Oops. Two weeks since my last post. I swear it's not my new addiction to facebook, but the incredibly lousy internet connection I've been suffering from. It's been so bad that I've been doing other things. I spent a large amount of time on the phone with my service provider last night though, and it appears (fingers crossed) to be fixed.
So - weekend one. Cooking lessons! My grandmother taught me to make bread. Sooooo yummy. I'd made bread on my own before, but it was always heavy and non-fluffy. I learned some tricks (scald the milk and let cool) and how to knead properly, which is what makes the real difference. Darn it, I shouldn't be typing about this. I know I still have two loaves in the freezer. On Sunday, Rod and I did the Grouse Grind, his first, my second. It was much easier the second time, as the mental energy was there. I knew what was ahead and I knew I could it. Rod had a difficult time though. I waited for him at both the 1/4 and 1/2 marks, but once he made the 1/2 , I knew he'd be able to finish and arranged to met him at the top. My total time was 1h 33min, slightly slower than before, but that includes my wait times. I don't want to just minus the time I waited because I was more rested for the next sections when I started again. Later that day, my sister and I made dinner for my parents for Father's Day. Peanut chicken skewers and roasted veggies. Poor dad - had to watch us kids use his bbq :)
Weekend two - went camping with various people. So much fun. I love being outside. I used my new backpack and carried most of what I needed - 43lbs on my back. Didn't have a cook stove though or a water filter, as I borrowed those. Got to use my new sleeping bag - so warm, thank god, as it hailed our last morning. Went for a nice hike on Saturday and we really lucked out with the weather. Most of the weekend was dry.
Long weekend approaching! Holly is coming to Vancouver for the weekend. I also want to work on my To-Do list that I've been ignoring for months. We'll see what happens.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
June, part deux
Spent the last three days sleeping, so no time to blog. Can't believe how unconscious I wanted to be all the time. Hard to type when your eyes are closed. Started Sunday night, after my family went out to celebrate my sister's college graduation. Clearly, they slipped some serious knock out drugs into my food because I went to slept at 930pm and over the next 36 hours, I slept 30.
Up until that point, my weekend had been okay. Spent most of it with S, my friend of 25 years or so (and last weekend's bday girl).
Saturday morning, S and I climbed the Grouse Grind. My very first time. It's hell I tell you, sheer hell, and yet I'm already planning to do it again. It's a 2.9 km (1.8 mile) hike, straight up. 853 meters (2800 ft) gain in elevation. The closest thing to flat you experience is maybe 2 or 3 steps in a row, and I think that only happened once. The trail is marked into quarter sections. The first quarter is evil incarnate. I kept thinking I was going to die. I started wheezing 30 seconds into it and never stopped. How and WHY do people do this? S was waiting for me at the quarter mark and told me it was the worst of the four, that if I could do that section, I could finish it. Thankfully she was right, because if any of the following sections had been like the first, I might have considered trying to roll back down the mountain. The second section was probably the easiest, the third the prettiest (although hard to tell as it was pouring rain), and the fourth required me to activate Monkey Mode and use all four limbs to get up stairs/rocks. Some sections are log steps, some sections are rock fall, some are (muddy) dirt path, but they all involve serious incline. More than a few times I wasn't sure my stumpy legs would stretch far enough. My time - 1 hr 30 min. Apparently the average time. I'd love to get that down to 1 hr 15. The gondola ride back down the mountain was great, I see why it's a tourist thing (even in the rain).
That night we went to a friend's 30th birthday party in Burnaby. After the party ended, we went to a bar in North Van, one that I had never been to before. As S put it - always make sure you are drunk before going there. Eep. To those you know me well, I can best describe the situation by telling you I started drinking beer. Vile stuff, but required.
The following pic was taken at my sister's grad dinner on Sunday. So either I was definitely getting sick or I've recently died and no one has notified me. I like the pic itself, but I had no idea how pale I am. Ok, yes, I knew I was pale, but Anne Rice material? Admittedly, my dad has a tan from working outside, but still.....
Up until that point, my weekend had been okay. Spent most of it with S, my friend of 25 years or so (and last weekend's bday girl).
Saturday morning, S and I climbed the Grouse Grind. My very first time. It's hell I tell you, sheer hell, and yet I'm already planning to do it again. It's a 2.9 km (1.8 mile) hike, straight up. 853 meters (2800 ft) gain in elevation. The closest thing to flat you experience is maybe 2 or 3 steps in a row, and I think that only happened once. The trail is marked into quarter sections. The first quarter is evil incarnate. I kept thinking I was going to die. I started wheezing 30 seconds into it and never stopped. How and WHY do people do this? S was waiting for me at the quarter mark and told me it was the worst of the four, that if I could do that section, I could finish it. Thankfully she was right, because if any of the following sections had been like the first, I might have considered trying to roll back down the mountain. The second section was probably the easiest, the third the prettiest (although hard to tell as it was pouring rain), and the fourth required me to activate Monkey Mode and use all four limbs to get up stairs/rocks. Some sections are log steps, some sections are rock fall, some are (muddy) dirt path, but they all involve serious incline. More than a few times I wasn't sure my stumpy legs would stretch far enough. My time - 1 hr 30 min. Apparently the average time. I'd love to get that down to 1 hr 15. The gondola ride back down the mountain was great, I see why it's a tourist thing (even in the rain).
That night we went to a friend's 30th birthday party in Burnaby. After the party ended, we went to a bar in North Van, one that I had never been to before. As S put it - always make sure you are drunk before going there. Eep. To those you know me well, I can best describe the situation by telling you I started drinking beer. Vile stuff, but required.
