Confectionary Curios

No, they are not some new form of drumstick. And no, cleanse that filthy mind, they are not you-know-whats on a stick. They are actually the most tastiest frozen treat you can ever make, and most of the ingredients you can scrounge up at home!

They're walnut-chocolate-covered frozen bananas with sticks up their nethers! Don't they look superb? They really were. We simply melted milk chocolate chips, stuck some bananas with chop sticks (any sticks will do) and dipped them in the chocolate. Then we finished by sprinkling them with chopped walnut and setting them in the freezer! So scrumptious! They turned out divine, and I'm so glad I finally made them! I had them a couple of months back and decided I absolutely had to make them and: tada! Accomplished.

Make them yourself! Tasty goodness.

Cuisine Curios

So I've passed yet another coming-of-age milestone, and that my friends, is the Great Sushi Adventure!

I went for sushi today with a co-worker, and it was such a fantastic adventure, I could just gush forever! For one: it didn't taste all that fishy! And, most of it is cooked! I had such incredible dishes! Tofu, softshell crab, salmon, tuna, teriyaki chicken, something else that tasted sort of like chicken, seaweed, deep fried sweet potato, fish eggs and so much more! I even had a dish called: Spider. I guess because of the display, where the legs of the crab are sort of flailing about in a grotesque sort of way.


But it was all fairly delicious! I really enjoyed myself! It was at a little restaurant that feels like a little basement secret. You walk in, and then walk around a corner down some stairs into a Japanese world! It was called "Miso" and they had an all-you-can-eat sushi thing, where you can order whatever you want off the menu, and as much of it as you want, and pay one flat fee. Sounds too good to be true right? Here's the catch: the bottom of the menu says "Please do not waste food. For every uneaten piece of food there is a charge of $0.75." Isn't that crazy? I thought so!

So, the way you order sushi is kinda wacky too. You sit down and there's a little flier on the table with check boxes, as well as a little glass with a tiny golf-like pencil. You mark in the check boxes how many of each item you want, and then they come pick up the card and bring you your food. It really was something else, something so new.

To add to the overall fun of the experience, there was a Japanese man serving us who was the quirkiest, most movie-esque character. I could write a book about it! He kept asking my co-worker if she was cold and wanted to borrow his jacket, and then in the middle of the meal he just showed up with a couple of Brisk Iced Teas and straws and asked us if we wanted them, just, I guess to have... We said no thank you, and I guess he heard yes and put them down in front of us. Before walking away I suppose he went over the response in his head again because he quickly apologized and took them back. It was so silly.

As we were leaving, the same man hollered, "See you rater!" which just topped off the whole experience ice cream cone. It was so much fun, I strongly suggest you go out on a sushi adventure of your own! It's so new and different, not to mention the exquisite tastes! Definitely not for every day, but once in a while, I can definitely see it being quite a treat. It really tastes different than anything else, and is hard to compare to other things. The textures, too, are completely new and different, and unique. I'm so happy I went.

See? Sometimes the scariest things are the most rewarding things in the end.
Like driving in the city: conquered!
Like administering medical injections: conquered!
Like taking a trip in an airplane: conquered!

Like moving out on my own? Still conquering, and making pretty good progress I must say.

What's next?
Saving the world?
That's pretty scary.
Probably pretty rewarding, though.

A Brutal Bugging

Just a poem I wrote last night. I apologize but its a little dark. Apparently being a happy person means you have to be a dark poet. Especially at 2:30 in the morning.


A Brutal Bugging

On a Saturday night, an ant marched through the street,
With a confident stride, purpose driving his feet.

He was a business ant, you could tell by the tie,
The briefcase in hand, the look in his eye.

He was on his way to his car down the block,
But he stumbled his steps o'er a measly old rock.

Then out from the shadows lurched an angry old bug,
Cunning as cockroaches, smooth as a slug.

With a pistol in hand, he closed in on the ant,
His legs bent and crooked, his body a slant.

With a pistol pressed into his back, the ant cried,
“Just open my briefcase, take what’s inside!”

Without even a word the bugger had grabbed it,
Found the ant’s wallet, silently nabbed it.

