The HamiHarri Update!

Back from California!

2009-09-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful vacation in California celebrating my 25th birthday! I'm still going through the photos, but here are a few from the trip:

Patrick with Homer at Universal Studios:

Hollywood sign from our hotel:

Just about to board our first cruise:

And finally, us with Mickey Mouse!

Baby HamiHarri EDD February 24, 2010!!!

2009-08-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Bedroom Inspiration

2009-08-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

I think I finally found a picture that sums up how I dream of my bedroom feeling. Granted, ours isn't as massive as the one pictures...but I hope that we can at least capture the light airy feel of this one. I'm *thinking* of painting the bedroom an airy blue or green colour....although I still hope for a purple bedroom one day! I think paint will be easier then hunting for coloured lamps - as I have been for the last year.

*sigh* what a beautiful room

iPhone Test

2009-07-08T15:12:00.001-07:00

Just testing how email to blog posting works from my phone. Below is
an adorable pic of my nephew during last weeks suprise visit!!!

Happy One Year Anniversary To Us!

2009-06-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

Wowee…as cliché as it is, I can't believe we're coming up to one year already! Hubs and I are heading to Summerland to stay at a Resort and Spa that was wedding gifted from my lovely Aunt and Uncle. (An FYI for all you would be house robbers: we have a super house sitter and two ferocious guard dogs :p) Hubby also booked a wine tour of my FAV winery ever: Mission Hill :) We'll have to stock up on some vino for when the in-laws arrive in one week!
Thank you to everyone who sent cards and well wishes, they really mean a lot :)

And to my hubby of one year, thanks for being the best husband a gal could ask for <3

***smoochies***

My Etsy Shop Is Open!

2009-05-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been working on opening an Etsy shop featuring my knitted goods, and well, it is finally open - yay! You can get to it by clicking on the right, or visiting: www.pitterpatterknits.etsy.com

I still have several items that I'd like to add to the shop (including a few more hats, baby legs, booties and a Yoda sweater), but it will likely take me a bit longer to get them all up. If you have a chance, I hope you take a moment to visit and provide me with some feedback - this is all new to me.

Thanks in advance!

Oh SpectroJel - Where Have You Been All My Life?

2009-04-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Seriously. How have I never tried SpectroJel before? I have problem skin you see. I suffered from acne throughout high school and found solace in hormonal treatments. But then I had to go and damage my skin the first full summer I moved out here to beautiful Victoria. You see, the summers here are not hot. Some may argue with me on this fact (ahem…Patrick). But to me, a hot summer involves humid air and mirages of water on the horizon. Victoria does not have this. They have cool, crisp and WINDY summers. The sun might be hot, but the air is slightly cool. One of the reasons why Patrick loves it here so much :p

Anyway, the first full summer we lived here, we spent a good 3-4 hours on Canoe Club's patio…and I totally fried my face. Not a slight burn of the nose or cheeks, but sunburned my ENTIRE face. I'm not a peeler…but oh boy did my face peel after that burn. Sure, I had a negligible amount of sunscreen on (the amount that came with my facial moisturizer), but clearly not enough. And because I wasn't hot, I didn't realize that the baking sun, was baking me. Dumb, I know. As a result of that, I spent the next 2 weeks applying pure vitamin E oil to my face. But, the damage was already done, and now I suffer from rosacea. It has nothing on my teen acne days.

Anyway, I've never used a cleanser or toner before. I've tried them in the past, but they have wrecked havoc. Not only do I have problem skin, but I also have UBER sensitive skin. So I've stuck with plain old water…that was until I discovered SpectroJel! Seriously people, when you think you've tried everything…give SpectroJel a shot. It is likely the most frugal cleanser (next to bar soap) available on the market. I've spent $40 on a 1oz tube of miracle skin cream to get sub par results in the past. I've spent $5 bucks on a bottle of SpectroJel which will likely last me a couple of months with twice a day use.

My skin isn't perfect, but after only one week, I have found a noticeable difference. My skin doesn't feel gross anymore! And is it getting rid of some of the yucky bumps and redness of rosacea! Whoot!

ETA: Surprisingly this wasn't a paid advertisement…lol…but after re-reading it, I think it could've been!

Hippity Hoppity Easter Is Here!

2009-04-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

The weather was pretty yucky here...except as the sun begin to set (it became sunny and clear out :p The weather didn't stop us from making a yummy Easter meal...hubs made the Cornish hens and the carrots (plain old roasted the biggest carrot I've ever seen...both of us shared ONE carrot :O), and I was responsible for the potato souffle and the strawberry shortcake dessert. All was yum, and we were reminded again how lucky we are to have so many bountiful blessings.

Some pics of our feast:

Last fall we planted some spring tulips. They've been poking out of the ground for awhile. Last weekend the tulip heads have finally made an appearance, and this weekend they have begun to turn pink!

I remember the tulips coming out around Easter, as a child, so it was lovely to see them appear around this time in our own home. Let's hope all the deer and squirrels that people have been warning about don't come and eat our lovely tulip heads ;(

I'll leave you with a cheery, albeit, wet picture of our beginning to bloom tulips - Happy Easter!!!

Was last weekend beautiful here in Victoria, or what?

