Do Not Get Thoust Panties In A Twist

Moving and Sheena's innerdnets access not hooked up yet....

New Cat in Sheena's Extended Family

From a dear auntie out west....



I think he'll fit in just fine.

Mental Meltdown in Aisle Four

Sheena has been pushing the envelope of her comfort zone this week. Taking on new challenges, exploring those dark little recesses of her soul, going to the hardware store. She now poses a question to SheenaVision readers who have more experience than she does: Why do we put up with this crap?

Recent tours include: Home Hardware, Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Rona, and Sears Home Centre.

#1. Single women still take heed. The aproned men still look right through you. Even as they stare you in the face, they'll yell "Where? Where?" as they answer a page about someone asking about delivery charges on BBQ units.

#2. It's Not My Department is still alive and well in Canadian retailing.

#3. The only real difference between these places is AirMiles vs. funny money vs. Aeroplan points

#4. One of these stores lost an easy $1500 transaction because no one ever asked me why I was standing and staring at the washer/dryer set for 20 minutes.

Starting today, no more chains. I'll spend the bit of extra to buy from locally owned and managed places. We get the service we tolerate. Don't be part of the problem.

I don't even know what this shit is.

Street Art

Bought three pieces off the street at Queen W in that strip between Spadina and Soho in front of the Black Bull Tavern yesterday afternoon after a very nice burger and salad for lunch.


First two are 8 1/2 x 11 size that will probably go in the office. Seems workish themed to me. The artist is Tjie Tsang and his portfolio can be viewed on his site here: Cadaver Perception.

Last piece was something I'd had my eye on for a couple of weeks. Mike Parsons of Hey Apathy is often working right at Soho & Queen W on his very distinctive and recognizable black and white drawings. His comic books are there for sale too. As I pack up and leave TO it will be a great souvenir. Nice guy, and I think he was telling the truth that it was his favourite piece these days. Glad I talked to him a bit, because he pointed out the little mini superhero. He put it there so the little kids wouldn't get too scared of the Godzilla CN Tower crushing the city. Very thoughtful.

FrankenRaymi

How cool that two of Sheena's favourite things to read have come together in such a nice way.

Page 11. Vol. 2, Issue #43. Just $5.

Best Sandwich in Ottawa Redux

Was up in Ottawa for a day last week and got to indulge in the unchallenged King of the Sandwich - DiRienzo's grocery in Ottawa. Usually 20-30 people lined up for a custom made, so I did the usual and bought the pre-made ones stacked up at the front counter. Roast beef this time. Waffled between the roast beef, chicken parm and the Italian meatloaf.

I think I would marry a DiRienzo sandwich if it ever asked. Real roast beef, not deli shit. Generously sliced cheese slices. Best if you stick it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds when you get back to the office to get the cheese a bit gooified. Have a napkin handy and don't touch any important papers for the rest of the afternoon.

Sheena's Not Dead, She's Just Living in Peoria

OK, OK. I'll update the goddamn blog. It's been a non-stop week of schmoozing and boozing and politics on the golf course. Girl's gotta make a living you know.

More CanCon Flashbacks

Walking down to local fave hangout Cafe Taste for a lovely roasted goat cheese & pine nut salad accompanied by a Malivoire Pinot Gris (or two...) and noticed street posters for the annual Parkdale Arts and Crafts Festival at Queen & Cowan this weekend.

Looked closely at the poster and had one of those odd Serendipity moments. Since the rock god Leatherhands addressed SheenaVision stakeholders and resurrected the fame of Cats Can Fly, I've been rummaging through the old cassettes.

Looking for an 80s CanCon band that haunts me still. Yes, Sheena loves The Spoons. Found the cassette, but it's busted. And now they're playing blocks away at the Parkdale Fest Sunday night. And I have a work thing and have to miss it. FCS.

The Upside to Riding Buses with Bad Shocks on Construction Zone Highways....

Goth Art: Go For the Angst, Stay for the Cherry Tarts

Last night attended the opening reception for the Dead City Collective's show at the Propeller Centre gallery at 984 Queen W.

Dead City Collective artists work in many different media and idioms but they all share a Gothic sensibility. Pop Grotesque and Slap Stick Mutilation in the tradition of the Grand Guignol is often the order of the day. Much of the work displays a dark humour and playfulness despite the occasionally grim themes.
Their art portrays idiosyncratic and deeply personal meditations on Death, Sex, Human vs. Robot, Love and Loss, Evil vs. Less Evil, the Eccentric at odds with the merely Peculiar. MORE YIN, LESS YANG is the group’s 5th show together.

Was super-excited to go, knowing that one of the artists is an occasional SheenaVision commenter and noted online wit. The spread was nice. Highlights were the homemade cherry tarts. The artist's lovely lady made them with the cherries from the tree in her front yard. They were really really good. Took one to go.


Sheena bought the warrior priestess pictured above. Cassandra Verminko is the artist and her charcoal sketches were powerful and lovely. When I saw it, I knew this would be the first thing put on the walls of the house I bought on Friday.





The show runs until July 15. Go check it out. But keep your paws off my art.

Pugs In Blankets

Belated Canada Day Highlights

Sheena lurves Canada Day in Ottawa more than New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day combined. Probably mostly because it is usually warm out. This year was an extra special one, combining Sheena's birthday festivities, some surprise Americano visitors and a need to blow off a little steam. From this year henceforth, I have decided that there will be no more birthdays.

Only Sheenada Day weekends.

Shittiest Mai Tais Ever

Amaretto? Triple Sec? WTF?

But Sheena still loves the Aloha Room. Remind me next time to stick to the PBR or Heritage microbrew....

A Rock God Speaks to SheenaVision fans....

At 11:26 AM, Leatherhands said...
OK Sheenavision fans...larf of the day.

A young, blonde Leatherhands playing the drums and singing.

Like a girl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJGripBLSbY

When Sheena read that comment today in the Sheena's Links post comments , she felt awed by the presence of CanCon greatness in her sphere of influence and became just a little bit humbled.

Ladies and Gentlemen. SheenaVision is proud to present:

Cats CAN Fly....

Sheena's Links

YouTube Video Playlist

Pretty much in order of like.

CougarVision

Dinner on Friday at Big Daddy's Crab Shack on Elgin in Ottawa. A very interesting place. Noted cougar bar, but actually really really good food. Never eaten anything there I didn't like. Half price appetizers at happy hour a major bonus. Friday was a special night with some great chicky friends. Sometimes it's good to be a girl.

Sheena is very picky about raw seafood and refuses to eat sushi in landlocked cities. However she will indulge in the Malpeques at Big Daddy's quite willingly. Other fans rave over the in-house special oyster sauces. Hot, mild, whatever. Sheena just goes for the middle bottle. The home made peppered vodka. Couple of splashes of that, a squeeze of lemon, and then swallow it all like it was the world's biggest loogie.

One of the chickies landed late after the kitchen had closed. So we went to Marroush's for dessert. Sigh. I don't know what cologne he was wearing, but it made us swoon.

Note that none of these are Sheena's boobs.

Happy Canada Day

Happy 140th birthday Canada. And Happy 40th to Pamela Anderson.

Sheena will return later this weekend with a full update on her mission to teach the Georgia Peach, and the Georgia Cheek the joys of being Canadian. We've started by making a dent in the US-Canadian trade imbalance.

Canadian Diamonds are HOT.