Lydia exploding from her carrier at the shelter

On Wednesday my husband and I visited a shelter run by Toronto Animal Services to look at the kittens available for adoption.

The closest, the South Region centre, was difficult to reach due to blockades set up for the Indy races which were happening that weekend. After circling the centre for close to half an hour, we approached some service people who let us walk across the track, dodging giant beer trucks, trucks with construction and other dubious materials.

We eventually made it of course.

We’d checked online to see what was available, and to me this little kitten looked like the cutest thing ever, and in person she turned out to be even sweeter, climbing on my shoulder, nuzzling and licking my ear. How could I not fall in love? Continue reading »

CIBC's Run for the Cure in Toronto, 2009

Each year I participate in CIBC’s Run for the Cure to raise money for breast cancer research and prevention. It’s an important charity to me, my Grandmother died of cancer in 2001. She was the most amazing woman and it was heartbreaking to watch.

For the uninitiated, the runners in pink shirts are breast cancer survivors, those in red are lead sponsor CIBC’s employees, and average Janes and Joes run in white. Most sport various accoutrements in pink – hats, wigs, scarves, tutus, leg warmers, temporary tattoos – anything and everything you can think of is somewhere represented. It’s the only day of the year I wear any real pink.

Runners passing the ROM

The run took place on Sunday, October 4th across Canada, and I of course ran in my home city of Toronto. I took a few shots as I was running, most of which are up on Facebook.

If you haven’t donated yet, but are able to spare even a few bucks, it would mean a lot to me. You can still donate as late as Hallowe’en, October 31st. All donations of at least twenty dollars are eligible for a tax receipt.

Knowing that even the paltry sum I’m able to raise helps fund research that can raise awareness for prevention and find a cure is important to me.

Please click here to donate to a great cause.

Thanks, and it would be great to see you running with me next year!

Drew & Nico

August 4th, 2009 was our eighth wedding anniversary.

This year we decided our gift to each other would be to finally frame the picture we bought while in Montreal for our fifth anniversary. It certainly seemed reasonable.

So, on Tuesday we went out for dinner at a local place we both enjoy.

It’s ten years ago this summer (July 8th, to be exact) that Drew and I met properly for the first time and eight years ago since we were married. It’s a long time, but it doesn’t feel like a long time ago.

A few years ago I asked Drew why he thought our relationship worked. His response: “Because I’m cool”. I told him that was funny, as I was going to say it was because I was awesome. He nodded and cheerily replied something to the effect of “That’s right, we’re both awesome”.

There’s a lesson in here: successful relationships work because each partner is individually awesome and cool. If one of the pair isn’t supremely nifty, it’s probably not going to last. (Love can only carry you so far.)

Cheers to all the awesome people out there.