2009-04-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's weekends like the one we just had that makes my love for this city grow (which is a long time coming ;). Saturday, Sunday, Monday, were all beautiful sunny and warm…well, warm-ish ;)

We had a pretty full weekend which was nice. We've been plugging away at our backyard garden. Our poor grass is pretty worse for wear. Patrick has been working away at re-seeding it, but with two doggies trampling through it, it will be a bit of a process. Our neighbour on the left side of us just installed brand new sod - which looks *so nice…and our neighbours to the right have a pretty nice yard to begin with…I think they might be perfectionists though (yes, I'm talking about you Andre!) - this is the same neighbour whose house is *always spotless :P

The actual garden beds are pretty much ready…man do we ever have a lot of clay! We've been adding new topsoil and mulch to make it a little more home-y for our future flowers. So far we've added two round boxwood plants and 4 Camilla plants. The boxwoods weren't in the original plan, but when we saw them we though they looked so nice. I also learned that camillas flower in early spring (sometimes between February and March in certain climates or "zones"…likely ones similar to ours). Which means we might not get any blooms on them this year :( They don't have any buds on them now, so I'm not overly hopeful we'll see any. The foliage is a nice addition to the garden, although I will admit they are baby camillas.

We also purchased 6 rose plants. They have yet to go in as we're holding out until Costco has more garden stuff (it *just* opened). If Costco has something we like better, we'll be returning the roses…

I'll post some "in progress" pics when our lawn doesn't look like a disaster zone.

Patrick also finished up the stone patio addition, and it looks GREAT! I'm so proud of the great job he did. He actually ended up laying the stone twice as the first go around wasn't the most even and after a few days we noticed the stones had settled a little askew.

In other weekend news, we went to Yorkie Island! What the heck is Yorkie Island you ask…well…here is hubby's drawing if it:

Yes, my husband is a 27 year old banker, not a 4 year old kindergartener…lol I hope it's giving you a big of a laugh as it gave me ;) He emailed Meg and I this drawing Friday in preparation for our voyage over the weekend - this was his way of "gearing us up"…lol. Unfortunately the boat he's building is still not ready. Instead, we used his inflatable boat and his new electric boat motor, it worked like a charm!

Here are some pics of our "Adventure To Yorkie Island":

Beau and Bella ready for the voyage:

Here Bella is on the boat heading to Yorkie Island:

Bella and Beau have landed:

Bella is free! Yorkie Island is small enough that Bella can roam around without her leash…I think she was in doggie heaven!:

Meg and Patrick get ready for lunch:

Isn't Beau a cutie:

Whatcha looking at Ma?:

The whole famn damily:

Patrick and Beau's trickory…don't leave us stranded on this dang island!:

Ready to set sail to the mainland…err…at least to a bigger island anyway:

Doggie Overboard!!! Thank goodness Meg was there to save the day and scoop Bella back into the boat…

Jumping overboard didn't even seem to faze Bella…:

Hope you enjoyed the pics - have a Hippity Hoppity Easter everyone!!!

Sooooo Happy!

2009-04-03T11:44:00.001-07:00

The above is Victoria's weather forecast for this weekend…so why does this make me so happy? Because I've been craving sun (haven't we all?)!!! Just when it feels as though SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is about to dig it's yucky claws into me, we will have sun! And not only sun…but sun on days when we'll actually be able to take advantage of it - whoop!

This also means we'll be able to get a big chunk of our backyard garden plans complete - yay! Before we moved into Hatley Ridge we lived in a north facing condo…not stellar conditions for growing a container garden ;p We do have a really big yard in our Kingston house…however, there was so much yard, and so much going on it was too hard for us to maintain it…and it basically all went to crap. High maintenance gardening is not us…there was just too much weeding involved, and not enough RELAXING.

In our new home, the backyard isn't very large…to some this might be a little crummy…but for us, it is PERFECT. Large enough to have some green space and to have a tree, a patio, even a small deck…and of course flowers! Lots and lots of flowers! At least that is the plan:

It will definitely be a bit of a process, and we might not be able to get it all done this year (the deck/pergola *might have to wait until next summer…)…and although we are hoping to buy semi-mature plants, it may take some time to totally fill out, but I’m excited to get them into the ground!

Here is a picture that I smooshed together of our entire backyard - we'll call this the "Before" picture:
***Click photo to enlarge***

Back to the "Plan":

Here's a legend of sorts for the flowers we are planning:
= Peonies - 3 plants of Sarah Bernhard pink peonies (I *heart peonies!!!)

= Camilllas - Either OR

= Roses not 100% on type or colours…possibly pink/white/cream/yellow? - who knows!

= Hydrangea - Either OR

= Dahlias - Likely some sort of pink

= Lavender - We've already purchased this pink-ish "Tinkerbelle" lavender bush:

= Dogwood - This is a flowering tree that was planted when our house was built…the plan is to move it once we build our little deck (where the dining table will eventually go :).

The only plants we actually have are the peonies, lavender and the dogwood tree. We're heading to Costco's garden shop this weekend (it recently opened for the season) and a few other nurseries…so you never know what plants we might fall for. I do know that we'd like to stick to the white/purples/pinks/creams though ;)

We'll likely also do some container planting later on in the summer, maybe some tomatoes…a few flowers etc.

Our plan might not seem like a lot of work…but having started it last weekend - manual labour is hard! ;)

Patrick began the extension of our patio stones to the fence which involved heavy lifting followed by pounding the stones into place. Cutting away the sod for the flower beds is pretty tough too. It doesn't help that our backyard seems to be solid CLAY. Our poor sod is struggling with pools of water on it right now from all the rain. So this will also likely involve some intervention of irrigation and sand. But, I am positive that when all the work is complete it will look great :)

We're Moving!

2009-04-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Yep...not even a year at our new house and we're moving again...here's hoping we stay longer than a year at our next place :P

APRIL FOOLS!

Spring Has Sprung!

2009-03-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

A picture of one of our peony bushes. It has already grown larger than the itty bitty plant we put in last summer! Last night we purchased another pink Sarah Bernhardt, so in total we'll have three of these lovelies :) Absolutely the yummiest smelling flower ever (the plumeria is a close second though ;) Can't wait for summer!

I Just Won A Donut!!!

2009-03-13T10:19:00.001-07:00

Whoot! Rrrrrooooolll Up The Rim is Back (and I think it has been for a while now…lol).

