If You Can Hear This Say "Heyyy"

I got back yesterday from a nice relaxing 4 day weekend up North with Nikki and her bf. As per the usual routine, on the way up we stopped into Fisher's food store, and then after making a food plan, replenished at a local grocery store. Nikki's bf had brought up some meat from M&Ms shop which was super yummy. I should try stopping in there more often. One night we had butter chicken but BBQed the chicken first. Cooked up some basmati rice. Delish!

When we got there the water hadn't been turned on just yet, so I called up the local contractor that takes care of the property. He came the next morning, and just in time too. I can't say we did much all weekend but lay out, relax and drink. Marc and I even got up the nerve to take a quick dip in the lake. It was fun, but I do look forward to the water warming up in the months to come. We had a fire on Sunday night, and played with taking pictures of ourselves writing our names with Sparklers. The next morning we cooked up some French toast (w/ gluten free bread), and then got ready to clean up. When Nikki and Marc went to the dump to drop off garbage and recyclables I finished the vacuuming and drying the rest of the dishes. With what time I had left before they returned, I baited one of the chipmunks to pose for a photo. Not much baiting required, just a peanut really. One of the chipmunks was significantly more brave than the rest. One afternoon after handing out a handful of peanuts the little guy crawled up my leg and right up the front of my shirt looking for more. Any sudden movement would have caused him to abort immediately but we all got good at staying very still.

It was a bit cold when we got there, but overall one of the warmer Vic weekends we've had in the past few years. I had fun with my camera. I really need to get it fixed though. It's nice when the black dot falls on something inconspicuous, but when it doesn't it's reaaally annoying. Anyhow, here are some of the photos from the weekend:

Neighbourhood #5: Queen West

I'm under a bit of time pressure right now. My ride for a weekend trip up North is on its way, but I didn't want to leave this hanging until Monday. Feeling right back into the exploration grove, and being granted beautiful Spring weather, Sim and I ventured around her hood last Friday. Queen West.

Normally a neighbourhood takes at least an effort of preparation, but QW is so chock-full of great stores we didn't even need to. All I knew was that I wanted to try out Tequila Bookworm, and go into the paper store by Trinity Bellwoods. A lot of what came to follow was req'd by Sim.

First stop was Americo Yarns. If I had a million dollars, I would buy their entire stock of soft yarn and roll around in it all day. But I don't, so it was a nice look around and a quick chat with the owner and we were on our way. Tequila Bookworm was our first stop. We each had trouble understanding what brand the server had recommended to me. If it wasn't local to the region of Sim's cabin we'd still be trying to figure it out. Sim had the Cheshire Red Irish Ale. All together now, Che-shire. ;) Due to our late start we didn't dally too long in case some of the stores were early closers.

Next we found ourselves at Romni Wools. I could have gotten lost in that store. I think on top of picking up crochet I'd like to learn to knit. But I'll definitely leave that one until the money is coming in again. We went downstairs to the discount section and I picked up this cute multi-coloured ball. Based on the size it wasn't a total steal. But I'm sort of just becoming accustomed to the actual price of yarn, so maybe I shouldn't speak to that just yet. I've made several attempts on that baby cap, but I know I'm not counting properly. And extra stitches just wreak havoc as you continue on. This might end up just being a test cap. I might pitch for some super soft yarn for the final. But I am definitely digging the colouration. Next we popped into KolKids. I checked the price on the first little onesie, $75. So we quickly retreated.

On we went to the paper store. I feel sometimes I'm morally against paper because it's so destructive to the environment. But I was in heaven. I could have just stayed and stared at the paper all day. I have no use for decorative paper, but hot damn it was pretty. I also spied a little fabric button maker kit. It got me thinking about the button press Sim linked me to a while back. I still think of that press often. One day. They also had a bunch of cute little toys (ie. Sim's mustache). On the way back we popped into Rotate This. If I was into Vinyl that would be a dream stop. I probably could have looked through a little more thoroughly but Sim is past physical CDs so I thought we should move it along. The last three stops were a ditch effort to find something for my mom for mother's day. We went into Valhalla, Ten Thousand Villages, and Outer Layer. I finally picked up a cute hand drawn card with two little penguins and a heart. And I filled it with a secret note for my mom.

It was really an effortless afternoon. Queen West is really a superior neighbourhood for hanging out and having fun. Cameron House, Shanghai Cowgirl, Tortilla Flats, Java House, Dog's Bullocks, and that's just on the West side of Spadina. We finished up the night with a meal grilled by Spence, and some board/video games w/ Spence and Mike. A great day! And a day with one major revelation. Some things never change:

Sim 2012:

Sim 1998:

Until next time Toronto.

Unionville: Run for Women

My mom and I walked the 5km in a recent Starbucks women's marathon. Most of the 10km runners got in before us. And very few came in after us. But it was still fun, and a nice walk. Unionville is really really cute. I was the only person not decked out in exercise gear. Luckily no one commented on my beer t-shirt.

Neighbourhood #4: Leslieville

We're back! And with a bit of a vengeance. An unfortunate amount of time has passed since our last trip, but we are back. And our most recent conquest: Leslieville!

Leslieville has long been a neighbourhood I've been interested in visiting. Just past the somewhat questionable intersection of Queen & Broadview and before the Beaches (don't even try to call it the Beach), Leslieville is one of the next up and coming neighbourhoods. Sim mentioned it was noticeable how the cityscape was lacking condos. It was nice, to say the least. I even mentioned it would be a place I could see myself living. The only problem I have with gentrifying neighbourhoods is that suddenly the boutique upper class quality of all the stores is beyond my position in life.

We pulled up just past Carlaw and parked the Sebring in an awesome pull-in parking spot. We threw in money for the maximum time (3hrs) and were on our way. First stop was Roy Public House for some good eatin'. Sim and I each decided to order a new-to-us beer. For me that was the Waupoos Cider, and for Sim that was Tennents Lager. I forgot to ask how the lager was, but the cider was yummy. I ordered the Cornbeef sandwich, and Sim went for the Fish & Chips. And surprise surprise she modified the side to be sweet potato fries and garlic aioli dip. I was moderately satisfied with the sandwich. Maybe wouldn't try it again but no real complaints. Sim on the other hand was not satisfied with a key component to her meal. And I'm not talking about the Fish, and I'm not talking about the Chips, I am talking about the garlic aioli. Once again I potentially embarrassed myself by bad talking the meal in ear shot of the server. I'm entitled to my opinion but I'm not the type to intentionally embarrass anyone. The dip had curry powder in it! And I said to Sim, it's not a bad dip by any means, but it's not what you ordered. Regardless of that mini-rant, it was an enjoyable lunch. And if we had been able to keep all of the money the lady beside us kept dropping on the ground it would have been a really enjoyable lunch.

Looking out the front window of the pub we noticed it had started to rain over lunch. We had felt spitting earlier, but it felt like sun rain that wasn't going anywhere. We decided to feel it out and continue on our journey. Next stop was the River Rock Cafe. We dodged around some construction trucks only to find the Cafe was closed. No time to mourn, it was on to the next. We swung into the Leslieville Cheese Market just because I had jotted the name down as a place of interest. To be honest there wasn't much cheese and it was a quick swing.

A friend of mine had mentioned that L-ville was a hot spot for furniture stores. Zenporium was the only one we made it into. There was a lot of hand beaded gift items, and a mixture of wood furniture. It was pleasant enough. A nice break from the continuing rain as well. Deciding that our day was not going to work out, we chose the last few spots to hit up. Six Shooter Records was no longer there. I foolishly forgot to keep going to check out the Yarn store. I don't know when I'll be back out that way so darn. And that is NOT a pun. Darn it (that was). As we realized the store was no longer we also happened to be standing right in front of an awesome artisan barn type store. It was set up to display a variety of different local artisans, specializing in a wide variety of crafts. From photography to leathercraft. Sim could definitely have a setup in that shop, a big setup. And in a small corner I would sell crochet coasters for $2 a pop. I had actually read up on that store previously, probably on BlogTO, so that was a pleasant surprise to happen upon its doorstep.

