Friends Like Family

On Sunday I had lunch with some good friends. I have worked with Duane and Debby since I started at /A\ almost 11 years ago. They have been like family ever since.

After Debby came back from maternity leave, she worked a lot of weekends and different shifts than myself and has since moved on to other pursuits. So, I have worked a lot more with Mr. Duane. I consider him to be like my brother. He is not, in fact, like my actual brother John. They are very different. But, I relate to him like he's my brother.

Anyway...on Sunday I went to their church and we all went for lunch after at Tiger Jacks. What a fun experience with the kiddies - Emma (8) and Colton (6). Colton was pretty excited to see that I drive a beetle and got to ride with me to the restaurant. He didn't stop talking the entire trip. We became fast friends. The jibber-jabber didn't let up even when our food arrived. Hilarious!

On the way back it was Emma's turn for a ride. She was considerably less talkative, but I did manage to find out that she plays hockey and her team party was that afternoon. Once we arrived home, we took a few snaps with the camera. Ironically, we have a very similar photo of me & Emma on the day I got my yellow beetle. I picked up the car, learned how to drive it (it was a standard and I needed lessons!) and stopped by to show Debby who was home with a pretty new baby Emma. She took these photos. And eight years later...see how we've grown. Even my car has matured...it's gone gray!

People Watching

People watching is such a fun thing to do. Each individual is different than the next and sometimes observing human behavior and interactions is so fascinating.

Last week I was having coffee at Williams with my friend Murray. About half way through our time there, a young man in a business suit came in the door beside where we were sitting. Not an uncommon occurrence. However, the young woman following him with a sizeable camera snapping photos drew my attention. They continued through the cafe and found a booth.

I tried to forget about this guy and continue my conversation but he was just so distracting! He was walking around talking to "himself" as he had a bluetooth in. He certainly was drawing attention to himself. So, we carried on...and then I noticed it. He was strolling around the cafe in his suit, talking on his bluetooth in his BARE FEET!

Now, I love the feeling of no shoes & socks and once sandal season hits, I don't look back. Walking around your home or even in the park in your bare feet, I can understand. But walking through a restaurant in bare feet? I thought that was kinda gross. And why? Why was he not wearing socks and shoes? Was he wearing them when he came in? Or did I just not notice the lack there-of? And why was someone snapping photos of him? Who is this guy? Is he famous? Finally I had to leave for work and none of my questions were answered. But, it made for an entertaining visit to Williams.

April Fool's Day

Wow, I have been totally slacking off my blog lately. But, I feel like I have a good excuse! I'm very close to finishing off the 2 classes I've been taking at Fanshawe. So, I've been busy with final projects, quizzes and assignments. More about that later, but for now...that is my excuse.

So, where to begin? Well...I have a great story from April Fool's Day to share. If you watch "The Office" (and if you don't...you should!) you might familiar with this prank. When I watched the episode where Jim puts the contents of Dwight's desk in the vending machine, I thought it was pure brilliance. I was determined to play that prank.

My first thought was to get my friend Duane. He is always teasing me and giving me a hard time, so I wanted to get him back. The trouble was... he didn't really have a lot of desk content to put in the vending machine. And, he wouldn't find it as hilarious as me. Nope, bad choice. Perfect choice? Laurence! Laurence is another co-worker that was made for this prank for a number of reasons:

• he loves The Office
• he has many many desk toys/action figures, etc.
• he has a great sense of humour and would totally appreciate the prank
• he arrives in the morning and the timing would be perfect

So...I had a quick chat with the woman that fills the vending machines and getting the keys was a piece of (hostess cup) cake! I made my way downstairs with a box to collect Laurence's belongings. A lot of the pieces were too big to fit in the machine but I was able to find a few.

Ironically, Laurence has bobbleheads of Michael, Dwight and Kevin (The Office) on his desk. Perfect! I put Michael & Dwight in the machine and left Kevin on the desk with a speech balloon saying "I'm Hungry". This was supposed to point Laurence towards the vending machine...but apparently it took a lot of help from his coworkers to find his way.

