Life lately

As life is changing and evolving small things are also happening on the sidelines and in the background.

As of lately, I have been enjoying watching romantic movies, eating whatever random food I come up with, going out with friends, wrestling Chad in our empty living room, playing dress up and trying to make plans. Plans to run, cook, organize, work more, do crafts and DIY's and try to enjoy being more still. Chad and I are also discussing taking a class together.

Romantic movies have always been big for me. Some of my absolute favorites are Breakfast at Tiffany's, Moulin Rouge and Ever After. Recently I watch the Sex and the City movie (#2), Gone with the wind and Dr Zhivago. I've seen and enjoyed these movies before, with the exception of Dr Zhivago. It boasts being an epic romance, and in my opinion, wasn't. It's really quite a strange movie. And I didn't see the romance in it at all. Russian revolution and affairs do not make romance. Still good though.

Onwards to food. Because its Easter time I mostly just want to eat Lofthouse cookies and Peeps marshmallows... And then likely turn into a soft squishy marshmallow myself...
Because I'm still waiting on more kitchen things, including food, I have limits. My latest creation: Grilled cheese with pepperoni and avocado. Strangely delicious.

As for the other things, dress up is a certain highlight. Don't deny it. We all love doing it. Manfriend Chad does Aikido (a martial art that I know very little about except that he loves it an its defensive) and I got him to put the uniform on me. Yes, he put it on me. No way would I have been able to get it on properly by myself. It was a good laugh for me.

Running will happen soon. I'm sure. Cooking should also, but I want to find some good things to make first. Finally working again makes me feel crafty and therefore arty things are bound to happen at home. As for that class, archery is what I'm hoping for! I'll let you know!




Sorry for the late post again! I'm trying hard to stick with Monday, Thursday, Saturday but sometimes life gets in the way and I don't have internet in the condo just yet. Hopefully that will happen soon too.

Happy Easter!
xoxo

A little fun

One of my favorite things to do when I go out with friends is hit the pub for virgin Caesars and darts. And sometimes, just sometimes, delicious greasy fatty pub food happens. And it's awesome.

One time I went all Robin Hood and hit a dart in the back side with another dart. True story.

My pub of choice, Crown and Tower, has everything I need. A good menu, 2 dart boards, good Caesars and a cute bartender. My manfriend, Chad! He's possibly the best part. Debatable though...

 

Last night my friend and I went in and had a great time. We got cheese sticks, our favorite even though she is lactose intolerant... and nachos because guacamole is always a good idea. Always. To wash down all our tasty snacks I had my Caesar(s). If you are a reader from outside of Canada you likely don't know about the magical deliciousness that is a Caesar. No, it's not an emperor or dog food.

A Caesar, or Bloody Caesar as it is sometimes called is a drink. In my opinion it is equally as good when virgin, though it is generally alcoholic. A glass is rimmed with celery salt (don't skip it!), then filled with ice. Next, if you want alcohol it should be added now. Generally it is made with vodka but gin and tequila are popular as well. Now, the most important part and what makes a Caesar what it is and separates it from the Bloody Mary is Clamato juice. Yes, CLAM not TOM. Clamato is a premix of tomato juice, spices and clam broth. Finally, tabasco, Worcestershire and usually salt and pepper are also added to the cocktail. Garnish with lemon/lime and a stock of celery, an asparagus, pickles or really anything else you might like.
Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Moving along. I don't know what darts game we play or even if we play "properly" but I do know that I love it. It's very entertaining and can be a challenge but is mostly just good simple fun.

I hope your weekend is fun too!
xoxo

The first week

We survived. It's been a busy first week; a lot has been done and there is still plenty left to do.

When we got here last Thursday morning it was (a little happy dance) and then straight to work.
Boxes and bags, up and down the stairs and the giant living room pile is born.
Before the pile could be dismantled and put away I felt the need to clean. Everything. So I did. The kitchen, inside and out. 2 bathrooms. Shelves. Closets, switches, handles, rails... So satisfying.

Once everything was clean it was on to the pile. The few kitchen and bathroom things we had got put away first. Next was, well, everything else. All we had for furniture on day 1 was a sofa/futon so I couldn't put anything on shelves or in drawers yet. All the boxes got moved to appropriate rooms and that was pretty much that for the first day.
Days 2, 3 and 4 were all spent organizing what could be moved and carrying more up. Some from my house, some from Chad's.
Clothes got folded and put in organized piles on the floor to await the arrival of hangers and drawers. Eventually the bed arrived and was assembled and made, 1 dresser came and got filled and some clothes made it up to hang in the (beautiful walk-in) closet.

A little more over here, some over there. More furniture. Food for the kitchen. Everything for the bathroom.
Things are coming together.

On a general note, I don't much like having to unlock the building and then the suite. I just want in!
On the inside everything has been great. It's the perfect little home. Ok, almost perfect. It can't get it's crap together in the temperature department and it was extremely dry until we got a humidifier. Nothing major though. It's still great.

In the last few days it has really felt like home. I know where things are. I know where I want things to go when they arrive and it's all very comfy.
It would be pretty awesome if this ridiculous snow would be gone so I could take advantage of the balcony though. And so I could run. Up and down the stairs isn't ok when someone lives under you.....

As much as I miss my kitty and WiFi, I am quite happy here and am really excited for it all to come together!

xoxo

The kitchen situation

Having moved in only 5 days ago now we are still living with very little furniture and next to nothing in the kitchen. This is significant since I like to eat…

The first days I was too busy cleaning, organizing and putting away what I could to be overly concerned about eating. By day 3 I was starving. Our cookware hasn’t arrived yet (except the tiny pink sandwich pan I brought with) and we have no microwave so this leaves us with limited options. A quick trip to the grocery store and food would be mine again! Milk made cereal possible, and cereal is a must in my everyday life. Bread, margarine and cheese slices made grilled cheese happen and I feel like grilled cheese is pretty much always a good option. So, it has now been 3 days of sandwiches and dry soup noodles. As good as that has been…. I was feeling ready for something else. Enter frozen perogies. Normally I would boil those delicious doughy little devils but without a pot I couldn’t. I also didn’t think putting them in a bowl with hot water from the Keurig machine and putting another bowl on top would work..

Enter from the oven drawer, sandwich pan! Due to its teeny tininess I could make 6 perogies. Unfortunately this method takes much longer than boiling but it makes up for it by tasting wonderful. Firm and toasty on the outside, warm and soft inside!! Because I obviously didn’t have any kind of topping for them, I had to get creative. Normally I burn butter and add cracker crumbs (which I don’t have.)This time it was margarine with beef jerky. Typing it out now I think it sounds a bit questionable, but let me reassure you. It was freaking amazing. Basically it was crisp and delicious and pretending to be bacon.

In other kitchen related news, we have a spice rack, coffee machine with tons of coffee and ridiculous amounts of mugs, 5 bowls, some utensils and that’s pretty much all. We also have 1 stool pulled up to the counter for eating. Eventually we will have a table and chairs.. eventually. I`m feeling hopeful that cookware will come soon and then I can cook. Or try to…

Sleep time

So, let me just start off by saying I am a strange sleeper. Moving out, and in with Chad, means we go from a bed each to a shared bed with 2 of us in it. Most significantly this means that it is no longer all mine. Be honest, in our own beds we all take as much space as we damn well please, whether that be the whole twin bed, the bottom half of a queen, or face-down starfish in a double.
I personally had a twin bed, until I was banished to the fold-out couch, then I got upgraded to double. Sizes aside, I am all about sleeping kind of sideways with elbows jutting and feet flying, one knee up and a hand awkward crushed under my body. Sounds odd, but I get my position right and I'm out in a minute. I like ridiculous amounts of pillows to squash my face between, unnecessary amounts of blankets, quilts, comforters and other such warm cushy things, and Pink Baby... These things make my very happy.

As a bed sharing adult I have lost my excessive pillows and blankets and replaced them with a Chad. Being the romantics that we are, we sleep back to back, steal covers and try to take over as much space as we each can. I never had these problems with Pink Baby. She slept happily on her mountain of pillows.

For our first night in the new condo we opted not to bring the bed. It had just dumped a foot of snow and I didn't fancy putting the mattress in the back of the truck to get wet and dirty. Obviously, we still had to sleep and we didn't want to sleep away from the condo until the bed got there so we chose plan B. A pull out sofa/futon. It's hardly (if at all) bigger than a single bed and not particularly soft but it did its job and after 2 days I'm adjusted.

Adjusted or not, hopefully we can get the bed over and set up today...

Vixen, B and the birds

One of the hardest and saddest things about leaving home is leaving my baby behind. I only just official left today and I already miss her. My precious baby kitty does not get to move out with me.
Don't be misled though, I use the words "baby" and "kitty" because I'm mushy and I love her like the day I stole her from a farm, but she is not a kitten. She is, in fact, going to be 5 people years old in May.
5!!!!

As much as I would like to be selfish and scoop her up and whisk her away to my new home, I can't.
She is very well adjusted to her home here. When she escapes the house to go prowl about the neighborhood she knows where to come back to, she knows all the best hiding places in the house and most importantly, she has her dog brother, Mr. Bandit. She also has brother and sister birds, Sophie and Baby, who don't seem to look the least bit like lunch to her...

Bandit and Vixen certainly have sibling moments. "Get out of my room!!" "That's my toy, put it down!!!!!" "Stop stealing my food, you're such a jerk!"
But really, I think they love each other dearly and I like to think they keep each other company when the humans aren't around. They bound around like bunny rabbits chasing each other through the house, Vixen gets the high ground and jumps on B's head, then runs away only to turn back and stalk him from afar. It's endless fun, I'm sure.

Oh, to be a house pet.

I realize this is all about Vixen and how I'll miss her, but that's because she is mine. Bandit will be missed dearly as well. And I will even miss the bird sounds. Climbing the cage, singing, chatting..

                                                                    Baby (Grey) Sophie (Yellow)

All of my babies will be so missed. Good thing the leftover humans will take good care of them and that I will be home to visit often.

xoxo

Belgium, France and The Netherlands

This is it, my last post about my travels. It's sad to see it end. This trip was spectacular and dearly hope to do another one like it some day.

My first stop in Europe was Amsterdam and I was immediately in love with it. Maybe because it was my first taste of traveling abroad, maybe because the weather was beautiful or maybe because it is terribly charming and so full of life and character. Either way, I couldn't get enough. Bikes are everywhere you look, sometime even right in your face as they try to run you down. For me this doesn't make them any less wonderful, a bit crazy, but I love it. I feel like where I live a bike is mostly exercise but in Amsterdam it is transportation, exercise and recreation. I love this idea. It's green, keeps you fit and it looks like fun! I may even try it out if the snow ever leaves.. That's a big maybe though, thanks to big sister Katie and her bleeding and tears I haven't ridden in years....
While I was in Amsterdam I took a day trip to Zaanse Schans, a gorgeous little town not far from the city. It was basically everything I wanted. Shops making and selling delicious fresh cheese, wooden clog workshops, sheep and windmills all down the river. I would recommend a visit.

Several months later, our stop in Belgium was quite a short one, but certainly memorable. In all honesty I went to Brussels to see the peeing boy fountain and I didn't really know anything else about the city. Upon arrival we were assaulted by the smell of pee... unpleasant, and ironic considering the statue I came to see..... Once we got away from the smell and the litter, which was mostly near the train station, the city got much nicer. We found so much more to see besides the fountain (which was very small.) It's a nice city to just walk around and enjoy, but the one main square shouldn't be missed. The buildings are spectacular and we even caught a light show. French fries, chocolate and waffles happened a lot because, how could they not?? It's Belgium after all. Also, smurfs...

All packed up and onwards to the fantasticness that is PARIS! The city of light. The city of love. Such a wonderful place. And I learned and saw so much. Our stop in Paris was a never ending tour. A walking tour (with the same company we toured with in several other cities,) a tour of the louvre to see Mona and her friends, walks along the avenue des Champ-élysées, under the arc, up the Eiffel Tower, trips on the underground metro and so many other fabulous places. Of course, I also ate. If you haven't caught on yet, I like eating. Baguette and macaroons were my must haves in France and I wasn't disappointed.
We also took to wonderful day trips during our stay in Paris. One to Versailles and the other to the happiest place on earth. DISNEYLAND!!!!

