Of the Most Necessary of Vacations

So I was lucky enough to attach myself to a group of friends going to Florida this past week, and let me tell you, that vacation could NOT have come at a better time.

The week prior was filled with the most stress I have ever had to deal with, what with assignments and midterms and unexpected interviews and work. I was also a little on edge about going off on vacation with a large group of people I didn't actually know ... and I was unsure of the sleeping situation ... and the food situation ... Let's just say, I was worrying about a whole lot of stuff.

The trip started off with a lovely 3am wakeup alarm. I am NEVER booking flights that leave at 6:45am. EVER. Because guess what, even with getting to the airport at 4:30am, I spent 2.5 hours standing in a HUGE line to get my boarding pass (this company didn't allow for printing them at home) ...

... and then in another HUGE line for security ...

... and then ANOTHER HUGE line for customs ... (and being me, of course I was in the slowest lines, all the time) ...

Well, by that point, it was the final boarding call (7am now), and of course, my gate was the one furthest away, so I had to call on all that training that I've done and do the most epic sprint throughout the airport (all with a big purse and a suitcase).

Thank god I wore sneakers.

And yes, I made it. As did the 5 senior residents decked out in flowery gear that came in about 10 minutes behind me. Stupid lines.

But finally, YAY, we arrived!

Our resort. It was HUGE. And had palms. Life=made. I'm very easily satisfied.

It was hot and balmy and I immediately changed into shorts and a tank and never looked back. I think I spent the entire week in those shorts and I could NOT be happier. This whole wear-five-layers-and-freeze-your-face-off thing that Montreal has going on has gotten a bit tiring.

As soon as we settled, we realized that we were starving. So the whole gang headed over to a pizza place. I, being so on top of things, decided to get a salad. It was deliciously beautiful.

Everybody else had pizza and breadsticks. Not gonna lie - I felt like a super-fit badass. No pizza or bread pour moi - fresh green veggies all the way!

Basically, our trip went thus - 1 day at Universal Studios ... and the rest of the time? Well, I was either reading, or chilling by the pool. Or sitting in the hot tub. Which you would think is weird, being that it was warm outside, but these hot tubs weren't hot in a Canadian sense of the word, so it was like sitting in a warm bubbling tub. With your friends. Sipping on whatever you had mixed up. So noone was complaining :)

Ah, such fun times. I miss the sun sooooooo much. Which is understandable, since it's been blizzarding here in Montreal for the past 2 days. I'm currently thinking of the best strategy to keep my (very light but hard-earned) tan for as long as possible. No showering until June, perhaps? Hmm ... I'll think about it.

Honestly, I enjoyed the sitting around in the sun and reading much more than anything else. Because I'm lazy. And I like to read. I went through a 700 page book in 2 days because much like everything else in life, I don't do the whole prolonged-pleasure thing. I swallow those books like there ain't no tomorrow. No self-control, this one.

Anyways, most people would say the highlight of our trip was our day at Universal Studios.

Except that it was actually quite chilly that day. I wore shorts and a hoodie, and by the evening, I was FREEZING my tail off. As in, everyone else went to do some more rides, and I waited for them and warmed up in a Starbucks.

Now of course the main reason to go to Universal Studios is ... Harry Potter World. Disclaimer: I'm not a Potterhead. Harry Potter themed stuff doesn't make me pee my pants/scream/faint with joy. But even I could appreciate how nicely everything was set up.

(It was a little weird to look at the 'snow' covered roofs ... while wearing shorts in the summery weather).

Of course we went into ALL the stores. Honeydukes in particular was very well done.

That my friends is a chocolate frog. Except in reality, it was more like a GIGANTIC chocolate toad. Because my friend bought one, and man, that is one hunk o' chocolate. I got something else instead that I'll be gifting to one of my friends ;)

And in spirit of Harry Potter-ness (and also because I didn't want to lug around 5 tupperware containers with my pre-made snacks all around the theme park), we had lunch at The Three Broomsticks.

 
The thing about Universal Studios is ... LINEUPS. That was pretty much the theme of the trip. (Well, besides lazing-around-doing-nothing). Lineups at the airport, lineups at the park, lineups EVERYWHERE.

We stood in this fricking line for 1.5 HOURS. And it WASN'T EVEN A RIDE. I was steaming mad by the end. It was some sort of water/light show about Poseidon. But dammit, I stood in line for those 1.5 HOURS so I could sit in a fricking ride for at least 90 seconds! And instead, I had to stand in some room, crammed against all sorts of other people (I'm pretty sure I almost stole somebody else's child and groped some random ladies' boob) and watch some out-of-work actor do his shit.

You can tell that I get ... disgruntled ... when I'm tired.

Which was the theme of the day for me. If this is what it feels like to run a marathon (and yea, we walked around for 6-7 hours), I'm not sure if I want to do it. I felt like a limp noodle by the end of the day. 