Unfortunately I could not be there for the big reveal, but I did get an email from Laurence telling me about the awesome prank someone had pulled on him. I think he was "feeling me out" to see if it was me. I didn't let on. In fact, he didn't know it was me until I arrived at work and told him. I wasn't going to and let the mystery continue to surround it...but it was so good...I wanted to take credit! In hindsight, it would've been better had I taken all the items out of the machine but I wasn't sure just how far I should take it.

Comments

Sometimes I wonder who exactly reads my blog. It is out there in cyberspace for anyone to peruse and I'm curious who my readers are! If I depend on the "comment" section alone, it would seem that it is mostly my dear old mom that is my faithful following. But, once in a while, someone will say "oh ya, I read that on your blog".

So, although you may not feel like you have a "comment" for any particular post, this post is all about the comments! If you read my blog on a somewhat regular basis, leave me a comment to let me know! It's a pretty easy process...if my MOM can do it, I'm sure you can too! It will be fun to see who's reading and where they are in the world.

Thanks for participating!!

The Cupcake Courier

Check out this awesome CUPCAKE COURIER I got for my birthday. It can carry 36 cupcakes in one convenient swoop.

Originally, I had planned to buy this cupcake carrier at Michael's. I had looked at them and decided it would meet my needs of transporting cupcakes to work for various birthdays. It seemed good enough...2 levels for 24 cupcakes. It had little ridges to help the cupcakes stay in place...

But then, my sister told me about the cupcake courier. www.cupcakecourier.com She had read about it on a mom's discussion group and the consensus was that the courier was far superior. I checked it out online and it did seem to be the bee's knees of cupcake transport.

So, imagine how excited I was on my birthday to receive a cupcake courier from my sister Jo-Anne! And, it was just in time for my St. Paddy's Day potluck. Perfect timing.

The courier is perfect because the cupcake sits down in the hole...like a muffin tin. There is no room for accidents while transporting. And, it makes decorating convenient too. The ones I made yesterday are so adorable! I iced them in green and the stuck a chocolate coin under an icing rainbow. Cuteness? I think so.

Birthday Girl

March 16th marks the passing of another year. It was on that date I entered this world! So, each year on that date, people sing to me, give me cards...even gifts!

On Sunday I showed up at my sister's house for dinner with the fam, only to find 2 little boys "decorating" for my "party". Too cute. Jesse was all about ripping off his own tape while Liam just ran around with the helium balloons. After we were properly decked out for the party, Jesse played me a pretty rockin' rendition of "Happy Birthday Auntie Janice" on his guitar. (his guitar was a cardboard box with elastic bands that he made that afternoon) Wow, birthdays with kids are so fun!

Today, on my actual birthday, I met a friend for breakfast at Cora's. Not a bad way to start the day! Then I decided to finally use the gift certificate I've had on my fridge for the past YEAR (yes, got it for my birthday last year) and get a manicure/pedicure. I got green on my phalanges...for St. Paddy's Day!

I tried to keep the birthday on the down-low at work...but that didn't last long. In fact, because Nick (our resident town crier for such events) was off today, he called in on speakerphone to lead a round of Happy Birthday. Nice.

Thanks to everyone that made my day a great one!

Adventures with Laurie

One week ago I had a rare but delightful evening out with my dear friend Laurie. In December we went to see Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe. One of his musical guests was a Matt Anderson. We were so taken with his powerful voice and stage presence, that when we discovered he was returning to Centennial Hall in March, we decided to snatch up 2 seats right at the front.

Since Laurie lives in Brights Grove our friendship is unfortunately mostly online. So, it was so great to spend some real face time together! We headed out for a little dinner and "catch up" at Cafe One on Richmond Row. When true kindred spirits are together, the conversation is easy, the laughs come from the belly and the time passes far too quickly. Soon enough we had to head out for the show.

