Get A Mammogram

For all the ladies out there, if you are in your late thirties please go to your family doctor and ask for a baseline mammogram. Doctors may not find anything and can use it as a base from which to judge your future mammograms. Don't forget to do the self-exam, but I think it's better to find something on an x-ray when it's tiny. I went for my first mammogram last January and they found micro-calcifications in my right breast, and I then went for a six-month follow-up and luckily nothing had changed, but I still need to go every six months. It doesn't hurt that much -- just a bit uncomfortable -- and the key is to discover a problem early enough that it can be treated and managed. Ladies, you have the power to ask/demand a mammogram, so get yourself to a doctor and ask for a mammogram.

Check webmd.com for breast cancer symptoms.

Gourmet Magazine, 1941-2009

Two days ago Conde Nast announced that it would cease publishing Gourmet magazine, and since that time I have been going through various stages of grief.

I was shocked that Conde Nast killed the oldest food magazine in the United States, and I am still in disbelief that they did it without a fight. Are there not other ways to salvage it, such as: increasing subscription rates, changing it to a quarterly publication while gradually increasing its presence online with podcasts. Their argument is that they still have Bon Appetit magazine, but it unfortunately is full of recipes, while Gourmet was so much more than that.

These past couple of days I have been feeling guilty over the past Gourmet issues I have recycled or tossed (after clipping favourite articles and recipes) in the process of moving across North America -- especially the December issues. Now I will be scouring used book stores and online for copies. The December issues were the first I bought off the newsstands and they are what got me hooked.

Anger consumed me yesterday as I found myself phoning Conde Nast to cancel all our subscriptions we still receive from them and asking for a refund on the remainder of my Gourmet subscription. If they cancel Gourmet then they do not deserve our loyalty or our cash. Damn you Conde Nast. I hope your other publications flounder.

Meanwhile, I have been sad these past two days knowing that I will no longer be receiving Gourmet in the mail every month. For almost twenty years I have lost myself inside pages of this magazine reading about fabulous travels, wonderful food, far-off restaurants that I might one day visit, and tantalizing recipes illustrated with photography sure to induce salivation. My favourite issue was always the December issue and I am disappointed that Conde Nast chose to end with the November issue instead of the Holiday issue.

My only hope is that in a few years, long after Conde Nast has forgotten about Gourmet magazine and the brand has dwindled to cookbooks, some small publishing house will have the courage to either revive it in a new transformation or recognize the need for a new magazine that caters to all that is the art of good living.

Glee

Think I've finally found a new television series to avidly follow. It's called Glee and can be seen on Fox every Wednesday. The story revolves around a high school glee club and it's full of humour with a dash of campiness not to mention the musical numbers thrown in every now and then. Now, the little high school I attended in Quebec did not have a glee club -- at least when I attended -- so I do not understand what glee clubs are, but I'm really loving this version of one. Tonight's episode is fabulous with Kristin Chenoweth guest-starring (I want the pink cowboy boots she's wearing during the Carrie Underwood number, but in red). Fingers crossed that she will be a guest-star in an upcoming episode.

Do Not Subscribe to American Vogue

Just off the phone with an operator at American Vogue and I feel ripped off.

Way back in June I received promotional mail from the magazine telling me "to subscribe so that I do not miss out on the upcoming September issue of Vogue." I had previously been a subscriber and had let my subscription lapse at the end of 2008as I had decided it was no longer worth it. Perhaps it was because Hubby was away on a business trip and I was feeling down, but for some strange reason I had a moment of weakness and sent in the promotional card to get a subscription.

Two weeks after sending in the card, I received the July issue. Initially I was surprised because I was under the impression that they would be billing me first and then beginning my subscription with the September issue. Also, I was disappointed because the issue was tinier than the fall LL Bean catalog, not to mention that loathesome (and husband-stealer) actress Sienna Miller was featured on the cover. A few weeks later I received the August issue. I did receive a couple of invoices, but as the summer was busy with activity and a couple of trips I did not get around to sending in the cheque until the end of August.

I kept waiting for the September issue to arrive, but it never did, and as the October issue is now on newsstands I finally phoned Vogue. It appears that they did cash my cheque on August 31, but "it takes 4-6 weeks to process the cheque"! So, they stopped the subscription, received my payment, but won't re-instate the subscription for 4-6 weeks, which is the October issue. Basically they have my money for a month before they will do anything.

I cancelled the subscription and asked for a refund as the ONLY reason I subscribed to Vogue was to receive the September issue. The reason I feel ripped off is because by adding my name as a subscriber in June they are 'padding' their number/list of subscribers that is used to sell advertising space in the fall issues. More subscribers means Vogue can command more money for advertising and lure more companies to advertise in the magazine.

That is it for American Vogue; I will not buy another issue. Now, I haven't given up on French Vogue (follow on Twitter: FashionWeekLive), or British Vogue, but they are difficult to locate on newsstands in silicon valley.

