Hard Candy

Dear Madonna,

I was (appropriately) working out when I saw on the news channel that you're opening your own chain of gymnasia: Hard Candy Fitness. Love it!  And the first one will be in Mexico City?  Any plans to come to Canada? Although I'm very loyal to my gym, Christine's....

That album cover reminds me of something that happened this past summer. I was boarding my plane back from a dance event in Kansas City - where I cleaned up, by the way - when I saw someone carrying one of those prize-fighting belts you're wearing. Turns out this guy, a very attractive man in his 50's, had just wone some big Masters amateur boxing title. I piped up that I had won a "Masters" title in dancing!  We talked a bit about our day jobs, and he asked me for my card. I was thinking - hoping, actually - that we may end up doing a few rounds on the mat, but his assistant called the next week to ask about booking meetings.

Bummer.


Julie

In Praise of GWPs

Dear Madonna,

I lost my purse last night. Or it was stolen. The latter still makes me sick to my stomach so I'm trying not to think about it. In addition to my phone, credit and bank cards, etc. I realized this morning that most of my make-up is gone. This just added insult to injury since, as a red-head, I don't normally leave my condo without mascara.

I happened to remember seeing an ad in the weekend Globe about a Lancome's Gift With Purchase offer at The Bay. Arriving at the cosmetic counter wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses I told the sales clerk what had happened. A lovely Asian woman of indeterminate age, she was genuinely sympathetic and helpful in helping me make my selections, and insisted I get the *red* make-up bag to bring positive energy into my life. At the end of our transaction she gave me a big hug and said that everything was going to be alright.

I believe her.

On The Fly

Dear Madonna,

Standing in line at Starbucks at the Minneapolis airport for a much-needed Short Bold, I struck up a conversation with a pilot wearing a pink tie. Turns out he was to be my pilot, to Phoenix, and the pink tie is in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. He also told me that Delta Airlines flies a pink plane for the entire month of October.

I’m off to meet The Meat again. A couple of days of rehearsals at Summers Danceworks in Prescott, then we head off to San Francisco for Boogie By The Bay, may-be to put our routine on the floor again, may-be to work with one of the pros to “juice” it up a bit.

I so want to ride in the pink plane, though, don’t you?

Focus, Julie.

Another One Bites the Dust

Dear Madonna,

One of my favourite bowls was broken this week. I won't go into what happened exactly - suffice to say that Zouk was involved - but the bowl itself is was hand-made by my cousin NJ, and therefore irreplaceable. It's also irreparable, although I can't bring myself to throw out the pieces.

When I visited Cava-Karen in England a few years ago she had a box fillled with broken crockery, and plans to somehow, someday make mosaics out of all the broken cups and bowls and plates in her life. Funny thing is, I have a box like that too!

In our dotage, perhaps, somewhere on the French coastline, Karen and I will craft beautiful mosaics filled with memories.

Ciao,
Julie