"we are the girls, we are the girls, we are the girls of rock and roll!"

Quite possibly one of the best movies in existence (and no doubt, one of my favourites) is the Chipmunk Adventure.



It really encompasses some of the best features of good childhood movies. Some good old-fashioned No Boys Allowed/No Girls Allowed thinking, amazing spontaneous musical numbers, truly evil bad guys (who look evil), and a grand, completely unrealistic, but totally awesome whirlwind adventure. It also teaches kids that they can play a video game, then do the real thing in real life. I love it! Plus, it's the Chipmunks and the Chippettes. Seriously. Amazing.

It's only two o'clock and I've already picked a bowlful of tomatoes, worked on the rocking chair, and baked a loaf of bread. I love it.

Our big tomatoes are mutants. But they taste great. Our tiny ones are Old German cherry tomatoes, and they taste so sweet! And there are still tons in the garden for picking another day.



First time I baked bread, so I decided to cheat a little and go the no-yeast way. So I made Irish soda bread. And it is amazing. My sister's making pasta for dinner tonight. And my fab bread is going with it.



One of my friends birthdays is coming up and she's been having a lot of trouble lately; family things and such. Last night I decided on a great present for her, so I'm heading off to the grocery store tomorrow, and then in search of a 1L glass jar. I should be able to find everything I need. Except pink M&Ms. I'll probably have to go to Bulk Barn for those. I think I'll drag my sister out with me tomorrow to get everything :)

I'm a shy girl. A stint as a volunteer at the ROM last March Break has brought me out a lot more, but I'm still a quiet homebody with nervous tendencies and an occasional inferiority complex.

Today my French cousins came for a visit, so I brought them down to our beautiful beach, the Bluffs. In the parking lot I saw my friend Ben, with his brother, lugging fishing things back to the car. We were within shouting distance. I could have just yelled "Hey Ben!" waved and gone on my way. But I can't do that. And I hate it. I can't initiate things like that for some reason. So instead I led my cousins out of the parking lot, glancing back every so often, hoping he would see me and I could say "Hi."

How pathetic.

I couldn't even say hi to a girl I used to know at Tim Hortons. We used to be really close, but she had moved away. I saw her that day and just sat quietly, hoping she would turn, see me, and be like "Oh my god! Lucy!" Didn't happen.

Truly pathetic.

lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

I was supposed to finish sanding and staining a rocking chair today. Instead, I tagged along to the Toronto Zoo with my sister and her little friends.



It was such a great day for it too, plus the polar bears are back! We saw every primate there (which is a ridiculous load), every beautiful wildcat, and the kamodo dragon the zoo got when I was a toddler. We saw all the African animals, the Canadian, the animals of the Americas.



Unfortunately, besides the polar bears, we skipped over the Arctic Tundra, which I wanted to see the most. Snow foxes and wolves and owls. It's the newest area of the zoo, having just opened this month after a lengthy renovation. And, gosh darn it, I wanted to see it!



A couple of her friends went to Stringray Bay to feel up some stingrays and sharks, while me and my sis took the ridiculously long bus ride home. But while waiting at the station my friend Imaan somehow found us on her way home from work at the ROM.

And now, after a looong day of walking in the sun, my feet hurt and my shin aches (thanks to the couch attacking me a few days ago), but I'm glad I went. Fun times, man, even with the dead bird and swarm of wasps under our table at lunch.

Just made an aloo paratha (which is like a middle eastern doughy pastry stuffed with potatoes) and now my house smells like my friend Imaan's. Which is awesome. She turned me on to parathas a while ago and I've loved them ever since. Unfortunately, the fam isn't fond on curry, my dad was, but my mum and sis don't like it. But they're out right now, so I'm making all the curried foods I want! :)

Lucy's Friday Nights

So I have the house to myself for three hours tonight. What do I plan on doing? Steal my sister's heels and practice walking in them. Yeah. I mean, I clearly don't wear heels, so how will I ever learn to walk in them without looking like an idiot? So I'm taking advantage of the empty house. Should be a great adventure.

And I'll call up Zooey and try to get her over here so I can hand off half the Bundt cake I made last night on her, because I am not eating that whole thing on my own. No matter how delicious it may be :)





Yum.

The Fictional Boys Who've Stolen My Heart

just a bit of fun; stole it from zooey (fish sundays). the list is ever growing and in no particular order.

