foto friday: mixed nuts

I promise that this feature is going to pick up soon.  It's just that the company I work for decided to get it on with another company in the States and this week can only be described as administrative-clean-up-from-the-wedding.  But, for now:

Remnants of the filming of Hairspray on Roncesvalles still linger, including this 1960s men's/boys' haircut style guide in the window of a barber shop.  Just another visual aid to further my fantasy of living on the set of Mad Men.

 

 Nothing says class like "Brash & Sassy".

 

Unless, of course, it's shopping at "Ghetto".

I wonder if ancient Rome would believe that one day we'd be selling blinged-out versions of their most gruesome method of execution and wearing it as jewelry.  

 Gifts sent to my boss, who secured the new relationship between Us and Them.  His new title: Elderius Golfius Maximus.

A great new app for my iPhone (OK, it's not new...I'm just behind) called Instagram.  Yet another technological aid to further my fantasy of living on the set of Mad Men.

The practice fire drill we endured this Wednesday.  We're on the 26th floor of our building.  And I was wearing heels.  It's safe to say that if there was a real fire, our corpses would line this stairwell as employees panic and trample each other.

friday foto: moving day

My Facebook tagline is "Mild-mannered receptionist by day..." which helps describe the half-office, half-ministry life I lead. My 9-to-5 helps me live my 5-to-9 (and weekends) since we all need to pay the automobills. One of my homes is the one I own with Husband, and the other is the one I spend 40 hours a week parked at: the front desk of an advertising agency (yes, yes, like Mad Men, but not in the 50s and with less smoking and drinking...well, less smoking anyway).

Over the two years that I've worked here, I've done everything from decorating it to making it a safe haven, and today I packed it up. We're moving all employees to our second floor suite which means bidding my workplace a fond adieu.

I. Love. Packing. The only thing I love better than packing is UNpacking, which I believe is a throwback to all the moving I did as a child. I have lived in 12 places and attended 8 schools from pre-kindergarten to O.A.C. so, to me, change is thrilling and creative and refreshing. And packing means change.

I recently read this in Mark Driscoll's book "Confessions of a Reformission Rev." and it reminded me of how much and why I love change:

On that day I had only a few appointments, with lengthy breaks in between. I decided to walk down to the deli a few blocks away and get a Reuben sandwich on sourdough bread and some fresh air. On the way back, I walked barefoot and remember thinking that these simple pleasures had made the day one of the most relaxign and satisfying days I ever had. But by the time I walked back to the church, I realized that I was already getting bored. There was no dragon to slay, no hill to charge, no battle to fight, and no foe to conquer.

Next week: pictures of my new reception desk on the third floor!

friday foto: gee whiz!

This car is parked on a street next to the building I work in, and is a fabulous example of the characters that frequent Liberty Village. Nestled between downtown and Parkdale, you're just as liable to see a homeless crackhead as you are to spot a creative director of a major advertising firm. And they'll be wearing similar outfits, so sometimes it's hard to tell.

The car reminded me of a show Andrew and I are watching, called Mad Men.
[Disclaimer: I am not at liberty to recommend, support, or endorse this show. As a pastor.]
The show is set in the 50s which is fabulous and hilarious for various reasons. Upon reflection, I have come up with my a list entitled: "Reasons I Would, and Reasons I Would Not Like To Live in the 50s".

Reasons I Would:

1. 50s tailoring. Everything fits p-e-r-f-e-c-t-l-y.
2. Pillbox hats.
   
3. Men were debonair, and chivalry hadn't completely kicked it yet.
   
4. Everyone is referred to as Miss, Mister, Misses, Sir, or M'am.
   
5. The cars. See above.
6. The music.
7. Nuclear families.
8. Less genetically modified food.
   
9. Less profanity.
10. More green space.
    
11. A sense of hope and happiness after the war.
12. Less technology meant more time spent reading, conversing, and relating.
    

Reasons I Would Not:

1. Constant smoking.
2. Constant drinking.
3. Birth of hardcore consumerism.
4. Male chauvinism.
5. Narrow views on politics, the environment, society.
6. Bizarre medical practices.
7. "Isms" - racism, sexism, elitism, etc.
   
8. Smoking during pregnancies.
9. Drinking during pregnancies.
10. Skirts worn to the mid-calf.
11. The swimming suits! On both sexes!
12. No caller ID.