Versailles was quite a place. Everything is over the top. The upholstery, the gold, the marble.. Some say tacky, others say do what makes you happy. 2 of my favorite parts of this trip were the hall of mirrors (which could have been much more beautiful at a different time of day) and Marie Antoinette's personal residence. The hall is designed to sparkle endlessly. Windows along one wall and mirrors along the opposite, when the sun is right it should dazzle. And as for the residence, I loved how simple and modest it was. I really would have loved to explore the gardens but out of season there isn't much to see.

Now, lets get down to the good stuff. Disneyland really is the happiest place. I couldn't help but smile from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed. Disney has always been a love of mine and having it all in one place where anyone can be a child again is fantastic. The first thing we did inside the park was hit the shops to buy ears, ears that didn't come off until I got on the train to go home. The whole park and all the rides brought back the same joy I felt on my visit to Disneyland California nearly 12 years ago. Indiana Jones was scarier here (I screamed like a baby the whole time,) Pirates of the Caribbean was amazing, The teacups still threaten to make me sick but I love them anyway and the parade was magical. Everyone was there, Mickey and Minnie and friends, Woody and Buzz and even Santa!!! We were there on the last day of park Christmas (it was January already though.) As a great finale and end to our Disney day we had supper while watching the light show on the castle. This park couldn't disappoint if it tried.

After Paris came the UK, the horrible ferry rides and then the very last stop before flying home was Amsterdam again. Just as lovely as it was the first time, but very different under its winter blanket. People still ride their bikes in the snow, but not everyone. The canals are partly frozen and that makes for almost no boat movement either. I only had a short day and a half there the second time so we spent most of it walking. We did our tour, I showed Chad things I like and remembered from my first stay and we explored new territory together, most notably the red light district. We also tried a strange vending machine style fast food place.. it was very bizarre.

The long flight home took me back to Iceland. At some point I will be back there for a longer stay. Next it took me to New York City where I also plan to return. Hours and hours into the trip I landed in Toronto, Canada. A long night with a very short sleep on a lumpy bench, more security, more hours on the plane and then finally at home again.

"Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer"




*Sorry there couldn't be more pictures this time, some horrible, terrible, traumatic things have happened with my USB*

The Au Pair experience

So, as promised I am going to share my experience as an Au pair. If you have been reading my blog since it started you will know a bit about my daily life, but all my opinions and feelings stayed off those posts for obvious reasons.

Firstly, if you don't know what an Au pair is, I will tell you. An Au pair is a glorified live-in babysitter that gets paid "pocket money" but no real wage. However, you do get to live and eat for free. Having said that, you are probably wondering why someone would want to do this. I think the top reason is travel. Generally people don't work as Au pairs in there own country. Other reasons may be that, depending on your country of choice, there are next to no prerequisites and therefore anyone can do it, easily. The time that you work with a family for depends where you come from, where you are going and what the family needs. My stay was 3 months because it was best for the family and because I could do it without a special visa.

Moving along, my personal experience was not necessarily a great one. It certainly had its ups and downs. To start, a major down was that I was just the most recent of a long line of Au pairs to have worked with this family. Meaning, I was compared to how other people had worked with these kids. That being said, the family wasn't crazy about the way I chose to do things. I think the previous Au pair's were fairly easy going when it came to getting work done and would just roll over.. I'm not that way. Good quality or bad?
I personally think it depends on the situation. With these boys, the harder I pushed the less they would do and the uglier it got, but with little to no pushing they do nothing and would try to walk all over me. For them the middle ground is telling them they have to do some, but that I'll do most of it for them...... I think not. Why even bother then?

I can't fairly act like this was all a bad experience. I only "worked" for 4 hours each day and had the weekends off. From 3-5pm I worked with little Aris (6 years old) and from 5-7 I was with Alex (8 yrs.) These short work periods gave me time during the week to go out for walks, shopping, exploring or relax in my room and catch up with home.
Having weekends off was a wonderful thing. In my 7 years that I have been working I've never gotten weekends off, a major down to the service industry. I definitely took advantage when I could. I spent plenty of time in the centre of Athens seeing all I could and I even made a friend while I was away. She was also working as an Au pair and far from home.

