It's already July 4th. I feel like June never happened, and I haven't made a post in more than 2 weeks! Shitake!
Life has just been trundling along, work, home, sleep, repeat. Or at least that's how it felt. After several weeks of working a fulltime job and a part time one, I decided that I couldn't keep going at that pace. Putting in me 2-weeks at the adult boutique was really hard for me. I love my bosses there so much. I really struggled with coming to the decision because I did love the people at my old job so much, but my new job has benefits, and no night time shifts, and possibly training into cutting meat, which is something I'd really love to do. I'm going to keep doing home parties and maybe a few shop shifts in a pinch at the adult boutique though, I can't see me giving it up for good right now.
I went up island this morning to tend my garden at my parent's house. My Niece and Nephew were there and they love gardening. My nephew is always asking if he can weed for me. I almost feel like I should say 'no' a couple times just to make sure it stays special and exciting for him! He loves the idea that carrots come out of the ground, and mine are just big enough now that thinning them is worth the time. His younger sister will be 2 in October, and was very attentive and serious about which exact carrot I was showing her to pull out. They only once pulled up a parshnip by accident (I plant several similar plants in wide rows, rather than many narrow rows to conserve space). My Newphew was so excited to see that the beans are not reaching up over his head. He loves to tell everyone how they "will grow all the way up to the sky". Even my brother got his hands dirty. I have more tomato plants than I do cages, so he cut some spare wire and rolled them into cages for me. Sometimes it is hard to imagine the man was once the boy I grew up with.
I know one of the reasons I've been busy is because I'm planning my mother's 50th birthday party. I would love to pretend I don't know how I ended up with the job, but frankly, I'm the oldest, so I guess it's just my job. We've decided on a pot-luck at my aunt's house, and the date is less than 2 weeks away! My mom's friend helped me go through about 10,000,000 pictures to choose some to display at the party. 10,000,000 and we only got 36. I guess, being 'mom' she realises that if she doesn't take the pictures it won't get done, so she's always behind the camera.
I'm baking a rhubarb strawberry pie right now, and I have a new secret ingredient for it! Ginger! Candied ginger if you can get it, but if not, just a little of the ground ginger. I don't know why, but it really seems to harmonize the sweet strawberries and bitter rhubarb.
Anyways, that's all for now. Keep well 'till next time!
Monday 4 July 2011
Monday 13 June 2011
My Perfect May Weekend
Okay, I know I went completely M.I.A. for the week. The new job has me run a little ragged, and by time I get in at the end of the day, all I want to do is shower, eat and zone out in front of the tv for an hour or so. I'm even having a hard time picking up my knitting or crocheting while doing the zone out and unwind. For those who don't know me, that's REALLY tired.
Thankfully, I have an amazing boyfriend who makes my life allot easier for me when I get in after a day of work. Normally, by time I arrive at his place after work, my dog's been fed and if I haven't made plans for dinner yet, there's a casserole in the oven. I know that seems simple, but it means the world to me that he helps make my life easier like that. Appreciating the little things matters, so I'm going to share with you my May long weekend, henceforth known as "My Perfect May Weekend"
FRIDAY On the Friday of the May long weekend, I wasn't having a good day. It wasn't a horrifically BAD day, but it wasn't a good day either. About 1/2 and hour before I closed the Adult Boutique I was working at, I received a message from my boyfriend asking me to text him when I was leaving. I was a little suspicious, but did so anyways as I was locking up and then drove to his place. When I walked through the door, he was standing there waiting for me, gave me a kiss and handed me a glass of red wine. I have a wine that I love. It's a rose from here on Vancouver Island, and my boyfriend, being the sweet guy that he is, went to buy me a bottle of this wine while I was at work. I guess, when he got to the liquor store, that he couldn't find this wine that I love, not anywhere. While wandering around and looking, one of the liquor store people asked if he needed any help. He's bought this wine once or twice for me, and knows where it should be in the store, and it's not there. Turns out, it's not in the store at all...... or in the other branches of the store, which were subsequently called. But he tried right? Sweet, I know. But better, is that after finding that he couldn't find this wine for me, he starts talking with the woman helping him, telling her the qualities I like in my wine. That's right, the man doesn't drink wine, but actually does listen to my random and disjointed musings about what I like in my wines. The helpfully employee then starts suggesting wines to him and he ended up buying the red wine which he met me at the door with when I got home. It.Was.A.Maz.Ing. I still can't get over it. I'm on another bottle of the same wine now and loveto brag to my friends that there's often a glass waiting for me when I get in.
