Weekend

Like many weekends, this weekend was an enjoyable one.

Note the last weekend was a birthday celebration for my mom, in which we had BBQ at my sisters (yum), some homemade cake (yum yum), pressies and some glow-in-the-dark mini golf which was super fun. I was doing well on the front nine, but lost my nerve near the end (or perhaps it was my retinas!).

This weekend, the basics all occurred - sleep in 'till 9ish, snuggled with the Britgal, watched some bad British television and had some late lunch. After some quick shopping for popcorn (don't ask - pregnant ladies are just weird), we acquired some snacks at the ever popular Kernels store in Bayshore shopping plaza.

While at the mall, I remarked on something that while trivial seems almost a little profound for me. I hate the mall now. I used to like the mall a lot, then it was mostly fine - very convenient for shopping and browsing. Now I think I sorta loath the mall. It's not the crowds, as most stores are busy on the weekend (mall store or not). I think it's the environment; the idea that 1000s of stores in one location is a fantastic idea. An idea that brings with it the meta-idea that the mall can be a place of socialisation and even a hobby. A final selection of all things 'you will need' in one spot - one that I cannot abide.

Maybe it's because I like to look for things, I enjoy browsing and checking things out. I enjoy markets, and larger stores where I can get lost and spend my time as I wish. I can stroll and look at the wares in a relaxed manner, or I can zip in and out without much fuss. I find myself in a paradox of shopping. I enjoy the mom/pop shops that bring interesting things to the forefront, and large stores (RCSS, Chapters/Indigo, Farmboy, and even FS/BB to a lesser extent) for the selection and price.

The mall it seems is getting extinct - at least for me.

Later that evening we had dinner with Dinsdale and Lady M at a restaurant I had never been to - Milestones. It was busy and without a reservation we had a 20min wait for a table. Time flew by since the company was great, and dinner was passable. I had the ribs but I think I make better ones in shorter order; too bad since the place has a nice atmosphere and I felt a little under-dressed in a golf shirt with shorts.

On the Sabbath day, we spend the day cleaning - and cleaning :) . It was needed, since a few weeks of neglect have left us dusty and in need of a vacuum. I even tried out my stoves self clean feature. Most stoves have this option, and most people just chuckle about the idea of self-clean. Many I've spoken to have told me that self-clean means it helps but you're still scrubbing for a while.

I was brilliantly surprised when my oven, after 3 hours of incredible heat, turned all the messy spills, splats and runs into grey and black ash. I had to wipe my oven clean with a paper towel; no gloves or cleaner needed. I was very happy :) I even remembered to remove the racks first so they didn't loose their shine and become difficult to slide (since they aren't as smooth after). So my oven looks pretty spanking new and it's a good feeling (for a short while :) ).

Still thinking about it, I'm not sure if I scrubbed my kitchen so thoroughly because I wanted to do it for a while, or I was getting frustrations out (from work etc) and needed to feel like something was getting down right (hehehe).