Distractions, reflections

David prepares for winter.

(by David): Flu shots are free to residents of Ontario, and the advertising push is on again. We’re used to the lineup at Gerrard Square, but they’ve been transforming that mall, so flu shots aren’t there this year. Since I try to prevent catching or giving the flu to people on the trans-Atlantic flights, I decided that I needed to go to one of the earlier flu clinics. Diana and Ryan will have to schedule a time for themselves.

The lineup at the Eaton Centre for a 6 p.m. shot was probably about 40 people. There must have been a dozen nurses there. Line up, get a shot, have a seat for 10 to 15 minutes, and leave.

While I was in the Eaton Centre, I thought that I would check out the price of scarves. I had bought two microfiber scarves at Target a few years ago, when I was working on a U.S. gig. Diana had given one to the boys, and they lost it. Then, in packing for Adam’s trip to China, she gave him my scarf. This isn’t quite a traumatic as losing my scarf, but it’s an annoyance. Since I won’t be going to Target anytime soon, I should find a substitute nearer to home.  Read more... (308 words, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

David laments the loss of his winter hat, last spring.

(by David): I’ve now become famous for wearing my fake fur hat during the winter — as well as in the late fall and in the early spring. Somehow, I’ve become unfashionably fashionable because I don’t like to have a cold head.

In the last millenium, probably when I went shopping with Diana at Value Village, I managed to pick up a Persian lamb skin hat. The style is described as a “envelope hat”, since that’s essentially the shape. It’s like an envelope that you would stuff a letter into — although there’s a slight indent over the top of the head, to accommodate the fact that human heads aren’t narrow. Eventually, Diana thought that the Persian lamb skin hat was looking too ratty — the lamb’s wool was glued onto the surface of the hat, and some was starting to separate. Thus, I retired the hat, and, in the interest of not supporting undue cruelty to animals, started wearing the fake fur version that people are accustomed to seeing on me.  Read more... (518 words, estimated 2:04 mins reading time)

David fills the house with Flemish Beauty pears, fulfilling a memories of days past.

(by David): It’s one of those childhood memory things …. I haven’t read Proust, but I’ve seen enough citations of that idea.

Way back in the early 1970s, Grandfather (and Harry and Pearl for that matter) lived in the house at the southeast corner of Beverly Street and Cecil Street. The property was due for expropriation for a a hydro switching station, and Grandfather moved over to a house one block west on Ross Street. (That’s where I lived with Grandmother during university days in the late 1970s).

It’s hard to be accurate from my childhood memories, but I seem to recall people saying that the Beverly Street house was much larger than the Ross Street House. In addition, the Ross Street house was semi-detached, whereas the Beverly Street house was free-standing. (The Ross Street house had parking off a laneway, though, whereas the Beverley Street house just had a drive coming off Cecil Street). I also seemed to remember that the Beverly Street house had a reputation of a leaky basement.  Read more... (682 words, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)