He gestured toward the ant’s watch on his wrist.
He surrendered the Rolex, his hand in a fist.

Then with his pistol, he slugged the ant’s head,
Turned on his heel, and left him for dead.

Then as the old cricket was crossing the ‘walk,
A set of two headlights screeched ‘round the block.

Out of control, the car slipped, rocked, and slided,
Then it and the cricket violently collided.

The car didn’t stop, but drove off ‘round the bend,
While the cricket lay bleeding, in fear of his end.

Just a few feet away, the ant regained his stance,
Looked over his shoulder, gave the cricket a glance.

The bugger was mangled, covered in mud,
Bathing in brokenness, dripping with blood.

The ant, very calmly, approached the poor cricket,
Reached to his pocket, proceeded to pick it.

Took back his wallet, his watch and his rings,
The keys to his car, the rest of his things.

“Won’t… you… help… me…?” Cricket sputtered, interrupted,
While he choked on the grey sticky gunge that erupted.

With a laugh the ant stood, and whispered “Goodnight.”
Then got into his car, and drove out of sight.

The bugger painfully drew his last breath,
Then shut his cold eyes, welcoming death.

The ant got home at a quarter to ten,
And never thought of the cricket again.

Does "Constant Character" mean "Seldom Self?"

I was looking through some pictures of myself, and realized that it's a little hard to see who my self is in them! I wonder to myself: does being a constant character mean seldom being myself? This thought definitely sent me into a confusing bout of self confusion, self consciousness, self bewilderment. Is there something I'm trying to hide?

When thinking about this, I realized that when I sing I don't sing like myself very often, either. I'm always pretending to be Michael Buble, Norah Jones, Hayley Sales, but never pretending to be myself. I tried to sing like myself and it didn't sound terrible. Why don't I want to sing like that?

Maybe it's because the other voices I imitate have already been validated, I know that people like them, thus they are good. Whereas with my voice I really don't have a clue what people think, and then to top it all off, why I care what people think at all. It's a vicious circle that's got my head in a loop of self loathing and far-too-careful inspection.

But then, just when I start to feel really down on myself about my absurd whimsy, an epiphany hits me square in the temple; Maybe my character is character. Maybe that's who I am, perhaps I'm a collage of all the greatest things in others, in the world, in life. What's so wrong with that? Who always wants to be the same anyway? Maybe more people should become characters. Because truly and honestly there are little things in the world that I love more than to strike a pose, roll my eyes back in a ridiculous way, and make a noise nobody's ever heard before as a march about the room, reciting lines from some Groucho Marx clip. That's probably the most fun thing I have in my life. Another would definitely be dancing around to the "Hairspray" soundtrack, dramatic arm gestures and lipsyncing all the way, digging my toe into the floor and doing the twist like there's no tomorrow.

Maybe what the world needs is more silliness, less serious people waltzing about like they own the place. Maybe in my own little way I'm desperately trying to return a little character to the world. It's not like I'm pretending to not-be-myself. I'm adding to myself. Not changing myself, but making myself something even more, even greater.

And that's when I can finally look at the pictures and smile.
Being a constant character does absolutely not mean seldom self, but the truest self! In all of us. To be a moving story, a living movie, a three dimensional cartoon, has become one of the greatest parts of my life. To mirror the greatest things in life, now that's an honour even I feel I may not completely deserve.

So I inspire you: don't settle for being only one thing, when you can be everything! You don't have to express yourself as rambunctiously as I do, but there are so many other ways to be dynamic and diverse. Be a painter AND a piano player, AND have a knack for electronics, and enjoy a box of turtles more than life itself, and dance to an obscure eightees track, AND be terrible at keeping plants alive, AND make the greatest cookies on your entire street.

What a character that would be.

Something Borrowed, and Baby Blues

A new trend has got me a'thinkin.

I know a woman who was out for dinner, and over a couple of drinks was asked for her hand in marriage, between a burp, and a request for a drink refill from a nearby server. How about being asked whilst you scramble to find your shoes before a Christmas gathering? Maybe, while being chased around a pick-up on the parking lot of the place you just attended a depressing Rememberance Day service? Maybe in a sauna? Hmm.

