microwave oatmeal

I  broke the microwave.Don’t ask me how, it just happened. There I was, a bowl of cold oats and milk at the ready, my hand on the microwave door. I put my oatmeal-to-be inside, closed it and pushed the one minute button, and then it makes a sort of cracking noise, then shuts off.

Worst part of it was, no one else was home at the time, so I had to cook that oatmeal ye olde fashioned way: on the stove. In a pot that is now coated with charred oats and burnt milk I can’t seem to scrape off no matter how hard I scrub. How long are you supposed to cook oatmeal on the stove anyway? I think I’m just going to leave that pot in the sink, and then disappear out of the house when the others come home and discover it. After all that, the oatmeal was only so-so and probably not worth the trouble. (Don’t tell anyone).

chez cora

Rejoice! A Cora’s has finally opened up in my hometown, and it’s basically right down the road. The only other times I’ve been were when I visited The Sis at university in Kingston, or my friend J in Missisauga where we went often enough to get to know the menu (incredibly healthy choices, unless you opt for the things smothered in chocolate sauce like I do), and the people who worked there by name. It’s a good way to get smoothies on the house, but only if our server was the teenage boy that I’m pretty sure had a crush on us. The last time we went, we found out he didn’t work there anymore and we received no complimentary breakfast drinks… boo to that, we said.

The House is planning on going there for brunch in the next couple days. Mmm, I can almost taste those banana-chocolate crepes now…

hours wasted:

8 and counting…

So, I’m supposed to be cleaning in preparation for a friend’s visit. Thus far I’ve done a load of laundry (darks), made myself two mugs of tea (Chai… yummy), had a shower, played with my cats, took a nap, watched CSI with the Sister, played around on the computer (well, twice, if you count this post), and went to thought about going to the LCBO, maybe. Although I did start to organize one of my bookshelves. “Start” being the key word here, as about an hour after I’d begun I found myself rereading an old copy of Mansfield Park with the rest of the books in piles on the floor all around me. Hm.

As you can see today has been a very productive day. And since I still have a little over two hours before he arrives, no one can say I’m leaving things to the last minute. Though we are definitely ordering in tonight.

PS. Happy Canada Day!

3 wishes

I had this dream last night - in that miniature window of time when I was actually able to sleep - where I came across this homeless man on my way to work who was asking people passing by for change. When this happens in real life, sometimes I’ll have the time or money to spare, sometimes not. In my dream I didn’t have any change in my pockets, but I had a fair amount of cash in my wallet (does not happen in real life! I also don’t stop to check my pockets either, thats just asking for trouble) so I gave him a fiver. Naturally he was eccstatic, he jumped up and did a little dance, and then grabbed my hands and told me he was a genie and would grant me three wishes in return for my kindness, starting tomorrow.

Oh, if only it were true.

so, about the new ROM…

It looks like a giant spaceship has crashed into the streets of downtown Toronto. Oh wait, that’s just the Lee-Chin Crystal at the ROM. What was that architect on when he designed that thing? It looks fantastic, but so… out of place next to everything else on Bloor Street. Apparently his first sketches of the design were on napkins.

At any rate I would like to check it out, and the Ukiyo-e exhibit too. I think I will try to make a trip out there one day next week.

procrastination at it’s finest

I know this may sound impossible, but I think I’ve been procrastinating about procrastinating. Yes, you heard me – or “saw” in this case. I haven’t written anything in days (well, that’s not completely true, a couple father’s day cards, a shopping list or two…) and I just can’t seem to motivate myself to work on my book or even this blog. I created this thing so that I could jot down random thoughts and whatnot when I didn’t feel like writing, and yet here I am, putting it off. Or I was. I’m writing now, aren’t I?

Anyway, a few random things that are completely unrelated to my WiP lest I forget:

• Taro icecream is amazing! Did you know “taros” are actually yams? I had some last night after a tasty Thai dinner. It’s bright purple in colour and has a bit of a sweet, coconutty flavour to it. I must learn how to make this from scratch at home. And then possibly sell it, if I don’t decide to keep it all for myself. Hm. And then I could create other interesting veggie flavours like sweet pepper, or carrotstick. Hmm.
• On another food-related note, I made my first cheesecake ever yesterday. I had some supervision, of course, but it was surprisingly easy. It took maybe twenty minutes to put everything together and then cover it and shove it into the fridge. That will be our Father’s Day Dessert tonight. I think I’ll take pictures… it will be a momentous occassion should it taste not half-bad.
• What is with the fascination cats have with bags? Be it plastic, paper or otherwise, whenever there is an open bag left on the ground (nevermind if something might actually be inside it) my cats will be sure to dive right in and make themselves at home. My Dad’s presents were almost ruined this way – my one cat enjoys chewing on the corner of big books…
• My cats also love to curl up or play in the sink. With the water running. One of them even tried to jump into the shower with me… an odd story, to be sure. One that I may recount later. Maybe. If I’m not procrastinating again.

last night, i had a dream

I was in front of the mirror in my bathroom, having a conversation with myself. Well, my reflection really. I don’t exactly remember what I was speaking about, but that wasn’t as significant as the fact that when I finished talking, my reflection told me I had better write everything down before I forgot. It was eerie, but at the same time my dream self wasn’t too bothered by it. Of course, by the time I woke up I had already forgotten what I was talking about in my dream, and there was nothing I could do to get myself to recall any of it. It bothered me for a little while, but then I forgot about that too. Except for the part about not wanting to forget.

The point of this story is not that I have a really bad memory (although that is very true), but that I decided I should get back into the habit of making writing down my daily musings – and there are many. Okay, so maybe it has a little bit to do with my memory… At any rate the things I’m thinking need to be written down, and I don’t like wasting paper unless I’m drawing. But that’s another story in itself.