Dough-nuts

So we're just getting to the end of dinner and I remember that I didn't make any brownies, like I'd planned to.

Now, if it's just Ross & I for dinner, it's pretty rare that we have dessert.

But when we have people over, like we did last night, I feel bad if I don't serve something sweet at the end. 

Like I've somehow short changed my guests into coming over for dinner and literally only giving them dinner.

Surely that is not what a good Mormon hostess does.

Aren't we supposed to have homemade baked goods in our house at all times? 

Anyway, so we finish dinner and Chlo mentions that her & J-rad had Krispy Kremes yesterday.

Now, I love a good doughnut as much as the next person, but even I would draw the line at driving all the way to either Manchester or Preston just to get my doughnuts fix. 

So I said, "what?! You went all the way to Manchester? For a doughnut?"

Turns out they hadn't.

A Krispy Kremes had opened up near Ikea, which is only 10 minutes away.

Only-10-minutes-away!

Right then, I knew that I had dessert sorted.

Krispy Kremes for all!

 Honestly, my happiness was just about ready to spill out of me when they brought warm, glazed doughnuts to everyone waiting in the queue. 

Seriously, there are few things more delicious than that.

Lemon meringue pie, in doughnut form.

Genius.

Whoever thought of that needs to knighted.

At least.

The ultimate to do list

There are lots of people in this world that make lists.

I am one of them.

Shopping lists, meal lists, job lists, packing lists, presents lists...

Basically all kinds of lists.

A while back, I saw this film called 'The Bucket List'.

I really liked the idea of an extreme to do list of stuff I want to do before I'm right said Fred.

(That's Cockney rhyming slang for dead by the way.)

So seeing as this is my list, I'm going to add, change or maybe even completely remove items at will.

Life is ever changing, so my list will be the same.

1. Ride in a hot air balloon.

2. Witness a birth. (My own children won't count)

3. Take a photography class.

4. Go back to Rome with a fully charged camera and take photos of all the places Ross & I visited on our honeymoon.

5. Memorise a poem.

6. Throw a surprise birthday party.

7. Blow my first months wages from my first teaching job on something memorable.

8. Have my girls to sleep over once every year and review/make predictions.

9. Be an extra in TV programme/film.

10. Be in the audience of a TV programme.

11. Go on Oblivion and keep my eyes open and hands in the air for the entire ride.

12. Read the Bible all the way through.

13. Attend a session of General Conference in person.

14. Read 50 books in a year.

15. Give blood.

16. See the cherry blossoms in Japan.

17. Try real sushi.

18. Go for afternoon tea in a posh hotel in London.

19. See Wicked. Again.

20. Go vegan for a week.

21. Turn up at an airport, book a ticket for the first plane that's leaving and go on an adventure.

22. Take a photo everyday for a year.

23. Make ice cream from scratch.

24. Only consume orange food for one day.

25. Develop a party trick.

26. Ride a mechanical rodeo bull.

27. Attend a major sporting event.

28. Buy a house.

29. Fly somewhere in first class.

30. Get a pedicure.

31. Give up fizzy drinks for a year.

32. Try lobster.

33. Watch a firework display without covering my ears.

34. Go to the cinema at midnight to see a film as it comes out.

35. Go to carnival.

36. Go to a music festival.

37. Eat gelato in Rome.

38. Learn to say hello in 50 languages.

39. Learn to play an entire song on the piano.

40. Go to a belly dancing class.

41. Fire a gun.

42. See the Northern Lights.

43. Give £500 to charity all in one go.

44. Visit the British Museum & the Tate Gallery.

45. Learn to play chess.

46. Beat Ross in a game of chess.

47. Become an early riser.

48. Meet a member of the Royal family.

49. Shop at Harrods.

50. Take up pilates.

51. Send a letter to someone who has inspired me.

52. Wear a different coloured nail varnish everyday for a month.

53. Be a mentor to someone.

54. Win something.

55. Learn how to make an origami crane.

56. See the Mona Lisa.

57. Keep adding to this list.

Imagine an accent

Firstly, you should know that I can only do two accents relatively convincingly.

1). Scouse

2). Chinese

I can't even do my own native Northern accent anymore.

So when I tell you the following little story, you have to imagine my wannabe Chinese accent.

