At the end of a really long week...

I just wanted to say right here, in front of god, the goddess and everyone reading this humble post, that Mister Man is beyond wonderful.

Last week was brutally busy for me. I was working day and I was working night (and I'm SO not complainin' - just sayin'.) And when the film shoot I was working on wrapped on Friday night, I crawled home to the best person in the world and I fell into a deep sleep that lasted until Saturday morning when I awoke up to this: (or a version of this - because this photo was actually taken last Christmas when Mister Man was cooking for the big new year's day brunch...)

When Mister Man puts the above ingredients together, he ends up making these: his world famous crustless quiches. They are made with eggs, and ham, and cheese and love (and sometimes cream).

And when I opened my puffy li'l peepers on Saturday morning, this is what awaited me. Real men may not EAT quiche, but they sure know how to make 'em!

The way I figure it, I must've done something really wonderful in a previous life, because ending a week from hell with a couple of slices of heaven makes for the start of a rejuvenating weekend.

And I would share the recipe with you, but the thing is that he makes them off the top of his head. So there IS no recipe per say... just a genius who is lurking behind a veil of light and culinary inspiration. So thank-you Mister Man. I sure appreciate it.

Nature Girl Hits the Road

After work today, yours truly will be heading to the train station to jump a commuter train to the Fraser Valley, where Mister Man will pick me up and whisk me away to the most well equipped campsite ever. Frankly, I'm really glad that we packed a small pick up truck to the point of over- flowing this morning, because it is POURING RAIN OUTSIDE. And even though we are "taking too much shite with us" (in the words of Mister Man), I for one am going to be REALLY happy when we're perched underneath 10 pounds of fluffy duvets and blankets tonight in the FREEZING COLD.

I'm not gonna try to kid you or anything. I am not the female version Survivor Man. I am not capable of heading into the wilderness with a corkscrew, a bandanna and an elastic band only so that I can go all Macgyver and turn these few paltry items into a fortress. Nope. Any claims to this kind of wilderness prowess would just be talkin' smack.

The REASON the small truck was stuffed to the point of over-flowing, is because we essentially packed up our entire apartment on my insistence. Though we left the art at home, we did pretty much take everything else, including an abundance of fleece. I have brought along the following:

fleece socks

fleece pants

a fleece vest

a lightweight fleece jacket

a mid weight fleece jacket

and

fleece mittens

I like to think of it as my fleece body condom, protecting me from unwanted frostbite, and chill-transmitted diseases!

So while there will be no Internets, computer, central heating or other things that make my heart go ping, I will be warm. I will also be hanging with my trusty camera, and will be blogging old school by taking notes in a journal with a pen. It boggles the mind to think of WRITING SOMETHING DOWN instead of typing. All of this is to say that you won't hear from me for the next 2 days, but I promise to regale you on Sunday with tales that can only be collected in the wilderness while camping in the rain.

I will confess that I felt incredibly guilty when I stepped out of the truck first thing this morning, because Mister Man is out there RIGHT NOW, in the POURING RAIN, setting up our little corner of paradise. At least I baked some really lovely cookies for the adventure, so I will worm my way back into his heart with home baking. And he and I both are looking forward to the arrival of friends (Annie and Lara) tomorrow, and family (Bob and Merilee) on Saturday!

Even though we're not going on the ferry, I like to think of Mister Man like this: dry and relaxed and not setting up camp all by his own self....

A Year and Counting

Wow. Today is September 4, 2009. On September 4, 2010, Mister Man and I are going to step up to the plate and bat one out of the park. We are taking the plunge. Getting hitched. Goin' for the whole enchilada. Saying I do. Cutting the cake (and hopefully not the mustard). Making a public proclamation and a commitment to each other in front of our beloved friends and family.

Exactly ONE YEAR from today.

(Secretly, I'm hopeful that Mister Man will take a shining to the camera prior to that day one year from now!)

Here's the deal. Mister Man imposed a media black out on all mention of the big event UNTIL THE LABOUR DAY WEEKEND. So here we are. And here's what I'm thinking. (For any of you who are new to this corner of the blogosphere, here's the bg on how we got here.)

