Extra-Ordinary – Page 11

The Daily EO: April 7th, 2013

I’ve been up since 7 am awaiting our expected 1 pm ice cream delivery. Well, that isn’t entirely true. I got up at 8 – woo hoo sleep in – and spent time searching for sunchoke (aka Jerusalem artichokes or sunroots) recipes. That lead me to re-finding The Guilty Kitchen so I changed into running gear after seeing what she is doing and seeing her ridiculous abs. Then I heard Emile sniffling – sure sign that Emile is awake – and went in to convince him that we should go for a run. That lead to him getting up and making pancakes (which weren’t his best, but he states he is hindered by missing ingredients). I am not sure how running became pancakes.

Then I was disgusted by the state of my bathroom, so I cleaned it. What is with soap scum? I use all natural shower items – so it would follow that my all natural cleaners should take it off easily. Then I put away all my purchases from Saturday (I did get some shopping in after heading home to change). Then unloaded the dishwasher. Tidied up the kitchen, cleaned off my desk. And still it was an hour before our expected delivery time. Sigh.

But finally the phone rang!

I wish that these pictures had timestamps, because you’d see that ridiculously we ate all the ice cream in about 4 minutes. It was sour, sweet and tangy all at once. Yum!

April 7th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: I love lemons! I love Ice Cream!

PS I end up working out that day – that is why you’ll see me stiffly walking up and down stairs.

The Daily EO: April 6th, 2013

I like riding the sky train on weekends – when you can find a seat and its not so crowded. I had a whole day planned. From Waterfront to Edmonds – to accompany my grandpa to the bank – he was opening a TFSA and wanted moral support. After lunch and things, I was going to take the train from Edmonds to Metrotown (I was considering not paying for those two stops – I’m a bad person) for a little shopping because I desperately needed some more shoes. Then I was going to go from Metrotown back to Waterfront.

The first segment of my trip worked out perfectly – I managed to reduce my unread emails on m phone from 189 to 77 during the ride. Then I got a bit of exercise walking from the station to my grandpa’s place. Off to the bank – where the gentleman helping us was great and spoke to my grandpa, not to me. Then Emile decided to join us for lunch.

This is where things went off the rails. I was going to take the train back to Metrotown, but instead decided to get Emile to drop me there. So, as I bent into our car – our low car – I felt loose and breeze.

April 6th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: My nice tight skinny jeans split right up the back!

The Daily EO: April 5th, 2013

I had the highest number of views of The Daily EO today than I have ever had. Higher than the Cranbrook Wind Storm, Higher than my Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe, higher than my Burberry Sunglasses dilemma, higher than our drive through Sturgis during the Motorcycle Rally! It’s 84 – a record (that doesn’t include all of you email people). But looking deeper into this, it appears I didn’t have an extraordinary number of visitors, just views. So somebody out there is really, really interested in me. Or something that I wrote about. Which – in even further investigation – appears to be Emile’s Spring Flower pictures.

This reminds me greatly of all the children I know. They like me, sure, but the LOVE Emile. When I show up, they say “Hi.” pause “Where’s Emile?” This is until Emile gets all parental on them (he has very firm rules), and then they freaked out for a bit, but given enough time, they are back at loving him again.

So, I got 84 views, but it was really Emile’s work that earned it.

April 5th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: If you can’t get it done yourself, steal something from someone else.

The Daily EO: April 4th, 2013

I was rather annoyed by the inconveniences of modern living today. Traffic, parking, uncompleted deliveries, etc. So with chores completed about 7 pm, Emile told me he was reconnecting with an old friend, I was thrilled to be left alone with my own devices. I adore Emile and love spending time with him and I really didn’t do much. Chatted with my aunt, on-line grocery shopped, watched a little TV, read a little and only vaguely woke up when Emile got home at 1:30 am. Honestly, you’ve got to work tomorrow!

April 4th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: There is something freeing about being in the house alone – even though I could do whatever I want regardless.

The Daily EO: April 3rd, 2013

It’s been a whirlwind year for us and I get asked often if I am enjoying Vancouver and we are. But it is a different as you can get. I miss the snugged in feeling you get on a cold winter’s night and the need to suck up as much summer as possible in July and August lest you miss it. I love the ability to go out and rarely worry about road conditions and feel the sun on your face frequently.

This April:

April 2013, Vancouver: No jacket, sunglasses, winter tires off

Last April:

April 2013, Huntsville: Fresh Snowfall, Winter Tired Fortunately Still on, Hot Tub-ing makes sense to me — April 2012, Huntsville: Fresh Snowfall, Winter Tires Fortunately Still on, Hot Tub-ing makes sense to me

April 3rd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: I’ve had the best of both worlds.

The Daily EO: April 2nd, 2013

I found out about Harvest Community Food’s curated CSA program. You can’t beat it – it is curated, meaning that they gather the best available treats of the week from various suppliers and put together a bag of groceries. Also, you can sign up for 1 or for the season. I tell you – there is something about the mystery and excitement of a CSA box/bag that I love. What am I going to get? How am I going to cook it? Will it be terrible?

