"Ruined", The Theatre Centre, Toronto, ON

I volunteered this evening at The Theatre Centre (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road) for Ruined and it was funny. It’s there until Saturday.

Award-winning comedian Daniel Stolfi, best known for his hit solo show, “Cancer Can’t Dance Like This” presents his 5th solo comedy special, RUINED, a comedic deep dive into how his Italian immigrant parents “ruined” his childhood … and other things he finds funny. Stolfi uses a blend of physical comedy routines, which he spent way too many hours trying to perfect in his attic, stand-up comedy so risqué, he might lose friends, family, and even his wife – for the sake of a laugh. And heartfelt and hilarious stories of his childhood “ruined” by his well-meaning, but undeniably Italian, immigrant parents. Complete with a special opening guest comic each night you wont want to miss this unforgettable evening of storytelling, stand-up, and physical comedy by one of Canada’s best!

Book ~ "Stowed Away" (2017) Barbara Ross

From Goodreads ~ It’s June in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and Julia Snowden and her family are working hard to get their authentic Maine clambake business ready for summer. Preparations must be put on hold, however, when a mysterious yacht drops anchor in the harbor - and delivers an unexpected dose of murder.

When Julia’s old prep school rival Wyatt Jayne invites her to dinner on board her billionaire fiancé’s decked-out yacht, Julia arrives to find a sumptuous table set for two - and the yachtsman dead in his chair. Suspicion quickly falls on Wyatt, and Julia’s quest to dredge up the truth leads her into the murky private world of a mega-rich recluse who may not have been all that he seemed.

Julia is getting her family’s Maine clambake business set up for summer in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. Their place on Morrow Island includes Windsholme, the old family mansion that was partly burned last year. An architect comes in to check out the mansion to see what can be done with it. The architect turns out to be Wyatt Jayne, Julia’s old prep-school mean girl. Julia isn’t happy to see her again but tries to be civil, as her mother seems to be taken with her. 

Wyatt is staying aboard her boyfriend, Geoffrey's yacht, while it's being refitted at the local marina. Geoffrey is very wealthy (made his fortune off the housing crash) and pretty much keeps to himself, partly because many people dislike him or protest against him. Wyatt invites Julia, her boyfriend Chris, and Quentin (a mutual friend) to dinner on the yacht with Geoffrey. It's pleasant enough but odd. The next morning, Julia gets a panicked call from Wyatt ... she'd found Geoffrey murdered. Julia teams up with Flynn, an off-duty police officer (he's girlfriend was the yacht's chef), to figure out what happened.

This story was written in first person perspective in Julia's voice. There was a twist towards the end that was a surprise but also unbelievable. The whodunnits in this series have been pretty straight forward but this one was a bit convoluted. It's a cozy mystery so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. At the end of the book, there are recipes that were mentioned during the story including oven roasted beer-can chicken and potatoes and gnocchi.

This is the sixth (of 12) in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. It works as a stand alone so you don't have the read the previous ones to know what's going on. I read the first five recently and will keep moving through the series.

Coronation Park and Trillium Park and William G. Davis Trail, Toronto, ON

It's such a nice day and I felt like being outside so I headed out to Coronation Park ... it's been a while since I've been there.

Knitted beanie

I knitted a beanie to donate. I used Caron Anniversary Cake and the colour is Oceana.

I found the pattern here and it was an easy pattern. 

I don't have a small 5.5mm circular needle so used 6.5mm so it's a bit bigger than a beanie and fits like a comfy hat. Plus I did 1x1 ribbing.

With A and circular needles, cast on 80 sts. Place marker, join being careful not to twist sts.

• Rounds 1-8: Work in 2x2 Rib stitch pattern until beanie measures 2” (5 cm) from cast-on edge
• Rounds 9-22: Knit around

Shape Crown

• Round 1: Knit. 
• Round 2 (dec): *K6, K2tog; repeat from * around — 70 sts. 
• Round 3: Knit. 
• Round 4 (dec): *K5, K2tog; repeat from * around — 60 sts. 
• Round 5: Knit. 
• Round 6 (dec): *K4, K2tog; repeat from * around — 50 sts. 
• Round 7: Knit. 
• Round 8 (dec): *K3, K2tog; repeat from * around — 40 sts. 
• Round 9: Knit. 
• Round 10 (dec): *K2, K2tog; repeat from * around — 30 sts. 
• Round 11: Knit. 
• Round 12 (dec): *K1, K2tog; repeat from * around — 20 sts. 
• Round 13: Knit. 
• Round 14: *K2tog; repeat from * around — 10 sts. 

Finishing

Cut yarn leaving a 6” (15 cm) tail. With yarn needle, draw tail through remaining 10 sts twice, pull tightly and fasten off. Weave in ends. Block lightly. 

Knitted hat

I knitted a man's "Family Hat" to donate. I used Caron Anniversary Cake and the colour is Oceana. 

I found the pattern here and it was an easy pattern. 

I adjusted the pattern so I could knit it on circular needles and avoid having to sew the seam at the end and didn't do a pompom.

Cast on 60 stitches. 

• 1st row: *K1. P1*. Repeat to end of row.
• Repeat this row 7 more times.

Proceed in stocking stitch until work from beg measures 6 inches/15 cm.

Shape crown: 

• 1st row: *K2tog. K2*. Repeat to end of row.
• 2nd row: Knit.
• 3rd row: Knit.
• 4th row: Knit.
• 5th row: *K2tog. K1*. Repeat to end of row.
• 6th row: Knit.
• 7th row: Knit.
• 8th row: Knit.
• 9th row: K2tog. Repeat to end of row.
• 10th row: *K2tog. Repeat to end of row.

