Happy Super Bowl!
PS. Be sure to visit the lovely 'Petra over at 'Petras Palace.
Showing posts with label 'Petra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 'Petra. Show all posts
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Happy Super Boel XLV
Not sure what XLV stands for Xclusive Louis Vuitton? but whatever it does mean I am certainly digging it. So, for all you fellow tight ends and wide receivers out there
PS. Be sure to visit the lovely 'Petra over at 'Petras Palace.
PS. Be sure to visit the lovely 'Petra over at 'Petras Palace.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
When, O when will you meme?
I've been tagged. It sounds really serious, and to be honest this meme is both delightful and scary all rolled up into one.
You see, Roses wants to know what the ingredients for my secret recipe for my perfect man are.
It's difficult to say, and a little scary because first of all, I risk coming across more selfcentered and shallow that I actually am. Secondly, if I actually type it out it'll be "out there", like saying something out loud that really shouldn't be said out loud.
To be completely honest, I don't know what I want. So I've taken the approach of what I like rather than want.
I like..
You see, Roses wants to know what the ingredients for my secret recipe for my perfect man are.
It's difficult to say, and a little scary because first of all, I risk coming across more selfcentered and shallow that I actually am. Secondly, if I actually type it out it'll be "out there", like saying something out loud that really shouldn't be said out loud.
To be completely honest, I don't know what I want. So I've taken the approach of what I like rather than want.
I like..
- working and it would be nice to have an equal who does too, so a minimum of work related bickering is avoided.
- having nice things, and since I don't make a lot of money it would be nice if he does.
- cooking so it would be great if he doesn't but rather enjoys tidying up, cleaning and washing up.
- beauty so it would be fantastic if he was.
- nice people, so it is essential that he is nice.
- cuddling and staying in bed/snuggling up on the sofa, reading and watching movies. So it is another must that he does too. With me.
- to be anywhere but at the gym but it would be nice if he could inspire me to go and make it fun for me.
- movie history, and it would be important that he has at least some interest in movies.
- nay, adore Miss K and it would be essential that he at least, at a minimum, doesn't mind her.
- being a complete lush, and it would be essential that he likes a drink now and again and isn't an alcoholic.
- being a bitch from time to time, and it would be nice he could put me in my place now and again.
- the toilet paper under, but to be quite honest I'd take it any way he wants it.
- staying in, a lot, so it would be nice if he could (from time to time) drag me out on a Friday or Saturday night for a spot of dancing on the bar with fierce high kicks in designer heels and flashing of knuckleduster gold ring.
- frivolous things and it would be essential that he doesn't look down on that.
- I like the colour red and he should be able to deal with it.
- expensive Champagne and he should like to give me that.
- London, Las Vegas and San Francisco so taking me there from time to time would be a plus.
- I like David Boreanaz, and it most certainly couldn't hurt to look a bit like him
- singing around the house, and it would be great if he would too.
- keeping the toilet seat down and it would be greatly appreciated if this would remain down whenever he isn't using the loo.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
This used to be my playground
I don't go about referencing Madge much. Why would anyone? I'm certainly not going to embed the deadfully boring video on here. Anyway it seems like a fitting title, because this will be the end of an era for me. Some things end, only to have beautiful new beginnings somewhere else.
Personally I feel at home pretty much anywhere I hang my hat - or am. Moving somewhere new is not a problem for me. On the bus to work the other day, I counted and I've lived 8 (9 if you count a little move to London that didn't last long, where I stayed in a dreadful hostel) places in my life.
My family moved into my childhood home in 1975, years before I was born, so I've never experienced moving with my parents. This also means they've lived in the same house for 35 years. As my parents aren't getting any younger, they've decided to move to a gorgeous designer appartment in the center of town with a view of the (tiny) harbour, the lakes and forest. Only a stone throw from the town square, as the realtor states. This means they put their house on the market. Less than two weeks later it was sold. They've since closed the deal on the designer appartment and they are now waiting to take it over on December 1st.
Personally I couldn't care less if they sold the house. I have no feelings towards it. It is, afterall, just a house. My memories from there are also primarily bad, because it wasn't a fun time for me. Evil bro on the other hand, is miserable. He lives about 200 meters from there in his own house, and his evil spawn are often spending time at my parents house playing etc. So it'll be impractical for him, when they move.
Anyway, I was looking at the realtor website and it doesn't look like the house I grew up in. Partly because they've upgraded the house a lot since I moved out, and then of course because they've tidied up a lot and partly because realtors are magical. They can make even the crappiest shack into a fabulous mansion. Both in words and pictures.
Now, this is where the pictures are coming in. I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane with you. Remembering my childhood home. This is the overview of the house
We start by looking in the multiroom where evil bro lived for one summer before getting a flat of his own.
The only thing in this room that has changed is the content. The two boxes behind the chairs are mine. There's old books and other junk in there. The wooden chairs are going into my storage room because I'm getting the table that goes with them. Let's go to the hall.
Back when I lived at home the walls were yellow bricks, the floor had brown carpet tiles and the door was wooden. My room was up there to the left, across from my/guestbathroom and straight forward is the master bedroom.
There is no photo of my old room, I don't know why, but this is the view from my room.
My bathroom.
Notice the characteristic blue 70s tiles are still there. The bathtub is divine, and it's the only thing from there that I miss. The best thing ever was to be lounging in the bath with loads of foam, something to drink and a fashion magazine or five. I'd spend hours there. There is also a shower cabin behind the door. Somehow that's less divine.
This is the master bedroom. In the old days it had a fuzzy carpet and a weird purple type colour on the walls. Maybe it was a forest berry.
On to the master bath, which curiously enough does not have a bathtub which is ia little underwhelming if you ask me. Anyway, it does have a bidet. I grew up there, and never found out what one actually uses a bidet for. We used it to wash our feet in because it took less water to fill that than the bathtub.
This used to be my evil bros room. My parents call it the office now, but I only know it as the peach room. The curtains are hideous. Notice the door to the sun room. We (well, I only did it to piss off evil bro) used to use that door to the sun room more than the one from the living room. I guess my parents did it to try and guilt evil bro to tidy up his room. It didn't work.
From evil bros room to the living room which is quite large (but not as large as it looks on the photos). In the old days the dining table was over to the left by the black chairs.
This is where the black chairs and TV was in the old days, and we had these hideous brown curtains. I used to be scared if I was home alone and the curtains weren't drawn when it was dark outside.
In the old days the fireplace was brown bricks, and the furniture antique furniture that was inherited from my mothers mother and her family. We never sat here. Now, we find that it's the only place we sit when we are not at the dining table.
This is the sun room. It was built in 1993 I think, and it's not a place one would want to sit in winter time. It's a nice place for Sangria on a late summer evening. Not that we ever did that when I lived at home.
The kitchen. The colour of the room is awful, and before this green colour, it was orange and yellow.
The floor used to be multicoloured orange, yellow, green linolium.
The utility room which looks much larger (like all the other rooms) than it is. Notice the authentic 70s green tiles. It used to be dark.
This is the back garden.
This all used to be my playground.
On top of all this selling and buying of real estate, my dear (and odd) aunt passed away in her sleep about four weeks ago. May she rest in peace.
Personally I feel at home pretty much anywhere I hang my hat - or am. Moving somewhere new is not a problem for me. On the bus to work the other day, I counted and I've lived 8 (9 if you count a little move to London that didn't last long, where I stayed in a dreadful hostel) places in my life.
My family moved into my childhood home in 1975, years before I was born, so I've never experienced moving with my parents. This also means they've lived in the same house for 35 years. As my parents aren't getting any younger, they've decided to move to a gorgeous designer appartment in the center of town with a view of the (tiny) harbour, the lakes and forest. Only a stone throw from the town square, as the realtor states. This means they put their house on the market. Less than two weeks later it was sold. They've since closed the deal on the designer appartment and they are now waiting to take it over on December 1st.
Personally I couldn't care less if they sold the house. I have no feelings towards it. It is, afterall, just a house. My memories from there are also primarily bad, because it wasn't a fun time for me. Evil bro on the other hand, is miserable. He lives about 200 meters from there in his own house, and his evil spawn are often spending time at my parents house playing etc. So it'll be impractical for him, when they move.
Anyway, I was looking at the realtor website and it doesn't look like the house I grew up in. Partly because they've upgraded the house a lot since I moved out, and then of course because they've tidied up a lot and partly because realtors are magical. They can make even the crappiest shack into a fabulous mansion. Both in words and pictures.
Now, this is where the pictures are coming in. I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane with you. Remembering my childhood home. This is the overview of the house
We start by looking in the multiroom where evil bro lived for one summer before getting a flat of his own.
The only thing in this room that has changed is the content. The two boxes behind the chairs are mine. There's old books and other junk in there. The wooden chairs are going into my storage room because I'm getting the table that goes with them. Let's go to the hall.
Back when I lived at home the walls were yellow bricks, the floor had brown carpet tiles and the door was wooden. My room was up there to the left, across from my/guestbathroom and straight forward is the master bedroom.
There is no photo of my old room, I don't know why, but this is the view from my room.
My bathroom.
Notice the characteristic blue 70s tiles are still there. The bathtub is divine, and it's the only thing from there that I miss. The best thing ever was to be lounging in the bath with loads of foam, something to drink and a fashion magazine or five. I'd spend hours there. There is also a shower cabin behind the door. Somehow that's less divine.
This is the master bedroom. In the old days it had a fuzzy carpet and a weird purple type colour on the walls. Maybe it was a forest berry.
On to the master bath, which curiously enough does not have a bathtub which is ia little underwhelming if you ask me. Anyway, it does have a bidet. I grew up there, and never found out what one actually uses a bidet for. We used it to wash our feet in because it took less water to fill that than the bathtub.
This used to be my evil bros room. My parents call it the office now, but I only know it as the peach room. The curtains are hideous. Notice the door to the sun room. We (well, I only did it to piss off evil bro) used to use that door to the sun room more than the one from the living room. I guess my parents did it to try and guilt evil bro to tidy up his room. It didn't work.
From evil bros room to the living room which is quite large (but not as large as it looks on the photos). In the old days the dining table was over to the left by the black chairs.
This is where the black chairs and TV was in the old days, and we had these hideous brown curtains. I used to be scared if I was home alone and the curtains weren't drawn when it was dark outside.
