Wade vs. Joanna Blog Counter Wars

Lately Joanna has been very pround of the fact that the counter on her blog overtook mine. Everyday she usually has 1 or 2 hits more than me and we have been neck and neck for over a week. But now the gloves are off. Things have escalated to a point that our friend Sandra has even promised that she would practice Pallister equiblog surfing. But for those of you who are not as nice as Sandra, I challenge you to choose your favorite Pallister and show your support via blog hits. This current blog rivalry reminds me of this Simpson's episode where Bart and Lisa are on different hockey teams. I hope that you enjoy. Let the gratuitous blog hits begin! As Homer says starting at 02:20 in this clip...
"The winner will be showered with praise! The loser will be taunted and booed until my throat is sore!"

Social Revolution Through Pillow Fights

Resistance is Futile. Prepare to be Assimilated.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...

How to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans.

My mate Stu sent me this link and I only wish that I would have thought of this first. On this video they use a hot air popcorn popper to roast green coffee beans. COOL! The Wayne's World wannabe production values are also so bad that this video has gone to the next level of awesomeness. Party Time, Excellent!

You're joking, right? Please tell me you are joking.

For yet another sign that something is seriously wrong with this world click here.

Make Your Own Vanilla Syrup and Give Starbucks the Shaft!

Lately in our house 5 pm - 11 pm has become the crying-child-don't-get-anything-done-bedtime-hour. It seems that Eleanor has decided that she will only be soothed if you hold her and bounce on the giant exercise ball for all 6 of those hours. Now I love holding and snuggling my daughter, but after about an hour on that stupid ball your mind starts to wander.

Photo courtesy of Sandra Vander Schaaf Photography. Copyright 2007

Please don't have your family picture taken at Walmart ever again. Please. For the love of all that's pure and holy, please hire someone who knows what they are doing. Like Sandra. She's nice. She takes good pictures. And she doesn't wear a stupid blue vest and a name tag. 'Nuf said.

I have tried reading while bouncing but that seems to be a one way ticket to a migraine. Of course you can watch TV, but we don't have cable, or more importantly, the Food Network. Drinking coffee while bouncing results in 3rd degree burns, and typing emails is next to impossible. All my ball time has done wonders for my spinal alignment but it has seriously cut into my computer time.

Today I decided to forgo the ball and to stand and do the baby sway while I read some blogs. I like to check out this food blog that I found. They have this great post about making your own vanilla syrup. Now if you make your own vanilla syrup then you can make your own amazingly yummy lattes at home and then you can boycott the Evil Empire. I haven't made the syrup yet but I was just happy to find someone else who hates Starbucks as much as I do. Of course, because I wasn't bouncing, Eleanor got seriously ticked and woke up. Oh well, I hope that the vanilla syrup is worth it.
To check out more people who hate Starbucks, click here. Fight the power.

Do it Yourself Ipod Battery Replacement

I have had an incredibly hard time posting frequently with my current endless duties of superdaddy, soapmaster, and hard-working roadie extraordinaire. But just ten minutes ago I had a giant personal triumph.

I replaced my Ipod battery (to quote my daughter, Sophia) "all by myself." And let me tell you, it was not without trial. First of all, the instructions that came with my third party replacement battery weren't all that helpful, and of course the photos were minuscule and fuzzy. I also found out that Ipods are stinkin' difficult to get into. I guess that is a good thing, but just to make things even more challenging, one of the special plastic prying screwdrivers included with my new battery snapped in the middle of the ordeal. At that point I wanted some better instructions so I got online and found this incredibly helpful web page.

Once I took a deep breathe and chilled out it wasn't even that hard. However, if you have just had a quadruple iced mocha latte, and have a serious case of the shakes I wouldn't recommend trying it until you have a steady hand. My new battery is currently charging and I am stoked that it cost me $33 and a half hour of my patience as opposed to $99 and shipping and handling that Apple Inc. wanted to charge me. Smell you later, Steve Jobs...

My New Favorite Restaurant

My birthday was on Sunday and due to babydom and my work schedule it passed almost without me knowing it, except for a fabulous breakfast and amazing espresso ice cream pie lovingly prepared by my foxy wife. So tonight I wanted to go for supper and I wanted it to be asiany and fabulous fresh and cheap and groovy and independent and family owned and Vancouver-y and within walking distance and I wanted my family to be the only white people in the establishment. Asking too much perhaps? Heck no!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to announce that my new favorite restaurant is the...

Hollywood Cafe Restaurant
2128 East Hastings, Vancouver BC
604 251-3322
Open 7 days a week 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

An online restaurant review is here. (Did I forget to mention that the review is mostly in Chinese? A very good sign of excellence if you ask me.)

The Hollywood specializes in Malaysian / Nonya / Hainanese food at amazing prices and huge portions in a clean family diner-type setting. How can you argue with that?

We ordered the Malaysian Dinner for 2. It was Roti Canai, Chicken Satay, Tom Yum Seafood Soup, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Garlic Green Beans with Sambal Prawns and rice and dessert, and was it ever tasty... and cheap! Sophia loved everything and ate her face off. Joanna and I ate until we were stuffed and we took away a small container of leftovers. So three of us had a great meal all for $35 including tip.

Sophia partying down on the Malaysian feast.

For all my faithful readers who live in Vancouver, get over to this restaurant as soon as you can. Here is a map. For the rest of you, get on a plane to Vancouver as soon as you can and go to the Hollywood Cafe. Your transit directions from the airport are as follows...

Depart: 9:02a - VANCOUVER INTERNATL AIRPORT LEVEL 1
On route: 424 AIRPORT STN
Arrive: 9:08a - AIRPORT STN BAY 5

Transfer: 9:11a - AIRPORT STN BAY 1
On route: 98 BURRARD STN / B-LINE
Arrive: 9:35a - NORTHBOUND SEYMOUR ST AT W GEORGIA ST

Transfer: 9:37a - NORTHBOUND SEYMOUR ST AT DUNSMUIR ST
On route: 16 29TH AVE STATION
Arrive: 9:55a - EASTBOUND E HASTINGS ST AT LAKEWOOD DR

Joanna and Eleanor basking in the Combo-Meal-for-Two induced glow.

When you are done your meal, it is only a short 10 minute walk to our house to pop by for a quick post-birthday visit. And remember, meat and beer are always appropriate gifts.

p.s. I just answered my front door and Ang and Leigh just dropped off a birthday present of a package of pork ribs and some raw bacon... before I even uploaded this post. They are so cool!