As I sit down to write my very first blog for 2012, there is so much happening behind the scenes in my life. At this point, I cannot discuss in detail. But give me a week or so and you’ll know exactly to what I’m referring to. I’ve been attempting to stay sane after being home for just over a year now. The urge to pack up my life and take another grand adventure seeps out of my pores 24/7. I’m happy to FINALLY be working in advertising and getting experience with social media. A few years ago if you told me I’d be getting paid to be on Facebook and Twitter all day I would have laughed in your face. At times, I truly feel there is an unseen force guiding me in the direction I’m meant to be. Two years ago the job I’m doing right now didn’t even exist, and 2012 is going to be a year of massive change for companies and the way they use social media. It’s a good career to be working in, with lots of prospects down the road. Other than finally getting a job, 2011 was a tough year for me. But for every part of 2011 I didn’t enjoy, I did learn and grow a lot because of my experiences, so it wasn’t a total write off. And I do remind myself that at the end of the day, I’m better off than 99% of the world, so I’m very thankful for that. Here’s a very quick recap of  my 2011.

I was unemployed for a bit and applying like mad to advertising agencies, I got a few calls and interviews. Interview A was for an internship at a really shady web marketing firm. I told them thanks but no thanks. Interview B was for another internship that I bombed in the interview mainly because the person interviewing me didn’t really click with my personality. Odd considering I can get along with almost anyone. I then had two interviews for real jobs at BIG, MASSIVE, advertising agencies in downtown Toronto. The first was for a media assistant position, which I knew was totally unqualified for, and went to the group interview for that. Had to talk about myself to the group and write a geography and math test. Ended up not getting that to no surprise.

I had forgotten I applied at Apple Retail while still in Florida, and they gave me a call in February. I went on a group interview (very similar to Disney), followed by an interview with the store manager. I got hired, went through 4 days of Apple Brainwashing and started at Apple Square One shortly after. I only lasted 2 months until I decided it wasn’t for me. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy getting screamed at in person and over the phone because people’s products didn’t work. this was 85% of the job. This coming from someone who has worked at Disney and Shoppers Drug Mart and has been in almost every possible crazy customer situation. I met with the store manager and told her why I wanted to leave and she was great and fully understood.

During the time at Apple, I got an interview for an account management position. I had 5 different interviews: Human Resources, 2 Account Managers (separate), another Account Manager who flew from NEW YORK CITY to meet me! And finally the Account Director on the phone from NYC. After the excruciating wait to find out my future, they went with the other person. Mainly over a bit more experience. To say I was crushed is an understatement, but I got over it.

I decided to head out to Calgary for the summer and try working out there. I packed my car, drove across the U.S. and Canada and arrived at Craig’s house. The living room became my bedroom, and we spent a great deal of time drinking, laughing and having a great time. Sadly, I couldn’t find work out there, but did apply for an advertising agency here in Ontario and ended up getting hired there. After 6 weeks in Alberta, I packed up again and drove home. I’ve been here ever since and am glad to be working in the advertising industry. My life isn’t that exciting at the moment, but I know it’s just a lull. Everything goes in cycles, and I’m in the part where it’s just about to reset.

I’m headed to Florida in a week to see some of my best friends and have 9 days of adventures. I also started a blog, Theme Park Canuck, to showcase my blogging skills and passion for theme parks. It helps keep me busy, creative and inspired.

I’m not sure what’s in store for me in 2012, but signs point to awesome.

P.S. Something I want to start doing is a recap of the notable events each week. Mainly because I’m lazy and bullet points are faster

Highlights of my week:

• The return of my favourite blog ever, The World According to C-Mac. A great friend of mine took a tiny break (a year and a half to be specific) from writing her fantastic, hilarious and inspirational blog. Even if you don’t know her personally, it’s a great read.
• Planning my Florida adventures. I leave on Saturday and couldn’t be more excited to visit great friends, have some awesome adventures and be in my happy place.
• Discovering the television show Shameless when I was sick this week. So good I watched 13 episodes in 3 days. It’s about a totally F-ed family that shocks after every turn. Starring William H. Macy as the screwed up dad.
• Secret project in the works. Please stand by.