Knitting Up A Storm

2009-02-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

My Mom taught me how to knit when I was about 9-ish years old. She taught be both the knit stitch as well as the purl stitch, how to cast on and bind off. But, no matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to have difficulty with purling. She lived about two to three hours away from me while growing up, so when I was with her and messed up purling, it was no biggie to have her fix it for me…but when I brought my knitting back home it was usually put to the side as I was so frustrated with the purl stitches!

Over the years I have knit on and off…usually using just the knit stitch. I'd make the odd headband or scarf…that was about it. I never ventured to make socks, mitts, sweaters or baby blankets because often they were both too complicated and too large of a project. That was until this past Christmas :)

My Aunt Mary gifted me with the most amazing knitting package. Not only did it include tons of knitting gadgets (you'd be surprised how many there are!), some lovely yarn, but also two awesome books:

Stitch 'n B1tch

101 One-Skein Wonders

These are two excellent books for both the beginner and the seasoned knitter. Stitch 'n B1tch contains all of the knitting techniques you could need to create various projects - which a great resource to have on hand. It also contains a few projects ranging from slightly challenging…to very challenging, at least to me :P It also has some really neat historical information about knitting, and info on how to create your own stitch 'n b1tch group…if anyone knows of one in Victoria, please let me know ;)

101 One Skein Wonders is an excellent book for the beginner knitter. Most projects are easy-peasy with a few more challenging ones thrown in. It is also a great resource if you're looking for a pattern to make something quick, yet gift worthy ;)

Lately my focus has been on baby related items. Mainly because I have a supercute nephew to give them to, but also because it seems like everyone around me expecting a little one. Also, the baby related items are usually smaller than the adult versions…so they are a little speedier to make (but not much!) and in the case of the little rolled brim hats pretty easy ;)

My largest project to date is this 100% organic cotton yellow with white trim baby blanket:

I'm quite proud of this piece for a few reasons. The first being the size of it! The second being that there are no mistakes - which is a big deal for me…usually I make a few mistakes and have no idea how to fix them…or I try to fix them and I end up making it even worse. Although I used a basic knit stitch (I've mastered this one so well I can watch TV and knit at the same time ;) I added a new skill that I learned form S 'n B - which is to change colours while knitting…yes, it is likely one of the easiest skills…but it's still new to me!

I've begun working on a new baby blanket…in blue this time. It will be nice to knit something that isn't white or yellow. I usually stick to those colours for baby items because nobody is finding out (or sharing) the gender of their future little one's, and are therefore decorating their nursery in yellow or green using animals/zoos/rainforests as their theme. I'm also going to attempt "blocking" this time around…so exciting!

This little guy is called a "Blanket Buddy" which is from the 101 One-Skein Wonders. Although not my best work (I totally messed up on the head) it is the first time that I followed a pattern - which has always been a challenge for me.

The following are a couple rolled brim hats that I whipped up (I'm still working on a new apple hat). These little hats are relatively easy to make. I was even able to try a new skill on the teddy bear hat - I made PomPoms for the ears :)

For my latest project I'm attempting to follow another pattern out of 101 One-Skein Wonders for a 0-3 month old cardigan sweater - wish me luck!

Be Weary...

2009-02-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hubby just forwarded me the following story from www.TheStar.com

-----
Feb 05, 2009 01:58 PM
Robyn Doolittle Staff Reporter

The man who showed up to euthanize Megan McGurk's 15-year-old dog, Jack, arrived with a "tackle box" and did not ask her any questions about the dog's health before the procedure, she testified in a Toronto courtroom today.

Minutes after arriving, the man, who McGurk assumed was a vet, injected the animal in its hip, not the paw, as was the case with the previous pets she had had put down.
After about 10 minutes, the man shaved the dog's back legs and injected it in the paw, she said.

"My dog started whimpering and moaning," testified McGurk, who is an English professor at York University. "My dog was tortured for the last half hour of his life and I paid dearly for that."

McGurk testified against a company accused of practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Pet Heaven, located in North York, dispatches mobile veterinarians to perform euthanasia on dying animals.

The company's owners, Eric and Shelley Blechman, say they have never performed any procedures and are merely a referral service.

But Bernard LeBlanc, who is representing the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the agency that laid the charges, said the fact that licensed vets were the ones holding the needle is immaterial.

"You don't practice any profession in a vacuum. The reality is the people who are being tried were arranging and providing those services and they were certainly holding themselves out as the people who were providing those services," LeBlanc said.

The couple and Pet Heaven, which also provides cremation, memorial service planning and grief counseling, could be fined up to $100,000 if found guilty.

The charges were laid last year following a complaint made by Margaret Routh, who used the agency when her Jack Russell, Blackjack, was put down in September 2007.
Routh testified her dog was "stabbed" five times in the leg and eventually in the heart before he died.

"This isn't a humane way to die," she said. "It traumatized me. I was crying — a total basket case for two weeks."

Testimony continues this afternoon and tomorrow.
-----

When I first heard of this type of service from a colleague, I thought it was a really nice idea. You can be with your beloved pet in your home until the very end. My colleague had a lovely experience with a similar service here in Victoria. But, the above article is just a reminder for all of us pet owners to be weary of those that work with our pets - ask to see credentials!

Cuban Magic

2009-02-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

One of the most redeeming things about our resort was the entertainment. Out of the few all inclusive resorts we've been to, this resort had by far the best entertainment crew. The dancers were AMAZING…they even did a water ballet show one night - very impressive.

