Another great suggestion, this time from AC. (She suggested renting a jetski too!)

There’s a restaurant in Toronto called O.Noir. It’s a restaurant where diners eat in complete darkness and all the servers are legally blind. I thought this sounded both fascinating and fantastic, so I immediately added it to my list.

O.Noir is a chain of sorts. The first one started in Europe as an opportunity for blind people to work. There are several of the restaurants across the world, including one in Montreal which is completely separate from the one in Toronto.

The restaurant is essentially in the basement, or lower level, of other buildings. The hallway, bathrooms and lounge area are dimly lit. How it works is you look at the menu and order, either a starter/main/dessert, or two course meal of starter/main or main/dessert.  Once your order is given, you are taken to the door of your room and your server comes to take you in.

Our server was Victor. We met him, then placed left hand on left shoulder as we followed him into complete darkness and were seated at our table. He left to get our drinks while DC and I felt the table cloth, the plate, the warm roll and then across to each other. The butter was in a standard round plastic cup with the tear-off lid, so that was easy to maneuver in the dark.

DC had a ‘surprise’ starter and identified it as a type of salad that included avocado. I had roasted red pepper and goat cheese. For mains, he had shrimp and risotto and I had chicken, potatoes and green beans. I loved my potatoes and realized I hadn’t had them in ages. The chicken was pre-cut which made it easier to eat in the dark.

For dessert, DC had chocolate cake with ice cream and I ordered the ‘surprise.’ This was rather daring since there are many foods I don’t like to eat. While we waited, we started to think of terrible things they might bring me that I would have to swap with DC, who eats anything. He said: What would be the worst thing they could bring you? And I immediately said Trifle! All that fruit and custard. All ingredients I eat but not my favourite dessert. Other things I didn’t want to eat:

Anything coffee-flavoured
Baked goods with raisins in
Raisin pie
Prunes

I got a lovely, standard cheesecake which I enjoyed very much. It was better than DC’s cake, which I know because we managed to pass forks of food to each other in the dark.

And like children we thought it was hilarious to do inappropriate things because nobody could see us.

When we’d finished, we called Victor and he led us back out of the pitch black room. The dimly lit lounge seemed like noontime sunshine for a while! We paid our bill and tried to get a look at the food being delivered to other servers to take to their guests. It looked very appetizing.

What a great experience.

I grew a whole field of sunflowers this year, and they look quite beautiful. I like sunflowers because they are so cheerful. I decided to make it one of my 40 to bring a bouquet of fresh flowers to the office.

This was an easy one, which is good. A few of these 40 things need to be easy and quick or I’d never get through them all.

It was also a good one, because sunflowers make most people smile and everyone can use a few more reasons to smile at work.

Here’s my work bouquet, sitting atop the shredding container.

It was suggested by my sister-in-law that I add a movie day to my list, along with copious amounts of popcorn. I thought it was a great idea, and I added this twist: watch a movie from each decade of my life.

I’m 40 this year, obviously, so my ‘decades’ were 1973-1982, 1983-1992, 1993-2002, 2003-2012.

Annie (1981)

I always loved singing and dancing as a kid. I wanted to be Annie (in a movie, not an actual 1930s orphan). I love the songs and can still sing portions of them today, from memory. Maybe, and Hard Knock Life, and my absolute favourite… You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile!

A great memory of this movie actually occurred in university, when my roommate and I discussed Annie. It turned out DH knew all the words AND all the dance moves. She could strut down a straightaway like Ann Reinking singing We Got Annie!

I watched Annie at 8 a.m. on movie day and it was a blast. I hadn’t seen the whole movie for probably 25+ years.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

I could have chosen any one of dozens of movies from my decade of ages 10-19. I chose Ferris because it is such an iconic movie, because it was a family favourite growing up, and also because my Dad had the DVD.

There are so many classic lines from this movie:

Ferris Bueller, you’re my hero!
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you might miss it.
Do you have a kiss for Daddy?
Gummy bear? They’ve been in my pocket so they’re warm and squishy. (paraphrase… this might not be 100% accurate)
Say ‘Ferris Bueller’ and you lose a testicle!

And on and on.

I watched Ferris after my 10 km walk. I loved it, but fell asleep at the end and had to wind it back. I found the cast interviews on the DVD really fascinating.

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Huge jump in years from ’86 to ’02, but I had to go with Bourne. This movie solidified my ABSOLUTE LOVE for Matt Damon. Also, it was one of the first movies I remember seeing with DC, and we both loved it.

I have the box set of the Bourne trilogy but I’d never watched it. One of the movies, usually #2 or #3, always seems to be on TV so why get out the DVD? In this case, it was totally worth it.

I hadn’t seen the whole of the first movie for ages. There were lines in it that I’d forgotten and so they felt really fresh. When he gets to Paris and Marie suggests he might forget her in the car, he says “How could I forget you? You’re the only person I know.” A funny, sweet moment, brought to you by ‘amnesia.’

And 11 years is a long time. Matt Damon looks so much younger in the first Bourne movie.

