Serendipity and the Working Dog Saloon

Yesterday, I wrote a post about paying attention to recurring themes. Sometimes they require deep insight, and sometimes, it's just the universe's way of saying "go and get your game on, girl."

As some may know, I have started my own business. Two actually. The first is a global telecom and energy business (shameless plug: http://simpleabundance.acndirect.com) and the second, which is slowly ramping up, is allaboutponies.com, a social media company focused on helping drive the success of equestrian businesses and rescues. I am learning quickly that part of being a business owner is coming out of my basement dungeon (literally and figuratively) and reconnecting with the world. It's a slow process, and it will be a transformative one.

But I digress :) Back to serendipity and the Working Dog Saloon. Reaching out is reconnecting me with many of the wonderful people in my life. Julia Plover is one of these wonderful people. She is incredibly caring, vivid, committed, interesting, and with the right mix of wild that is so important. And, through our reconnection, she has invited me to Larry's Hair Cut Fundraiser for the Scarborough Women's Center on April 17 at the Working Dog Saloon.

In the 20-something years I have lived in Toronto, 15 of them in the neighbourhood of the Working Dog Saloon, I have never heard of the pub, or passed it's doors. Today, less than 12 hours after Julia's invitation, Groupon has sent me their offer of the day:  56% off pub fare at the Working Dog Saloon.

Beauty shot of the Working Dog Saloon. Check out the handsome Malamute over the fireplace!

For those of you who have never heard of the Working Dog Saloon, the pub takes its name from trhe owners’ pack of six rescued malamutes, who make cameo appearances around the pub. It's is billed as a saloon that dishes out animal advocacy alongside its menu of pub fare.

Sometimes the universe is subtle, sometimes, not so much. A fundraiser to help women at a place that advocates for animals. Dogs actually on site. This mom of  two rescue dogs, a rescue bunny, and soon, a rescue OTTB is occasionally more obtuse than one could imagine, but when the universe throws a "would you hit a man with a glasses? No, I'd hit him with a brick!" moment at me, even I know to sit up and pay attention.  I will be saving my shekels for the Scarborough Women's Centre and can be found at the Working Dog Saloon on April 17.

Julius H. Comroe once described serendipity as "looking for a needle in a haystack and getting out of it with the farmer's daughter." I have no idea what adventures are in store for the evening, but know that this is a serendipitous recipe for success. Pics of Larry's head (before an after) to follow!

This One's for the Girls!

Every month, "the girls" head out to a different eatery in Toronto. Over the years, we've visited some great eateries and some wicked dives, eaten some epic meals, drunk some lovely wines, entertained many a cab driver, re-defined the purpose and nature of the thong, and consumed more calories than I personally would care to think about!

Girls' Night is a Dionysian tour de force, full of excesses in conversation, food, drink, and honesty. It can be the ultimate "truth or dare" game, but without the dare. It is FUN, sometimes wild and debauched, often raucous, occasionally serious with a soupçon of friction. It is an opportunity for each of us to be celebrated (and occasionally chided) for the marvelous and flawed people we are. Over dinner, the advice flows like the wine, but rarely with the lasting impact of the hangover! There can be moments of disconnect, drama, misunderstanding and hurt feelings.; moments which are always eclipsed by the joy, laughter, outrageous fun, hilarity, and incredible closeness. Girls Night is a celebration of who we are as individuals and as a community, and it is a keen reminder of how important friends are, of how important it is to stay connected against a tide of other commitments, personal trials and tribulations, distance, and expectation.

And the, there is that inevitable point when all the shenanigans stop, when our personal quirks and peccadilloes overcome our party-girl demeanours. It's the dreaded point in the evening, usually after someone has suggested "just one more glass of wine" and we have all agreed, when the bill is delivered to the table. Suddenly, we bonnes vivantes are faced with the hard evidence of our excesses. Speaking personally, I am always, inevitably, shocked.  I spent how much?? The bill is the moment of reckoning when the glasses go on, and the gloves come off. The awesome infographic below (courtesy of http://theoatmeal.com) pretty much sums it up (please note, I am ALWAYS the one with the debit card!):