This week the Husband is away on business – for 4 days and 3 nights.   A situation which propels me into reluctant, albeit temporary, single mom status for the week.  While preparing for said week, I decided to focus less on the cons, and more on the pros.  Which, of course, required a “Pros vs Cons” list.  Fortunately that happens to be one of my most favourite lists to make.  And I make a lot of lists.

This is what I came up with;

As there’s no clear winner, I’m going to just go ahead and call this one a “draw”.

Hurry home Honey!  We miss you already.

Do you love it or hate it when your significant other is out of town?  What’s the one thing you like to do the most when left on your own?

First order of business – we have another Office Tour!  Apparently guilt is a powerful thing because ScoMan has finally coughed up!  Be sure to check out what an Australian Accountant’s office looks like and leave him some love over here.  Who’s next?!

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It has recently come to my attention, via Beckles at Foresight Is So Often Blind, that some Americans do not know what a “butter tart” is.

This news was shocking news to me.  And outrageous.  And unacceptable.  And frankly – horrifying.

As I tweeted about these little pieces of Heaven the other day, Beckles replied that she had no idea what they were, and that she had to Google them for more info.

Again – utter disbelief.  Disbelief that there are people out there that are completely in the dark about Butter Tarts.

So I Googled them myself to see exactly what info Beckles would have been given.  And low and behold, I discovered something that stopped me in my tracks.

Wikipedia (the source of all things) says that the butter tart “is a type of pastry best known as a Canadian treat.  It should not be confused with butter pie (a savoury pie from the Preston area of Lancashire, England) or with bread and butter pudding.“

A Canadian treat?!  I had NO idea.  Honestly.  I thought the entire planet, or at least North America, enjoyed these little babies.  I was shocked.

Wiki continues to say “Butter tarts were a staple of pioneer Canadian cooking, and they remain a characteristic pastry of Canada, considered one of only a few recipes of genuinely Canadian origin.”

Canadian Pioneers?  Seriously?  Why do I suddenly feel so grossly inferior?  I would have put money on the fact that they were a French thing.  As in – from Paris.

So all weekend I conducted a very informal and non-scientific survey of many other Canadians.  The questions included in this survey were;

a) are you familiar with the Butter Tart?
b) were you aware these were a Canadian delicacy?

The results were a resounding OF COURSE and NO WAY – YOU’RE KIDDING respectively.

Let me tell you a bit about my love with Butter Tarts.  I’m not big on chocolate.  Sure, I like it.  But it’s not really my thing.  However I have always loved butter tarts.  And not the homemade kind.  No, no.  I like the cheap, mass produced, convenience store, pre-packaged kind.  So don’t try making a recipe to see what it is I eat.  It won’t be the same. 

Basically, they are a pastry shell with a sweet, gooey filling.  I like mine with raisins in them, not nuts.  And I like when the middle is less runny and more like gel.

They look like this;

(I did not make these – I don’t bake.  Ever.  Via Google)

And they taste like this;

(supposedly Heaven, but who really knows - via Google)

There’s a restaurant in the lobby of my building that sells just such an animal.  And they are divine.  I spend most days trying to avoid jumping out of my chair and racing down there to buy one.  But every now and then I simply can’t resist.  So I somehow convince myself that I deserve it.  Whether I’ve had a very productive day at work, or a very bad day at work, or I’m PMSing, or maybe just feeling sorry for myself because my gosh darn Friend Connect numbers are so low, I can always find a good reason to go on a butter tart run.

You foreigners have no idea what you’re missing.  I’m sad for you.  Like REALLY sad.

Have YOU ever heard of butter tarts?  Ever had one?  Like or no like?  What’s your most favourite guilty pleasure treat?

Just when I thought we were going to be Office Tour-less this week, Lena at Stella Sola stepped in to save the day!

You have never seen a tidier desk, or more organized drawers.  I mean that.

Check her out here.

You can see all the other Tours over on my sidebar.

And be sure to send me yours.  I have a few outstanding promises, but am still waiting.  You know who you are (cough – Scoman – cough).

(no, those are NOT my shadows.  I don’t exercise.  Ever.  I found this on Google Images)

The other day, I stumbled upon this article.  It’s brief.  Don’t be afraid to click it.

Okay, fine, Miss Lazy.  I’ll save you the trouble!

Here’s the jist.  And I quote;

“repetitive mirthful laughter causes the body to react as though you’ve been engaging in moderate physical exercise.”

ah-ha!  I KNEW it!  All this blog surfing is finally going to pay off.  I read your funny stories, I laugh, I lose weight.  This, my friends, is a win-win situation.

Which must be why I continue to read your wonderfully funny blog posts everyday.

Even those days that I don’t write one myself.  Days that I’m just too darn busy to squeeze it in.  Days that I just don’t feel particularly funny or creative.  Days that I wonder why I even blog in the first place.  Days that I wonder how long I’ll continue to do it.  Days that I wonder if it’s just a waste of my time that could be better spent doing something else.  Days that I admit to myself that I’ll likely never get to met any of the awesome “friends” I’ve made in the cyber world – or get to Graceland for that matter.  Days that blogging feels a little more like work and a little less like enjoyment.