Where has the romance gone? What happened to candlelit dinners, while the violinist plays your song, and you look only to find a diamond ring on the bottom of your champagne? What happened to waiting until the fireworks shoot at the Canada Day celebration? Finding a suit and top hat and going for a late-night stroll through the park beneath the stars on a horsedrawn carriage? Where on earth has chivalry gone? It certainly is not beneath my sofa, or outside my apartment door, it has vanished into thin air. Been sent out to sea by some feminist activist and shot down by a neighbouring country that only believes in grunting and farting your way into someone's heart.

My next question is this: what on earth is the rush? Everyone turns eighteen, decides that now is the time to find someone they can bear to be around, date them for four months, do the things only married couples ought, and then figure that "Hmm, what else is there? Heck, let's tie the knot!" I'm so absolutely baffled by this!

I'm moderately sure that a big part of the rush is the pressure of sex, that can't be denied. But the funny thing is, is that: I'm pretty sure nobody waits anymore. I've drawn this conclusion from my own personal experience in the area. When I tell people here in the city that I've waited, through thick and thin, temptation or naught, I have kept it in my pants! Every time I present this idea to them, I am always met with gaping jaws, bulging eyes, and something resembling the sound of Super Mario jumping. This concept is absolutely new and crazy out here! After they've regained their composure, they tell me, "Surely, you must have only started dating, then." When I tell them it's been over three years, I'm met with the same astonishment. It's remarkable, it's so insanely different than anything I've ever experienced in a small town.

I remember going to a youth conference in Saskatchewan once, at a Christian University. The attendants were given the oppportunity to stay in dorms with the students who were involved, which was fine, because these were all Christian students and thus, you were in safe hands. I was staying with a young girl, very nice, a little forward, but nice. I was sitting at the desk in her room when I found a circlet of birth control pills. What a confusing moment for a struggling 13-year-old Christian girl. I can remember all of the questions running through my mind; why would she have these if she isn't having sex? Why would she have sex if she was a Christian? Why is she a Christian if she doesn't want to follow all of it? Does it work that way? Needless to say I got my first example of a halfway Christian that day, and realized that I was probably going to run into an awful lot of these from now on. And it's true, I have.

So if everyone is doing it, then why get married? Is it so you don't have to lie that you aren't doing it anymore? How can you even know who you are until you've lived on your own? Suddenly you're expected to live on your own while discovering a new marriage, and new marriage obstacles, all the while struggling with the new concept of grocery shopping, shrinking all of your once-valuable clothes, paying rent a day or two late while mumbling, "We were out of town, we couldn't get it here any sooner..." I can't possibly imagine.

I moved out on my own, and it's absolutely been the most difficult thing I have ever done. It's like that grade 11 year when you finally discover that you don't really care what other people think, excluding your group of five whom you sit by the lockers with every other day during your math spare. Do you remember that year? That year you sort of get a taste of who you are, and who you were meant to be, and instead of fighting it you start embracing it. Eccentuating it. Wearing those pants that make your butt look good, wearing that goofy side-turned hat because, heck, yer' the artsy one! Looking into Universities that might perfect your personality, and introducing yourself as "I'm Pete, I'm into computers." and that's all that matters.

That's what this past year has definitely been for me, but on such a grown up level. I'm learning how to make friends that may not be my exact age, who may not have known me when my shorts fell down on the playground in Grade 2, who may not even have the same culture or opinions as me. I'm learning how to sustain myself, and what's more! A pet! I'm slowly trying to learn how to make time for things I love, because when a teacher isn't asking you to do it, it's pretty freakin' hard!

And I've met me. For the first time.

Can you imagine being married before meeting yourself? I was eighteen once, and I remember being stupid. I remember thinking, "Like, omigod! I totally think he'll propose for my nineteenth birthday! Omigod! Maybe we'll be married by June, and like, have a little family!" I was so, so, stupid! I don't even think we'd still be together if we'd gotten married then. We've had fights since that really depended on us knowing we had a choice to stick together. If we'd have felt forced to stay together by some binding agreement, that would've been something we were not even close to being old enough to overcome. It would've sewn seeds of bitterness and resentment toward this other person for trapping you in something, keeping you from yourself because you're so busy taking care of them.