1. Michael Corleone, the Godfather
2. Josh Hollis, Private
3. Joe Morelli, Stephanie Plum
4. Severus Snape, Harry Potter
5. Frederick Garland, the Ruby in the Smoke
6. Theodore "Laurie" Laurence, Little Women
7. Gideon Seymour, the Time Travellers
8. Dorian Gray, the Picture of Dorian Gray
9. Lin Yao, Fullmetal Alchemist
10. Roy Mustang, Fullmetal Alchemist
11. Touta Matsuda, Death Note
12. Al Giordino, Sahara (film)
13. Riley Poole, National Treasure
14. Kevin Donnelly, the Black Donnellys
15. Jak, Jak and Daxter
16. Rosto the Piper, Beka Cooper
17. Nealan of Queenscove, Protector of the Small

"No fear, Julia. No fear."

Got back from a late showing of Julie & Julia a little while ago, and it was fab-ulous! I've heard it was good and I'm glad I got to see for myself, cause I loved it :) So did my sister.



But before the movie, a quick word on the previews. Or rather, a kind of long one.

I was sobbing during the previews. It was ridiculous. I really shouldn't see movies when I'm tired; I'm really emotional. Anyways:

The Blind Side (another Sandra Bullock movie! So many right now!), it's a true story about a young man from the ghetto with no chance or way to really get anywhere in life, who's basically adopted by a family from the suburbs. The mother, Sandra Bullock, treats him as her own son and its so amazing! It looks amazing. Really, I cried.

Amelia! About a little hero of mine, Amelia Earhart. As soon as I realized it was about her I started bawling (I wasn't even alive when she disappeared, but its still upsetting). She was so brave and eager! I really can't wait to see this!

And, the Lovely Bones. Which creeped me out, but at the same time it was so sad! I don't know if I can watch it though, because the creepiness might creep me out too much. Maybe I'll just read the book.

And then the Stepfather trailer creeped me out, and then the 2012 trailer freaked me out. Oy, I should not be watching things like that when I'm tired.

But Julie & Julia! It was really really good. I've heard that Julie's side of the story wasn't as strong, but I liked it fine. Julia's side was obviously stronger, because, well, she's a legend. And both Julie and Julia married such sweet, adorable men! Like when Julie's husband saves her from the big bad pot of lobsters or when Julia's husband makes his toast:

"You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life."

Oh, I'm such a sap some times, it's pathetic, really, but I love it :)

Made some homemade chips with my sister tonight and they were fabulous! Thanks to our cheese grater they even looked like real Ruffles chips :)



And the DVD I ordered arrived today! Marie Antoinette! Seriously, I've been looking for this movie for about a year and no store in Scarborough seems to have it. Which annoyed me, but for some reason I couldn't be bothered to order it. Until two days ago, when I realized I had a Future Shop gift card.

Anyways, I love Marie Antoinette, so of course I'd love this movie. Come on, she was the Rockstar Queen and led a fabulous, luxurious, albeit doomed, life. Ever since Nadia got the Marie Antoinette Royal Diaries book when we were kids, I've loved her story.

Muffins!

I woke up at noon today to rumbling thunder and a torrential downpour and decided I'd finally bake something today.

My mum cut me off from baking for about a month, but now, I'm finally back on! Apparently I can bake something once a week, but I have a feeling my mum will forget she ever said that.

At first I was going to make a peach-stuffed cornmeal galette, then a lemon-blueberry bundt (which I decided to save for a future picnic), then I was going to make either a tri-colour cake or petit fours. And then I realized I bought wheat bran about a month ago so I could make these supposedly amazing bran muffins. So I just went with that.

And oh my god am I glad I did! Tons of raisins and a hint of orange. And so moist. They're sooo good.


The recipe is from David Lebovitz's blog, which I've been following for ages. I love his stuff.

And I finally got to use the food processor my mother bought years ago (im thinking late 80s). She hasn't used it in ages, apparent from the dead silverfish in it. Ick.

Our kitchen sink is on the fritz, so I had to use the bathtub to wash it. And for actual baking and dishes and such I had to keep two pots and a jug of water on the counter with me. Felt really archaic (as Zooey described the time she had to boil water in a pot for tea).

I'll definately be visiting some friends tomorrow to spread the muffin love :)

Faith and desire in the swing of your hips

This song makes me unbelievably giddy. Either Zooey or Charlotte played it at the Rib Fest and I hadn't heard it in ages. Now it just makes me ridiculously giddy and girly.



Today was pretty amazing. French scrambled eggs with Zooey for lunch, a dip in the pool, a sad love story from an old man, Don Mills for the amazing bookstore that is McNally Robinson's, then Anthropologie to kill our souls with expensiveness, the health food store, relocating my books, another swim, and earl grey tea with some vanilla soy milk. Amazing day.

