Apparently, The Candyman Can't.

Props to scarbie doll for reminding me to blog about this story as I told it at work today. So if this amuses/grosses you out, you can thank/blame her. :-P

I've been reading Ecoholic by Adria Vasil, and have felt the call to make a concerted effort to lessen my footprint on the environment. So when I read the part about the ways that disposable razors and foaming shave gels negatively impact the environment, I decided that perhaps THIS was my opportunity! THIS would be step 1 in my new drive to make the world a better place!

One of the eco-friendly solutions to hair removal is the ancient process of sugaring. It's much like waxing, but without the toxins and gunk. Plus, the cloth strips are easily washable with a little hot water, and therefore reusable. Bonus!

After a bit of googling I found the universal recipe for successful sugaring:

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water

I bought some basic cotton fabric and cut it into strips. I bought a hefty bag of sugar and a lemon. I got a candy thermometer to ensure I got it to the precise 250 degree temp. And I set to work.

The directions were followed, but as I was waiting for my sugar-licious mixture to cool down to the point where I could slap it on my legs without needing a call to 911, it started to harden. In a panic I tried spreading the amber mixture on my leg, and not only did it not stick to my leg because of the cornstarch I powdered with because this website recommended it for "tautness making it more effective," but it was also still WAY TOO HOT.

As it continued to set to a rock candy stage, I ran down to the kitchen to try and get it out of the glass dish before it completely set.

One foot of wax paper, a spatula, a spoon, and a paring knife later, I had a lovely little blob of artwork on my counter, and a dark amber dish you could have preserved a Jurassic mosquito in.

Mr. Man came to my rescue, and amidst giggling fits, helped me reheat the solution so the glass dish could be saved.

Moral of the story: Leave the sugaring to the professionals, ladies. There are much less stressful (and less messy!) ways to save the earth.

Gesundheit, Mr. Darcy

As I was laying here in bed amidst my hot tea, cough drops, vitamin C, and nearly empty box of tissues, a thought occurred: Main characters in books never get summer colds. They never seem to get colds at all! Period! Somehow that doesn't seem entirely fair. Although, I suppose if they did get colds it would make for rather dull reading, since they'd be stuck in bed all day.

But I digress...seriously, can anyone name a book in which a character suffers from the common cold? It would make me feel better. I think.

Achoo.

Flickr-licious

Sweet. Try spelling with flickr for yourself here.

Whaaa? Summer's Here Already?

Kudos to Katrina over at Callapidder Days for keeping the Spring Reading Thing challenge going! At last we're officially into summer, and thank goodness I have the longest day of the year to post my recap:

What I read:
1. The Birth House by Ami McKay
2. The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
3. The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson
4. The Historian (Audio) by Elizabeth Kostova
5. Charlotte's Web (Audio) by E.B. White
6. Blood Sports by Eden Robinson
7. To Kill a Mockingbird (Audio) by Harper Lee
8. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
9. Conceit (ARC) by Mary Novik
10. Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
11. Life on the Refrigerator Door (ARC) by Alice Kuipers
12. Everything's Eventual by Stephen King

What was the best book you read this spring?

By far, the book that moved me the most was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. I don't think I've cried so much in a long time!



My absolute favourite audiobook which I will listen to again and again for years to come was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.

What book could you have done without?

That silly audiobook starring The Count. Err, I mean, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I shouldn't make fun, but seriously, the whole book was ruined by Dracula's stereotypical blood-sucking voice.

Did you try out a new author this spring? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

Yes! Mary Novik is a first-time novelist from BC, and her upcoming historical fiction Conceit was a great read. I enjoyed it as much as the Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier titles out there.

If there were books you didn't finish, tell us why. Did you run out of time? Realize those books weren't worth it?

Oy, I did just what I said I would. I went to the book sale and my whole Spring Reading Plan flew right out the window. Here's what I had intended to get to in this challenge:
1. The Keep by Jennifer Egan
2. The World Below by Sue Miller
3. The Wreckage by Michael Crummey

But they were usurped by shiny new titles from the book sale (That I still haven't gotten to):
1. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
2. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam
3. The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
4. Perfume by Patrick Suskind
5. A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

Did you come across a book or two on other participants' lists that you're planning to add to your own to-be-read pile? Which ones?

Oh there were too many to count and keep track. The one that kept coming up over an over at the beginning of the challenge was The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian.

What did you learn -- about anything -- through this challenge? Maybe you learned something about yourself or your reading style, maybe you learned not to pick so many nonfiction books for a challenge, maybe you learned something from a book you read. Whatever it is, share!

I'm going to say what I think a lot of challengees will say here: I have way too many books to read! Still! But that's a great thing. I love being surrounded by the piles.

What was the best part of the Spring Reading Thing?

Reading other bloggers' reviews and finding some new favourite reads!

Would you be interested in participating in another reading challenge this fall?
Any other thoughts, impressions, or comments.

Yes. For sure. You betcha. Bring it on. Til then, I'm off to the beach with a paperback in hand.

Happy Summer!

Script Frenzy 2007 - Do I Dare?

Even thought it's halfway over with, I've just registered for Script Frenzy 2007. As a former NaNoWriMo participant (and winner! hurrah!) I know how crazy it is to set this lofty goal of writing a novel/script/whatever within a month.

I haven't completely decided if I'm actually going to write a script as an official participant (having only 14 days remaining in the challenge - yikes!). But if I do, it will definitely be a stage play, since that's where my experience lies.

The constant problem I've always had, though, was coming up with a plot. A feasible plot that isn't too..."out there" to be real.

Ideas are as welcome as a warm apple pie...

Long Live Michael Rose and Mucho Burrito!

Today it's all about Mike Rose and burritos.

Oh, what a wonderful day! Not only is it Mike Rose's birthday (Happy Happy to you!), but today is the day that I discovered (well, that Jane escorted us to) a peppy little place called Mucho Burrito! Don't you just feel like singing that name with gusto? MUCH-oooo Buuuurrrrrr-IT-oooooooh!

Okay, so what's so great about Mucho Burrito is that it's almost exactly like Qdoba, which my long-time pals and readers will know was one of my favourite restaurants in that city I used to live in. It was also the restaurant where I let a jerk cut in line because I'm a nice girl. (Oh! Side note - I just realized that the post links in my old blog have apparently stopped working. The story I just referred to is somewhere on the page though, IF you feel like looking for it, and apparently have a lot of time on your hands.)

Aaaaaaanyway. I've been missing that Mexican grill-type cuisine since moving here. And now I am a happy princess once again.

And now a little word or two about Mike Rose. I would give you a little linky goodness, but Mike Rose is apparently a man of so few words that he doesn't have a blog of his very own. But, Mike Rose DOES want to have a place in the world for eternity. Or at least a mention. And so now that I've mentioned Mike Rose's name...let's see, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7....SEVEN whopping times in my blog post, he will therefore be plastered across the blogosphere for eternity. Or until I hit that shiny delete button. :)

Happy Birthday, Mike Rose! (Whoop, that's EIGHT!)