Before the "main" show began each evening, the entertainment crew always had a warm up of sorts for the audience. First a live band would play the same 5 or 6 songs (yes, they played the same ones, in the same order every night…lol), then they had some sort of audience interactive game to win a bottle of rum (Karen C won, one evening!):

From our very first night at the resort, Patrick would go up and play the various games… He hit it off particularly well with the Master of Ceremonies. So much so, that our group became known as the "Patrick's Family" group…lol

Anyway, one evening he was called up for one of the "main events"…it was part of the Magic Show. I captured it on video, enjoy ;)

Rainbow Sky

2009-02-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture I snapped on the way into work this am...the entire sky looked like it was filled with a rainbow...

Back From Cuba and Couldn't Be Happier To Be Home…

2009-02-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

For the most part we had a lovely trip, but I have to say that nor Patrick or I would recommend Cuba. There was nothing absolutely terrible about it, but out of all the places we've been it is pretty low on the totem pole of places we'd recommend ;)

We departed on Monday, January 19th out of Vancouver on a direct flight to Varadero. Our tour operator was Sunquest and we flew with Air Transit. The flight was uneventful enough - Air Transit had none of us sitting together…including Patrick and myself, nor my sister and her husband. Not sure why air transit didn't "link" us together…

We stayed at what is now called "Oasis Hotel Turquesa" which is a 4 star resort…although the rooms were clean (my sister's room had a few bug problems) and spacious, they we dated. Each room was fitted with two double beds that could (?) be pushed together… Despite our generous daily tips for our maid…there were often not enough towels, and at one point no clean towels just a bunch of dirty ones left on the bathroom floor (?). The in-laws had a bit better experience - they were left with notes from their maid…how nice, eh?

The resort was on the smaller side and only offered one buffet and one a la carte restaurant…the buffet was TERRIBLE (in my opinion)…it smelled disgusting (yes...I used the "d" word, and left your clothes smelling) and after a few days I couldn't even go inside of it without having an upset stomach. My family teased me a bit about brining snacks (crackers, chips, nuts etc)…but they were my saving grace! They did have a snack bar available…where I ate many of my meals, but even that was tiring after awhile.

Because it was a smaller resort, it was uber easy to get around, which was nice. Our room was only a few steps to the pool, which was only a few steps to the buffet and entertainment area. This was a good thing as I opted to use our room bathroom instead of the pool/buffet/entertainment one which was nearly always out of toilet paper and often flooded (once it even flooded into the entertainment area - EW!).

The beach area was beautiful though - probably one of the nicest on the strip. The sand was lovely and the water was gorgeous…when the sun was out that is. We probably went on one of the worst weeks of the year…we only had about 2 good hot/sunny days out of the 7 that we were there for - which was a bummer. The evenings were all cool and one was down right freezing…we huddled in blankets to stay warm…lol:

On the first cold-ish day we went into the little town of Varadero. We wanted to take the double decker bus, but because we were among the last pickup spots on the strip the bus was full by the time it got to us…after waiting a good 45 minutes we opted for a regular tour bus to take into down…it was $5 each. $5x7=$35 for the group of us…we should've taken a taxi…hind sight is always 20/20, right?

The tour bus stopped in front of the Varadero primary school. The kiddies were outside for what I'm assuming was recess. When we stepped off the bus they ran to the fence asking for candy. Some people had some…I felt badly as I had left my fruit snacks at the hotel when I could have shared them with the children…

We walked around Varadero towards Jonsone Park. There wasn't much to see along the way. We stopped at all of the little markets…which of course sold all the same souvenirs…lol…at this point, these Caribbean countries have begun to look all the same to me…terrible, I know. One thing that was noticeably different from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica, were that nobody was harassing us to look at their wares for sale - this was a treat I have to admit.

Once we arrived at Jonsone Park, we were able to make Patrick's wish come true…we rode the park's resident camel. Yes, you read that right. Patrick's wish was to ride a camel…random, I know. At $5 a ride, it was a pretty good deal. Patrick, myself and Meg and Pat's Mom all hopped on a camel and enjoyed a tour of the park.

This park was likely the only worthwhile thing to see in the town of Varadero…that and the town provided us the opportunity to forget about the buffet and enjoy a couple of the restaurants which were pretty tasty. We lunched at one of the restaurants in the park and then took a horse and buggy ride back to where the bus was to pick us up.

When we were dropped at the bus stop, Patrick's Dad went to use a washroom…the next thing we know, we see him driving by waving in a taxi - lol…luckily he was kidding, and he wasn't going to leave waiting for another bus… I think the taxi was about $14-$20…Patrick's Dad treated, so I'm not sure of the exact cost…but I think it was well worth it.

On one of the more sunnier days Patrick, Meg and I rented scooters. Well, Patrick and Meg rented scooters while I just rode on the back of Patrick's. It was a pretty cheap ride - $12 per scooter for 2 hours. This included the cost of helmets…which were really glorified baseball helmets. The plan was to head to Cuba's "largest" mall and perhaps stop at some of the local caves. Well, of course the scooters had just enough gas to get us to the nearest station (how convenient…). It was cheap to fill up…but hard to find a station… On the way we stopped at "mansion"…which is now a ritzy bed and breakfast (if they even have "ritzy" places in Cuba…). The view was beautiful though and again, the colour of the water was gorgeous. Compared to the DR and Mexico, the roads felt relatively safe to drive on…we didn't see anyone on a scooter transporting a microwave with 4 little kids on it (we actually saw this in the DR and something similar in Mexico).

Once gassed up and finally found the "largest" mall in Cuba (which was really quite small, expensive and not really worth the stop) we ate a HamiHarri Special pizza at Pizza Nova…it was divine! And for anyone wondering what the heck a HamiHarri Special is, it's pepperoni, green peppers and tomatoes - yum, yum!

By the time we finished lunch our two hours were up, so we didn't see any of the caves…I don't think we missed much though.

