Well I've been to detox and it's not at all what I imagined. A bit degrading at check-in. Then they put me in a sweat box and then put these contraptions on my lower legs and feet in order to increase circulation I guess all this was means to an end (i.e. lost inches) and apparently my results were pretty damn good. Yep, so for first time in life I am officially pure and non-toxic! The only odd thing (well, not really the ONLY.. but the oddest) ... I was supposed to get a body wrap..but there was no wrapping involved...not one bit. Just slathering of lotion and weird blood pressure-like machine thingie (in absence of need to use words for univeristy, am already losing some of my vocabulary!)

13 freakin days until we leave for Scotland....how did it come so quickly?!?!? Seriously, it feels like I just got home from Europe a month ago! Well, I guess time flies when you're having fun..or bogged down in research and snowbound at home. Am pulling a Becky R this time around....no pre-arranged living quarters and no job to speak of...counting on lots of luck and maybe a bit of Canadian charm to get us settled in to new home and making ends meet :)

It is finally BBQ season!! Actually, come to think of it...BBQ season never ends at this house...not a month has passed without something served up from the grill, but certainly frequency has increased over last few weeks. Mmmmm...hamburgers, chicken, porkchops, steak, potatoes, veggies...Mmmmmmm!! Right, er...sorry.. so am off the hotdogs..used to be big fan of the weiners, as long as they were low-fat, but am not interested in by-products of by-products anymore...go figure. Am definitely (BTW -why does every single person seem to spell it 'definately'??) going to miss the BBQs while in Scotland..actually have concocted plan to ensure frequent BBQs which basically involves setting up house next to welcoming neighbours who own a BBQ and like Canadians..Yep..to priority on check list of flat must-haves..next-door neighbours' outdoor kitchen appliances :)

Finally..Americans did right and voted John Stevens off American Idol..of course it only took losing one of the best singers in the competition for viewing audience to smarten up and start voting for the people who can actually sing. If I had to watch that red-haired16-year old work his way out of singing a song that represented the theme night again I was going to go mad..or just turn the TV off. Seriously,the only thing he could do was croon..and even then was mediocre at best. Nice kid, not American Idol material.

I think, given popularity of American Idol, they should have spin-off called Presidential Hopeful..in which all presidential candidates must perform tasks that they would be expected to do once in office and then have public vote off the lost causes each week. Could have themes like 'Name World Leaders Night' or 'State Your Actual Position on a Controversial Issue' or 'Make Policies that Are Popular with the Majority of Citizens' or 'Conduct a News Conference' Kind of like The Apprentice...they have to prove they are actually capable of doing things..not just of saying they are capable. Because, when you think about it, the interview for the most powerful position in a country, President/Prime Minister, isn't really that rigorous. It basically involves posing for pictures, making lots of promises and raising lots of $$ for campaign. Wouldn't it be wise to test these folks out a bit before handing them the reins? Juding Panel could include Oprah, Donald Trump and Michael Moore..ok..maybe not, but the basic premise makes a lot of sense to me, because, quite frankly, anyone can pose for pictures and make lots of promises..that doesn't mean we're all capable of running a country does it? A three-month trial period is another option...President on Probation..I like it, I like it a lot.