Oh, The Weather Outside Is...

Last night, along with a couple of friends, we decided, last minute, to check out the Vancouver Christmas Market.

It was such a treat, I thought! If this place doesn't put you in a Christmas spirit, I don't know what will.

Jack-o-lantern? Christmas? Hmmm...

Not sure what those are called, but they're the most adorable things! You can put incense sticks inside and as it burns, the smoke comes out in a tiny hole. Cute!

O Christmas tree!

Believe it or not, those are soaps!!! Made in Turkey. Cray cray, right?

... more soaps...

There was something for everyone...

And in true winter form, it was a chilly night. With all the food stalls at the market, offering all kinds of wonderful German treats (and libation), we did think we were going to stay, but it just got too nippy for us.

So, with a cup of hot cider on hand, we finished walking around and headed somewhere warm:p

Mushroom soup, mmm, mmm, mmm...

With a glass of wine on one hand, and a spoon to scoop the yummy goodness, belly warmed up quite nicely in the end. Hah!

Pseudo Food Club Meeting

Last night should have been food club meeting #3, but one couldn't make it. It was going to be this French restaurant. The rest of us then just decided to have something more casual & low key. We ended up at this Korean restaurant.

Couldn't have thought of a better way to warm ourselves on a night like last night. Don't even remember which one this was. All I knew was it was hot, and spicy! (sssst... hehe)

... with your traditional side dishes- seaweed, potato,
pickled radish & kimchee

We ordered this other dish as well.

Korean grilled short ribs (gal bee)

Then, you'd think we would have been good at this point, but no, we had to order some more! We ordered the seafood pancake (not shown) as well. Of course, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, as always!

I tell ya, we left that restaurant feeling like we needed to be rolled out of that place. Yes, that full! Blech!
LOL

And just like any event that revolves around food, I say anyways, it was a fun evening. Went to another friend's house for dessert. Eeek, as if we have any more room; but what can I say, it was dessert, after all!.

Good times!

Then, earlier in the day, thought I'd do some more Christmas shopping. Fun!!! Ran into a friend at a store, so, double fun!!!

Weekend's almost over. Thank god I'm not working tomorrow. Maybe I'll finish my Christmas shopping. Or maybe I'll just laze around the house, zzzzzzz... Hah!

Another Week Bites the Dust

The closer we get to Christmas, the faster it feels the hours are melding to minutes. I'm not just talking about getting ready for the holidays with the buying and wrapping presents and spending much needed time with the family (yay!); but also at work, and, hate to admit it, outside work (translation: social events).

As I've mentioned before, for such a homebody (for the most part:p), this month's social calendar is surprisingly full. Yes, again, I know it's the holiday season, but this is not the norm for me. I'm still not really sure how I feel about it.

Last night was intended for a quiet night at home. So what did I do? Made last minute plan to attend a party, that's what!

Went straight from work, and just partied on! *eeek*

... the only bling on, un-intentionally... LOL

Am I pushing my body too far? Don't know. Maybe. Maybe not.

Not counting this weekend, one more weekend of partyin... Yikes!

Then, a much needed vacation is coming up shortly after, thank god! Maybe that's what it is, just knowing I'll get my rest then. But will I? It'll be a time spent mostly with family, after all. Hah!

Hey, not complaining at all! Seriously! At least I'm in a position (I think:p) to be able to do ALL that, right? At the end of it, if I really think about it, what does that all mean? That I have my health to be able to do all that. That I have friends to celebrate all that. That I have family to spend time with. And most of all, that I have a hubby who indulges me to do all that <3

Happy Weekend!

I Am Enough

If there's only thing I end up taking from the last 2 days of learning, it's that I AM ENOUGH.

Such a simple statement with such a powerful impact, no?

With all the things happening at work recently, compounded with the high expectations I put on myself, I'm certainly feeling the toll it's taking on my body, physically and mentally. By hearing those 3 words, I felt, for the first time in a long time, a mental sigh of relief unexpectedly coming out, even for one brief moment.

At the end of the day, I realize that as long as I stay true to myself, even if I didn't make the best decision (that granted may even feel right at that time), that I know I've done my best, then that is enough, that I am enough.

Presently. In the moment...

Luckily some more, that's not all I'm taking from these 2 days of learning.

Yes, it may sound that I've drank the juice, but hey, I will hang on to it, however long I can sustain it. Hah!

Needless to say, it's been a fruitful 2 days.