Break yarn, leaving a long end. Thread end through remaining stitches. Draw up and fasten securely.

Dog & Bear Pub, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper this evening on the patio at the Dog & Bear on Queen Street W (at Dovercourt Road). 

He had Mac & Cheese with bacon (baked macaroni in a bechamel sauce) and said it was cheesy and good. 

New Toronto Fish & Chips, Etobicoke, ON

I had lunch today at New Toronto Fish & Chips (Lake Shore Blvd W/Fifth Street). Apparently it’s been around for about 90 years. It’s not a fancy place (and I’m okay with that).

Knitted Twisted Hat

I knitted twisted hat to donate. I used Caron Anniversary Cake and the colour is Oceana.

I found the pattern here.

I converted the pattern because the yarn is thicker than the pattern. I used 6.5 needles and 6 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles or circular needles.

Cast on 84 stitches. Place marker for beginning of round. 

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round for 8 rounds..

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around.
Repeat round 2 for 30 rounds.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] repeat
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] repeat
• Decrease round 2: [K1, yo, k2tog k2tog] repeat
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] repeat
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] repeat
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] repeat
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] repeat

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining sts and pull to gather. Secure end. Weave in ends.

ABBREVIATIONS
k = knit

k2tog = knit 2 sts together

p = purl

St st = Stockinette stitch

st(s) = stitch(es)

yo = yarn over

"Pull Up Your Socks", The Theatre Centre, Toronto

I volunteered this evening at The Theatre Centre (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road) for Pull Up Your Socks. It’s there until Sunday. 

Viv Moore’s movement-based show "Pull Up Your Socks" is a tale of derring-do, with dance, song, text, film and, of course, Pirates and the world of Faerie. She explores ageing and the spectrum of grief, including humour, death, sadness, joy and whacky memories. Viv’s rebellious nature challenges the concepts of ‘normal’ for women of a certain age, or any age. She has always objected to ideas foisted upon us by others, and in particular how those dealing with dementia (whether carer or sufferer), are expected to behave.

Book ~ "Iced Under" (2016) Barbara Ross

From Goodreads ~ The snow is deep in Maine’s Busman’s Harbor and the mighty rivers are covered in ice. Snowden Family Clambake Company proprietor Julia Snowden and her mother, Jacqueline, are hunkered down for the winter when a mysterious package arrives - heating up February with an unexpected case of murder.

Inside the mystery package is an enormous black diamond necklace that once belonged to Julia’s great-grandmother and disappeared in the 1920s. Who could have sent it - and why? Julia’s search for clues takes her on a perilous journey through her mother’s troubled family history, from a squabble over the family fortune in “frozen water” to the recent unexplained death of Jacqueline’s long-lost cousin Hugh - who’d been missing and presumed drowned for more than forty years. To protect her mother’s inheritance, Julia must fend off a small army of feuding relatives, solve the mystery surrounding Hugh’s demise and get back home before the next blizzard buries them all.

The Snowden Family Clambake business is shut down for winter in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and it's a quiet time for Julia ... the family is waiting for her sister to have her baby. Things take a surprising turn when her mother receives an anonymous package containing a valuable family heirloom ... a black diamond necklace that once belonged to her estranged mother’s family. Julia investigates and discovers she has relatives in Boston they didn't know about and heads there to meet them and see what she can discover and about the necklace and determine who had sent it. When she arrives, the relatives are gathered because Hugh, her mother's long lost cousin who she had thought had died 40+ years ago, has just passed away. It was expected as he was ill but things get tricky when the police determine he didn't pass away naturally.

This story was written in first person perspective in Julia's voice. It was a bit confusing keeping the family members straight as there were a few of them. I thought the mystery in this story was finding out who sent the necklace so it was a surprise when there was talk of a potential murder more than halfway into the story. It's a cozy mystery so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. At the end of the book, there are recipes that were mentioned during the story including beef stew, ginger snaps and lasagna.

This is the fifth (of 12) in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. It works as a stand alone so you don't have the read the previous ones to know what's going on. I read the first four recently and will keep moving through the series.

Le Dolci Culinary Classroom, Toronto, ON

I’ve been an Elite Yelper for 16 years and was offered the opportunity to attend Yelp Toronto’s Frost and Fun at Le Dolci Culinary Classroom (12 Sousa Mendes Street). Le Dolci is a female-owned culinary classroom offering over 15 hands-on baking and decorating classes for all ages and skill levels. 

Beertown Public House, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper at Beertown Public House (Wellington Street/University Avenue) with our pals, Trish and Shawna (Shawna is visiting from Regina). It was fun to catch up! 

And here we are ...

Shawna, Trish, me and Gord

Gord had Yellowfin Tuna Poke Salad (gochujang dressed raw tuna, sweet mango, avocado, edamame, radish, spiced peanuts, rice noodles, cucumber, shredded kale + sprouts, lime vinaigrette, peanut ssamjang sauce).

Classic Lightfoot Live, The Theatre Centre, Toronto

I spent this evening volunteering at The Theatre Centre (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road). 

There was a private showing of a production in development with Classic Lightfoot Live, a Gordon Lightfoot tribute band. They played almost 30 songs and told stories about what the songs were actually about and what was happening in Lightfoot’s life when he wrote them. While the band was playing, photos and videos were projected behind them. It was an excellent show and the band was really good.