Archive for the ‘Ponder’ Category

• Does Life Exist Without A Microwave?

  Date: 2010.04.08 | Category: Ponder, What's for Dinner?, sometimes I ramble | Response: 6

  I believe it does. I’ve been campaigning for a life without a microwave for a long time.

  I planted the seed many moons ago when it became clear that the microwave did not work so well anymore. Lee was not so fond of the idea when I mentioned it and I let it rest. Every fews weeks one of us would mention we need a new microwave and we’d look at prices. We’d then decide that we could wait a little bit longer. Between those times, every now and then I’d mention that we could just try living without a microwave. I mean we don’t really need one, right? He scoffed but I wore Lee down bit by bit and then on Tuesday I sent him an email with my crazy idea, that we’d get rid of the microwave on garbage day (I am not donating it as it really does not work well) and we wouldn’t buy another one. If we decide, after an indeterminate length of time, that we need a microwave we can get one. Lee thinks this indeterminate length of time is a month. I think it’s when we buy a house, at which point we’ll need to buy a bunch of other stuff, such as a lawnmover, and we will decide we can live without one for a while longer. (Oh wait, he reads this. Um… Surprise!!!)
  

  This is my microwave. It’s not so big as far as microwaves go, and I’ve had it for over 10 years, just a few weeks longer than I’ve had Piper (a.k.a. the fake cat). I bought it when I got my first apartment — well, my first apartment that was just my own and that I didn’t have to share with roommates. My mother came to Montreal to help me get settled. I didn’t need much really. I already had dishes. I had a bed. I had a desk and computer. I had a couch and an armchair. The former tenant had kindly left crappy barstools for the island so I didn’t need a table. I had picked up a secondhand 13-inch television for $10 (I was thrifty). The only things I didn’t have were a VCR and a microwave. My mother declared she would buy me a VCR and I bought myself this microwave. I carried it home on the subway the few blocks to my new place, the whole time it getting heavier and heavier and the box dug bruises into my skin.

  This microwaved moved with me to four different apartments in Montreal, two apartments in Toronto, back to an apartment in Montreal and is going to its death here in Ottawa. This microwave has seen more of the world than your average microwave. I probably should have given it a name.

  About once a month I’ll be doing something in the kitchen and I’ll screech that I hate our kitchen. The most common reason is that there’s no counter space and what little we do have is crammed with stuff – like the microwave. While I can banish the toaster to hidden depths of the corner cupboard the microwave does not lend itself well to being hidden. It’s rather big and bulky and trust me, we do not have a close to hide it in.

  Counter space is prime real estate. We could surely live without a microwave. I mean sure, every place I’ve lived has had one since my eldest brother gave my mother one in 1988 for Christmas but I don’t really need one do I? It’s all about convenience isn’t it? What do you really use the microwave for? Softening butter. There are other ways to do that. Melting chocolate. There are other ways to do that. Reheating food. Well, people reheated food someway before they had microwaves didn’t they? I can figure out how to reheat the leftover General Tso chicken or Thai green curry some other way. Popcorn? We’re air-popped devotees already. Defrosting? We never defrost stuff in the microwave.

  I inquired on Twitter and you know what, plenty of people don’t have a microwave. Chris didn’t have one for years and she has many children, like as many children as my mother had many children (that’s a lot of children). The only reason she has one now is because it came with her house and she declares she doesn’t know what to with it. Capital Mom doesn’t have a microwave. Another mom on Twitter said she has one but she keeps in the basement and uses it only for “microwave emergencies,” which if you were wondering mostly involve heating up a Magic Bag.

  Clearly we do not need a microwave.

  So the microwave is now sitting on our floor, waiting to go to the big trash heap in the sky (or you know, on the outskirts of the city). And I have this:

  

  Counter space. Beautiful, wonderful counter space. Room to knead bread. Room to put out more than one bowl when baking. Room to put out two cutting boards. At once!

  Yes, I do believe there is life after a microwave. Or at least I will, just as soon as I figure out how to reheat the green curry chicken.

• I think it’s a conspiracy

  Date: 2008.04.17 | Category: Ponder | Response: 7

  It’s all Mir’s fault. She posted about whether or not you should sneak food into the movies if the theater has a rule against it . It seems it’s a bit of a debate in her household at the moment.

  I used to sneak food into the theaters all the time. We used to go to the pharmacy or dollar store and stock up on candy for $1 instead of paying $4 for the exact same thing at the theater. Unless I want popcorn and then I buy it there. I’ve never had my bags searched except the time I went to the media screening of Fellowship of the Ring (it was 10 days before the release date) and the only thing they found in my bag was a box of Kleenex and some cough drops (I had a cold and they were really only searching for recording equipment but they did give me a weird look about the Kleenex).

  It got me to thinking…is there really a rule about outside food? Or do they just want us to think there is? Now, I’m not suggesting we walk in a Domino’s pizza but is there an actual rule against me taking in my own Mike & Ike’s or Fuzzy Peaches?

  We’ve checked the Cineplex website and our movie tickets from the other night and we can’t find anything that says we can’t.

  Also, one would think that movie theaters get a bulk purchasing deal on candy so why the heck does it cost $4 for a $1 chocolate bar?

  What say you?

