You're Going To Put Me In An Early Grave..

Cocaine Princess here.

Early Saturday morning at around 2am I suddenly awoken with the feeling someone knocked the wind out of me. It was a strange feeling I had never felt before.

Late Saturday morning the feeling didn't go away. I assumed it was a 24hr bug of some sort. I was standing in front of the mirror getting ready when I saw these little red bumps on my forehead. I noticed the red bumps a day earlier but it had now spread on my cheeks and chin. Wonderful I said to myself, my skin's breaking out. The same little red bumps were on my arms and shoulders and when I turned around it was all over my backside. So much for wearing a backless top. I had the perfect outfit all picked out right down to the matching accessories. I was able to cover the bumps on my face with makeup. Thankfully the breakout didn't happen on the day of my shoot.

I came downstairs and 'A' was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper. She noticed right away something was wrong. 'Are you okay?' I nodded yes but I wasn't. It was like an invisible force was pounding away at my joints with a hammer and my head was being squeezed in a vice grip. I didn't want to tell her, she worries enough about me as it is.

The two of us were shopping at a mall in a neighboring city. I was in Marciano checking out the new fall collection. A couple of really cute outfits caught my eye, I would have loved trying them on but I didn't have the strength to lift them off the rack. Each movement I made was worse than the last, painful and uncomfortable. 'A' was staring at me. I did my best covering the pain but it was just too much. 'What is the matter with you? And don't tell me nothing.' 'I think I need to sit down,' I replied. We exited the store and found a mall bench. 'You still think you're okay?' she asked. 'Yes,' I replied. 'A' touched my forehead. 'God, you're burning up. We're going home.' 'But we've only been into one store,' I replied getting up. Well I tried to but couldn't. 'You can't even stand up. For once in your life listen to me, we're going home. End of discussion.' To date that was my shortest trip to the mall ever.

Once we arrived home, getting out of the car and walking from the garage to inside of the house to the family room was a long, painful and excruciating task. But I made it. If she could 'A' would have carried me in but I'm a lot taller than she is. When she handed me the thermometer she saw the red bumps on my hands which I didn't even notice. Examining it she asked, 'what is that?' 'My skin's breaking out,' I replied. 'On your hands?' 'It's a very bad break out.' 'She lifted up my sleeves and then the back of my top. 'It's all over your arms and back.' 'I know.' 'You know? And you didn't think this was an alarm for concern?' she questioned. 'No. Like I said it's a very bad breakout. I'll be back to myself tomorrow.' 'Check your temperature,' she said. I put the thermometer in my mouth and waited for the beeping sound ....It started to beep but before I had a chance to see the results 'A' pulled the thermometer out of my mouth. Looking at the read out she mumbled something. 'I didn't catch that, what did you say?' I asked. 'I said you're going to put me in an early grave. Your temperature is I04,' she answered. 'I'm calling the doctor. Don't move.' 'No problem,' I said back, because even if I wanted to I couldn't.

The family doctor made a house call. His diagnosis. It wasn't a 24hr bug and the red bumps weren't from a bad breakout. It was the chicken pox. I couldn't believe it. 'Chicken pox at my age?' I asked. 'It's rare but it happens,' my doctor replied. 'The incubation period is 14-16 days. Were you in contact with anyone who had the virus then?' 'No, not that I know of,' I answered. 'It's a very contagious virus that's spread through coughing and sneezing. It's quite possible you were around someone who was infected but just didn't know it.' He looked at 'A' and asked, 'I take it you're immune?' 'Yes, I had them a long time ago,' she replied. He then reached inside his doctor bag and pulled out a needle and vial to draw my blood. While sticking the prickly object in my arm he instructed me not to leave the house for two weeks. 'Can't you give me something to make it go away?' I asked. 'Unfortunately modern science hasn't come out with anything yet,' he replied. 'Adults with chicken pox is dangerous if not taken seriously. It can lead to severe pneumonia, an infection of the brain, seizures, neurological damage..... it can be fatal.' He noticed the look of panic on my face and assured me the chances of that happening were slim. Then why bother telling me I thought?