We crossed the street to stop into another crafty boutique. I wanted to check out to see if they had any cute baby clothes for my soon to be nephew-once-removed (my cousin is preggers). That was the third strike as we were greeted with a "back in 10". Maybe if it had been a pleasant sunny day we could have waited it out. But frustrated and starting to get uncomfortably wet we kept on. We stopped into a promising looking cafe, Te Aro, but it was full so we called it a day. We both had plans for the evening, but there was still a few hours left. And we knew what we had to do. It was time to save the world from complete destruction, care of viral epidemics. We lost the game in a record 2 turns. Go us.

That's it. 4 down, so many to go. Looking forward to many more. And also, for your viewing pleasure, here is a fish smoking a pipe:

On To The Next

I will take better care of my next Moleskin notebook. And I will try not to wash it too.

Le Poulet de Beurre

After years of wanting to do so, I finally accomplished home made butter chicken! Is it a bad thing that I enjoy the PC brand sauce better? Mine was still pretty bitchin. The best part was the chicken. The recipe called for the chicken to be marinated in a yogurt mix for 24 hours. The minced ginger was perhaps the best touch of all. It was mad tasty. The sauce was based with onions and a can of tomatoes with various spices, mixed with whipping cream and butter before serving.

I haven't been up to much lately. I did invite my mom down last weekend for a trip to the Wychwood Barns Farmer's Market. She treated me to a ton of stuff. From fresh veggies, to lime basil seeds, to natural spun yarn. Then we stopped into the Eco store on St. Clair, and came back to my house to meet up with an accessories artist. She only did home visits in Toronto so my mom made use of the visit to use my address for that visit.

And also, last Thursday I helped my neighbour who had thrown out his back. When I was leaving the house he was laying beside his car screaming in pain. I couldn't do much to help him. Luckily he had some back pills in his car, so I fetched them for him. And I cleaned up what he was working on and locked up his garage. I unfortunately had to leave him but told him to call the EMS if it didn't get better. A few days later I came home to find a box of chocolates outside my inside front door. My downstairs neighbour told me later that he had dropped them off to thank me. Made me feel more like a part of this neighbourhood. As little as that might be it still feels nice.

And lastly, in most amazing news, Pepsi has brought back Pepsi Lime. And I'm having one right now. And it's awesome.

Talk Just To The Stars

I'm in a relatively good mood today. I'm not sure if it's because I've started to work out again, or if I'm just getting a lucky break. When I say I've started again I've biked for two days. I'll be getting on again today, and tomorrow my mom and I are going to walk to the farmer's market in my hood. This is all leading up to a 5km charity walk up in Unionville in May. If I can up my fitness level even a touch before that time then I'll be happy.

I tried another crochet project. I'm almost out of green yarn. I tried to do this in the purple, but I was getting lost in how the stitch was supposed to look, it's harder to read on darker yarn, so I ditched it after two rows. I had an idea of making it long enough to be a head wrap. It doesn't suit me so well, but it was fun to make.


I want to attempt homemade butter chicken tonight. I just realized I don't have any butter, but that's what convenient stores are for right? I'm excited to see how this turns out.

Crochet!

I spoiled myself today and picked up a crochet needle and some yarn. More $$ than I would normally want to spend, but it will be nice to use my hands again on something crafty. I used to do cross-stitch and make bracelets with embroidery floss, so it seems crochet (pronounced: krow-shet) would be an appropriate next step. I also went to Wychwood Barns for the first time. The gourmetness of it all is above my pay-grade ($0/hr), but when I'm making money again maybe I"ll give it a real shot. At any rate, here's a photo of my first attempt at practicing my stitches. I found a really cool tutorial for a weave stitch. Once I get comfortable enough I'm totally going to try it out!



Update: So I have a bit of honing to do. But I'll get there eventually. I'm actually thinking it will be nice to make my nephew-to-be a baby cap :D

Best Only

I found my notebook, and I feel like some sort of natural balance has been restored. I also finally shimmied the rest of my furniture back into place. While cleaning my desk I found some felt stoppers so I felted the wheels on the chest and pushed it gently across the floor. Just a little at first to make sure it wasn't leaving any marks. Now I can access my drinking glasses, and start to unload the last box into it's rightful place. Won't mean much if I'm shortly to be leaving, but it feels better.

The hat party was a lot of fun. Most everyone brought a hat of sorts. Danielle took first place, apparently by a landslide, but she deserved it. She affixed a game of travel connect4 to a wool beret type hat, and actually set up the pieces so she could play it. And she even doubled it for a chip bowl at one point too. Although I started out loving my hat, I think next time I'll just take whatever reject leftovers the host has to offer.

The following night I was volunteering at the 15th Annual Comedy Cabaret for Raising the Roof. It was held down at Second City, and I was helping to run the coat check. My friend Arthur ended up helping me hang the coats, which worked out well for me because it would have been a real challenge on my own. We had runners going up to guests and bringing their coats back two at a time. Leaving them on the table as they ran off to get more coats. The show had a pretty impressive line up. There were a few faces that I recognized but that I didn't know did stand up comedy. Like, the guy from Cash Cab? Though part of his sketch was running a little charity quiz with a random guest. I should have been up there. Some of them were so obvious but they needed a hint so they won less money. For example, if you were to be dialing 867-5309 who would you be calling. And then a Beach Boys question, and the couple on stage didn't even wager a guess.

I finished Blind Assassin a few days ago. Atwood is a master of her craft, but I struggled to finish the book while I faded in and out of having my interest kept. Still, it had been on my must-read list for a while. Since it took me so long (starting in January), I've kicked myself into reading gear. I still have a load of books piled up to get through. That makes it sound like a chore, but it's not.

I'm going to take a walk to my local knit shop soon. I'd like to take on my first knitting project. With some encouragement from Sim I'm going to do it! And I've join Ravelry so I can keep track of what I've been up to. When I get to the store I'll have to look to see if I want to start a knit project or a crochet project. Opportunities are endless! (Depending on the cost of course).

And also, my mom has signed us up for a charity walk in Unionville in May. So I need to start getting into better shape. It's only 5km, but I still need to work up to it.

That is all.

Silly Hat Party

I made this for a silly hat party tonight. I'm pretty happy with it.

And So It Goes

I really hate the new blogger layout. Given the notice that it was going to change in April regardless I thought I would throw myself into it. If I could make that choice again I would hang on for dear life to the old UI. Maybe I just don't like change, but I also don't think it needed any change. And not a complete and utter face lift. End rant.

I pulled a shoulder muscle on Friday. It wasn't excruciating but still rather painful. And then you start to realize how much your entire body is connected and how one bad part can spoil the lot. Sleeping has been interesting, but each night has gotten better. I'm almost back to 100% now.My place is still a bit jumbled. It really just illuminates how little I use anything in my apartment besides my desk kitchen and bed. I broke my HD antenna when I moved my tv, but I haven't even thought twice about it. I do like my new tv, but it's very clear to me that I barely use it. Though I have been thinking about hooking up my 64 or game cube and getting my Nintendo on. I've also been trying to conceptualize a new layout for my furniture. I'm thinking perhaps of tucking both couches up against walls and having the middle be wide open. It's something to think about.

