Game 1 tonight of round 2: the Vancouver Canucks take on the Chicago Blackhawks (hmmm... wonder if the Obamas will be watching?)
I've avoided disappointment in previous years by simply assuming the Nucks will never win the cup (gasp! I know, I'm sorry), but this year I'm changing my tune: this will be the year!! Vancouver Canucks, Stanley Cup Champions!!!
(why not? ;)
Apr 30, 2009
Apr 20, 2009
Sea Of Red
OK that last post was not nearly as funny as I thought it would be. Sorry 'bout that.
Watching the Calgary Chicago game (NHL playoffs, fyi) and am very impressed with the Calgary fans. I'd say probably (no exaggeration) 95% of the people in the stands are wearing red. It's pretty neat. It's almost like they hand out red Flames shirts to people as they come through the door (I'm sure they're selling them like hot cakes).
See, now, if I was a more techie blogger I'd figure out a way to take a screen shot from my TV or something and post it here. I suppose I could always use my cell phone, but that would involve getting up off the couch. Suffice to say, everyone looks pretty much like this:
Watching the Calgary Chicago game (NHL playoffs, fyi) and am very impressed with the Calgary fans. I'd say probably (no exaggeration) 95% of the people in the stands are wearing red. It's pretty neat. It's almost like they hand out red Flames shirts to people as they come through the door (I'm sure they're selling them like hot cakes).
See, now, if I was a more techie blogger I'd figure out a way to take a screen shot from my TV or something and post it here. I suppose I could always use my cell phone, but that would involve getting up off the couch. Suffice to say, everyone looks pretty much like this:
Apr 19, 2009
Daily Post (Starting Today!). Cat VS Couch.
Ahem. Seriously, other people post daily, why can't I? Even if I have nothing to say, I can say hello.
This morning I am faced with the smaller of the two cats, who for the past couple of days, has been on her ABSOLUTE BEST BEHAVIOUR. Why? Because a couple of days ago, she actually dared to stretch her legs up the back of one of our NEW leather couches, flex her claws, and scratch.
I reacted in such a way that it must have been pretty clear to her that this was BAD. BAD BAD BAD kitty. There was shouting, stomping, and even a water spray bottle complete with pursuit.
BAAAAD KITTY.
Luckily there was no damage to the couch, and my six year old, who witnessed the event, and I, have not told my husband. Nope, that would not be good for poor lil' kitty. As much as I love our new leather, I love her a little bit more :)
This morning I am faced with the smaller of the two cats, who for the past couple of days, has been on her ABSOLUTE BEST BEHAVIOUR. Why? Because a couple of days ago, she actually dared to stretch her legs up the back of one of our NEW leather couches, flex her claws, and scratch.
I reacted in such a way that it must have been pretty clear to her that this was BAD. BAD BAD BAD kitty. There was shouting, stomping, and even a water spray bottle complete with pursuit.
BAAAAD KITTY.
Luckily there was no damage to the couch, and my six year old, who witnessed the event, and I, have not told my husband. Nope, that would not be good for poor lil' kitty. As much as I love our new leather, I love her a little bit more :)
Apr 17, 2009
Playoff Beard
Aw, shucks guys, I'd grow one if I could. Hey, I could stop shaving my legs? Ohhh kaaayy maybe not. I'm a fan, but let's have some boundaries here.
I'm referring to our local NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks, and how they're up in the series 2-0 against the St. Louis Blues. I avoid the yearly playoff disappointment but just assuming that they're never going to win, but I still support the team.
My husband is a huge fan (hmmm. I see stubble ;) At the moment he's asleep on the couch wearing fleece Canucks lounge?pajama pants. We have too much 'Nucks stuff in the house to list, so I won't, but just think easy Father's Day, birthday and Christmas shopping.
He won't let me buy game tickets though (so I suppose our big screen TV is paying for itself!) because they're STUPID expensive. (Seriously, what gives with that, anyway?)
I'm referring to our local NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks, and how they're up in the series 2-0 against the St. Louis Blues. I avoid the yearly playoff disappointment but just assuming that they're never going to win, but I still support the team.
