Come On Baby Light My Fire

This weekend, my mother and I were out doing some errands in preparation for some serious canning that we had planned. Lo, and behold! It was Boot Drive! Hey Nerds! This has nothing to do with setting up a new computer system. This is the one day of the year that Our Region’s Finest: Fire Division stand out on busy corners and have passersby dump money into a stinky boot. The main idea is to raise money for muscular dystrophy, and while this is a noble and worthy cause, it could be argued that having firemen stand around in their uniforms is cause enough. My very own mother wondered allowed why they were all so good looking. She asked, to no one in particular, “What? Do they have to be calendar-ready?” Good question Mom and I do not have the answer, but an even better question might be why people (or women and gay men) find male fire fighters so darned good looking? It’s not like their uniform is skin tight (although at times it could be dripping wet). Hell, last week we convinced a friend of ours to be a model in a fashion show by bribing her with a fireman escort.

I can tell you though, that with the fervour with which I dug through the dark reaches of my purse and wallet, Canada Student Loans and other such bill collectors should get the firemen on board. Late fees would be a thing of the past.

If you’re hot for firemen (pun intended) and also for grilling, my arch nemesis Anna Olson is cooking up some fun with her local fire fighting friends on Wednesday, September 10. Firemen: Allowing people to lose the grudge since Ancient Egyptian times!

Get the Lead Out

Before you know it this extended summer will give way to a winter that freezes you right into your guts. If the new Farmer’s Alamanac is to be believed Old Man Winter has us earmarked for days and nights that stretch their wretched, cold finfertips towards -40 degrees. Note to self: Stop knitting socks and start knitting hats and mittens.

But while we still have sun and warm what you really should be doing is hopping on your bike and hitting the trails and roads in and around Niagara. The Niagara Region has partnered with several community groups to launch a web mapping service that shows over 200 bicycling routes in Niagara. All the routes are loops, beginning and ending in the same location. It is a searchable database, and you can search by municipality, distance and terrain. The system will bring up a map, as well as a link to more detailed directions in pdf format.

So find yourself a route, hop on your bike and make a day of cycling and drinking wine. Or cycling and fall colours. Or cycling and “The Best Muffins in Town”.

Your welcome.

All By Myself

DM has gone off to Scotland leaving me to loaf around the house and spend hours of my life (most of which I will never get back) messing about on the Intarwebs. There are probably more pressing things to be doing but I dare you to resist Wordle. Many thanks to U-Handbag for the demise of the will to do anything but find huge tracts of text to create images with. It’s like I’ve always said, “who needs showering when you have friends on the Internet?”.

Here’s a special Brown Sugar Wordle created by entering in the blog url. I especially enjoy how the word ‘flushable’ appears in close proximity to the word ‘cakes’:

Then, if you are feeling nostalgic, try entering the first page of one of your favourite childhood novels. Can anyone guess the novel?

Classic children’s literature not your thang? How about Shatner’s bio?

Perhaps your feeling more like a little damning of The Man? Or at least the bourgeois elite.

I could go on all night. But now that I’ve passed the ball off to you, maybe I’ll get some sleep…

Goodbye Cakes

This past weekend marked the official end of a little business project that was birthed in the autumn of 2005. I was back on Canadian soil after spending several months slogging it out in an Australian kitchen. I had just started work on my Masters degree and a friend of a friend needed someone to make wedding cakes.

It has been a good run and if anyone in the GTA needs a hip DJ for a wedding or special event, Lisa is totally the Asian Boss Lady for you. Here are a few of hello Cakes! greatest hits: