Gingerbread Latte

Thursday, December 31, 2009 at 6:36 AM
Toronto is a city of coffee shops...there is one on almost every corner. Craig was saying yesterday how it amazes him, Toronto is one of the more expensive cities to live in yet everyone has money for coffee in coffee shops. In Montreal (where we come from) most people drink it at home. After almost 15 years, I have adopted the culture here. I recently discovered gingerbread latte at Second Cup and love it SO much I will spend $7 something for two small cups! I must have lost my mind!!! Fortunately, the season will be over soon and the gingerbread latte will disappear before I am bankrupt!!

Hewlett Packard Webcam Glitch - Are HP Computers Racist?

Monday, December 28, 2009 at 2:19 PM

Posted via web from How Heather Sees it

Misplace your keys and glasses twice a day?

Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 8:26 PM

Posted via email from How Heather Sees it

An uncluttered liquor cabinet in time for New Year’s Eve | Unclutterer

at 4:49 PM

An uncluttered liquor cabinet in time for New Year’s Eve

With only five days left before New Year’s Eve, many people’s minds are already turning to their next round of celebrations. I’ve already started to think about the holiday — what resolutions will I make, what silly hat will I wear to the party, and what specialty drink will I have?

In the celebratory spirit, I thought it might be appropriate to talk about keeping an uncluttered liquor cabinet. Similar to traditional food pantries and linen closets, most liquor cabinets have a bad habit of things going into them faster than items coming out. Before you know it, you’ll find you have three open bottles of vermouth, two dripping bottles of Rose’s lime juice and another of the grenadine, and five bottles of the exact same type of gin. (Well, at least this is what I found lingering in my liquor cabinet.)

Start by pulling everything out of your liquor cabinet and setting it on your dining table. Group like items together — shakers with shakers, vodka with vodka, etc.

Now, evaluate what you have. Unless you are a serious socialite, you probably don’t need to own three martini shakers or nine bottles of rum. Pull out any excess or expired pieces. (Expired? Remember that vermouth is made with wine, so after a few months lingering open in your cabinet it starts to taste “off.” I haven’t found evidence that it’s actually bad for you, but its flavor is definitely shot by the time it’s been open for a year. Bailey’s can curdle, and some sweet liqueurs will fade.)

Pour down the drain any liquor past its prime. Freecycle or Craigslist extra bar utensils (now is a great time to do this as other people are gearing up for their NYE gatherings). And, start calling your friends throwing end of the year parties to see if they might want to take extra bottles off your hands. Either that or decide to throw a party yourself to work through the extras.

When putting bottles of liquor back in your cabinet, consider these storage tips from the article “What is the Shelf Life of Distilled Spirits?“:

Tips for increasing liquor shelf life:

  • Keep opened bottles sealed tightly. Use the original cap, a replacement cork or the wine corks that also take the air out of the bottle.
  • Never store liquor with speed pourers unless you’re using them, these allow air to get inside the bottle.
  • Avoid exposure to extreme heat or cold. Also, keep your liquor cabinet away from an exterior wall.
  • Avoid bright, direct light.

Similar to how you sorted items on your dining table, return items to your cabinet storing like things with like things. Put shorter bottles in front and taller bottles in back so that you can always see what you’re storing.

Also, check out the fun book Ultimate Guide to Spirits and Cocktails. Have fun starting the new year with an uncluttered liquor cabinet!

***

Don’t forget! If you’re in the Chicago area, join Erin and some of the Unclutterer staff at The Book Cellar on Monday, December 28, any time between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.

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13 comments posted

  1. Posted by Bevin - 12/26/2009

    Wait… what? People have enough booze left over to necessitate decluttering? ;)

    Seriously though, good advice. I didn’t know that about vermouth!

  2. Posted by julia - 12/26/2009

    Vermouth…I use only small amounts of it but have never seen a small bottle of vermouth for sale. Too bad; a lot gets wasted when it’s time to throw it out.

  3. Posted by Elaine - 12/26/2009

    people… have trouble finishing booze? ’splain please. I don’t understand this concept.

  4. Posted by Shana - 12/26/2009

    Indeed. Where’s the (slightly tongue-in-cheek) suggestion that you drink the duplicates and old stuff? (I guess it’s only fair for Erin to get a new-mom pass just this once. :) )

    Good news is that vermouth is cheap. It’s the higher-priced short-shelf-life stuff that’s problematic….