Centennial Hall was just across the way with Victoria Park standing between us. It seemed like a good idea to stroll through the park. At the time, we didn't know what was before us! It was dark and it seemed like the paths we needed to take were blocked with piles of dirty snow. We ended up tiptoeing our way through through the bumpy semi-frozen terrain of the park!

The concert was great and so was the company. Love ya Laur!

Saying Good Bye to Aunt Mary

On Saturday I said good bye to my Aunt Mary. I was honoured that the family asked me to say a few words at the funeral. I wrote down what I wanted to say and thought I had composed myself. However, when I stood at the front and looked into the front row and saw Mary's son Roy and his wife Elaine, and their 2 children Wendy & Dan, well, that's when my voice got a little wobbly. I did make it through and this is what I said:

When I was small, Uncle Cliff and Aunt Mary lived just down the road. That was a long time ago and too long ago to remember any details. But, I do remember enjoying Mary's company. I think it's because she was an adult that acted like a kid.

Around the time they left for Tobermory, Mary gave me a small book. It was called "My Jesus Pocket Book of Nursery Rhymes". It contained a collection of classics with a slight twist. I loved that book and nearly wore it out! I still have that tattered and taped little treasure.

When Cliff & Mary moved up north, it was the beginning of a long standing pen pal relationship. What a thrill to check the mailbox and find an envelope addressed to me in that familiar scrawl. Without fail, it was written on the same multi-coloured paper and following the numbers at the top was a must as they were never in order.

Each letter contained the same information: a weather report, a description of her animal friends and an assurance that she was thinking of me, talking to me and praying for me. I will truly miss her.

My Special Aunt

This is my aunt Peggy. She is one special lady. 

When I was growing up she lived just a few minutes away, so I saw her all the time. In fact, I clearly remember her babysitting the day Charles & Diana got married. Through the years, I've spent a lot of time with Peggy and discovered she is an amazing person.

She was born prematurely, and as she likes to say...they used a man's handkerchief for a diaper! Her given name is Cathleen Irene, but when an Irish neighbour came to visit, he said that was too big of a name for such a small little baby. He determined that she needed a good Irish name like "Peggy".  Well, the name stuck and 85 years later that is how she is known in family circles.

Peggy has such a kind heart and giving spirit. She would do anything for just about anyone. For many years she has put others before herself and never complained once. She has a strong determination that has kept her living at home, by herself and driving her own car...and she just turned 85!

In January, she fell through the night and broke her hip. I was really upset when I heard the news. I could not believe my eyes when I stopped by the hospital the next day. She was sitting up in a chair and telling me how good she felt! The nurses all agreed that she was a feisty one! In fact, over the past few years, whenever a trip to the hospital was required, I was always amazed at her attitude and how well she recovered!

After suffering a heart attack, she was flown to London in a helicopter. When I popped into her room to see how she was doing, she told me it was pretty exciting to be in the helicopter, but more importantly her attendant was a "very good looking fellow". Ha ha...so cute.

She has made great improvements since her hip surgery and is now back home. She is not letting this slow her down and I'm glad. I am proud to call such a lady my aunt. Can't wait to visit for some salmon sandwiches Peggy!

Pancake Potluck!

Last Tuesday was Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day/Mardi Gras....it has a lot of names and quite honestly, not a lot of people know what any of them mean. However, if it means eating pancakes...I'm in!

My idea started by wondering how I could make pancakes at work for my dinner break. This expanded to include co-workers and blossomed into a full-fledged potluck party!

As I pitched the idea to people on the evening shift ...it was met with great enthusiasm! We've never really tackled this kind of event before and people were pumped for pancakes. Everyone was assigned something to bring, including 5 griddles!
As soon as the news was over, everyone sprang into action - moving tables, pulling out extension cords, setting up griddles, rearranging extension cords when we kept tripping breakers and finally frying up the bacon, sausages and pancakes! It was fantastic! We had three flavours - banana, blueberry and chocolate chip...and plain if you prefer. Somebody even brought in a latte machine to complete the whole "breakfast experience".

