Swimming naked in alphabet soup

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Yes, I am one of those ridiculous dog owners, but she's so cute I don't really have any other choice



Daisy turned One yesterday. Bless her little heart. So, we had a birthday party for her! She had aunts and uncles sending her birthday wishes all day and some of whom dropped by for drinking and gift giving.

I made her a Doggie cake, with cottage cheese icing, which she gobbled up. Keith gave her wine in her bowl, which she drank up! She got many great and thoughtful presents, including one dog toy that was George W.! She tore off his cowboy boot almost right away! What a good girl we have.

Poor thing, today she was hing over. Sleepy and very thirsty. She hasn't taken her "Pink Ladies" coat of since she got it. She loves it.

I love my puppy!
You say ridiculous, I say affectionate!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Restaurant Lists: K and H style!

Hans and Kelly List

Favorite St. John’s Restaurants


1. Sun Sushi- Best sushi ever! Hans “because they import ninjas to cook for us!”


2. The Sprout –Best Pad thai ever! People are cool! And YUMMY, greasey tofu strips!

3. International Flavours- Quirkiest service ever, where it’s a privilege to get your food! Great curry. Hans, “cause they have the best, most crispy samosas I’ve ever had!”

4. The Gypsy Tea Room- Hans,”Cause they serve alligator-which I classify as a fish!”

5. The Keg – for the salmon Neptune and Tuna dishes. Hans, “because they have the coolest staff!”


6. Basho –for dessert and martini’s


7. Giovani Cabotos- because cool people like it

8. Finnigan’s Wake (when it was on the go)

9. Get Stuffed- new place, great food, great ambiance

10. Bamboo Garden- for hans, Kelly no like

11. The Peppermill- Great fish dishes!


Honourable mention -Ponderosa for Little Hans Ponder-GROSSa, says Kelly



Worst St. John’s Restaurants-----ew!!!!


Oscar’s – 24 hour restaurant, bad just bad

Around the world- Hans can’t remember why

That Thai place we can’t remember the name of (where The Athenian is now)

Casa Grande- “raw burritos make you sick”, says Hans


CHEERS EVERYONE!

Monday, January 15, 2007

Disgustingly Happy in Newfoudland


Oh my. Life grants me these moments of deep gratitude and I make sure to enjoy them as much as I can.

I just finished this book Mom gave me for Christmas, "This Much Is True", by local author Tina Chaulk. It's a fish out of water story about her, a Newfoundlander who loves everything about this place, a Newfoundlander who wears black on July 1st because it was originally Memorial Day for Newfoundlanders, not Canada Day, a Newfoundlander who just graduated from Memorial University and can't find work so she has to go to "Hell", aka Toronto. It is a delightful and emotional story of her experiences in the 1980s, while in hell. I found myself looking forward to bed time to see what Lisa was up to in her zany but oh-so-relatable life. The city kicks her ass in more ways that I ever thought a city could, but she continues, she survives. There were so many similarities in our stories, sometimes it was down right creepy.

The ending was satisfying, warming and just made me so grateful that I'm still living here. I could still breathe the cool salty air Lisa couldn't wait to taste and hold in her lungs, I could still hear the differing Newfoundland accents she was craving, I could take a drive on any day and watch the waves of the powerful ocean hit the jagged cliffs just like so desired. I'm still here and I'm oh-so-grateful for that. My heart and soul are in this place and I don't have any say over that. Even though I may have a strong desire to travel, see things, meet people and wander the world in my own occasional gypsy ways, this will always be home base. All roads will eventually lead back here.

Pink, White and Green

Between the narrows,
in the purity of the island,
I belong.
Rain, drizzle, fog
bring thanksgiving to the sun.
Floating in the middle of the Atlantic,
still a virgin,
untouched by the rat race.

Stepping off a plane,
I can smell the salt
in the fresh, cool air.
Feels like home.
People around all
talking and laughing
“’Bye, it could be worse!”
Wouldn’t change a thing.

Troubles and wealth,
richer than Voisey’s Bay.
Along the edge,
A Newfoundlander watches
the sea fucking
the jagged cliffs,
over and over and over,
since before the invention of thought.

The waves, cliffs, air, people
all around.
You belong to it,
it belongs to you.
Has your wharf been washed away
by raging storm or dormant government?
The dory turned up in the yard
makes the Newfoundlander’s heart bleed.

My uncle sits and rocks
Speaks of good ol’ days
when he awoke at 4am and braved
the hurricane winds and the 40 foot swells
and came home exhausted and proud.
Another day of his birth rite.
Strange how cold and comfort
can come together.


The island, the place
no Newfoundlander ever really leaves,
where the cod were once abundant,
where everything moves slower-
except the mother tongue,
where there are no real strangers,
where people look after one another
and anything can be solved over a beer.

Newfoundland.
Where the land and sea will accept you
as the child of nature you are.
She’ll hold you to her bosom,
and warm you to your core,
if you let her.

Newfoundland.
Was there ever a more beautiful word spoken?
Newfoundland,
sweet Newfoundland.
Where I graciously call Home.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

being sick truly sucks



I'm sicky and sookie and complainy. My second BAD cold in one month? not fair one bit! Everything hurts. Dizzy. Nauseated. Pain in ears. Throat feels like it's been sanded down with a belt sander. Head feels twice as big as it looks in the mirror.

Keith forbid me from leaving the house today. Goddess bless him. Made me call in sick to both my jobs. A rest day. Good thing. I really need it. Also, I should stay away from people.


Becoming too tired to type. Wow, this is sick. Whaaaaaaa!

Thursday, January 04, 2007

So this is Christmas....


So, Chistmas is just about over *tear* and I told myself I would blog this Christmas, so here I am. I had a wonderful holiday season, with much love, loved ones, good times and sleeping in. I was wonderfully, completely and embarssingly fortunate with the thoughtful and wonderful gifts I was given. Wow, I'm really liking the word wonderful tonight! From my lovely partner I received the Digital Canon Rebel XT I've been wanting for years, along with some great, rare and quirky collectable things he gave me (like this one, for example: http://www.diamondcomics.com/toychest/toys/08_05/12_bd_angelpuppet.htm). Also, from one of my very imaginative and thoughtful friends I got an autographed (to me!) copy of my favourite book "Fear of Flying" by Erica Jong. Nicely done- by the way. I'm still wowed by that! Even though we all stayed up drinking heavily (and playing Monopoly-bad idea) until the early morn, I was awake 7am like a 6 year old wondering if I was good enough to have Santa come and visit me. However, I was told to go back to bed until 8:30. :-(

Christmas day we made a fine feast of Tofurkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato mashed, carrot and apple delight, and more. We ate until we couldn't move and then reveled in the joy of being full and happy.

The whole time I got 10-12 hours of sleep a day. I watched many episodes of Battlestar Galactica ( do not make fun if you have not seen it from the beginning), ate, drank and was merry. How fortunate am I to be able to enjoy such pleasures? Kings and Queens of the past did not know the luxeries I do!

Gloriously, Christmas was enjoyed.

New Years I worked, which was fine because New Years is always such a let down anyways, and it's hard to turn down a $200 night. Plus, serving people a New Years Eve feast is usually nice.

The picture above is of "Flying Daisy". I took it with my fancy new camera.

I promise to write more. I promise.