Tonight's the Night!

I'm going to see the movie tonight with a couple of my girlfriends! This is making us feel like we're 15 again because we're so excited to see if it is going to live up to its reputation!! I'll give my opinion soon!

Are these people serious?

Ok, so we're in this big financial crisis, the automotive companies are burning through cash faster than the wildfires in California, so the CEO's go to Washington to beg the Congress or Senate or whoever for a 25 BILLION dollar loan package to keep them afloat. Is this in the best interest of the auto companies if they get this money? Yes, probably. If they were to manage it correctly, this could save hundreds and even thousands of jobs of Average Joes trying to make ends meet. Will they even get the opportunity to try and save these jobs? Probably not. Why? Well, there are a few reasons, I'm sure, but don't you think that if you were a CEO of major company in MAJOR financial trouble, that you'd try and illustrate to the committee that you're testifying to how terrible the situation really is. These moron CEO's of the "Big Three"--GM, Ford, and Chrysler--felt that the best way to show this was to blow $20,000 each on money they don't have to pay for the corporate jet of each company to fly their sorry pampered little behinds to Washington to ask for TAXPAYER money. REALLY??? The reps for the CEO's claim that it is company policy to fly CEO's by private jet for "safety reasons." Well, I have news for you. Because of all of their "policies" such as these countless other companies have had to let thousands of people go. If they would have flown commercial, it would have cost about 500 bucks each. That is a savings of $15,000 each....which isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things, but if they're stupid enough to blow that kind of money in a situation like this, how many millions of dollars have they blown under the radar? I think that the fact that these CEO's have lost their grips on reality may cost them dearly. Not that they care...they all have more money than they know what to do with...why would they care about the average person? It's disgusting. The industry needs to change, and it may take all three of the Big Three hitting rock bottom for that to happen, and I hate to think of all of the casualties that will ensue along the way.

Knitter's Delight

I'm not sure if most of you know this or not, but I'm an up-and-coming knitter. I've been knitting for about 3 years now, maybe a bit more, and up until very recently, I've only attempted to knit scarves (oh, and this enormous shawl that I did for myself, but it's pretty hideous). Lately, though, since it seems that everyone I know is pregnant or has just had a baby, I decided I'd better learn how to knit some cute baby stuff.

So, with the help of a co-worker who is a very proficient knitter, I have now knit two booties, two baby mittens, and I just finished a hat last night to complete the set. This first set is baby blue, since my cousin Cara is due with her first son on January 1st. I am hoping to give them to her over the Thanksgiving holiday. Here is a picture of the handiwork all finished!

I'm pretty proud of my accomplishments! If you have any requests, let me know!

I love married life.....

because Gary and I compromise and compliment each other on so many levels. We enjoy the same food, we like the same TV shows/movie genres (well, except for the fact that I make him suffer through reality TV), and we both love sports. One of the best things about our compromising is that I'm not the best cook, but Gary was a bachelor for long enough that he's pretty awesome at it, and since I don't mind going to the store and he doesn't mind cooking, it works out GREAT.

Here was tonight's product of our compromise: Baked Orange Roughy with vegetables, with a side of Greg Norman Cabernet Merlot (that was my contribution). YUM-O.

All I want for Christmas is.....

A Boston Terrier puppy! "But Erin," you say, "you're allergic to dogs!" Ah, yes, I am, but this is a HYPOALLERGENIC dog....meaning that it barely sheds, and as long as its skin is kept healthy, it is bathed regularly, and I sweep up the dander, there really should be minimal suffering for me. Gary and I have been researching the breed, and as much as we'd like a Boxer, since he had Duke from a puppy until he passed away at the ripe old age of 10 or 11, I just can't handle a Boxer's dander....I've tried. Bostons have a temperament a lot like Boxers, especially if we raise it from a puppy, which means she will love people, she will be loyal, and most importantly, she will be great with the kids we hope to have some day. We want to get a girl because they're a lot more docile and not territorial or aggressive. We went to the Toronto Humane Society yesterday to check out what they had, and they did have a four year old Boston named Buster, but there were already multiple applications to adopt him, and it was a big long screening process, and since we really don't want a dog right this second with the winter coming (not good for potty training little puppies) and with all the holiday traveling we'll be doing, we are just going to keep our eyes peeled for a good fit for us. We've found a couple breeders that we may try to get in touch with come spring or summer, so wish us luck!

