4 Non Blogs

A year ago yesterday, we arrived in New Zealand for our honeymoon. We had saved up our airline points for five years in anticipation of this trip and had the immense pleasure of flying first class. One can really get used to travelling in such style.

We spent nearly four weeks in New Zealand and fell absolutely head over heels in love with the country. We have been pining to go back ever since.

If you ever get the chance to go, do it! Try to go for at least four weeks and if possible, try for six. We hope to go back in about four years.

If you want to see our pictures and read Mark’s trip diary, click on the picture of the plane over there to the right.

There are almost always onion skins all over our kitchen floor. I don’t like it.
I suppose foreskins would be worse though.

A couple of nights ago I dreamt I was absolutely desperate to have sex with Billy Connolly. I think I got my Billys mixed up. It should have been Billy Boyd.

It’s three weeks too late, but Scott really must go tonight.

For amusing American Idol commentary, read this blog on Tuesdays and/or Wednesdays.

It’s Christmas time! (Well, for those of us in the Useless Paper Products industry.)

Ok, it’s not quite a burqa, but is this a sign of things to come?

Stay tuned for yet another music game in the next week or so.

Nothing more to see, move along now.

Last Friday, after an appointment in town, Mark and I, overcome by hunger, gave into temptation and headed for our favourite Indian restaurant.

A bit of background here. Ganges is located just one block from where I used to live. My friend Lisa lived in the same building two floors above me. We used to order food from Ganges…a lot. All we had to do was phone up the restaurant, and place our order. They knew who it was for based on what was ordered - perhaps it was the demand for extra mint sauce that gave it away. They would then simply ask if they were delivering to apartment 7 or 9 this time.

When Mark moved to Canada, and into my apartment, he was more than happy to be initiated into the Ganges Gang.

Sadly, as required by British and Canadian law in exchange for Mark moving here, Lisa moved to the UK later that year. Mark and I went on ordering from Ganges on a regular basis until we moved to the condo.

Although it wasn’t that far away, the condo wasn’t in Ganges’ delivery zone and we thus enjoyed delicious Ganges less and less often. However, in spite of our now infrequent visits, we were still remembered whenever we dropped into the restaurant for supper.

Two years ago, we sold the condo and moved to the ‘burbs. Ganges was all but a distant memory.

When we dropped in on Friday night for supper, we were delighted to find that even after all this time we were still remembered and heartily welcomed. We were also presented with complimentary desserts. Sadly, we were a) totally full after having stuffed our faces with the food we love but hardly ever have anymore and b) Mark doesn’t like the particular dessert we were served. Given our warm welcome, and the gift of complimentary desserts, I had no choice but to force both desserts down. Then I exploded.

It was a lovely supper, and it made us feel warm and fuzzy to be remembered.

Having been christened in the Unitarian Church, and married by a Unitarian minister, I could hardly resist this meme which I came across at habitatgirl’s

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Sister Tactical Baton of Truth. What’s yours?

You have to click on the “Unitarian Jihad Name” link. Really, you do.

Currently for work, I have about a bazillion spreadsheets that need sorting out. Creating and filling in spreadsheets is not my favourite thing. I am behind in this matter, bah!

On the domestic front, the house could use a bit of a tidy, there is a ton of gardening to get started on and there is laundry to be done. I would rather frolic in the spring sunshine and spend some time reading.

What have you got on your to-do list and what would you rather be doing instead?

Spring might really be here, it’s sunny and beautiful and we are expecting a high today of 14 C.

Good quiz last night, hosted by hunk of burning love, Shawn.
Our team was comprised of me, her, him and my mother (who does not have a blog ). We won. Go us!

Mike finally brought me a coffee.

Blue Rodeo tickets went on sale at 11:00 am this morning. My online order was processed by 11:05 am. We are gonna have great seats!

Two links to amuse you, found via her:

Abstinence-only Coolness for Girls

Pope around the clock

I have enough socks…for now

The first in a series of many.

That thing you use while putting on makeup, drying your hair, or popping a zit? It has two syllables, count them, one two. Repeat after me, MIR-ROR.

A Mir is a now defunct space station.

That is all.

Way back in February, Mark took me out for a lovely Valentine’s dinner at Baton Rouge. During dinner, I would occasionally wave and smile at the bouncy baby in the booth next to ours. After dinner however, the mum decided that it was entirely appropriate to change the baby’s shitty diaper at the table…three feet from where we were still enjoying our dinner. I wasn’t too amused. If they ever invite us to dinner at their house, I promise not to wipe my ass at the table.

After the diaper trauma, while we were having coffee and dessert, Mark presented me with the lovely tennis bracelet above. Mark even bought the pink box and rose confetti himself to make the gift extra festive (hard to believe this is the same guy who did this). I gave Mark the most recent Green Day cd, American Idiot.

A couple of weeks later, I was having a particularly shitty week at work. Out of the blue, two friends randomly gave/sent me some nice pressies. Kim, aka the Book Goddess, presented me with Sue Grafton’s latest book, R is for Ricochet and a few days later, arriving by courier was the extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring dvd, complete with miniature versions of the Argonoths and a LOTR calendar. The LOTR loot was courtesy of my friend Rob, who is SOMEONE IMPORTANT in the book industry.

Birthday time! The first of the birthday loot was this gorgeous bouquet of flowers that Cara dropped off on my birthday.

Later that day, Mark picked up onion bahjees, butter chicken and naan bread from our favourite Indian restaurant, Ganges. After eating my scrumptious birthday dinner, Mark presented me with my fabulous gifties: a gorgeous new purse, (I seem to have gotten over my dislike of purses) two pairs of David and Goliath socks, (It’s All About Me and Chicks Rule designs) a Jack Johnson cd that I didn’t even know I wanted, (that Mark sure is clever) and finally the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind dvd.

The following week at our twice-monthly McKibbins quiz night, Kim presented me with Boris Akunin’s, The Turkish Gambit and the special collector’s edition dvd Roman Holiday.

Unrelated to any events this year are these two pieces of jewellery were made by my brother, a jewellery maker and sculptor. The first piece is a sterling silver cone necklace and the second is a sterling silver ring stamped with I Believe in Milko. When my brother and I were little, we misheard the Hot Chocolate lyric, I believe in miracles as, I believe in Milko. This ring commemorates this silliness from our childhood.

On March 19, we went to the Yulblog 5th Anniversary Party where our stalking finally paid off we finally met up with her and him. After chatting with a few other people, notably, Mellow Kitty, Blork, Jonas Parker and Lightspeedchick, Kowy, Shatnerian, Mark and I headed across the street for a bite to eat. We made it home just in time to watch the second F1 race of the season at 2 am.

The following weekend (Easter) we had Kowy and Shatnerian over for dinner and a movie and a good time was had by all. At least that’s what our guests said after we gave them large amounts of money.

The next day, Mark again showed off his culinary skills and put together a lovely Easter lunch for my grandmother, aunt, two cousins, step-dad and friend-of-the-family, Sarah. My mum was off in Vancouver visiting with my brother, sister-in-law and scrumptiously delicious nephew, Simon.

My mum has just arrived back from Vancouver and we will soon be having a belated family birthday celebration for me, a 30th wedding anniversary party for my mum and step-dad and Mark and I will then be attending a surprise birthday do for my dad’s 72nd birthday.

After all these celebrations, and typing out this blog entry, I’m exhausted!

Happy weekend everyone.