Lise's Ramblings

Some people have a knack for swinging upgrades when they rent a car, check in for a flight or book a hotel. I’m not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I would never experience an upgrade, because I’m shy around strangers and cannot sweet talk or haggle my way into anything. That’s why I’m eternally grateful when others make upgrades happen for me. In my second year of university, my grandparents gave me the gift of luxury for Christmas: an upgrade for my VIA train ticket back to school (a generous tradition they kept up for five years). Back then, first-class VIA tickets meant early boarding privileges, larger and comfier seats, warm towels, hot food and free alcohol for the Toronto–Montréal segment of my journey. As the train raced along the tracks to la belle ville , I felt spoiled and somewhat like an imposter in VIA1. Sure, McGill presented me with intellectual riches, but for the most part my student lifestyle stood in stark contrast to Montréal’s glamorous peopl

We welcome the vernal equinox as a symbolic break from winter weather. (By the way, happy spring!) While it’s great fun to count the sleeps until warmer days arrive, it is also fun to rush the experience with an unexpected break. They may not happen often, but spontaneous, last-minute getaways can be delicious. One minute you’re living your everyday life and the next you have a ticket to somewhere tropical. There’s a short-term and finite end to cool weather. And if you’re lucky the break from winter and the ordinary will also translate into downtime for your busy brain as well as hours of pleasure reading without any competing priorities. Yep, an unexpected break can mean zero-obligation days . AWESOME!

The TV networks add celebrity cameos during the sweeps period. Non-profits convince stars to take up a cause to lure more donors. Politicians bank on star power to increase momentum during electoral campaigns. Advertisers pay famous people to help clients sell more products. Even Jim Hensen recognized that a celebrity could draw in extra fans and spice things up for loyal audiences of “Sesame Street” through to “Muppets Tonight.” [Yes, I’m on a bit of a Muppets kick this week]. While wholesome Julie Andrews, John Denver, Anne Murray or James Taylor may come to mind at first, over the years hundreds of stars have performed alongside the Muppets, including the likes of Alice Cooper ● Debbie Harry (Blondie) ● Prince ● Vincent Price ● Elton John ● Carol Burnett ● Richard Pryor ● Madeline Kahn ● Sandra Bullock ● John Cleese ● Candice Bergen ● a young James Earl Jones ● Hootie and the Blowfish ● Liza Minelli ● Roger Moore ● Julia Roberts ● Sylvester Stallone ● Ellen DeGeneres ● Alex Tre

Like millions of people around the world, I too am a die-hard Muppets fan. By reading Michael Davis’s Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street , I gained a heightened appreciation for Muppet creator Jim Henson and his entourage of talented puppeteers, writers, actors, musicians and producers. While we primarily associate the colourful Muppets with children and family programming, they bring just as much joy to teens and adults alike. The appeal goes beyond the adult undertones and bonus humour in episodes of “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show.” Not convinced that the intended audience includes grown ups? Muppets have appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and late in the evening Emmy ceremonies. Plus there are special appearance Muppets, who spoof adult celebrities and who children are unlikely to recognize. For example, Mick Swagger ● Spamela Hamderson ● Meryl Sheep ● Donald Grump ● Dan Rather-not ● David Letterguy ● Squiggy Marley and the Mud Makers ● Kathie Lee

Whether you’re striving for high points or low points, you want to stretch beyond your previous threshold. It doesn’t matter if you’re speeding around a track with your Playstation, playing Scrabble, timing how quickly you complete that sudoku, swimming against the competition, toying with a mindless online puzzle, golfing a tough course, or racing to complete Mensa games. When at last you achieve success, you've not only topped your best score, but you’ve pushed yourself. Woot! [Insert victory fist pump here.] AWESOME!

Best friends forever. That says it all... AWESOME!

In the past few weeks, all sorts of people who are connected to a close friend of mine agreed to help me celebrate her milestone birthday tomorrow, March 14. Each of them provided me with a word to describe her. Their entries are now compiled into the word cloud below to honour the birthday girl and help her mark the occasion of her 40th birthday. She is humble, so her reaction to the words was exactly what I'd hoped would happen. She seemed genuinely surprised to know that her family, friends and colleagues think so highly of her and describe her in such amazing terms. All too often, we only speak up when something isn't going quite right or when we have something negative to say. Sure, it's easy to take for granted all that is good, but how much fun is it when someone voices how they feel about you in a positive way? In this case, the project itself wasn't the end result. Based on the birthday girl's reaction, it seems that learning what others think of yo

You’re sitting in traffic or walking along the street when you notice something beautiful. Rays of sun breaking through cloud cover in a fan-shaped pattern. Those splashes of sunshine start out small, way up at the clouds, then extend out to you like warm splashes of heaven.        AWESOME! Originally published and distributed via email on May 27, 2011. Not to be confused with last week's Random Rambling entry on The glow that outlines clouds . Photo courtesy of my talented dad-in-law, Richard.