Because I promise if you could hear me doing the voice, this would be about a thousand or million times funnier.

I personally find it quite hilarious. And so does Ross. 

(When I'm telling the story with accents at least)

So that means that I must be pretty good.

Anyway, I started a new job yesterday.

Over the summer I'm nannying for two little cherubs.

(I've not just gone off on a tangent subject..that little bit of information is kinda needed for the story.

While I was at their house today, the phone rang.

I picked up and said hello, and then the timidest Chinese voice said hello back.

Seriously, if you can imagine what a mouse would sound like if they could speak, 

and then you imagine a Chinese mouse speaking, 

you can probably quiet accurately imagine what the woman on the other end of the phone sounded like.

"Is Mrs Mc....Mc....McIl...roy there please?"

"Erm, no, she's not actually, she's in Berlin until Thursday afternoon. 

I could take a message if you'd like, or you could try calling back on Friday? She'll be back by then."

"Oh...ok. Thank you for so kindly giving me this information.

You have a beautiful voice.

I wish you good fortune for all things in the future."

This little telephone memoir actually reminded me of something else that happened while I was working one day.

Again, you'll have to imagine me trying to do a Chinese accent.

I worked in Marks & Spencer at the time and was sat on the till at a really busy time.

There was a Chinese lady waiting in my queue and I noticed that she was staring at me really intently.

When it got to her turn she said to me...

"Are they your real eyes?"

I didn't really know how to respond to that, so I just looked at her.

"It's just that they're really, really blue.

Are they not contact lenses?"

"Nope, these are my real eyes."

"Well, I was just looking at you and wondering how you could disguise yourself.

Have you read 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?"

"No, I haven't actually."

"Well, in the book, the girl has to disguise herself, so no-one will know who she is.

So I was looking at you and thinking, how could this girl disguise herself?

Maybe she could wear a wig or some contact lenses."

At this point I was finding it considerably difficult not to laugh. 

"Then I saw the colour of your eyes 

(which, by the way I have never considered to be that blue)

and then I thought, maybe she is already disguising herself!

Who is she hiding from?!

Anyway, it is a really good book.

You should read it."

So now I am.

Recipe for a successful Tuesday

Listen carefully...

When it's a random Tuesday and you don't really have any plans, here is what to do.

1). Pick up one friend.

2). Take said friend to the home of another friend.

3). Gently force one of the friends to try sushi for the first time. 

It might be a bit scary at first, but its worth it. I promise.

4). While you wait for other friends to arrive, make banana bread.

5). Whilst the banana bread is cooking, dress up one of your friends in a snuggie.

You have to get them to put it on backwards, because then it looks like they're rocking a cloak.

Harry Potter stylee.

6). Get another friend to pretend to be Dobby the house elf (you can choose a different elf if you'd prefer) and take a photo.

 7). Once you have the photo, send the boys in the group to Asda to get supplies.

Whilst they're gone, make and eat sandwiches.

I would personally recommend cheese salad with hummus on brown bread.

8). Whilst your still waiting for the boys to get back, play the piano and have some sort of group sing-a-long.

 9). When the boys get back, jump into the hot tub and eat at least three ice lollies each.

One Vimto lolly, one Refresher lolly and one vanilla/toffee cone.

10). During your time in the hot tub encourage the entire group to speak in 'special' voices and use lots of hand gestures.

11). When it's time to go make sure that you have lots of good songs to play while you drive home.

Sing quite loudly to said songs throughout the journey.

12). Pick up your hubs from work/

call in at Costco/

drop one friend off at her house/

go home and make tomato risotto.

 13). Go to the driving range with your hubs.

13b). Take lots of photos of him.

14). Go home and sleep for at least eight hours.

PERFECT DAY.

Birthday part 2

So my actual birthday was on Saturday. 

Ross and my Mom & Pops did a pretty excellent job of spoiling me the entire day.

Seriously, I was so, so spoilt. 

I don't think that I've ever had so many cards, presents, balloons, cakes, birthday wishes or flowers on any other birthday. 

Thank you to all involved.

All of these pictures are ones taken on my birthday.

Only about half of them are birthday related, but they were all taken using one of my birthday presents.

Ross bought me a new lens for my camera, which I absolutely lurve.

Anyway, I didn't want to overload you with pictures, but enjoy...