Just know that I read you everyday.  Sometimes I don’t even comment.  But I read.  And I laugh.

Because I need my daily exercise.  Badly.

Do you ever question your blogging?  Ever experienced a “dry spell” in your writing?  Do you hate exercise as much as I do?

This morning I went into my boy’s rooms, as I do every morning.  Although they both have a clock radio to wake them up, they still need a little prodding when the “get up already” time approaches.  And if I’m being honest, they are particularly sweet when they are still sleepy and cuddled up in their beds.  Crabby?  Perhaps.  Smelly?  Sometimes.  But always sweet.

So I head into The Youngest’s room first where he’s sprawled out horizontally across the bottom bunk of his fab new bed.  I whisper a few sweet nothings into his ear . . . “c’mon baby – time to get up.  Did you have a good sleep?  It’s a nice sunny day out there – you can wear shorts today (words that usually excite him).”  Then I rub my hand across his warm soft back.  And I stroke his chubby little cheek with my finger (say what you like – he’ll always be my baby, even if he is about to turn 7).

Then I glance over at his night table.  And I see this . . .

(it’s a piece of tissue, that’s been separated into 1 ply, with strange markings on it)

What the?!?!

“ummm – Baby, what’s this???” I calmly ask as my mind races to imagine all kinds of scenarios that inevitably all contain the word poo or butt.

“it’s a burned tissue”

“hmmm – how did it get burned?” I ask.  Somewhat relieved that it has nothing to do with poo or butts, but afraid to hear the answer nonetheless.

“I held it on to my lamp’s light bulb last night”

OMG!  I immediately launch into a lecture about how trying to burn things, particularly when you’re alone and inside the house, is never a good idea.  About how it could have caught on fire.  About how he could have burned his fingers, or his body, or his new bunk bed (I like to hit them where it really hurts).  About how he should NEVER do that again because it’s very dangerous.

All the while he’s looking at me with those big wide eyes.  I’m still not sure he bought any of it.

Do yourself a favour – don’t have boys.

Ever had a kid set your house on fire?  Should I equip all rooms with fire extinguishers immediately?  Should I remove all flammable items from his room when I get home from work?

Yes, I’ll admit, I had second thoughts about posting this vlog.

Then I had third thoughts.

Then I emailed with Surferwife and had fourth, fifth and sixth thoughts . . .

You get the picture.

But in the end, I decided to post it.  So here it is.  What will surely be my first and last vlog.  In all it’s shamelessness-ness (huh?) for the blogging world to see.  Because I couldn’t let all your graciously asked questions go unanswered.  Even though I couldn’t possibly have answered them all.

Okay, now I’m just rambling.  And sweating profusely.

I will apologize in advance for all the “ahs” and “ums”.  I know not what I did.

Please be gentle . . . (gulp)

Huge props are going out to Monique at “A Day In The Life Of A Surferwife”.  She joined in the International Workspace Tour the other day and upped the ante by doing a VIDEO tour!  Before you head over to check it out and hear her darling voice, I must warn you – if the fact that she lives in sunny California isn’t bad enough, she gives us a peek at her kick ass backyard and you will immediately become sick with envy.  I’m just saying.

You can see all the other tours over on my sidebar.  Who’s doing the next one???  

And thanks to everyone for their vlog questions.  You people have really submitted some doozies.  Of course as both the vlog’s Director and Producer, I have given myself full authority to only select the easy questions.  I hope to post it tomorrow.  If I can only figure out how. *pounds fist in frustration*

Next item . . . a few weeks ago I placed an order at Daisy & Elm, which is the fab Etsy store from my girl Allyson at Magnolias & Mimosas where she sells her gorgeous handmade jewellery.  Each piece is an original because she makes only 1 of each item.  I had wandered over there from the link on her blog and immediately fell in love with a certain item named “Not Your Mamas Pearls” (I love how she gives each piece a name!)  A quick click or two of the mouse and it was mine, all mine!  

You can imagine how excited I was when this beautiful box came out of the package in my mailbox!

And here’s me sporting my new little beauty!  It’s it lovely?  Just wait and see how good I look once if I get a tan.

Although, while surfin’ the net the other day, I couldn’t help but notice that it bares a striking resemblance to a little number that a few other people have worn . . . is it just me???  

(Charlize Theron)

(we all know who)

(Monique’s BFF aka Chelsea Handler)

(The Ga)  

Ha –  I kid!  I like to showcase practice my crazy photoshop skills whenever possible. 

Seriously, Allyson’s pieces are truly originals, top quality and gorgeous.  Be sure to check them out.  

Laters!

In case you missed yesterday’s Office Tour craziness, we had FOUR new ones!  How cool is that?!  I did update yesterday’s post throughout the day, but in case you missed any, they are all listed in my previous post AND over on my sidebar.  I know of a few more good ones that are still to come, but if you haven’t joined in yet, we’d love to see yours.  ‘Cause we’re nosey.

