Good Eats
This weekend was filled with excellent food at our house. One thing can always be said about our house, and that it that we eat well. Saturday was our first Saturday in 3 weeks without lamaze class, so we were able to partake in tea at Peet's. This tradition had been sorely missed. After tea time, we walked over to Whole Foods and bought some yummy Australian cheddar cheese and a loaf of sourdough bread for lunch. For dinner Saturday night, Geoff made deep dish pizza, which was very tasty. Only topped by the BEST TURKEY DINNER EVER!!!! on Sunday night. All the elements came together perfectly to create a very moist bird, and the most outstanding gravy Geoff has ever made. There was no conversation, just "mmms" and sighs of contentment. To find out his secrets, you'll just have to ask him. But I do know portions of the recipe came from Alton Brown. I think I ought to send him a thank you note. :)
This summer I worked with a very nice girl named Rachel at DMNS, who spent September through December in Spain. It was an exchange program with school I think. Well, doll that she is she brought me back a beautiful pair of earrings from Salamanca. They are called "botones charros", and are traditional to the area. I love them, and it was very thoughtful for her to bring me back something.
Jeff is back from Egypt, and he had an amazing time. He spent an hour given us just a small idea of all he saw. I imagine we'll be hearing about it for weeks to come, but we're all anxious to see the pictures. It's just nice to have our department getting back to normal, with a lot of work to do. Since the Egypt exhibit has ended, we can pack it all away and get ready for the next one, which is Lewis & Clark. Also in museum news, Mary may be leaving. She is already committed at her daughter's school on a board, and she got a job offer somewhere else. While I was planning on taking a few months break away from DMNS, I always envisioned I'd continue to volunteer in some capacity. It just won't be the same without her. Ideally we'll keep up on our coffee dates. We'll have to see what happens. Mary may not take that job, nothing is certain at this point.
No big plans for this week. Mary & I are going to try to do coffee, but that's about all that is on my plate. I'm going to close with a quote from The Lost Boys (which was on the other week, and Geoff told me he's never seen it. Can you believe that?)
Edgar Frog: You did the right thing by calling us. Does your brother sleep a lot?
Sam Emerson: Yeah, all day.
Alan Frog: Does the sunlight freak him out?
Sam Emerson: Uh, he wears sunglasses in the house.
Edgar Frog: Bad breath, long fingernails?
Sam Emerson: Yeah, his fingernails are a little bit longer, um, he always had bad breath though.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Durak
I decided to Google that card game I enjoyed from high school, and found it's called Durak. But the version we played was way more cutthroat, and the rules we had were a little different. But that was the game.
Ah, I really do miss having people to play cards with. Sigh.
I decided to Google that card game I enjoyed from high school, and found it's called Durak. But the version we played was way more cutthroat, and the rules we had were a little different. But that was the game.
Ah, I really do miss having people to play cards with. Sigh.
What's Wrong With Hollywood
Okay, so remember a few months back I said I would give up forever watching the Oscars if Michael Moore won Best Picture? Well, no worries now. Am I surprised? Not really. I was disappointed that Hollywood decided to play it safe and just nominate pretty much the same stuff that was honored at the Golden Globes. There were some pictures that I thought should have been acknowledged, that were not. Funny coming from someone who barely saw any movies this year (and yet I saw more than I usually do). I was super disappointed last year in the lack of acting noms for Return Of The King, and with no LOTR movie this year, I wondered what would I root for. Obviously I'm saddened the academy didn't nominate Mel Gibson, but they did give us 3 techie nominations for The Passion Of The Christ. But for Mike to get the big snub, that was awesome! :) Oh don't cry Mike, I'm sure someone will make some big political statement on your behalf. Or they'll invite you to present and you can get on your soapbox.
Speaking of soapboxes, what's up with Hollywood getting in my face about illegal immigrants being able to get driver's licenses? By now you all should know how I feel about illegal immigrants getting special treatment over those of us who come here legally. It drives me batty. I don't get any special treatment for obeying the rules. I do agree with Gov. Schwarzenegger who said “I want everyone to be able to drive legally. But it has to be a document that can’t be used to get another document.” Maybe I'm still just bitter about the treatment I got when we tried to get a license here in CO and the people at the DMV were so unreasonable. (Oh Joy! We get to go back to the DMV in March to renew our licenses. Better put Gov. Owens number on speed dial.) I'm just tired of celebrities telling me what to do.
So Comedy Central has put out yet another game show. They like to do this, and it drives me crazy. Because they always end up canceling it, or changing the host so it sucks. We used to love watching Let's Bowl. Not quite a game show per say, but it was funny. Anytime people bowl to decide who wins an argument has got to be good. Then there was Beat The Geeks, which was great until they got the new host, then it took a turn for the worse. Now their new game show is called Distraction, where contestants have to answer questions while being distracted. I tuned in for about 5 minutes, and the contestants were trying to put as many clothespins on their face as they could while they answered questions. You got extra points if you had the most clothespins on. Anyways, at the end of the show, the guy was competing to win a brand new car. For every question he got wrong, the ousted contestants got to trash the car. He missed some really easy questions, and as a result his new car needed a brand new windshield, and it had paint poured all over it. While that was funny to watch, I don't think I'd tune in ever again. Just seems stupid, and like these people are trying too hard. I would also like to bemoan the fate of Rock N' Roll Jeopardy (hosted by Jeff Probst of Survivor fame). I seriously wanted to be on the show, as it's a Jeopardy I think I could do well at. Vh1 used to air it, and I miss it.
Okay let's change topics. I spoke to Colin on the phone a few weeks ago, and he was telling me that Dylan is really enjoying the movie I gave Colin for his birthday. I gave my brother Airheads, which I think is hilarious. Well, now my sweet 5 year old nephew walks around playing air guitar. Colin asked him what he was doing, and he said "I'm Chazz". Ah, kids. One other Dylan story I wanted to share, he was at his day home (or it could have been at school), and the kids had to line up at the door, and Dylan was at the front of the line. One of the kids said "first is worst", and Dylan turned around saying, "no first is not worst, first is best. And my mom works for the government so that makes it final." Dawn said she didn't have the heart to tell Dylan she doesn't hold that kind of authority at work, but she thinks it's great he knows the government makes decisions. :) How cute is that kid?
I'm just going to hang about the house today, maybe do something crafty (i.e.- work on the stocking, or my Scotland scrapbook). I guess I'll sign off and close with a quote from Airheads.
Rex: We're gonna take the cops up on those demands they wanted.
Pip: We got a killer list goin'.
