Today, Sophie and I went to the movies. Just the two of us because Geli again had to study. As usual, we were running late in the morning. So we ran to the movies. Sophie is a pretty good runner! We made it there like at 11:05, and the movie was at 11:00, so we didn't miss anything. An odd thing about the "cinema" here, the seats are numbered! So it really doesn't matter what time you get there, your seat is waiting. Kinda cool.
We bought the tickets online, the night before. It was a Rapunzel movie, called Tangled(I think). It was okay. There are many other disney movies I prefer, but Sophie liked it. She sat through the whole thing, without any problems. After that, we went grocery shopping. Then home.
On another note, I watched 2 football games today(online streams)!! Manchester United vs Chelsea, and Pumas vs Monterrey. Both were awesome games! Chicharito scored, and Pumas won! Goooooooooooooya!!! A semifinales!
And for the random picture of the day, what is this?! hahaha
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Sometimes you have fun at the castle...
Today the mailman woke us up. They finally delivered Sophie's shoes!!!! We ordered them April 19th!! And they got here today. Wouldn't be an issue, except she picked them out on the site, so she had been asking for them for a while!! So of course she had to wear them today...
So today Geli wanted us out of the house so she could concentrate. So Sophie and I wandered around the town. We went to the Trinity church tower because there was some vegan cupcakes for sale, but by the time we got there, they were out :( Which is good really, that there was a high demand for them. Bad that we didn't get any. This is what the building looked like:
Once at the castle, we hung out at the front of it. Something we usually don't do. Sophie was blowing bubbles, then asking me to blow them for her and she "catches" them. We got a crows of kids around us, and Sophie played with them.
We must have played bubbles for about an hour! Kids came, and left, and other kids replaced them. But Sophie wanted more and more bubbles...so we kept at it.
After the park, we went grocery shopping. Then we got some chips(fries!), and went home for lunch. Nice day at the park :) And Geli got her peace and quiet, at least for a bit....
So today Geli wanted us out of the house so she could concentrate. So Sophie and I wandered around the town. We went to the Trinity church tower because there was some vegan cupcakes for sale, but by the time we got there, they were out :( Which is good really, that there was a high demand for them. Bad that we didn't get any. This is what the building looked like:
The entrace to the cafe(was a church, and a Roman tower before that!) |
The inside of the church converted to a cafe haha They should do that to all churches really, put them to good use. |
Once at the castle, we hung out at the front of it. Something we usually don't do. Sophie was blowing bubbles, then asking me to blow them for her and she "catches" them. We got a crows of kids around us, and Sophie played with them.
We must have played bubbles for about an hour! Kids came, and left, and other kids replaced them. But Sophie wanted more and more bubbles...so we kept at it.
After the park, we went grocery shopping. Then we got some chips(fries!), and went home for lunch. Nice day at the park :) And Geli got her peace and quiet, at least for a bit....
Friday, May 6, 2011
Knitting?! And your inner fish!
First, let me say that there are few things that awe me more than learning about ancestry. Both biological, and cosmological. This time, I was wowed by this BBC article. Read it, and I hope you can watch the video! If not, let me know, and I will try to find a US source for it. But the article has the information, the video is just a graphic time lapse of what the article describes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13278255
Seriously, take the time to read it! Way too awesome! Your inner fish!
Now, today. I went to a knitting class. I never ever thought I would. But it was fun. Clare, one of the vegans we met through the NESX Vegan group here in Colchester was having a presentation on knitting. So Sophie and I went, so Geli could study. And sophie made this:
With a little help from me, who in turn had help from Clare. It is a tiny bag. She likes it! She also got some gummy candy! Look at her surprised face:
On the way back, I decided to test the HIGH ISO capabilities of the camera. Most of these shots were in 3200 and 6400 ISO, which is ridiculously high. Usually, this makes pictures very grainy, and well ugly. These aren't too bad. I mean, if you blow them up, you can see the noise, but other cameras, like our previous, the shots are almost useless at even 1600 ISO.
These shots are all very sloppy, more like snapshots. But if you don't look too closely, they're ok haha I just wanted to show you guys a little more of Colchester.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13278255
Seriously, take the time to read it! Way too awesome! Your inner fish!
Now, today. I went to a knitting class. I never ever thought I would. But it was fun. Clare, one of the vegans we met through the NESX Vegan group here in Colchester was having a presentation on knitting. So Sophie and I went, so Geli could study. And sophie made this:
With a little help from me, who in turn had help from Clare. It is a tiny bag. She likes it! She also got some gummy candy! Look at her surprised face:
On the way back, I decided to test the HIGH ISO capabilities of the camera. Most of these shots were in 3200 and 6400 ISO, which is ridiculously high. Usually, this makes pictures very grainy, and well ugly. These aren't too bad. I mean, if you blow them up, you can see the noise, but other cameras, like our previous, the shots are almost useless at even 1600 ISO.
