bring all that I love.

Come on the next boat.

Pack a suitcase of paper.

Bring your own hands and bike, rain pants.

Bring a long novel,

bring all that I love.

- K.I. Press

Someone came for a visit, and it was very nice.

candy is dandy

I am not known for having docile notions towards winter.We've had our differences.

In general the whole “let’s smile through six months of dark and cold and look to our crappy Tim Hortons coffee cups for nostalgic thoughts of winter” doesn’t sit well with me, especially considering there are places like Hawaii and Fiji in this world where people never need trouble themselves with proper winter boots. All this cold is enough to make me turn my nose up at Mother Nature and only address her with expletives, but no, I am Canadian, and that is not the polite thing to do. So we trudge on. We hide our curves and cute sweater dresses under big bulky jackets, or flirt with messy hair thanks to our favourite toques. Well, if Mother Nature isn’t going to help us out, we need something to cheer us up. Enter the Drake Hotel`s breakfast cocktail. 

Lemonade + Maple Syrup + Jack Daniels
Throw in your pretty Korean for good measure, and Mother Nature won`t know what hit her.
Also, apologies about the quality of these photos. Drinking breakfast cocktails might be to blame, 
but I  doubt it.  

while I was walking

 

 

 

She put the miss in misdemeanor when she stole the beans from Lima

Well she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina, 

She's a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize,

 She'll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China,

Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?  

We never did find that thieving wench, but we had a great time.

Thanks Improv in Toronto.

Btw - Part of the fun was getting a stranger to write words of wisdom on your arm.
I asked an older woman to help me out and she wrote "love, grace, mercy" on my wrist.
I may have to get a tattoo.
Sorry mom.

Better Off Red

Blue, red, green, and yellow stripes on a white background.
It’s pure Canada, and one of our oldest logos.
The Hudson Bay Company also knows a thing or two about window displays …

 

 

 

Redheads make everything look better.

Here, There, and Most Everywhere

A quick recap.
I left this.

 For a nice day in Portland with this lady.

Then I packed my bag and headed to the airport nice and early only to learn after a few hours that my flight had been cancelled. Instead of flying this way and that with too many layovers I opted for a flight the next day, which worked out just fine because I got to drink a few more Stumptowns and see an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while.

One photoless day in Vancouver with a great lady
...don't worry, you'll get to see her in a second .... 
and I was back in an airport.

A kind stranger with a hometown connection let me share his fancy car home from the airport, because the shuttle was far too expensive. 
Seriously Toronto?! 22$?! 
The next day after a little rest I made a small feast with the lady ...

... and then there were kitties!!

Look who flew across the country for dinner?

After that I went back to the county for a birthday and some packing .. 

My little brother isn't quite so little anymore.

Little brothers make good barbers.

Once he was pretty enough for the city ...

... we set off.

And now, I live in Toronto again.

would you care if I stayed? - Hawaii

And finally it came.
It always does.
My last day.
I was a little sad, so we had a feast.
Poi, kahlua pork, lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, haupia … they had all things delicious at 

Ono Hawaiian Food.

 

and a little shopping at Bailey's.

One last wander ... 

 

... and a few too many cocktails later ...

 (3 weeks in Hawaii.

You'd think she would have a tan by now.)

... and I was pouting at the airport waiting for my airplane ...

You are a little too delicious - Hawaii

Papaya.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Delicious.

Sometimes the universe is really nice and decides to give you exactly what you want, 

when exactly you want it. 

It was too hot. 

I needed shade, and then I found the garden.

After poking around for a bit I sat and read my book in an old rickety chair. Some time later an older gentleman came through the garden and stopped when he saw me sitting there.
“Well. That’s the best use of the garden I've seen in a long while.”
“Thanks.”
Ten minutes later he came back and gave me a nice bunch of flowering tarragon.

I may have blushed.

When the sun relaxed I set out again.

I was feeling a little hungry.
Apparently Obama likes this place nearby called...

…. and this scary looking bowl is the smaller version of a Hawaiian special, loco moco.
Start with rice at the bottom, add a hamburger patty, some gravy, and finish it off with a fried egg, and maybe if you have red hair and like a little heat you’ll add a few splashes of hot sauce. You know how some really unattractive people end up having the best looking kids? That’s this dish. It doesn’t seem like it should work, but just you try not loving it.

After indulging in such a delicacy a girl must walk  ...

... and perhaps shop.