That evening we were booked into the Italian a la care restaurant (you were only permitted one visit per week). Unfortunately my brother-in-law got sick…not sure if it was the food or the flu…at any rate, he ended up missing dinner…which was a shame because it was a nice change from the buffet.

The next morning, Patrick's parents headed home…it felt like we had just got there and were sad to see them go (but didn't miss the smoking Martin!!!) - that aspect of the trip was really too short. That was the day we had also booked the "Havana Special" day trip. Other than seeing the in-laws, this was truly the highlight of the trip.

With the currency conversions, the trip was a little expensive (about $200 CDN) it was still good value for the money. We departed at about 8:15am and had an excellent tour guide. The trip from Varadero to Havana is about two hours (we made a quick stop along the way for refreshments). This was the perfect amount of time for our guide to tell us a bit about the island and its history.

Random facts I remember:
-Cuba sits on a lot of oil…soon enough you might find oil rigs on resort property (how nice, eh?)
-There are no private business' in Cuba. All are owned by the government.
-Any private business you might find on the island are illegal and are part of the "black market"…for example $10 CUC lobster dinners often found in Varadero or Holguin = illegal

-If you are a regular citizen of Cuba you cannot purchase a new vehicle, nor a new engine. When asked why this was the case, the response was "I don't know"…

-Only the government can slaughter cows. If a regular citizen does slaughter a cow they may face up to 15 years in prison - yikes!

-The divorce rate in Cuba is over 66%. The cost for a divorce in Cuba is ~$5 - wow!
-It is nearly impossible to build a new home and impossible to purchase a previously owned home. As a result there is a serious housing shortage. Most homes are passed along form generation to generation. Many homes house several family units. Ex. Grandparents, cousins, in-laws, newlywed. Possibly the cause of such a high divorce rate?!

-Regular residents of Cuba do not have access to internet.
-It is very difficult, if not impossible, to make calls outside of Cuba while in Cuba.
-Catholicism is the national religion, yet the least practiced. They've only been celebrating Christmas since 1998…

At the half way point on the drive to Havana we made a stop at a little roadside snack bar. I went to buy a juice box for $1.50 CUC and was nearly scammed out of $5 CUC. I paid with a $10 CUC bill (it was all I had) and received only $3.50 CUC back…of course she had already put the $10 CUC in the till and clamed that I only have her $5.00 CUC and proceeded to ignore my protests, suddenly not understanding, nor speaking English when she had been able to only moments before At that point Patrick came over to see what the problem was and it wasn't until he started to raise his voice demanding the money back did we get it - so lame!

Anyway, once we arrived in Havana we were given a little tour of Old Havana…it is a lovely little city. It has old cobblestone roads, old and somewhat maintained buildings, and an interesting cast of characters residing in it.

During our tour we came across the exactly lady pictured in my Lonely Planet Cuba travel guide - I kid you not!

For $2.00 CUC we were able to take a picture with her…man is she old…lol We didn't mind paying her…but we did have issues with paying this woman caring a mop and bucket sitting beside her. I love it when people expect tips for doing absolutely nothing for you - we ended up paying her as well though…

After our little photo op we carried on to see a big ole Cathedral in one of the town's squares and then onto Hemingway's bar.

Along the way there was a "talented" caricature-ist that drew my sister's picture and proceeded to demand payment for his work…she obliged and is now left with a lovely "realistic" picture of herself.

There were also two musicians who attempted to serenade Meagan (much to her avail) and then also demanded payment. She tipped one of them expecting them to both leave her alone and split the tip. Once I saw her pay, both Patrick and I figured we might as well take a few pictures of her "enjoying" her serenade…they two musicians then proceeded to demand payment from us…we declined explaining that we were her family and taking pictures for her…even after much harassment from them.

We ended the little tour in a government owned cigar shop. Apparently this is the best place to purchase cigars as "black market" (because everything none government owned is part of the black market) ones are known to be made using banana leaves. We purchased a few cigars for the Tropicana Show later that night, as well as some cheap rum ($3.50 CUC for a 750ml - so cheap!).

At that point we were given about an hour and a half of "free time" before meeting up for lunch and getting a tour of New Havana. We stopped at one of the tourist infested restaurants (which was part of a "ritzy" hotel) for a mojito and a bathroom break. The toilets had no seats and no toilet paper :( Meg had remembered to bring some to Havana, but left her purse at the table and forget to bring it in with her…lol. One of the "bathroom assistants" tried to charge us for being shown how to use the hand dryer…we declined to pay…

We all ordered a mojito from the restaurant, supposedly "one of the best." It was sub par at best…not that it stopped me from drinking both mine and my sister's… I think they were about $4.00 CUC each and I don't think they contained any sugar, very little rum, and no lime… In fact, the entire time we were there I didn't get to sample an "authentic" mojito. All were made with tons of fresh mint leaves and rum…but no sugar muddled with lime wedges…this was a bummer as I LOVE mojitos!

After our little sit down we ventured into the market. There was tons of art and little crafty nick knacks. We bought some Cristal coasters (the name of a Cuban beer) for Patrick's "man's room" and some little parrot salad tongs. It was a jam packed market. As we walked through the odd Cuban person whispered "cigar lady" into my ear as I passed by…attempting to sell me some black market cigars - no thanks!

From there we met up with the rest of the tour and carried on to lunch. There were a few choices for lunch, but I opted for chicken and Patrick opted for beef. Both were served with rice and some sort of roasted squash…lunch was tasty enough, but a little off putting with all the cats roaming around - eek! During lunch, in another part of the restaurant they were setting up for what I can only assume was a child's birthday party…it looked like a brightly decorated wedding reception it was so elaborate…it was a Disney theme with about 15 cakes in total and tons of balloon decorations…it was craziness. For a country that carries on that they don't have access to varied food an supplies this child's birthday didn't indicate that this was so…unless it was for a Cuban Prince…

After lunch we moved onto New Havana… We checked out the square where Fidel made his 7 and a half hour long speech as well as the Capitolio…

I wish we could have spent a few more hours roaming the Capitolio area to get a real taste of Havana and not just the touristy areas…but it was not possible...

