dining out

It's that time of year again. Gastronomic heaven. The city's top restaurants come together for special $15, $25, and new this year, $35 3-course meals. I have stuffed myself silly. This event started 2 years ago. The first year, I went to Blue Water Cafe and Zin, which has gone downhill since but I loved it at the time. Last year, I went to the Observatory up on Grouse Mountain and C. Both were fantastic.

This year, I finally got into Gotham's (after 2 years of trying), and Lumiere. Both were sold out so you know the food has got to be good! Both did not disappoint. In fact, I was just drooling over my food last night at Lumiere. Will post the menu shortly but I have to say it was fabulous and I hope to go back again! I've managed to outdo myself and have also gone to Bis Moreno (with P.) and Casablanca Lounge at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia with J. Do I ever need to work out to work off all the calories...

staying alive

I'm trying very hard to. Seems like everyone is sick around here...myself am faring no better. We have had a deluge of water - flooding everywhere with lots and lots of rain and rainfall warnings. Sat in traffic backed up last night...bus took forever. At first I thought it was the intersection lights, then I realized that no one was going anywhere at all. We have a bit of flooding going on at our place too. Too much rain, all the snow melting away but freezing the ground so nothing gets absorbed; instead, it all goes out onto the roads where we are battling potholes left over from the snow.

Am meeting P. tonight. In fact, he's coming to pick me up for a quick bite even though I should really be going home. But he's leaving to go up north tomorrow and I won't see him for a while if I don't see him tonight. I still wonder sometimes how easy and comforting it is to be with him...if only he hadn't given me his cold. :P

Back to normal

In terms of weather, that is. It snowed again last night but then today it's been raining a little. I suppose the winter wonderland will be washing away. It's already lasted a lot longer than I thought it would after a whole week of bright sunshine and cold, cold air.

Work has been driving me bonkers as usual with the editing of the text. I don't think I could ever be an editor but alas, this must be done and hopefully for the last time (i.e. I won't be here next year to do the annual update...)

P. picked me up downtown after work on Friday. Traffic was bad so I had to wait a bit for him so I went shopping at Old Navy where they had a massive sale going on - and I bought four packages of underwear. How exciting. That's pretty much all I will buy from Old Navy. We went to dinner in Yaletown at the Urban Thai Bistro where I ordered my two favourite dishes - seafood fried rice served in a half pineapple, and a red curry paste and coconut sauce drenched duck dish served in a coconut. Yum. Then we went off to Aria for the chocolate fondue dessert.

Yesterday, I stayed home pretty much and P. came over in the evening to watch Mambo Italiano. He wasn't feeling too well - I thought he even had a fever, and left shortly after. I'm hoping to see him again today in a short while. Meanwhile, my parents are out at a wedding, and I'm hanging around the house trying to stay warm and clean up.

winter wonderland

It's been quite nice...sunny sometimes and cold out so the snow has stuck around. Spotted an eagle this morning sitting on a pile-on.

Took my aunt out for dim sum lunch where she gave me an ultra cool Sisley black sequined top.

It snowed this afternoon, on the commute home. Train was packed with people even standing! I don't know if people were just trying to leave work early; I suspect that is the case. I ran from car to car and managed to get a seat. Just made it. Unfortunately, my shuttle did not. I caught a different bus and then phoned home for a ride. By this time, the snow was really coming down and my dad wasn't even sure he could drive the car out as they had not shovelled the roads. It was a slow-go uphill but we made it. Still snowing at the moment. Tomorrow's commute is gonna be one heck of a winter nightmare...

real snow day

It snowed last night. Woke up to swirling snow and covered driveways. My dad warned me to hurry up and leave early since the bus was late 10 minutes, meaning roads were treacherous. Another painful day at work with legislation coming out the wazoo. So sick of it. I had plans to have dinner with my girlfriends and we were about to cancel because of all the snow but then in the afternoon, it stopped so we went ahead.

We went to Aria where I had my usual - fritto misto. Good chat with K, A, and J. Then it was a bus ride home and I'm off to bed as I'm feeling pretty wiped. Thank goodness it's Friday tomorrow. It's supposed to snow some more tomorrow too.

real snow day

It snowed last night. Woke up to swirling snow and covered driveways. My dad warned me to hurry up and leave early since the bus was late 10 minutes, meaning roads were treacherous. Another painful day at work with legislation coming out the wazoo. So sick of it. I had plans to have dinner with my girlfriends and we were about to cancel because of all the snow but then in the afternoon, it stopped so we went ahead.

We went to Aria where I had my usual - fritto misto. Good chat with K, A, and J. Then it was a bus ride home and I'm off to bed as I'm feeling pretty wiped. Thank goodness it's Friday tomorrow.

New Year's Blast

Working new year's was a bit nutty or insane one may say. P. came and picked me up after work at 3pm and we ended up sleeping in the car so I would be rested for work. We were heading to Bojangles Cafe to pick up a sandwich for dinner when I saw Clove. I remembered reading that it had excellent food so we went in there instead. And they had tapas for half price too so we ordered and ate and then I went to work.

I always wonder why the hell I bother working on new year's while I'm there. I had to fill 10 loads of ice into ice chests and then cart them back to the ship. And slice a million limes. We were to sail at 9:30pm but we hadn't even finished boarding people (all 482) til nearly 10. We did sail and return by 1:30am...but cleanup took til 3:30. Absolutely nuts. But we were using plastic cups so at least I didn't have to wash all the glassware like I did last year on the sassy cruise. (The wild cruise is cheaper so they use plastic...and people had to buy their own champagne too!)

Night wasn't clear of incidents - 3 broken bottles and lots of liquor spilled on the dance floor. I could barely keep up. 2 barfing incidents. 5 stolen purses, and one person trying to steal our tip jar. We had to call the cops to meet us at the dock. There was one girl who was so hysterical that they had to cuff her. And then they figured out that her sister had 'forgotten' that they had checked their purses into coatcheck. I'm not sure how one would forget but anyway.

P. came to get me and we left around 3:30 while the crew started their own party. What a night.