It's Always Sunny Here, With a Chance of Crazy Drivers

It's another sunny day in silicon valley, although it started it off with fog -- reminds me of the movie 'L.A. Story' where he pre-tapes the weather segment. I was actually happy when it rained late Sunday afternoon/early evening as we haven't had any major rainfall since mid-June. Strange as it may seem, I miss rainy days where you just hang out on the sofa watching movies or reading. Sunny days make me feel like I should be out doing stuff constantly.

We made it back from Lake Tahoe after hours and hours (and hours) on the California highway system. South Lake Tahoe was a bizarre combination of nature and casinos. Five minutes from the Heavenly Gondola is the Nevada stateline with a half-dozen high-rise casinos. The gondola ride up the mountain was amazing as you can see most of Lake Tahoe from the observation deck at the top. Must admit that I was freaked out by the height.

The great thing about staying around the Heavenly Gondola/Village is that you can walk to shops, restaurants, bars, and the casinos. Hubby enjoyed the double Crown Royal rye and coke at Hard Rock Cafe, while I found amusement at the nickel slot machines -- big spender that I am. At Harrah's Hubby decided to try his hand at roulette so he could get a casino chip as a souvenir for yours truly. The first night we had no idea what we were doing and just put chips on our birthdays! Although, towards then end I noticed a pattern on which numbers it landed on. So, the next night he decides to try again, and thims time he puts chips on corners and between numbers. Hubby did well, but he stuck with self-imposed limits and left the game when he got to a certain amount. I can see how certain personalities would become addicted to gambling, so you really have to go into a casino with limits as to how much you will spend, or just bring in your limit in cash and that's it.

Yes, the ride home from Lake Tahoe on Labor Day was insane. We had planned on going the 'short' route home via the southern highway to Sacramento, but the traffic jam was insane. It took fifteen minutes to get four blocks, so I convinced Hubby to take the northern highway. Guess we would have been okay except that I convinced him to stop at a restaurant for lunch. It was bumper to bumper traffic due to construction on the highway...although NO crews were working that day. Perhaps people get nervous driving in construction areas because the traffic jam suddenly ended when we left the area that was being re-surfaced. We did observe that Californians drive in the left lane instead of using it for passing slower moving vehicles -- of course Ontario people do that too.

The strangest thing in California is that people rarely use their signal lights when turning or switching lanes. We never noticed this in Texas -- although Dallas was peculiar because drivers would do U-turns in the middle of streets instead of driving around the block (this happened a lot in Uptown). No, in California people don't think it's necessary to let other drivers know they are turning. Also, California drivers do not know how to merge. Most of the time they don't look to see if a car is coming and they just merge into the lane assuming that the car in that lane will let them in. We use the horn frequently here, but then people take offence to that even though you're trying to avoid an accident. California drivers are crazy and drive with little regard to the other drivers on the road, and so driving defensively is a must to avoid collisions.

Lake Tahoe

Finally getting excited about our Labour Day weekend trip. I've heard so much about Lake Tahoe, so Hubby and I have decided to see what all the fuss is about. Since half of the lake is in Nevada I may get a chance to visit a casino. Hard to believe it's been over a year since we were at Choctaw in Oklahoma. I'll have to try my hand at blackjack (or as my Gramma called it: 21) to get a casino chip as a souvenir. Here's hoping there's no smoking in casinos. Must check the weather forecast and figure out what to pack.

Mad Men Season 1

While Hubby has been gone on a business trip this week I've kept my evenings busy by re-watching season one of Mad Men. I love the costumes and sets, and although I wasn't around in 1960, it does look authentic and the colours jump off the screen -- especially in high def. This show just pulls you into the storylines of the characters and leaves you wanting more. Can't wait for August 16 when the third season is set to begin. Did Betty have the baby? Did Joan get married? Will Roger Sterling be back at Sterling Cooper? Are Betty and Don back together? Is Peggy running the show at Sterling Cooper? Did Pete and Trudy adopt a baby? And, what happened to beatnik Midge?

Childhood Memories: RIP Les Lye

This evening while checking news on the net I discovered the death of veteran actor Les Lye. While the name may not be familiar to most people, he was a regular on 'You Can't Do That On Television', one of my favorite television shows that I watched was a kid. I lived for Saturday mornings when the show came on...I think it started at 11am on CJOH...I loved that it was all kids -- except for Les Lye. The best part was the slime that fell on the each person when they said 'what?'...gooey green goodness. Great escapism for a pre-teen. I also remember being in awe of my older cousin whose locker in high school was located next to one of the child actors, Kevin, who I thought -- in my ten-year old brain -- was dreamy.

Les Lye was also part of 'Willie & Floyd', another childhood television staple. Only Canadians of a certain age will recall this show (even Hubby doesn't remember it). My older sister won a write-in contest from the show and we excitedly crowded around the television as they read her winning paragraph on why she liked her school teacher. Her prize was a small knitting machine for children. As a seven year-old I was quite impressed. That was the most memorable part of 'Willie & Floyd' for me.

Perhaps this is all part of getting older when those who were on radio and television in your childhood start dying: Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and now Les Lye.

