SO MUCH!

Friday my doctor advised me that I needed to take time away from my work environment in order to clear up my sinus issues and determine whether or not there is an allergy. Of course, I was caught off guard and surprised by the mandate. My first concern was for the team at work and the sessions I was in charge of planning, so I stopped into the office on Saturday to take care of a couple things.

I was so concerned about what I was going to do on my sudden vacation – I have been working so long that it is like I forgot what I did before I had a job. No worries, though. By Sunday night I remembered and my social calendar was quickly filled. Now I feel like I have so much to do, I am going to run out of free days before I have a chance to experience everything all over again!

Monday, Paul and I planned a date day since he would be leaving for the States in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Tuesday, I joined my outdoor friends for a six-mile (9.6-kilometer) walk to the Marine Barrage, a dam blocking the Singapore Strait from downtown. After lunch and a nap, I was ready for dinner, which sucked by the way.

I decided to eat in and make myself some pork chops and a boxed stuffing mix I had found at Cold Storage recently. The box talked about sage and apples and how the stuffing would be perfect with pork chops so I was excited to try the brand. It was an utter failure. I will make my own stuffing from now on – it is not difficult to make and it tastes a million times better.

The pork chop wasn’t bad but my meal was not at all satisfying. So, after the evening thunderstorm passed, I headed out to the local ice cream shop and enjoyed my second bite of ice cream since before Christmas. The chocolate Kit-Kat ice cream was so tasty and it melted on my tongue so amazingly. Mmmmm.

That ice cream counted as my dessert for the week and it was so worth it.

A friend and I made tentative plans to take a walking tour of Little India Wednesday morning but we ended up just meeting at Tanglin Mall for lunch instead. After some great food, some cold tea at Starbucks and a walk around town, I made a quick stop at the Tanglin Market before heading home.

Since my husband is gone for three weeks, I feel I need to take advantage of his time away to cook and enjoy the foods that I love and he does not. Paul always makes jokes about the way the kitchen looks after we finish cooking. Paul uses as few dishes as possible in order to avoid washing them. I, on the other hand, will use as many dishes as necessary to make a beautiful and flavorful meal. Last night proved his point.

I used two small pots to poach the chicken and cook the rice, one skillet to cook the vegetables, a cutting board and two knives, a garlic press, a wooden spoon and a colander and all I used when it came time to eat was a cereal bowl and a teaspoon.

Today has been dedicated to blog work, finalizing the new Facebook page that will launch this weekend. If the sun would stay out for more than five minutes, I may do some work outside. I will again be messing up my kitchen as I make bread.

Tomorrow is the famous American Women’s Association coffee at Orchard, so I will certainly be found at Starbucks. I plan to take a nighttime walking tour of Chinatown tomorrow night, which sounds really interesting.

Then, Saturday will be exciting as I celebrate one year in Singapore with a night out downtown. I am les excited!