

It was starting to get quite dark, so we grabbed supper at an Italian place and then went home to spend the evening with Jack and drinking wine.

*Howard Waldrop

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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 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 don’t know about all of you, but I had a really great weekend!

On Friday night Jack and I drove down to Hamilton to see The Blue Man Group preform there. We were thrilled to get out for a date, and we’ve both wanted to see these guys preform for years.

We had fairly good seats, and we really enjoyed the opening performer, David Garibaldi, who paints portraits to music. He did the most amazing paintings of Bono, Jimi Hendrix, The Blue Man Group, and Mick Jagger. You can see what I mean by checking out the Performance Videos here. The paintings he did were for sale after the show, which Jack and I considered purchasing because they were just so awesome. I wanted the Blue Man Group one, or the Jimi Hendrix painting, but at the moment we couldn’t really justify dropping $1500 on a piece of art when we don’t even have a place to hang it yet. When we do have a place, I’d like to buy this painting, if it’s still available.

The Blue Man Group is almost indescribable. Their sense of discovery and child-like curiosity is completely enchanting, and they are certainly some of the best and most innovative musicians I have ever seen. Their show is entertaining for all ages, but they tossed in some subtle adult humor which made me laugh so hard I nearly peed. It was without a doubt the best live show I’ve ever been to, and I will gladly buy tickets for their next tour when they come around this way again.

Sadly, no photos, since I forgot to bring my little PowerShot and instead grabbed the big SLR camera, which was not allowed in. They didn’t search my purse, so I am sure I could have gotten away with it, but I didn’t want to risk missing part of the show just to run my camera all the way back to the parkade, so I left it in the car. I did attempt a couple of shots with my Blackberry, but they are just awful. Oh well

Here’s some official video of the Megastar Tour. Click the link and then select the ‘Your Attention’ video.

222. See the Blue Man Group perform live

We drove home with throats sore from yelling, feeling totally elated by the entire experience. Honestly, GO SEE THEM if you possibly have the means.

On Saturday we spent most of the day relaxing. The kids played outdoors with the neighbourhood children and we did a bot of tidying and organizing in the house. It was nice to take it easy and spend some time as a family.

After the kids were in bed, we opened a bottle of wine and sat down for our regular family meeting. We have family meetings once or twice a month in order to touch base with each other, express our feelings, and brainstorm ideas for keeping the household running smoothly. This particular meeting was a great success, and we all felt great after hashing things out and coming up with a plan of attack for finishing things up in the house.

While I’d been rooting through boxes that day, I’d come across a box of cigars that Jack had been given as a gift some time ago. Since smoking a cigar WAS on my list, and we were already into our second or third bottle of wine, I decided to open one of these up and have a go.

It was an interesting experience. Not really like smoking a cigarette, but something to try at least once I suppose. V and I shared it on the deck, under the stars, while we sipped our wine. Not sure what I’ll do with the rest of this box, LOL, but I was glad to find it and cross something else off the list.

450. Smoke a cigar

Jack had to call it a night sometime after the third bottle had been emptied, so V and I ended up drinking until around 5am. V invited me to spend the night at ‘her place’ in the basement, since we haven’t had any sleepovers for a while. We drug ourselves into bed and passed out almost instantly.

On Sunday morning a phone call from Nia roused me from bed just in time for me to start getting ready for the gathering she had invited me to later that day. I got showered and dressed and pulled together a dish for the pot luck and headed over to her place.

She and her friends were kind enough to invite me to be a part of their fall ritual, to celebrate the second harvest, say goodbye to summer, and welcome autumn. It was really wonderful to spend an afternoon in the company of such welcoming and friendly people. I had a great time, and I hope to attend other such gatherings in the near future. Thank you SO much Nia for letting me join you guys. It was a really special experience, and I was so glad to be allowed to celebrate with you guys.

288. Participate in a Pagan celebration/ritual

After I got home from my outing V and I dashed over to Staples to pick up some supplies for making the house and our schedules run more smoothly. We bought a big office-style calendar and different colored markers for each of us. We also bought notebooks for the correspondence courses we are starting next month in preparation for University. I also picked up items to make a reward chart for the children so that they can earn TV time, outings, and other treats. The system has worked very well for us in the past, and now that they are old enough to understand rules and such a lot better, we are sure this is going to go over well.

