As you know from past entries, I highly value honesty. Well, for the past week or so I think I have mastered the art of knavery, or fabricating a new fiction to throw someone off the scent of truth if you will. That person was my dear friend Carla, who....drum roll please....turned 40 yesterday! You see, she knows about her party taking place this weekend, and she knew that she and Steve were going to the Deerhurst Resort this past weekend to celebrate the big 4-0. What she didn't know was that John & I, Melissa, Glen, Derek & Brenda were going to surprise her there! It's not easy to pull one over on Carla, let me tell you! Steve swore me to secrecy about the new puppy he was giving her for Christmas, but she managed to figure it out somehow! We were worried she would do the same about the trip.
Living across the street from each other, nothing much gets past us, and there's nary a day that goes by where we don't cross paths. So when Carla asked me what I was doing this particular weekend, I told her about Jake's last soccer game on Saturday and the meeting at the church about our upcoming cruise. I fabricated a hot tub party later that night at Kevin & Sandra's and added my soccer game on Sunday. In order to leave undetected from Carla's line of vision I sent a text to Steve to announce that we were making our getaway and to keep the subject distracted. John parked his car in the garage the night before so we could load our luggage safely. I then exited out the back door and went into the garage from the back. Once in the vehicle, I crouched down backwards in the passenger seat so that if she happened to be looking out the window she wouldn't notice my silhouette. And we were off on a wild adventure!!! Glen and Melissa met us at a little restaurant in Huntsville for lunch. I took this opportunity to enhance my acting career (sadly not Oscar material, like our Colin, but nonetheless...effective!). Figuring that Carla and Steve were well on their way by then, I sent Carla a text "OMG, that class wiped me out! I went back to bed after John left for work and just woke up now! Now I feel like crap for sleeping so long! Was hoping to see you off. Have a great weekend!! Miss you already!!" He he he!!! All six of us arrived earlier to our condo and hid in her bedroom where we stifled giggling & laughter as she saw the bottle of wine and subsequently commented on how rude that the staff (Brenda!) had placed "40" decorations on the table!. John was crouched in the corner behind a lamppost ready to capture her surprise on camera when we jumped out with our "Surprise"! Thus began a most wonderful weekend that was just as hilarious and boisterous as "This is 40", if not more so!
Once Carla recovered from the shock we proceeded to the lobby bar and were entertained by John's retelling of a recent dream where our kids had turned into zombies only to be rescued by Rocket, our dear and faithful Shih Poo! Carla's brother Derek, in perfect Scooby-Doo fashion had us in hysterics the whole weekend quoting Rocket, the Zombie Slayer - "No problem John, I've got this!!" as he barked the zombies right out of the kids and saved us all. This is my little Zombie Slayer/Superhero!
Saturday we took to the hills - to ski!!! It has been 19 years since I last went downhill skiing, 23 for John, and the first time ever for Brenda! It was pure exhilaration! I was in high school when I first went downhill skiing, taught by a succession of boyfriends who were avid downhill skiers. John and I had never skied together before so "That's a real first" (Emma Thompson, Love Actually). Brenda signed up for a lesson and did amazing - until Derek took her up a tough hill and she ended up skiing into the forest and skidding down the rest of the hill on her buttocks! She's got some nasty bruises - but what a trooper!! Sing it with me.."Super Trouper..." Yes, I've been listening to my Mamma Mia soundtrack A LOT!! When Carla told me that I had good form, better than John's, I couldn't help but relay this back to him!!! I even went on the Black Diamond runs - and I never fell, not once the whole day!! Going up the lift with Carla, I told her that I felt like I was back in high school again. Getting back on skis was invigoration and brought back our youthfulness (well, I didn't have as far to go back as the others, being the youngest in the group - just sayin'!!!). I was reminded of being on the cross-country ski team in high school. The late nights spent in the shop with our skis in a vice, irons in one hand, wax in the other. The early morning bus rides in total darkness headed north for a race. Ahhhh!
Following some apres ski beverages, we headed back to the condos to rest our worn out legs. The plan for dinner was to go to Three Guys and a Stove in town. John and I have eaten here before and I didn't care for it. In fact I had visions of sushi at Sakai all over again. Instead of Steve pushing the sushi, he was now pushing the stew. According to the 'enabler' Steve, this joint has the best stew ever! Whatever...I had a salad! John and I were the only ones who didn't order a stew - must have had some foresight that we would come home to a homemade stew prepared by my mother-in-law which we enjoyed when I got home from my soccer game! Nothing like coming home from a weekend away where we didn't have to cook and being surprised with... not having to cook!And, now, back to the program - the Colin Firth Diet Club!!!! Last entry I mentioned that the scales tipped a bit in the wrong direction. I weighed myself yesterday at Curves and was back to 144.5 lbs. Since I'm doing another 3 day wheat-free stint, I am fully expecting to be back to 144 or even lower! But guess what? I am the Top Loser for the month of December!! Here's the proof!
This was based on my monthly weigh-in that took place on December 2nd. I am continuing to use the Curves Smart program and pushing myself harder. Last Thursday night, Carla and I started a Booty Barre class! (That's the class I was referring to in my text) OMG - it's tough but well worth it! Just when you think you can't hack it anymore, she moves onto something else and you feel a temporary reprieve till you can't hack that move anymore, and so the cycle continues. Of course it did help to boost my energy each time a U2 song came on!!! So now, if you happen to walk by my bay window on any given afternoon, you may catch me shakin' my booty to a whole new level as I dance to Colin Firth singing "Our Last Summer"!
Speaking of Colin Firth, I am enjoying his biography. I'm only reading it when no one else is home so I can savour every detail. Did you know that Colin scored 3% on a chemistry test at the age of 13? I remember getting a similar grade on a first grade math test about regrouping! Colin has a penchant for reading and was quoted as saying, "I took refuge in books with the hope of getting laid by name-checking Dostoevsky". I don't know how successful he was in that regard, as I was only introduced to Dostoevsky in university - perhaps it's a Britishism?
"The Cleaner Plate Club" has proven a most useful tool, a wealth of information to carry forward. This is a book I wish I had purchased! It would have saved precious time copying out recipes and whatnot. Before I discovered my new go-to homemade Honey Mustard salad dressing, I would opt for the fat-free versions at the supermarket. You shouldn't use the fat-free dressings because essential vitamins (A, D, E and K) are fat soluble, therefore, these vitamins will not be absorbed without accompanying fats. So, some fats are important! Either make your own from scratch or use regular salad dressings! You should also store potatoes away from onions (I'll have to separate mine - reminds me of breaking up a sibling rivalry! Which of my kids is the onion, and which the potato?) Did you know that green peas aren't considered a vegetable? Corn too for that matter! Heat turns corn's sugar into starch so you should purchase corn that has been refrigerated or stored in a shady area. Another dilemma we may face as we purchase fruits and veggies is whether to buy fresh or frozen. One would think that the 'fresh' fruits and veggies displayed in the produce section are indeed fresh. But consider their origin and the distance required to transport these foods. Not as fresh as you would think, is it? In those cases, it may be better to buy frozen as the foods are picked when ripe and fairly rapidly frozen in order to maintain nutrients. Nutrients may be lost from harvest to transport to consumption while in most cases ripening along the way. Chapter Three touches on "Organic vs. Conventional" and lists foods that are considered 'dirty' such as celery (buy organic) and 'clean' (onions are top of the list). It also talks about different fats and the differences between saturated and unsaturated fats. Remember this: Saturated fats = bad fats, and the two fats you should avoid using altogether are margarine and palm kernel oil. So much for the bulk margarine I bought for baking after my diagnoses thinking it was better than butter! My kids will grimace further when we now scan labels looking for palm kernel oil in the ingredients list too! More to come...
Last Wednesday I went in to Shoppers Drug Mart to test my blood pressure. I pulled a slip out of the machine the last person had left there and the reading was 126/79. Admittedly, for a brief moment, I considered claiming it as my own - but as you know, I have a thing about honesty which that did not befit. Damn!!! Damn!! Damn! Why can't my blood pressure be that?? Huh? So feeling defeated, I rolled up my sleeve, stuck my arm in the cylinder and pressed the button to await my fate - 5 times. My results were as follows: 149/97 (yikes!), 148/93 (nooo!), 132/96 (...better, but...), 127/86 (I'll take it!!!!) and 138/91 (should have quite while I was ahead!). I think I'll save the slip from the 127/86 to take in to the diabetic nurse next month! For now I will stick it somewhere close by! Oh, last week I ordered a 2013 Colin Firth desk calendar off eBay thinking it would keep me motivated further. When it arrives I'll place the slip beside it!!!
On Monday while grocery shopping I purchased 3 new food items - quinoa, asparagus (I've eaten before but never bought it myself) and a couple golden kiwi (I've had the regular ones but wanted to try these!). In the February issue of Chatelaine, there was a recipe for Maple-Cider Chicken and Nutty Quinoa that became dinner on Monday night! Yum, yum, yum! My kids had something else to say about it, but apparently after another 14 tries, they should come around- right?! John and I thought the quinoa was particularly tasty! I had the left overs for lunch yesterday since it's wheat-free. For dessert I ate one of the golden kiwis!
I spent the rest of the evening watching the new episode of "The Next Great Baker" followed by 2 episodes of "Pete Rose Hits and Mrs." reality show under duress from Matthew (my little baseball fanatic!) while I cut out 40 daisies from paper and painted their centres yellow. Daisies are Carla's favourite flower. "It's an art gallery, full of dark corners, for doing... dark deeds". That was a quote from Mia in Love Actually but this is meant in a totally different context - not the naughty objective Mia was scheming! When I say "dark deeds", I mean the deed took place outside in the dark, and my "art gallery" was Carla's front lawn. Yes, I lurked in the darkness in the wee hours of the morning 'planting' 40 daisies (one for each year) all over Carla's front lawn to surprise her when she woke up in the morning. I carefully pinned and placed all the daisies with care, while worrying that they would all blow away while everyone slept. There is something very peaceful about being outside in the dark on a cold January night by oneself. The sky was beautiful and I could point out Orion and other constellations normally not so easily seen. She called me in the morning and said that was the best birthday surprise ever! God forbid anything ever happened to her, I would probably get a daisy tattooed on me arse!
Last night I made the Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry, with the help of my 7 year old daughter Kristen. I don't know who abducted my sweet little girl weeks ago and replaced her with some devil child look-a-like, but thank you for returning her to me!! She was so keen to help me prepare dinner. She washed the vegetables, cut off the ends of the snow peas, set the table, got the drinks for everyone and has asked to help out again tonight! I wish her brothers were so eager to help out!!
As for those resolutions I made, well, let's just say I'm having better luck keeping up with the laundry than getting to bed at a decent time. Obviously lurking in darkness, planting fake flowers does nothing for that cause but the end result of making my friend smile on her birthday was well worth it. Which reminds me of something I read at the Nissan dealership in the August issue of Oprah's "O" magazine:
Apparently, the same can be said of husbands!!
Well, I apologize for the lengthy entry - trust me that I've edited a fair amount out already. I am now looking forward to getting the kids to bed so I can watch "Then She Found Me" - one of the Colin Firth films I haven't yet seen. And Colin, if you are reading - I would not be opposed to you finding me! Cheerio!
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