  5. Posted by Kathryn Fenner - 12/26/2009

    @Julia– you can enhance a lot of recipes with vermouth–white or red. Think about the kinds of foods that get better with a shot of wine and some herbs….Chicken, fish, pork….Beans (like pintos and navy and black beans) can be made really special with some top quality butter or oil and a shot of vermouth….sauces….

    I was grinning with the notion that one could probably find some appreciative folk on the street instead of pouring spirits down the drain, but that would be wrong….

  6. Posted by infmom - 12/26/2009

    Just toss ‘em all. Why start every new year feeling like the bottom of a birdcage? :)

  7. Posted by Mama T-Mag - 12/26/2009

    @Julia Ask! The owner of my liquor store can get me anything. And his favorite thing is little bottles of everything because they are easier to sell. If you don’t like it your only out a couple bucks. If you like it he’s got or can order a bigger bottle. Ask if small bottles can be ordered.

  8. Posted by Elizabeth - 12/27/2009

    Ha ha ha! I pre-empted this article by several weeks when for some random reason I decided to go through my collection of bottles sometime around the start of December. Spirits not a problem. Tons of wine and champagne (mostly gifts which I have yet to get through). And for some completely unfathomable reason 6 (!!!) bottles of different types of mulled wine that I seem to have accumulated over the years without noticing. Time does not seem to have destroyed them yet, though.

  9. Posted by Elizabeth - 12/27/2009

    Oh and quick tip (apologies if you already know this). But if you have opened a bottle of wine and can’t face finishing off what’s left remember that you can freeze it (red or white) in ice cube trays and then use the individual cubes to flavour gravies, sauces, stews etc.

  10. Posted by OogieM - 12/27/2009

    Store opened cream spirits (Bailey’s and Emmets) in the refrigerator. They last a longer time that way.

  11. Posted by kate - 12/27/2009

    @ Elizabeth….Thank you for that tip about freezing wine in ice cube trays. I had no idea…and I just keep it around forever until it turns into vinegar and I eventually pitch it.

  12. Posted by c - 12/27/2009

    Another great way to combat liquor cabinet clutter is to create or choose a “signature cocktail” or two for your party; you can even print up a cocktail menu with two or three items. It means someone might have to play bartender, but it also means far less waste, and a swankier environment.

    Plus, if you plan wisely, you can use up what you have an excess of, control what new bottles your bring into your home —or both!!

  13. Posted by Jackie Pettus - 12/27/2009

    The Bailey’s label says to store it at 41-77 degrees F, but since it has cream in it I keep it in the refrigerator after opening. On the other hand, maybe I ought to toss it. I think it’s the same bottle I’ve had since 1980!

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    Posted via web from How Heather Sees it

    Don't move a muscle! Snowboarder balances inches from edge of cliff

    at 12:44 PM

    Don't move a muscle! Snowboarder balances just inches from edge of cliff

    By Mail Foreign Service
    Last updated at 1:33 PM on 18th December 2009

    Clinging on for dear life on the edge of a towering cliff, this snowboarder is just inches away from certain death.

    Austrian Kurt Welden, 31, realised he was heading for a cliff edge at the last minute and managed to stop in time.

    Mr Welden had been enjoying the deep powdery snow at the Moelltal glacier in Carinthia, Austria when he travelled off the marked piste.

    Kurt Welden

    Just inches away from certain death, Kurt Welden had a lucky escape when he spotted he was heading straight for the edge of this cliff

    The snowboarder

    The snowboarder lay flat on the snow and clung on, hoping that the snow would not give way

    He managed to dig away the snow and hung on hoping that the board would not slip or the snow give way until he could be rescued.

    It took rescue workers an hour to secure the area and eventually pull Welden free using a helicopter.

    One said: 'The fear was that the snow that was at the edge of the cliff could have been dislodged, taking the man down with it.

    'But in the end we managed to pull him to safety. He was shocked but otherwise unhurt.'

    The Mölltal Glacier has more than 35miles of pistes and has a snowboard Fun Park.

    It is a popular resort for international ski and snowboard teams preparing themselves for big ski events.

    At its highest point it is more than 9, 800 feet above sea level.

    Last year British doctor Robert Bruce died after skiing off a cliff while snowboarding in Val D'Isere in the French Alps

    He struck a rock at an off-limits area known as Face de la Bellegarde and then plunged more than 260ft to his death.

