La Tejana Coffee

 Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

April 2025 - Toronto ON

Pecos TX

Saturday I made French toast for breakfast.

Vlad (handyman) came and looked at the job, but it would make noise and gawd forbid we did that on a Saturday. He also looked at the plug. So we will reschedule to Wednesday.

I have a feeling that my birth certificate copy won't satisfy the passport office so I ordered a new one just in case.

We did a quick tidy up for our visitors on Sunday. 

I did laundry. I prepped some food for Sunday (potatoes and cauliflower), defrosted ham and sausages.

We also finally hung the kitchen pictures.

Sunday the morning was spent getting ready as we had our nephew and his girlfriend for brunch. John ran out to get beer.

Brunch was fun and we covered a multitude of topics.

We've been doing the NYT mini-crossword since the pandemic, a friendly rivalry. However as of Monday it is only available through their app, for a fee, of course. Count us out!

But the LA Times has a free one that we'll try.

Monday  Mural is the many faces of the Cameron.

Finally a somewhat decent day to go for a mani-pedi!!! Booked for 10:15.

John booked the golf simulator for the afternoon. I headed downtown to get some more Euros (we decided on having more). I changed the PINs on my new cards. I got a haircut.

I checked on spring covid booster shots. Recommended high-risk populations for COVID-19 immunization (spring 2025) An additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine is recommended, as detailed in the immunization schedules section below, for previously vaccinated individuals who have completed their primary series and are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection including: • Adults 65 years of age and older. o NACI recommends that those 80 years and older should receive an additional dose of vaccine while those 65 to 79 years of age may receive an additional dose of vaccine. 

UPDATE - we spoke to the pharmacist on Friday and she said it is the same dose as last fall and there really isn't any need for us to get a booster.

I tried to cancel the second water cooler from Walmart. Funny how they can take my money on Apr 3 but it is soooooooo difficult to get it cancelled after they have a delay on their end and I had to escalate on Apr 11 and 14. April 15 and I'm still waiting...

Apr 16 I get an email that "my order was on the move", sure, check the delivery date!! 2026, I want my money back!!!

A little Irish humour about tariffs.

Since we had already had the Liberals knock at our door last week, we didn't bother answering a knock today as it would have been either the conservatives or NDP volunteers (shudder). Not to worry, they only knocked once and when I looked through the peephole they were scurrying off to other doors.

Tuesday 

The building engaged a company to do a 2025 Resident Survey, I completed it today.

I met my friend who lives in a retirement home for a good ole chinwag. 

Since I ordered a new birth certificate I will wait until we get back to finalize my Irish passport renewal  package to mail.

A cute Toronto news story today.
Hundreds Of Women At Romance Novel Event Go Crazy When Fire Alarm Goes Off & “A Bunch Of Hot Firemen Showed Up”

Wednesday John golf. Cancelled.

I discovered a new (to me) Canadian book blogger via a comment, Library Matters.

We were expecting the handyman but he had an emergency, no problem we'll get it done when we get back.

So since that was cancelled along with golf we went out for a lunch at Cabano's for burgers up at Yonge and Bloor. I ran into an old workmate, Kevin!

Never noticed this before on the corner of St. Nicholas. Untitled Robert Bowers 1987.

Then we walked down to Bulk Barn (Canadian) for some peanuts and ginger. Then across to Farm Boy for a steak but ended up with more of those Brazilian buns, cherry strudels and English bangers. Then John's CC got declined!

The rest of the day was customer service hell! John spoke to M/C and they blocked his card because they had called me (which we didn't answer as no one answers unknown calls!) because I had a new card on his account and they wanted to verify it was me that changed the PIN on Monday...FIXED. We will test it tomorrow!

I tried, once again, see above, to cancel the Walmart water cooler. "Someone" is supposed to call me. 

This really was me as the bot kept asking me the same questions!!!

I did check my credit card and the payment is sitting in Pending, kind of weird.

I cleaned out the bag of bags that grows in the hall closet. You know, those bags you have to buy because you either forgot your bags or bought more than you planned. The owner of our convenience store is happy to take them.

I also cleaned out the fridge.

Packed up the Portuguese language tapes a resident in the building had lent me.

Thursday we headed out for the pharmacy re: covid shots, see above.

We both tested our credit cards after yesterday's kerfuffle. 

 We also got some waterproofing for our shoes, which John did in the afternoon.

Set up eSims, Airalo. Here is a great video about buying and setting it up.

Schiphol airport (day of flight) app, ArriveCan (both set up) and Bolt (we'll stick with Uber) app.

Printed our documents and frequent flyer cards.

Ordered an Uber for Friday.

Put a couple of envelopes aside for our trip, Euros for entrance fees (45€ each) and the tip envelope (2-5€ per person/day).

LORDY LORDY LORDY

The Water cooler arrived - the one they didn't have, then rescheduled to Apr 2026!!!!!!!

It is staying packed until we get home!!!

Friday Good Friday and everything is closed.

We have new signage in the building.

We spent the day finalizing packing and trip details. We got checked in and our boarding passes in the morning.

Uber was scheduled for 6:50. Here is our Portugal itinerary.

Pizza Pizza (Canadian) ad filmed in our neighbourhood!

COOKING

Saturday shrimp moqueca Brazilian coconut stew. I had coconut milk and tomato sauce to use up. This recipe was good but it needed some spice, I'd add gochujang.

Sunday VISITORS  brunch - Italian sausages, ham, potato and cauliflower au gratin, Brussel sprouts. Toblerone for dessert

Monday leftovers 

Tuesday quiche and salad

Wednesday leftover quiche

Thursday steak frites Portuguese wine

Friday airport

WATCHING

BTW we started The Amazing Mrs. Maisel but it just wasn't for us.

We started season 6 and the last one of The Handmaid's Tale. We found a 30 minute recap of seasons 1-5 which was a great refresher.

We watched the movie Absolution. Absolution is a 2024 American crime film starring Liam Neeson as a brooding, aging gangster. An aging mob enforcer attempts to outrun his past and reconnect with his estranged daughter and grandson after discovering he has CTE and only a short time to live.

G20  is a 2025 American action thriller film starring Viola Davis as a president who must use her military skills to fight off terrorists who have taken over a G20 conference venue.

READING

Here I Am was mentioned by Jinjer and when I looked it up I had read it in 2017. I borrowed it again, and sorry, I just couldn't get into it, neither times.

What happened to Nina is very good but it seems very long, but then I haven't really been reading.