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

Our dog, KC, passed away in May at the age of 16.

She loved running around in Trinity Bellwoods Park. There was always lots to smell. Here is our happy girl during one of our many excursions to that park.

I thought having a tree planted there in her memory would be a good way to remember her so I contacted the City of Toronto to arrange it. They plant twice a year and we were able to get in on the fall planting. You can choose your tree from a list ... I said to plant whatever is needed. We ended up with a maple tree, which we are happy about. They also put a plaque with it.

I heard this week that the tree had been planted so Gord and I went over this afternoon to look for it. We knew generally where it was and it wasn't hard to find. It is in the south end of the park, just NW of the circular driveway (just east of the community centre). Coincidentally is was along the route we walked many many times.

Here I am with the tree.

And here's Gord.

She may be gone but she lives on in our hearts and the park.

Conefree

We took Crumpet's cone off this morning ... she's had it on since she was spayed on Monday.

She was so happy! Freedom to run around being a spaz without clunking into everything ... yes!

She also took the opportunity to clean places she hasn't been able to reach in six days!

Look how happy she was afterwards!

Morgan just relaxed on his spot of the back of the couch being cool.

John Prine, Massey Hall, Toronto,ON

Gord and I went to Massey Hall tonight to see John Prine.

Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter who has been around since the early 1970s. I've been a big fan since the 1980s and have seen him a few times in concert.

Jimmy Rankin opened for him and played for a half hour. Rankin is a member of the Rankin Family from Cape Breton.

Prine came out at 9pm and played for two hours. He sang mostly older songs which the audience knew and sang along with.

Prine's birthday was October 10 (he turned 65) and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

His two band mates left him for a while and he sang some songs by himself and told some stories.

The audience loved Prine and showed their appreciation many times with clapping and cheering.

For the finale, Jimmy Rankin came back on stage for a song.

Brian Thwaits, Brain Trainer

Brian Thwaits was the luncheon speaker at the CPBI Conference today. He's from Hamilton.

He's knowledgeable, engaging and provocative.

And he's very funny.

Brian Thwaits is an entertaining and enthralling "brain trainer", a learning and communication whiz with a wealth of experience in both the private and public sectors. Brian first demonstrated his flair for performance as an award-winning teacher and is now an acclaimed professional speaker who engages both the hearts and minds of his listeners – so they leave his presentations with sides splitting from laughter and heads bursting with ideas.



Brian talked about how as we get older, we get forgetful. He discussed the top ten things we forget ... such as people's names, where we leave things (like our keys), what we were talking about, etc. Then he discussed ways of keeping your brain active and alert ... such as learning new things, doing puzzles, learning a new language, etc. That way you keep your dendrites happy and growing!

He was quick and funny with a variety of props and just what was needed after lunch. It's too bad he didn't have a longer time slot as I was enjoying his discussion.

Frank O'Dea

The first speaker at the CPBI conference this morning was Frank O'Dea.

Francis O’Dea, OC (born 1945 in Montreal) is a Canadian entrepreneur, humanitarian and author. He left a lifestyle of homeless panhandling and in 1975 co-founded the Second Cup chain of coffee stores with Tom Culligan. He is currently the Chair of AGSI Global and sits on the board of directors of Canadian Institute for Advanced Research he regularly speaks professionally on the subjects of his personal and business life.



His ongoing message was simple ... hope, vision, action. Inspiring way to start the day and the conference!

I had read his book, When All you Have is Hope, in October 2007 and enjoyed it.

Westin Hotel, Ottawa,ON

I am attending the CPBI (Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute) Ontario Regional Conference in Ottawa (today 'til Friday) and flew in this afternoon.

Here's my hotel room ...

The room is quite large and spacious.

I was hungry so had a burger and fries in the lounge about 4:30pm. The burger was HUGE and quite moist. I could only eat half of it.

There was a reception this evening at the National Gallery. Because I'd had the burger, I wasn't hungry so passed on the appies (cheese, lamb, small quiche, etc.) that were being served.

Afterwards I walked back to the hotel and relaxed in the tub with my book for a while. No doubt I'll sleep well tonight in one of the comfy beds.

Crumpet's healing

Crumpet got spayed on Monday.

The vet had warned us she may be groggy or sick the first night ... but she was her usual spazzy self. Yay!

Here she is this morning.

She's not crazy about the cone but she's used to it (she has to wear it for 10 to 14 days). She still clunks into things.

Her incision is healing well.

I had to go to London Monday night and got back yesterday afternoon and I'm heading to Ottawa this afternoon 'til Friday afternoon. Gord's been taking excellent care of her and Morgan ... he rocks!

Jack Astor's Bar & Grill, London, ON

After a meeting this morning, Steve, Steve and I had lunch at Jack Astor's before we headed back to Toronto.