I just praise God for the one I ended up with. It's completely thanks to him that we aren't married now. If it were up to me, my stupid little self would have asked him, and that would be it. And we'd be miserable, stuck as kids together, trying to figure out this crazy life thing, together, but apart. But he always said, "Wait. What's the rush?" And I thank him every day. He gave me the gift of myself, of mutual respect, of absolute trust, and independance. What a gift! And each day that we've been dating this past three-plus years, I have enjoyed every minute. No skanky stuff, just pure stuff. No guilt, no mess, no lies, just communication and laughter, and absolute and complete surrender to each other and to God.

So what's the rush? Slow it down, kids!
Y'all got a lot of growing up to do.
Trust me.

Home is a Four Letter Word

So the building manager of the new apartment called.
Aherm.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my unfortunate duty to inform you that as of this time,
WE GOT THE PLACE!

Can I get a woop! woop!

I was so psyched. I'm still psyched. I've prearranged all of my furniture on a bmp. map of the place. I absolutely can't wait. It's going to be so new and different and absolutely the most magical experience of all time. I'm so excited, my first real home. I could just squeal at the thought, I'm going to put up original pieces on the walls, and use every single cupboard in the kitchen. And take a nap whenever I want, wherever I want! And never get vomit on my towels again! Yayay!

Things work out. They do. They absolutely do. And God's got it all worked out, see? See, he's got a guy on the inside, see? And them's workin' out the passcodes and the electric so they can weasel their way into the joint, ya got that? Transfer all the funds, vis a vis, to me, aka, my bank account, via I can spend it all on blessings, that's how it's gonna roll this time 'round.

Oh joy, oh rapture.
I am homeless no longer! I've got a home, and a little half-family, and hopes and dreams again! Ambition, and momentary silence, and bliss.

Lesson of the day: Try not to multitask so much. As humans, we feel like we need to make the absolute most of every minute, so we listen to music and talk on the phone while we cook and catch up on the paper, but we really shouldn't. By doing so much, each thing loses any pleasurable value and we're left feeling empty. Instead, do one thing at a time. When you cook, cook! Taste test, use delicate precision when chopping. Savour the flavours and aromas. When you talk on the phone, revel in the moment of it. Ponder the words your friend is saying, and interact on a much more personal level! When you listen to music, rest in the awkward note transitions that reach down into your soul, feel your heart pound especially quickly when the song makes that big key change after the bridge into the Paul Simon African chamber choir interlude! In doing this, you can appreciate the moment to its absolute fullest.

And to add to your daily overall pleasure, try and do three little things each day that make you happy. Like, grab a quick cup of coffee with a friend, find a new song by an artist you like, take a short walk around the block, go to the drug store to ask about band-aids, or cough syrup, or cotton balls, or whatever you have to ask about in order to make conversation with the cute pharmacist, if only for a few moments. You'll find that at the end of your day, you'll feel much more fulfilled, grateful, and actually, have a better night's sleep and an immune system boost!

Be happy!
I sure am.

Funniest Thing Ever.

Designed the new Christmas card for next year!


:)

Upsy Daisy, Tighty Righty

So I'm feeling a little exhausted, and a little lonely. At the moment, discouraged comes to mind as well. In all of this apartment business, I've realized that it was solely I who searched for a new place to live, I who called landlords and subletters, ran around with forms and made awkward last minute arrangements to get things signed and sent etc. Even when I asked people to do things (ie: current room mate, future room mate...) they said they would do it, and I trusted them, and then they didn't and I ended up having to do it by myself. I'm having trouble finding dependable sources these days. Sigh.

Happy things have certainly happened, though. I went out to a movie with Kit the other day, and had an excellent time. It was surreal however because it was the first time I'd seen a movie with anyone but my boyfriend in an immensely long time. It was kind of nice, a new and fun experience. I intend to do a lot more of those. The two of us decided that in the new place we'd have a house warming party, and I could not believe what an excellent idea that was. I can't wait! I'll have all two people I know over and it'll be a blast! Haha, just kidding. I probably know three...

