The Sun Run, Subeez and Passport Photos Take 2

I came out to cheer on my sister and brother-in-law in the Vancouver Sun Run this weekend. Me and thousands of other people. I panicked for them as I saw the backlog of people trying to get through the finish area. Literally the crowd was lined up before the finish line. I don't remember it being like that last year so I am thinking the great weather meant a larger crowd turned out and they just weren't prepared.

It was my brother-in-law's first running race and first 10k. I totally had a feel good moment by association for him. Like I had accomplished something momentous on my Sunday when really I had had a cinnamon dolce latte and read the paper and that was about it.

A met up with us and we went to Subeez for brunch. Normally not a fan of their brunch but they did a special buffet for the Sun Run (it was $15) and overall I enjoyed it. Ate too much but the fruit salad was refreshing and the tea was good. R and C had diet cokes and assumed (as I would) that they were refillable. Apparently not and between the two of them they spent $10 on diet cokes over brunch. Bummer.

I then went to get my passport photos retaken. I am applying for a UK passport and the requirements are different than the Canadian passport photos. I ended up going to London Drugs, Blacks, and Sears portrait studio and none of them can do it. Might need to fly to the UK for the picture at this rate.

Movie Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I third wheeled it on a my sister's date with her husband on Friday night and we saw 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'. I went in with very low expectations; figured all the good laughs had been in the trailer. I was wrong.

The movie starts with the nude breakup scene that is in the trailer, gets a bit slow and then picks up speed with the introduction of the ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend Aldous (Russell Brand). While I enjoyed the lead character Peter's (Jason Segel of 'How I Met Your Mother' fame) blundering and overall ridiculousness but it was the Aldous character that makes the movie. The deadpan one liners delivered to Peter's ex-girlfriend, Sarah (Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars) were so good and so subtle you almost missed them. Russell could have overplayed the Aldous character, making him an annoying figure in the movie, but instead you really appreciate his character's love of life.

The new female love interest for Peter is Rachael (Mila Kunis from That 70s Show) is well played but not that interesting. I didn't get the overdone cleavage as Rachael worked as the hotel receptionist. It was supposed to be a high-end resort and she looked like a hooker. I am also getting a bit tired of Judd Apatow producing films about average men (in both looks, intelligence and achievements) who manage to capture above average women (in mainly looks but usually also character). Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis are prancing around in skimpy outfits showing off a body that less than 1% of the female population can achieve and on the male side we get to see love handles, flab, bad skin and hairiness - the average male. Apatow seems to be recreating the reality of his own life through his films; he's married to Leslie Mann and has definitely batted above his weight.

Even though I am tiring of this trend in Apatow's films I still give this a 4/5 and worth full fare at the theater. As my brother-in-law said 'If I had had 10 or 15 minutes I would have just kept laughing at the one line'.

Caffe Barney

Two weekends in a row I have brunched at Cafe Barney (2528 Main St, Vancouver BC); specifically their new location on Main. I have to say the breakfast is outstanding. Had the chorizo sausage scrambler (without the bagel) both times. Tasty and filling. Had a salad instead of the hashbrowns and bagel (also tasty). My only annoyance with the meal was that they charged me extra for the salad even though they were substituting it. Do greens and some dressing really cost $1.50 more than potatoes and bread? I couldn't complain about the cost as R and I got comped our diet cokes; we were ignored for the first 20 minutes we were there because the wait staff all thought the other waiter had us.
Four of us dined and 3 of us opted for salad instead of the hashbrowns (which are really quite good but put you into a food coma half-way through the meal).
R is all about the brunch these days; feels it is a nice indulgence on the weekend and so much cheaper than dinner. I agree. There is something about having a leisurely breakfast at 11am, after spending Monday to Friday sprinting to work for 8 am and eating on the go first thing in the morning, that seems so decadent. I am pledging to go for brunch one day each weekend. And not to the IHOP or Denny's around the corner. To places that serve espresso, have witty menus and staff that could care less about providing good service because they are hungover from last night's party and really only the bottom of the roster gets stuck with a Saturday or Sunday breakfast shift because the tips are crap as nobody is ordering booze and breakfast is the cheapest meal of the day. I am enjoying this new trend. My ex and I use to make breakfast at home on Sundays and read the paper. It was great but the meal was practically McDonald's; eggo waffles, thawed berries, syrup and whip cream. We thought we were excellent chefs creating a meal using only the microwave and toaster. I now shudder at the thought of it.

Rough but clean start

After a social Saturday with my sisters I'm having a tough time getting out of the house this morning. Trying to be productive by getting laundry done while I procrastinate. Also managed to dust for the first time in two months. I am a huge fan of swiffers; they really get the job done and provide a bit of gross out when you see all the crap that is sitting on your furniture. The desk that my roommate uses was piled high with dust and, in a moment of charity, I kindly swiffered it for him. He probably won't notice as, judging by the amount of dust on his desk, he doesn't use it.
My other favorite cleaning product right now is folex; the best carpet sport remover ever. I was introduced to it when I was housesitting for a friend. Her two cats like to barf on the carpet and this stuff totally does the trip. I didn't notice for 24 hours that the cat had barfed in the corner and it still got the stuff out. Currently living in a condo that is carpeted so this has become a lifesaver.