Rusty leaves

Ready for winter...sort of.

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, my friend Kat made and then mailed me a wonderful scarf. It's absolutely lovely. The colour is stunning and it is very soft. It's wool, which oftentimes makes me feel itchy. But not this delightful scarf. Just cozy. And bright!

I also bought myself a warm hat. It's a bit silly, but was only about $15. It is incredibly warm and looks great with red lipstick. The only thing is that it is a men's hat and a little big, so it falls over my eyes from time to time. Oh well, that's fashion for ya.

It's tea and biscuit weather

If I had my way I would spend far more time wrapped up in a blanket, drinking tea, nibbling on biscuits and reading books. Alas, there are things to see and work to do.

I need to take some new photos of Geneva. The hills and mountains surrounding the city are changing. Snow is covering Mont-Blanc and the Salève is covered in a carpet of yellow and dark green. It's pretty. I should take a walk along the lake this weekend. I also need to show and tell you about the gift my friend Kat made and sent to me. She has a great crafty blog called Junior Deluxe that I recommend you check out in the meantime.

Just call me "Diamond Dave"...

Because I am CRAZY FROM THE HEAT. The temperature since late last week has been holding steady at roughly 30 C. It's not just hot, but humid. On Sunday evening it was like walking through molasses. Yesterday the temperature reached 36 C and I spent my evening in the direct path of an electric fan while soaking my feet in cold water.

Last weekend was not only hot, but it was a sandwich of action. Friday we fêted a friend who was off to the Middle East for work and Sunday we tried to do a little bit of everything. In the middle of the action was Saturday on which I ventured outside for about an hour to pick up a parcel, buy some groceries and accidentally ask a stranger why on earth they were buying eggs because we already had some in our fridge (I thought I was talking to my roommate). When I got home I commenced lying on the bed in a nightgown, eating ice cream, napping and drinking cold water.

Friday was great. Karen and I met with friends at the Perle de Lac for a picnic to wish our friend well on her next work journey. There was a ton of food and drink, as well as lively conversation. I made white-wine soaked peaches and they were divine. The locally grown peaches alone were delicious, but after soaking overnight in a mixture of dry white wine and sugar they were a different kind of delicious. I paired them with coconut macaroons (not macarons!) that I bought at Manor Food. Yums! There was no shortage of other tasty things to eat: cheese, bread, salads and even some chana masala! To drink, I brought Swizly, a Swiss cider made with apples and elderflower syrup (my Auntie Linda would LOVE it). A friend recommended it to me and I can't thank her enough. It is refreshing and not too sweet.

We stuck it out at the park for quite some time. Towards the end of the night our blanket was approached by two young Austrian men in search of food. Karen was convinced their accents were fake, but I think they were legit. We shared a brief conversation about Austria's cultural exports:

Me: How do you feel about Arnold Schwarzenegger?
Them: We are proud of him. But we are more proud of MOZART!
Me: Great.
Them: Do you know Vienna?
Me: Yup.
Them: Do you know Falco?
Me: Yes, I have one of his records.
Them: Coooool! Can we have chips now?

They eventually disappeared into the night. It was, in fact, quite dark by the time we packed everything up. We cleaned up and headed to our friends' apartment close by for more snacking, a few drinks and dancing to the sounds of Bollywood! I should preface the next bit by letting you know that on the previous Saturday I astounded two of our Indian friends with my, ahem, knowledge of Hindi film music. I don't know what the words mean, but I can hum the tunes and do some of the dances. In particular, a re-creation of the song Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja from the film "Disco Dancer." This past Saturday an encore performance was requested and naturally I delivered. Needless to say, a lot fun was had and it was a late night for me and my fellow librarian/roommate.

Saturday I watched That Mitchell and Webb Look, a recent acquisition via Amazon UK. It was the perfect show to watch while lying in bed, drinking water and eating ice cream mochi. I must confess, I have a bit of a crush on Robert Webb. They're both hilarious but there's just something about Webb. Though I should mention that I love reading Mitchell's column for The Guardian. Regardless of who's cuter or more charming, they are both hilarious and I think that Peep Show is one of the greatest television shows ever made.

