The first thing that shows up in my calendar is I went to see Withnail & I at the Revue Cinema with Jennie Apps. I hadn\u2019t seen the movie OR her in forever, and I thoroughly enjoyed both! (That sounded dirty. But for the latter, I just meant her company and the drinks after, you pervs!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the spirit of trying to learn some family classics, I make sesame chicken with my mother. For some reason, it looks like I forgot to take a picture of the food, but I did take one of some ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think I meet up with Jess B. for drinks on the 13th<\/sup>. (It\u2019s in my calendar with a question mark. But probably, right?) \u00a0I for sure meet up with Ian and Jen on the 14th<\/sup>, as we went to Descendant Pizza (where we had the \u201cBrotherly Love\u201d), then went to see Josh Gondelman at Comedy Bar East. He\u2019s still got it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I prove my commitment to tennis by playing several times in a bubble. The UCC Tennis bubble, to be specific. It\u2019s of course nicer to be outside, but such is life\/weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A long overdue reunion with Kelly Z. at Betty\u2019s East. It is a fun thing to do, I\u2019m realizing\u2026 and Kelly always has interesting things going on in her life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of interesting things in life, I learned about rebuses doing the NYT Crossword (well, I found it interesting!) and about Laura quitting. Truth be told, still a little hurt I didn\u2019t hear it directly AND never got a proper goodbye\u2026 but I guess I too at times have lived by a \u201cNo goodbyes on the road\u201d code, so I\u2019ll just assume it was that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, with a recipe taken from my Milk calendar. Quite tasty, though I learn quickly (and often) that the recipes in that calendar are RICH!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then a Food Trucks jam\u2026 and let\u2019s close out January with some Cheesy Mexican Rice Casserole! (It photographs well, and is usually quite tasty, but even a year later, I remember that this turned out surprisingly and unpleasantly salty!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n February:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I could start by mentioning I had a dental appointment\u2026 which is a reminder that I piece much of this together by looking at my calendar! But hey, let\u2019s (more officially) start with the Super Bowl, by which I mean the honey garlic wings we made! Tasty!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A movie night at Robin\u2019s, where we watch Punisher: War Zone. It is exactly the kind of movie to watch with funny friends. And probably under no other circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t know if I should get too heavily into my finances here. But let\u2019s just say this is the month something goes from red to black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And on that happy note, let\u2019s look at some Tuna Corn Casserole! (Particularly noteworthy because I made it in my own apartment. Most of my culinary experiments happen at the folks\u2019, with their far superior kitchen.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I renew my passport and pee in a cup! (These things aren\u2019t related. But it\u2019s funny that they happened on the same day.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And another Food Trucks band practice. Back-to-back months, just like the Monkees!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n March:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It would be great if I could say March was more eventful, what with special days and all, but it seems to have been fairly low-key. I did continue trying out new recipes in my apartment, though. So here\u2019s some Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n And some Skillet Turkey Pasta Supper. (Thanks again, Milk calendar!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, here\u2019s a fun memory: going to see Creed III with Ian! Now, this wasn\u2019t a particularly memorable movie in and of itself. (Though I guess it will be remembered as one of the last acceptable Jonathan Majors movies?) But what makes it stand out is it was my first time in a (non-indie) movie theatre since the start of the pandemic. (I\u2019ll admit, I assumed the Withnail & I crowd would be a little more sensible. But this was a POPCORN movie!) And I really had to psych myself up. And when we got into the theatre\u2026 we were literally the only two people in there. And I use \u201cliterally\u201d literally!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then, towards the end of the month, Allen wins March Madness and I have my birthday. Those two things are very unrelated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n April:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bachelor Talk group meets up for merriment and light birthday celebration. A good time had by all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Days later, a seder at Lori and Joel\u2019s. The road back to normalcy continues. I seem to recall a fairly heated discussion about the ethics of bowdlerization. Which is just a fun word to say\/write!