(Above photo: Rand and Allison, out in the garden.)
Updated with new pics, 5 pmish.Can't believe it's August already. Ordinarily I'd be wondering how the time managed to slip away so quickly, but right now I'm just SO looking forward to cooler weather. Thanks so much for the Japanese Beetle advice, everyone! Since posting that last entry, I haven't been able to actually spot any beetles to pick off, though our poor Cookscrew Hazel has been getting progressively more ragged-looking. Grrr.
Had a good weekend with Rand. As I've mentioned before, we don't tend to hang out as much these days, so it was good to catch up. He brought some fun housewarming gifts that he and Erin picked out: a monkey to hang from my office tree, The Gardener and Food Lovers' magnetic poetry sets for my magnetic wall, some Bath & Bodyworks products (I'm a big fan of B&B, which isn't in Canada), and a case of Fast Break chocolate bars for Jeff. Thanks, Erin and Rand!
We explored the neighbourhood, checking out stores and restaurants I've wanted to visit but haven't yet had time. 'Twas fun shopping at one of these shops for dinner ingredients, then making dinner together on Friday night.
I'm not the greatest at socializing while cooking; when I'm distracted, I tend to make Horrifying Culinary Mistakes like when I used salt instead of sugar in a baking recipe because I was talking with my sister at the time. However, Friday's dinner turned out pretty well! We used two recipes from my Turkish Sofra cookbook: a spinach salad with pear, walnuts and feta cheese, and yogurt chicken with coriander and lime.
Allison came over on Saturday to visit and check out the new house; you can see her pics and blog entry on the event
in her Livejournal. For dinner, I set out a make-your-own sushi dinner which I learned about from my father and a Japanese student living with him. It's a convenient and low-hassle way of satisfying a sushi urge; apparently Rand already does this regularly at home (wish I had known this ahead of time; I would have chosen something else, ah well).
I do know how to make
norimaki from scratch, but it's a time-consuming process I figure would be best attempted after we're fully unpacked and settled at the house. :-) Allison brought plum wine to go with dinner, and also gave me some craft materials to make door signs and a suncatcher magnet for my office, and a gift certificate so I could get more stuff at Lewiscraft (a wonderful craft store in Toronto).
Jeff was home from his astronomy convention by Sunday, and we visited Hollywood Gelato again (yum...I still want to try their Valrohna Chocolate flavour), had dinner at Queen Mother's Cafe, watched a Henry Rollins DVD that Rand had brought. LOVE Rollins's recollections of recording with William Shatner for Shatner's "Has Been" album. :-D
Anyway, it was a weekend of good conversation, friendship, and music: very relaxing, and I feel much more prepared for another week of unpacking and housestuff!
Here are a few photos from the visit...
Rand browsing books at Second Time Around:
Jeff and Rand talking about chocolate bars at Queen Mother's Cafe:
Rand in my office, participating in
Erica's Virtual Worldcon party:
Monkey to hang from my office tree, from Rand and Erin:
Playing some music on Sunday morning:
Allison and Rand chatting before dinner, in our living room:
As you can tell, we haven't yet unpacked our pictures to hang on the walls. SO great to see friends just hanging out in the living room, though...made it feel even more like home.
Back to unpacking...
Saturday, August 13, 2005 at 8:15PM 
