Don't litter, 'cause I'll getcha!

I was walking through Yorkville today window-shopping with no intentions to buy and admiring the beautiful clothes and displays and people. And then, as I walked by a good-looking couple getting out of a car they did something that disturbed me - they deliberately threw a coffee cup onto the sidewalk.
Now, I don't want to pretend I've never littered, because that would be hypocritical.
But to throw a cup onto a sidewalk, with people watching says that you just don't care about the consequences, and quite possibly this behaviour is so common to you that you don't even think about what you're doing.
So what I did next surprised even me a little. I stepped over to the cup, leant to pick it up, and said to them "Here, let me pick that up for you. There's a garbage can just over there." And smiled at them (in a friendly way, not in a "I'm totally judging you way"). The man was absolutely appalled (hopefully at their own behaviour) and said "No, no, I'll get it." And that's how I left them.

Moral of this story: Don't litter. And, you never know what I'll say/do when you're walking down the street with me, as a friend of mine only recently discovered.

Getting your opinion

Do these two fabric swatches match?

Are they close enough?

I'm considering getting a chair in the red fabric, but already have another chair in the floral fabric (which I do like, even though it's floral). I'd like them to match, even if it's ever-so-slightly.

What I really want to hear from you here is that, yes, they do match.

Just thought I'd let you know.

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Okay, and now that you're warmed up, I'm also trying to decide on a pair of sunglasses.

I have a coupon for $150 off a pair of glasses from Pearle Vision, and I've decided to put it towards a good pair of prescription sunglasses. I want plastic frames because I always end up wearing sunglasses on my head, and metal frames would get tangled terribly! I'm also looking for a pair of frames that are a little larger than my regular glasses, so they block the sun and actually do protect my eyes from UV rays. I'm told the polarized lenses have a grey-green tint which probably means it would be better to have black frames (but I'm sure other colours will look fine too). Lastly, I thought perhaps I'd go a bit bolder, but then I want them to be neutral enough that I'll wear them for many years to come.

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So here are the options:

#1

#2

#3

#4 #5

Okay, so the pictures aren't the greatest, but the idea is to compare the different frames.

A close (re)call

The big news this week was the MenuFoods pet-food recall, and though Millie rarely gets soft catfood, I did check her supply. I was grateful to find that her food was unaffected by the recall. I'm still not taking any chances - it's all been purged.

The product code on the package of Iams I had in the cupboard is 62204197, and the dates of the affected catfood is as follows: codes dates of 6339 through 7073 followed by plant code 4197.

And Whiskas, the other package I've had in the cupboard for awhile, isn't even on the recall list.

So Millie is safe-and-sound, enjoying her 2/3 c. of Iam's dry catfood each and every day.

"Signs that I'm turning into my Mom"

Saw this on my walk home from work tonight, and thought it was funny and worth sharing.

Bloor & Bedford update

Today I witnessed the toppling of the red brick building that used to stand on the NE corner of Bloor and Bedford. I managed to capture some of it on video. Turn your volume up for Part 2 - you can hear an over-excited man behind me shouting.


Demolition - Part 1 (Taken on March 17, 2007)


Demolition - Part 2 (Taken on March 17, 2007)

This building used to be where you could find Crepes A GoGo and BoosterJuice and Mr.Sub - all staples for UofT students and locals.
Here are before and after photos of the progession of demolition:

Before:

Bloor & Bedford, before the stores closed. Taken Sept.17, 2006

After:

Bloor & Bedford, boarded up. Taken on Nov. 12, 2006.

Bloor & Bedford, demolished. Taken on March 17, 2007

They've been gradually demolishing all the buildings on that corner since about February. The ugly two-storey building that used to be Macs and Sunflower Florists and Platis Cleaners has long since been demolished and the concrete slab where the building used to sit is now used as a parking lot for the construction crew. Just this past week I noticed that they tore down the building that used to be Harvey's. It's just a matter of time before Swiss Chalet, and the rest of the buildings come down.

But this corner is not alone. There are major construction projects happening along this stretch of Bloor : Varsity Stadium, the Royal Conservatory (to open later this year), the ROM (to open later this year), and I noticed that the building where Pizza Hut is will be demolished (I presume) for another new condo development.

Walk a mile in my shoes

Those who know me, know that I really don't like shopping for clothes and shoes. I hate over-spending, and I almost always feel like the clothes aren't worth the price on the price-tag. That's why I love Frenchy's so much - same value for fewer dollars! I can't bring myself to spend big money on clothes for myself when I know what I have will do, and the money could go to those who need it more.Well, this winter I found myself in need of shoes. And so shoes I bought! In the last couple of months I've bought 6 pairs of shoes: 2 pairs of dress shoes, 1 pair of red shoes, 1 pair of winter walking boots, 1 pair of running shoes, and a replacement pair of hiking shoes.