In the old days the fireplace was brown bricks, and the furniture antique furniture that was inherited from my mothers mother and her family. We never sat here. Now, we find that it's the only place we sit when we are not at the dining table.
This is the sun room. It was built in 1993 I think, and it's not a place one would want to sit in winter time. It's a nice place for Sangria on a late summer evening. Not that we ever did that when I lived at home.
The kitchen. The colour of the room is awful, and before this green colour, it was orange and yellow.
The floor used to be multicoloured orange, yellow, green linolium.
The utility room which looks much larger (like all the other rooms) than it is. Notice the authentic 70s green tiles. It used to be dark.
This is the back garden.
This all used to be my playground.
On top of all this selling and buying of real estate, my dear (and odd) aunt passed away in her sleep about four weeks ago. May she rest in peace.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
You're on in 5 Miss 'Petra
Hello?
No, this is her assistant. Miss 'Petra is not available at the moment.
Oh.. very well, I'll get her.
Assistant: Miss 'Petra ? I'm terribly sorry to interrupt but you've got a phone cal..
Miss 'Petra: CAN'T YOU SEE I'M SHOOTING MY NEW VIDEO?
Assistant: But it's *THE* call
Oh just give me my iPhone Sarah, exclaimed Miss 'Petra.
Hello?
5 minutes?
Doesn't give me much time to change
Right, of course they weren't
Thank you darling
See you in 5
Who was that? asked Sarah who was Miss 'Petras assistant. Miss 'Petra smiled wickedly at Sarah and yelled "ENTOURAGE ASSEMBLE NOW!"
Once the beauty team had assembled they were instructed, "I need to get out of the dress and these light gloves".
Everyone scrampered along and Miss 'Petra was finally freed from the wire prison before following her stylist into her dressing room.
We have two minutes to find something that goes with this hair, and these nails, Miss 'Petra said. Something glamorous, because this is a very special event.
Something long and floaty, with thigh high slits perhaps? That's it! That green Michael Kors is hideous Jon. Burn it or find another job! Miss 'Petra said before putting on the dress.
It's almost time! Sarah screamed running in and pushing a pair of Christian Louboutins into Miss 'Petras arms along with the iPhone.
Miss 'Petra hurriedly put the iPhone in silent mode, got into the Louboutins and in a shower of glitter & sparkles she disappeared..
only to reappear slightly jetlagged but ever so poised in front of two very lovely Coven elders here.
No, this is her assistant. Miss 'Petra is not available at the moment.
Oh.. very well, I'll get her.
Assistant: Miss 'Petra ? I'm terribly sorry to interrupt but you've got a phone cal..
Miss 'Petra: CAN'T YOU SEE I'M SHOOTING MY NEW VIDEO?
Assistant: But it's *THE* call
Oh just give me my iPhone Sarah, exclaimed Miss 'Petra.
Hello?
5 minutes?
Doesn't give me much time to change
Right, of course they weren't
Thank you darling
See you in 5
Who was that? asked Sarah who was Miss 'Petras assistant. Miss 'Petra smiled wickedly at Sarah and yelled "ENTOURAGE ASSEMBLE NOW!"
Once the beauty team had assembled they were instructed, "I need to get out of the dress and these light gloves".
Everyone scrampered along and Miss 'Petra was finally freed from the wire prison before following her stylist into her dressing room.
We have two minutes to find something that goes with this hair, and these nails, Miss 'Petra said. Something glamorous, because this is a very special event.
Something long and floaty, with thigh high slits perhaps? That's it! That green Michael Kors is hideous Jon. Burn it or find another job! Miss 'Petra said before putting on the dress.
It's almost time! Sarah screamed running in and pushing a pair of Christian Louboutins into Miss 'Petras arms along with the iPhone.
Miss 'Petra hurriedly put the iPhone in silent mode, got into the Louboutins and in a shower of glitter & sparkles she disappeared..
only to reappear slightly jetlagged but ever so poised in front of two very lovely Coven elders here.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I believe in you
I'm becoming a year older on the 29th. That'll be tomorrow, and I know it doesn't give you much time to get me a present or two (how about 5?). However that shouldn't hold you back from getting me something. It's always nice to look forward to something, as long as it's not a beating.
However, I just want to let you know, that the delighfully colourful Tim got me a little pre birthday gift which I'm LOVING.
Notice the beautiful handwriting! I wish my handwriting was this pretty. I thank him dearly for this fabulous gem!
Anyway, for the proper birthday present I have these wishes
1. The Official Kylie Minogue 2011 calendar
2. The Sims 3: Late Night EP (PC DVD)
3. The Sims 3 Late Night Prima Guide
4. When You Don't See Me by Timothy James Beck
5. The God Box by Alex Sanchez
6. Red Dolce & Gabbana shoes in a size 9-10
7. Black Dolce & Gabbana shoes in a size 9-10
8. Tom Ford glasses
9. Night Work by Scissor Sisters on Vinyl
10. Boston Legal on DVD - The Complete Box Season 1 - 5 (or separate)
11. Pink Sparkle perfume by Kylie Minogue
12. Emporio Armani Diamonds Eau de Toilette for me
13. Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Exfoliating Lip Salvation
14. Ole Henriksen Loofah Body Scrub
15. Sonic Screwdriver as seen on the 10th Doctor Who
Any and everything on the list is greatly appreciated (so are cards and greetings etc.) so get shopping everyone.