SATURDAY The following day, I had to work from 10-6, which isn't a bad shift on a Saturday. When I got back home after my shift though, I was greeted with another kiss and was told that he was going to take me to the movies that night and I had a choice between the 7:45 showing and the 9:45 (or something like that). Poof, just like that, we were out on an actual, honest-to-goodness date. I may just be easy to please, but I was over the moon. Nothing could wreck my mood, not even going back to his truck and realising that the lights had been left on and the battery was dead. All that meant was some cuddling in the truck while it rained outside, waiting for someone to come give us a jump. It was just a perfect flaw.
SUNDAY
When we got home, I still wasn't feeling great and needed desperately to lie down. He came with me, and soon we'd passed right out. I slept for about an hour before waking up and realising that it was 7:30 and if we didn't get up then we might not be able to sleep that night. Apparently my logic is only applicable to myself though, as he kept sleeping and didn't wake up until 8 the next morning. I, however, can't sleep for 14 hours straight, so I got up and went grocery shopping, intending to make some more casseroles for the freezer. But after I came home and did some prep cooking, I decided that It could wait until the next morning.
MONDAY I love domestic days, and that's how my Monday started shaping up. I got up and started assembling casseroles for and hour and a half. He cleaned and rearranged the living room. Shortly, after we'd both finished and were relaxing on the couch, his buddy, the backyard mechanic showed up and announced that he was free to change the leaking fuel tank out of my truck. I was FINALLY going to be able to walk around my truck without smelling gas! That project took the guys through the early afternoon and as they were finishing up, my boyfriend looks at me and tells me that after this, he thinks we should go fishing. I still can't imagine a more perfect or romantic way to spend my weekend. No, we didn't catch any fish, but that wasn't really the point. The point was spending the time together, and if that's not romantic, I don't know what is. It may have been a redneck weekend, but that's who we are, and that's why, from here on, I'll refer to him here as my Redneck Romeo, (RR).
Thankfully, I have an amazing boyfriend who makes my life allot easier for me when I get in after a day of work. Normally, by time I arrive at his place after work, my dog's been fed and if I haven't made plans for dinner yet, there's a casserole in the oven. I know that seems simple, but it means the world to me that he helps make my life easier like that. Appreciating the little things matters, so I'm going to share with you my May long weekend, henceforth known as "My Perfect May Weekend"
FRIDAY On the Friday of the May long weekend, I wasn't having a good day. It wasn't a horrifically BAD day, but it wasn't a good day either. About 1/2 and hour before I closed the Adult Boutique I was working at, I received a message from my boyfriend asking me to text him when I was leaving. I was a little suspicious, but did so anyways as I was locking up and then drove to his place. When I walked through the door, he was standing there waiting for me, gave me a kiss and handed me a glass of red wine. I have a wine that I love. It's a rose from here on Vancouver Island, and my boyfriend, being the sweet guy that he is, went to buy me a bottle of this wine while I was at work. I guess, when he got to the liquor store, that he couldn't find this wine that I love, not anywhere. While wandering around and looking, one of the liquor store people asked if he needed any help. He's bought this wine once or twice for me, and knows where it should be in the store, and it's not there. Turns out, it's not in the store at all...... or in the other branches of the store, which were subsequently called. But he tried right? Sweet, I know. But better, is that after finding that he couldn't find this wine for me, he starts talking with the woman helping him, telling her the qualities I like in my wine. That's right, the man doesn't drink wine, but actually does listen to my random and disjointed musings about what I like in my wines. The helpfully employee then starts suggesting wines to him and he ended up buying the red wine which he met me at the door with when I got home. It.Was.A.Maz.Ing. I still can't get over it. I'm on another bottle of the same wine now and love
SATURDAY The following day, I had to work from 10-6, which isn't a bad shift on a Saturday. When I got back home after my shift though, I was greeted with another kiss and was told that he was going to take me to the movies that night and I had a choice between the 7:45 showing and the 9:45 (or something like that). Poof, just like that, we were out on an actual, honest-to-goodness date. I may just be easy to please, but I was over the moon. Nothing could wreck my mood, not even going back to his truck and realising that the lights had been left on and the battery was dead. All that meant was some cuddling in the truck while it rained outside, waiting for someone to come give us a jump. It was just a perfect flaw.
