Glug, glug …

Well, this recent WordPress Daily Post certainly got me thinking:  “Captain Picard was into Earl Grey Tea: mention the Dude and we think:  White Russians.  What’s your signature beverage — and how did it achieve that status?”

Fact is, I don’t have a signature beverage.  Never did.  I’m an equal opportunity drinker.

Although having said that, if I was going to have a signature drink it would be Lillet.

It’s a French aperitif and it’s delicious — at least I think so.  It’s wonderful on the rocks, with a twist of lemon.  I was introduced to it back in Montreal, at a French restaurant (Chez Georges) I used to frequent.  It’s

It’s a mystery, all right …

My mind definitely wanders. I do love to daydream. And you could say I have an over-active imagination. So is it any wonder this recent WordPress Daily Post really tickled my fancy?

“You walk into your home to find a couple you don’t know sitting in your living room, eating a slice of cake. Tell us what happens next.”

Well to begin with, I’m not sure I would have been more startled by the strangers in my house or the fact they were eating cake. I never have cake in my house. Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But only slight.

First of all, I don’t bake. I’m not a sweet lover. From time to time I get a craving, but they are few and far

My new favourite way to start the day …

I’ve always been a gizmo/gadget kinda gal.  I’m not ashamed to admit I like them; and am always willing to make room for another one.  I’m not necessarily the first in line to buy the ‘newest’ thingamabob on the market, but it’s pretty damn close.

So it’s been sort of surprising, to all who know me, that I’ve been so resistant to buying one of those one-cup coffee makers.  You know the ones I mean.  You fill the cylinder (or whatever it’s called) with water whenever it’s empty,  insert one of those already-filled-with-pre-measured-coffee doodahs in the appropriate place and presto — a steaming, freshly-brewed cup of your favourite java in mere seconds.

It’s not like I don’t know they exist.  All my friends have them.  And years ago, when there was only one kind on the market — at least here in Canada — an early-adopter business partner of mine bought one and raved about it.  Like me, she’s single and loved the fact she could have a cup of coffee without having to make a pot — the balance of which usually gets tossed down the sink.  And there’s no muss, no fuss.  No filters to throw away, no coffee grinds all over the sink, nothing to wash out when you’re done, except your cup.

She couldn’t convince me.

Neither could anyone else, even when they demonstrated and served me the most delicious little cup of espresso,

Never put off ’til tomorrow …

Don’t get excited. This is not a post about sadists or sex. Or Fifty Shades of Grey. We are so over that, aren’t we??

Just saying …

Anyway. Talk about timing. If ever there was an absolutely perfect time for me to be responding to a WordPress Daily Prompt, it’s today: “Tell us your tried and true techniques for focusing when that deadline looms and you need to get work done. In other words, how do you avoid wasted days and wasted nights?”

Simple. I’ve got a one-word answer for you:

DISCIPLINE.

No procrastinating.

You’ve gotta crack that whip — on yourself.

Case in point: If you’re a regular reader here, you know I was off last week. I got a new project, from a new client. It’s a pretty big job, with three different parts

Zzzzzzzz …

I had a really tough time waking up this morning.  I was in a deep, deep sleep and when the alarm went off it took a while for it to actually register with me.  I was totally disoriented.  Didn’t know where I was; and the last thing I wanted to do was open my eyes and get out of bed.

So it seemed like a good idea to respond to this recent WordPress Daily Prompt:  “What kind of sleeper are you?  Do you drop off like a stone and awaken refreshed, or do you need pitch black and silence to drift off to dream?”

My aunt needed pitch black.  She’d pull down her shades, then close her drapes (which were double lined so no light could shine through) and then she’d put on a sleep mask.  I tried the mask once.  It gave me an extreme case of claustrophobia.  She also needed absolute quiet.

But let me tell you, when she fell asleep the house could have fallen down around her and she wouldn’t have known. Me?  When I was young I slept like a log.  I went to bed rather late, but I fell asleep the instant my head touched the pillow.  And, like my aunt, I heard absolutely nothing once I was asleep.  It’s like I’d been transported to never never land.  An earthquake wouldn’t have woken me up.

