little bitty girl

That's it. I am DONE.

We had my grandmother's annual birthday/Christmas dinner yesterday and the amount of food prepared and consumed was ridiculous. My stomach is now so stretched out that it requires food every 2 hours because that's what it's been used to for the past couple of weeks.

Then I get home and there seems to be some back to back showing of Madonna's latest two tours on our local music station. I remember going to her "Re-Inventions" tour and thinking,"How the heck does the woman do it for two or more hours? I mean she's in her late forties for Pete's sake and she has a better body than I ever did when I was sixteen!"

Madge always makes me want to work out. And so that's what I'm doing.

Tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've decided to keep a visual reading list of books I've read per week because it's handy. You know how sometimes, you forget what books you've already read? And you get all disappointed because you've settled down for a big read and you've already read it and didn't even like it the first time round? That's what just happened to me.

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Posted in Randomness, Reading List

Because I really need it to be.

I am really fat from all the overeating that usually comes with the holidays. Really. It's the "my stomach is so bloated that I feel that this is what it must be like to be four months pregnant but I don't look pregnant, just fat" kind of fat.

It also doesn't help that my brother Ken has been staying with me for the past few days. He's back from NY and he's trying to cram everything he enjoys to eat that he can't find in NY. Yeah, you would think that NY is the food mecca of the world but NY does not have Swiss Chalet, Tim Horton's coffee, Salad King and most importantly, Mama Kang cooking.

He's dragged me to every restaurant he misses and eats any snack that catches his eye and we've later spent a good part of our afternoons lying on his blow up mattress bed, holding our bellies and groaning whilst planning what our next meal is going to be.

Either that or we've spent every other day drunk as donkeys.

Ah, the holidays.

The good thing is that while I've been contemplating giving up food and alcohol, I've also managed to get lots of reading in. This is what I've finished reading since I started on December 23rd.

Some of them are re-reads; a concept that many of my friends find puzzling. I call it cleansing the reading palate.

Stef keeps telling me that it's not a race to read every book ever published (even though secretly, it is) but he doesn't realize that it's naturally how fast I read when I get a couple of undisturbed hours to myself.

I'll be happy if I read another six more before the end of the year.

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Posted in Family Shenanigans, Homage to Hunger, Joy-Friends

I cannot believe that it's already Christmas. This time, it really crept up on me. It still sort of doesn't feel like the holidays due to the particularly warm weather and no snow. But my brother Ken is home and we're a complete family once again which makes me very happy.

I hope you guys are having a very enjoyable holiday season as well. Happy Festivus, everyone!

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Posted in Much To Do About Nothing

I've been a little quiet and reflective these past couple of weeks.

I haven't been able to get this out of my head so I thought it would be cathartic for me, if I shared what I've been feeling.

When I was in Vancouver, Boutsy informed me that one of our former university mates, Jocelyn Juriansz had been ruthlessly murdered by her boyfriend late last year. She wondered whether I had known; since Jocelyn was in the fashion marketing program and I had more classes with her than Boutsy did.

Although Jocelyn and I were never very close, we were always friendly with each other. After we both had left school, we would often bump into each other during work functions and she was always as she was - jubilant and bright.

I know a lot of people tend to say really nice things about someone once that person is gone but in all honesty, anyone who ever met Jocelyn just thought she was incredible. I remember the last time we saw each other. I had been with a girlfriend who was not a part of our school crowd. Not surprisingly, Jocelyn knew her as well and we all had a quick catch up and with a bright smile and a jaunty wave, she was off to meet some other friend.

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Posted in Joy-Friends

I had such a great time in Vancouver. There is nothing like hanging out with friends, eating really good food and lots of laughter.

Thank you, West Coast family for such a great trip.

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Posted in Joy-Friends, Travel

Someone made a comment that whenever I have pictures of my bed, it tends to be the green floral one and whether I ever changed my sheets.

For one thing, I am a notorious neat freak so yes, I change them weekly. Secondly, those sheets were a wedding present from Marie and happen to be my favourite ones. So I try to clean them as often as possible so that I can use them as much as I do. And the third most obvious (Duh!) reason why I have so many pictures of those sheets, is that they bring out the green in Mindy's eyes.

The cat madness ensues.

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Posted in Added Thoughts, Mindy-Lou

This is why I needed to come home.