LL Bean Catalog Bigger Than July Vogue

Yesterday I received both the July 2009 issue of Vogue and the late summer 2009 LL Bean catalog in the mail. Much to my surprise, the LL Bean catalog was heavier and had 25 more pages than Vogue. I realize that the July issue is usually one of the smallest (next to January), but this is tiny. The huge fall issue usually has more pages of ad space before the table of contents than the total amount of pages in this issues, which comes to a grand total of 134. I've been feeling guilty since dropping my subscription last December and so I'm back to supporting this Anna Wintour rag. Here's hoping they've toned down the politics, cut-back on the British writers/editors to add more of an American viewpoint, and kept the sleek design layout.

Strange Days

Yesterday was such a strange day. First, in the morning came the news of Farrah Fawcett's death. After her lengthy battle with cancer it came as no surprise but sad nonetheless. As a child I can remember staying up past my bedtime on Fridays to watch 'Charlie's Angels', and it was a game with my sisters to pretend we were the angels battling criminals. I was always the 'smart' one, Sabrina, and as my older sister became a teenager she tried to emulate Farrah's hairstyle...even though she had dark brown hair. Of course, as a child, I was totally in awe that Farrah Fawcett was married to "The Six Million Dollar Man" in real life. I really thought she had it all in the mid-1970s.

As the day progressed yesterday I was shocked to hear that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital with a cardiac arrest. I was certain that he would receive the top medical help and would recover, but I was wrong. Apparently when the paramedics arrived he had no pulse and was not breathing. Not good. Not good at all. My jaw dropped when I heard the word that he had died. Michael Jackson dead. It can't be real.

Michael Jackson is another part of my childhood. I can remember as a small child watching him with the Jackson 5 perform as guests on the "Sonny & Cher Show", and I remember his first solo single "Ben" being on the radio and loving it, only to hear my parents say it was about a rat...what? I'm still a bit confused about that one.

It was his solo album "Off the Wall" that really made an impression upon me. I was just beginning to listen to the radio intently as most pre-teens did back in the late 1970s, when music videos first came out. Michael Jackson's videos for "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and especially "Rock With You" really were my favorites. Most videos at that time showed a band playing and were boring, but Michael Jackson's videos popped. I can remember when his videos were on television I could not take my eyes off of them, and they even provoked me to dance along at home.

Then came "Thriller". While I never purchased, or received, "Off the Wall" (although I can still picture the album cover from staring at it in the newspaper advertisements all those years ago), "Thriller" was purchased. I was in highschool and I can remember being in a shopping mall and hearing the whole album being played in a department store. It was everywhere. Everyone had it. It seemed like every song became a hit and it saturated the radio. Then the videos came out.

I can remember when the "Thriller" video was released and it was major news and buzz. There was a long version of it that was like a movie short, but then most video shows would only play the short version. Squeamish as I was back then (and still am) the "Thriller" video scared me. Honestly, it really freaked me out. "Bille Jean" was not scary and I liked the beat, and so I preferred that video.

I can remember a friend loving Michael Jackson during that period -- she had his posters up in her locker and she had a crush on him. While I liked his music, I just didn't find him sexy. He had changed. He no longer looked like the Michael Jackson from "Off the Wall". He seemed more feminine and delicate.

As the 1980s progressed my taste in music changed and I started listening to 'alternative' and 'college radio' music like R.E.M. and I turned my back slightly to Michael Jackson. Although, I loved the song "Man in the Mirror" during my university days and can remember dancing to it in my dorm room and at clubs. In fact, it was that song that was in my head yesterday evening as I tuned in the the cable news channels to get the latest on his death.

It's been almost thirty years since "Off the Wall" was released. In those years Michael Jackson morphed into a strange -- almost creepy -- looking person who displayed odd behavior. What happened to him? For me, when I think of Michael Jackson, I will always picture the beautiful young black man dancing in the "Rock With You" video and pictured on the cover of "Off the Wall". That was Michael Jackson at his finest.

Missing Texas Half Price Books

Last Sunday Hubby and I checked out a local used bookstore. We both love wandering around the aisles of shelves crammed with old books looking for hidden treasures. In particular, I enjoy looking for out of print books and get a thrill when I find one. It actually makes me want to jump up and down shouting, but then I realize that it's subjective and only myself cherishes my "new" book.

While this particular local used bookstore was good, there was something missing. Maybe it was that the aisles were too narrow and made me claustrophobic, or perhaps it was a particular smell that permeated the shop -- Hubby and I decided that it was the smell of garlic due to the adjacent restaurant. What this used bookstore clearly wasn't was Half Price Books.

The Half Price Books store that we used to frequent in Texas was big, not massive, but it had wide aisles that two people could be looking on either side of the shelf with no major space issues. There was a bench by the 'latest' books and magazines racks that could help you peruse and make decisions while sitting. The sections were clearly marked and organized. I could spend a couple of hours at Half Price Books, especially considering the amount of time it took me to go through all the discount racks outside the store.

Now there is a Half Price Books location about a 15 minute drive from where we live, But it is less than half the size of the one in Texas. The first time we went there I thought "is this it?". I went to the back of the store to see if there was a section we missed but there wasn't anything else. It was a huge disappointment. Hopefully they will expand over time. Until then, we'll have to search for other used bookstores.