Take your pick.

I'd like to start by sending President Obama kudos for last night's tribute to the tragic deaths, those injured and to the inspiring heroes of the Arizona shooting.  For all of Mr. Obama's faults (of which he may have a few I am sure), there's not one person on this planet that can dispute the fact that the man can speak.  Well.  Very well.  Not once have I ever wished I was American - until I saw him.  Kudos, President Obama.  Well done, once again.  I don't think I will ever tire of hearing you speak.  Truly inspiring.

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Ladies, let's discuss the rounded toe boot.  No.  No.  No!  It's a horrible fashion statement.  I'd give it a marginal maybe if paired over a skinny jean, but it still ranks up there with the ugg and the crock.  C'mon girls!  We can do SO much better.  Hopefully this trend won't last and the shoemakers around the world will go back to making a more stylish boot.  Please?

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It snowed last night.  Drivers across the City were on high alert, as though they've never seen the stuff before.  It's just snow.  It happens every year.  It snows here.  A lot.  This is not new.  You really can press the accelerator to 40 or even (gasp) 50 kms.  Honest.

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I'm happy to report that I've been a regular at my local gym, setting a regular schedule since Boxing Day, and I'm down almost 3 lbs.  Yay!  It's certainly not bikini worthy (perhaps add a "0" after the 3 and then maybe), but it's still a very positive step forward.  I don't think I will ever really be bikini worthy, but that's ok.  I've accepted my Ukrainian heritage and put all the blame on that, deservedly so.  I can't help it that I love bread.  Mmmmm....bread.....

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The child has been saving his money since the Fall for a 32 gig (or however it's written) iPod Touch.  He has the 8 gig but apparently it's not good enough.  Combined with cash he received at Christmas he had enough to buy it last week.  Wonderful!  Yah, it broke last night.  Damn thing wouldn't turn on or something.  Fortunately he's a bit of a techy (as are all teenagers I suppose) and was able to figure it out by posting a question on some Apple forum or something.  Thank God.  It was a very tense couple hours in my house last night.  Very tense.

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The most flattering thing happened to me this week!  I was walking in the overpass to City Place around 2 to grab a late lunch.  As I was walking back I noticed a little girl, maybe 4 or 5, long dark hair, cute little pink dress and white tights (SOOOO cute!), walking hand-in-hand with her dad.  She was jammering away, non-stop talking about a little girl in her daycare, talking about a million words a minute, when suddenly she turned around to see who was walking behind her.  She stops mid-sentence and says to her dad "Daddy, there is a very beautiful woman walking behind us.".  I look behind me to see who she's talking about when it hit me that she was referring to *me*!!  Seriously?  Wow!  So I laughed and said "Thank you!".  The dad said to the little girl "Do you see her boots sweetie?  They are sort of like yours." And then he turns to me and says "It's very exciting for a 4 year old girl to have high heels".  And I said "Well, it's exciting even when you're 36 to have high heels!".  Ha!

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Jamaica in TWO days!!!  Two days!!!  For an entire week!!!  So the man and I were packing last night and we discovered that although we are positive we have at least 4 full bottles of sunscreen, do you think we could find one?  Just one?  No.  So, it's off to the store to get some more to add to our collection.  Damn.

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I very grateful for the relationship my man and I have with my ex-husband. We get together occasionally, have bbq's, a few drinks, play some boardgames - it's all very good.   However, it is still an odd feeling knowing that my ex-husband will be staying in my house with the boy and the Kobe-dog while we are away.  Very strange indeed.  This is a new one for me.

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Next blog:  January 23rd, post Jamaica.  Happy travels!