Hockey, Nettles, & Trader Joe’s

OK, now we broke the curse I can finally blog about the Canucks!  Jebus that was stressful.  Who gets to the Playoffs as the number one team with the Presidents Cup and then almost gets their asses handed to them in a sweep of the first series?  Oh right, we do.  Apparently we do require Daniel Sedin to save the day.  Good comeback kids! #ReverseSweep

[Thanks to my friend Sandi for the cool photo from Facebook.]

I know what the next reality TV scandal will be.  They are going to dig up Hollie from American Idol’s birth certificate and find out she’s actually 32 years old.  Her look and her voice are so mature.  How is it possible that she is only 18?!  Crazy town.

Did you know that the same Stinging Nettles we all try to avoid touching on our bare skin are the very same Nettles that you can pick and turn into deeelish steamed greens?  I guess I never put two and two together but I’m glad I was clued in!  I made Nettlekopita!  Stay tuned for linky love and photos tomorrow.

This weekend I finally get to go back to Vancouver and visit my darling Catriona!  It’s been almost a year since my last trip.  I know this because it was during Playoffs last year.

The first thing she and I are doing after she retrieves me from the ferry is heading for the border.  Finally!  Our very own cross-border trek to Bellingham to raid the Trader Joe’s!  I already have a list as long as my arm, but pleeeeeease leave us comments here on what we must buy!!

While you are at it, if there’s any other must stop stores, restaurants, or touristy things between the border and Bellingham let us know.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Good Times 2011–Part One

You know what?  2011 was quite a good year!

• Happy 2011 – nothing like ringing in the New Year with a great friend and an all night party!

January

• Started photography class – really interesting.  I’ve forgotten everything I learned.
• Thai at Home Cooking Class – I’ve raved about this class all year long.

February

• I met Chibi at a dinner party – little did I know that naked little Xolo was coming to be my new roomie.
• Chinatown grocery shopping – such fun.  I really need to do this again.
• Snowpocalypse – doesn’t Mother Nature know it doesn’t snow in Victoria?

March

• Chibi arrives – and never leaves. :)
• Culinaire Victoria 2011 – foodie fun at it’s finest.

April

• Chibi’s One-Monthiversary – clearly we’re a couple now.
• Curry Party – complete with delicious chick pea curry and refreshing Kachumar salad.

• Hockey playoffs start – and so do my incessant posts about the Canucks.
• German Sparkle Party – you know you want to listen to that nutty song over and over again. 
• Sooke Harbour House – one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had, complete with lovely overnight stay and gorgeous views.  {Part One} {Part Two} {Part Three}

May

• Empress Afternoon Tea – nothing but the finest finger sandwiches for my Mom!
• Backyard Shrimp Boil – bet you didn’t know this is actually where Michael and I met.  That dog in the photos?  Yep, that’s his Burl.  :)

June

• The one where I sneak in a mention of our first date – but don’t give you any details.  mwahaha.
• Trip to Vancouver – complete with Canucks Cup fever!
• {Post One} {Post Two} {Post Three} {Post Four}

• Tragedy Strikes – when the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup.
• True Spirit – stupid people rioted, lovely people cleaned up.
• V.I.C. Fest – local wine, local beer, local art, local music, local food, good friends and good times.
• Fernwood Bites – more local food, more local wine, more good friends and good times.

Wow, all of that went down in just the first six months.  If I ever complain of being bored please refer me back to my own blog. 

Part Two tomorrow.

What We Live For

[source]  Hard to believe that just a few hours ago this is how everyone around here felt.  Focused and brimming with hope and faith!

I really, truly, honestly felt in my gut that we were going to win. On home ice. We would be celebrating in the streets!  We had this.

Except we didn’t. 

The Boston Bruins ran over our Vancouver Canucks with a Mack truck.  And just like that our chance at the Stanley Cup was gone.  Poof.

[source]  Read the article too, it’s a gooder – Jory has been THE MAN to follow throughout the entire season, playoffs and finals.

Good game boys.  To my Bruins fan friends…Congratulations!

Sad.face.

And then all hell literally broke loose in the streets of downtown Vancouver.  (FYI:  I’m in Victoria…nowhere near this nonsense).  A large handful of ridiculously dysfunctional trouble makers started a freaking riot.  Yes, I said riot.  Like flipping cars and lighting them on fire.  Like smashing windows and looting stores.  Like bring on the tear gas and flash-bangs.

Really?  Over a game?  Come on.  Grow a brain.

Utterly appalling and despicable.  Way to make us look really good to Boston and the rest of the free world.  Keeping things classy I see.  Ugh.

[source]  Yup, that’s right.  These asshats are so awesome that the New York Times picked up the story right away.  Thanks for representing Vancouver so incredibly well and showing what good sports we Canadians are.  Eff.

Please, please, please know that the rest of Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada are totally embarrassed by the actions of this small group of people.  Canadians really are nice!  I swear!! 

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Happier thoughts:

Amazing full moon (and lunar eclipse!) happening out there tonight.  Make sure you stop and take a look at the moon wherever you are.

[iPhone photo courtesy of @GDgeek]

A walk in the park.  Chibi thought a run around the tennis courts would be fun.  I knew she was a country club princess at heart.

Eats today were healthy and delicious. 

Rose and Tiffaney headed off to Vegas today so for pretty much the first time in the entire playoff series we didn’t all get together for a girl’s night to watch the game.

I instead joined Ingmarie, Alex, Jessica, Justin and Derry.  We noshed nachos, Jessica’s homemade guacamole, yummy potato salad and delicious ribs and pork made by Alex.

