Saturday, February 29, 2020

Fraction

One Word Sunday

Holland MI

I happened to use this a couple of weeks ago in a numbers challenge.

Why such an odd name?

One of the largest banks in the United States, the company was ranked 366th on the Fortune 500 in 2018.The name "Fifth Third" is derived from the names of the bank's two predecessor companies, Third National Bank and Fifth National Bank, which merged in 1909.





March Photo - Municipal Building

City Daily Photo - Monthly - Municipal Building


The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell (with Heikki Castrén, Bengt Lundsten, and Seppo Valjus) and landscape architect Richard Strong, and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965. It was built to replace Old City Hall, which had housed city offices since 1899. The current city hall, located at Nathan Phillips Square, is the city's fourth and was built to replace its predecessor which the city outgrew shortly after its completion.



TV Dinners

February 2020 - Toronto ON


I have posted our 2019 In Review.

Queen St. E Toronto ON


A VERY quiet week, I had a pedicure on Monday and somehow when she massaged my foot I ended up barely able to walk on it. But my good nurse, John, took great care of me, making sure I kept off it and icing it constantly. He continued to pamper me the rest of the week.
Yes, call me a wimp. The last massage I had was on a river boat on the Yangtze River in China and it was so painful I almost cried and could barely move after it!

In a reversal of roles, he did the cooking while I took control of the TV remote.

We watched American Factory, very interesting to see the different mind sets and cultures.


It was also enlightening to watch the Obamas talking about why they sponsored this film.


I forgot to mention that we binge watched all the seasons of Line of Duty and can't wait for the next season.


We also finished Grace and Frankie. It was very good but it was time for it to come to an end.



There is nothing like BBC drama! We also finished season 2 of Marcella. Can't wait for season 3.


We also came across The Stranger an ITV miniseries based on a book by Harlen Coben set in Manchester. It stars Dervla Kirwan, who we know well from the Irish series Ballykissangel. We binge watched this and finished it.




MENU

Pork belly with stir fried bean sprouts, snow peas, green peppers, mushrooms

Fried chicken roast potatoes and mashed carrots parsnips and turnip

Pork chops mashed potatoes and beans

Eggs and chips

Sausages with tzatziki 

Hamburger stew with mashed potatoes and parsnips

Steak  with stir fried mushrooms, peppers snow peas and onions


BOOK ENDS


AGO Toronto ON

Finished A Good WifeSamra Zafar was just your average teenager living in Abu Dhabi, when her mother came to her with a proposal to marry a man she had never met. By the age of 18, Samra was married, pregnant and living with her husband and his family in Canada.

I first heard about this true story in an article in Toronto Life. While I enjoyed the book, it is a stretched out version of the magazine essay. The writing is very simple almost prosaic.
I was so proud of her finally getting out of an abusive situation and making a life for herself. I also loved the amount of support she received from the University of Toronto.


The Gifted School I came across in the library's seven day loan section. A fun read about parents behaving badly and the not so funny amount of pressure put on their children. 
Incredible to read. my second favourite book this year.

Started Louise Penny's latest A Better Man.








Friday, February 28, 2020

Monday, February 24, 2020

Roofs of Any Kind

Cee's Fun Foto Challenge


Odd things on roofs.


2017 Moose Jaw Saskatchewan



2012 Les Amdelys France



2014 Wickensburg Arizona


2017 Victoria BC



2016 Guadalajara Mexico


Signs 2

Joining Tom at Signs2.
Wordless Wednesday Wordless Be There 2day


Continuing with pit stops...

February 2015 - Cairns Australia

According to Wikipedia...
Sheila — Australian slang for "woman", is derived from the Irish girls' name Síle (IPA: [ʃiːlʲə], anglicised Sheila). It is considered to be derogatory and is now rarely used.





Foto Tunes

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.

January 2020 - Toronto ON

One of the murals featured at the Market Gallery exhibit of Toronto streetart.

Mural was painted by Ben Johnson.




Monday Mural


April 2015 - Fort Worth TX

Murals in The Stockyards district.


















Saturday, February 22, 2020

Restoration

One Word Sunday

As I looked through my notes I realized that the station has been under renovations since 2010, when they started updating the subway station!!!


Union Station, one of Toronto’s most iconic buildings, and the busiest transit hub in North America, is being restored and revitalized to better serve the 300,000+ visitors that pass through the station every day.