Blast from the Past

Back in September, my friend Emma and I embarked on a journey to the past for one night. We went downtown to the Air Canada Centre and saw the New Kids on the Block reunion tour. The tickets were free, and we weren't really sure if we were ready to go back 15 years or so, but we decided, "Why not?!?!" Sadly, I did not take my camera along for this concert, and I wish I would have, because we were like two feet away from my first heart-throb, Joey McIntyre on our way to dinner. When we got to the ACC, it was hilarious because there was this huge line up outside of ALL WOMEN, some wearing their NKOTB t-shirts from the first time around (and let me tell you, some of them had grown up way too much and to be way too big to wear those shirts, but they did it anyway). We're standing in this line, commenting on the outfits we're seeing, when all of a sudden, the high-pitched, crazy squealing of boy-crazy girls began and this stampede of women went flying into the main lobby of the ACC. Why, you ask? Because the New Kids were standing in a restaurant that overlooks the lobby, waving at the fans. It was so funny to hear grown women acting like they were 15. But that was just the beginning. When we got inside, there were groups of women who had been friends and had seen the concerts the first time they toured who were back again---some made t-shirts, some had their daughters with them, and all of them were overly excited. When the first song started, I literally couldn't hear because of all the screaming. Emma and I just laughed at how ridiculous the whole scenario was until they broke out in "The Right Stuff," and then we were screaming right along with them. It was amazing...we'd both forgotten a lot of the songs and hadn't even thought of the New Kids in years, but once they were performing right in front of us, we were so excited and all of the lyrics came right back. They did a great show...yes, some parts were cheesy, but I found it very commendable that they sold out every show and had the stamina to do a long tour. Kudos to the New Kids. They made many women (young and old alike) very happy when they decided to go back on tour.

You know the economy is bad when...

Auto parts maker Magna posts 3rd-quarter loss, cuts sales forecast, slashes dividend
Tuesday November 4, 6:37 pm ET By Bree Fowler, AP Auto Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc. said Tuesday it lost $215 million in the third quarter, citing a continued decline in North American vehicle production that spread to European markets. It cut its full-year sales guidance and slashed its dividend, saying it doesn't expect demand for cars and trucks to improve anytime soon.

Magna's results come a day after automakers reported their October U.S. sales that fell a combined 32 percent from a year ago to the lowest total in more than 17 years.

The news sent Magna shares down 39 cents, of 1.1 percent, to $33.99 in New York trading Tuesday, after tumbling as low as $31.16 earlier in the session. Over the past 52 weeks, the company's shares have traded between $28.28 and $99.38.

In addition, in order to offset the resulting drop in sales, Magna is taking a number of steps to cut costs and become more competitive including the 50 percent reduction in its quarterly cash dividend to 18 cents and a review of all of its cash spending.

The cost cutting efforts should help put Magna in a position to take advantage of consolidation in the industry and pickup key businesses from auto suppliers that aren't able to survive the downturn in the industry.

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That isn't going to be fun in the short term, but the long term will be good. (For those of you who don't know, Co-Ex-Tec, where Gary and I work, is a division of Magna).

To me, this says it all.....

Congratulations to the next President and First Lady!

I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. In fact, I don't even really like politics, I think it's way too overanalyzed, especially in this year's election. I do, however, believe that it requires a lot of research and soul searching in order to make the educated decision that is necessary when casting a vote for the person who is going to be representing the United States on the world's stage. The image that this person projects should be a positive one. He (or she) should be a person that the American people, and all of those people from other nations affected by the decisions made in the U.S., can look up to and trust. I was very disappointed in the circus that this election turned into. It became more of a popularity contest based on age and race and looks and other issues that should have NEVER come to the forefront. The issues that were magnified take the focus away from what is really important in the U.S. right now---which to me is the state of the economy, the trade deficit, and the fact that we have way too many troops still overseas. Yes, taxes and healthcare are big, too, but there are some serious issues that could really get out of hand unless something is done.