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also fun: looks like I played some Easter Monday Tennis with Isaac. Huzzah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, what would have been my big adventure in most<\/strong> years: a trip to Roatan with the family! Though if I\u2019m being really honest (and I assume no one else reads this, so why not?), it wasn\u2019t my favorite trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Admittedly, some of that might\u2019ve been getting sunstroke or accidentally inhaling too much saltwater\u2026 whatever it was that happened, I spent one day thoroughly out of commission. Also, there was a literally daily failing of our key card, where I had to go to the front desk (in a different building) and get someone from maintenance to come let us in. AND I brought a very poor beach read!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I think it\u2019s mostly that I got bored, sadly. Some of which may ALSO be that I did my cruise ship time, so that Caribbean itch had been scratched (albeit a decade earlier.) That said, it was neat to go snorkeling and see coral reef, and time with my family in warm weather was nice, and I\u2019m grateful we did it. And hey, some great pictures!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then shortly after I got back, another Covid booster\u2026 which I mention mainly because the timing strikes me as funny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n May:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s get sporty! This May, I take another tennis course, this one Serve and Return. Though the lessons don\u2019t much stick, and I haven\u2019t really kept it up, I think SOME progress was made. Hopefully, I\u2019ll get back to it eventually, and until then, good on me for trying, right??<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the WNBA comes to Toronto! Not to stay, alas, which is stupid\u2026 but hey, I\u2019ll take an exhibition game, especially since it featured my beloved Minnesota Lynx! I end up taking Faisal, who I hadn\u2019t seen in ages, and we had a delightful time. Much more delightful than these pictures might make you think!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I blame the Chicago Sky! (But also, good game, grumble grumble\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, the next day, a big Mother\u2019s Day dinner! Seemed like a nice opportunity to show off my new cooking \u201cskills\u201d and have everyone together! I make an ambitious menu and manage to complete two out of the three dishes I had planned. Time flies! But hey, I did manage to make spicy honey chicken with broccoli and a caprese chocolate and almond torte! (Also, the salad I had planned with a sherry Dijon vinaigrette did get made, just by Evan and Jen.) A good time had by all, and Mom even called the next day to say she appreciated it! (She\u2019s often appreciative; the phone call was notable mostly for its earnestness.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a new tree in front of the parents\u2019 house! Bring back the old tree!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I see \u201cIt Gets Bitter\u201d at Comedy Bar with Ian and Jen. It Gets FUNNY!<\/p>\n\n\n\n More Food Trucks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I go for drinks with Amanda, which does happen from time to time. But this time is particularly notable because construction means I can\u2019t go in and out of my apartment without going through hers!! Toronto! (I guess it could in theory happen anywhere. It feels pretty here, though.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, Doors Open! This year, I only get to one location: Atura Power\u2019s Portlands Energy Centre. Kinda neat, though maybe it\u2019s a boondoggle? That would take more research than I\u2019m inclined to do right now, so here\u2019s a picture of me in a hardhat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More drinks with Jess, I think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AND this actually started in April, but I mention it here because this is when I thought to take a picture: I start learning German on Duolingo! Not sure how much I\u2019m actually learning, but it\u2019s fun enough, and less of a timewaster than most of the other things I\u2019d be doing on my phone while pooping. \u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n June:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My tennis bravery continues. I play in a Round Robin! It goes\u2026 okay. In my first match, there was one stickler on the other team, and she gave a hard time to my elderly partner who was recovering from some kind of surgery and wanted to do a bounce serve. And then before we could rotate, we got rained out. But I still went, and far as I can remember, I acquitted myself okay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then we had Ian\u2019s annual BBQ. Which has taken on greater significance now that I see everyone from work so infrequently. Good time had by all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, so the story I told about Creed III earlier? Same deal, except this time, it was Across the Spider-Verse and there actually WAS a crowd! Return to normalcy! (Though Ian (different from BBQ Ian) and I did see it at Rainbow Market Square, so in those ridiculously comfy reclining seats, which helped with the transition away from couch viewing.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (I find a choir for Mom, which she won\u2019t go to. I put it in parentheses because it\u2019s not inherently that big a deal, but I figure I might want to remember roughly when this happened for various tracking purposes.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n A high school reunion (in miniature) at Sam\u2019s, after tennis with Greenstein. Throwback!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I go to see my doctor because of a lump. It turns out to be nothing, which I guess is better than the alternative but still irritating. Anyway, this is the point where I start being a person who sees a doctor. Carlsberg years!