Victoria Day is always my favourite time of the year. It is the official start to the summer (my favourite season) and I look forward to all the fun things ahead in the next few months.

This summer looks like its is shaping up to be a great one. I finally have that “work-life” balance that people always seem to be looking for. In less than 5 weeks I will be done my Social Media Marketing Program from George Brown. After the six courses I realized that I love video blogging and one of my goal this summer is to do more of those.

My summer of concerts is starting in the next while. I’m going to some really exciting shows in the next few months that I promise to review. ( really I promise)

I hope all my friends have a safe and happy summer. Patios are open in this beautiful city and I hope to see you all soon

Lori

My day was April 11th and I was to report to the University Avenue courthouse in Toronto at 9am SHARP. I would like to emphasize sharp because I quickly leared that this didn’t apply to the people who worked at the courthouse.

I arrived at 8am in the rain, wind and snow that was coming down in Toronto. I went through security then up to the 6th floor courtroom. We were told to turn off all phones, tablets, and when the judge entered all reading material had to be put away. We were also told that count didn’t start until 10am. Good thing its not even 9am. I am still not sure why we had to arrive so early, but at least I had my book with me.

So we sat. The people around me complained about being forced to be here. That they had no idea if work continued to pay them it they served on a jury. Really?? You didn’t feel then need to ask your work that, ok. That was the first thing I did after I got that letter in the mail. ( I did get paid)

We were still sitting and sitting and then at 10:45 they came and told us the judge was delayed and wouldn’t be back until 11:30. I swear people moaned and complained like you told them they owed $50,000 in unpaid taxes. One women just shouted out “I have a vacation in 2 weeks booked!!” What the hell would that have to do with a 45min delay?

I retuned at 11:30 and shockingly waited, and waited. I read, checked my emails, mediated, planned out my weekend and waited.
People were seriously losing it. You would think they were being held hostage or something.

Finally at 12:30 the judge appears. We stand, then he sits, we sit. He tells us that the accused has decided to go with a trial by judge only and that in abut 5 minutes we would be dismissed. People cheered and clapped. You know the same people that wanted to rip his head off 10min ago for forcing them to wait.
We are also told that since we were selected for a special jury panel, instead of regular jury selection, we are considered fulfilling out jury duties and won’t be called again for a least 3 more years.
Before he let us go, I had to know what was the case we were supposed to be on?
I asked him and he told us it was a young offender and that the case just started and we could go watch it on the floor below us.

Thanks but no thanks. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Was it the no pay I would get for the 1st 10 days? No. Was it the fact that I would have to sit for 8 weeks and listen to disturbing evidence? No. For some reason I felt as a Canadian it is my duty to have the chance to serve on a jury. That is would make me appreciate this country more. I will have to wait at least 3 years, but if I am called again I don’t think I will try to get out of it.

Lets start at the beginning of this event. Jennifer Hudson and the Sandy Hook Choir. I will leave this one alone and move right into Alicia “I love Blackberry” Keys. She chose to sing the anthem on a piano and apparently thought the song was around 5min. ( she didn’t but it felt like it)

Now the main act. Beyonce entered on an enormous stage. With the lit up outline of two women’s faces (??). She was wearing her standard thigh high socks or boots I’m not sure and a black one piece. Beyonce does wear pants people.

She danced (a lot) tossed her hair all over then place (a lot), strutted like nobody’s business (a lot), shouted come on, woo hoo, lets go (a lot) and worked wind machines on seconded to J Lo.

Then the wort kept secret came on stage. Destiny’s Child was reuniting. Why? Its has only been 7 years since they broke up? Can you give us at least a decade to miss you. Can you give poor Kelly and Michelle microphones that work.I felt that this was an unnecessary part of the 13 minutes. ( and the Charlie’s Angles shout out)

Basically if you have ever seen Beyonce live in concert, then you saw the half time show. It was good, entertaining and caused a 34 minutes power outage.

I know what people are thinking. You love Madonna and nobody will even compare blah blah. True I do feel that way, however I also feel that U2, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Prince all had better Superbowl performances.

Beyonce was good and I’m sure will do just fine with her wind machines on her world tour.

