The Cosby Show

The Cosby Show has recently become available on Hulu and last night I watched the pilot episode. I used to watch this show with my family every Thursday night. And yes it was TV and TV gets a bad rap- but I remember it as being quality time spent with my family. We would gather together each week and watch and laugh and enjoy time together.
Now the show launched in 1984-  27 years ago. Literally TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS. And it STILL holds up.
The writing is clever (& funny!) layered with insights that are still relevant today. The performances are natural and nuanced and the characters are relate-able and likeable. It's the original modern family. I was laughing. I wasn't cringing like one does on some older shows and other than the clothes it didn't feel dated.
Am I crazy? Is it a show that holds up as well as I think or was I just too many glasses of Thanksgiving wine in to be able to tell the difference between quality and memory?

Olivia and her "BIG" piano from FAO Schwarz

I was in Winnipeg last weekend for a long overdue visit with my family (brothers, sister-in-law and my niece Olivia). I missed her birthday so I brought her a belated present- a floor piano from FAO Schwarz- a much smaller version of the one featured in the movie "BIG" (with Tom Hanks).

She loved it! It was a hit and she played with it all weekend.  I'm sure my brother and sister-in-law are equally thrilled.

Btw- she's a musical genius. 

Please don't use Serenata flowers

To all of my London based friends:

I recently used a flower company to send some flowers to a friend in the UK. It's been over a week since I placed the order. A week and four phone calls.
And no delivery.
And no answers.
And no solutions.

They keep saying "You can cancel or we'll re-send the delivery tomorrow. Sorry- we don't know why the order hasn't arrived."

I finally had to cancel today after getting one too many cheekily written 'failure' spam-mails.

So. Don't call them. Call someone else. Call 1-800-Bloom. Or the guy who lives next door. Or a dumpster. They'll probably do a better job.

And today I ran

The whole reason I had my knee surgery was because I could no longer run without pain and swelling. And I had the surgery 6 months and 2 days ago.

It's been a long time coming but today I finally ran. And not the little steps jogging across the street or the quick sprint up the block where I can tell that I'm favouring the one leg.  I was late for my physical therapy and had to run up the street to catch a cab and then run to my PT office.

So without thinking about it I was running- dodging all of the trick or treaters on the street and keeping up a fast pace. My leg did hurt a bit afterwards but I LOVED IT.

My over-protective PT said I need to cool it for another couple of weeks- but for now I feel like it was all worth it and eventually I'll be back to the old me. Or an even better improved me.

The Android beat me

I returned it and got the Iphone 4S.

It wasn't the phone that beat me as much as it's incompatibility with my beloved mac. And yes it was great for movies and TV, but not music and itunes.

So alas I'm back to the Iphone. Comfortable and easy.

Just like elastic waisted pants and 'practical' shoes.

sigh...

Eating for my blood type

A few months ago I saw my aunt for the first time in a year. She looked great: bright skin, weight loss, more energy etc. She was glowing. She told me it was because she had started the "Eat for your Blood Type" diet.

I'd heard of this diet, it's been around for 15 years, but had never put much stock in it. Just like the Atkins diet I'd thought it was just another fad thing for quick weight loss, grounded in nothing but gimmicks and false hope. However when my naturopath doctor friend mentioned it a few months later I was intrigued (I respect her opinion a lot!). Intrigued enough to read up on it.

The initial summary provides a description of each blood type and I immediately started to identify with blood type O (no idea what blood type I was at the time). Type O's prefer intense exercise like running & martial arts as opposed to calming exercise like yoga & thai chi. O's also suffer from Ulcers and should avoid wheat. They also aren't able to drink most beverages.

I've said in the past that"I only drink a few things- wine, water and green tea. I don't drink soda or juice or coffee" (how boring was that conversation?!). I also don't like bread and I get canker sores (ulcers) all the time.  And while I hate yoga I love running and Muay Thai.

Turns out I'm O+.

I find it interesting that I could see my traits so specifically outlined in my blood type - there is something to our genetics driving our behaviours. I've been making choices that are suited to how my body is constructed.

So... I'm giving it a shot. My friend and I will try it for 3 months and see if it makes a difference.

(ed note: the one thing incompatible with behaviour and the 'science' behind the blood type is that apparently I should avoid peanuts. Like the peanuts found in peanut m&m's. This isn't necessarily 100% accurate surely?!)

Hello Android. I will not let you beat me.

I have been a long time fan of the Iphone. I lined up for it when it first came to Canada (then reluctantly had to sell it when I moved to the US). I lined up for the newer version (3GS) after a year of living in the states. I encouraged my good friend Rose to get an iphone (she never looked back) and have long been an advocate of it's utility and general all around "amazing-ness".

Then, like all relationships, the love started to fade. I started to notice that the iphone wasn't delivering on certain things. It was slowing down. It wasn't as shiny and new as it had once seemed. And everyone on the planet seemed to have one.

I wanted something new. I started the research and asked around and it seemed like an Android was the way to go -but what manufacturer and what provider?

Long (really boring) story short- I bought a Samsung Galaxy S2 yesterday- it was just released in the US market (*yesterday- I'm nothing if not an early adopter of phone technology). I love it because the screen quality and color are amazing. I love it because it's shiny and new. I hate it because I don't know how to use it.

I'm sure if I was a 12 year old girl I'd have no problem. I'd just intuitively skim through the dozens of applications and master all of the functionality. But I'm not a 12 year old girl and all of this new gadgetry is confusing and overwhelming (yes I'm 87). Can someone please just set up my music and sync it and organize the contacts with google and facebook and then get the right game app and generally take care of it for me? please?

Sigh- but I can't do that. So I shall persevere. I won't let this phone beat me. It's only been a day- give me one week and I'll be an android GS2 (that's what they call it) expert.

Facebook is our friend

I don't understand the recent revolts against the Facebook changes. People have forgotten that this a free service, and though it's become an invaluable tool for how we communicate and connect with each other- we are under no obligation to use it.

I'm also confused by people's reluctance to adopt change. If that were alway the case- they wouldn't have started using facebook to begin with. And while there is comfort in the familiar, there is also excitement in the new. And while it might be confusing at first- facebook was confusing at first. What the heck was a "wall" anyhow? Like?? I don't think so. Now it's my favourite function.

I think some of the issue is that these changes just happen- and they are out of our control, and without our opinion or input. But if we choose to embrace it (I downloaded the timeline early so that it was something I adopted vs having it thrust upon me) then we're more likely to "like it" as we have some ownership over it.

Finally Mark Zuckerberg (despite differing opinions) is not a stupid man. And he likely does not employ stupid people. There are people who study socialization, how we interact with each other, dreaming up new ways to connect and tell our stories. Not all of it will work, not all of it will be great. But a lot of it will be- creating a richer, better experience.

So embrace it.

Get excited by the newness of it.

And get over it- it's just facebook and it's supposed to be fun.