I am SOOO grateful for the people in my life who are on board for this journey (many of whom are about to be roped in for their assistance, advice, research skills, drawing ability, and yes, some of you are probably reading these words right now and hearing the sound of a penny drop somewhere). We have many friends and family with many talents. And, we've got you on speed dial!!! HA!

The Mums is currently busy researching gerberas. My best maid Mariette is always there on the sidelines, cheering me on and offering suggestions. She was right by my side, foisting tissues upon my teary eyed self when we found a dress for me to wear. We had an intense email exchange when she picked out her beautiful dress for her beautiful self.

My best maid Mariette had so much fun on her day. As did B1 (the Calgary version of Mister Man).

And recently, our T and A had a blast at their nuptials in PA. So we know that a wedding can be more fun than a bag of mini donuts at the PNE. And that's what we're going for here.

I don't actually believe that our wedding will be "the most important day of our life", because I sort of feel like that kind of mythos leads to nothing but disappointment. Plus, I think most of us live lives full of important days that aren't marked by a big event, but maybe by a simple revelation? But in truth, I would like our day to be special. I mean, several dozen friends and family will gather at a park in St. John's, Newfoundland to have a scuff and a scoff, and a laugh, to raise a glass during one big ass celebration. Some of those people will have flown all the way across the country to be with us. But most of all, I would like our day to reflect who we are: two geeky people stumbling about in the dark, laughing at many of the same things and loving each other.

(In this photo, we were two geeky people stumbling around Las Vegas - note the Elvis shades)

Lately I've been thinking about things like how many photographs will be taken on the big day. And, while I would LOVE to accept my body for everything it is (round, soft, squishy, bodacious, buxom and any other number of euphemisms for fat), in truth, I would like to be a size or so smaller... I'm not talking about aiming for a size 2 or 4 or anything wacky like that.... just something a little - well - LESS than what it is at this moment in time. So now that we're a year and counting away from the event, I think I'd like to pay a bit more attention. I have a couple of friends who are also paying attention these days, so I'm going to clamor onto their bandwagon I think..... Friends, make room!

Here is a promise that Mariette and I made to each other in the summer. Every day, we promise to do something to make ourselves feel good about ourselves. Today, that thing is to be mindful. I know that some of you are thinking "don't bake!", but in reality, I usually bake for other people and manage to make do with a slice of whatever is on the go. I think I can continue to do that, but maybe I can also make do WITHOUT some other things. (Hello cheese. I'm talkin' to YOU. And you rippled chips - better hustle your crinkly bag outta our cupboards!) And I think I need to warmly greet that sweaty spin class that got my heart a pumpin' last winter. And I think that maybe I need to talk about all of that here, from time to time....

I do want to leave you with the 2 images that got the ball rolling when we met in cyberspace and exchanged a few messages, which turned into a few emails, which turned into exchanging these images. And from there we met for a coffee, which turned into dinner and dessert. And before you know it, we were reveling in the knowledge that we were kind of a match made in heaven. I'm glad we're gonna get hitched. And I'm glad you're along for the ride. I promise it won't be nearly as scary as The Inverter.....

The Bliss of Mister Man

Mister Man is SUCH a good sport. When I came into his life, he embraced my wacky world in its entirety. And I can assure you that I did not tiptoe into his universe - I kind of stomped into it like a Girlie Godzilla with little alligator arms a swinging! (I have never been the quiet, graceful type - though I've had aspirations.....)

He welcomed my eclectic group of friends with open arms. He jumped onto the art/film/theatre bandwagon and has joined me on all manner of outings, from the weird and wild, to the more sedate. He has lingered with me at student art shows, sat next to me in chick flicks listening to me snort and snivel, and come to performance art events. He's read books that friends have written, listened to songs they sing, and watched films they've made. He once stood on the sidelines in the pouring rain carrying a sign that read "Run Forrest Run" as the running posse and I hobbled through the Vancouver Half Marathon. He wasn't feeling well that day, and we found out later that he actually had pneumonia! He's made special play lists for events that we've hosted, and he's cooked amazing meals on a number of occasions for his new found friends and family. He even makes cheescakes for special events and special people. He is great with my family and he brings me coffee every single day in bed.

Yes, he has been an all round supportive partner.

