Jen in Bermuda

BOO!! Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 31, 2008 Happy Halloween! Below is the cake my Mom made the other night when Bristol, Bill, Bristol's Dad and the kids came over for dinner. I remember how much Thomas liked candy corn and thought that it would be fun to add it to the top. I used a recipe I had heard about on TV. Using a cake mix, you substitute a can of diet coke for the eggs, water and oil on the box instructions. It actually works and it is a very moist cake. Bermuda is a pretty humid place, so I might not use the entire 12 ounce can next time, maybe just 10 ounces. But takes the extra fat and calories out of the mix recipe. My Mom then decorated the cake for Halloween with some orange icing and candy corn. It was delicious and very seasonal. Tonight, we are gearing up for the trick-or-treaters. My friend & neighbor, Chris, told me last week that my street definitely gets kids on Halloween. However, he failed to mention how many. My across the street neighbor, Sally, dropped by last night to warn me that they got 75 kids last year. 75 KIDS! I know that to some people that isn't many kids on Halloween. But where I grew up, if you got 6 kids on Halloween, that was a big night. So, needless to say, I am headed to the grocery store on the way home to stock up on some extra treats. And to remove any temptations, I am going to bring any leftovers to work on Monday. Next year, I am going to hit BJ's (PA's Costco equivalent) for some bags- candy here is expensive!

Brotherly Love - Way to go Phillies!

Thursday, October 30, 2008 The Phillies won the World Series last night. It had been 28 years since their last World Series win. Game 5 started on Monday night and then was delayed for rain. Tuesday night was a no-go because of bad weather. So, last night game 5 commenced again in the bottom of the 6th inning with the Phillies at bat. The Phillies were able gain a lead over the last couple of innings and shut the Rays out in the 9th inning. It was great to see and about time Philadelphia won a World Championship. The last one was by the Sixers in 1983. Too long. The past few years the Eagles looked like they might be close but could never finish it off. I glad it was the Phillies. They had the share of very poor seasons and there were a lot of non believers who said it would never happen. HA! It ended last night...

Rainy Weather

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Yesterday it rained almost the entire work day. Sometimes it rained so hard that you could see across the harbor like in the picture below taken from my office window. Bermuda gets some grey days in the winter with some on and off showers but it didn't stop raining the entire day, something unusual here. It would have been a great day to play hooky and catch up on some sleep. The weather was dismal. But, at least it was not cold out. I was just thankful I had the rainsuit for the ride home. There must be some similar conditions in Philadelphia because they didn't even attempt to pick up game 5 last night, they automatically postponed it until tonight.

World Series

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Well, the Phillies are up 3 games to 1 against the Rays. Last night, I was hoping to have a successful conclusion to the World Series but the game was delayed after the 6th inning for rain. The game should continue this evening. Rays had tied up the game 2 to 2, so it should be interesting to see what happens. The weather in Philadelphia is not supposed to be very good.

Stephenie Meyer Obsession

Monday, October 27, 2008 I have found something to fill my Harry Potter vacancy. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Even though I did a lot of sight seeing with my aunt and parents in town this weekend, I was able to read the first two books in this series, Twilight and New Moon. They are definitely different than Harry Potter, more mature and romance at the heart of the books. But there is a super natural side to them and they are difficult to put down. I am going to have to get my hands on the 3rd book, eclipse, now. The movie of the first book comes out on 11/21/08 and I will definitely be seeing it over Thanksgiving break, even if I have to go alone. It is similar to a modern age Romeo & Juliet with supernatural beings. A quick read and very interesting. The trailers for the first book look great.

Pink

Friday, October 24, 2008 It's October and it is breast cancer awareness month. I do what I can to wear pink. I wear pink all the time any way so its not a problem. My house is pink, most of my flowers around the house are pink. I think I am doing my part. My parents and my aunt Charlotte are now in town and I am looking forward to spending lots of time with them this weekend. They are coming in today for a complimentary Cafe Re lunch and then to town for some shopping. Tomorrow, my rowing regatta was cancelled, so it looks like we are going to hit some leaving the island sales and see what I can scrounge up for my house. Chris so kindly started tilling a nice patch in the backyard for a garden. That will be another project to finish tilling and then plant some seedlings and seeds. Tomatoes are a must. I would also like lettuce and broccoli. We have dinner at Rustico for pizza tonight and a nice dinner planned at the Waterlot for tomorrow night. It should be a busy weekend and I look forward to it now that I now I passed my test!

Go Phillies Go!

Thursday, October 23, 2008 Last night the Phillies beat the Rays 3 to 2 in game 1 of the World Series. To be honest I only watched the first couple of innings. The games start in BDA at 9pm and I am too tired after a while to keep watching. I am not sure if that makes me a bad fan for someone who hasn't been sleeping well. The Phillies haven't won a World Series since 1980. My fingers are crossed for them.

Deep Dish Pizza

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Last week I was in Chicago for work. I got to take advantage of one of my favorite types of food: deep dish pizza. I pretty much love any type of pizza but this stuff is good for the cheesy goodness. Gino's was around the corner from my hotel so it was easy to get to. Also, I didn't mind spending the 45 minutes waiting by strolling up and down the magnificent mile. It was a little late for much of the shopping but there was a borders that I perused some magazines in. I wish I had thought of having a Halloween party, there were lots of good ideas for those! The weather was wonderful and it was nice to feel fall somewhere. I even got some good runs in along the lake. It had been some time since I had been in Chicago but I hope it is not as much time until my next visit. The only drawback is the 10.25% tax. Whoa.

Whoa- I passed

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 I got an email notification last night when I was getting ready for bed that I had passed the 540. I am shocked. This doesn't set a very good precedent for the next test.

I hate exams...

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 I had my exam this morning at 8:30 am. It was a tough one and it looks like I might be repeating it come January. It is hard to say because the results don't come out for a month or so. And I don't like taking the exams in the morning. I like the afternoon exam where you can use the entire morning reviewing your notes and cramming in more formulas. I have also decided that I hate finance.