Well, here we are again. As promised, I'm starting the blog again and this time it will be from beautiful Victoria. We will be here for the next three years and today we spent our first full day here. I am not going to lie that it still feels surreal and shocking to be here. Mostly we still feel like we are on vacation.

We got some of the beauracratic chores done this morning and then we set off as usual to explore. 

We went to the downtown "mall" here to check out the cellphones situation and grab some surprisingly delicious greek food from the food court that we got to eat on the lovely rooftop patio. Who knew malls could be enjoyable. 

Bonus, Jazzfest was going on as well. 

We are currently in some temporary housing in the downtown area. While it is fun to be in this urban setting we were eager to visit our future neighborhood again...for the second time ever. 

Thankfully I can say it totally rekindled and refreshed our love for the area we chose, wanna see why?

First the water, which immediately makes K giddy.

This particular beach is a block and a half from our place. In the same place is access to a trail that runs all along the shoreline and leads to other neighborhoods and beaches.


A couple blocks in another other direction is this amazing park. It is huge and diverse. All the pictures below are the same park, and we are in love.





Putting practice green.






Peacocks just wander around everywhere, is this real life?


Closed, the Canadian way.


A children's zoo in the middle of the park has baby lambs and whatnot. We will be coming back as we saw a sign for a miniature horse named Peanut Butter...sold!




Saw a squirrel that was black, which is apparently a transplant of the London Black Squirrel.


The local cricket pitch.

We also took a walk to our village grocery, pharmacy etc. and enjoyed the feel of being able to walk around and get to know our area.

We are, of course, already missing everyone we love but we are so excited by this new life we seem to have stumbled upon.

Well this post got slightly delayed, as today is the first day of our thaw. But srlsy folks, I'm feeling done with all this.

Thankfully it has meant a lot of time with this dude. We have still be hermit-ing it up in here, but I think we've worn ourselves out with that and are ready for some spring time fun.

We are hoping to get in a nice bike ride this weekend and tonight we are off to see The Great and Powerful Oz at Union Station and I'm really excited. I don't care much how good the movie is, but the effects should be pretty amazing and I love a good date night with my husband. 

There will also be some sushi making with BB and GB so we'll see if we can't mess that up too much.

So much snow. Now we are battening down for a second round. With 12" the first time and 8-17' predicted this time, it feels like the g-d'ed North up in here. 

Blerg to the weather and on to updates.

We did go bowling, as promised. I was an old lady and pulled my groin on like...frame 2. I know, how sad am I. However, I did play all three games. K won by a landslide. 

While exercise this winter has been pathetic, other than all the snow I've been shoveling, we do get out when we can and we took a little run in the snow. Urg, this weather really puts me back on my C25K program, but I'll plug away in the Spring days to come. 

Soup is still on the menu, obvi. Spicy Thai Coconut soup. 

Beatles rockband was fun with BB and G after braving the snowy roads. K is happy to have some other rock band enthusiasts. 

We finally did a neighbor dinner with MLM and DLM. DLM is a wonderful cook and we feasted on brussel sprout frittas, stuffed chicken breasts and butter lettuce salad with tarragon  Then DLM went on to dominate in Scrabble. One...two...punch. 

I finally finished the project we were supposed to do in our craft weekend. Win! These were pretty darn easy, although I did have to sew them more than the tutorial said to, but I didn't care. If you're interested, this is it.  

 We got to briefly see the cutie-pie kiddos. K is working on some real pictures because Miss Nithi had her first Indian dance performance and she was wonderful, so I want to wait for the real pictures to do them justin. In the mean time, here is the adorable Sam. 

 My husband is so bad ass.

Also, you should know that we show our love through the immortal language of television. He made me a West Wing valentine, I made him a Parks and Rec "April in the a heart says, 'I hate everyone but you'" 

I have already taken to hiding this from myself but I'm guessing it will be getting me through the long winter months until...well June basically. 

Lat night we went about recreating our first valentine date and that is just my style (Hello, I love repeats). First up, Diner burgers. After considering Winsteads (ok I know, I'm from KC and I don't really like Winsteads) K took me to Five Guys after I admitted I hadn't been there. 

This man is tricksie as he knew the secret that I didn't and happily let me order what I thought would be a cheeseburger. After he got one also, the man at the counter yells back "Four Patties" and I knew something was amiss. 

 Cutest Valentine Ever. 

Blissfully unaware 

 Apparently at this fine establishment when you said "burger" what they hear is, "Two burgers please."

When the order came up K was gleeful at my wide eyes and "I've never eaten a double patty anything!" (which is a lie, because I remembered he made me eat a Big Mac once when he found out I hadn't had one).

 Staring down the beast. 

Ok so it wasn't that dramatic. It was good for Diner burger but no, I didn't eat the whole thing and yes, I felt a little embarrassed holding it, which is probably sad for me and my hippie loving ways. 

K: So how do you like it? 

R: It is pretty good. I mean it has that whole old fashioned thing but I am not super into that, because it doesn't make me like...remember my childhood days or something. 

K: It does to me. 

R: I would need some good old fashioned Zucchini Oatflake Loaf for that and I'm pretty sure only my Mom can make it. 

So anyway, K must continue on his quest to turn me into a 'Murican. ;)

Second stop, Barnes and Noble. I got a new copy of 'Little Women', because mine is in tatters and that have those cute "classics" which I can't pass up, and 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman. 

K got 'Tough Sh*t' by Kevin Smith. 

This is us. 

Yay Love Day. Tomorrow, we are going bowling, a thing which we have failed to do every year since we got together. This year...reservations folks. Yeah, because apparently you need those just to go bowling. Midwest for the win.

 So this all started out because some of us gals decided we wanted to get together and craft like old ladies.

Then the boys got involved. 

What ended up was none-the-less epic because it was sorely needy and extremely fun. 

There was rock band.

 And doggy guests

Big pancake breakfasts, football in the park, jogging

BBQ, Blues and Mardi Gras

 Everyone wore the Pika suit, because it is the cool thing to do (don't worry, we've washed this several times.)

There was pizza, fruit ninja and dance central on the Kinect, brunch and shopping. 

Then everyone left and I crafted by myself. Until next time, when we try again to have a ladies weekend and the boys bust in with their video games and cute-ness:)

Yesterday I was just dog tired. I am unsure why since we only stayed up till *gasp* 11 p.m. on Sunday after a Superbowl party. 

 

But after I got home (hungry of course, because if you let yourself eat crab dip at work you also skip lunch and then you're super hungry...sigh). Also my calves have been killing me because I, somewhat pathetically, did some Insanity workout with K on Sunday and now I can barely walk.

I prompty snapped at my husband for not sleeping enough for his afternoon nap, trying to order him to go back to sleep.  That K, speaking my crazy language, told me that in fact, I am the one who needed a nap. Then I broke down into one of those weird giggle fits that makes me laugh so hard I'm crying and I can't breathe. It was like I was eight and my sister and I had been sent to bed while it was still light out in July all over again. 

Then this wonderful husband of mine promptly put me to bed, went and cooked a breakfast for dinner and brought it to me.

I spent the entire night just hanging around with him in bed, laughing and looking up weird things online, watching 30 rock and leaving our friends funny voice mail messages. 

I'm either having a mental break down or my life is great. I'm ok with it being both. I promise mostly we have a totally nutrious dinner and do productive things like make a menu for the week and do laundry and all the other grown up things. 

Sometimes you just have to say whatever. There is still a bottle of syrup next to my nightstand.