Dude, these vacations are TI-RING. Back to procrastinating in my bed in Montreal!

Of Delightful Home Decorating

So a couple of weeks ago, I wrote of a wonderful evening I spent at my friend Jill's house. She has just moved in to this apartment and wasn't fully unpacked, but already, little touches in the decor shone through giving the place a delightful French feel.

An antique vase in cream with pale hydrangeas in a pastel lilac - adding a soft and nostalgic feel.

Vintage dresser - the bowed legs and the detail on the drawer handle bring you back to more refined times.

Carved wooden chair with flowered seat. Normally, one thinks of florals as being dated, but here, it gives a whimsical feel to an otherwise very solid piece of furniture.

Heavy gilded mirror - the fine details in the frame add a classical touch to the room.

And it's not just the furniture - accessories add just as much to the overall feel of a space. A blue-glass jar filled with pennies is a simple and yet elegant way to decorate a bar windowsill with a bit of grace.

And adding a simple bouquet of greens livens up the place; a string of white lights twinkles invitingly and creates a fairy-like atmosphere.

An old-style canister of tea adds colour to the kitchen ... and while not in the same classical style as the vases or the furniture, it nonetheless contributes to a wonderful old-time atmosphere.

These are just some of my favorite little touches from Jill's place ... here are the rest!

Of Home Cooked Meals and Heart Warming Nights

How do I usually spend my Saturdays? In a cafe, studying. I think it's become such a routine at this point that none of my friends even need to ask me about it. And this past Saturday, I was all ready to camp out at my cafe table until late evening ... when my friend Jill swooped in and saved me from the misery of summarizing readings.

I have to say, I'm very easily convinced to give up studying and do something fun. So after (very little) persuading, we set off to have dinner at her house.

Jill's mother was nice enough to cook a delicious (and healthy!) meal for us while we "studied" (a.k.a. did some readings and then blogged). It was absolutely amazing to have a home-cooked meal (adds a little variety to my everyday diet, that's for sure) and it was also great to relax and chat and not think about all the work I have to get done.

Crazy delicious spread of Hot Broth Shrimp, Avocado Salad, White Bean Paste and Carrot Salad with Honey Lime dressing. There were also some fresh tomatoes on the side that I forgot to photograph. Seemingly simple, and yet, so filling and heart-warming.

 

Of course there were other things to warm up the heart.

Some white table wine. We're not snobby about wine here. I mean, we certainly will not buy a 6$ bottle of wine, but 9$? Totally legit.

Overall, a fantastic evening of good food and conversation (it's just lovely when you have all the same opinions on issues :). Thank you Jill and Diane!

Of Work Outs Working Out

My Friday was cray-cray nonstop. The day before, it was all sunny and mild, so I busted out an unplanned run in the park (and believe me, jumping over snowbanks and frozen puddles is a real workout!) and I ended up coming home late at night, because our rehearsal was (surprise!) 3 hours long instead of 2. So I when I dragged my exhausted ass home, I just collapsed in bed, scared shitless of my super busy Friday.

First up, gym with my lovely friend Vanessa. My desire to chat and socialize only slightly won over my desire to not do anything athletic.

But we ended up chatting and gossiping on the ellipticals, which made the time pass by really quickly. I can't say it was a workout, because I wasn't sweating like a beast (like I usually am after a hard workout), but I definitely had fun. Plus we were those girls - you know the ones who aren't really working super hard, and who are all 'OMG, Greg did WHAT? And how was it?!'. But it was a good start to a Friday.

Following our gym date, I had to do a model-backstage-worthy shower/change of clothes deal before running off to my 3-hour seminar (and that WAS a workout ... putting skinny jeans onto wet legs should be an Olympic sport). The seminar was dull, as expected, which was only exacerbated by my lack of caffeination. Don't worry though - I fixed that problem as soon as was humanly possible. Can't keep me and caffeine apart for longer than a day - we were just meant to be!

That would be my reaction too, Allie. Me too.

Post seminar, I had a lab meeting, but also somehow managed to squeeze in a skype date in between; all I know is that I was VERY hungry by that point, and so my labmates had to deal with me eating my tuna-and-egg-and-onion salad (a very pleasant combination for me, but usually not so much for the people around me) in the middle of describing my research.

And then it was time for another class (ah, darkened lecture rooms, how you make my eyes heavy and prone to closing ... leading to unexpected naps during class). You would think that would be a good end to a busy day, but no! Lo and behold, I had to run home to grab dinner before my friend Jill and I traipsed over to my hot yoga studio for an evening Karma class.

The Karma class is by donation (aka 5$), so it is always uber busy. For our 1.5 hour class, they filled the room to capacity - i.e. 100 PEOPLE! That means basically that it's mat-to-mat, and you get really acquainted with your neighbour's breathing and sweating patterns.