    Moeltal glacier in Austria

    The Moeltal glacier in Austria is popular with international ski teams


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    Haha all that snow provbes NO global warming you are all so dum!

    - Joe from America, America, USA, 21/12/2009 05:18

    Click to rate     Rating   7

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    Not much global warming there!

    - Michael J. Lee, Sheffield UK, 19/12/2009 17:21

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    Strange how everyone that gets in to trouble in this way is somewhere they are no supposed to be - then other people have to risk their lives to rescue them....

    - Bren, Canada (ex Devon UK, 19/12/2009 17:19

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    idiot.

    You NEVER ski off piste unless you know what is ahead of you.

    Good work of the rescue teams

    - AW, Surrey, 19/12/2009 17:09

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    Love it last time i looked it was 47 each

    - pete, you aving a laugh.uk, 19/12/2009 16:08

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    JUMP you wuss JUMP.

    - Boarder, Blackburn. Lancs., 19/12/2009 15:47

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    Posted via web from How Heather Sees it

    Clean up!

    at 11:45 AM
    I can't stand the Christmas clutter for very long.  This year my tree was up extra early because I bought a new one so today or perhaps tomorrow I will take it down and get the house back to normal. 

    One thing I will miss, when it is gone, is turkey!  I love the leftovers, almost more than the first meal.  Maybe the reason I love them so much is that the work is done.  I don't do much with turkey leftovers, just a good turkey soup with the carcass, one leftover meal and then finally, turkey sandwiches with mayo and sweet pickle...sometimes toasted with bacon and tomato.  Mmmm!

    Our Thanksgiving turkey was a nightmare; I overcooked it. The darned bird was 22 pounds (how I got it is another story, best left alone) and to get it cooked I used an oven bag.  Good idea but I didn't know how much faster they cook in a bag!  It was not only overdone, it burned.  Christmas meal came along and this turkey I chose myself--a smaller, more manageable 12 pounds.  We were five for dinner (as we were at Thanksgiving) and it was plenty for dinner and plenty for lots of sandwiches.  The carcass even fit in the soup pot. 

    Posted via email from How Heather Sees it

    Thankful for a cold sore?

    Monday, December 21, 2009 at 2:52 AM
    Yes, I guess I can say I am thankful for a cold sore. It is my warning to relax. I get these things late fall, early winter when the days are short and I am getting stressed. I caught this one early and am treating it with what I consider a wonder drug, Abreva. It will be gone before it can turn into much. Aren't pharmaceuticals a godsend? However, I suppose I will pack the mistletoe away.

    Today is the shortest day of the year; tomorrow the days begin to get longer. I am thankful for each minute of light we gain.

    I am thankful to be home this week using up a few left over days of vacation. It is so nice to be puttering about the house before Christmas. I made shortbread yesterday. Today I will make a second batch and hopefully this time it will come out of the mold without breaking. It tasted good even though it was in chunks!

    Olympic Torch Relay

    Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 6:26 AM
    Here is my full set of photos from the Olympic Torch relay the other morning in my community. I was out to see it happen and it was great fun!



    Gratitude - Day 4

    Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11:24 AM
    I am grateful that I got the last tree on sale at Canadian Tire this morning. Christmas trees were 40% off and when I got there the slim 7' tree I wanted was gone, only the demo tree left. The young man offered to box it for me and I happily paid for it and took it home!

    This afternoon I have been listening to very pleasant music on our local classical music station. They have been playing a mix of light classical mixed with some very good Christmas music. I am so grateful for good music!

    It felt so good to be outside earlier. It was invigorating to walk in the sunshine and breathe deeply! I feel lucky to live near the lake; there is beauty all around me.





    The Gratitude Project- Day 3

    Friday, December 4, 2009 at 1:14 PM
    This could also be posted as "Counting My Blessings Every Day" This is Day 3 and today I drove to the office in very light traffic. Traffic is usually light on Friday and I consider this a blessing, something to be grateful for! Added to this, it was a sunny day, all day long. The drive in was pleasant in light traffic with full sunshine. Third, it is Friday evening, the beginning of the weekend. Friday evening is all mine! No chores this evening, no errands, no shopping. It is all mine! I had a good day and I am grateful!

    The Gratitude Project - Day 2

    Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 6:59 PM

    The Gratitude Project! I hope you will join me. I'm posting 3 things each day for the next 30 days that I'm actually truly grateful for, no matter how silly or small. Thanks to Facebook friend,Lynne Peters for this great idea!

