Snowmen & Mittens

I went up North with my mom last Saturday.  She came and picked me up at 9am and we headed up the 35/115 towards Bobcaygeon way.  The funeral home which held her parents' funeral 5 years ago has an annual winter remembrance celebration, for anyone that has lost a loved one.  A group of ladies knit a bunch of tiny mittens, and the funeral home decks out their hall with over a hundred snowmen, and it's called the Snowmen & Mittens celebration.  Before hand we stopped at Bigley's shoe store.  I needed some shoes and my mom wanted to chat with some ladies that used to take care of her mom.  It was just a really nice trip.  On the way up we saw the cooooolest sheep farm.  And for whatever reason the entire lot of sheep were all lined up, stretching across a huge field.  On the way back they were spread everywhere, so perhaps it was just a moment in time.  Might never know.  Anyways, I wanted to share a photo of the totally boss shoes I bought.  My mom didn't like them but I luuuurve them.

After work today I stopped by my volunteering to pick up some envelopes to stuff at home.  I was going to ask for 400, but looks like I'm stuck with 1000.  But I have all weekend to get it done.

I've been working on a scarf using some yarn I originally bought to crochet with.  May never use the scarf, but it has been good to practice my stitches.  I wish I could manage continental.  My mom told me that's what her mom used to do, but I'm stuck with the slow English style.

In other news my laptop has been fixed.  HURRAY!  I'm still on the whole sleep deprived but working through it.  Not much else is new.  Going to Sim's for a stitch-n-bitch tomorrow.  Should be fun.  Then I have a ticket to the one of a kind show.  I'm going to sneak off for the late hours tomorrow night.

Time to get stuffin.

Neighbourhood #6: Kensington Market

AKA the triumphant return of neighbourhood adventures, AKA is it about my cube?

I got an enticing email from Sim on Thursday proposing we get back into it and do another neighbourhood.  I almost took a pass because I was near zombie tired, but I really wanted to see Sim and also get back on the neighbourhood train.  The once a month business fell flat fairly quickly.  And I also must say I think it's time we branch out a bit from the downtown core, maybe with a little Junction or Davisville next time.  At any rate this time around it was Kensington Market.  I think the market is a place all Torontonians and GTAers have been to at least once in their life.  I think the market holds on to what Queen St used to be like in the 70s.  I remember visiting Kensington for the first time when I was 14 or 15 and thinking - so this is what being cool is like.

We didn't have much time before the sun would set, but as it was looking like the last decently warm day of the season, Sim and I took to the streets.  We met up at Lettuce Knit on Nassau.  As Sim has provided some motivation to get into knitting, already being somewhat intro crafts I fell right into it.  I've yet to successfully create any pieces, but I've been having fun experimenting with stitches and such.  I picked up a nice mustard and dark blue yarn to attempt my houndstooth.  Between Ravelry and youtube I think I might be able to pull it off.  Sim picked up the perfect ball of black.  The kind woman working at the store wrapped our yarn for us, using some in-house equipment.  She said it was easy to do, but without that wooden umbrella and spooling mechanism, I have a feeling it might be slightly tricky to do at home.  But she said to feel free to come in to have it done there any time.  It was a pretty small spot, but had a really great atmosphere.  One for the books.

After that we headed North up Augusta to check out some boutiquey stores.  First The Blue Banana, followed by the Good Egg.  Not much to write home about from the Blue Banana, but I did very much like the Good Egg.  Lots of cute kitcheny items, and an interesting selection of books.  After that we decided it was time to get a drink.  So back down to Nassau we went to grab a pint at Ronnie's Local 069.  I normally would keep better track of what we drank and if we liked it.  My pint was a Stratford Amber with a weird baby doll head on the tap.  It was alright, but a bit punchy for me.  I think Sim got the Erdinger wheat, but I stopped paying attention after she said wheat beer.  The pub was really cute with an almost hidden back room.  Not really hidden but I didn't see it at first, so I'm going to pretend like it was hidden to make myself feel better.  It was totally hidden.  We sat for a bit while I milked my pint.  Finally wrapped it off in search for some good eats.

We walked back up Augusta (not covering very much ground on this trip I'm realizing) to El Trompo.  We both got the specialty burritos, which I failed to write the name down.  Mine of course was ordered without Coriander so they could be consumed.  We also ordered a bowl of guac to go with our chips.  It was supremely yummy.  About half way through the wraps I thought of adding guac to them, and it was decidely an awesome idea.  Dinner was a success.

