What do you get when you bake a 20-year-old coffee cake mix?

POOP CAKE!!!

Looks good on the box, right? Yeah, until you find the "mail away for a cookbook" form inside with the offer expiry date of June 30, 1990. I should have realized there that this was probably a bad idea.

But someone has to try it FOR SCIENCE so it's me.


Mmmm... just like Mom used to make! If she put turds on it! That's not caramel sauce, I discover later, those are the cinnamon apples for the topping! Even better!!!


Appetizing, no? It will be in ALL the Starbucks locations next holiday season!


The iPhone camera couldn't focus on it properly. This may be a blessing for you all. Be sure to compare this image with the first image from the box above. Notice how NOT risen it is.


Oh come on, you know you want a bite!!


Don't make that face, it can't be that bad!


Well?

The verdict is... it tastes like someone baked it 20 years ago and left it in the cupboard. I guess that's about all one can hope for from a flat, non-rising cake mix with questionable-looking "apples" as a topping. The brown sugar part of the streusel topping was good though.

Beentsy was right, I shoulda used it as a dog frisbee.

It's coming...

Can you smell it out there? Fall is coming.

The wind has a chill to it this evening, and night is already upon us. Darkness is coming quicker and quicker, the days aren't as warm and when they do warm up it doesn't last as long.

You know what that means? Sweaters!!!

This makes me very happy; I've just frogged my Heather Hoodie Vest that I knit last fall because it was too big and am going to re-knit it in a smaller size. Nice when you can say that, right? It'll still be in the same Patons' Shetland Chunky Tweed in brown, but I have to wash the yarn to straighten it out and wind it all again.

And scarves... it's time to find all my scarves and shawls, perhaps a new shawl pin - a girl needs a new accessory for fall, right? - and start thinking about fingerless gloves.

Ah fall. Soon I'll be wearing handknit socks in the oh-so-cute maryjanes that just came in the post courtesy of Beyond the Rack. Hm, I wonder if I'll be able to wear a cute beret this weekend? Can't get one's head get cold!

The only sad part? My watermelon plant and my eggplants have not quite fruited yet. The watermelon vine has a few miniscule watermelons on it and the eggplants are still just leaves. Perhaps it's good that I bought new shoes.

Welcome to Saskatchewan - in Brief

Here's the breakdown with some elaboration. I was going to make a larger post out of these rough points, but I'm not so inclined anymore as I'm leaving tomorrow and have one more post to come after this one.

Travel from Abbotsford to Calgary, 2hr45min layover - Nothing really at the $20 or Less store, a belt that didn't fit and a purse that didn't come in the colour I wanted. Oh well, maybe tomorrow there will be something new. Otherwise, I got an iced tea lemonade from Starbucks and a bagel with cream cheese at Timmy's, then enjoyed the free 2 hours of wifi at the Calgary Airport. Damn right it should be free, last time I used the wifi in Calgary I had to buy a subscription!

Calgary to Saskatoon; WestJet Winglet Wednesday photo, whole seat row to myself - This was one of the best flights ever because I had all the seats to myself. I got to put my carryon bag under the next seat, I put my magazine and iPod on the seat beside me, and I put the arm rest up. I also snapped my Winglet Wednesday photo that I will upload to Twitter (follow @WestJet and your photo might get re-tweeted!) tomorrow while I'm in Calgary airport again.

Quickest exit from Diefenbaker Airport EVER - this was truly amazing. Dad & Kathy met me at the airport, getting in just minutes before I came through the terminal, and then my bags were among the first off the carousel! We were out of the airport within 15 minutes of me landing! That just goes along with having the whole row of seats to myself making it one of my best flights ever. Let's hope tomorrow's trip goes as smoothly!

Gas stop in Blaine Lake; free laying hens – 21 not 2! - So because the drive from Saskatoon airport to Canwood is roughly two hours, we often have to stop for gas halfway, which is anywhere from Blaine Lake south of the Petrofka Bridge to Marcelin or Leask, which are around 45 minutes from Canwood. So we stop at the gas station in Blaine Lake and Dad is perusing the notices on the bulletin board outside when we all spot the same one at the same time: "Free 2 laying hens" and a phone number. So Dad goes up and snags the page, when I say to Kathy, "Oh my gosh, that doesn't say 2 hens, it says 21!" Dad comes out after paying for gas and exclaims his excitement that it's actually 21 hens rather than just 2, thinking this is an amazing bargain. Meanwhile I'm picturing my father driving back to the farm with 21 hens inside the cab of the truck, all clucking at him for one reason or another. I know he wouldn't have them in the cab of the truck, but still, the image is amusing. More on chickens in the next post.

60 pounds of peaches awaiting me - I was informed the day before I flew out here that there was fruit to be canned and due to Kathy's Parkinson's she needs a hand with some of it. No problem, how much is there? Yes, 60 pounds of peaches, and about 20 pounds of nectarines. Kathy and I bottled roughly 20 pint jars of peaches and nectarines. But it was fun, it went smoothly.

