CAMH's celebration

Join CAMH in celebrating our 10th anniversary and the Grand Opening of the first phase of the Queen Street redevelopment project with a street fair on White Squirrel Way, on the western edge of the 1001 Queen Street West site.

CAMH staff will welcome you along with other dignitaries, clients, community partners and the neighbourhood, providing entertainment, food and a variety of vendors and displays.

On our walk this morning, KC and I discovered the CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) festivities.

There were tables set up selling lots of stuff.


Though they looked delicious, I resisted the chocolate pizzas by Sweetiepies.


I ran into Helene, who I had met earlier this week. She is the case worker responsible for the gardens on the grounds. The clients of CAMH take care of it. They had a table selling veggies and herbs from their garden.


There is a BBQ at noon.


The Parkdale Drummers were really good. They played reggae, calypso and finished off with "Hot! Hot! Hot!".


KC isn't a friendly dog but this guy became her new best friend ... cuz he was feeding her a hamburger (I didn't notice at first).

Byron

As you know in the past, I've have problems making the bed.

One of Byron's favourite spots is on my side of the bed. I have to be quick in the mornings to make the bed before he gets settled in.

Today he beat me to it!

I made the bed around him ... which was fine with him. He just settled in more.

And there's Morgan in the left bottom corner of the picture. If someone else is getting attention, he's right there! Me! Me! Me!

Book ~ "T is for Trespass" (2007) Sue Grafton

From Goodreads ~ A miser and a hoarder, Gus Vronsky is so crotchety that after he takes a bad fall, his only living relative is anxious to find him some hired help and get back home as soon as she can. 

In an effort to help, Gus's neighbor, private investigator Kinsey Millhone, runs a check on an applicant for the job, Solana Rojas. Social Security, driver's license, nursing certification: It all checks out. And it sounds like she did a good job for her former employers. So Kinsey gives her the thumbs-up, figuring Gus will be the ideal assignment for this diligent, experienced caregiver. And the real Solana Rojas was indeed an excellent caregiver. But the woman who has stolen her identity is not, and for her, Gus will be the ideal victim.

It's been a while since I've read a Kinsey Millhone story (because there haven't been any since 2005) so it was good to read "T".

There's a lot I liked about this book. It was interesting to read two "voices" ... Kinsey's and Solana's. It worked for me. The main story was a bit extreme at times but I enjoyed it.

There was a subplot that could have had a different slant rather than the heavy child molestation. Some of the characters were very convenient.

All in all, I'd recommend this book.

Divorce cakes' tiers of joy

From today's Toronto Star

Liberty Village Farmers' Market

Gord, KC and I took a walk over to the Liberty Village Farmers' Market this morning.


Lots of fresh fruits, veggies, herbs and baked goods.






Gord bought some bison burgers ... bison is a lot healthier than even chicken.

Book ~ "Befriend and Betray" (2008) Alex Caine

From Amazon.com ~ The Hells Angels. The Bandidos. Asian triads. Russian mobsters and corrupt cops. Even the KKK. Just part of a day's work for Alex Caine, an undercover agent who has seen it all. Alex Caine started life as a working-class boy from Quebec who always thought he'd end up in a blue-collar job. But after a tour in Vietnam and a stretch in prison on marijuana-possession charges, he fell into the cloak-and-dagger world of a contracted agent: infiltrating criminal groups that cops across North America and around the globe were unable to penetrate themselves. Thanks to his quick-wittedness and his tough but unthreatening demeanour, Caine could fit into whatever unsavoury situation he found himself. Over twenty-five years, his assignments ran the gamut from bad-ass bikers to triad toughs. When a job was over, he'd slip away to a new part of the continent or world, where he would assume a new identity and then go back to work on another group of bad guys. Told with page-turning immediacy, Befriend and Betray gives a candid look behind the scenes at some familiar police operations and blows the lid off others that law enforcement would much prefer to keep hidden. And it offers an unvarnished account of the toll such a life takes, one that often left Caine to wonder who he really was, behind those decades of assumed identities. Or whether justice was ever truly served.

Excellent book!

I enjoy bios and this one sounded interesting, especially since he was Canadian.

The writing style was fast-paced and the stories riveting. There was even an experience here in Toronto.

Toronto FC 0, Kansas City Wizards 0

I've been wanting to check out a Toronto FC soccer game but tickets are always sold out. They play just south of us at BMO Field so we can hear the fans.

Gord's friend, Malcolm, has seasons' tickets. He is out of town this weekend so gave Gord and I his tickets. The FC were playing host to the Kansas City Wizards.






The game ended with no score.

Though I don't know much about the rules, it was a fun experience! The fans really get into the game ... they are continuously loud and wear red.

The only annoyance was that people are up and down, up and down, up and down heading to the washroom, getting food, etc. So we were constantly standing up to let people by (we were on the aisle) or having people stand up in front of us getting out.

The Beaches

I hung out with Trish in her 'hood in the Beaches this evening. I live in the west end of Toronto so going to the east end was quite the adventure (a 45 minute streetcar ride).

We walked along Queen Street E.

Our first stop was Castro's Lounge for a couple drinks.

Teena and Trish

Trish

We had supper at Bow Thai Restaurant. I had green curried chicken and rice (which was delish!) and Trish, who is a vegetarian, had the Purple Garden (stir-fried eggplant with onion, chili, sweet pepper, onion).

Trish

We then went to Captain Jack's for a couple drinks before heading home.

Trish

Lunch with Eduardo

I had lunch today with Eduardo at Island Foods.

