Book Review: Mister Pip

I've been posting the books I've read on the side bar for a while now, but I thought perhaps it was time I try my hand at a review or two. I just finished reading Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. I've noticed lately it takes me a few chapters to get invested in a book, and this novel was no different. Eventually something clicked and it was like I wanted to know more and couldn't help but to pick it up and dig through 50 or 100 pages a sitting.

Young Matilda is growing up an a small war torn island in the South Pacific. Everything seems to be collapsing around her but she finds something to hold on to when "the only white man left on the island" steps in as the teacher and introduces the class to Great Expectations. Perhaps it was because I read Great Expectations in high school, I caught most of the references. And I'm not going to lie, having watched the Ethan Hawke version of the movie helped some too.

It was nice for a change to read a novel with a single narrative. It seems like a lot of writers require telling the story from multiple points of view, which can be alright but also can grow tiresome. It shows commitment to have a single voice, because when you pick that voice it has to be the right one to draw readers in. As I mentioned I wasn't sold off the bat, but I can be like that. TV shows I now consider favourites got a resounding "meh" after the first show or two.

The book took some interesting twists. There was some gruesome behaviour which I could have done without. And also the last 20 pages should have been summarized into one page and been done with.

In looking up the publisher's link for this book I noticed it's been made into a movie, which should be coming out this year. If Hugh Laurie wasn't starring in it I may not have considered watching it, as I'm not sure what a movie could bring to the table that the novel didn't already provide. And there are some scenes I would rather not have a visual for. I'm sure they would be discreet, but still.

Perhaps this has been a lackluster review, but the process needs to start somewhere.

I Am a Rocket Ship, I'm Out of Control

I've been kind of quiet with posting lately. Not much new is going on. I have a phone interview on Wednesday, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. If it's the one then I can stay in my apt. Otherwise I need to get over it already and give my notice. I'm just not ready yet. I know I'm somewhat of a broken record on the matter, but I just can't get over it.

I got back from a nice solo trip up North. I do get nervous sleeping alone there by myself. I guess it all depends on the situation. I can hear noises outside my window here and not sure if someone is in our "backyard". I use that term extremely loosely. But I got over it. I sat on the deck and took in the breeze, feed the chipmunks, and took the occasional dip in the lake. The water was magnificent. I ate mostly food that was already there, which was nice. I also vegged out on some tv. I should get a new antenna for my tv here. It's such a waste for it to sit in my living room unused. I also use the word living room loosely. Because really, how could you define this space? On Sunday when I had to make a meal, clean all of my dishes and then sweep and vacuum I was missing having a second pair of hands there. But being able to just melt into the deck chairs and not worry about what anyone else thought was pretty brilliant. Lemonade on a hot day is pretty brilliant too.

I wasted almost all of my phone battery taking videos and little photos of the chipmunks. And I liked one of the videos enough that I uploaded my first youtube video ever:

I wanted to name the chipmunks but I only got around to one of them. I called him scarface because he had scarring from a gash on his head, about 1cm long, which was most of his head. Nikki and I had named the stubby tailed chipmunk Quoi de Neuf from that time we were there and the only channel available on tv was an ad for a French quiz show called Quoi de Neuf. What of nine?

I just finished rereading Alias Grace. I heard it was being adapted into a movie and I wanted a refresher. And I just read that Sarah Polley is directing. I am very much looking forward to this. Since the time Jackie pointed it out in a bookstore and I read through it like butter I have been in love with this novel. I even tried to get my mom to pitch it to her book club. They said no, but she's going to read it anyways and try again for next year if she likes it well enough.

Anyhow. That's it for now.

Not Going To Stop

I'm at my parents' house right now. I am for the first time in a VERY LONG time, gainfully employed. I should hold onto this feeling because it will be over on Friday. A week of work is a week of work, so I can't complain. It's something to put on my resume to interrupt this seemingly endless gap. Just in time it seems, as my EI claim has just ended. I guess it's officially do or die time. Unless I want to make this cold lonely basement room my new home. Since I was running out of daytime minutes I thought I would come home so I could take advantage of unlimited minutes (and I'm not complaining about the AC).

What else. I just had 3 cavities filled. Luckily I have a dental insurance program. 100% coverage. It's called "My parents are paying for it." I struggle to accept handouts (except from the gov't), but for dental health I'll take it. Otherwise I wouldn't go twice a year, and I'd have found myself in even more of a mess. Also my dentist gave me a hardcore good deal for his time. And I passed all of the savings onto my insurance providers.

I almost took a walking tour down Oakwood Rd on Saturday for an outdoor arts festival, but the rain kept me inside. I was also going to trip up North this weekend with a few extra days tagged onto the end, but this gig kept me in town. I'm going to try to get away next week for a few days during the week. The one and only thing I detest about tripping up there alone is being alone at night. I know I have neighbours on each side that are always around, but I'm so paranoid. It doesn't help I have been overindulging in crime shows on Youtube for the past few months. One time last year when I was alone up there I was kept up by what I'm going to call hooligans. ATVing off the hwy close to our road. Every rev made my heart flutter, like a gang of 20-somethings were going to know I was alone and come attack. Truth: I left the tv on low all night to keep me company. Moving on.

It's been a while, so I thought I would update. Not too much new going on. Life is still slowly crumbling. The new same old.

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.