Although we didn't cover much ground in the Market, walking around Augusta and Nassau took me away from the original Baldwin and Kensington intersection that has dominated my understanding of what the market has to offer.  Slowly over the years I've added to my Kensington repertoire by visiting Last Temptation, The Boat, Wanda's Pie in the Sky, and most recently The Supermarket.  For such a small stretch of real estate there surely is a ton to do.  And even after this adventure, I went home feeling a little bit cooler.

Beaucoup De Vie

This is my first successful knitting venture.  Sim taught me to knit and purl, and I took some yarn leftover from my crochet venture and pulled this out.  It has no form or use but was a good test.  I failed miserably at the European stitch so I tried out the English stitch and it suits me very well.  I'm actually going to pick up some new yarn, and possibly a pattern to do a houndstooth scarf.  Should be interesting.

I went to see my parents again to celebrate their 40th.  I wanted to get them something ruby related, but instead opted to bake them some cupcakes.  I found a yummy looking red velvet recipe online and gave it a crack.  I think the end result was pretty alright.  I don't bake often, so it was fun.  It was the first time in a long time both my brother and I remembered and came together to celebrate with them.  I also swung by Port Credit on Wednesday to help me mom drop some books off at the local second hand store.  My dad was pressuring her to just trash them, but she put her foot down.  But she couldn't put her foot down alone she needed someone to do the heavy lifting.  When the bookstore only took a handful of books we went next door to the library they said they'd take another box.  And from there my mom has left them out at the side of the road and said they have slowly been picked at.  They also put out a turn of the century cradle.  I'm trying to remember correctly, but I think my great grandma was rocked to sleep in that cradle.  Feels weird to think that we just gave away all of that history, but I don't have any room or use for it.

I just got back from a nice dinner with Ausma on Queen W.  We went to Chococrepe.  Unfortunately my first two choices for crepes were unavailable, so I went for the Pesto.  I wasn't floored with the food, but the hot chocolates were delish.  They darn well better be for $6.  Good thing Ausma had a coupon for a crepe+hot chocolate for $10.  They were only going to let us use one coupon until she had to come back for a second time to tell me my second choice wasn't available.  I shouldn't even complain since Ausma picked up the tab.  She just got back from an awesome sounding trip to New York and DC.  My brother also went to NY recently for a long weekend.  He was telling our family a funny story from that trip.  He was taking a morning walk, I think through Harlem or Spanish Harlem and this car pulls up next to him and this guy says (in your best Joe Pesci voice) "Hey, hey you, put your money away."  Not knowing the guy was even talking to him he kept on, when the guy repeated himself, "Hey, hey, put your money away."  My brother looked down and he had a bill poking out of the top of his pocket.  And he looked back up to the guy in the car who repeated one last time time, "Your money, put it away."  Only in NY?  I love it.

I'm going up to Bobcaygeon with my mom on the weekend.  The parlour that hosted her parents' funeral holds an annual remembrance event.  I haven't been yet but thought I would keep my mom the company.  With my coworker going through some family health event it's bringing up some sad memories.  Even hearing the words palliative care just breaks my heart.

I just found out tonight that someone I know in connection to my volunteering took their life last week.  We only met a few times, but it's still extremely sad.  I don't think it's fully hit me yet.  The director there extended an offer of grief counseling, but I think that will be more important for the people that work there every day. So so sad.

On that unhappy note, I'm off.

Hidden Christmas Gem

While reviewing an old Christmas photo, I came across this gem of an ornament.  Oh hai there dad.

Overheard at Work #3

Sometimes when I'm not paying attention at work out of nowhere I'll hear something like:

"F***** sounds f***** like a f***** Vietnam f***** hitman."

And I don't even bother asking.  They've already apologized in advance for any swearing.

Still Happening As We Speak

I finally got my signed Hip CD off of Adam, and I've been jamming to it in my car on the way to work all this past week.  When Adam handed it to Downie he said, "And who is thiiis for?"  And Adam said, "My sad friend that couldn't make it today."  And Downie just looked back up and said, "No, what's the name?"  So he wrote "Julie's Blues" and they all signed around that.  Love love love.  At first listen I wasn't sure how taken I was, but that happens for me since I already have a hundred thousand favourites of theirs on my must-listen list.  But now I'm quite endeared to several of the new songs.  I actually just had a radio-hip spotting on Bloor this evening.  I swung by Adam's new place to drop off my level and pick up some brooms I had lent him and a passing car was jamming to either their CD or a song on the radio.  Either way it always fills my cockles with joy when I hear someone enjoying their sweet tunes.  Maybe in the sub-cockle region, or the liver, I'm not sure.

