My Newest Literary Obsession

Why hello there.....

*Sigh* I gave in to the hype last week and started reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I didn't want to read them all that bad b/c of all the tweenie hype surrounding them, but I finally gave in. My sister has read the first two books and passed along how good she thought they were so I figured I'd give them a shot. I am a sucker for good books, so to my surprise, I really loved them! After reading Twilight in a few days, I just couldn't leave the story at that, so I went out and bought the rest of the series: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. I am a huge geek, and I managed to finish them off in just over a week, (mind you, being unemployed, you've got lots of spare time on your hands! Lol). I must say one thing I've noticed from the movie...Robert Pattinson is rapidly passing Brad Pitt (in Troy) on my Sexy List. I've never thought of him as completely hot in real life (probably b/c of his insane hair and bong-hits-for-breakfast eyes), but he looks amazing even on my horrible quality downloaded version of the movie! He also sings 2 songs on the soundtrack that are actually pretty good. I really should just start following the trends out there instead of taking them up 6 months behind the rest of the world! Lol!

Happy Birthday Keithy!

Today is my friend Serena's son Keith's second birthday today. I can't believe it has only been 2 years. It seems like he has been here forever! He is just the funniest little man I've ever met. He's always game to play cars or squash some Play-Do. So Happy 2.0 Keithy! :)
Serena had a cute little party planned for Saturday afternoon with lots of family, but unfortunately last night the lower floor of their house flooded with water and sewage. Apparently there was a block in the line under their driveway. The nasty stuff ruined their brand-new hardwood floor and caused $8000-10,000 worth of damage :( Poor Serena is so upset she had to cancel the party, but for health's sake it just can't happen right now. I'm sure Keithy doesn't mind one bit though, he never pays attention to the days of the week :) We'll have a bigger, better party in a few weeks time for him.

Sushi Fest 09!

Last night Cael and I went down to the Biddlecombe's house to have our first sushi making party of the year! Please excuse the blurry pics...The lighting was pretty dim at their house last night and my flash is out of batteries! Anyways, we've been making our own sushi for the last 6 months or so because there are only 2 sushi places on the entire Sunshine Coast. As avid sushi lovers, this is not acceptable! Lol! Because you have to take a ferry to get to the Coast, all restaurants and stores are more expensive than Vancouver. We've worked out that it is cheaper in the long run to just buy the sushi making supplies at an Asian market when we're in Vancouver and just make it yourself! It's taken a few goes, but I think we definitely have the right technique down!

My personal favorite, the avocado yam tempura roll! We make our own tempura ahead of time (this takes the longest as you have to do it in smaller batches). I made this one. I haven't quite gotten the tight rolling technique down, but oh well, it still tasted great! We kept and cleaned some sushi boxes from a restaurant so we can serve ours on them.

This is a simple tekka (tuna) roll! I find these ones harder to make than the inside-out rolls! These ones are Cael's specialty! We recently bought a proper Japanese sashimi knife which is amazing! My one piece of advice for sushi makers is to invest in a proper knife! It will make the world of difference in your cuts!

This one is Keith's California roll with crab, avocado and cucumber. Yum! The Biddle's got an amazing sushi set for Christmas!

Here is a massive plate of sashimi! We buy big blocks of sashimi-grade tuna and salmon from T&T Market (a massive Asian grocery store chain) in Vancouver and slice it into pieces. Again, a proper knife is so important for creating nice, even pieces. This stuff is Cael's favorite...As a vegetarian, I've never tried it, but by the way they rave about it, it must be tasty!

And finally, here is the end result! Waaay too many rolls for us all to eat, a massive plate of yam tempura, and a big platter of beef gyoza! In all it took probably an hour to make the entire meal. Keith and Serena always cook the rice ahead of time in their rice maker, so I didn't count that in the cooking time. The rolls only took about 1/2 an hour to whip up! Once you've done it a few times, they are so quick and easy! If you need any sushi-making tips, feel free to ask! :)

A Little About Myself

Oh my god it's a pic of me!!! (See posts #13 and #14 for an explanation). Please excuse the icky wet hair...I just used #11!

