TGIM?

I woke up sleeping the wrong way at the end of my bed again this morning.  I don't understand how it happens, and it's mildly concerning.

I just got home from volunteering at a comedy event put on by the charity I volunteer with.  I tried to do them a favour on Friday and pick up the kegs Molson donated, but at 165 pounds a keg the guy at their beer store said no way for a car.  It could potentially be enough weight (ugh) to break an axle.  So I took a pass on that.  I went into their office after the failed pick up anyhow to do a few things for them.  Then Friday night Nikki called in on my offer to go help her finish packing.  It was 11pm by the time I got there, but I worked until 1:30am packing up some clothes, and cleaning up her living room.  And when I could no longer breath I took my leave for the spare room upstairs.  The cat-free spare room.

Saturday we were up at 7:30 to do a Timmy's run, pick up the truck, and start boogeying.  Another friend came by at about 10 and we started to really move.  I warned Nikki in advance my endurance is not tops, so after a few trips up and down the stairs to the curb side I was already ready for a break.  Her mom and other friend did some amazing powerhouse lifting which was quite impressive.  After heavy furniture, me and her other friend loaded most everything else piece by piece.  I passed it up and he arranged it inside the truck.  By the time we got the van to Mississauga my joints were locking up from being overworked and then sedentary for an hour and I don't think any of us were in the mood to continue.  But we pushed through it.  I did the most complaining, but heck, I showed up and did my best which is more than most people can say.  We probably got 1/3 to 1/2 way through unloading when one last friend showed up.  He took lots of heavy boxes and lifted some of the heavier pieces.  Nik actually reminded me that I had told her I'd help her as long as she left her tv stand unit, which she said she was leaving, but then recanted on that promise.  The very last piece was her turtle's terrarium which was in my car and I said I just flat out didn't have the energy to lift.  Those things can be worth hundreds of dollars and I didn't have enough faith that I wouldn't drop it.  Once that was all done it was off to drop off the truck and back to Guelph to take take her friend back to his car, and for Nik and I to pick up the cats and transport them to their new home.  We each took two, carefully paired off for who she thought would provide the most calming effects on the other.  One of mine was so pissed off she didn't say a thing the entire ride.  The other one messed her carrier and cried about it for half an hour.  I'd cry too if I had to sit in my own mess for that long.  About 2 minutes into the trip I started sneezing and blowing my nose.  I thought I was going to be a total goner by the time we arrived back in the 'Saug.  But about 20 minutes in the sneezing stopped.  Of course, my car has officially been danderfied and I'm going to get the sniffles for a while.  Nik already apologized in advance for that.

So after that 26 hour move, and 5 hours of volunteering tonight I'm pooped.  I'm also blogged out.  I seem to have gone on blog overdrive, but I'm going to tone it down a bit.

Layta playas.

Also...

I found this wicked pin I got from my nan while cleaning up tonight:

Around The World in 80 Beers

In my massive apartment clean-up I have come across the fabled Around the World in 80 Beers passport from Bottlescrew Bill's.  As long as they remain open, I will go down in Bottlescrew infamy as a successful member of the 80 Beers club.  Feb 22, 2008 - Julie McGavin.  I should quickly say, the challenge was to drink 80 worldly beers in a year, and record them all in a passport.  Not much of a challenge but it worked, and we went back to the bar many times that year. And now for your reading pleasure, I will list off the 80 beers.  Yes, Stella is on their twice, but it's not my fault they changed the menu and moved it.  I only caught this mistake after the fact.  But technically you didn't have to drink 80 different beers to win, as one of my coworkers was drinking 80 Stellas Around the World.  I think he made it to 12.  In no particular order, as they appeared on the menu.