Since I heard that Les Miserables was going to be made into a movie based on the musical I couldn’t wait to see it.  I have been lucky enough to see the stage musical a few times and it has always been my hands down favorite. I mean I LOVED that musical.

This afternoon I went to see it – in IMAX

I liked it.  Really I just liked it. I didn’t really really LOVE it like I wanted too.  The movie just seemed to be lacking something. If  I had not seen the stage version and knew everything that was going to happen and all the music,  I feel I would have not even been able to sit though the movie version. It is almost 3 hrs after all.

Hugh Jackman stars as Jean Valjean, basically who the  whole movie is based around. He is perfectly  good in the role, but it is when the “real” Jean Valjean from the stage, Colm Wilkinson makes a cameo as the Bishop that I realized that how much something was lacking.

I think the main problem I had with this movie is that they wanted to cast “big names” that looked the part, not exactly who would make the best singers . They did a perfect job in casting for looks, an average job in the singing part.

Russell Crowe  plays Javert, the inspector who makes it his mission to hunt down Jean Valjean.   He looks exactly like the character , but does he belt out the powerful solos , meh he is ok, you get the point but really I wasn’t moved.

Amanda Seyfried plays  Cosette. Again totally looks the part, and she can sing with just one little thing. The whole time I thought she was singing like Snow White from the cartoon. You know those high pitched notes, like she’s  calling dogs  or something. By the last song of the movie, I had enough.
Sacha Baron Cohen & Helena Bonham Carter play the innkeepers who are supposed to be the comic relief.  Sacha is way better the Helena. I have to say it again, way better. But if you have never seen the play, I think they would be totally lost on you.

Then comes Anne Hathaway as Fantine. I went into this thinking I would not like her. That she would be the weakest part of the movie. I was 100% completely wrong. She was by far the best part of the movie. It was the only time I really thought the movie was as good as the stage version. I only wish she was in it longer. (As Fantine, she of course is not)

The other real standout was Samantha Barks as Éponine.  After reading about her, played the same role on stage. Makes sense why she was so good.

If you have seen the play, I would say go see the movie. If anything you will know the songs and plot already. None of the performances are bad, and the visuals and costumes are done very well.

If you have never seen the musical or know anything about or are not a fan of musicals, then I don’t think you would get it. It probably would leave you wondering what the hell all the  hype was about.

I give it a  B

With that in mind, last Sept 2011 was the beginning of a huge change for me.  It was during the last Monday of the month that everything changed for better. I was let go of this job I had. To some that would have been a terrible experience.

It was a moment that I had some mixed emotions about. I remember it like it was yesterday.  I remember what was said and not said to me. I remember that they didn’t know my last name. At least they didn’t answer when I asked. I remember what they said some of my co workers said -word for word.  I remember their surprise when I remained so clam.  I also remember later,sitting in the middle of my condo with tears coming out of my eyes.  Don’t feel bad, these where not tears of pity or sadness. They were tears of joy. You see for the last 8-10 months I had felt that a part of me was dying every day.  Not sure if anyone else has felt that, but I did.  Then it happened at 11:20 am on Sept 26th 2011. I was essentially free. Thus begins what has been one of the happiest years of my life.

I learned some great things. One being how amazing my family and friends where. They all know who they are. So many people called, texted, emailed, or just sent Facebook messages. Even more important. I learned who wasn’t there. Who didn’t call or send encouraging words, and honestly that was completely fine with me. I don’t like to waste time, so not hearing for them saves me time in the long run.

That is where my year began. I remember sleeping like a baby that night,and all the other nights since. I felt alive and excited for the new possibilities.  To quote Seinfeld, which I usually find myself doing, this was going to the year of Lori.

In a nutshell my year went like this.

I joined a gym, lost about 25lbs, started taking hot yoga & morning workouts, got a new job that I love and feel like I am contributing to, went back to night school to take Social Media Marketing (which I am 2 class away form getting the certificate in),ended up as a “guest” on a soon to be aired OWN show. See my post about that, you will understand the excitement of me being on a show that Oprah may or may not see. I was able to visit an icon’s dressing room. (the confidentially agreement I had to sign prevents me from naming who it was, wink wink I am sure you can guess), working 2 shows at the Toronto Madonna concerts, making it to the Golden Triangle for one of the shows*, doing this blog, although due to my schedule, I have not in months but that will change.

