What I've been up to: lots of work, getting ready for the beginning of concert season, trying to rest when I can, keeping up with both So You Think You Can Dance and So You Think You Can Dance Canada, being sat on by cats.
What I'm reading : Serious Eats. (Seriously, prepare to drool)
What I'm listening to: lots of Bach and lots of Mendelssohn, in preparation for Chamber Choir's first concert of the season.
And life rolls on...
There are lots of posts brewing, so hopefully I get some more time to blog more often.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Chilly and Chili
It's been a weird fall here in Prairie Hamlet.
Two weeks ago, it was +30C (86F for my American chums) and today it is -7C (20F) and there is the first dusting of snow on the ground. And WIND.
Because it was so hot so late in September, the leaves haven't really turned, and because the leaves haven't turned, they haven't fallen off. Until the last couple of days when, still green, they froze and dropped.
So it feels a little bit like we haven't had any autumn at all, that we've just skipped it. And I like autumn, not only because it can be so beautiful, but mostly because it's my opportunity to get the crankiness about the cold out of the way before the first flakes fall. Ah well.
Tomorrow is our annual hockey pool day, complete with traditional chili. We have some cleaning and tidying to do in the morning, and then the folks will arrive early in the afternoon and start picking teams at about 3pm.
And then Sunday is Canadian Thanksgiving!! So the turkey is thawing in the fridge and we got the rest of the grocery shopping done this evening. It's my first turkey here in the new house, and I'm looking forward to cooking it in a kitchen that's got great counter space! YAY!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
My neglected blog
Oh poor blog; how I have neglected thee... Such is the current busy-ness of life, I suppose!
I'm sitting in the sunny living room this afternoon while WH plays what may be his last golf round of the year. I have a glass of champagne, and a cat sleeping behind my head on the back of the couch, and the TV humming along quietly in front of me.
And I'm thinking about being thirty, which I'll be, as of Tuesday. (Hurray for Michaelmas!)
Thirty is an age that excites me. I think about where I was heading into my twenties, not knowing what end was up, where I would be, what I would do, how I would get there, how I would pay for it, etc. etc. And here I am at thirty, married to my perfect partner, living in a house that I love, doing work that is challenging and fulfilling, enjoying a tremendously busy extra-curricular life of my own choosing, surrounded by the most amazing group of family and friends... What, on earth, could I possibly think to complain about? It is practically an embarrassment of riches...
Some of you may recall that WH and I have the same birthday, but because this was a big birthday for me, WH threw me a party last night. We had burgers and munchies, lots of wonderful things to drink, and many of the friends and family mentioned above were able to come and celebrate. What a blast! And the party even had an informal theme!
Let me explain...
I always wanted a Mr. Potato Head when I was a child. Of any toy, it was the one I craved the most. (MU would point out here that I never uttered this desire, which is probably true...) I hadn't thought about this yearning until a couple of months ago, when I said to myself, suddenly one day, "Dammit, I am almost thirty, and I WILL HAVE A MR. POTATO HEAD." So I asked WH for one for my birthday, and he came through, so now I have one. And my lovely friend S brought me the little mini Mr. Potato Head that comes with the doggie and kitty as well, so now I have FOUR Mr. Potato Head figures.
And to top it all off, our friend G baked this:
I know, right?! Amazing!
Needless to say, I had a great time.
So on Tuesday, WH and I will both celebrate our birthdays and the year of our life that has now past. I can't wait to see what's to come down the road!
And now, my champagne glass is empty and the laundry needs pushing. Tra la la...
I'm sitting in the sunny living room this afternoon while WH plays what may be his last golf round of the year. I have a glass of champagne, and a cat sleeping behind my head on the back of the couch, and the TV humming along quietly in front of me.
And I'm thinking about being thirty, which I'll be, as of Tuesday. (Hurray for Michaelmas!)
Thirty is an age that excites me. I think about where I was heading into my twenties, not knowing what end was up, where I would be, what I would do, how I would get there, how I would pay for it, etc. etc. And here I am at thirty, married to my perfect partner, living in a house that I love, doing work that is challenging and fulfilling, enjoying a tremendously busy extra-curricular life of my own choosing, surrounded by the most amazing group of family and friends... What, on earth, could I possibly think to complain about? It is practically an embarrassment of riches...
Some of you may recall that WH and I have the same birthday, but because this was a big birthday for me, WH threw me a party last night. We had burgers and munchies, lots of wonderful things to drink, and many of the friends and family mentioned above were able to come and celebrate. What a blast! And the party even had an informal theme!
