On Vacation! Day #1

Well, what's a vacation without a nap? I made myself comfortable on the couch to start a new book*, and promptly fell asleep, until Erik called to say he was coming home. I think I'm off to a good start...

Aside from deciding that I will spend the maximum amount of time in jogging pants this week, I did get some things accomplished today. At the top of my list of things to do for awhile now has been to get my eyebrows waxed. I noticed a place on my way home from work last week, and stopped by this morning. Although the result is nowhere as good as I was used to from Gladys (at Trade Secrets in the Eaton Centre in Toronto. She's fantastic!), it's definetly a step in the right direction. At least I know what to ask for now.

I spent the rest of the morning listening to the Current. There were some interesting segments, one of an interview with Kurt Vonnegut, and another about the debt that the US is accumulating.

For dinner tonight I tried a new recipe Baked Orzo with Squash and Mushrooms. I made some alterations, as the closest thing to squash I could find at the Champion was pumpkin (not a good choice), and I decided to use quinoa instead of the pasta. The quinoa was a nice touch, although in the end it was a bit overcooked. Next time I think I'll do the whole thing on the stove as a kind of pilaf, minus the squash, and maybe with some peppers instead. We also had an omlette with blue cheese. Yum! I've decided the secret to a good omlette that doesn't stick is lots of butter...it's taken me awhile to decide that the extra butter is worth it. It's so satisfying when the whole thing just slides out of the pan! All this accompanied by an inexpensive bottle of Beaujolais that Erik went to three stores to find (not to find the specific bottle, but the two stores closest to us were closed! It is Monday after all).

I also signed up for a cooking course on a whim. It's tomorrow afternoon at Galleries Lafayette. The price was right, and hey, I'm on vacation! I'll tell you all about it demain.

All in all, a satisfying day. I hope to be a little more productive tomorrow, but I think I'm off to a good start!

*speaking of books, I recently finished Beauty Tips From Moose Jaw, by Will Ferguson (thanks Karina!). I have pretty much exclusively been reading books about France since we got here, and I have to say this book (about Canada) has been the most satisfying. It really makes you want to travel to all the small towns that he visited. There were also lots of interesting tidbits of Canadian history that I probably slept through in high school. He is also the author of Hitching Rides With Buddha, another one I've been wanting to read for awhile. It's about his adventures hitchhiking across Japan to follow the cherry blossoms. Although I should probably focus my travelling dreams on Europe for the time being...