We also made a stop at the Christopher Colombes cemetery…where *supposedly Christopher was to be buried…apparently his remains are in the DR though…who knows, and frankly, who cares!

After this part of the tour we were dropped at a hotel to freshen up before the Tropicana Show. We were asked to form groups of 8 to share the hotel room…the five of us (hubby, sister, sister in law and brother in law) joined with two other women who were vacationing as a birthday trip. I think we lucked out on the room arrangements as there were some old bitties I wouldn't want to have to share such tight quarters with!

The view from our room:

Once we were all changed into our dress up clothes (and long pants for the men…opposed to short pants…lol) we had a drink in the lobby whilst waiting for our 7:00pm dinner…at, you guessed it…another buffet! I was able to find a charm in the hotel jewellery store for my bracelet…Cuba's national stone is a simple black one…

The dinner buffet was a big improvement from our resort's…but it was still a buffet. Our waitress was a miserable old grinch that couldn't seem to crack a smile if she saw cute little bunnies frolicking under a rainbow…oh well

After dinner it was off to see the Tropicana Show which touts itself as "World Famous." After paying $5.00 CUC for the privilege of using our camera (we opted out of taking in our digital recorder as it would have cost an additional $15 CUC to do so) we settled down into some of the worst possible seats available at the show… I'm sure some people at our table were able to see, but Patrick, Meg and I were out of luck! Luckily we were able to move to another table with a much better view.

The Tropical Show was pretty impressive, but some parts seemed a little tired. We compared them to the dancers at our resort (which were surprisingly very good) and they just didn't match up. The costumes however, were much better…one thing they don't seem to lack in Cuba are sequins!!!

All in all the first part of the trip was worthwhile as we were able to spend time together as a family. However, I don't think we'll be back to the Caribbean for a very, very, very long time. It is all beginning to look the same and feel the same… Perhaps this is because we ended the trip in a very negative way, or perhaps it is because we've only been spending our vacations on various little islands instead of experiencing new areas of the world such as Europe…if we crave sun and sand we'll be heading to Florida, Cali, Spain or Greece…or back to Hawaii…but I think we've seen enough of the Caribbean…

Even though it wasn't our favourite destination of all time...I'd still rather be doing this

thank sitting here watching TV in chilly Victoria ;p

3 More Sleeps

2009-01-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

In just 3 more sleeps the HamiHarri's will be headed to Cuba - and we can't wait!

Even though the Christmas Holidays aren't even a month behind us, we desperately need a VACATION. Where we can relax and soak up some much needed sun and vitamin D. Winters are kind of tough here in Victoria. Not because there is tons of snow (although we had that too this year), but because the sun rarely shines during January, February or March.

We'll be staying at the lovely, recently renamed, 4 star resort (although some sites deem it a lowly 3 star) Hotel Oasis Turquesa in Varadero, Cuba. The hotel is in a good location in terms of distance to the airport and the town of Varadero. And although the hotel rooms seem a little dated, Trip Advisor reviews have deemed it clean and spacious :) The best part of this resort is clearly the beach - it looks massive with gorgeous turquoise water…*sigh… Some people that have gone to Cuba have claimed that the food is a little blasé…and many who have never been claim it to be bland, tasteless and trip ruining worthy. (Dotcha love negative comments from people who have never been to the places they are talking about?!?). We're going with an open mind and hoping for the best (and I've packed a stash of Pringles and Hawaiian mixed nuts just in case ;)

Another reason we are really excited about this trip, is that it is going to be a family affair! Harri's parents are meeting us in Cuba, while my sister, brother-in-law and sister-in-law are coming too! It's sure to be a paaart-y when we get there.

We don't have too much planned as far as excursions (although this could change once we get there). We want to spend as much time relaxing (me reading, Harri at the swim up bar ;) as possible. One thing we are planning on doing is taking a trip into Havana…we'd love to see those 50's cars in action…as well as how Cuban's in their capital city live - and the history:

While we're in Havana we're aiming to go the Tropicana Night Club to see a show:

Here's a bit of history directly from Wikipedia ;) :
The Tropicana showcased lavish shows staged by choreographer Roderico "Rodney" Neyra. Headliners included Xavier Cugat, Carmen Miranda, Nat King Cole and Josephine Baker. Heralded as a "Paradise Under the Stars," the Tropicana became known for its showgirls, conga sounds, domino tournaments and flashy, spectacular productions. The long list of celebrities who flocked to the Tropicana included Édith Piaf, Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Durante and Marlon Brando. Beginning in 1956, Cubana Airlines' Tropicana Special was a round-trip flight that ferried club customers from Miami to the Tropicana and returned them to Florida at 4am the following morning.[1]

Other than a day in Havana we'll likely venture into Varadero for a stroll in Josone Park:

(Harri wants to ride a camel - HA!…which apparently you can do there):

lunch at Pizza Nova, enjoy a sunset dinner at La Barracuda and dance the night away at Calle 62:

Oh…and perhaps a cigar or two:

Just 3 more sleeps.

pics from flickr

Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts

2009-01-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! and I'm just realizing now, but a very happy belated quarter century birthday to Meagan! Her big day was way back in November, and we headed to Seattle to celebrate in style.

The HamiHarri's wanted to thank everyone for their generosity at Christmas - it was too much!

We did have some lovely holidays though...my Dad came for a visit which was so nice. He hasn't been here since we moved from Ontario to BC. Here is a link to some facebook pics:

www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=198039&l=45625&id=658325106

With a new year, Patrick and I are focusing on eating more nutrient rich foods. We do pretty well with eating healthfully, but we are planning on stepping it up a bit. We want to make every bite count, rather than focus purely on calorie content (which to me honest, is more me than Patrick).