So yes, less than ideal - but it was seriously the best practice I have had ... EVER! The instructor was great and the poses seemed to flow and throughout the whole thing, I just felt really in tune with myself and with the poses. There were some poses where I recognized for the first time just how the parts of me were supposed to fit together and how I was supposed to feel. In any case, it was magical. And I was happy to share it with a friend.

Of course then I came home and collapsed in a pile of exhausted wet-noodle-like limbs. Going out on Friday? Pfsssshh. As if. All the cool kids around in bed and asleep by 10pm.

Of Hair-dventures

So I was feeling a little under the weather and what better way to get over the winter blues than to treat yourself to something special? Now usually, I'd get an expensive latte and read for a bit in one of those squishy armchairs in a warm and cozy cafe, but I was also a little pressed for time and didn't really feel like coffee.

So next best thing - buy myself a little indulgent pampering!

For Christmas, I gave my mom a few MoroccanOil products, because everyone that had used them raved like MAD about how great they were. So I thought, well, why not treat myself as well!

This MoroccanOil shampoo contains Argon oil and is supposed to make your hair healthy and smooth. And can I just say, man, did it ever deliver! I usually wash my hair at night, and when I woke up the next morning, my hair felt luxuriously thick and smooth as silk!

Now as is typical of all who were born with straight hair, I have spent the last decade trying to make it curly, or even a little bit wavy, by any means necessary. Curling irons do NOT work for me ... 30 minutes later, all semblance of curl-age is gone. What I resort to now is braiding my slightly damp hair after I wash it and before I go to bed, wearing a messy I-just-got-out-of-bed braid the next day and then undoing the braid for perfectly shaped curls the day after.

In the spirit of trying new things, I not only washed my hair with MoroccanOil shampoo, but I also deviated from my braiding to try a sock bun. After watching a How-To Tutorial, I attempted it myself. Now, my hair is quite thick naturally, so it was a bit of a struggle, but nothing too difficult after years and years of torturing my hair.

I ended up with a GIGANTOR bun on my head, but since it was right at the top of it, it didn't bother me at all while sleeping. I think I was more bothered by the fact that I had to sacrifice one of my socks for it than anything else. Lord knows I stock up socks like no tomorrow ... Mainly because I'm a sock fiend and manage to either wear them out or lose them in the dryer (I just KNOW that they disappear into a parallel universe whilst in there ...).

In any case, here's what happened when I undid the sockbun in the morning ...

Holy volume! The MoroccanOil itself is pretty good at giving you volume by making your hair thick and strong, but the sockbun just put it over the top! I was rocking something that looked like a Diana Ross 'fro for at least half a day. Which is just the way I like it :)

So overall - a SUCCESS. The curls weren't the same neat and orderly 'do that I get from braiding, so I think I might stick to braids in general, but the shampoo was fabulous and I look forward to pampering myself in new ways in the future. Because let's face it - winter in Montreal is going to last at least 2 more months ... which means more opportunities to treat myself in order to relieve those winter blues :)

Of the Attainment of the Most Noble of Goals

This month, I have finally achieved my long sought dream ... A goal that has long evaded me and puzzled me and frustrated me and just always seemed out of reach.
Well, no longer! I have now achieved it not once, but twice (although not consecutively, so it still needs tweaking).

Is it running a 6 min mile? (Nope, haven't even tried.) Is it lifting something ridiculously heavy? (No ... do shopping bags count though?)

No. It is something much more EPIC.

I have made the perfect omelette. 

And then I flipped it. And it folded. Perfectly. No little bits falling off, no burnt parts, no messiness.

Just a beautiful crescent moon shape of delicious eggy-ness.

 

 Wait, no, we have to get another look. This glorious creation deserves all the admiration you can give.

Three times a week with this baby. Three times a week. 

Sometimes four. 

Oh yes, my gastronomic-love-life is all hot and heavy. And delicious.

Of Food Related Woes

So since this is turning entirely into a food blog, I thought I'd take you inside our (my roommate and me) fridge. Slash vent about the state of our fridge at the moment.

I've divided into 2 sections to show you my side of the fridge and my roommate's. This is what it looks like anytime my roommate buys groceries. Which she buys at Costco. In gigantic sizes. (You should see our freezer - my lonely bag of frozen veggies and then stacks of taquitos, chicken wings, pizzas, frozen waffles and frozen chocolate cake belonging to my roommate).

Now she has all the right in the world to buy things in bulk ... But man, does the junk food call my name ... And exercising all that willpower is VERY exhausting. I wonder how many calories I burn just resisting all this food. Hmm ...

Fridge. And I'm not even gonna TALK about the pantry. Think chips and cookies and peanut butter and bread. SO. MUCH. BREAD.