It was an overwhelming success with emails flying about the next day wondering what our next themed potluck should be. Good times. I love that I work with such awesome people :)

Maple Leaf Cookies for Elvin

Check out these adorable cookies! I made them for my friend Elvin's birthday. Usually when one of my coworkers has a birthday, I make cupcakes. But I decided to try something different this time. Since my Christmas cookie experience, I've been wanting to practice my icing techniques.

Elvin loves the Toronto Maple Leafs. To say that he loves them is an understatement, really. So...I remembered the maple leaf cookie cutter I got for Christmas and thought it would be perfect!

I made the sugar cookies, rolled them out, baked them and let them cool. I mixed up a 1/2 batch of royal icing and filled the icing bag. I was using the new tip I got. It was a size up from the plain round one I tried to use at Christmas. I thought this would make piping the icing easier. However, when I started outlining the cookies, the icing wasn't sticking to the cookie. It was frustrating as there were a lot of corners and each time I changed direction, the icing would come off the cookie. Augh!

After consulting some fellow bakers, I decided to add a little water and try again. Worked like a dream! After outlining them all, I mixed up the blue icing. It was a little "baby blue" for my taste, but it's the best I could do. Getting the icing on the cookie, in each little nook and cranny can be tedious and messy.

After doing a little googling, I decided to purchase a squeeze bottle. Wow, what a difference! So, here are the finished cookies. They were a big hit with Elvin and pretty much everyone else at work.

Madison Turns 7

Today is my niece Madison's 7th birthday. I can't believe it! Madison came into our lives in an unexpected and wonderful way.

Madison was adopted at the age of 3 months. But due to some unusual circumstances (knowing the foster parents), I met her (as did Connie & Steve) when she was just 3 weeks old! When we realized she was going to be part of the family, we were all ecstatic!

Watching her change and grow, explore and learn has been so cool. What's really neat is when someone tells Connie how much they look alike  ...and it's true!

Madison loves to bake with Mommy, watch Wheel of Fortune, use the computer, Webkinz, swimming, and becoming bilingual! (yes, she's in french immersion)

So, happy birthday Madison!

Crokinole....or Crouch as they say

While at my parents' place this weekend, my niece Kaelyn was visiting. I found her conversation to be so amusing I wanted to post about it. She is five and it the most hilarious kid I know!

My curiosity was peeked when she asked Grandpa if they could play "crouch". Dad just looked at her, puzzled. She said it again and he looked to me for help. Something clicked and I said "do you mean crokinole?" "Yeah! That's what I mean!"

So, we got the card table set up and the crokinole board out. Kaelyn & Dad were partners and Mom & I were a team. My dad is a crack player, so Kaelyn was happy to have such a good teammate. I was rather impressed with her knowledge of the game.

When she saw that the "white" team (her and Dad) were consistently winning, her comment was "Grandpa is the best player in the house and you guys are kinda suckin'."  Imagine this coming from a five year old. Hilarious!! At one point, Mom missed a shot and Kaelyn let her know that it was ok as long as she was trying her best. There was lots of encouragement from her...nice try, good try, etc. Then she informed us that she had to "concentrate" while making her shot. :) After missing her target, Dad couldn't help but ask "were you not concentrating?" Her response: "Oh, I accidentally forgot to concentrate that time." She was totally cracking me up!

At one point we were talking about the "kids" (grandkids) having a sleepover at Grammie's house. I asked if I could come and she agreed that I could because I'm an adult-kid which is kinda like a kid.

On the way home we were discussing Aunt Peggy and how she had to be in the hospital because she had fallen and broken her hip. Then she informed my mom that she was glad that she was a nurse because she could tell people what was wrong with them and they didn't have to go to the doctor. UNLESS Mom needed surgery because she can't operate on herself. Then she'd have to go to a doctor.

Hahaha....I enjoyed my time with the munchkin as she kept me laughing most of the time!!

Full Time Student!

