Wednesday, November 30, 2011

it's beginning to look more like Christmas (in our apt)

When I came home last night Hubbs wasn’t feeling good and was napping on the couch. If I had a dollar for every time I came home and he was laying on the couch- I’d pretty much be a dollar richer every day. Must be nice. I feel like I’m always rushing around making dinner, doing errands, etc.


Last night we didn’t go to small group because we got a text from our group leaders that their basement had flooded. Again! They were almost done with their basement remodel after the last flooding a few months ago, and now again. I feel bad for them, that must be so frustrating. So instead I got to spend an evening at home with the Hubbs. That was nice too. For dinner I tried to make this noodle thing that my mom always used to make. It’s pretty much just elbow macaroni, beef and tomatoes. Mine was ok, but mom’s is super good. I don’t know what her secret is. I also tried to make a apple stuffed acorn squash side dish that my friend Liz made last year and was awesome. I’m not a big squash fan, but hers was super good. Mine was good, but not “Liz good”. That seems to be a phrase I often say after trying one of her recipes unfortunately.


Then we played my favorite Christmas music while we set up our Christmas tree. As we’re setting up Hubbs asks me if the songs are in English. I was really surprised because they are singing, but I couldn’t understand how he couldn’t understand the words. Beautiful singing fail. Now our apt is nice and holidayesque.




Also, after our Toronto trip, I am the proud owner of two new squashed pennies for my Penny Passport. The CN Tower penny and the Casa Loma penny.


It's crazy how some pennies get squashed so much longer than other ones!
Behold my collection:


So I was scared when I peeked out the window this morning after all the 3-5 inches talk last night, but there was just a dusting on the car. Soon enough winter will be here!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Toronto

Anne and Andrew’s trip of fun (and hunger and dehydration). Andrew and I went to Toronto for the long weekend. He had gotten me a city pass back in August for my birthday, and this was the first time we could go. So we packed our bags Friday and headed up to Canada. We did not pack very well. We had plenty of clothes, but the snack bag was not well thought out and I had a hungry Hubbs on my hands! Plus what is up with Canadians not drinking water!? Everytime we went to get something to eat we’d ask for water and would receive a tiny Dixie cup of water. And there was hardly a water fountain in sight any touristy place we went. So yeah, the first night had a pretty bad headache, but otherwise a great trip.


On the bridge to Canada


walking around town

The first night we went out for Thai food, yummy, and walked around the city a bit. The next morning we started out at the Royal Ontario Museum, and then walked to Casa Loma and toured there. Then we took the subway (our dogs were barking!) downtown and went to the CN Tower. I remember when I went there for the 7th grade field trip that there was a “ride” (pretty much a big screen, but the chairs move so you feel like you’re on a ride) and it was the Indiana Jones Temple of Doom mine scene. I was so excited to see if they still had it. Well, 15 years later, you are now a mined log on a journey to the river. Why anyone would build a roller coaster for their logs…. but hey, I guess the designers got to use the same code. I think my stomach is a bit touchier than when I was a kid because it made me a bit nauseous. But it was really neat to see the Toronto skyline at night. Pretty!


Tiger at the Royal Ontario Museum


Casa Loma


CN Tower (the ever flattering neck view ;))


on the CN Tower observation deck, so windy!

The next day we went to the Toronto Science Center. It was my favorite museum. There was a lot of hands-on fun interactive stuff. Really neat. We then went to the nearest grocery store to get some dinner and to find my favorite Canadian cereal Red River, which we could not find. Tear! It’s yummy, and only available in Canada. Since my last box of Red River fell prey to the pantry moths I have been needing another box, but alas, cannot find.

Rats, google says Red River had a recall because they had undisclosed soy in there. So slap a sticker on it, don't deny people who don't have soy allergies!!



science center


same picture- in bubbles!


a side trip to the Taj... jk

Anyway, another great trip with my favorite traveling buddy!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Weekend Review

Since this guy was out of town on a hiking trip with his brother


I mostly spent the weekend with this guy


And it was nice.