Yesterday, my friend Steph took me out to lunch at a brilliant gem in the heart of downtown Toronto called Bannock. Right on the corner of Queen St. and Bay St., it’s in a former corner of the Bay store. The first thing I mentioned when I saw the menu was that this is what Le Cellier in the Canadian Pavilion at EPCOT should be. Don’t get me wrong, I love Le Cellier. It’s just that now the whole “Disney Parks” thing has taken over, it’s lost much of the authenticity it once had due to corporate homogenization. Bannock on the other hand is pure authentic Canadian food & drink. We’re talking Chinook Salmon, PEI Mussels, Alberta Beef, Butter Tarts & Canadian Wines. I mean they garnish their Caesar with maple glazed bacon! You don’t get more Canadian than that.

Bannock Menu

Described as “part grab-and-go café, part coffee shop, and part dine-in restaurant. The architecture reflects the menu – eclectic and approachably Canadian – featuring antique pine and hemlock reclaimed from one of the Queen’s wharfs that sat under the waters of Lake Ontario at York Street for over a hundred years. Bannock’s honest approach to food is rooted in familiar, wholesome ingredients that are reflective of Canada’s rich regional and cultural diversity, delivered in an innovative and playful way. Everyday classics are revitalized as the Chefs pay homage to traditional Canadian comfort foods, putting our cultural favourites front and centre. Bannock breads are integrated throughout the entire menu including sweet breakfast bannocks, artisan sandwiches and pizzas. Bannock garnishes are also added to soups, salads and main courses.”

Bannock Bread Basket

Bannock Caesar

We started with the Bannock bread basket, which has a garlic-goat cheese spread at the bottom to dip the artisan breads into. Very tasty and not too overwhelming in size. I had the Bannock Caesar made with vodka, sherry, clamato, salsa and a candied bacon garnish. Steph had the HBC, which was a concoction named after the Hudson’s Bay Company made with vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, peach puree and fresh lime. For her main, she had the Mac & Cheese, which she said was fantastic and much too big to finish. I had the Free Run Turkey Burger with heirloom tomatoes. It was garnished with a dill mayo, onion ring and avacodo spread. While a bit too salty at times, overall delicious.We also shared sweet potato fries with dill mayo. Also delicious.

The HBC

Mac & Cheese

Turkey Burger

While the decor may be a bit too city-chic for the Disney crowd, the food on the menu would definitely please. This menu was inspired by Canada in every aspect. Maybe Le Cellier can learn a thing or two about how to showcase authentic Canadian food in a fine-dining setting. Overall a fantastic experience that I will be sure to visit again. What do you think of Le Cellier compared to real Canadian cuisine? Leave a comment and let me know! Also, check out Yelp for reviews on the rest of the menu.

Wine List

1. Clementines

My friend Nik wrote and entire blog about these magic little gems. They are so tasty, juicy and as a bonus, healthy. They only come around this time of year, so it’s a must to inhale as many as possible. Just writing about them makes my mouth water.

2. Shrimp Rings

These delicious crustacean masterpieces show up at parties, events and anywhere people have good taste. They’re easy: thaw and eat. For some reason, my family is obsessed with these things. We’ve probably eaten 6 of them so far this month.  Maybe it’s because they are so artfully placed in a plastic ring, or the fact that seafood sauce is to die for. Either way, shrimp are delicious and there is no better time to inhale them in large quantities than the holiday season.

3. Time off Work

I’m lucky as I get the whole week off. Regardless of how much time you get, it’s nice to take a break from the daily grind and relax a bit.

4. Alcohol

Christmas is basically a guilt free, drink your face off for a week, holiday. I’m talking at social events and gatherings, not sitting at home watching He’s Just Not That Into You and feeling sorry for yourself. As a bonus, you have New Year’s Eve to get smashed one last time before heading back to work. It’s just another reason to drink too much and not feel guilty. With the pressures of seeing friends and family, booze takes the edge off, and it helps rid the awkwardness at office Christmas parties. I mean, for most people, it’s difficult enough keeping a brave face at work, but now you have to spend time with your coworkers outside of working hours in the “real world.” Booze helps with that. As a bonus, lots of brands have gift packs, special sizes and deals this time of year. Stock up for New Years.

5. Movies

No other holiday has more feature films on the topic than Christmas, from classics like Miracle on 34th Street (which I have never seen) to Jingle The Santa Clause there are endless options (both good and bad) for everyone. Here are some of my favourite films to watch this time of year:

Jonathan Taylor Thomas trying to get home in time for Xmas, with a Jessica Biel as a bonus.

Bill Murray in a modern Christmas Carol(if you consider the 80's modern)

Jim Carrey plays the title character in this heartwarming tale.

Kid gets left home for Christmas and wacky hi-jinx occur.

You'll shoot your eye out with laughter

The Griswolds and Randy Quaid, need I say more?

