& that's April!

"have you seen this grump"

"wherefore art thou Emna"

And that is another weekend down but at least this weekend was a good weekend.. weather wise! Ok it was a pretty good weekend all around really as we got the foodage shopping done, as usual nice and early before the madmen are there playing bumper trolley and just plain out right getting in the bloody way! Then home to wash the windows.. finally got around to doing it! They were so gross! The biggest downfall for living right on a 'main' road. Then we got to fluff around a bit until it was time to go and have our trims.. at the end of Emna's trim, there was enough hair to maybe make a toupée for a mouse! lol

Afterwards, we headed off to the parentals to do a spot of washing.. which took a little longer than expected coz Emna didn't know how to use the parentals new washer and ended up starting the wash over again at the end of it.. those are some very clean jeans at the end of it at least! We helped Emna's dad remove the cover to the pool and fold it up.. which was a bit of fun with the wind. Emna tried to save a buzz o bumble from the pool.. but sadly, it was too late. I hung out and watched Polly the bitchy bird be kinda funny.. she hates me alot but she thinks I'm ace if I just sit on the couch in her room and wave my arms about. Eventually she tricked Emna into sticking her finger in the cage and of course it got bitten. She is a bitch afterall so we couldn't go away from the house without her doing something. The bird that is.. not Emna.

Now you may have noticed that I have been calling Emma.. Emna. You may be wondering why.. well all your answers will be over and I shall tell you.. she changed her name. Yup simple as that! lol actually what happened was.. Emna got a new debit card, so she had to sign it and Emna being Emna signed it Emna, not Emma so from now on she shall be known as Emna.. until I can't be effed remember that it's Emna.. but after this post I think Emna will have stuck.

Sunday we finally got around to actually setting up the balcony, now it is all spunk. Hopefully the green grassy looking stuff turns into flowers in the black rubber 'pots' so that we then have some colour out there.. the seeds were only dumped in there the weekend before but they have grown well so far. I especially like watching how they grow towards the light.. its fun to turn then around and watch them change direction. Anyways now all we need is the weather to be really nice so we can sit out there and have it be enjoyable. All that is really left to do is find something funky to put up on the left side to block some wind.. which is going to be much harder than it sounds.. seriously.

Hard to believe that April is nearly all over red rover.

"Houston, we have a balcony"

Watch it in motion..
..from right to left!

"so I baked cake"

I wanted cake.. so I baked cake!
Cake to go with the wonderful Lemon Lime Ice Cream that we made on Tuesday.The ice cream is rich & tangy and the cake was soft & sweet..

..which worked perfectly together.

The best thing is.. we have more!

"what are you smoking"

It looks like I spoke way too soon.. last night we got snow! Can you freaken believe it? Snow towards the end of April.. totally not acceptable! Not only snow but we also got rain but really it should have been expected when the day started off with -4! Weather gods, what are you smoking?

This morning there was quite the chill as I was out walking Nemo, along with big ugly grey skies which I guess will mean more rain and hopefully no more snow. I hope this also means that this weekend it will be nice. Fingers crossed... not toes tho.

I want cake. That is all.

"meh, Monday again"

Monday again.. the weekends seem to just fly on past.. we were planning on being quite productive with our weekend, but it didn't quite turn out that way but at least we were semi productive and managed to get the things required to turn our boring balcony into something not so boring and soon Nemo will be able to sit out there unguarded.. and we may even be able to enjoy the odd Sunday breakfast out there. So next weekend the balcony do-over shall be complete... hopefully lol

We were however, quite productive in the kitchen.. whipping up a batch of berry frozen yoghurt.. altho next time none of it at all will be put in the freezer for later coz well.. it gets freaken ROCK hard! Emma also made the bean burger patties that she has been wanting to make for a couple of weeks.. they were actually rather nice and the best thing is we have some more in the freezer for another time! Noice! Also while Emma was out picking up the balcony greenhouse, dirt, table & chairs.. I whipped up a batch of Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies! and also pizza pockets for lunch. Nom nom nom!

On Saturday we return home to discover that Nemo had hurt his back.. but several hours later he seemed well enough.. coz well he was doing his rug roll and he looked like it was a well needed rug roll.. funny little thing he is. I do often think we should have a camera up to record what he gets up to while we are away. One thing that I do find amusing is how sorry for himself Nemo comes across when he has hurt himself.. such a sad sack!

So it looks like the sunshine and blue skies are back again this week.. we had such a good weather week last week.. until we hit the weekend, then it was all grey.. prolly from that bloody ash! but anyways it was grey and a little on the coldish side and then yesterday was mega windy! There is so much more light now.. except going to bed while it is still light out makes me feel like a kid being sent to bed when it was still light out.. can't win them all!