Sunday we woke up before 10AM! And we got ready and went out for brunch across the city to Eaux-Vives. We both ordered the brunch special at Coup de Giraffe. It was delicious and the restaurant was adorable.

Our other adventure was a foray to the beach. Where we ended up wasn't much of a beach. It was more of a small grassy hill with stairs that went right into the lake. It was much cooler by the lake, but still hot. Swimming was so refreshing. It was my first time in Lake Geneva and for a lake that size it's really quite warm. The only downside was that my bathing suit, it turns out, is not so great for swimming in. Every time I attempted to actually swim I experienced a "wardrobe malfunction" and stopped abruptly, sucking water into my mouth and sputtering while I treaded water and readjusted things so as not to offend.

We rounded off our adventurous Sunday by going to the Cinelac showing of Away We Go. It was quite sweet and both of us enjoyed it. John Krasinski is a babe and Maya Rudolph is quite endearing (but I kept expecting her to start acting like Oprah or to do a funny voice or something). It is recommended viewing if you're in the mood for something funny and sweet and seeped in hipster-indie-ness (written by Dave Eggers and his wife, Vendela Vida).

So that was last weekend. Now it's Thursday and the next weekend is just around the corner. I think it will be a little less action-packed though and a little more feet in a bucket of ice water.

Walk right up to the microphone

Real post coming soon, I swear. I've been really exhausted and it's been very humid. Those are my excuses but honest to goodness I will write something here and post some new photos in the next couple of days. Until then, check out this hair!

New tenant

On Saturday night it rained and the wind blew maniacally against our windows. If I had been outside I most certainly would have wanted in, just like this little guy:

On Sunday morning, while I was drinking my morning cup of tea, I felt a presence. That's when I looked over and noticed that there was a little snail stuck on the wall of our bedroom. The inside wall. On the second floor. I have no idea how he got there, but I assume he crawled along the wall and in through the window, which had been open a crack. Pretty ambitious for a snail!

I suppose I should take him outside where he can feast on the plants that have sprung up and out of the soil in the last month and a bit. In the meantime, he seems pretty okay just hanging out on the wall.

Spectacular!

I don't know what else to say, but SPECTACULAR. That was today. It was basically the perfect temperature. The sky was blue, blue, blue. And the sun was beaming. Spectacular!

To celebrate today's amazing weather I sat outside on a blanket with Becca, ate potato chips, drank homemade Japanese Cherry green iced tea and chatted about stuff. Awesome.

Oh, the snow!

It's still snowy here, folks. Yes, it sure is. It hasn't really snowed for a few days, but the snow on the ground isn't disappearing despite the frozen rain that has been pelting down off and on for the last couple of days. By the way, whoever would chose freezing cold rain over snow is CRAZY. I'm just sayin'. I would rather trudge through the pretty snow that be sogged out by the rains.

As I type this I can hear the sounds of many squealing tires attempting to roll their way out of the small snow banks that still line our alley and street. Me, I have decided to leave our car where it is and take the bus.

Here's the bus stop by my work last Monday...

As I was standing there, waiting for the bus (which didn't come for nearly an hour) I was thinking to myself "Wow, that's a lot of snow" to the point where I actually took a photo of it with my phone. Oh the things we do to amuse ourselves while waiting for the bus.

Here are the same newspaper boxes one week later...

In the immortal words of Mike LaFontaine: "Whaaaa happened?"

I suppose the logical explanation is that someone shoveled all the snow from the sidewalk over top of the newspaper boxes. Maybe it's because it hasn't snowed this much in about a decade, but I found this pile of dirty, icy snow sort of impressive.

Also impressive, but not really, were the bus stops around the city today. They were basically two foot tall platforms of compacted snow and ice. Climbing aboard the bus successfully was akin to reaching the summit of a very tall mountain. On one hand I was impressed, on the other hand I was wondering if I would be the next person in my family to break her leg this holiday season*.


* Broken sister update...She's still in the hospital, but doing fairly well. There have been some annoying things that she's had to deal with (overmedication, aspiration, a cast that was put on too tightly!), but she is still adorable and funny...and can't wait to get home, so her sister can smother her with love, casseroles and sitcoms on DVD.

