Friday five

"I never panic when I get lost. I just change where it is I want to go."
Rita Rudner

When I first started this blog two years ago I planned on posting some kind of list every Friday, with five items. I was inspired by Cupcakes and Cashmere's Emily Schuman who dedicates Fridays to her five favourite things of the week.  

While I've somewhat strayed off the path I (perhaps over-enthusiastically) set up for myself, I'd like to get back on it. As such, here is a list of five things that I'd like to do in 2014.

1. Make osso bucco 
Okay, this is a bit of a lie because I actually made it two weeks ago BUT it was the first time I had ever made it AND it was in 2014. So there. I know veal is not everyone's bag, for obvious reasons, but the name osso bucco just sounds so round, and delicious, that I had to try it. I checked out a few recipes online, including Jamie Oliver's and Giada de Laurentiis', but both were a little ingredient-heavy (aka I didn't have all of them) so I made my own pared-down version which included: veal shank, butter, garlic, onion, carrots, stewed (organic) tomatoes, red wine, chicken broth and salt and pepper. It was the best thing I have eaten in a long, long time.    

2. Try roller-derby
Roller-derby is a contact sport played by really hot, tough, cool girls. (You see what I just did there? lol). Ever since watching Whip it, with Ellen Page, Juliette Lewis and Drew Barrymore, I have been dying to try my hand, foot, roller skate at it. I have also been scared. Really scared. I bruise easily, you see. I have a feeling one "game" of roller-derby would leave me black and blue for days - if not weeks. But I also kind of think that's hot, tough, cool!

On a semi-side note, but not really, I first heard Jolene, by Dolly Parton, while watching Whip It and immediately fell in love with it. 

You know who else sings Jolene?

My main gal.

Which brings me to #3...

3. See Miley Cyrus in concert
On March 29th me and my two Ren's are dedicating a full 24 hours to Miley... and twerking. We've booked a hotel room and plan to spend precious pre-concert time coordinating our outfits while getting turnt up and... twerking. I don't have anything further to say about this other than... can't wait!   

4. Make a budget (and stick to it)
I have never, ever, made a budget. I have also never, ever been in debt. Until this year. In an effort to understand, and curb, my spending as well as return to my previous debt-free status I plan on making a budget. Income, fixed expenses, variable expenses, debt repayment and, yes, savings will all be included and accounted for (as well as laughed/cried at). Gail Vaz-Oxlade (now that's a mouthful of letters) has a great online tool to help me get debt free by 2015.  Go Gail!

 

   who knew this to be untrue?

5. Learn Polish 
This is also a bit of a lie, admittedly, because I already understand Polish (what with being Polish and all). But speaking Polish is another matter entirely. I'm technically quadrilingual but two of my four languages leave something to be desired, namely Polish and Japanese. I've been trying to sign up for a relatively inexpensive Polish class with the McGill Polish Students' Association for several months now to no avail. Which means I have to get crafty... 

     

When life gives you lemons...

... make lemonade.

God knows life isn't easy. Sometimes, it's downright difficult, painful, depressing.  

But, like with most things, it's mostly what you make of it. 

So I say when life gives you lemons, simply add a little sugar... and make lemonade.

And the sugar that I speak of is laughter.

A friend of mine paid me a great compliment the other day. He said he always knew where I was because all he had to do was follow the laughter. Actually, he said the loud, honking laughter... but I digress.

They say laughter is the best medicine for a reason, zer! 

"We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues." According to scientists laughter acts like a mild workout, increasing blood flow, raising the level of infection-fighting antibodies, boosting the levels of immune cells, lowering blood sugar levels, decreasing pain and improving sleep.   

All that and it's a hoot too! 

In order to ensure that y'all get your daily dose of medicine laughter, here is a compilation of things that made me laugh this week.

Miley Cyrus' best moments on SNL

Apparently Ms. Miley is now under fire from The Stroke Association for a joke she made about why she can't seem to control her tongue, "I'm having tiny strokes, yo!" but I personally thought it was high-larious.  

What are you going to tell me next? That you can't laugh at mental illness? The Silver Linings Playbook proves otherwise. 

And then there's this...

Classic Anderson Cooper (giggling like a little girl)

Cupcakes and Cashmere is a personal blog I try to visit on a regular basis. One of Emily Schuman's newest columns, Links I love, provided a well-deserved laugh this week. And without further ado, here it is: 22 Outstanding Neighbour Complaint Notes. LOL! 

For a guaranteed chuckle, I head on over to my other spirit animal's AOL online series, Candidly Nicole. In it, Nicole Richie brings her "unfiltered sense of humour and unique perspective to life" in a series based on her Twitter feed.

My other, other spirit animal, Chelsea Handler, is an author and comedian who totally cracks me up. Her irreverent late-night talk show and books have provided me with countless guffaws. And a few snorts.    

While the Kardashians are not exactly known for their sense of humour (especially Kim), Kourtney Kardashian has come out with some zingers... including a few that end with kabob. Douche kabob and slob kabob are two prime examples.

Proverb: If you're too busy to laugh, you're too busy...

The accidental tourist

There’s nothing sweeter than feeling like a tourist in your own city—like when you’ve just moved somewhere new and are dying to explore its every nook and cranny or when you know you’re leaving, and everything you took for granted (or even hated) suddenly seems unique and makes you feel nostalgic. That’s me right now… a tourist in La Belle Province’s most cosmopolitan city: Montreal. 

                                                                            

While I usually like nothing better than spending the entire weekend holed up at home enjoying the finer things in life (!) I’ve been making an effort to get out and about and soak up everything Montreal in the summer has to offer. First it was the Mt. Royal and St. Laurent street festivals followed by dumplings in Chinatown. Then it was the new Clock Tower Beach in the Old Port. 

The reason I’m a tourist in my own city is because I’m moving to parts unknown (somewhere in Gatineau) to be with my beau. I have a million things to do, both at work and at home, before leaving but all I wanna do is have some fun (like Sheryl Crowe).

I created this blog with the goal of chronicling my move from the city to the country, hence its clever name, and I sincerely hope to build up the drive to post on a regular basis. There are so many blogs that I enjoy on a daily basis, like Cupcakes and Cashmere, Lost in Translation and The Nomad’s Land, and I hope to create something that at least one person finds joy in. 

Wish me luck!