    Today is day 2 and I am almost ready to sleep. I am grateful for a pleasant evening with my son, grateful for laughter, and grateful for my laptop! Good nite!

    The Gratitude Project

    Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 3:53 PM

    The Gratitude Project! I hope you will join me. I'm posting 3 things each day for the next 30 days that I'm actually truly grateful for, no matter how silly or small. Thanks to Facebook friend,Lynne Peters for this great idea!


    Today (Day 1) I am grateful for my family (Craig, Glenn and Grace), my peaceful and comfortable home and my camera that is with me everywhere.


    Relationships I have had: Houseplants

    Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 2:00 PM

     
    I well know that bringing houseplants outside for the summer can make trouble but I usually take a chance.  This year my favourite houseplant paid the price.  I raised and loved this key lime tree from a seed. It grew slowly in the house so I put it on the patio in a sheltered northern exposure in summertime and it did fine, grew more leaves than it would have in the house and it looked happy and healthy.  
     

    In late September it returned to its home in the south window and trouble began.  Leaves dropped continually and quickly, not just a few but many.  I sprayed it twice with gentle insecticidal soap but that didn't work.  Pyrethrum worked.  It is one of the oldest insecticides and well recognized for low toxicity to humans and wildlife but rapidly knocks-down a wide variety of plant pests and it doesn't remain in the environment.   
     

    For the past month my beloved key lime tree has been recovering in the spare bedroom at the window.  I have kept the blinds slightly angled so it gets lots of light but no direct sun.  I think it is ready for full sun now.  You can see it has been ravaged but over a few months it will re-grow most of the leaves.  I don't think I will put it outside next summer...I almost lost it this time. 
     

    Do you ever attach emotionally to a plant?  I develop relationships with mine.  This little tree sprouted from seed when I moved into my current home which was the beginning of life on my own.  This plant and I have been through a journey together!  I remember another plant, a Neanthe Bella Palm, that arrived in our home as a seedling the year my first son was born.  That plant is almost 33 years old.  I left it with Craig, he wanted to keep it . He has a relationship with it!   
     
    The Ficus Bbenjamina in my living room came from a girlfriend who returned to the Faroe Islands almost 20 years ago.  I promised I would take good care of it and return it to her if she ever came back to Canada.  It is only a loaner but it looks beautiful in my living room until she returns! 

    Bambi and Thumper

    Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 5:07 PM
    This was taken in Alberta , Canada in a back yard...Very cool!
    Bambi & Thumper ......really do exist! 

    '

    What an incredible photographer  to have caught these shots...

    Posted via email from Heather's posterous

    Breaking News Alert at the Office: Deer in Downtown Toronto

    Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 2:48 PM
    I like to stay up to date at the office; all kinds of things happen during the day and by subscribing to news alerts I don't have to wait until 6:00 PM news broadcast to find out what is going on. Today I got this positive news story, well almost positive except for the taser...I wonder why they did that? Surely the tranquilizer was enough? Still, it is a nicer story than the usual crimes and traffic accidents on the 401. I wondered where he came from...Lynda guessed he probably wandered up to city streets from the Don Valley.

    Tue Nov 24 11:20:55 EST 2009
    Police tranquilize, capture downtown deer

    Police have captured a deer that was loose in downtown Toronto on Tuesday morning.

    The deer had been sitting in a garden near Bay Street and University Avenue for several hours before police moved in to tranquilize and move the animal. Officers also used a Taser on the deer, police say.

    Stay with CP24 for updates -- online at CP24.com, on TV on CP24 and on the radio at 1050 AM.

    Persimmon

    Monday, November 16, 2009 at 2:54 PM
    A fully ripe persimmon peeled, dusted lightly with cinnamon, quartered and sliced, served with a spoonful of home made jam makes a tasty desert. Craig brought this over. He shops at T&T, an Asian grocery store, where the fruit, he says, is top quality and best price.



    Lunch at Dumpling King

    at 1:11 PM

    Had lunch last week at Dumpling King with office friend Kathleen--Shanghai style food served in northern China. A delicious lunch. I'll be happy to return any time!

    Vichyssoise and Seafood Lasagne

    Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 4:46 AM

    Easy and elegant. Best part of this meal was the "easy!" Craig sent over a container of Vichyssoise he had made. I was out for a walk yesterday and stopped by Loblaws before going home, where I found their President's Choice Seafood Lasagne on sale and my dinner was made! The vichyssoise was excellent but the lasagne didn't measure up to the promise. I did find a few shrimp but there was no recognizable scallops or pieces of lobster. The cheese and mushroom sauce was pretty good. Even on sale ($2 off the regular price) it was too expensive for what was in the package.

    StillTasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide - Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment

    Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 1:11 PM
    Check out this website I found at stilltasty.com

    My ketchup has been in the fridge almost a year. Is it still good? How long can I keep the mayonnaise once it is opened? Do I have to keep mustard in the fridge? Is that yogurt I stocked up on because it was on sale still good a week past the expiry date? My sons come over and check the expiry dates on things in my fridge, probably because they don't trust my judgment. Well here is a site that knows when things should be tossed.

    Posted via web from Heather's posterous

    What they found when they caught up with the balloon

    at 8:10 AM
    
    Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!!....


    What they found when they caught up with the balloon...

     

    Chickadee feeding from Paul's hand at Lynde Conservation Area

    Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 5:36 PM

    Posted via email from Heather's posterous

    Opa!!

    Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 2:11 PM

    Hungry for Greek food on Sunday I drove over to The Danforth, an area in Toronto sometimes called "Greek Town." After the usual search for a parking spot, I found one reasonably close to the restaurant area and then found a restaurant that served Greek Lemon Rice Soup, well it is actually chicken and rice soup flavoured with a good squeeze of lemon. Wonderful comfort food on a cold day. We ordered Saganaki, fried flaming cheese served with flamboyant panache! Opa! I enjoyed the saganaki with a few crusty slices of bread and mopped up every bit of juice on the tray with my last crust. I am providing a recipe below from Cooks.com


    SAGANAKI (FLAMING CHEESE OPA)


    1 lb. soft Kasseri or Kofalotiri cheese
    3 tbsp. butter
    1/2 lemon (juice)
    2 tbsp. brandy
    Cut cheese into slices 1/4 inch thick. Place on broiler pan and brush with melted butter. Broil on high 4 to 6 inches from heat until cheese bubbles. Remove from heat. Pour brandy over cheese and ignite immediately.
    Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with bread. Opa!

    Stewed Quince

    Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 5:08 AM

    Craig is on a fruit binge, going to the Asian fruit store every few days and selecting all kinds of strange things I never see in the regular grocery store. The latest thing he brought home were a few fresh quinces. Neither of us knew what to do with them so he googled and found that they are best stewed or made into jam. As he peeled and cored the quince we tasted it and found it very dry but pleasantly tangy sweet. The dryness made us understand why you must cook it. The rest of this story you can see in the slide show but . . .sorry, you won't be able to catch the amazing fragrance! The finished dish was simply amazing! So good I had difficulty to stop eating them. Pleasant texture, fragrant, almost perfumed, complex taste. I am looking forward to a dish of stewed quince with vanilla yogurt for breakfast this morning. Will definitely do this one again.I kept some of the seeds...I wonder if they will grow?

    Mona's Dare - The View from My Window

    at 3:15 AM

    Here is the lovely view from my bedroom window this summer, it lasted all summer and is still there! They did some work in the stairwell to the underground parkmg and now I suppose they are waiting for the cement to cure before they replace the railing and remove the construction fencing. Hope it comes down soon!

    If you want to join Mona's dare, post a photo in your blog and then post the link here.

    Enoki Mushroom and Green Onion Crepes

    Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 2:23 PM
    What a tasty snack I discovered as I stopped at a demo in an Asian grocery store last night.  She was serving these delicious little crepes beside the enoki mushroom display.  The mushrooms seemed like a good deal at 2 packages for $2.50.  I decided to buy 4 packages.  All she did was trim the bottom of a package of enoki mushrooms, chop them a little and added a full bunch of chopped green onion.  Two beaten eggs were stirred in  a little salt, pepper and then she fried  them.  To my own mixture I added a few dried herbs and a little garlic.  I used a no stick skillet so required very little oil. I used olive oil.  Turn when brown on one side then brown on the other.  They take only a few minutes to make and they disappear quickly!  You can serve as an appetizer, snack, light lunch entree or as a side dish.  You can serve them hot or cold.  I am eating a cold one as I type this.  It is so good! 
    See the full gallery on posterous

    Extreme Shepherding

    Friday, September 4, 2009 at 2:38 PM
    When Highlanders get bored with their sheep! These guys are not retired electricians!

