312

(I wasn't paying attention and missed post 300 so I thought I'd celebrate 312 instead)

I'd like to have 312…

1. dollars
2. days off a year
3. pairs of jeans I love
4. extra square feet in our apartment
5. reasons to love my job
6. great friends
7. miles between me and my furthest family member, none of this Dubai distance
8. ways to tell Brad I love him
9. christmas Songs (Oh wait, I already have 340)

Happy Tuesday,
make someone smile today.
L

I feel so old…

Yesterday I was 10,000 days old.
Hard to believe I've been around that many days, here's to the next 10,000.
L

The Bug

I've caught the baking bug.

There are always so many new baking options at Christmas time, so many events to go to where you don't want to show up empty handed and so many seasonal edible treats to make.

This year apparently I wanted to make up for all the baking I didn't do last year so I've started early.

I made truffles yesterday, plan on making some peanut butter squares and considered making some pulled candy peppermint icicles. Luckily I snapped myself out of that one before I got started, that's a bit more of a project than I'm willing to handle but they just looked so pretty in the Martha Stewart Magazine (Brad should be grateful, the recipe called for an extra set of hands so he was going to be recruited).

Any other items I should add to my baking list? I'm open to suggestions.
L

Celebrate the Season

I know it's early for most of you but I hope you'll bear with me.

I've been ready for Christmas music for months now so I thought I'd start the sharing early. Just pause it if drives you crazy or make sure to hit mute before you visit the site next time.

Last year seemed like such a short Christmas season so I'm pretty sure I'll make up for it with an extra long one this year.
L

Following the Leader

Popular Items / Movies / Movements I never got into

1. Napoleon Dynamite – didn’t' ever see it
2. NKOTB's Comeback
3. Twilight – book and movie
4. Pirates of the Caribbean – the second was laughable, I didn't see the third
5. National Treasure - Causes much eye rolling
6. The Rocket Summer
7. The iPhone
8. Skinny leg jeans
9. Voting for anyone's baby – Vibe 98.5 Calgary's Cutest Baby Contest

Trends I Have Succumbed To

1. Blogging - though I've been doing it so long I think I started before it was trendy
2. Facebook - it took a long time but eventually I gave in
3. iPods
4. Gmail

I'm sure there's more I just can't think of any right now.

So I know, 3 posts in one day is a bit much but there's very little work to do and I'm feeling very opinionated.
L

NKOTB

Am I the only one who had no desire to go?

New Kids on the Block must have made a killing at their concert the other day, it seems like just about everyone I know was there.
L

Good Treat Gone Bad

So I'm starting to have misgivings about Starbucks… perhaps I should cut myself off.

I needed a little something to get myself through the morning. Something more than my usual steamed milk; I wanted something yummy, blended and with whipped cream on top.

After careful inspection of the menu board I made my selection, a Chocolaty-Chip Frappucchino listed in the Coffee-free section (they're really just cream and ice blended with flavoring).

It only took a sip or two before I suspected that it was not as coffee-free as advertised but I just couldn't be sure. I took a few more sips trying to ignore that after-taste and finally decided to just go ask the lady if she put coffee in my coffee-free beverage. She assured me she didn't so I headed back to my office, not totally convinced.

By the time I got back to my desk I was really unsure so I got a second opinion and had a co-worker taste it. We still couldn't decide so I took it to the website.

The "coffee-free" Chocolaty-Chip Frappucchino is made with mocha syrup.

It was sad to watch my $3.00 treat run down the drain but at least I only got half the calories.
L

Clueless

As previously mentioned I'm pretty good at what I do for work.
I know the Office suite of programs well and I can do some nifty things, I've always really liked that I know what I'm doing and that people come to me for help.

Well recently I've started trying to design a Christmas Card for us to send out and I decided I wanted to make it in Photoshop. There are so many awesome features and you can do some incredible things, there's only one problem.
I don't have a clue what I'm doing.

Tip: Photoshop is nothing like Microsoft Office.

I'm muddling my way through but it's tough for me to be so clueless and to only know how to use 0.5% of a programs features.

I found a good looking tutorial so at some point I think I'll make my way through that but for this year I'll just have to keep clicking my way through hoping I find some of the features I want.

Stay tuned for the end product.
L

It Pays to Blog

Recently, because of certain blog entries I've gotten the offer of someone's old microwave and a Palm for Brad. It definitely pays to blog.

Thanks for the generosity!
L

Sigh

This weekend was unmemorable and short which has led to a really long Monday.

Sunday we had another disappointment. We were really hoping our luck had changed for the better but Brad's Palm Pilot decided it's had enough and it seems to be really dead. A new one will be pricey but it's necessary, the Palm is Brad's brain. Mix that with the crappy weather and the short weekend and you have a feeling that can be expressed best with a …sigh

Here's hoping for a quick week a long weekend and something that makes me smile.
L

Ice Cream Heaven

Okay, I know… I've been slacking lately but there just hasn't been anything blog worth.

For a couple weeks now Brad and I (okay so it's really mostly me) keep randomly suggesting that we make a trip to the Chocolate Bar but then it never really happens.

