Birthday Weekend!

I'm going to attempt to make sure this post doesn't go too long because guess what? I had an AWESOME birthday weekend!

See that cake? Someone very special made it for me. Actually I got kicked out of the flat on my birthday to go for a mani/pedi (thanks mum!)while it was being baked (complete with oreo icing). We've been eating that cake for breakfast and lunch SINCE Friday now. Traditionally it always snows on my birthday, but instead it was glorious here.

While these days (november 6 and 7th) are traditionally one big party as my friends and I are scorpio-central, Ashton kept me so busy so that I wouldn't miss them.

he's the best!

we were to go out to one of the best vegeterian restaurant's in canada, padamandis and it was even their monthly all-you-can-eat buffet dinner but once we got there there was a line for over an hour, so disappointed we wandered the DODGIEST part of Chinatown going in and out of restaurants to look at menus for food we could eat. We must have gone into at least half a dozen by the time we had just decided to turn around and go home when there was this hole in the wall shop that popped up declaring 'vegeterian oriental food'- it was even better than Padamandis. I couldn't help but to be like, 'see God wanted us to find this place!' We had four courses that consisted of wonton soup, rice rolls, szechuan 'beef' and lemon 'chicken' that we're both still going on (re: drooling) about.

on to the most exciting part of the plan- aside from the really nice bottle of champagne Ashton got for us to share later that night, ahem. Now Ashton and I are NEVER on time for anything - it's just not in the stars but when we arrived at the theatre we were able to get front row seats! So every Saturday I listen to CBC religiously including the variety show called 'Go'. Actually, I listen to CBC pretty much always so the theme of the show 'CBC Families' was completely appropriate. We snagged free tickets to it too.

Poor Ashton could only guess, 'is it rex Murphy?' for all of the quiz show parts while I was doing everything NOT to shout out the answers to the onstage contestants. The concept was if you had grown up listening to CBC you would know all about it. The musical guest was Colleen Brown who is a current fixture on radio 3. I had a chance to chat with the host Brent Bambury after the show and he said he misses Ottawa lots. We laughed so hard our sides hurt. I've resolved that I need to get out to other CBC tapings as they're just so much fun!

Host of Go, Brent Bambry and myself - very cool guy. Please mr. Bambry can you give me a job with the CBC?!

We were kind of lazy for the rest of the weekend except for indulging in this insane vegan pizza from the Funky Pickle 'edomonton's BEST pizza'. We finished a LARGE pizza between the two of us within about 20 minutes. I also caught the new Coen Bros. film, 'an ordinary man' today while Ashton tried to sleep so he could do the night shift at the shelter. I need to see it again because in typical coen bros. style the end was so open-ended and just downright haunting. I loved how there weren't major hollywood actors featured in it... I digress, my film nerdiness is coming out.

Thank you for all of the lovely emails and cards, and phone calls on Friday- they meant so much to me. I love my friends and family dearly and there were well wishes from Germany, the UK, America, Scotland, Japan, and all over Ontario and Quebec.

Another exciting announcement- I bought my ticket back to Ottawa, ontario! I'll be back in ottawa as of December 16th until January 1st! We're really excited and can't wait to spend time with so many of you.


love and miss you all! xoxo

- Samantha

ok, so while I have been feeling better with socializing lately the REAL reason I'm staying in Edmonton is this...



Be warned, ashton and I's sushi adventure is next to come.


* a preview