Thirsty and Miserable

 Linking up at Marg at The Intrepid Reader 

Weekend Coffee Share

Sunday Salon

Hearth and Soul Link Party

Bar in Kensington Market Toronto

October 2021 Toronto ON

Not a busy week as thirsty and miserable would describe this week's weather other than Wednesday which was absolutely gorgeous.

I pass this wall when I take the bus downtown (if the driver takes the Gardiner), but it is unlikely that I will ever be able to get a photo of this mural. Click on the link to get a great view of it.

Motion in Air (MA) a stunning piece of public art by Jennifer Macklem, will be displayed over 500 recyclable and high quality aluminium panels, inspired by the concept of environmental awareness and the location's connection to the water, sky and plant life.

I mentioned last week that I didn't get to see any of the costumes Fan Expo Canada 2021 so here is a link to some of the best.

Sunday a friend in the building called and asked if I would come and help her with her new computer. It is the first time in 19 months that I have been in her place.

I read a gluten free FB page, and a woman is bragging about cooking a gluten free breakfast and says "even the bacon is gluten-free"?!?!?!

Had plans to go out Monday (some errands) but it was a rainy rainy foggy day, so didn't step outside. Made me glad not to have to go to work!

Tuesday was an even rainier day so no venturing out either. Instead John suggested a movie afternoon with popcorn.

Wednesday was a stunning fall day and was too warm for a jacket. I finally picked up my pants from the tailor and shopped around Bay and Bloor. 

Thursday was a little chilly as we got the 9:35 bus downtown. We had 11 AM tickets for Immersive Klimt at 1 Yonge St. 

Click here for all the photos and a video.

As we walked to 1 Yonge we had a different view of the CIBC construction.
The almost completed new CIBC Square serving as their new international headquarters consolidating their employees currently located in several CIBC-tenanted buildings in the GTA. The complex also includes the Union Station Bus Terminal constructed on behalf of Metrolinx for GO Transit and other inter-city bus services, connected directly to Union Station. The complex will also include a one acre park elevated over the rail corridor. The park will have live music events and skating in the winter.

Click here for our visit to the Bus Terminal when it opened last December.

Although our tickets were for 11 once we showed our proof of vaccination and ID we were let in at 10:30 so there were few people around. There were designated socially distanced circles on the floor, although that concept seemed to be alien to some people.

From there we took the PATH, the mainly underground pedestrian pathway that protects you from the elements and worse, drivers. We headed to Commerce Court to KOHA my new favourite find.

Friday John had the golf simulator booked from 9:30 to 11:30 and I decided to head to St. Lawrence Market as we had decided we should try a Porterhouse steak now that we had a tomahawk.

The Porterhouse Steak. The Oxford English Dictionary listed the origin as Manhattan's Pearl Street around 1814 when the owner of a particular porter house, Martin Morrison, started serving rather large T-bones. A porter house was a bar and steak house that became popular back in the mid to late 1800's.

I had headed out early as rain was expected in the afternoon but for the moment I had blue skies.

Looking west from the corner of Yonge and Front.

The rain came as promised. Also looking west away from downtown.

WATCHING

I watched Belgravia, a historical series set in 18th century London on CBC Gem.

I also watched Ramsey's Best Restaurant on Prime, it is old, made in 2010 but is entertaining as I knit.

For our movie afternoon we finally watched The Father with Anthony Hopkins giving a stupendous terrifying performance as we watch his struggle with dementia.

Executor has Paul Sorvino as a ruthless priest running a group of assassins, sounds like a Catholic church kind of thing.

We watched a short British series Manhunt Season 1, on a limited engagement on Prime. 

COOKING

For fans of GBBO watch this clip of Paul and Mary on the Graham Norton show, hilarious. Innuendos by Hugh Jackman and Billy Crystal.

Saturday BBQ chicken quarters, roasted potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts.

Sunday there is stuff languishing in the bottom of the freezer and it is time to use it up. I thought I had enough tuna steak for both of us but didn't so tuna for John and I had salmon, served both with a lemon Dijon sauce and Caesar salad.

Monday the ground chicken was also stuck in the freezer so I made lettuce wraps.

Tuesday I had also found an older pack of ground veal so it became a meat sauce for spaghetti, making John happy.

Wednesday I made a slow cooker Korean beef, meh, tasted mainly of soy sauce.

Thursday leftover spaghetti (trying to be good, although leftovers are not a favourite of mine for dinner)

Friday Porterhouse steak with sauteed broccolini, onions, bean sprouts.

READING

Source - NOW Toronto

NOW Toronto book recommendations.

I tried reading the Metis series The Break and The Strangers and I just didn't enjoy them.

Frying Plantain was a good read.

ZALIKA REID-BENTA is a Toronto-based writer. Her debut short story collection FRYING PLANTAIN won the 23rd annual Danuta Gleed Literary Award and won the 2020 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize in literary fiction. It was shortlisted for the 2020 Toronto Book Awards, the 2020 Trillium Book Award, and longlisted for the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize. FRYING PLANTAIN was nominated for the 2020 Forest of Reading Evergreen Award presented by the Ontario Library Association and the 2021 White Pine Award. Zalika is also the winner of the 2019 Byblacks People’s Choice Awards for Best Author.

Reading Evil Impulse the latest in the series. I don't know why she keeps dragging the twin sister storyline through the last three books, it is tiring.