So I realized that we haven't really gotten to know eachother yet. I am bored so I've written up 60 useless facts about myself! I hope these help you all get to know me a little more! :)

1. I am a vegetarian, have been for over 15 years

2. I think Babe (the piggie movie) pushed me towards being veg when I was little lol!

3. I cannot sing to save my life - totally tone deaf

4. I've been with my bf Cael for over 8 years

5. He's my best friend *cheesy*

6. I really want to be a pro photographer one day (weddings, maternity, babies etc)

7. I'm afraid I just don't have the talent to do it :(

8. I support my local SPCA

9. I love to make sushi with my friends

10. I make a mean avocado roll

11. I love Alba Botanicals Honeydew Hair Wash - yum!

12. I am a horrible singer - hello tone deaf!

13. I am practically phobic of having my photo taken (why there aren't any pics on this blog!)

14. I think it stems from bringing home a horrible school photo every year

15. My favorite flowers are orchids and gardenias

16. I secretly would love to be a florist too one day!

17. Grey's Anatomy is my fave show, though Meredith bugs me sometimes!

18. I wish Burke and Addison would come back! - they were my fave characters

19. Puerto Vallarta is my favorite holiday spot

20. I secretly harbor a love for Days of our Lives - Passions too before it was cancelled

21. I also secretly love Katie Price aka Jordan. She is just so trashy, but also a great mother

22. I always wear sunscreen - I don't want to look like a leather bag when I'm 45

23. I am scared to death of driving in the snow

24. I have absolutely no desire to go to my highschool reunion

25. I need to use my camera more...I'm never going to learn if I don't use it!

26. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do, and I think I'm pretty darn good at it

27. I am the world's worst baker...I once used garlic cooking spray with cookies! Eeew!

28. I am unemployed and I feel like a major bum b/c of it

29. I love to draw and paint with acrylics, though I don't do it near enough anymore

30. I love to look at real estate online and fantasize that I could live there one day

31. I don't know if I will ever be a bride. I freak when all the attention is on me!

32. I spend waaay too much time online these days b/c I got no job!

33. Brad Pitt in Troy is the most gorgeous man on earth! Wowza!

34. I love to do yoga, though I'm not very good at it

35. Same goes for bellydancing!

36. I did 2 belly casts for my friend Serena and she says they are her most prized possesions

37. I am definitely a dog person...no cats here please! (I got bit by a cat when I was little!!)

38. I've had my heart broken

39. I've broken someone else's :(

40. I got suspended for skipping classes in highschool - oops! Lol!

41. I live literally in the middle of nowhere on a mountainside in BC

42. It is actually pretty cool. Who else has elk wander through their yard?

43. I love to snuggle up to Cael with a nice glass of white wine - red for him

44. I have way too many pairs of shoes that I never wear - ebay??

45. I love to look at other's art for inpiration

46. I love the Dixie Chicks and think the controversy around them a few years ago was ridiculous!

47. My dream holiday is a month-long driving tour of New Zealand - I've planned it all out

48. I am a sucker for nerdy books like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings

49. I think the Sunscreen song is an amazing piece of work. I read it when I need to think

50. I only dance when I'm drunk. I mean really drunk at big parties or weddings!

51. I believe in recycling - It is so important to take care of our planet now!!!

52. I hate flossing with a passion, but the dentist always gets mad at me

53. I think I have a cavity right now :(

54. I always read Perez Hilton though I shouldn't b/c it's such garbage

55. I am horrible at math, like almost didn't finish school horrible at math

56. I played the clairinet in middle school - Band Geek!!

57. Thankfully I quit before highschool - haha

58. I love shopping for others, hate it for myself

59. I'm rarely ever reckless or carefree

60. I could go on and on but I don't want to bore the heck outta YOU!

When Will it End?

So Vancouver has had almost a record-breaking snowfall this year. Since Cael and I arrived at my parents' house over 2 weeks ago, at least 3 feet of the white stuff have fallen. Here are a few pics from Christmas Eve, when the biggest dump came down:
Here's a pic at the end of the driveway looking down the hill. My parents live in a small "village" with it's own snowplow service. Unfortunately, there are only a couple of plows, and that day tons of snow fell!

Here's my old boy Freddy! He adores heading out and running in the snow! He is 13 years old, but he acts like a 6 month old puppy whenever it snows! I loved this pic, (even though it's a bit blurred b/c he was running), he looks like he is in a wind tunnel! Lol!

As Cael was shoveling the driveway, a huuuuge bunch of snow fell off of the trees and hit my car. I managed to get a couple of action shots as it came down. I thought it looked pretty cool!

Here are my two boys working on snow-removal. One is more useful than the other.... This was the second shovelling of the driveway that day!

And last but not least here is Freddy with our other Jack Russell Chloe. Don't worry, they are just playing! They are like an old married couple, squabbling and sniping at eachother all day. They go a little crazy in the snow and slip and slide all over the place running like crazies! It's been over a week since these pics were taken, and more snow is falling right now! Cael and I are waiting until the weather eases up a bit before we even try to get home to Sechelt. Our road over there is 2 1/2km of winding road that so rarely gets plowed. I am so not shovelling that! Lol!!!