By the end of the day, I was feeling exhilarated, pooped but re-energized at the same time, mellow but rarin' to go, and comforted, all at once.

So how to express that mix of emotion? By shopping, of course, *eeek* with the excuse reason that I'm doing my Christmas shopping for family anyway (sure, sure), and by eating something I haven't eaten in a looooong while, yummy but sooooo bad for you.

Popcorn chicken

LOL... Am I just looking for excuses? Or am I just looking for excuses?

Now I'm not sure what made me got this other food as well.

Chicken bowl

Even I know there is no excuse for this one. HAH! First and last time, that much I know:o

How's that for some life-altering moment, eh? Not about the food! teehee...

... my view from the train, on my way home...

Hump Day!!!

And the Drink Goes On...

Yes, I know it's only Monday! But I kinda' promised a colleague that I would go out with them to celebrate the launch of one of our new system delivery.

I mentioned yesterday how my Saturdays are full for the rest of the month, which is not the norm. At all. And just cray cray! And now it seems some weekdays are filling up too. What's going on?!?!

I'm glad I went, as usual. With all that we're dealing with at work right now, it's just really nice to kinda' relax and take a breather. Yes, even on a Monday!:p

Not only was it nice to have some laughs, but not a bad view either, I thought. I say not a bad way to end the night, no?

And now on to some more reading for a course I'm attending the next 2 days. *sigh*

Is it Friday yet?
HAH!

Holiday Fetes

Hubby and I are homebodies at heart. I think so anyways. Take-out Chinese, movie and jammies is a fine way of spending a weekend evening, as far as I'm concerned. Now after work socials are another thing. The way I see it, I'm already out so why not:)

Aynhoot, even with the holidays such as the time we're in now, there's normally not much happening, other than the annual work and family celebration.

Having said that, this holiday season, it appears to be turning out the opposite of normal.

Last night, a girlfriend had an appy & wine party. And every Saturday, from last night til Christmas week, there's something happening, all around downtown.

Cray cray!

It should be fun!


So getting ready last night, got my outfit planned and all, then I thought I'd do something different with my hair.

BEFORE

AFTER

HAH!
As you can see, I'm not really good at this hair primping. Never have. It doesn't help that my hair is flat as a crepe:p Needless to say, that was the extent of that.

As part of my contribution for the evening's festivities, I decided to make this.

Stuffed mushrooms (with cream cheese, crab, bacon & veg)

I kinda' recalled seeing something similar on TV, so I thought I'd put my twist on it. It was the first time I made it. I know, not the smartest thing to try something unknown to bring to a party, but I thought, what the hey, live on the edge once in a while, hehe. Thank god it was delish!:)

A couple of people cancelled or backed out for valid reasons, I learned, so the evening turned out to be an intimate affair. Which I kinda' liked. When a party gets too big, I find it tends to break up into groups and conversations become chitchats. But with a smaller group, you all end up in one area then you get to know the other people much better. Mind you, most of us have met before, so in the end, it was nice catching up and all.

(there's my stuffed mushrooms in the round plate:p)

With appies galore and wine flowing out of our ears, couldn't have asked for a better get-together...

Cheers to the holiday season, good friends, sumptuous feast, and all the wine our bodies can handle!

teehee

More Meat, Please

Decided to meet a girlfriend after work today. I thought I might as well. I've been staying late, a lot, for work lately and meeting her after work would, I thought, ensure that I'd leave work early, no scratch that, leave work on time, for a change. I ended up leaving "early enough", I suppose...

Didn't have much time for some chow as she did need to be somewhere else after, and we happened to have spent more time in one of the stores *sheepish smile*. The good thing is she came out of that store with just what she actually needed for a party this weekend, and more importantly, (drum roll, please), I came out empty-handed, YAY! And considering which store this is, I'm telling you, I say SUCCESS, indeed!

LOL

So, for dinner, we decided for something quick and went to this deli.

Poutine, with Montreal smoked meat

This is one of the popular dishes. Hello?!? How can it not?!? Poutine, mmmm. Then add the smoked meat, just yummm.

And as if that's not enough, we shared this sandwich as well.

Montreal smoked meat sandwich (with slaw & pickle, not shown)

Talked about oink-oink, eh? I meant, moo-moo?:p

I blame work. No, I blame the weather. Actually, I blame everything else but me. HAH!

I'm thinking my body is just acknowledging that it is, indeed, winter time therefore it's time to pack some protein to keep the body warm for the season and get ready for hibernation. O wait, those are for bears, right?

O well...