When he wants "Mister Man time", he finds his bliss in fishing. On occasion, I get to go with him, but mostly, he loves the solitary pursuit of sitting on a lake in his little inflatable boat or standing on the shore casting. As the fall approaches, so does fishing season, and on the weekend, I came home to find him sitting at the table tying flies.

It's an art really.

Here are some action shots from the past, taken with my lens baby (more on that later).

He is so happy.

And at peace.

This is Mister Man in his bliss.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Allow me to take a stroll down one of the shelves of DVDs that are shared by me and Mister Man.

Sidebar Question:  Did Sugarlove Girl actually re-arrange some of the titles before snapping this photo so that she would appear devastatingly interesting, downright intelligent and a bit kooky & unpredictable? 

Yes. Yes, she did.

At first glance, you will note a nice mix of documentary and drama, with a little animation thrown in for posterity! This is the sign of a well-balanced individual I’d say.

So what have we got?  I see a few Canadian films, which comes as no surprise as Canada is a nation of talented people.  Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) by Zacharias Kunuk is an amazing film, that should only be viewed when you’ve got the space to take in a 3 hour film that is spacious in terms of narrative, pace and scenery. It was the first feature to be made completely in Inuktitut.

Being Caribou is an excellent documentary by Leanne Allison and Karsten Heuer. They are a husband wife team who tackle amazing challenges such as migrating 1500 kilometres on foot through the Yukon and Alaska to follow the porcupine caribou. And one of my all time FAVE docs occupies centre stage on our shelves, My Architect.

I see some John Cusack films up there!  Of course there are John Cusack films. He is, afterall, my Hollywood boyfriend.  When Harry Met Sally and All About Eve are no brainers because no film collection is complete without them.  Across the Universe is there because I am a Julie Taymor fan and I think this film is a profound story about a generation coming of age. And no shelf would be complete without Joss Whedon, who one of the smartest men in film and television. I luff him.

So, did I move a copy of Office Space? Yep. Did I pull out Mister Man's Wrath of Khan and tuck it out of range of the lens? Indeed. But not to worry trusting reader, I may reveal another sliver of these shelves in months to come. And there are only so many places I can tuck copies of our guilty pleasures before they turn up as pixels in my camera......

Should you feel the need to confess your own guilty pleasures, well, you know what to do.... As Lucy van Pelt once announced to the world "The Doctor is IN" .... and the comments are now officially OPEN!

 

Mister Man's Birthday

We quietly celebrated Mister Man's birthday on Friday.  He wasn't down with the pomp and circumstance, preferring instead to tiptoe into his new year.  So it was all about dinner (meat), drinks (beer), and cake (Boston Cream Pie - his request).

We went out for the dinner. I bought him the drinks (except for the delightful Mint Julips made by Miss Annie). And I baked the cake for him from scratch (including the custard). It even looked exactly like the photograph in the book!! Have a peek! 

The cake in the foreground is the one that I baked with my own two little paws. The cake in the BACKGROUND is just a photograph from the best cake baking book a gal could own (a book that everyone who is seriously interested in baking cake should buy....It's called Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by  Alisa Huntsman, Peter Wynne, and Tina Rupp).  I know you might have a difficult time distinguishing my masterpiece from the photograph, but there you have it.

Now allow me to reach around and give myself one big pat on the back. 

P.S. I'm trying a new font size based on some feedback from the running posse, so let me know what you think. 

P.P.S. If it sounds like I'm gloating or boastful, I'm just kinda pleased as all get-out, cuz I've never tried making a chiffon cake with homemade custard!!!  And I figger I've earned some bragging rights, what with all the whisking, folding, stirring, separating, and the most difficult thing about making this cake for an Aries like me: NOT OVERWORKING IT AT ANY STAGE..... 

Reifel Bird Sanctuary (or how I almost lost my life)

Mister Man and I were having a "staycation" this weekend in which we PRETENDED we were out of town, while all the while laying low in our own backyard. (That last sentence is a metaphor by the way, as we don't actually have a backyard. We have a small balcony. Our balcony is about 60 square feet of concrete that I avoid at all costs because we live on the 12th floor and I am afraid of heights.)

I am also afraid of birds.

