We're in stitches!

Willow's back from the vet! She hated the Elizabethan Collar on the first day; she went crazy, constantly backing up to get it off. Now, when I put it on, even if it's loose enough for her to take off herself, she just accepts it. How pathetic! Her little would is sewn up with real thread (unlike my other cat's stitchless suturing) and she can't help but lick and pull at the stitches when I take the collar off.

When I dropped her off at the vet, there was a middle-aged couple dropping off an even minnier cat to be spayed. The husband was holding the little cat in his arms, giving it little kisses once in awhile. What is it about little animals that makes otherwise tough folks go gaga? I wish I had a picture of that man and his new cat. He looked like the type who spent his weekends chopping wood and ice fishing.

Today is the last day before March Break! I might finally actually go cross-country skiing. Any tips on waxing skis? All the instructions I find online are over my head. I thought it was so much simpler!

I haven't yet written about the wonderful Valentine's Day I had last February 14th. February 15th was the date of my first teaching evaluation by my university supervisor and I was feeling anxious. On February 14th, I stayed at school late to plan my lesson for the next day, which was a good way to get it done without distraction, but I do not advise anyone to take the 211 East after 5pm. It. Takes. A. Long. Time.

Anyway, Mark and I usually don't do much for Valentine's Day, but this year I put in a few requests: flowers, lasagna, Caesar salad, a bottle of wine and a chick flick. I hadn't anticipated the long bus ride that day, so when I finally made it home, I was feeling pretty depressed that I hadn't seen much daylight that day, but so so so pleased to see that Mark had fulfilled my requests and then some!

Behold, the lasagna recipe:
And the Caesar salad dressing recipe, the most delicious I've ever had:


Which came from this book:

This cookbook also contains the recipe for Mark's Monday Night Bean Burrito Madness wraps. Yes, he makes them by hand and yes, Monday night is bean burrito night at my house. You're welcome to join us!

For desert, chocolate fondue and by far Cameron Diaz's finest film, "The Sweetest Thing".

Is it 1984?

According to the Montreal Gazette, Quebec's language police have ordered McKibbons Pub, the site of many after-work, after-exam and after-shopping drinks, to take down antique advertising posters from the inside of the pub. The advertising in question is for Guiness, Palethorpes Pork Pies, and St. James Gate Dublin and is all in English (durr, it's an Irish pub) and as such does not allow for French to be the dominant language inside the pub. Yikes! I wonder who will win this one. I wonder if the language police feel as stupid as we all think they are for doing things like this.

It's cold!

This week is "Teacher Appreciation Week". How are you appreciating your teacher?

In the school where I am working right now, apples are being put in teachers' mailboxes, 6th graders with overhead projector carts are wheeling around offering brioches, coffee and hot chocolate and on Thursday a group of parents is making a huge lunch for everyone.

Lachine Canal ...

or Jökulsárlón?