Neighbourhood #7: The Annex

I've been wanting to get back out on the streets (so I can walk them, literally....literally) so I can get a few more neighbourhoods under my belt before the bliss of living in Toronto ends.  After that I will be a tourist and not a local doing ironic touring.  The Annex has been a home base for several years.  All through out university it was a go-to place, and even after graduation I've always found myself drawn back to that neighbourhood.  This weekend I had a hankering for some brunch.  I put some feelers out and Adam was free before his work day started to we hit up Futures.  I get the eggs benny 90% of the time, and this time was no different.  Adam got the 3 eggs & sausage, it was a massive meal.  And we got some sort of early bird pricing as well.  There were only like 8 other people at the place, which is a really weird feeling for Futures.

After Adam had to leave I took a walk to BMV to buy some books I don't need.  I actually picked up a replacement book for one I lent out to my mother and did not get back.  I've been meaning to give it a re-read so I picked it up.  I really need to cut that business out until I've read everything on my shelf.  And even then I need to use the library more, much more.  I strolled back along Bloor St thinking about all the different time I've spent on that street.  Sushi & drinks with Debz, countless birthdays and drinking nights at the Green Room, my 23rd birthday at the James Joyce, an infinite number of trips to Futures and BMV, scrabble at Kilgours, drinks at the Pauper, Honest Eds, Jackie stealing the napkin dispenser from the Victory Cafe.  Seekers & Sonic Boom (although I haven't been in the new location yet).  Growing up on music from Lees Palace.  Sushi on Bloor.  The Trove around the corner.  Shopping for Christmas art supplies with Sarah at Midoco, and tea from Davids Tea.  This is a neighbourhood in Toronto that I truly love, and will always hold a special place in my heart.

I thought about sitting down and reading a book, but I've been to the Second Cup there countless times and Aroma a small handful.  There wasn't much left for me to explore.  I came home and unplugged for a while and did some reading here.  Knowing a place like that is 5 minutes away brings me some level of comfort and joy and I'm going to sever that when I move.  But back to happy thoughts.  I took some photos with my phone as I wandered around.  Nothing much special but here it goes:

The laneway behind Futures.  It's dirty but I love it.

 The best and only "secret" bar I know of in Toronto.

 

Waiting for Adam at Futures.  Mmmm, cakes.

The best best best second hand bookstore in Toronto, or possibly anywhere ever.

From The Planet Smashers to Electric Six to Peter Bjorn and Paul, I've seen it all here.  Though I've yet to sample their store front burrito.

Next time I'll get off my lazy butt and actually get out and properly explore a new place.  Happy Bunny Long Weekend.

It's a Blog-off

Now that I've have been alerted that I'm in direct blog competition with Jackie, this business is o-n.

Actually, it's not, but I do have a few other things I wanted to say.  March is sadly drawing to a close.  A month that has been hands down the best month of my life, including the last week of Feb ;)  I had a great dirty thirty.  I bought a condo (in Mississauga, but still lol).  I have a financial savings plan for the first time in my life.  My boss gave me her 3mos old blackberry (and even though she's not happy with her new one her threats to degift have all been insincere).  I've been out of my hovel a few extra times and consumed some delicious bevvies.  I finally got to give my landlord a piece of my mind about the stupid first floor.  And although he didn't respond to my complaints he said I've been a great tenant and he'd give me a recommendation if need be.  Just all together wtf awesome March.  Or as I might say to Adam, TBWTFAMI.

Also, Jackie, who I think I might be in love with, sent me the most amazing gift I have ever received.  It parallels and exceeds the awesomeness of my last most favouritest t-shirt.

Thank you thank you thank you lol.  All I can really say is, "I saw a squirrel, it went this *insert squirrel imitation*"  And in follow up to this brilliant t-shirt news, my second favourite ever t-shirt which I lost somewhere in life has just come up for sale again on its website of origin.  Soon it will be mine.  And that's all I've got to say about that, for now.

