BC Parkway Urban Trail Not Enough

After a late night at Mike's party, I barely slept a peep before "waking up" for 9am dim sum with the Ng's. Good thing dim sum was just down the street from where I live so rolling out of bed with bed hair and walking myself to the restaurant didn't take too much time. Once my tummy was full, I was ready to roll back into bed. The day after a late night party isn't always pleasant at this ...erhm... age.

Anyway, I napped but not for long. The sun was shining and I had a day and half more before I go back to work after a splendid week off. I was still feeling a bit groggy but the outdoors beckoned. Luckily, bro agreed to go cycling with me. I've been taking the bike out more than expected this week. None of it was planned. Just some good spontaneous rides.

My bro suggested Richmond, and I wasn't sure I'd have the stamina to make it back after a night without sleep. I requested something easier. So, this time we went eastward towards Central Park in Burnaby. Bro warned me that E.45th will have cars and a slight incline all the way to the park. As I frowned a little, he reminded me that that only means downhill coming home. I was good with that. The last couple of rides had been downhill going and uphill coming home... which made no sense that the reward came before the work.

Indeed, there was an incline. But happy that it wasn't a difficult one. Once we made it to Central Park (which took almost no time), I made the mental note that on a day that I don't have a riding buddy, I'll just bike up and down E.45th to Central Park for my slight-incline workout until it gets too easy. That was the extent of our plan though. To make it to Central Park. But once I was on the bike, with the fresh air (and bugs) hitting my face, I was much more awake and energetic.

"Go through the park?" bro asked.

"Sure."

We went through the trails and looped aimlessly wherever the trails took us. Soon after, bro whipped out a map from his bag and said, "Wanna check out the BC Parkway Trail?".

Wherever that is... I said, "Sure."

We had no idea where we were inside Central Park, but followed the sounds of the skytrain to find our way out. Which led us right on the Parkway Trail. We continued to head east. I was looking at all the new apartments being built in this quiet neighbourhood and thought, I could live here. One of the already-built apartments caught my eye. Hmm, where is this place? What seemed like minutes of riding took us to Metrotown. The apartment I was gawking at was Jewel. Ahh... I'm familiar. Biking just seems to take you to places much faster.

We passed Bonsor Community Centre and then hit Imperial St. We would have gone all the way to Queensborough but was reminded that whatever we biked, we have to bike it again to go back. So, we turned around. I was already excited to take the downhill on E.45th.

Of course, downhill means not biking, which felt like we got home in no time. Both still high on fresh air, we didn't want to go home. I suggested we go to Trout Lake. We headed north on the Windsor bike path and it was nothing but downhill. I started getting a little weary. All downhill meant all uphill afterwards. After fifteen blocks downhill, I was ready to turn around. It would be another fifteen more blocks downhill, and I wasn't sure I could hike up thirty just yet. So, we turned around.

Uphill it was. Slow and steady was all I thought to myself. After making it back up the hill, we continued westward. Soon later, we arrived at the steep hill that owned me last week. I had given up and walked it. But it was also after my bro saying "I sometimes just walk this hill" and then speeding up the hill leaving me behind. This time, I stopped at the bottom of the hill watching my bro speed off again shouting to him, "Do we have to do this hill??".

He turned around and yelled, "That's the attitude!". Throwing in that sarcasm.

I watched another cyclist zoom on by me. In his tight cycling gear and spandex pants and blingy road bike. All the while, a man sitting underneath a tree watched intently most probably wondering what my next move would be. He had no intentions of making his stare less obvious. I had already lost all my momentum having stopped my bike. But without thinking much after that, I put my feet on the pedals and went for it. I told myself, if I can make it halfway up the hill, that's halfway better than last week.

I made it halfway...

... and thought, what's another halfway?

My brother was waiting at the top. And I made it. It wasn't so bad after all. Completely mind over matter. And we continued west...

I wasn't tired, but timewise, it was starting to feel like we've been out for a while. Then I remembered, I hadn't really eaten since 9am. And my bro hadn't eaten much period. We were both starting to starve a little. We gobbled our granola bars and decided to call it a day, and headed home.

What was meant to be a short joyride turned into a full three hours 30km ride. I hate the hills but my bro loves them, which makes him a good riding buddy because I can come home saying hey, I did it. Being fooled into doing hills is the only way that I'd do them. Hah.

First bike ride that's actually made me a little sore the next day and I'm loving it.

Mobile Blogging - Shucking Without A Shucker

We had no oyster shucker so we had to make-do with butter knives. It looked like super hard work. ( I observed). But, the hard work was all worth it because the oysters were incredibly fresh, sweet and buttery. We ate them raw with a little bit of fresh lemon juice.

Will picked them up from a little town called Bow in Washington on his drive up from Redmond. Thanks for sharing them!

