Thanksgiving

Going away to Spain for vacation last month provided not only a well-deserved rest from work and daily routine, but also gave us a new perspective on life as we live it. We realized that even in "cultured" Europe people could be impolite and unfriendly, cities polluted, and life more expensive. Return home brought relief and a new appreciation for the lifestyle we have. So for this Thanksgiving Day we showed our gratefulness by sacrificing a turkey. Although Thanksgiving is plainly North American tradition, it couldn't go without a mix of cultures and recipes. Our sacrificial turkey was subjected to special eastern European and Canadian seasoning, followed by hours of slow roasting and served with fantastic Balkan-style pastry called "mlinci" and north American-style cranberry sauce. To top it all up, there was some of Maggie's apple pie left from the previous blog.

Ski boots

We bought ski boots! Probably not the most sensitive thing to do, with our bank accounts deep in the red from vacation, but at least we are ready for the snow season. It took almost 3 hours of foot measuring, testing and trying on different boots, until we both settled on perfect fit. The boots will be fitted with our skis and ready for pick up in a week. Bring on the snow!

Party's over

Even before it started, the party is over. Every year we have an anniversary party at the company to celebrate surviving another year against all odds. This year it was supposed to be a big 10th anniversary. However, the big boss sent a memo last week explaining that the party won't happen "because of the economy". I'd like to think that the management is being fiscally conscious, but deep in the guts it feels like a bad omen. When the inevitable cuts start, hope they won't start from the online department.

Apple pie

Last Saturday we visited Big Apple Farm in Colborne, a couple of hours drive east from Toronto to try their "famous" apple pies. We were not impressed--the pies were mushy, soft crusted and bland. Maggie was so disappointed that she made her own pie when we came home, and it was a winner! I'm not saying this because I know Maggie will read it, I'm saying it because it's true. The crust, the flavor, everything was there. So, tonight Maggie challenged herself to best the last effort. The pie is steaming on the kitchen counter and before we taste it and the judgment is passed, we took a picture. I'm certain it's just as yummy as it looks.

Wow: Greatness

"Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." - from Twelfth Knight by William Shakespeare

WOW stands for "Words of Wisdom"

Wow: Stephane Dion

"Poor, hapless Stephane Dion (Liberal party leader)... he really does seem like someone who wandered into the convention to use the washroom and suddenly discovered that he'd been elected leader" - Joanne Rochester, professor of English at the University of Saskatchewan, on CBC radio's As It Happens

WOW stands for "Words of Wisdom"

Autumn

We left Spain in Summer and landed in Toronto in Autumn. Ever since we came back from the vacation, the temperatures are barely passing the 10 C mark during the day and falling dangerously close to zero at night. Colors of Autumn are so rich and so abundant! So cruel of Mother Nature to paint the dying leaves in the most vibrant colors, almost as though she's mocking their existence. Or, maybe somewhere there is a hidden message for all of us to flash our best colors at the time of departure? In any case, I love all the shades of fading green, yellow, orange and red sprinkling the trees. But, I hate the rains of Autumn, I hate to see my breath during evening runs, and I hate the persistent drizzle which soaked through me tonight. I'll take the colors, you keep the rain!

Goulash

Maggie must have been a Hungarian in previous life. I mean, there's no other explanation how an Asian woman can make such a killer goulash every time! It's always perfect, always the right balance of flavor and texture. Tonight I'll stop wondering how she does it and just enjoy a nice bowl of goulash.

Words of wisdom (Wow): a couple of quotes

"I've gotten older now and I understand it, very much so,... Youth can be very, very threatening. And I was very young." - Diahann Carroll in NPR interview, talking about the older colleague's reaction to her rising on Broadway.

"Mama used to say: 'Boy, I had to do so much with so little for so long, I can do anything with nothing!'" - Chris Gardner, author of the autobiography book The Pursuit of HappYness in an NPR interview talking about the financial crisis in the U.S. and worldwide.

What a week it has been!

I neglected the blog, I admit--trying not to spend too much time on the computer, with all the training in the last 2 weeks before the half-marathon race. As soon as I'm home from work, I'm off for a jog.

Since the last entry, the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis caught up with the rest of the world. Markets kept falling; Bush proposed to inject 700 billion dollars into Wall Street: the U.S. Congress rejected it; markets recorded the greatest loss in history. Then the Congress quickly accepted the bailout plan, but markets kept free-falling. So today the news channels finally used the "r" word they've been avoiding like a plague: recession. Seems that we are in it for at least a year, according to the CBC analyst.

I wonder what it all means for us? We are locked in the mortgage for another year. With a little luck, the financial mess will clear until then and we may even avoid a significant interest hike on renewal. Other than that, I guess there won't be pay-raise any time soon: my employer, apparently, isn't doing well. Maggie and I may need to consider doing some freelancing on the side to help us out. I'm certain it'll all end well.

We have federal elections in Canada on October 14. As usual, there's no one really I'd vote for. Politicians are all the same. Besides, I'm really ticked off by Canadian system where we're supposed to vote for the party and its platform, not for an individual representative. Unfortunately, the conservatives are ahead in polls. I wish them another minority mandate.