Jen in Bermuda

Wind Chill

With the wind chill yesterday the temperatures were around 10 degrees in Pennsylvania.  Freezing.  Doesn't motivate one to even go outside but we ventured out to dinner last night in the Italian Market in Philadelphia.  Only snow that remains are those huge snow mountains created by the plows.  We hit the Target last night and the snow mounds in the back of the parking lot were still about 12 feet high.  And now that snow is a greyish color.  Gross.  You would think they would have an invention that heated up and you could throw mounds of snow into and it would melt it and you could aim the melted water into a storm drain and avoid the massive snow pile ups in parking lots and along the edges of sidewalks.  Headed back to the rock tomorrow and I expect the temperatures to be much warmer there.  No electric blanket needed there.  My electric blanket was cranked up to High last night.

Sun is Shining

Christmas was grey with lots of snow still on the ground.  And then yesterday, it rained.  Rained the entire day.  Depressing grey and lots of rain.  Just the kind of day to keep your pjs on and read a book or watch movies.  Today, the sun was shining and things were warmed up.  Marked difference.  Gives you a lot more energy to do things outdoors.  Looking at the movies tonight...

Merry Christmas

I am posting this from my new laptop that I got for Christmas.  Very exciting this means I will finally get internet at my house in Bermuda and stop posting everything from work.  Which probably will mean more posts and more pictures.  That should be good.  My other favorite gift is my kindle.  I've already read an entire book on it.  Downloaded the 9th Sookie Stackhouse book.  Not super intelligent but I had just finished the 8th book the day before.  All classic books are free- I feel I will be returning to class book reading.  Nothing reads better than free.

Christmas Eve

Since we have Boxing Day off here, we don't get Christmas Eve off.  So, I am actually flying out this afternoon.  Feels weird to be here today.  Although, I will confess that I am not doing much work today.  Looking forward to my trip to the States. 

And I couldn't help but to post this picture of Matt's dog, Moxie, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas...

The Silver Bullet is Sick

Last time I drove the car was this Saturday in the crazy rain storm that hit Bermuda.  Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but drove it last night and discovered that something is seriously wrong with the emergency brake.  Doesn't seem to want to disengage itself and makes driving hard.  Left it at the mechanics last night.  I don't like when things don't work.  I worry about them.  And of course this happens when I really need the car this evening for an airport pick up.  Annoying.

The Happening

So the week leading up to Christmas, the Bermuda cable company opens up the flood gates on the movie channels.  Needless to say, I've tried taking advantage of this fact.  Of course, I haven't seen any really great movies yet.  But last night I did run across The Happening.  I don't even remember this movie being advertised.  And while I am sure it didn't come to Bermuda, we do get American cable channel and I don't remember seeing commercials for it.  Anyway, what a very odd movie.  Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel star and M. Night Shymalan directs.  Of course, is it based in Pennsylvania, like all of his movies- which I always enjoy.  But the movie is terrible.  Interesting idea but terrible nonetheless.  Don't waste your time.  The next Pennsylvania movie- more specifically - Malvern movie I want to see is Lovely Bones.  Mark Wahlberg is in that too I think.  Book was written by a girl that went to my highschool and filmed not too far from my parents' house.  I enjoyed the book.  The movie trailer looks a little odd- but I will go and see it just to see what I recognize in Malvern. 

I am looking forward to some movie watching when I go home for the holidays.  I think that Invictus looks really good and I want to see that Meryl Streep/Alec Baldwin flick too.  I am making a list!

Below is a shot from the movie.  I am saving your time and not attaching a trailer...

Tornado in Hamilton

Bermuda has been experiencing some windy weather this past weekend.  Saturday was disgusting.  It rained the entire day and was very windy.  At one point, the winds got so high, I felt like we were in the middle of a mini hurricane.  Then I heard that there were actually tornadoes in town.  Crazy.  My house has some older windows.  So between the windows and the shutters, there is a lot of creaking and rattling going on which doesn't make for very good sleeping weather.  Although I guess the weather on the east coast hasn't been that great either.  A lot of the flights were cancelled and I am worried about how packed my flight will be on Thursday.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cans refrigerated biscuits
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Open biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. Drop biscuit pieces into bag, seal, and shake to coat biscuits with mixture. Place biscuit pieces evenly into bundt pan.

Heat brown sugar and butter (either on stove or microwave) until they blend together and are no longer separated. Pour mixture over the top of biscuit pieces in pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until top is brown.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then flip onto plate or serving dish.

I am making this for tomorrow morning.  Melinda is having her cookie exchange brunch and I offered to bring something besides cookies.  Some monkey bread recipes call for nuts, I don't like nuts in desserts so I don't use them.  Also, I had to go to 3 grocery stores last night for the refridgerator biscuits.  Go Bermuda!

Evergreen, the smell of pine...

This is not a real wreath but will get my point across.  Bermuda is sub tropical and doesn't have any evergreen trees.  So unless you have a Christmas tree in your house, you miss out on those wonderful smells until you have one of those pine smelling candles.  I guess the good thing about a fake wreath is that it doesn't shed.  Needle clean up can be a real pain. 

But I am looking forward to heading home next week for Christmas.  Bermudians are not really into decorating their homes for the holidays.  Maybe that is the English side of things leaking out.  So, I am looking forward to the full frontal of American style Christmas.  In your face, up your nose and in your ears.  A full 5 senses worth of Christmas.

Fold a Cat

I know my folding nerdiness has come through on this website.  But sometimes I am forced to take a break.  Saturday was grey and chilly (60s) around these here parts and I spent the day reading, folding and watching movies.  The folding was intermittent...