Oliver

Hi all. We are back from Spain, but we had some very sad news while were were there. Our beloved Oliver (Oli-Dog) died on May 18, just 3 days into our trip. We were hesitant to leave him, as he had been sick for a while, off and on, but we never dreamed that his condition would deterioriate so quickly. He was a member of our family for about a year and a half, and he was a smart, loving, and affectionate dog. Whenever we returned home, even if we had been gone for just 15 minutes, he would be at the door to greet us, tail wagging and a smile on his face. We shall miss him forever.

Likes

Just cuz I likes the sound of Swedish!

Tree at My Window

Was just looking through old photos on the computer and came across this one. It reminded me of one of my favourite Robert Frost poems. I'm looking out at this very tree right now, but it is just budding out at present. This pic was, of course, taken in the early fall. In any case, here's the poem:

Tree at My Window

Tree at my window, window tree,
My sash is lowered when night comes on;
But let there never be curtain drawn
Between you and me.

Vague dream-head lifted out of the ground,
And thing next most diffuse to cloud,
Not all your light tongues talking aloud
Could be profound.

But tree, I have seen you taken and tossed,
And if you have seen me when I slept,
You have seen me when I was taken and swept
And all but lost.

That day she put our heads together,
Fate had her imagination about her,
Your head so much concerned with outer,
Mine with inner, weather.


Hope everyone has a good weekend! Two week's from now, we'll be at our villa in the south of Spain! Can't wait for that!

Home of the Brave!

Laurie Anserson style. God. I love her!

New Zealand makes it 13!

Thiteen countries around the globe with marriage equality! Take a look at part of the debate last night. Just copy and paste the url into your browser. Unfortunately, the video cannot be embedded. Great stuff!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCDEiaoEP2U&feature=player_embedded

Ca fait deux ans..

Two years ago today that our mother died. Rest in peace dear mama.

Scenes from South Beach...

Hey guys! My sis and I got back from South Beach early Wednesday morning (early as in 3:30 a.m.). Our flight home from Toronto was scheduled to land here at 1:00 a.m., but we spent over 2 hours sitting in the plane on the tarmac waiting and praying for a break in the snowstorm. The break finally came and we were able to depart, thank God! We had a super time in Miami and the beaches! Lots of great meals - Khong River House, Oliver's Bistro, Yardbird, to name but a few restaurants. I was a little surprised that my sister like the Thai place as much as she did, best chicken wings she's ever had apparently! We lucked out with the weather. The week before we arrived it had been very chilly (as in 8 C in the morning!) and this weekend is another cold snap in Miami. But when we were there, it was around 27 C every day and we didn't see a drop of rain. We spent most of our days on the beach, shopped a little, laughed a lot, and generally had a very good time. We also took in a day at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival - a HUGE event sponsored by The Food Network and Food and Wine Magazine. We saw Paula Dean (who was hilarious!), Michael Symon, big-muscled Robert Irvine, and Guy Fieri, among others. The only downside was that we both develped a rash on our legs/feet, which we attribute to something in the ocean water or bug bites. Sis got it first and mine only came the day we left. We both apepar to be getting better now, which is a good thing. We stayed at Villa Paradiso on Collins Avenue, which is a 5-minute walk to the beach. Great location. It's a bit dated, but very clean and for the price and location, it can't be beat. I'll probably have a few more pics and stories in the days ahead, but in the meat time, I give you these:

Please stand clear of the closing doors!

Man, I LOVE NYC! You can't get this stuff anywhere else! Love how the guys react, the woman with the glasses, not so much. She needs to loosen up!

Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to wish you all a very happy New Year! I can't believe it will be 2013 the day after tomorrow!

2012 was a very busy and eventful year with Brad finishing the Appalachian Trail and me losing and keeping off 32 pounds! If someone had told me a year ago that by the end of 2012 I would be 32 pounds lighter and have put close to 2500 km on the bike, I would have smiled politely and handed them a one-way ticket to the looney bin! But, thankfully, that IS what happened and now I've got South Beach in February (and Spain in May) to look forward to and to use as an incentive to keep biking and and keep the weight off.

Today, too, has been busy. I biked 25.3 km first thing this morning and then plowed through the snow drifts to walk Jasper. Brad had waded through the snow earlier to take Oliver for his constitutional. We had over a foot of snow last night and this morning, making it well over 2 feet of new white stuff in the last 3 days! Thankfully, Brad shovelled out the driveway after each storm, though I did shovel off the back deck. I also made a gingerbread cake for tomorrow night - we're doing our usual NYE party with friends and neighbours. Brad's off right now buying booze for his traditional Swedish Glög! I've also done a pile of dishes and have salmon roasting in the oven, not for supper, but to have next week. Tonight, I'm making a Thai green curry with tofu and zucchini.

As the timer is about to go off for the salmon, I'll cut this short and simply wish each and every one of you who still read this space a very happy and prosperous 2013!

The pic below was taken a few years ago, but it's basically what our backyard looks like right now, minus the sun (it's still cloudy and overcast here)

Merry Christmas!