For the longest time a friend of mine has been chastising me for wearing black shoes with brown pants. So, in order to placate this friend, I've been looking for a nice pair of brown shoes. It took awhile, but I finally found them! In fact, I liked the style so much that I also bought the same pair in black. These shoes are dressier than the black loafer/chunky heeled shoes I already have, but like all the other shoes I own they'd look good with both jeans and work-wear. And what I really liked about these shoes was the heel - wide but not chunky, and not too high. The one thing I've noticed about these shoes though - they're loud. They have a hard sole and so everyone can hear the [insert sound effects here] of my shoes on the tiles at work. And in a quiet cubicle environment at work, that's a bit too much noise from me.






The red shoes were purely for fun. I love them (as much as a person can love a pair of shoes). And I've wanted a pair of red shoes for awhile now. They go so well with jeans (and I'm told navy dress pants), and they're a comfortable walking shoe.


The realisation that I needed winter boots were needed came after our "major" snowfall of 10 cm. The streets were a salty, slushy mess and I didn't want to ruin any of my shoes. We've been pretty lucky this winter. It's been, for the most part, a mild winter with very little snow. But the time had come - I had to break down and get a pair of boots. Did you know that they start stocking sandals and flipflops (that's what maritimers call "thongs") in February!?! They do! And boots are hard to find. I couldn't believe it. The only boots left in stock were obviously the rejects: the atrociously ugly (tassles with pompoms??), the highly impractical (who wants to trudge over snow and ice in heels?), or boots not my size (I have a common footsize). I ended up finding a pair of boots that were satisfactory at Payless - basic black, lined inside to keep my feet warm and waterproof. That's all I needed. Would it have killed The Shoe Company to stock a basic boot?

The runners were definitely needed. I've been putting off my return to the gym for ages because I didn't have running shoes. Well, those days are over! Back to the gym I go.


And, last but not least: my hiking shoes. I actually bought these last April, just before my trip to England. I needed a good walking shoe that didn't look too much like a white sneaker so I could wear them while walking around London, but also wear them hiking through the sheep pastures in the Yorkshire Dales. They were the lightest, most comfortable hiking shoe/sneaker I've ever owned. And then, sometime this past fall I noticed a gash in the leather upper. The gash grew and grew, until finally I took them back to Europe Bound with the receipt to have them fixed/replaced. After waiting a couple months to hear what the verdict might be, I finally got a call to say that I have store credit to get a replacement pair.

My shoes at the kissing gate in Malham, England.

A good weekend task

I'm very pleased with myself today. For a long time I've been watching craigslist for furniture for my apartment. Actually, I have very specific ideas about what I want and have most things picked out from various stores (Ikea, Sears, etc.). Really, I've been watching craigslist for that "perfect and unique" piece (whatever it may be). This week I found something I was looking for - a tall bookcase.

For the last 5 years or so I've been making do with a small bookcaseI bought from The Bay when first moved into my bachelor apartment. This bookcase served its purpose, but over the years I've accumulated more books than it can hold. Lately I've been doubling up two rows of books on the shelves or books stashed in every available space. You can tell from this photo.

Then on Thursday I noticed a posting on craigslist for the same bookcase I had on my wishlist from Ikea. For less than half the price!! So I contacted the seller, made the arrangements, and picked up the bookcase with the help of a very dear friend. My original plan was to fork over the cash and take a taxi-van from the seller's location to my location. This would've cost $20 + the fare of about $15. Fortunately, however, the seller had disassembled the bookcase, which made it smaller and easier to carry, and possible for us to transport via streetcar. Opting for the cheaper option, we took the streetcar most of the way. Have I mentioned how dear my friend is?? She went along with it, even though it meant carrying 7 ft pieces onto the streetcar, riding a ways, trying to get them off the streetcar in a small window of time, then waltzing down the street with them. I carried the shelves.












Re-assembling the bookcase turned out to be fairly easy. I didn't even need the instructions (though I was surprised to find out the seller had kept them!). It was as simple as fitting the pieces back together again. There are a few nicks and scratches, but for half-the-price, I can live with them. And, it's to be expected with softwood. They add character.
Once it was assembled, it didn't take me long to load my books on. I now have lots of room to add to my little library! Not to mention the space it adds. It's a much more efficient use of the space to have a tall bookcase. And it now evens out my livingspace with the bookcase on the south side of the room and my Alve Ikea desk on the north side. I'm so very pleased!