I did not vote this year. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it wasn't. I didn't vote because like I said earlier, I believe it takes a very educated and researched decision to cast a vote, and I am not going to be irresponsible and cast a vote based on the wrong information. In this election, everything was so biased and facts were so misconstrued that it was ridiculous. I could not figure out how to tell fact from fiction, and I don't like to be swayed by celebrities or media. I like to make my decision based on my own research. I was too overwhelmed with propaganda everywhere I looked, so I didn't make that responsible decision. If I would have voted, I probably would have voted for Obama. I am not sure I like everything he stands for, but I believe that he is the lesser of the two evils, and I definitely think his heart is in the right place and he truly wants to do what is best for this country. Now the election is over. Obama WILL be the next president. Even though many people in the U.S. didn't vote for him, that is in the past now, and I just hope that everyone can unite and put their differences and prejudices aside and stand behind this man to help the United States become the nation it can--and SHOULD--be. I find it fascinating how much people from other countries have focused on this election--I can say that first-hand, because I cannot tell you how many Canadians have come up to me at work, asking my opinion on the election and showing genuine interest and excitement about its outcome. You don't realize until you live outside of the United States how much everyone else focuses on our every move as a country. We're under a microscope. That is why we need someone who can motivate people to change and make them excited and optimistic about the future--someone that can make people from other nations look at the U.S. in a much more positive light than it is seen in currently. For now, that man is Barack Obama, and I wish him the best of luck.

This is sad, but so inspirational.

It's nice to read stories that make you feel good, even if they end in a sad way. This is a long one, but read it, it will make your day.

Hopkins and an even tougher fighter
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports Nov 2, 5:58 pm EST

You won’t find Shaun Negler’s name in the FightFax database, the official record-keeping service of professional boxing. There are no tapes of any of his memorable wins or stories of epic triumphs left behind. That’s because they don’t exist. He was robbed of a career in the sport he loved. But none other than Bernard Hopkins, one of the greatest fighters of this or any generation, will tell you that he hasn’t met a tougher, or more courageous, fighter than Shaun Negler.The improbable friendship between the long-time middleweight champion and the 18-year-old who worshipped him officially ended at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Oct. 23, 2008, when Negler could fight no more and succumbed to a 2½ year battle with cancer. But Hopkins, who first met Negler in 2006 when he learned that the then-16-year-old had a deadly form of cancer, isn’t ready to accept that his friend is gone. “This kid’s soul is still with us,” said Hopkins, who served as a pall bearer at Negler’s funeral in Philadelphia on Oct. 29. “His spirit lives inside of me and inside a lot of the people I met over these last couple of years.”

In a Philadelphia gym in May 2006, her youngest son injured his left ankle as he was preparing for his first fight. The injury didn’t respond to treatment. An MRI was done and on May 30, Shaun and his parents were sitting in a doctor’s office, waiting to hear why this ankle was taking so long to heal. “I just remember it being such a dark room and now, looking back on it, it seems so surreal,” said Renee Negler, a 41-year-old loan manager. “There were two doctors there and they came in and seemed to have very solemn looks on their faces. I was looking at Shaunie and he was looking at me. It was the doctors, my husband and Shaunie and I. They said, ‘We need to take him to Children’s Hospital right away. We found a large mass in his leg.’ There was no crying and Shaunie was like, ‘OK. No problem. Let’s come up with a plan.’ He wanted to figure a way to live right away.”

He had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. The survival rate is around 10 percent. “This was a guy who was facing death every day but he didn’t talk about dying or feel sorry for himself or ask you, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ ” Hopkins said. “I was in camp getting ready to fight [Kelly] Pavlik and I was getting all these text messages from him, encouraging me and pushing me. And this was a guy who had so many problems, that whoever wins or loses a fight should be the last thing he is thinking about.”

Hopkins signed to fight Pavlik, the unbeaten middleweight champion, in a bout Oct. 18 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Shaun talked of being at the fight, but his condition had long since worsened to the point where that kind of travel, an hour or so from his home, was not possible. “You have to understand, they gave this kid two, three weeks to live, and it’s 12 weeks and he’s still here saying, ‘I want to see you beat Kelly Pavlik,’ ” Hopkins said. “This kid was just amazing. He had a will to live like I’ve never seen.” Before Hopkins left to begin his training camp, the family had a reunion of sorts. All the family and friends were invited over for what was a chance to essentially say goodbye to Shaun. He was on borrowed time and was expected to live only for a matter of a few days, if not a couple of weeks. Hopkins, who knew of Shaun’s love of cars, attended the outing and brought over his $150,000 Bentley. But he didn’t just park it. He grabbed Shaun, brought him to the car and put him in the front seat. Then he closed the door and turned on the engine.