I have a few things coming up. This Sunday is the Annual Comedy Cabaret for Raising the Roof. It's being held at Second City. It's more of a corporate fundraiser because the cost is $150 a plate. I'll be selling raffle tickets and my new volunteer counterpart will be doing coat check. I've really enjoyed getting to know the new guy from France. He's really a very interesting person. I'm going North with my dad on Monday. I don't know what he wants to do up there, but he asked so I thought I would keep him company. We're really lucky it was only a mini-stroke that he had. I've never truly understood the devastation a stroke can cause, and I don't think you do until it happens to someone close. Adam's dad just had a stroke bundled with several major health issues, but I didn't really get it. You can live a long normal life and then within minutes you can be permanently disabled. It's a total blessing that he's expected to have a full recovery. Now I just need to think of 6 hrs of car conversation...yikes. I love him, but not that much. My record for hours spent in a car with one person in one day is 15, so I can do this.

I'm having Dom over for dinner next Wednesday, we'll have to think up something great to cook. And then maybe find something fun (read: free) to do in the city. And most importantly I'm going to see Sim and Spence tonight to cook them dinner! I picked up these delicious looking steaks, and since they always cook for me when I visit I thought I would return the favour. Plus getting to eat bbq steak will be a total bonus. Though I must say I timed my last steak bake perfectly and it was oh so delicious.

I realized a day or two ago that Sim and I missed doing a neighbourhood in March. We'll have to get back on track for April. Maybe Little India or the Danforth? My complete list is in my notebook but I've put it somewhere and I can't remember just where. Hopefully it will turn up soon, I feel almost lost without it. Like I wrote stuff down so I wouldn't have to remember as much. And as soon as pen hit paper my mind tossed the thoughts in the waste bin. And then hit "empty bin." No good.That's it I guess. Still unemployed. Still on a countdown to move back home if no job comes. Dreading that, but I'll live either way. As Sonia's dad would say, at least I have both of my legs. Ciaos.

That's a Wrap

Ok, so I was up today at 6am, which is really 5am by yesterday's standards. The only way that I possibly managed this was because a) I was prevented an extra hour of sleep due to unpleasant gassy stomach pains (TMI) and b) I went to bed at 9pm last night (m-f). I didn't have much choice in the matter. I needed to do a grocery shopping but instead I ate pizza and collapsed into bed. Yesterday was the first day of a two day shoot that will wrap up the shooting for Spence's film (Nemesis - an independent film). I somehow only managed 3hrs of sleep on Friday night, so by the end of the day I was just poopered.

The shot yesterday was in my living room so my life was moved into my bedroom. The shot today is in the bedroom (....no) and so everything had to be moved into the living room. Before the cast & crew left, two manly men moved the two pieces of heavy furniture. And as Spence gave a crowd of people a ride home I shimmied my big blue tupperware boxes filled with my earthly possessions back into the living room. By the time he got back the place was almost ready to be mopped and staged.

Working on this film production has been a really special experience. I had a really emotionaly discussion with Spence last night. I`ve been having trouble fully composing myself since then, but I think once there is a buzz of people it will be easy enough. It`s time for me to get started. I need to fold the last of the clean clothes and go pick up some groceries before the first to arrive shows up.

Also, one huge benefit of shooting here, my place is now SPOTLESS. And in fear of looking like a huge slob I even cleaned out the microwave. To give you an idea of how bad it was, I think it took me about 10 minutes to get all of the grime off. Seriously though, what can`t baking soda do. I`d ask that as a question but that key seems to only want to give me an É, and yes my keyboard is set to US.

I`m going to post some snaps later. And promise to update more often. I`ve actually done a few fun/exciting things that I`m depriving my audience the pleasure of hearing. Anywho, toodles.

Neighbourhood #3: Forest Hill (Fail)

New month = new neighbourhood so Sim and I once again set out to a new neighbourhood to see what wonders await us in this great city. We met up at the main intersection in Forest Hill (the only intersection) and started from there. I was starving so we tried to find a place to hit. There was an interesting Mediterranean grill called Mashu Mashu. I wasn't much in the mood for an an hour sit down and a $20 bill so we moved on. I must say it did smell rather delicious. We scooted back down to a sushi joint Sim had spied. Unfortunately they weren't open until later in the day. Then we went across the street to the only bar on the strip, and it was closed. It seems Sundays in Forest Hill are only good for brand chain coffee shops and banks. Because there are three of one and four of the other, respectively. We did get to check out the Type Book store. Nothing caught my fancy right, other than some really neat moleskin booklets. But I'd definitely go back to check it out again. Our last ditch hope was to check out the Aroma that took over the old Blockbuster location. I was ready to order a sandwich and a coffee, but when we looked around and there wasn't a free pair of seats in the place, we left, and we promptly left Forest Hill.

Being so close to my place we opted for a mini-beer tasting adventure instead.
Dead Elephant: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (9)
Maple Bock: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (7/7.5)
Cameron Cream Ale: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (7)
Cameron Auburn Ale: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (8)
Früli: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (10!)

I can't do half a happy face, but let it be noted that Sim liked the Maple Bock slightly more than I did. And the Früli gained an automatic ten for being absolutely delicious. Two of the Cameron's didn't make it to the table due to lack of time. Sim and I sat and had a great talk and sampled our hearts out.

We got to talking about belt buckles, a new found interest of Sim's. And I remembered my dad gave me a buckle years ago. I don't know why he gave it to me, but I've carried it around with me every place I've been. Sim popped it on and we snapped a cool shot. And that's that. Forest Hill was a bit of a bust, but I looked forward to the next go around.

A Day In My Life

Neighbourhood #2: St. Clair West

Since the new month is upon us, and despite of the cold weather warning, Sim and I bundled up on Saturday to explore St. Clair West. It wasn't on our original brainstorming list, but I've been building up such a list of places I need to visit, that I knew we could make an afternoon of it. My house is close to a few neighbourhoods, but St. Clair West is by far the coolest. And I think in 15 years or so that strip is going to have some real potential!

Sim and Spence showed up at my house slightly after 12:30pm to see if my living space would be appropriate for an upcoming project. Unofficially it's a yes, so I'm excited about that. Then Spence dropped us down at the McDs across from our first target, The Stockyards. It's funny how St. Clair works now with the U-turns at every set of lights. We ran into Spence twice between him dropping us off and him taking the turn to go back East. So there we were at the Stockyards. Going in revealed a waitlist of about 4 couples ahead of us. Luckily we jumped onto a waiting to be seated list which probably didn't take too much more than 10 or 15 minutes. The seating was a bit limited as for what I expected. I was later recalling the story to my mom and mentioning that it's bar stool seating only, and because of her knees (double replacement) she doesn't think she'll ever be able to go there. But she had actually heard of them when I mentioned the place by name. So that's too bad. We gave our order right away and not too much later our Pulled Pork sandwiches and Black Cherry sodas were delivered in cute black skillet plates. I found the food to be a bit luke warm. The meat was seasoned nicely and tender enough, but I wasn't as floored as I was expecting to be. Sim got some fries for us to share. They were also ok. With full bellies it was time for us to move on.

Lucky for us the next destination was literally next door. Noir Coffee & Tea. It was really really gorgeous inside. It was warm and cozy and clean, and really both Sim and I agreed it was a perfect 10, and exactly to our liking. We both ordered a coffee, and busted out the BG board. I don't think I won a game. But I didn't make any moves that were too foolish, so it's a win for me. I brought my travel cribbage board too but I don't seem to have a full deck of cards at home. Which is insane because I love cards. I took notice of some of the bags of coffee for sale at the front counter. We returned at the end of the night to pick up a bag, and I had to wait about 5 minutes while the lady at the counter found a gluten free dairy free snack for the girl in front of me. Don't get me wrong, it's anyone's perogative to search out foods that fit your dietary needs. But I challenge anyone to spend more than 2 minutes at a counter in a coffee shop, you will feel like a giant turd. They took so long the lady at the counter actually called me patient. Anyways, I digress, I can't wait to try the new blend out.

