Toronto City Life » week

Photo Dumpage: July Edition

Katherine — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:31:41 +0000

I needed to dump my pictures off my phone, so here you all are! The July edition of shitty pictures from my iPhone!

The day I got my hair cut…it was a wonderful day of swimming and wine and sunburns. And I love my hair. AND my high-wasted jeans DAVE. They DO NOT give me mom butt!

This tree is called a burning bush, or something like that. All I heard was ‘bush’ (giggle) because I am a child like that.

Oh yeah, these things. Ants. Right. Seems like every week, after garbage day, these guys show up and lap up all the spilled garbage liquid. Oh my god that is disgusting when you write it down like that. Anyway, there are hundreds of them!! All teeming and working…I fell in love with ants after watching Honey I Shrunk the Kids. When they adopt an ant and call him Anty. And then he dies for them. Sigh.

Let me give you guys some context, size-wise, here! Also, Dave likes to pet ants, did you know that? He is weird.

I screwed up my foot. Don’t listen to someone if they tell you that working out in your bare feet is the best way to do it. I was trying to be all hippie and shit, you know, paying attention to the ‘natural shock absorbers’ in my feet, being one with the earth and all. Yeah, that doesn’t happen. Instead what does happen is you wake up one morning with a fat sore foot, feeling sheepish for thinking you could possibly work out in your bare feet and remain injury free. In retrospect, there is nothing natural about a jumping jack. Glad to be of service here. Use my stupidity to avoid your own.

It was ok after a week or so. I wear shoes now.

Out one night with my sister best friend, we spotted this thing. I think it’s a bike/ music/ something or other. Creative is what it is. I love that it was just parked outside of the person’s house. How happy would you be every day riding to work in that thing?

My right arm. And leg. Love this girl. Without her I couldn’t function properly in life.

It twas a rainy evening, this twas. I was just starting to battle my month long sinus/ chest infection/ cold, so I felt pretty yucky. I just wanted to be in my pjs, watching Harry Potter. So that is what we did.

The rain un-straightened my hair.

Freaking cat.

Mmmm. Pork and beef tortiere. I just call it the yummiest thing I have ever consumed.

Dave reading the directions on the phyllo (filo) dough box for me. My baba rolled over in her grave over that one. What Macedonian needs to read directions on how to use phyllo dough? I ended up not really needing it in the end. All you really need is a lot of freaking butter and you are good to go.

I wrapped it around half a small wheel of brie. So. Effing. Good.

See? Buttered up.

Let it cool first. Don’t just rip into like we did, because we are vultures. It’s great on crackers, or just on it’s own.

Yeah, alright.

Look! It’s the pink bike!! I also have a picture of a yellow one too! Colorful Bike Watch Toronto has turned up pink, gold, and yellow so far. All in different spots in the city. Wonder what these are for?

Whoa there. Tone it down would you?

Hope you are all having a happy Tuesday!

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Picnics and Animals: Part 1

Katherine — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:28:13 +0000

So last week we had a company picnic. I probably shouldn’t even be blogging these because someone could potentially find them and then…oh, like I give a shit.

Last week (and the 4000 weeks I have worked here) was a bit of a hell week. Super busy fun times. Anxiety and allergy attacks were on the roster as well. So the last thing I wanted to do was leave work at 3PM and head out into the heat to attend a picnic in the woods. I was one of the last people to leave because I was trying to get my shit done and everyone was barreling me along. Ugh!! Who says that? I am making it sound like I would have rather been working than attending a fun picnic in the park. NO! I would rather have face-planted into my couch, thank you.

BUT…as you can see, it was a GORGEOUS day. I took a few deep breaths and exited the building. And my crazy brain. I actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

You are beautiful baby.

Still a little keyed up/ rigid here. Can you tell? My pose seems…posed.

I love this place. It always seems so Christmas-y. Even in the Summer. And we all know how psycho I get I feel about Christmas.

There’s the Kato we all know and love!! More relaxed now. The sun did wonders to iron out the kinks in my bones. Sometimes I can be spazzy,

Ahhh….the park, the park.

Much happier now.

I have sat under this very tree many times in my life. With many walks of friends. You could say that this is ‘the tree’ in my life.

I have enjoyed a few picnics along this little stream. Jess! Make your pasta salad again and we will go!

Phew. Less a walk and more of a HIKE.

I was trying to capture the sand storms our feet were creating while walking.

Did there used to be a house there? What the faaaa?

I am going swimming on Sunday! Not here, but somewhere better! So this picture doesn’t make me want to cry with jealousy anymore!

You are lovely, even when you shove a burger in your face.

Look at that fucking creeper in the background. Haha! Naw, he is a nice guy. A nice creepy guy.

Stay tuned! I mean, if you want to see animals butts.

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Gentle head shake for emphasis

Patrick — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:48:51 +0000

So I think this is the LG Fashion Week.

I gotta be honest with you, I don’t follow it too closely. I mean, I may not be that stereotypical sport-watching (unless you count Formula 1), beer-drinking (not averse though), guy who communicates through bodily noises (though I’m guilty of relaxing, certainly), but fashion is lost on me entirely. I firmly believe that heterosexual male genes do not allow one to comprehend fashion. The mind simply does not connect with it. Sure, it looks good on the girl, but in what way is it practical?