I did something really stupid the other day but luckily recovered from it.  I couldn't find my keys last night. I looked EVERYWHERE, which isn't too hard since the bedroom was excluded.  I finally decided to assemble a back-up set so I wouldn't have to scramble in the morning.  That includes my spare car keys that I keep on my bookshelf, and the keys in my shoe outside my door.  I open my door and low and behold my key-shoe isn't there.  And then it hits me, I just threw out my old runners and sandals, and with them my spare house keys.  Luckily the garbage bag was still in the bin out front, but how weeeeird that I would randomly give up on my key search, decide to assemble a back-up all within a week of tossing my keys in the trash.  Like I said, life is good.

Also, I woke up last night sleep width wise at the end of my bed.  That's never happened to me before.  Sure I shift and kick and feel sorry for anyone that has to share a bed or listen to my night crying (so I've been told).  But a perpendicular move is even new for me.

You know what's great about renting and then buying?  After I pay for my April rent I'm going to have 9 weeks of earning money with no major expenditures.  I'm already trying to calculate how much I can put directly onto the mortgage right away while still keeping some bones in the bank for rainy day shiz.

I've been watching Little Britain on netflix.  Even though I have it on dvd it's just so much easier to click click next.  I've actually been meaning to tell Jackie I'm dumping her for David Walliams.  He's 10x the lady you are.  Jk.

PEACE OUT.

So Do You Golf?

So today I was essentially, what I am choosing to call, man-clubbed.  I will be the first to admit I may have been able to handle the situation better but...I still think it was rude.

Our account rep for a freight company came by today.  Our old rep was passing off to the new rep so they were both there.  I heard the front door open and Dean was on the phone so I stepped out to great them, and without introducing themselves the old rep said, "Dean" so I said ok and went back into my office.  I figured out who it was as they carried on with their shpeel about trying to get more business blah blah blah.  Meanwhile I was in and out of my office a few times to go to the warehouse.  Finally on one pass by I got stopped and it went a little something like this.

Dean:  You guys should meet Julie.
*handshakes with both reps, hello hello*
Old rep:  This is Joe Shmo he'll be taking over for me.
New rep:  Yes this account has been passed to me.
Old rep: It's a fairly easy account.  *insert some joke about us causing trouble all the time*
Me: *some sort of comment back*

Now this is where I should have said, in Vickie's absence I'll be handling the freight relationships.  But before I really had the chance the new rep turns to Dean.

New rep: So, do you golf?
Dean: Not really
New rep: Oh that's too bad.

I know I'm new at this company and very little clout but excuse fucking me.  You don't introduce yourself when I greet you and then you pretty much ignore me immediately following our introduction.  I wrote him a follow up email after he left to clarify a few points in our contract, like the fact that it said it expired March 2012 (brilliant guys, brilliant).  And I felt like finishing it with, "Looks like you asked the wrong effing person if they golfed."  Dean thinks I'm overreacting but that is probably the worst feeling I've had since I started working there.  Even worse than someone rudely giving me the hand when I asked if I could help them.  Some people's kids.

You Can Blog If You Want To

It was Nikki's 30th this weekend.  She came over around 3:30 on Saturday to hang out and pick up her special gift.  I asked my aunt to get some Criminal Minds swag and get a signed photo of the cast.  She happily obliged.  Which means I also now have my own cast photo, but I'm not quite sure what to do with it.  Last month when Nik came by for my 30th she strung together a birthday necklace out of some lotus beads I had picked up for soup but then decided against cooking.  I thought I'd try to one-up her necklace and then took it a few steps too far.  I'm actually quite proud of how it turned out, although it's too junky to ever be of any use.  It actually felt like one of those back support things people keep in their cars.

After a bit of chilling we headed over to Jack Astors for dinner.  I had the Sesame Chicken and Nikki had a wondrous burger with a gluten-free bun.  I feel blessed every single day that I can eat gluten, because damn it's yummy.  My meal was SO good.  I've recently been disappointed at meals out, but this one was super delicious.  After dinner we headed over to the Brickworks to catch a paranormal magic show of sorts.  It was entertaining but that only trick that stumped me was explained by a friend immediately following the show and I was underwhelmed by the simplicity of the tricks.

