Month: January 2005

We have discovered the secret to IKEA – visit the store on Christmas Eve. It’s completely deserted.
It’s ironic, on the day every other store is filled to their vents with shoppers with poor time management skills, the Swedish Sensation is silent and wonderful.

Another secret we discovered is that IKEA is good eatin’. The Manager’s Special gives you soup, a refillable drink, and swedish meatballs and potatoes topped with cream and ligonberry sauce. And have you ever tried their ligonberry juice? It tastes like cranberries but without the tartness, and it goes down smoooth.

We came back to IKEA yesterday to help V buy a bookcase. It wasn’t silent and wonderful, but we did manage to pick up some of their swedish meatballs from their food shoppe. Silverlotus and V also tried some glog (no relation to gagh). It was served warm, and they reported it was a bit strange, but not entirely despicable.

Before I left work for the holidays, my very generous manager bestowed on me a bottle of Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad Cava Sparkling Wine. I haven’t tried it yet, but it comes in a nice bottle that is shaped somewhat like a cartoon stick of mutton.

It has become somewhat of a tradition to go to Silverlotus’s parents for Christmas turkey dinner. To mix things up a little, I brought along my bottle of 2002 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Chardonnay. Last year we had Australian wine, but this is Ontario, and we make great wine too.

New Year’s Eve was uneventful – we ate appetizers stuffed with various cheeses, mushrooms and diced crabmeat while watching some stupid ghost show on W network.

Heather’s parents came over today to have a roast chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn and baked sweet potatoes.

So I end New Year’s Day by scanning my computer for viruses while sipping a glass of 1998 Peller Estates Limited Edition Founder’s Series Vidal Ice Wine. Y gave it to me as a gift years ago and it’s won a few awards in its day, so I’m glad I’ve finally had a go at it. It has a great bouquet that smells like apricots.

My sis also crashed at my place for a few days while she was in town. She also brought a bottle of Vineland VQA ice wine, although I promised to wait until she came back to TO so we can try it together.