To "prepare" for the new Breaking Dawn movie I re-watched the 3rd movie Eclipse, which made me want to watch parts of New Moon, and also parts of Twilight. I pretty much watched all 3 movies again. And of course it made me want to re-read the books... The problem with these movies/books is that it speaks to women's need to be loved and appreciated. And I get that, God designed us different from men that way to need that more, but it makes it seem like being worshiped is something that we should expect and that I think is dangerous. My husband loves me, would sacrifice himself for me, but he does not worship me. And he shouldn't. That's the only thing I don't like about the books - unhealthy relationship! But otherwise I do love the story. I should have made a mark on the movie for every time I've seen it- I have probably seen Twilight at least 8 times. Don't judge.

There was one part in the movie I laughed out loud- when Jacob (in wolf form) was standing up to the alpha wolf and his voice sounded like he was being autotuned or speaking into one of those kid's microphones. And his 'wolf vision' also made me laugh. It was supposed to be serious, but I couldn't help laughing, it just seemed silly.

Since Hubbs was gone this weekend I pretty much kept meals low key. But after my third meal of scrambled eggs I decided to make some chili



my pot was getting so full! and just as I was wondering if that was the biggest pot I owned, I remembered the corn-on-the-cob pot


much more appropriately sized :)


I used up the turkey burgers that we bought, but are always too dry, and added lots of spices and it was pretty yummy.

Hubbs came home with all of his fingers and toes unfrozen and we had a nice night catching up.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

He's on a Bike!

I was laughing last night when Andrew came home and told me about his biking adventure. He said he and the other therapists got on their bikes and started to leisurely ride through the city. Andrew said he was instantly panting and sweating and still falling behind everyone. He said they were like, "you can run a marathon but you can't ride a bike?!?" Finally another therapist got on the bike to adjust the gears, but noticed that they were fine. It was flat bike tires!!! Luckily someone had a pump and he was able to ride with ease the rest of the way.

His impression was so funny!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Bike Lights


Today after work Hubbs is going to “Bike Lights” with his co-workers. They all decorated their bikes and they are going to ride around together through the city looking at Christmas lights. How fun! I love that he is in a place where people are friendly and fun and like a community. I do like a lot of the people at my work, but the most I’ve ever done outside of work was to be exploited at a candle party, lol.

So last night he wheeled his bike into our apartment and we decorated it with the lights. At first the strand wasn’t lighting up. We make sure ever bulb was plugged in, but still nothing. I looked inside the battery box part and it looked like the wire wasn’t really touching the battery so I told him he should try squeezing it with the pliers- and it worked! He then told me “thanks babe, you could be an electrician”… awwww….

He has been so super helpful lately, I really appreciate it and feel so lucky to be with someone who helps me and makes life easier. I actually was home last night in time to make dinner and he just asks me “what do you want me to make?” and starts chopping up the food. Love it! World’s greatest husband!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Weekend Recap

Geez, it’s only Tuesday and I can hardly remember what I did already. Friday night Hubbs and I went out to Applebee’s where he got free dinner for being a Veteran. Saturday we went to my grandparent’s house to clean. In the evening my parents came and joined us for dinner. They will be out of town on Thanksgiving, so we still wanted to get together. I brought scalloped potatoes that were still a bit crunchy and needed to go back in the oven. My grandparents are really going to think I’m a bad cook after that and the fact I almost served them raw chicken when they came to visit a few weeks ago! Saturday evening we went to Andrew’s cousins for a gender reveal party. Pink icing, it’s a girl! So that was fun. Sunday was a pretty lazy day with plenty of Dexter watching. We are now up to season 3. It’s lost some of its initial interestingness, but still good. Some eats from the week


french onion soup


beef stroganoff with broccoli


blackberries on sale, only 50 cents a tub!


blackberry shake for Hubbs


blackberries & ice-cream for me


vegan raw 'caramel' apple dip and a US weekly mag


and my cute dishwasher :)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Book Club

Last night was book club. We read the book The Language of Flowers, which was really a great book. It was my turn to host. This time I could not think of anything I wanted to make- so I decided on new recipes. Always a risky gamble, but mostly turned out well. I made a pot roast, garlic roasted brussell sprouts, a upside-down potato onion tart and for dessert, Ultimate Chocolate Chip n' Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar. The dessert was super rich, but yummy.