I watched this movie last, in the late evening. It was out of chronological order but I didn’t care.

Love Actually (2004)

This is my favourite Christmas movie. It feels cheesy, like I should be a little embarrassed by how much I love it, but whenever I mention it I learn that EVERYONE else watches this movie every December. I’ve probably seen this one the most out of all my movie choices. Every Christmas for years, sometimes multiple times. I like to put it on while I’m doing the Christmas baking. I know it by heart so it never matters if I miss a portion.

It’s hilarious to see Andrew Lincoln as the lovelorn art gallery manager, since I now know him as the zombie-ass-kicking sheriff on The Walking Dead.

Hugh Grant was so good at what he did (because he did it over and over again in every movie). It’s a shame he got a bit old and squidgy. He really does look increasingly like ‘Aunt Mildred.’

Emma Thompson: “Be careful there.” I cry every time I see her trying not to cry when she realizes the gold necklace was a gift for someone unknown. But Emma also gets the classic line: “Nobody will want to shag you if you cry all the time.”

“Just incases” is a phrase I use regularly. I always figure people will not get it. But I don’t care. Colin Firth is just darling is this film. The best lines are throw-aways by his landlady in France: “Unfortunately she can’t speak French… just like you.”

And the little boy! “Let’s go get the shit kicked out of us by love. “ I’ve recently realized that adorable kid is now on Game of Thrones.

Love actually is all around.

Films that easily could have made the cut:

Meatballs – I love this film. Many good lines. Also, I always remember a friend saying ‘I don’t think you could call that a ‘film’.

Four Weddings and a Funeral – “Fuck it!”  I know all the lines from this one, and it was the beginning of my long-term love for Hugh Grant. But I don’t own it on DVD and I find Andie MacDowell’s performance gets worse every time I watch it. So sad that the red-headed roommate died young in real life. I love her conversation with the young girl under the table: “What’s bonking?” “It’s kind of like table tennis, only with smaller balls.”

Dead Poets Society – This was my favourite for a long time. Knox Overstreet is the best character name ever. And “Oh Captain, My Captain” can almost move me to tears at the end. Which is shameful since it’s a bit of cheese. “Thank-you, boys.”

The Replacements – DC and I love this one. Whenever it’s on TV I leave it on. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever. Also, the scenes to Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive” are priceless.

Funny how there aren’t any recent movies on my list. I think that is definitely a sign of age.

I added a simple walk around the block because my block is 10 kilometres! I wanted some physical challenges on the Top 40 list along with the things I’d never done and the various food indulgences. Walking 10km is a challenge because it’s much further than I usually go, but it’s not too great a challenge because it is still just walking.

I knew it would take me about two hours to complete my block. Half the route is quite hilly and the rest is mostly flat. It was a hot day, so I took a bottle of water but promised myself I wouldn’t have any until I was done at least a third of the walk, which worked well. I finished my water on the home stretch, but it was really warm by then.

On the third side of my rectangular block, I was passed by two pairs of cyclists. I could hear their entire conversation because it’s so quiet in the country, and I learned that triathletes should train with multiple swimming strokes, not just the front crawl that they’ll use in the race. Apparently this will make them an overall better swimmer, which will improve their performance. I have no idea if this is true. The cyclist who was listening may have been rolling his eyes, for all I know, but it’s what I heard.

I managed to keep up a respectable pace throughout the walk. By the half-way point my feet hurt. They hurt at the best of times but when walking such a long distance the bottom of my heels started to hurt, feeling like a blister was developing. From the top of my feet up to my shins started to stiffen up as well.

It was a good challenge and I’m glad I completed it.

This is the view facing east, on the first leg of my walk.

This is the view facing west, on the first leg.

I can’t remember the last time I’d been to a drive-in, and DC had never been. It was a no-brainer.

We arrived about half an hour early for the double bill of “Red 2” and “World War Z.” I ate popcorn and drank diet cola and had a great time. World War Z was a good movie. I didn’t have high expectations because it hadn’t been a critical success, but I enjoyed it. More and more I’m liking the zombie genre. Frightening development.

Red 2 was good. Not as fun and fresh as the original but I just love Helen Mirren.

We had such a good time at the drive-in, people watching, chowing down in our car, opening the windows slightly so that the windshield didn’t fog-up… that we completely forgot to take any pictures.

I included ‘eat a super-hot curry’ on my list because I’ve never been particularly good at spicy food.

My favourite ‘spicy food’ memory is of eating my brother’s leftover pizza as a teenager. That’s when I learned you can’t pick hot peppers off of pizza… it is still HOT.

Unfortunately I managed to order a spicy Lamb Vindaloo from the only Indian restaurant in the world that makes a mild Vindaloo. I ordered it hot. I said ‘a hot vindaloo’ because I wanted it authentic. I ordered a Chicken Korma as well, so I’d have something to eat after I gave up trying to eat the Vindaloo. I expected a burning tongue and lips, watering eyes and maybe even some sweat.

Instead, we enjoyed a super tasty Vindaloo that wasn’t even as hot as my usual Thai order. I’ll have to put this one down as tried and failed.

