Holiday hobbling!

May 21/12.

Hey! This is officially my 365th blog entry!

After talking about my old Betty & Veronica t-shirt the other day, decided to drag it out, since the weather has been so gorgeous! My sister, Carrie, gave me this shirt a few years ago, and I LOVE it. I've always been an Archie comic fanatic. As a teen, was even a member of the Archie fan club! (I think I still have my membership card stashed away someplace!)

Betty & Veronica were always my faves,

especially the Double Digest books! After countless garage sales, I've NEVER been able to part with any of them!

Yesterday, spent some "exciting time" over at the auto body shop,

waiting for Sam's car to finish a servicing. But it wasn't ready yet. The body shop is just around the corner
from our first house,

on good old De Grassi Street, so went over to pay it a visit. (took forever to get around, since my foot and ankle are still in tons 'o pain from the injury I suffered running last Wednesday). But I'm trying not to let it rule my life. Who wants to stay INSIDE on the long holiday weekend when it's so beautiful out?

Drove to the Danforth on Sunday. It was a pleasure on the roads, since everyone is away at cottages or out of town someplace,

so - zero traffic troubles!

Hit Shoppers. No lineups!

Did spot Justin Bieber, still hangin' out in the cosmetics department he likes so much.

This time, he was joined by his pal, Madonna!

Then, over to Urban Nails,

to see Kevin Nguyen, who runs the place with a lot of style and finesse!

This joint is always jumping, and as someone who never EVER had nails before (bit them all my life, till a few months ago), it always astounds me to watch this salon in action! The manicurists work so hard and do everything professionally, quickly and in good spirits. There's plenty of laughter and chatter and always an abundance of pretty people getting their nails polished. There's a reason this place is so busy. It's FUN!

And when you leave,

you always feel much better! This is Cindy, a real artist! The salon had run out of my favourite shellac colour (Rosebud), so she helped me create a whole new shade by mixing it up a bit, using bright pink Gotcha underneath and the lighter, pearly Strawberry Smoothie as a top coat! She took a long time with me and the results? - Perfect! I STILL find it hard to believe I have fingernails. 

I didn't want to miss all the sunshine, (even though I can't run right now), so took a spin over to the Riverdale running track, - at least to SEE it! -

parked on Broadview, hobbled down to a park bench and sat down to do a bit of writing in a journal, and a letter to a friend (yep, snail mail!)

I SOOOOOOOOOO longed to run, (and would have had the whole track to myself!), but there was just no way. Soon I hope.

When I got home, discovered my daughter, Kate, and her friend, Cadence, were trying out some kind of new clay face mask stuff,

to detox and glorify the complexion!

Hmmmmmm. Maybe I should try it out too! In my current state, I feel like I need all the help I can get! (Maybe this mask stuff can help my foot)!

Later in the day, Kate and her boyfriend, Damian, came home from a walk. They'd discovered a box of books tossed out on the street by a neighbour. Look what they brought me! Just in time for the big House finale tonight! Can't wait to see how the very last show plays out! Sigh.

Get thru the night! - (& watch out! I have nails now!)

February 18/12.

Ever since being diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, I've done a lot of things I never imagined I'd do. Cancer messes not only with the body, but the mind, heart & soul. (just in case you didn't know). No excuses. No prisoners. Shit happens & you roll with it, day by day. Some of it, - fantastically fun - ("Intensity Entity"), - never felt anything LIKE it. Absolutely WILD! - Some of it, emotionally painful - (tons 'o tears). The rest of it, just funny as hell. (Carrie? Prickles? Loretta? Franelle? Joanne? Bruce? Bill?) Bring on the laughs! The more, the better. ONLY way to let your freak flag fly! Won't reveal EVERYTHING I've done to cope. Just too frickin' out there. No one would believe it anyway! (unless you've followed this blog from Day ONE). Best concept I CAN give comes from John Lennon. "Whatever gets you thru the night, it's alright, it's alright." Agree with you there Lennon! Go with what works!

Mmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmm....What's helped? Let's see. Mega-blonde hair colour, piles of makeup, tight clothes, lacey La Senza/La Vie En Rose lingerie, high-top boots, wild & crazy emails, radiation table-top fantasies, "Me days," 3 Stooges marathons (an absolute MUST),  Jerry Lewis, House, (Hugh Laurie!), fab voice-over course with Jason Deline, (with demo recording still-to-come on February 21st), Friendly Greek take-out, Henkell, (duh), hot HOT showers, Body Shop vanilla-scented cream, trying to learn digi-photography, Howard Stern, Robin Quivers, the Wack Pack, NewsTalk 1010's Mike Bullard, Jim Richards & Dave Agar, Carrie's "Prickles the porcupine" puppet & videos, family, friends and - the famous flying fickle finger of fate! (not sure if Dick & Dan got fickle finger manicures!) - More to come on that in a sec.

 ("Say good night Dick." - "Good night Dick.") - Sock it to me!!

To quote Norman Bates from Psycho - "We all go a little mad sometimes, haven't you?"

Uh, yep, indeed.

That being said, did something today I've only done ONCE in my life. (for my wedding day). Had a manicure! WTF?  Anyone who knows me must be freaking to read this tidbit of info. UNHEARD of.

Before shot


Being the "calm, cool, collected" individual I am, (NOT!) - I've made annual new years resolutions for DECADES to stop biting my nails. Those "promises" always lasted exactly ONE day. Then, 364 days later, I tried again, with the same result. Over & over & over. But for SOME reason, THIS year, something snapped or zapped. Don't know WHY, don't know HOW, but it did. Had so many OTHER stresses in my life, I just stopped biting! Started to think, "Hey, maybe I can actually get my nails done!" (ha ha! - ya, this is the BEFORE pic...NOT great, but the best my nails have been since, well...ever). I know, a joke, right??

Then, in a grocery store line-up the other day, saw a woman with nails like this! (even BETTER than this actually). I told her she has GORGEOUS nails, and said I've stopped biting and want MINE to look like HERS. She advised me, "Go to a manicurist and ask for Shellac. You'll NEVER want to bite your nails again!" After that brief conversation, all I could think about was Shellac!

Made an appointment for 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Urban Nails (said to be the BEST salon on the Danforth!) I've been there several times to buy gift cards for other people, but never frequented the place for myself! - (what's the point, when you have no nails?)

Upon entering, encountered the stunning Christine at reception. Perfect hair, makeup, clothing and so very charming. I told her I wanted to meet Kevin Nguyen, (who I'd read about online. He owns the place).

He turned out to be two feet away from me, working on a client!  Asked him if I could take pics at his salon and run them on my blog.  He was very nice, said OK, and even offered to take pics for me! (Gave him the blog address so he can read this later).

After checking my nails, (with a bit of a sigh, LOL), Kevin "assigned me" to Kelly. She turned out to be the loveliest young woman from Vietnam (who grew up in the same town as Kevin!) They worked together at a salon in Cabbagetown and then he launched his own business and she works with him at the Danforth location, three days a week (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays). She has a nine-and-a-half-month old baby boy and looks after him the rest of the week. Most members of her family live in Toronto now. She moved to T.O. in 2003, with NO skills in English. You'd never know it. I clearly understood every word she said and she is just a delight. I told her, when I come back to Urban Nails, I want to request her, personally. Such a sweetheart. I recommend her highly! - and great at her job!

Kevin kindly came over several times and took pics of Kelly working on my nails. This is the high-speed curing light, to dry nails in just two minutes! Coolio! They also turned on the massage chair, which shocked the hell out of me! Incredible! I think I need to BUY one!

Since my nails are so short, I chose the most natural, light pink Shellac shade. (next time, when my nails are a bit longer, I'll go a little more vibrant).

After shot

This may not look like much of anything to those who've had great nails all their lives, - but for me?
Almost life-changing! Gak! (and I'm NOT trying to give you the finger - of fate, or otherwise!) Thank you Kevin & Kelly! As Arnold Schwarzenegger would say, "I'll be back!"

http://www.urbannails.ca/