What I mostly want though, is a spot in the fabulous Coven.
However, I just want to let you know, that the delighfully colourful Tim got me a little pre birthday gift which I'm LOVING.
Notice the beautiful handwriting! I wish my handwriting was this pretty. I thank him dearly for this fabulous gem!
Anyway, for the proper birthday present I have these wishes
1. The Official Kylie Minogue 2011 calendar
2. The Sims 3: Late Night EP (PC DVD)
3. The Sims 3 Late Night Prima Guide
4. When You Don't See Me by Timothy James Beck
5. The God Box by Alex Sanchez
6. Red Dolce & Gabbana shoes in a size 9-10
7. Black Dolce & Gabbana shoes in a size 9-10
8. Tom Ford glasses
9. Night Work by Scissor Sisters on Vinyl
10. Boston Legal on DVD - The Complete Box Season 1 - 5 (or separate)
11. Pink Sparkle perfume by Kylie Minogue
12. Emporio Armani Diamonds Eau de Toilette for me
13. Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Exfoliating Lip Salvation
14. Ole Henriksen Loofah Body Scrub
15. Sonic Screwdriver as seen on the 10th Doctor Who
Any and everything on the list is greatly appreciated (so are cards and greetings etc.) so get shopping everyone.
What I mostly want though, is a spot in the fabulous Coven.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Sibling rivalry*
I was looking for a photo earlier on my old blog and now feel like I've become really boring. That was never my intention.
Or for that matter to be posting so rarely. I guess I just lost my blogging mojo.
Anyway, I went to my fathers birthday party the other day. He turned 66 or 67 or something like that. The actual number never came up, so I guess I have something in common with my father afterall.
My evil bro was also at the party. It was actually more of a dinner for a very select group of people, rather than a party because my father doesn't like being the center of attention. Well, my parents were not only taking care of their own dog
but also my cousins dog Gizmo
This became quite the discussion of the night because from the moment I entered the front door to the moment I left, both dogs were competing for my affection. Since my parents were playing favorites to their own, I of course decided to spend time with Gizmo. Out of defiance mostly, but also because Gizmo reminds me of a stuffed animal I had as a boy.
As I tried to divide my attention to both dogs equally I noticed the surly expressions on my parents dog and it wasn't pretty. Not long after they were taking turns trying to mount each other as dogs do. I'm told. Showing who has the power to dominate. It wasn't pretty.
After my evil bro came, the trash talking of Gizmo got worse, because evil bro hates that dog. Not because it's evil, or bites or anything like that. While my parents called Gizmo chunky and such, evil bro called him ugly, smelly and stupid. Granted, Gizmo doesn't know how to play. He just looked at you with a puzzled half bored expression on his face, and he doesn't look attentive if you mention his name. He just has the look of sheer boredom on his face, like he is beyond it all. I liked that.
Gizmo was certainly beyond all of them.
Of course this led to a long discussion in which evil bro and I expressed things we weren't agreeing on. There were many. To my surprise, we ended up having more in common than I thought
1. We both have, and LOVE our iPhones
2. None of us like relish
3. We both watch Sex & the City
4. We both watch Desperate Housewives
5. We both cast our votes at the same political party
6. None of us like Dullface
7. We both like The Pet Shop Boys
8. we both find Sarah Jessica Parker to be one of the ugliest, overrated actors out there and if she were our horse, we'd have sent her to the glue factory YEARS ago
It was fairly shocking. For a moment there, I started having inner struggles
Then he started praising the movie Failure To Launch and all was right with the world again.
What a shit movie! Matthew McHotnessConaghey and Sarah Jessica Parker has worse on screen chemistry than Hitler and Ghandi would have had, if they were to have a torrid on screen love affair. The movie was just trash. Some movies are so bad, that they are good. This was so bad, that it was unredeemably bad.
Also, is it all straight men, that only talk about girls and how little they wear in certain movies or is it just my evil bro? I find it quite nasty and tiresome to listen to.
*(yes I'm stealing IDVs thing here, I'm running out of ideas people! HELP!!!) The movie Sibling Rivalry from 1990 starring Scott Bakula, Kirstie Alley and Carrie Fisher in which Kirstie Alley accidently has a one night stand with her brother in law. Very amusing.
Or for that matter to be posting so rarely. I guess I just lost my blogging mojo.
Anyway, I went to my fathers birthday party the other day. He turned 66 or 67 or something like that. The actual number never came up, so I guess I have something in common with my father afterall.
My evil bro was also at the party. It was actually more of a dinner for a very select group of people, rather than a party because my father doesn't like being the center of attention. Well, my parents were not only taking care of their own dog
but also my cousins dog Gizmo
This became quite the discussion of the night because from the moment I entered the front door to the moment I left, both dogs were competing for my affection. Since my parents were playing favorites to their own, I of course decided to spend time with Gizmo. Out of defiance mostly, but also because Gizmo reminds me of a stuffed animal I had as a boy.
As I tried to divide my attention to both dogs equally I noticed the surly expressions on my parents dog and it wasn't pretty. Not long after they were taking turns trying to mount each other as dogs do. I'm told. Showing who has the power to dominate. It wasn't pretty.