Will it keep my hands warm in the winter? Is it coloured neon orange so that in the event of an emergency I can wave it aloft to signal airborne emergency crews? Is it worth the money? Because I don’t need any tassels or doohickeys, and sure as hell no fluffy balls; I just want my money’s worth (and an extra pair of shoelaces). Since fashion is simply a word, a subjective concept like God or banana bread, it doesn’t affect the decision-making process.

And then there’s this:

I don’t know how the women put up with this. When I sit down for a haircut, I’m expecting to be out in fifteen minutes. Chatter to a minimum – cutting of the hair is priority. These girls probably sit in those chairs for hours having crap smeared on their faces and chemicals tossed on their hair. I’d have a powder brush to someone’s throat in about thirty seconds.

I doubt there will be a repeat of last year’s humorously inebriated speech by Robin Kay, the president of the Fashion Design Council of Canada (and major Fashion Week organizer). “[That] kind of bad behaviour is the equivalent of wearing a bad accessory”, said one of the event’s vice-presidents afterwards.

I really only have a gestural response to this one: *palm up, shrug, and “I have no idea” smirk*

I might also add: *gentle side-to-side head shake*; for emphasis.

The same could be said of the following item:

You may have noticed that this doesn’t look much like Fashion Week anymore, but it is somewhat related. They’re trying to get me to call this “yarnbombing” after the graffiti word “bomb” (to paint), but I refuse to do it. It’s a bunch of knitted yarn tied a utility pole in a park for the purpose of beautifying it. I read about it in a Star article today which tried to equate the activity of affixing a knitted square to a fence, to spray-painting a wall in a dank, dark alley.

Don’t get me wrong, putting cozies on everything isn’t such a bad thing. But as many people (mostly ladies) who put their knitting and stitching up last year discovered, a little rain or snow will quickly give their good intentions the middle finger.

Just not practical.

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Good old-fashioned road-tanned hides

Patrick — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:12:54 +0000

I wasn’t intending on writing about bicycles in Toronto quite so soon again, but then the mayor said this:

“NOW THEREFORE, I, Mayor David Miller, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim May 25 – June 25, 2009 as ‘Bike Month‘ and encourage everyone to get outside and ride!” — here’s the PDF.

Guess that’s Life for ya — in the City of Toronto, no less. Unfortunately Bill Carroll wasn’t on hand this morning to appraise the situation; perhaps he’s at home fearing for his life. Us bikers can be a pretty aggressive bunch, it’s true.

Yes, I biked today. My highly affordable and questionably-constructed Freespirit Aluminum Concept 6061 (that’s the name … can you find the web site? … ‘cuz I can’t), made the ride quite exciting. Aside from the single occasion I had to explain, in passing and quite loudly, why a truck didn’t need to block not only my lane but also the lane of traffic next to me just to make a left turn, it was a pretty smooth ride. The pavement needed some work in sections and I could see someone getting a surprise facial makeover if they weren’t careful, but for the most part the ride was without incident. Cars were unexpectedly cautious; perhaps it was the gentle swaying motion or the empty liquor bottle I was dangling loosely from my left hand, but everyone seemed to give me a pretty wide berth.

The biggest annoyances on the road today were actually the other cyclists. I’ll be honest, I don’t really care how stupid they’re being in front of cars or trucks because, let’s face it, that’s Darwin’s theory being played out in perfect harmony with the universe. It’s nature’s way of preserving a base level of intelligence in the general population, don’t you think? If the need to show their brains pubicly is really that profound, what goddam right do I have to stop them? But when they start pulling that shit in front of other cyclists or pedestrians, it’s a bit different.

It was mostly the inattention that got me: making a turn and simply not looking anywhere but forward; cutting out in front of cars on red lights; pulling out across the middle of the lane or the sidewalk and just sitting there; sometimes it’s just an unnecessary inconvenience and sometimes it’s just plain dangerous. Perhaps the topic of a future Guide to Urban Insolence for drivers?

Speaking of dangerous biking, this month is being kicked off with a close-quarters free-for-all race called the Criterium which, if the photographs speak true, promises some good old-fashioned road-tanned hides. The starting-line scrimmage should be wipeout central — *THE* place to be! I’m so excited that I’ve taken to wearing Depends all the time now.

Unfortunately, not everything will be this festive. The month-long celebration allows you to pack the pounds you’ve lost back on with a variety of pancake breakfasts and a bike tour of Dufflet stores. I think the Dufflet slogan should be: “Does this in any way taste like you want to know how many calories it has?” They have very very tasty cakes. Very tasty. For a reason.

There are a bunch of workshops and a couple of parades where people from all walks of life get to exclaim “I love to ride!”, which if you interpret it sexually as I do most things, is quite funny. I’m not sure what’s going on with the Leslie Street Spit other than some people bitching about the cormorants, but it’s going to be a popular destination with at least two tours of the area and another just across the water on Ward’s island. There are also a variety of group events such as the “Tuesday Ravine Ride”, “Wednesday Night Ride”, “Fast and Furious Friday Night Ride”, and the popular “Weekend rides” which are also open to enjoyably sexual connotations.

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