This is for my barefoot, pregnant, Ajumma who has complained about my blog, or lack thereof, and is not impressed with my last blog entry where I raved about my reunion with two wonderful friends (i sense some jealousy but that's between you and me).

So what have I been up to? Well, I am happy to announce that I have almost reached one of my goals. I'm sure you noticed but just too kind to say anything about my weight gain last year. I would have been happier if it were due to over eating garlic fried rice, tocino and egg but unfortunately it was not the case. After a really rough year, both emotionally and physically, there's no where really to go but up once you've reached rock bottom. I'd like to say that I've come a long way but I know this is just the beginning. As I stepped on to the scale earlier this week, I was surprised to see that I have lost 15 lbs. I cannot even begin to tell you how that makes me feel. Often people ask how I did it and all I can say is stay focused. I will be the first to eat a cupcake every now and again, because we all know that life is too short to eat chicken breasts and egg white omelettes day in and day out. Some goals are sometimes unattainable but this was something that was completely up to me.

We have 2 weeks to go until we Rock the Boat to the caribbean sea. Norm's cousin Francis and his gorgeous bride to be, Trae, along with my goddaughter Seyla will say their vows and officially begin their life sentence in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. There will be 69 of us boarding the Liberty of the Seas - a cruise ship that fits 3000+ passengers. I hope they are ready for us because we're loud, we like to party, we love to eat and boy, can we dance!

After the cruise, we'll be driving up the Florida coast, making frequent stops for beach combing and shopping and will eventually end up in Charleston, South Carolina with my family. My baby cousin (she's 25 years old but is still the baby in the family) is graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina with a degree of Doctor of Pharmacy. I am so proud.

Along with the celebration comes a family reunion. James will be flying over from SFO, Cousins Brian, Kate and baby boy Zane will be making the drive from Greer, Ann & Nathan flying down from Seattle and hopefully April & Harper from Houston, TX.

A major accomplishment for me, a cruise with the Barrientos clan and a reunion in South Carolina ... what more can I ask for.

Reunited and it feels so good...

Last night I was reunited with two amazing women who I lost contact with shortly after highschool. Our plan was to have dinner and make our way to Pravda for drinks but instead opted to sit at the restaurant for 4 hours laughing and talking and getting to know each other all over again. It's weird how we can live in the same city and not run into each other, despite the fact that one of the girls live just down the street from me. But then again, when I walk around the city I walk with a purpose and don't really look at the people around me, although I will notice a nice outfit and a wicked pair of shoes from across the street, even with bad eyesight. Unfortunately the evening was so packed with stories and laughter (and maybe a few tears) that I forgot to take a picture. I am looking forward to seeing these girls more often and am glad that they have come back into my life. Next time I will take a picture!

Dinner with the Marquez Family

My cousin Arlynne was in town so we decided to meet for dinner and she brought along her parents. What a treat! Uncle Armando is my dad's first cousin and best friend so our families spent a lot of time together growing up. Now that my dad is gone, I don't really get to see his side of the family too often so I was glad that Arlynne brought her parents. Arlynne, on the other hand, left Canada two years ago for the greener pastures of Ecuador to teach English. Norm and I loved listening to her work travelling stories, partly because it would be something we can see ourselves doing. I know she gets a lot of pressure from her parents to come back home but I applaud her for having the courage to go to a different country, learning a new language and meeting new people. I'm sure her parents only want what 'they think' is best for her - to come home and settle down. They asked me to talk to her (wrong person to ask) and although part of me would like her to come back home, I encouraged her to continue what she loves doing and being where she loves to be. Often times people expect the natural progression (graduation, job, marriage, kids, retirement) but people often judge when we don't do just that. I know all too well that God has a different plan for everyone so I expect Arlynne to explore the world at her own pace and to come home only when she is ready.

Go Canada Go!

Grandma is set with her Team Canada gloves as she cheers for the Canadians at the 2010 Olympics!

Grand Cayman

Tour consisted of a visit to turtle farm; a stop in "hell"; sampling of rum cakes and swimming with the stingrays. Best part of the tour was riding on a catamaran to stingray city.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Climbed the Dunn's River Falls (pictures to come); toured through the fern gully; sampled authentic jerk chicken, jerk pork and festival; shopped near the port. Best part of our trip was meeting Diana and Gerwyn who just so happened to also be in Ocho Rios for their honeymoon.

