Bonus Thursday Night blogging
Topic: Stephen Says
An amusing & interesting article. So why not click it and see if you agree.

By the way, we're over 400 entries over here; slowly working our way to 500. Only 97 to go.

Tired
Mood:  spacey
Now Playing: Some mix tape
Topic: Stephen Says
So very, very tired.
Nothing to say - I work & I eat & I sleep.
But spring is here. You can smell it in the air. And unlike Montreal, springtime in Woking doesn't smell like melting dog poop.

The prodigal returns?
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: piano lessons upstairs
Topic: Stephen Says
Jeeze, it’s been a while. I don’t know, I think I’ve been needing a blogging respite. It’s started to feel like work updating things. Anyway, what’s been going on with me?

Mom’s visit was very nice and relaxing. It was also (deserved) time off for myself as I was starting to burn out/ reach the limits of my tether. I suppose the rambling & repetitive rants that preceded my disappearance from Stephen & Elisabeth Land were enough of a signifier of my mental state. Anyhow, all is good now & I’m all chilled out and ready to resume stressing myself out.

The recipe du jour is baked gnocchi. I got this recipe via a colleague via her boyfriend: fry up a red onion, add chopped tomatoes & lots of oregano. Boil & simmer. Add to a casserole dish with fresh gnocchi (Not yet cooked) and mix together. Top with fresh mozzarella and bake until it starts to go golden on top. Just delish! I tweaked it a bit but that was the basic recipe and there are enough Italians reading this that I’m sure you’ve all got fantastic ideas on how to make this sucker taste even better.

We saw V for Vendetta on the weekend – a relatively faithful adaptation of the comic. Think of the movie version to American Psycho – sure it wasn’t verbatim but the spirit of the thing was there. Of course, the comic was better.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Mood:  hug me
Now Playing: Nick Cave
Topic: Elisabeth's Entries

Fighting the urge to drink the whole bottle of wine and snack on chunks of cheese.

A typical afternoon.

Stephen's cooking "Baked Fettucini al Funghi" and I'm salivating at the smells.

We've had a very relaxing weekend of buying & reading books one of which is scaring me off of eating food completely. It'a called "Not on the Label" by Felicity Lawrence. She's been a food correspondent for the Guardian for over 20 years.

To sum up so far:

1. Chicken in the UK is often imported from Holland (who has imported these chickens from Brazil & Thailand). Then they plump up the chicken with water & hydrolyzed proteins. The later are "proteins extracted at high temperatures or by chemical hydrolysis from old animals or parts of animals which are no use for food, such as skin, hide, bone, ligaments and feathers. Rather like cosmetic collagen implants, they make the flesh swell up and retain liquid." This often means that the meat is only 54% of the meat it says it is, and that even Halal chicken can contain pork and beef. Yikes. I'm definitely a card-carrying vegetarian now, no exceptions. Why? Because this chicken from Holland is imported into the UK, where it is processed & then packaged as being UK produce (only because it was packed in the UK. This is consistent with current UK law. So the consumer believes they are buying UK poultry, supporting local farmers. Sorry ol' chap.) The chicken is then sold to all major supermarkets (who are responsible for this system in order to beat competition), catering companies, which provide food to fast food outlets, restaurants, pubs, clubs, schools, hospitals, etc...This does not only apply to chicken; it can be beef, ham, even fish. And this is the tip of the iceberg...it's only chapter 1.

Otherwise, we're just lazy, and enjoying it. We had our first relatively warm & sunny day today, which gives me hope that tomorrow will really bring Spring...please, oh, please!

Finally bought the Driving Theory test manual & highway code & I'm looking into private driving lessons tomorrow.

I've also been reading about the amazing amount of potentially health hazardous chemicals we daily absorb through our skin from lotions, potions, shampoos, make-up etc... this combined with The Body Shop being taken over by L'Oreal (Rodick you are a sell-out and a disappointment!) I will no longer be shopping at my ex-favourite supplier of body butter.

There are alternatives, it only requires a bit of extra work. But it'll be baby steps or burn out.

The week in pictures
Mood:  hungry
Now Playing: BBC4
Topic: Elisabeth's Entries
Ok so to sum up, we have had a lovely week with Stephen's mother... as mentioned in the last blog, we went to London on Saturday:

WALKING TOWARDS CAMDEN MARKET

We had fun trowlling through the stalls but eventually left it all behind for the Tate Modern. Here is the view from the Millenium Bridge

Once in the Tate, we explored Rachel Whiteread's exhibition of white boxes.