My room's now half finished! One more IKEA bookcase, a Paris print, and general personalization still to go.

Tomorrow: Wonderland with school friends and my sister

Sunday: Tri-colour cake of the gods!

PS. The insanity that is my Greek neighbours is so entertaining sometimes. My window's open and all I hear is "Where is Ray? Where is Ray? There he is!" Plus one of the daughters has a hot boyfriend for me and Zooey to gawk at :)

Zooey helped me paint my room today (dusty blue/gray) and then we made peanut butter cookies. After watching One Tree Hill for a few hours we skipped out to Tim Horton's.

Tonight, a giant, full, and blindingly bright moon hung overhead. They say the crazies and weirdos come out on the night of a full moon. After a quick detour to Zooey's house some rather outspoken 12-year-olds yelled at us "Get your booties over here!" and whistled and called. Seriously, we found it hilarious. But unfortunately it's one of the most exciting things that has happened to us in days. Seriously.

Tomorrow: doctor's appointment and Ikea (buying bookshelves for my redone room!)

Right now: watching Pretty Woman and eating Honeycombs with my sister. Julia Roberts is so cute in it! And Richard Gere? So hot!

My mum's driving me insane. I can't stand this. She was yelling at me, freaking out about how she let's me go out and do what I please (all I do is hang out with Zooey) and she thinks I don't do anything around the house because I didn't play with the cats tonight. This is utter bullshit. And now, because of my "attitude", I probably won't be able to go to the Rib Fest tomorrow.

This is ridiculous. I'm tired, PMSing, and emotional. Plus my dad's birthday is in just over a week, which is making me cry at the drop of a hat.

So now I'm hiding in my room with my laptop (which she told me I couldn't use) and crying because I'm a total wreck right now. I can't believe this. All I do lately is cry, but no one knows because I just lock myself in my room and bawl. I actually almost started crying at the Rib Fest yesterday and today. I've got to get a grip on myself.

I hate this.

Baking this slab pie would make me feel so much better. Baking is my stress release. Unfortunately I'm banned from baking because my mum's a bitch.

Apparently our sense of smell invokes the strongest memories. I love the smell of cigarette smoke. Which is terrible. I don't think I'll ever smoke, but I love the smell. Reminds me of my dad.


His birthday's coming up and I miss him.

Hmph.

Before heading to the Rib Fest at 6 I watched four episodes of One Tree Hill and ate meatloaf. It was a pretty good day so far. My day kind of turned around after that.

I love hanging out with Zooey, Nadia, and Charlotte, but Jason was also there, and I feel awkward around him, so it wasn't very fun.

Another friend, Ben, was also there. He's a cool guy, kind of shy, but it's to be expected what with living half his childhood in Korea and having ultra-conservative parents (his father's a pastor) who don't like him hanging out with girls. I really like Ben, he's cool if you know him, so it pissed me off when Nadia complained about his quietness when he left. "Why does he bother showing up if he doesn't even talk?" she said. I don't talk very much either when guys are around, so that made her comment even more annoying.

Charlotte ditched us for a party. Just like last night. Just like she always does. She always tells Zooey "Don't smoke. Don't party. I'm serious Zooey!" Charlotte smokes. She parties. She drinks. She sexes boys up. She's a huge hypocrite. I love hanging out with her; she's hilarious, it's just her two-faceness that gets to us all.


And Jason was annoying. He acts so immature sometimes and he can be such a jerk to my friends. Well to everyone, in general. He may not notice it, but Zooey and I do.

He lives the opposite direction as Zooey, Nadia, and I from the park where the Rib Fest is, but he usually walks with us. But today, because I was annoyed and being a little broody, I quietly told him I needed to talk to Zooey, so could he not walk with us? He said he'd leave after Nadia picked up the milk her mum asked her to get on the way home.

This annoyed me, because we were just at the park entrance, he should have just left then, there was no reason to walk all the way up the street with us and then walk back. Maybe im just PMSing, but I doubt it. And I don't want a boyfriend right now. Really don't want one. So I'm going to have to break it off soon. I'm just nervous.

After he left it was fine. Zooey and I chattered and walked through our old school and stuff and stuff. I hope tomorrow's better. I'll probably end up avoiding Jason for a while, which I know I shouldn't do. But I will anyway.

I hate this.

I remember reading somewhere that before photoshoots the Olsen twins repeat the word "prune" to each other to make their lips look bigger and poutier. It's an interesting way to do it. It also works (it feels like your muscles get stuck like that).


I think it's a little messed up how we (the normal folk) can recognize celebrities by one feature (lips, eyes, nose, etc.) It seems a little unnaturally obsessive.