“Alone in the Dark at Stanley Barracks Tour”, The Haunted Walk, Toronto, ON

This evening Gord, Trish and I did the Alone in the Dark at Stanley Barracks tour led by Paul of The Haunted Walk. We got to walk around the different floors of the Stanley Barracks hearing ghost stories and participated in paranormal experiments including trying to summon spirits and a ouija board.

A world of officers, mess dinners and parade grounds once filled this place. During the First World War, German and Austrian prisoners were held behind barbed wire. A generation later, men and women in uniform passed through on their way to war, some never to return and many forever changed. When the military left, families turned barrack rooms into crowded homes. If places can retain something of the people and events that shaped them, this one has had nearly two centuries to absorb both the beauty and the horror of life. For some who have spent time here, the past has seemed to reach across the years in ways hard to explain. After so much life, loss and upheaval, what, if anything, remains?

Over two hours, you’ll explore the building from basement to top floor with a small group. Traditional and modern paranormal experiments will put that question to the test. Nothing is staged and nothing is guaranteed. We’ll provide the history, the experiments and the darkness. After all, some questions can only be asked in the dark.

It was interesting exploring the barracks as I like history. Alas, we weren't able to summon any spirits. Paul was knowledgable and entertaining.

Left Field Brewery, Toronto, ON (Liberty Village)

Gord, Trish and I had supper this evening at Left Field Brewery in Liberty Village.

Trish is vegan and appreciated the amount of vegan options. She had a Vegan Nashville Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich (Plant-based fried chicken tossed in our spicy Nashville dry rub topped with shredded lettuce, dill pickles and vegan mayo on a vegan brioche bun) and sweet potato fries.

Mistake Rib Knitted Scarf

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

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Jewels and Jolly) 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.

Mistake Rib Knitted Scarf

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

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Jewels and Jolly) 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 ~ "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister" (2026) Charles Spencer

From Goodreads ~ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before a watching world and shared his grief at losing his beloved sister, Diana. Now, nearly thirty years later, he tells the astonishing story of his life with Diana and the tragic week of her death.

In childhood, Charles and Diana, the youngest Spencers, were inseparable – secretly calling one another Duch and Carlos. As each other’s closest confidantes, they roamed the family estate, endured extremely challenging boarding schools, survived terrifying nannies and helped each other through the agony of their parents’ divorce.

Yet everything changed when Diana married the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, and overnight became a global icon. Charles saw his older sister serve the world’s marginalized and relish being mother to her treasured sons.

But pursued by a barbaric press as her royal marriage crumbled, she was left desperately alone. Charles always tried to be there for Diana – until that black night in August, 1997.

I like reading bios/autobios and memoirs and was curious about this one. It will be 30 years next year since Diana passed away ... I guess that's why he wrote it at this time.

It's Spencer's account of the life and death of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. He looks back on their childhood, their family life and the events that shaped Diana’s life, from her marriage to Prince Charles to her years in the public eye. He writes about Diana’s struggles within the Royal Family, her difficult marriage, her charitable work and the constant attention from the media. 

The book covers Diana’s final days, her death in Paris in 1997 and the events surrounding her funeral. Spencer shares his memories of the funeral arrangements, the decision to bury Diana at the family estate of Althorp and his experience of delivering the eulogy at Westminster Abbey. There is a great deal of time devoted to talking about the eulogy (it's even included a few times along with his handwritten version)!

Through personal memories and accounts of key events, Spencer offers a look at Diana’s life from the perspective of her brother, including their family history, her experiences as a royal and the circumstances surrounding her death and funeral.

I thought it was interesting and learned things I didn't know before. I thought the writing style was okay, though it's long. It bounced back and forth from the time period around when she passed away to their childhood. Not surprising, the royal family doesn't come off in a good light. I didn't find Spencer overly likeable but it was interesting to read how one lives when one is an earl and hanging out with royalty. I liked that there were photographs (about 12% of the book is devoted to them).

Mistake Rib Knitted Scarf

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

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Jewels and Jolly) 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.

Burrito Boyz, Etobicoke, ON (Jutland)

Gord and I watched a show last night about burritos and it got me craving one for lunch so I stopped in at Burrito Boyz (on Jutland Road in Etobicoke). 

I got a large chicken burrito (half for lunch and half later for supper) with refried beans, rice, black beans, cheese, corn, tomatoes, mild salsa and burrito sauce. Yum!

Book ~ "Tempted: My Story" (2026) Rick Campanelli and John Meyer

From Goodreads ~ “Though nothing came my way without a great deal of hard work, I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my life. Being a mostly open book in the public eye for over thirty years, people think they know me pretty well but it’s time for me to shed light on a few deep dark secrets that will shock many. 'Tempted' is a story of accomplishments and living life to the fullest but not without mistakes along the way. A cautionary tale of what can happen when you lose control. This is my full story, flaws and all.”

Rick Campanelli’s journey of winning a nationwide contest to become a MuchMusic VJ on the iconic Canadian music station launched him quickly from an unknown Hamilton kid to an on-air national superstar known as “Rick the Temp,” as his warm, affable personality won over millions of Canadians from coast to coast. But while in front of the camera his star was rising, behind the scenes all was not as it seemed. Revealed for the first time ever in Tempted, Campanelli shares the story of the secret demons he battled that nearly destroyed his life.

I like reading bios/autobios and memoirs. By the time Campanelli was on MuchMusic, I wasn't really watching it and haven't followed his life or career since. But I know who he is and was curious about his story. It's a quick read and I'm not sorry I read it.

Campanelli opens up about his rise to fame and the personal struggles he faced behind the scenes. He is/was known to Canadians as "Rick the Temp" and became known after landing a job as a VJ at MuchMusic in the 1990s. He went on to work in entertainment television, interviewing celebrities and building a successful broadcasting career. 

While things looked good on the outside, Campanelli was dealing with a serious gambling addiction. What started as an interest in winning eventually spiralled into compulsive gambling, mounting debts and difficult situations. For example, in 2008, he was detained by U.S. Homeland Security while returning from Las Vegas over unpaid casino debts. The memoir talks about how his addiction affected his finances, career and personal life.

It was interesting to read about his love of music and how creative he was to turn it into a career. I had watched MuchMusic so I enjoyed his descriptions of what it was like to work there and what it took to stay working in the industry. I recently read Denise Donlon's memoir so it was interesting to get another perspective of working there (they were at different levels). I also like reading about getting the inside scoop into the entertainment world and it sounds like Campanelli experienced quite a lot. 

I didn’t have an opinion of Campanelli before reading this book but I didn’t find him all that likeable by the end. I found his relevations quite surprising and unexpected. I’m not a gambler so I have a hard time understanding how someone can risk throwing everything away for the thrill. He seemed okay knowing he was potentially hurting people and would be pretty shady to get what he wanted/needed. 

While I appreciated his honesty, at times I thought he shared a little too much, especially when talking about his relationship with his first wife. I couldn’t help wondering how she felt about him airing their dirty laundry (like his cheating and having a "mistress") for everyone to read. What was also surprising is the lack of photographs, given what he does for a living. The only one is one the cover.

Mistake Rib Knitted Scarf

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

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Jewels and Jolly) 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.

KC's tree, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Toronto, ON

Fall has arrived and I stopped by Trinity Bellwoods Park this afternoon and visited KC's tree. Along with other trees in the park, the leaves on her tree are starting to change colour.