Genuius that I am, I locked myself out of my work computer again. Twice in two months. Oh dear, it's a sign I need a break. But there's not a let up in sight.

Feeling particularly spaced-out this morning, even though I had a decent amount of sleep. I guess the overcast sky and the chilly office temperature is just putting me in hibernation mode. *yawn* Oh to curl up and have a sleep!

Had a wonderful day even though I had to work. Skipped the gym and slept in for a lazy Sunday start. But just ended it with a nice long 1.5 hour run on Lippy the Elliptical while watching Paprika. Very surreal, very trippy, thoroughly enjoyable. Reminded me of a very disturbing novel by Alex Garland, The Coma, but less creepy.

D took me out for lunch at Crystal Jade Golden Place at Paragon where we had a selection of excellent dim sum:

We started off with some perfectly pan-fried turnip cake, crisp on the outside, creamy soft on the inside -- and not greasy!

Followed by juicy plump siewmai

Shaky excited hands and steam make for a wobbly photo

Then in quick succession we had...

Some crispy springrolls that made satisfying crruunch noises when we bit into them,

Chee cheong fun filled with char siew. Was mildy disappointed in these. they were not as thin, delicate as they should have been, but could have been because we ignored them and were too busy eating:

Deliciously fragrant and amazingly tender pork rib with no gristle, little fat and lots of flavour

And silky smooth century-egg congee

As we were eating the soft pillows of snow white char siew bao filled with meat and leaking thick sweet-savoury gravy,

We realised, horror of horrors! that we forgot to order hargao, the standard of measure (in our opinion) of good dim sum! So we quickly rectified our mistake and also added some custard buns to the list:

D snatched at these so quickly by the time I got my camera out, half of the wonderful prawn filled babies were gone!

These were by far the best Hargao I have ever eaten. The soft thin skin gave way to juicy prawns that 'snapped' upon bite. So good. But the best surprise was the molten custard and salted egg yolk in these buns:

Twice they leaked hot yellow goop on my chin and lip, burning me in my haste to eat them. Oh so good!

Then D accompanied me for a bit while I started on some work in town and I headed off the the office, feeling full, sleepy and loved.

Ooooooph! Another day of too much eating! Plans to pay respect at D's aunt's memoriam with his family were cancelled due to rain, so we went to Bukit Merah Market and shared a deliciously rich serve of claypot laksa with extra sea-hah'm (cockles), followed by some rather dry, too-salty Old Ponggol pork satay (I was greatly disappointed, I had such high hopes because it came with satay sauce that had a dollop of crushed pineapple, like the old school days).

D wanted desert, but I had a bowl of claypot liver mee suah instead. Thus I again overestimated the size of my stomach capacity and had to stagger out of the place. (D: "See lah, eyes bigger than stomach") That didn't stop me from buying a tasty selection of handmade Nonya kueh-kueh's though. Hey, there's always dinner!

(Clockwise from top) Rainbow layer kueh-lapis, Kueh salat, Durian Lapis, Traditional kueh-lapis cake, Prune kueh-lapis cake, Lempur Ayam

Am off to run for a bit ... that laksa fantastic as it was, was just too sinfully lemak!

Gargh! What a long tiring stretch at work it's been! Worked till 10pm almost every day this week (and the week before that and the week-before-the-week before, i.e the week before the fistula operation).

I shifted desk this week... away from my cosy window corner to an official work-desk cluster. So now I have a larger more 'proper' looking space and am no longer like some squatter in the office sitting in a random make-shift area with large black garbage bags under my table (filled with old office Christmas decorations). But I miss the view and the snoring cat I can't gossip consult as easily with localdesk any more as we're all spread out. Boo.

The old

The new

But anyway, all through the week, it was just a neverending cascade, complete with strange emails that made me wonder if I'd gone totally insane.

When today came around I was a real grouchy grouch. For once I was going home at a decent hour (8ish), but to no social shenanigans. Unfortunate lack of planning had scuttled dinner plans with Mum and I was loathe to go to Holland-V yet again to meet D who said he was going to have hang out and have drinks with his brother.

