Hand Cream Fish and Urban Gardens

Hand Cream Fish and Urban Gardens

Ok so I’ve made a mid-year read Xmas in July resolution: To post more, even if I’m bummed out or have nothing spectacular to write.

First a job update: There’s no BS at work ,Maureen. What happens is that my group was severely under staffed, they decided to post the jobs, I applied but didn’t get it because I don’t have the right kind of degree....So now the positions are filled and since I am a temp I’ll have to go eventually. My boss did promise they would keep me until the end of my contract; i.e November.

So now I’m trying to find another job within the company but so far no luck. Send positive energy my way tomorrow afternoon because I’ll be in another interview! I’m starting to have a lot of experience with these things!

But I’m also starting to wonder if my boss will honor her promise and really keep me until November...

I need to keep my faith that everything will be fine.

I love working in the west part of downtown. There are so many restaurants and I’m always on the lookout to try new cuisines. I love asian foods, I’m totally addicted to Dim Sum, Vietnamese soups (Pho)and sandwiches (Bhan Mi), chow mains and sushi . I tried Korean food and was very surprised that kim chee; one of their national dishes; wasn’t really that spicy. Kim Chee is a Korean pickled cabbage. They eat it morning,noon and night.....

So a couple of weeks ago I’m on the prowl and I spot a Chinese restaurant on McKay street that looks promising so I look at the menu in the window and see this.....

In English the name of the dish is Fish with cream corn sauce but they write it source and they translate it in French to Filet de poisson avec sauce creme de mains (cream of hands filet of fish) which I found totally hilarious! I don’t know where they got there translation but people be careful with web translators; whenever I used them they give me crazy stuff!

Still on McKay street you can find beautiful planters with veggies ! They are part of an effort by a Concordia community group to green up the street!

Sunflowers, onions and ground cherries

Pretty cabbage

Such a sweet sunflower!

ooh grape tomatoes! They look mighty tasty!

Those planters always make my day and I go out of my way to pass by them!

Did I metion that we are learning italian?

It is super fun and a great way to keep our minds nimble!

Still trading the Pyrex and I should post new items soon ;)

Blackberry Bounty!

This is an amazing ime of year it is blackberry time! More than 10 years ago a friend twisted my arm to take one blackberry plant.....I confess that I planted it where I would not see it! LOL

But since then I've learned to appreciate this easy care plant. Ok you need to trim it in September but besides that it requires NO CARE! I'm NOT KIDDING! REALLY!

I trim it in the fall (with gloves of course) and let it go. This year I've had a major BUMPER crop (sorry for the sintax, remember I am a french canadian by birth).

Usually I have to fight bird and probably rodends for fruit, but not this year....is it that the harvest is late and birds can stuff themselves on Saskatoon berries? Maybe!

Now I can understand why blackberries are soooo expensive in the farmer's market....They are quite time consuming to harvest! And you have to deal with mosquito bites, thorns and bending and stretching.

Here's part of the blackberry plant. It is really a good 12 feet longer. Usually it grows in height not lenght...

That is really strange!

Here the heat is brutal and even with the best will I wasn't able to really get ahead in the garden because of the crazy heat. I water and that is about it. I float around a lot in the pool. The vegetable garden looks great: I might have tomatoes...I see two smallish ones....No cherry tomatoes.....I picked a yellow sweet pepper....We eat our lettuce almost every night and I think we will munch on green or yellow beens next week.

On the thrifting front, well you know it's not that easy to thrift when you work full time....and most of the church basements are closed during the summer.....bummer!

But we did find this at Renaissance:

A nice shaker with all the parts and a bar spoon as a bonus for 2.99$ SWEET!

Oh I forgot to show a pic of the blackberries and my latest Pyrex find....

Yep I got a Square Flower Green cassrole, which I never liked before but now I just LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEE the pattern! Unfortunately the seller never mentionned that this sweet casserole had quite a ride in the dishwasher.....

On the job front well believe it or not I still feel stressed out of my mind!

The company decided to add permanent positions to my group (basically my job was becoming permanent) and if I wanted to stay I had to apply for it and pass an interview, which I did.

I didn't get the job...some guy who's not bilingual (remember this is Québec folks and you need to speak both french and english to get a decent job) but has an accounting degree got the job......

I also had another interview but I'm still waiting for the result....

in my current job well now is the time when my crappy training comes shining through! It seems I did a lot of mistakes and now the crapp is raining all over the place!

I'm sure I will pull through because I'm a fighter and always have been! I survived my crazy mother didn't I?

Have a great Monday :) 

Kimybee where are you?

I announced the winner on wednesday and still no news from the winner. Kimybee woohoo, where are you?

Please contact me before sunday night if you still want you prize, otherwise I'll pick another winner.

A word of advice....I know times are scary and the internet is full of wackos but please people an email in your profile is the way to go. Most people are good and honest.

Still loving the job but not loving the lack of time to do other things. My eyes feel like they are on slinkys, I swear.

I'm not used to be seated all the time so I'm full of those terrible gassy cramps that hurt like HELL. I'm bloated but thank god it's friday and I have 2 glorious days with Dan and the cats.

My legs hurt because I'm wearing heels for the first time in 3 years....lol. I'm staying in slippers and sweat pants ALL weekend!

The Winner of my Fab Spring Giveaway!

First of all let's talk about the new job!

I'm still on cloud nine, I'm excited to get up in the morning,to learn all about insurance, to meet my new co-workers and  to explore my new lunch hour neighborhood!

It's a lot to learn and I have problems keeping my eyes opened around 2 o'clock every afternoon....If you recall I used to enjoy a delightful nap with Bob in my arms!

Such a sweetie!

But even if I have the urge to snooze in my instructor's face, I have the energy to cook supper and do a bit of housework.

Ok now for the winner! None of my cats were available for a fur ball so I used the random number generator and the number it gave me was.....

13

So Kimybee come on down you are the winner! Please send me an email with your address so I can send you delicious goodies!

I Survived but I sure am TIRED!

It Monday night 8:30 and I'm still standing by sheer willpower! I had a great day, it felt like Xmas!

When I arrived this morning near the guard station there was a screen with this message: Welcome to our new employees and there was my name! I was for klempt.

Every body seemed so happy to see me (a big change from the PCOU-postal counter of unjoy).

I was glad to take the train with Dan, and I was happier to see my fur children. I missed them so much!

I'm off to bed- I can't believe I will miss Top Chel All-Star; I don't have a personnal video recorder. Funny how Tivo never caught on here....

Later my dear bloggyland friends, sleep tight!