I got a nice surprise at work the other day.  My boss came around and passed out gas cards to everyone for having a great month.  $100.  They are just the bomb-diggity.  No other way to explain it.  I think I also bring a certain new fresh dynamic to the office which has had the same 4 employees for the past 10 years.  For example, today this guy calls me to his desk and says, "Look, when I try to open a link from an email it gives me an error."  So I went back to my desk and googled the error and found a microsoft support webpage with a fix on it.  Sent the guy the link, he loaded the fix, rebooted and voila.  It was actually funny, when he went to test it out I rejoiced when it actually worked, and as I turned to walk away he said, "It's not working, it took me back to the fix page."  And I turned around confused for just half a second and then said, "That's because that's the link in the email you just tested."  Cheers all around.  He said he had been trying to get that fixed for a while but everyone else just said they didn't know.  Score one me.

I put my snow tires on today.  After a strange non-drug-induced moment of insanity when I thought the roads were covered in snow (don't ask), I thought it was a sign to get prepared.  So I asked the guys at work how much I should be paying per tire, as to ensure I wasn't going to get ripped off.  Then one guy mentioned that a neigbouring business does tires and we get neighbour-pricing.  He called them for me to make sure it still applied, and when he said my winters had rims I found out it was just $29.99 for the whole shebang, not per tire.  Since they have been switched off once and switched back on once, the rims have already paid for themselves.  They are massively heavy, since I have R17 sized tires, but still worth it.  And then they said once I got them switched to bring them to the back and they'd store them in the warehouse for me.  I backed my car up to the loading dock, my coworker heaved them up onto a forklift, and I walked back to the front and they took care of the rest for me.  No more rolling them up and down my parents' damn driveway.

I went to see my parents earlier this week.  To check in my mom and I offered to rake the leaves since I don't think either of them should take on the physical challenge.  My dad had already done the front once, and also cleared out the back.  I told him to sit tight and I'd take care of it this time.  He insisted he would help me.  I refused.  He insisted.  And gosh darnit am I happy he's more stubborn than I am.  Half way through both of us working on the front lawn I took a little sit down break.  By the end of it my arms didn't want to lift anymore. I don't know how I used to manage on my own.  Between that and my giant moving-fail with Adam I think I need to focus on getting in to some sort of acceptable shape.  I was going to say better shape than a Sloth, but even a sloth is in better shape than me.  Then I stayed for a really nice roast and a tea by the fireplace.  My parents are planning on moving very soon, so I should take advantage of that house before it's gone.  My dad said to me, "Would you disown us if we moved to Cobourg?"  I just looked at him and said, "No dad, of course I wouldn't.......because I'm already going to disown you as soon as you sell this house."  I'll miss that place for sure.  Since I first left I've lived in six different places, but for 25 years it was always a place I could call home.  For them too, it's the place they've both lived the longest.  I said to them I was almost happy that it's going to be torn down so a monster mansion can be built in its place, because I wouldn't want to think about anyone else living there.  Our old house in Toronto was eventually torn down to make way for a new home as well.  And the house they had before that was on a Toronto renovation show.  I can't remember which one, one of those take this house and sell it shows.  No one is satisfied with used anymore.  We were reminiscing about all the improvements they made themselves on the house.  The back patio used to be this stone monstrosity that tilted on an angle back towards the house and it would be a total nightmare when it rained.  And there was this awful awful porch cover that jutted out from the roof that looked like yellow translucent corrugated hot mess.  If I get torn up when I have to junk a car I've only driven for 6 years, I imagine this is going to be much worse.  Cross that bridge when we come to it.  And my mom is doing great, for the record.  She still has a build up of embarrassing surgery gas which is slowly working its way out.  Otherwise, thumbs up.

After dinner I sat down at my mom's electric keyboard and tried to play Moonlight Sonata.  I used to be able to play the first two pages no problem, eleven hundred years ago.  It was not great, but there's potential there.  It's a really hard piece to sight read because half of the notes fall outside of the normal staff and I was also having trouble remembering to play all the sharps (C# minor).  The fourth sharp is D, D, D Julie, D#.

I'm tired.  I wrote about 400 words for Nanowrimo a few days ago and then stopped.  I'm also halfway through re-reading The Great Gatsby and I want to finish that soon.  It's one of my favourite books.  I lent it out in Calgary and never recouped it before I moved back home.  But I got a new personal copy at BMV the other day for like $3.99.  But I do need to focus on finishing things I start, was my point.  Speaking of, I think I should wrap this up now then.  Full stop.