Today I stepped into the unknown. I officially applied to be a full time student in September. For several months, I've been considering going back to school for Corporate Communications and Public Relations. The last few years have been really uncertain in my industry and I've been saying I need a Plan B. After lots and lots of ideas, but not a lot of follow through...this program came along. It was actually my friend & coworker Scrappy that suggested it to me. We perused the courses, job prospects, etc. and decided it was a great match with my skills and experience.

Last week I started 2 online classes at Fanshawe. With the expectation to go to school full time AND work full time in September, I'm trying to lighten the full time load by taking some classes now. Hopefully it all works out :)

In the meantime, I've got my Kermit messenger bag & notebooks all set. I was even offered a student discount at Moksha Yoga!

Standing on Guard, For Thee

As promised in an earlier post, this is the tale of standing on guard for my dear Grammie.

Several years ago, my sister Connie turned the big 3-oh. At the time, it was a big deal, as I saw that as being old. Well, now that I've passed that benchmark myself, it's not such a big deal anymore! ha ha. Anyway, her husband Steve threw her a party at "My Mother's House" in Sarnia. This was an old home that had been converted into a restaurant. It was a nice atmosphere and very fitting for Connie.

At one point in the evening, I was talking to my Grammie and said I needed to go to the washroom. She needed to go too, so we set out to find out where it was. Turns out, it was near the kitchen. However, being an old home...there was no lock, or it didn't work, or something. Anyway, I asked Grammie to watch the door while I went. She agreed and all went well. Then it was her turn. As she entered I said "I'll stand on guard for thee". We both had a chuckle. Soon after, someone came along and I started chatting. Losing all sense of responsibility, I forgot about my poor Grammie who was vulnerably doing her thing behind that unlocked door. I think we all know what happened next. Someone walked in on Grammie on the can. Yikes!! What was I thinking??? I felt so bad.



So bad, in fact, that I felt the need to create a special card for the occasion and send it off in the mail. To this day (some 8 years later) Grammie still has that card in her china cabinet. During a recent visit, we recalled this humorous tale. A few weeks later, we went to the Nutcracker Ballet. We stood for the national anthem and when it came to the line "we stand on guard for thee" we looked at each other and had a discreet little laugh.

Connie's of Petrolia

Today I had lunch at Connie's of Petrolia. www.connies.ca Might not sound that exciting, given that Connie is my sister and she lives in Petrolia. But I didn't have lunch at Connie's house...I had lunch at the brand new tearoom she opened today! She has been planning the launch for a few months and today was the big day.

As we pulled up, I could tell Petrolia was already a-buzz. Several people were gathered outside the window, looking in. (I later discovered they were perusing a menu that was posted in the window) Jo-Anne & I entered and were greeted by Steve. He had taken the day off for the big event. Mom had reserved us a table at the front. A prime spot for people watching :)



The morning started with a birthday party reservation for 8 ...and they just kept coming! It was fun to watch the comings and goings, the well-wishers and the curious. I had an egg salad sandwich and a fabulous piece of white chocolate, raspberry cheesecake.

I'm sure Connie is glad today is Friday and she has the weekend to recooperate. If you're in Petrolia, check it out on the Main Street.

Photo of the Day Project (December)

This is my final month of the Photo of the Day project. It's been fun to see my many "looks" throughout the year. I'm still trying to decide what to do with all the photos. I would like to make a mosaic but trying to settle on what the overall image should be. When I do, I will post it here.

Happy New Year!

2009 Year In Review

2009 started off with me deciding to take a daily photo of myself for the entire year. Well, it is the end of the year and I can say (more or less) I succeeded! I'm not sure what to do with these photos but it's been kinda fun. Each month I would compile them and post on Facebook and here on my blog.



Winter is not my favourite season, so January & February were spent trying to get through the snow :) (my way of saying nothing special stands out in my memory) But March was something to look forward to. Not only was it my birthday, but I also went to see Art Garfunkel in concert! Overall the concert was disappointing.... it's just not the same without his sidekick Paul. But, we were treated with a couple of numbers from his unusual son James. If you have a chance, look him up on youtube. That boy is odd.