Arnold Schwarzenegger trying to get his kid a Turbo Man toy on Xmas eve. It's Turbo time!

An emotional polar-coaster (get it!).

Now that I’ve listed my top reasons for loving Christmas, comment below and let me know what yours are!

Not Georgetown Cinemas, but you get the idea.

As a kid, I remember the theatre that I would go see movies was called Georgetown Cinemas. It was right beside the Miracle Mart (no longer) in a strip plaza. This theatre had a whopping 3 movie theatres! That’s right, 3. You walked in and paid right at the front door. It had low hanging ceilings and always had the scent of mould. The snack bar (if it deserves to be called that) consisted of the basics: pop, candy and popcorn. The syrup never seemed to be mixed at the right ratio, it was either too watery or way too sweet. They always put way too much butter on the popcorn, so it was a pile of gunk by the time you hit the bottom of the bag. When you went into your theatre, you sat in those squeaky chairs that had that burlap style fabric in colours like brown, orange and yellow. And they were not stadium seating, so you were out of luck if someone tall decided to sit right in front of you. The theatre was also designed in a way that anytime the door opened, all the light would come pouring into the theatre from the lobby. The one thing I remember most is how sticky the floors were. No matter when you went to see a movie, it seemed like they were permanently covered in gunk. The screen was about 1/4 the size of modern cinemas, and the surround sound was not THX Certified. They just had speakers around the theatre that gave the illusion of a 5.1 audio soundtrack. Regardless, I have fond memories of seeing such epic films as Jurassic Park, Titanic and The Matrix in this theatre.

Monster mega theatre

Compare that to the movie theatres on steroids that exist now: With 20 screens, 500 seat theatres, and endless food options (I’m talking to you Burger King, Pizza Pizza and YogenFruz). No longer is picking a movie experience a simple choice, you need to decide if you want to see it the normal way, VIP, Ultra AVX, IMAX, IMAX 3-D, or D-Box, . It also can cost upwards of $20 dollars to see a movie depending on how many bells and whistles you would like. And that’s without all the snacks and other garbage you can buy. The studios and theatres wonder why people are spending more money on home theatre systems and staying home. I’ll tell you why, it’s much easier to sit on my couch infront of my 42″ LCD TV with surround sound these days than it is to drive through suburbia, navigate myself through the food court to the theatre that seems further away than the moon and attempt to watch a movie with 15 year olds on their iPhones texting throughout the movie. And don’t get me started on the 20 minutes of advertising before the movie…

Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing an epic action flick like Transformers in all it’s HD glory on a massive screen with amazing surround sound. But at the end of the day, I still miss the simple movie going experiences I had as a kid. Maybe someone will bring back the simple theatre, where it’s about the movie and not all the other stuff.

How do you feel about the movie going experience of today vs. in the past? Leave a comment below.

Pickled Fiddleheads

Samples...yummy!

Really cool rock lamp

My friend Steph recommended we head to this place on Queen West called Parts & Labour. The main dining area has 8 long tables where  you can sit with strangers and enjoy your dinner. It’s the first time I’ve ever done that, and was pretty cool. As long as you don’t mind strangers staring at your food while you eat. I ordered a Maudite, one of the many varieties of Unibroue that I happen to love from my time working at Le Cellier in EPCOT. The brand was one of the featured Canadian beers we had. I’ve never seen them on tap, so this was a nice surprise. This beer has a great legend, as do all of their varieties.

“Maudite (damned) was the first strong beer to be retailed in Quebec. The word “Maudite” refers here to the Legend of “Chasse-Galerie” a tribute to the early lumberjacks of Nouvelle-France. The legend tells of eight daring woodsmen who, during winter, yearned to be home for the Holidays. They conjured up the Devil and all of them pledged their soul in return for flying them in their canoe to their village. As they sailed across the moonlit sky, one of them managed to free himself from the pledge by invoking the name of God, which caused the flying canoe to come crashing down to earth.”

I chose the 10 oz. strip loin for dinner, accompanied by bone marrow butter, roasted cremini mushrooms, hand cut fries, demi glace. It was the most tender and delicious steak I’ve had in a long time! Perfectly salted, with the delicious demi glace that I am in love with. The atmosphere was really cool at this place, you can even sit at a table in the kitchen if you make a reservation. That way you can see all the action going on. While tempting, I’ve spent enough time in kitchens for this option to be very unappealing. It’s just not magical to sit in the  kitchen when you’ve been a server.

The most epic steak I've ever tasted!