Eduardo and I worked together for nine months in 1998 and still get together every couple of months for lunch.

Eduardo had oxtail and rice.


I had what I always have ... boneless chicken roti. Yum!

Eduardo

Trip to the vet

KC's annual check-up was this afternoon. The vet said she's in great shape for her age (she's 13).

She's been having problems with her eyes and a test showed that she isn't producing tears anymore. So I've got ointment to trick her tear ducts.

She's not fond of the vet at all ... so I took her across the street to Trinity Bellwoods Park afterwards and she was very happy!

Book ~ "Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous" (2007) Esther Blum

From Amazon.com ~It's quite possible to have your cake and eat it too, argues dietitian-nutritionist Blum in this bubbly, vivacious approach to living well the healthy way. Avoiding dietary absolutes and encouraging readers to make gradual changes in their eating habits rather than drastic ones (which are often hard to keep up), Blum's sensible guide is sure to resonate with young women. She makes compelling arguments for choosing organic foods, going so far as to list the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, and extols the virtues of grass-fed meat and dairy. An informative chapter detailing alcohol's specific effects on women (including calorie counts for a long list of beers and cocktails) enable readers to make the most of their nights out without paying for it later. Troubleshooting suggestions offer relief from the symptoms of everything from hangovers and herpes to smoking cessation and premenstrual discomfort. Rounded out with chapters on dietary supplements and depression, as well as a Q&A for frequently asked queries, "What kind of prepared foods (i.e., frozen dinners) are actually good for me?", Blum's guidebook complete guide to women's health is an encouraging, smart and sisterly volume that deserves a place alongside other trusted go-to resources.

A quick entertaining read. I thought it would be focused on just on diet but it covered a wide variety of topics and ailments and how to deal with them nutritionally.

This is a good book to have handy.

Taste of Little Italy, Toronto, ON

This weekend is the Taste of Little Italy. It's just north of us so we walked up this afternoon. Every year in Little Italy, they close down College Street from Shaw to Bathurst. There are lots of patios that spill out onto the street, bands on various corners, food vendors, etc. It attracts tons of people. It's become an annual event for Gord and I.

Italians have enjoyed its rich and affluent culture for centuries, with a way of life admired by all. This year you don’t need a plane ticket to experience Italy, we are bringing Italy it to you! The Taste of Little Italy will be held from Friday, June 13, to Sunday, June 15, and we invite you to enjoy a “taste” of our unique College Street ambiance and culture.
Gord was attracted right away by the jambalaya being served on the patio of the Vogue Room.

He enjoyed it so much that we stopped in on our way home and he bought some for his lunch on Monday. Their draft was a microbrew called Golden Horseshoe Pale Ale ... it was good! And a great deal at $3.75!

There was lots of music. Here are just a few bands ...





As we did last year, we had a 15 minute shiatsu treatment ($15). Very nice!


There were lots of food vendors serving souvlaki, hot dogs, jambalaya, sandwiches, ice cream, BBQed sardines and lots more. Though I'm sure the meat was delicious, I didn't need to see this pig.



There was lots of stuff for families.





I had honey garlic wings at Duff's, which were good.



A Taste of Little Italy attracts a lot of people!



We watched Ben Mercer interview Frank Ferrari on Talk 1010 about his wine, Voga, a pinot grigio. We were intrigued enough to go try it. And it was tasty!



Gord loves mojitos so we tried one at the Sutra Tiki Bar. I'm not a fan of mojitos but I liked theirs.

Then we tried them at Souz Dal. I liked theirs better ... it was limier.




It was late and we were getting hungry so got burritos at Burro Burrito. We love burritos so like trying new places. This one was okay, not great. I won't be rushing back. Burrito Boyz is still my fav!

No Kids: 40 Reasons Not to Have Children

You know I don't have children. I chose not to.

There was an article in today's Toronto Star called Je regrette . . . French mother argues that having children ruins romance and relationships. It was an interview with author Corinne Maier.

When it was first published in France last summer, Corinne Maier's No Kids: 40 Reasons Not to Have Children caused a sensation. Not only did it chide the nation for its birth rate, the highest in Europe, it also lectured readers on how it wasn't green to add people to the planet – and how green with envy she was of childless people. ...

I found Maier's view rather harsh considering she is a mom of two. Especially the last question in the interview:

Q: So why did you have children?

A: I was optimistic. I had no idea that I would become a prisoner for 20 years.

Ouch!

Crop update

We've had a lot of rain and sun lately ... and my crops are loving it!

Red bell peppers

Sweet pepper

Cherry tomatoes

Peppermint

Book ~ "The Power of Nice" (2006) Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

From Amazon.com ~ Coauthors Thaler and Koval submit their own success in the cutthroat world of advertising as evidence that nice girls can finish first while taking home more than a dozen Clio awards along the way. Following up their bestselling look at creating compelling marketing strategies—Bang!—they turn most truisms about business inside out, arguing that good deeds are returned, not punished. Warning against a me vs. you mentality, they even suggest helping opponents as a good way to boost a career. Game face on? Thaler and Koval say, take it off. Being genuine, they explain, produces much better results. From crediting their friendly building security guard for helping them sign new clients to recommending chocolate as an accompaniment to presentation materials and invoices, they build their case for using little gestures to get you what you want. Though a lively and pleasant read, this is not a cutesy little bonbon of a book. Well thought-out and crisply presented, it offers key principles, case studies and exercises to help make niceness habitual. Some exercises, like turning personal disappointment into positive energy, are even quite therapeutic.

A nice reminder to be nice!