Yeah. I saw Hitchcock's "The Birds" at a slumber party when I was in the 4th grade. I'm no dummy. Birds are skittish and unpredictable. You've seen the millions of crazy pigeons in Trafalgar Square who wait until you start to make your move before flapping their wings hysterically in your face. You know what I'm talking about.

Here's an interactive website that kind of illustrates the full horror of it (actually the website, by panoramic photographer Will Pearson is absolutely gorgeous) Check it out: The Birds, Trafalgar Square.

So when Mister Man suggested that we take a field trip to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, my first thought was that he was trying to kill me.

The sign we encountered upon entering the Sanctuary did not bode well for me.


Mister Man threatened to throw bird seed at me to "attract" the crazy critters. I was clearly not impressed. But I was relieved to discover that, in fact, there actually aren't THAT many birds IN the Reifel Bird Sanctuary. Or else they were already full because we were there at the end of the day and they had probably eaten a Costco-sized keg of birdseed by then. Upon paying your entrance fee, you are encouraged to take bags of birdseed so that you can have the birds EAT RIGHT OUT OF YOUR HAND!! I don't know about you, but that just seems like crazy talk to me.

In any event, we had a lovely walk. There were these little houses with peek-a-boo windows so you could spy on wildlife! It made for a kind of built-in panoramic view.


And there was only one touchy moment in which a pack of rabid ducks blocked our escape path.


And then we were chased by a pack of homicidal geese, but Mister Man made like Dr. Doolittle and became the geese whisperer. I snuck by very carefully moving a bit like the pink panther.


By the end of the day, I was actually brave enough to climb this tower! Fear of heights be gone!


And then I even attempted to feed a duck! The stupid thing ignored me.


As we neared the exit again, I was feeling quite proud of myself. Though as I glanced at this sign on the way out, I wondered who would be stupid enough to actually chase the killer winged things....

Revenge is sweet (but sometimes I am not)

Mister Man is a PC. And I'm not talkin' politics (although on that front, he doesn't quite sit right next to me on the left side of the fence. He's a bit closer to the spikey part of the pickets!). Nope. I'm talkin' computers here!

Sidebar Full disclosure: I was a PC for a number of sad and forgettable years that were peppered with frequent appearances by “the blue screen of death”. I finally came back from the dark side to re-kindle my old affair with all-things-Mac and I love it. Yes. I LOVE my MacBook Pro. LOVE. IT.

My Mac, however, did come between me and Mister Man in its first days at home, and was almost turfed off the balcony by himself when we couldn’t get our respective PC and Mac to “play nice” on the wireless network. It turns out that Mac wants to be on top. And really, who could blame it?

In any event, Mister Man has started this silly little photo series on Facebook called “Things I Shouldn’t Put on Teri’s Mac”. Yeah.

*purses lips in disapproval*

I know!!!

Under the cover of darkness (or when I’m somewhere else in our palatial 700 sq. foot apartment), he takes sneaky photos of “inappropriate objects” perched on my Mac and posts them to a series on his FB page (much to the delight of our so-called “friends”. Yes. You know who you are: Wee Sarah, Mariette, A.R., d, Suzo, and the rest of you who keep supplying suggestions for the next addition to his so-called "art project".)

Thus far, these have included: a can of vienna sausages, a glass of mysterious green liquid, teeth from a Halloween costume… WAIT!!!

I’ll show you a little of what he's been up to. I have “stolen” these images from his “Things I Shouldn’t Put on Teri’s Mac” FB series, and I present them for your consideration. And as evidence:

Yeah. Pretty funny right? (oh - that was a sarcasm just in case it didn’t come across in print.)

Here's the deal: I feel compelled to respond in some way. I have thought about the obvious: retaliating by simply doing the same thing to his PC. But that seems lacking and a titch unimaginative .

And so I put it out there for you reader-friend. Help me. I implore you. What shall I do? How can I best elicit my revenge??

You can comment here or, should you want to avoid the judging eyes of Mister Man burning holes into your cyber self, you can email me directly:

sugarlovegirl@gmail.com

One of the main characters in Sugarlove Girl's blogworld. Meet Mister Man. (In disguise)
(How could you NOT love a man who makes a bubble bath beard and asks that you take his picture for posterity???)