We bundled up and headed West-ward towards Oakwood. This was my moment to finally FINALLY get a picture of the Domo graffiti outside the school there. I think that school is Oakwood Collegiate, but I'm not positive. First we stopped into The Cupcakery. I'm not an aficionado when it comes to cupcakes, but I think if you are going to have a business that is dedicated solely to cupcakes, and you're going to charge $2.50 for each one, they should be good enough that I want to come back tomorrow to try another one. I remember this amazing cupcake restaurant from Calgary called Crave Cupcakes. I will forever compare every cupcake boutique I visit to this place. Maybe no one will ever live up, but the standard has been set. I feel like Sim could have whipped up a tastier batch in her kitchen. It was a cute enough store though, I will give them that. On the way back we snapped a shot of the Domo. Wrraaaaahhhh.

Our last scheduled stop was at Ellington's Cafe. I thought it was really cute inside. It was laid back in a way that I really appreciate. The place was kind of crickets, and I think perhaps there was a pool table in the back in a secret room that seemed to quietly absorb everyone that entered. We got some cheap coffees and just chatted for a while before heading to our final impromptu destinations. I suggested that Sim and I drop into the Salvation Army and Goodwill to hunt for some props Spence might be interested in. It was a bust, but I did pick up a Big Wreck CD which I will have to transfer over. Then it was back to square one where Spence picked us up (ty Spence) and graciously gave me a drive home as well.

To me this neighbourhood was really different from Ossington Village. OV was just a really super hip, super cool place to be. With tons of galleries and an independent bookstore. I think if I wasn't local to St. Clair West I might not be bothered to choose it as a destination. Granted there are some really great places. Wychwood Barns farmers market is still a place I really want to visit (and slept through this weekend). Dave's Bar is a really chill little bar too that I've enjoyed visiting. And I still love living in the area. Maybe it was the weather or maybe it was the overall lack of coolness, but for the purposes of this project I give it a final rating of "meh." Now off to Mississauga to go pick up my cell phone. :/

Don't Be A Coconut

I went to Yorkdale mall this morning to pick up some tickets at Jean Machine. I bought my dad and brother some Rock Lacrosse tickets for Christmas. There was like a $9 service charge each and then $5 processing fee. They made $23 dollars on my single transaction. What in the hell???? How can our system allow for such a monopoly to exist. I hope the refund situation they're going through right now damn near bankrupts them. They are absolute crooks. Also, I hate malls. I tried to find parking near my store, but I was confused by the underground "Valet" parking so I just avoided it. I ended up, in true Julie form, parking at the exact opposite end of the mall. I made my way to Jean Machine, and then stopped in to HMV to see if there was anything I wanted. I picked up a few cheap CDs. I'll consider it an early xmas gift to myself. I hate malls in general. The idea of ultra-consumption drives me nuts. That was my first ever trip to Yorkdale, and I can say with most certainty it will be my last. At least I can hope.

Last night I went to Sim's for some beers. In lieu of going to the Brewery Market at Wychwood Barns, we opted for the cheaper option of buying a fine selection of imported beers to try out. This morning I was admiring Spence's photo of the beers lined up, and it occured to me that we missed a beer! I texted Sim right away, fearing we had left that bottle in the freezer by mistake. Thank goodness that wasn't the case, and it was just missed. At any rate, I'm going to share our beer ratings. Any differing votes appear with a "/". For the most part we all agreed, but in some cases I didn't agree with S&S. And any variance less than .05 as given by Spence will not be shown below... o_O



From left to right, as graded with happy faces up to 10:
Fruli: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (10!)
Traquir Jacobite Ale: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (9)
Lava Smoked Imperial Stout: (0) - seriously
Erdinger Weissbier: TBD ;)
Amsterdam Oranje Weisse: ☺☺☺☺☺/☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (5/8)- I'm not a fan of the wheat beers
Christoffel Blond (double hops): ☺☺☺☺/☺☺☺☺☺ (4/5)
Mort Subite Framboise: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (10!)
Lezajsk: ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺ (8)

As you may be able to ascertain, all three of us were quite fond of the raspberry brews. All in all a great night!

This Is Not A Blog Post

In an attempt to get back to keeping this site current, I am forcing myself on this lovely Sunday to write. I went out yesterday in the morning with Sim. I picked up some McD bagel combos on the way to her place, and we headed to the Distillery for the outdoor Christmas festival. The plan was to get there for 10am to beat the parking rush. Mission accomplished if I do say so myself. The lot right off Mill street was practically half empty. And by the time we were leaving cars were stalking outgoing parties vying for free spots. I waved a car to follow me knowing how much I would wish fellow parkers would extend that courtesy to me. Anyways, the festival was enjoyable. The weather was perfect for a nice stroll outside. Cute identical booths were set up all along the pathways. The distillery is cool enough, so to turn it into an outdoor market is just the coolest. Sim commented that it might be slightly more enjoyable in the summer sun, which is true, but I still had a great time. Didn't find anything that really caught my fancy. I was taken by a small carved owl, but I've lost my taste for impractical purchases being broke and all.

I've been meaning to take a walk down to Oakwood and St. Clair to grab a shot of an electrical box that has been ingeniusly turned into a Domo. It gave me quite the chuckle when I first passed it, and again when I drove passed to verify it was still there. I think when I do make it down, I'll stop into a cupcake shop in the neighbourhood called The Cupcakery. I'll just consider it a grocery purchase, shhh.

I'm going to Sim's tomorrow for a make shift brew fest. Since the $5 samples at the Brewery Market at Wychwood seemed a bit steep we decided to launch our own sampling party. On a fixed budget that will triple our consumption.

I'm still keeping up with the exercising, but not seeing much of a change yet. I guess if it takes 3000 calories to burn off a pound it could take up to two weeks to burn each pound. If that's what it takes, I'm ready to commit and be patient.

I also saw an old high school friend for dinner the other night. Sarah had me over for a really delicious sausage and gnocchi dinner. Her fiance Pete hooked me up with the company he's using to find a job. And I'm also going to contact an agency that was recommended by another friend. Maybe that will result in something in the new year. Here's hoping. We played a dice game called Zombie Dice. The point is to roll as many brains as possible without rolling 3 shot guns. I totally owned. Just saying.

I've got a busy week coming up. I'm trying to decide how much to spend at my parents' house. Without having an actual bed to stay in, it's tough to stay for longer than a night or two. Before I do go, I plan to use up some thawed chicken by making this: Chef Michael's Chicken Stew. And I'm planning making some of these for my mom for Christmas: DIY Mason Jar Candle Holders.

That's all. Happy holidays.

Neighbourhood #1: Ossington Village

And so it begins. I met up with Sim yesterday at 1pm at the corner of Dundas and Ossington. Our first stop was at Pizzeria Libretto for some lunchies. We share a fixed price lunch which started with a really tasty Arugula, Pear & Walnut salad. Next was a yummy thin sliced Marghertia pizza, and a few biscotti to finish. I felt like I was going to break a tooth, and they weren't Sim's thing so I wrapped them up for later. I may or may not have embarrassed myself with the waitress by saying "I'm never coming back here again until I have a job." It wasn't meant as an insult, more as compliment I suppose. I can't afford places that add $5 to the menu for ambiance. I'll take the cheap meal or a nice home cooked meal instead.

I had spotted a store with a closing business sale so we stopped by Tibet Touch on Dundas. It was mostly clothes. At first I thought it was going to be more like the that eclectic store on Bloor in the Annex, but it was a bit of a bust. The cafe I had seen during my internet research phase was not available so we took a walk down the West side of Ossington. We stopped at first cafe we passed which was Goet Eten. Sim pointed out that it was German for good eats. Good deal. [edit: not the actual translation, as later discovered] I ordered the Mocha, and Sim got the Latte. I know mine was delicious. Perhaps a tad more than I would usually spend on a caffeinated beverage, but it was good enough to make me forget. We sat and drank our coffees and played a few games of backgammon. Sim has that extra talent in BG that I'll never quite obtain. I think it comes from learning a game as a child and playing through to adulthood. But I do put up a good fight.

