Friday, December 19, 2008

Lamington THAT!

Today is my last day at work before going on vacation for almost two weeks. Yeehaaa!!! I’m more excited about the prospect of sleeping in until whenever I want most days as opposed to being in Australia! The vacation is much needed. I mean, I AM looking forward to being in Australia – but not the flight over there. It’s a ridiculously long flight. I have concentration/hyperactivity issues as it is. Do you think I can focus on a book or movie or anything long enough that will get me through that flight in a sane manner? Exactly. Some people love it. Like my husband. Truly. He packs his “bag-o-fun” (his name for it… not mine, although I do think it funny in a 9 year old kinda way) – and looks forward to reading comic books, watching movies, reading books and playing video games for 20 hours. For me, who is overly energetic, mischievous and obnoxious… its not as fun. I have this great memory of flying to Brisbane, Australia from Perth… circa 1999/2000. Miss R and I were so excited about our trip and found everything terribly amusing. We had this flight attendant “Greg” (his real name, not a fake/phony name) who called us the troublemakers at 50 D&E. He served everyone dinner and left us until last. We video taped him and everything else on the plane. We were about 20 when we took that flight. When I’m bored everything cracks me up. When I get into those moods my husband hates it. He finds it annoying and turns on the X-Box. Poor but lovely man.hehe.

Last night we got together with friends and I made English scones with cream & jam (which are nothing like American scones). I didn’t know how they’d go down with our American friends, but they were a hit! All 15 went. I was pretty stoked. English scones are difficult to get right. If you open the oven they don’t rise. Ingredients have to be room temperature… or they don’t rise. You can’t twist the cookie cutter… or they end up weirdly shaped. Etc etc. There are a million little rules. So you imagine my delight when they turned out perfectly! I searched the internet and even went on google.co.uk to find the perfect recipe. Real English scones don’t have sugar in them. Eating them with strawberry jam and fresh whipped cream (no sugar!) is perfect. The jam provides the perfect amount of sweet! Alas, my diet suffered last night when I inhaled too many scones and lamingtons. My aussie friend made a bunch of lamingtons which were perfect. I took one home and ate it at 2pm this morning. Shocker!

Tonight is my Company’s end of year dinner. We’re going to a sushi restaurant. I dress so casually for work, chuck hair up in a ponytail, and don’t usually wear makeup. It’s a very laid back environment. However, I do get to wear cool, laidback clothes. There, its said. Jeans are a woman’s best friend.

So tonight, I’m thinking of “upping the ante”. Getting my hair blowdried at the hairdressers, chucking on a cute dress and pair of boots. Plus, it’s the last weekend my husband sees me before I go to Australia. He’s big on hair. If I’m wearing a blah outfit, but my hair looks great – he is delighted. He’s all about the hair. Needless to say, my colleagues will be shocked. They are used to me looking like a boy most of the time. Last year it was a bit of a wow factor seeing my female colleagues dressed up. One of the girls I work with is absolutely gorgeous. But you’d never know at work! She always has her baseball cap on, no makeup, tracksuit, flip flops. You get the picture. When she dresses up we all raise our eyebrows and realize what a hottie we have been working with the last year.

I should finish this entry. Its turning into one entire irrelevant ranting fest. See you when you’re older.

For those of you wondering what the hell a lamington is, here's a picture. Let me say this - its a handful of cakey delight!



And English Scones. I know they look great... but don't flip you're wig!

8 comments:

Frank said...

Ooh...and I had the misfortune to read this before I've eaten anything today :( Now I wish I had an (English) bakery nearby.

Oh well, looks like a $4.99 tiny piece of cake at Starbuck's for me!

Tanya said...

oh good god, I thought my flight to Canada was long at 5 hours. I can't even imagine surviving a trip any longer than that. I'm the same way though - no amount of entertainment will make the time go faster.

hope you have an awesome vacation!

Its Just Me - Daring to Dream said...

Oh the lamingtons look delicious! Have fun on your trip!

Seeker said...

I hope you'll enjoy your trip and have a great Holidays Season.

Those lamingtons look soooooooo delicious....

All the best
xoxo

Anonymous said...

One sentence for you: "You girls should get out more!"

That flight is ingrained on my memory as one of the best ever! Remember we were so starving, and my mum told us that not to get anything before hand as they will serve us dinner straight away on the flight! I think it was the moaning and the pleading that made "Greg" punish us!! :)

How I wish I was in WA! Enjoy!

Love R!

Tea Lady said...

Frank: Starbucks kills me. However I do succumb to their muffins on occasion. I mostly feel gipped that their pastries are dry, scones are really cake - and would only pay $2 at a bakery. Yet, I keep going back!

TeeZee: Thanks! You too - have fun in Canada. Hope you get to make lots of snowmen.

Daring to dream: Thanks also! Hope you get to rest some over the holiday break.

Seeker: Right back at ya;)

Miss R: The thought of that flight makes me hungry. And also makes me think of you and your 10,000 books! You crazy kid;)

Ella Gregory said...

When I was growing up I couldn't say scones at all, for some unknown reason I called them squans, it was terrible.

Technodoll said...

Scooooooooones! I loooove scones. *drools*

I refused an offer to visit Australia because planes make me ill. A 6-hour flight is 5 hours more than I can endure so the thought of being stuck in one plane for over 16 hours is terrifying.

Post photos though, and I will be happy :-D