At Home With Mom

This weekend was all about my Mama!  Being that it was not only Mother’s Day yesterday, but also her birthday!  Happy Birthday, Mama!

Hilariously I only took a picture of her giant card and the traditional annual hanging basket I brought her.  One year we might actually take pictures of US! 

While I let her sleep in yesterday morning I decided to take Chibi on another stroll around my childhood neighbourhood.  We have already walked around my old high school in the snow and last month we took a wander to the nearby mall so this time I decided to head for some nature and took in the Colliery Dam Park in Nanaimo. 

When I was a kid we used to have to climb over a huge, scary fence and run through a field (we were sure there was a mean bull in there!) to get to the park from my house, but now the field is gone and houses have been built, and along with those houses came a proper pathway right to the entrance of the park.

So much development has gone on in the area that I was not entirely sure what to expect at the park.  I’m happy to report that it’s still just as lush and beautiful as ever!  In fact, I don’t remember it being this nice when I was a kid! 

In high school phys ed we occasionally had to run from the school to this park, through the trails and back down the other side.  We HATED the ‘Dam Run’.  After walking through it yesterday I now realize we had no idea what we were talking about!  It’s gorgeous.

No trip down memory lane is complete without a trek through the school field.  The Dogwood trees are in bloom right now and I’m in love.

Not a bad way to spend a gloriously sunny morning at home!

Memory Walk

Some people like to show their kids where they used to live, or played soccer, or swam in the Summer.  I took my dog for a walk around my old high school.

Parts of it seem exactly the same.  And other parts seem like a totally different school.  I wonder if a community garden would have worked during my high school years?

As we drove up my Mom’s street I realized this Tot-Lot is still there!  It’s not like I never visit, but I guess I just assumed this death trap of a play park wouldn’t be there any more.  Those spring based toys were dangerous!

I swear I rode this horse a thousand times in the 80’s. 

Nothing like realizing that to slap yourself in the face with your age.  :)

Deja Dinner

Yesterday was a bit of a slacker day.  No condos to view and of course most of my friends are working during the day. 

Ran across the street for coffee and ended up coming back with a triple grande half-sweet hazelnut non-fat latte…

And a piece of reduced fat banana chocolate chip loaf…

I actually ended up working for about three hours because our sales team had a really great day and rather than letting the work pile up I figured I’d help out since I had the time.  Somewhere during all of that I made a bowl of yogurt, bananas, and granola…

Mid afternoon I got in touch with my friend Kristoff…he lives nearby and works for himself so he was happy to get out for some fresh air with me.  We walked along the Gorge waterway for about an hour…I’m guessing probably like 6km or so in total.  Beautiful day…I really should have taken pictures for you all!  (I keep saying that!!)

While we walked, I enjoyed another Iced Soy Latte from the cute little Cafe Fantastico below Tiffaney’s building.

When I got back to the condo I needed lunch.  Leftover Dirty Risotto was definitely on the menu, but I wanted to keep it light so I served up about half a cup on top of some salad fixings I found in Tiff’s fridge…

So good.  Risotto is actually one of my all time fave meals and Tiff’s totally hits the spot!

The rest of the afternoon I mostly spent just puttering around on my computer and not doing much of anything.  When Tiff got home we decided to head out for dinner.  Liane had been talking about Pag’s just recently so it was front and foremost on my mind…so we decided to give it a go.

Pag’s (actually Pagliacci’s) is a Victoria institution.  It’s been here for a zillion years and is always packed.  Last night was no different…as we walked up there were people waiting on the sidewalk.  Thankfully though, because we were a table of two we were seated almost right away.  :)

As soon as we walked in I saw a familiar face.  You see, there was once another Pag’s location in Nanaimo where I grew up…and I worked at a funky little cafe in the same neighbourhood.  Our staff and theirs were all friends and a few people actually worked at both restaurants.  I used to run our Sunday brunch with another server…Jan-O…and Jan-O had come to us from Pag’s.  So wouldn’t you know it that here we are some 12-15 years later and who is our server last night but Jan-O!!

Deja vu much?!!

So to keep the reunion feel going I decided to order the exact same meal I would order when I was 18.  I used to eat at the Nanaimo location like 3 times a week and ordered the same thing over and over again.  :)

Greenleaf Salad with Yogurt-Dill dressing (this was the salad that made me love chickpeas in my salad!!)…

Hemmingway’s Short Story.  1/2 order.  With fresh tomatoes added…

Tiffaney and I also shared a half-litre of Pinot Grigio…

(which somehow magically refilled itself during our meal…hehe)

And every meal at Pag’s requires indulging pretty much face first into the basket of homemade focaccia bread.  This, dear readers, was like biting into a piece of my teenage years.  The taste of that bread took me right back to my barstool at the Pag’s I remember so fondly.  AMAZING.

Since we were having so much fun (remember Tiff and I were friends in high school, so she has many of the same memories!) we decided the meal wouldn’t be complete without Pag’s infamous Checkerboard Cake!

Cheesecake and Chocolate Cake woven together.  Does it get any better than this?  I don’t think so!!

We ate half and I’m already thinking about the other half tucked away in the fridge right now… *sigh*

What a completely amazing stroll down memory lane.  Oddly enough, I lived in Victoria for 8 years and never once had dinner at this Pag’s.  Brunch several times, but never dinner.  Now…I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll be trying to eat there once a week!  So deeeeeelish and fun! 

Sunny Sunday!

Yaaaieeee!  As forecasted, the sun has appeared.  It’s already about 15+ out there and it’s supposed to get up to 21!  FH is running an errand while I putter in the yard (fighting those nasty dandelions!), then we are off for a waterside walk at Dingle Park!

Last night was great fun.  I put out too much food (as usual) but we didn’t eat dinner so the veggie platter was a good idea. 

I put out a few sweet treats too since I know our friend likes them and they had brought their daughter along too.  (Funny enough, she didn’t even look twice at the candy…what a kid!).

FH bought some new wine so I decided to have a couple of glasses.  I’ve put a slowdown on my drinking for the next few weeks because I still have that empty-hungry feeling going on and my Mom had a good thought that it may be the beginning of an ulcer.  If so, then alcohol and coffee need to be cut back (nooooooo, not coffee!!!).  I’ve been trying to get in to see my doctor to find out for sure, but so far I can’t get in.  I’ll try again on Monday.

Anyone have experience with a mild ulcer?

    

Our friends also brought a cake over which they won at their daughter’s school Fun Fair.  Does anyone else remember Cake Walks from elementary school?  This totally brought back memories of my best friend and I trying to make a fun cake on our own.  We baked a cake in an angle food pan, then stuck a Barbie in the middle to make it look like she was wearing a big, poofy dress.  Of course, we were like 10 years old and had no idea how to make icing.  We basically mixed milk and icing sugar…so Barbie’s dress was more “glazed” than “frosted”.  :)

This cake was just a white layer cake with Betty Crocker frosting and sprinkles…which had started to slide due to being moved around a lot.  But like we said, it doesn’t matter what cake looks like…it still tastes like cake!

OK, that’s enough computer on this SUNNY SUNDAY.  See you later!