  1. Brahma - Brazil
  2. Victoria Butter - Australia
  3. Jack Rabbit (Big Rock) - Calgary
  4. Newcastle Brown Ale - England
  5. San Miguel - Philippines
  6. Red Stripe - Jamaica
  7. Miller Genuine Draft - USA
  8. Fuller's Organic Honey Dew - England
  9. Holsten Premium - Germany
10. Goesser Premium - Austria
11. Lead Dog Ale - Yukon (just wow)
12. Harp Lager - Ireland
13. Zyweic - Poland
14. Becks - Germany
15. Tennents - Scotland
16. Smithwicks - Ireland
17. Erdinger Dunkel Draught - Germany
18. Lasko Club - Slovenia
19. Affligem - Belgium
20. Sol - Mexico
21. Bitburger - Germany
22. Lowenbrau - Germany
23. Paulaner Hefe - Germany
24. Warsteiner Pilsner - Germany
25. Hacker Pschorr Weisse - Germany
26. OK Springs Porter - Canada
27. Konig Ludwig Wheat - Germany
28. Carib - Trinidad
29. Naughty Nellies Ale - USA
30. Fish Tale Organic - USA
31. Bellevue Kriek - Belgium (thick cherry deliciousness)
32. Okocim - Poland
33. Duckstein Amber - Germany
34. Stella Artois - Belgium
35. Tuborg - Denmark
36. Mickey's Wide Mouth - USA
37. Erdinger Weissbier - Germany
38.  Wild Rose Velvet Fog - Calgary
39. Grolsch - Holland
40. Stella Artois - Belgium - HALF WAY!!  I think there's a clear winner for overall alkie country.  But I won't judge.
41. Efes Pilsner - Turkey
42. Steigl - Austria
43. Pilsner Urquell - Czech Republic
44. Steinlager - New Zealand
45. Bass Ale - England
46. Edelweiss Weissbier - Germany
47. Tsingtao - China
48. Delirium Tremens - Belgium
49. Tiger Lager - Singapore
50. Asahi Dry - Japan
51. Patagonia - Argentina
52. McEwans Scotch Ale - Scotland
Are you still with me?  If you are, don't drink that last one.  Transcribing a list of 80 is taking longer than I thought.
53.  Kirin Ichiban - Japan
54. Singha - Thailand
55. Tetley's English Ale - England
56.  Slavutich - Ukraine
57. Dos Equis XX Amber - Mexico
58. Castle Lager - South Africa
59. Reserva 1925 - Spain
60. Samuel Adams - USA
61. Taj Mahal - India
62. Seattle Pale Ale - USA
63. Coopers - Australia
64. Heineken - Holland
65. Brick Lager Red Cap - Ontario
66. Great Western Honey Wheat
67. McAuslan St. Ambroise - Quebec
68. Buzzard Breath Ale Draught - Quebec
69. Blanche de Chambry - Quebec
70. Trois Pistoles - Quebec
Still here?  Don't drink that last one either.
71. Westmall Dubbel - Belgium
72. Sleeman Amber - Ontario
73. Moosehead Pale Ale - New Brunswick
74. Alley Kat Full Moon Ale - Calgary (I had this one last if that matters at all)
75. Sleemans Original Draught - Ontario
76. Shaftbury Cream Ale - British Columbia
77. Guiness - Ireland
78. Cannery Blackberry Porter - BC (I had this one twice by mistake, and regretted it each time).
79. Arctic Red Draught, Yukon (why YT, why)
80. Mytho's Lager - Greece.

And now, for your reading pleasure I shall repeat the list, but in the chronological order of my consumption.

NOT.

I'm so cool  it hurts.  Peace.

Because That's How I Roll

I had a bit of an upset with my bank this week.  Last month I moved all my monies into a new savings account with a super rate, almost 6x what I was previously earning.  And yes, I was earning a fraction of a peanut before I woke up to new possibilities.  I sat down with my advisor, he suggested the new account, we did the swap, and donesies or so I thought.  At the end of the month I got a $5 service charge for the transfer (I never got service fees for money transfers before).  And that meant my account was in red, in negative, omgwtfbbq.  I had a minor panic attack and quickly moved over the amount of money needed to cover the deficit.  That was probably 4 days into the month.  Then this month I get a $0.01 overdraft interest charge and once again my account is showing up in red.  Bright red if you ask me, but most people would probably just say it was normal red.  I've been emailing my bank dude lately about my mortgage and meetings and such so I open up an email and draft a politely scathing email.  Once in red fine, but twice in two months for an account I'm not using???  He wrote back with an update and asked me to clarify which account and said that he would reimburse me.  I said for the amount of interest I'm making in the new account he needn't bother, and I was done with my freak out.  And this was his response:

 "No I'll reimburse you because thats how I roll lol! Have a great day"

I think if I had drawn any other advisor at the bank I would be having a completely rotten time starting out with my new banking ventures.  He's just the coolest.  I'm still on high bamboozle alert at all times.  But so far so good.

