Yesterday, Dave and I decided to decompress from an extraordinarily worky work week by seeing as many movies as we could. To the Paramount we went, where we took in Hero and Wimbledon back to back (Hero was a lot better than I’d expected, whereas Wimbledon pretty much met my expectations exactly). Then we bought tickets for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and had just over an hour to kill before the show, in which we planned to eat dinner.

No dice. Why is the area around the Paramount so crap when it comes to restaurants? That is, if you don’t like sushi, or pub food, or Hooters, or overpriced neo-TGIFriday’s (see: Montana’s, Al Frisco’s, Alice Fazooli’s). We tried to go to Little India but it was too crowded. So after twenty-five fruitless minutes of walking around, we ended up at a goddamn Subway. So unsatisfying. We should have just had street dogs.

Are there any decent restaurants within quick walking distance of the Paramount? Our requirements are that there have to be decent vegetarian options, and some reasonably healthy options, because Dave doesn’t eat meat, and we are both conscious of our diets. And, we don’t like sushi. But other than that: go!

I had realized that there are tons of condo buildings going up along the lakeshore, let’s say, from the Exhibition grounds to York Street. What I hadn’t realized is just how tall they are. I usually drive in along the Gardiner, but on Friday I took the GO train, and had a different point of view than I usually do, and noticed the futuristic-ness of these buildings that are going up. I wondered how fun it would be to fly around them in that spacecraft thing the Jetsons had.

Took a long walk this morning and discovered the following things:

- the neighbourhood raccoons are becoming bolder and bolder — no longer scurrying away when I get in their sightline. I think the one going through our garbage may have pulled a switchblade on me.

- According to signage on College Street, a new restaurant with a rooftop patio will be “unleashed” on us soon. I find the word “unleashed” unsettling in that context for some reason.

- The new American Apparel store on Queen was broken into about 5 minutes before I walked by it around 6am. Four cruisers full of Toronto’s finest responded. As an added bonus they had help from the local neighbourhood drunk who fancied himself quite the private detective.

- The corner of southwest corner of Queen and Spadina always smells like pee but it’s better than having to walk by the scary micro-McDonald’s across the street.

Last night I saw Irresistible You at Theatre Passe Muraillle’s back space. Very funny one-man show starring Satan from Highway 61, who gives an honest and hilarious performance.

My third cousin’s band, To The Point, is playing their first shows in Toronto this weekend: tonight at Planet Kensington, and tomorrow night at Third Floor Reillys. I don’t know about the rest of the group, but JP, my cousin, has never been to Toronto before and is very excited to ride the subway (just for fun) and to go to Taco Bell, since there are no longer any of the latter in the entire province of Saskatchewan, where he’s from.

The guys will be floor-surfing at our house this weekend. Wish us luck.

Hockey World Cup Freak out to NHL lockout
I am still gathering my thoughts from the debacle that took place the other night after Canada won and the fans of the NHL lost.
First off, lets face some facts. The tournment was half-assed by all accounts. There were two good games in the whole thing and one was the final. I’m a fan of hockey but people rioting afterwards and horses trampling old men…I mean really! Give your heads a shake. (Fans and Cops)

What people should really be worried about is if this town and the beloved Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup!
If Toronto ever wins the Lord Stanley we are going to blow the lid off this dump!
I know that I will probably get a hernia trying to overturn my neighbours Hyndai Pony (with matching rust spots I might add). Well, I might just do that anyways to celebrate St.Swivens day (DON’T Look that up it’s a holiday somewhere!) because…well…it’s not that I want to do it, I have to do it. Cosmically, we are bound by our passions and turning and burning a Hyndai is what I have got to do Mister!
The NHL lockout… all I say is that it hurts the fans who seem to be the only ones who really care about the game. Despite all the TV sports “analysts” commentary and chest beating, they still are only speaking emotionally and with very little facts backing their bold and brash statements. And remember kids you can’t say “analysts” without saying anal.

I figured there were clubs and such for Republicans living outside the U.S., but I guess I never thought they’d have a chapter in Toronto. I read in the Post this morning that they’d had a get-together last night (at the Lone Star Café, of course). I kind of wish I’d known; next time, I’m crashing and protesting like those awesome protesters at the convention who interrupted their douche President’s bullshit acceptance speech.

What makes a person go so crazy with joy that he feels he has no option to express himself other than to take to the streets and make such a public nuisance of himself that he actually gets arrested and/or tramples an old man? I mean, my God. Granted, I hate sports. But I’ve been excited by the outcome of other competitive events in my life, and I wasn’t, for instance, moved to overturn any cars when Adrien Brody won Best Actor at the Oscars two years ago.

And frankly, the news that the Leafs won’t be playing for a while makes me pretty happy. At least I know I’ll make it into spring without having my sleep interrupted by any honking morons driving around my neighbourhood. I live in Little Portugal; I get enough of that crap any time any soccer player from Portugal OR Brazil does anything the community approves of.

Was it not awesome to see Wayne Gretzky so happy on the front page of the newspapers this morning? It was also cool to see him react to the winning goal on Saturday. I am not a hockey fan at all but it’s nice to see them win. I was also at home when it happened so I didn’t experience any traffic chaos.

Some Ways to Have Fun in Yorkville (without blowing $700 dollars on an ugly pair of designer jeans):
1. Gawk at the women with the same hair and facial expressions as their dogs.
2. Wanda’s Pie in the Sky (peach praline is the best).
3. The Thomas Kinkade Gallery is highly mockable, and you can play with the dimmer switches.
4. Handmade strawberry marshmallows from Whole Foods.
5. Play with the train set at the Toy Store at Bay and Yorkville.

I’m just sorry I missed this party. I love camels!