After my evil bro came, the trash talking of Gizmo got worse, because evil bro hates that dog. Not because it's evil, or bites or anything like that. While my parents called Gizmo chunky and such, evil bro called him ugly, smelly and stupid. Granted, Gizmo doesn't know how to play. He just looked at you with a puzzled half bored expression on his face, and he doesn't look attentive if you mention his name. He just has the look of sheer boredom on his face, like he is beyond it all. I liked that.
Gizmo was certainly beyond all of them.
Of course this led to a long discussion in which evil bro and I expressed things we weren't agreeing on. There were many. To my surprise, we ended up having more in common than I thought
1. We both have, and LOVE our iPhones
2. None of us like relish
3. We both watch Sex & the City
4. We both watch Desperate Housewives
5. We both cast our votes at the same political party
6. None of us like Dullface
7. We both like The Pet Shop Boys
8. we both find Sarah Jessica Parker to be one of the ugliest, overrated actors out there and if she were our horse, we'd have sent her to the glue factory YEARS ago
It was fairly shocking. For a moment there, I started having inner struggles
Then he started praising the movie Failure To Launch and all was right with the world again.
What a shit movie! Matthew McHotnessConaghey and Sarah Jessica Parker has worse on screen chemistry than Hitler and Ghandi would have had, if they were to have a torrid on screen love affair. The movie was just trash. Some movies are so bad, that they are good. This was so bad, that it was unredeemably bad.
Also, is it all straight men, that only talk about girls and how little they wear in certain movies or is it just my evil bro? I find it quite nasty and tiresome to listen to.
*(yes I'm stealing IDVs thing here, I'm running out of ideas people! HELP!!!) The movie Sibling Rivalry from 1990 starring Scott Bakula, Kirstie Alley and Carrie Fisher in which Kirstie Alley accidently has a one night stand with her brother in law. Very amusing.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Very fruity
I grew up in a house with a nice garden by a lake. When I say by a lake, it's mean in that real estate agent kind of way. Because the lake was 3 rows of houses down, and past a fairly busy road. Yet we had a nice view of the lake as the house was on a (very) small hill. I didn't really appreciate the view back then, as I was either in my room colouring, playing Civilization (or Giana Sisters or Oil Imperium) or perhaps sitting outside on the balcony steps playing with our dog.
My parents did all they could, but I did find the entire collection of Abba on vinyl that they had hidden away along with Cliff Richard. Cliff wasn't really my thing though (except for that one Christmas song..)
We didn't just have fruity things in the house. Our garden was filled with black currant, redcurrant, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears and gooseberries.
There were also melons, although they weren't for eating.
We haven't scaled down on the fruit since, as you can well imagine. I like fruit, I eat way too little of it, and I believe it's way too expensive. That is, if you want fresh fruit. You know, proper fresh fruit. The kind that looks great and doesn't taste waxy and artificial.
So today, as I was all out of ice cream and it was too hot to go anywhere or do anything, I pondered if I should go for ice cream. It was quite the debate in my head really. Yet, I ended up getting dressed properly, and ventured out into the sweltering heat. Sun baking us all, and it was quite a journey. The shop was nice and cool, and of course they'd been practically sold out on ice cream. I also managed to look in the fruit section if they had anything worth buying.
The raspberries looked great, so I stood there inspecting every pack of them. Obviously. As I did so, a woman and her daughter (I can only assume (I know, some stupid American phrase, something about a donkey)) came up to me looking at mangos. The daughter stood there staring, rather rudely I daresay, at me and then turns to her mother asking why I was inspecting the raspberries. Of course, I could have just answered myself, but the mother told her rather flat out "so the gentleman can get the packet with the least worms and rotting berries". Right. She was correct of course, but it almost put me off buying them if it wasn't because the packet I was holding hadn't looked so perfect.
When I got home I checked the packet again and the raspberries were perfect. They also tasted like every bit of summery goodness that I remember. Still, you don't get much eh? Why must the good fruits and berries cost so much?
Now, how about a raspberry margarita?
My parents did all they could, but I did find the entire collection of Abba on vinyl that they had hidden away along with Cliff Richard. Cliff wasn't really my thing though (except for that one Christmas song..)
We didn't just have fruity things in the house. Our garden was filled with black currant, redcurrant, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears and gooseberries.
There were also melons, although they weren't for eating.
We haven't scaled down on the fruit since, as you can well imagine. I like fruit, I eat way too little of it, and I believe it's way too expensive. That is, if you want fresh fruit. You know, proper fresh fruit. The kind that looks great and doesn't taste waxy and artificial.
So today, as I was all out of ice cream and it was too hot to go anywhere or do anything, I pondered if I should go for ice cream. It was quite the debate in my head really. Yet, I ended up getting dressed properly, and ventured out into the sweltering heat. Sun baking us all, and it was quite a journey. The shop was nice and cool, and of course they'd been practically sold out on ice cream. I also managed to look in the fruit section if they had anything worth buying.