When the revitalization is complete, Union Station will have doubled the pedestrian capacity, restored important heritage elements, and transformed into a major destination for shopping, dining and community gathering.


Restoration began in 2014!
One of my favourite new installations are the glass covers that have been installed over the station’s pedestrian moats, which run along the Front and York Street sides of the building. The covers consist of steel beams and glass, which create a giant skylight around the perimeter of the station.




The covered moats create a completely enclosed space providing enhanced pedestrian circulation through the station, protection from inclement weather, and an improved experience for pedestrians entering and exiting the station or transferring to the TTC subway.

Photos taken 2014!





Photos taken 2018




We are beginning to see some light at the end of this 5 year old tunnel.






Click on the links below to see more of the renovations.
Bay Concourse February 2020
Giant TVs Food Court February 2020
York Concourse June 2015
Summer Food Market July 2015
Transitions November 2016


Half Baked

February 2020 - Toronto ON

Commerce Court Lounge - January 2020


A quiet week with a couple of very cold days,
Chores got done, car taken in for service, day out shopping and lunch with BFF, Costco, cooking, dinner out with John's son.


William from Ottawa Daily Photo will be very impressed with some of the Union Station changes that took place this week!

The tunnel that we have been using to get to the subway was closed off this week.

BTW the roof was also part of the renovations, this used to be open to the elements.



The Bay Concourse has been closed since the end of Toronto’s PanAm Games in 2015 for a total overhaul has opened, although there is still a lot of work to be  done.

As of Wednesday, February 19, 2020 a route change between the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway station and Union Station will begin.
In order to move forward on the next piece of work in the Front Street Tunnel, there is a need to temporarily close it to allow for the completion of concrete work, underground mechanical work, and the installation of pavers, railings and public art in the tunnel.
To connect from the TTC to Union Station, commuters will now walk straight across the moat between the two stations. This route opened in December 2019 as an alternate route between the two stations and has being widened to accommodate increased pedestrian flow. This route meets accessibility requirements, and includes escalators and an elevator.


This used to be so dark and dingy, tiles everywhere in shades of orange, grey, brownish maybe taupe?


I found some photos online of what it used to look like!







I did go to the Toronto Reference Library to see this exhibit.





















Construction continues across from the library, # 1 Yorkville is being touted as one of the toniest addresses in this very pretentious neighbourhood. Their ad states   "This is a building that will stand out not only because of its stunning architecture and exquisite finishes, but also because of its magnificent amenities and exclusive services. It will be like staying in a 6-star hotel at a 6-star location."
The finest of Toronto will be within walking distance of the front door of 1 Yorkville. Strolling through Hermes, Gucci, Holt Renfrew, dinner at the Four Seasons across the street, a glass of Moet at the Hyatt’s Roof Lounge - whether it's luxurious shops or a selection of the city’s finest restaurants – the options are endless. And 1 Yorkville is conveniently by the Bloor and Yonge subway lines and PATH.
It is being built above the fully restored Yorkville Village buildings that date to the 1860s. This meticulous preservation work — overseen by ERA Architects, Toronto's premier heritage specialists — will involve the retention of not just the graceful historical facades but the entire original structure of the 19th century buildings. This is where the condominium’s boutique retail offerings will be housed.

I took this photo in 2011 with the historical buildings on this block.


February 2020




A friend gave me a recipe for bourbon brownies that she had tried and loved. I didn't have corn syrup so I substituted with molasses (dark) and I found the molasses overwhelmed the flavour, we also thought they were too sweet.

I made this recipe banana cranberry bread and it turned out well. Bonus the recipe makes two loaves.



MENU

Liver and onions, mashed potatoes

Roast prime rib

Homemade meat sauce and spaghetti. I used the cherry tomatoes from Eataly.



And my never fail gluten free biscuits, but I used cheddar cheese instead of the mozzarella and it worked perfectly.



Dinner out at Quinn's in the Sheraton Hotel we both had steak frites

Crispy baked haddock, a new recipe that I would definitely use again on any fish, but I would cut the butter and breadcrumbs in half. Served with a new salad mix.



Curry chicken

Steak, baked potato and broccolini


BOOK ENDS



Toronto Reference Library - February 2020

I've been watching My Kitchen Rules Australia 2020 so I didn't get much reading done.

The format has changed this year.



I started A Good Enough Mother but it hasn't captured my interest, a feeling that most reviewers seem to share.


LINKING UP WITH
Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.