Also, Jessalyn at Cape Code Awesome has done an Office Tour Follow Up today!  Apparently there were several unanswered questions from her original post that needed to be addressed, so she has kindly tied up some loose ends for us today.  As always, you don’t want to miss Jessalyn because she is indeed Awesome – with a capital “A”.

I’m also looking for a few more vlog questions.  No questions = no vlog.  It’s just that simple folks.  And frankly, after further consideration, I’m a tad scared of the whole thing anyway, so “no vlog” would suit me just fine.  I’m just saying.

(not really me – just a picture I found on Google)

(but I wish it was me because she’s cuddled up in bed and I’m . . . not)

What I will leave you with today is something a little more serious.  I am going to make myself a promise and I’m putting it out here on The Nets so that I can’t possibly pretend that I didn’t.

“I, Cher of The Only Girl, do hereby promise that I will wake up 15 minutes earlier in the mornings in an attempt to avoid the daily mad scramble that inevitably happens as I attempt to get the boys and myself out of the house on time every day.”

There!  I’ve said it.  Now I have to stick to it (don’t I?).

But here’s the problem . . . I’m not a morning person.  At all.  I really, really love sleep.  And I really, really love my bed.  Which is why I have 2 alarm clocks.  A clock radio beside my bed and a really annoying loud beepy one in the ensuite bathroom so that I actually have to get up OUT of the bed to turn it off.

But mainly I like to listen to the Hollywood Update that my radio station does every morning because I NEED to be in the know about all things celeb.  My life depends on it (right Surferwife?).  And I also like to listen to the top news stories and traffic report that immediately follows the Hollywood Update.  This is important and necessary information because I have a 45 minute drive into Toronto on a very busy highway and need to be in the loop on traffic issues because that will determine;

a)  do I get a coffee for the drive to work because I’ll be in the car for a really long time?

OR

b)  do I wait and buy a coffee from my little coffee place friend in my building’s lobby when I get to work?

Clearly these are important decisions that deserve educated answers.  Thus my lounging in bed to listen to the radio.

But no more!

I will get up 15 minutes earlier, BEFORE said Hollywood Update and news/traffic report.  I will have my shower, and then and only then, will I listen to these important things while continuing to get ready for work.

Won’t I?

Are you a morning person or do you scramble out the door every day too?  Got any good suggestions for me on how to wake up earlier?  Do you feel I might have had my fingers crossed when I made that promise?

Monday morning brings about another week at the office, which in turn brings us more Office Tours – and lots of them!

Be sure to stop over and see Beckles at Foresight Is So Often Blind.  She has some very unusual items under her desk and a creepy guy at her work.

Then head over to see Mimi at Living in France.  Her office kinda resembles her house, but don’t let that fool you.  There’s still plenty of work going on there.  And lots of fake fruit.

Next, go see my girl Meredith at (Flash Pasteurized).  She has one of the nicest offices we’ve seen so far and some major organizing skills.  Which I love and appreciate (OCD rules!)

Then go see Jade at Now that I’m no longer 25.  Her tour is of the Paris hotel room that doubled as her office last week when she got stuck there while on business, courtesy of the Iceland Volcano.  Could I be any more jealous???

(If you’re doing a tour, be sure to let me know so I can link to you, twitter it and add it to my sidebar.  You get to use the cool, new button and we get to be nosy.  I’d say that’s a win-win.)

Next, I’m pleased to announce that both the bunk bed refund cheque sitchy AND the new laptop purchase have been resolved!  woot woot!  May I introduce my sweet new blogoshere ride . . .

(photo via Future Shop)

No, it’s not a Mac.  I know – big sads for me.  It was purely a budgetary thing.

And finally, I’ve decided to bow to the pressure and hop on the vlog band wagon (Cath & Mom – a vlog is a blog post that you do via a video that I’ll put on my blog.  So that everyone can hear me talk and see how old boring I really am).

But first I have a few vlog stipulations;

1)  I’ll have to wait for a good hair day.  Obviously.  And there’s no knowing how long that could take.

2)  I need you to give me some questions, either in the comments or via email.  No questions = no vlog.  It’s just that simple.

3)  The only topic off-limits is hockey.  Because as much as my life is built around it, and I’m Canadian, I really know nothing about it.  And it’s very boring.  Very.

4)  My lawyer has advised that I can, in no way, promise that I won’t slip an unintentional “eh” in there.  That is 100% out of my control.

Perhaps you’ve often wondered “who is the REAL Only Girl?”  Is she the smiling, boa’d darling in her avatar?

Or is she really more like this . . .

And quite possibly related to them . . .

(Bob & Doug video here courtesy of You Tube)

. . . then you’ll leave me/send me some questions and get this vlog thing rolling.

(BTW, do non- Canadians know who Bob & Doug are, or is it just a Canadian thing?  I’d be interested to know)