Then we headed back to my place to drop off my car and head down to Dave's.  There was another big bday party there taking up almost the entire front half but we managed to grab a few seats at the bar.  We eventually migrated to a table beside the bar.  A few people came and went, and at the end of the night a surviving designated driver gave us a lift back up to my place.  Pretty decent turn of events as I was going to get us a taxi each way.  Nik fell in love with this piece of art hanging on the wall at the bar.  It's from Labyrinth.  I seemed to be the only one that didn't pick up on where it was from.  If you're at all curious, check out this youtube, and don't mind the ad at the beginning.  Because 30,000 hits is apparently enough for this user to waste our time.  Probably made 30c on the whole deal.  Anyways.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88dyduvKyPI

And for your viewing pleasure, a phone pic of the art.  I should I have taken a pic of the painter's name but yano...being drunk and all.

Word.
Out.

Coming May 21....

o_O

And then there was that time when I was google street-viewing and thought I saw a woman jumping off the top of her car. *Pause...pause*....ooooh, it's a mural.  Moving on.

Dirty Thirthy

Today is my dirty 30.  I just got home from an art show with my mom.  I finally bought my first piece of art.  Or should I clarify and say I finally took my mom up on her offer to buy me a piece of art.  She did the same for my brother.  She morbidly describes it as a gift for us to remember her when she's not with us anymore.  o_O  I'll post details later. 

I almost got smashed as a 3rd party to a car accident.  That kind of woke me up.  Maybe next time I'll listen to my gut and not stop in a no stopping zone.

The screen on the razor just died.  So I'm back to squeezing life into the chunky motorola flip phone.  Not sure what my long term solution is going to be.  Just used it this morning with no issue.  I'm still receiving phone calls, just can't see anything.  And thus can't text.  And thus poo.  I swear I took good care of it Sim...I swears.

Nikki is on her way over to kill time before the shin dig tonight.  I'm putting off doing dishes.  I need to go do those now.  More later.  But not tonight.  Because I won't be coherent.  Or maybe I should post later tonight when I'm not coherent.

Snowed In

I finally got around to doing what I've been dreading all weekend.  Although the roads have cleared up nicely, there is still a portion of the city that still has to deal with the driveways, laneways, and street parking spots that are suffering.  It took me 3 attempts to back in this afternoon after I took it for a defrosting cruise.  I hope we can have a few above zero days so it can keep melting.  I took some before and afters.  It doesn't look so intimidating on film, but I had to shovel out around the entire car to be able to get out.  I almost got snow up to my knees.  And I can still feel the burn in my arms.  But at least it's done for tomorrow.

YUMMY - Thai Coconut Red Curry

Red Curry was a COMPLETE success.  I may have had to use more pans than I would normally want to use.  And right after this shot I poured the veg into the soupy mixture and transferred the chicken to the big fry pan for some breathing room.  And yes I was cooking at 10:24 last night.  My schedule all day was a bit off, and I don't mind a good night time cook.

The prepared meal doesn't look all that interesting, more than just a regular stir fry.  But oh boy it was gooood.  Which is good because I have 3 more servings packed up in my fridge.  Next time I will take the advice of the recipe artist and use more than 1/2 tbsp of the paste, to make it a bit spicier.

http://thai.food.com/recipe/scrumptious-thai-coconut-red-curry-214590

Booja

I've readjusted my morning alarm system.  I used to have my phone vibrate at 6, 6:15 and then ring at 6:30 in case I snoozed the first two.  I found, progressively, that I would ignore the first two alarms and roll out of bed at 6:30 and have barely enough time to get into work.  And after getting in trouble for my roll-in time I've adjusted to the first alarm at 6:10, and then I buzz at 6:20, and then again at 6:45 in case I'm a total failure.  Seems to be working better for me.  Now that only thing that can make me late is getting stuck on a one-laned Eglinton behind someone who thinks 40 is super fast.  You wouldn't want to hear me then.  It's not pretty.