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I go to see Amy Shark in concert. It feels a little odd, because she\u2019s someone I discovered through someone I miss, and an (irrational) part of me even imagined seeing them there. But hey, regardless of how I got there, I\u2019m a fan, and she did not disappoint. Plus, some fun covers mixed in for good measure (Simply the Best, Mr. Brightside) and a very charming intro to Adore, where she expressed gratitude to what her big hit brought her. AND I drew some inspiration for the screenplay I\u2019m currently working on\u2026 so if THAT becomes anything, this show could be an interview anecdote!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, about a week later, with a dental appointment and ultrasound in between (Carlsberg!), my first Jays game in forever! Much thanks to Neil for taking us and Dan for buying much of the food. Alas, a loss, but an exciting game \u2013 funnily enough, we were late, so they won the game we were there for! \u2013 and it was neat seeing all the stadium upgrades! Not to mention the ridiculous quantity of stats that now go on the scoreboard!<\/p>\n\n\n\n [For anyone who wants to do the deep dive: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JuHknuijbuE<\/a> ]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, the municipal election. Which would probably have been depressing, except the outcome was good, I\u2019ll take it. Also, I make \u201cmeatloaf bombs\u201d, which is kind of a celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n July:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I see the new Indiana Jones movie with Ian and Jen at Scotiabank. To the extent that I can track my mood half a year later, I was amused rather than pissed off at how ludicrous it was! And then the next day to Cherry Beach\u2026 which I probably wouldn\u2019t mention, but I haven\u2019t shown enough Marty pics!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next week, a couple of new recipes tried. Harlem Chicken, which didn\u2019t turn out that well, but I\u2019m almost inclined to give it another try. And definitely enjoyed the Tahini Swirl Brownies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also learn a few German phrases I can use all the time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s summer, so lots of visits. There\u2019s a gathering at Tom and Lindsay\u2019s; a meet-up at Blood Brothers with Jess, Callum, and Matt; and a movie night at Robin\u2019s. I also win three books from Penguin Random House in an online contest! But this is all a lead-up to that big adventure I was teasing before: LONDON, BABY!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yup, because we live in a Work From Home era, and due to crazy (albeit unfortunate) circumstances wherein my longest friend Kate let me have her place FOR FREE in exchange for cat- and plant-sitting, I go to London for the better part of a month! Because it was so jam-packed with adventure and activity, I\u2019m going to make it a separate post, called \u201cLondon calling!\u201d (It\u2019ll also be convenient to have it all in one place, should anyone be looking for recommendations.) SO, because it’s so epic, let\u2019s skip ahead to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Late) August:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I return to Toronto, basically just so I can go to the cottage. Je ne regrette rien! (Oh, and much thanks to Ian for picking me up at the airport. It was much more of an ordeal than expected, and worse than usual by a stretch! As it turned out, we went straight to meet people at a bar, which was unexpected, though luckily, I was much more conscious that I was expecting.) Anyway, MOSTLY good times at the cottage, though Mom\u2019s enjoyment continues to decline, and the rising popularity of pickleball means the formerly abandoned tennis courts are now crowded all the time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And shortly after my return to Toronto, I go to Vaughan with Ian and Robin to watch Oppenheimer in REAL Imax format. It big! And luckily, we\u2019re nerds, because as a perk we didn\u2019t know about, the movie actually started right on time. No trailers or anything! (Which was extra-appreciated, because good movie, but LONG movie!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n September:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am desperate enough to watch Canada FIBA action – and emboldened enough from my times dining alone in London \u2013 that I go to watch the game at The Queen\u2019s Head, even if that means sitting alone. My faith is rewarded. See you in the Olympics, lads!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duolingo is on fire with useful phrases this month (and next, if I\u2019m being chronologically honest)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A day of fun hangouts and gut-stretching! Brunch at Neil\u2019s with the high school gang, then a dash to eat \u00a0Chicago Beef with Ian. Meaty and Bear-esque!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After much trying, Larry and I (mostly Larry) finally start getting Jer out for tennis. It\u2019s a lot of fun, as he\u2019s quite good. The first night we played, I afterwards retreated to Casa del Hershfield and made one of the New York Times\u2019 highest-rated recipes: Blistered Broccoli Pasta with Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint. If memory serves, I used the listed substitutes of cauliflower and pecans. Still pretty tasty!