bus sweet bus

And now for something completely unrelated:

So I have been working at Gabriel Mackinnon, a lighting design firm in the market for almost a month now. Living in the lovely town of Almonte, working in the very hip neighbourhood of the Byward Market, around 60 km (!) away, and a city-wide bus strike combined to make it take 2 hours to get to work on a bad day. And then I still had to get home! Luckily I dig this job, so it has been totally worth it, but my life just got massively more pleasant. This week I started taking the bus! And it is glorious.  Thom Transport operates a commuter bus that runs from Pakenham to Almonte to Carleton Place to downtown, and then does the reverse at the end of the day. Instead of spending an hour in traffic cursing the gods, I get to SLEEP! Glorious sleep in Greyhound-type comfort. And I can have a little nap on the way home and be all refreshed and home in time for dinner. The lights don’t even work, so I don’t have to feel guilty about not working on the way. Everything is coming up Milhouse!

I’m done now, I just wanted to share my basking. Bask, bask, bask. OK, back to coding. Remember – I’m still a web designer! Designer of all trades, OUT!

Recipe o’ the Week – Anna’s Hearty Tortellini Vegetable Soup

This recipe is adapted from a delicious soup my very good friend Anna has made for me on a couple of occasions.  I only helped chop, so its a loose adaptation, but I made it today and it was DELISH! Healthy and awesome fare for a cold winter’s dinner! Serve with crusty bread. In case you don’t know, dropping tomatoes into boiling water and then cold water quickly is an easy way to get the skins off.

Anna’s Hearty Tortellini Vegetable Soup

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 2 Carrots, quartered and sliced
• 2 stalks Celery, chopped
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried Oregano
• 1 cup chopped Green Cabbage
• 1/2 Green Pepper, chopped
• 1 small Zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 2 medium Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4-1/2 cups Vegetable Broth
• 1-1/2 cups cheese tortellini (fresh preferred – if frozen, add 5-7 minutes earlier)

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Saute onions, carrots and celery until they begin to soften. (4 minutes) Add pepper and oregano and heat 1 more minute.
2. Add green pepper, zucchini and cabbage, and continue to saute, stirring occasionally until zucchini and cabbage begin to soften. (5 minutes.) Add tomatoes and stir.
3. Add broth, bring to boil. Cover partially and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add more seasonings if desired.
4. Add tortellini to boiling soup, continue simmering partially covered until tortellini is soft. (7-10 minutes.)
5. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Thanks for always making me delicious soup and letting me absorb your recipe Anna!

Song of the Week: Oscar Peterson – Hymn to Freedom

Too much listening CBC Radio 2 at work has me alluponz Obama’s Playlist. (No such thing as too much CBC radio 2, really, right?!) This is my favourite so far:

Oscar Peterson – The Hymn to Freedom

So inspiring! I can believe the best in everyone for 5 minutes and 38 seconds. Then I just tap my feet and do jazz hands for the rest of the album. What a brilliant man! Fitting tribute for the O-Man, I think. Vote for Oscar! Oscar for Obama!

OK, I think thats my cue to go to bed. No more nonsense for you. Until next week…

wine and food pairing!

The New Year is upon us… and on new year’s eve I made a very special discovery:

Naked Grape Merlot + Miss Vickie’s Jalapeno chips = Delicious!

Yes, they each bring out the best in one another. I think this pairing works best if one has had a few beers and is at a garage party. I am on my way to a career in wine I think… I will suggest it to my next sommelier.

OK, back to work on some web projects. Stay tuned!