"sorry Em"

I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.
I just couldn't resist having the last of our wonderful Mandelmusslor...Sorry Em *wink*

"meh, typical"

Lately I have been trying not to leave the apartment without my camera... coz well I was seeing too many funny things around me that I wanted to take snaps or videos of.. but as you can guess that as soon as I am armed with the camera.. nothing happens! Nothing snap worthy has happened at all.. nothing, nada! Yesterday.. I decided to leave the camera at home on an early morning walk to the store and what do I bloody see! A squirrel! A snap worthy squirrel! Meh, typical!

Anyways.. yesterday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and we could actually go outside without jackets on! Granted we still had to wear a jumper of some sort, it wasn't that wonderful out there but it was just so nice to not have to worry about putting a jacket of some sort on. Soon it will be t-shirt weather! Yippeeee!

Nemo has been very happy with all the sunshine as of late, especially with how it beams into the kitchen.. he spends most of his morning in there lapping up all the sun rays, and warming them old bones.. he will be 11 in a month after all. I am sure if he could get up onto the window sill all by himself he would, and spend all his morning up there in the sun, looking out at all the peoples.

The weekends are over too quickly, even tho this weekend felt like everyone had gone away.. it just didn't feel busy at all.. or maybe whenever Em and I were out.. people would hide? Bring on the summer when Em has 2 months of long weekends.. then 2 weeks of Boston!!

Emma's Second Recipe!

After a long.. loooong wait, Emma finally made another recipe for the Leila cookbook. The recipe was for hönökaka.. and it will be made again.. and again.. and again!

Best enjoyed with a nice spread of swedish buttery goodness & a cheese of some sort.. in this case we opted for a capsicum speckled cheese... nom nom nom

"do not caffeinate the Emma"

Yesterday after work, I made the mistake of allowing Emma to have a cup of coffee. This caused her to be up for many hours extra talking my ear off, not allowing me to sleep.. and then just as I got my second wind.. she was all tuckered out and decided it was sleepy time. And so from now on I must remember to not caffeinate the Emma after 5pm.

Now I feel I must caffeinate myself... to help get through the day!

"got a light"

Blue skies to welcome back the start of early mornings and grumpy Nemo's! & currently grumpy Jo.. my 6-7am sleep-ins have been luffly but sadly now they are gone and we are back into the work routine.. the usual grind. Why can't it be holidays all the time? Everything is sooo much betterer.. like for one, Nemo is much happier coz Emma is around and it make me happier to watch him lounge all over Emma like she is the lounge! The positions that dog likes to get in just so he can be on her.. classic!

Like I said.. blue skies have welcomed us back.. it is so nice to look out the window a little after 7am and see blue skies.. it isn't quite the warmest yet but that will come.. hopefully. For now I am just happy to have sunshine and light, which I am sure to moan about later when it stays light for so freaken long! However I do hope that it is going to be a good summer.. we are even thinking of investing in our own little BBQ.. and by we I mean.. Emma. Altho it would be nice to have our own little one on the balcony instead of only having BBQ when we can con the parentals into it.

"we did it"

Ok.. we did it.. today we tried the Marmite chippies.They were.. not as bad as one might think.. but maybe that had something to do with that fact that they only had the tiniest hint of flavour.. Emma likened them to a BBQ chip.. & I am inclined to agree. I made a chippie sammie.. and the bread & butter did wonders.. but then again what chip isn't great in a sammie? Mmm now I want twistie sammies!! Anyways back to the marmite.. the smell of them were much stronger than the taste but I guess that is a good thing.. however it left Emma's hands smelling of Marmite all day.. which she didn't like so much. Mine didn't stink coz well.. washing a bunch of dishes will wash off any stink.. good or bad. I miss the days of having a dishwasher! Now I am the dishwasher.. *pout*

"let me breathe"

Welcome April.
My month started off with a bang.. ok maybe not a bang but rather the sound of clippers getting rid of all Nemo's excess fur and turning him from a dog straight out of the 70's to a dog that is being shipped off to the army. Buzz cut all the way!
Before...After...He looks so much cuter with it all long and shaggy but sadly when it is wet.. he is hard to dry as his fur is SO thick.. and also he gets matted very easily and it isn't a fun time for him to be brushed.. it isn't a fun time for me to brush him either. & then if we were to keep it long for the summer.. he would overheat something shocking given that it is SO thick.. and matted and you again have that brushing issue.. so he gets a buzz cut and all is well.. and he is a different kind of cute. Also it makes me feel like we underfeed him coz he is SO damn skinny! Oh and some more about Nemo.. here he is a YouTube Video of him having a bark and roll around.. I think he needs to barking lessons to sound like a real mandog! Mind you he has been known to be more high pitched than what you are about to witness...