Finally, something for the ladies...Mighty Goods has a round up post on Fascinators. Oh yes, I will take one of each. While I don't know if feathers are the best thing to wear in this weather they are beautiful and will make you feel all spruced up.

The ho-ho-holidays

And so quickly Christmas is over. It was fun. It was delicious. It was a bit strange.

We determined that morning that our car was most definitely stuck in the snow. Transit was running sporadically and it would be safer and more comfortable to stay at home. Luckily we had gone grocery shopping the night before just in case this happened, so we were prepared.

We went with Plan B. I made a small Danish feast of frikadeller, brune kartofler, rødkål and seared kale. Our friends Simone and Racan joined us and it was quite lovely. I even decorated our living room table with nisser.

For dessert there was ris ala mande. I think it is one of my favourite desserts and it's always a treat since I only have it at Christmas. This was the first time that I had made it and I thought it turned out quite well. Racan found the almond and was given a giant Kinder Surprise as a prize. It was filled with a pirate game. Very exciting.

We spent the rest of the evening drinking winter ales and playing Guitar Hero.

I phoned my family out in the 'burbs to wish them all "God Jul!" and listen to the din of their conversations over the phone. It was strange to not spend Christmas with them, but as I said to my Mom the next day it wasn't as if Sean and I were stranded in our apartment, alone and with bowls of cereal for Christmas dinner. We had our friends over and we ate until we were stuffed. We even had Christmas crackers, paper crowns and a high-definition yule log to keep us warm.

Still, it was my first Christmas Eve not with my entire family singing carols and trying to hear everyone over everyone else's voices. Thank goodness for the phone! My Dad actually had to find a room at the back of my aunt and uncle's house in order to hear what I was trying to say to him over the phone...Merry Christmas!

So, that was Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was another event all together...

Again, we determined that the car would not be taking us anywhere that day. My parents called, surprisingly early, and I answered groggily. My Dad told me that my sister had an accident and that her leg was broken. She had slipped on some ice on the stairs and fallen down. An ambulance came, along with a fire truck, and they took her to the hospital. The rest of my Christmas morning was spent wondering and waiting for news about what happened next.

While I waited, Sean went out and shovelled snow for our landlords. I made us breakfast (french toast casserole with warm blueberry compote and creme fraiche). We ate and it was delicious. Then we opened our presents to each other.

After presents we watched some episodes of "Extras" and then I took a nap and waited for my Mom and Dad to call. I ended up taking the train out to the hospital to visit my poor sister and her leg. Not only was her leg broken, but it was broken in THREE places. I can't really describe how badly I felt for her seeing her in the hospital bed and in a morphine daze. She is one of the kindest, sweetest and most thoughtful people that I know. She also loves Christmas more than most people I know, so to have this happen now is extra super sucky. I did bring some of her presents to the hospital, which was sort of fun but, unsurprisingly, she couldn't really get into it. I e-mailed a friend that after the operation to reattach her bones with screws and metal plates my sister would be one of the kindest, sweetest and most thoughtful bionic people that I know.

Janna called her boyfriend and demanded that he bring my presents to the hospital so I could open them in front of her. I assured her that I could wait until she was out of the hospital, but she was having none of it. That's my sister in a nutshell. Travis brought them. I opened them as she drifted in and out of sleep. Then he drove me back to their place so I could see my parents. My parents offered to drive me home, which was wonderful because it was cold and the snow was still blanketing the city.

The nice bit about this was that my parents were able to come over to our place and open their presents there. This is something that we haven't done for years due to our apartment being too small for them to stay with us.

Despite the snow and my sister's broken leg (and the worry it has placed in my heart and head), my Christmas was wonderful. The last three days have been mostly relaxing and indulgent and warm. Now I'm off to the hospital to bring my lil' sis some bananas and hugs.

Snowed in!

Glædelig Jul! It's Christmas Eve and it is SNOWING like mad. I'm going to make a quick trek out into it on foot to pick up some rice for ris ala mande, but other than that I think it's going to be a cozy, stuck at home Christmas.

Here are some things to enjoy while you prepare your holiday feasts. If you're Scandinavian, like me, then tonight's meal will be the big one.

