Last Minute Morning

This is a TL;DR (Too Long Didn't Read) post - because I'm in one of my TL;NT (Too Long No Time) modes. So here it is in picture-point form :)

Last Friday BIKSS got some last minute news that he had to head out of town on Sun and wouldn't be back till Wed. 

So we arranged to go walking that night (the exercise was on pause for about a month but we've started up again) where I actually did end up doing quite a bit of that kissing thing like in the picture cos I got pissy about something and snapped at him (hormones, hormones) and I had to be all cute and cuddly and say sorry for biting his head off! Anyway, he said we might be able to catch some time together the next morning.

And catch it we did. He grabbed me at 915am, we headed out to Macs for breakfast and then wandered around the mall for a little while looking at stuff.

The place where we were houses a number of factory outlet stores and discount shops, so we had a good load of fun looking at all the on-sale items! He bought some stuff, I bought some stuff. He let me drag him all around before he looked at his watch and reminded me of the time.

If I didn't get a move on I was gonna be late. So off to the supermarket next - where I used the vouchers he gave me (from the exchange of gas station points from the last post) for milk and yogurt and other regular everyday supplies. 

We made it out of the supermarket in time to head back for my class at 11. When we drove out of the carpark it was pouring! I love the rain! When I'm not traipsing about and lugging a backpack that is. 

When we arrived at my place, for the first time EVER I asked him if I could have some cash. A ten, to be precise. He didn't have a 10, but he had a 50 in his wallet, so that got transferred to mine. I still feel guilty about asking him for it, but gosh, my pay day got delayed this month and it sure did come in handy! I'm glad I asked for help.

Well anyway, it wasn't really any one thing that made the morning spectacular, but rather, the combination of everything:  Some mundane grocery buying, a rare breakfast treat (Macs is pretty expensive here - not to mention I had carbs), sudden showers, and me growing a little and being able to ask for help. 

All jam packed into an hour and a half. The perfect start to a weekend!

Sneaky BIKSS and a Sweet Treats Tutorial

The other day I made a huge big salad and BIKSS came over for dinner. He was supposed to bring dessert in the form of a Great Temptations pack of cupcakes like these ones:

Somehow he got muddled up and bought some brownies instead (but we already tried those, and I wanted to try something else...)

While the brownies are awesome, I really was ungrateful and grouchy (I blame hormones and a weaker than normal immune system) and made a fuss about wanting something different. (Sorry Daddy...) Still, we had dinner, and the next morning I brought the brownies out with me so we could have them for breakfast in the car as he drove me to work. 

When he came to get me later that day he brought me these : 

Who's the happiest girl alive? MEEEEE! I LOVE CARROT CAKE! LOVE!

Also, remember how I said I was skint? He handed me two supermarket vouchers today, which he exchanged his gas station loyalty points for. Don't get me wrong, he'd probably buy my groceries and hand over money if he thought I would accept it. Only I'm funny about things like money. Don't ask me why. I just am. 

So I suppose that's his way of giving me moolah to get me thru my marketing this week. I know, I know. I shouldn't have to make it so difficult for him to give me a helping hand. Well, he found a way didn't he? Sneaky fella that he is.  

As we were having coffee earlier I noticed a lot of people walking about carrying square-base paper bags - during this time of year, it's a tell-tale sign that they've got mooncakes! In the land where I live the Chinese celebrate the mooncake festival in the eighth lunar month of the year, which is about now. Wait - it's called the Mid-Autumn Festival. But as I don't celebrate the tradition (only the eating of said confectionaries), I just call it the mooncake festival LOL.

If you want to see just how many types of mooncakes there are, look up "mooncake" on google and click on 'images'. It's mind-blowing! I prefer the traditional baked skin lotus paste mooncakes with double yolk and pumpkin seeds (the white bits you see in the pic below are the pumpkin seeds). Here's a sample of the baked skin types you can find in the stores (and we haven't even gotten round to the snowskin and specialty mooncakes yet!) :

Starbucks usually has a coffee flavoured selection, while ice-cream shops have ice-cream-filled ones. Stores which specialise in specific items like a particular fruit, or jelly, or vegetables will often have their own versions of mooncakes with fillings that fit the theme of their restaurants. 

Doggie cafes have dog-safe ones too!

They traditionally come in square boxes of 4 - hence the square-base bags I was talking about. (Altho' now with everyone wanting to be different, lots of different types of packaging can be seen everywhere!)

These things don't come cheap, with the branded ones (reputable bakeries, hotels, popular restaurants and cafes) going for anything between USD$45 and $70 for a box of 4. 

The more run of the mill brands will set you back something like USD$35 for a box of 4. 

Just how big is this mooncake anyway? Here's a rough idea -

It's super sweet, most of the time, so you're supposed to cut it into wedges, most people do 4, but some prefer smaller pieces, so 6 or 8. You get a LOT of sugar in a single wedge, so admittedly, that one mooncake will last you at least 4 sittings. Or 2. It depends. 

AAAAAnyway, my point was, that I said "mooncake box!" every time I saw someone carrying a square paper bag and after a few of those he asked "Shall we go buy mooncakes?" I asked "For who?" and he said "For you!" 

I was touched. Being skint during festive seasons is NOT fun. But since I'm trying to cut my sugar intake, and since I'm appalled at how expensive they've become over the years (they used to be half the price less than 5 years ago, I swear!) I declined his offer. "Don't pay for sugar," I said. 

Businesses usually exchange these things as a sign of a good working relationship. So I told him if he got some from his clients or there were leftovers in the office, I wouldn't mind one or two. But please please don't go out and BUY them. It really isn't worth it! And while I enjoy the odd mooncake, I'm not crazy about them. 

