gross...

Yesterday morning I was in a hurry... but that's pretty much every morning Monday to Thursday. One of the last things I do before I put on my jacket and shoes is I slip in my earrings. No different yesterday.

While in class my left ear started to tingle. Since I cannot shake all the old wives' tales imparted to me as a child, I started to wonder what superstitious meaning a tingling left earlobe has. As the day progressed the tingling turned to a bit of annoying itch. Around 9pm at work I realized that my ear is kind of throbbing now and feels really hot. I touch my lobe and it's sticky.... yuck.... I take a break and head for the washroom... In the mirror I am confronted with a purple earlobe, an infection... and on closer inspection.....

let me backtrack... I have 3 piercings side by side in my left earlobe. Several months ago I started to wear only one earring in that ear, and so the other two holes closed up. Well in my morning rush, I jammed the earring in the middle hole that fused back together. Thinking back, I remember registering a bit of resistance when putting the earring in, but as I already mentioned I was in a hurry.

....and back to the washroom... I had a brief mental picture of my earlobe falling off. Sticky part was mostly puss... yup a tad of an infection... no surprise I was fiddling with it absentmindedly most of the day.

So I get home a bit after midnight. Instead of using rubbing alcohol that's in the washroom to clean my lobe, I decided to do it with vodka. (That's what my mom used when I was little, and it worked like a charm.) We have plenty in the freezer, but I decided to grab a room temperature bottle from our stash. I unscrew the top, tip it over and nothing comes out. It's a brand new bottle I'm perplexed. I look at the opening and it has some sort of device in it... I'm confused... what is it for?... is it a deterrent for alcoholics and minors?... I'm neither, so why don't I know how to work it? I tip if over again... and nothing. I decide to dig the obstacle out... it refuses to budge. I'm getting frustrated, start to wonder if I'm making too much of a raucous and wake Jay up... I proceed to systematically work my way through kitchen utensils to budge the freaking cork or whatever it is. After 10 minutes and only a couple of chipped chunks I'm seriously contemplating abandoning the vodka, grabbing another bottle, or just using the freaking rubbing alcohol. But then I thought, I've been up for almost 19 hours now, I was not about to admit defeat to a bottle of vodka. After 5 more minutes, and one close call of loosing an eye, and another of almost loosing a finger, I tip the bottle and...SUCCESS!!!!.... vodka pours out...

earlobe disinfected... looks a lot better today...

oh yeah I left the earring in... after all this discomfort and hassle I might as well enjoy my newly re-pierced earlobe :)

Saturday night...

We were invited to celebrate Dr. Allan Knight's 85th birthday. So of course we went... after all Jason is his favorite chef. We love dinner parties, and this was one of the best. Since it was an 85th birthday celebration, you can imagine the average age of the crowd... I was kind of worried since I didn't know anybody (other than Jay), but it all turned out alright. Cocktails at 6:30pm... we showed up 20min late, due to some cab time miscalculation... I looked around and everyone is holding the good, hard stuff... no sissy drinks in sight (I'm not counting juice for the grand-kids)... and by the good stuff I mean vodka martinis with 3 olives, vodka on the rocks, scotch, g&t, and so on... old school... I sort of felt at home :)... Dinner was wonderful, wine glasses never empty (very efficient staff). I sat beside a gentleman (whose name I can't remember), who kept me entertained all night long. I got some excellent book recommendations. The speeches were touching, heartfelt, and funny with a couple of dirty jokes thrown in.

Now for the food... since my short stint in the hotel and restaurants kitchens, I always truly love and appreciate being a guest vs a cook at a party, and I know Jay feels the same way... Pictures not the greatest quality because they were taken with Jay's blackberry, I didn't take my camera... but I should have...

As I mentioned there were cocktails, which included snacks: cheese platter, fruit platter, and crudite (all not pictured). With dinner we had a choice of white or red wine, and a bread basket was on the table (also not pictured).

But we started with soup. Non vegans had mushroom, I had potato-fennel... very yummy.
Then greens for everyone...
Followed by pasta with broccoli and peas for non-meat eaters...
and cornish hen for those who eat meat....
for dessert a martini glass full of berries and some grapes.. the berries were excellent, especially since they're not in season...
or a lemon meringue tart for those who enjoy curd and meringue...
As I said the party was excellent. Dr. Knight's father lived until he was 95 or 96 I believe... Dr. Knight firmly believes it was entirely due to his genetic predisposition and lifestyle... he's an atheist, we have something in common... who hates vegans/vegetarians, I'm glad he still let me attend his party :)

Today is Jason's Holiday :)

click to watch... you'll enjoy it :)

http://www.handrevolt.com/

bored out of my mind...

so I was surfing at work one of these days this past week...

I didn't buy it. One, because I already have it, two, I prefer the instant satisfaction of buying it and having it right there... three, just look at that shipping estimate... the ebayer is located in the US... lol... I hope it's a typo.

I cooked

this past Friday... I transformed all of the carrots we received from my parent's garden into a delicious curry carrot soup, topped with dill and toasted pine nuts...along with mushroom toast, topped with some of that awesome basil pesto Jay made a few days before...

say what?!