The world’s only ‘mild’ Lamb Vindaloo!

I grew up playing softball and slo-pitch so a trip to the batting cages brought back fond memories.

I remember practising my fast pitch (windmill) at home. Dad installed a wooden pitching rubber and home plate at the side of the house, and we’d go out so I could practice pitching. I also remember pitching to my coach during practise one evening and my coach pointed out that my pitches were actually cutting. I could through a breaking pitch when I was only 12!

The reason the ball curved was my wonky delivery. That was also the reason I didn’t pitch as fast as the other pitchers on my rep softball teams during highschool, and why I was subsequently cut from being a pitcher. Apparently being an accurate pitcher who could throw to either side of the plate wasn’t enough.

I was never much of a batter and a night at the batting cages confirmed it. Mostly it hurt my hands when the bat vibrated off the ball, especially in the slo-pitch cage. I hit a few baseballs at the 45 mph speed, but at 55 mph, I made contact only twice.

A fun swing down memory lane.

Medium baseball speed was the fastest I make contact with.

I’d never been on a motorcycle. I’ve always wanted to try it, as a passenger, but haven’t had the opportunity. In fact, I didn’t even have it on my list originally because the only person I knew with a motorcycle had it in for repairs.

But the stars have shone on my Top 40 list as the day before we were to get together, the bike came home from the shop!

We showed up for a BBQ hamburgers and salad, DC and I, and then I was to go for my ride. I borrowed a helmet, of course. They certainly fit tight. But I also borrowed a proper motorcycle jacket with spine support of some sort, shoulder and elbow padding, and six different ways to tighten it. And I borrowed proper leather riding gloves, even to be a passenger.

I rode in lightweight running shoes, but my driver wasn’t too happy that I didn’t have leather boots to cover my ankles! I must say, I felt pretty safe riding with somebody who took safety seriously.

Getting on the bike was hard. SR got on first and steadied it, then I was supposed to place my left foot on the left footrest and lift my right leg all the way over, including over the luggage container! I did it, but I know it wasn’t graceful.

My instructions were to not shift my weight around, especially when we were just starting out from a stop sign. Naturally, this meant that I tried not to move a muscle the whole time we were out joyriding! I was a bit stiff when we got back.

The ride was fantastic. It was a cool evening and we drove around a lake and across some country roads, followed by a super-fast stretch just to see what it felt like. Holy pick-up, batman! We were flying out there.  

Thanks to SR for helping me check something off the life list, as well as the Top 40. I loved it!

Fitting my helmet!

Me and my pilot. Note the luggage rack I had to get my leg over.

Giving a wave before we took off.

Near DC’s work there is a wholesale samosa place. He sometimes buys cheap samosas for lunch. One day he saved two samosas for when I picked him up after work and we each ate one in the car. That day we said ‘we could get samosas for dinner sometime and have a picnic on the way home.’ That seemed like a great idea so it went on the list.

We drove most of the way home, to a local nature park. We were the only ones in the parking lot, though part way through our dinner a young couple pulled in and stopped, moved their car and stopped, then just left. We suspected maybe they were searching for a ‘private’ place to park.

The picnic included way-too-many samosas, plus two types of couscous salad, two types of dip for samosas and two diet colas. I had chocolate cake for dessert and DC had custard over jelly rolls.

Dinner was delicious. The setting was fabulous. We wondered why it had been five years since we’d had a picnic there.

Picnic with cheap samosas, side salads and dips.

Oh no, all the samosas are gone!

This is the outhouse I used. It was pretty good, as far as outhouses go.

I learned to play cribbage from my Grandfather. He was a snowbird who spent his winters in Florida. Every year on March Break, starting when I was six, my family would vacation in Florida. So every year, when we visited my Grandfather at his trailer park of retirees, I would learn to play crib.

I only ever played in Florida, so Grandpa would have to teach me each year. It took me about six years to learn to play cribbage, because that was only about 12 games total!

Grandpa was a great player. Each year when I ‘learned’ to play, I would win a game by about three pegs or lose by one. Grandpa had the ability to control the game, making sure I got enough points and that he didn’t get too many. He was a master and I’m glad I never had to play him for money.

Adding cribbage to the 40 list was an easy choice. Mom and I like to play, though we hadn’t played since Christmas 2011 and our rustiness showed. Things we couldn’t remember with any certainty: who led after the cards were dealt and cut, whether Jack of the suit turned up was worth a point, and how much the hands were worth. We had to count them out, point by point, rather than just ‘knowing from experience’ that 3,6,7,7,8 is worth 12. (Oh I hope that’s correct since it’s going in the blog!)

Playing cards or scrabble with my Mom is always a hoot. Unfortunately this time she won two games in a row, and she SKUNKED me in the first game. She didn’t realize her hand was so big until she started counting (24!) and then she counted it and won, and THEN I pointed out how I was still 2 pegs from the skunk line.

Sheesh.

I’m red. Mom is green. She wins and I’m behind the ‘S’ for skunked!

Here’s my mom, winning a second game of cribbage in a row.