Hey all! Just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! We are doing our usual Christmas rounds - to Brad's dad's last night for a meal and opening of some gifts and then to his sister's this afternoon for the big turkey dinner. It's been very cold here the last few days (highs of only minus 7 C or so and windy). My sister who's living in Saudie Arabia called early this morning (8:30 or so), when I was just getting up. She was brimming with the news that her middle son has finally asked his long time girlfriend to become his wife! That and the fact that her husband has agreed that she can come to Miami with me in February! I'm not sure I sounded overly enthused on the phone as, like I say, I was JUST getting up, had to do the usual morning things (not to put to fine a point on it), was still kind of groggy, and then looked down to see a pile of dog puke on the bedroom floor. Ugh. I can think of better ways to start off Christmas morning! However, I tried to spin it as best I could given the circumstances, as I knew sis was very excited on both counts. It will definitely be fun to her along in South Beach! We'll have a blast! And we are also excited that her son is finally tieing the knot!

That said, not much else is new. I've been doing a lot of Christmas baking - gingerbread cake, pies, and a Danish spice cake, which I've made for a long time now around this time of year. As our good friend Shaun wants the recipe, I'll give it to you all here:

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups maple syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Glaze:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup orange marmalade

Preheat the oven to 375 F and lightly butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
In a large bowl, stir together syrup, sugar, and buttermilk. In a bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda & baking powder. Stir flour mixture into syrup mixture and pour into prepared pan.
Bake cake in middle of oven for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F. and bake cake for 45 minutes more, or until it begins to brown and crack. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan. Cool cake completely on rack.

For the Filling:
In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

For the glaze:
In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with water. Add butter one tablespoon at a time and whisk until well combined.

Assemble cake:

Gentle remove cake from bottom of pan and transfer to a plate. Using a long serrated knife, halve cake horizontally, putting top half on a sheet of wax paper, cut side up. Spread filling on bottom cut half and spread marmalade on top cut half. Reassemble cake and spread glaze over it, letting excess drip down sides. Chill cake until ready to serve. Serve at room temperatire.

I used red currant jam instead of the marmalade as it contains no citric acid, which Brad can't eat. I also used a whole Green and Black's Maya Gold chocolate bar instead of the chocolate chips. It give a very nice orange flavour. I also added a teaspoon of cardamom with the other spices.



A very yummy wintertime cake. Enjoy! The recipe is from Gourmet Magazine, March 1994.

Is this the end?

Tomorrow - 21-12-2012 - is a significant date in the Mayan calendar. Some say the world is supposed to end. I actually have a bet with our good friend Mary that it will! Craziest bet I ever made! If I win, how does she pay me?

I'll be over tomorrow, Mary with your $50.00!

Hopefully!

If not, I'd like to meet this dude on the other side!

Gangnam Style in the country

I know, I know, but sometimes, just like at an accident scene, you just can't look away!

Fifty-one!

Time sure does fly! Fifty-one years ago today, I was just a few hours old! It's been quite a ride so far. Hopefully, the next half century will be just as good! I've got a wonderful partner, two good dogs, and many, many good friends. What more could a guy ask for?
We've been busy the last little while planning trips: Brad's ski holiday with his father next February, my trip to South Beach, also in February, and our trip to Spain next May with Shaun and Mary and Don and Marlene. We've booked a terrific villa on the south coast of Spain for a week and we're now firming up reservations for apartments in Seville and Madrid. We are all excited and are having fun planning. Don and Marlene are still away - they went to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro and are currently in Paris for 3 nights before they come home. Can't wait to hear all their stories and see their pics!

10-11-12

Ten-eleven-twelve. Todays date, which I think is kinda neat.

Was 22 years together yesterday for Brad and me. Quite an accomplishment, by any count, particularly with me in the mix!

We're going to see Skyfall shortly. By all accounts, it's very good.

A presto!

Skyfall

And then there'S always our old standby - Adele, who does a crazy good job on the new Bond cover song!

Better late than never! Erwin Schrott!

Wow! How did we not know about this guy before this?? Must see him live soon!

Fox Hollow

This is where we spent 10 days this month on vacation. Right on the coast about halfway in between St. Andrews and St. Stephen. Don and Marlne were meant to come down for Thanksgiving dinner, but unfortunately, one of their greyhounds, Ella, broke a leg and they were unable to come. Shaun and Mary got down for an afternoon and had dinner with us (that's them there on the sofa, looking like they just jetted in from L.A.!). Our good friends Paul and Ron also came down last weekend for the Indulge Festival in St. Andrews. We had two awesome meals (at the Rossmount Inn and Europa restaurant) on Friday and Saturday nights. It was a great vacation! Unfortunately, we will probably be the last people to rent this gorgeous home, as the owners are retiring and will be living there full-time next year.

Mm Mm Mm Madness

Great new tune I heard the other day on Radio Bruno out of Bologna. Sending it out especially for our good friends George and Barb. It's Georges birthday next week and we're going out dancing with them!

Tiny Tears

Heard this the other day on Radio Kultua out of Moscow... I think It's pretty dated, but I liked it. Another Tindersticks ditty. Tiny tears make up an ocean... And so a ripple...

Check it out: here

All goes well on this end. Brad will be back next Friday. YAY!

Lifetime!

Hey guys, Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Life has just been very busy!
First things first, I did in fact become a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers on August 22! I actually had to weigh myself down a bit as I was under the 2 lb. threshold for obtaining Lifetime Membership in week 6 of maintenance! So now, I have to weigh in only once a month and as long as I am no more than 159 lb. everything is free. I still plan on going to most meetings to keep me centered and to support my good friend Shaun.

In other news, Brad left again on August 31 for 3 more weeks on the A.T. He plans to finish it this time! His nephew is getting married on Sept. 22, so he has to be back before then. In early October, we're renting a house on the south coast of the province for 10 days. The place looks spectacular and we can take the dogs with us. I'm looking forward to just relaxing, reading, and walking along the coast.

More later!