Month: May 2014

She looks pretty happy to be entering a new decade, starting off The Year of Danica as decreed by her friend Sue Neville.
We got the bikes out today for the first time this year and practiced all of the riding skills we forgot over the long winter. Later on, there’s a birthday dinner of prime rib at Kathleen’s house, with present openings. The day has already been filled with warm wishes by phone, and email. Off to a good start!
[Update] A few party pix…

Kathleen transformed her place into Party Central with balloons and accessories themed pink and black. Deborah’s fabulously appropriate gift of Lululemon yoga attire followed the colour scheme. Kathleen’s prime rib dinner was outstanding, complete with perfectly cooked fiddleheads.
It was a perfect get-together, just the four of us. Any more and Danica would have been overwhelmed. As it was, she was astounded by the generosity of the many, many friends and relatives who feted her with gifts, calls and online good wishes.
Sixtieth birthdays are often occasions for gag gifts, putting the emphasis on impending frailties. Danica has done something right, because her friends concentrated on comfort and luxury. Without itemizing all of her loot, I’ll just say that she received beautiful bling, everything she would need to open her own spa, expensive scents and floral tributes. In short, she keeps company with people of taste.

After a little walk and a filling lunch at a local diner, Ruth, John, Danica and I went to see a nearby curiosity … a large bronze sculpture that sits incongruously on palettes, on a small front yard. It’s been there for years and our old friend Ben Viccari wrote it up before he died.
The purposes of the Colombo visit were many. The walk and the always-stimulating conversation at lunch, of course. The sculpture viewing. But we also returned to our place so that I could be briefed on needs for upcoming cover designs. Ruth and John are about to publish more books and we collaborate on covers.
Importantly, it was the day for the Colombos to chose their “Helen Andersen” from a number of originals I framed for presentation. They zeroed in on an abstract, landscape-ispired piece done in very British Colombian colours. Very rain forest.

As it happened their choice was one of two pieces that I had framed as a pair, and we all agreed that they should stay together. Helen would have been delighted to know that two of her pieces would be hanging on the distinguished walls of the Colombo home. You would be astonished to know how many Canadian and international notables have visited that house, but the list is far too long to post here. Another book, John?

Smartphones? A neighbour asked if I could explain the workings of a new Blackberry. “It’ll do a lot of things but I can’t figure out how to make a phone call with it”.
I read this week that old phones (non-smart) are selling second hand for hundreds of dollars … more than they cost new, sometimes … because they are simple and easy to use.
Having never owned a cellphone (yes, I’m bragging), I am of no help to anyone mystified by these devices.

The email looks real, but is it? eBay wants me to change my password because their database was hacked and my password was stolen.
Yes, it’s true and rather inconvenient if the password is one that has been used elsewhere, because now it has to be changed everywhere.
I did even better than that. I cancelled my eBay account altogether. No loss to me, and why leave information lying around in places that I seldom use anyway. I can always get another account if I ever want one.

Fewer, harder seats with less legroom, but more standing room. Hey, during rush hour, you weren’t likely to get a seat anyway.
The new TTC streetcars
A single driver will be able to haul double the number of riders, possibly saving labour costs.

Here’s a great blog, illustrating that some people really can’t judge a book by its cover. The customer/reviewer gives one star and this comment:

“I see that there is an apple on the front so I think —- cookbook!….Then no apples or recipes. Only things that are not true about the world around us.”
The art director for the cover must have thought it very clever to create an apple that is an orange inside. Nope. “Too clever is dumb,” says the old German proverb.
Clients pay big bucks for commercial photographers, food stylists and retouch artists, all to get mouth-watering shots that are absolutely perfect. Our reviewer didn’t even notice that the apple had something odd about it.

Kathleen, Danica and I made this our only Doors Open stop on Sunday.
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Cornell Campbell House has not been open until this year, because one of the owners was living in it, into her nineties. The house was built by Scarborough pioneers in 1836, first as a clapboard-sided wooden house. A brick exterior and additions came later … as was typical with these homestead homes.
We were only admitted to the ground floor. The interior still has good, original characteristics but they need proper restoration. At present, a bit of cheap tarting up has been done and a few mod-cons from Home Depot or Canadian Tire have been carelessly installed to serve Parks Canada office tenants. Unlovely, but with potential.
The grounds are spacious and must have been quite handsome when they were tended. More work ahead for whomever takes on the challenge. The future use of the city-owned building is undecided. Probably a meeting/event/convention kind of thing.

We opened many doors all at once by going to Doors Open at the Carlaw Creative Lofts. 300,000 square feet of rockin’ fun inside a former toy and doll factory.

Too much for one big picture, so slideshow…
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A neighbourhood day of planting, touring, meeting, greeting and eating. It all went rather well and Gerrard street is looking pretty nice. Some child labour was involved. Authorities will investigate.

For the past 5 years or so, I have walked by the distinctive building(s), wondering what went on inside. I’m glad I found out today. The primary building, the first one purchased, is an architect’s office, as might be expected.

Everything else was unexpected, and a pleasant surprise.