Rex: Yeah, check it out. We ask for airplay and whatever else we want, then we demand a whole bunch of weird stuff. This way we can plead insanity later.
Chazz: Where'd this come from?
Rex: Pip's idea.
Chazz: Way to go, Pip.
Okay, so remember a few months back I said I would give up forever watching the Oscars if Michael Moore won Best Picture? Well, no worries now. Am I surprised? Not really. I was disappointed that Hollywood decided to play it safe and just nominate pretty much the same stuff that was honored at the Golden Globes. There were some pictures that I thought should have been acknowledged, that were not. Funny coming from someone who barely saw any movies this year (and yet I saw more than I usually do). I was super disappointed last year in the lack of acting noms for Return Of The King, and with no LOTR movie this year, I wondered what would I root for. Obviously I'm saddened the academy didn't nominate Mel Gibson, but they did give us 3 techie nominations for The Passion Of The Christ. But for Mike to get the big snub, that was awesome! :) Oh don't cry Mike, I'm sure someone will make some big political statement on your behalf. Or they'll invite you to present and you can get on your soapbox.
Speaking of soapboxes, what's up with Hollywood getting in my face about illegal immigrants being able to get driver's licenses? By now you all should know how I feel about illegal immigrants getting special treatment over those of us who come here legally. It drives me batty. I don't get any special treatment for obeying the rules. I do agree with Gov. Schwarzenegger who said “I want everyone to be able to drive legally. But it has to be a document that can’t be used to get another document.” Maybe I'm still just bitter about the treatment I got when we tried to get a license here in CO and the people at the DMV were so unreasonable. (Oh Joy! We get to go back to the DMV in March to renew our licenses. Better put Gov. Owens number on speed dial.) I'm just tired of celebrities telling me what to do.
So Comedy Central has put out yet another game show. They like to do this, and it drives me crazy. Because they always end up canceling it, or changing the host so it sucks. We used to love watching Let's Bowl. Not quite a game show per say, but it was funny. Anytime people bowl to decide who wins an argument has got to be good. Then there was Beat The Geeks, which was great until they got the new host, then it took a turn for the worse. Now their new game show is called Distraction, where contestants have to answer questions while being distracted. I tuned in for about 5 minutes, and the contestants were trying to put as many clothespins on their face as they could while they answered questions. You got extra points if you had the most clothespins on. Anyways, at the end of the show, the guy was competing to win a brand new car. For every question he got wrong, the ousted contestants got to trash the car. He missed some really easy questions, and as a result his new car needed a brand new windshield, and it had paint poured all over it. While that was funny to watch, I don't think I'd tune in ever again. Just seems stupid, and like these people are trying too hard. I would also like to bemoan the fate of Rock N' Roll Jeopardy (hosted by Jeff Probst of Survivor fame). I seriously wanted to be on the show, as it's a Jeopardy I think I could do well at. Vh1 used to air it, and I miss it.
Okay let's change topics. I spoke to Colin on the phone a few weeks ago, and he was telling me that Dylan is really enjoying the movie I gave Colin for his birthday. I gave my brother Airheads, which I think is hilarious. Well, now my sweet 5 year old nephew walks around playing air guitar. Colin asked him what he was doing, and he said "I'm Chazz". Ah, kids. One other Dylan story I wanted to share, he was at his day home (or it could have been at school), and the kids had to line up at the door, and Dylan was at the front of the line. One of the kids said "first is worst", and Dylan turned around saying, "no first is not worst, first is best. And my mom works for the government so that makes it final." Dawn said she didn't have the heart to tell Dylan she doesn't hold that kind of authority at work, but she thinks it's great he knows the government makes decisions. :) How cute is that kid?
I'm just going to hang about the house today, maybe do something crafty (i.e.- work on the stocking, or my Scotland scrapbook). I guess I'll sign off and close with a quote from Airheads.
Rex: We're gonna take the cops up on those demands they wanted.
Pip: We got a killer list goin'.
Rex: Yeah, check it out. We ask for airplay and whatever else we want, then we demand a whole bunch of weird stuff. This way we can plead insanity later.
Chazz: Where'd this come from?
Rex: Pip's idea.
Chazz: Way to go, Pip.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
This Is Winter?
Okay, so I have to brag about the weather. With my poor friends Chris & Ashley suffering in Vermont, and my family and friends in Edmonton going through their cold spell, it's nice to live in Denver. Where it's sunny, and warm enough to have the patio door open. I did wonder if Chris missed living in Illinois this week.
Let's talk tv for a bit. first off, what a sad shock to turn on the computer after church and see Johnny Carson had died. He always seemed like such a nice man, and like Bob Hope, always willing to do his part for the troops. I admire that. I almost saw Johnny once, when my dad, Colin & I did the NBC studio tour (way back in the day). We had just missed him when we saw the Tonight Show set. We had just left before he walked in, the tour after us had seen him (we were told once we finished the tour).
Scrubs was back this week with a new episode, and in fine form. I loved that Turk & J.D. want to have a robot and that Turk has picked out the name Tupac. I think it's a great name for a robot! Next week's episode will be with Colin Farrell, and the previews make it out to be pretty funny.
Monk also returned, sans Sharona. I was trying to keep an open mind, but seriously! I'm supposed to believe Sharona would go back to Jersey with her ex? I don't think so. I thought it was totally out of character, and that she deserved a better send off than that. With that said, it was a pretty good episode, the new girl (Traylor Howard) is alright, she may just be a good fit.
VH1 aired I Love The 90s Part Deux and it was pretty funny. I enjoy watching it because it's funny to relive those years. We did find it to be way more (what's the word?) crude (?) than it has been in the past. The sexual innuendo wasn't subtle at all.
TBS has begun to air the series Ed which Cramer used to rave about, but I never watched. I tuned in to the pilot by accident, and have been laughing my butt off all week. My only complaint would be that they air it at 10am, and by 10am, I like to get on with my day. I may take to taping it and watching it in the evenings, if I can talk Geoff into it. If not, I'll just watch it in the afternoons.
President Bush had his inauguration this week (like you could miss that), and I wished I could have been there. I think going to an event like that would be cool. I had to shake my head at the protesters, it seems like a silly thing to protest. But then I only ever participated in a protest once, and that was in the 7th grade. A sit-in in the hallway at Ottewell Junior High. Everyone was there for different reasons, I went because I thought we we protesting the new rule the 7-11 (or it could have been the Mac store) posted saying no more than 4 students in the store at a time. It was due to too much theft, for which I blame Curtis. Everyone suspected it was Curtis' fault. But I digress. Yes, I was saying I wanted to go to the inauguration. I have hopes that someday I'll get to meet the President. But then I also have hopes Geoff will win the Nobel Prize and I'll get to go to that event. A girl can dream.