Things...

The question is, what is something I don't like doing on a Monday afternoon after a long day of work?

The answer - getting stuck in a stairwell with no exits.

I guess I can cross that one off my bucket list and hope that it never happens again.  T_T

I should also add that one thing I do like doing it playing Mario Party with my besties.

Neighbourhood #7: The Annex

I've been wanting to get back out on the streets (so I can walk them, literally....literally) so I can get a few more neighbourhoods under my belt before the bliss of living in Toronto ends.  After that I will be a tourist and not a local doing ironic touring.  The Annex has been a home base for several years.  All through out university it was a go-to place, and even after graduation I've always found myself drawn back to that neighbourhood.  This weekend I had a hankering for some brunch.  I put some feelers out and Adam was free before his work day started to we hit up Futures.  I get the eggs benny 90% of the time, and this time was no different.  Adam got the 3 eggs & sausage, it was a massive meal.  And we got some sort of early bird pricing as well.  There were only like 8 other people at the place, which is a really weird feeling for Futures.

After Adam had to leave I took a walk to BMV to buy some books I don't need.  I actually picked up a replacement book for one I lent out to my mother and did not get back.  I've been meaning to give it a re-read so I picked it up.  I really need to cut that business out until I've read everything on my shelf.  And even then I need to use the library more, much more.  I strolled back along Bloor St thinking about all the different time I've spent on that street.  Sushi & drinks with Debz, countless birthdays and drinking nights at the Green Room, my 23rd birthday at the James Joyce, an infinite number of trips to Futures and BMV, scrabble at Kilgours, drinks at the Pauper, Honest Eds, Jackie stealing the napkin dispenser from the Victory Cafe.  Seekers & Sonic Boom (although I haven't been in the new location yet).  Growing up on music from Lees Palace.  Sushi on Bloor.  The Trove around the corner.  Shopping for Christmas art supplies with Sarah at Midoco, and tea from Davids Tea.  This is a neighbourhood in Toronto that I truly love, and will always hold a special place in my heart.

I thought about sitting down and reading a book, but I've been to the Second Cup there countless times and Aroma a small handful.  There wasn't much left for me to explore.  I came home and unplugged for a while and did some reading here.  Knowing a place like that is 5 minutes away brings me some level of comfort and joy and I'm going to sever that when I move.  But back to happy thoughts.  I took some photos with my phone as I wandered around.  Nothing much special but here it goes:

The laneway behind Futures.  It's dirty but I love it.

 The best and only "secret" bar I know of in Toronto.

 

Waiting for Adam at Futures.  Mmmm, cakes.

The best best best second hand bookstore in Toronto, or possibly anywhere ever.

From The Planet Smashers to Electric Six to Peter Bjorn and Paul, I've seen it all here.  Though I've yet to sample their store front burrito.

Next time I'll get off my lazy butt and actually get out and properly explore a new place.  Happy Bunny Long Weekend.

It's a Blog-off

Now that I've have been alerted that I'm in direct blog competition with Jackie, this business is o-n.

Actually, it's not, but I do have a few other things I wanted to say.  March is sadly drawing to a close.  A month that has been hands down the best month of my life, including the last week of Feb ;)  I had a great dirty thirty.  I bought a condo (in Mississauga, but still lol).  I have a financial savings plan for the first time in my life.  My boss gave me her 3mos old blackberry (and even though she's not happy with her new one her threats to degift have all been insincere).  I've been out of my hovel a few extra times and consumed some delicious bevvies.  I finally got to give my landlord a piece of my mind about the stupid first floor.  And although he didn't respond to my complaints he said I've been a great tenant and he'd give me a recommendation if need be.  Just all together wtf awesome March.  Or as I might say to Adam, TBWTFAMI.