The pot roast recipe was from one of Hubb’s co-workers. It asked for a whole jar of horseradish to be spread on top. It was like, “don’t worry, the flavor will mellow after hours of cooking and your guests will wonder what the delicious flavor is”….. Well, the flavor wasn’t horrible, but it was still pretty strong and I felt like the horseradish took away from the delicious flavor of the meat. But the sprouts were good and the tart, although I should’ve baked it in the nonstick pan instead of the metal pan because it kind of stuck when I tried to flip it, were tasty. Poor Hubbs went to our small group last night without me, and before he was leaving he kept saying “I like food” and “how come I don’t get fancy food” :( I try Hubbs! I do try! At least I did make a menu for this week and we have had good food every night, so I think I’m doing good.

Anyway, we were talking last night about how hard it is to make friends once you’re older and it is true. We have made some friends through church, and Hubb’s work friends, but otherwise not so much. We were just sharing last night about how much we love our book club, and the fact that being ‘forced to hang out once a month’ has really bonded us. I’m so thankful for girl friends!

Friday, November 4, 2011

still lazy

Lazy slug-ness continues. I don’t know what it is. I’ve had a cold this week, but otherwise I just could not get my behind out of bed this week. One time I did a pilates video, and one yoga video, but those don’t really count as exercise in my opinion. Especially yoga…

There was a time when I exercised every single day (well, except Sundays). If I missed it in the morning, I’d do it in the afternoon. But now if I miss the morning, there’s no hope for that day. I don’t know when I became so lackadaisical. It’s funny; I look and weigh pretty much the same, although I don’t have my fat calipers anymore, so I am curious how my body fat composition has changed. Anyway, need to get back on track. I feel better, and stronger when exercise is a constant in life. And I know it’s healthier for my bones too.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

sleep- or lack of it

I don't know what's going on this week, but so far I cannot sleep! Hubbs works the early start the next couple weeks (he either starts at 6:30, 7 or 7:30am) so this week he wanted to go to bed early. Which means I go to bed early too. This past weekend we went to bed both nights at 2am, which is pretty rare, but could that be the reason now that when we went to bed last night 10-ish I lay there till 12?? It seems that when I do finally fall asleep, I can't stay asleep that long. It stinks. And this morning I woke up to my nose bleeding. Random!

The past few nights I have had crazy realistic dreams. The night before I was on a boat and we were trying to secretly rescue these dolphins and sea turtles. Last nights dream I was trying to find a class to take an exam. There was an information desk where I stopped to ask for directions. I remember I had to fill out this form which was in German, but it didn't really make sense anyway. Then as I'm clearly in a hurry she is offering me a pouch of seeds for sale and I whacked them out of her hand and yelled at her for offering me seeds when I'm in a hurry. Then she was so nice to me and said that if I missed the exam turn in, my teacher was her neighbor so she'd take it over if I needed. And I felt guilty for being mean to her. I finally get to class and I'm crying, and the exam had started and my teacher had this awesome bell music box that was playing and it was so relaxing. Anyway, then I noticed my nose bleeding and woke up. Dreams are so strange- these dreams were so real, and then when you read it, they just make no sense.

Anyway! My mom is bringing over my humidifier, so maybe that will help against future nose bleeds, but otherwise I guess I just have to adjust to the shift. But hope I can soon, it stinks laying there awake all night!