The things that feed my life.
Finally, after years of missing the chance to buy one, I finally broke my electric frother curse!!!
Bought it at Second Cup, where the girl informed me that they always sold it. Who would notice it in the very small corner of the display window?!
I am so happy. I had a pump-action one I bought from a now closed kitchen store and this beats it. With the pump-action, you can’t get a good froth with skim or soy milk, with the electric, there is no problem.
So I was distracted by the Black-eyed Susan’s near my doctor’s office (not the ones in my picture, btw; the reason for that following) that I had to take a picture. So I am positioned for the picture, and movement by my foot catches my eye.
The cutest fox snake was just calmly slithering past my foot. Since I actually like snakes, I just stood still while it slid past me, but it ruined my original picture!!!
Should be thankful it was just calmly taking a stroll and not trying to eat my foot which was only protected at the soles of my feet because I was wearing sandals.
So for today I decided to take on downtown Toronto. Specifically around Queen St., Dundas, and City Hall.
Unfortunately, I had to do this with my Mother. Not that it wasn’t fun. I had a blast.
… I just forgot my early childhood memories of walking until I was bone dead tired with my Mom shopping. 5 1/2 hours of walking!!!!!!! Dear lord.
But it was great. After walking around for a few hours, we arrived at Old City Hall, which we followed the music to City Hall, where they were having Irie Fest. Bought a shirt from one of the vendors.
For those of you wondering, the reason I didn’t take pictures while out is out of respect for my Mom, who hates getting her picture taken.
So after that we walked on Queen some more, we found a Marshalls where my mom bought a shirt for my sister and some… **ahem** unmentionables for all of us on a whim. Then we moved to Indigo.Chapters where I found two books I wanted to get as ebooks and my mom found a book from her favourite author, Beverly Jenkins. Would you believe the entire store only had one book?!
We walked on Queen some more, got bored of it, and walked back towards City Hall, by then Irie Fest, that was a little quiet when we passed earlier, was in full swing. We checked out a vendor who had been closed when we passed earlier and I bought a mirror-comb combo. It was decorative and really cute (cute is not my personality, at least in my head, but I love ornate crafts) so I latched on to it really quick. And my Mom bought a change purse for herself.
Decided to hit Dundas after that, and boy, that was when the weird rolled out. We were at the intersection and a man in a wheelchair (this is my opinion of what I saw, not sure if it is actual fact) seemed to have gotten his wheel stuck on a streetcar track. When another bystander went to help him, he threw himself (I kid you, not. This part is actually my eyewitness testimony.) to the ground, laid down on the sidewalk, and refused to move. While downtown drivers rolled past without a care. Thankfully a fire truck was passing by and a woman flagged them down. They got out and tried to help the man that was clearly batting away their hands.
I left the man with God and the firemen, who are actually trained for these things, and left with my Mom as I explained to her what just happened.
By this time I am exhausted. My Mom wanted to eat so we stopped at Swiss Chalet, ate, stopped at a near by Winners, looked around, stopped at a Shopper’s Drug Mart, looked around, then I finally convinced her I was too tired to keep walking and she finally conceded to going home.
Great day, but oh dear God my legs!!!!
… Did have a bit of a tiff with a Filipino woman at Walmart before we left, though.
Let me explain. Greeters have the unfortunate job of trying to sticker people’s bags at Walmart. While that is unfortunate, it doesn’t mean I have to comply. So when she called after me, I told her I didn’t need one. Which is true, I didn’t; I was going to meet my Brother-in-law with my sister and Mom, while holding two large, opaque Bombay bags & a purple Reitman’s shopping bag with my Addition Elle purchases. The Filipino woman then asks, quite loudly, “Then why are you here, then?”
This, in turn, enrages my sister; the labour law attorney. Suffice to say, it broke out into verbal mayhem. I’m standing there quite shocked as this woman tells my family members to shut up, when my Mother calls her ignorant, she starts yelling, “I’m black! I’m ignorant!” in a mocking tone, comments about being black and you people remarks, and I pretty much get fed up with her when she starts telling my Mother that we are hurting her.
… We hadn’t even touched her, and my sister didn’t swear at her until way after when the woman was being completely rude. My Mother and I didn’t swear at all, and frankly, after the manager came and we explained the situation and she was still making snickering sounds and remarks behind us while he was trying to deal with the situation, her manager was quite put off by her, too.
Well it was satisfying to see her get chewed out by her manager, but really. The whole situation could have been avoided if she just accepted what I said at face value and let it go.
And for those saying that I could have just let her sticker my bags, let me explain one more point; Walmart is the only company that stickers bags from other stores, and does not sticker their own items. Every other grocery store stickers items purchased at their store that:
They have no right to force stickers on customers. There is no law that grants stores the right to do anything to your bags. If they suspect you of theft, they can ban you, but ultimately can’t go rifling through your belongings unless they intend to arrest you, and even then they have to catch you while leaving the store. Frankly this isn’t my first time having problems with that Walmart and it most certainly won’t be the last. Yet, I am not mad.
Why?
Because I am right and am having a good day regardless of stupidity.
So every year I take off Caribbana (known now as the Scotiabank Caribbean Festival) weekend as a micro-vacation. I have never left the country, don’t drive, and do these sorts of things as mini adventures of sorts.
This year I was at Ribfest at Thompson Park with the family. Aside from a very pushy, seat hogging, Asian family, it was good. Played with people’s cute babies, saved a strangers shirt from ribbage (rib/carnage), and enjoyed a half chicken & diet olde fashion soda from Pappy’s Soda Pop Co.
Then we headed to the mall for a little shopping. Went to Addition Elle and Bombay. I bought a corset, which I have been wanting since I was in High School, and a cute little top while at Addition Elle.
(You have to love that vacant look of mine **shakes head**)
And I bought a telescope keychain at Bombay.
All in all, day one was fun.
ageroyalty 