I am also excited because the last CSA I was in involved in was in Huntsville – where snow is still on the ground – so I am exciting different offerings and different tastes from our different climates.

This week I got honey, 1/2 dozen eggs, sunflower sprouts, watercress, chard, kale, potatoes, stinging nettles (!!), and beets. Super Excited about the honey because it is so good (yum, blueberry) and local which should help Emile deal with his seasonal allergies.

April 2nd, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: What does one do with stinging nettles?

The Daily EO: April 1st, 2013

It’s April – and I remember the old adage of “April Showers brings May Flowers”, but April 1st was beautiful. So beautiful and inspiring that more people were out on their bicycles. I don’t own a bicycle for many reasons that mostly sound like excuses, but I respect that I have to – and should have to – share the road with them.

But I have a problem – bicyclists tend to be of split personalities. If it suits them at the time to be a pedestrian, they use crosswalks and sidewalks. If it suits them to be a vehicle, they are in the bike lanes and signalling. But worst of all, they switch back and forth making it difficult for a driver like me – who really doesn’t want to hit a bicyclist – to predict how the traffic is going to move.

You can’t use a crosswalk to the sidewalk and then make a sharp left in front of me to turn into a bike lane. Well, you can, but you better hope that I am paying really really close attention about what you are doing. And while that helmet may be colourful and stylish and somewhat protective, it’s going to take a pounding if I hit you.

April 1st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Trying to save the earth too, one bicyclist at a time.

(sorry for the gross generalization, but it can’t be too offensive if it seems to hold true)

The Daily EO: March 31st, 2013

We sat and ate French Toast and sausages with my grandpa at his retirement residence. The room was filled with nice touches like Happy Easter place mats, tulips, and decorative little chicks (not chicks, but baby chickens). During dessert, the staff started to gather up the daffodils from the tables. We thought this was strange because there was still a second seating at 1 pm. When we asked, the woman told me that there was complaints that they were too big. Imagine! Complaining about Daffodils in the Spring! A little crotchety in the place today.

Look at how those daffodils mess up the place!

Then it was off to grandma’s house who was feeling a crotchety herself. Her knees were aching and she – well, frankly was feeling sorry for herself. I guess I would too if the signals that I sent from my brain to my legs were ignored. Fortunately, a walk on the boardroom cheered her up – and there was no complaining about daffodils.

Strolling the Boardroom in New Westminster

Emile disappeared to play with depth of field and perfect lighting.

March 31st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Flowers make us all feel something!

Strolling

The Daily EO: March 30th, 2013

I walked from Yaletown to Gastown to get my nails done. They convinced me not to go with the plain French manicure as I always do, but instead to do something different. So I ended up with a French-like manicure with silver sparkles on it. It might be too much. I’m not sure, but I missed out on pretty sparkly nails and the like due to retardedness in all things pretty growing up. So, I am catching up I supposed. (and using the word retarded in the proper sense here – as in my progress in pretty things was retarded by lack of knowledge and confidence. But do crimping irons count? I was really into that!).

Emile walked down and joined me and we headed to South Granville to do some furniture shopping. Afterall, I am still sleeping with a mattress on a mattress on a floor. But did we buy anything? No – why? Because we are cheap now. I used to be a person who bought things when I wanted without concern – but Emile broke me. Alas.

We then walked back from South Granville to Yaletown to look at my latest favorite shop – Cross Design. Which inspired me for a new look in our living room – not new new, but new and fresh. I’m tired of our things – it’s time for a change. But yet am value conscious – see above – so could be trouble here. I am thinking greys, whites, Provençal with a splash of red? Hello, Craig’s List.

Bought berries in Yaletown and then back home to Gastown.

Dinner was with old friends – our next door neighbours when I was a kid – where we participated in a strange family tradition where our berries and cream were served before dinner. “Uncle Rod” lived next door my entire life before I went to university. He’s 81 now and a little balder and doesn’t see as well, but Uncle Rod was thrilled to see me after almost 10 years.

March 30th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: 12+ kms, nails that sparkle in the sun and reconnection.

The Daily EO: March 29th, 2013

Easter is early this year, and part of me wishes it was deeper into April – I suspect I am going to need a short week somewhere in there. But nonetheless, we are not going to let this full day off work go to waste.

We all want to capture and keep Spring close

We also went for a run around the sea wall and Stanley Park and I did my first “10K” which is 1/2 walking and running, but the first time I ever did one at all. So, my benchmark is 1 hour and 22 minutes, and I can target improvement each time I try it. And I saw someone I knew sitting on a bench – I know people here! And they saw me “being that girl” running through Stanley Park.

March 29th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Sun on my cheeks, clean air to power my lungs, love in my family and chocolate to eat.