The following pic was taken at my sister's grad dinner on Sunday. So either I was definitely getting sick or I've recently died and no one has notified me. I like the pic itself, but I had no idea how pale I am. Ok, yes, I knew I was pale, but Anne Rice material? Admittedly, my dad has a tan from working outside, but still.....
Monday, June 04, 2007
Really, June?
The weekend summary: Friday, I worked but got off early enough to do some baking. Rod and Fancy came over and kept me company while I cooked and I got to admire her bling. Her engagement ring is very pretty and almost made me like diamonds.
Saturday was possibly one of my weirdest days ever. I got to be both a hard core geek and a party girl in the same day! I drove to Vancouver (for only the third time since I moved here, it's scary!) to pick up JDG for our second date. He picked something that I was totally, completely, utterly into (and all my Vancouver friends have mocked me hard for). A friend of his runs an independent video store and was hosting an event at a local theatre - a showing of 2 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer including a sing-a-long to the Once More With Feeling musical episode! Ok, stop laughing now. I own the soundtrack and love it! To his surprise, the 200 tickets had sold out, but we managed to buy a pair off someone whose friends did not show up (first really perfect summer Saturday, why be inside unless you are geek). We watched Doppelgangland (hmmm, telling a guy you own the Evil Willow costume on a second date... good idea or bad idea? *L*), had a trivia intermission, followed by Once More with Feeling. JDG hadn't seen it before, but I had, numerous times. Singing along and laughing with 200 people is such an amazingly weird good time. Almost Rocky Horror like, but less objects thrown. I hadn't realized there were going to be 2 shows, so when it ended, I had to hurry to get to my evening plans and drove him home.
The reason I was in a hurry was Saturday night was a surprise party for my best childhood friend and I had details to take care of! It was being held at her house, so we had to decorate while she was out for dinner with her boyfriend. He gave us the heads up call just before they left the restaurant, blind folded her, drove her home an indirect route with lots of turns, and piggy backed her down the driveway so she wouldn't realize where they were. She really had no idea because we could hear her talking as they came around to the back of the house where we hiding - "I can't believe you are making me wear a blindfold in public, what if someone sees me!". We were really dying from the effort not to laugh, but as he took off the blindfold, we all yelled surprise while she did the classic double take and started hitting him. The rest of the evening was nice, presents, pie instead of cake, a few drinks (just a few, really, I swear!). My weird looking appetizers that I baked Friday were apparently tasty as there were just a few left - Savory Cheddar Cookies with Jalapeno Jelly. Sound weird, look weird, but they are basically baked cheese balls rolled in crushed pecans with hot pickle centers. Okay, they really sound weird. I'd make them again though, I liked them. Had an odd moment somewhere after midnight. If you had told me on June 2, 2006, that one year from then I'd be in Vancouver, I would have told you that you were crazy. If you had told me that I'd be in Vancouver listening to ALAN JACKSON, I would have told you to stop taking drugs. It was bizarre. Bizarre, yet fun.
Had my first Starbucks frappucino in years yesterday when us girls met for coffee. Soooo good. I want another one. Now.
Oh - and happy birthday wishes go out to Kirsten who also had a birthday on June 2. Hope you had a good time!
Saturday was possibly one of my weirdest days ever. I got to be both a hard core geek and a party girl in the same day! I drove to Vancouver (for only the third time since I moved here, it's scary!) to pick up JDG for our second date. He picked something that I was totally, completely, utterly into (and all my Vancouver friends have mocked me hard for). A friend of his runs an independent video store and was hosting an event at a local theatre - a showing of 2 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer including a sing-a-long to the Once More With Feeling musical episode! Ok, stop laughing now. I own the soundtrack and love it! To his surprise, the 200 tickets had sold out, but we managed to buy a pair off someone whose friends did not show up (first really perfect summer Saturday, why be inside unless you are geek). We watched Doppelgangland (hmmm, telling a guy you own the Evil Willow costume on a second date... good idea or bad idea? *L*), had a trivia intermission, followed by Once More with Feeling. JDG hadn't seen it before, but I had, numerous times. Singing along and laughing with 200 people is such an amazingly weird good time. Almost Rocky Horror like, but less objects thrown. I hadn't realized there were going to be 2 shows, so when it ended, I had to hurry to get to my evening plans and drove him home.
The reason I was in a hurry was Saturday night was a surprise party for my best childhood friend and I had details to take care of! It was being held at her house, so we had to decorate while she was out for dinner with her boyfriend. He gave us the heads up call just before they left the restaurant, blind folded her, drove her home an indirect route with lots of turns, and piggy backed her down the driveway so she wouldn't realize where they were. She really had no idea because we could hear her talking as they came around to the back of the house where we hiding - "I can't believe you are making me wear a blindfold in public, what if someone sees me!". We were really dying from the effort not to laugh, but as he took off the blindfold, we all yelled surprise while she did the classic double take and started hitting him. The rest of the evening was nice, presents, pie instead of cake, a few drinks (just a few, really, I swear!). My weird looking appetizers that I baked Friday were apparently tasty as there were just a few left - Savory Cheddar Cookies with Jalapeno Jelly. Sound weird, look weird, but they are basically baked cheese balls rolled in crushed pecans with hot pickle centers. Okay, they really sound weird. I'd make them again though, I liked them. Had an odd moment somewhere after midnight. If you had told me on June 2, 2006, that one year from then I'd be in Vancouver, I would have told you that you were crazy. If you had told me that I'd be in Vancouver listening to ALAN JACKSON, I would have told you to stop taking drugs. It was bizarre. Bizarre, yet fun.
Had my first Starbucks frappucino in years yesterday when us girls met for coffee. Soooo good. I want another one. Now.
Oh - and happy birthday wishes go out to Kirsten who also had a birthday on June 2. Hope you had a good time!
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