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Posted in This is Why

Dear Ryo,

I woke up this morning without the relentless pawing from your sister, Monkey and without little sweaty feet to kiss. It's a little disconcerting to be home and not have you near. For a quick moment there, I seriously contemplated buying the house down the street from you. If it wasn't for your Uncle Stefan, Mindy, my parents, my brothers and my business, moving to the West coast seems like a very appealing idea. If only to be a greater part of your growing up. But I really like your Uncle Stefan (don't tell him, it will be our secret), and I am afraid he's quite helpless without me.

You are a miracle to me.

Somehow life seems a little lighter knowing that you exist in the world. I can hear your mummy telling me that I am such a suck. I am a suck, I can't help it. I cannot believe how much you've changed just in the week that I was there. You've started laughing at the silly antics your mum and dad do just to amuse you. When you coo, I can almost hear what you will sound like. You are so fascinated with your own reflection right now. When you sleep, you sometimes frown and other times you laugh. Your mum and I wonder whether all you dream about is boob. Good boob? Bad boob?

Because right now, you're going through the only loving mummy and daddy phase. You love mummy best cos well, she's got boobs. But you really miss daddy when he's been gone all day. It's amazing how much you and your daddy love each other. The pure joy in each of your faces when he comes home is so amazing to see. Your mum is so funny and patient with you. She's always pleading for you not to have your explosive poops when it's on her watch. You do it anyway and laugh your head off when you hear our squeals of disgust. They've been times when you've let me hold your for five minutes and I feel like I've climbed Mt. Everest.

Your mummy wants me to have a baby within the next few years so that you guys can be friends. I think I need to do a little more growing up before this happens because right now, there is no way I can live up to your mummy. But since your mummy and I have plans to share our kids in the summer, I'd better start thinking about it.

Until then, I am willing to be your personal stalkerazzi. You're going to wonder when you're older, why you have loads of pictures of yourself only in certain periods of your life. Don't grow up too fast, ok?

Love you, baby girl.

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Posted in Joy-Friends, Travel

Why is it that I always only seem to need to pee right when a plane hits a patch of turbulence? I usually spend the 2 minutes praying that I do not die while sitting on a plane toilet.

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Posted in Travel

I don't know what is up with me this year, but it just seems like the part of my brain that hosts the "how to knit" section finally just clicked. I have finally graduated from making basic garter stitch and ribbed scarves.

The cabled scarf on the left was one of my Christmas presents to Marie. When I was trying to figure out how to make the bobbins, I kept exclaiming to Stefan,"Look at my balls! They're so weird looking!" or "Wow! My balls are really coming along." He would often plead for me not to say these phrases aloud, especially when he was on the phone.

Yesterday, I finally completed the matching hat to my scarf for Ryo. Needless to say, I am so pleased about the results as it's just so very cute. I guess it also helps that the model wearing it, is especially scrumptious!

I do think that I still have a lot to figure out in regards to reading patterns and determining gauges. For example, the pattern for this hat is supposedly for a 12 month old and as far as I am concerned, I either used the wrong type of yarn or the pattern is wrong. Because I absolutely refuse to believe that my three month old petite filet mignon has a gargantuan head.

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Posted in Joy-Friends, Needles, Bows and Toes

Whenever I think of swings, I think of my father. He's the parent that would let me always take risks. My mum usually always lets me go so far, but with him he would always push me as high as I wanted.

"Swing higher!" I often demand and he would do it only if I promised to hold on.

"Can I jump off?" I would ask, not ever content with the boundaries given to me.

"Only if you let me catch you," he would reply. Then I would jump and give my mother a mini heart attack.

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Posted in Family Shenanigans

There should really be some sort of law that forbids airport retailers to play "Abba's Greatest Hits" at full volume at 5 a.m.

There should also be some memorandum against having to hear hockey highlights at the same stated time.

In all the years that I've traveled to Vancouver, I have never ever seen the city with snow.

People in cities who don't regularly have lots of snow, can't really seem to drive in said snow.

The goddaughter could possibly be the cutest kid alive.

I never thought I would be so happy and content having someone barf on me.

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Posted in Added Thoughts, Travel

I have indeed become the crazy cat lady that talks and blogs about her pet. I am up early this morning heading off to wintery West Coast. I still cannot believe our weather reversal. I am still not quite sure why I picked the early flight.

Anyway, I received this in an email yesterday and found it particularly funny, so thought I would share with fellow pet parents.

PET RULES

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height.

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.

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Posted in Mindy-Lou