Probably the most important thing I was able to do this years was spend time with some wonderful people. I celebrated birthdays, wedding’s, pregnancies,moves, sushi lunches, after work drinks, and Saturday nights with them. I laughed again. In fact I laughed way more this year then have in a very long time.

Thank you everyone who reads this post.  I am proof that everything happens for a reason, and that good things can happen to good people. I look forward to the next 12 months.

* my long awaited Madonna post will be coming soon.

It takes place in Tampa. Mike is the main dancer, who sometimes works as a roofer but I don’t really understand why.

The bar is called Xquisite and run by Matthew McConaughey, I mean Dallas. While watching Dallas it is hard not to pretend MM is acting and not just being himself. We meet the other dancers, Ken who looks like wait for it…..a Ken doll, Big Dick Richie, use your imagination, and what appears to be a retired WWE performer. He plays Tarzan and seems to be 50 years old. Then there is the “Kid”. Adam, he is 19 and down on his luck. We don’t know why, but who cares.

Add in Adam’s angry and unhappy sister, some women who have no real storyline, a pig and some horrific outfits on Dallas you have Magic Mike. Is this movie uplifting – no. Does it offer insights into the world of male stripping – no. Does it explain why there was a group of guys just hanging around playing pool at a sorority house while two guys stipped for the women – no.

It does show us how Mike finally gives up his stripping job to make some really ugly furniture. Adam becomes a drug addict and then becomes the star of show, and how Dallas gets to build his dream club in Miami.

This movie was funny when it was supposed to be sad, and sad when it was supposed to be funny (the 4th of july number anyone?)

It did show me that Channing Tatum can dance, after all this story was based on his life as a stripper, and that Matthew has a really nice bust and oil painting of himself in his home.

If anything go see it for Matthew’s gym attire and his guitar solo. You won’t forget it.

Well the only thing I was taking about was how much she copied a bunch of other live performances.

She was singing  her new single, Wide Awake. A moving tribute to how much she hates her ex-husband.

She was showing her “inner butterfly”. The same inner butterfly that Mariah Carey has been singing about for the last 20 years.

She then takes off the robe to revel a nude jeweled bodysuit. WOW, but I am pretty sure I have seen that before?

Good try Katy, good try.

Look I'm a Butterfly in a nude bodysuit!

Don't mess with us Katy

I had just crossed King and Jarvis when I a women approached  me with an opportunity that I couldn’t say no to.

“Would you like to appear on a show for OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network?” Now for those of you that know me, know that I am a bit of an Oprah nut. So when asked to appear on her network, I jumped at the chance.

The women seemed a bit shocked at my excitement.   “Yeah I’ll be on Oprah, what does she need me to do? Where does she need me to go? Whatever I’ll do it!”

After I signed the release form, I was told that I had to talk to the host about “revenge” if I have ever experienced it, or wanted to have revenge on somebody that had wronged me in my past. They also told me this thing would only take 10 – 15 minutes.

Well a hour later… I finally met the man that was going to be interviewing me on these purple couches. He also informed me that Oprah wasn’t here (duh I was hoping for Gayle). I also kept wondering were my hair and makeup artist was, then I remembered that it was Canadian TV.

The whole time I kept thinking, what has Oprah taught me about handling revenge, in fact the “host” even commented that I seemed to have the right attitude about it.  Look I paid attention to her Life class.

Only after the interview did I find out that this show is currently will  only be  airing on OWN Canada. “So Oprah is not going to even see this?” I asked. WHAT!

The answer I got was maybe. They also said they would email me when it airs.

So thank you TTC, for your constant delayed service during rush hour, without it I would have never been on a show that Oprah may or may not see

Whitney takes the following: cocaine,marijuana, Xanax (anxiety medication), Flexeril (muscle relaxer) and Benadryl (allergy medication).  She then decides to take a bath, while in that bath, she has a heart attack. That causes her to go under the water, which then stops her breathing, causing her death from Accidental Drowning.

I hope that explains it.

Jealous J.Lo?

This is a  Bromance gone wrong. I couldn’t stop laughing at this picture. Why David why would pose for this picture, then post it?