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February 2022 - Toronto ON

Saturday and the freedumb convoy protested in Toronto. A blogger friend who lives in Ottawa wrote this great post (bad language alert).

Putting Up with Dumb Idiots by William Kendall

Freedumb convoy has found a new platform to raise money.

Fabulous sunset.

Guinness puzzle was finished. Traded with a friend.

New one started.

Monday we're making breakfast (not dressed) and there's a knock on the door. I had placed a work order a few weeks ago again complaining about the wind whistling through the front door. One of our maintenance guys, added more weather stripping and tightened the hinges.

Then I am hearing what sounds like a child, only to realize it was a cat and sure enough there he was meowing at our door. I know my neighbours had a cat but nobody answered the door when John knocked. I called the desk and the concierge came and got the cat while he looked for its owner. He later said to John that he thought it came from another floor - by elevator or the staircase?? Either would need human intervention.

Damn pigeons are back! This only started last year and no way are they finding a place to nest on our balcony. John is waiting for it to be a little warmer to put out the Bird Off glue stuff.

Finally got the bill for the toilet, I thought maybe it was a freebie! $520 for the replacement piece. I actually had to find a cheque, an envelope and a stamp to make payment as well as take it to a mailbox! It's been a few (+4?) years since I've had to do that.

Forgot to show my silicon baking pan, bit the dust.

Tuesday

Went downtown - Union Station has new banners.

Got a haircut, finally, it hasn't been cut since before Christmas.

Picked up sushi in FCP at a new place and it was delicious.

I got Wordle in 3 for the first time!

Wordle 234 3/6

⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩

⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Then on Wednesday John goes and beats me!

Wordle 235 2/6

We headed to Hamilton for fish and chips, our first in a long time! It was delicious as always. 

From there we went to visit friends for the afternoon. They live in a small crescent so we were surprised to see two OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) cars parked. We got the scoop that they were at one house over busy checking out the car in the driveway. Soon more OPP arrived and then a couple of local Halton Police cars. They spent some time talking among themselves and then two spoke to a resident of the house. We are still waiting to hear what it was all about. We had a great time catching up and the guys even played a few games of cribbage.

Thursday John went to the golf simulator and chores got done. Then we had a movie afternoon.

Friday and this is the headline.

Ontario declares state of emergency in response to convoy protests 

Two weeks too late, Ford makes this announcement as he was outed for having been snowmobiling last weekend when Ottawa was in a state of crisis. See blog above.

HA HA HA this made me laugh yesterday! This "Karen" is surprised that the police monitor social media.

John went out for fruits and vegetables (No Frills), I can't believe a litre bottle of HP Sauce was $8.99! I did price check and the 400 ml is $5.99 everywhere.

He also went to the bakery for some gluten free baguettes.

I went on a redecorating spree while he was out. I was tired of our front hall and had decided I needed to go shopping. Instead I shopped at home, and created this. Not the final look, I want to add/change a few things and also need to do the shelves below. At the moment it looks like this. 

This meant I had to rearrange the stuff that was on there. I'll have some final photos next week.

WATCHING

I watched Tinder Swindler, we had started it together but John found it "so boring".

We both watched Falling a 2020 drama film written and directed by Viggo Mortensen in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Mortensen as John Peterson, a middle-aged gay man whose racist homophobic father Willis (Lance Henriksen) starts to exhibit symptoms of dementia, forcing him to sell the family farm and move to Los Angeles to live with John, his husband Eric (Terry Chen) and their Mexican adopted daughter.

This was not easy to watch but was so well done. All the kids in it were so good and did not put up with their Grandpa's nonsense.

Brian Banks is a 2018 American biographical drama film starring Aldis Hodge as Brian Banks, a high school football linebacker who was falsely accused of rape, convicted, sent to prison and upon his release, attempted to fulfill his dream of making the National Football League.

The Clovehitch Killer is a 2018 American thriller mostly inspired by the story of real life serial killer Dennis Rader aka the BTK Killer.

We watched Inhuman Resources that we really enjoyed. It is a 2020 French language series.

COOKING

Saturday we had planned to order/pick up Indian from downtown. But with the Freedumb convoy rolling into town we figured we wouldn't. So I made curry chicken, aloo gobi and onion bhajis with homemade tamarind dipping sauce.

Sunday roast beef, roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I made mushroom gravy and the BEST gluten free Yorkshire puddings ever! 

Monday John asked for pasta Alfredo and I made parmesan crackers (a little too thin and overbaked).

Tuesday BBQ chicken quarters and kale salad.

Wednesday out for lunch so chips and eggs.

Thursday air fryer marinated tuna steaks (soy sauce, honey, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil) with a wasabi dip (mayo, wasabi, soy sauce, honey, lemon) topped with scallions and black sesame seeds.

Friday steak and Caesar salad, homemade gluten free crotons.

READING

I finished Miss Eliza's English Kitchen and Beth was right, it wasn't very good. It was very readable, and I loved the recipe development. I really liked Ann, although she is mostly a fictional character. But I just felt like it ended so abruptly! It needed further development of some of the story lines, like Ann's mother in the asylum.

Seven Lies is a debut for this author and WOW it is a page turner. Who needs enemies when you have Jane for a friend!