I forgot the lens hood, I wonder if the clare would have been reduced with it, since the light is almost direct. |
These shots are all very sloppy, more like snapshots. But if you don't look too closely, they're ok haha I just wanted to show you guys a little more of Colchester.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Playing with Sophie...
Sophie loves habits. She eats things a certain way. She does things a certain way. Her latest habit is to not be Sophie. She will be anything, but not Sophie. She will be a dog, monster, cat, sheep, goat, horse, caillou, Wall-e, eve, even kids from her daycare. Another thing that has become a habit is playing in her room, with one of us, for hours...it takes a long time. And like today, if it doesn't happen, she feels betrayed. I promised her we would play tomorrow morning though. These are pics from a couple days ago
And for the random picture of the day:
And for the random picture of the day:
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Football
I miss it....
I really enjoyed my weekly, sometimes bi-weekly game or two. I enjoy following a team for the whole season. Knowing how the other teams are doing, etc. I really don't care which league really. English, Spanish, Mexican. The league of wherever I am at(except the MLS in the US, luckily, i can watch the mexican league while in the US!). I thought coming here meant English football!! But no...not quite. It costs a lot of ££££! lol
TV License + cable + Sky Sports + ESPN = too much to spend when I am the only one working
We did go see the local team once, Colchester United. And it was pretty cool. They are in League one, which is like 3ra division. Again, can't follow on TV or go to every game, so yeah...
And here are some school kids playing at Castle Park. Reminded me of Juarez, and playing at school. Except we had no grass, just concrete haha
I really enjoyed my weekly, sometimes bi-weekly game or two. I enjoy following a team for the whole season. Knowing how the other teams are doing, etc. I really don't care which league really. English, Spanish, Mexican. The league of wherever I am at(except the MLS in the US, luckily, i can watch the mexican league while in the US!). I thought coming here meant English football!! But no...not quite. It costs a lot of ££££! lol
TV License + cable + Sky Sports + ESPN = too much to spend when I am the only one working
We did go see the local team once, Colchester United. And it was pretty cool. They are in League one, which is like 3ra division. Again, can't follow on TV or go to every game, so yeah...
And here are some school kids playing at Castle Park. Reminded me of Juarez, and playing at school. Except we had no grass, just concrete haha
Monday, May 2, 2011
Work Work Work...
For the obvious error of the day, we have:
Problem with Program. There is a program problem. Now I know what's wrong, yes! On a more serious note though, I really hate Mondays. I mean, I am having an awesome time on the always too short weekend, even when doing nothing. It is awesome. And then I have to wake up on Monday to this:
Okay, well this was at noon, which is actually almost at the end of my shift, since I get out at 2pm. I hate complaining about work, because it is a pretty sweet setup I have, being able to work from across the Atlantic Ocean and all. But this is a serious buzz kill...can you say under staffed? There is calls holding pretty much all the time. The average, I would say is around 6-10 calls holding at all times. And when your service desk is composed of about 30 people, that is a lot. Needless to say, holding 21 minutes to get your password reset, or reset a hung citrix session is ludicrous. But it almost seems like that's the normal state at work now, calls holding at all times. I actually get about 45 minutes of relative peace since I come in at 5am Milwaukee time(I am the only person in at 5am). And from like 5-6am I only get a couple of calls on average. But as soon as 6am rolls around, calls holding at all times. It sucks for us, it sucks for the clients. But I guess that's what they get for outsourcing IT to us and the winners are our executives who get to cash in on us keeping the company running while they hire the least amount of people possible to keep the revenue flowing...
And for the random picture of the day:
Problem with Program. There is a program problem. Now I know what's wrong, yes! On a more serious note though, I really hate Mondays. I mean, I am having an awesome time on the always too short weekend, even when doing nothing. It is awesome. And then I have to wake up on Monday to this:
This is my phone, and when I get off a call, it tells me how many are holding and for how long... |
Okay, well this was at noon, which is actually almost at the end of my shift, since I get out at 2pm. I hate complaining about work, because it is a pretty sweet setup I have, being able to work from across the Atlantic Ocean and all. But this is a serious buzz kill...can you say under staffed? There is calls holding pretty much all the time. The average, I would say is around 6-10 calls holding at all times. And when your service desk is composed of about 30 people, that is a lot. Needless to say, holding 21 minutes to get your password reset, or reset a hung citrix session is ludicrous. But it almost seems like that's the normal state at work now, calls holding at all times. I actually get about 45 minutes of relative peace since I come in at 5am Milwaukee time(I am the only person in at 5am). And from like 5-6am I only get a couple of calls on average. But as soon as 6am rolls around, calls holding at all times. It sucks for us, it sucks for the clients. But I guess that's what they get for outsourcing IT to us and the winners are our executives who get to cash in on us keeping the company running while they hire the least amount of people possible to keep the revenue flowing...