What I *AM* crazy about, is Bak Kwa. Also known as barbequed roast pork. It's like a sweet pork jerky. Only flat. 

Unlike mooncakes, these can be gotten all year round. Traditionally given as gifts during the Lunar New Year to friends, relatives and business associates, the prices on these things can double during this season. The rest of the year, they're not as expensive, altho you can still expect to fork out about USD$40 per kilo for the regular types, and more for the specialty ones. 

HOWEVER I found a shop that sells a pretty decent tasting one for almost half the price. The only problem is it's pretty far away (and they only have the ONE outlet) and they close at 4pm. 

I've been bugging BIKSS to take me one day when he has the afternoon free... 

Now if he really wants to make my day, he'll go over there one afternoon and get me a kilo of the stuff, then shove the fragrant meat right under my nose when he comes to visit. The way to this girl's heart is through her stomach! You just gotta know the right treat to pick!

Date Night

My back began to hurt terribly on Thursday afternoon. I was doing nothing. Just wandering around a mall, picking up a book for a student. It crept up on me then decided to go full steam ahead in the span of 15 minutes. 

We were supposed to have supper that evening. But I popped a pill around 8 and was out like a light. So I sent off a text when my alarm rang at 9 saying I was going to have to take a raincheck, then promptly passed out again.

Friday saw my back aching a little less. But only a little. The doctor said it was in spasm and probably caused by strain. Perhaps when I moved the bed the day before to clean under it. Whatever it is, I was adequately medicated and continued to work for the rest of the morning, relatively pain-free. Don't you just love codeine. 

BIKSS took a half day off work to come get me and spend the afternoon together because we were headed out to the theatre that evening. We booked a last minute massage (which I had to rely on him to foot the bill for cos I'm broke for the next week and a half) and then came home where he tucked me into bed for a short nap after I took another dose of meds. Or else I'd be flying higher than a kite at the show, he says. 

So nap I did. After that it was off to the theatre! We got fast food to go and ate in the car on the drive there - some road closures around the area where we were going to meant that we had to make some detours and BIKSS was NOT happy about the traffic. 

But I was strangely unperturbed. Perhaps it was the pain meds. Usually I'd have been stressed out and worried. But nope. Not me. I was happily eating my burger and fries and singing shrieking along to the radio. It must have been very out of character for me cos even BIKSS made a mention of how "chill" and unaffected I was. 

LOL. A loopy little is a happy little, in my case anyway. 

We eventually made it to the show and I got pissy cos we were surrounded by a bunch of school kids who were yakking throughout the first half. At the intermission BIKSS and I took turns to speak to various people - the usher, the teacher, and some of the kids - to try and get them to shut their traps. And by the time we settled into the second half things were much better. But here's the thing - he's totally non-confrontational normally, so the fact that he actually said something was quite a surprise to me. Usually I'd be the one to go "sort things out". And often (might be my imagination, this one...) I'd feel his reluctance at my doing so. Maybe I'll ask him. 

In any case, we had a good date - I love eating burgers in the car with him, and that in itself already made it a great evening!

Ego

In the past whenever I gave BIKSS a compliment he'd say something self-deprecating in response. 

Recently I realised he doesn't do that anymore. When I say something that might have made him self-conscious in the past, he now accepts the praise, or acknowledges my sentiment or even continues to talk about it in a positive manner. 

For example - 5 years ago if I had said I like his hands, he'd probably reply "calloused and rough and hairy like a gorilla?" Last night tho, I mentioned something about Daddy hands. And instead of assuming I meant Daddy hands IN GENERAL, when I clarified that Daddy = You that is, he said yes, he knew I was referring to him specifically. Again, not something he used to be so comfortable with in the past. And he didn't follow up with any negative comments about his hands either. 

It's nice to know that over the last few years his confidence has grown. I take full credit for it. 😏

I told him so too. Here's a snippet of that chat. Have a good weekend!

:) 

Recycling is Good

...Except when you're thinking about recycling old dildos. Have a look at these - I must say the door stop one is a clever idea!

Have a good weekend everyone!

UPCYCLING YOUR USED DILDOS

Snippets - The Underwear and Sugar Daddy Edition

I keep wanting to be here a lot more. But I keep failing. So all I can do is be here when I'm here. 

The parents are with me for a couple of nights cos I didn't have to work this Friday. They go home this evening. Things were ok, not too stressful. I can handle them for 48 hours a lot more easily than I can handle them permanently. 

I'm also loving this awesome new honey butter almond thing. Found it at a food fair in the mall recently and I'm thinking I should go get more later on. It's a Korean snack... and hey, nuts are good for you right? 

Last night I reorganised by underwear drawer and decided to arrange them by type / style instead of by colour (which is how they were arranged before)... and I got to thinking, does anyone else out there have "going out" undies and "at home" undies? 

Cos I have two piles, and I also have two sets of friends - one group agrees that that's the way underwear should be, and the other group thinks we're all bonkers for segregating our knickers. Which camp do YOU fall into? And do you sort your undies by style or colour? Or am I totally nuts...

Also, it has occurred to me that since I've been more skint than before and Daddy has gotten his new job (which comes with a raise), he's been super sweet about helping me with my money issues and I've been a bit less stupid with wanting to pay for stuff. I already call him Daddy. I suppose it's not a stretch to say he's mah Sugar Daddeh eh? I just never thought of myself as that sorta girl. Guess I was wrong. LOL.

Alright then, ciao for now. Have a good weekend all!