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few days later, I see Good Grief (Gangl\u2019s latest) with Fionna. That guy continues to be Toronto\u2019s gold standard for solo shows. And of course, catching up with Fionna (including the pho apres-show) is always great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next day, I went to Roy Thompson Hall for my only TIFF show of the year: \u201cNext Goal Wins\u201d, a Taika Waititi joint. It was fairly meh, but there was an in-person Olivia Chow intro with Cameron Bailey, so I guess that\u2019s kind of neat? And that evening, Rosh Hashanah at Sandra\u2019s. Always fun, and boy, what a spread! (To which Mom and I contributed meatballs. Tradition!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I guess I\u2019ll say this part, because it\u2019s embarrassing and thus funny: I got turned around at Tommy Thompson Park and ended up going for a substantially longer walk than I intended. I had jumped off the trail at some point, jumped back on, and I guess I lost count of the number of turns I made. At any rate, was hiking along, lost in my own thoughts, when I suddenly notice the CN tower was on the wrong side! Thankfully, I was with it enough to realize the tower likely hadn\u2019t moved and reversed course. It did get pretty dark, though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, we\u2019re up to JFL! Always a treat, and as always, I saw a lot! The token system makes you! (Though I am increasingly conscientious of the sunk cost fallacy, and act accordingly.) Here\u2019s who I saw, in the order I saw them (with apologies to openers, who I should keep track of but consistently forget to write down):<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andrea Jin; Sam Morril; Drew Lynch; Nigel Grinstead & Ajahnis Charley; Ron Funches; Ariel Elias; Neal Brennan; Joke Signals (Dakota Ray Hebert, Clifton Cremo, Savannah Erasmus, Chad Anderson); Patti Harrison; Colin Quinn; Chris Redd; Catherine Cohen; Rory Scovel; Let\u2019s Make A Horror; and Maddy Kelly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s in nine days! No pics with celebs this time around, but here, there\u2019s this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if you\u2019re a fan of Canadian podcasts (and presumably me), you\u2019ll know that Let\u2019s Make A Horror includes my old buddy Ryan Beil! Though I also met (or re-met) Mark Chavez, Maddy Kelly, and their guest Tricia Black (plus Sarah Bennett, mostly notable because Facebook asks me if I know her every few days)\u2026 the big headline here is the reunion! Like riding a bike, friendship with this one, and we\u2019ve been Zooming a lot ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By a lot, I mean every ten days or so. But for me, a lot! And we might be developing stuff, so stay tuned!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n October:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This year for Thanksgiving, we got our prepared meal from Farm Boy. It was pretty good, if memory serves\u2026 though as you\u2019ll see, come Christmas time, we returned to the familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The big event of October was a trip to Winnipeg, for a long overdue unveiling for Vera. Which \u2013 though we did a reasonably good job keeping them separate \u2013 also included some mourning for Oz. And even Lev, since this was our first time there IRL since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what we did, as best I remember it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 1 (the 12th<\/sup>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, we drop off the bags, and seconds later, we are picking up Joanne and then off to Bernstein\u2019s. Matzoh ball soup and Reubens, naturally. Then, the cemetery tour! Okay, that was a little glib, but it\u2019s true. Largely for genealogical purposes. (As you\u2019ll see in the London section, I have become Larry\u2019s research assistant.) Here\u2019s a brief glimpse of my past and possibly my future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That night, Larry has other plans, and knowing it\u2019s the only time I\u2019ll have for days WITHOUT family AND wanting to do something I can only do in Winnipeg, I go to Rumor\u2019s Comedy Club (sic)! Because Charlie Demers is playing there, and I remember him being great (as a person and a comic)! And while I wussed out on saying anything (would he have remembered me?), he was probably even better as a comic than I remembered. (Which is actually probably him getting better, which makes sense, since it had been about fifteen years.) I also didn\u2019t take a picture, since you\u2019re not really supposed to\u2026 but I did get one of their menu. It could use some updating, possibly with a sharpie!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We meet Jonesy at the Pancake House. If memory serves, I get something Benedictine, but have a healthy portion of Larry\u2019s apple pancake. Not as good as Mama makes (so to speak), but tasty and tradition. And always nice to see Jonesy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then to the Manitoba Archives, where I do some advanced genealogy of my own! (Which is actually looking into a bit of unspoken family history. I won\u2019t get to into it, but suffice it to say, archives are neat!) We also go to Vital Statistics on a separate genealogical mission; as it turns out, they can\u2019t help us then and there, but they give us the proper form to inquire, and it ends up paying big dividends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And dinner that night at Gail and Jerry\u2019s. Good times (and food) had by all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 3:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evan arrives. This time, instead of a race to the deli, it\u2019s a race to dim sum. With Delta, who it was nice to see after many years. Then we probably did something during the day, but darned if I can remember it. I do know we went for Chinese again that night. Then a visit with Uncleany and Shawn. (I actually move there at this point for a few days, as Evan took over my hotel bed.