Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader
July 2023 - Toronto ON
Just heard this week that this coffee shop chain, Strange Love, has gone out of business. Yes, went past their Spadina location this weekend and it is closed.
Saturday was hot, humid, and rainy as we headed to a Blue Jays game, taking public transit. The Honda Indy meant street closures and Uber would have added a surcharge. We took the 501 Queen to the 504 Spadina, note to self it does stop at Bremner.
Sunday I caught up on laundry and cleaned out the fridge while John went to a reception for the anniversary of his golf club.
He stopped in at a friend's, their new puppy, Archie.
John (grumbling) came home with three plants (on bench) that my BFF gifted me. I ordered some pots so I can return her pots to her.
I forgot to mention that last week John and I were in the LCBO (liquor store) and I saw a man with three large bags (he almost hit me on the head as he rushed past me) I immediately said to John, watch him. Sure enough, he filled up his bags with liquor bottles as another two women were also watching him. John couldn't believe it, he waltzed right out the door as staff stood by. It is policy not to approach shoplifters! I commented at the cash as we talked about it, that I should just do the same thing! I've seen the same thing happen in Winners.
Speaking of that, it is amazing how many people get on the streetcar without paying. John and I both (separately saw it last week) and again this weekend.
Why do I pay? And pay more as prices increase due to this thievery?
Monday John headed to golf, after coming back for his forgotten phone, despite my sign on the door! He said I needed to make it bigger!
Monday Mural highlighted the incredible work in Graffiti Alley on a new condo Rush.
I went to Union Station as I wanted some photos for Tuesday Treasures.
There was some kind of fashion shoot on King St with dudes in yellow, pink and green jackets. They were getting shots of them standing on the road as the streetcar approached.
Tarralik Duffy dreams of a world where Inuktitut is the default language. In her drawings and sculptural works, she references objects from her own childhood that are iconic in Nunavut and embedded in Inuit contemporary culture. Quickstop was a convenience store chain in northern Canada, and “Let’s go Quickstop” is what Inuit frequently say when going to buy takeout, camping, or hunting provisions. Even though the store’s name has since changed, the phrase lives on in Nunavut.
Both nostalgic and humourous, the exhibited works depict products that were for sale during the artist’s childhood, including cigarettes, China Lily Soya Sauce, Crosby’s Molasses, Magic Baking Powder, Pepsi Cola, and Red Rose Tea.
My rant of the day year - red truck stopped on the crosswalk as the pedestrian light is flashing, people having to walk behind in the traffic. Took photo, was going to send scathing email, but then no one cares anyway.
Wednesday weekly golf. I caught the 10:30 to meet my BFF for a visit to the AGO and lunch.
It was a gorgeous blue sky day.
A passenger on the bus, always a PITA anyway, proceeded to berate the driver (quite new) because she didn't take what he considered the shorter route and therefore he would be late for work. He was right about the route, however, there was no need to speak the way he did.
From the bus.
On our walk to the museum. OCAD, Ontario College of Art and Design and Media University.
Both nostalgic and humourous, the exhibited works depict products that were for sale during the artist’s childhood, including cigarettes, China Lily Soya Sauce, Crosby’s Molasses, Magic Baking Powder, Pepsi Cola, and Red Rose Tea.
As a Canadian counterpart to Spam, Klik, canned pork was created during World War Two, at a time when fresh food wasn’t always available—for either soldiers or those at home.
Made me want to know more about this guy!
Henri Matisse
My tomato salad in members' lounge.
Thursday it was crazy traffic going downtown, 45 minutes instead of the usual 15-20 minutes because there was an afternoon Blue Jays game.
One of the office towers was having a tenant appreciation BBQ with music.
Friday John left early for golf at Turtle Creek. I went to College Park, did some shopping (didn't buy anything), grabbed lunch and come home.
COOKING
Saturday chevaps (Cevapi (pronounced CHAE-vap or CHAE-vap-ee) are hand-shaped, case-less sausages that are popular in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and other countries in the Balkans/Southeastern Europe region.) We buy them frozen - perfect for a quick dinner as they only take about 15 minutes in the oven. You can make them yourself click here for recipe.
We had them with pita, tomatoes, lettuce, red onions and tzatziki.
Sunday chicken quarters, roast potatoes and carrots.
Monday shrimp with strawberry salad.
Tuesday spaghetti with meat sauce.
Wednesday pork chops mashed potatoes and beans.
Thursday Sriracha honey chicken tenders and salad.
Friday steak and poutine.
WATCHING
Code Name Banshee meh.
American Hangman starring Donald Sutherland. An unidentified man posts a live feed on social media showing that he has kidnapped two strangers and intends to kill one before the day is out. His intention is to hold a capital "trial" online. As the authorities recognize what's happening, it becomes apparent that the online public will act as judge and jury.
We became engrossed with the Spanish series Wrong Side of the Tracks.
Set in Entrevías, the poorest neighborhood in Madrid, the series follows Tirso Abantos, a former military man running a hardware store, whose monotonous daily routine is shaken when his unruly and rebellious adopted teenage granddaughter Irene, of Vietnamese origin, arranges for her Colombian-immigrant boyfriend, Nelson, to steal heroin from drug dealer Sandro. While the young couple had planned to sell the drugs and run off together, the plan went wrong, and she is violently raped by Sandro and his thugs. Tirso then teams up with corrupt police officer Ezequiel to face up to the criminals in the neighborhood.READING
I am fascinated with my current read Life Sentence by Christie Blatchford. Christie Marie Blatchford was a Canadian newspaper columnist, journalist and broadcaster. It explained some things that I noticed on jury duty.
Wow! So many people breaking the rules and getting away with it.
ReplyDeleteI love that portrait of Dr Stadelmann.
Life Sentence sounds like an interesting book!
I forgot to say that it's hard enough for me to plan for a weekly grocery delivery. Can you IMAGINE trying to plan for a year??? I guess your groceries would be pretty basic though, so there wouldn't really BE any planning. You get your canned meats, veggies, and make your own bread. Not much variety I guess.
ReplyDeleteWhat?! Seriously?! A person fills up a bag with products from a store and leaves and no one stops this person?!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I've been to a baseball game. I'd like to go to a Rangers' game now that my nephew is pitching for them.
I am a lover of shrimp but I can't imagine it with strawberries. How was the salad?
ReplyDeleteI used to have chevaps on a regular basis but they have fallen out of my rotation!
ReplyDeleteStrictly speaking staff can't intervene in that kind of theft. That's what the police are for, and such places have cameras. I remember once seeing a thief get caught about two hundred meters from an LCBO, and the dummy made it worse by hitting the cop.
ReplyDelete