It's been three days and only two new pox outbreaks have occurred. I'm hoping there won't be anymore. The good news, my fever is getting better and the pain in my joints is slowly diminishing. The bad news, I'm very itchy.

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess

THE EAGLES: LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN CONCERT 2008

Cocaine Princess here.

I attended the Eagles concert with my sister who is a big fan of the group. ((The tickets were a birthday gift from me) I can't exactly say I'm a fan. We left for the city on Friday and returned home this morning instead of Tuesday as planned. I felt like staying an extra day.

On the day of the concert Valentina called me at the hotel. 'First 'A' takes you to a saloon for dinner and now she's making you go to an Eagles concert. She's trying to turn you.' 'Turn me into what?' I asked. 'Into one of her kind.' 'Her kind? You're making her out to be some sort of vampire,' I replied. 'She is. It's like she's trying to suck your way of life out of you. You haven't turned like her, have you?' 'No I'm still me,' I assured her.



We arrived at 5pm and already the fan line up had begun. Because I bought the VIP Package we didn't have to wait in line. The VIP Package consisted of:

guaranteed seating in the first 10 rows (we were in the 6th row)
a laminate pass
an Eagles duffel bag containing a commemorative Eagles pin, poster and T-shirt
pre-dinner and drinks
automatic entrance
separate, hassle free souvenir stand

As we approached the center a scalper came up to me and quietly asked, 'you need tickets for the show? I have row 12. $450.' 'No thanks my seats are better,' I replied. 'What row?' I told him I had the VIP Package. 'Interested in selling your seat?' he asked. Not that I was planning to sell him my ticket, I was curious how much he would offer me so I asked him. Before he had a chance to tell me my sister yanked me away. 'Please don't talk to people on the street you don't know,' she said. 'What street? I'm on the sidewalk'. 'You know what I mean,' she replied back. 'Stay in my vision until we get inside'. 'Do I look like a 5 year old? I think you're confusing me with one of your elementary students. Next you're going to be telling me to look both ways before I cross the street,' I said as we entered inside.
The place was packed. Monday wasn't their only show, they have two more sold out shows later this week. I had no idea how many die hard Eagle fans existed. The band opened up with How Long and closed with Desperado. The concert was a lengthy one lasting 3hrs with a 20min intermission. During half time I went to get a drink for 'A' while I decided on a Dove ice cream bar. As I waited my turn I overheard some fans talking. They were disappointed with the bands attire. 'A bunch of wall street wannabes. When did they become bankers?' The guys were dressed in gray suits, white dress shirts and ties. Personally I thought they looked very GQ. Several other fans made the same remark. I didn't understand what one had to do with the other.

Below are several pictures taken from the concert. I took a few but my sister took most of the snap shots. Each time the band sang a song a huge image/backdrop appeared behind them on stage that was directly related to the song they were about to sing. I was probably the only one who couldn't make the connection. I did for one, when an image of a hotel appeared I knew they were about to sing Hotel California. All you Eagle fans enjoy!

THE SET LIST

How Long

Busy Being Fabulous

I Don't Want To Hear Anymore

Guilty Of The Crime

Hotel California

Peaceful Easy Feeling

I Can't Tell You Why

One Of These Nights

Lyin' Eyes

Boys Of Summer

In The City

The Long Run

No More Walks In The Woods

Waiting In The Weeds

No More Cloudy Days

Love Will Keep Us Alive

Take It To The Limit

Long Road Out Of Eden

Somebody

Walk Away

Witchy Woman

Life's Been Good

Dirty Laundry

Funk #49

Heartache Tonight

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Rocky Mountain Way

All She Wants To Do Is Dance

Take It Easy

Desperado

HOW LONG

GUILTY OF THE CRIME
HOTEL CALIFORNIA
LYIN' EYES

BOYS OF SUMMER

I'm glad Don decided to sing this song because it was the only song I knew the lyrics to. Fans were thrilled when he did. I was hoping Glenn would sing one of his solo hits, Smugglers Blues, The Heat Is On or You Belong To The City. He didn't.

