Book ~ "Why Cats are Assholes" (2021) Liz Miele

From Goodreads ~ Most people love cats. They’re fluffy, playful and can be a joy to have as a companion. However, they can also be huge assholes. So what can you do? How do you deal with a roommate who always seems to be plotting to kill you?

While we all love sharing adorable photos of kittens, these frisky felines are known more for marching to the beat of their own drum than abiding by the rules. From running around your home at two in the morning, knocking everything off your shelves, or taking up most of your bed, these furry critters can be immensely selfish and disrespectful to those who give them endless love and affection.

"Why Cats Are Assholes" is up for such a challenge. From studying their history all the way back to ancient Egypt, comedian Liz Miele  - the daughter of veterinarians - digests the cat psyche to try and understand why they do the things they do, and how we, as their loyal servants, can handle domestic bliss with them around.

With the help of her cat Pasta, Miele breaks down the common behaviors of cats in an attempt to try and better understand their plan of attack (if there is one), as well as what we can do to better prepare ourselves.

Whether you have one, two, or twelve fur babies, "Why Cats Are Assholes" is the ultimate guide to better understanding your pet’s behavior while taking back your home from these domesticated terrorists.

I love reading books about animals and have two cats (who are not assholes ... ha!).

Liz Miele is a stand-up comedian and cat lover whose parents are veterinarians. I hadn't heard of her and came across this book because my cat loving sister had borrowed the ebook on my library card so I found it on my account. It looked like and was for the most part a fun read. It's both humourous and informative ... I'm assuming (and hoping) she fact-checked with her mom who has a cat clinic. At the end of the book there are random questions and answers. 

The author often encouraged readers to post pictures on Instagram with the hashtag #whycatsareassholes. When I checked the hashtag, I noticed she hadn't "liked" the posts, which I don't think is very appreciative considering they are spreading her word for her.

The editing could have been better as there were a number of typos. As a head's up, there is swearing and a liberal use of the F-bomb.

Delta Bingo, Mississauga, ON

My pal, Franca, and I spent a fun afternoon playing bingo at Delta Bingo on Dixie Road at Burnhamthorpe Road E. 

It had been a while for both of us. Alas we didn’t win but we’re looking forward to playing again soon.

Me and Franca

Bingo Betty didn't bring us any luck!

Wild Wing, Mississauga, ON

I had a late lunch today with my friend, Franca, at Wild Wing in Dixie Road at Burnhamthorpe Road E in Mississauga. 

We both had wings and fries … I had Buffalo sauce and dill sauce on mine and Franca had salt and pepper.

Both were yummy!

It's a big restaurant and was really quiet so we were able to linger and chat.

Knitted Twisted Hat

I knitted another twisted hat. It’s a fun and easy pattern once you get into the repetitive groove.

I found the pattern here.

Directions are for size small; changes for size large are in parentheses.

Hat circumference at bottom edge: 16 (18)" [41 (46)cm]; Hat stretches to fit 20 (22)” [51 (56)cm]

I used 4.5mm [US 7] and 5.5mm [US 9] needles and 4 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles.

With smaller needles, cast on 90 (102) sts. Divide sts evenly around double pointed needles. Join to work in rounds, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker for beginning of round.

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round until piece measures 1½" [4cm] from beginning.

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 90 (102) sts.
Repeat round 2 until piece measures 8 (8½)" [20 (22) cm] from beginning.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 75 (85) sts.
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 75 (85) sts.
• Decrease round 2: *K1, yo, [k2tog] twice; repeat from * around – 60 (68) sts
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] around – 60 (68) sts.
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 45 (51) sts.
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] around – 30 (34) sts.
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] around – 15 (17) sts.
• Decrease round 6: [K2tog, k1] 5 times, k2tog 0 (1) time – 10 (11) sts.

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

Island Foods, Toronto, ON (Gladstone Avenue)

I had a late lunch today at Island Foods at Gladstone Avenue/Queen Street W.

I ordered what I always order at Island Foods ... a boneless chicken roti. As usual, it was delicious!

Book ~ "Friends and the Golden Age of the Sitcom" (2024) Joanna Hagan

From Goodreads ~ "Friends" ran for ten years, beginning in 1994 and airing its final episode in 2005. The show is inarguably the peak sitcom of its era. It's the most remembered, most quoted and so essential that companies have spent hundreds of millions on the streaming rights to "Friends" in recent years. But why does "Friends" mean so much to so many? What did this sitcom have that the other giant shows of that era didn’t?