• 4am thoughts

  Date: 2007.04.27 | Category: Ponder | Response: 3

  Some days work just plain sucks. Any day where I work more than 12 hours sucks big time.  Days where I work more than 15 hours really, really suck.

  Work is now done. Everything else is messed up, messy or behind.

  My train leaves in 7 hours. I have not yet slept.  I was going to try to squeeze in 2 hours…but… is there really any point in going to bed at 4am? I’m inclined to say no. I think it will just make me more tired.

  I should probably eat something.

  I’d say I should write something, especially for BlogHer because I’ve been trying to find the time to write something for 2 days but um, I’m not sure that’s the greatest of ideas seeing as I worked for 17.5 hours and have been awake for almost  21…  I think I have the post started somewhere though…

  I have no idea what I packed. I just hope that there are actual outfits. I may have packed 20 pairs of underwear.  I just threw in underwear.  No idea what shirts I packed. (Yes Shawn, I did pack shirts.)

  I think I need to buy another pair of pants soon.

  Still left to pack: shower stuff, makeup, hair stuff, books.

  I will be away for 11 days (more or less).  11 days = 5 pairs of shoes…so far.  I haven’t finished packing yet.

  I am an overpacker.  I was scarred as a child. I lived with my Mom but spend every other weekend with my father.  My father was not into details…like telling me we were going to wedding. I did not pack appropriate wedding clothes. I had to do to the wedding wearing decidely un-weddingy clothes.  Now I always feel like I should have a formalish outfit packed. And proper shoes.   And accessories.  I sort of have that covered but I may need to add another pair of pants…and a pair of shoes.

  I really hope I don’t end up next to an annoying person on the train today.  I was going to say tomorrow. But today is tomorrow and has been for several hours.

  I really hope no one dies this trip.

  I should probably make my bed.

  I think I’m dehydrated.

  I wonder what I’ve forgotten to do.

  I really am happy I’m taking this time off. I really need sleep and to not work.

  I really should eat something.

  I need to remember that around 8am I need to go to the ATM and get cash so I can take a cab to the train station. I’m so not up to dealing with public transit with luggage.

  I should check my accounts online. Ohh, I have more money than I thought I did. Yay.

  I really hope that this doesn’t happen again tomorrow.  If my train is cancelled I’ll be really pissed.

  Ok, it’s now 4:30. I’m not going to bed.  I think I’ll paint my toes.

  Not sure how much I’ll be online while I’m gone.  Have a good week everyone!

• Huh…

  Date: 2007.04.13 | Category: Ponder | Response: 2

  Did Corona always come in the tiniest bottles of beer ever?

• Ponder

  Date: 2007.04.02 | Category: Ponder, Things I Don't Understand | Response: 0

  Why is that I feel so much better when I get up early and have some me time before starting work and yet I can never seem to haul my butt out of bed when the alarm goes off?

• Thoughts

  Date: 2007.02.14 | Category: Ponder | Response: 3

  Why does snow look so light but is actually so heavy?

  Why do people go to a fish and chips place and ask for the fish that tastes the least like fish? (I really did witness this tonight…)

  Proof that pretty much no one in Little India actually lives there is evidenced on snow days when most of the restaurants are closed (even on Valentine’s Day).

  Thinking about merging my food blog into this blog.  Which means I’ll occassionally post foodie things here. I just haven’t been feeling foodie for a long time and I hate to see a foodie blog wallow like that.  Any thoughts? Of course this means that things on my 101 things list will need to be modified to reflect this but I think I could make it work.

• Random thoughts

  Date: 2006.12.14 | Category: Ponder | Response: 1

  • Dude, I’m TIRED.
  • Showering can make me feel almost human. Clean clothes and actually blow drying my hair help with the charade.
  • It’s a very sad state of affairs when I’m heating the Zoodles, which I bought when I had my wisdom teeth removed and could only eat soft food and didn’t even eat them THEN, for lunch.
  • I miss my bed. Bed is good.
  • Another sign that something is off in Sassymonkey-land. I’ve been baking. And I’ve actually been eating cookies. In fact, I had a cookie for breakfast.
  • I miss books. I haven’t read a book in almost TWO WEEKS.
  • Brain is tired. So very tired.
  • I got my first Christmas card today. Yay!
  • I got my first Christmas gify yesterday. Yay! (No, I did not open it).
  • People have started to receive their Christmas cards from me. Yay!
  • I still need to mail Christmas package.Phooey.
  • My cat is amusing. She has decided that my under-the-desk-storage-thingies are Suspicious Objects and must be observed and sniffed very warily. And if I happen to move them while she’s close to them she jumps back and up simultaneously. Not that I’d do that. Repeatedly.
  • Jony rocks! He gave me my very own domain for Christmas. Of course, I still can’t see my blog when I’m logged into work but that’s a minor detail and I think we just need to wait it out because he couldn’t see it on his work server last night but can now. It’ll happen. Right??? I can see it! I can see it! I can see it!

  Edit: I’m playing with the theme now.

• Temptation

  Date: 2006.11.09 | Category: Ponder | Response: 2

  I’m rather tempted to buy myself a ticket to Sleeping Beauty. I haven’t been to the ballet in several years. I’ve been resisting since I moved here.

  But would I rather go to Sleeping Beauty sometime in the next two weeks…or go with Christmas tradition and go see the Nutcracker?