Eight Things about me!

I was tagged by Debbie a while back, but my life was kinda a mess then, and writing down what I was thinking seemed like a bad idea.  For example, back in June, one of the things I wish I could have done would have been to rewind my life to the part where Pedram tells me that moving to Montreal would be the best plan for us, and slap him in the face.  But now I am more settled, and everyday I am growing to love Montreal more and more, and I no longer want to hurt Pedram (or am I angry at Montreal)

8 things I am looking forward to:

1 – Doing heated yoga.  I have a strong love/hate relationship with my new yoga studio.  It is one of best places I’ve been, and I am really getting into it.  However, it is heated, which makes me oh so sweaty, and it is hard, which makes my life more difficult.

2 – Cooking.  Sometimes with more success, sometimes we are just scraping off the burnt parts of dinner and trying to eat the rest.

3 – Walking dogs at the SPCA. I have fallen in love with one in particular, and I am pretty sure she loves me too.

4 – Thanksgiving in Seattle.  It will be the first time in 3 years I’ll be home for Thanksgiving, and I am really looking forward to seeing the family.

5 – Eating the chocolate we brought home from Europe.  Brussels, how I miss your food!!

6 – Getting started on my new knitting project.

7 -  Fall.  Crisp air, hot chocolate, changing leaves, turtlenecks, fall sunshine, hearty soups.

8 – Our next trip/adventure!

8 things I did yesterday:

1 – Took this dog for a relief walk, which is his first time outside in about 12 hours, and watched him pee for 10 minutes.  He was such a good dog, holding it in so he didn’t dirty his cage.  We took one step outside and he crouched down, staring at me with his two colored eyes as he flooded the sidewalk.

2 – Had a conversation with someone about puppy mills — there are a few dogs at the shelter who spent the first few years of their lives in puppy mills and are now terrified of humans and other dogs, but slowly warming up and will hopefully be adopted.  Those stories are horrifying.

3 – Had someone hold the automatic doors for me on the Metro.  Unnecessary, but still very nice.

4 – Made myself oatmeal for lunch — comfort food for a rainy day.

5 – Watched Pedram and a guy take our new dryer down three sets of curvy stairs and said a silent prayer that they wouldn’t fall on the slippery steps outside.  Then I observed them place and secured it in the truck.  Then watched them remover our old dryer, remove the door that prevented the old dryer from coming out, bring in the new one, replaced the door, and load the old one in the truck.  And to be helpful, I took a picture with my phone.

6 – Warmed up the last aunt’s khoresht for dinner.  Taking it out of the freezer, I became nostalgic of  watching her prepare it in Seattle 3 months ago.

7 – Watched Monday Night Football!!  On TV!!  Yeah Canada!

8 – Went for seconds on dinner, eventhough P warned me against it.  That food is sentimental, and I will eat as much as I want.

8 Things I love:

1 – My dog, Shazdeh.  I think about him alot (more) now that I am walking dogs.  Sometimes in the morning, I wish he was here in this empty house to snuggle up to while I am reading a book.

2 – My family, who have been a beacon of light during my transition to Montreal.  Am so grateful for their kind and supportive words and actions.

3 – My friends, in all continents, who keep in touch eventhough I don’t sometimes.  I couldn’t ask for better friends in all the time zones.

4 – Taking time to reflect and worship everyday.

5 – When Pedram laughs out loud.  Actually, his smile, anytime.

6 – Really good chocolate.  In any form.

7 – My extended family, from my crazy cousins to my in-laws, they are the best.

8 -Our new home in Montreal. It is shaping up so well.  And more than 9 minute showers!

8 Things I wish I could do:

1 – Speak french fluently

2 – Garden

3 – Put all my friends and family in one continent.  Actually, if I am wishing, I would like them to all live on our street.

4 – do the splits.

5 – Not ever have to clean the house again.

6 -Fly without having to go through security, and to have no delays, ever.

7 -Solve all the problems in the lives of those I love

8 – Win at Scrabble (without cheating)

8 shows I watch:

(disclaimer, just got cable TV after not having it in Brussels, so I am new to all this)

1 – Dog Whisperer

2 – 30 Rock (how I love this show!!!)

3 – TSN Sportscentre (notice the spelling).  What is TSN, you ask?  It is ESPN Sportscenter for Canada.  So I am briefed on all the latest hockey news.  But, on the down side, I cannot watch a baseball game because of the way they say “out”.

4 – Whatever is on the Food Network (although I can’t watch the Canadian part, mostly because of the way they say “pasta”)

5 – The Daily Show

6 – Mad Men (actually we CAN’T watch this, because it is NOT available in Canada.  Am so angry about this)

7 -The Biggest Loser.  That is actually P’s choice.  He gets emotional about the weight loss.

8 -National Geographic/Animal Planet/Discovery Channel

8 Favorite Fruits:

1 – watermelon.

2 – really really ripe peaches

3 – underipe bananas

4 – satsumas/clementines

5 – ripe pears (only the green kind)

6 – blueberries (had my first one at 16…hooked ever since)

7 – honeydew…yummy

8 – strawberries

8 places I’d like to travel:

1 – Spain, outside of Madrid and Barcelona

2 – Atlantic coast of France

3 – New Orleans

4 – Australia, when all the scary spiders are gone

5 – Namibia

6 – Anywhere in South America (Jason, are we going or what?)

7 – French polynesian islands

8 – Petra, Jordan

8 Places I’ve Lived:

1 – Seattle, WA (west coast is the best coast)

2 – Martinez, CA (I actually have the address still memorized from when I was 7)

3 – Boca Raton, FL (if we had stayed, I would have been a pro tennis player)

4 – Tehran, Iran (Ick…am a revolution/war baby)

5 – Dakar, Senegal (was only for 6 months, but so memorable)

6 -Brussels, Belgium (where I ate non-stop for 2 years)

7 – Montreal, Canada

8 -Brazil (not yet, but it is bound to be our next stop!)