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I don't 'member being so busy before but maybe that's why I need this place.
Scott and I went to the Harbourfront Author's Series to see Jasper Fforde on March 21st. First we had listen to a reading from Gail Scott, Canadian author, which was pretty painful.(Let's just say Margaret Atwood has a better presence.) and she looked positively stoney through all of Mr. Fflorde's talk. Not surprising as he doesn't really take anything too seriously and she takes everything waaaaay to seriously. It was nice to hear that someone else is as addicted to Wikipedia as I am. We lined up for the post show signing and about 5 people line up for Ms. Scott so she had a few more scowls and then went to sit with her friends. The rest of us lined the room, some with the entire canon of his books to be signed. We had only two. the most recent one and the one I happened to be reading. Hubby said it was too bad that JF couldn't go for Brunch and JF actually remembered the email from Hubby. I said that I had enjoyed the eggs Benedict on his behalf, "And how did I enjoy them?", "Very much" - not very good grammar but I was on the spot. Then he signed my book to his  "My proxy eggs benedict eater" Tee hee!

New Ideas Festival with Florence on 24th 4 amazing plays in one evening and they were all really good. I've left it too long now and I don't remember - which is why I need this place. I'll add them in if I remember later.

Managed to squeeze in a visit to the Spring One of a Kind show with Karen on March 31 - good show. So many bags so little time but I resisted.  And only bough a  present for my visit . . .

To Ottawa to see Becca John & HANDSOME HARRY April 1st

In the cab to the train there was an awesome April fool's joke on CBC's The Current - Mary Walsh hosting. Elizabeth May, Evan Solomon, and Gordon Pinsent were all in on it. Gordon was representing a new political party, by the elderly and for the elderly who feel they are not being represented by current politics.  They really had me going for a while.

Some Wines to 'Member

Have been enjoying Fielding Pinot Gris with dinners lately. We were tempted by the wine club but realize that it would pretty much blow our wine budget and on one vineyard. We like them but we like to share the love as well.

Had lovely glass of Cave Springs Blanc de Blancs at Gilead while brunching with Ellen today. A nice way to start the day. And I walked from Gilead up to Bloor. A good walk and worked off a bit of the French Toast Sandwich. (French toast with Cheddar and Maple chili bacon in the middle. OIY)

416 Snack Bar

Last Friday, March 4th, Hubby and I went to a new place. One of the owners is a colleague of his from Gilead, Dave and we wanted to check it out. It's the 416 Snack Bar on the East side of Bathurst just north of Queen. It's only snack size portions of food but there is so much goodness packed into them that you are quite quickly satisfied, although you can, and we did, keep eating. My favourite were the latkes with gravlox and the steamed bun with crispy pork belly but of the 6 or 7 ( and yes we lost count) items we tried, there was none that would be considered okay rather than excellent. It was that good. We are going to go back. I washed everything down with another lovely white, Tollgate by Stratus.  A great evening and we will be back.

Starting with Valentine's Day

So the hubby and I do not make too much of a fuss about Valentine's Day. It's the end of the present giving season that is Christmas, Befana, and our anniversary - we decide to forgo present getting on Valentines. But any excuse to go out for dinner works for me. We chose Cowbell this year and they were doing a wonderful prix fix for the day.  It started with a pomegranate and champagne cocktail. For starters I had the Jerusalem artichoke soup, which Hubby taught me are not just regular artichokes but are a root vegetable looking like (but not tasting like) ginger. Hubby had the steak tartar and for main he had the venison, braised and grilled w/honey & pomme puree. I had the lobster on risotto with cucumber & pommegranate seeds. It was delightful and some how wonderfully stereotypical ordering the lobster when out for Valentines. Girls always dream of that really - and not eating it on a beach in New Brunswick (which was actually better lobster :-)) Dessert was raspberry mousse with chocolate ganache that was really gummy and odd  but the marmalade ice cream  was incredible.

Wednesday Feb 16 After talk to to the hubby over dinner about how easy risotto and polenta are to cook, he agreed, quite easily, to give me a lesson in polenta which really does only take 5 minutes. I wrote it all down but have not attempted it on my own just yet. He often makes things look a lot easier than they are.

Sunday, February 20th was Barak's First birthday party at Gymboree. And I was in charge of making a cake for the grown ups. I really debated how to go about it as it was the grown ups so I didn't want to make the kids jealous as they were having sugar free/gluten free cup cakes. (which did look great but I was skeptical and did not try them) Sorry K. but here is your Monkey's cake. What I re-discovered about myself with making cakes is that, as I wrote essays in University, I did my best work when I just did it with out editing myself. All the decoration beyond the basic icing was done on Sunday morning and a completely different idea than when I started. It worked out well though because K made the cupcakes with Green icing and jungle critters on top. I think I had seen her toppers before but I did not consciously try and match her. It just worked out very well.

Tuesday Feb 22  was our last opera at the COC until May, Nixon in China, by John Adams. Short strokes on how we felt about it? OUCH! I admit that some of the more contemporary pieces are not entirely to my taste, I usually enjoy them. And did enjoy this until the final act. There was no point to it and the music was just 5 people on stage singing discordantly to on another with no action. None, except they put on their jj.'s and got ready for bed. And that was odd in itself, to watch what Mr. & Mrs. Nixon and Mr. & Mrs. Mao where to bed. We were glad when it was over.

Thurs Feb 24th A trip to the Cheese boutique for Lisa's good-bye present and some treats for us. Bleu Elizabeth from Quebec, partly chosen for it's name and because I wanted to be more brave about blue cheese and Comfort cream, of course.  We sampled with Organized Crime Viognier, a great food wine.  The Bleu Elizabeth was really nice. Not tooooo Stilton like. Strong flavours with out the after tastes. I would definitely get it again, for a cheese board.

Mon Feb 28 - I have decided to give Yoga another go and went to my first drop in class. The teacher Andrea remembered me from the 5 week course I did in the summer, which was really sweet. It was hard but I remembered a lot and felt tired but great afterward. I meant to go again the following but wasn't feeling too well. But I do plan to go again. And get space set up at home. I'm being inspired by my friend Fickle Feline and her P90X experience.

Let's see what I can 'Member

Lots to cover


Tuesday,February 1st - To Canadian Opera Company's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute. The voices were lovely but I was not a big fan of the staging in the first half. The play within a play wasn't really fleshed out -hard to do within the existing Libretto. It just felt too, well, staged But the hedges in the second half were great.

Wednesday, February 2nd - AGO Preview of the Blackwood exhibition. He was doing a signing and I went to meet him. I told him about the print that my parents bought back in '68,  "Island Funeral" hanging in the Guest room.  I asked him to sign the page in the  catalogue with the print and he also signed the front page - a great present for my Dad's birthday. The Curator suggested that the piece is getting hard to find. I may have something pretty amazing in my collection some day.

 Friday, February 4th - 2nd professional cake job due. For Lewis, the 2 year old son of my boss. Awesome train cake. I'm very happy with it.

Nice overview

Close of the front. Apparently Lewis was so excited by it that he "had" to grab the figure and the train and share them with his best friend. Awesome reaction!



And you can't forget the Caboose!

So after surviving work that day and having the cake survive as well. I met up with Mum for dinner and went to see "Barrymore" starring Christopher Plummer! So amazing. Two famous Canadians in one week! The show was really funny. And I should have known better but it was pretty rude and crude! So awesome. I wonder how much of the Barrymore story is the same as Mr. Plummer's? I've got to read the Bio that M&D got for me a few years back.

Enough for now. I'll catch up later or I'll never get a post done.