Progress

 Linking up at Marg at The Intrepid Reader 

Weekend Coffee Share

Sunday Salon

Hearth and Soul Link Party

March 2022 - Toronto ON

Two years ago this was our last normal week and we didn't even know it.
Friday March 11 marks the 2nd anniversary since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.

Doug Ford lifts mask mandates for votes.

Don't complain about expensive gas after you paraded your oversized, fuel-guzzling pickup trucks up and down highways filled with working people, just to complain about being asked to save lives in a pandemic (or while you applauded those who did.) John Pavlovitz

Our Prime Minister flew to London to meet with world leaders about Ukraine. While there he had an audience with the Queen. Buckingham Palace released a photograph showing the queen and Trudeau shaking hands in front of a vase of blue and yellow flowers, likely a reference to the flag of Ukraine. She was also wearing a blue patterned dress with yellow accents, cream colored pearls, and a sapphire brooch. Though the queen is usually politically neutral, she has been telegraphing her support for the country facing a Russian invasion in subtle ways, such as canceling a diplomatic reception and making a “generous” private donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine refugee fund.

The photos also showed the pair laughing, and Trudeau later said that they discussed the situation with Russia. Trudeau first met the queen when he was a child in the 1970s, during a visit to the palace with his father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. “I have had the particular privilege of having known Her Majesty for about 45 years now,” he said in a press conference following the engagement.

It’s also worth mentioning that they’re holding hands because nobody dares touch the Queen. Except of course, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Over 50 years ago, Edwin Starr asked this question. War - What is it Good For?

Well, this week didn't quite pan out as I thought. I had plans for several outings including a museum. 

Instead I contacted our handyman wondering if he could determine if our dishwasher (died a month ago) could really be moved without it entailing a kitchen reno! He came by on Monday and worked his little heart out. He, along with John, eventually broke the top piece so they could lift it out.

Some genius installed the counter after the dishwasher was put in. There was a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch under that granite stopping them from simply pulling it out.

Vlad, using a drywall knife to break the top apart.

They hauled it off to the loading dock.

Now we have an issue. See the bowl? The pipe is copper so we can't put a bucket there. There was a slow leak that wouldn't stop. This bowl filled up every two hours. So we didn't get much sleep.

Tuesday we had building maintenance come in and he tightened the valve which stopped the leak. I also mentioned to him that the heat would not shut off in the living room. Seems it needs a new heating valve.

I had booked the plumber for Wednesday to look at cleaning up the piping for the dishwasher. Before he came we cleaned out the crap that was left by whomever did the last renovations under there, it was ridiculous.

The copper pipe should be replaced with a flexible one. He can also look at the heating.

Well, after all that, he never showed up. I messaged him at 4 asking if he was coming - no answer.

I messaged again on Thursday morning, he apologized (very busy yada yada) I said we can wait until next week, pick a day - Monday.

Once this is done, the handyman can come back and fix up the spot, plug also needs mending.

Next step find a 32 inch high dishwasher that will fit.

John heard back about his MRI and ultrasound on his hip. It needs some physiotherapy. He booked a 15 minute appointment at a clinic very close by, walking distance to determine if he likes the place. He liked it booked an appointment for next week.

John's new puzzle. I ordered a couple from Amazon.

Got myself a new book as well. How could I resist this!

Took a drive to pick up our pizza kits, the ones I booked last week? That she said I could pick up after 5 on Ossington? Walked in, nope, no kits. Show her my email confirmation. She contacts the person, who, oops, put in next week's date. So I now have to wait over 30 minutes while they make the kits up. Bonus, no charge for the pepperoni and a tiramisu thrown in.

Restaurant wall while I waited.

Also got some photos for upcoming posts and a couple of randoms.

Momo's finally got a new sign. This section of Parkdale's Little Tibet on Queen West has a cluster of Tibetan restaurants as well as other shops scattered throughout Toronto's various neighbourhoods.

Momos are a type of dumpling originating from Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. They are very similar to Chinese dumplings, both baozi and jiaozi. Momos were said to have been introduced to India and Nepal by Tibetans living in exile.

This Momo's has a couple of other locations, I will have to try these at their Bay St. location.
 

Garbage day and it is time for the business association to trade out the tired winter planters.

Booked us a virtual cooking class for March 22. I like these because I can control the gluten free ingredients. And it is only $20 excluding the food.

Here is the grocery list. I'm not sure what the eggs are for. I have a lot of the staples already.

Found a great app on-foot.com, It offers fully immersive walking tours of Toronto.

John got himself a new state of the art wallet. The Ridge Wallet is an expanding minimalist wallet that protects your cards and cash. So slim you can carry it in your front pocket.

COOKING

In an attempt to try new recipes instead of just pinning them, I started a list of recipes to draw from. I put a column for NEXT WEEK and then future ideas.

Saturday BBQ chicken quarters, roast potatoes and broccoli

Sunday teriyaki lamb chops air fryer, mashed potatoes and turnips, Brussels sprouts

Monday easy one pan maple glazed salmon and Caesar's salad

Tuesday Bean Sprout Thai chicken, onion pancakes and broccolini mushroom stir-fry. I would get this spicy Thai chicken again from Bean Sprout along with the onion pancakes.

Wednesday air fryer grilled cheese for lunch. Dinner was mushroom pasta.

Thursday Libretto pizza. Since each kit ($25 GF $29) makes two pizzas I froze one kit.

Friday steak broccolini hasselback potatoes first time ✅

WATCHING

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a 2021 American documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, the same year as Woodstock. $6.99  

Produced and MCed by Tony Lawrence (“a hustler, in the best sense”), and supported by the liberal Republican New York mayor, John Lindsay, with security by the Black Panthers, the 1969 Harlem Cultural festival played out over six weekends in Mount Morris Park at a time of profound cultural re-evaluation, a year on from the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. This was an absolute delight to watch.

We watched A Wife's Nightmare 2014 thriller that was entertaining.

I watched the movie (while cooking) The Weekend Away - boring but watchable. 

We started Porter, a Canadian drama 2022 series. The series will depict the history of Black Canadian and African-American men who worked as Pullman porters in the period following World War I, leading to the 1925 creation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters as the first Black-led labour union.

Blacklight is a 2022 action film that stars Liam Neeson as an FBI operative who gets involved in a government conspiracy.

The Power of the Dog is a 2021 Western psychological drama film and is based on Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Shot mostly across rural Otago, New Zealand, the film is an international co-production between New Zealand, Greece, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. The Power of the Dog covers themes such as love, grief, resentment, jealousy, and sexuality.

I found a new cooking competition show to indulge in Great British Menu 2022 - season 17! I will work backwards. I am watching on DailyMotion.

READING

I really enjoyed Safe and Sound  it was a good thriller.

I started State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. I had said I was tired of Penny's series but I think this will be something different for her.