Cruising the Caribbean

What an amazing mid winter break to the Caribbean. Usually a trip to South Carolina will give us the vitamin D we need to tide us over to spring but this year it was unseasonally cold. Our first stop was Miami and just in time for Superbowl weekend. The cars en route to South Beach were at a standstill so we were glad to have skipped it and opted to drive to Key West instead. Well, not all the way but we made it to the 7 mile bridge and a pit stop at the Everglades to say hello to the gators. While the family stayed at a hotel, Norm and I stayed at Geremy's condo which was 5 minutes to the port. Geri, as she likes to be called now, was my childhood friend. She was actually my sister's BFF but she and I hung out often, especially when my sister was off meeting boys at the mall. It was nice to be reunited and to have spent the night exchanging stories and filling Norm in on all the memories. The next day we could see our cruise ship waiting for us at the port. After breakfast and shopping for last minute items, we boarded the lovely Celebrity Century in time for lunch. While the city was buzzing with Superbowl parties, we were happy to be on our boat en route to the warm caribbean sun.

merry...Christmas?

Yes y'all...one last Christmas party (in January) to close off this holiday season. My highschool friends could not find a date that worked for everyone in December so we postponed it to January. To be honest, I was not in a festive mood. I guess it has been replaced with the winter blues. But as soon as the party got started and the food and drinks a plenty, we were feeling the holiday spirit. Christmas is not complete without gift giving so we each brought in a wrapped $30 gift for the white elephant game. This is my gift. Can anyone guess what it is? Oh. And it also had a gift card taped underneath. Funny enough it was the first gift that was chosen and it was stolen 3 times. I guess I'm not the only toblerone fan.

So long Richtree.

Without much warning, Richtree closed it's flagship location at Wellington and Yonge this week. We were in shock and disbelief. It's one of our 'go to' restaurants when we want a quick bite to eat and is definitely our favourite place for breakfast. I wouldn't say their food is fantastic but they had a mean caesar salad, great desserts and rosti that is impossible to replicate at home. Richtree was always there to greet us when we came back famished from a vacation or hungry at 1:00 in the morning. It's like an old friend who was always there to greet us with open arms.

I was happy to read this morning that all is not lost. Movenpick Marche is taking over what was once theirs. Kinda sounds like a Jay Leno move.

Thank you Richtree for the great memories - particularly the table under the tree.

Shopping and Scones, oh my!

I was sure Evelyn would be late for our 10 am meeting at BCBG because she is now with child. I should have known better. Got a call at 9:58 saying she was a block away and by the time I made my way downstairs she was bundled up and ready to do some damage. Norm was a little scared not because I was going shopping, but it was who I was going shopping with. We managed to behave in the bag section of Holt Renfrew but took advantage of the deals at BCBG. Before heading to Windsor Arms for high tea, we had coffee at Starbucks. Don't judge. We needed our coffee fix. We continued our lovely day with the rest of the married ladies sipping tea and eating scones. What a perfect afternoon.

Photographs by Sally Tan Soriano

Hitting the Slopes

After two weekends of practice we are starting to feel comfortable again with our skiis/board. We went to Dagmar since it was somewhat close to home and it is often less crowded which means shorter lines for the ski lifts! When I clicked my ski boots into my skiis, I felt panic but I remained confident. Thankfully the ride up the hill was short so as soon as I jumped off the lift, I didn't give myself much time to look down and before I knew it, I was carving my S shapes in the snow. Now if only it would snow!

Embracing Winter

I decided to take a hiatus from baking courses. Instead Norm and I are wiping the dust off our ski/snowboard gear and will hit the slopes for some winter fun. It has been awhile since we went skiing so will have to hang around the bunny hills to practice. I remember going to Dagmar for an afternoon of skiing with the cousins. There was a school there but they were leaving just as we were starting. As I got off the lift and was just about to go down the hill, the lift operator came out of his little hut telling me that I'm going to miss the school bus. I wasn't sure what he was talking about but Norm and Ate Q were laughing histerically. I finally clued in. He thought I was a kid but Norm quickly said, "Dude, that's my wife!". I guess it was my pink toque. Ha!

A Princess Party

Ella had a princess party to celebrate her 3rd birthday. Each little girl was given a crown and all the tools to decorate it. Also invited were Prince Hayden and Prince Jeremy. It was a royal celebration fit for Princess Ella.

A New Blogger

I managed to get cousins Kate and Brian to blog, especially now that they have a new baby. I usually check Facebook often to look at new pictures of Zane but blogs are more detailed and you do not need a Facebook account to follow him. Cousin April has had a blog since Harper was born and I get excited when I discover new entries of her first tooth or her first steps. Unfortunately we do not live close to each other so blogs and iChats are our only form of communication. I look forward to a new year of blogging and hope that those that continue to read my blog (yes Dad, I'm talking to you) will conjure up the courage to start one of their own.