glorious sunshine

I can't believe how the week has just flown by. We've had almost 2 weeks of pure sunshine and broken records 37 years old. Last week, P. was up north so I spent my weekend at home relaxing...wound down. Of course the instant I'm back at work, my stress level goes up what with my workload. Craziness. Tuesday evening, I met P. on Granville St. and he drove me home to have dinner at Anducci's. I had won a $50 gift certificate last year and it was about to expire. We were just going to have dinner and pack stuff home but figured to invite my parents along since we were already out there. Good thing we did. The entrees were huge! I ended up making 2 additional meals out of mine! (I had the veal - "three [they gave me four actually] pieces of breaded veal seared til golden brown, served with fettucine in a mushroom arrabiata sauce").

Friday
Last week being my early week, P. picked me up (late as usual?) and we headed off to Yaletown where I stopped by Pat Metheny Group. P.'s idea as he is a fan. We met up with 3 of his friends whom he had bought tickets for as a Christmas present. The concert turned out to be 3 hours long with no intermission...and it was way too loud for my taste. Music itself was not my type - jazz but more a modern type. The second half was better, more traditional. The first half was a 90 minute piece - basically his latest CD. Afterwards, we grabbed a bite at Red Robin's on Robson. Didn't get home til around 1am.

Saturday
I headed out early to Metrotown and P. picked me up there. We bought some Chinese bakery for his parents and then headed over for a quick stop off. His parents were nice and chatty, firing a few friendly questions at me but it was difficult to answer as they kept talking to me without giving me a chance to answer. I did get some info out of them. They just kept emphasizing that P. needed to drive me safely and to treat me well. His father asked if he treated me well and I said, ok so far. [What does one answer to that? If not, I wouldn't be seeing him!] We could have easily sat for all afternoon but headed off so we could pickup tickets to see the world premiere of Morris Panych's Dishwashers. Tickets bought, we drove downtown so I could stop for an audition; they were seeking a voice/narrator for a documentary and I figured, why not? It was unpaid (a point one of the auditioners pointed out immediately). I said I knew. I was casual about the whole thing - not even a resume in hand, since I doubted very much that I would even get the position. Then off we went to Granville Island where it was madness and chaos. Could not find parking and drove out and found a pay parking lot, trekked our way back in with a few minutes to spare for a stop at the Public Market where we grabbed some food as none of us had eaten lunch yet. Watched the show (a bit disappointing but the actors were great.) Then we drove off to 4th to satisfy my shoe craving - Gravity Pope had some new Camper shoes and the pair I had been eyeing was on sale...unfortunately, my size was gone. Dinner was across from where we parked - at Il Ducato Ristorante, a cozy Italian place. Good food, and relatively cheap. We shared a half dozen oysters (no special sauce but they were large and pretty good.) Then we finally went back home where we finished off the movie The Dinner Game, a French comedy.

Today
Another beauty of a day so P. came over (late as per usual) and we headed out to Chinatown so he could get his phone charger, then off to Go Fish at the fish docks at Granville Island. This time, we were smart and didn't bother to go to find parking. Rather, we parked further away and just walked in. Then caught the Granville Island Ferries to Vanier Park. Once there, we headed to the Mcmillan Space Centre to do a simulator ride. As it was sunny out, we were the only people. The ride was disappointing but such is life. P. felt as if he was on vacation and was not used to walking everywhere! I said that it was great because I didn't have to suffer his driving and we were getting exercise at the same time. Then we headed back over to Granville Island and stopped by Sammy J Peppers for a quick bite - appys were half price between 3-5pm so that turned into our dinner. P. drove me home where we watched a bit of the movie the Himalayas. We'll finish it off another day. The week's forecast is for rain but today was a memorable day and a nice preview blast of spring!

surprise support

I've been given the option of flying out to Newfoundland for a conference in May. However, the budget for such things is really low, considering it's been the same amount for the past 4 years, with no consideration for inflation. Well, new boss actually spoke with the COO who refused to budge on the budget, at least for this year, he told her. So she spoke with the CKO who is the big gun and he okayed her new budget - she worked out a draft one for me and he said ok, but that it was not to be a precedent for the future. So that's awesome...I won't have to starve on this trip!

romancing the weekend

It's Valentine's weekend...and Friday night, P. came over so we could watch Seducing Dr. Lewis, a 'foreign' film made in Quebec. A good lighthearted comedy. Saturday, I transited myself out and we went to dinner at Star Anise (they still had the Dining Out deal) and rushed off to see Ballet BC's Nine Sinatra Songs. This was the show I'd been looking forward to seeing for months! Choreographed by Twyla Tharp, the show turned out to be what I was hoping for...I only wished it was longer. A. and L. were there as well and they met us in the lobby. I had not seen L. in over a year and she commented on my hair ("I like your hair!") since she'd never seen it short. Ran into my tap teacher as well.