Steph at Parts & Labour

Lastly we headed to the Gladstone Hotel, a place that’s so hip they don’t say it’s hip anymore. The place was packed with the usual mix of Toronto urbanites, plus a group of about 30 people dressed as Santa. I’m assuming a Christmas Party? Getting drinks took a while, no big deal as it was Saturday night. What can one expect? My issue was the attitude the bartender gave me as I handed my VISA over to her to pay. She asked if I wanted to start a tab, and I said no. Thinking that after waiting 20 minutes to get a drink, I didn’t want to stand around until Sunday afternoon to get my card back. She got all huffy and as she passed me the terminal, informed me that there’s a $50 minimum, and that this time she’d do it as a favour. Next time, don’t do me any favours. Lose the attitude and maybe put up a sign so I don’t break any unwritten payment rules. This situation just reaffirmed why I don’t like Toronto, but whatever. No one died right! As it was karaoke night, we were right in the middle of a train wreck of entertainment. As expected, the budding superstars were terrible and that’s okay. I’m not a fan of seeing people who can actually sing do karaoke. The highlight of the night was a tone-deaf woman who sang “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. It was terrible, embarrassing and watching her made me cringe. Now that’s a good karaoke singer!

Steph & Brad at The Gladstone

Worst quality photo ever, thanks Blackberry!

When I was a kid, I skated a lot, but lost interest around age 13 or 14. Fast forward to 2005, I was in Chicago and they had an outdoor rink and free skate rentals. Hockey skates that is. I was a little apprehensive, never having even tried on a pair of hockey skates (that’s a story for another day. Let’s just say I have a photo of myself as the Pumpkin from Cinderella somewhere that has never seen the light of day!) Getting on the ice was a bit rough. This was the only time I had skated in over 13 years. Being out of practise for such a long time was a little scary, but I knew that I must still have some skill. I spend a lot of time rollerblading in the warmer months, so I knew I could at least keep my balance. I got to the arena, laced up my skates and hit the ice. It was a little scary, seeing that the 5-year-olds zipping around the ice looked like seasoned pros. I was a little intimidated, mainly because I assumed I would fall flat on my ass the second I hit the ice. I’m glad to say I was wrong. Once I hit the ice, I also looked like a seasoned pro as I whipped around that arena. The lesson: Quiet your inner critic. If you think you can’t do it, your setting yourself up for failure. Give  yourself the benefit of the doubt that you can do the things you set your mind to. Also, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve done something, you can always jump back in if you have the right attitude. Thanks to taking this small chance, I may actually enjoy winter a little bit more this year!  Have you ever tried a hobby or sport again after many years of not being involved? What was the outcome?

The gates to hell

If you’re anything like me, going into an electronics store makes you giddy and excited. All the shiny toys you want but don’t need. Most electronics stores are awesome with helpful sales staff, in-stock products and working demo units. Then you go to Future Shop. The mere mention of this store makes me shudder. As one of the biggest electronics retailers in Canada, you can find their stores scattered across many big box power centres. While they do have a a great selection of products, everytime I force myself to go to their stores I leave angry and frustrated. Here are 3 reasons why:

You get 1 of 2 awful experiences

Experience A : You actually want to purchase something and cannot find ANYONE to help you. It feels like a zombie apocalypse has hit the store and god help you, you’re on your own.

Experience B: You go in to browse and comparison shop, and the sales people hover over you like sharks around a dangling piece of bloody meat. This was the experience I had the other night when I went with Nik, a guy I work with. He asked me if I wanted to go help him pick out a video camera, and we headed to Future Shop because it was close. We’re looking at the cameras and there are two salespeople hovering over us. They did their obligatory “if you have any questions let me know.” I’m fine with that, it’s part of your job. You’ve acknowledged I exist and I know you’re there if I need you. So I’m talking with Nik and we’re discusssing things, and everytime we mention a question to each other, the salesperson jumps in to answer. I’m thinking “excuse me, we aren’t talking to you, and we don’t need your help! Go away!” We eventually left to check out other stores.

You tease me with products you don’t have

Another major issue was having products on display they NO LONGER SELL! Why the hell is a demo unit  out on the floor then? The Flip Camera being the product. Sales dude was like “they went out of business so we don’t have any more in stock and won’t be getting anymore.” Great, so TAKE IT OFF THE SHELF! A few other products had no prices on the labels. We eventually figured out this is their “code” for out of stock or discontinued product. Glad we’re part of the secret club who knows now.

