SNOW DAY!

As I write this, I am certain most Montreal area bloggers will be posting something today about the projected 40 cm (15-inch) snowfall that began while we were asleep last night.

Normally I am afraid of driving in the snow; I had an accident on the Decarie Expressway a few years ago - one of those "life flashing before your eyes" accidents... And since then have been known to get completely unglued at the prospect of getting behind the wheel during even the smallest accumulations of snow.

Well this morning I woke up to 8 inches already blanketing the city and surrounding area - not to mention my car. I was excited at the prospect of clearing the car, warming it up and taking to the snowy highway. No, I really was!

And the drive wasn't so bad. Taxis are psycho, but what else is new?! I drove slowly and carefully, didn't rush, left more than enough room between my front bumper and the back bumper of the driver in front of me and most of all, I am proud of the fact that I never once panicked the way I normally do. I mean, never once did I think, "Oh FUCK, I'm gonna run off the road and die!" .... That's a first.

It was a strange and surreal feeling to drive in this morning, all 25 KM without being able to see the drivers in the cars around me. I felt alone, but not lonely. All the regular noises of the road were muted by the falling snow, as if everything was wrapped in it's own little bubble of white insulation. It was amazing!!!

Now I'm sitting at work in a half empty office and the spirit is one of a bona fide Snow Day. Everyone is a bit giddy after the drive in, we're all preparing for today's annual potluck lunch and those that braved the weather to come in are supposed to get some sort of recompense (though this may just be the latest office urban legend rumor)...

So against company policy I have taken up some of the teeny bandwidth we have and opened a session of internet radio. I have my second cup of coffee on my desk and I'm ready to face the rest of the day.

All of my customer deliveries are late, our trucks are stuck, people are late or absent altogether, schools are closed, daycares are closed... but no one seems to mind that much because, hey: it's a Snow Day!

...and we're all in it together.

Go see what a snow-covered Montreal looks like here.

Going to see an Island about a Nunn...

Satuday night we went off the island of Montreal and ventured into the wonderous realm of Nunn's Island - home of Kowy and Shatnerian - for a delightful evening chalk fulla food, drink and my favorite movie, The Sound of Music (oh stop it, you know that you too want to be sixteen, going on seventeen).

We were a little early for the evening and used to being the first ones to arrive anywhere for anything (which we still ended up being), so we decided to take a tour of P's first neighbourhood after moving here from the U.K....

Holy overpriced abodes, Batman!!! Although there are some really cute and affordable rentals, any real estate you wish to purchase on Nunn's Island would cost at least an arm and a leg, not to mention your first born child thrown in as a downpayment.

As we drove along taking in the pretty views, appreciating the expanse of green space and the great community feel of the island, I began to think that perhaps one day I actually could move out of the downtown core (after all, Nunn's Island is a 7-minute drive to the heart of Montreal). I could almost picture the yuppy-esque lifestyle we could lead if we only owned one of the sweet looking townhouses standing row upon row.

Then we made the mistake of stoping at the local mall and picking up a town paper - only to have our dreams of living la Vida not so Loca on NI dashed. Sure, we could still live the dream... If we were willing to pay over $500,000 for a 3-bedroom condo/townhouse with zero yard, that is.
Um... no.

Oh well, I'm not crazy about yuppies or their healthy lifestyles anyway. We never jog unless we're running for a bus, or away from a mugger. So we have a ginger kitty, not a chocolate Lab; he purrs when he isn't trying to eat our toes. So what if we own a '96 Cavalier and not a BMW; ours is paid for in full. Okay, our furniture isn't new or modern or "chic"; our livingroom is for LIVING, not just looking at.

Who cares if we rent for the next five years. How many people do you know who can leave their house and walk to the Bell Centre without a coat on in the dead of Winter because it's only a block away? Ask P, that's worth all the townhouses on Nunn's Island put together!!

Can You Smell What The Ginner Is Cooking?

At this time of year when the temperature begins to plummet as the season changes from Fall to Winter, I begin to get obsessed (or more obsessed than usual) with cooking.

I have an unnatural yet very satisfying need to fill the house with wonderous smells of stew and onion and garlic... Almost all of my late Fall / early Winter recipes involve sauces of some kind, the oven, at least three of the four stovetop elements or a slow cooker. Soups bubble, sauces simmer, meats roast and everything is right with the world.

Perhaps I am suffering from a chipmunk-like need to stuff my cheeks for the long haul - and hibernation does sound incredibly apealing....

Maybe I'm trying to perpetuate that warm, fuzzy feeling I used to get when I was a kid and my mom or granny would be the pillars of the kitchen, concocting some of the most mouth-watering comfort food I have ever eaten.

Or maybe I'm delving too deep and I just really LOVE food.

Of course my recipes are slightly varies from the days of my fore-mothers... I don't use whole sticks of butter or cooking lard in any of my recipes (boo, I know...). I have branched out from the Shepherd's Pie and baked rigatoni my Gran used to make as well as the roast beef dinner my mom is famous for.

I have learned that the secret to a good curry is coconut cream poured in at the last minute. I love to cook Thai and experiment with the wonder that is peanut sauce. I make a mean chicken lasagna with cream sauce and have, in my own modest opinion, perfected what I deem to be a superior guacamole.

*drool*

Okay, I'm hungry now... AND I'm looking for some culinary inspiration...

I want to know: what you you love to cook?

Mia The Mighty

So after 7 whole days as a member of the Human Race, I thought it was high time to pay tribute to the and most beautiful first daughter/niece/grandchild on P's side of the family.

She is gorgeous, apparently quite a calm baby and for obvious reasons, the apple of everyone's eye.

Without further ado, I would like to introduce the word to:

Mia the Mighty

Unfortunately, Mia and her parents live in London, England.
Which sucks because we do not.

But we will love her with all our hearts anyway and count the days until we can see her, hold her, spoil her and win out against P's sister for "Best Auntie and Uncle In The World" honors.

Not that it's a competition or anything.....