2005 is the centennial for both Alberta and Las Vegas. How weird is that? I'm excited to think about visiting Edmonton and hoping they'll be doing something cool for the centennial when I go. B.E. (Before Elijah), we talked about going to Edmonton for the Brier, but that was last March, when we thought that might happen. Okay I should clarify, I thought it might happen, Geoff lives in reality where we don't have money to go to the Brier. It would have been cool. We also don't have money for Vegas, but that hasn't stopped the Vegas fever that is rampant in our house. I'm not joking you, we're seeing signs everywhere that point to Vegas. It's driving us crazy, taunting us. And how would we ever do Vegas with a newborn? Sigh, we'll just have to wait until he's a little older, or until we can arrange for a sitter to come with us. One who doesn't expect to get a cut of our winnings.
Well, I guess I should sign off. I always feel like I have stuff I want to post about and once I sit down to do it I forget. Then I remember the next day, or even hours later. So I'll probably post again soon. I'll close with a quote from Johnny Carson.
Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president.
Okay, so I have to brag about the weather. With my poor friends Chris & Ashley suffering in Vermont, and my family and friends in Edmonton going through their cold spell, it's nice to live in Denver. Where it's sunny, and warm enough to have the patio door open. I did wonder if Chris missed living in Illinois this week.
Let's talk tv for a bit. first off, what a sad shock to turn on the computer after church and see Johnny Carson had died. He always seemed like such a nice man, and like Bob Hope, always willing to do his part for the troops. I admire that. I almost saw Johnny once, when my dad, Colin & I did the NBC studio tour (way back in the day). We had just missed him when we saw the Tonight Show set. We had just left before he walked in, the tour after us had seen him (we were told once we finished the tour).
Scrubs was back this week with a new episode, and in fine form. I loved that Turk & J.D. want to have a robot and that Turk has picked out the name Tupac. I think it's a great name for a robot! Next week's episode will be with Colin Farrell, and the previews make it out to be pretty funny.
Monk also returned, sans Sharona. I was trying to keep an open mind, but seriously! I'm supposed to believe Sharona would go back to Jersey with her ex? I don't think so. I thought it was totally out of character, and that she deserved a better send off than that. With that said, it was a pretty good episode, the new girl (Traylor Howard) is alright, she may just be a good fit.
VH1 aired I Love The 90s Part Deux and it was pretty funny. I enjoy watching it because it's funny to relive those years. We did find it to be way more (what's the word?) crude (?) than it has been in the past. The sexual innuendo wasn't subtle at all.
TBS has begun to air the series Ed which Cramer used to rave about, but I never watched. I tuned in to the pilot by accident, and have been laughing my butt off all week. My only complaint would be that they air it at 10am, and by 10am, I like to get on with my day. I may take to taping it and watching it in the evenings, if I can talk Geoff into it. If not, I'll just watch it in the afternoons.
President Bush had his inauguration this week (like you could miss that), and I wished I could have been there. I think going to an event like that would be cool. I had to shake my head at the protesters, it seems like a silly thing to protest. But then I only ever participated in a protest once, and that was in the 7th grade. A sit-in in the hallway at Ottewell Junior High. Everyone was there for different reasons, I went because I thought we we protesting the new rule the 7-11 (or it could have been the Mac store) posted saying no more than 4 students in the store at a time. It was due to too much theft, for which I blame Curtis. Everyone suspected it was Curtis' fault. But I digress. Yes, I was saying I wanted to go to the inauguration. I have hopes that someday I'll get to meet the President. But then I also have hopes Geoff will win the Nobel Prize and I'll get to go to that event. A girl can dream.
2005 is the centennial for both Alberta and Las Vegas. How weird is that? I'm excited to think about visiting Edmonton and hoping they'll be doing something cool for the centennial when I go. B.E. (Before Elijah), we talked about going to Edmonton for the Brier, but that was last March, when we thought that might happen. Okay I should clarify, I thought it might happen, Geoff lives in reality where we don't have money to go to the Brier. It would have been cool. We also don't have money for Vegas, but that hasn't stopped the Vegas fever that is rampant in our house. I'm not joking you, we're seeing signs everywhere that point to Vegas. It's driving us crazy, taunting us. And how would we ever do Vegas with a newborn? Sigh, we'll just have to wait until he's a little older, or until we can arrange for a sitter to come with us. One who doesn't expect to get a cut of our winnings.
Well, I guess I should sign off. I always feel like I have stuff I want to post about and once I sit down to do it I forget. Then I remember the next day, or even hours later. So I'll probably post again soon. I'll close with a quote from Johnny Carson.
Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Animated Spaceballs?
I'm intrigued. Spaceballs is one of my favorite Bill Pullman movies, and the only Mel Brooks movie I can watch more than once. Sorry, I generally don't like his movies (Geoff loves Young Frankenstein), but I do love the tv show Get Smart, which he created. Which Brooks is making into a movie. There are some things which should just be left alone, and this is one of those things.
I'm intrigued. Spaceballs is one of my favorite Bill Pullman movies, and the only Mel Brooks movie I can watch more than once. Sorry, I generally don't like his movies (Geoff loves Young Frankenstein), but I do love the tv show Get Smart, which he created. Which Brooks is making into a movie. There are some things which should just be left alone, and this is one of those things.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Misc Post
I had a strange dream last night, but then I'm always having weird dreams. In this dream I was eating in a restaurant in New Orleans or it could have been Vegas but a New Orleans themed restaurant, and Zach Braff was at the next table, and I was trying to find my camera in my bag to get a picture with him. There were also serving the weirdest looking nachos I've ever seen. I was afraid to try it, it looked yucky.
In watching That Thing You Do! I noticed an In-N-Out cup. They don't have In-N-Out in Erie, PA. :) I know the movie was filmed in Orange, CA, but it made me want an In-N-Out milkshake. We didn't make it to In-N-Out when we were in Vegas, so I'll have to wait until our next trip out there (hopefully this summer/fall). I almost got teary today thinking about how much I miss my WCC friends. Must be those pregnancy hormones.