Om Nom

This is Om Nom. If you play app games, you may be familiar with him. If not, go google the game, "Cut The Rope."

A couple of months ago, I was obsessed with this game. I enjoy little puzzle-solving, strategy games. (I'm currently hooked on "Where's My Water"). It's so frustrating when you can't get a puzzle, yet so satisfying when you can. And both of these games are made at a level where I get enough of both frustration and satisfaction to make it super fun. (Can't be too easy or too hard). 

Nonetheless, a couple of months ago, Kat asked me, "Are you still playing Cut The Rope?". 

"Yah, why? Thinking of getting it too?".

"No, just wondering if you're still hooked."

Remember this post? 

The something she was making for me was this Om Nom. So completely random. So incredibly cute. And it totally made my heart melt. I was a little glum during that time and this so random surprise made me shed a happy tear inside. I love Om Nom from Cut The Rope! Isn't he cute? And the candy magnets to his mouth. 

Thanks a bunches, Kat!

Mobile Blogging From The PNE

I heart the PNE. It will always have a spot in me. It was one of my favorite places to go for many summers when I was a child. I was so excited and giddy about it as summer rolls around that my cousin, Karen, and I would write up a list of which rides we would on and in which order. (we were crazy kids... Well, and crazy adults now). It is just another carnival, some would say. With everything just the same as the last. But it does hold a whole lot of fun memories for me so this really isn't "just another carnival" for me. And I love that it's a local summer spot that hasn't really changed much. I get a bit of nostalgia and I love that some things could be just as simple and the same.

My parents used to let us have all the fun we can. We'd go early and leave late. It's the one time a year we get to share cotton candy. They'll wait hours for us to get on and off the rides. And they throw out a ton of money for us to play any games we want. We made artwork with paint and spinning paper. We've filled up bottles with colourful sand. Dad would try to win us each a stuffed animal. And he's also bought us all souvenirs to keep. As a child, it was heaven. And I'll always remember PNE that way. With such memories, it's easier to understand why I love it more than Disneyland.

PNE is a little different now as an adult. Instead of the rides and games, got to enjoy the rib rest with my friends today. Yummy!

Brulee Crunch By Jacque Torres

One of my most absolute favorite chocolates is this Brulee Crunch made by the only Jacques Torres. I got a couple bars from Jen six years ago when she went on her trip to New York, and since then I've been hooked. I saved it for moments when I really wanted it and savored every piece.

People tell me that true chocolate lovers will gradually move onto dark chocolates for their rich and intense cocoa flavour (and also the fact that it's better for you), but as much as I love dark chocolates, I still have a place and moment for my creamy milk chocolates. It's a guilty pleasure.

This one, as all chocolates made by "Mr Chocolate", Jacques Torres, is extra creamy. The texture screams heavenly as it coats your mouth. Mr. Torres knows well when it comes to tempering his chocolate to this perfect creaminess. And with this brulee one, you get pleasant surprises in between with these tiny buttery crunchy bits. It really is a yummy combination.

So, ever since six years ago, whoever makes a trip to New York, I always ask, if convenient, that they help me bring back some of Brulee Crunch. I don't get it very often of course, which makes it extra special when I do! I just popped a square in my mouth and mmm mmm mmm...

Thanks, Bran!

A Bike Ride While Preppin' Dinner

While passing a grocery market on the way home from lunching with ex-coworkers and running errands, I had a sudden urge to cook turkey leg for dinner tonight. 

Turkey leg has become my go-to comfort dinner. It's easy to make and absolutely delicious. It's healthy to boot. It reminds me of those special family occasions when the roasting aroma fills the kitchen. It brings a kind of cozy and warmth, and I love it. I pair it with veggies of different hues to make it extra colourful.

I brined the legs as usual to enhance its flavours and allow it to trap its moisture. Brining with a 1/2 cup of salt and enough water to cover them. While brining, I prep the veggies. Websites suggest brining for at least two hours, but I find even an hour is good. I shove the turkey leg into a pan and then into the oven. Set the temperature to 350 degrees and that was it. Set it and forget it. My kind of cooking. 

As the turkey was roasting, my brother and I went out for a bike ride. Made it across the city and I got owned by one super steep hill. Just gives me something to conquer another day. My knee and ankle were complainin' a bit during the ride, but nothing I couldn't work through. Rode back home just in time to take out the turkey legs. After an hour and 45 minutes of roasting, it was done. And it all tasted like I slaved away at the kitchen all day. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and that makes me happy.

Family Reunion Cruise Highlights #3 - Cutey Patootey

There was a cotton candy machine on the cruise ship which made all the kids crazy. Sugar crazy. There was a lot of "you can't eat all of that" from the parents. This is one of my cousin's babies, Hayley. She's four, so technically not a baby. But still one of the youngest in the family. She is so cute I could die.