The raspberries looked great, so I stood there inspecting every pack of them. Obviously. As I did so, a woman and her daughter (I can only assume (I know, some stupid American phrase, something about a donkey)) came up to me looking at mangos. The daughter stood there staring, rather rudely I daresay, at me and then turns to her mother asking why I was inspecting the raspberries. Of course, I could have just answered myself, but the mother told her rather flat out "so the gentleman can get the packet with the least worms and rotting berries". Right. She was correct of course, but it almost put me off buying them if it wasn't because the packet I was holding hadn't looked so perfect.
When I got home I checked the packet again and the raspberries were perfect. They also tasted like every bit of summery goodness that I remember. Still, you don't get much eh? Why must the good fruits and berries cost so much?
Now, how about a raspberry margarita?
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Monday, February 01, 2010
Traumatic MeMeMeMeMe
I read our dear Princess at Palais de Steff blog. It so happens that the Princess herself has been tagged to do a meme by our lovely Miss Scarlet. Name dropping much? Absolutely! Well, they both did lovely memes in which they were to share 3 classic movie moments that in some shape or form have made them buy things/do things/think things that perhaps they shouldn't have.
After reading the two, I felt compelled to share as well, however there is a backstory to this movie business that needs to be shared first. So feel free to put on a face mask or grab a bottle of Champagne and get yourself settled.
In the home I grew up there wasn't a lot of movies. We had one TV in the living room but no VCR, and I wasn't allowed to watch foreign movies. Actually, as far as I remember I was only to allowed to watch the kids programming from 6-6.30pm and that was it. Going to the movies was something that only happened on special occasions. Like when they would show certain Danish folk comedies that were about a group of thieves where only the leader always ended up getting caught. They were called Olsen Banden and they weren't very good. My mother enjoyed them and would take me with her for an afternoon screening of these whenever they showed the old 'classics'. My mother also took me along to watch the Disney Classics. Only on one occasion was my father tagging along. It was back when The Fox and the Hound (in Danish it's called Mads & Mikkel (two boys names)) had premiered. Apparently it was a late screening for my bedtime so I was put into my pyjamas and taken to the cinema.
The movie makes me cry like a baby, and this song does the same. For all you non-Danes out there, you'll probably get a kick out of it, but the lyrics are great.
I think The Fox and the Hound was the first movie I watched at the movies.
It would be many years after that, I actually got to go to the movies without my parents. There was a group of people from school that went to see Jurassic Park together. The only reason I was invited along was because my father would pick some of us up after the movie and drive us home. I was 15 years old. Subsequently this was also the first VHS movie I bought and the beginning of a collection that grew, and grew, and grew. Much to my mothers dismay.
Oh, I should mention here, that I had nightmares for a week after watching Jurassic Park.
Then in 1998 Titanic hit that friggin iceberg, Leonardo DiCaprio died and Celine Dingdong made sure we were all traumatised for good. I refused to go watch it. My mother wanted to see it and my father finally put his foot down. For the first time in history, my father took his youngest son and wife out to dinner and then off to the movies. It was a major step for mankind. You could land a million space shuttles and send a herd of cattle to Uranus and still, it would seem like less of a deal than our night at the movies.
I went because it was free, and because my father kept saying that 'since you like movies, and movie history so much, it would be foolish not to watch it at the movies'. He had a point, and just because it was so over exposed and was rammed down our throats everywhere we went didn't mean it had to be bad. Right? We ended up on second row, having to turn our heads from one direction to the other to see the entire screen. I got horribly sea sick, but kept my dinner down. Thank god. My mother loved it and my father scored some points with her. I just don't want to know what he traded them in for.
Growing up, I wasn't influenced by movies. Unlike my classmates I never got to watch Dirty Dancing at the movies, and such. Another first though, was when we got a VCR and recorded our first movie. It was Coming To America and still, to this day it holds a special place in my heart. Even if it's far from my favorite movie.
When I was 17 I met a guy. We were starting at the same school and were taking the same classes. He also liked movies and we ended up getting along really well. Of course, he was not really into the old classic movies like the fabulous Houseboat from 1958 and he wasn't interested in getting to know the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey and such. It didn't matter because although he wasn't as starved when it came to movie culture as I was, he was bitten by the bug.
I think my mother secretly resents him for introducing me to life as well as movies, because I was a lot easier to be around before then. Anyway, my collection grew and now that it's all gone digital I have found myself having quite a few DVDs.
After reading the two, I felt compelled to share as well, however there is a backstory to this movie business that needs to be shared first. So feel free to put on a face mask or grab a bottle of Champagne and get yourself settled.
In the home I grew up there wasn't a lot of movies. We had one TV in the living room but no VCR, and I wasn't allowed to watch foreign movies. Actually, as far as I remember I was only to allowed to watch the kids programming from 6-6.30pm and that was it. Going to the movies was something that only happened on special occasions. Like when they would show certain Danish folk comedies that were about a group of thieves where only the leader always ended up getting caught. They were called Olsen Banden and they weren't very good. My mother enjoyed them and would take me with her for an afternoon screening of these whenever they showed the old 'classics'. My mother also took me along to watch the Disney Classics. Only on one occasion was my father tagging along. It was back when The Fox and the Hound (in Danish it's called Mads & Mikkel (two boys names)) had premiered. Apparently it was a late screening for my bedtime so I was put into my pyjamas and taken to the cinema.
The movie makes me cry like a baby, and this song does the same. For all you non-Danes out there, you'll probably get a kick out of it, but the lyrics are great.