The following is yet another new recipe I thought I'd try...I thought it was time to revisit tofu. The only time I've ever eaten tofu and enjoyed it was in a stir fry...which is pretty much what this recipe is. Also, Pat loves Thai food - and it has spinach in it...lol

So here it is: Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts...from www.epicurious.com

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 14-to 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained well, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts

Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add bell peppers, ginger, and garlic; sauté until peppers just begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add tofu and green onions; toss 2 minutes.

Add next soy sauce, lime juice and pepper flakes. Toss to blend, about 1 minute.

Add spinach in 3 additions, tossing until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute for each addition.

Mix in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle peanuts over.

Fini!

It turned out pretty yummy...Patrick thought so too. BUT, if I could offer a couple of tips:
1. Use less oil - 1/3 cup is totally overkill...I'd use about a 1/3 that much ;)
2. Forget about the basil...we found it added nothing to the dish
3. We didn't make any egg noodles or rice for this dish...but it would have made it a well rounded dinner :)

Leek and Potato Soup

2008-12-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

---

Leek and potato soup is probably one of our all time favourite soups...it can be light and brothy, or thick and creamy depending on how any potatos you add...the best part is, is that although it can be a creamy soup, no cream is used in the recipe!

For this batch of soupy goodness I used a recipe I found on ...it's easy peasy

Leek And Potato Soup
3 tablespoons butter
3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced (about 4 1/2 cups)
2 large russet potatoes (about 18 ounces total), peeled, diced
4 1/2 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; stir to coat with butter. Cover saucepan; cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes begin to soften but do not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

Add 4 1/2 cups stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in processor until smooth. Return to saucepan. Thin with additional stock if soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with chives and serve.

Writing a letter actually worked for once!

2008-12-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

Patrick and I have been looking for bedroom furniture for what seems like ages. We didn't want to spend several thousands of dollars for it, nor did we want to go the particle board route that we've gone so many times before. We wanted nice solid pieces that aren't too modern and aren't too traditional. Plus they had to be AFFORDABLE!

We found a set we really like from Costco (we *heart Costco furniture). It is by Hamilton Spill…solid hardwoods, nice lines…etc. But the whole set was still a few thousand dollars - eep! We also weren't sure if we wanted to go the matching route. SO we held off on buying it. A month later we opted to buy a bedframe/head board from Costco…it is a really lovely upholstered microfiber headboard…we really like it!

The hunt for the rest of the pieces continued. We needed two night tables and a dresser for me and one for Patrick. We came across the exact bedroom set at The Bay. …but instead of an ebony colour it was more like a chocolate brown stain…we loved it even more! It gave us the options of buying piece by piece…AND it was on as a Manager's Special. We registered at The Bay for our wedding and knew there was some sort of discount…I called and they said it was 25% off - holy deal! We wanted to order it right away. We had some money left on a gift card we'd received, but had to come into the store to use it towards the order.

So we go into the downtown Victoria Bay store to order it. One of the sales guys says they're must have been a mistake and he can only give me 10% off…well…that isn't nearly as much as 25% and that's besides the point, 'cause I was quoted 25%! He says they "don't honour verbal quotes, only written ones." WTF?! We ask to speak to the manager. She comes down and says "sorry, he said we can't give you the 25% off, so he we can't..." she then mumbled something and just stood there…wouldn't answer our questions about the sales person who gave us the quote etc. She just stood there ;p

Seriously, so weird…so we say forget it…hoping the sales guy will be desperate enough for the minimal commission and come after us. He doesn't.

So I am super peeved and Pat says "you should write a letter"…well, from past experiences writing letters has gotten me no where. I've invested so much time, effort and passion into previous letters I promised myself I wouldn'write another one. I've also worked on the other side, receiving these letters…and see that nothing happens! ….but I ended up writing one anyway…lol And I am so glad I did! I emailed The Bay with my story. The next day I get a reply saying my email has been forwarded to the store manager for response. I don't hold my breath.

But, that afternoon I get a call from a VERY apologetic store manager…saying they obviously have some "issues" in the store to work out…etc. AND they are honouring the 25% I was quoted!

So, we go in that evening and buy the furniture…25% discount is huge! AND because we have a registry there we get FREE shipping - whoot! It is a $60 savings! The only crappy thing is that they can't deliver for a couple of weeks…bummer.

Fast forward to our delivery day. The people in Richmond forget to put our product on the truck to bring to Victoria…OMG…it never ends! So Pat complains saying that the service is terrible, etc. They say to call them back for "compensation" once the product is delivered. Our funriture has been delivered and we love it! The cherry on top is that I just followed up on the "compensation" and they are crediting our VISA $110 for our troubles - whoot!

Moral of the story: a quick email/letter can be worth several hundreds of dollars!

Docker, Big D, Uncle Docker, Dock

2008-10-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

I still remember the first time I met Docker. It was when Patrick's Dad came to pick us up at St. Theresa Catholic Secondary School. It was a pretty crappy day out…it was either snowing, raining, or very wet snow… It was in December of 1999.

I remember seeing Pat's dad whizzing his way towards us through the neighbouring hockey arena parking lot, in the Harris' big brown van…the Astro.

Patrick took the front seat, and I opened the sliding door to the backseat. Docker bounded towards me, apparently very excited, drooling and slobbering all over my legs…I was wearing my school uniform kilt after all ;)

It was only about a 5 minute (or so) drive to the Harris house, but in those 5 short minutes my legs got all scratched up and nice and wet and coated with drool. I'm not sure if it was Docker's excitement of meeting a potential new friend, the wet roads, or Pat's Dad's driving, but those 5 minutes seemed like forever!