I also went out for dinner with a good friend the other day as well, we'll call him Art. That was a lot of fun, too. Surprisingly so. I didn't think we'd have much to talk about considering the circumstances, but we did. My boyfriend had a surprisingly fun time, too, so that was a delightful little treat. It was such a fantastic meal, too. Really top notch. Good to see old friends again.

I saw "Bride Wars" and really enjoyed it. Perhaps not the deepest movie ever made, but it was fun. A little goofie movie snack, because every so often we need those. I've just finished seeing "Seven Pounds," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and "Marley & Me" so I needed something with absolutely no real moral, no real thinking, and no actual emotions. It was nice, it was a holiday from movies. I suggest you see it, but don't take a boy along because I don't know if I've ever seen a girlier movie in my life. Although, he did get a laugh or two out of it, because of the ridiculous nature of the actresses, when it came to things having to do with weddings. Ridiculous, yes, but fiercely realistic. There's actually a scene where the one finds the engagement ring hidden in the house, and in her impatience holds her own personal engagement party before he's even asked the question! Pretty realistic...

So yeah. I'm up, and I'm down. I'm left and I'm right, and I can not wait to be stationary and quiet for an afternoon in my new home. Still no final word on that, either, I might add. They needed cosigner forms, so that's in the process right now. But hopefully by the end of the week we've got some concrete information, and I can actually get excited about something!

I've bought a 2009 Datebook, and I'm pretty sure I love it more than I've loved anything. People, animals, books included. It's Celtic themed, and the pages feel so delicious, and are just begging to be written on. It makes me want to make more plans! I don't know why I didn't buy one sooner, I'm already 14 days in! Think of all the plans I've missed!

Was looking through some of my olderish paintings and found one that I absolutely adore, but am stuck with because I painted the foreground before the background, which means I can't do anything further and it can never be finished. But that's okay, it still looks delightful, and makes my heart smile. Which is all the currency I need in this world.

The picture's a little dark, but it almost captures the essence of the piece.


I also played a rip roarin' game of 9-Tile Scrabble the other day, with the man. It was a lot of fun, and we made some really interesting words! I don't know if anyone else is interested in this sort of thing, but I think the words you make when you're playing scrabble can really dictate some things about your life! As well as this, I think that words alone are just beautiful, so even without my prior philosophy I would love the final work we come up with when playing scrabble. If I were a teacher I'd assign my class to write a story using all of the words from a scrabble board. Wouldn't that turn out interesting? Maybe I'll write a story.


Maybe. Who knows.
And yes, "tranq" is an official word, in the scrabble handbook.
I challenged it too.

The tables have turned!

So I was unbelievably worried about being homeless and all, yeah, I don't know if you know the lo' down of that one. Basically put, my boyfriend and I had to leave our absolutely stunningly beautiful apartment in humility for our room mate, and find somewhere else to live by March 1st, or be homeless and live on the streets. With our cat, of course.

I was so worried, too. Honestly, it was probably the biggest stress in my life. We looked at some apartments online and the floor plans were all wrong, the location was awful, bah! We found one in an excellent location, but when we went to see it, it wasn't anything like we wanted. The cupboards were chipped, the tiles were cracked, and it was a lower level, so the windows were all up near the ceiling. The bedrooms were small, and to top it all off, it cost more than where we are living now! So it was out, and all optimism kind of went out the window with that one, too. Although, at this point, we were still in contact with a building manager of another place slightly closer to the university. But, that one didn't seem to be working out either, because the room we were supposed to get was one out of eviction, and the woman was a mad woman looking to slay anyone who came within her stronghold, so we couldn't view it!

But at last! Haha, ladies, at last I go a hold of this building manager, and he said he couldn't show us that suite after all. Great. BUT! He had one that had just opened and was renting as of February 1st. Okay, sure, we'll come see it! So, we finally got to come down to take a look, and... kids. Come on. It was incredible. It was exactly everything we'd always been looking for and more.

