Friday, November 19, 2010

The New Generation of Perogy Pinchers

7:11 AM | Posted by Anne | | Edit Post

Monday was perogy day. I told two of my friends about perogies and how delicious they are and then convinced them to help me make some. It still boggles my mind that people don't know about perogies. I can't imagine life without them. That is why even though they take a lot of effort to make I do it because I LOVE them. 

Lauren and Amanda helped me out and did a fantastic job. It took me so long to make them last time I did them by myself but with these two we just motored. Here they are hard at work.

We froze a few, boiled the rest and then even ate a couple (dozen). 

This was out set up. My dough mat hard at work. I love that thing! 

This is Lauren trying to fish out the perogy she dropped in the flame. 

Don't worry nothing goes to waste here, we ate it. 

This is Amanda and her "practically perfect perogy", as she called it. 

I think I got it in the ones I took home and it was delicious! 

Two thumbs up for my perogy pinchers! 

(Side note: when I went to my Catholic elementary school, ladies from the church affiliated with our school called themselves "The Perogy Pinchers" and sold us perogies about once a month. We are the next generation)

I am looking a little hunched over and sweaty from all the dough rolling I did. 

But it was worth it! 

In the end I think we made about 8 dozen perogies and only ate about 2 dozen of them that night. Joel and I ate all of ours within about 24 hours. Sooo good. Thanks ladies for your help, we have to do it again when we come back from holidays. 

 Now on to MOVEMBER!
For those of you that don't know what Movember is, click here.
Basically Joel is growing a moustache and raising money for prostate cancer research. Here is what it looks like this week. Classy right?

Some of our generous family and friends have already donated and if you want to too just follow this link. http://ca.movember.com/mospace/1266300/. He is part of a team so feel free to donate to them as well or just check out all their nice staches. 

I'll leave you with one more picture of Joel's ever growing moustache.

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Employed and Certified

7:53 AM | Posted by Anne | | Edit Post

Yep I got a job! 

Well it is only one day a week and when ever else they need me but it is something. I have only worked one day of training and it was only for about 4 hours. It is at a hotel doing reception and basic customer service needs. Seems simple and the place is really cute. The managers that run the place are really nice and fun. I think I am going to like getting out of the house and meeting some new people and hopefully getting to know the island a bit more. I am replacing someone that is moving off the island but he does not leave till the beginning of December, so I don't expect I will be working much till then. And then we leave for Aruba on the 11th so I will really get started when I get back. 

My week continued to be eventful when I got certified in Open Water Scuba Diving. If you think you want to learn to Scuba Dive you need to come to Saba. It is sooo beautiful here. We have a protected marine park around the island so there are a lot of things to see. On my first day I saw Hawksbill turtles, a barracuda, groupers, sargeant major fish and a nurse shark that was about 4 feet long. We swam through canyons and under a tipped over boulder which was covered in coral it was so pretty. My mom would have loved the green tube coral because it matches the green in our cabin she loves. 

The second day was even more fun because I was getting better at controlling my buoyancy and I saw some really neat things. The first dive we saw another turtle, white spotted file fish, queen trigger fish, trumpet fish and lobster. But the highlight, and the scariest part, was the Caribbean reef shark. The day before we looked in a cave and saw a nurse shark that just sat there. But this shark was way more active and bigger then me. It was swimming by us and at one point the visibility was not that good so it seemed like it came out of nowhere. That got my heart racing. Crazy fun experience. 

Our second dive had a few of the same fish but we also saw a stingray. We saw it swim and then try to bury itself in the sand. We also swam over feather dusters that hide when you swim over it was fun to watch. The instructor tried to show me yellow headed jaw fish but they hide in holes and are small so I had trouble seeing them. I did see the hole they dig and surround with rocks and shells. Funny fish. Something else neat about diving around Saba is that in areas if you stick your hand in the sand at the bottom of the ocean it is really warm because Saba is a volcano. 

So as you can tell I had a blast but thought I would not bring a camera too because it would be a bit to much. But Joel and some of the guys next door are a little jealous of my shark sighting so we might go for a dive this weekend. I'll bring the camera if we do. Hope everyone else had a great weekend too! 

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Midway

8:34 AM | Posted by Anne | | Edit Post

Saturday was Midway. That means Joel is HALF WAY DONE! The theme was Casino Royale and they even had themed James Bond martini's. Like the Aston Martini and the Vespa. As far as I could tell they were a big hit. The Vespa tasted like a Bellini (my favourite drink) so I loved it! 