I woke up at today at the first buzz of my phone, all excited to see the results of the super storm.  I was pretty disappointed.  Although the roads were covered in white, they looked drivable.  And although the hwy camera footage scared me as a driver, I had this gut feeling the rest of the office would brave it and make me look like a snow-day glut.  And yes, I'm aware that's not an adjective but it is now.  I emailed our group address saying I didn't want to risk it, and boy am I glad.  In the morning I was more worried about making it out of my driveway safely, and then back in.  The snow started to come down more seriously closer to 7am and here we are at 4:40 and it hasn't stopped yet.  When my boss told me the news reported as much as 50cm of potential snow I said I didn't know there could be that much precipitation in the air.  She said something like she wasn't an effin meteorologist she just reports what she hears.  I might have added that f-bomb because it sounds like something she would have said.

I've been slowly getting a few things done around the house.  I cooked up some bacon and had a bacon & tomato sandwich this morning.  I think maybe the bacon wasn't good anymore.  I took a calculated risk.  I haven't been sick....yet.  Tonight I'm fiiiinally going to make Red Curry Chicken.  I picked up the red curry paste ages ago, but I couldn't for the life of me find coconut milk at my grocery store.  A few weeks ago I spotted it.  Last week I looked up a recipe, and last night as the storm was setting in I finally picked up the last of the ingredients I need.  The recipe calls for bamboo shoots.  Which if I recall properly is my favourite ingredient in hot and sour soup.  Now that I'm opening a tin I might try to make both this week (if I ever get out of here).  I told Adam it was time to get my pot back so I could make some soup.  I'd use the one I have but soup usually calls for simmering with the lid on, and since I exploded that lid ages ago, I haven't done any mass simmering since.  I was hoping to get down to the Cherry Beach T&T to pick up the various required Chinese mushrooms.  And I might stop by my mom's house to pick up small amounts of things I don't want to buy the entire bottle.  Peanut oil?  When would I ever use that again....a-never.

The snow on the ledge outside my window is piling up so high, soon I'm going to be trapped.  Not literally but it feels like a bit of a prison.  If I predict correctly, and I'm usually right, my landlord won't shovel and I'll be stuck stomping through feet of snow when it's finally time to escape this house.  The only time he does shovel is when all that's left is mounds of unsalted ice, and it would have been easier to walk on 2cm of snow.  Idiot.

Speaking of, I'm going to get pre-approved for a mortgage before the end of the month.  I can't stand living here any longer, and it doesn't make much sense to pay $1400 a month for a place I can mortgage for 11 or 12.  Since I'm not much into high rises there's not much available for but pretty basements or over-priced condos. Condos that won't fit two couches in the living room.  Thanks but no thanks.  I'm not going to have much of a budget.  I'm not approved for much more than a hole in the wall, and that's if I'm in Mississauga.  I looked at the floor plan for a nice sized placed being built in my hood and it's like $450K or something ridiculous.  Pipe dream.  I've always had enough money for whatever I've wanted, but I guess that's because I've never really wanted anything.  And now I do.  And it sucks.  But I just need to keep looking and hope I find a little gem somewhere.  Until then the assholes downstairs can listen to me slam doors and walk on my heels for the first time in 3 years.  I felt evil as I admitted to my mom that I hope they come to be as miserable as I am.  It's sad but true.  I actually had a dream last night that he shouted up the stairs for me to shut up, and then I shouted back that they had to shut up first.  And he acknowledged that they were wrong.  Lol.  Dreams really do reflect your daily thoughts.  I wonder where the really messed up and obscure ones come from.  Dr. Sim?  Any thoughts?

I haven't been up to much.  I'm trying to read more.  My 3rd annual January long-read was a bust, but I'm hoping to catch up.  Build up some momentum with some smaller books and then dig into a big juicy one.  I finally stopped using my stationary bike as a clothes rack and have started using it again.  Maybe twice a week, but I'm hoping to increase that.  I knit every once in a while working on my scarf but it's not really getting anywhere significant.  I'm still on the first ball of each colour.  I need to find out how to get my hands on a 3rd ball of each colour, since last time it was the last mustard alpaca at the store.  I might try my local at some point.

