Coffee Culture

  Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

August 2024 - Toronto ON

Stratford ON

We had our usual stay at home, relaxing weekend.

Monday we were up early as John headed out at 8:15 to golf. On his way back he picked up our Butcher Shoppe order.

I did chores and then caught the 10:30 and then the subway to College Park, but decided to get off at Dundas to check out that Winners and then walked up Yonge St. to stop at the bank for some cash.

Interesting colours.

One of Toronto Metropolitan University's (formerly Ryerson) buildings. 

After standing as empty shells for years, the preserved facades of the Gerrard Building at 385-391 Yonge, the Richard S. Williams Block at 363-365 Yonge, 367 Yonge, and the former Yonge Street Mission building are now being prepped for integration into the new construction behind.

Construction of the 85-storey Concord Sky development now rises above street level at the southeast corner of Yonge and Gerrard.

I wandered around College Park and then went to Farm Boy for gluten free hamburger buns.

I picked up a couple of items at the $ Store, there was a long line for one cashier, and half the self scan kiosks were out of order! I finally got a self scan, and one item wouldn't scan, so an attendant came over and it wouldn't scan for her, so I said forget and left my items there! So annoying!

Tuesday we decided to go to Harbourfront, first time this year!! We hadn't been inside the Queen Quay Terminal building in a long time and it has been updated, so it is much brighter.

Labatt's have their head office upstairs. Labatt Brewing Company Limited (French: La Brasserie Labatt Limitée) is a Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned brewery headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1847, Labatt is the largest brewer in Canada.

Click on the photos to get larger views of the posters.

I see our legs reflected!

I wanted to eat at Pearl but they didn't have any gluten free options other than rice.

The new sculpture, A Place to Put Your Things, is a departure from previous works in this series and is the artist’s first public artwork. As Sandra Brewster describes it, the piece invites participants to “a place to rest and be at peace, to unburden oneself, and simply sway at one’s own pace and rhythm. Play being a central element of the work, the sculpture connects to an inner child and can be engaged by children and adults alike.” Facing Lake Ontario, the swing gives new purpose to the location in which it is installed, and its movements can be felt from both near and far.

We decided on the Amsterdam for lunch as they have an outdoor bar in the shade.

Fria cerveza is brewed with flaked corn.

Mike was a great bartender! I had the KFC, Korean fried calamari. Good meaty portions. John had the gluten free cheeseburger.

We picked up some corn at Farm Boy, 6 for $4.

Walking by Love Park, more photos here.

Wednesday I headed out to go to Burlington to meet my BFF for lunch. Waiting for the train. Me, not him.

The "Revenue Protection" (yes, they are really called that) inspectors, otherwise known as fare inspectors boarded the train. The guy behind got caught, he did have a good story, but they weren't buying it. He was charged the $35.

Under the graduated fine structure:

First time offenders will be issued a $35 fine, reduced from $100 to add a middle ground between warnings and large fines

Second offences, the fine will be $50

Third offences, a $100 fine will be issued

Passengers with four or more offences would be automatically served a Provincial Offence Notice, with a set fine of $200. 

We tried a new place, Squire's Gastropub. My steak and mushroom pie, the pastry was great but the sauce was too salty. BFF had butternut squash and said sauce was odd. We could get passed the okay food, but the server was so annoying, constantly asking if we were ready for the bill, it wasn't as if the place was busy, it wasn't. So back to our favourite place in future.

There was a lineup outside Kelly's for early dinners as the Pink concert was at the Rogers Centre.

The street was a pink parade of flouncy skirts and tutus, fluffy pink feathered cowboy hats and lots of sequins and tassels.

Thursday and we had plans for a day trip, but we got lazy and decided to put it off to next week, we a better agenda. It is better to do it early in the week, rather than leading into a weekend.

However, we got a bunch of things done. John went to Costco, while he was out, I cleaned out the fridge (to make room), put on a pot of soup (frozen veg and fridge cleanout). He picked up a rotisserie chicken for lunch/dinner and then I put the carcass into the soup pot as well.

We put all the Costco stuff away. I divided up the parmesan cheese to freeze two portions. 

I also froze half of the bread.

I also took the cherries that were getting wrinkly and cut them up to freeze for future baking.

Friday and we were up early as John was golfing at Turtle Creek. He made a chicken sandwich for his lunch (he has an insulated bag for it) and headed out at 9:30.

I cleaned up and watered plants before heading out at noon. 

New opening in Union.

My plan was to do to Dundas and see a new opening at the Eaton Centre. I paid my fare and went down to the platform, where there were transit employees directing people to other options as the trains were turning back at King (the next stop) due to "a trespasser on the tracks". What to do?