IN THE CITY


THE LONG RUN

WAITING IN THE WEEDS
FUNK #49

HEARTACHE

NO MORE CLOUDY DAYS
LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN

SOMEBODY

WALK AWAY

LIFE'S BEEN GOOD

DIRTY LAUNDRY

This was another good song. For the backdrop they had images of various tabloid magazines and news shows. Don even went as far as saying 'FoxNews is the King of tabloid TV.' Who knew Mr. Henley was anti-FoxNews.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
"He was a hard-headed man
He was brutally handsome, and she was terminally pretty
She held him up, and he held her for ransom in the heart
of the cold, cold city
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude
They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude
They had one thing in common, they were
good in bed
She'd say, 'Faster, faster. The lights are turnin' red."


TAKE IT EASY

FINAL BOW

Their last song was Desperado before the band took their bow.

I admit I didn't only have a great time but also a memorable time.



XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess

The Eagles: Long Road Out Of Eden

Cocaine Princess here.

It's Friday, I hope everyone had a good week.

What will I be doing? The Eagles are playing. Lord help me. I'm not a fan of their music nor do I really know any of their songs. God knows how I'm going to sit through their entire concert. Who knows maybe I'll surprise myself and have a good time.

If I don't manage to fall asleep I'll tell you all about the show next week.

On a positive note less than 100 days left until I see Madonna in concert.

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess

Canada Day Long Weekend PT3

Cocaine Princess here.


Getting out of the car and being able to stretch felt good after sitting for so long. I was tired and achy and wanted to lye down. We entered into the lobby where there was an enormous crowd of people. A big screen TV was set up and guests were watching the Euro Cup. It seems no matter where I go I can't escape sports. At first I couldn't tell where the line for checking in was. There were two very long zig zagging lines of people waiting. One was for Starbucks and the other long line was for checking in. Once I distinguished which line was for what I waited my turn and thankfully the line moved quickly.

Getting up to the 22nd floor was another story. The elevator kept stopping at almost every floor. I looked at my sister and quietly said, 'we were better off taking the stairs.' Finally it stopped on our floor. I went into the suite, kicked off my heels and plopped down on the bed.

Saturday and Sunday from sunrise to sunset I was busy with my shoot. 'A' was with me watching to one side.

CANADA DAY

Each night my sister and I took turns choosing where to eat. Had I put a little more thought into this Canada Day would have been my night to pick. 'A' picked MONTANA'S. It's location is right on the Clifton Hill strip, an area filled with touristy attractions. We're standing on the sidewalk outside the restaurant located near the Wax Museum Of Serial Killers. A guy dressed in a clown suit (I think he was suppose to be John Wayne Gacy) was handing out coupons for 20% off admission. Underneath the MONTANA'S sign it read 'COOKHOUSE SALOON.' 'This is where you want us to eat? Let's go to Rumors,' I suggested. 'Rumors is a nightclub,' she replied. 'I don't want to go clubbing.' 'And I don't want to eat in a saloon,' I said. 'It's not a saloon. Do you see any horses hitched to a post?' 'Maybe they're in the back,' I replied. 'It's just the restaurant's slogan.' 'Do you not know me?' I asked. 'I know it's out of your element but it's a respectful establishment. I've eaten here before. The food is quite good.' 'They have wooden chairs and benches.' 'How do you know?' she questioned. 'I've seen the commercial where two talking Buck heads are going on about all-you-can-eat-ribs,' I answered. 'You're going to like it. Taking my hand she dragged me inside. Oh God this was going to be just as bad as the bus ride to Bal Harbour I thought. The hostess sat us down and just like in the commercial we sat in wooden chairs and had a wooden bench for a table. The table, I mean bench was covered in a plastic blue and white checkered table cloth. Our energetic waiter came and placed another table cloth on top. Table cloth is an exaggeration. It was made from paper and brown colored. I noticed his black T-shirt and written in big white letters it said, 'ONLY WIMPS USE FORKS.' (What fresh hell has she brought me to where the restaurant encourages patrons to eat with their hands? At that point I thought about faking an illness but I knew 'A' would see right through me) He took out a crayon, yes a crayon, from his pocket and wrote his name on the paper, handed us our menus and said he would be back to take our order. The decor was filled with hunting and wilderness gear. Rather than a restaurant it seemed like a cabin located somewhere in the outdoors which I'm not particularly fond of. I do love the outdoors but my definition of the word consists of a beach with palm trees and a 5* resort nearby. My sister could tell I was a little uncomfortable. 'You look like a fish out of water.' I faked a smile and nodded no. 'Did I complain when it was your night to pick?' she asked. 'Why would you, who complains at elegant and fine dining? I said back. The previous night I had taken her to 17 NOIR located inside the Fallsview Casino. Fabulous dining! 'If mom was here what do you suppose she would say?' she asked. 'That's easy, she would be looking at you asking, why did you bring your sister to this wooden shack? Look at this place. It's something you see on Little House On The Prairie.' She paused for a moment and smiled, 'yes, that's probably what she would say. What else?' 'Still looking at you, take her someplace better suited.' 'Mom would want you to be happy and to eat.' 'I am happy and I plan to eat as soon as I find something I like,' I replied looking at the menu. 'You're looking at the calorie wise choices aren't you?' 'No,' I said. I was. 'For once please order something with grease and fat and while you're at it have a drink.' 'Like what, Patrón Silver?' I said. 'Yes if it's available why not?' she replied. 'Your shoot is over and we're here for a few days. It's our nation's birthday and everyone is celebrating. Look around.'

