The Fourth Annual Neighbourhood Crawl!

No Christmas would be complete without some pics from our annual holiday crawl. (And for the record, yes I walked home this year).










See previous crawls here and here.

Flood Update

To our great relief, our insurance is going to cover the great flood of 2008. It’s a good thing--check out the damage.








Everything has to go—even the drywall.

The problem is with the city’s sewer system, and the City of Toronto has been ridiculously unhelpful. I called them Tuesday night, and no one has been here yet. City of Toronto: you suck. Stop giving yourselves raises, and work on our infrastructure.

To add insult to injury, the street was full of contractors yesterday, working on the cleanup. The police came by and gave them all parking tickets (without warning). Yet they’re never around when people speed down my one-way street, going the wrong way. City of Toronto Police: you suck too.



On a positive note, in light of the insurance coverage, I am making my list of ruined items as, ahem, complete as possible. And McHotty and I are finally going to upgrade our Ikea furniture. Can anyone recommend a good furniture store?

Uninvited Guest

On a lighter note, something funny happened the other night. We had our neighbours over for dinner. As we sat on the patio enjoying cocktails, McHotty opened the BBQ and lit it. A moment later he exclaimed, “oh, oh!” and jumped back, frantically trying to turn off the gas. Now, McHotty being a firefighter, it was a rather unsettling to see him startled by the BBQ like that, so were a little alarmed that the thing was about to blow up or something.

Turns out there was a mouse hiding out in there.

So, we extended cocktail hour, giving the BBQ a little extra time to burn off mouse germs before getting dinner ready.

Later, we’re eating dinner when one of our guest exclaims, “oh, oh!” and pushes his chair back from the table. The furry fucker had returned and ran over his foot!

We spent the rest of the dinner with the candles under the table. I ate in the lotus position.

***
We are getting ready to narrow our focus over at BlogHer’s Act Canada. We have decided to take a two-pronged approach to the environment: we’ll tackle a national issue as well as issuing monthly personal challenges to help us all learn how to be more environmentally friendly as individuals. But first we need to select one national issue to focus on. Please take part in our survey and vote by August 19, 2007:

The Grass is Greener on This Side

One of my favourite things about this time of year is getting my hands dirty in the garden. Though many of the bulbs I planted in the fall were eaten by the squirrels, the perennials have all fared really well (all but one even survived the moat digging that happened in the backyard—the labourers gently removed them before they dug and tenderly replanted them when they were finished!)

I went out to get groceries last week when I noticed the garden centre open. I decided to pop in “just to have a look”, but the selection was fabulous and, knowing the forecast for the coming week was good, I decided to live dangerously and purchase all of my annuals before May 2-4 weekend (for the Americans, our long weekend in May is called May 2-4 after the many cases of 24 beers that are enthusiastically drunk by hosers celebrating the start of summer. The non-drinkers work in their gardens. I manage to do both). It worked out perfectly—I was able to do my plant shopping before the crowds and I had everything planted just in time before the landscapers came back to replace the grass that was ruined by the moat. So, unless the temperatures plunge, the yard will be lookin’ real purdy for Cakes’ second birthday party this weekend.

Our front yard is looking good too. The next-door neighbour and I are fastidious about our grass. We’re ridiculous—you’d think we were a couple of retired suburbanites. Anyway, my chest puffed with pride when the landscapers commented that our front yard was the best one of the street.

So here I am, before May 24, and the work is done. Now I just putter around and chit-chat in the front, and put my feet up with a good book in the back.



Oh, how I love you, Spring.

There's a Facking Moat in My Backyard

Last summer you watched my garden grow from this:



To this:



As you know, I planted many bulbs last fall. I anticipated the pay-off: I planned to spend the spring with my feet up and my glass full. The only time I'd planned to spend on my knees this summer was when McHotty was extra sweet.

Well dudes, check out the latest development:





The basement flooded during the storm last week. They dug a twelve-foot trench right outside the back door to install weeping tile. Next, they’re going to rip up my basement carpet and dig a fucking trench through my basement to a drain. I think this is going to involve a jackhammer--during the end of the term when I am trying to finish two papers. Great.