Also, Jackie, who I think I might be in love with, sent me the most amazing gift I have ever received.  It parallels and exceeds the awesomeness of my last most favouritest t-shirt.

Thank you thank you thank you lol.  All I can really say is, "I saw a squirrel, it went this *insert squirrel imitation*"  And in follow up to this brilliant t-shirt news, my second favourite ever t-shirt which I lost somewhere in life has just come up for sale again on its website of origin.  Soon it will be mine.  And that's all I've got to say about that, for now.

I did something really stupid the other day but luckily recovered from it.  I couldn't find my keys last night. I looked EVERYWHERE, which isn't too hard since the bedroom was excluded.  I finally decided to assemble a back-up set so I wouldn't have to scramble in the morning.  That includes my spare car keys that I keep on my bookshelf, and the keys in my shoe outside my door.  I open my door and low and behold my key-shoe isn't there.  And then it hits me, I just threw out my old runners and sandals, and with them my spare house keys.  Luckily the garbage bag was still in the bin out front, but how weeeeird that I would randomly give up on my key search, decide to assemble a back-up all within a week of tossing my keys in the trash.  Like I said, life is good.

Also, I woke up last night sleep width wise at the end of my bed.  That's never happened to me before.  Sure I shift and kick and feel sorry for anyone that has to share a bed or listen to my night crying (so I've been told).  But a perpendicular move is even new for me.

You know what's great about renting and then buying?  After I pay for my April rent I'm going to have 9 weeks of earning money with no major expenditures.  I'm already trying to calculate how much I can put directly onto the mortgage right away while still keeping some bones in the bank for rainy day shiz.

I've been watching Little Britain on netflix.  Even though I have it on dvd it's just so much easier to click click next.  I've actually been meaning to tell Jackie I'm dumping her for David Walliams.  He's 10x the lady you are.  Jk.

PEACE OUT.

So Do You Golf?

So today I was essentially, what I am choosing to call, man-clubbed.  I will be the first to admit I may have been able to handle the situation better but...I still think it was rude.

Our account rep for a freight company came by today.  Our old rep was passing off to the new rep so they were both there.  I heard the front door open and Dean was on the phone so I stepped out to great them, and without introducing themselves the old rep said, "Dean" so I said ok and went back into my office.  I figured out who it was as they carried on with their shpeel about trying to get more business blah blah blah.  Meanwhile I was in and out of my office a few times to go to the warehouse.  Finally on one pass by I got stopped and it went a little something like this.

Dean:  You guys should meet Julie.
*handshakes with both reps, hello hello*
Old rep:  This is Joe Shmo he'll be taking over for me.
New rep:  Yes this account has been passed to me.
Old rep: It's a fairly easy account.  *insert some joke about us causing trouble all the time*
Me: *some sort of comment back*

Now this is where I should have said, in Vickie's absence I'll be handling the freight relationships.  But before I really had the chance the new rep turns to Dean.

New rep: So, do you golf?
Dean: Not really
New rep: Oh that's too bad.

I know I'm new at this company and very little clout but excuse fucking me.  You don't introduce yourself when I greet you and then you pretty much ignore me immediately following our introduction.  I wrote him a follow up email after he left to clarify a few points in our contract, like the fact that it said it expired March 2012 (brilliant guys, brilliant).  And I felt like finishing it with, "Looks like you asked the wrong effing person if they golfed."  Dean thinks I'm overreacting but that is probably the worst feeling I've had since I started working there.  Even worse than someone rudely giving me the hand when I asked if I could help them.  Some people's kids.

You Can Blog If You Want To

It was Nikki's 30th this weekend.  She came over around 3:30 on Saturday to hang out and pick up her special gift.  I asked my aunt to get some Criminal Minds swag and get a signed photo of the cast.  She happily obliged.  Which means I also now have my own cast photo, but I'm not quite sure what to do with it.  Last month when Nik came by for my 30th she strung together a birthday necklace out of some lotus beads I had picked up for soup but then decided against cooking.  I thought I'd try to one-up her necklace and then took it a few steps too far.  I'm actually quite proud of how it turned out, although it's too junky to ever be of any use.  It actually felt like one of those back support things people keep in their cars.