I haven't been blogging much lately.  I told Sim writing in my daily quote book (which I did go out straight away in the new year and picked up), it helps takes my mind off of things and I don't feel the same need to write here anymore.  I have about 5-6 days that I haven't written anything.  Not much of a chance of me going back and remembering anything of note so I might just make something up, or try to find an interesting line online.  It's fun, but I think the most fun will be next year when you get a year-over-year comparison for each day.  And then a triple comparison the next year, and so on.

One last thing.  Dana, I came across a really cool quilting website.  This woman's designs are really fresh.  If I had any inclination or skill in sewing this might have piqued my interest.

http://canadianabroad-susan.blogspot.ca/

If I could manage to stop watching back to back to back episodes of How I Met Your Mother I might actually get some stuff done around here.

Julie out.

S-M-R-T

So I started the day with a really stupid email conversation with Sim and Spence.  Definitely worse than spelling marshmallow incorrectly during a game of Balderdash.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Julie:
I just typoed a new word.  Requestion.  Now it just needs a defition.

 

If I had taken two words that meant the same thing and combined them to mean a third word that means the same thing I could be just like Sarah Palin.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sim:

lmao great sarah palin line!

I think requestion is a word... as in... "your honour, I'd like to requestion the witness as new evidence has emerged"

eh? eh?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie:

oh yeah. maybe it is a word. I was reading it like, reh-question, as a typo from requested.

I haven't had my coffee yet. I shouldn't speak until I have my coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sim:

This is getting better and better.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Spencer:

Julie,

Despite not having had your coffee, I note the clever test of irony you put in your first message by misspelling "definition." Well-played.

:D

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie: 

You passed what was OBVIOUSLY a test.

 

I think it's about time for a early afternoon shame cry.  If you'll excuse me.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie:

AN EARLY

 

**Expletive**

~~~~~~~~~~~

Spencer:

Omg lol. I don't know if I can keep up with these tests...

Can I skip the final exam?  

~~~~~~~~~~~

Julie:

You pass, you all pass.  I'm going home.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Sim:

I nominate this to be the thread of the month.

Baby says whaaaat?

Now, to end the year with a party or a quiet night in.  I still have about an hour to decide.  HNY!

Peace out 2012

Another year is coming to an end.  It feels like my year only really began in September when I finally got a job.  It definitely changes everything.  I feel like I haven`t done anything exciting since my Autumn 2010 trip out East.  Probably mostly because there was no money.  But now there issss money.  I`ve always wanted to drive up to Cochrane and take the Polar Bear Express up to Moosonee / Moose Factory.  Maybe that'll be something to do this summer.

Christmas was good.  I drove to my parents' on the 24th and stayed over until late on the 25th.  My mom and I have a new tradition of doing the Globe and Mail super crossword.  Unfortunately since they were out of the country when it was issued their G&M was cancelled so we didn't get it.  So I went online and found their PDF version.  The squares are maybe slightly larger than 2mm each way.  I felt like I should have had a diamond magnifiers on my eye as I entered our answers.  We still haven't gotten through all of the hints yet.  I went through by myself and added all of the obvious ones. and we're slowly working our way through the rest.  I think we're still on Across, but what can you do. This is our third year working on it over Christmas, and it is actually something I look forward to each year.  It's funny that working on it with my mom somehow inspires my genius.  I can be completely stumped and have NO idea on a clue and then I'll ask her and 2 second later blurt out the answer myself.  Hamelin's rat remover (4,5)  I'm like, "Who the eff is Hamelin.  What?  What could this possibly be???  Mooom, what's Hamelin's rat remover, 4 letters and 5 letters........nm, it's Pied Piper."