On the bright side, at least we’re not paying for this. And the landscapers are supposed to come back and replace everything. It won't be the same as the garden I made with my own hands though. Also, we may have to change the design a bit to help the water issue.

When does it end?

Sorry Dear, Mommy's Hungover

* Update below

Last night was our first annual neighbourhood Christmas Crawl. Damn, what a good time. Each participating household took turns hosting and providing refreshment. The snacks were most savory and the potables potent. There was champagne, lychee martinis, mojitos, and many other fabulous treats...

...candy cane martinis



...oysters rockefeller



...pecan-encrusted shrimp with a mint sauce (so delish!)



...bacon-wrapped scallops



...smokes



for the grand finale, the organizers of the event had a chocolate fountain, and served port. Yum.



There was much clinking of glasses, laughter, and even dancing!

Alas, all good things must come to an end. I knew it was time to go home to bed when my neighbour and I toppled to the floor during our dip.



Cakes kindly slept in until 8 this morning (I was the sucker that drew morning shift). The good news is, now my shift is done, I’m going to have a nap and catch up on the OC all afternoon (who’s the sucka now, BP).

***

Thanks for all your Christmas dinner suggestions. We’ve decided to keep it fairly traditional as my family is pretty meat-and-potato-ish. Here’s the menu:

turkey with stuffing*
garlic mash potatoes
vegetables supreme (MIL’s fabulous recipe)*
turnip puff
cranberries

*recipes below

I asked my mom to bring dessert.

BP and I are on our own tonight. We’re going to grill a couple of steaks and stare at the tree. Maybe I’ll give him an early Christmas present, as long as he doesn’t overcook the steaks.

Happy Holidays, my friends!

***

Vegetable Supreme

2 Cups fresh broccoli florets and stems
2 Cups fresh cauliflower florets
2 Cups small fresh carrots
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 med. onion finely chopped
1 can mushroom soup
1 Cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup butter melted
1 box seasoned crutons crushed (bread crumbs work just fine)

Cook vegetables separately in boiling water and drain well. Mix together eggs, mushroom soup, mayonnaise, onion and half of the grated cheese. Pour over vegetables and mix well. Distribute evenly in a lightly buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, pour melted butter over this and distribute crushed crutons on the top. Bake for 40 min. at 350. This is better if made a day ahead or early in the day you are using it. Enjoy and lots of love, Grandma


Stuffing

1 lb. sweet Italian turkey or pork sausage, casing removed
2 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, diced
2 Granny Smith or delicious apples, cored and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 tsp. poultry seasoning
12 cups cubed country-style stuffing mix or 12 cups multigrain bread (24-oz. loaf), cubed and dried in an uncovered bowl overnight
2 cups (or more) low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Brown the sausage until cooked through. Remove from heat, transfer to a large mixing bowl, and crumble sausage.

2. Melt the butter in the skillet and simmer the onion for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, apples, garlic, and poultry seasoning, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the apple-vegetable mixture to the bowl of sausage, along with the stuffing mix or bread; mix well. Moisten with the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Cool completely before stuffing the turkey. Makes 20 cups.

4. Tester's tip: Stuffing can be cooked separately in a large glass casserole dish, but more stock may be needed to replace the moisture that usually comes from the turkey cavity.

***
Update

The dinner turned out pretty fucking awesome if I do say so myself.

One Year Later

A year ago this coming Saturday, after a very long wait, we moved into our new home. I am in a much better place now (literally and figuratively) than I was then. A year ago, still reeling from new parenthood, we were sitting in our tiny one-bedroom apartment, surrounded by boxes, filled with both excitement and angst. Excitement with the possibility we would move into our house in time for Cakes’ first Christmas. Angst, because of our daily visits to said house. It was a disaster: it was filthy; there was still no counter in the kitchen; the basement was completely unfinished. Everyone said this happened when you bought new but you don’t realize just how frustrating it is until you do it.

We bought the house in April 2003, before we were even married. At the time, we worried we were rushing things. We had a lot of reservations about the neighbourhood, and the house from an investment perspective (turned out to be a great investment). Because of some zoning issues, a municipal election, blah, blah, blah, our closing kept getting postponed. April 2004. September 2004. The next thing you know, I’m pregnant. Will the house be ready before I give birth? Nope. Cakes spent her first seven months sleeping in her pack-and-play in the dining area. We had to cook our dinner three feet from her head. The television was four feet from her toes. (This is why she can sleep through house parties today).

So, a year ago today, after another visit to our unfinished house, I was on the phone with our builder who was trying to postpone the closing yet again. He was met with this:

“You aren’t serious about moving the closing date.”

“Well, um…”

*sob*

“Sorry, but…”

“I want my baby to spend her first Christmas in her home.” *sniff* *gulp*

“The basement won’t be finished and we’re having trouble getting the guy doing the granite counter…”

“Put a fucking piece of plywood on the counter to carve the fucking turkey on. We don’t need the basement right away.”

“Um…”

“We’re moving on December 16. I refuse to move the date again. I don’t care what isn’t finished. I mean it!” *choked sob*

So, we did. They did get the counter installed and cleaned the place up. We spent the next couple of months living with trades working on the basement, but it was OK (we actually do have a great relationship with our builder. He did go above and beyond in a number of ways; a lot of the delays weren’t his fault).

While we were happy to be here in time for Christmas, it was not the most relaxing holiday. We were hosting, so BP was out on the 23rd hunting for trees and tree stands and everyone was sold out of all that stuff. We didn’t have much furniture, and nothing on the walls. But we had a good time. My parents came and we drank wine and listened to carols on Christmas Eve. The guys next door (the only other ones to browbeat a pre-Christmas closing) knocked on the door and invited us over for drinks (it turned out to be the first of many occasions). We were home.

But this year will be even better: as I sit here, on December 12, gazing at the tree, with shopping done and stockings hung, I’m in the mood for Christmas.

December 25, 2005

Halloween's for Adults

It’s been another busy, but fun week. For Halloween, Cakes donned her devil horns again and we visited a few of the neighbours for some cheek pinching. She revelled in the attention at first but quickly grew bored and was in bed by 6:30. We poured glasses of wine and joined the neighbours on our porches, in eager anticipation of all the darling trick-or-treaters. By 8:00, there had been more glasses of wine drunk than trick-or-treaters, so we decided to call it a night. We gave the last few kids a ton of candy and told them to tell their friends—maybe next year we’ll do better.

Last night we went to dinner at Gio Rana’s Really, Really Nice Restaurant (don’t you love the name). If you’re looking for it, there’s no sign but there is a giant nose on the front. I had grilled calamari, gnocchi, osso bucco and asparagus with gorgonzola. The osso bucco was fantastic. Our waiter was a riot, and the service excellent. If you decide to go, make a reservation—it was packed at 8:00 on a Wednesday.

Our "Up and Coming" Neighbourhood

Despite the new Starbucks, I see we still have a way to go:



Do you find shit like this on your yard in Rosedale?

The best part? After a few phone calls, I have learned there is no one who picks this shit up. One puts on gloves, puts it in a glass jar and walks it to the nearest disposal site (which of course, isn't open until Monday). Nice.

Wee Garden Update

Sadly, the summer is drawing to a close. The first summer in our new home has been amazing and the wee garden deserves a lot of the credit. Big Papa has 'cued up some mighty fine meals for our friends and neighbours. Already, there has been many bottle of wine drunk by candlelight on the patio. I've revelled in getting my hands dirty, and our botanical friends have rewarded me--they've put down roots and are flourishing, just like we are.

The mini blue spruce that Big Papa purchased (recklessly ignoring my instructions to buy a juniper) loves its tiny new habitat...



The impatiens and coralbells are jostling for standing room...



Hibiscus gone wild! What are we going to do with this thing in the winter?



Papa has plenty of fresh herbs to choose from for his culinary delights...



This is the first time I've ever successfully grown a clematis...



This mandevilla (a house-warming gift) is getting rather chummy with the lilies...



We've come a long way from the waste-land, baby!

***

Papa returned to us tonight after a 5-day out-of-town training exercise; I thought Cakes would be ecstatic but she acknowledged his return with a nonchalant wave. Are babies like dogs, with no concept of time? I was so busy with blogging and partying with blogger chicks, I didn’t realize how much I missed him until he returned. I welcomed him home by cooking him dinner (a rare occasion); I grilled up some mahi-mahi. I must say, it was perfectly done, despite the fact that I, uncharacteristically, ignored the President’s instructions and followed my grilling instincts (such as they are). We uncorked a bottle of yellow tail, threw on the new Foos album I purchased when I was jeans shopping, and had ourselves a grand time.

Now, I’m not going to give you smut--let’s just say I will never look at my living-room furniture the same way again.

Absence makes more than the heart grow fonder.

Wee Garden Makeover

We finally have out backyard put together. Here is the before…



And the after!




I think it will be lovely next summer when the plants fill in. I planted a climbing hydrangea that will hopefully obliterate the sight of the garage. There’s a clematis and lilies along the fence. I planted a mini blue spruce and a tree peony in the bed in the foreground.

Maybe we mama bloggers could have a perennial swap next spring.

Our family room is finally finished after the flooded basement incident. We are so happy to have our stereo hooked up again--we cranked the Johnny Cash this morning(luckily, Cakes is also a fan of the man in black).

Monday night we had Penelope and family over for the inaugural BBQ. Big Papa prepared a wonderful meal of grilled sweet and spicy chicken (with a fantastic sauce), new potatoes and asparagus. I was a little worried about dinner at first. Big Papa, enjoying the cuddly Bumblebee (Cakes is never cuddly anymore) became distracted from the grill. The next thing we knew, the potatoes were on fire. Then I noticed the chicken seemed to be stuck to the grill. I asked if I should call Kubo, to which BP responded with a baleful look.

I shouldn't have doubted him--dinner was great (as usual), despite the crispy potatoes. Penelope brought a delicious homemade shortcake with fresh blueberries and strawberries. The company was outstanding as well--it sure is nice to have friends who are going through the same thing we are (Bumblebee is only a week older than Cakes). Cooking outside + great conversion + cold beer = good times.

*****************

We have one more project. We need a brilliant idea to hide the noise and ugliness of this air conditioner. Whatever we do needs to allow access to the hose and electrical outlet located below it. Any ideas, smart readers? Also, how can I get Cakes to stop eating mulch?

Love Thy Neighbour

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?" --Jane Austen

As you know from my posts, we’ve been having a smashing time with our new neighbours.

Our fences are being built this week. The two couples who live south of us are old friends who bought side-by-side homes. They are getting a gate between their backyards.

We’ve been socializing a lot and I think a gate between our yard would be nice too.

The problem is, I’m not sure how to bring it up. If I do, and they’re not interested, it will be really uncomfortable (kind of like if you’ve been dating someone for a while and you ask if you’re dating exclusively and they get all embarrassed and say they’re not ready for a commitment yet).

Maybe it’s not a good idea anyway--what if they move out and some asshole moves next door?

Some people believe you shouldn’t get too close to your neighbours. Big Papa was my next door neighbour when we started dating (yep, I actually married The Boy Next Door. I gazed longingly at him over my fence for a few days before I got up the nerve to ask him out. I engineered a meeting by waiting until a few minutes before he came home to wash my car in my short shorts. The rest is history.) A few friends advised against it. One of them said not to shit in my own backyard. I’m glad I didn’t listen--look how well it worked out.

Back to the present. What to do…dare we proclaim our love?

I can’t believe I find myself fearing rejection again. It feels like my twenties.

The Grass is No Longer Greener on the Other Side

We have brand new grass and it’s the greenest on the street. I want to cavort in it, but I’m not allowed for two weeks.



I didn’t do any writing again last night. The neighbours are just too much fun.

I live in an eclectic neighbourhood. S. has dubbed it “Leave it to Beaver meets Queer Eye for the Straight Guy meets Trailer Park Boys”.

There are a surprising number of kids on the street (when we bought, it looked so sketchy we thought no one else would dream of raising kids here). A few doors down there’s a family with 3 girls. There’s a 9-month-old boy across the street. Another couple just came back from China with a baby girl the same age as Cakes. Two guys up the street have 3 adopted kids and are getting a fourth! Lots of future playmates for Cakes.

There are also lots of playmates for S. and I. Last night we had a backyard cocktail party to celebrate the grass. I thought it would be a little two-hour thing. To my embarrassment, we came with an Ace bread and some tapenade (not homemade) and beer in hand. Some of the others went to a little more effort. The foodies had smoked duck breast on pita bread. They had a “drink of the day” (a delightful gin and lemony concoction with a big skewer of exotic fruit). Someone else had shrimp wraps with sprouts and poppy seeds. The nice thing is, with a little baby in the house, no one expects much from you.

We all got along like Chardonnay and smoked salmon. We ended up traipsing through each other’s homes, oohing and aahing. Some of them are stunning. We are one of the few who don’t have a wine cooler built in to our kitchen cabinetry.

My next-door-neighbour gave me a good (albeit slurry) pep talk about being a perpetual student. He started his undergrad at 37 and just finished his MA. He quit his well-paying government job and is now a sculptor. He kept telling me how young I am, which made me feel really good. He lent me a book about finding my inner artist.

I managed to steal away to bed at about 1 am, only after promising the guys next door to meet for martinis on the front step at 9:30 in the morning, after which we’d go for pedicures. I was out there this morning but they stood me up. I’m going to leave a note: “where were you, bitches”.

We’re off for the weekend tomorrow. I’ll try to post something tonight, but if not… ‘til Tuesday.

Ho Ho Hoe

I woke up this morning and OMFG it was like Christmas day. S. stopped at St. Lawrence Market on the way home and came in bearing St. Urbain bagels, fresh blueberries (to make me pancakes) and steaks for dinner. Santa Deux, aka the Plant Lady, was outside planting beds out front (we had no idea that was going to happen). The saint planted white lilacs, purple sand cherries, juniper, day lilies, hostas, and dogwood. She did a super job; it looks great. Cars were slowing down to look. Sod arrives Monday, hooray! I’m going to buy some new guinea impatiens to fill in the bed and my neighbour and I have discovered a shared love of peonies, so we’re going to get a couple of those too.

The weather was perfect today. I tried to work on my paper during Cakes’ nap (I need to have it done before we leave for the wedding on Thursday) but I ended up lazing on the deck (again).

We had a nice time at the park with Cakes and went to an open house (a new hobby). I feel bad about wasting the realtor’s time, so I always say, “I’m just looking for a friend who’s moving to the city”. Then they know we’re just nosy and leave us alone to peek in people’s closets.

S. and I managed to sneak in a beer on the deck after Cakes went down. Then he prepared a lovely meal while I started Leah McLaren’s book, Continuity Girl. Yes, I read chick-lit--but only in the summer. I’ll let you know what I think of it.

It is 9:30 on a Saturday night and I am about to crawl into bed with my book. The times they are a changin’.

The Waste Land

what branches grow/out of this stony rubbish? --t.s. eliot

Cakes decided to get up way too early this morning. But that’s OK--I'm less pissed at her than I would have been at the bulldozers and jackhammers that were out in full force at 7 AM. I needed to be up anyway for the drywaller who is coming at 8 (to repair the results of our flooded basement last week).

We purchased an infill townhouse in an “up-and-coming” neighbourhood. That was three years ago actually..before we were married…before we had a baby. We finally moved in when Cakes was seven-months-old (until then she slept in her playpen in the dining area of our one-bedroom apartment--the reason she is such a great sleeper now).

I don’t mean to whine (we love the house), but does it ever end? When will I be able to go to the kitchen in my underwear without worrying about been seen by some guy working back there? When will S. put up the shelf in the laundry room? When we will have grass? I am dying to get my hands in the garden. Every time I go to Loblaws I press my nose against the fence of the garden centre like a child and a toy store. Baby Cakes wants to play in her minuscule patch of grass.

I am never moving again. I’m recording this angst so I will have something to remind me in case we ever get some irrational desire to move to the ‘burbs.

On the bright side, with the absence of fences, we are getting to know our neighbours. It’s been kinda fun kvetching on each other’s back steps over a glass of wine.

I think there is hope--there's a guy planting a tree in my front yard as I type.

I managed to watch the premiere of SYTYCD last night (lovely S. rescued the TV from the sodden basement--if you’re reading, thanks honey). I think the Greek girl will be this season’s Melody. She won’t get my vote--way too perky for my taste. My early money is on that guy who can pop like there’s no tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how well he can Tango.