I Heart Edmonton

10, 9, 8, 7, 6.... I T'S only hours before we say goodbye (& good riddance) to 2011, and gladly welcome in 2012. I know many of you have already begun the festivities & celebrations, and others are in fact days in. Others, not so much. Whatever the case, ' I Heart Edmonton ' wants to say thank you for all your support in '11, Edmonton. I know we were only half-assin' it this year, but we're gonna try and full-ass it this time 'round. That's right, I just say FULL-ASS !! Also, we hope 2012 is good to all of you, better or even better than 2011 was. Please continue to check in when you can, don't drink & drive, play safe, use protection, don't eat yellow snow, no means no, and all that other hoopla. Take care, Edmonton, and see you in the new year. Happy 2012!!!! Emil Tiedemann , "I Heart Edmonton" December 31, 2011

The time when we come up with exciting (& exhausted) resolutions only to have them peter out is near, so 'I Heart' wanted to reflect on a year that was, apparently, pretty good for some local folks... BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I t's almost 2012, people! Time flies way too fast, let me tell you. I remember when Alanis Morissette and Hootie & the Blowfish were the shit, and when Jennifer Lopez decided that she could sing, too. I remember the craze over the Y2K bug, Pokeman, and of course 9/11. I remember when Barack Obama became President of the United States and when Michael Jackson died. Ok, that wasn't so long ago, but wow...why does it all seem to go by so damn quickly?! My amazing father, Robert Emil Tiedemann (1944-2011).  I love & miss you, and am so proud to be your son! And now, here we are...about to say goodbye to yet another year. One that was no good to me, to say the least...so good riddance! But that doesn't mean that 2011 wasn't

H I there, Edmonton! It's December 25th, so ' I Heart Edmonton ' wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Empty that slightly-spoiled milk you left for Santa, tear open those gifts that you spent hours wrapping, and enjoy your turkey-slash-ham-slash-IHOP dinner. But most of all, I hope the best for you and your family & friends this Christmas. Take care and happy holidays!

In between dodging fellow shoppers at the mall and decorating your fake Christmas trees, indulge in some of these suggestions on how to relax during the holiday season in festive fashion... Candy Cane Lane runs until January 2, 2012 L ast Friday ( Dec. 9 ) Candy Cane Lane officially went into effect, which means the 8-block strip of holiday hues will welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors over the next few weeks. Walk, drive, or book a horse-guided sleigh ride ($12-14/ kids free) down 148th Street, between 92nd and 100th Avenues, and bring a donation for the Edmonton Food Bank if possible. The Lane runs until midnight on January 2, 2012 . T he 42nd annual 'Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree' is just days away from taking center stage at the Jubilee (11455-87 Ave.) for a 5-date presentation ( Dec. 16-18 ), featuring special guest Ruben Studdard ( American Idol ). The beloved tradition will feature more than 150 singers and a live orchestra performing within a 35-foo

Up against dozens of like-minded eateries scattered throughout Edmonton, Bistro India manages to distinguish itself by focusing on a region overlooked by all the rest BY EMIL TIEDEMANN " T HERE are 46 other Indian restaurants in Edmonton, and all of them specialize in Punjabi dishes." I'm paraphrasing here, but that's pretty much what the guy told us after we settled our bill at Bistro India , apparently the only Indian eatery in town with authentic South Indian delicacies on the menu. Bistro India is Edmonton's only restaurant that specializes in eats from the South Indian region. The funny thing is we only came for drinks. Okay, so it's not that funny, but it's true. My buddy and I had stumbled past this incognito den after a night of wings 'n' rum on Jasper Ave. We insisted on stopping in at some point, as part of our haphazard mission to wet our whistles at each and every "pub" in town. Talk about aspirations! Back to the