Vehicles...

... this is the vehicle I drive every day to work. So far, the only real maintenance I've had to do on it is the oilchange (which I'm sure I'll need once I add another 3,000 K to the speedometer) and a tire patch since I had a slow leak somewhere.

I was trying an artistic shot with the family's pathfinder, but I didn't realize it had come out that blurry. The LCD preview is fairly deceptive when it comes to blurred lines, and I was trying to prop the screen door open and take the shot at the same time - hence, probably handshake factored into the bargain.

Wonder what kind of photoshop wonders I can do to it?

The koalas that dance non-stop on the bottom left of my back window. I guess Oz airport security failed to stop the hitchhiking marsupials.

My GrandAM, front view

My GrandAM, back view.

Peekaboo with the family's Pathfinder.

Coffee-flavored desserts...

... so, after a night of baking with a co-worker of mine, we have acquired a coffeemaker. The amusing thing is that none of us really drink coffee all that much, but the desserts are fabulous. I think we are now well-equipped to host any Denmark visitors that have a liking for coffee.



When my co-worker is feeling better, hopefully I can get the recipe from her. I actually don't know the names of the pieces we made because the names are in Hungarian. One of them, I think may be named kravé kréme.

The pieces in the back (the squares) require baking in the oven, and then the middle is basically just butter with a few other things in it that make it come out really creamy.

This one required no baking. It included walnuts ground up finely into crumbs and then the liquid is coffee. It's then rolled up like sushi and placed into the fridge to harden a bit. My favorite out of the two.

Go Flames Go!

That jersey's too big for you, Tiny!

Just like any other good Calgary resident, Tiny is cheering on the Flames as best as he can. However, he has a slight problem... he's just a teensy bit too small to fit into the Flames jersey that he's opted to sit on top of instead.

Primavera 2006...

... it was a fun night. Although I found the food mediocre (except for the desserts which were wonderfully done), the decorations were very nice and the solo dances as well as the one west-coast group dance well done.

The only critical point I had was that the girl doing the rumba looked really stiff instead of relaxed, but I do have to give her credit that it was probly her first time dancing in front of so many people and was most likely terrified. I think my favorite of all the dances was Michelle, Van, and Steve's number... especially when Van and Steve started dancing together.

Unfortunately, the lighting in the hall was very poor and our camera refused to cooperate much without using the flash. Still, it looks like we managed to score one or two decent photos.

Looks like Primavera this year stole their masks from Venice, Italy.

Isn't he a handsome escort?

Butterflies dancing around my ears...

Chirlene n' Tony show their appreciation of the terrific tiramisu.

Poor lighting puts Jojo in the background. But really, dancing is all about showing off the lady.. right?

The ladies...

Van n' the ladies

Andre n' the ladies.

Pampered Chef...

... and all things considered presents to self and product of hard work.

One of Andre's colleagues is doing Pampered Chef, which is the cookware equivalent of Tupperware parties. You essentially host a baking/cooking session in your home and hope that your friends will buy items. We didn't attend the party in question, but we got a copy of the catalog, the order form, and went about extending the amount of items we have in our kitchen.

We purchased a hand cheese greater, scraper for foods (think rectangle), bamboo spatulas that promised they wouldn't split or crack, a container for putting in grated cheese, a cooling rack which I have lusted after for the last few years, and a potato masher. When you have a huge pot of potatoes, a fork just won't do.

All items arranged nicely on top of the cooling rack. The tin is not part of the collection; merely a prop.

Cheese container which fits hand grater

Masher with bamboo spatulas sitting on top of it.

Food scraper; gets wet things off chopping board and if you flip it also good for getting off stuck on food to counter.

This'll be our Christmas Holiday...

... or something near Christmas, if all our plans work out.

Interior of the house and kitchen in South Africa. I have decided that when I get a chance to I'm ripping out the entire kitchen and redoing it with wood cabinets, etcetera. Given the fact that I know Andre's mom designed both kitchens in Denmark and South Africa, maybe I might be able to convince her to come by Canada when her and Arne are up to travelling again and stay a month. :)

She always picks all the styles and materials I like, as I've noticed whenever I visit them.

Given that I haven't seen them in about a year now and my toes, although quasi-satisfied from an Australia trip are yearning to travel again, I can definetly see working my ass off to be able to go to South Africa.

Still... that's seriously my dream kitchen... the one pictured below this post.

Sandi exclaims, "that's my dream kitchen!!"

Interior of South Africa house

Happy Belated Birthday...

... to Arne.

Hope the day treated you as well as you deserved, and you got much love and laughter from those you love around you.

May this year bring nothing but the best in both recovery, spirit, laughter, wealth, and fortune. Happy belated birthday!

(... S: and I hope to see you at Christmas in South Africa! ... )

Love, Sandi & Andre