The two were sitting there, the 43-year-old finely tuned athlete and the 18-year-old whose body was ravaged by cancer, blind in one eye, with a leg amputated because of his disease. "What the hell you doing?” Hopkins said in mock indignation. "Drive!” And so Negler began to drive. “I thought he’d take it down to the bottom of the driveway, turn around and come back,” Mike Negler said. Hopkins, though, knew that wouldn’t fulfill the kid’s dream. He wanted to take the car onto the road. So, again, Hopkins urged him to drive. Shaun hit the accelerator, believing the car to be in drive. It was in reverse, however, and landed up on a curb, damaging Hopkins’ rims. To this day, the rims are not fixed on the otherwise pristine car, Hopkins’ memory of his now-departed friend. Soon after, Hopkins left for camp and Negler’s condition worsened by the hour. But he wanted to see the fight so badly and he talked about it incessantly with his family. "Shaun was a diehard fan of all the Philadelphia teams,” Mike Negler said. “He just was in love with all of them, but Bernard, he fell 1,000 percent for Bernard. He loved boxing and then here’s this great fighter from Philadelphia with this incredible story.” Hopkins trained in Miami knowing each day he might get the call he would dread receiving. On Oct. 18, the day of the bout he was literally staving off death to see, Negler was in excruciating pain – “bone pain,” as his mother calls it.

When the pay-per-view broadcast on HBO began at 9 p.m., he was helped out of bed and literally crawled downstairs on his hands and knees to sit in front of the television. But he was only able to stay awake for short periods of time. “At that point, it was like 10, maybe 15 minutes at most,” Renee Negler said. He demanded they wake him up when Hopkins came to the ring. Hopkins’ bout began near midnight Eastern time. As Hopkins made his ring walk, the family roused Shaun, who instantly became as alert as he had been at any time in days. “There was something in his body and his spirit made him hang around so he could see me that one last time,” Hopkins said. “As a human being, can you imagine how that makes me feel?” There were about 20 or 30 people in the house watching the fight. As Hopkins was being introduced, Renee Negler turned toward her son, who had a wan smile across his face and had formed an “X” with his arms, a tribute to Hopkins, whose nickname is “The Executioner.” Hopkins went on to win in a rout in the performance of his life. For one night, he was better than he had ever been. And Shaun Negler, who had been able only to stay awake for 10 minutes at a time, was suddenly alive and vibrant as the fight went on. He was shouting at the television as Hopkins pounded Pavlik with powerful punches, cheering his hero on to victory. Unbeknownst to anyone, Renee Negler had turned on a video camera on her son and captured his reaction during the fight. He was gleeful throughout as Hopkins performed brilliantly. When the fight ended, Negler needed to go back to sleep. He turned to his pit bull puppy, whom Hopkins had suggested he named “Champ,” and kissed it on the head. He crawled back upstairs and was helped into bed. A few minutes later, he lapsed into unconsciousness and never opened his eyes again. He died a few days later, in his home.

Hopkins, who served a stint in the Pennsylvania penal system on a strong-armed robbery conviction, was torn apart. But because of his time in prison, he learned to control his emotions. He never cried publicly because of what he learned while he was in prison. Hopkins was, however, stung by the loss of someone he considered more than just a friend. He not only served as a pall bearer, he spent hours with the Negler family that day and put the gloves he wore the night he defeated Pavlik into the casket with Shaun. “It’s breathtaking the kindness that is in this man’s heart, because it would have been easy for him to meet Shaun, say the right things and move on,” Renee Negler said. “But what he did, he did because he cared. And he did because Shaunie and he had some kind of a connection. There was a bond between the two of them despite all the differences between them and they loved each other.” Hopkins said that for as much as he may have given to Shaun and the Neglers, he received much more in return. “This was a kid who had every reason to feel sorry for himself, who had every reason to give up, and he never once would give in and he never once looked at the dark side of anything,” Hopkins said. “He looked at death and said, ‘I want to live. And I’m going to make the most of what I have.’ And that’s what we have to do while we’re here on this Earth. Take what you have and do the best you can with it. Look at what this kid was dealt and look what he did with it.

“Cancer did not beat him. He beat cancer, because cancer needed his body to live. He’s probably smiling somewhere saying, ‘You know, Bernard, I did it. I beat cancer.’ This kid wasn’t a loser. He was a winner his whole life and I think he’s still a winner.”