I went to Georgetown with the fam to visit my cousin's family and her new baby.  Holy moly is that baby cute.  And sooo well behaved.  I'm so awkward holding babies.  I don't know how to pick them up, or set them on my knee, it's just all so foreign.  She sat with me for a while but then squirmed away.  Photo op:

PS to that thought, I gave my cousin the little baby hat, nervous out of my mind that she'd think it was  a sub-par gift (I didn't have the needles small enough to do it on the round so I had an ugly stitch crease running up the back).  It was still cute, and they loved it!

I went to Oakville last night for a birthday party.  Sorry Jackie lol.  You really set me up well to steal your friends should you ever depart Ontario.  I miss you more and most of all whenever I see them.  First I stopped off at the Queensway to see Django Unchained with Adam and a friend of his that is visiting from NY.  I don't think my mouth has ever gaped as much before during a movie.  For some people it's the in your face eye gauging that brings them out to a Tarantino movie.  For me, he can write a script like no other.  I think perhaps he's made his more recent work more accessible.  I loved Inglorious Basterds and Django was a masterpiece.  If he could just tone down the super-violence he'd rocket into my top 10.  On top of the gaping I averted my eyes several times.  Yikey.  After that I stopped by Chapters to return the first book I ever ordered online as I ordered it in FRENCH, go me.  Seems the hardcover was the only EN option, so when I opted for paperback hidden in the details page was the comment it was French.  I should have known something was wrong when the cover photo wasn't available.  I took a stroll through their paper section, because I'm a sucker for their stuff.  I was tempted by a scrabble magnet kit, but taking a feel of what was inside it was just magnet sheet squares which would be hard to arrange and rearrange.  I should get a set from Good Will or something and magnetize them, a la Michaels.  Note to self.  I saw this neat journal type book that was a calendar of thoughts for 5 years.  There were just 365 day pages, but each page was split into 5 blocks.  So you go through a year and each day you write down one comment.  Maybe a funny quote you heard, or a funny thought you had, or anything really.  I thought it was super cute, but I walked away.  And now it's all I can think about.  Yes, I could make one myself, but this is already bound and laid out nicely.  I need to get back there before or close to Jan 1.  My first entry is going to be a retrospective entry from the first moment Adam and I exchanged words after seeing Django.  After almost 3 hrs of seeing bodies exploding with bullet wounds, and listening to a hard (but brilliant) script that threw the realities of slavery in your face with atrocious acts of torture, he looked at me and said, "Tarantino got fat."  Priceless.

Houndstooth Update

I'm less than 5% into this scarf. It is definitely going to take me a while.  Thought I would post a progress shot.  Which also means, I found my charger!!!  The colour of blue in this photo is all wrong but the lighting by my desk is medieval so I'm not surprised.  It's actually a really rich dark turqouise.

I'm so tired.  I've had back to back nights of dinners out which turned into night owl events.  I'm just about off to bed right now but wanted to throw this up here first.  I've got volunteering tomorrow, shopping on Saturday, chauffeuring my parents on Sunday (and taking a power nap).  Then the following week I'll be house sitting in Port Credit.  I'm going to  hop down to Turtle Books some time before they close for good at the end of the month.  I need to get my emissions test.  I'm worried but fingers crossed it should be ok.

I definitely need to take some time soon to recharge or I'm going to fizzle out.  Laters.

Mustard Green Onion Potatoes

I made something very yummy the other day.  I had some potatoes and some green onions, and googled such and came up with this:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/mustard-green-onion-potato-salad-recipe/index.html

And I felt so proud that I had almost all of the remaining ingredients on hand!

In case the link breaks in the future:

Ingredients

• 3 pounds new potatoes, boiled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Place the warm potatoes and green onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, garlic, vinegar and parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the dressing to the potatoes and carefully mix until combined.

Snowmen & Mittens

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

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

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

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

Time to get stuffin.

Neighbourhood #6: Kensington Market

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beaucoup De Vie

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

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

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

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

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

On that unhappy note, I'm off.

Hidden Christmas Gem

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

Overheard at Work #3

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

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

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