Orange bundt cake, why I love Toronto, and moose heads

Thanks to my friends Sue and Tom for the dinner and company last night. It was my first visit to their new condo, which has a spectacular view of the Toronto skyline:



It was interesting to contrast this with the view from the OTHER side of the CN tower, when Jeff and I stayed at his mom's condo.

This may sound sappy, but I do love this city. I've gotten to know it pretty well over the years, from when I attended the University of Toronto, lived in a cockroach-infested apartment near Spadina and Bloor, part of a house in north Toronto, an apartment at King & Parliament, a downtown condo in a high-rise across from Roy Thomson Hall, and now in a house in a residential area in North York.

Jeff and I also got to know more of Toronto while househunting over several years. Each time we seriously considered a house, I would check out the neighbourhood on foot as well as the nearest subway station to see whether it had some of the essentials I needed (like a grocery store and a bookstore, not necessarily in that order). I loved the fact that every neighbourhood had its own personality, as distinct as the people who lived in it.

One of the things I really like about Toronto is its multicultural aspect. Whenever I ride on the subway, I almost always hear other languages being spoken. You also see a wide variety in the way people dress, from business garb to multi-hued Mohawk hair to Goth to ethnic. To those really baggy jeans on kids where the crotches hang down to their knees that I still don't really understand but y'know, they probably don't understand what I wear, either.


Winter colour at Sue's and Tom's place.


Anyway, it was fun to catch up with Sue and Tom, see photos and hear about their trip to the UK. For dessert, Sue had baked an orange bundt cake with chocolate icing which was AMAZING. I had several slices, and was very happy when she offered to send a big piece home with me.

On the way home, I stopped by a discount book shop in the Yonge-Eglinton subway station. I try to support the local children's bookstore as much as possible, but my appetite for kids' books far exceeds the limitations of my wallet, so I also turn to libraries and secondhand / discount bookshops to help satisfy my craving.

As I beelined for the children's book section, I heard singing. Turning, I saw the store clerk dancing to a tune on the radio, and singing along. He wasn't half-bad, either. He gave me a grin and I smiled back, but turned back to my book browsing -- I was tired, and wanted to get home. BUT I couldn't resist the lure of this bookshop, which sometimes a good selection of books for young people; the selection tends to change each time I visit, depending on how overstocked publishers are with certain titles.

The fellow danced up to me several times and tried chatting, but I'd say something non-committal, smile, but made a point of going back to my books. When it was time to check out, I was surprised when he gave me a discount on my discount.

When I thanked him, he said it was because I gave him the "nicest brush-off."

:-)

Not a bad way to end the evening. And I have more books, yay! Books are good.



Above: an inflatable moose head that Tom brought with him from Winnipeg, wearing a GAfilk cap.

Thanks for a great visit and dinner, Tom and Sue!

Link O' The Day

INCREDIBLE flautist: Thanks to Fiona for the link. I would kill to be able to play like this.

Amazing underwater camouflage: Thanks to Reid for this link. If you're anything like me, you'll want to watch this several times. :-) Keep an eye on the plant in the middle as the camera approaches....



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