After a bit of chilling we headed over to Jack Astors for dinner.  I had the Sesame Chicken and Nikki had a wondrous burger with a gluten-free bun.  I feel blessed every single day that I can eat gluten, because damn it's yummy.  My meal was SO good.  I've recently been disappointed at meals out, but this one was super delicious.  After dinner we headed over to the Brickworks to catch a paranormal magic show of sorts.  It was entertaining but that only trick that stumped me was explained by a friend immediately following the show and I was underwhelmed by the simplicity of the tricks.

Then we headed back to my place to drop off my car and head down to Dave's.  There was another big bday party there taking up almost the entire front half but we managed to grab a few seats at the bar.  We eventually migrated to a table beside the bar.  A few people came and went, and at the end of the night a surviving designated driver gave us a lift back up to my place.  Pretty decent turn of events as I was going to get us a taxi each way.  Nik fell in love with this piece of art hanging on the wall at the bar.  It's from Labyrinth.  I seemed to be the only one that didn't pick up on where it was from.  If you're at all curious, check out this youtube, and don't mind the ad at the beginning.  Because 30,000 hits is apparently enough for this user to waste our time.  Probably made 30c on the whole deal.  Anyways.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88dyduvKyPI

And for your viewing pleasure, a phone pic of the art.  I should I have taken a pic of the painter's name but yano...being drunk and all.

Word.
Out.

Coming May 21....

o_O

And then there was that time when I was google street-viewing and thought I saw a woman jumping off the top of her car. *Pause...pause*....ooooh, it's a mural.  Moving on.

Dirty Thirthy

Today is my dirty 30.  I just got home from an art show with my mom.  I finally bought my first piece of art.  Or should I clarify and say I finally took my mom up on her offer to buy me a piece of art.  She did the same for my brother.  She morbidly describes it as a gift for us to remember her when she's not with us anymore.  o_O  I'll post details later. 

I almost got smashed as a 3rd party to a car accident.  That kind of woke me up.  Maybe next time I'll listen to my gut and not stop in a no stopping zone.

The screen on the razor just died.  So I'm back to squeezing life into the chunky motorola flip phone.  Not sure what my long term solution is going to be.  Just used it this morning with no issue.  I'm still receiving phone calls, just can't see anything.  And thus can't text.  And thus poo.  I swear I took good care of it Sim...I swears.

Nikki is on her way over to kill time before the shin dig tonight.  I'm putting off doing dishes.  I need to go do those now.  More later.  But not tonight.  Because I won't be coherent.  Or maybe I should post later tonight when I'm not coherent.

Snowed In

I finally got around to doing what I've been dreading all weekend.  Although the roads have cleared up nicely, there is still a portion of the city that still has to deal with the driveways, laneways, and street parking spots that are suffering.  It took me 3 attempts to back in this afternoon after I took it for a defrosting cruise.  I hope we can have a few above zero days so it can keep melting.  I took some before and afters.  It doesn't look so intimidating on film, but I had to shovel out around the entire car to be able to get out.  I almost got snow up to my knees.  And I can still feel the burn in my arms.  But at least it's done for tomorrow.

YUMMY - Thai Coconut Red Curry

Red Curry was a COMPLETE success.  I may have had to use more pans than I would normally want to use.  And right after this shot I poured the veg into the soupy mixture and transferred the chicken to the big fry pan for some breathing room.  And yes I was cooking at 10:24 last night.  My schedule all day was a bit off, and I don't mind a good night time cook.

