Two cooks are better than one.

So my mom got back from Toronto yesterday, ending nearly 5 weeks of less-than-excellent dinners. Not to knock Ted’s cooking skills or anything, but the reality is that my mom’s got that business down. For example, under her instruction, I crafted a delectable dinner. And under her own instruction, and of her own volition, she crafted chocolate cupcakes and a chocolate cake (pictured below). Of course, it’s nice just to have the moms back, regardless of whether there is cooking involved or not – I swear!

In other news, I went to le Docteur for a full physical assessment, and received a clean bill of health.  I have to get some tests done (including a stool analysis!! – the double exclamation marks here represent the number of stool samples), but I feel alright, so they should be fine, right? :P A good chunk of my time with the doctor was spent discussing Cambodia, my feet, and how well I carry my weight. I am a big man. His nurse/assistant weighed and measured me before he saw me, and he was surprised that I weighed 220 pounds. I told him I was also surprised, since that number had been substantially lower in Cambodia. He told me, as many people do, that I was lucky  to have such a large frame, but that I needed to get into exercising a bit everyday (but that, in all honesty, I was all-right. Haha). Ted also went to the doc yesterday, and basically got the same recommendation. I related to a Ted a dream I once had where I went to a doctor (for so long I had not seen a doctor, that they came to give me advice in my dreams :P ), and the doctor said all I needed to do was work-out and all my little difficulties would disappear – Ted then derided me for ignoring the advice.

I have made efforts since that time to be healthy and do some working-outs, but really I find myself lacking motivation, since life is usually so sweet. How often we need desperate or extreme circumstances to be jolted into action! haha, I’m determined not to allow myself to drift into the  folly of the masses with big asses, and put regular exercise back into the daily schedule (it was there in Cambodge for a while, I swear!). I’ve recently managed to solidify a daily spiritual routine, so hopefully I’ll find the routin-ization of 200+bpm physical activity easier now. I find it easier when there’s a point besides being ‘slightly healthier’. Indeed, sky and I had a cholesterol-filled heart-to-heart, wherein he indicated that he didn’t mind being fat, it was just the man-boobs that detracted from the whole experience. I vehemently agreed.

I went down to the Lumby health foods store today, ate some excellent Hungarian goulash, and played the part of proud dog-owner for around 2 hours. Everyone loves Nutmeg. For serious. Random strangers had to stop by and pet her and buy her treats, and compliment me on her friendly nature, and beauty (as if I had played a part in either). I’m sure this is a result of so many people treating dogs as their children, and society learning to respond in kind – not to insult Nutmeg’s disposition or looks.

Interesting times in the Okanagan. As promised, here are the pictures of chocolate.

Also, em has some new dance moves.