So a date has been set for our 10 year high school reunion, it's at the end of June. There will be a dinner and dance. Geoff is adamant about not wanting to go. I kinda want to go, but I'd want to have my friends from the years before and after me at the reunion. While sure there is tons of stuff I hated about high school, there is stuff I can look back on and smile about. Like playing cards with my friends. I was trying to remember this one game we'd play. I don't remember what it was called, and I'm hazy on how to play it, but I'm sure it had a Ukrainian name, and it involved passing cards and at least a few decks. I think that's one of the things I miss about Edmonton, is our friends there knew the same card games we did. We always have to teach people how to play the card games we like (like bridge).
I finished reading Why I Hate Canadians and it was a great read. It's a good compliment to Will Furguson's book How To Be A Canadian. Now I'm looking forward to tackling his book Canadian History For Dummies since my recollection of Canadian history isn't what it should be. Fiction wise, I'm still reading Perelandra (C.S. Lewis), and I hope to start Tombs Of Atuan (Ursula K. LeGuin).
The Calgary Armstrongs and the Schmidts are in Panama this week. I imagine they are all having quite the adventure. I'm happy to be taking a break from travel for a while. If I have my way, 2005 will hold just 2 trips, one to Edmonton, and one to California. We'll have to get a passport for the baby (how funny is that?), so I've started looking into that. I'm worried I won't have much time to be on top of things once the baby comes, so I'm trying to look a few months ahead and set some things in motion.
Before I sign off, I want to brag about how beautiful it is here. It's 64 degrees (that's 18 degrees Celsius for my Hoser friends and family), you don't need a coat, and I have the patio screen door open.
I'll close with a quote from That Thing You Do!
Phil: I'm talking about *real* Rock 'N' Roll shows in Stubenville, Pittsburgh...
The Bass Player: [interrupts] Pittsburgh?
Lenny: Stubenville?
I had a strange dream last night, but then I'm always having weird dreams. In this dream I was eating in a restaurant in New Orleans or it could have been Vegas but a New Orleans themed restaurant, and Zach Braff was at the next table, and I was trying to find my camera in my bag to get a picture with him. There were also serving the weirdest looking nachos I've ever seen. I was afraid to try it, it looked yucky.
In watching That Thing You Do! I noticed an In-N-Out cup. They don't have In-N-Out in Erie, PA. :) I know the movie was filmed in Orange, CA, but it made me want an In-N-Out milkshake. We didn't make it to In-N-Out when we were in Vegas, so I'll have to wait until our next trip out there (hopefully this summer/fall). I almost got teary today thinking about how much I miss my WCC friends. Must be those pregnancy hormones.
So a date has been set for our 10 year high school reunion, it's at the end of June. There will be a dinner and dance. Geoff is adamant about not wanting to go. I kinda want to go, but I'd want to have my friends from the years before and after me at the reunion. While sure there is tons of stuff I hated about high school, there is stuff I can look back on and smile about. Like playing cards with my friends. I was trying to remember this one game we'd play. I don't remember what it was called, and I'm hazy on how to play it, but I'm sure it had a Ukrainian name, and it involved passing cards and at least a few decks. I think that's one of the things I miss about Edmonton, is our friends there knew the same card games we did. We always have to teach people how to play the card games we like (like bridge).
I finished reading Why I Hate Canadians and it was a great read. It's a good compliment to Will Furguson's book How To Be A Canadian. Now I'm looking forward to tackling his book Canadian History For Dummies since my recollection of Canadian history isn't what it should be. Fiction wise, I'm still reading Perelandra (C.S. Lewis), and I hope to start Tombs Of Atuan (Ursula K. LeGuin).
The Calgary Armstrongs and the Schmidts are in Panama this week. I imagine they are all having quite the adventure. I'm happy to be taking a break from travel for a while. If I have my way, 2005 will hold just 2 trips, one to Edmonton, and one to California. We'll have to get a passport for the baby (how funny is that?), so I've started looking into that. I'm worried I won't have much time to be on top of things once the baby comes, so I'm trying to look a few months ahead and set some things in motion.
Before I sign off, I want to brag about how beautiful it is here. It's 64 degrees (that's 18 degrees Celsius for my Hoser friends and family), you don't need a coat, and I have the patio screen door open.
I'll close with a quote from That Thing You Do!
Phil: I'm talking about *real* Rock 'N' Roll shows in Stubenville, Pittsburgh...
The Bass Player: [interrupts] Pittsburgh?
Lenny: Stubenville?
Sunday, January 16, 2005
DVD News
Titus is coming to DVD! Seasons 1 & 2 are being released in September of this year. This was one of the funnier shows ever on tv. I'm super stoked. And Scrubs is due out on DVD this year too. I know what I'm asking for this Christmas. :)
Oh, I won't be watching the Golden Globes, I'm opting instead for Return Of The King. And we're going to bake a belated birthday cake for me. This week just didn't allow for time to bake a cake.
I'm going to close with a quote from Titus.
Christopher Titus: My dad's third heart attack, he'd gotten so good at them, he decided to drive himself to the hospital because 'They won't let me smoke in the ambulance!' and 'You can't make a burger run.'
Titus is coming to DVD! Seasons 1 & 2 are being released in September of this year. This was one of the funnier shows ever on tv. I'm super stoked. And Scrubs is due out on DVD this year too. I know what I'm asking for this Christmas. :)
Oh, I won't be watching the Golden Globes, I'm opting instead for Return Of The King. And we're going to bake a belated birthday cake for me. This week just didn't allow for time to bake a cake.
I'm going to close with a quote from Titus.
Christopher Titus: My dad's third heart attack, he'd gotten so good at them, he decided to drive himself to the hospital because 'They won't let me smoke in the ambulance!' and 'You can't make a burger run.'
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Leaving On A Jet Plane
So Mom flew home this morning. A short and sweet visit. But she'll be back in a few months.
I worked yesterday at Harry & David. It was so quiet, I spent the whole shift just checking the expiration dates on everything in preparation for inventory day. I gather from the staff I should consider myself lucky to not work inventory day. It's not supposed to be much fun. Well, anyway the money I earned paid for my birthday dinner at Old Chicago. Oh, I want to go back. Everything on the menu looked awesome. I had the deep dish Meat Me pizza. Not a "real" deep dish pizza (so says Geoff who's been to Chicago), but I loved it. Mom & Geoff also had pizza. (Chris, Geoff did not join the beer tour, but maybe next time he will. He says he doesn't want to drink crappy beers. I think he can just put those off until the end. But they do offer the beer he had in Glasgow, so I thought that might entice him.)
Wednesday we had quite the snow storm hit here. It thankfully had stopped snowing by the time I had to leave for work, so the walk to the bus stop wasn't so bad. And Mom said the sun came out that afternoon. I figure another few days the snow will be gone. The roads are in pretty good shape today. But it would not have been a good day to fly out yesterday. It took Geoff an hour to drive to work.
