Jen in Bermuda

At Work, Again

Well, I got here a little late.  Run this morning.  Manicures and brunch at the Princess with the girls.  Actually, I almost have my presentation finished for tomorrow.  Now, I just need to practice it.  The delivery is what I am nervous about.  Once at 10:15 and then again at 4:30.  Cannot wait until tomorrow evening!

Working on a Saturday

I am at work now.  While it is gorgeous and sunny out there, I am at work putting together a powerpoint presentation on the credit crisis for the CAS Reinsurance Seminar on Monday morning.  I was "lucky" enough to be chosen to fill in for a guy at work who didn't want to come back in time to do this presentation.  Besides the fact that I loathe speaking in public, because it is so last minute, he has gotten credit for doing it in all of the literature and on our intranet at work.  Joy of joys. 

Shadow Divers

I finished this book last night.  Pretty interesting and another testament that testosterone makes men do crazy things.  The book is about a group of guys who discover a Uboat of the coast of NJ that wasn't supposed to be there and how they discover its history.  What I find fascinating is the fact that they guys find it fun to dive below 200' and into a metal tube at the bottom of the ocean.  For fun.  No thanks.  Within the first 18 months of the discovery of this Uboat, 3 guys died diving it.  Crazy.  Still makes a good read.  I am starting The Book Thief next.  It is for my summer book club.

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

I made this the other evening and it was very good.  I know they don't have tikka masala sauce in US grocery stores like they do here, but I bet they have some at Trader Joes.  From the pantry: 2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic puree
1 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 jar of tikka masala cooking sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Fresh ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 diced onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Accompaniment:
	Cooked basmati rice with green peas

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken and cook 4 minutes, turning pieces as they brown (chicken will still be raw in middle); remove to a plate.
2. Add onion, garam masala, garlic, and ginger to skillet; sauté 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes and sauté 2 minutes longer.
3. Add tikka masala sauce and bring mixture to a boil; cover skillet and simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken to sauce and stir in coconut milk. Continue to simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in cilantro. Serve over cooked basmati rice with green peas.

Rain

We finally got some rain yesterday morning.  It meant having to wear the foul weather gear on the bike but we need the rain.  I was just happy to take a day off of watering the pots.  I can instantly tell when they are thirsty because I have basil and cilantro in mini pots and they start to droop and act very dramatic about being dry.  If I had really been smart about it, I would have used succulents in my pots.  The nursery has an entire section for it.

Grill

 I have been thinking about a new grill for a while.  I was at Masters on Saturday looking at what they had to offer and it is all rather pricey.  But this little guy caught my eye.  Weber Q220.  Very cute and can buy a plastic stand to keep it on.  It is about half the price on Amazon.  I know the arms fold up so I am imagining the box isn't very big.  It looks like I have a trip to NYC in June sometime, might have to purchase one of these. 

 

Beach Pet Peeve

Sunscreen in my eyes.  I hate it.  It burns.  My eyes tear.  Tears rolling down my cheeks.  As much wiping as you do, it continues to hurt.  It makes reading difficult.  And keeping your eyes open almost impossible.  I even got in the water to try to stop it, to no avail.  After about an hour I gave up.  Some clouds had rolled up anyway, so I packed it up and walked back to the house. 

I am in the middle of reading a non fiction, Shadow Divers.  Story of some divers who discovered the remains of a German U boat off the coast of NJ when there wasn't supposed to be one there.  It is fascinating.  Scuba diving is cool.  Diving around 200 feet into a metal submarine, not quite as inviting. 

Work

Necessary evil of life?  I am not sure.  Some people love their jobs.  I aspire to be one of those people one day.  A job away from a desk and computer where nice clothes are discouraged.  A job with no red tape and a flexible structure.  It would be wonderful.

This is what happens when week after week of gorgeous sunny weather is outside my office window. 

Harbour Nights - it is that time again.

Last night was the start of Harbour Nights for the summer.  No cruise ships in town, so they ferried some over from Dockyard.  It was a nice evening, so it was enjoyable to walk around and grab some dinner.  My parents have some friends visiting in a couple of weeks on a cruise.  I think their cruise will be docked out in St. Georges though.  I am going to have to go out and pick them up so they can see more of the island.  That is why the cruises in town were good for tourists- very central.  Not sure why the government here hasn't pushed for more.  Certainly helps out the retail shops in town. 

Volleyball

Last night we almost won all of our games.  We came out 4 and 1.  And the one we lost, we really should have won except for some shenanigans at the end.  I am actually playing better and better so I am not dreading it as much as I was.  I just don't like to not be good at something because, as I have learned, I am slightly competitive about things.  :)