No longer do you need to wrench your neck and nearly bonk your head on the windshield just to peer around the snowbanks. You also don’t have to inch the nose of your car dangerously out beyond the snowbanks where passing vehicles can clip you. Yes, that snow is retreating. Soon you’ll be able to spot patches of grass and sidewalk, but until then you can at least navigate intersections with less risk. AWESOME!

As much as stormy skies can fascinate us and blue skies can infuse us with joy, I must confess that I also like the in-between skies. Before the skies clear up, that post-storm calm can present dark clouds backlit by sunshine (moonlight works too, but the effect isn’t quite as strong). It’s as though the clouds have a silver lining or a neon border. Add some warm colours at dawn or dusk and you have the makings for AWESOME! I have yet to capture glowing clouds with my digital camera, so I cannot include my own photo. Someone on flickr posted the following picture, which shows a glowing cloud on the far right http://www.flickr.com/photos/esok/3843778653/

These warm bursts can change your world in an instant. During winter, they strike you as you: stomp your boots and enter a store through sliding doors;   walk from one room into another that's equipped with a fireplace or wood stove ; or,   stroll past those parabolic heat dishes, like the Presto ones directing heat at you as you stroll down the aisles at Costco. And best of all, well that would be when you fly away from a blustery cold winter and step off the plane into a place where humidity and a sudden blast of heat greet you. AWESOME!

I’m convinced that the Easy-Bake oven shaped me in weird and wonderful ways. Oddly enough, I don’t figure my love of baked goods stems from childhood play. That you can probably chalk up to my sweet tooth and lack of restraint. ☺ The Easy-Bake oven didn’t make me feel grown up, domestic or stereotypically girly . No, when it comes to baking I actually enjoy the baking process nearly as much as the icing-laden end result. I know, pick yourself up off the floor. Admittedly, I cannot cook to save my life and I’m the furthest thing from a process-oriented person, yet the baking process is what draws me to cakes, cookies and all those sugary delights. Or, I should say that my successes with the baking process are the draw. The Easy-Bake oven’s simple steps to baking success can be followed by just about anyone. A cannot-fail recipe breeds confidence. That’s how the Easy-Bake oven influenced me most. It instilled self-assurance. Thank you, Kenner and Betty Crocker! While it has b

No excessive planning. No procrastinating. Just hunker down. Do it. Now quickly cross it off your to-do list. AWESOME!

Ahhhhhhh, nothing heats quite like a wood stove. Whenever I visit family and friends who have wood stoves, I just bask in that warmth. I cram more logs in, poke the embers and huddle as close to the stove as I can without melting my clothing. Wood stoves create such a comforting and sometimes even romantic environment. I especially like the ones with a high-efficiency glass door to provide a mesmerizing and peaceful view. During power outages, wood stoves are more than a reliable source of warmth. Unlike gas fireplaces, wood stoves also offer a place to heat food and boil water for tea. And when you must leave the fire to step outside into the cold air, that amazing campfire-like scent wafts through the air. At this time of year there's an added bonus...you can enjoy all that without any pesky mosquitos or black flies. AWESOME!

Bear hugs are rather powerful. They can squeeze away anxiety, anger and sadness. When you’re wrapped tightly in those arms, a bear hug can just as easily reinforce joy and relief. AWESOME!

You slam that squeaky car door shut and jam your key in the ignition. Your chilled fingers tingle and stick to the metal key. As you turn the key, you hear nothing other than a high-pitch whine. Your dashlights briefly flicker, albeit dimly. Take two. Still no luck. You vow to make one more attempt before you resort to calling CAA or your spouse to come rescue you. You plead. (Yes, at times like these you believe that cajoling the car just may make her behave and save you from having to sit there without heat, music or the ability to get to your driving destination.) Close your eyes, pray for a moment, grip that key and Vvrrrrrrrrooooooooommmmmmmm . AWESOME!

Nearly everyone has a favourite drink. Some indulge in margaritas or single malt scotch, while others prefer flavoured martinis or ice wine. My heavenly drink is Chambord . If Chambord had been around when Homer authored epic Greek poems, then it could have rivaled nectar as the drink of choice for Greek gods. While Chambord is too young for Homer's day, the liqueur was inspired by a raspberry drink served to 17th century French royalty. In 1685, King Louis XIV tasted the drink at the Château Chambord — the namesake of today’s liqueur. Even Chambord’s packaging is regal. But nothing compares to the royally delicious taste. AWESOME! Factoids about my favourite drink: Chambord combines the delicious tastes of red raspberries, Madagascar vanilla, blackberries, citrus peel, cognac and honey . How could it not be yummy? Disney animator Glen Keane states that Château Chambord inspired Beast's castle in the  “Beauty and the Beast” movie,  Chambord is often packaged with i