Your demo units don’t work

One would assume that if demo units are out on display, they would have fully charged batteries so you can use the product. Not here folks. You can pick up the product to look at it, but try and turn it on and the likelihood of it working is the same as the odds of playing a slot machine. Will it work or not? Most likely not.

Just for the record, these 3 problems are business as usual with this retailer, it wasn’t just a series of unfortunate events this time. Considering it’s the holiday shopping season, an awful economy and people are looking at the small details when deciding where to shop, these issues are a big deal.

At the end of the day, we have many alternatives. Best Buy (which happens to be the same company as Future Shop) is a far superior experience. Maybe the fact the salespeople aren’t on commission makes the difference. You also have Walmart, Canadian Tire, and Superstore, as well as many other retailers that carry random selections of electronics. Or, if you’re like me, you can shop online at Amazon, the American site. I mention this site because the Canadian site doesn’t carry as much in the electronics department. You can have your products shipped to the border using Kinek (check it out) and go pick them up. Seems like a lot of work, but you can save tons of money this way, and to be honest, just keeping my money out of Future Shop is enough satisfaction for me! Have you had terrible experiences at Future Shop or any other retailer? Comment and let me know!

Arthur top, Prep and Landing below

Watching television tonight I saw a trailer for “Arthur Christmas,” a new movie from Sony. Here’s the description: “On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa’s youngest son looks to use his father’s high-tech operation for an urgent mission.” The first thing I thought was that this is a blatant rip-off of Disney’s Prep and Landing. Here’s the description of that: “Wayne gets a new rookie partner, Lanny, after his previous partner got the promotion he wanted. Lanny has to remind Wayne of the Spirit of Christmas and the importance of being an elf in Santa’s Prep and Landing elite unit.” The difference being that Prep and Landing is a television special that came out 2 YEARS AGO! Looking further into Arthur Christmas, it really isn’t a simple copy, but some sequences look a little too similar to me. Mainly the whole high-tech, Mission Impossible type elves. Even other websites have made this mistake. (See screencap below.) You can’t argue that some of the ideas are definitely ”borrowed”. Check out the trailer below, followed by a clip of Prep and Landing. What do you think?

The listing says Arthur Christmas, but the image below is Prep and Landing.

Here’s another person that had a similar experience:

Degrassi Junior High/Degrassi High

Not that remake, were talking the original series here people. With Spike having her baby, Joey Jeremiah getting some guy to buy him beer, Snake as an awkward teenager, the Twins and their abortions. You know, all the usual examples of drama the average Canadian teen grows up experiencing. There is so much to love here. The hair, the “real” life story-lines, and if you live in Toronto, the many locations used for the show. You can watch episodes online here, thanks PBS!

Fast Forward

I completely forgot about this show until I started writing this article. It aired on Family Channel I believe. It’s been so long I can’t even remember anything about the show other than I liked it. Here’s the IMDB description:

Tucker and Becca are close friends. So close that they live next door to one another with facing second story windows and share a birthday. Tucker is at times an absent minded goof-off while Becca tends to be opinionated and in a hurry to grow up. Now in middle school, they find themselves caught in everyday events that turn into comical adventures. Throughout the show, Tucker, Becca, and their friends speak directly to the audience, telling the story as they remember how much more simple everything was when they were five. If they can survive junior high, then their friendship can survive anything.

Ready or Not

This show followed Busy and Amanda through the drama of growing up. I don’t know why I liked it, maybe because they are having so much fun in the photo booth. Stop judging me! I do remember though when I worked at McDonald’s, they had a Crew (that’s McD’s speak for employee) magazine that featured the time Lani Billar (Busy) came to a McDonald’s. And this was years after the show. Isn’t that exciting!

Popular Mechanics for Kids

This was an awesome show that gave us insight into the world of technology and cool stuff. They had a wicked episode about Islands of Adventure before it opened. Jay Baruchel was one of the hosts, and so was Elisha Cuthbert. I loved her. Seriously. Then she was in a bizarre TV movie called Lucky Girl and the awful but hot The Girl Next Door. Now she’s on Happy Endings which is awesome! Jay became part of the Judd Apatow crew and was in Undeclared and the great movie She’s Out of My League.

Breaker High

This was about a high school on boat and the hijinks of the teens that went there. Hmmm…sounds alot like The Suite Life on Deck doesn’t it? Regardless, it starred a pre-movie star Ryan Gosling and Tyler Labine who’s always “that guy” in tons of movies but you don’t know his name. I remember hearing this show might be cancelled and joining a petition on the web to keep the show alive. Were talking like a Geocities website here. Wow, I’m dating myself.