The carpeting is exactly like where we are now, but the flooring in the kitchen/dining room was brand new! And the appliances, new. Cupboards? Wood, not painted! Counter space in the bathroom, storage space, a sunken living room AND bedroom! It has a balcony with a private entrance and wall so nobody can even see you when you're on it, unless they are in the back yard which our living room window FACES! It doesn't face another building, it faces a yard! Yayayay! It's on the second floor, security people! It has enormous closets, an open concept, and the biggest master bedroom I have ever seen in a home! It's spectacular! And, the rent is absolutely exactly the same as where we are now! To the dollar! Utilities included! AND to top the whole thing off, the building has a hot tub room, with tiles and a sunken hot tub (it looks like a little miniature heated pool, actually) and a sauna! GAH!

And, the location is perfect. It's minutes from the university, it's right on the main strip, so my family can visit whenever they want because, heck, they never have to turn the steering wheel! It's a straight line!

Can you believe this? It's like, our sacrifice called upon God in such a way that he blessed us beyond anything imaginable! Things are turning around! The only loose end was that I had to get the lease changed to Feb 1, but that's no problem and it's in the works right now! I could just rejoice for absolutely the rest of time, I really could. I'm so excited, everything is going to be alright after all. It is, praise the Lord!

Now we're just waiting for our applications to be processed, and we're in like flin! That should take until about middle of next week, but we've got a cash deposit down on the place already, so if all paperwork goes smoothly, it's ours!

It's ours! It's my very own place that I don't have to share with anybody messy, or irritating, or loud, or who has bad taste in music and decor! I could just cry. I could cry! I never have to hide anything again!

*pant*pant*pant*Please click the image for a larger view (and so you can see the measurements of the freakin' huge master bedroom!) The only difference is that there's actually a giant closet in the bedroom, too. Hehe! And, it looks even more beautiful in person, it really does. I can't wait to show everyone!

I can't wait for you to see it!

Back in Black

So my blogging days begin again. Happy New Year! It was absolutely the busiest holiday season I have ever experienced, and I imagine the first of many to come. It was back and forth, here and there, the entire holidays! It was absolutely unbelievable. I mean, it was fun, but it was exhausting. Today has been my first day off. Today is my holiday.

Happy New Year, Me!

I got pretty much every single thing that I wanted, I ate far too much for my own good, I talked only to people I liked (had time for) I baked cookies, I sang carols, and best of all I got to spend it with my dear boyfriend.

We got each other the same gift you know, and under the same circumstances as well. We each got each other a Nintendo DS Lite with all the extras, and each ordered online and had to pick up from the same location! We also both bought and returned a DS, on account of the first one we each bought was absolutely not the right colour after all!

I found him a limited edition Pokemon DS with a case (and a kiddie DVD, not really the selling point on that one!) and he adored it, he is absolutely a loser in every way imaginable and yet each passing day I just want to slobber more all over his fuzzy little face. Sigh, what a dreamboat. But I digress.

So that was that, then. My brothers had a spectacular Christmas, we all had a spectacular new years celebration fit with punch and a teensy bit of vodka, pickles and cheese with crackers, chips and cookies, "Lips" Karaoke game for the XBox 360, and so much more. And what's a complete new years without making my younger brother do something absolutely horrid for the mere price of $5? This year we made him a shot glass filled with our own personal concoction, made up of: barbeque sauce, ketchup, salad dressing, hot sauce, pepper, sea food sauce, strawberry jam, vinegar... the list goes one. Needless to say he drank it, gagged, but did not vomit, thusly earning him his $5.

I resolve to lose weight (get in shape, get healthy, however you'd like to put it. I just want to look pretty!) I resolve to paint more, write more, scrapbook more! Learn to ballroom dance! Tryout some Turbo Jam! Spend less.

Recieve one very expensive piece of hand jewelry?
Maybe...

But, this is going to be the greatest year of my entire life! And I absolutely can't wait to dive into it and enjoy absolutely every minute to its fullest! This year will both set me free, and help me strengthen my foundation! It will contain laughter, tears, stopping, breathing, running, jumping again! It will contain hundreds of hugs, thousands of kisses, endless hand-holds, trips, adventures! I could go on forever!

And it all begins right now!