Well last night after dinner I again made the offhand remark that we should go, never actually expecting it to happen. Brad was serious though and jumped on my suggestion so we called the Anviks and it wasn't long before we were seated.

The Chocolate Bar is a small coffee shop on 17th Ave that sells nothing but desserts.
There was a slight hiccup in the ordering when there was no Carrot Cake or Belgium waffles but substitutions were made.

They make these sundaes… (what I'd been wanting every time I suggested)
They serve them in deep wine glasses and cover the top in real whipped cream, topped with a cherry and its ice cream heaven.

Mine was yummy with pecans and chocolate and caramel sauce, I highly recommend if you're craving something sweet. Go for the half order though, I can't imagine anyone eating a full order.
L

Slightly Blasphemous

In a Godless and Cruel World...
There is but one place to seek warmth and salvation

The Cult of Snuggie



We can't see the infomercial without thinking of cult robes, especially when they're standing making tea.

As silly as they look I could sure use one right now, my arms are cold as I type.
L

Filler

Not the most entertaining I know, but it will have to do.

Last Movie I Saw In A Movie Theater? I think maybe it was Batman, that's the only one I can recall anyway. I'm not a big Theater person, I'd rather skip the lines and the ticket price watch in my living room.

What Book Are You Reading? “The Observations” by Jane Harris. I picked it up because it's by the same author as Chocolat and I liked that book a lot, this one is proving to have kind of a strange plot and I have no idea where the story is going to go.
– Funny story, I just went to look up how to spell Chocolat and apparently it was written by Joanne Harris, not Jane. So I just grabbed this book randomly then.

Favorite Board Game? Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride, they're a pretty even tie. Really though, I like any of those German games that win the Spiel des Jahres (German game of the year) award.

Favorite Magazine? Martha Stewart Living though lately Maclean's has been read more frequently and is close to over taking Martha. I like that it makes me smarter.

Favorite Smells? 8 by Abercrombie and Fitch, dinner in the oven.

Favorite Sounds? Anything from my iPod, Christmas Music. Our apartment building is on the fourth floor and we're right by the stairwell, so there's a door at the top of the stairs. When the door closes it makes a little thump noise that I only seem to hear when Brad's coming home from work, that's probably my favorite sound.

Worst Feeling In The World? Losing a friend

First Thing You Think of When You Wake? Can't I stay here for a little bit longer? I'm not ready yet.

Fast Food Place? I guess Taco del Mar, I'm not much of a fast food person but I do really like their black bean burritos.

Future Child’s Name? I really like the name Cossette, though I would never actually name a child that. We have a list of them on Brad's palm so when the time comes we'll have some ideas at least.

Finish This Statement—“If I Had a Lot of Money,” I would immediately fly to Hawaii with Brad (he's never been there) and then when we got back we'd buy a house, skipping out of our apartment and forgetting about our damage deposit so we don't have to deal with awful land lady. I'd also buy Brad an iPhone so he'd stop mentioning it.

Do You Drive Fast? When I first got my car I wanted to go fast all the time, it just felt good but now I've relaxed and I drive so seldom that I'm usually pretty responsible.

Favorite place you have visited? London, I saw Les Miserable, The Lion King, The Producers and Stomp all within the week and I've never eaten anything better than the Kensington Crêperie.

Storms—cool or scary? Cool. A couple times Brad and I sat on our balcony, shielded from the rain and bundled up in blankets and watched the lightning and rain.

What Was Your First Car? A red Honda Civic, I can't remember what year but it was definitely from the 80's. It ran great and had a sun roof, I think it made me far cooler in high school.

Favorite Drink? Water. I know it sounds lame but I used to drink a lot of apple juice (it's free at work). Then I did the South Beach, the only lasting effect being that I decided I didn't want to drink those calories anymore so now I stick with water.

Finish This Statement—“If I Had the Time, I Would…” bake a lot more than I do. I'd also be a scrapbooker.

Do You Eat the Stems on Broccoli? I like the stems peeled but I know others don't so if I'm not the only one eating whatever I'm making then I normally don’t'.

If You could Dye your Hair Any Other Color, What Would It Be? Dark brown. I really liked the dark brown but I can't be bothered with the upkeep.

Favorite Sport to Watch? Baseball. Football is the worst and Hockey is close behind which is unfortunate since Brad loves it.

What’s Under Your Bed? Christmas decorations, a wrapping paper rolly bin, luggage. It's really our only storage.

Morning Person or Night Owl? I guess morning person since I don't like to stay up but I don't really like getting up early either. Can I be a mid-day person?

Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? Anyway I can get them. I love eggs but I prefer a little bit of a soft yolk.

Favorite Place to Relax? Bed on Saturday morning.

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Birthday Cake from Lics but sadly they discontinued it. It was vanilla ice cream with swirls of frosting and chunks of cake.

Hope you're having a good Wednesday, enjoy the first snowfall.
L

Commercial

I don't know what made me think of this, it was a random thought but I thought I'd share it with you so could enjoy the randomness.

L