By far the best part about choosing to be an Au pair in Greece was the islands. I didn't see as many as I would have liked, but the ones I did see where breathtaking and unforgettable. I spent time on 3 islands close to Athens and they were everything a postcard picture would lead you to believe they are.

The "home" life was a bit awkward I must admit. Coming across the world to live in a home with people I had only talked to via email and 1 Skype date was difficult. The rules, customs and everyday workings were nothing like my Canadian home. I couldn't have imagined how hard it would be to adjust to the little things. Being Greek, the family spoke it to each other and only used English when addressing me (mostly.) At home, in most situations I would find it rude to be surrounded by people who know how to speak good English but don't. I had to let that go pretty quick and accept that it's all backwards and I was the outsider speaking the wrong language. Some other small things that made me crazy for a good long while were the fact that they had no clothes dryer, everything was hung. The shower is all wrong in my eyes. The food was all different. And rather significantly, it's never quiet with 2 boys. Ever. Though the noise was easier to shut out because I had no idea what they were saying, however screaming is still screaming.
I have to say though, the food turned out to be FANTASTIC! I was shocked. If you know me well, or at all, you know I hate trying new food and usually won't. Trying new foods when living abroad is kind of unavoidable and so I did try. Gyros in Pita with tzatziki, tomato and chips was a sure favorite, along with Greek frozen yoghurt. YUM!! Oh, and lets not forget spanakopita.. *drool*

In general, I would definitely recommend being Au pair to anyone who is considering it, but make sure you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. Some strong ups to going are travel, learning about a new culture and possibly a new language (most countries require that an Au pair is given enough time off every week to take a language class and go to church.) It is generally a good life experience and you are almost guaranteed to come home with memories, lessons learned and hopefully new friends. Some down points are that you may not be well suited to the family you work with, new cultures can be shocking in good ways and bad, you are far from home and for an extended period of time and you aren't paid. Because there is more than one way to get a job as an Au pair and therefore plenty of families to potentially work with, don't feel like you should take the first one that offers you a job. I used a website to find a family on my own, but plenty of agencies will do the work for you. I have heard positive and negatives form both choices. If and when possible talk to the host family as often as you can and get every bit of information you can to make the transition smooth. Ask questions!

I guess that's pretty much all..
xoxo

Germany and Denmark

My second stop after arriving in Europe in September was Frankfurt am Main or just Frankfurt. I have to admit, when I first arrived I was disappointed. This huge modern city with it's towering skyline, noisy traffic and streets that aren't so fun to get lost on was not my idea of Europe. I wanted everything to be old and charming. Of course that isn't how it really is. Once I let go of what was in my head and found a good direction to walk everything transformed. The days were still beautiful and warm so I could take my time to find "the good stuff." I did. Historic buildings from year 794, tourist shops, boat rides on the river and of course, good food.

As much as it would have been really nice to have taken this whole trip in summer time when it's warm and sunny and the days are long, it was really lovely to see these places with twinkling lights and markets. Some snow would have been nice too, but no such luck there.

Germany at Christmas time was great. The food, the markets and the old town charm were comforting and welcoming to me after being away from home for so long, and especially since it was my first Christmas without my family. Nuremberg boasts one of the biggest and most famous of all European Christmas markets. The delicious smells of gingerbread, glühwein and smoke from wurst stalls fill the air, lights twinkle everywhere you look and there is no shortage of things to browse through. Some stalls have 'Gold plum people," figures made of prunes, figs and walnuts, other stalls have cookies, cakes and candy.. Simply put, it's magical. Apart from the market a few main attractions are the castle and the Nazi history.

A very long train ride led us to beautiful Denmark. More specifically to Kolding. Some family friends live there and were the reason we stopped. The cute little city offered us nice walks, a little accidental adventure and some much needed down time to relax. Very near to our hotel was a recreation centre with an excellent pool and hot tub.