Also in March, 48 of my coworkers were affected by a massive layoff at work. It was a devastating blow and caused much turmoil. These were people I had spent much of my last 10 years with and it was really upsetting. However, it was a working layoff meaning most of them would be employed until the end of August. As the roller coaster ride continued, most of these people had their layoff notice retracted and are still working here! What a ride.

In April my sister Jo-Anne was diagnosed with colon cancer. It seemed unreal to think that MY sister had cancer. It was just too close to home. It was an emotional journey as she waited for surgery and even after the tumour was removed and she was in hospital. However, I'm glad to report that she had a follow up colonoscopy and it was clear. She has made major changes to her diet and looks healthier than ever!

Because of Jo-Anne's diagnosis, each member of my family had to have a colonoscopy. Mine was in June. It wasn't something to look forward to but a relief to have over. I had 2 polyps removed and will need to have a follow up in the new year.



July was a busy month. Jason & I both took a week of vacation at the beginning of the month and went to see Tony Bennett and the Proclaimers (not together, of course. that would be a strange show!) We also fit in a trip to Canada's Wonderland and The Jersey Boys. It was a busy but fun week. Did I mention I got Tony Bennett's autograph?? On the Saturday night, my friend Sue had us over for a fire in the back yard and toast some marshmallows. It was fun, but on our way home a pick up truck slammed into my poor little beetle as it was stopped at a red light.



I have never been in a car accident before and the whole experience was overwhelming. From riding in the back of an ambulance covered in blood to seeing my car the next day with it's rear end all crunched in - it was scary. The next few weeks were spent filling out forms, going to appointments and looking for a car. I had no idea what I wanted as I was planning on driving my car for at least another couple of years. New? Used? VW? Ford? I settled on replacing my beetle with another beetle. After LOTS of searching, I bought an 03 silver Beetle. I wasn't sold on the colour right away and scoured Ontario for a super-cool orange one, but to no avail. My buddy Chris at Autobahn gave me a great deal, so I ended up with the more subdued version. I'm still going for massage therapy and chiropractic treatments but overall, I came out relatively unscathed. My broken nose healed nicely with only a slight bump right where my glasses sit. (so really, kind of handy!)

The end of August saw the end of my friend Murray working at /A\. I was very sad to see him go. Murray has been my confidante, sounding board, support network and general go-to guy. We still get together for regular lunch and coffee gossip sessions but it's just not the same. We miss ya Murray!



September brought the 2009 Film Festival. Wow...it was a good one. The first autograph I got was Matt Damon followed by George Clooney! It was a star-studded 4 days in Toronto but by the end I was totally exhausted!

Soon enough it was October, Thanksgiving and my favourite season: autumn. Although, it always passes too quickly. A few short weeks of sunny days, crisp nights and colourful trees turns into colder, greyer days, leaves slowly falling to reveal naked trees and the need to pull out the winter coat.

It was during the fall, I decided to go back to school! For several years, I have been contemplating what to do, as the uncertainty at work continues. After thinking about every career imaginable, it was my coworker Scrappy that suggested Corporate Communications and Public Relations. I'm pretty excited about it, as it seems to be a really good fit for me. I am starting with a couple of courses in January which I will transfer to a full time program in September. I hope to do 2 more in May - August and when it comes time to be working and schooling full time, I will have lessened my load. We'll see how this all pans out :)

And, without getting too personal, Jason & I have decided to part ways. It has been an emotional time as we both still care very much for each other. This was a very difficult decision, but we are slowly working through the process.

So, as 2009 draws to a close, I look forward to all that 2010 has in store.

Tiptoes and Tutus

This year for Christmas, I wanted to give my Grammie an "experience" gift. We always enjoy spending time together and there really isn't much she needs at nearly 83 years of age. So, I checked out what was happening at the Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia and the Imperial Theatre in Sarnia. I picked out a couple of performances as options and called Grammie to see which she would like to do. She said she had always wanted to see the Nutcracker. It was playing the Sunday before Christmas which I thought was perfect timing.