This is a deep dive into the history of "Friends" but it’s also the history of ten years of network television. How did the world of sitcoms evolve through that decade? How much of a show’s success is down to small details like schedules and syndication, and how much of it is down to the content itself?

The landscape of television has changed drastically in the years since the end of "Friends", but the biggest show of sitcom’s golden age has endured like no other. This look at the history of "Friends", its legacy and the history of television in general will show you why. Both why the television industry has become what it is today, and why "Friends" has survived long beyond its decade. This is a celebration of "Friends", an interrogation of its success, and a history of television that explains much of what’s on our screens today.

I liked Friends and watched it throughout its run and still watch it occasionally. This book gives you a high level yet comprehensive review of the show. It was interesting getting the behind-the-scenes scoop on what was happening with some of the episodes. With the series, I was happy when the focus shifted from Rachel and Ross and I hated the Rachel-Joey crush/romance.

I also found it interesting to read about what was happening during Friends' run with the other networks and why some decisions about shows and programming were made. Lots of TV shows are discussed and I found myself Googling them because I'd forgotten about them, wondered why I hadn't watched some or hadn't heard of them. During Friends' original run, I was traveling for work often, taking lots of courses at night, didn't have a PVR or I guess just wasn't interested.

I found it odd there was a large focus on British viewers, their channels and shows and see the author is in England ... it at times felt like it was being directed at British readers rather than world-wide fans.

Knitted Twisted Hat

I knitted another twisted hat. It’s a fun and easy pattern once you get into the repetitive groove.

I found the pattern here.

Directions are for size small; changes for size large are in parentheses.

Hat circumference at bottom edge: 16 (18)" [41 (46)cm]; Hat stretches to fit 20 (22)” [51 (56)cm]

I used 4.5mm [US 7] and 5.5mm [US 9] needles and 4 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles.

With smaller needles, cast on 90 (102) sts. Divide sts evenly around double pointed needles. Join to work in rounds, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker for beginning of round.

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round until piece measures 1½" [4cm] from beginning.

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 90 (102) sts.
Repeat round 2 until piece measures 8 (8½)" [20 (22) cm] from beginning.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 75 (85) sts.
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 75 (85) sts.
• Decrease round 2: *K1, yo, [k2tog] twice; repeat from * around – 60 (68) sts
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] around – 60 (68) sts.
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 45 (51) sts.
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] around – 30 (34) sts.
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] around – 15 (17) sts.
• Decrease round 6: [K2tog, k1] 5 times, k2tog 0 (1) time – 10 (11) sts.

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

Book ~ "Exit" (2020) Belinda Bauer

From Goodreads ~ It was never supposed to be murder ... 

Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it’s never too late ... for life to go horribly wrong.

When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he’s there to perform an act of kindness and charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath. But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police – after making the biggest mistake of his life.

Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover what went wrong, while staying one step ahead of the law.

Felix is a 75-year-old widower whose world is very small ... he has no friends or a life, just a dog named Mabel. He is volunteer Exiteer ... when people want to end their lives on their own terms, he keeps them company, which he has done many times. He's not allowed to help them in any way ... just give them peace and comfort that they aren't dying alone and take away any evidence. With his last assignment, Felix discovers the wrong person passed away as he and a new Exiteer sat with him. He wants to make it right and find out how this mistake could have happened.

I liked the writing style and the dark humour ... what an interesting and different angle for a story! It's a convoluted tale with lots of twists and turns but it was a fun ride. It's written in third person perspective with a focus on where the action is ... including with Felix, Calvin (one of the investigating police officers) and Reggie (the son of the deceased). It was interesting to see Felix go from just having Mabel as his companion to having to open up and include others. The author is English so there were terms I wasn't familiar with. There was also a gambling side story which went over my head as I don't gamble. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Knitted Twisted Hat

I knitted another twisted hat. It’s a fun and easy pattern once you get into the repetitive groove.

I found the pattern here.

Directions are for size small; changes for size large are in parentheses.

Hat circumference at bottom edge: 16 (18)" [41 (46)cm]; Hat stretches to fit 20 (22)” [51 (56)cm]

I used 4.5mm [US 7] and 5.5mm [US 9] needles and 4 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles.

With smaller needles, cast on 90 (102) sts. Divide sts evenly around double pointed needles. Join to work in rounds, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker for beginning of round.

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round until piece measures 1½" [4cm] from beginning.