The prepared meal doesn't look all that interesting, more than just a regular stir fry.  But oh boy it was gooood.  Which is good because I have 3 more servings packed up in my fridge.  Next time I will take the advice of the recipe artist and use more than 1/2 tbsp of the paste, to make it a bit spicier.

http://thai.food.com/recipe/scrumptious-thai-coconut-red-curry-214590

Booja

I've readjusted my morning alarm system.  I used to have my phone vibrate at 6, 6:15 and then ring at 6:30 in case I snoozed the first two.  I found, progressively, that I would ignore the first two alarms and roll out of bed at 6:30 and have barely enough time to get into work.  And after getting in trouble for my roll-in time I've adjusted to the first alarm at 6:10, and then I buzz at 6:20, and then again at 6:45 in case I'm a total failure.  Seems to be working better for me.  Now that only thing that can make me late is getting stuck on a one-laned Eglinton behind someone who thinks 40 is super fast.  You wouldn't want to hear me then.  It's not pretty.

I woke up at today at the first buzz of my phone, all excited to see the results of the super storm.  I was pretty disappointed.  Although the roads were covered in white, they looked drivable.  And although the hwy camera footage scared me as a driver, I had this gut feeling the rest of the office would brave it and make me look like a snow-day glut.  And yes, I'm aware that's not an adjective but it is now.  I emailed our group address saying I didn't want to risk it, and boy am I glad.  In the morning I was more worried about making it out of my driveway safely, and then back in.  The snow started to come down more seriously closer to 7am and here we are at 4:40 and it hasn't stopped yet.  When my boss told me the news reported as much as 50cm of potential snow I said I didn't know there could be that much precipitation in the air.  She said something like she wasn't an effin meteorologist she just reports what she hears.  I might have added that f-bomb because it sounds like something she would have said.

I've been slowly getting a few things done around the house.  I cooked up some bacon and had a bacon & tomato sandwich this morning.  I think maybe the bacon wasn't good anymore.  I took a calculated risk.  I haven't been sick....yet.  Tonight I'm fiiiinally going to make Red Curry Chicken.  I picked up the red curry paste ages ago, but I couldn't for the life of me find coconut milk at my grocery store.  A few weeks ago I spotted it.  Last week I looked up a recipe, and last night as the storm was setting in I finally picked up the last of the ingredients I need.  The recipe calls for bamboo shoots.  Which if I recall properly is my favourite ingredient in hot and sour soup.  Now that I'm opening a tin I might try to make both this week (if I ever get out of here).  I told Adam it was time to get my pot back so I could make some soup.  I'd use the one I have but soup usually calls for simmering with the lid on, and since I exploded that lid ages ago, I haven't done any mass simmering since.  I was hoping to get down to the Cherry Beach T&T to pick up the various required Chinese mushrooms.  And I might stop by my mom's house to pick up small amounts of things I don't want to buy the entire bottle.  Peanut oil?  When would I ever use that again....a-never.

The snow on the ledge outside my window is piling up so high, soon I'm going to be trapped.  Not literally but it feels like a bit of a prison.  If I predict correctly, and I'm usually right, my landlord won't shovel and I'll be stuck stomping through feet of snow when it's finally time to escape this house.  The only time he does shovel is when all that's left is mounds of unsalted ice, and it would have been easier to walk on 2cm of snow.  Idiot.

Speaking of, I'm going to get pre-approved for a mortgage before the end of the month.  I can't stand living here any longer, and it doesn't make much sense to pay $1400 a month for a place I can mortgage for 11 or 12.  Since I'm not much into high rises there's not much available for but pretty basements or over-priced condos. Condos that won't fit two couches in the living room.  Thanks but no thanks.  I'm not going to have much of a budget.  I'm not approved for much more than a hole in the wall, and that's if I'm in Mississauga.  I looked at the floor plan for a nice sized placed being built in my hood and it's like $450K or something ridiculous.  Pipe dream.  I've always had enough money for whatever I've wanted, but I guess that's because I've never really wanted anything.  And now I do.  And it sucks.  But I just need to keep looking and hope I find a little gem somewhere.  Until then the assholes downstairs can listen to me slam doors and walk on my heels for the first time in 3 years.  I felt evil as I admitted to my mom that I hope they come to be as miserable as I am.  It's sad but true.  I actually had a dream last night that he shouted up the stairs for me to shut up, and then I shouted back that they had to shut up first.  And he acknowledged that they were wrong.  Lol.  Dreams really do reflect your daily thoughts.  I wonder where the really messed up and obscure ones come from.  Dr. Sim?  Any thoughts?

