Category: My Ramblings

Its hard to believe that Christmas is exactly in 10 days. Where did the time go?

This was the first time I didn’t go out with the boys to get the Christmas tree. I wasn’t feeling very good on the weekend so I decided to stay in and to rest. My only request when they left was please NO Charlie Brown tree.

When they came back I was pleasantly surprised at what they picked out. This is by far the best tree that we have ever gotten to date. Michael picked out this tree.

Of course something always happens, nothing can ever run smoothly and so was the case for us. We bought two sets of net lights for the tree a few years ago. Everything was fine last year when we put them away. Then when we put the lights on the tree we had half the lights burned out on one set of the net lights. We quickly ran to a few stores to see about getting a new set and would you believe every store we went too there was nothing left? Thankfully I managed to dig into a few of our xmas bins and found some lights so now they are working.

The tree is now done and the shopping is complete and we all know that wouldn’t be easy because a certain someone made a list in September and things were bought off that list because they were popular items. Here he is doing the official letter.

Last weekend there was a family Christmas party (work) and we went and they always go all out for it. They rent out a local hockey arena (both rinks) and they have all these air bouncing things, face painting, games, popcorn and cotton candy. On the other side is a huge carasel, mini train rides, balloon artists, entertainment and Santa’s castle.

Inside the castle you get to meet and talk with Santa Claus and Mrs Claus.

Vancouver, British Cloumbia is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. Which as Canadians alot of us are excited about that.

Did you know that an employ at Bombardier (Montreal) designed and made the Olympic torch? They made 12,000 of them. We actually got to go to Bombardier to see and hold the torch (as we are a family of a Bombardier employee). Which I have to say was quite heavy.

I was really surprised and excited to hear that the Olympic Torch Relay was coming to my area and even more excited when I heard it was going to be passing behind my house. Michael’s school was invited by the city to go and watch it so here he is decked out in his gear.

This morning started out really nice and mild even though it snowed the night before. I was going to go out and stand behind my house but by the time it came for the torch to pass it got very wind and cold so I decide to stay in and to go upstairs to the bedroom where I could see it all.

They were behind schedule as I was watching it online. Finally it passed by and it was over in a blink of an eye.

This is what I got from my upstairs window. It was exciting to be able to witness this. The kids (this is high school kids) were excited and cheering the runners on as they passed. I was also following the relay on twitter and they had tweeted that this was the best crowd they have had to date turn out and cheer them on. It meant alot to see that. We rock as a community.

I know right now alot of people have heard about the FTC and blogging and if you haven’t heard about it, where have you been?

Being a Canadian blogger, living in Canada but reviewing for a majority of American Publishers when I heard about this I began wondering how would this affect me and the way I blog. From my first post about this alot of other Canadian bloggers left comments or emailed me asking the same thing.

Thanks to Avis she found this link and sent it too me so I thought I would share this with my Canadian bloggers.

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/10/05/ftc-blogger-disclosure-standards-fines.html

I have no problem disclosing where I get my books from and have stated so from day one. I guess if you are honest and upfront then I think we will be okay.

This has been the talk on twitter yesterday (Mon Oct 5th) and on a few blog posts that I saw on my blog reader.

An Article on MSNBC website that states that bloggers have to disclose if they have received a product for free or have been paid for reviewing products. This is something that I know we’ll all want to pay attention to, especially since the fines can reach up to $11,000 per violation.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33177160/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

The law will start being enforced on December 1st.

I am not sure how this will play out for me and my fellow Canadian bloggers.

Anyways, I just wanted to put it out there that I don’t get paid for reviews. My only compensation I receive is the books I receive from publishers and/or authors and I do make a note of that in my reviews. So all my reviews are 100% my thoughts and opinions and my opinions are not swayed by the way I receive my book.

This time last year (actually at the exact time this is going to post) I got to meet some local book bloggers for the first time Tina and Avis at a local tea Shop in Verdun with Donna. (So, if this was last year we would all be sitting down drinking tea and hot chocolates.)

What a year it has been from talking about our love of books, sharing books, anything book related and just life in general. I have learned so much from everyone this past year and formed a great friendship with them all.

During this past year Donna and I managed to get Tina out to our end of the Island and we took part in the yearly library sale, then stumbled upon a yard sale with proceeds going to Rosie’s Adoptations and then we went for breakfast at The Den, which Tina loved.

Hopefully with Donna’s store opening up soon we will be able to get Avis out here. Linda will be coming out this way Oct 8th to take part in the Kelley Armstrong book signing at Chapters with Donna and I.

Two months ago we added a new blogger to our group Linda and what a great addition she is to our group.

I see some great things happening to our group and perhaps we will make our first official road trip in May to NYC.

I am late in posting this so I apologize.

August 26th 2008 was the day I started to blog. I was always a reader on that one day in August I was bored and was looking around online when I have to admit I stumbled into blogging. Which BTW I am happy I did.

From that day I discovered Library Thing (montrealgirl2005 is me) and shortly after being on Library Thing I got a comments from two local bloggers Tina and then Avis suggesting a meet up. Library Thing was where I was introduced to Donna. We all managed to agree on a date to meet up in October 2008.

Before officially meeting Avis and Tina in October, Donna and I agreed to meet for lunch at The Den and that day was September 24/08. It was funny when we were having lunch I kept having this feeling I had seen Donna somewhere before so we were thinking of places where we would have seen each other.

Finally I think we both realized it was at the library for a author visit with Heather O’Neil (Lullabies for Little Criminals) I had asked Donna to take my picture with Heather. Below are the two pictures Donna took and by the way it was Oct 2007.

When we started meeting for lunch it was every two weeks and then within a few months it turned into a weekly Friday Lunch Date.

I think up until May we were pretty regular with our Friday lunch dates until BEA. That was a long two weeks and we have even said that when a week is missed its long. Its a great way to break up the week and something to look forward too at the end of a week.

Our lunch dates are always spent talking about what books we got in the mail during the week, what books we are reading, upcoming author meet ups and if we are going to go, its basically whatever comes up does.

This summer The Den was closed so we brought our lunch dates to Donna’s house and then mine. I got to see Donna’s book collection (Donna is very organized with her books and I learned a few things) and she got to see my books and my basket system.

The Den is a great place to have lunch and it seems that our orders are pretty regular that Nina (the waitress) knows what we want almost as soon as we walk in the door (soup, coffee and chicken wrap with salad) a few times I have ordered something different but always go back to the usual.

Also The Den makes their own breads, desserts etc right on the premise. This bread is to die for its so good. Everything is fresh baked.

Anyway so its been a year since I have met and gotten to know Donna and what a year it has been. Thanks Donna for being a friend and to many more years of friendship.

You can read Donna’s post here about what she had to say about it all.