SUNDAY
When we got home, I still wasn't feeling great and needed desperately to lie down. He came with me, and soon we'd passed right out. I slept for about an hour before waking up and realising that it was 7:30 and if we didn't get up then we might not be able to sleep that night. Apparently my logic is only applicable to myself though, as he kept sleeping and didn't wake up until 8 the next morning. I, however, can't sleep for 14 hours straight, so I got up and went grocery shopping, intending to make some more casseroles for the freezer. But after I came home and did some prep cooking, I decided that It could wait until the next morning.
MONDAY I love domestic days, and that's how my Monday started shaping up. I got up and started assembling casseroles for and hour and a half. He cleaned and rearranged the living room. Shortly, after we'd both finished and were relaxing on the couch, his buddy, the backyard mechanic showed up and announced that he was free to change the leaking fuel tank out of my truck. I was FINALLY going to be able to walk around my truck without smelling gas! That project took the guys through the early afternoon and as they were finishing up, my boyfriend looks at me and tells me that after this, he thinks we should go fishing. I still can't imagine a more perfect or romantic way to spend my weekend. No, we didn't catch any fish, but that wasn't really the point. The point was spending the time together, and if that's not romantic, I don't know what is. It may have been a redneck weekend, but that's who we are, and that's why, from here on, I'll refer to him here as my Redneck Romeo, (RR).
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Starting a New Week
So I survived my first 3 shifts at the butcher shop, and am still loving my new job. Thankfully though, yesterday was Monday, which I got off of work. BOTH JOBS. I whole freaking day off! But, naturally, I couldn't just veg out and get some much needed rest could I? Oh no. I dragged my poor boyfriend up to my other home, up island where my parents live.
See, since I technically live there, and more importantly, my cat and dog live there, I have chores to tend to in exchange for their board. Fair exchange to be sure. It was a beautiful day and I figured I could work on my tan while getting the lawn mowed. My boyfriend (I'm really going to have to come up with a fake Internet name for him soon) was so wonderful and did the weed-eating for me. I really hate weed-eating. Unfortunately, the lawn mower decided half way through that it didn't want to work for me, so that chore didn't get finished until my younger brother came home and did it for me.
Okay, garden time. I have a large vegetable garden at my parent's place. Well, it WOULD be a vegetable garden is the G-- D--- morning glory would stay the heck out of it! I don't know what I've ever done to so offend the gardening gods that they cursed me with an amazing ability to grow this weed. It's a terrible weed! Any little piece of stem or root that you miss seems able to spring up a completely new plant. I showed the plant to the boyfriend and we started pulling up the weeds. Unfortunately, being blessed with a total lack of any kind of allergies, I never, not even for a moment stopped to consider how all the time weed-eating and with the lawn being mowed and the pollen was affecting the poor guy who suffers from hay fever. Poor thing was miserable. Or maybe it was a brilliant ploy to minimize the amount of weeding he had to do. "Okay babe, you don't have to help me weed. Can you grab that box of pea seeds? yeah, that's the one. Now in any bare batch on these rows, I want you to plant a new seed, okay?" Yeah, I know, I'm a horrible girlfriend. THEN I made him go to Rona with me and pick up new stakes for the beans and peas. Done? hahahahahahahaha! Oh no. We have to put netting on the stakes for the plants to climb on.