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 4:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The unveiling itself. I think we did right by her, all things considered. Nice turnout, good rabbi, Larry making it through his speech with a reasonable amount of crying. My grandma. I wore the sweater she made me, \u2018cause I\u2019m sweet like that. And I guess I should mention the lunch, because I mention all the meals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n An afternoon visit with Paula, where we see (and phone-scan) the Mad Magazine \u201chomage\u201d Oz and Lev had made in high school. Pretty neat, I must say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then dinner with Ian, Shawn, and Al. (Auntie Ess was feeling sick.) A nice visit, and basically the end of (extended) family time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Day 5:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the hours before we fly out, the three of us go to Stella\u2019s (they still make a damn fine breakfast!), a Safeway (I believe) where we get an unreasonable amount of City Rye bread to bring back to Toronto, then to Assiniboine Park to check out the Leaf. Huzzah for tourist time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n My return to Toronto life has \u2013 in fairly short order \u2013 a Zoom chat with Ryan (it begins!) and a movie night at Robin\u2019s. One of two we\u2019d have this month, and in accordance with Hallow-Ian, we start with Ready or Not. (A modern classic, I say!) Which I actually saw in a movie theatre with Ian, so full circle\u2026 by which I mean a loop along a line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I take Kate for a much-anticipated \u2018thank you\u2019 dinner. It\u2019s very funny to me that it\u2019s our first time seeing each other in roughly thirty years, given that I\u2019ve spent several weeks with her cats\u2026 but it\u2019s a friendship that comes back quick. We go to Greta Solomon\u2019s, and I have steak tartar for the first time in my life. (Which is to say, I have some of hers. I\u2019m not THAT big a gambler!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then on Monday, I join a trivia team! (Part of my not saying \u201cNo\u201d to invites policy!) I\u2019m recruited by Ian from work, and it\u2019s a fair bit of fun. As expected, I\u2019m dynamite in certain categories and staggeringly embarrassing in others. But it works out to a decent enough average score, and I\u2019m responsible for a fair number of steals, thanks to that esoteric knowledge base. If nothing else, I\u2019m out of the house, and they\u2019re nice people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another Food Trucks rehearsal\u2026 and thanks to some unseasonable warmth, another movie night at Robin\u2019s, back in the backyard! We watched Dead End, and wow\/yikes. Kind of fun if you\u2019re watching with people who\u2019ll make fun of it with you, but otherwise, steer clear!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of Halloween-adjacent fun:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n November:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the third, I play tennis with Ivimey. Good times had by both, but I mostly mention it because it was TENNIS IN NOVEMBER! Bad news for the planet, but (for now) good news for me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next day, Mom and I make that good ole chicken curry and a recipe she wanted to try for a La Vina-Style Cheesecake. Quite tasty, quite simple\u2026 and I think it photographs fairly well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few days after that, I get my flu and vaccine shots\u2026 and then it seems like I don\u2019t do anything of note for several weeks. But it was a fairly exciting last week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, I take my father to a Raptors game! Pete has spare tickets because he got a pair to take his \u201ccousin\u201d to a game \u2013 those quotation marks make it sound unseemly, but it\u2019s just that they\u2019re related but not exactly that way \u2013 and then upgraded. So as a thank you, I treat the party to some pregame dim sum (and DEN some!) \u00a0I impress the Hungarian with my fandom for Dorka Juhasz (go, Lynx!) and hopefully made enough of an impression that when SHE becomes a WNBA star, I can get some tickets\/swag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some neatness about the game: it was one of the in-season tournament games, and this was the inaugural year for that, so in theory, that\u2019s something cool I can say years from now. (It also explains the different and not great floor.) And it turns out it was my last chance to see many beloved Raptors before the big rebuild. So long, Spicy P and O.G. (and Precious, Malachi, Thad, and Schroder), and thanks for the memories! (They were also playing the Bulls, so, hey, nice to see you again, Demar!) And we won, a rare treat for that season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those looking for a recap: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6HdgGKe5xR8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, Beer Beer Comedy with the inimitable Steve\u2019s Thieves. I remain deeply ambivalent (in the literal sense) about improv, but it was nice to hang out with some basketball people outside of basketball, and flex that old muscle. (It was also part of my policy of not turning down invites\u2026 and thankfully, I get invited to do things seldom enough that it\u2019s not an onerous policy!