Today, P. came to pick me up bright and early, around 9:30 and we headed off on a gorgeous day to downtown so he could attend a financial forum. I was bored and read the papers and part of a book I am doing a review for and then we headed over to the Lookout Tower for a quick view of the city since it was a spectacular day to do so. Off we went next to O'Douls for a fantastic brunch (I had the hot westcoast seafood salad which he drooled over, while he ordered a black forest ham omlette.) Off we went next to Chinatown to the Sun-Yat-Sen Gardens where we waited for about an hour for a palm reading (which we had to pay for nonetheless!) $5 for a 7 minute reading although we managed to squeeze out about 20-23 minutes from her (Lotus Blossom) for the two of us. Some disturbing things were said as well as some good news I suppose. She asked if we were a couple and when we said yes, she started referring to him as my husband. We didn't correct her until halfway through my reading.

He took me home, stopping by Burnaby Mountain for a spectacular view of the inlet and where he gave me my Valentine's present since I'm not going to be seeing him tomorrow. It turned out to be a matching ESQ watch - he had the larger one. I have to say that it looks huge on my hand, and I'm a bit shocked as I didn't know how pricey these things were...and I only had gotten him some chocolates from Sen5es...

Spectacular day but I'm absolutely wiped so I'll be heading off to bed where I will continue to dream about the fantastic dancing that went on at Ballet BC; I had woken up this morning dreaming about that!

weirdness of the day

It's Chinese New Year AND Ash Wednesday today. A sunny cold crisp day in which I missed my bus to work. Apparently the archibishop pardoned parishoners from attending mass today because of the new year celebrations but I was feeling a bit out of sorts and in need of the comfort of ritual so I went with my co-worker...and then had a coughing fit during one part of mass. First mass since my godfather's funeral mass last spring. There was a cute priest there too(!). Just saying...!! Went back to the office where a few people commented on my black forehead and I thanked them for pointing it out before saying it was ash wednesday.

frustration

I am just starting to lose it at work I think. It's partly due to the fact that I haven't slept too well or enough since I've been sick, and now I have the added stress of trying to figure out whether I'm going to the conference in May or not. It's out in St. John's Newfoundland, a beautiful place I would love to visit but I have no idea whether I'll still be at the firm in May. (Somehow, at this rate, I think I will be...) But all the hotel rooms have been booked and I have to do my own digging to find some place to stay (and I'm not keen on the place that's only 5 minutes away, but all uphill!). I've seen a posting for a position in Toronto, and the deadline is in two Mondays so I have to figure that all out as well.

I ran into my old boss downstairs in the lobby on Thursday as I was heading out for lunch. She was waiting to meet a lawyer for lunch and asked how I was doing. I told her that I'd been sick. She knew that as I had missed the last association lunch. I knew she was trying to dig out info. about the work situation - I hadn't seen her since Christmas and she had suggested lunch back then. Plans are for a lunch this month before she goes away in March. I suppose it's an unavoidable thing to do. My current boss asked if everything was going ok on Friday and I said yes. It'sone of those things - I don't know if it's showing my face that I am really unhappy at work...

Other than that, I suppose I'm surviving.

dined out

I gotta say, I'm starting to feel it. In fact, I can't believe I've eaten out like this for so many meals. Last night, P. met me after work and we headed over to Il Giardino for an Italian dinner in an old converted house. Beautiful setting. Great food. I think I'm starting to get desensitized to what good food is because I've been eating so/too much of it! I am even thinking of cancelling the last meal we have on Friday since I have yet another dinner tomorrow night with my aunt at the restaurant at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Georgia - As Time Goes By. The last meal I booked with P. is for Coast a supposedly hip new restaurant in Yaletown. I tell ya, I'm going to be quite the hips from all this eating. I suppose I may just order off the main menu and forgo the appy - though the appy looked awesome - Smoked Candied Salmon & Crab Cake - and skip dessert also. Decisions, decisions. I already told P. we're going to do something simple for Saturday night - i.e. sushi. No more fancy dinners at least for another week, til we go out for dinner before the ballet!

I also spotted my eagle this morning while on the train. I hadn't seen one in a while and was looking out while seated backwards and saw her swoop down from where we were and do a clockwise circle - white tail fluttering - and she flew back to the trees along the railroad tracks. I don't know if the train spooked her but another girl also saw and commented on the eagle. I don't know what is coming except that I saw a posting for a job in Toronto yesterday and told P. about it. He was supportive although I know he doesn't really want me to go. I figure I'll just apply anyway and see what happens.