But I was resistant to the idea of heading home to an empty house (Bro was working night-shift), even though I usually quite welcome such scenarios, so I dragged my whiney embittered ass on the train, complaining on the phone to April about the sorry state of my social life.

Then D surprised me with dinner reservations at Michaelangelo's. Me, the spoilt little shrew, was totally chastised and placated by the gesture. We had the eggplant tower, mussels, porcini and truffle risotto, duck tagliatelle, a glass of pinot noir, raspberry & lemon creme brulee, fig and treacle pudding. We had to be rolled out onto the street where we wobbled around the supermarket for a bit before catching a cab home for some good shut eye. Bliss!

Mum dug out her collection of felt today -- she has bales of it leftover from "The Shop" (which has been closed some three or four years now). So I opened my craft-tchotchke chest and made this:

And this

Made a fresh batch of toothsome scones and almond thumbprint cookies* this morning. Tweaked the recipe somewhat to achieve a little bit more height to the scones -- they were a little too flat and tame looking the first time.

There's something about scones that I simply adore. They're such lady tea things, delicate of taste and texture, but there's a certain controlled violence in the way they burst and rise, cra-acking at the top ever so slightly, so that they border on ugly without actually becoming a lumpy or deformed. And they're so versatile! I made half a batch with cranberries (doubled the dose) and half without. I reckon some creamy smoked tuna or scrambled eggs will go very nicely between them.

A much better photo of scones than the last time. The previous one didn't do them justice!

In case you were wondering, props goes to Epicurious for their amazing range of recipes and reliable user feedback.

*Okay confession time: I do not actually use my thumb to make these cookies as my nail gorges unsightly holes into them. I use my knuckle. However, Almond Knuckle-hole Cookies do not exactly have quite the same ring to it.

I hope these luscious treats will ensure a lovely lazy weekend, just like last week. (Hey! If doctors can be superstitious over the correlation of food to work, then why can't I?)

Big D is up! Brunch is on! See ya!

Time for Tea

Lovely time with the girls (plus a couple of boys) the last two days. Us old fogies had a night out at HOME club for some Beat madness on Friday. There was dancing, singing and general mayhem, although not as much as the last time as I was determined not to embarrass myself in front of my brother who was out clubbing with me for the first time. (note: milestone)

Today we had us a Birthday Tea Party. FYI I can spell Birthday, contrary to embarrassing mispelling on tea-time menu, which I made late on Thursday night after too many episodes of LOST. See, watching too much telly does turn your brains to mush. *blush*

Happy Birthday love! Some girlie touches, complete with childish misspellings to offset the 'getting older' bit (I meant to do that, really...)

We had us some homemade cranberry scones , almond thumbprint cookies (I can also spell thumbprint), fresh ricotta, bacon-tomato-mushroom canapes and some lousy peach-scented mush disguised as fruit. Oh yes, and champers, lovely sparkly champers. And tea. Also choc biscuits...mmmmm, chocolate covered scotch fingers...good....

The scones turned out really well: light, fluffy and slightly flaky. Probably could have done with a little more cranberry, but otherwise, close to perfect, i.e. the scrumptious ones at Cedele's.

Found one of Mum's pretty tea services and set out the table with these dainty little tea cups

The bandages are officially off and the arm's doing nicely. Only a wee bump is left as a reminder of the Fistula of Fury.

The week off was such a welcome break to just stay home. Spent the time watching Lost season 2 and even made some necklaces and crochet flowers.

Today I had a craving for cookies so I made some Almond Thumbprint Cookies topped with blackcherry jam. Tomorrow I shall prepare scones for a tea-party! :)

No Monday Blues for once...

This gimpy one-armed bandit is on sickie for a whole week. *beams madly* Mainly it's to let my arm rest and ensure that it doesn't get some flesh-eating infection that makes my arm fall off. Secondary to that, I plan to actually get some real R&R. Already, the prospect is helping my arm heal very nicely.

So far, it's been bliss: quality time with D, weddings, friends and MAAD's first birthday over the weekend where I got some lovely things:

1. Retro style belt made with kimono material

I the feel of the fabric!