After all the trimming excitement.. Em and I headed off into Malmö, to enjoy lunch at T.G.I.F before strolling around town. It was much busier than expected but I guess after months of cold and snow everyone just wants to be out and about as often as they can. We only stayed for a couple of hours.. didn't buy much at all really but did overspend at the american store.. and once again we couldn't resist buying a packet of overpriced Tim Tams.. but really o so worth it! However they didn't have any Creme Eggs.. shocking I say.. SHOCKING!! We made up for it with buying lots of goodies.. and even something that can't really be classed as goodies coz well it's freaken Marmite! We got Marmite chips!! Now that should be an experience trying them.. especially given that neither of us like marmite! hahaha but we just couldn't pass up the chance to try them.. however we are yet to break them open and stick any in our gobs! I shall hopefully remember to blog the verdict.
Anyways once we got home, we had a bit of a rest before taking off to do foodage shopping for the weekend.. coz we weren't sure if/when the shops would be open.. turns out they are open the whole time.. good to know, good to know! However no rest for the wicked.. we had to get stuck into making Easter goodies for the parentals.

First up were the peppermint fried eggs.. which I even made a tinfoil coated carboard frying pan for.. how ace am I? I am actually VERY proud of my frying pan making skills.. I reckon I could make anything out of cardboard, duct tape & tinfoil.. even a little townhouse with a flushing toilet! hahahahaha No but seriously... my frying pan rocked it! Anyways here is a pic of the finished products.. Peppermint Fried Eggs & Ace Frying Pan!
Next up were the Nests. Adorable right?
& lastly.. or should that be 'stupidly', as neither of us bothered to think or read the recipe beforehand which stated it required a 2 hour standing period *rolls eyes* We have the yummiest ever Lemon Truffles!
By the time we got done with everything it was 11pm and I was well ready for bed! That has been the latest that I have been up since.. well New Year's Eve.. I don't really know what that says about me other than I am an old boring sod.

Nemo then woke us up 6am.. which is still a sleep in but yeah.. luckily emma eventually got up and took him for his morning walk while I got to lounge in bed.. which I didnt coz well.. it's boring in bed once you have actually woken up.

Once up we lounged about, watched a few shows and had Chocokin for breakfast.. OMG we are SO bad! but it was SO good! Can you pass this up? Nom NOM Nom!

Emma's mum called and asked if we could go and help with the planting of some plants and then Emma discovered that she had a nemo hair in her foot.. which turned out to be two.. which then turned out to be three! in the same spot! but first lets get on to the first.. there I am, trying my hardest to remove this hair from her foot, all the tools needed, tweezers, pin and headlamp! Handy thing that.. how have I lived so long without one before? Anyways.. so there I am trying my hardest to get the job done and all the while Emma is moaning like she is freaken dying! How did this girl ever get a tattoo? I manage to get one only to discover that there is another one.. right in the exact same spot.. only deeeeeper! I keep going.. Emma keeps acting up.. a couple of times just as I am about to grab it she pulls her foot away in pain! and then she comes out with "let me breathe! let me breathe" just as I manage to actually get the testy little fucker out! It totally reminded of those moments where you have a wiggly tooth as a kid.. and you cry and carry on about it going to hurt when someone is either going to yank it out.. or the whole tie it to a piece of string and then tie the string to a door and then close the door.. and then the kid is like "was that it?" once it comes out.. you know what I am talking about yeah? Well it totally reminded me of one of those moments and so Emma is screaming "let me breathe" and then I say "I got it" and she was all like.. "Oh"
It is these moments in life that I wish I was allowed to record Emma Bo Bemma! I could make MILLIONS off of her on Home Video Shows! hahaha Oh and for the record.. Nemo hairs in ya foot really does hurt.. ALOT!

Anyways once that was all over.. we got our skates on and headed around with goodies to garden.. well goodies to eat but to do the gardening. It really is quite dirty work working with ummm.. dirt! Makes me glad that I don't have to do it often.. not really my cuppa tea, altho I think if I did have my own vege garden I wouldn't mind it as much... While we were there
Emma had "I'm a youngen" moment and jumped over the gate.. hurt her foot.. sometimes she needs to be reminded that she isn't 3 anymore! Altho how impressive would it be for a 3 yr old to jump over that fence lol Nemo got to enjoy seeing Nanny & Pop! I swear he loves them more than me.. mind you he has known them longer than me...

We do all that is needed and then head home and once home it is time to make leek quiche.. which is sooo easy and sooo tasty! Afterwards I finally actually get to have some real time to put my feet up and just do nothing. In the lounge I go to lounge! Bliss. Emma then decides to have one of her crazy long baths.. which is where she discovered that she still had one more nemo hair in her foot and so I.. of course had to be the hero and remove it.. which was much easier after her foot had softened up in the bath. Mind you one good thing comes out of Emma having crazy long baths.. it is a good time for me to blog! If you can call that a good thing.. especially considering how long this one is.. are you now saying "let me breathe!"?

So on that note I shall end here with this.. Just how ace was my frying pan exactly?