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WebGoddessCathy |
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<-- my life, by webgoddesscathy --> :: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 :: This blog is now located at http://blog.webgoddesscathy.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://blog.webgoddesscathy.com/feeds/posts/default. :: Cathy 10:05 PM [+] :: 0 comments Last weekend was amazing. Seriously: I'm looking back on it today with a certain wistfulness. Right now, all I remember are the smiles and misty-rosy-joyous memories that are coloured by my crappy cold-sore-covered workday, and it was really quite wonderful. In actuality, there was a moment on Friday night when I worked late that wasn't so shiny-happy. Although coming home to watch Glee pretty much fixed it. And Saturday morning was slightly marred by some panic and consideration of staying home and doing chores. Thank goddess that didn't happen! Instead, we rode our bikes down the Don Valley and across on bike paths, mostly, to the ferry. Across on the ferry to Hanlan's Point. A lovely ride across to Ward's Island and a look at all the cute houses. Back to Centre Island to relax in the crappy Carousel Cafe for a hot chocolate (with whipped cream of course) and then back to Ward's for a house party pot luck -- Island Style. We had such a nice time. Everyone was so nice and brought such amazing food. I didn't want to stop eating. I was angry with my belly for being full. There were games and a song that they composed and we all sang to our friend for his bon-voyage from The Island. There was even a bonfire with the cityscape in the background. It couldn't get more perfect. We rode our bikes back and although I ran into the curb, completely sober, it was a wonderful way to end the evening. Next day, to make up for playing "hookey" my parents came over and we got stuff accomplished. We picked up Gordon's wedding suit and did some errands that needed a car and then did lots of landscaping projects. I now have less weeds and some mulch down in my front yard. I have a trellis with roses somewhat strapped into it. I have level patio stones and ground and some spreader onions planted. And Gordon made us an amazing dinner to top it all off. I couldn't have been happier. And then the week came and I was stressed and overwhelmed and all that good stuff and WHAM - got a really sexy cold sore that hurts like hell. Boo. Right before my trip to SF. But at least I have my rose-coloured memories for those moments when I can't kiss my fiance good night. :: Cathy 10:03 PM [+] :: 0 comments :: Sunday, April 18, 2010 :: So I bought it. The dress. I tried on a lot. And none of them were better than this dress. And it was only $200. So there we go, done deal. Ordered. My mom's good for that: getting me to DO stuff. Another item I can tick off my list. And we had a lovely day together. Really quite relaxing and fun. And some other items off my list: 1. Decided to only do the smaller reno, rather than the ginormous one. Really, the big reno? Not worth it. To my mental health, to our needs, for the return on investment. Small reno will be great. 2. Gardening. Transplanted some bulbs (yes, I know it's late to be doing that). 3. Made indian food. From SCRATCH! And it is awesome. 4. Bills. Ok, not fun. But still done. 5. Laundry. As above. BUT I got to use my clothes line for the first time this year. 6. Groceries and a few household necessities. Anything that involves Winners has to be fun, though, right? 7. Watched Sherlock Holmes. Finally. Well, come ON, I had to do it at some point! And I quite liked it. 8. Tested my wedding website RSVP. It needs work, but it's not terrible. 9. Made some decisions on wedding gifts and centre pieces (thanks goes to my mom and dad for all the natural resources and elbow grease) All in all, a productive happy weekend. And when I'm happy, everyone's a lot happier, really. :: Cathy 11:30 PM [+] :: 2 comments :: Saturday, April 10, 2010 :: This is where I want to be right now. OK, maybe not with this particular weather pattern. But you know what I'm saying? I just wanna be somewhere else that isn't here. And I want to have this smile on my face. My shoulders decidedly dropped away from my ears. Perhaps a lovely magazine or cheesey book on my lap. And no plans but to read 'em. I've been having issues with sleep lately. With Spinning-Head Syndrome. A touch of Butterflyitis and preoccupation. Lacking an ability to focus. I woke up this morning (Saturday morning) at 7am. Just opened my eyes. My stomach immediately started churning. Groan. I'm awake. So I made the best of it. I boiled water for tea. Cleaned up the kitchen from our Thursday-night dinner party. Sat down with a homemade london fog and a Canadian House & Home magazine. Normally, this is all it takes. It's my favourite time of the week. No deal. My head is pounding and my stomach is still doing flips. I've got both a marathon and a sprint going on in my noggin. There's the long-term house renovation plan, finances and marriage consideration. Plod, plod, plod. Keep going, you'll make it through, right? Then there's the groceries and painting project and banking and wedding invitations. Nevermind the gardening, dishes, floors, bathroom, exercising and dress-procurement that I should get around to. The problem is, there's nothing really wrong. I mean, getting married and renovating my house, cleaning after a night with friends, working hard at my interesting job and figuring out how to invest the money I do have... I should be so lucky to have such "problems". I know. Fortunate. And yet I feel... burnt out. I'm looking for cracks in my schedule so