I did look around. People were smiling, laughing and toasting, even little children with their milkshakes while wearing their napkins on their heads, it was really quite adorable. (That reminds me, the napkins we were given, red and white colored. They at least could have matched the table cloth) I took her advice which I hardly ever do and ordered a dish with a lot of grease and fat and I had a drink, a Patrón Silver. Just kidding. I had a margarita and it was delicious. I can't remember the last time I had one.

During dinner my sister asked if I was having a good time. I told her I was but she wasn't entirely convinced. 'You're not just saying that for my benefit?' 'No,' I said. She had a look of doubt on her face. 'Then why are you eating your food so quick? It's like you can't wait to get out of here.' 'I'm fine,' I stated.

I'm always open in trying new things and when I do I keep a positive attitude. Despite it not being the environment I was use to, I had a good time and towards the end I was relaxed, although that could have been because of the drink. Anytime I spend with my sister is a good time and after a few days we had a good laugh. When the 4th of July arrived it was thank god my night to pick.

We came back to the hotel just in time for the fireworks. We were watching from the balcony of our room instead of standing outside squished among the thousands of people in front of the Falls. The entire show lasted 15 minutes. I couldn't keep my eyes open and watched maybe 5 minutes and went straight to bed. Thanks to the Margarita I had the best damn night's sleep in a long, long, long time.

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess


Here I am enjoying my Margarita. Notice the table cloth and brown paper on top.

Canada Day Long Weekend PT2

Cocaine Princess here.

......When my sister says, 'did I turn he stove off?' 'Hmm?' I asked. 'Did I turn the stove off?' 'You're asking me? I don't go near that thing, how would I know?' She paused for a second and said, 'I'm pretty sure I did.' I had no choice but to turn the car around. If I hadn't neither of us would have had a moment's peace and I didn't want to return home and find ashes. I wasn't so concerned about the furniture as I was about my clothes and collection of shoes and handbags.

As the driver pulled up in the neighborhood I made a comment to A, 'if the house is burnt to a crisp I'm pointing all my fingers at you.' 'I don't hear any fire trucks,' she replied. The house was still in one piece and I didn't see any smoke. As she was getting out of the car the Afghan was chained in its' front yard. 'What is that?' she said closing the door. She too was startled by the sight of it. 'That's Scooby. He arrived yesterday with Ollie the cat. They're vacationing next door for the summer,' I explained. 'I think I saw something like that at the zoo,' she said getting out.

I wasn't bothered at all about having to drive back home. When I was little I was told something that I still hold true to my heart today. Everything that happens to us happens for a reason (we may not always like or understand it) and there is a time and place for everything. No matter how hard we push or even try when something is going to happen, it'll happen. I like to call it divine timing. Have you ever had something happen or not happen that made you so angry and mad but then later on you realize it was actually a good thing? I realized there must have been a reason for us having to turn around and return home.