2. Laser-cut Acrylic stencil necklaces

I couldn't decide between the goldfish and the butterfly, so I got both. I really like the goldfish -- it's so intricate!

3. April's Bday pressie (no, not posting photo, nyah nyah. You can find out when you're back from the snow darling)

Instead, photo of me gorging on the free fairy floss

4. Two Prizes from the $1 throw-and-win game

I am a shit-throw so I only got the moo-moo magnet, but D landed a bigger prize and gave me the cute lil box :)

After shopping, cheap beers and gossip, we had a leisurely dinner at Cafe Le Caire with a couple of shishas, and topped it all off with a late-night movie: Die Hard 4.0. (Disclaimer: not my choice of movie, but having said that, it was a rollicking ride filled with over the top rarr-rarr-lookit-me-I'm-so-tough-yippee-kai-yay-muthafucka! shennanigans)

It's always so nice to live life like a normal person have time to hang with friends, watch movies and catch up :)

070707 -- Happy Wedding Don & Mel!

To the most made-for-each-other couple I know, congrats! Pass the keg!

D and I had the honour of being the MCs for the night and thank god we didn't screw it up too much. It was a lovely do at Mel's, part dinner-reception, part garden-party. Very informal, very chillax. Beautiful, intimate and warm, just like Mel and Don (and wee Thaddeus, who is getting more and more handsome each time I see him).

In evidence of the break with convention, some of the guest even managed to get in trouble wid da po-po as them wheels were parked too close to da Big Man's house (starts with S, ends with M, rhymes with Goh).

Stole these photos off Jubee with whom I ate copious amounts of dessert with:

Empress Dowager Mel and her jie-mei (we look like such ah lians)


Big D, the Groom, the Prince, Junie and two krazy karaoke hostess who somehow gatecrashed the wedding

Weird Conversation #2976

Me: I kept my fistula! You wanna see?
Bro: Ewww! Gross, why is it so slimy?
Me: It's rotting in the saline I think. See how swollen it got from all the dialysis. I feel like poking it. You want?
Bro: Eee-yer, no! My hands will get dirty.
Me: I feel like chewing it.
Bro: Me too. It looks like Kway Chap.

//Update//
Okay I touched it (but no, I didn't eat it). Verdict: springy.

Fistula of Fury: The untold story

For the last installment in the Adventures of Expanding Girl, we say farewell to her other sidekick, the Fistula of Fury, as he leaves Lumpkid and Expanding Girl and goes on a last journey to that big farm in the sky where all Fistula who have Done Their Duty go to play and rest, never to squirt anyone in the eye with a jet of warm blood ever again.

Farewell Fistula of Fury. Thank you.

Note: Fistula of Fury is rated PG-13 for images that may shock and disturb... so what are you waiting for? Click now!

Met the cutest litl wee doggie today!

Meet Milo the mocha-choca-latte poodle: isn't he the sweetest lil woofie you ever saw? (save Toby of course!)

Now, I don't usually like poodles, but this one was too cute, I had to give the wee 'un a kissie.

In other news, I'm soul tired. Today marks the 12th day of non-stop work. I'm actually really looking forward to my operation (Bye bye Fistula) tomorrow, if only so I can escape the office for one sweet day. The irony -- of course there is one -- is that I have to up at an ungodly hour to get to the hospital at 8am. Oh woe

*New record*

ZOMG, since I got back from my (very tiring) trip on the 14th, I've had this crazy stretch at work. From the 18 June till now, I haven't stopped working (save Spa Day with Ju). I think I'm a-gonna cra-ack soon, but for now, lots of self motivation and a deep and profound passion for my job keeps me going...


*gag*

You know you're a weirdo when your boss tells you your weekend work assignment is to shop/club to assess the pre-/post- GST-hike/smoking ban and you're bummed out 'cause you were intending to clean your room instead.

But seriously, today was my personal version of hell. Rude, smelly, frantic crazy mobs all thronging the streets because 2% more Goods and Service Tax kicks in for a grand total of 7%. Even at the supermarket, queues were 12-15 people long -- it's just bread and tea and washing detergent for chrissakes! And FYI, the supermarket in question is absorbing GST for the next six months!