I can fit in more of the stuff I'm supposed to accomplish. Knowing that really what I need is more "me time." On a dock. In the sunshine. With a book. :: Cathy 10:05 AM [+] :: 2 comments :: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 :: Sometimes you just have to do it. You know it's bad. Naughty. Wrong, even. But you still need to know. Can bacon really be eaten with chocolate? I'm here to tell you it can. It started with a birthday party for a beloved who adores, as you can imagine, bacon. Because who among us does not, really? Even the vegetarians out there secretly love bacon. They munch on it back-alley-styles. I'm not naive; I know it happens. But they've never been brave enough for this. As soon as Amie suggested it, I knew I was in. My place. Yes, there were seven cop cars parked outside my abode. No, it was not because they suspected our illicit activity. They were just cleaning up after a stabbing. Yes, a real one. And not a pig either. So, you know, it was just a usual Toronto evening in my hood. Stabbing and chocolate-covered pork products. On the same street. Amie had bought several kinds of bacon and we tried a few ways of cooking it. The most effective? Bake it on cookie sheets in the oven (baking sheets with lips, of course - just say "no" to grease fires!) and drain the fat after each batch. Yes, you'll make more than one batch. Otherwise, what's the point? Cool the bacon on paper towels. Give 'em a pat-pat-squeeze. I know it's a bit of a waste of perfectly good phosphate-filled fat, but you'll thank me in the end. Melt the chocolate chips. Go for the semi-sweet. I mean, what were you going to use those for anyway? Cookies? Pansy. The easiest was the microwave for melting. Melt for a quick sec, stir, melt, stir, melt, stir. Until it's smooth. Get some waxed paper on a pan or plate. It's time. Take a strip of bacon. Dunk one side down in the chocolatey goodness, then roll it over to coat the other side. You're going to have to let go of the bacon to get good coverage. It's OK though, it just means you'll get some chocolate on your fingers and you can lick it off later. But if you can stand to share your pork-bars, then you might wanna resist the temptation to spread your cooties around for now. Place the shiny strip on the wax paper. Repeat until you've filled up the waxed paper without touching the pieces together. Put the whole thing in the fridge. Then, wham, bam, a few minutes later, the chocolate's all hard. And the bacon will be hiding -- lurking -- inside. Now's your chance. Take it by surprise. Just bite right in. You'll think: chew, chew, hm, kinda salty-sweet-crunchy like a Skor bar. Chew. Chew. Chew. Um. That's bacon in there. Smokey meat. Yep. Chew, swallow, repeat. You know the drill. Go for it. :: Cathy 8:46 PM [+] :: 0 comments :: Sunday, March 28, 2010 :: I guess I expected my wedding to be different. I'm not a bridezilla. I haven't been thinking about this since I was seven. I thought: we have a small budget, surely there must come a lower number of silly details that can go wrong. No chance. Smaller budgets mean that people work harder to figure out how they can get a piece of it and loosen that budget up. I guess there are those women who will shrug and lay down the cash. I'm not one of them. Several emails, phone calls, negotiations and yelling matches later, it's worked out. Mostly. A few small details and we're good to go. With compromise. And now I start looking at officiants that we can both be happy with. Wedding bands that look fine and won't break the bank. Ordering THE dress. I know which one it is by now. And shoes. Where to look for those special shoes? Oh. I guess I should invite some people. Huh. And I thought the tough stuff was over. :: Cathy 10:42 PM [+] :: 0 comments :: Sunday, March 21, 2010 :: I have had a very good food weekend. Check this out: FRIDAY: Homemade Thai red curry (veggie) over mixed grain rice SATURDAY: Pad Kee Mao (Drunken noodles) SUNDAY: Breakfast - Pancakes with homemade banana caramel sauce Lunch - Grilled goat cheese and pear sandwich Dinner - Homemade squash (OK, pumpkin from my parents' garden, but close enough) and goat cheese ravioli with homemade tomato sauce (inspired by recent restaurant meals this week). I'm full and I'm happy. And, yes, I know I've gained a few winter pounds. But as the weather improves, so does my interest in walking and biking everywhere. But I really ENJOY cooking with Gordon. And I love that he can cook now. He's so fearless. And it's all part of an effort to save money on eating out -- since this wedding is trying to be expensive (I am fighting it!). Note that we have enough meals in the fridge for almost every lunch next week! I had a tough week last week. The wedding venue is not cooperating with us yet. ("What? We promised WHAT budget?! Perhaps you could invite LESS people. Or not have a photographer or DJ or cake or flowers or decorations at all." It took every ounce of my self-control to not freak out about how many people I am not able to invite already. But I am continuing to breathe normally. This, too, shall pass.) But cooking has really been taking my mind off it. That, and the fact that I think I've found my dress! ($215 - WOOT!) :: Cathy 9:48 PM [+] :: 0 comments :: Sunday, March 14, 2010 ::  I don't know what happens sometimes. But sometimes I'm on fire. It seems like it has a lot to do with productivity or at least perceived productivity. But check out this weekend of ass-kicking:
Next up:
:: Cathy 9:46 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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<-- find me everywhere --> 
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