When we arrived at Patrick's house, I couldn't wait to get out of that van - I was not overly impressed. It makes me laugh thinking back on it.

Over the last 8 (nearly 9 years) I have grown to love Docker like he was my own family dog, because he came to be and was. Whenever I arrived at the Harris house he always ran to the door greeting me with a shoe in his mouth, as he did to everyone. Big D was an incredibly friendly and outgoing dog. There wasn't a person or dog that he didn't like (at least from what I can remember) or that didn't like him.

Not only was he incredibly good natured, he was also incredibly obedient. Until as of late and his hearing went, he always came when he was called, did doodie outside (except for a few crawl space incidents that I've heard about…lol) and never left the edge of the Harris property. How he knew to always stay on the lawn when he was let outside, it always amazed me.

From stories I've heard over the years about Docker, he was also very smart. When the Harris' first brought Dock home as a puppy, they attempted to crate him. They didn't want the little puppy getting himself into trouble while the family was out. Well, one time they locked him in the crate and somehow he figured out how to unlatch the door and he set himself free! Very impressive considering dogs don't have opposable thumbs!

When Patrick and I got Bella and Beau, Docker immediately took them under his wing. Although Docker's good behaviour didn't rub off on them, they did spend many a day snuggled up with him in his bed. When Beau was just a little puppy (and I think Moose too?) Docker would let them chew on his ears with their little puppy teeth. It was so funny to watch.

Bella and Beau loved Dock so much. Every time we'd ask them if they wanted to go see Uncle Docker they'd go mad with excitement. They'd jump all around and head to the front door. Even after we'd moved across the country, whenever we mention Uncle Docker their ears would perk up with excitement.

Docker was one of the only dogs I know with a stomach strong enough to handle chocolate (which is a major no, no for doggies). Every year on his birthday he was given his very own slice of chocolate cake - I think it helped to keep his ticker tickin'. I've also heard stories of Dock getting into Easter chocolate and eating entire Easter bunnies whole - including the tinfoil - eek! That boy sure had a sweet tooth.

When we still lived in Ontario we'd sometimes take Bella, Beau and Docker (and later Moose too) to the dog park in Belleville. The group of them had so much fun frolicking in the park and enjoying the fresh air - those were some great memories.

Docker passed away last weekend. He was nearly 15 years old, his birthday is in November.

We love and miss you Bid D!

The following poem is a take on "The Rainbow Bridge" poem. I love it because it shows us that we'll get to see and be with our doggies again one day...

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.
© 1998 Steve and Diane Bodofsky. All Rights Reserved.

My Husband Is Extremely Talented

2008-10-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on Thanksgiving day. I went into this cupboard, which is above the fridge, to get a platter for something or other and found it this way.

It was clear that Patrick had been putting away the dishes for the last month or so…and apparently doing all the cooking too (I am so lucky!). But instead of taking his time and carefully arranging the dishes so they don't topple on our heads when we open the door, he somehow managed this Jenga like display. Granted, the dishes were stuffed in there so well, none toppled on my head, but should I try to remove one dish or plate, they would have!

We also had a rule that we would avoid stuffing random paper and mail above the fridge…as you can see from the fridge, that didn't work out so well…lol

I'm happy to report that I've since tidied up this cupboard…I guess I need to take a turn at putting away the dishes to ensure it stays this way :P

Spooktacular Weekend Part 1

2008-10-27T15:27:00.001-07:00

Here at the HamiHarri house, we had a great weekend! On Saturday night we did a double date with the neighbour-roonies. Din-din at the Cactus Club (the mini-burgs were yum-o…but holy slow service bringing the accompanying fries…I'd finished the burgs before the fries had even arrived :(. After dinner we went on one Victoria's haunted walks…called "Ghost Walks" OOoooOoOooooo. It was spooky. It is amazing how haunted Victoria is… The walk taught us how to warm up our shockras to enable us to better feel the ghostly auras and spirits around us. Very cool.

We also carved our pumpkins… Patrick carved a laugh-tastic jack-o-lantern, and I one that said "Boo"…as well as a bat. I had one more to carve into a jack-o-lantern, but the top turned all mushy :(

On Sunday Meg, Pat, Bella, Beau and I all headed out to the "Yorkie Meet Up, Halloween Dress Up." It was fun, Fun, FUN! All the little Yorkies looked so cute in their costumes:

Here's Bella as a Bumble Bee

Beau as a Hotdog

Then we have Harry Potter

Meg with a Spider…

…and with a "Mail Mutt"

As well as a Frog Prince & Tigger…

After all the meet and greets and treats came the costume judging:

Bella won Best Costume for female Yorkie. Yay Bella!!!

The male costume contest was totally fixed though. An 8 month old Yorkie wearing a lame (I am so mean) devil hoodie won. I say it was fixed for a couple of reasons:

A: Beau should have won the prize (obviously)
B: If Beau didn't win, the Frog Prince or Harry Potter should have taken home the award (Spidy had already left).
C: The judge was holding the little devil puppy the ENTIRE time…and it was obvious she favoured it.

Anyhoo…we still had a blast! Bella and Beau had a great time (Beau more than Bella for some weird reason). They were able to reunite with their buddy Buster. Buster's Mom and Dad puppy-watched Bella and Beau for the entire time we were gone for our wedding (they are so nice!). AND we won the 50/50 draw :O $34 was split between Meg, Pat and I - yay!

After the Yorkie meet up we headed home to a lovely Sunday night family dinner where we all got a little goofy. Other than some sad news about the Harris family dog passing away (I'll be doing an "In Memory" post shortly…Docker was truly the "perfect dog" - even with all the drooling ;) it was a wonderful weekend.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week after our Halloween Bash - whoot!