This weekend we have dinner plans at Mark & Shannon's, and lamaze class. Geoff bought me Return Of The King Extended Edition for my birthday, so I want to watch that. I'm very excited to see the new scenes. That may have to be on Sunday night. I don't have to go into the museum on Monday (holiday), but Mary and I will get together for coffee. Jeff is going to Egypt, so I told Rich if he needs me at the museum while Jeff is away to just let me know. Rich has classes on Mondays this semester, so I don't know if I'll be seeing him much.
Caught a bit of The Factor last night. We don't always watch it regularly, but sometimes we'll make a point of trying to remember it's on. Anyways, he had on Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, authors of the Left Behind series. Bill was complaining about Christianity not being inclusive of "good people", and how in Catholicism they have "baptism by desire". Which I think meant you don't have to be a Catholic, but if you are a good person, you can get baptized and saved. (I may not have that right, I'm going off my memory.) And the authors were saying there is no biblical basis for that, that the Bible is very clear that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus. And Bill was saying, so if a baby dies it goes to hell, because it didn't acknowledge Jesus? He said he can't believe that a merciful God would do that. That babies and "good people" should get to go to Heaven. And they said babies are washed clean by Jesus' blood, that God doesn't turn away those who have not had the opportunity to know Him. Which reminds me of one of my favorite verses, Romans 10:14, How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? They said in effect that if you know the law (what God asks of you) and you choose not to abide it, you will be judged by the law. But if you don't know the law (or know Christ) you won't be judged the way those people are. But there will be a judgment for all. It was pretty meaty for The Factor, and Bill was standing by his Catholic faith. (Did you know Michael Moore is Catholic too?) I'm not coming down on Catholicism, I'm just saying there are some Catholics who are very confused. Heck, there are some Christians who are very confused.
Alright, I better sign off before I get someone all worked up. I'll close with a quote from That 70s Show.
Leo: I met God one time on a bus. He told me the meaning of life and gave me a pretzel.
Hyde: So, what's the meaning of life?
Leo: ...I don't remember... but it was a pretty good pretzel.
So Mom flew home this morning. A short and sweet visit. But she'll be back in a few months.
I worked yesterday at Harry & David. It was so quiet, I spent the whole shift just checking the expiration dates on everything in preparation for inventory day. I gather from the staff I should consider myself lucky to not work inventory day. It's not supposed to be much fun. Well, anyway the money I earned paid for my birthday dinner at Old Chicago. Oh, I want to go back. Everything on the menu looked awesome. I had the deep dish Meat Me pizza. Not a "real" deep dish pizza (so says Geoff who's been to Chicago), but I loved it. Mom & Geoff also had pizza. (Chris, Geoff did not join the beer tour, but maybe next time he will. He says he doesn't want to drink crappy beers. I think he can just put those off until the end. But they do offer the beer he had in Glasgow, so I thought that might entice him.)
Wednesday we had quite the snow storm hit here. It thankfully had stopped snowing by the time I had to leave for work, so the walk to the bus stop wasn't so bad. And Mom said the sun came out that afternoon. I figure another few days the snow will be gone. The roads are in pretty good shape today. But it would not have been a good day to fly out yesterday. It took Geoff an hour to drive to work.
This weekend we have dinner plans at Mark & Shannon's, and lamaze class. Geoff bought me Return Of The King Extended Edition for my birthday, so I want to watch that. I'm very excited to see the new scenes. That may have to be on Sunday night. I don't have to go into the museum on Monday (holiday), but Mary and I will get together for coffee. Jeff is going to Egypt, so I told Rich if he needs me at the museum while Jeff is away to just let me know. Rich has classes on Mondays this semester, so I don't know if I'll be seeing him much.
Caught a bit of The Factor last night. We don't always watch it regularly, but sometimes we'll make a point of trying to remember it's on. Anyways, he had on Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, authors of the Left Behind series. Bill was complaining about Christianity not being inclusive of "good people", and how in Catholicism they have "baptism by desire". Which I think meant you don't have to be a Catholic, but if you are a good person, you can get baptized and saved. (I may not have that right, I'm going off my memory.) And the authors were saying there is no biblical basis for that, that the Bible is very clear that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus. And Bill was saying, so if a baby dies it goes to hell, because it didn't acknowledge Jesus? He said he can't believe that a merciful God would do that. That babies and "good people" should get to go to Heaven. And they said babies are washed clean by Jesus' blood, that God doesn't turn away those who have not had the opportunity to know Him. Which reminds me of one of my favorite verses, Romans 10:14, How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? They said in effect that if you know the law (what God asks of you) and you choose not to abide it, you will be judged by the law. But if you don't know the law (or know Christ) you won't be judged the way those people are. But there will be a judgment for all. It was pretty meaty for The Factor, and Bill was standing by his Catholic faith. (Did you know Michael Moore is Catholic too?) I'm not coming down on Catholicism, I'm just saying there are some Catholics who are very confused. Heck, there are some Christians who are very confused.
Alright, I better sign off before I get someone all worked up. I'll close with a quote from That 70s Show.
Leo: I met God one time on a bus. He told me the meaning of life and gave me a pretzel.
Hyde: So, what's the meaning of life?
Leo: ...I don't remember... but it was a pretty good pretzel.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Happy Birthday To Me!
I'm 28. It's weird, I was more concerned after I turned 27, but I guess since last year was so good, I don't mind getting older.
Let me tell you about my Saturday, as it turned out to be a pretty good day. First, I got 2 free movie tickets in the mail. I won them online from Frito-Lay. I periodically visit it to enter their contests, but this is the first time I won something. Then in the afternoon, Jen from Harry & David called and asked me to come in for a shift this week. Score, a couple of extra bucks. Then, my mom showed up on my doorstep that night. It was the strangest experience. Geoff left the house "to go to work", and when he comes home he has a suitcase in his hand. I figured that his co-worker Tammy gave him a suitcase. Then he says, look who I found, and my mom is at my door. I'm in shock, I'm dumbfounded. I actually believe that he just found her. So after a few minutes of sitting there with a confused look on my face, I welcome her in, and continue to be in shock. I ask Geoff if he knew about it, and he says what do you think? Everyone knew about it. It's been in the making for months. I was the only one who didn't know. How's that for a birthday surprise?!
I think we'll go out to dinner tonight, Old Chicago. Other than that, we'll just see what the day unfolds.
I'll close with a quote from King Of The Hill.
Bobby Hill: Why is there such a big fence, Dad?