I, of course, brought salad.

Baby spinach, pea shoots, Gala apple, organic blueberries, carrot, celery and green onion.  Tossed with a dressing of honey, fresh lime juice, smidge of Dijon, white wine vinegar, salt, fresh basil and olive oil.  We also added herby goat cheese and pecans.

We may have finished our evening by drowning our sorrows in the better part of a bag of Ikea crack candy and a nice, entertaining episode of So You Think You Can Dance.  Nothing like chocolate and reality TV to sooth the wounded soul.

[source]  Next year boys.  Next year.

Game 7 - Believe

Nothing like a little Al Pacino to bring it all home.

Goosebumpy.

This is it.  Go Canucks.

Canucks with Cat

So ya.  Cat and I spent the better part of a whole weekend together and didn’t manage to take one effing photo of the two of us (again!).  So instead I present you with this lovely little number from last Summer.

We’re so hawt, no? :)

After visiting with Sarah all day Friday she dropped Cat and I off to watch the Canucks game with our friend Jen at a restaurant just slightly removed from the chaos that was downtown Vancouver.  Over the bridge to Kits we watched the game at Rockford Grill.

What I should have done was take a photo of the MASSIVE WALL OF BIGASS TV’S but instead you’ll have to look at my food.

Double Happiness beer x 3.

Blackened Prawn Tacos.  These were seriously deeeeelish….so much so that I almost ordered another batch.

Instead I waited until the second intermission and opted for one of their appy specials…Ginger Beef.  Also crazy delicious.

I can’t even describe the rush of being in that restaurant absolutely jammed full of fans that night.  When the clock ticked down for the last few seconds and we knew the win was ours the room went WILD.  Exhilarating!!!

This is what we live for.

As Cat and I made the drive back to her place we absolutely revelled in the win, enjoyed every minute of excitement and were thoroughly awed by the number of people out celebrating in the streets, on the side of highways, in their front yards, and on most every corner we passed between Vancouver and Coquitlam.

I can only imagine the state of the city when the boys win that big shiny trophy tonight!!  Game 7.  Oh.my.Gawd.  Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

We celebrated with a couple of smooshed but still tasty and relevant cupcakes.

Saturday morning we made a grand discovery!

Cora has finally arrived in BC!!  And only 10 minutes from Cat’s house!  When we saw it we knew we had to go in and have brunch in honour of our bloggy girlfriends!  (Amy, Jen, Angie, Tasha, Lynn, Lesley and Lex – this breakfast was for you!)

My favourite veggie omelette…

With super duper extra fresh fruit…

Now if Cora could step on over to the island we’d be set. ;)

We spent our afternoon shopping for skin care products, lounging around the apartment, and primping for our big “date” night.

Amazing dinner you will all just die for (but of course I’ll make you wait)…

And a fantastic show we literally cried for!

Bestest.date.evah! :)

Nervous Fan

Tick off another addition to the Starbucks mug collection.  When I tried to buy one on previous trips to Vancouver I either couldn’t find one or forgot completely. 

Coffee brewed at home like a good girl. 

Normal healthy breakfast with some of the most deeeelish grapes evah!

I was off to massage this afternoon and didn’t have time for lunch.  Just the rest of my breakfast banana and multiple handfuls of Ikea crack candy.  (x a bazillion)

After work it was time for Game 6.  Are you sick of my Canucks talk?  Don’t worry, one more game and it’ll all be over.

Wait.  ONE.MORE.GAME.  Yikes.  I’ve never been so nervous over sports in my life.  And I was once smashed in the face with a baseball so hard that I still have a gimpy scar on my tongue.  Baseballs make me nervous…

…Game 7 makes me pee in my pants a little.  Eeeeeeeek.

Tonight’s game was viewed in a super crowded sports pub/restaurant with a bunch of the girls (and one token boy).  Sliders was certainly hopping with extremely vocal and excited fans.

Too bad that by the time I got my pizza the game had slipped far enough that I thought I’d lose my appetite.  (hahahaha, as if that would ever happen!!)

It’s OK boys.  I really wanted you to win that cup at home anyway. 

Bring it home!!!

Canucks Fever

This weekend I rowed the boat over to Vancouver.  I was actually there to visit friends and see Wicked, but conveniently I happened to land up smack dab in the middle of a whole lot of Vancouver Canucks fever!

While walking down Robson Street my friend Sarah and I encountered this fan-mobile.  Nutty!!  (I actually saw multiple crazy cars all decked out but this was the only one parked so I could get photos.)

Pretty much every local business, no matter what they sold, had something Canucks related going on.  Canucks Caramel Apple anyone?

Canucks cupcakes for the win!!  (I did indeed buy a couple of these for me and Cat).

We did take a stab at finding a pub near CBC Square to watch the game but it was just too chaotic and busy.  Instead Sarah and I wandered the pre-game crowds while waiting for Cat to get off work.

This is West Georgia Street around 3pm.  The game didn’t start until 5pm so I can only imagine how insane the crowds were by then (and that’s just one of the multiple streets blocked off for outdoor viewing). 

They say that something like 250,000 extra people have been in the downtown core during game nights.  Insane!

We booked it on out of the stampeding crowds and watched the game in a fun, super packed restaurant/bar with multiple bigass TVs instead. 

Being there during the Game 5 win was so incredibly fun!!! 

I brought my sign home to show support in my apartment window. :)

Even my phone got a tattoo for the festivities.

Tonight…GAME ON.  This could be our BIGGEST WIN EVER.

Here’s a little video to get you in the mood…

The story of Johnny Canuck!

Go Canucks Go!