The event was held at Queen's Garden, a beautiful hotel on the island. We were greeted with rum punch and a slideshow of over 300 pictures from the last 2 and a half semesters. They had a funny awards ceremony and then we had dinner. Then the party started!!

This is Joel's class, not the best picture but there was a photographer there so hopefully we can get a copy of his.

We were going for the James Bond theme but someone said we looked more like Mr. And Mrs. Smith

This is our friend Zishan helping us with our reverse Oreo picture

Zishan helped us for a few more...

And we finished it off with a double stuffed Oreo

Our neighbour Vlad

For those of your that are Twilight and Glee fans. 

I think Brendan looked like Jacob from Twilight and Michelle looks like Rachel from Glee

Anyone else see it?

Now for the party shots! 

Some of my girls. From left to right.

Amanda my Zumba instructor, Kelly my sewing buddy and Lauren my blog consultant and hairstylist

Little black dresses were a must at the party!

Doesn't this picture make you want to party with Leslie (the one in the middle)?

She is a blast! 

CUTE! 

This is why Amanda teaches Zumba, because she can work it! 

This is why I want Joel to come to Zumba.

Here are a few more...

My love! 

It took Nicole and I 4 takes to get this one

I'm on a step with huge heels and big hair and I am still not as tall as Joel. 

The whole night was a blast and I can't wait to do it again! Thanks for taking me sweetie!

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Hair Gel Anyone?

7:51 AM | Posted by Anne | | Edit Post

This is what I found when I went to look for hair gel for Joel.

Seriously who needs this much gel besides Ross from Friends?

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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Diwali

9:45 AM | Posted by Anne | | Edit Post

This weekend is party week! The festivities kicked off last night with Diwali - the festival of lights. Tonight is Midway where we get to dress up James Bond style have dinner with friends and party till the wee hours of the morning.
Let's get back to the fun and festivities of last night. At the celebration last night they put it into perspective. "Diwali is to us what Christmas and New Years is to the rest of the world".  They explained where the traditions came from and why they celebrate it, but I am sure I will get it all wrong so I am not even going to try to explain it.
I took a ton of pictures but they are not the greatest because it was dark out and my camera was not made for this. But I will show you my blurry pictures and hopefully you will understand how much fun it was.

This picture is blurry but I was trying to get pictures of the outfits. 

They were all so beautiful. The colors and embellishments were fantastic!

The whole production was put on by the students and they did a fabulous job. They put on a fashion show that was also part dance show and sometimes comedic routine. Here are some of groups....

 

I have no words for this one. 

These are all of the performers from the fashion show. 

There were a lot more then I took pictures of. 

Following the fashion show there were various performances. 

Skits, singing, dancing, you name it, it was done.

These two are Joel's Psychology professors.

These are local kids that did a special dance one of the med students taught them.

This is Jason (who lives next door) and Maya performing. And yes she did bring a cello to Saba. 

This performance was so cool with the lights in the their hands. 

The picture really doesn't do it justice. 

And this picture is for my sister. THEY DID THE JAI HO DANCE!!! It was awesome! 

Dancing and acrobatics in this one. 

More pretty dancing

The professors also had a special treat for everyone because they did their own fashion/talent show. I don't think I have seen Joel laugh that hard in a long time. There was so much cheering and laughter it was the highlight for the students I think. I only took videos of those and it will take too long to post them here. Then if that wasn't enough there was also free food. Mmmmm. Curried everything it was delicious!  As you can tell I had a blast and so did everyone else I talked to. Now I am going to rest up for tonight...