I could walk, wait for a shuttle bus (hell would freeze over before one of those arrived!). 

Instead I just went to Longo's to pick up some stuff.

Click here for TTC fines, it is a funny list of infractions.

Unauthorized crossing or entering upon subway tracks  set fine - $345 total payable - $425

 So nice to see our "premier" Doug Ford make the American talk shows.

I found a Canadian version of Wordle to play, Canuckle, when you complete the board it gives you interesting Canadian trivia.

COOKING

Saturday sticky pork belly bites with salad. Note: would be good with pineapple

Sunday lamb curry and naan bread

Monday burgers

Tuesday corn and bread

Wednesday wieners and beans

Thursday rotisserie chicken Alfredo (finished the piece of baguette with garlic butter)

Friday steak with foil potatoes (onions and green peppers)

WATCHING

Transplant is a Canadian medical drama television series (4 seasons). The series centres on Bashir "Bash" Hamed, a doctor from Syria who comes to Canada as a refugee during the Syrian Civil War, and is rebuilding his career as a medical resident in the emergency department at the fictional York Memorial Hospital in Toronto. Click here for an interesting article about the show and being an immigrant in Canada.

READING

The Last Girl was a good read, I like Jane Casey's works.

Dear Wife turned out to be a really good read as I slowly figured out what was happening. Not the best writing, but I was intrigued about her detailed plans for disappearing. I also learned a few things about being cyber-traced!

The Most Fun We Ever Had was a good solid 500+ page family saga. A little too wordy, but I forgive that. 

NABULU COFFEE

 Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share

Sunday Salon

Sunday Post

 July 2023 - Toronto ON

JULY 2023 - CITY HALL  TORONTO

 

Nabulu Coffee was founded in 2021 out of a passion for fine coffees and a love for elephants.
Nabulu is the name of a 3-year-old orphaned elephant in Kenya that has been adopted by the company through Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

The weekend was the usual relaxing and chores. 

I'm almost finished my embroidery.

John snapped this on a walk along the lake.

Monday Mural is a new mural at Union Station for their outside food court.

John headed out at 8:30 for golf. I left at 11:20 to meet my BFF and go to Commerce Court for lobster rolls and a chin wag!!!!

We cut through Brookfield Place to see this.

Jean Shin: Floating MAiZE
Known for her inventive works that transform cast-off materials into elegant expressions of place and identity, Jean Shin’s art and practice is ingrained with the idea of sustainability. Shin has repurposed thousands of green plastic soda bottles into an elaborate installation that resembles an artificial landscape. This large-scale artwork will float above the audience, engaging audiences to consider the relationship between plastic waste, dietary choices, and environmental stewardship.

T for Tuesday Pigeon Cafe Brookfield Place.

Lunch!

John picked up our latest Wag Jag order from The Butcher Shop.

Tuesday we walked down to see the new Love Park. Photo taken 2022.

The space used to be home to a Gardiner off-ramp, but now it serves a whole new purpose. 

Photo from the internet. That could be our bus (it's not) as it used to take this exit.

The main attraction of this unique new park is the heart-shaped pond in the centre. The pond is surrounded by walking paths, seating areas, trees, and green hills for people to relax on and enjoy the view.

A mature Northern Catalpa tree stands on its own dedicated island at the centre of the pond as the focal point.

A 160-meter-long urban “love seat’, the edge around the pond is finished with an anti-slip glass tile mosaic in varying shades of red. Designed for comfort and longevity, the mosaic loveseat will provide ample opportunity for visitors to sit along the water’s edge.

The animal sculptures were created by artists Tyler Balko and Marina Guglielmi from Maker Technical Sculpture Services Inc., whose specialty is in the lost wax casting of metal and glass.

 The artists used photo references of real animals for each model. For example, the inspiration for the polar bear cub was ‘Juno’ - a polar bear born at the Toronto Zoo in 2015.

The park’s “dense vegetation will provide shade, deflect solar radiation, and release moisture into the atmosphere,” says Waterfront Toronto.

Granite pavers will also be installed to deflect heat and provide a refreshing escape from the heat in the summertime.

At the southeastern edge of the park sits a trellised pavilion that anchors activity in the park. The delicate undulating design of the steel structure designed by gh3* will eventually be covered by purple wisteria, providing dappled shade to activity below, alongside the 38 new trees and 4 mature trees in the park.

We stopped by to say hi to Jack Layton, our new mayor's deceased husband and a great man.

It just so happened that our new Mayor, Olivia Chow was sworn in this week.

Image from Twitter - check out that skirt!

Wednesday and these guys were already busy at work when I opened the blinds.

While waiting for the bus I spotted this guy, in one of the hotel suites in our building.

I walked up to the AGO.

