ToolGirl

My girls (and one guy - can you spot him?)

Sorry about the fuzzy focus on the left side!  (photo stitched with AutoStitch for iPhone)

Women's Leadership Exchange

I had a blast last week meeting a cool group of business women in Kitchener Ontario. Thanks for having me girls - and one guy, bless his brave heart! I gave a talk on What To Do When You Don't Know What You're Doing (I should know by now). I'll try posting the panoramic shot I took of my lunchmates but it may be dodgy since I'm on the road today. Wish me tech luck. Sent from Mag's iPhone

Great Father's Day Gift

Just in time for Father's Day, we've got a second printing of We're All In This Together ready to go and Canadian Tire has picked up the book. 
I'm on the road for the next couple of weeks signing books at Canadian Tire stores, so drop in if you're close by.  Check here for a detailed list of appearances.  Hope to see you there! 
In the meantime, here's a 2-minute clip from a recent book reading event where Steve and I tried to explain our decision to sell the book only in Canadian hardware stores.

Shopping for tools in New York city

I had a really fun day in Manhattan shopping for tools with New York Times reporter Steven Kurutz.  Finds:  a stainless steel tape measure, a Stanley jacketed graphite 16-oz. hammer.  And a really cool compressor that would unfortunately not be allowed in my luggage.

Photo: Steve and me pausing to help a hardware customer choose a tape measure.  We had a great day visiting hardware stores all over the city.  One store has been in the same spot since 1884.

Gracious Home at West 66th and Broadway has the best selection of stepladders in the city.  But the NutHouse was my personal favourite - 4 floors of hardware bliss and it's open 24 hours!

Manhattan hotel rooms are kinda squidgy.  The mirrors help distract you from the spatial restrictions.

We had a homey, damn fine meal at 9:30 pm in Brooklyn at Buttermilk Channel restaurant.  That's my nephew Chas's hand gracing the goblet.

Off to New York

 is doing a short feature on shopping for tools in Manhattan and they asked me to be their guide.  Oh baby.

So Daniel and I are heading off to New York tomorrow to meet up with NYT reporter Steven Kurutz.  (I'm going to make a bold attempt at using Twitter to keep up with events as they unfold, if I can think of any witty, insightful things to say.  The best thing would be a close-up spotting of my favourite New York celebrity, David Pogue.) 

Follow Mag's adventures on Twitter

As of today, we've officially sold out of the first printing of We're All In This Together.  Here's Daniel getting the last four pallets ready to go...and the truck that came minutes later to pick 'em up.

   

We're All In This Together - it's arrived!

We're All In This Together: Red Green - The Man Behind the Character and Vice Versa is now in the duct tape aisle at participating Home Hardware, TruServ and Federated Co-op hardware stores.

As you know most of my attention this past year has been focused on birthing this biography of my friend Steve Smith. I'm so excited that it's finally in print.

Right now Steve and I are in the midst of a cross-country media tour to promote the book.

The book is published by ToolGirl Press and distributed in Canada by 3M the makers of Duct Tape. To find out more about the book, our tour and how you can purchase it (or even win a copy) please head on over to We're All In This Together.

Boo

No one has heard 'boo' from me in months.  Like a hotrod being pimped in a secret garage, I'm about to re-emerge with some mods.

First, I'm going to be appearing at the Fall Home Show with tons of new info on how to get rid of the bugs, microbes, mites, bacteria, viruses and allergens that infest indoor air and surfaces.  I've got a really creepy slideshow for you, plus cutting-edge solutions to improve your sleep, your indoor air quality and your health this winter.  And as usual, tons of free giveaways from innovative companies like 3M, SmartSilk and Eco-Mist Solutions!

In addition to my mainstage presentation at the Home Show, I'm also teaching a new hands-on workshop, Power Tools for Beginners, featuring the latest power tools from Ryobi and free giveaways for some lucky participants.

On October 4th I'll be hosting the taping of the TV Special We're All In This Together: The Red Green Story for The Comedy Network. With guests Steve Smith, Patrick McKenna and Rick Green, the Special will take a funny and touching behind-the-scenes look at what made The Red Green Show the second-longest-running comedy in the history of television!

And on November 5th, ToolGirl Press will publish the new biography of Red Green creator Steve Smith.  We're All In This Together: Red Green - The Man Behind the Character and Vice Versa will be on shelves November 6, but not in bookstores!  You'll find our book only in a Home Hardware, TruServ or Federated Co-op hardware store -  you're in there once a week anyway, right? TIP: We're printing a limited number of copies (printing is expensive!) so talk to your dealer soon and reserve your copy of this unconventional book about an unconventional Canadian icon.  You can sign up for updates - and details about the book tour that Steve and I will be doing - by visiting We're All In This Together.

Guest hosting at DaveFM with Jeff Lumby

My favourite radio host, Jeff Lumby, invited me to guest host a couple of days last week on his DaveFM morning show.  We had a blast. 

While we were there last Thursday we also shot a TV interview with Jeff for the upcoming Comedy Network special We're All In This Together: The Red Green Story.  (Hence the make-up, being skillfully applied to the squirming Jeff by longtime Red Green Production Manager, Sandi Richardson.)

Update on new book

You know it's been a wacky-busy summer when it's almost August -- oh wait -- when it's almost half-way through August and you still haven't noticed it's summer.  Here's a sneak peak at the book I've been working on with Red Green creator Steve Smith.  It'll be available this November in Canadian hardware stores coast to coast. 

Please visit www.wereallinthistogether.ca for more details

What we've been up to

A leak in the basement led to the discovery of a crack in the foundation.  Uttering epithets like "By cracky!" (only not as polite) we proceeded to hire Mike Quail to dig up the foundation with his stunning, world-class backhoe.  More on Mike later.  For now, this is what the dang hole looked like.