Menu Plan Monday and random thoughts

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Soup (Veggie Soup from the Freezer) w. Beer Bread
Tuesday: Chicken Toquitoes with Mexi Rice
Wednesday: Beef with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Veg/Potato Bake
Thursday: Chicken Ceasar Salad
Friday: Potstickers and Salad
Saturday: Fridge Forage
Sunday: Fridge Forage

Today, after 2 months, I was finally able to ride my bike again. And oh man, am I so stoked about that. Even though it meant leaving the house 15 minutes earlier (when I was already working half an hour earlier than normal) I loved it! It was a perfectly warm, crisp day. The sun was glorious and I felt so happy to be alive.

Plus I’d been so good about getting my regular exercise. I was losing weight and had gone down two dress sizes. I have been pretty concerned that I would gain that back if I wasn’t bike riding, so after a two month health hiatus, I’m very glad to be back at it! Especially before we head to Nashville – 3 months of American Food (yum) and no cycling. T’will be a dangerous time!

To help explain the beauty of the ride this morning I took two pictures along the way – if you don’t believe my city is gorgeous, this will help.

You can see mountains! From like every street!

As you can see it is gorgeous.

[EXPENSIVE. All caps expensive. Seriously]

But gorgeous.

This city is truly the strangest place I’ve ever lived – it has this huge dichotomy in it’s inhabitants – most people I speak to love the views, the beauty, the experiences and opportunities that exist here…but simultaneously hate the cost of EVERYTHING and the terribly sky rocketing cost of housing. It becomes a fairly tricky place to stay. You can read more about that here – and you should, it’s funny/sad. Especially this series she’s started, Absurd Vancouver Property of the Week.

Also, remember that Laundry from last night?

Yup, didn’t get done.
LeAnna, I sure wish you weren’t oceans away. I could use your help!

My friend Kim wrote a blog post today that I TOTALLY relate with. LeAnna, I’m sure you remember my book throwing days in high school. I’ve mellowed a bit but the temptation is always there if the characters are too ridiculous or the plotline is too stressful. It’s the same reason I turn off sitcoms at the ridiculous climax (much to everyone else’s frustration as they usually want to watch the awkwardness unfold). Anyways, Kim explains it perfectly.

Many moons ago (no idea how many moons, or how much a moon represents, but I think it was like 7 years ago) when I lived in my Nanaimo apartment we owned a wonderful cheese grater. It looked like this, only real.

As you can see I’m not the best draw-er out there. Yikes.

It was perfect for grating cheese onto pasta, adding cheese easily to a pan – it was a wonderful tool. Some where along the way it broke. It was a sad day. It has been years since it broke and I have been looking for a similar grater ever since. My former roommate Crystal has also been looking, since she also fell in love with this particular grater. Between the two of us we’d come up blank.

Until this weekend at Granville Island. I found a similar but not identical grater. It works beautifully though. I bought us each one and we can now live happily ever after with our grater’s.

In light of it being Easter I work a dress to work. I’m not sure why I got more dressed up than normal on the day that almost no one would be here, but hey, I’m crazy like that.

I can’t quite decide which pose looks best. My arm looks really weird in the first one.

 

And finally, my photos from April Photo-a-day

Tiny:

(One large chicken pot pie. One mini chicken pot pie)

Lunch:

(at Granville Island)

Inside your wallet:

Younger You:

My sister and I.

Much younger.

Jenna and I about to perfect.

Get ready for it.

My mom, Jenna and I.

So stylish.

Jenna and I at a dance performance.

A much younger looking Paul and I from 3 years ago.

Man was that hair colour of mine terrible.

That is awkward.