2018 Posts
An adventure in dining
You might think the Anna Maria Oyster Bar specializes in oysters. That’s certainly what I thought. Judging from the decibel level that accosts you at the front door, the AMOB is considered by many people to be the place to ...
#IComplained
Once upon a time In a world of men, I complained. I probably imagined it It probably wasn’t a big deal It couldn’t have been what he meant And anyway I should just suck it up At least that’s what ...
The good, the bad, and the ugly
When we got to the marina, the sun was shining, the winds were moderate and the car said it was 24 degrees outside. A borrowed boat was waiting and we even had gas. The requisite stuff for opening weekend was ...
Let them eat cake
If you are approaching Versailles by road from the outskirts of Paris, you wind through mostly pleasant countryside on the A5, which is infested with transport trucks that somehow don’t seem to annoy the cows lounging on the receding farmland. ...
Alice in Wonderland
The 905 is the nickname based on the area code for the suburban sprawl that stretches East, West and North of Toronto and smacks up against the border of the 519 and 705 (area codes that used to be in ...
April in Paris
The Charles de Gaulle Airport is a chaotic conundrum that holds steadfastly to its belief that at worst stooping to install signage is unpatriotic and at the very least insulting to the French notion that if you don’t already know ...
Is this the real life? Is it just fantasy…
Spring has slammed into summer like a renegade shopping cart in a crowded parking lot. The leaves are already dark-green chlorophyll buffets for tiny caterpillars with an indeterminant place on the food chain. In the coniferous corner, this year is ...
100 Mile Diet
I am sorry to report that I am harbouring both a serial killer and a zombie. His name is Dennis. I am not trying to blame the victims here, but I do not know how a fifteen pound, eleven-year-old cat ...
And they’re off!
The Woodbine Racetrack used to be sort of on the outskirts of the city but is now warmly embraced by suburban sprawl to the north and east. On the west, it snuggles up against YYZ, with a fine view of ...
Homeward bound
Downsview Park is not a park and has no view. Discuss. Maybe that’s not entirely true. From the GO train upper level you can see the CN tower way in the distance, like a beacon of refuge for suburbanites yearning ...
Now I lay me down to sleep
Dorm rooms are built for function over form, kind of like conference room chairs are built for stacking not sitting. Dorm rooms are not interested in your enjoyment of anything. You are not here for aesthetics, you are here to ...
Welcome to the Lakeview Room
Welcome to The Lakeview Room Treetops, SML Township of Georgian Bay, District of Muskoka Your Premium Accommodations are ready for your enjoyment. Here are some things that will help you enjoy your stay: 1. Choose the towel of your choice ...
I think it’s going to be a long, long time
The kitchen light at the cottage has burned out. Just the kitchen light bulb, actually, since no light fixture has graced it yet. This required a fourteen-foot ladder to be brought into the kitchen complete with various vestiges of circular ...
Sink or swim
You never know when your last cottage lake swim is your last cottage lake swim. I don’t mean the “swims” that can happen any time (whether ill-advised or not) when exiting the sauna. I mean the swims that are self-initiated ...
Cat-napped
I don’t know why I obsess so much about putting my cats’ food in a clean bowl. Anyone who has an up close and personal relationship with cats knows they like to put on a show about being clean, but ...
You can dress me up
There was an interesting op-ed in the Globe and Mail this weekend by Elizabeth Renzetti about dress codes in schools. Specifically, dress codes for girls because it seems that girls are the only sex that warrants dress codes. And this ...
Colour Me Dubious
In case you didn’t know this, Pantone, the people who invented the paint colour chart, are also in charge of annual colour trend predictions for fashion. A few years ago, it was lots of Acai, Samba and Turbulence (the latter ...