The Howler

On the weekend we went to the “Howler”. (a costume party and concert put on by the Bear radio station) There were tons of people there and it was a high energy party. The bands that played were Monster Truck, I Mother Earth, and Our Lady Peace. 

Before we went, we had some friends over for drinks at our place! I definitely prefer the predrink over the actual event almost always! You’re able to have more of a close knit party, you can have a real conversation, and the liquor is cheaper (lol). I’ve always felt that way! All in all it was a decent night! Good times. I was a lumberjack, Craig was a mummy, Nick was DJ Pauly D, and we also had a ninja, a gangster, and Waldo.   Good times!

Flashback Friday!

I came across this gem the other day while going through photos!  Just in time for Halloween!  This is from Grade 7, when we were 12.  Some friends and I with my little bro and sis.  I remember, we just moved to this neighbourhood, and I was convinced the handouts would be upscale.  It turned out to be a sweet Halloween and my candy stash lasted until Christmas, definitely a score.  

Hope you have an awesome weekend before Halloween!  I can’t wait to dress up and party!  What are you being this year?

Things this weekend:

(clockwise from top left) dinner by candlelight on Friday night; we went to see Paranormal Activity 4 on Saturday (pretty scary, got me in the mood for Halloween!); snicker doodles (got some baking done, these turned out just right!); Craig trying on H’ween masks, very entertaining!

Hope you had a great weekend!   Halloween weekend is fast approaching!  What are your plans?  I would love to hear about any cool Halloween parties or costumes that you have planned!!  We are going to The Bear’s Halloween Howler!    It’s a concert and a party and it should be a ton of fun - I will post all about it next week!  Enjoy the week! :)

Flashback Movie: Dead Poets Society 

I hadn’t seen this movie since high school English but every time I was reminded of it, I remembered how I much I enjoyed it. 

So I was out running errands one day and I had this craving to watch this movie. When I got home I searched it up on the TV guide and found tht it was playing the next morning! Score! I set up a recording on that ASAP and watched it the next day. 

This movie is a well written drama that takes place in the 1950s starring Robin Wlliams (as John Keating) and a young Ethan Hawke. It takes place at an all boys boarding school, primarily in the boys English class which is taught by Williams. He teaches them to be unconventional and to follow their dreams no matter what. He encourages them to be poetic and to write from the heart.

This is an emotional movie that is inspirational in an odd way.  The characters are well developed, and it is easy to relate to at least one of them (even if they are boys in the 1950s).  I won’t butcher it by saying anything else but I will share some of my favourite quotes from the movie.

“John Keating: O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It’s from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you’re slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain. “

“John Keating: We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, “O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?” Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?   “

If you’ve seen this movie, let me know what you think!!

Quotes from imdb.com and photo from en.wikipedia.org. 

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone but I’ve been sick all week and haven’t had the juice to write a post yet.

Feeling better now (something I’m very thankful for) thought I’d throw down a quick recap of the weekend.

We had a huge feast on Saturday and invited a bunch of people over. Everyone brought different dishes and the meal came together perfectly. We cooked the turkey, stuffing, gravy, carrots, and a mountain of mashed potatoes. Some of the potluck bring-a-longs were; a moose roast, ham, perogies, salad, buns, and pies. It was a feast and a half followed by a night of sociables and laughs.

The next day, Craig and I went for a sweet walk on a perfect fall day. I have been dying to take pictures down this path for a while now. I used to drive by it on a daily basis and I have always wanted to take photos of it. Something about the natural canopy of the trees and the fact that it is the most trees you can see in a row in Edmonton (not completely true but natural areas with lots of trees are hard to find around here) that draws me to it. It almost seems magical. A beautiful nature path right in the middle of a residential area. 

One of the things that I miss most about Ontario is the vast spans of forests and foliage all around. It’s not something that is native to Ontario (you can find nature all around) but there is something about being able to live so close to nature that makes me feel happy inside. Edmonton is a cool-ish city but the nature all around is definitely something that is missing. 

Photos: top L: a sweet elderly couple taking a stroll, top R: mashed potato mountain, bottom 3: posing around on the path, checking out a ladybug.

Mint Oreo Brownies

These are decadent! A small slice of this will fulfill your chocolate mint craving, at least it did for me!! I had a few ladies over on Saturday night and we put this recipe together.

We came up with a super easy recipe:

Instant brownie mix with broken up Oreos baked right in, topped with a mint buttercream frosting with more crushed Oreos on top! Delicious.

I got the mint buttercream recipe from here: http://sistersstuff.blogspot.ca/2011/02/mint-brownies.html

(We added an extra teaspoon of peppermint extract for more mint flavour)

Make sure to load up on Oreos! Bake them into the brownies and sprinkle them on top of the icing! 

Chocolate and mint is my favourite chocolate combo for sure! A close second would be chocolate and peanut butter… What is your favourite chocolate combo?

Flashback Friday  (posted on a Sunday)

My friend, Brandon, from work, is moving back to Ontario ASAP… and we are going to miss him!  So I checked out his band’s concert on Friday night at a local venue, the Avenue Theater.  Apparently this place is in a sketchy neighborhood, I didn’t know what to expect but they were right. (I saw three “ladies of the night” lol)  It was an all ages punk show and it reminded me of when I was in a teenager and used to go to shows like this often.  

I haven’t been to a punk show since I was probably 16 or 17.  The smell of smokes, sweat, and musty cologne took over the room and that provided with me a scent memory from my teenage years.  Man these shows are hardcore.  When I was younger (I feel old when I talk about this although I am a ripe 25), people used to “mosh” and jump around and crowd surf.  Now they pretty much run around with flying fists and scissor kicks…. kind of like when someone says “I’m going to start swinging my fist and if you happen to get in the way, you might get punched.”  Picture that kind of movement without the notice.  It was good times.  I stayed out of the way and enjoyed the tunes.  After the show, a few of us went down to Whyte Avenue for a goodbye bevy.  

Brandon: everyone in Edmonton that knows you is sad to see you go!  Wishing you the best for an awesome and successful future!  You are great and you will be missed!!!  Safe travels! 

Slumlord put on a pretty stellar show and you can check out their music here: http://slumlord780.bandcamp.com/

Things this weekend: (clockwise from top left)  mega BBQ on Friday evening, too much food for two people!, a delicious crisp tart with custard and fruits,  Craig out for dinner @ Mongolie Grill, my clothes picked out for the week (getting my organizati-ON), me @ Mongolie Grill, Saturday night out.