Copenhagen was exciting right from the get-go. As with most places, we got a bit turned around when we arrived and it took us a good long while to find our hostel. From that point everything was pretty great, unless you ask Chad about it, he never wants to hear fireworks ever again. Copenhagen overflows with history. The 2 oldest theme parks in the world there, one (Tivoli gardens) even inspired Walt's Disneyland. Churches, palaces, museums, streets and squares tell stories, the harbour holds The Little Mermaid for Hans Christian Anderson and one of Europe's largest pedestrian shopping streets holds a delicious Irish pub that we enjoyed.. several times..
Spending NYE here was a bit crazy. Fireworks were exploding literally all around us, thousands of people gathered anywhere and everywhere they could and everyone has a good time.
One of the most stand out parts of this city was Christiania, a Freetown within Copenhagen. All I can really say about it is wow. I can't explain it well because I don't understand it entirely, but it is essentially a town with it's own rules, flag, people and walls. Everything about it blew my mind.
Look it up.

Here is a little something I found in that delicious delicious Irish pub.

The drinkers prayer


The horse and mare live 30 years,
And do not know of wines and beers;
The goat and sheep at 20 die,
And never taste scotch or rye;
The cow drinks water by the ton,
At 15 life is almost done;
The dog at 14 years packs in,
Without the aid of rum or gin;
The modest sober bone-dry hen,
Lays eggs for years and dies at 10;
But sinful ginful rum-soaked men,
Survive 'til 3 score years and 10;
And some of us, the mighty few,
Stay pickled 'til we're 92

Scotland and England

The UK is a really beautiful place. The country is green, the cities are filled with old buildings and castles and new architecture, like London's "gherkin", a pickle shaped tower. All the cities we saw had pubs around every corner and each of the pubs we entered had perfect menus full of delicious foods. Mussels, fish n chips, steak and ale pie... I don't think I was ever disappointed in my food.

London is a crazy busy place. Mobs of people and endless traffic are everywhere you go, at any time of day. I can see how living there might make some people crazy but I loved it. The hustle and bustle is exciting! London was, and has always been, one of my top places to visit. It certainly didn't disappoint. The cathedrals, parliament buildings, London eye, Harry Potter studio tours, Piccadilly Circus.. So much to see in every direction. I will be back again!

Nottingham. The home of Robin Hood and his story. Also, the home of "Wayne Manor" from the newest Batman movies. Very exciting stuff. It is also home to a Jamie Oliver restaurant, the UK's oldest pub, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, and Warhammer HQ. Beside those things already listed it also has a castle and some charming street to walk, night or day.

All aboard! Next stop, Edinburgh!
Edinburgh was everything I wanted it to be and more. A huge chunk of the city is "old town." Full to the brim with history, stories, buildings and people. Old homes made from brick, a castle on a cliff, a spectacular monument, (the start point of the Harry Potter stories,) narrow winding streets, cemeteries and so much more. The city is said to be haunted so ghost tours are a must. Fear not, not all the tours are scary and only some have costumed a**holes that jump out at you. The new city has plenty to offer as well in the way of museums, shops and restaurants.

Lastly on our stay in the UK we took a day trip through the highlands and to Lochness. In my opinion, something that shouldn't be missed. You don't have to believe that a monster lives in the loch, but it is a fun trip anyway. The highlands are beautiful, rugged and have a history all their own. A Kilt wearing Scotsman as a tour guide didn't hurt either..

Greece and Italy

Where to start?
I think living in Greece for 3 months gave me a different view than if I had just visited like the other countries.
I found the different areas to be very different from each other and very different from anywhere I had previously been.

The best places in Greece (that I saw) would be the islands. Beautiful, warm, laid-back and just generally wonderful. The people are pleasant, the food is delicious and the sea.. the sea is magical.
The mainland is in stark contrast to the islands. Museums and ruins are everywhere (a very good thing in my mind), but everything is much busier, more crowded and louder. The food is equally as good though. Being so large means to get anywhere I had to find a bus, metro, tram, taxi, etc.. I really enjoyed walking places when I could, and I could on the islands. Walking and walking until I found myself lost. Lost without a care.

Italy is similar in that you can find a ruin or a museum pretty much anywhere. However, the ruins in Italy seem to be significantly less ruined that those in Greece...

Another wonderful thing is, of course, the food. Cheese.. Pizza.. Pasta!

And next to food is standing inside the coliseum, the incredible moment when I walked into The Sistine chapel, the canals in Venice and Pompeii, a city that shouldn't been here to see, but is.
And pretty much everything else Italian.....