Edmonton: A New Arrival

Last weekend was spent in Edmonton getting to know the city and celebrating the arrival of another SLPeep, Miss Does-it-Weller (or DIW).  She is officially all moved in just 3 floors above ShanWow - running the stairs in PJs felt like a trip  back to residence but without having to hold my breath while walking through the bad-smelling floor or the communal bathrooms.  ShanWow and DIW worked hard to come up with a list of all kinds of Edmonton activities to explore the city - a large percentage of them involving yummy food/drink.

Friday night we immediately set out for a frozen lake to strap some thin blades to our feet and skate around more-or-less-gracefully.  Saturday ShanWow and I took a brisk walk by the riverfront while DIW got some shut eye.

DIW really needed some sleep after the move so we entertained ourselves for a while.

 For a pretty long time....

After we dragged DIW out of bed ShanWow patiently directed me and Otto to the Old Strathcona market for some local goodness.  I found some lovely pesto, DIW bought all kinds of flower-flavoured jellies (stomach-turn) and ShanWow tried to steal some Ghanaian peanut soup.  After a hard day of perusing we ventured to Dream Tea for some tapioca infused tastiness then hit up the organic food market where I picked up some PEANUT BUTTER PUFFINS (why, red deer, do you only have plain and cinnamon? why?!?) and a toothbrush made of old yogurt containers.  SOLD.  A shopping spree on Whyte Ave ensued and then the long anticipated Ethiopian cuisine!

If you aren't into Ethiopian or have never had it that multi-coloured palate of mush might not look appetizing but I promise you that Ethiopians make some of the most splendid and flavourful mushes out there and you get to eat it with your hands by tearing off pieces of flat (and tangy) injera bread and scooping it up.  What are you waiting for??  Try some!  We spent the evening stuffing out faces with food whose names we did not pronounce correctly (always get the cabbagey one though!) and speculating about the odds of two families who didn't know each other - we're almost positive they didn't know each other - both with an adopted African and Asian child each dining at the same small joint at the same time.

For good measure we all got our yoga on the next morning and I actually enjoyed it.  Even the hippie dippy aromatherapy "bonus" at the end.  My core felt stronger for days until it faded because I stopped exercising. Did I mention that it is frigid here?

Since The Duchess, Edmonton's finest French bakerie with scrumptious lattes, was closed (gr) we headed straight to West Ed (what "people-in-the-know" call The West Edmonton Mall) for some Viet food (go salad rolls!) and more bubble tea.  The purpose of the trip was more colourful Anthro tights for me and tapioca pearls for home plus some pineapple coconut buns for snacking.  Oh T&T how I love you.

We parted and I drove home with a happy heart and a very full bladder (but a not-so-full gas tank requiring a pit-stop on the way for emptying one and filling the other).  Come join us in Edmonton - we're oh so fun*.

*I'll work on the slogan.