Please tip your....singer?

Now I must preface this post by saying that the catalyst for this post was a table full of rowdy drunk business people throwing cash on my bandstand. What better to write about right?! This past wednesday at my weekly gig at the Hilton I nearly doubled my pay for the night with tips. One would think "that seems regular"...hotel, high priced drinks, pretty lounge singer singing popular songs, tips would be a regular occurance. WRONG! In my entire time singing there I have only been tipped twice...TWICE! This got me thinking...why is it that people will automatically tip their waitress or bartender but will neglect to tip their live performers?! Now maybe it's just because I am a working singer but if I see a band or singer with a tip jar I will always contribute. I know that often times these gigs don't pay so well so I feel the need help out my fellow artists. Now I know this may seem like a petty gripe and I know that waitstaff do work hard (I've done the bartending thing) but when I am working my butt off singing requests all night I expect to be compensated. Moral of the story if you request some obscure tune from god knows what decade/artist and we attempt to try and play it...TIP! IF you enjoy the performance and just spent almost $100 on booze, throw the performers a fiver on the way out! If you're in town on business and stop into the hotel lobby to relax and find yourself really relazing to the soothing sounds of life music...give a little!

Thank you wealthy business men and women everywhere :)

BURLESQUE!

OK...run, skip, jump SHANTEE your way to this movie! Had a lovely "nips and soda" date with the wonderful Ms. La-Nai Gabriel and saw this last night and it ha changed my life. Ok...not really BUT this movie WAY exceeded my expectations (I mean I saw both Glitter and Crossroads in the theatre, yikes!) Granted the plot is a little predictable but who the hell cares when you have Cher and X-Tina belting their faces in sequins and pearls. Cher, I love you, you are the closest thing a woman will ever come to being a drag queen and it's fabulous. X, what can I say?! I have always and will always love you. Period. Maybe it's the gay man inside me but I was just all a twitter after this film. It was big, sparkly and fabulous. Such a feel good night!

Moral of the story...if you sing acapella in your underwear reverb will follow! Thanks X!

Stressball, thy name is Leah

Yep, pretty much every aspect of my life is stress producing at the moment. I've literally started breaking out all over my body (am I a 14 year old boy?!..next comes voice cracking! Joy.) I don't really know what the solution to this problem is just yet. However, I know something needs to be done soon. I'm sure my blood pressure is through the roof! Is this the virgo in me? Who knows...Ug.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

If you know me, you know this is my absolute favorite holiday! So although I have been lax on the blogging as of late I had to pay homage to my favorite day of the year! HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! I hope it's a spooky one! P.S. I want to be the Bride of Frankenstein in my next life! Thanks Elsa Lanchester for being such an amazing Halloween icon!

The Mc (what the hell are you thinking?!) Mini

Soooo after a bit of a hiatus from writing I have run across something that begs to be blogged about. The McMini Sandwich at McDonalds.

I will preface the forthcoming rant with this admission. I have not, nor will I, be trying this sandwich. I know it's sounds stubborn but it's purely principle after how much this particular menu item has irked me. You know what I NEVER wanted to see on a McDonald's menu the words, pesto, mango or baguette. Not to mention the words "Thai style" ANYTHING. Now I know what you're probably thinking...WHY are you so peeved by this? It's just McDonalds! Everyone loves a little dirty D's right?! RIGHT! There in lies the problem. I don't want people going into a McDonald's and thinking "wow this pesto is really great...I bet this is what all pesto is supposed to taste like". Wrong. It isn't what all pesto should taste like and shame on you McDonald's for making people think that. While we're on that subject, why the hell are you trying to "class up" your menu in the first place. I don't know many people that think to themselves "Gee I've got a jonesing for Thai food why don't I jont on down to the local Micky D's and have myself a sandwich". You know where people should go for Thai food...A THAI RESTAURANT!!! That would be like Taco Bell serving escargot. Nope, no...noooooooo......Also the advertising for this product is all over the map. It's a hand holding a sandwich which is meant to show how allegedly small this sandwich really is! GASP! You know what you can also fit in the palm of your hand? A REGULAR SANDWICH. Nice work million dollar advertising campaign. Nice work indeed.

Now I will say this sandwich isn't all bad. At least the caloric punch it packs is worthy of it's "mini" name. For the Thai (grrr) grilled option your looking at 260 calories and 9 grams of fat (not too bad for a dirty McDonalds run). Make that Thai (grrr) sandwich crispy and you're looking at another 70 calories so that's 310 cal and 14 grams of fat. The pesto (also grrr) chicken of the grilled variety will run you 280 calories and 13 grams of fat and make it crispy and you're looking at 350 calories and 19 grams of fat. Ug. Guess Thai is the healthier option here folks. Moral of the story and we all know this...if you make something crispy (a nicer name for deep fried) it's going to cost you more in the calorie department. No matter how small the damned thing is.

So ok McDonald's I give up...I don't know why you insist on trying to make your food more upscale but I find it ridiculous and it bothers me everytime I see an advertisement for some new and increasinly exotic ingredient. Thanks for trying but if your attempt was to bring culture to masses it's pretty piss poor in my humble opinion. I don't want people to think a mango is what comes slopped onto one of your fried sandwiches or that pesto should just taste like garlic and salt and not fresh basil! Let's call a spade a spade. McDonald's is crap fast food that is great when you're in the mood for some late night munchies but it is NOT a high class establishment and shouldn't attempt to be one.

There...two cents given...

East Coast girl, West Side renter

Sooooo...this being my first year actually living in Toronto I wasn't totally sure what to expect. I am directionally challenged so I still constantly get lost and having moved from a city I know like the back of my hand to a much larger MUCH more spread out city it's been an interesting transition. Now I am and always will be an East Coast girl...cue Beach Boys..."Now East Coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear..." but the east SIDE of Toronto, I have to admit, leaves a little to be desired. The Beaches area is lovely, couldn't complain about that at all with it's cute little shops and oh let me think PROXIMITY TO THE BEACH! However, a 25 minute walk north of Queen St. E to Main and Danforth places you in...well...let's just say NOT the beach. I have never in my life seen so many people on scooters who don't need to be (expect for maybe in Disney World, thank you free scooter rental) or payday loan places. In other words, that neighborhood seems to be the place people go who have been forgotten or who want to be. Now don't get me wrong, I did love our hilarious neighborhood amenities, Shirley Restaurant for late night chinese, cheap beer and people watching, Len Duckworth's for amazing fish and being made to feel like an outsider and of course the Mr. Sub with a liquor license because let's face it who doesn't want a sub and a beer?! However the neighborhood on a whole a little soul crushing.

Cue our move west!!!!!! We are now the proud renters of a lovely top two floor apartment (did I mention we were in a basement before?!) in the ballin' St. Claire West area. There is a Thai Place on the corner, a streetcar stop within 2 minutes of the house and we live next door to a man named Anjelo Capone whoc sits on his porch and carried on wonderful conversations whenever you leave the house! :) Although I will miss my roommates I have to say life in the west thus far is good :)

Sorry Main and Danforth but I'm not very sad to see you go...

Falling down the rabbit hole...

Felt a bit like this today...