And for the random picture of the day:
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sometimes at 4 am, the kitchen ceiling falls...
Before going to bed last night, like at 3 am I went for a glass of water. The ceiling was swollen!! Like a bubble, and it was dripping a few drops of water. I looked for the source of the leak, but could not find it. I literally saw the ceiling blow up like a bubble, like another inch. It was odd...it is not every day you see the house move!
I would have done something, but truth is I suck at anything having to do with house repairs. And I went upstairs, to check the bathroom, to see if something was leaking, or to see if I could spot the problem from there. But nothing, everything looked normal.
So we went to sleep....and at 4 am, we hear a loud noise. Some crashing sound, some dishes. And I kind of knew...the ceiling fell on the sink. But for some reason, I also could not shake the irrational fear that someone was in the house. I know, its weak sauce to be afraid, but I couldn't help it. I finally had to convince myself of something I already knew(odd, I know!), which was that the ceiling fell, and not that someone broke in the house. So I go downstairs. And what do I see? This:
And the ceiling on the floor and on the kitchen sink...lovely. I took the scraps and moved them to the yard. And I would have called the landlord, but they weren't going to answer. They never do.
I called in the morning, and left a message. They probably won't hear it until Tuesday, since tomorrow is a holiday here. So meanwhile, we have a hole in the kitchen. I still have no idea where the water came from...no more water seems to be there, so I don't know how or why that happened. They better not try to tell me that it is our fault and we have to pay. This was sudden. Its not like there was a bubble of water for days or weeks and I ignored it. I saw it at 3am, it fell at 4am. No constant leak, no gushing water. But landlords suck, and tend to find a way of making us pay for things.
And now, for a completely unrelated picture. Here is Sophie sitting on the Moped in Milwaukee(08/12/2010)!!
I would have done something, but truth is I suck at anything having to do with house repairs. And I went upstairs, to check the bathroom, to see if something was leaking, or to see if I could spot the problem from there. But nothing, everything looked normal.
So we went to sleep....and at 4 am, we hear a loud noise. Some crashing sound, some dishes. And I kind of knew...the ceiling fell on the sink. But for some reason, I also could not shake the irrational fear that someone was in the house. I know, its weak sauce to be afraid, but I couldn't help it. I finally had to convince myself of something I already knew(odd, I know!), which was that the ceiling fell, and not that someone broke in the house. So I go downstairs. And what do I see? This:
And the ceiling on the floor and on the kitchen sink...lovely. I took the scraps and moved them to the yard. And I would have called the landlord, but they weren't going to answer. They never do.
I called in the morning, and left a message. They probably won't hear it until Tuesday, since tomorrow is a holiday here. So meanwhile, we have a hole in the kitchen. I still have no idea where the water came from...no more water seems to be there, so I don't know how or why that happened. They better not try to tell me that it is our fault and we have to pay. This was sudden. Its not like there was a bubble of water for days or weeks and I ignored it. I saw it at 3am, it fell at 4am. No constant leak, no gushing water. But landlords suck, and tend to find a way of making us pay for things.
And now, for a completely unrelated picture. Here is Sophie sitting on the Moped in Milwaukee(08/12/2010)!!
Friday, April 29, 2011
The coffee that led to getting cayenne powder in my eyes!
So I was making our usual Friday night coffee so we can stay up after Sophie goes to sleep, watching a movie, organizing pictures(yeah, we need that much time for that haha), watching youtube videos, playing cards, or whatever. But we stay up later than usual, and since we are weak sauce, we need some help staying up now. So caffeine is how we do that.
Today, all was going as usual. As soon as I was off of work, I started preparing the coffees(and chocolate soymilk for Sophie!). But, then something went terribly wrong. And not for the first time. I confused the cayenne pepper for the cinnamon, and put cayenne pepper in my coffee.
This was before adding the hot water, so the entire coffee was not ruined. But I did have to redo the powdered coffee(I couldn't think of a way to separate cayenne from coffee). I should probably tell you we use instant coffee, because we have a kettle, and not a coffee maker. And we are not going to buy another appliance that we are just going to leave behind later this year, or have to move somewhere. Anyway, I like cinnamon in my coffee. And I did Geli's with cocoa powder. This had happened to me with pancakes before too. I added cayenne to the flour, instead of cinnamon...you would think I would learn by now!