My absolute favourite Christmas album is by Gene Autry (this is a weird homemade video for it by someone named "Big Joe"):

Very cool, innovative silent film depicting Santa's arrival (from the BFI channel on YouTube):

One of my favourite Christmas songs, video complete with neck-beard!:

I also really enjoy Phil Spector's Christmas album, this song in particular by the Crystals:

And this one is quite amazing...It's the Hørsholm Junior Marimba Ensemble! :

Finally, in Denmark at Christmas the Nisser come and leave treats for you just like this (Min mor vil elsker det video!):

O Hai Snow and Cold

It's still snowy! That makes it over a week with snow on the ground, which is kind of like a record for Vancouver. It is also very, very cold. Today it's been -10 C.

Fortunately I have a really warm winter coat and some kick-butt snow boots. Unfortunately, the roads are a total mess and that means that even taking the bus is a bit of a hazardous adventure. I can't even contemplate digging out my car at this point, but after waiting an hour for a bus yesterday after work I was thinking desperate things. My sanity returned once I finally got home (two hour commute as opposed to the regular 30 minutes) and I was glad to be alive, to have a lot of blankets and to have had the sense not to drive.

Vancouver hasn't had a White Christmas for ten years. I remember the last one because it was the first Christmas that Sean and I spent together. I had to take the Skytrain back to the 'burbs and I was so terrified that I would be trapped on the train, elevated in the sky and freezing. It didn't happen, but I'm still hesitant to ride it this winter.

Due to the weather I have a Plan B for Christmas dinner. Plan A involves travelling to the aforementioned 'burbs for Danish Christmas Eve dinner with my sister, her boyfriend and my parents (who are planning on trekking over from the island). However, because it is snowy and the roads are a mess and there is more snow in the forecast I may have to resort to Plan B. Plan B involves a low-key dinner featuring some Danish foods but not as extravagant as Plan A would include. Even though I love Christmas dinner and I love spending it with my family I'm sort of interested to see what kind of new tradition I can come up with for Sean and I (and Simone, because she is walking distance from us and it's nice to share a feast with friends). We'll see...Plan A or Plan B, either way things will be delicious and warm and fun.

Oh yeah, we have a Christmas tree. Sean cleared a spot for it in the apartment (not an easy task for many reasons). I'm supposed to decorate it because apparently that's my thing. I haven't had time! Seeing as it's Christmas tomorrow I suppose I had better get on it.

It snowed!

I love the snow! I love the snow! I love the snow!

Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair

It's Fall! Or, Autumn if you prefer. We've been lucky to have had really nice sunny days for the past week or so. It's been chilly, but I don't mind as long as it's bright outside. Last Wednesday I went on a little walk around my neighbourhood to capture some of the gorgeous Fall colours that have been filling the streets and the skies.

On my walk I saw lots of reds, oranges and yellows. I met a cat who was white, orange and black who seemed to be anticipating Hallowe'en just about as much as me. Speaking of which, I walked past some jack-o-lanterns, which I assumed were prepared by some overzealous Hallowe'en fans as they had started to look pretty darn smooshy.

I really do enjoy the Fall. I like the transitional seasons the best. Spring and Fall. On top of being beautiful they offer great scarf potential.

Hello Fall!

It's Fall! I don't mind it. I sort of enjoy the Fall, actually. The colours are warm. It's a perfect time for rustic meals like hearty soups and shepherd's pie. Hallowe'en happens in the Fall and I love costumes and small-sized chocolate bars.

Well, it rained on Saturday. All day. Wet and heavy. And it looked like it would rain on Sunday, too. This was weighing heavily on my mind because Sunday was the annual AIDS Walk in Vancouver. As you may know, I have been volunteering for the walk for many years. Fifteen, in fact! In all of those years I can only recall two rainy walk days and I was not looking forward to a third. I'm pleased to report that despite all signs to the contrary the sun made an appearance at the walk just as folks were coming back from the trek around the sea wall. Hurrah! Not surprisingly I was wearing my magical rainboots. You know, the ones that I finally bought that must have had something to do with the two straight weeks of end-of-summer sunshine.

The walk was a huge success. Nearly half-a-million dollars were raised to help people living with HIV/AIDS in British Columbia. It's pretty amazing. And I'm so pleased to have been a part of it for yet another year.

