Photo Courtesy of Roland Tanglao

At any rate, Brie’s and my new Monday night tradition is curling up to the Food Network Canada to watch Bob battle it out on Glutton for Punishment for yet another Foodie World Record.  Now, neither of us have really ever been couch potatoes.  We like to be a little more engaged, and as such, we decided to take Bob on at his own game and see how we’d fair at the competition for this Monday’s episode – the Onion Peeling World Record.  We’re both pretty decent cooks, so really how hard could this possibly be.

We’ll we found out just that on Friday night, as we reverted to high school (…umm … I mean university) with rum and cokes (in Brie’s soap opera glasses) and a series of tricks up our sleeves.  You see, we were set to compete with each other in peeling onions, and unlike Bob, WE didn’t need 3-minutes, 1-minute would do.  Now I say ‘tricks’ to be polite, as in reality, Brie is a CHEAT. She snuck a few onions in the freezer as apparently that makes peeling them easier and bites back on the tears.  I on the other hand, did not cheat, but rather did a little research being a conscientious student and all. What I learned was that soaking onions in water is suppose to make peeling them easier.

Maybe I should have listened to that onion peeling video a little closer – those tips were for pearl onions and garlic, not walla wallas.  Have no clue how Bob is possibly going to peel 50 pounds of onions in less than 3 1/2-minutes.  I guess we’ll have to tune in on Monday.  Glutton for Punishment is on the Food Network Canada at 7:30 pm EST and at 4:30 pm and 11:30 pm PST.

Special thanks to our pro video team – Young Master Mason ( aged 10 ) on camera and Little Miss Mason ( aged 8 ) on the timer.

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

So Raul … what were you saying about George Stroumboulopoulos?  Dish my dear hummingbird604!  I’m waiting!

Alas I learnt a few things from the slugs and plants, like interactivity is not always a good thing.  I am happy to state that no plants were harmed in any of the stunt roles they played.  I am mourning the loss of one slug, however (and I am still trying to remove all slug goo from between the toes).  I’d appreciate everyone taking a moment of silence in honour of the role the slug played.

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Photo by Lola May

I ‘ve felt like I was in a bit of a holding pattern, in which I’d been told we were being watched, in which people told me they had big expectations for me and some started telling me what they thought I should stand for, how they thought I should look.  Generally, I’ve always gone with my gut and listened to my heart, but after a bad break up swept the carpet out from under my feet, I was left feeling totally lost.  Not really sure who I was or who I wanted to be. Horrified at myself for having let myself fall into what clearly was an unhealthy and emotionally abusive relationship.  How could I let myself do that again? Was there something wrong with me?  Was there something I needed to fix about myself? Should I really trust myself and my own instincts? And admittedly, my writing poised a huge factor in our break up, so I started making it less of my personal story and more about the events whirling around me.  And with that I started getting a little fluffy in my writing and occasionally a little tartish in my attire.  In my mind, my writing has become a little flat and artificial and I’ve felt more than a little flat and artificial.

I get asked all the time, how I am going to make money with my writing?  Where is my funding model?  Well, I started writing for fun, to process my thoughts, and to grow as a person.  When I moved it online, it was for inspiration and drive to finish my first novel.  It was not to become a marketing tool or an advertisement, and while no one is paying me to write about this product or that, I do fear that that is what I am becoming.

Feeling especially like this with the Olympics, as Brie and Mario and I decided to let as many people as possible know about the fun and free of the Olympics.  So we’ve been trying to collect as much content as possible and firing it up as quickly as possible.  I’ve gotten tired and the story has really suffered.  Has it been a complete waste?  No.  It has been a good training ground for Mario and an extremely good reminder to Brie and I on what it is that we are doing. So I think we are going to regroup tonight on our 3 am team building trip to Grouse Mountain and remind ourselves of what this is really about.  Having some fun and telling the story of the people we meet that help us to process our own stories in this wacky world.  While yes, we may still mention the odd event at the Olympics, I don’t that our guide will be quite so full.  Now the Olympic language guide on the other hand ….

And a huge thank you to my wonderful family and friends that are not afraid to tell me when they think I’ve lost my path (or, in the case of my family, are concerned that I have started to have dressing like a tramp).

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Here’s the usual schedule at Saxony House:

• 12 – 6 pm    Saxon Food & the Olympics on the Tele
• 6 pm – 11 pm   Saxon Grub (kitchen closes at 10 pm), Live Folk & Rock Band & Saxon Films
• 11 pm – 2 am Saxon DJ Club Dance Party

Did you know that you can take in live music, like Yuca, down at Robson Square?  And skate on an outdoor rink at the same time?  Get out there and enjoy yourself Vancouver!  We deserve it!

Come visit and cheer on the Pride of the Philippines (and Poland and the USA) at the 2010 Winter Games, JR Celski!

Let’s go JR, let’s go! JR, JR, JR!

Kisses Emme xoxo

PS Sweet and soft kisses for Steven’s brilliance on the camera and for putting up with me in stress mode.

So to read between the lines, we are promoting literacy and raising funds for The International Dyslexia Association, and hosting a little party to celebrate that and the launch of 2010 Reading is Sexy Calendar.

Party Details

Cost: Free

Local: Gudrun Wine & Cheese Bistro (150-3500 Moncton Street, Steveston, BC)

Date: Thursday December 3, 2009

Time: 7 pm until late

Festivities:

• general revelry and enjoying of Gudrun Goodies (I will buy a few plates for the room, but bring some money with you to enjoy more Gudrun Goodies and some of the yummy wines and beers)
• readings from a few of our authors (Ian Ferguson, Mark Leiren-Young, Richard Yearwood, Lorraine Murphy, Rayne … to name a few … I may even read something from my yet to be finished novel)
• calendar signings by the ‘models’ on hand (really, just because I think this would be bloody hilarious…. I’m thinking of signing in lipstick)
• auctioning of some of Robert Shaer’s photos from the shoot for charity
• …and I plan on dancing ….even if nobody else joins me

Why Gudrun? Because Patrick is in the calendar, I adore him and it’s my secret writing hideaway.

One Added Perk: If you so choose (although certainly not required), you can do a bit of your Holiday Shopping at the event as we will have the 2010 Reading is Sexy Calenders (with $4 of sales from each calendar sold at the event going to The International Association of Dyslexia) and books and CDs of some of our authors on hand.

Hope to see you there!

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

PS So I can give Patrick an idea of numbers, can you please RSVP on facebook or in the comments below. Thank you, all you sexy things!

Wishing you all a summer filled with love stories of your own!