Hank Hill: Well, millions of people come to America in search of a better life, and we've decided we don't need that many.
Bobby Hill: Did the Soupinusanphones come through the fence?
Hank Hill: No, Bobby, Kahn applied the legal way. Sometimes the system fails us.
I'm 28. It's weird, I was more concerned after I turned 27, but I guess since last year was so good, I don't mind getting older.
Let me tell you about my Saturday, as it turned out to be a pretty good day. First, I got 2 free movie tickets in the mail. I won them online from Frito-Lay. I periodically visit it to enter their contests, but this is the first time I won something. Then in the afternoon, Jen from Harry & David called and asked me to come in for a shift this week. Score, a couple of extra bucks. Then, my mom showed up on my doorstep that night. It was the strangest experience. Geoff left the house "to go to work", and when he comes home he has a suitcase in his hand. I figured that his co-worker Tammy gave him a suitcase. Then he says, look who I found, and my mom is at my door. I'm in shock, I'm dumbfounded. I actually believe that he just found her. So after a few minutes of sitting there with a confused look on my face, I welcome her in, and continue to be in shock. I ask Geoff if he knew about it, and he says what do you think? Everyone knew about it. It's been in the making for months. I was the only one who didn't know. How's that for a birthday surprise?!
I think we'll go out to dinner tonight, Old Chicago. Other than that, we'll just see what the day unfolds.
I'll close with a quote from King Of The Hill.
Bobby Hill: Why is there such a big fence, Dad?
Hank Hill: Well, millions of people come to America in search of a better life, and we've decided we don't need that many.
Bobby Hill: Did the Soupinusanphones come through the fence?
Hank Hill: No, Bobby, Kahn applied the legal way. Sometimes the system fails us.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Nothing New Under The Sun
I figured I should post, even though I don't really know what I'd post about.
It's been a cold week. We had 2 days of snow, and it's supposed to warm up this weekend. Warm up being relative to what we've had. It's actually not so bad, but the house gets kinda chilly.
My job at Harry & David ended last week. While I won't miss working 30 hour weeks, I will miss working, the paychecks, and the friends I made there. I miss the truffles too. :) So now with this free time, I can go back to volunteering at the museum, and catching up on my emailing. I'm also trying to look at all our stuff and how it can be better organized. I think it's called nesting. This feeling of wanting to get the house in order before the baby comes.
I also have a ton of movies to watch and books to read with all my free time. Geoff gave me the strangest look when I told him I wanted to rent a movie for my birthday. "You got a ton of movies for Christmas" were his exact words. But there were several movies that came out last year that I never saw in the theater, that he promised we could rent (i.e.- Garden State, Spider-Man 2).
We haven't been watching much tv, since most of the shows we like are still in reruns. But new episodes of Scrubs, Monk, and Celebrity Poker Showdown are due to start in the next 2 weeks. Also, VH1 is airing I Love The 90s Part Deux, which I'm stoked about. Let's talk about Monk for a second. This will be the start of new episodes minus Sharona. We'll see how the show is, I'm still disappointed. Scrubs is having Colin Farrell guest star this month. I don't really care one way or another about Colin Farrell, but the promo looked pretty funny. CPS is being pretty quiet about who will be playing in this new tournament, so we'll have to wait and see on January 25 who's playing the first game.
On the health front, I think I'm nearly recovered. I'm coughing very little, and I'd like to say the same for Geoff. But I can't. We can only hope he doesn't pass it back to me. I have my appetite back, which is great, but I feel cheated out of all the food I didn't get to eat in Canada. And we won't be traveling there again until the summer. I just wanted to eat at some of my favorite places, like Harvey's, or New York Fries, or Boston Pizza. Sigh. Another time perhaps. As for bringing home snacks, our suitcases were too full of Christmas gifts to bring anything back. But as I posted, we did get to enjoy Tim Horton's.
That's about all that is going on with me. On the friends and family front, Kelly is getting a lot published and she emailed me to tell me she recently went to Paris (for her birthday in November). Crazy huh? My days of jumping on a plane for a spur of the moment trip are behind me, at least for a while. I wanted to post a prayer request for Heather's mom who has a very important doctor's visit on Monday. Please pray for good news, and peace for the family as they await to see what Monday's appointment will bring.
I'm going to close with a quote from Zoolander, because we watched it last night.
Derek Zoolander: Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and your do whatever it takes, ruin as many people's lives, so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way?
I figured I should post, even though I don't really know what I'd post about.
It's been a cold week. We had 2 days of snow, and it's supposed to warm up this weekend. Warm up being relative to what we've had. It's actually not so bad, but the house gets kinda chilly.
My job at Harry & David ended last week. While I won't miss working 30 hour weeks, I will miss working, the paychecks, and the friends I made there. I miss the truffles too. :) So now with this free time, I can go back to volunteering at the museum, and catching up on my emailing. I'm also trying to look at all our stuff and how it can be better organized. I think it's called nesting. This feeling of wanting to get the house in order before the baby comes.
I also have a ton of movies to watch and books to read with all my free time. Geoff gave me the strangest look when I told him I wanted to rent a movie for my birthday. "You got a ton of movies for Christmas" were his exact words. But there were several movies that came out last year that I never saw in the theater, that he promised we could rent (i.e.- Garden State, Spider-Man 2).
We haven't been watching much tv, since most of the shows we like are still in reruns. But new episodes of Scrubs, Monk, and Celebrity Poker Showdown are due to start in the next 2 weeks. Also, VH1 is airing I Love The 90s Part Deux, which I'm stoked about. Let's talk about Monk for a second. This will be the start of new episodes minus Sharona. We'll see how the show is, I'm still disappointed. Scrubs is having Colin Farrell guest star this month. I don't really care one way or another about Colin Farrell, but the promo looked pretty funny. CPS is being pretty quiet about who will be playing in this new tournament, so we'll have to wait and see on January 25 who's playing the first game.
On the health front, I think I'm nearly recovered. I'm coughing very little, and I'd like to say the same for Geoff. But I can't. We can only hope he doesn't pass it back to me. I have my appetite back, which is great, but I feel cheated out of all the food I didn't get to eat in Canada. And we won't be traveling there again until the summer. I just wanted to eat at some of my favorite places, like Harvey's, or New York Fries, or Boston Pizza. Sigh. Another time perhaps. As for bringing home snacks, our suitcases were too full of Christmas gifts to bring anything back. But as I posted, we did get to enjoy Tim Horton's.