I haven't been up to much.  I'm trying to read more.  My 3rd annual January long-read was a bust, but I'm hoping to catch up.  Build up some momentum with some smaller books and then dig into a big juicy one.  I finally stopped using my stationary bike as a clothes rack and have started using it again.  Maybe twice a week, but I'm hoping to increase that.  I knit every once in a while working on my scarf but it's not really getting anywhere significant.  I'm still on the first ball of each colour.  I need to find out how to get my hands on a 3rd ball of each colour, since last time it was the last mustard alpaca at the store.  I might try my local at some point.

I haven't been blogging much lately.  I told Sim writing in my daily quote book (which I did go out straight away in the new year and picked up), it helps takes my mind off of things and I don't feel the same need to write here anymore.  I have about 5-6 days that I haven't written anything.  Not much of a chance of me going back and remembering anything of note so I might just make something up, or try to find an interesting line online.  It's fun, but I think the most fun will be next year when you get a year-over-year comparison for each day.  And then a triple comparison the next year, and so on.

One last thing.  Dana, I came across a really cool quilting website.  This woman's designs are really fresh.  If I had any inclination or skill in sewing this might have piqued my interest.

http://canadianabroad-susan.blogspot.ca/

If I could manage to stop watching back to back to back episodes of How I Met Your Mother I might actually get some stuff done around here.

Julie out.

S-M-R-T

So I started the day with a really stupid email conversation with Sim and Spence.  Definitely worse than spelling marshmallow incorrectly during a game of Balderdash.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Julie:
I just typoed a new word.  Requestion.  Now it just needs a defition.

 

If I had taken two words that meant the same thing and combined them to mean a third word that means the same thing I could be just like Sarah Palin.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sim:

lmao great sarah palin line!

I think requestion is a word... as in... "your honour, I'd like to requestion the witness as new evidence has emerged"

eh? eh?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie:

oh yeah. maybe it is a word. I was reading it like, reh-question, as a typo from requested.

I haven't had my coffee yet. I shouldn't speak until I have my coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sim:

This is getting better and better.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Spencer:

Julie,

Despite not having had your coffee, I note the clever test of irony you put in your first message by misspelling "definition." Well-played.

:D

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie: 

You passed what was OBVIOUSLY a test.

 

I think it's about time for a early afternoon shame cry.  If you'll excuse me.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie:

AN EARLY

 