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 90 (102) sts.
Repeat round 2 until piece measures 8 (8½)" [20 (22) cm] from beginning.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 75 (85) sts.
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 75 (85) sts.
• Decrease round 2: *K1, yo, [k2tog] twice; repeat from * around – 60 (68) sts
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] around – 60 (68) sts.
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 45 (51) sts.
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] around – 30 (34) sts.
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] around – 15 (17) sts.
• Decrease round 6: [K2tog, k1] 5 times, k2tog 0 (1) time – 10 (11) sts.

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

Knitted Twisted Hat

I knitted another twisted hat. It’s a fun and easy pattern once you get into the repetitive groove.

I found the pattern here.

Directions are for size small; changes for size large are in parentheses.

Hat circumference at bottom edge: 16 (18)" [41 (46)cm]; Hat stretches to fit 20 (22)” [51 (56)cm]

I used 4.5mm [US 7] and 5.5mm [US 9] needles and 4 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles.

With smaller needles, cast on 90 (102) sts. Divide sts evenly around double pointed needles. Join to work in rounds, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker for beginning of round.

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round until piece measures 1½" [4cm] from beginning.

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 90 (102) sts.
Repeat round 2 until piece measures 8 (8½)" [20 (22) cm] from beginning.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 75 (85) sts.
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 75 (85) sts.
• Decrease round 2: *K1, yo, [k2tog] twice; repeat from * around – 60 (68) sts
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] around – 60 (68) sts.
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 45 (51) sts.
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] around – 30 (34) sts.
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] around – 15 (17) sts.
• Decrease round 6: [K2tog, k1] 5 times, k2tog 0 (1) time – 10 (11) sts.

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

SummerWorks, Toronto, ON

SummerWorks started on July 31 and ends tomorrow. 

SummerWorks is a leader, collaborator and community builder at the forefront of contemporary performance – asking crucial questions; nurturing artistic innovation; and presenting new works that reflect the complexity and diversity of our society.

I volunteered for three shifts at The Theatre Centre, which is in my 'hood. Though I've attended many performances over the years, it's the first time I've volunteered for SummerWorks.

Wednesday - I ushered for Warm Up.

Thursday - I ushered for Aye Caesar.

"Awake & Still Drowning", SummerWorks, The Theatre Centre, Toronto, ON

Since I was going to be volunteering this afternoon with Awake & Still Drowning, I went early and bought a ticket for it so I'd be able to experience it as I've never experienced VR before. It was a freaky but fun and cool experience. It was fun to watch the next groups do it.

AWAKE & STILL DROWNING is a 30-minute shared experience in VR and unsuspecting performance. It is a cautionary fable about the day Nova Scotia becomes an island, told through a combination of virtual reality and group choreography in which watching and performing signify the high cost of human migration when the exploited ocean takes back what is hers.

The experience splits the audience into two groups. The first group transforms into the protagonists, a flock of little white seabirds, performing a guided walk along a narrow landscape as directed by the VR headset, which depicts the rising ocean and disappearing shoreline. The second group waits in line, witnessing the flock without fully grasping the crisis unfolding inside the headset. Then, they join the dance, becoming part of the flock. The cycle continues until no one is left, or we must leave the venue.

Audience Experience:

Audience members will be invited into The Theatre Centre Gallery where they will be greeted by SummerWorks staff and volunteers and given instructions. Once ready, the group will enter the Franco Boni Theatre to learn how to use the VR headsets and how to calibrate the headset before the experience begins. The VR experience is approximately 15 minutes. Afterward, the audience members are invited to stay in the theatre for as long as they would like to witness the experience from the outside, sitting in the Franco Boni Theatre audience seating. Individuals can stay as long as they would like, watching multiple cycles.

Teeshirts for sale

Dustin and his family are from Nova Scotia
and were really friendly

Platinum Blonde and Billy Idol, ScotiaBank Area, Toronto, ON

It's been a while since Gord and I have been to a major concert. A few months ago I saw that Billy Idol was coming to town. I was a big fan of his back in the day and was going to get a ticket (they were priced fairly reasonably). Surprising Gord said he wanted to go too (he was into country music by the time Billy Idol came along) so we got tickets ... and the concert was tonight. It was fun to be out with thousands of fans singing and dancing. The vibe was exciting!

Here we are before the concert.

Canadian '80s band Platinum Blonde opened right at 8pm and played until 8:50pm. I wasn't a huge fan of theirs but liked a lot of their songs. The late Kenny MacLean had been in the band and was the entertainment for a couple of the Christmas parties with the company Gord worked for a few years ago. I volunteered for NXNE last spring and one of my shifts was at a bar owned by lead singer Mark Holmes.