It's not life that matters; it's the courage we bring to it.

This is printed on the paper tab of "Throat Comfort" tea i am drinking right now.

I really do not feel like this cold i have right now is so "common". I was sick a week or so ago, but it came and went so quickly that i was surprised. I thought it was my new "i don't smoke" head that resisted the cold better. HA! It is now back... with a vengence!

So, now, i drink throat comfort tea and take herbal remedies and be miserable. I am such a bad patient.

He said he would have bought them anyway, for not reason except that they were there, but yesterday, (e:Uncutsaniflush) came home from the store with a bunch of beautiful red tulips for me. My favie! Made me cry. In a good way. They, and he, are beautiful.

Wow. A year. I didn't think i could or would ever do it. A year ago tomorrow i had my last cigarette.

It was about 11pm. I was sick. We had just come back from 10 days in Toronto, cat sitting the now dearly departed Emo [inlink]leetee,44[/inlink] for my friend Mark. I had a nice birthday there. My parents took us to see Mama Mia. It was very warm. Too warm in Mark's apartment and we didn't bring light enough clothing. I remember wearing my black rubber boots with the white poka dots on them with my red plaid mini skirt to the theatre. I remember feeling like crap the day we came back, but i thought it was just being over tired. I was sick enough to consider not having a cigarette. Big wow for me. I mean, i know i have quit bigger and badder shit than nicoteen, but i never even imagined myself as a non smoker. My doc once told me to not quit when i was sick, that i wouldn't recover as well. I remember smoking while getting chemo. Strange image, but i wasn't the only one. The cancer clinic even had an indoor smoking room for chemo patients. I still hate big ugly reclinders... remind me too much of those weeks.

For some reason, the thought occurred to me on February 17th, that i should just not smoke. Like the old NA days, one day at a time. I didn't enjoy my last cigarette. In fact, i think it made me want to puke. But that could have been the flu part. Who knows. All i know is tht i don't smoke now. I haven't since. I miss it some times. I even have the occasional dream that i started smoking again and i think, in the dream, 'damn it, i will have to quit again!' The first time was hard enough. My husband was sooo patient!

In other news, my mom is coming to town this weekend. The last time she was here was during the weekend of (e:Lilho)'s birthday party. [inlink]leetee,73[/inlink] We've seen her since, but on her turf. She wants to shop, though. Get the last of the winter clearance sales. We will probably go to the AlbrightKnox Art Gallery on Friday night. Maybe see a Frank Llyod Wright house between shops. Eat at some of her favorite places. I was thinking we could try Shango's Bistro, since (e:Paul)'s journal [inlink]paul,4172[/inlink] made it look so yummy there. Oh, and i think she wants to hang out with us, too.

When (e:Uncutsaniflush) and i announced to friends and family that we were going to be moving to Buffalo, we got a similar reaction from most. "Buffalo?!?" was overwhelming, but we also got a lot of "but there is so much SNOW there!!!"

Since we moved to Buffalo in November of 2004, we haven't really experienced a "Buffalo Snow". When we were at the Mayflower, in an apartment on the corner of Summer and Linwood, we had great views and didn't have to shovel, so we really hoped for a big drowning of snow. It didn't happen last winter.

Will this be it? Will we get the big snow we have been looking for?

Think about it folks... live the 'romance' of being snowed in... on Valentine's Day Eve!

Here's a picture of my lunch today.

Green beans were nice and yummy. The sesame bun was too doughy for me. The spring rolls were good. So were the pineapple tempura. Interesting mix of food. That plate was sort of my "dessert".

We went to a buffet in West Seneca called China One. They have a pork dim sum dumpling that (e:Uncutsaniflush) really likes...

Which reminds me. When you guys ate at Korea House [inlink]paul,4160[/inlink] the other day, (e:Paul), you missed us by a couple of hours. We ate there that same day, just way closer to stereotypical "lunch" time. Anyhoo, my point was going to be that i also get something there that has a raw egg in it, but i ask them to omit the beef. It's served in a hot pot dish and the point is to stir it about so the egg becomes a cooked sauce. I wonder if that is what yours was supposed to be? Looks like it to me. Was it in a black dish that was really hot? Or maybe it was supposed to have hot steaming broth poured over it; i've seen that there, too. I'm not sure you were supposed to eat the stuff raw... least, that is the way Korean food has been in my limited experience.

Every year, round the time of my birthday, i get down. I used to not understand why, exactly. But, thanks to the patience of my wonderful husband and some introspection, i have come to the conclusion i am, quite simply, dwelling on the negative rather than the possitive. I think about all the things i did not do in the year just gone by, not all the good things. Like quitting smoking! My goodness, i smoked for over 20 years, and since my last birthday, i quit! And although i did it when i was sick with the flu, it was freakin' hard. So, now that my birthday has come and gone, i feel a bit of relief, and i have resolved to not let it get to me next year.

We went to see my parents this weekend. They spoiled me with kitchen stuffs, little gadgets and do-dads... but not too spoiled. No cake, but a nice box of chocolates... i tried not to eat them all at once. Finished them tonight. The day after, not too bad. lol

Spent the day in Toronto yesterday. Did some shopping, got myself... oops... no, i didn't pay, (e:Uncutsaniflush) did... he got me some charms from a groovy place i like to go to in Kensington Market called Courage My Love. Hope that evil eye will help after all! Ate good chinese on Younge at Wellesley. Miss that city. We resolved to go more. Once a month, even if it is just to hang about in Chinatown. I thought we saw a sign for a vegetarian place in that 'hood... wonders will never cease. Was a cold and windy day, though, so we tried to keep ourselves warm. Day passes for the TTC help with that!!

Here's a pic i took from the top level of the GoTrain. My favie guy with my favie city in the background... the CN tower just barely visible between the buildings.