It took her several minutes to come back out. When she finally did return we were off and I'm proud to say I didn't run over the shrub. Back on the road I questioned my sister what took her so long. ''The phone rang and I answered it.' 'Who was it?' 'One guess.' 'Valentina, what did she say?' 'Several things,' A replied. 'One, she wanted to know why you weren't answering your cell phone.' 'Because it didn't ring,' I said back. 'Check it for me,' I asked her. I had the phone placed on the dashboard and she flipped it open. 'It's turned off,' she observed. She turned it on and there were five missed calls. 'Second, she wanted to know what I was wearing. I'm happy to say she approves of my Ed Hardy outfit but she doesn't approve of my Havaianas. According to her rules Havaianas are only appropriate for lounging around the patio or pool. If anything that girl is an acquired taste. Your tolerance and patience for her is beyond anything human.' 'You don't know her the way I do,' I said. 'Her last question, have you made a decision about the dinner party?' 'I have,' I replied. 'Are you going?' I answered by nodding my head no. 'Why?' I just shrugged my shoulders. 'If you go you can see some of your friends. They haven't see you in months and maybe if you do go they'll stop calling.' 'Some of them aren't going either,' I informed her. 'You might want to reconsider. A change of scenery might do you some good. You can recharge your batteries.' 'Are you trying to get rid of me?' I asked. 'Never,' she replied. 'It's not like you to miss a party.' 'It's not so much of a party as it is a bunch of people sitting around talking while the host makes her rounds asking each person how they've been and what they've been up to before being summoned into the salon for dinner.' I explained. 'Didn't you have a good time at the last one?' she asked. 'It was....interesting,' I answered.

The speed limit posted on the highway to NF is 100km/hr. You know how fast everyone was going? 20km/hr, it was that bad. This year Canada Day fell on a Tuesday and not everyone had the day off, only government workers. For others Monday was off and not Tuesday. Because of that everyone decided to get a head start on the long weekend by leaving Friday and by the looks of it they were all heading in the same direction. While driving at a turtle's pace I was thinking about the last dinner party and thought 'interesting' wasn't the right word. If anything it was a night of revelation, actually not even that. It was a night of shock. Finding out 'Gilligan's relation to the Panamanian which I still haven't gotten over and meeting the Panamanian's fourth wife. And there were humorous elements, Valentina holding my laptop hostage, her muttering sarcastic comments under her breath during dinner and feeling like a canned sardine on the beach.

Stuck in traffic and listening to Neo Cortex and their song 'Elements,' (great song, unless you're into Euro/Dance music you may not be familiar with the group) I noticed so many cars had their flags up in support of the Euro Cup finals which took place on Sunday June 29th. Most flags were supporting Spain. I have a flag for my car but I only take it out every four years for the World Cup. I don't like watching sports in general but for some reason I enjoy watching that. That wasn't the only thing I noticed. Fans of Chef Ramsay, you know how he bangs his head on the stove out of frustration, many drivers were banging their heads on the steering wheel including the driver next to us. Ten minutes had gone by and no car was moving. Traffic was at a standstill. It was brutal and the worst, drivers honking their horns. That never helps nor is it a solution to end a traffic jam. The driver couldn't even get off at an exit to stop at a restaurant.



To Be Continued.

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess

Canada Day Long Weekend PT1

Cocaine Princess here.