That's about all that is going on with me. On the friends and family front, Kelly is getting a lot published and she emailed me to tell me she recently went to Paris (for her birthday in November). Crazy huh? My days of jumping on a plane for a spur of the moment trip are behind me, at least for a while. I wanted to post a prayer request for Heather's mom who has a very important doctor's visit on Monday. Please pray for good news, and peace for the family as they await to see what Monday's appointment will bring.
I'm going to close with a quote from Zoolander, because we watched it last night.
Derek Zoolander: Do you understand that the world does not revolve around you and your do whatever it takes, ruin as many people's lives, so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied along the way, just so long as you can make a name for yourself as an investigatory journalist, no matter how many friends you lose or people you leave dead and bloodied and dying along the way?
Monday, January 03, 2005
The Victoria Trip
Alright, I'm well enough to write about the trip. This darn cough is still lingering, but hopefully I'll either get answers at my doctor's appointment tomorrow, or it will just die.
No problems flying there, but can I say I love the Vancouver airport. All Canadian airports should be this well organized. You can totally tell it's a B.C. airport by the decor. It's peaceful, and very multicultural. And right beside our gate is a Tim Horton's. We have enough time to scarf a doughnut before we have to board. This is all the food we've had since breakfast.
We hop on a 16 minute flight to Victoria, it's up then down. I didn't see much from my seat, but I was feeling a little queasy, even with my Sea-Band on. Geoff said it was beautiful. Victoria's airport is tiny, kinda like the Long Beach airport. We are greeted by Glen & Diane, and we all hop in the van to see the island. We get a quick car tour of a decent portion of Victoria before we head to the condo.
We eat dinner at this great place called Christie's, it's a pub, and the food is excellent. Not just because we were hungry, it's really good there. And it's within eyesight of the condo.
Wednesday, we walk up to a quaint shopping district to get a few things and to see the infamous Penny Farthing Pub, where the family ate back when Meg & Mike were in Victoria. We head to Safeway to get a few things then home for lunch. After eating we walk to Craigdarroch Castle. I thought it would be a fun thing we could do, and it certainly was fun. It was all decorated for Christmas, and it was self guided so we could take as long as we wanted. I think we all got a kick out of it. There were two musicians playing celtic & Christmas music. Let it be said that Feliz Navidad doesn't sound good with a celtic flair. But the musicians were really good.
Leaving the castle, we stopped by Government House, but barely saw a portion of it. Definitely something to see in summer I'm sure. But the grounds look great, and I bet it's popular for wedding photos.
I start too feel my throat closing up that night, and wake the next morning being full on sick. Meg & Mike arrive that morning. Geoff went for a run that afternoon, and planned to meet up with everyone at Ross Bay. He felt like he was just getting warmed up by the time he hit Ross Bay, so he continued. He ends up running all the way to the Legislative Building, and then practically traces his steps back. Everyone is shocked by how far he went when he finally makes it back home. They were starting to worry, but I know my husband. He loves running at sea level, and he talks about how he can run forever. I knew he'd be okay, plus he had his phone if there were any problems.
The Armstrongs have their Christmas Eve Fish Fest, and I eat my scalloped potatoes in a box, since I can only muster to eat soft food. Plus I hate fish.
Christmas Day we all get spoiled, and then take a walk down to Gonzales Bay. This is my first time at the ocean this trip. The day is kinda cloudy, but it's somehow suited to the beach. Christmas dinner is turkey, and I am able to enjoy it. :) I love turkey.
Boxing Day (or the 26th for my Yankee friends), Geoff and I go out for coffee with my Auntie Laurie and her husband Gene. They take us to a great place, Ogden Point Cafe & Dive Shop. The food smells awesome, but I just have a hot chocolate. Geoff and Auntie Laurie enjoy a bumbleberry crisp, and Gene has carrot cake. We sit in a closed in patio overlooking the breakwater. It's so good to see her again, and to spend time with Gene. After coffee, we go downstairs to the dive shop and Geoff is able to talk to them about diving. Getting the scoop on things, he is armed with what he needs to know about diving there. Essentially, you can dive with the wetsuit he owns, but you'd be MUCH more comfortable in a dry suit. We then walk up to the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater to see two divers enter the water. Along the way all I am able to see are starfish, but it's so beautiful out there. We head back, and then go home to the condo. I tell Auntie Laurie I will for sure call her the next time we come up.
That night we have reservations at Butchart Gardens for dinner. Everyone is anxious to relive the holiday display they put on every year. Geoff has never been to Butchart Gardens, and I have never been in the winter. It's quite the display they put on, it's hard to capture in pictures. Once we finish viewing their display of the Twelve Days Of Christmas, we head to the Dining Room for dinner. It's a lovely place, and I wish I had felt better. As it was I just had salad for dinner. Geoff and I enjoyed a huge pot of tea each after dinner. If we'd known how big the tea pots were going to be, we'd have shared a pot. Giant silver tea pots. I really wanted to take the heavy duty tea strainer with me. I think if it were in the gift shop, I may have gotten one. I am so exhausted from our outing. I think it may have too much, but I wanted to go.
Our last day in Victoria, and I'm far to beat to do much. I do take a trip up to Safeway with Geoff just to get some fresh air, and exercise. The rest of the family heads to downtown, but I knew that would be too much for me. Next trip, I'll do downtown. I want to rest up since the family wants to the Penny Farthing for dinner. After eating there (I was able to eat a hamburger), I deem that Christie's is a much better pub. I mean yeah this place had ambiance, but the food was better at Christie's, and I like the atmosphere better over there. But it's always good to break out of your box once in while.
Our journey home begins at the Victoria airport at 11am with a 12pm departure. We get there and most of the flights are delayed or cancelled. Joy! We have a connection in Vancouver at 2pm, and we brace ourselves for the worst. We get out of Victoria on a flight at 12:30ish. So we're only 30 minutes behind our schedule. The problem was bad weather or fog in Vancouver. Once we get to Vancouver we fly through the airport, through security and customs. As we make our way to our gate, we know we're doing alright. We pass a Tim Horton's and once we get to the gate Geoff leaves to get us 2 doughnuts each and some water for the flight. Since we know from the flight there they won't be feeding us. We eat a doughnut and then it's time to board.
We get home safe and sound, and being the planners we are, there is food in the fridge to eat for dinner. There are even gifts under the tree. Turns out the housing office put any packages not picked up by Christmas Eve inside people's front doors, which is where our tree was.
So that was Victoria. I'm hoping to do more next time, and maybe we'll go in the summer next time.