Before supper Jack and I went grocery shopping while V took the kiddos to the park. Jack and I really enjoy going grocery shopping together. With three adults and two rapidly growing kids in the house, we generally have to restock the fridge, freezer, and pantry once a week. I’m becoming very into meal planning and eating as healthy as possible. At least 2/3 of our groceries are fresh items which only last us the week anyway, and we hardly eat anything processed.

By the time we got home the kids had eaten supper and were almost ready for bed. I grilled up steaks for Jack and I, and then he had to run to his office to pick up some paperwork before his trip out east this week.

While he was out V and I sat down with the calendars and laid out all of our upcoming events and ‘To Do’ items. It can be very precarious with Jack working and now I work some, and V is getting a job, and then she and I are taking these classes and will have a lot of homework, and the older kid has homework…it’s mind-boggling after a while. Now that we have it all down on paper, it seems far more manageable, and it’s easier to schedule date nights for Jack and I, and outing for V and I, and family things.

Jack left this morning for a business trip, which is lucky for him since I started my period late last night, LOL. I didn’t have hardly any PMS, and only a few cramps on Friday night after we got home from Blue Man. Periods have been SO much easier since I’ve started eating right and exercising more.

At least now that V is here, I don’t have to sleep alone while Jack is away

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Despite his trepidation, Jack was wonderful at the munch last night.  There was already a good crowd when we arrived, and it was really nice to see everyone.  We sat beside Deja, whom Jack really enjoyed talking to.  I introduced him to a few of my friends and we ordered some drinks.

Varick arrived and spotted Deja and I, so he promptly came over and plunked himself down between us.  We said hello and then I introduced him to Jack.  The look on his face was priceless.  It was a combination of horror, embarrassment, and terror.  He turned 15 shades of red and covered his face with his hand and sort of laughed uncomfortably.  Clearly I’d caught him totally off-guard, which is exactly what I was hoping for.  Jack just grinned, and later on the way home I told him that the only thing which could have made that moment any better is if Jack had remarked “OH!  So YOU’RE the guy who was fucking my wife!”  I think that would have made Varick shit a brick, literally, Hee Hee.

In their usual style, everyone was really welcoming to Jack and glad to meet him (finally).  Varick seemed oddly attentive and interested in talking to me, which perhaps means nothing, but just the way he was acting seemed a little…suspect.  I sort of wonder if Jack hadn’t been there with me, if Varick would have perhaps made a move to get back together.  Who knows really (and I would have declined had he suggested such a thing) but it can be amusing to speculate.

We had a really good time, and I was so pleased that Jack and Deja hit it off.  She is going to join V and I (and hopefully Nia as well if she is over her flu by then) on Saturday night, for our trek to Goodhandy’s.  Jack and I are also planning to go over to Deja’s the last weekend of this month for some fire-play!!!  After meeting her Jack says that I can do fire-play with her whenever I want!  Very, very exciting, since I only really tried that tiny bit on my arm.  I really can’t wait to get the full body experience!

Now that he’s had a taste of what munches are like, Jack says he’s fine going to them with me.  Everyone who met him remarked that they hope he will come back again, and I think he will, provided V is able to babysit for us.  I am so happy that he’s getting more comfortable, and he says that he thinks going to more munches and meeting new people will be really beneficial for him, and I agree.  Who knows, maybe he and I will get to go to a play party in the near future.  I’d really love to go to one, but it would be even better if Jack would come with me, even just to watch.

This Friday V and I are going to the Bedouin Soundclash concert, and then Goodhandy’s on Saturday as I mentioned above.  It’s shaping up to be a really fun weekend!  Speaking of concerts, last night Jack bought us really good tickets for James Blunt, who is preforming here in Toronto on November 27th!  Seeing him in concert is on my list, so I’m really pumped about that.

Happy Hump Day everyone!  Hopefully we all get lucky

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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 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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).

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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