When I was finally ready to call it quits on the garden for the day, I decided some relaxing time was in order. We'd worked pretty hard in the sun and it WAS my day off, after all. But no, I don't think for a moment of going inside where my boyfriend might be able to recover from his allergies. Nope, back into he truck and down some logging roads to my favorite swimming hole. That's right, it's only been nice here for 2 weeks, but in my twisted little mind, that somehow means that the river coming down the mountain is calling me in for a swim. Let me tell you, it's been a very long time since I've taken a dive in and come back to surface struggling to breath because it's so cold. But I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted. But for some reason, my boyfriend wouldn't come in with me.
Wuss
Later that night was my oldest nephew's birthday dinner. He turned 4. Kids are so great at that age. Or maybe he's an exceptional 4 year old. Hugs and kisses are common place from this little guy, and then he runs off and plays quietly with his younger sister and cousin, or on his own. He's such a little gem.
It was a perfect day by my standards. Not so much by my boyfriends. After the birthday party I made him drive my standard truck back down to Victoria, which is a task he's still not comfortable with. For the record, he did a great job and didn't stall even once. Now it's Tuesday and I'm trying to get switched on for a shift at the adult boutique and start my new week, but it's so hard to leave behind perfect weekends.
See, since I technically live there, and more importantly, my cat and dog live there, I have chores to tend to in exchange for their board. Fair exchange to be sure. It was a beautiful day and I figured I could work on my tan while getting the lawn mowed. My boyfriend (I'm really going to have to come up with a fake Internet name for him soon) was so wonderful and did the weed-eating for me. I really hate weed-eating. Unfortunately, the lawn mower decided half way through that it didn't want to work for me, so that chore didn't get finished until my younger brother came home and did it for me.
Okay, garden time. I have a large vegetable garden at my parent's place. Well, it WOULD be a vegetable garden is the G-- D--- morning glory would stay the heck out of it! I don't know what I've ever done to so offend the gardening gods that they cursed me with an amazing ability to grow this weed. It's a terrible weed! Any little piece of stem or root that you miss seems able to spring up a completely new plant. I showed the plant to the boyfriend and we started pulling up the weeds. Unfortunately, being blessed with a total lack of any kind of allergies, I never, not even for a moment stopped to consider how all the time weed-eating and with the lawn being mowed and the pollen was affecting the poor guy who suffers from hay fever. Poor thing was miserable. Or maybe it was a brilliant ploy to minimize the amount of weeding he had to do. "Okay babe, you don't have to help me weed. Can you grab that box of pea seeds? yeah, that's the one. Now in any bare batch on these rows, I want you to plant a new seed, okay?" Yeah, I know, I'm a horrible girlfriend. THEN I made him go to Rona with me and pick up new stakes for the beans and peas. Done? hahahahahahahaha! Oh no. We have to put netting on the stakes for the plants to climb on.
When I was finally ready to call it quits on the garden for the day, I decided some relaxing time was in order. We'd worked pretty hard in the sun and it WAS my day off, after all. But no, I don't think for a moment of going inside where my boyfriend might be able to recover from his allergies. Nope, back into he truck and down some logging roads to my favorite swimming hole. That's right, it's only been nice here for 2 weeks, but in my twisted little mind, that somehow means that the river coming down the mountain is calling me in for a swim. Let me tell you, it's been a very long time since I've taken a dive in and come back to surface struggling to breath because it's so cold. But I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted. But for some reason, my boyfriend wouldn't come in with me.
Wuss
Later that night was my oldest nephew's birthday dinner. He turned 4. Kids are so great at that age. Or maybe he's an exceptional 4 year old. Hugs and kisses are common place from this little guy, and then he runs off and plays quietly with his younger sister and cousin, or on his own. He's such a little gem.
It was a perfect day by my standards. Not so much by my boyfriends. After the birthday party I made him drive my standard truck back down to Victoria, which is a task he's still not comfortable with. For the record, he did a great job and didn't stall even once. Now it's Tuesday and I'm trying to get switched on for a shift at the adult boutique and start my new week, but it's so hard to leave behind perfect weekends.