Next we stopped into a vintage clothing store called Vintage1. There were some cute clothes, and Sim inspected some of the hand crafted belts. They had some wild 70s blazers. They were all so wonderfully tacky. Next we hopped across the street to Frantic City. I was really hoping to find something to buy. I did pick up a Steinbeck, but at $9 it was between getting the book or buying a beer later. And the beer won out. I really loved that bookstore. They had all sorts of really interesting books on display, and then the rest neatly organized on the walls. On we went. We were in search of a gallery we wanted to stop in on. Unable to find it we took a walk down to Queen and into a small park beside CAMH to read up on the CAMH Heritage wall. We even called the number to listen to a recorded piece describing the creation of the wall and a bit about the inhabitants of the asylum at the time. Eventually the electronic voices became too much and I had to hang up. I meant to write down the number and extension but alas I forgot. After a quick check on Sim's smart phone we were off to Gallery TPW. The gallery was exhibiting one of the major annual shows, Photorama. It was all contemporary photography, with a lot of creative editing. The exhibit actually first caught my eye online because the lead photo strongly reminded me of Sim's personal work. Staged photos with a bit of cheeky editing. We had a nice walk around the gallery, commenting on the ones we were taken by, and the ones we weren't. We also stopped in on the AWOL Gallery for a much smaller showing. Interesting graph paper-esque paintings. I think I liked the cloud one best.

At this point it was nearing 4:30 and we knew we had 30 minutes to kill before some of the evening establishments opened their doors. We were thinking about stopping at a particular Tequila Bar Sim was interested in, but when we found the doors still closed we moved on. We walked passed a side street with a really interesting piece of graffiti. I took this wide picture and then Sim grabbed a shot of me (which I might post up later). We kept on from there until we were back up at Dundas and we went on the hunt for The Communist's Daughter. I had called it Communist's Sister all day, but finally by the end I had it right. We got there at about 20-to and needed to kill some time. We took another walk west, past Tibet Touch in search for...anything. I spotted a Nova Era, which seem to be popping up all over the city. Or perhaps I'm travelling around more and noticing just how many locations they have. Our small walk was a bust, and by the time we got back we still had 15 minutes to go until doors opened. I spotted a Beading store across the street, Soo Ling Beads & Beading Co. so we hopped over to check it out. It was a lot smaller inside than I had pictured. If I was a handy crafter it might be a place I'd consider getting my beads & beading accessories. Maybe if I decide to try hemp bracelets again I could pick up a few add-ons. At any rate. We still had 10 minutes left after that so we just poked our heads in and asked if we could sit down. The nice bar tender gave us the nod. We picked a table at the back and both ordered a pint of Maclean's Pale Ale. At first sip I liked the beer, but found there to be an acrid aftertaste. That dissipated and it was fairly enjoyable. I think Sim gave it the thumbs up. The place was Sim's recommendation, and I'm glad we stuck around for it because it was super cute. Perhaps a bit dark, but not too dark for a few more games of BG! At about 6:30 we called our first neighbourhood adventure to an end. Sim headed back East and I waited for the 63 to come. There was actually a bus there when I first crossed but it was out of service. The next to come as an S loop which turned back South at Bloor. The next regular bus was PACKED. Some people with passes hopped on at the back, but there was no more room at the front. I think I was the only person, perhaps with one other, that didn't make it on. And that just meant all the more room for me on the half empty bus that arrived 2 minutes later. Boom.

I'm not sure what's neighbourhood is next. Somewhere that we won't regret missing out on the summer time experience. And perhaps for next time I'll prebandage my heels so I don't have to whine about blisters. I miss sandal weather already. The end!

Backity Back Back

I didn't intend for my hiatus to be quite so long. I actually didn't intend on a hiatus at all, it just sort of happened. I just deleted a few drafts I had written up but failed to post. But this one is definitely going to happen.

The depression of being unemployed has been wearing on my spirit for quite some time now. The drain on my bank account is sometimes unbearable. I quibble over spending $2 here, and $3 there. I've never been a big spender but this is almost unbearable. Soon I will have to give up and move home. I dread the day I need to make that decision. I'm also not doing so well on moving forward with my correspondence course, but that's an entirely different issue.

One thing that has definitely brought me back is my new volunteer position. I was out every day last week helping with a mail out, but now I'm down to a manageable one day a week. Although it's not bringing in any money, it has given me a bit of purpose.

This weekend I'm starting a great new project with Sim. We're going to adventure across Toronto getting to know all of the neighbourhoods a bit more intimately. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I started by tracking new places I'd been to, and this is my next step. This coming weekend will be the inaugural adventure, and up first is Ossington Village. We've jotted down a few key places to visit and the rest will roll out!

Also, I've been hitting the stationary bike 5 or 6 days a week. I'm hoping to start seeing some results soon. And next, I get a job.

Hey There Coffee Girl

I am still batting 000 for this whole "finding a job" thing. I'm getting more anxious, and I feel myself submitting to the idea of moving home. I still want to know how high my insurance is, and if it can sustain me. I've been meaning to jot a few things down here lately but I suppose encouragement from a friend is really the best motivator.

A lot has been happening in my relatively uneventful life. My car was sent to the junk yard, by my hand. Every time I thought I was making a mistake I flashed back to the handful of terror-inducing episodes on the hwy where I thought I was going to not live. I got $150 from the whole deal, which is a lot more than what I got from the Voyager. I've noticed a pattern with the cars I own and how long they last. It started in 2000 when I got a 1992. I drove that for almost 6 years, and then got a 1998. I drove that one for 6 years and then got a 2004. So I'm always 8 years behind the times, and they last for 6 years.

Also in the news I cut my hair. Lobbed off a good 10 inches. I have a pony tail somewhere around the house that I need to mail out to a place that makes wigs for cancer patients. Hopefully there is enough good hair that they can make something.

I almost had a fit last night when I arrived home and the downstair's neighbour's car was so close to the half mark that I could barely fit my car in. I had to back it up far enough passed the other car so I could hop into the back seat and exit that way. This is all after I knocked on their door and they rudely ignored me. So all bets are off. No more walking around on tippy toes, it's time to walk with my heels again. No more creeping up the stairs (unless it's late, I don't want to be that rude). Result: the landlord is finally going to clear away the dirt pile that has been obstructing the second parking spot for well over a year. And lastly, neighbours are on my bad side until they choose to redeem themselves. I told them when they moved in that the dirt pile made it tough to park two cars, but instead of DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, they made their problem my problem. Not a good time to do that to me.

I've been keeping up with my resolutions, moderately well. I'm hoping to notice an improvement across all fronts. While doing some studying today I tried to short-hand Stock Exchange and ended up with SExchange. So much for time savers.

Also, I think my calculator is on crack:


I'm currently cooking a Butternut squash. Since when? Also yesterday I marinated my cheap steaks in soy sauce and brown sugar with diced onions. Not too shabby. Am I...growing up? Now all I need is a JOB.

Be It Resolved

I am at a bit of a crossroads in my life. Being unemployed has really affected me in a way I did not expect. I'm also having issues with my car that are really upseting me. My dad is pressuring me to get a new car, but that will mean I need to get collision on my insurance, and rates will obviously go up. I'm not ready for that. I've also always driven a beater so it will be a difficult adjustment.