**Expletive**

~~~~~~~~~~~

Spencer:

Omg lol. I don't know if I can keep up with these tests...

Can I skip the final exam?  

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie:

You pass, you all pass.  I'm going home.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sim:

I nominate this to be the thread of the month.

Baby says whaaaat?

Now, to end the year with a party or a quiet night in.  I still have about an hour to decide.  HNY!

Peace out 2012

Another year is coming to an end.  It feels like my year only really began in September when I finally got a job.  It definitely changes everything.  I feel like I haven`t done anything exciting since my Autumn 2010 trip out East.  Probably mostly because there was no money.  But now there issss money.  I`ve always wanted to drive up to Cochrane and take the Polar Bear Express up to Moosonee / Moose Factory.  Maybe that'll be something to do this summer.

Christmas was good.  I drove to my parents' on the 24th and stayed over until late on the 25th.  My mom and I have a new tradition of doing the Globe and Mail super crossword.  Unfortunately since they were out of the country when it was issued their G&M was cancelled so we didn't get it.  So I went online and found their PDF version.  The squares are maybe slightly larger than 2mm each way.  I felt like I should have had a diamond magnifiers on my eye as I entered our answers.  We still haven't gotten through all of the hints yet.  I went through by myself and added all of the obvious ones. and we're slowly working our way through the rest.  I think we're still on Across, but what can you do. This is our third year working on it over Christmas, and it is actually something I look forward to each year.  It's funny that working on it with my mom somehow inspires my genius.  I can be completely stumped and have NO idea on a clue and then I'll ask her and 2 second later blurt out the answer myself.  Hamelin's rat remover (4,5)  I'm like, "Who the eff is Hamelin.  What?  What could this possibly be???  Mooom, what's Hamelin's rat remover, 4 letters and 5 letters........nm, it's Pied Piper."

I went to Georgetown with the fam to visit my cousin's family and her new baby.  Holy moly is that baby cute.  And sooo well behaved.  I'm so awkward holding babies.  I don't know how to pick them up, or set them on my knee, it's just all so foreign.  She sat with me for a while but then squirmed away.  Photo op:

PS to that thought, I gave my cousin the little baby hat, nervous out of my mind that she'd think it was  a sub-par gift (I didn't have the needles small enough to do it on the round so I had an ugly stitch crease running up the back).  It was still cute, and they loved it!

I went to Oakville last night for a birthday party.  Sorry Jackie lol.  You really set me up well to steal your friends should you ever depart Ontario.  I miss you more and most of all whenever I see them.  First I stopped off at the Queensway to see Django Unchained with Adam and a friend of his that is visiting from NY.  I don't think my mouth has ever gaped as much before during a movie.  For some people it's the in your face eye gauging that brings them out to a Tarantino movie.  For me, he can write a script like no other.  I think perhaps he's made his more recent work more accessible.  I loved Inglorious Basterds and Django was a masterpiece.  If he could just tone down the super-violence he'd rocket into my top 10.  On top of the gaping I averted my eyes several times.  Yikey.  After that I stopped by Chapters to return the first book I ever ordered online as I ordered it in FRENCH, go me.  Seems the hardcover was the only EN option, so when I opted for paperback hidden in the details page was the comment it was French.  I should have known something was wrong when the cover photo wasn't available.  I took a stroll through their paper section, because I'm a sucker for their stuff.  I was tempted by a scrabble magnet kit, but taking a feel of what was inside it was just magnet sheet squares which would be hard to arrange and rearrange.  I should get a set from Good Will or something and magnetize them, a la Michaels.  Note to self.  I saw this neat journal type book that was a calendar of thoughts for 5 years.  There were just 365 day pages, but each page was split into 5 blocks.  So you go through a year and each day you write down one comment.  Maybe a funny quote you heard, or a funny thought you had, or anything really.  I thought it was super cute, but I walked away.  And now it's all I can think about.  Yes, I could make one myself, but this is already bound and laid out nicely.  I need to get back there before or close to Jan 1.  My first entry is going to be a retrospective entry from the first moment Adam and I exchanged words after seeing Django.  After almost 3 hrs of seeing bodies exploding with bullet wounds, and listening to a hard (but brilliant) script that threw the realities of slavery in your face with atrocious acts of torture, he looked at me and said, "Tarantino got fat."  Priceless.

Houndstooth Update

I'm less than 5% into this scarf. It is definitely going to take me a while.  Thought I would post a progress shot.  Which also means, I found my charger!!!  The colour of blue in this photo is all wrong but the lighting by my desk is medieval so I'm not surprised.  It's actually a really rich dark turqouise.

I'm so tired.  I've had back to back nights of dinners out which turned into night owl events.  I'm just about off to bed right now but wanted to throw this up here first.  I've got volunteering tomorrow, shopping on Saturday, chauffeuring my parents on Sunday (and taking a power nap).  Then the following week I'll be house sitting in Port Credit.  I'm going to  hop down to Turtle Books some time before they close for good at the end of the month.  I need to get my emissions test.  I'm worried but fingers crossed it should be ok.

I definitely need to take some time soon to recharge or I'm going to fizzle out.  Laters.

Mustard Green Onion Potatoes

I made something very yummy the other day.  I had some potatoes and some green onions, and googled such and came up with this:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/mustard-green-onion-potato-salad-recipe/index.html

And I felt so proud that I had almost all of the remaining ingredients on hand!

In case the link breaks in the future:

Ingredients

• 3 pounds new potatoes, boiled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Place the warm potatoes and green onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, garlic, vinegar and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the dressing to the potatoes and carefully mix until combined.