I got a bus load of books for Christmas, and the first one I am reading is Why I Hate Canadians by Will Ferguson. It's hilarious. I also got his book Canadian History For Dummies, because I retained so little knowledge of what I learned in school. And I want to be able to give my boy facts about his parents' home country. I'm going to close with a quote from This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
J.B. Dixon: At this time, we need to look to Canada's poets for inspiration. And when we think Canada, when we think poets, we all think... Trooper!
Alright, I'm well enough to write about the trip. This darn cough is still lingering, but hopefully I'll either get answers at my doctor's appointment tomorrow, or it will just die.
No problems flying there, but can I say I love the Vancouver airport. All Canadian airports should be this well organized. You can totally tell it's a B.C. airport by the decor. It's peaceful, and very multicultural. And right beside our gate is a Tim Horton's. We have enough time to scarf a doughnut before we have to board. This is all the food we've had since breakfast.
We hop on a 16 minute flight to Victoria, it's up then down. I didn't see much from my seat, but I was feeling a little queasy, even with my Sea-Band on. Geoff said it was beautiful. Victoria's airport is tiny, kinda like the Long Beach airport. We are greeted by Glen & Diane, and we all hop in the van to see the island. We get a quick car tour of a decent portion of Victoria before we head to the condo.
We eat dinner at this great place called Christie's, it's a pub, and the food is excellent. Not just because we were hungry, it's really good there. And it's within eyesight of the condo.
Wednesday, we walk up to a quaint shopping district to get a few things and to see the infamous Penny Farthing Pub, where the family ate back when Meg & Mike were in Victoria. We head to Safeway to get a few things then home for lunch. After eating we walk to Craigdarroch Castle. I thought it would be a fun thing we could do, and it certainly was fun. It was all decorated for Christmas, and it was self guided so we could take as long as we wanted. I think we all got a kick out of it. There were two musicians playing celtic & Christmas music. Let it be said that Feliz Navidad doesn't sound good with a celtic flair. But the musicians were really good.
Leaving the castle, we stopped by Government House, but barely saw a portion of it. Definitely something to see in summer I'm sure. But the grounds look great, and I bet it's popular for wedding photos.
I start too feel my throat closing up that night, and wake the next morning being full on sick. Meg & Mike arrive that morning. Geoff went for a run that afternoon, and planned to meet up with everyone at Ross Bay. He felt like he was just getting warmed up by the time he hit Ross Bay, so he continued. He ends up running all the way to the Legislative Building, and then practically traces his steps back. Everyone is shocked by how far he went when he finally makes it back home. They were starting to worry, but I know my husband. He loves running at sea level, and he talks about how he can run forever. I knew he'd be okay, plus he had his phone if there were any problems.
The Armstrongs have their Christmas Eve Fish Fest, and I eat my scalloped potatoes in a box, since I can only muster to eat soft food. Plus I hate fish.
Christmas Day we all get spoiled, and then take a walk down to Gonzales Bay. This is my first time at the ocean this trip. The day is kinda cloudy, but it's somehow suited to the beach. Christmas dinner is turkey, and I am able to enjoy it. :) I love turkey.
Boxing Day (or the 26th for my Yankee friends), Geoff and I go out for coffee with my Auntie Laurie and her husband Gene. They take us to a great place, Ogden Point Cafe & Dive Shop. The food smells awesome, but I just have a hot chocolate. Geoff and Auntie Laurie enjoy a bumbleberry crisp, and Gene has carrot cake. We sit in a closed in patio overlooking the breakwater. It's so good to see her again, and to spend time with Gene. After coffee, we go downstairs to the dive shop and Geoff is able to talk to them about diving. Getting the scoop on things, he is armed with what he needs to know about diving there. Essentially, you can dive with the wetsuit he owns, but you'd be MUCH more comfortable in a dry suit. We then walk up to the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater to see two divers enter the water. Along the way all I am able to see are starfish, but it's so beautiful out there. We head back, and then go home to the condo. I tell Auntie Laurie I will for sure call her the next time we come up.
That night we have reservations at Butchart Gardens for dinner. Everyone is anxious to relive the holiday display they put on every year. Geoff has never been to Butchart Gardens, and I have never been in the winter. It's quite the display they put on, it's hard to capture in pictures. Once we finish viewing their display of the Twelve Days Of Christmas, we head to the Dining Room for dinner. It's a lovely place, and I wish I had felt better. As it was I just had salad for dinner. Geoff and I enjoyed a huge pot of tea each after dinner. If we'd known how big the tea pots were going to be, we'd have shared a pot. Giant silver tea pots. I really wanted to take the heavy duty tea strainer with me. I think if it were in the gift shop, I may have gotten one. I am so exhausted from our outing. I think it may have too much, but I wanted to go.
Our last day in Victoria, and I'm far to beat to do much. I do take a trip up to Safeway with Geoff just to get some fresh air, and exercise. The rest of the family heads to downtown, but I knew that would be too much for me. Next trip, I'll do downtown. I want to rest up since the family wants to the Penny Farthing for dinner. After eating there (I was able to eat a hamburger), I deem that Christie's is a much better pub. I mean yeah this place had ambiance, but the food was better at Christie's, and I like the atmosphere better over there. But it's always good to break out of your box once in while.
Our journey home begins at the Victoria airport at 11am with a 12pm departure. We get there and most of the flights are delayed or cancelled. Joy! We have a connection in Vancouver at 2pm, and we brace ourselves for the worst. We get out of Victoria on a flight at 12:30ish. So we're only 30 minutes behind our schedule. The problem was bad weather or fog in Vancouver. Once we get to Vancouver we fly through the airport, through security and customs. As we make our way to our gate, we know we're doing alright. We pass a Tim Horton's and once we get to the gate Geoff leaves to get us 2 doughnuts each and some water for the flight. Since we know from the flight there they won't be feeding us. We eat a doughnut and then it's time to board.
We get home safe and sound, and being the planners we are, there is food in the fridge to eat for dinner. There are even gifts under the tree. Turns out the housing office put any packages not picked up by Christmas Eve inside people's front doors, which is where our tree was.
So that was Victoria. I'm hoping to do more next time, and maybe we'll go in the summer next time.
I got a bus load of books for Christmas, and the first one I am reading is Why I Hate Canadians by Will Ferguson. It's hilarious. I also got his book Canadian History For Dummies, because I retained so little knowledge of what I learned in school. And I want to be able to give my boy facts about his parents' home country. I'm going to close with a quote from This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
J.B. Dixon: At this time, we need to look to Canada's poets for inspiration. And when we think Canada, when we think poets, we all think... Trooper!
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