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Bathrooms

3:57 PM | Posted by Anne | | Edit Post

So kinda off topic but at the same time not, let's talk about bathrooms. I for one hate cleaning them. Joel and I made a deal when we got married that I would clean everything but the bathroom. And that worked out well till we got here and he's too busy and I have all the time in the world. My mom will be the first to tell you that I can live in my own filth probably longer then one should just to avoid cleaning the bathroom. But when it comes to other people's bathroom filth. Well let's just say I am glad my vision is not that good and I don't see all the things that would gross me out.
Our bathroom here is the place I fear the most. The grout in the shower is not white any more and no matter how much bleach I use I can't seem to get it clean. (Joel told me the bathroom smelled like a public pool once when I was cleaning it.) The faucet leaks and standing water here turns into mold so I am constantly wiping down around the sink. Which is no fun because there is always a puddle. The countertop is laminated particle board which does not hold up well to the standing water. I don't even want to get into how the toilet looks. (You should all be thankful I am not posting pictures to go with this description.) Also this room holds our dirty laundry so you can understand why the window is ALWAYS open.
But this is all just the back story so you can understand my true distaste for this room. As I just told you the window is always open and I am not sure if that has anything to do with the fact that every time I stand in front of the mirror to do my hair and make-up I get eaten alive around my ankles. I can't seem to see the little guys but they get me every time. But I am pretty sure having the window open would be the reason why a few weeks ago while I was sweeping I got stuck in this tiny room with a COCKROACH! Ick! Just thinking about it again makes me want to run around screaming (like I did). They move fast but it was not it's lucky day because I was already holding a broom and a dust pan. I killed that thing good. I was shaking the whole time but it was dead. I know I am supposed to love all of Gods creatures but I have a really hard time loving that one up close.
My second lovely experience in the bathroom happened on Sunday. I had just finished washing my face when I looked down at the drain (which is another pet peeve of mine because it is always clogged no matter how much Draino I use, but I digress) and what did I see but a tiny scorpion. I don't know what is scarier a fast moving cockroach or a scorpion that close to your face. Either way this time I was glad Joel was home because I got out the there as fast as I could and was definitely glad I had him there.
I know this sounds like a lot of complaining but well, it is. Sometimes a girl just has to get a few things off her chest. But I will tell you one thing, when I get home I am going to treasure every clean well functioning bathroom I use. But until then I will be trying to avoid mold, cockroaches and scorpions. The things I do for love.

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Monday, November 1, 2010

Sewing Up a Storm

8:33 AM | Posted by Anne | | Edit Post

That is what I have been doing lately, and loving every minute of it. If you are my friend on facebook you might have seen some of these pictures. I brought home a sewing machine and some necessary tools (ie scissors and a seam ripper) from our sewing class. This allows me to set up my house like this.

I have made a deal with myself, I have to earn sewing time. I know it sounds silly but I make sure I do the things I hate (mopping, dishes, dusting...) before I touch the sewing machine. Because once I get started I don't want to stop and hours pass and all of a sudden Joel is home from school. oops! But I earned my time on Friday and was able to get all my blocks of my quilt sewn and pressed. Then I had to figure out how I wanted me placed. This was the first choice but I changed it a little after this and forgot to take a picture..

I don't think I will show any more pictures till it is complete so it is more of a surprise. It probably won't be done till January because I am waiting on a bit more fabric and some batting. Heather has already completed one quilt this semester and is almost done her second. She is a pro. Here is a picture of her quilt using the same pattern as mine but with different fabrics. Funny how it makes them look so completely different. 

Joel had exams on Monday and Wednesday and did really well on them and was able to relax with me on some evenings and this weekend. It was nice to have a husband again even if it was only for a little while. Just the fact of being able to see him everyday makes it worth being here. On most Friday's Joel goes and plays indoor soccer with some other students. This week I decided to join him. I had a blast. Everyone was so nice and fun and they didn't seem to mind me messing up their shots or missing the net completely when I was like a foot away. I never did claim to be good at soccer. My only problem was with what I found the next day....

Yep that is a huge crack in my toenail. Seems to always happen when I play soccer. Joel and Zishan informed me that I do not kick properly. I told them I was just trying to touch the ball never mind proper form. 

Anyways let's move on to Saturday. (I really should start writing more blogs during the week so I don't bore everyone with an extremely long post. Maybe this week I will try that.) I promised Joel waffles on Saturday so I tried a new recipe but I did not like it so I will not post it. I had to buy some berries to go with the waffles too. I love warm berries. 

After breakfast I made cupcakes for church then Joel made me lunch. Yeah that is right and then on Sunday night he did the dishes. What a great guy! Saturday was when Saba celebrated Halloween. Here the kids go business to business instead of house to house because that would be WAY to hard. So SOS sets up a car in a parking lot by the grocery store, decorates their trunk and hands out candy from there. We call it Trunk or Treat. I only have a couple pictures from my camera because I ran out of battery and used Angela's (Minnie Mouse) for the rest of the pictures. 

Isn't my trunk scary? Isn't Sidney cute? Here is a better picture of her and her outfit. Her mom made her tutu. I thought it was adorable! 

That is it for now. If anything fun happens I will post but until then, have a great week! 

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