Gorgeous 14 degrees Celsius & some clouds; this is the first I’ve worn socks and a sweater in WEEKS! - Considering I left home after a stretch of 30+ degree weather, I'm thrilled to experience a chill that doesn't come from standing in the refrigerator door.

Satellite TV means 300 channels and nothing’s on - Sometimes there really is only Jerry and Maury on. Glad I don't pay for a satellite dish at home!

That's all for this one, I have another post coming in a little while, Dad wants some help with his kohlrabi salad.

I never thought this would happen...

I've always joked that because my cat - Lucy - is largely an indoor cat, she likely wouldn't have any idea what to do with a mouse if she caught one.

Well, Lucy has answered that question tonight, she GOT one!


It's even a little black mouse, caught by my fat black cat. She didn't seem too concerned that I was picking it up and putting it in a plastic bag to go out to the garbage, she looked kind of disappointed that it wasn't playing anymore.

She's gone back outside, I wonder if there will be another trophy at the back door soon?

Your Local Neighbourhood Criminologist

Attention people in my neighbourhood:

If you do something stupid like have a loud, rowdy party with drunk people arguing, throwing bottles down the street, or just some drunk broad yelling like she's on a bull at a rodeo: I WILL CALL THE COPS AND REPORT YOU.

You all know I'm a criminologist and was hit by a drunk driver, so don't look surprised when the squad car pulls up.

Summer Reading

It's time for the summer reading list again.

Okay, so the bottom four I've had for quite some time, and yes, I'm almost finished Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, but heck; I've heard so much about Larsson's Millenium trilogy that to see the first two available in paperback was too good to pass up.

Oh, and the Koontz? Well, Coles had a buy-two-get-one-free on paperbacks. My mom will probably read that first on their vacation and I'll read it... sometime... probably not until after my thesis. Which doesn't look near as imposing as this stack of books does.

Updated Knitting Meme from 2009

Originally the idea was to mark in bold the items that you have knit, italics for the ones you plan to knit, and leave the ones you haven't done in plain font. In order to reflect the things I have done since this last list, I'll be marking them in red bold just to make them stand out better.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting (I have no idea what this is)
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money (not recommended involves lots of knitting very little money)
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding - the wedding is coming up this summer
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting (I was a total failure at that…. not enough time)
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public Now I knit even MORE! :)

SUSHI!!

If you've followed me over here from the Ravelry group Terminal City Yarn Wranglers' thread about Sushi in the lower mainland, thanks for coming by! If you've read my blog before - and perhaps wondered why I haven't posted since last VD day? Good question! Consider this the impetus to revamp my blog, which may or may not include a name change and perhaps even a venue change. Am I happy with Blogger? Or is it time to test out LiveJournal or Wordpress? Oh the choices!

Yoko Sushi & Noodle House at 16013 Fraser Highway in Surrey. We've been there often enough that all the servers recognize us, know what we want to drink, and that 9 times out of 10 we're going to get the sashimi box and that 10th time I'm going to do sashimi and maki a la carte, usually a rainbow roll.

I live in Cloverdale and am lucky to have four sushi restaurants nearby when only a few years ago there was just one, and it was at least a sign that Cloverdale was ready for raw fish. The first sushi restaurant was O.E.C. Japanese Restaurant at 5827 - 176 Street in Cloverdale, run by a Japanese family willing to be on Cloverdale's maturing tastes.

The location was initially perfect because 176 Street had a left-turn lane to take you south direct down 176 Street which is Cloverdale's "Main Street" as well as a northbound lane to merge with traffic coming up Pacific Highway from South Surrey & White Rock. However when they re-engineered the road accesses and blocked off that left turn lane to head south, but even more odd, they blocked the quickest access to Pacific Highway for our BC Ambulance Service station, located next door to the restaurant. At any rate, the traffic pattern change makes getting to the O.E.C. restaurant a bit more of an effort but hey, two wrongs don't make a right, so happily three lefts will still get you there. The restaurant had been closed for some time due to a family emergency in Japan, but thankfully it has re-opened and according to recent reviews on dinehere.ca it's just as good as it was when they opened.

My favourite sushi place right now is the one closest to me, Umami Sushi at #205-17725 64 Avenue, in the Cloverdale Crossing complex (176 Street & 64 Avenue). It's a small place, a few tables, a nice counter, but I'm usually doing take-out. Great fresh fish, and real crab in the california roll, too.

I was at first sad that my Taco Del Mar closed, but perhaps it's a sign because sushi is so much healthier for me and sometimes easier to digest (Crohn's + refried beans = unstable tummy).

Then there's Nikko Sushi at 5676 - 176 Street, Tanuki Sushi at 17617 - 56 Avenue (aka Hwy #10), and Sashimi Sushi just down the street in the Clover Square Village complex. I haven't tried these ones yet, so I suspect a sushi tasting marathon might be in the works!

Thanks for stopping by, and if I do decide to jump ship or just spin off to another blog, there will be a link for future visitors to know what's goin' on. And if you check me out on Ravelry I'll post any new blogs there, too.