Chatting about food while driving home

It's a good thing that my guy and I didn't make plans after he got off the plane on Saturday. It sounds odd, but it'll make sense when I describe the whole ordeal.

His flight was delayed by half an hour. Ten other flights had arrived when his did. There was a huge lineup to do the customs declaration and even a longer time talking to a border official.

He called me at nearly 17:00. He should have been home by that time, but he had just picked up his car. We were both driving home, in the same direction, but our starting points were off by about 200 km.

Instead, we talked about food.

"I really love the powdered low-carb peanut butter that you got me. I love it. I took it with me on this trip," he said.
"I'm glad," I replied.
"I also got a beef shawarma wrap at the restaurant that we were at last weekend. It's so authentic and tasty," he said.
"I'm happy that you love the food there. It's my favourite shawarma place," I noted. "I can't find a decent one close to home."
"You may want to try Scarborough. There are a bunch of Middle Eastern places," he suggested.
"That makes sense. I'll check it out sometime," I replied.

We chatted for just under an hour, which was enough time for both of us to arrive home safely.

Dropping in at 6 am to cuddle and kiss

Last Sunday, my guy knocked on my hotel room just before 06:00. I opened the door and liked seeing him smile at me.

"I'm sleepyhead," I said, which made him smile.
"I know," he replied.

He got plenty of sleep on the plane. This time around, he found the bathroom just fine. Last time, he thought the closet was the washroom.

We sat on the couch and cuddled. I got him some powdered peanut butter. It's great for travelling. You just add water, stir, and you get peanut butter. It has practically no carbs, which made him happy. I also got him sugar-free mints from Sweden.

He thanked me. He moved in to kiss me on the lips. I loved having his lips pressed against mine. It was nice.

We held hands. He admired my pink nail polish. He loved looking at my hands. He then enjoyed looking at my wrist.

"You're wearing the evil eye bracelet," he observed.
"Yes, I have been wearing it since you got me it. I love how when light hits it, the blue changes to purple," I said.
"Nice! It looks good on you," he said.
"Thanks! I love it," I replied.

It was my time of the month. He was also a bit tired from his travels, so it was nice to chat and cuddle.

"Is your shirt new?" I asked him, snuggling up to him.
"Newish. I got it at our favourite liquidation outlet for $5. My pants were $10," he said proudly.
"I love you, CB," I said.

I love when my sweet Cheap Bastard takes pride in saving a ton of money while looking stylish.

Reaching out when someone is hungry

At various intersections across the greater Toronto area, there are often folks who will walk between cars stopped at a red light to ask for money. Sometimes, if I have some change, I will give it to them, hoping that they use the money wisely instead of buying a pack of smokes.

The problem these days is that I rarely use cash to pay for anything. I am often using my debit card to pay for purchases. Sometimes, I pay using a credit card.

On Saturday, it was different. There was a man at the intersection that I was stopped at. He was holding a sign saying that he was "very hungry."

The thought that someone is hungry is horrible.

I don't recall his sign saying that he wanted money. Hungry was all that was in my head.

On Friday night, I had stopped by a Starbucks on my way home to buy a two-pack of dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I quickly remembered that it was in my purse. I had used my mobile app to pay for this item, which had a label with my first name on it and the date when I had purchased it.

I grabbed the package, rolled down my window, and handed it to the man. He seemed genuinely thankful.

"Thank you. God bless you. Have a good weekend," he said, cracking a smile.
"You, too," I replied.

The traffic light turned green. I drove off. I saw the man on the cement island, opening the package and eating. It made my day knowing that I helped someone out because I could.

J is for Jill of all trades

I have been pondering what topic I could possibly write about that starts with the letter j. I actually had to find j words in the dictionary for inspiration!

I like Jello. It's one of those desserts that can have no calories. Putting coloured gelatin in fun moulds is a lot of fun. Jello jiggles, which makes me giggle.

Then, there Jif, the peanut butter that you can only get in the United States. I grew up watching commercials for the product on TV, but it wasn't and isn't available in Canada. Instead, Kraft peanut butter is the most popular brand here.

As a kid, I was fascinated by Jiffy Pop, the popcorn that you pop over a stove burner. I begged my mom to get me one. We did. It was a lot of fun. I haven't seen too many of them for years.

Instead, I am going to write about the phrase, Jack of all trades. My guy fits this definition. He has many skills. The difference is that he does practically everything well.

I first noticed how quickly he picks up new skills when we first started dating. When he spanked me for the first time, it felt like he had done it before. He told me afterwards that he had watched a spanking movie, just to make sure that he got the basics down pat. He sure did and he has honed this fine skill!

A few months later, I taught my guy how to use chopsticks. He is a pro at it. I also got him to say my name in Cantonese. He still remembers it.

People have told me that this saying applies to me, except I am more of a Jill of all trades. My colleagues marvel at the fact that I am pretty versed with our software product, which is highly technical. Our product makes sense if you have a background in programming, which I am fortunate to have, but don't claim to be an expert. I am different because most technical writers are not that technical. They tend to have an Arts degree in English, for instance.

I am far from knocking an Arts degree. Studies have shown that folks with an Arts degree are well-rounded individuals. I believe it. I am an artsy person. I listen to music all the time. I grew up playing various musical instruments and singing in the choir. I love attending concerts, ballets, plays, and musicals. I could go on and on.

I tend to be a quick learner. I have to, as there are more software features that require documentation than I can keep up with.

It's helpful to constantly want to learn. I can't drive a standard car, but I want to. My guy can, but wants to teach me with a rental car. His own car is an automatic, as is mine.

My guy wants to learn how to upholster various pieces of furniture. He tells me all the time that he learns a lot from me. The feeling is mutual. Wanting to learn also makes you curious and interested in people, places, and things.

We are Jack and Jill. Maybe that's one reason why we get along so well.