Stephen found he had magical powers:

Finally, the weary group rests on a bench:

On Monday Stephen & Susan went down to Dorest to visit with Stephen's Nain (grandmother) and braved the chilly weather to stroll on the beach. Unfortunately no pictures were taken.

That brings us to Tuesday, Susan's 60th birthday. The day started with a shower...

...of balloons!

Then there was cava & prezzies:

After a relaxing day, we found ourselves in Weatherspoons for a drink before dinner, which of course was at L'Aroma...the most fabulous Italain restaurant in Surrey (sorry Don Beni's).

And now we recover. I'm trying to shake off a cold, and Stephen's back at work. Apartment hunting tops our list of things to do this Saturday. Plus sleep of course.

How are all of you?

Sunday Already?
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: David Francy
Topic: Elisabeth's Entries

It's Sunday already & we're taking the day to CHILL-OUT! Since Susan (Stephen's mother) arrived on Wednesday, it has been one action-packed non-stop adventure.

Wednesday: Susan arrives in the morning-and recovers from jet lag. Stephen had the day off, and after work, I met them at the pub for drinks before a curry at Thali Thali.

Thursday Stephen & Susan went to Guildford, while I was back at work. It was typical English weather--damp, overcast, periodic drizzle with gale force winds. Despite this they had a very good time seeing the Alice & Wonderland garden, the castle, & shops. We just chilled out in the evening & watched Christopher Guest's "Best in Show".

Friday: Elisabeth back at work while Susan & Stephen "do woking" In the evening Stephen made a Morrocan-style couscous & vegetable dish, before we headed out to the Woking theatre to see Festen, which is on its way to Broadway. The play was enjoyed by all & discussed afterwards in the pub.

Saturday was London Day. Our first stop was Camden market where we enjoyed some market-stall shopping & eating. Then we headed over to the Tate Modern. We got home, ate guacamole & watched "A Mighty Wind." Pictures to come.

Off to Woking...

Gray Sky
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: BBC4
Topic: Elisabeth's Entries

I should be jogging right now as it's just past 7am, but I've a good excuse today: Stephen's mother is arriving in about an hour! And while Stephen is in the shower, someone has to man the phones.

Also I've been feeling under the weather, so probably best not to push myself too much eh?

Last night I gave my very first piano lesson. It was a lot of fun. I now have to figure out how to explain chords for the next lesson. Any tips? (look in a book...)

It's now time for me to get ready for work while Stephen makes a smoothie & takes care of the last bits of tidying up.

More blogging to come, stay tuned!

Suspension
Mood:  crushed out
Now Playing: Nick Cave
Topic: Elisabeth's Entries
This weekend has been pleasant & over too quickly. We had a quiet Friday night in...followed by a lazy Saturday laced with a few chores. More happily, we went out with the spit-roasting queen & her friends for dinner in Weybridge. There was a girl my age who might be starting piano lessons with me next week, which is rather exciting.

Today, being a sunny morning, we walked the canal into town & had a pub lunch with the paper. After our customary trip to Sainsbury's and the insanity that comes with it, we made it back home to relax. And so relaxed now, that I'm going to go to bed.

This Wednesday, Susan, Stephen's mother arrives!

Stuff
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Tricky - Blowback
Topic: Stephen Says
Well, it's been quite a week. My plan of doing no over time at all this week turned into doing 11 hours of it. And in the same week that I got to feel like a shit and take part in sectioning someone under the mental health act, I was made deputy manager.
Again.

Anyway, this time it's going to be official, as opposed to the 'acting deputy manager' that I was before and have been referred to as whenever The Boss is sressed and he feels like throwing more work at me. It doesn't make any sense, I know. Basically, I'm delegated a ton of work and then I re-delegate it to everyone else. I'm the middle man, so to speak. I also get paid more, which makes it worthwhile.

Otherwise, E&I are just being incredibly boring, awaiting mom's visit and being even more boring. I'm looking forward to the time off.
Barcelona?
What was that?
I need another break!

Unbeleivable.
Topic: Stephen Says
Words can't describe it. just CLICK HERE and be amazed.
(Note: you'll want a braodband connection for this sucka)