Sammy greeted us at the door and opened it and then led us to our booth. She was extremely friendly while we were there and had a delightful English accent. Every restaurant should have a hostess like Sammy! That's what customer service is all about.

Our server was Dave. He was cool and kept calling Steve and Steve "Brother" ... for example, "Would you like some coffee, Brother?" He took good care of us.

Steve and I ordered Chicken Parmgiana (fresh chicken breast, lightly breaded and topped with smoked Mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. Served with bowtie pasta, tossed in a creamy cheese sauce) ... it's what I always get at Jack Astor's. As always, it was delicious!


The other Steve ordered a Chicken Club Sandwich (a marinated, grilled fresh chicken breast with bacon, lettuce, tomato and smoked paprika mayo on focaccia) with a salad. It looked fun!


Definitely a good eating experience and I'd stop in again the next time I'm in London.

Four Points by Sheraton, London, ON

I have a meeting tomorrow at 9:15am in London (our team is meeting about 7:30am for breakfast).

It's a two hour drive. Rather than having to be on the road at 5:30am (I'm sooooooo not a morning person!), we decided to head down tonight.

We are staying at the Sheraton. We ended up in suites ... only $135 a night! Sweet!

It is big and spacious ... nothing fancy.

The toilet is really low and you have the hold the handle down for a long long time for it to flush.

There is no charge for parking or WIFI (it was slow, though). They have renovations going on ... the reception is currently in a doorway and there is no lobby. They expect it to be finished in the spring.

I had skipped supper and got to the hotel about 8:30. I was hungry so had supper in the lounge in the hotel, Bentley's. Tuscany, the restaurant, provides the food. There wasn't a huge selection on the menu and what there was was on the fancy side. I ordered the pork chop and potatoes and had them hold the asparagus in a funky sauce.

It was okay, not great.

The lounge was okay. It tried to be warm and cozy but failed ... literally. There was a cold wind coming in and they had portable heaters scattered around.

Spay Day!

Crumpet got spayed today.

I dropped her off on my way to work this morning and picked her up this afternoon.

She has to wear a cone for 14 days which she isn't be happy about ... but it's best way to keep her from licking the incision. She's pulled it off three times already!

Here she is with Gord.

The vet said she was a sweet girl today ... very friendly! She now weighs 3.08kg (6.8 pounds), a gain of 0.82kg (1.8 pounds) since her last check up in August.

The vet said she will be groggy tonight. He doesn't know Crumpet very well ... she's running around with her toy now.

Basket Weave Dish Cloth

I made a basket weave dish cloth this evening.

It's an easy pattern and I used cotton yarn.

Cast on 36 stitches.

Knit three rows in garter stitch.

Rows 4-10: Knit 3, *knit 5, purl 5*, repeat 2 more times, knit 3
Rows 11-17: Knit 3, *purl 5, knit 5*, repeat 2 more times, knit 3

Repeat pattern two more times.

Knit three rows in garter stitch.

Bind off.

Sleeping kitties

Morgan and Crumpet spent most of the afternoon sleeping on the back of the couch, as they usually do.

They'd better wake up soon to eat. Crumpet is getting spayed tomorrow and I have to take their food away.

Stout-glazed Ribs

Gord had made Stout-Glazed Ribs in July 2010 and the post about them spent most of this past summer as one of my top ten most popular posts.

He made them tonight for supper. Whoohoo!

He had them marinading since this morning.

Here are Gord and the ribs at the BBQ.

Gord is in action, brushing the sauce on (you have to do this quite often).

Ta-da! They are ready.

I made mashed potatoes to go along with them.

They were delicious! Like the last time, no one ingredient overpowered.

Here's the recipe:

2 pounds pork loin back ribs
1 12-ounce bottle stout
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup honey mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon caraway seed
Salt and pepper
Fresh sage leaves (optional)
Grilled sweet onion wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Place ribs in a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For the marinade, stir together the stout, onion, honey mustard, garlic, and caraway seed. Pour the marinade over ribs. Close the bag. Marinade ribs in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
2. Drain the ribs, reserving marinade. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Pour marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered about 15 minutes or until the marinade is reduced by about half.
3. Meanwhile, prepare grill for indirect grilling. Test for medium heat above the drip pan. Place ribs, bone side down, on the lightly oiled grill rack over the drip pan. Cover and grill for 45 to 55 minutes or until juices run clear, brushing ribs frequently with marinade during the last 10 minutes of grilling. Discard any remaining marinade. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and serve with grilled sweet onion wedges, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Baby Seahorse Dish Cloth

I made a baby seahorse dish cloth this afternoon.

There's a seahorse looking left in the middle surrounded by waves ... it's cute.

