Wordless Wednesday

You'll Probably Need A Tissue For This

The Last Post

Read it.  Then hug someone you love.  Then hug everyone you love.

Blessed

Wordless Wednesday

Apathy Sucks

It's election day here in Canada and if you are Canadian, I expect you to get off your ass and vote.  I do not care who you vote for (I do but I cannot stop you from making the mistake of voting Liberal or Conservative), just vote.  Exercise your right to vote; that act is as important as who you support in an election.  Between 1998 and 2008, the voter turnout in this country has nosedived.  In 1998, Elections Canada reported 75.3% of the eligible voting public turned out to vote.  In 2008, that number declined to 58.8%.

Shame, shame Canada.

You are lucky enough to live in the best country in the world and you have an obligation to keep it that way.  Sure, I know, politicians suck.  So don't vote for the politician.  Vote for the person who best represents you and reflects your opinions on the topics being tossed about in this election.

What Strombo says to you kids in school rocking the vote easily applies to every other facet of Canadian society:



Our boyfriend George further breaks Canadian politics down for us:




Who wants to keep showing up to the campfire without matches?

And if you still do not think voting is important, that your voice is not important, do not forget the Canadian Suffragette movement.  Nellie McClung, Emily Murphy, and the rest of the Famous Five went to battle not only so you ladies could have the right to vote, but so that you would be considered a "person".  (British common law circa 1876 stated, "Women are persons in matters of pains and penalties, but are not persons in matters of rights and privileges."  It would be 1929 before The Famous Five saw that law changed under the "Person's Case".)



Your voice counts.  Fill out a ballot so you will be heard.

Blessed

She Ain't Pretty, She Just Looks That Way

I am on a quest.

I am chasing food in Edmonton.

I am looking for local restaurants that are the best kept secrets Edmonton has to offer.  You can keep your Olive Garden's and your Keg's.  After the lobster I had while cruising a lagoon in Cancun, Red Lobster can bite me.

I am looking for that little hole in the wall that everyone in the neighbourhood raves about.  Your suggestions are not only welcome, they will be tried and tested.

Yesterday, it was lunch at Bucas and Pastas in the West End.  If you can find the West Division police detachment, you will be directly across the street from Bucas.

You can find their site, complete with menu, here.

The restaurant itself is located in a strip mall and it has about 10 tables, if you are interested in staying for your meal. I would suggest getting there early as the seating looks a bit cramped; we were there around 12:30, which in Edmonton is prime lunch time, and all the tables were full and there was a long line at the counter.

Do yourself a favour and study the menu.  Pour over it before you get there.  Make sure you know EXACTLY what you want when you get to the counter. There's a bit of a Soup Nazi vibe from the staff, especially Mumma working the line; she wants to keep things moving and the sooner you pay, the sooner she can make money off someone else. I can respect that, but it is best if you know what sauce you want or she will decide for you.

The daily lunch special (which comes in at a very reasonable $8.95) was chicken and prosciutto cannelloni with your choice of salad; I went with the creamy dill:

Forgive the pictures.  The cam on my phone sucks a bag of you know whats.  And lunch was a take away, so the food had been slapped in containers and tossed about on the way back to the office.

Believe me, it tasted miles better than it looks.

Ratings:
Appearance:  Clean and quaint.
Service:  Be ready or be roughed up a little.  Things go fast so be prepared.
Food:  Home cooked Italian. Very good, 7.5/10
Overall rating: Will be back.

Chicken and prosciutto cannelloni:
I'm not entirely sure my cannelloni had prosciutto in it.  I was definitely missing the saltiness that comes from that kind of ham and I found the filling lacking somewhat in seasoning but it was hearty and combined well with the pomodoro sauce.  The pasta was done perfectly and just the right amount of cheese was baked on.  It was a bit messy to eat, mostly because it was in a take away container, but the small sized portion was the perfect amount of pasta for a lunch.  Overall, 7/10.

Creamy dill salad:
I could very easily become friends with this salad.  I would have preferred more dill and less carrots but that is a personal preference and not a knock against the salad itself.  If you are a fan of salads that do not contain lettuce, this is a safe and yummy choice; it was simply cauliflower, broccoli, red peppers, carrots, and creamy dill dressing.  Overall, 8/10.

I did not have dessert as it was lunch and I do not usually have dessert with lunch.  That being said, next time, I will have death by chocolate!

So This Sofa Walks Up To Me And Says Let's Hump

So here is the deal... some of you kids need to settle down.  I know I owe you Cancun pics and tales of days spent chasing food and lazing on the beach.  I apologize.  We all have stuff going on and mine is going on in a lot of different ways.


Part of the reason I have not been blogging much this month is because I was in Mexico for the first part of it and I very quickly became very used to being lazy.  I was throwing ones at Mexicans like they were strippers and they were more than happy to do my bidding.  I heard a lot of "It would be my pleasure, my Princess."  Turns out, in Canada, I cannot get a single person to even pour me a coffee for a dollar let alone write this blog.  Ya'll could learn a lot about customer service from the Mexicans.  Like how to be grateful for your spoiled lives and how to make sure I never see the bottom of an empty coffee cup.


Just sayin', not hatin'.


As well, are some health issues going on too.  My iron levels are not where they should be and a suspected thyroid problem is a lot less than suspect and beginning to become a huge problem.  Most nights, I am making sweet love to La Sofa by 7:00 because I am exhausted and do not have the energy to be witty.


So, until I get that stuff sorted out, posting will be irregular.  Like me.


PS:  Wore a bathing suit in public.  Every day I was there.  For really.  Well except for the last day but that is only because we were supposed to be at the airport and flying home in the afternoon and did not leave until well after midnight.  I even had a wardrobe malfunction while wearing a tankini.  Seriously.  Some of you may need brain bleach after you see this (and guess what... I no longer care if you do), but I knew most of you would not believe it so here it is:

Not So Wordless Wednesday

Happy 7th Birthday Miss Madison... may you always have the luck of the Irish on your side!

Blessed

Sigh No More Captain

Love it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set  you free
Be more like the man you were made to be


There is a design, an alignment, a cry
Of my heart to see
The beauty of love as it was made to be

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Theravada New Year

Blessed

I am myself made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions. ~ Augusten Burroughs

Wordless Wednesday

Welcome Back Welcome Back Welcome Back

After a broken plane, a ten hour flight delay, a day off to recoup from the Ativan and turbulence, we are back.

Went into The Office today and this is what I found...

There really is no place like home.

Now which one of you buggers is ordering more sticky notes?

Blessed

Find purpose.  The means will follow. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Nothing But Net

Surf And Turf

You Say Market, I Say Mercado