Yesterday (Tuesday), we got our assignments back in my Time Series Analysis class. (I refer to my specific class, so that the image makes sense... to some at least.) Professor handed them back at the end of class, but before he did he recorded the marks as he forgot to do it prior to class. Hmmmm my assignment wasn't in the pile. I inform him of this, and he replies:

Prof: "Yes.... I was wondering about that...."
Me: ??????
Prof: checks the few sheets of paper on his desk, then his bag...
Prof: "Not here... I'll check in my office, and if I don't find it, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." - smiles, turns around and addresses another student's question...

Me: left wondering... What the hell does that mean?! I sure hope 'benefit of the doubt' = 100%, because I rocked that assignment... sigh.... I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm tired of school....

UNICORN ad

printed in 24H on Wednesday, October 13, 2010.... if you can't make it out just click on it, it should open in a new page... now... how come this video hasn't made it to the 6 o'clock news yet :)

the new shade

Mash - an army green with shimmer .... (it had to be green). I just needed the one by NARS, they're too expensive to justify another purchase, when I already have so many. Maybe the compulsion is passing....

I have a bit of an

obsessive-compulsive, addictive, controlling, selfish, introverted, personality... This post is about the addictive, obsessive traits. Sometimes when I start on something, I just can't quit it... it's easier for me (and definitely Jason) to let it run it's course (like a fever) than to take any preventive measures.

I might have mentioned that lately I've been obsessing over colors, it started with eye shadows (until I felt I had enough), transitioned into eye pencils (until I was satisfied)... and now it stalled on nail polishes. I can't seem to stop collecting them... I don't keep them out anymore, they are all hidden in a drawer... For a couple of weeks I was obsessed with gray, and needed to find every gray nail polish (purple-gray, blue-gray, silver-gray, black-gray, gray-gray)... it didn't matter, I wanted them. Now I'm fighting the urge to seek out every shade of green. So this time I'm actually trying to stop, and have slowed down to only buying one polish a week. My collection has grown to such an extent, that I've created a nail polish spreadsheet, to keep track of all my shades. Every time I add to it, I print out a version to keep in my wallet, so when the urge to buy another one strikes me, at least I won't be stuck with doubles... sigh....

anywho... last week I come home from work. It's around midnight, Jay is sleeping (he has very early mornings). On the kitchen counter I notice a paper opened to the page pictured. Can anyone say "BLOODY ENABLER!!!". Can't help but love him....

Since I've seen the page, I did a little bit of research, and my mind has been in a loop, obsessing over a shade (thankfully only one)... It was added to the collection on Saturday... by Jason... :)

fallen soldier...

whenever we dine at Fresh; which has been quite frequently in the past couple of months (like once a week frequently). I usually end up with dessert to go. I love their vegan cupcakes; my current favorite is the pictured chocolate with mint icing... however no matter how careful I am, they never quite make it home undamaged... When Jay opens the box, he sighs and says "... another fallen soldier...", it doesn't make them any less delicious :)

I can't remember....

if we bought it... or if we received it... I'm leaning towards 'received it'... but can't be sure... still it's a nice bottle... clean, crisp, fresh, a bit tart, and the color is just a beautiful light peach... very easy and enjoyable sipping...

the last of the bounty...

my parents are shutting down their mini Eden for the winter... they generously gave us all of their basil... lots of carrots, and some dill... Jason turned the basil into 2.5l of the most delicious pesto ever... pictured here with some gnocchi, mini button mushrooms, grape tomatoes, dill, and onions... yumand I am the Queen of garlic bread... the title is not official or anyting, but I'm claiming it regardless :)
I'll be transforming the bowl of carrots into soup very soon...

our Thanksgiving Dinner

was celebrated this past Sunday (Oct. 10). One of the things I've come to love about our holiday family gatherings, is the signature cocktail... This time there was a choice... a rum punch...or an apple martini...
I had two drinks... on an empty stomach... I couldn't wait until dinner... But as Karolina said: she won't put out a bad meal just because we want it faster...
but eventually... there was a mini stater of squash soup with croutons... so sweet and delish
turkey... bought and brined by Mike and Justyna, cooked by Karolina... the verdict: superb
one of my faves... green beans with almonds... delicious for lunch the next day at work
Jason's super cheesy sweet and Yukon scalloped potatoes...
roasted sweet potatoes...
carrots and peas... or peas and carrots if you prefer
mmmm it wouldn't be a thanksgiving meal for me without a processed jellied cranberry sauce
Jason's meaty stuffing... he also made a veggie one
roasted root vegetables...
my baked spud and mushroom gravy...
turkey gravy...
and of course a choice of white or red...
the meal was incredible... family never disappoints...

For dessert: and apple pie by Karolina
a cheesecake by Justyna...
and there were vegan cookies by Kinga.. which I was too busy eating and did not take a picture of... but I really enjoyed them, I took them all home with me... they lasted two days... love me some cookies

carrot risotto with king oyster mushrooms

with some white...

OCT. 1st: Happy 1st Gorgeous !