There are a few things that I love about this event, besides the obvious raising money for a cause that I strongly support and believe in. Also, the fact that over the years I've managed to entice several members of my family and a ton of friends to join in and volunteer has been somewhat of a triumph for me. Maybe triumph isn't the right word because I am lucky to come from a family of big-hearted and community-minded folks. At any rate, I love that it's an event where I am constantly reminded by how great my peeps are.

Every year there seem to be more and more cute dogs. This year's favourite was a sheepdog wearing a red feather boa. If I had brought my camera I would have taken a photo, but I didn't so you'll have to trust me that it was both adorable and hilarious.

Another highlight are the children that visit the Kids Tent. They are always so much fun. The activities that I have arranged are hat/crown making and face painting. We also have a helium tank for blowing up balloons. I love when the kids try to explain what they want painted on their faces. Sometimes they have no idea and sometimes they are incredibly descriptive and exact in describing their facepainting desires. I overheard one kid say "Last year I had my face painted like a man with bushy eyebrows, but also glasses and a huge moustache and my brother made me do it, but I thought it was funny and maybe I should get that again or, no, I think, okay, can you do Batman?" That's when I step in and reassure my volunteers that they're doing great and you bet that black, pointy smudge looks just like the Batman symbol. It is awesome.

Finally, the food. There's always leftover food. I'm not proud of it, but I always score so much leftover food. It's what I call the Morfar-effect. I see a bargain, or even better something that is free, and I pounce*. Luckily for me, my friend at the hospitality tent indulges my primal urge to stockpile baked goods and always alerts me to the leftovers. This year I scored muffins, banana bread, scones and donuts. They're all bagged up and in the freezer...because I am that person.

So, another Fall begins and another AIDS Walk is in the bag. I'm feeling quite satisfied. And despite the fact it's started raining again I think things are gonna be okay.

Grey skies are here again...

It's raining in Vancouver. I can't complain too much, not yet anyway. The last two weeks were filled with glorious sunshine and there's a part of me that thinks my constant complaining about the weather here wasn't falling on deaf ears (thanks weather gods!). A couple of weeks back I finally laid down some coin for rain boots and it didn't rain, so maybe that had something to do with the lack of the wet stuff too (thanks me!).

I've been feeling a bit like an addict actually, waking up every morning fearful that my precious sun will have disappeared from the sky. What would I do without my sunshiney fix? However, while the sun was out and the rain was at bay I did my best to make the most of the weather because I knew it couldn't last. So, I tried my darndest to partake in activities that in some way celebrated the sun, including:

• eating corn on the cob
• DJ-ing on a patio and eating barbeque
• going for a run (!) two days in a row
• wearing sundresses
• shoes with no socks
• going for a photowalk at school

Going for the photowalk was really gratifying, if only because a couple of weeks earlier I went for a tour of the campus with my cousin and promised her that it would be the last opportunity to see the campus dry. I am so glad that I was wrong. One of the photos that I took was of the view from the end of the campus and towards Bowen Island.

I've spent the last year and a half so consumed with coursework and avoiding the rain that I completely forgot that this view (and the rose garden) were even there. To make up for lost time I sat on a bench and ate my lunch there last Saturday.

Here are some more photos from my photowalk...If today is anything to judge by, it'll be a while before the sun comes out again.

Scraping the bottom of the summer barrel

I've written about the weather in Vancouver numerous times and often because I'm complaining about it. The summers here are unpredictable, sort of. It's safe to say that it will rain for at least one-third of the summer, possibly more. Therefore, when it's sunny you've got to seize the moment and enjoy it before it becomes smothered by grey clouds.

Two weekends ago, on one of the hottest weekends of the summer, I went over to the island to visit my Mom in Sooke. The intention was to visit her (my Dad has been on the Mainland), hang out with the dogs, go to the Sooke Potholes to swim and walk along the beach by the ocean. And drink Pimm's cocktails.

I'm happy to report that I succeeded on all fronts, although my "swim" was more of a mid-waisted wade because I just couldn't subject my boobs or head to that cold, cold water. For giggles, I brought along Jessica because she'd never been to Sooke and we travel well together.