I arrived on Sunday afternoon and picked up my guest for the evening. We went to Swiss Chalet for the Festive Special dinner before the show. I must admit we were both disappointed in the food and service. In fact, by going to Swiss Chalet, I was breaking a boycott I have had for about a year. (more on that in another post) but that is where Grammie wanted to go, so I obliged. When we were finished our meal, I went to help Grammie up from the table. It was quite the sight as the floor seemed to be slippery/greasy and my little dress shoes were sliding all over the place as I tried to pull Grammie up from her seated position. We looked like we were dancing!!



When we arrived at the Imperial Theatre, we headed right for the front. Our seats were in the SECOND row! It was great. Soon enough we were standing for O Canada. During this song, I remembered a certain story about "standing on guard" and my Grammie. It made us both chuckle and I promise I am going to post about that soon. Anyway, the performance soon was underway.

I had never been to a ballet before and was mesmerized by the dancers' ability to get up on those tippy toes! Wow. At intermission, it was cute to see all the miniature ballerinas come to the front and dance around to the Beatles songs that were playing.

We finished off the evening with a drive down the river to look at the huge homes and their light displays. Very festive indeed.

Vinyl Cafe for Christmas

Several months ago, I got an email from my friend Laurie. She knows I love CBC radio and she does too. So, when she heard that Stuart McLean was bringing the Vinyl Cafe to London for Christmas, she wondered if I would like to go. I love listening on the way home from church on Sundays and if I miss it, I listen to the podcast. So, seeing the live show would be great. We got our tickets and anticipated how much fun we would have.

As the date drew closer, we made plans to go for dinner before the show and even a walk through Victoria Park with all the lights. It would be, after all, the week before Christmas.

The day before our date, Laurie's status on Facebook said she was home sick! Yikes! It was touch and go for a while, but in the end she drugged up with Benedryl and made her way to London. Poor thing! Fortunately, I had the forethought to pick up some Halls and a packet of Kleenex for her. The Halls were definitely a saving grace during the show!!

We had a deeeelicious dinner at Felini Koolini's and hustled over to Centennial Hall for a delightful evening of songs and stories of Dave & Morley. In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we decided to make it an annual tradition! Let's just hope we don't sit behind the same woman next time that kept giving us the evil eye!!

Christmas Cookies

Why is it that every year I associate baking cookies with Christmas? It's not like I have fond childhood memories of doing this with my mom. In fact, whenever I wanted to bake sugar cookies, my Mom would say no as they were too much work. Note to self: Mother Knows Best!

Anyway, back in November, my friend Sarah and I decided that we would get in the festive spirit by making cookies and giving them to people. After some discussion, we decided that since the decorating part is the fun part, we would bake our cookies at home and then just get together to ice them. Excellent fore-thought.

Monday was the day of decorating so Sunday was spent rolling, cutting, baking, cooling - and repeat. I thought the dough would never end. Seriously! But, alas it came to an end and I was ready to fall into bed. Oh, but wait...I still needed to get "meringue powder" for my royal icing. I have never made royal icing before and had consulted my friend Claire for tips. Since there were only 3 ingredients and meringue powder was one of them.

I hit the grocery store around midnight and trolled the baking aisle looking for anything resembling what I was looking for. After asking 2 stock clerks, I resigned myself to leaving the store without it. Now I was ready to fall into bed.

The next morning I was able to locate the mysterious meringue powder at Michael's. I headed over to Sarah's house and we started mixing the icing. After several minutes of beating...the mixer started to slow down....and started to smell funny. We burned out the motor on her mixer! And guess what? The next day I burned out the motor on my mixer while making the same icing recipe. Seriously! By the time they were done I was so sick of cookies! And my arms were aching from all that piping!

However, when I took the VW cookies into my garage I knew my hard work was worth it. And, apparently I'm a sucker for punishment as Sue & I spent the day on Friday baking as well. We chose cookies that were less laborious so it wasn't quite as exhausting or frustrating.