We went out for bike ride on Sunday, trying to find the entrance to a new bike path named the West Toronto Railpath. It took us about 20 minutes to wend our way through the West End until we finally reached Landsdowne, which is where the website map shows the (supposed) southern end of the path. If you…
Read More A street named ShirleyWalking home last night after work, I tried to stay on the sunny side of the street as much as possible. Even though the weather is warming up, there’s still a chill in the air and keeping in the sun makes for a more pleasant stroll through the city. My mobile sunbathing technique took me…
Read More No smoke without fire“Do you mind if I sit here?” I asked an older, portly gentleman at lunchtime today, as I approached his table in the dining area downstairs in the St. Lawrence Market. “Of course not,” he replied as he sat alone eating his own lunch, wearing an oversized jacket so not in keeping with the warm…
Read More The secret photographerThere was a young 20-some-year-old woman sitting opposite me yesterday, as I had dropped by the Luna Café at Argyle & Dovercourt. She was listening to her iPod while reading a magazine but her eyes never remained long on whatever she was reading. She kept glancing furtively at what few patrons were in the coffee…
Read More Coffee at Luna CaféThe intersection of Bay and King Streets in the downtown core of Toronto can be a busy and treacherous crossing for pedestrians. This is where the Go Train crowds gather as they make their way to work in the mornings, or as they head back to the train station on their way home at the end of the day.…
Read More Look left, look rightI had to put one of our cats to sleep earlier this month. Garbo Jeng had had a severe lung infection, which left extensive scarring on the lining of her lungs. It turned out she also had a very large tumour and she was in a pretty serious condition; her breathing was shallow and very…
Read More Garbo Jeng and Fatima: A Tale of Two KittiesWhen I was a kid in England, my dad used to take me and my younger brother to a local barber shop to have our hair cut. The name of the barber’s was Gillman’s and the owner was this small, compact, neat older guy, whose name I’ve forgotten (and who has since passed away) but…
Read More Slasher’s ChairSome cats are just naturally regal-looking and comport themselves well. Winston was like that. He was a stolid, good looking black cat of ours from a few years ago. Winston had survived on the streets for quite some time before being taken in by the Ottawa Humane Society, where we then adopted him. He’d been used…
Read More Classy CatAt night I travel alone on the Silk Road of your body.The scent of burnt musk fills my senses; my breath, a breeze,Blowing through the dark.I trace my finger over your shoulder, finding my way in a familiar place.What I carry is without substance, worth its weight in gold.My destination is to dream.
Read More SilkEaster Sunday was a good day for us when we were kids, second only to Christmas Day. We couldn’t wait to get home after Mass to unwrap our chocolate eggs! We’d remain in our Sunday best most of the day, as family and friends filed through my parents’ house for tea and biscuits. The religious…
Read More Losing my religionI love going to the coffee shop in the mornings during the week. It’s so civilized to sit down with a mug of strong coffee and read what’s happening in the daily paper, or touch base with a good novel before starting work. What makes it especially sweet is when I grab a side table…
Read More Mmm, gum!We were supposed to do our taxes this weekend, but that didn’t happen. Instead, we decided to rent a car and take off to Collingwood for the night. We booked ourselves into a quaint little inn called Beilds House Country Inn & Spa. It was a nicely arranged inn, with a very definite country feel to it; not…
Read More Taxes or a trip to Collinwood?I went to Sadie’s Diner for breakfast this morning. It’s not a bad place to go if you’re vegetarian or vegan and in the mood for some greasy-spoon style food. That’s their specialty there, catering to the veggies and vegans. The place has a classic diner feel to it. The cooks serve up a variety of acceptable…
Read More A café kind of daySome people think the way the CN Tower is lit up these days is decidedly tacky. Some just think it’s fun. Whatever the school of thought, if there’s a special occasion the tower usually displays a colour scheme appropriate to the event of the day. Yesterday being St. Patrick’s Day, the CN Tower was lit up in…
Read More Green DayThe Internet has increased exponentially in size and complexity over the last 10 years, and back in 1999 it was already providing online users with an embarrassment of riches in terms of information exchange, nascent technologies and ever-evolving formats for websites, and the potential to influence lives via communications with people halfway around the globe,…
Read More One click in ’99