It's the first time I've made this pattern ... it's fairly easy.

Size: approximately 8" X 8 ½"

Abbreviations:
k = knit
p = purl

Pattern: Cast on 39 stitches

Rows 1 - 9: knit.
Row 10: (wrong side) k3; (p3, k3) x6.
Row 11: k7; (p1, k5) x4; p1; k7.
Row 12: k2, p35; k2.
Row 13: k3; (p3, k3) x6.
Row 14: k3; (p3, k1, p1, k1) x5; p3; k3.
Row 15: k7; (p1, k5) x 4; p1; k7.
Row 16: k2, p35; k2.
Row 17: k3; p3; k27; p3; k3.
Row 18: k3; p33; k3.
Row 19: k18; p4; k17.
Row 20: k2; p14; k1; p4; k1; p15; k2.
Row 21: k3; p3; k10; p1; k6; p1; k9; p3; k3.
Row 22: k3; p14; k2; p4; k1; p12; k3.
Row 23: k19; p1; k3; p1; k15.
Row 24: k2; p21; k1; p13; k2.
Row 25: k3; p3; k13; p1; k3; p1; k9; p3; k3.
Row 26: k3; p13; k3; p4; k1; p12; k3.
Row 27: k19; p1; k19.
Row 28: k2; p21; k1; p13; k2.
Row 29: k3; p3; k13; p1; k13; p3; k3.
Row 30: k3; p15; k1; p4; k1; p12; k3.
Row 31: k14; p1; k4; p1; k1; p1; k17.
Row 32: k2; p18; k1; p16; k2.
Row 33: k3; p3; k8; p1; k6; p1; k11; p3; k3.
Row 34: k3; p15; k1; p6; k1; p2; k2; p6; k3.
Row 35: k11; p2; k6; p1; k1; p1; k17.
Row 36: k2; p18; k1; p4; k1; p3; k1; p7; k2.
Row 37: k3; p3; k15; p1; k11; p3; k3.
Row 38: k3; p15; k1; p6; k1; p2; k2; p6; k3.
Row 39: k19; p1; k19.
Row 40: k2; p11; k2; p5; k1; p4; k1; p1; k3; p7; k2.
Row 41: k3; p3; k13; p5; k2; p1; k6; p3; k3.
Row 42: k3; p17; k1; p3; k2; p2; k2; p6; k3.
Row 43: k12; p1; k13; p1; k12.
Row 44: k2; p8; k1; p2; k2; p9; k1; p2; k1; p1; k1; p7; k2.
Row 45: k3; p3; (k4, p1) x2; k6; p2; k9; p3; k3.
Row 46: k3; p6; k1; p19; k1; p6; k3.
Row 47: k15; p1; k3; p1; k2; p1; k16.
Row 48: k2; p35; k2.
Row 49: k3; p3; k10; (p1, k5) x2; p1; k4; p3; k3.
Row 50: k3; p18; k1; p14; k3.
Row 51: k21; p1; k17.
Row 52: k2; p9; k1; p6; k1; p2; k1; p15; k2.
Row 53: k3; p3; k12; p2; k13; p3; k3.
Row 54: k3; p33; k3.
Row 55: knit.
Row 56: k2; p35; k2.
Row 57: k3; (p3, k3) x6.
Row 58: k3; (p3, k1, p1, k1) x5; p3; k3
Row 59: k7; (p1, k5) x4; p1; k7.
Row 60: k2; p35; k2.
Row 61: k3; (p3, k3) x6.
Rows 62 - 70: knit.
Bind off purlwise and weave in ends.

Source

Sunday morning bang

I just heard a bang in the kitchen.

Without having to go investigate, I knew there was a Crumpet involved.

And sure enough, I was right!

She loves to wedge her head under the food dish and knock it over, spilling food all over the place. That's what the bang was this morning. I righted it before it could get worse.

And she loves pushing the water dish around the kitchen floor. Some days we have put it back more than five times ... then she just pushes it around again. We've admitted defeat and leave it wherever she wants it ... there's less water slopping around this way. Turned around backwards? In the middle of the floor? No problem!

Lemon and Rosemary Chicken (Pollo Arrosto)

Gord BBQed chicken for supper tonight.

Here's the recipe:

1 3.5 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon, peel removed, pith and pulp chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Toss chicken with oil, rosemary, lemon juice, garlic, lemon, and salt and pepper in bowl. Marinate for 1 hour.
2. Heat oven to 475°. Arrange chicken in a 9" x 13" baking dish; add remaining marinade. Roast, flipping once, until cooked through, 30–40 minutes.

Serves 4

He hadn't made it before and it was delicious! The chicken was so tender and juicy.

I hope he makes it again.