It was really hot the whole time we were there, but being the West Coast the heat was periodically interrupted by freak weather including the loudest and brightest thunderstorm I have ever experienced on the coast. The little bunkhouse shook at one point that is how close the lightning strike was. Just as I was thinking "Well, at least it isn't raining" the skies opened up and it poured down for a solid ten minutes. Oh yeah, this was at 6 in the morning.

I put the unpredicted change in weather down to my decision to proclaim this particular weekend to be "pants-free." I only packed sun dresses, a pair of shorts and my bathing suit. I had intended on spending as much pants-free time in the sun as possible. But ooooohh, noooooo, by Sunday afternoon it was overcast and drizzling and I was pants-less.

Since that weekend the summer has all but disappeared here. Sure, there's sun occasionally but the temperatures have dropped to about 17-22 C. And the sun is usually accompanied by humidity that makes being outside a little unpleasant. There is dew on the car in the morning. Dew! It's not even September yet. If it's sunny this weekend I will surely do my best to enjoy it because I have no doubt that the 10 month West Coast rainy season is just around the corner.

Under the weather

What is it with West Coast summers? Just when we think we've got it, it goes and leaves. It was ridiculously beautiful and hot on Friday and Saturday. So hot and so beautiful that I declared this weekend to be completely "pants-free!" Alas, it was not to be and by Sunday I was really wishing I had some pants to keep my goose-pimpled legs warm as I walked along the beach wearing shorts and a tank top at Jordan River with my Mom and Jessica. More about my trip to the island in a later post...

Despite the wet sidewalks, this morning it was sunny and warm, but by 11am it had greyed over and the winds came. The weather forecast calls for rain and possible thunderstorms. What gives West Coast? What gives? It would be nice to have consistently pleasant weather for a week or so straight. If only to make getting dressed in the morning relatively easy by removing the need to pack an overnight bag of items to layer over top of your cute sun-shiney outfit.

The meteorological inconsistencies are one of many reasons why I have an ever-increasing interest in moving away from Vancouver and possibly to California or somewhere else that is warm and has interesting sounding library jobs. I really can't handle the weather anymore. The changes in the air pressure over the past two days have left me feeling like I have a hot, wet, muggy blanket slapped over my head. It's gross and not nice.

There's only two weeks left before school starts and I need the sun! I need it now!

I can dig it

So, the weekend in Sooke was alright. There wasn't a lack of good company or dog love, but there was extremely nasty, damp weather. Of course, today it was sunny. Today I came home and wasn't able to fully appreciate the sunny weather and clear view of the ocean.

On Saturday I drove into Victoria with Cat (the white and black dog). I thought I'd give my mom a rest by taking one of the rascals with me into the big city for lunch with Erin, Michael and Sarah. What a lucky dog! Erin held her leash despite Cat's sled-dog style pulling and Michael threw a stick for her in Beacon Hill Park. She was a happy pup! After lunch I headed towards UVic to help out Morgan and Michele in the garden.

Armed with a hoe, grubby clothes and my mom's gardening gloves I rang the doorbell of the house. I had been thinking that the garden looked quite good and that the girls must have been working all day long. A woman answered the door. She was about my age and very friendly, but she was not Morgan or Michele. I said "Uh, is this Morgan's mom's house?" while she looked on at me and my tools. That's when I noticed that I had, in fact, rang the doorbell of a house with NOT the address I had been given at which point I said "Of course this isn't Morgan's mom's house - this isn't [blah-blah-blah-the-address]" and excused myself. The actual house was just a couple down the street. I changed into my grubbies and did some digging and pulling and throwing into bags of weeds. Cat even helped out by picking up fennel stalks and putting them in the bag (I'm not exaggerating, this dog is smart and does what she's told most of the time).

The highlight of the weekend was this morning when my dad let me operate the Bobcat that a friend had left at their house. For a girl who enjoys party dresses, make-up and cupcakes I'm sure into machines. Particularly small digging machines.

Yeah, I'm not going to deny it, driving this thing was AWESOME. I flattened part of the driveway and dug up a big scoop of dirt and rocks. You operate it with two large joystick-type levers as well as pedals. It was rad. I was totally geeked out about it---I kinda still am!

Woo hoo!

*****It is snowing!*****