Let me explain...
I always wanted a Mr. Potato Head when I was a child. Of any toy, it was the one I craved the most. (MU would point out here that I never uttered this desire, which is probably true...) I hadn't thought about this yearning until a couple of months ago, when I said to myself, suddenly one day, "Dammit, I am almost thirty, and I WILL HAVE A MR. POTATO HEAD." So I asked WH for one for my birthday, and he came through, so now I have one. And my lovely friend S brought me the little mini Mr. Potato Head that comes with the doggie and kitty as well, so now I have FOUR Mr. Potato Head figures.
And to top it all off, our friend G baked this:
I know, right?! Amazing!Needless to say, I had a great time.
So on Tuesday, WH and I will both celebrate our birthdays and the year of our life that has now past. I can't wait to see what's to come down the road!
And now, my champagne glass is empty and the laundry needs pushing. Tra la la...
Monday, September 14, 2009
Dear Weight Watchers...
... In almost all ways, you are a fantastic program. I appreciate all the things that you do to allow people who are working to lose weight to eat as close to normally as possible. We have had WW in our lives for the last year, and have had lots of success.
That said, I have a concern with your Gnocchi with Pesto recipe. Low fat or not, you cannot make a pesto sauce with two tablespoons of water instead of the traditional oil. I know; I tried. And it tastes like sand.
And life is too damn short to eat sandy gnocchi.
Word.
That said, I have a concern with your Gnocchi with Pesto recipe. Low fat or not, you cannot make a pesto sauce with two tablespoons of water instead of the traditional oil. I know; I tried. And it tastes like sand.
And life is too damn short to eat sandy gnocchi.
Word.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
My Saturday Morning Grocery Routine
I had the best morning at the grocery store today.
In the last little while, I've gotten into the habit of going grocery shopping early in the morning on Saturdays and it works out wonderfully. The store is quiet, the shelves are fully stocked, I get a good cart, and the staff haven't had time to be cranky yet. It's great.
This morning, not only did I have the usual benefits of early morning shopping, but I also had the following:
$12 worth of coupons
$20 worth of bank credits
Brand-name, two-ply, double roll, 24 packs of toilet paper at NINE DOLLARS OFF EACH. I bought two.
So between the coupons and the tp sale, I figure I saved $50 today. FIFTY BUCKS!!
On top of all of that, before I went to the grocery store I did my Wii Fit yoga routine, which means I felt all stretched and relaxed and balanced and centered while I was shopping.
Best. Saturday. Ever.
In the last little while, I've gotten into the habit of going grocery shopping early in the morning on Saturdays and it works out wonderfully. The store is quiet, the shelves are fully stocked, I get a good cart, and the staff haven't had time to be cranky yet. It's great.
This morning, not only did I have the usual benefits of early morning shopping, but I also had the following:
$12 worth of coupons
$20 worth of bank credits
Brand-name, two-ply, double roll, 24 packs of toilet paper at NINE DOLLARS OFF EACH. I bought two.
So between the coupons and the tp sale, I figure I saved $50 today. FIFTY BUCKS!!
On top of all of that, before I went to the grocery store I did my Wii Fit yoga routine, which means I felt all stretched and relaxed and balanced and centered while I was shopping.
Best. Saturday. Ever.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Catchin' Up
I love my new job; it is invigorating and interesting and wonderful. But it is very, very busy, and I'm still figuring out how all the other things I like to do, like singing and blogging and cooking and watching baseball and reading the news, are going to fit back into my life. I know that they will fit, but it takes some time for the routine to materialize. Here is just a smattering of what's going on with me these days:
- We're back into Chamber Choir season, which is great fun. Our first concert is all Bach and Mendelssohn, so how can a person go wrong? The big work on this concert will be the Bach motet Jesu, Meine Freude, which will be the first of the motets that I've sung. Hurray!
- I'm taking a sabbatical from Orchestral Choir this year; it's just too much with the new job and the new house and everything else. I'd like to think that I'll find some time this year to do some things that aren't choir or work related, like learn to quilt and cooking more things... we'll see!
- Next on my list of Things I Want To Cook was risotto, so tonight I made a seafood risotto from one of our healthy cookbooks. It was really, really good, but I wish that it had come out more creamy. Next time I make it, I'll cut down the liquid a little bit to see if that helps.
- If I sit here long enough and quietly enough on the couch this evening, WH will bring me ice cream. Shhhh...
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