I'm going to see my aunt tomorrow. She has moved to the rehab wing of her hospital and they are going to push her until she has physically recovered from her injury. If she does well she'll be able to go back to her current retirement home and carry on with her life as usual. I hope she can recover because that is the life I want for her. She's a smart cookie, and needs the intellectual stimulation.

I'd like to start setting some new goals for myself. I have so much free time (obviously), but I'm not being productive enough. I'd like to see myself:
1) Work out for at least 15 minutes every day. Even if it's just going for a walk around my neighbourhood.
2) Complete at least 10 pages from my correspondence course.
3) Read at least 30 pages from any leisure book.
4) Apply to at least 3 jobs a day.
5) Clean at least one area of my house, or complete one cleaning task.

If I don't get my act in gear I'm going to lose my apartment and my independent lifestyle. Moving back home would be crushing but I'm running out of choices. This is actually the longest I have ever stayed in one place. Just two years, but it has grown on me, a lot.

Oh no I didn't

Nikki: I'm going to go fishing for a little bit.
Julie: Are you going to use Master Bait? No wait...what's it called?
Nikki: Power Bait...it's called Power Bait.
Julie: Ummm, right, that stuff.

Get Your Stinking Paws Off Of Me

I went to the movies yesterday with Adam to see the new Planet of the Apes movie. I'm so out of touch, I hadn't even heard of it. I quite liked it. I don't think I've seen the Wahlberg version, but either way this one was good. I said to Adam it was probably even better since it was free. Before I left my last job I got a little thank you card for a really long project being wrapped up and with the card came a movies for 2 + drinks + popcorn coupon. That's pretty decent, because all in that would be $40-$50 and we got it for free.

I've been applying to jobs like mad but not hearing anything back. I need to change something because how this is right now isn't working out for me, not one bit.

I'm going up north with Nik this weekend. I might stop into the hospital to visit my Great Aunt. She's been having some health problems, and then on top of that she took a fall and busted her hip and wrist. Then it's a nice long weekend at the cottage. Hopefully the weather holds up for some nice outdoor enjoyment. I want to finish up the Atwood book I'm into now, and then I also picked up Anthem by Ayn Rand. I think it's supposed to be a prequel to Atlas Shrugged. It's a quick 100 page read, compared to the brutal 1050 page read that was Atlas Shrugged. Maybe next January I'll do the same thing and pick a really long book that would otherwise be slightly too intimidating.

I've been keeping busy. Coffee at Cherry Beach, drinks at Jaks, dinner at Futures. I'm trying my best to keep money outtake to a minimum, but it's tough. Once summer is up, I think I might go into hertmitude until I have an income again. Wahn. I'm also going to focus on the best possible way to go on the cheap for food. I'll just have rice every day. 3 times a day. Yum.

TV is officially gone. I watched tv earlier this week for the first time in months. I can't be too upset about the switch to HD. I could imagine I still have free-to-air and there would be no difference. I am upset that my tv which says "HDTV" on it doesn't have a tuner. But again, I'm not too bothered.

Anyways, toodles.

Fill In This Blank: F--- --U

http://www.torontotaxpayer.ca/Contests/Fill-In-The-Blanks

Tell The Toronto Tax Payers Coalition why you support Tax Cuts, and win a chance to have lunch with Doug Ford of Sun Media journalist Sue-Ann Levy.

My Submission
The only reason I would want to win would be to embarrass Councillor Ford by not showing up.

With a 774 million dollar shortfall for next year's budget how could tax cuts even be up for consideration. Maybe before you start down this road you guys should all get together and count out how many libraries you will need to close to support any more cuts.

I left a good job in Calgary and came back to Toronto because I love this city. And now I am considering leaving again because you are tearing out its heart and soul. Tax cuts might as well translate directly into services cuts, because that is what is going to happen.

Doug Ford makes me sick. Sun Media makes me sick. And this is a gross attempt to measure up to the free lunch with Margaret Atwood or Michael Ondaatje. Guess what, the library's lunch offer is way better.

Ten Bucks And A Headstart

I just got back earlier this week from a trip up north. Dom and I started with a long weekend at the cottage, and then headed north from there. Destination: Kenora, ON. I have a friend from Calgary that lives there, and another gf from Calgary was having a small family reunion so I took the opportunity to turn it into a reunion of our own.

Monday we headed towards Wawa, stopping only at the Big Nickel in Sudbury (and for gas and food). We actually brought a small cooler of food to start and save on money. But after the first day our use of pre-bought food dropped. I had a sandwich on day two, but it was pretty nasty. By day three the whole cooler and all of its contents smelled of rotting sandwich meat. We defaulted back to crackers and licorice for on-the-road sustinance. The second night we stayed in Ignace which was no big todo. They had not much to do, and a place with overpriced burgers. Who charges $6 for a burger, and then $4 for fries and coleslaw, and then another $2 for a soda. A place that should be considered a big old boony rip-off is who.

Wednesday morning we headed towards the Manitoba border. I mistakenly thought the border entrance had a big old Manitoba province cut-out, but that was at the MB-SK border. We stopped at the two tourist centres. I asked the Ontario guides if there were any cool falls along the way. They pointed out Kakabeka Falls, but we had already caught a glimpse from the hwy on the way through. They said no, but the answer should have been "I don't know." I found out a day or so ago there was a falls right next to a town we stopped to eat in. http://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/aguasabon.shtml Nothing earth shattering, but I would have liked to have seen it. Oh well. Don't know if I'll be up there again any time soon, or ever again.

Kenora was a blast. I went out for dinner with Jenn on Wednesdsay, and then the three girls got together on Thursday night, and Dom came with. We stopped at DQ and then hung out in Jenn's basement for a while. She's staying with a friend in a really nice house. She also gave us a quick driving tour of Kenora, including the "Bermuda Triangle" which turned out to be a small patch of grass maybe 10-12 feet on each side of the triangle. A supposedly very troubled patch of grass.

On the drive back Dom and I stopped again in Wawa and on the way down made a few stops at some pretty lake side parks. Old Woman Bay, and Katherin's Cove were the two stops we made. I had taken notice of Katherine's Cove on the way up and noted the name for a Southern stop. The rock beaches were just gorgeous, and we happened across this neat inukshuk. There were actually two, but this one was just perfectly proportionate, and stunning (in my opinion). Then it was back into the car just in time to miss the start of the rain. And it rained almost all the way back to the cottage. It felt good to do almost nothing on Sunday. I even took a mid-afternoon nap while Dom prepared a delicious pasta sauce from scratch for us.

And that was that. Back to life. And really, it's time to get a job.

Turn And Face The Strange

Where does the time go? First it was week one of unemployment, and then week 2, and then I stopped counting and here we are. I just got back last Friday from a great 5 day Muskoka experience. Adam had 5 friends come up from NY (1 American & 4 Germans) to stay at a cottage on Mary Lake. In the end there were 10 people staying there. We had to keep going into town because we needed at least two 2-4s of beer each day. And of course top ups of liquor for shots in drinking Jenga. We even turned the innocent game of Uno into a drinking game. Good times. And I've connected with some old friends and made some new ones!

I forgot to mention last time that I hit up the Eric Bachmann show with Sim & Spence and two of their friends. It was back at the beginning of July at the Horseshoe. We got there nice and early and got a great front row seat. The crowd was a bit smaller than I anticipated. I thought it would be jam packed sold out, because EB is absolutely phenomenal.

I'm leaving tomorrow for another small journey. Dom and I are going up north to the cottage, and then taking a roadtrip up to Kenora. It's going to be a heck of a drive but it's doable. If we push for Marathon like my last trip maybe we can make a go of it. I think this would be a prime chance to use my new GPS!

Also, I took a snap of an old photo. I thought for a while about which social media medium to use and blogger won.