The Bishop’s Block, a designated heritage property, was built circa 1829. It is considered one of the oldest buildings left in Toronto’s downtown core. Originally consisting of five upscale Georgian row houses, the Block housed the Adelaide Hotel in the early 20th century and more recently the popular Pretzel Bell Tavern. By 2005 the building had been abandoned and had reached an advanced state of decay. Bishop’s Block was the site of a significant archeological study that recovered over 60,000 artifacts, including ceramics, writing slates, and children’s toys.

ERA was retained by Westbank Developments Ltd. to document the building and oversee its conservation, including the dismantling and reconstruction of the building’s two principal facades with James K.M. Cheng Architects and Hariri Pontarini Architects as part of the new Shangri La Hotel.

Queen St. West is always fun!

AGO

RANT - Can someone tell me why summer camps think it is okay to bring noisy, uninterested 6-year-olds to the art gallery? And don't give me "they might get interested/learn something"...

This groundbreaking exhibition brings together for the first time the work of two extraordinary Impressionist painters, Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926) and Helen McNicoll (Canadian, 1879-1915). Renowned for their depictions of modern womanhood, their work had a profound impact on the development and proliferation of Impressionism in North America.

This original and eye-opening exhibition draws upon the AGO’s significant collection of McNicoll works and it is the first in Canadian history to centre Cassatt’s paintings and works on paper. Educated in Philadelphia and Montreal, Cassatt and McNicoll both left North America for Europe in their early 20s to study and pursue art professionally. Cassatt was an original member of the Impressionist movement in Paris, and a generation later, McNicoll contributed to the movement’s evolution and spread around the globe.

I always love the gift shop! I need these Fridas.

Outside the AGO

No idea why/what they are lining up for.

Toronto-based global technology company Thomson Reuters has been designed to meet the demands of “the future of work.”
Situated amongst the company’s legal, tax, corporate, government, and academic customers, the new centre serves as a “major product innovation hub” for the Canadian company, according to a statement.
The hub, adorned by the historic Southam Press Building’s heritage façade, boasts an environment focused on sustainability and the intersection of people and technology, according to Mary Alice Vuicic, chief people officer for Thomson Reuters.

Thursday John had golf lesson and I picked up some stuff in Longo's.

Friday we took a quick run to Longo's as I wanted some stuff that I couldn't carry yesterday. Traffic was awful between a baseball game and the Indy had shut down Lake Shore.

I thought the bacon was a good deal last week, this week it is a dollar cheaper!

Beware of "free" samples, after trying two of their green juices, we liked this one the best and randomly bought it. When home, I commented that I didn't even know how much it cost, John laughs and says $12! I checked the bill and he was right, not doing that again! It is made locally.

COOKING

Saturday ribs and cheese rolls

Sunday chicken divan

Monday burgers and chips

Tuesday  roast chicken thighs, roasted potatoes and broccolini

Wednesday stired fried beef (7 oz steaks) rice and broccolini

Thursday pork Korean meatballs naan bread 

Friday steak sandwich (12 oz new) mushrooms, green peppers and onions

WATCHING

We finished Fatal Attraction, an interesting ending, which leaves it open for another season.

The Devil You Know 2022 movie. Boundaries and bonds are tested in this gritty crime-thriller drama about family, morality, and redemption. Once-incarcerated Marcus Cowans (Omar Epps) is trying to turn over a new leaf with the support of his loving family. Upon discovering that one of his brothers (Will Catlett) may have been involved in a horrific crime, Marcus grapples with the limits of brotherhood and loyalty.

Imagine, I had never seen Citizen Kane 1941! The quasi-biographical film examines the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, a composite character based on American media barons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, Chicago tycoons Samuel Insull and Harold McCormick, as well as aspects of the screenwriters' own lives. Upon its release, Hearst prohibited the film from being mentioned in his newspapers.

November 2022 5 days into the heart of the French anti-terrorism services during the hunt for suspects after the 13/11/2015 attacks in Paris.

Which led us to watch a mini-series, in French, November 13: Attack on Paris, a documentary chronicling the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.

We finished watching Poker Face and enjoyed it.

I finished Endeavour last season and started Grantchester.

READING

I finished Home Safe, I must say I was very annoyed with the main character for quite a while, she is so whiney, insecure and hopeless. She was such a PITA to her daughter and mother. She slightly grew on me as she got a bit of a backbone. A good read, though.

Since I am still slightly fixated on the Canadian justice system, I finished reading Denial by

Beverley McLachlin, a former Chief Justice of Canada, the first woman to hold that position. A quick read, not especially interesting. The plot is predictable and the ending is annoying.

I started Sign of the Cross, another Canadian legal thriller by a new to me author, Anne Emery.