Anesti Danelis and Friends, Wenona, Toronto, ON

This evening Trish and I saw musical comedian Anesti Danelis and friends at Wenona on Bloor Street W (just east of Dufferin Street). It was a funny show!

Me, Anesti and Trish

Anesti was the host and introduced his friends.

Pam's Roti Shop, Toronto, ON

This evening Trish and I had supper at Pam’s Roti Shop on Bloor Street W (just east of Dufferin Street). It's the first time I'd been there.

We both had rotis.

Mine had chicken, potatoes and chickpeas. It was a tasty roti and I took half for leftovers. Yum! 

Trish’s had veggies including spinach and cauliflower.

I’ll be back.

Broken Rib Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a broken rib pattern..

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Merry Maximus) and 6.5mm needles. 

I cast on 24 stitches.

It's a two row repeat: 

• Rows 1–2: K2, P2 
• Rows 3–4: P2, K2

After it gets to the length you want, knit two rows of K2, P2 and then bind off.

Pogue Mahone, Toronto, ON

I celebrated St. Patrick's Day at lunch today with the Toronto Social Seniors and Retirees group at Pogue Mahone Pub on College Street (between Yonge Street and Bay Street).

In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, I had a green Keith’s.

There were 18 of us!

Book ~ "Marshmallow S'More Murder" (2016) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ What could be better for former CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath than taking twelve little girls to Washington DC for a bit of summer fun? Almost anything. 

Unfortunately, between her girls terrorizing the Secret Service and "accidentally" destroying the hotel pool, Merry has her hands full with this troop. And when her former handler, Riley, is kidnapped Merry has to turn to an old friend from her spy days and her parents, Senator and Mrs. Czrgy, to help her wrangle the troop and rescue the man she once briefly called her boyfriend. 

Armed only with a perpetually AWOL parent, stalked by a runaway King Vulture, and plagued by a mysterious death from her past, Merry's mayhem weaves a wacky trail from moonshiners in the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the bowels of the Japanese Embassy, to the ductwork of the International Spy Museum. 

With things heating up with current boyfriend, Detective Rex Ferguson, can Merry decipher clues from her past to find ex-boyfriend Riley and finally solve the murder of Yakuza boss, Midori Ito, before the target on her back is filled with lead?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. After changing her appearance, she returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

Merry and Kelly’s Girl Scout troop has earned a trip to Washington, D.C. after selling the most boxes of cookies. But Kelly, who is due to have a baby any day, can’t make the trip, so one of the girls’ moms accompanies them. While in Washington, Merry receives an unexpected call from Riley, her former CIA handler, asking for help. Merry contacts her CIA friend, Maria, to look into it. Maria soon uncovers troubling chatter linking Riley to the Japanese mafia and his phone signal has been traced to Washington. 

Merry begins to piece things together and realizes Riley has been kidnapped by the head of the Japanese mafia. The mob boss’s mother was the woman Merry and Riley discovered murdered in Merry’s kitchen the previous year. They had secretly disposed of the body but it was recently found. Now Merry has two problems on her hands ... supervising 12 Girl Scouts on their Washington trip and and trying to track down Riley before the Japanese mafia settles an old score.

This is the third in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I enjoyed it. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Roxton Public House, Toronto, ON

The Roxton Public House opened in September on Dundas Street W, just east of Ossington Avenue. I stopped in for supper this evening.

I had Piri Piri Chicken with fingerling potatoes. It was supposed to come with corn but instead came with something else ... eggplant maybe? The chicken was really good and very tender. I’d get it again. 

"A Mirror", 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education, Toronto, ON

I saw A Mirror this afternoon at 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education (on Bathurst Street, just north of Bloor Street W).

Get ready for the wedding of the year! It is with great pleasure that Leyla and Joel invite you to celebrate their marriage this March. Dress code is informal. Doors will open, followed by the exchange of vows. And at our signal, the entertainment begins.

"A Mirror", Sam Holcroft’s mischievous and explosive new play, interrogates censorship, authorship and free speech, with a series of unforgettable twists.

"Nash the Slash Rises, Again!", Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, Toronto, ON

I spent a fun evening with Homa and Henriette at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. 

Me, Homa and Henriette

First we saw the theatrical premiere of “Nash the Slash Rises, Again!”, a documentary about Nash the Slash (which was interesting). I wasn’t familiar with his music but knew who he was.

Then there was a discussion with those involved (including Tim Kowalski, Kevan Byrne and Stephen Pollard).

The Acme Burger Company, Etobicoke, ON

I’ve been driving by The Acme Burger Company (Queensway/Royal York) almost every Friday for the last 3 years but have never stopped in. 

So I did for lunch today and ordered a 4oz burger combo. I’m not a fan of fries but they are made fresh in-house and they were good. They were out of their regular sesame burger buns so replaced it with a brioche bun. The burger was okay but it was too much bun for such a small patty. 

Mistake Rib Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a squishy mistake rib pattern, an easy fun pattern.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Merry Maximus) and 6.5mm needles. 

I cast on 23 stitches (multiples of 4 plus 3 stitches).

It's a one row repeat: slip 1 knitwise, k1, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last stitch, p1.

Book ~ "Mint Cookie Murder" (2015) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Ex-CIA agent turned suburban scout leader, Merry Wrath, is just trying to live a normal quiet life. But all that goes out the window when a convicted traitor (who’s inconveniently not in his prison cell) dies on her doorstep and an obese cat, who bears a disturbing resemblance to Hitler, decides to move in. 

To make things worse, it’s time for the annual troop cookie sale, her new boyfriend’s old college flame shows up to win him back and someone’s shooting at Merry in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. 

Is the assassin after her or the cat? Is Riley, her hot former CIA handler, hitting on her? Is Rex, her boyfriend, going to dump her? Will she sell enough cookies to take her troop to Winter Sniper Camp? If Merry doesn't find answer to these questions soon, it may be too late!

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her work and was very good at it. After her identity is exposed, she’s forced into retirement with a severance package and a brand-new life. She alters her appearance and heads back to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives and they run a girl guide troop.

One night she finds a dead man on her doorstep. Merry isn't a fan of cats but an obese one moves in that night (and eventually grows on her). Merry contacts Riley, her former CIA handler, and discovers the dead guy is a traitor who had escaped from prison that morning. On top of that, Merry has other things stressing her out. An assassin keeps popping up in her yard, Merry is torn between Riley and Rex, her boyfriend, Rex's gorgeous ex-girlfriend is in town and her girl guide troop has a deadline to sell lots of boxes of cookies to fund their activities.

This is the second in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I enjoyed it. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.