My husband is a huge fan (hmmm. I see stubble ;) At the moment he's asleep on the couch wearing fleece Canucks lounge?pajama pants. We have too much 'Nucks stuff in the house to list, so I won't, but just think easy Father's Day, birthday and Christmas shopping.
He won't let me buy game tickets though (so I suppose our big screen TV is paying for itself!) because they're STUPID expensive. (Seriously, what gives with that, anyway?)
Apr 12, 2009
Cold Water Defrosting
One thing I forgot to mention about my favourite defrosting method using a cooler is that because the cooler keeps the water very cold (so, very safe), it takes twice as long. It's still faster than fridge defrosting, but not quite as fast as cold water defrosting in the sink or bathtub (which is not quite as safe).
Bottom line is that we have a bird that needs to go in the oven in about :90, and the cavity that I'm supposed to stuff maybe be frozen solid still.
sigh.
The moral of the story? If it's the day before and you've forgotten to start defrosting like I did, send your husband out to buy a ham instead ;)
Bottom line is that we have a bird that needs to go in the oven in about :90, and the cavity that I'm supposed to stuff maybe be frozen solid still.
sigh.
The moral of the story? If it's the day before and you've forgotten to start defrosting like I did, send your husband out to buy a ham instead ;)
Apr 11, 2009
Turkey Business
Me? Cook a turkey? sigh. Ok, I'll try again.
I've actually done it twice before and all have emerged alive ('cept for the turkey of course). Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, which calls for something. Many people do ham, which is a heck of a lot safer, lol. But noooo... I have to tempt the Food Safe Gods yet again and cook another bird.
So, for my review and benefit (and for those of you in my shoes), here's an overview:
Cold Water Thawing:
About :30 per pound. Turkey must be in leak proof packaging, and water must be kept clean and cold (changing every half hour is a good idea).
At the moment mine is still in its plastic wrap, double bagged in garbage bags, in a cooler full of cold water in the bathtub. I love this method. You close the lid of the cooler which keeps the floating turkey UNDER the water, and the insulation of the cooler keeps the water at a safe temperature. To change to water, simply open the drain at the bottom of the cooler, and then refill once the old water has drained out.
They recommend cooking cold water thawed turkey immediately because the conditions are not temperature controlled, but I've put the bird back in the fridge before cooking it. Mind you, I use the cooler which keeps the water cold, and I check on it constantly. (Believe me, I'm paranoid.)
Cooking:
About :20 per pound (assuming it's properly thawed ;) Rinse out the cavity, stuff it and close it with skewers. Cover with foil in the beginning (remove near the end to brown).
Note: only put the stuffing into the cavity immediately before the turkey goes in the oven - never pre-stuff the bird and let it sit in the fridge. Supposedly that's really dangerous. I've also heard that you shouldn't mix the dry and wet ingredients of the stuffing (assuming you're making home-made) together until the last minute either. Who knows. I'm sure there are people who have done this and been just fine (or who wondered what their stomach pains were from later ;) but I always err on the side of caution.
Happy Easter cooking!!
I've actually done it twice before and all have emerged alive ('cept for the turkey of course). Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, which calls for something. Many people do ham, which is a heck of a lot safer, lol. But noooo... I have to tempt the Food Safe Gods yet again and cook another bird.
So, for my review and benefit (and for those of you in my shoes), here's an overview:
Cold Water Thawing:
About :30 per pound. Turkey must be in leak proof packaging, and water must be kept clean and cold (changing every half hour is a good idea).
At the moment mine is still in its plastic wrap, double bagged in garbage bags, in a cooler full of cold water in the bathtub. I love this method. You close the lid of the cooler which keeps the floating turkey UNDER the water, and the insulation of the cooler keeps the water at a safe temperature. To change to water, simply open the drain at the bottom of the cooler, and then refill once the old water has drained out.
They recommend cooking cold water thawed turkey immediately because the conditions are not temperature controlled, but I've put the bird back in the fridge before cooking it. Mind you, I use the cooler which keeps the water cold, and I check on it constantly. (Believe me, I'm paranoid.)
