Cabin in the Woods

What a better way to spend the days off before New Year's eve than away from the city and surrounded by snow? If you said surrounded by beaches, than I don't think that you and I are on the same page at the moment. Nonetheless, we took a drive 90 minutes north of Montreal to spend time with family. Far away from the big city filled, clean air and huge mounds of snow ideal for snow-shoeing, tobogganing and skiing. All and all a very relaxing time. Happy new year!

Highway 15-North outside Val Morin

The road to Sainte-Agathe

Boat house by the lake

Snowbound Cottage

With 80 centimetres of snow (32 inches) in just over a week, forget about white Christmas it will be a white 2013. This will be enough snow to keep the ski hills covered until spring.

Snow covered trees

Christmas Candy

The holidays are upon us and it is the time of merriment, joy and gift giving. Gift exchanges at the office or with the family can be particular harrowing and bothersome, as budget constraints sometimes get in the way. Or, let's face it, oddball people give oddball gifts. Included in those gifts are those weird boxes of chocolate you do not want for Christmas. Following is a list of the strangest candies I have ever received.

Christmas Chocolate Surprise

• Mallomar Avocado Centre
• Pickles and Cream
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of Chicken
• White Chocolate with Ground Beef Centre
• Old Fashioned Taffy with Spinach Flavouring
• Chocolate Dipped Sardines
• Caramilk Caviar
• Windex Pecan
• Spaghetti and Marshmallow
• Confetti
• Glazed Strawberry Sauerkraut
• Caramel Mint Toothpaste
• Cream of Mushroom Brûlée
• Milk of Magnesia
• Bacon and Nougat
• Chocolate Mouse
• Peaches and Crayon

It's Hanukkah Bubala Please

From their Facebook page, "These are not your everyday homeboys. Celebrate the holidays with Jaquann and Luis, LA's latke-making, dreidel-spinning, menorah-lighting gang-bangers." Bubala Please. Happy Hanukkah. (Parental discretion for language.)

Bubala, Please

Star Trek Into Darkness

In the latest chapter,  Star Trek Into Darkness, the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, and they find that an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet, leaving our world in a state of crisis. Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. Watch the brand new Star Trek Into Darkness trailer. (Scroll down for the 3-D trailer)

Star Trek Into Darkness