Saturday 4 June 2011
Ely Starts a New Job
I moved back to Vancouver Island in June 2010 and have spent the last year working again at my old job in an adult boutique. It's a great job. My boss is amazing. The customers are generally great. The discount is...... well really, don't you wish you got a discount at an adult boutique? But before I moved back to the Island, I had a job that I had utterly fallen in love with, in a butcher shop. Ever since I returned home, I've been hoping to find another job in a meat department, or preferably, a butcher shop. You know what the best part of working at the adult store is? That my boss truly wants me to be happy. She was the one who told me that her favorite butcher shop was hiring. Of course, ever since she's been kicking herself because she's lost her full-time employee.
Yesterday was my first day at my new job. I don't think I've worked so hard since the last time I worked in a butcher shop, more than a year ago. It's fast-paced. There were 8 (I think) counter attendants rushing around, filling orders, staff from the back refilling the case, customers seemed to pour in the door from the time I got there until close at 5:30.
I'm definitely not regretting skipping my run yesterday. I think I'll probably be putting my run on hold for a couple of weeks.
I don't think I've been so fulfilled at work for The last time I remember being so happy with a days work...... well, I can't clearly remember it. I'm one of the creatures who loves to put in an honest days work. I love to go home, spent, eat dinner, veg a little bit, shower and sleep.
I had forgotten how much running around happens at a butcher shop though; 8 hours of hustle sure does a number on a girl's blood sugar! I took a sandwich, and apple, and an orange to work, and by time I got back to the boyfriend's house for dinner, I felt ready to vomit from hunger. The funny thing is, I hadn't even noticed the preliminary signs I was hungry. I was too happy and too busy. Simple enough fix, I just take more food.
I'm so excited to do it again today!
Yesterday was my first day at my new job. I don't think I've worked so hard since the last time I worked in a butcher shop, more than a year ago. It's fast-paced. There were 8 (I think) counter attendants rushing around, filling orders, staff from the back refilling the case, customers seemed to pour in the door from the time I got there until close at 5:30.
I'm definitely not regretting skipping my run yesterday. I think I'll probably be putting my run on hold for a couple of weeks.
I had forgotten how much running around happens at a butcher shop though; 8 hours of hustle sure does a number on a girl's blood sugar! I took a sandwich, and apple, and an orange to work, and by time I got back to the boyfriend's house for dinner, I felt ready to vomit from hunger. The funny thing is, I hadn't even noticed the preliminary signs I was hungry. I was too happy and too busy. Simple enough fix, I just take more food.
I'm so excited to do it again today!
Wednesday 1 June 2011
First Run
So my friend Ty and I went for a run today. Day one of training again. This time last year I started running, and started at 30 seconds jogging, 2 minutes walking. I did eventually work up to a point where I could run 5k without stopping. Today we started with 2 minutes jogging and 2 minutes walking.... well, that is, I did the jogging. Although I'm not short by any stretch of the imagination, I am woefully short-legged, so when I jog, Ty just speed walks. In any case, 2 minutes jogging x 2 minutes walking x 8 repetitions (2x2x8). And it SUCKED. Having previously discovered that running, despite everything, isn't always awful, losing the ability to run for any amount of time and nearly enjoy it is devastating. It's been a major boot to my butt though; a reminder of what I can lose and how quickly, if it only took a month off for me to fall this far.
On to happier things though! I'm baking bread. Mmmm bread. I have a really hard time forking out money for things I can make on my own and since I love to cook, that means I make allot of my food from scratch. Yes, that does mean spending a bit more time in the kitchen, but If I set aside 2 or 3 hours on a day off to get the grocery shopping done and make some casseroles and such, it makes me week go so. much. smoother. In the freezer I have such treasures as Shepherd's Pie and Lasagna, not to mention a couple random casseroles. I often work until 10 at night and don't ever feel like cooking when I get home, but if there's a casserole my boyfriend can just pop in the oven at 9, I come home to a hot, home-cooked meal.