Cooking:
About :20 per pound (assuming it's properly thawed ;) Rinse out the cavity, stuff it and close it with skewers. Cover with foil in the beginning (remove near the end to brown).
Note: only put the stuffing into the cavity immediately before the turkey goes in the oven - never pre-stuff the bird and let it sit in the fridge. Supposedly that's really dangerous. I've also heard that you shouldn't mix the dry and wet ingredients of the stuffing (assuming you're making home-made) together until the last minute either. Who knows. I'm sure there are people who have done this and been just fine (or who wondered what their stomach pains were from later ;) but I always err on the side of caution.
Happy Easter cooking!!
Apr 7, 2009
Exiting Entrecard
I signed up for Entrecard awhile back, and noticed an immediate increase to my blog traffic. There was also an immediate increase to my Adsense revenue...
... by about $0.01 per day. Now when you're not getting much Adsense revenue, ANY cents per day are welcome :) But at what cost?
When I log on to maintain Entrecard (approve ads, click on other cards, search for blogs to place ads on, etc) I am finding that it takes so much time, that it's all I end up doing for my blogs on that day. All for about $0.05 - $0.07 per week?
If the whole Entrecard thing was fun, it wouldn't matter. But to me it's a bit of a job - one that doesn't pay very well!! My time is worth far more than that.
What's your experience been with Entrecard?
... by about $0.01 per day. Now when you're not getting much Adsense revenue, ANY cents per day are welcome :) But at what cost?
When I log on to maintain Entrecard (approve ads, click on other cards, search for blogs to place ads on, etc) I am finding that it takes so much time, that it's all I end up doing for my blogs on that day. All for about $0.05 - $0.07 per week?
If the whole Entrecard thing was fun, it wouldn't matter. But to me it's a bit of a job - one that doesn't pay very well!! My time is worth far more than that.
What's your experience been with Entrecard?
Apr 6, 2009
Outdoor Pajamas
Would you wear your pajamas outside? I don't mean to step on your front porch to get the paper, either. Would you wear them to the cinema or supermarket?
Apparently doing so, in the warmer spring weather, has traditionally been seen as a sign of affluence in Shanghai. Slippers are replaced by flip flops, loafers or even high heels as outdoor footwear to go with the PJ's. The prevailing theory as to how this originated is that it shows off one's social strata. If you have pajamas to sleep in, as opposed to old clothes, you are seen as being more affluent.
There is growing resistance to this practice, as many Chinese are embarrassed by it, even calling it uncivilized, and "visual pollution." There are many who want the practice stopped in time for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
I came across this story in today's Vancouver Sun (can't find a link to it though). One day maybe I'll travel the world, but meanwhile those of us who can't have the media as a window to it :)
Apparently doing so, in the warmer spring weather, has traditionally been seen as a sign of affluence in Shanghai. Slippers are replaced by flip flops, loafers or even high heels as outdoor footwear to go with the PJ's. The prevailing theory as to how this originated is that it shows off one's social strata. If you have pajamas to sleep in, as opposed to old clothes, you are seen as being more affluent.
There is growing resistance to this practice, as many Chinese are embarrassed by it, even calling it uncivilized, and "visual pollution." There are many who want the practice stopped in time for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
I came across this story in today's Vancouver Sun (can't find a link to it though). One day maybe I'll travel the world, but meanwhile those of us who can't have the media as a window to it :)
Apr 2, 2009
April Fooled
I unplugged our Internet connection yesterday (because I'm a little paranoid ;) only to hear on the news that the Conf*cker virus could and might spring into action on days after April 1st as well. sigh.
So there ya go, virus peeps - you had your fun. You kept some of us off the Internet for a day. It was an interesting day. My kids fared better than I thought they would (but then again we have Wii). I read part of a book (hey! that was fun) and got caught up on some laundry (hmmm. what does that say about me and my Internet habit? Never mind...)
So there ya go, virus peeps - you had your fun. You kept some of us off the Internet for a day. It was an interesting day. My kids fared better than I thought they would (but then again we have Wii). I read part of a book (hey! that was fun) and got caught up on some laundry (hmmm. what does that say about me and my Internet habit? Never mind...)
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