So this is all fine, but how did cayenne powder end up in my eyes you ask?! Let me tell you. I am a genius. I couldn't come up with a better story if I tried. So I took out the coffee + cayenne pepper out and had to throw it out(I felt bad, I can't stand throwing food away, so wasteful). And there was a tiny tiny bit left in the cup. And what does this genius do. Blow it out! And it was in a cup, so where did it go? right back at my face and in my eyes! And cayenne pepper is pretty hot. I ran for the faucet and rinsed, but it still burned massively!
And that is how I got cayenne pepper in my eyes while making coffee!
Today, all was going as usual. As soon as I was off of work, I started preparing the coffees(and chocolate soymilk for Sophie!). But, then something went terribly wrong. And not for the first time. I confused the cayenne pepper for the cinnamon, and put cayenne pepper in my coffee.
This was before adding the hot water, so the entire coffee was not ruined. But I did have to redo the powdered coffee(I couldn't think of a way to separate cayenne from coffee). I should probably tell you we use instant coffee, because we have a kettle, and not a coffee maker. And we are not going to buy another appliance that we are just going to leave behind later this year, or have to move somewhere. Anyway, I like cinnamon in my coffee. And I did Geli's with cocoa powder. This had happened to me with pancakes before too. I added cayenne to the flour, instead of cinnamon...you would think I would learn by now!
So this is all fine, but how did cayenne powder end up in my eyes you ask?! Let me tell you. I am a genius. I couldn't come up with a better story if I tried. So I took out the coffee + cayenne pepper out and had to throw it out(I felt bad, I can't stand throwing food away, so wasteful). And there was a tiny tiny bit left in the cup. And what does this genius do. Blow it out! And it was in a cup, so where did it go? right back at my face and in my eyes! And cayenne pepper is pretty hot. I ran for the faucet and rinsed, but it still burned massively!
And that is how I got cayenne pepper in my eyes while making coffee!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Spices!
So we use a lot of them. Not necessarily at the same time, but definitely a lot of them. Part of it because we are always trying new things(Geli browses vegan recipe blogs and has to try 1-2 NEW recipes each week!). Another part because we try a lot of diverse cuisines, and another because I put a lot of extra things that most people wouldn't in food(I call them secret ingredients haha).
I am feeling the need to nest now(lol!). We need a houuuuuuusssseeee!!! So I can order or make or figure out a way to store our massive spice collection in a more orderly way! haha Okay, that is not why I want a house, but it is certainly something that I cannot do until we have a house. Because as most of you know, moving things is not fun.
And having to move them across the ocean, is well, pretty much impossible...as we will most likely have to do in the coming months :(
Just an idea of what we use. Ask me what we use it for, and I will tell you. They were all bought for a recipe, or are used regularly.
Sea Salt
Black Salt!!
Seasoned Salt
Peppercorns
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Powder
Crushed Chili
Oregano
Thyme
Basil
Marjoram
Turmeric
Cloves
Allspice
Garam Masala
Curry Powder
Parsley
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Ginger
Mustard Seeds
Coriander
Sage
Nutritional yeast
Along with these, which are also part of our cooking arsenal:
White wine vinegar
Apple Cyder vinegar
Maple Vingar(A revelation since we moved to the UK!)
Sriracha(Cock sauce)
Various hot sauces
Soy Sauce
Sunflower oil
Toasted Sesame Oil
Olive oil
Liquid seasoning(the weak Bragg's substitute we found over here)
So there you go...we like spices. And food. Very much!
I am feeling the need to nest now(lol!). We need a houuuuuuusssseeee!!! So I can order or make or figure out a way to store our massive spice collection in a more orderly way! haha Okay, that is not why I want a house, but it is certainly something that I cannot do until we have a house. Because as most of you know, moving things is not fun.
And having to move them across the ocean, is well, pretty much impossible...as we will most likely have to do in the coming months :(
Just an idea of what we use. Ask me what we use it for, and I will tell you. They were all bought for a recipe, or are used regularly.
Sea Salt
Black Salt!!
Seasoned Salt
Peppercorns
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Powder
Crushed Chili
Oregano
Thyme
Basil
Marjoram
Turmeric
Cloves
Allspice
Garam Masala
Curry Powder
Parsley
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Ginger
Mustard Seeds
Coriander
Sage
Nutritional yeast
Along with these, which are also part of our cooking arsenal:
White wine vinegar
Apple Cyder vinegar
Maple Vingar(A revelation since we moved to the UK!)
Sriracha(Cock sauce)
Various hot sauces
Soy Sauce
Sunflower oil
Toasted Sesame Oil
Olive oil
Liquid seasoning(the weak Bragg's substitute we found over here)
So there you go...we like spices. And food. Very much!
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