I've also been working on cleaning up around here. I feel like I've accomplished a lot but when I turn around it's still overwhelming. I sent my great aunt a picture of my place today, but from several months ago. I was inspired by the clear surfaces from that image to get my act in gear. Maybe when I'm done, and back from tripping around, I'll have a little party? That's always a better idea than turns out in practice.

Hello!

It has been a long while. I've been a bad blogger, if I can even call myself that. A lot has changed since my posting. I'm now unemployed. I'm into week two. I have good days, full of productivity, and then I have slack days filled with back to back episodes of shows I have already watched in full. I'm hoping I can take the last few hours of today and turn it into a good day.

I made some chili yesterday, and I think I'll be eating chili for the next week, and that's with having put two ziploc containers full in the freezer. The reason it's ok is because each meal will probably come in at about $2-$3 a plate. It actually felt good to do some bulk cooking, though I was sweating up a storm. It's just batshit crazy hot in here sometimes. I can't even wash the dishes without breaking a sweat, let alone cook a meal. The only time it becomes slightly bearable is when a breeze comes through the front window, and I feel slightly alive again.

I've made a little something of my "time off". Last Thursday I went to the zoo with Jackie and Kyle, which was fan-tas-tic! It was great exercise, and the animals are all so cute. And it was nice to see the elephants before they're shipped away for good. I've been out to see two movies: The Hangover 2, Horrible Bosses. Both were pretty good. I have a coupon I've been trying to use up, and I think Adam and I are going to see Midnight in Paris some night soon. From the sounds of it, and Adam's review from seeing it once already, it is like an adaptation of A Moveable Feast, but told from a different POV. I went for a swim at my parent's house - and I might make a bit more of a habit doing that, because it's such an amazing feeling when it's so hot out.

I've had two major road raging incidents lately. First time I was driving up Church, and I stopped to let someone parallel park. They were taking a bit longer than normal, but lately I've been thinking about how terrible it is to park in traffic, so if I can stop while someone swings in and give them 10 seconds of not worrying about hitting a passer-by I'll do it. This a-hole Canada Post truck behind me starts honking as the parking car is readjusting into my lane. What am I supposed to do?? Drive into the on-coming traffic lane? I could have but I didn't want to so, STFU. When the car finally pulled in I went, and gave the CP drive a queen wave out the window. He sped up and as soon as possible slammed passed me in the right lane yelling out of his open door, as I proudly gave him the finger. He then sped back into my lane, and took a left turn just north of Wellesely almost taking out some crossing pedestrians. When he did that I knew he had some major anger issues. I know I have issues of my own, but waving a finger and almost taking out pedestrians are fairly far spread on the road rage anger spectrum, in my opinion at least. Then yesterday I was dropping Adam off, and as I waited to make my left turn traffic behind me was forced to pile up. Not really my problem. I'm not going to take a left that I feel is unsafe just because someone behind me is inconvenienced for an extra 10 seconds. Finally traffic southbound ended and just as the last car was about to pass me, the cabbie behind me honked. I hadn't even had a chance to turn my wheels and he was bloody honking at me. I went right away, but I also screamed out my window "I'M FUCKING GOING." Hopefully his window was down as well. It's just getting worse and worse to drive these days. While I was still working I was taking the QEW home one night, and the speed of traffic was 90km along the Kipling collectors stretch. This crazy woman comes up behind me and then starts throwing her arms up in the air in frustration. So I threw my arms up in the air in return. And then she signals out "1-0-0" to which I responded with a finger of choosing displayed proudly into the rear view. When the passing lane opened up she finally zipped past me as collectors merged back in with express, and then we all slowed down to 50km. So big clap for the daft cow that rode my ass for no reason, and then saved herself 2 seconds by zooming into a back log of traffic. These people make me want to never drive again. But I'm too lazy for that.

Anyways. Happy thoughts right? I should try to get at least one good thing done today. Peeeeace.

SUN TV - ha!

This is how credible SUN TV is:



A "journalist" taking a moment out to pitch their favourite arthritis medicine. It's like a really bad CNN. And that's a pretty low bar already.

Tip

Here's a hot tip for you - make sure none of your passwords are too embarassing, in case you ever need a friend to log on to an account to check messages for you.

Pun fully intended.

Ugh.

She Touched My Chin

Something extremely disturbing happened at work the other day. It should be no surprise based on my subject line. A woman at work touched my chin in an overly creepy fashion, and I felt extremely violated. From the beginning - my job at work was internally and externally posted after I told my manager I didn't want to continue with them after my contract ended. This woman who's working a temp position came up to me and asked if I would go over the job posting with her. I was more than happy to do that, and I thought it was really commendable of her to seek out extra help because she really wanted the job. We sat down once and she was completely unprepared. I kept asking her what her questions were and she had nothing. We had to get back to work so we said we'd sit down again. She asked me to make notes on the job posting, and I said, when we sit down tell me what your questions are and we can review them. A few weeks ago she sees me in the kitchen and says she's ready to sit down again. Then she asks if I will look at her resume and tell her what applies to this job. I said, "No I won't do that." She said, "I don't mind." And I replied with, "I do not want to do that." I'm not her bloody job counsellor. If she wants career guidance she can pay someone for that. Later that day we sit down she says, "I left my questions at home," which I knew was a total crock, she just didn't want to prepare. We went through all of the requirements for the job piece by piece and felt like it was a really good sit down. At the end she quiety says, "I also brought my resume..." to which I replied, "No, I'm not looking at it" and I practically walked out at that point. I'm doing you a favour, take a hint already. Come the following Monday, I'm sitting at my desk minding my own business and she comes by and leans in and touches my chin and says, "I'm going to take you out for a coffee." That's right, she touched my chin. The first time I sat down with this woman was the first time I had met her. I had to ask her what her name was. And now she thinks we're close enough for her to touch me? I don't think so. Everything about that meeting just screamed to me not right for the job. If she gets the job they'll be in for a treat I'm sure.

I had a great Victoria day weekend up north. Nik and I headed up after work on Friday. We stopped south of Argyle for some dinner & breakfast food. On Saturday we picked up the rest and settled in for a nice relaxing 3 day weekend. We watched some movies, and I sat down by the lake while Nikki fished. Finally after the rain on Sunday she finally started catching some. We had delicious breakfast sandwiches in the morning and marinated steak in the evening. We both took turns cooking and cleaning so effortlessly that it felt like such a fair split of responsibilities. That's usually not the case for weekend getaways, so it was nice.

I felt like I was coming down with something yesterday. Today I'm not sure if it's sickness or allergies. Or maybe if I'm lucky both. I totally bailed on Doors Open yesterday, and I bailed on going on last night, and I'm bailing on Doors Open again today. I've had a pretty stressful week, so whatever. All I know is that I must do a grocery shopping today. I have been out of food all week and eating the most bizarre things to sustain myself.

Maybe We Could Make This Work

I just got back from a Mother's Day brunch at the Yacht Club. It was actually nice lunch. We had a political discussion that didn't end in cursing and hair pulling. I didn't do anything at all yesterday so I'm hoping to getting a few things in order tonight. I have a huge load of clean clothes that need floating. There's a bit of a build up of dishes that needs tackling, and I'm hoping to do a bit more reading. I sat up front for about 20 minutes but late afternoon is a tough one with the sun. But damn it's gorgeous out right now. I bet it's great up north too (S&S). I can't wait to go up north myself for the 2-4.

A few weekends ago I met up with Simona and Spencer and Mike at the Charlotte Room for a little party. I finally got to meet some really cool coworkers of Simona's. Plus I've never been to the C-Room before, it's very chill. I of course, had to start the evening on a great note by locking myself out of my place. So instead of going to his party Spence drove up my spare set of keys. Then I just took a ride down with him and transitted back. When he handed me my keys I told him it was his birthday present, and he was welcome.