I think The Fox and the Hound was the first movie I watched at the movies.
It would be many years after that, I actually got to go to the movies without my parents. There was a group of people from school that went to see Jurassic Park together. The only reason I was invited along was because my father would pick some of us up after the movie and drive us home. I was 15 years old. Subsequently this was also the first VHS movie I bought and the beginning of a collection that grew, and grew, and grew. Much to my mothers dismay.
Oh, I should mention here, that I had nightmares for a week after watching Jurassic Park.
Then in 1998 Titanic hit that friggin iceberg, Leonardo DiCaprio died and Celine Dingdong made sure we were all traumatised for good. I refused to go watch it. My mother wanted to see it and my father finally put his foot down. For the first time in history, my father took his youngest son and wife out to dinner and then off to the movies. It was a major step for mankind. You could land a million space shuttles and send a herd of cattle to Uranus and still, it would seem like less of a deal than our night at the movies.
I went because it was free, and because my father kept saying that 'since you like movies, and movie history so much, it would be foolish not to watch it at the movies'. He had a point, and just because it was so over exposed and was rammed down our throats everywhere we went didn't mean it had to be bad. Right? We ended up on second row, having to turn our heads from one direction to the other to see the entire screen. I got horribly sea sick, but kept my dinner down. Thank god. My mother loved it and my father scored some points with her. I just don't want to know what he traded them in for.
Growing up, I wasn't influenced by movies. Unlike my classmates I never got to watch Dirty Dancing at the movies, and such. Another first though, was when we got a VCR and recorded our first movie. It was Coming To America and still, to this day it holds a special place in my heart. Even if it's far from my favorite movie.
When I was 17 I met a guy. We were starting at the same school and were taking the same classes. He also liked movies and we ended up getting along really well. Of course, he was not really into the old classic movies like the fabulous Houseboat from 1958 and he wasn't interested in getting to know the likes of 2001: A Space Odyssey and such. It didn't matter because although he wasn't as starved when it came to movie culture as I was, he was bitten by the bug.
I think my mother secretly resents him for introducing me to life as well as movies, because I was a lot easier to be around before then. Anyway, my collection grew and now that it's all gone digital I have found myself having quite a few DVDs.
Ok, let's zoom in shall we?
Sorry about the dust and stuff.
Feel free to do the meme if you like.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Liar liar pants on fire
Yikes! Everyone knows? It's all they talk about? It appears that at least the Italian swim team knows. Oh, what the hell I might as well tell the whole story.
I made it out of my original plans for New Years Eve. I'm so happy! I'm elated! Wow, that was a lot of exclamation points. Still, that's how I feel. So, it took a big fat lie. Who cares, right? No big deal, right?
I had a very good reason to do it, mind. The original, original plan was that I was going to spend New Years Eve alone. Just hanging out with myself, maybe an undisclosed special gentleman friend would pop by for a glass of bubbly and a few treats. He couldn't make it. So, I was talking to a colleague who didn't think she had anywhere to go on Thursday. I felt sorry for her and said that we could always plan something. We agreed that it was a plan but she might have a slim chance to catch up with a dear old friend. It was fine, a win-win situation for me. Either she'd be coming and we'd have a blast, or she wouldn't and I'd still have a blast alone.
This is when things went to shite.
You remember Dullface, yeah? The guy who came along on my US tour. The one who didn't like gorgonzola pasta sauce. The dull guy. Well, he asked me if I was doing anything for New Years Eve. I said that my friend (Dullface knows her too) IM would be coming, but if she was OK with him coming, he could come. I figured that if she was there, it wouldn't be a big deal and he didn't sound like he had anywhere to be. Plus he doesn't like being by himself. Odd, very odd kreacher he is. Well, she was OK with it and I told him he could come. This was alright I suppose.
This is when things became even worse.
IM told me a couple of days later, that she wouldn't be able to make it. Her friend had cleared her schedule and would be visiting IM. Now I was stuck with Dullface. The last night of 2009 stuck with Dullface. No, I was not having it.
[The Hulk as seen at Universal Studios in Los Angeles photographed by moi]
No, no! I left subtle hints but Dullface was chatting on about shopping for groceries etc. So finally, after asking a few other friends and even my parents, how to get out of it. They all agreed, there was but ONE choice.
Lie through your teeth!
So, yesterday I told him that my parents had pressured me into spending New Years Eve with them and my brother because we hadn't spent Christmas together. Of course I don't know if he bought it, and quite frankly I don't give a damn.
I'm now spending New Years Eve at home. Alone, and still hoping that a mysterious gentleman caller may call upon me for a glass of bubbly. He would be most welcome, that's for sure.
It wasn't a nice thing to do, and now Dullface has nowhere to go but it's not like he was worse off than before. Plus he might actually have an OK evening, compared to the miserable night we'd both have in each others company.
On a lighter note, I found these and thought I'd share. You know, as I'm such a huge fan of Dolce & Gabbana.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas: Attack of the sugar
Christmas came and went, and tomorrow it's back to the salt mines for 3 days while we stress about what we are doing for New Years Eve. Mine has been planned but as of a few days ago I'm trying to weasel myself out of them. Frankly, I don't want to be bored to tears on the last evening of the year. Especially since, so far (let's not jinx it), 2009 has been pretty darn great. Let's see what's going to happen. Until then, let's look back at a night I'll be remembering for years to come. Christmas Eve.
I spent the day on the sofa, lounging about, drinking wine and eating chocolates while watching movies and the Disney Christmas Show at 4pm. A major tradition not to be missed. Frankly, it isn't Christmas without the Disney Christmas Show with the snowball fight, Mickey Mouse, the Chipmunks and Pluto and the fabulous clip from Lady and the Tramp. Oh how I adore those.
It wasn't all lounging about with chocolates and Italian wine. Work was involved as I had to put dinner on the table. Before dinner got on the table though, I had to set it.
Then the real work began as I prepared the duck (not a whole duck, mind) and put it in the oven.
Then as the duck was nearing the time to get out, I had to make the candied potatoes (brune kartofler in Danish) - a dish not to be missed out. Here is how it's done.
The recipe I've been told by a colleague calls for
100 gram of sugar
100 gram of butter
1 glass of potatoes
I used a tiny bit more sugar and less butter. Some make it etirely without the butter which I suppose gives a different consistency to the caramelly goodness that sticks to the potatoes.
One
Put sugar into pan, and set thermostat to maximum heat. Full steam ahead! Of course, you must watch the pan at all times.
Two
Once the sugar has melted and become a bit caramelly, you add the sugar and stir. Mix the sugary butter goodness until it's come together as a thick'ish caramelly lovelieness.
Three
Add the potatoes, and stir a lot. Make sure that all the potatoes are covered in the sugary butter goodness. You should now turn down the heat a few notches. How many I don't know - see step Five.
Four
Keep stirring, and turn the heat up a notch or two. Make sure to be by the pan at all times, as you don't want it burning and you don't want this
Five
Full heat is too much. Boiling sugar is dangerous - potato or no patato. It exploded all over the place and I had melted boiling sugar and buttery goodness in my face, hair, over my arms and all over my kitchen. Including my lovely (not quite a Smeg) fridge. Quite shocking to be honest, but I managed with some cold water and baby oil. Although my face does have a bit of evidence of the evening of wine and candied potatoes.
Food was set on the table, as While You Were Sleeping started on TV. Oh how I love that movie.
I loaded my plate with food, and then remembered that I forgot to make the sauce. Oh dear.
What can you do? I decided to skip the sauce, as I rarely eat sauce anyway.
After consuming enough food to feed a small African nation, it was time for the dessert. The Cheesecake. Mmmmmmm.
Ah, the lovelieness!
Then on to wine and chocolates
And presents!
Oh yes, let's see the loot!
I finished another few movies, polished off the chocolates and another bottle of wine and went to bed.
How was your Christmas m'dearies?
I spent the day on the sofa, lounging about, drinking wine and eating chocolates while watching movies and the Disney Christmas Show at 4pm. A major tradition not to be missed. Frankly, it isn't Christmas without the Disney Christmas Show with the snowball fight, Mickey Mouse, the Chipmunks and Pluto and the fabulous clip from Lady and the Tramp. Oh how I adore those.
It wasn't all lounging about with chocolates and Italian wine. Work was involved as I had to put dinner on the table. Before dinner got on the table though, I had to set it.
Then the real work began as I prepared the duck (not a whole duck, mind) and put it in the oven.
Then as the duck was nearing the time to get out, I had to make the candied potatoes (brune kartofler in Danish) - a dish not to be missed out. Here is how it's done.
The recipe I've been told by a colleague calls for
100 gram of sugar
100 gram of butter
1 glass of potatoes
I used a tiny bit more sugar and less butter. Some make it etirely without the butter which I suppose gives a different consistency to the caramelly goodness that sticks to the potatoes.
One
Put sugar into pan, and set thermostat to maximum heat. Full steam ahead! Of course, you must watch the pan at all times.
Two
Once the sugar has melted and become a bit caramelly, you add the sugar and stir. Mix the sugary butter goodness until it's come together as a thick'ish caramelly lovelieness.
Three
Add the potatoes, and stir a lot. Make sure that all the potatoes are covered in the sugary butter goodness. You should now turn down the heat a few notches. How many I don't know - see step Five.
Four
Keep stirring, and turn the heat up a notch or two. Make sure to be by the pan at all times, as you don't want it burning and you don't want this
Five
Full heat is too much. Boiling sugar is dangerous - potato or no patato. It exploded all over the place and I had melted boiling sugar and buttery goodness in my face, hair, over my arms and all over my kitchen. Including my lovely (not quite a Smeg) fridge. Quite shocking to be honest, but I managed with some cold water and baby oil. Although my face does have a bit of evidence of the evening of wine and candied potatoes.
Food was set on the table, as While You Were Sleeping started on TV. Oh how I love that movie.
I loaded my plate with food, and then remembered that I forgot to make the sauce. Oh dear.
What can you do? I decided to skip the sauce, as I rarely eat sauce anyway.
After consuming enough food to feed a small African nation, it was time for the dessert. The Cheesecake. Mmmmmmm.
Ah, the lovelieness!
Then on to wine and chocolates
And presents!
Oh yes, let's see the loot!
I finished another few movies, polished off the chocolates and another bottle of wine and went to bed.
How was your Christmas m'dearies?
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