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I closed out the month watching the Golden Bachelor finale at Tom and Lindsay\u2019s, with Jenny (of course) also in attendance. I don\u2019t miss that franchise\/universe at all, but I do like my hangouts with those folks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n December:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A fun hang with Jess at Bellwoods. Pretty sure we solved the Middle East, if anyone was inclined to ask\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n My first trivia banquet. FWIW, it\u2019s where I learn that someone in our league was a Jeopardy contestant, so that\u2019s kind of neat!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have an incredibly unhealthy day. I celebrate Burrito Monday\u2026 then a few hours later, I meet up with Ian, we head to East Side Mario\u2019s for dinner (best option at the strip mall)\u2026 then Robin meets us and we see Godzilla Minus One. Which was great, but I also had an unnecessary popcorn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I mention the unhealthiness\u2026 because that \u201cfew hours later\u201d was a doctor\u2019s appointment. Love me some irony!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, here\u2019s my traditional Burrito Monday pic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And things don\u2019t get any healthier the next day, because it\u2019s Hannukah, and we made latkes! I ALMOST forgot to take a picture, but thankfully, the \u201cennial\u201d part of \u201cXennial\u201d kicked in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A couple days later, the 14th<\/sup>, which turned out to be a fairly epic day. For one thing, I make this submission to the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, and it goes more \u201cviral\u201d than anything I\u2019ve done in a long time. Now, I was going to set this up as a cliffhanger\u2026 but I\u2019ll just say now that it wasn\u2019t selected as a finalist. I was hopeful, because it got more likes than any others on Instagram (for ANY of the weeks, as far as I could see). In fact, I was the only one to crack four digits. But alas, it wasn\u2019t to be. Still, pretty funny, no?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, the office party! Well, not quite THEN. I went to see Three Days of the Condor as part of the Designing the Movies series at the Revue. Because I got to be me! But after that, the office party, where I was reunited with some people I hadn\u2019t seen in a while (in some cases, since the pandemic) and met a few people who I\u2019d been writing for for years! (I was mostly there for a good time, but I was curious to see if the new people and I had a shared belief\u2026 and they had it as much or more than I did. And were very vocal about it!) Anyhoo, sorry to deprive you of the racy content you no doubt come here for, but I\u2019m choosing to share the only SFW pic from the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next day, I made my first Egg in a Hole. Not that I was really hungover, but I was in the mood for a breakfast, and it\u2019s something I\u2019ve wanted to try ever since I saw it in Moonstruck. (RIP Norman Jewsion) Don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll bother again, really, but kind of a tasty treat. Not sure it merits a pic here, but since I took one\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, sometime after that, the office potluck. Which I don\u2019t go to, out of principle. The office party alluded to before is from\/for our parent company. We get this pot luck\u2026 which to me is the opposite of an expression of gratitude. \u201cHey, if you all want to share your lunches with each other, go nuts.\u201d But it did lead to this, which I found hilarious. And which I am going to share without context, so see if you can find the “joke”. (Hint: it’s not the “side of dick.”) IYKYK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shortly after that, the last day of work\u2026 and it seems I was ready to attack the break with gusto! Look at how I do something every day for a week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 21st<\/sup>: It\u2019s the last day of work\u2026 and we have a Food Trucks jam!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 22nd<\/sup>: I go see Swordplay with Isaac. And Paul and Shannon are there, as is Nadine, so reunions abound! I also introduced myself to Lowen, and though I felt incredibly awkward (my attempt at a conversation felt more like I was doing press), I have now met all of Sex-T-Rex. Which is cool, because they\u2019re very good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 23rd<\/sup>: I have brunch with Ian at What A Bagel! That exclamation point is part of their name, but it is in fact a very good bagel. (And I got more to take back to the \u2018rents.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 24th<\/sup>: I make Marry Me Chicken. In what could be read as a sad statement, I make it for my parents. But hey, what\u2019s in a name, right? And also, if I WERE ever to make it for someone I wanted to marry, it\u2019s good it wouldn\u2019t be my first time attempting the recipe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/scatteredflurries.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2023-1-scaled-e1709246530142.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n