Friday June 27th was a glorious morning. I was sitting on the patio drinking a shake. The gardener had just finished mowing the lawn and the smell of fresh cut grass is always a pleasant fragrance. The sun was shining bright and and no rain was scheduled in the forecast for the entire long weekend, only sun and lots of it. My neighbors behind me like all the others were gearing up for the long weekend decorating their fence posts with numerous Canadian flags and red and white balloons while others were getting tents set up by party planners. We Canadians are very patriotic but during the winter months, not so much. In the corner of the garden I noticed a big ball of fur curled under the snowball tree. I walked over to get a closer look. It was breathing. It was a cat. I figured it was someones pet from the neighborhood that wandered into my yard. I didn't know what to do so I left it alone until I heard the little boy next door say, 'Ollie, Ollie where are you?' I looked at the fur ball and thought Ollie? On top of the hideous looking but well behaved creature a cat now lives next door. Almost starting to cry he said to his nanny, 'I can't find Ollie, where is he?' I went over to the fence and asked, 'is Ollie a cat?' 'It's my kitty,' he replied. 'Have you seen him?' 'I think Ollie's over here.' I opened the gate and he came running in and I pointed out where Ollie was. Following him was the nanny and oh my God!! On a leash she had not the hideous looking creature, and I didn't think it was possible but an even more hideous looking creature. An Afghan dog. Good God the thing was humongous! The creature is angelic looking compared to this monster. I've seen pictures of an Afghan but to actually see one up close is another story. The monster came up to my waist and looked more like a camel than a dog. Cradling Ollie the little boy came over and made himself comfortable on one of the chaises. 'Is Ollie your new pet?' I asked. 'No. Grammy's in cottage country so we get Ollie and Scooby for the summer.' 'Scooby, that's his name?' I asked looking at it. ''Just like Scooby-Doo. Grammy said we could pick the name. I watch Scooby-Doo every morning.' A more appropriate name would have been Scary-Doo.

Friday was also the last day of school. For 'A' it was half day who was home by noon. 'Did any of your students even show up?' I questioned. 'For ice cream and cupcakes they all showed up,' she answered. She had a bag filled with gifts that were given to her by her students. I peaked inside to see what she was given. Numerous coffee mugs that said A+ TEACHER and one was filled to the rim with Hershey's kisses, scented candles, an aromatherapy kit, chocolates in the shape of trophies with a medallion that said #1 TEACHER, several gifts cards to STAPLES, eight movie passes, one entitling her to one year of free movies- one per month and a gift certificate for ten free tennis lessons at the local tennis club. 'This hamlet we live in has a tennis club?' I asked. 'It's on the outskirts of town,' replied A. 'We live on the outskirts of town. Where exactly is it?' 'It's straight down at the end of road,' she replied. 'At the end of the road is the Equestrian School.' 'It's behind there.' She also received what seemed to be a lifetime supply of Tim Horton's gift cards and a membership to the country club in the city. 'One of your students has given you a one year membership to the country club. How nice,' I commented. 'The student who gave me that, her dad is VP of the club,' informed A. Two funny gifts and when I mean funny I mean in the strange sense was one, a gift certificate for Free Laser Eye Surgery. 'You don't even wear glasses,' I said. 'The student who gave me that, his dad's an ophthalmologist,' replied A. The other was a gift certificate entitling her to 50% off any cosmetic procedure. 'And the student who gave you this?' I asked holding up the certificate. 'Her dad's a plastic surgeon.' 'I didn't want to say anything but you're starting to get crows feet around the eyes so you may want to make an appointment as soon as possible,' I said jokingly. 'A' picked up a sofa cushion and threw it at me.

While 'A' was packing a few last minute things for our mini trip I was watching a movie on the M-Channel, 'STARDUST,' (2007). The movie is based on Neil Gaiman's book by the same title. Wow! It's a beautiful, honey of a film with a marvelous song by Take That that plays during the end credits.

We left the house by 1:30pm. On the car the radio started and what song was playing? RIO by Duran Duran! The day was off to an even better start. 'A' opened her bag and pulled out The Best Of Eagles CD. 'Oh God,' I groaned. 'You don't want to listen to them?' she asked. 'I tried and made an effort but I just can't get into their music,' I replied. God knows how I'm going to sit through their concert. I downloaded some of their songs into my MP3 and when I'm in bed I'll listen to them but I find myself switching over to something else, or if I do manage to listen fully through, I'm not paying attention because my mind either starts to wander or some other song starts playing in my head. I opened the glove compartment and pulled three CDs out and gave her a choice, 'Madonna, Britney or Duran Duran,' I said. Which was picked? None. We decided to listen to the radio, XM81.


My shoot was scheduled for all day Saturday and Sunday in Niagara-On-The-Lake which sits minutes outside of the Falls. It's a really visually attractive and touristy town especially in the summer.

As we made it to the main highway to NF I'm singing along to Lady Gaga's Just Dance when 'A' turned down the volume and asked, 'did I turn the stove off?'

To be continued...

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess