So things have been a little crazy at work lately. And I don’t mean work wise, I mean food wise. Last week the office had a big open house event and some of the uneaten snacks may have migrated to my groups area for snacking later. This was naturally followed by the weekly treat day where one person brings in some snacks for everyone on Thursday morning. So we had a lot of food sitting on the communal drafting desk by midday thursday. Then someone’s lunch meeting resulted in leftover pizza. Blam! It’s on the desk too. Friday someone brought in some reject Hallowe’en candy that apparently not even their kids would eat. Monday we had a baby shower, naturally cake and cookies were on the menu. Then today was the pregnant coworkers birthday so there was more cake and cookies. When I left the office at around 5:00 there were two kinds of cake, a plate of cookies, some gross candy and half a dozen donuts sitting on the drafting table. I can’t work around the treats. Thank goodness tomorrow is a staff meeting and a pizza lunch will be provided.
I love bamboo April 24, 2009
Today I love everyone. I’m on the hunt for some clumping bamboo that will grow in the Toronto climate. There isn’t any in stock yet (apparently its too cold still) but soon I will be vindicated.
Boyfriend and I were have decided to run our own little science experiment with bamboo after seeing one on Mythbusters. Apparently it grows fast enough to impale a person! I’m intrigued! So we’re going to try and grow some in the back yard. Hopefully they’ll have some of the non spreading variety in stock in the nurseries soon. I’m getting impatient.
Hockey smells like poo April 19, 2009
I’ve never cared for it. Apartment hunting also smells like poo. Someone hold me and never let me go. Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane…
Seriously thought what’s with all of the fights Boston, you’re kicking Montreal’s ass, why do you need to beat them up too? I ust don’t get this game sometimes. And I don’t even pretend to care after a few drinks. Hi boyfriend!
No more PEEEEEE April 18, 2009
I just can’t deal with it any more. Cocoa you win, I admit defeat. Pee at will. I’m only one person and there’s only so much paper towel in the world. Just take it, I’m done.
Please let this second round of antibiotics have some effect on the water consumption. Dear God I beg you.
Meow April 17, 2009
I don’t really have anything interesting to say today, but just wanted to post something on the new layout. Yes simple things amuse me.
Also, what’s the deal with Montana’s canceling the two person fajita? Boyfriend and I went out for dinner and we had to share a single serving size fajita. I was not pleased. A petition will be forth coming.
PEEEEEEE!!!!! April 10, 2009
Dear Cocoa,
Please stop drinking so much. There’s simply too much pee. I sincerely don’t know what to do with it all. And apparently the vets don’t either. First we took you in because of the excessive drinking and they thought you might have liver damage or Cushing’s, so we tested you for Cushing’s and then that came back negative, and then we tested your liver bile and that was fine too, then we put you on antibiotics thinking you might have caught something from a raccoon but that has also had little effect on your daily water intake. Now the vets want to do an ultra sound on you liver and possibly a biopsy. This is simply ridiculous. I mean you’re otherwise fine, you’re as peppy as usual. You bark at squirrels and birds and nothing just like usual. You still eat anything resembling food that you can get into your mouth, so please just stop the peeing and everything will be alright. Don’t make me resort to a diaper.
I’ll do it.
Love,
Condiment Hater
Day 28 – Fly to Sydney January 15, 2009
Our flight to Sydney departed bright and early. But not so early that we didn’t enjoy the Air New Zealand lounge. I seriously need to build up my points; this is the way to travel.
We made it back to Sydney early and puttered around the house a little before Dad took off for work and Mom and I headed to China Town for a dumpling lunch. As we walked she pointed out all of the neat things she know about in the area. Mom is the best tour guide of the trip. We went to Paddy’s market to pick up some Uggs. Our return saw a little grocery shopping before I declared I was simply exhausted and decided we should go relax by the pool.
We went out early for a sushi dinner and fell asleep around the TV at 8:30. We are party animals!
Day 27 – Akaora/Kiwi Spotting January 14, 2009
Day 27 was Mom’s day to visit the Banks Peninsula and the Town of Akaroa. The drive was nice into the town. We stopped at a cheese factory. Unfortunately as we were arriving mom got a migraine and took her meds, which make her sleepy. So we did a walk around Akaroa but didn’t do anything too strenuous. They town is a little funny. Its were some French settlers landed just after the English claimed New Zealand so they’ve retained a little of their French heritage. But being from Canada where the French REALLY held onto their heritage it sort of felt like the France area of Disney world. There were some French words on street signs and tourist attractions but everything else was in English. The best part was when some dude wandered down the beach in 18th centaury French garb waiving the French flag. It was a little hokey. 
We stopped at a nearby winery for lunch and the service was the slowest thing ever, however the wine was pretty good.
We made it back to the hotel fairly early so Mom took a nap while Dad and I went to go check out a kiwi in the zoo. It looked a little different than the one we’d spotted in the wild. But until someone can prove to me that I didn’t see a kiwi in the wild that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I’m not an ornithologist.
For dinner we had left over’s and an ice cream sandwich. I’d obviously started to rub-off on Mom and Dad!
Day 26 – Arthur’s Pass/Christchurch January 13, 2009
I was all revved up for the drive through Arthur’s pass but fount it to be fairly so-so. We stopped for two short hikes along the way, the Dobson Nature Trail and The Chasm walk along the Beally Vally track. They were nice and offered a little bit of a scenery change, alpine scruff and beech forest instead of rainforest. It was decided at this point we were just sceneried out. New Zealand will do that to you. 
We made faster time than anticipated and got to Christchurch in the early afternoon. The city was really low, not many buildings higher than 3 or 4 stories, that being said the city is only 400,000. We did a walking tour of downtown and poked around the cathedral, arts centre and the botanical gardens. We went out for fabulous Indian food, you may not know this about me but I love naan (like a lot). I was in heaven.
Day 25 – Punikaki/Pancake Rocks/Hiking January 12, 2009
The drive from Fox Glacier to Greymouth was nothing special. We stopped at a local restaurant and I thought I branched out a little and order whitebait cakes. I was expecting something like fish and chips, or at least a crab cake. Apparently whitebait are skinny little fish about an inch long and are cooked whole into the batter that makes up the cake. I ate about half before I couldn’t take them staring at me with each mouthful. I think this is something you need to grow up on. 
We made it to the hotel at Punakaki a little bit after high tide and booted it over to the pancake rocks to see the blowholes at their best. I think we missed the show but the pancake rocks were still cool. We scoped out the nearby hikes and decided to do two. One led us out to the beach where I spotted a seal! I was starting to get good at the wildlife spotting. After our time at the beach we drove further down the coast to the next hiking trail. The hike was nice but one of many we’d done in the rainforest lately. The most exciting part was on our way back to the car we came across a little brown wingless bird. We stayed really still and it wandered around us a little. We think it was a kiwi, but whose to say.
We had a fancy dinner at our hotel that night with a fabulous view of the beach and generally live t up until bed at 8:30.