Anyways, back to my bread. While I was running, I started editing my bread recipe. I was considering making my new bread a savory white bread. That didn't happen. At least, not the white part. My boyfriend and I both prefer wholewheat breads with nuts and seeds in them, and since I'm trying to concoct foods that are healthier for us, I couldn't in good consciousness make a white bread. But I did follow through on the savory part of the plan. Rather than using oil, as is called for in the recipe, I used the same amount of bacon fat, and slowly cooked off about a head of garlic in it until the garlic was soft. After that I've treated the dough the same as I always would and it is currently baking, after a successful second rise.
I've also got chocolate chip cookie dough sitting in the fridge, waiting for their turn to cook. My boyfriend requested chocolate chip cookies, and I, feeling accommodating, have set out to provide him with some. Of course, i won't give him exactly what he asked for. Oh no. I'm going to make it healthy. Using half as much white flour, I replaced the remainder with whole wheat flour. I used 1 cup instead of 2 cups of chocolate chips, and I cut the salt in half too. Oh, and did I mention, they're chocolate chip oatmeal cookies? Oh, and bonus, between the wholewheat flour and the oatmeal, the cookies will be more filling! I'm a genius!
Too bad I haven't figured out a genius way to get the laundry magically done.
Yet.
On to happier things though! I'm baking bread. Mmmm bread. I have a really hard time forking out money for things I can make on my own and since I love to cook, that means I make allot of my food from scratch. Yes, that does mean spending a bit more time in the kitchen, but If I set aside 2 or 3 hours on a day off to get the grocery shopping done and make some casseroles and such, it makes me week go so. much. smoother. In the freezer I have such treasures as Shepherd's Pie and Lasagna, not to mention a couple random casseroles. I often work until 10 at night and don't ever feel like cooking when I get home, but if there's a casserole my boyfriend can just pop in the oven at 9, I come home to a hot, home-cooked meal.
Anyways, back to my bread. While I was running, I started editing my bread recipe. I was considering making my new bread a savory white bread. That didn't happen. At least, not the white part. My boyfriend and I both prefer wholewheat breads with nuts and seeds in them, and since I'm trying to concoct foods that are healthier for us, I couldn't in good consciousness make a white bread. But I did follow through on the savory part of the plan. Rather than using oil, as is called for in the recipe, I used the same amount of bacon fat, and slowly cooked off about a head of garlic in it until the garlic was soft. After that I've treated the dough the same as I always would and it is currently baking, after a successful second rise.
I've also got chocolate chip cookie dough sitting in the fridge, waiting for their turn to cook. My boyfriend requested chocolate chip cookies, and I, feeling accommodating, have set out to provide him with some. Of course, i won't give him exactly what he asked for. Oh no. I'm going to make it healthy. Using half as much white flour, I replaced the remainder with whole wheat flour. I used 1 cup instead of 2 cups of chocolate chips, and I cut the salt in half too. Oh, and did I mention, they're chocolate chip oatmeal cookies? Oh, and bonus, between the wholewheat flour and the oatmeal, the cookies will be more filling! I'm a genius!
Too bad I haven't figured out a genius way to get the laundry magically done.
Yet.
Introduction
Welcome to Life as a Curvy Girl. I'm Ely, 26 years old and...... well as polite society tells me, I'm a 'curvy' girl. I can deal with that. I love to cook and I love to eat. I also enjoy..... don't utterly hate.... occasionally will convince myself to do some running. Actually, in the past year I have run both an 8k and 10k road race. Today I start training for my next race, an 8k in Oct. Last year at the same race I beat my goal of 1hour and 20 minutes. My official time was something like 1 hour and 13 minutes. This year I've set a goal of 1 hour flat..... oh sh*t..... It's going to be a tough 4 months of training, but with my sports background, I've definitely benefited from some grind-it-out-type training.
Life as a curvy girl has allot of adventures and crazy experiences, and this is where I plan to share them. I have no idea what this blog is going to evolve as, so be forewarned!
Life as a curvy girl has allot of adventures and crazy experiences, and this is where I plan to share them. I have no idea what this blog is going to evolve as, so be forewarned!
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