I also fit a visit in with Nikki in Guelph. I can't remember what we made for dinner, I think it was butter chicken. There's a few things that we usually cycle between and butter chicken is one of them. Nikki also makes a mean pad thai and sheppard's pie. We also tried enchilladas a while ago - they were SO good. Sour cream chicken enchilladas. We subbed out green chilis for green peppers to keep the spice level down but it worked.

I've been meaning to update more regularly. Every time I see something funny or something funny happens I think I'll write about it but then apathy sets in and I don't. I saw a great senior walking along bloor at 11:00pm one night wearing a balloon hat and holding a balloon animal. I finally beat the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on my phone, TWICE. I almost got t-boned but some asshole on Oakwood. I went to see Peter Bjorn and John at Lee's Palace on Friday. This one-woman-band Bachelorette opened for us. I either loved her songs, or thought they dragged on and didn't make sense. But there were a few that I thought were really great. PB&J was really great. Though for a show with doors at 9pm and one opener seems a bit shit for the show to go until 1am. I think that's just so Lee's can make some beer money. We got there nice and early and grabbed the three stools behind the sound/lighting guys. Perfect seats, great set, great night!

I guess that's all. Summer is upon us - woo!

There's A Bathroom On The Right

It's been an interesting few days. I feel like I'm coming back to a good place. Now I want to spend time with my friends and I don't always want to spend time alone. Last weekend our family and my aunt went to Newmarket to visit our Great Aunt for a special dinner at her retirement home. The next day was the funeral for my Great Great Aunt. It was at St. George-On-The-Hill right by Dundas and Royal York. I often took notice of that church the times I would drive down Dundas, thinking I had never been there before. Turns out my GGA had her 80th birthday party there, but I would only have been about 11 so I don't blame myself for forgetting that one.

I also ended up in Oakville last Saturday. I met Jak at her job and then we went to the Arms. It had been forever since I had seen her last. Hopefully that won't happen again this summer. She told me the best misheard lyric ever. Her friend's girlfriend thought "There's a bad moon on the rise" is "There's a bathroom on the right." It came up because the entertainment was playing some CCR. It oddly did sound like bathroom on the right, of course that would make very little lyrical sense.

I went out to dinner with my family in Roncies last night. I say Roncies because I'm terrified of spelling the neighbourhood in full. I think I'd like living in Roncies, once they get their construction issues worked out of course. We went to the restaurant Gate 403 and had dinner with some live jazz. I'm not a big fan of PWYC jars being passed around. It makes me want to choose a place without live music just to avoid it. It's like choosing between two restaurants and one has one of those annoying washroom attendants. I'll wash my own hands thank you, and I'll tip the band if I feel like it. Driving home from dinner I passed this small church that had so many people attending that a line up of people was spilling onto the roads, and a cop had to direct traffic through the one available lane. He did a terrible job by the way. He told me to come forward and then walked away and someone turned right into the lane I was in and almost hit me. If you're going to direct traffic don't stop half way. My brother just attended a funeral for a work friend's family member and he said the church was filled to the brim. Standing room only, with a large group of people in a separate room with a sound feed, and still people on the streets. So when I passed my own overflowing church I immediately thought, "Who died?" Of course about a minute later it hit me, "That's right, Jesus died."

I just got home from lunch with my dad's family. Some nitwit teenager side swiped my dad's car. We took his information and went to the police station after lunch to find out what the procedure is for reporting etc. If it hasn't happened to you before it's all very new. And hopefully it doesn't happen to someone too many times in their life. Honestly this kid wanted to get out of a stalled left lane and he swung into our lane as we were passing. My dad swerved out of the way but he just kept going and scraped across three side panels. Of course now that we didn't call the cops to the scene my dad might be f-ed for insurance, I'm not sure. Neither of us had been in an accident before.

Tonight is the Sim/Spence/Mike dig and then Sunday I finally get to rest for the day. For now I think I might just take a nap, because I can.

Memo Most Foul

I think I've gotten to a place where I've stopped caring about the obnoxious work environment I have chosen to participate in. I had a discussion with this girl today and she said a few of things that are true. A lot of people live close to the office, and we get a paycheque every two weeks. And those are two big things for everyone. Except for me, I don't live close, and I have to put in way more time to get less pay than everyone else. Sooo...yeah. Today the women in our office walked into the bathroom to find an updated "Bathroom Hygeine" memo. Most of the information was the same from the previous memo, but this time they added something to the effect of: "Don't forget to clean up any blood or fecal matter from the seat." So next time I have a client in the office and they need to use the washroom they are going to get a nice laminated reminder that the women in our office shit on the seat and don't clean it up. I actually heard the incident that prompted this was much worse, but regardless the memo should be distributed and not posted.

There's been a lot of buzz around Toronto about Ford cleaning up the graffiti. The Torontoist posted the best randomly spotted photo on their blog. I would buy that if it was a poster. I would also buy this: this. I think he's a fool for focusing on such a moot point. He's clearly waging a war that he's destined to lose. He doesn't recognize the artistic merit in 50% of the graffiti out there. And also, Toronto is never going to be small town clean, get over it.

Two days in a row, woof, I'm tired.

Exqueeze Me, Baking Soda

I've decided that to spite my company for lying on their test results (unconfirmed) I'm going to spend the last 15 minutes of my paid work day to write a blog entry. I worked from home today because I woke up at 5 this morning with a broken poop shute. Yeah, I went there. I decided it wasn't worth the discomfort and public humiliation of going into work so I logged in from home. I do have to go into work tomorrow for two major events so I'm hoping I'm fully recovered by then.

I suppose it's been a while since my last confession. I spent a lot of time at home this past month. And yet, I've accomplished very little. I'm sure my history on netflix would show hours spent watching really stupid shows, that I would insult while watching yet always hit the "Next Episode" button.

My Great Great Aunt passed today. She was 97 and a real trooper. She had this great family bday party last summer. Everyone was there, even one of my cousins that was constantly abroad. She sat down at a table surrounded by presents with a piece of cake in front of her. Her eyes had this strange glossiness to them and I couldn't believe that just a few months prior to that she had her car taken away. It reminds me of when my nana had her license taken away. The driving instructor said she didn't check her mirrors enough to which she replied, "What's the point, I can't even see out of this eye anyways." Classic nana.

My neighbours downstairs are moving out. I can't say I'll miss the wafting of pot smoke, and slamming of doors at all hours. I probably have my own annoying habits, like I drop stuff on the floor a lot, but it's not on purpose. And I walk around practically on tippy toes just so I don't annoy them. Maybe the new people will be friendly. Who knows, I don't really care either way. As long as the new people aren't worse.

I went down to Cherry Beach with Sim and Spence finally. We walked out to the end of the leash free and took a seat while Jas and Banders played with all the other puppies. I think the white poodle was a favourite for, for both of them. This one dog was hilarious as he carried a large rock around in his mouth. A rock that would be about twice the size of an average clenched hand. The owner took the rock away from the dog, and walked down towards the lake. The dog followed with eager anticipation. The rock was lobbed and as it hit the water the dog ran full speed to fetch it. I had almost forgotten about the whole thing when low and behold the dog reappeared on the path with a giant rock on its mouth. I couldn't tell for certain if it was the same one or slightly larger. Across the street in the West lot, they have a movie set for Silent Hill set up. Sim linked me to some BlogTO shots that were super creepy. We were joking about 5am being the only time the set would be open. You don't always get a chance to be on a movie set like this - maybe we should do it.

I also went out for some Real Jamaican food yesterday. I've only been surrounded by Roti for the past 20 months, it's about time. I had the Curry Goat, it was de-lish.

So what's next. I haven't read anything since Atlas Shrugged and I'm feeling lazy about that. The nice weather is nearly upon us, that's good. And, that's about it. Ciao for now.