Rose's Cantina

My life has changed in the last few weeks. First, I lost my Kindle. Then my computer caught a virus. Then I saw the dreaded red blink on the printer – no more ink. And finally, my iPhone started dropping apps. I found myself in a technological dead zone. It’s as if God gave me a time out. If that wasn’t bad enough, the high-priced coffee machine my son bought me started exploding and then died. We sent it along to a Wall-e style graveyard where all the old Cuisinarts and Kitchen Aids go to die. The coffee machine isn’t that big a problem; the fact is, I don’t really like coffee, if I were to be perfectly honest, so I’m back to tea, and not the expensive kind, either. The kind you buy at the ethnic food store, two dollars for three hundred bags of Darjeeling. In past days, I’ve realized I’m in need of a complete technological retrofit. I need a new phone. Will it be an iPhone 5 or a Samsung Galaxy? I need a new computer. Will it be a Mac or a new PC with Windows 8? T...

I just got back from the Starbucks and it was a friggin'  car wash. It's always busy before 9 a.m. and so we thought we'd wait and go a little later. Didn't matter. The line snaked out the door and if Scott didn't desperately need a Vente Bold Black, I'd have been outta there. Sorry if I'm snarkey this morning, but there's nothing worse than going to the dog park and not being able to find a parking spot. Today, the line was down the road with dog owning SUVs and their precious little red coated foo foo doggies waddling down the road. Today, we saw a couple with two dogs who looked suspiciously like Bernese Mountain Dogs, without all the fluff. Turns out they were Swiss Mountain Dogs, according to the snooty owners. Welcome to Black Monday which really is Remembrance Day in Canada. It's the day when all the federal and municipal public servants get the day off while their kids are babysat in provincial schools which are forced to stay open...

Is anybody else upset about the attempt of imperialist forces to thrust Black Friday down our little Canuck throats? I opened the paper and there were ads for Black Friday everywhere . The Brick. Sports Check. Sears. Last time I checked, Canadians were still trying to pass off monopoly money for currency, and we were still celebrating Thanksgiving with turkey and cranberry in the month of October. Our Thanksgiving tradition involves sitting around the flat screen patting our bellies and giving thanks to Ted Rogers. It's not about steeling ourselves for the mall mashup to spend money we don't have on iPads and Old Navy Jeans. It's not even December 1st. I find it offensive, this American creep. Black Friday shows the worst part of the American dream. Traditions like Black Friday and keeping up with the Obamas are what got Americans into trouble in the first place. It's never bothered me before. But then, I've never seen Black Friday sales in C...