The tighter they are, the better I like it …

No, I am not talking about my jeans.  Or Spanx.  I’m talking about deadlines.  Yeah, I’m one of those sickos who loves deadlines.  I thrive on ’em.  So needless to say this WordPress Daily Prompt is right up my alley:

“Do you thrive under pressure or crumble at the thought of it?  Does your best stuff surface as the deadline approaches or do you need to iterate, day after day to achieve something you’re proud of?  Tell us how you work best.”

It’s a good thing I’m a stress junkie, because advertising is all about deadlines.  They’re a constant and they’re brutal.  And they seem to get worse and worse all the time.  As I think about it, it’d be a stressful business even without the deadlines.

Why?

You try sitting in front  of a blank computer screen every day waiting for an idea to hit you, or words and sentences and images to start forming in your mind.  It’s not easy, trust me.  I’ve been doing this for a

After I’m gone …

I recently completed a project for an estate and trust lawyer.  And another client of mine is an investment advisor.  Both of them are in the ‘money’ business.  One helps clients accumulate it; and the other helps them dispose of it.  But I’ve always believed that money is the least of what we leave behind — our legacy, in other words.

Which is the reason why I decided to take a stab at a recent WordPress Daily Prompt for this post:  “Imagine yourself at the end of your life.  What sort of legacy will you leave?  Describe the lasting effect you want to have on the world, after you’re gone.”

A good place to start is probably the non-monetary legacy my parents left me.  They were kind, loving, generous people.  Everyone was welcome in their home, in their lives and in their hearts.   It didn’t matter who you were, or where you came from.

They were honest to a fault.  Their ‘word’ was like a blood oath.  And there isn’t a human being who ever knew them, who would ever have questioned their integrity, or their intentions.

Family and friends meant everything to them; and whenever anyone needed help my parents could

A real hodge podge …

Do you ever think about who lives in your neighbourhood — not just your closest neighbours, but even those who live blocks and blocks away.  I can’t say I do, but today’s WordPress Daily Prompt has given me pause.

“Every city and town contains people of different classes:  rich, poor, and somewhere in between.  What’s it like where you live?  If it’s difficult for you to discern and describe the different types of classes in your locale, describe what it was like where you grew up — was it swimming pools and movie stars, industrial and working class, somewhere in between or something completely different?”

I live in an area of downtown Toronto called the Annex; and I’m happy to say it is truly a mixed bag. Here you’ll find it all.  Students, young families, singles, seniors, gays, straights and bisexuals, working class, white collar, professionals, professors, not-for-profit workers, creatives, every race,

No better way to start the day …

The minute I read this WordPress Daily Prompt I knew exactly who I’d be writing about:  George.  The doorman who works the 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. shift at my apartment building.  He is, hands down, one of the nicest, kindest, gentlest men you will ever meet.

And he just so happened to be the first person I saw this morning.  Which is the subject of the aforementioned prompt.

George has worked at the building for many, many years.  He is a fixture there.  Known and loved, not only by the residents, but by every taxi driver, delivery person and visitor who’s ever pulled up at our front door.  Seriously.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been out, hailed a taxi and, as soon as I’d give the driver my address, he start waxing poetic about George.

“You have the most wonderful doorman”, they gush.  “He is so nice.  So polite.  So kind.  So cheerful.  Such a warm smile” … and on and on it goes.

Which is one of the reasons why I look forward to Tuesdays.  It’s my day to volunteer at Mt. Sinai Hospital in

Do clothes make the man (or woman)?

How objective can you be about yourself?  I often ‘stand outside of myself’ and observe.  It’s something I really like to do and I can be very honest with myself, about myself.  So, needless to say, I loved the WordPress Daily Prompt from January 8:  “Describe your personal style, however you’d like to interpret that — your clothing style, your communication style, your hair style, your eating style, anything.”

My ‘look’ has evolved and changed hundreds of times during my lifetime.  I’d be bored to tears if I always looked the same.  Wouldn’t you?

Apparently I was always determined to create my own style — even as far back as when I was a toddler.  My mother used to tell me she’d pick out an outfit and I’d shake my head “no”; and insist