    Inspiration: Animals and Photography

    at 11:45 AM

    Photography inspiration from animals

    Posted via web from Heather's posterous

    Evolution

    at 11:40 AM

    

    Posted via email from HappenChance

    Random Thoughts from 25-35 year-olds:

    Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 10:57 AM
    -I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

    -More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

    -Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

    -Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

    -I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

    -Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know"
    feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

    -There is a great need for sarcasm font.

    -I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting
    90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

    -How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

    - I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

    -The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text. ...suse and i have had this discussion before...even though i know its bad i still text and drive and try to hide that i'm doing it from other drivers because i feel shame

    - LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

    - I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

    - Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

    - Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

    - How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

    - I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent someone from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

    - Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

    -What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

    - While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

    - MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighbourhood.

    - I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

    -Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

    -I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

    - Bad decisions make good stories

    -Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

    -If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

    -Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

    -You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

    -Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

    -There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far. ...it is fairly terrifying

    -I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

    - "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever. ...SO true...after being burned on hand wash only a couple times from now on i check the wash instructions before i buy anything

    -I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this.
    It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

    -I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

    - I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

    -When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

    -I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

    - As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

    -Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

    -I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

    -Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

    -My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

    -It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

    -I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

    -I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

    -The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

    Create a Cool 3-D Snowflake

    Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 11:27 PM

    A bit addictive but very cool.  Once you have created a snowflake click the top right 3-D Rotate button.  You can add to your snowflake while it spins.   Refresh the screen to start over.

    Posted via email from Heather's posterous

    Edible

    at 12:42 PM
    Mona's Dare this week is "Edible."  We can post a new or old photo, but it must be our own photo, not one from the internet.  Food being one of my favourite subjects, both with a camera and not, I have a large colletion to draw from however; I just snapped a photo of my lunch, my favourite sandwich, toasted tomato on rye with mayo and a little salt.  It's tomato season and it's heaven, I tell you!

    To join the fun, post a picture of something edible at your blog then post a link to it here:  http://monchri.multiply.com/journal/item/81/The_Dare...  Hope to see you there!

    See the full gallery on posterous

    Posted via email from Heather's posterous

    Ukraine Has Talent

    Friday, August 21, 2009 at 8:01 PM

    Posted via email from Heather's posterous

    Ben and the storm

    at 11:38 AM
    No spectacular photos here, just the dog keeping an eye on the patio and the storm last night.  He wasn't afraid, just interested, and he stationed himself at the front door, occasionally checking the back patio.  My little kitchen was crowded again last night as I had to bring the houseplants back indoors.  We had severe storms in Toronto; to the  north of us tornados touched down.  When the storms moved on the sky was lit an eerie yellow. 

    See the full gallery on posterous

    Posted via email from Heather's posterous

    A Bat in my bedroom

    Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 7:33 PM
    A bat flying about my bedroom woke me up at 4:00 AM.  I heard fluttering on the mattress beside me then something hit the fan.  I bolted up from sleep.  I thought someone was in the house, it took a while to realize it was a bat. I put the lights on and he disappeared. I mustered some courage and crept downstairs, turning lights on as I moved forward and I got to my laptop, put a message on Facebook and began to  Google "how to get rid of a bat in the house."  Everything I found told me not to kill it but to wear gloves, and gather it in a towel and move it outside. I knew I could NOT pick it up with a towel.  I was too frightened to even look for it.  I sent an email to my boss telling him about my dilemma and that I would be late, maybe not even make it in today.  He emailed me when he woke up and was very understanding, suggested I call pest control if I couldn't manage.  I sent an email to my condo property management company asking if any people in my block had complained of a bat problem.  I could handle the telephone and computer...sitting on the couch but wasn't comfortable moving around the house. 

    After daylight I called my son, he promised to come soon. Craig arrived while I was on the telephone in the bedroom with the door shut. I didn't even know he was in the house, he checked upstairs first, then the basement and quickly found him near the ceiling.  He picked him off the wall with a tea towel and came into the bedroom (I gasped!) and calmly announced, "it's ok, I got him."  Second reaction from me was relief, third one "THAT'S MY TEA TOWEL!"  He told me to come and watch him let it go.  It didn't move for quite a while when he put it in the garden box, it seemed stunned but eventually got its bearings and hopped under the holly shrub.  I guess it will fly away tonight.

    My boss and his director simultaneously broke into song--the theme from Batman--when I came to the office around lunchtime.  

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    Posted via email from Heather's posterous

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