I played tour guide for a couple of my relatives a few weeks ago.  These pics were taken at the Distillery District.  This old part of Toronto dates back to 1832.  The distillery there started at 1837.  It continued until 1990 when it stopped and became a film location.  It then transformed into a arts and culture / retail / tourist attraction.  There's more history here in this link.  It's a pedestrian only place and it's small enough to be easily seen in a half day or so.  It was a cool & bright sunny afternoon when we eventually got there.  Due to time constraints, we didn't spend a lot of time there.  It's a nice place to explore with a brewery, galleries, restaurants, and interesting stores.  

A lot of the parts from old machines from the sites are on display.

I wanted to hang a for sale sign on this truck... "just a bit of surface rust"

But my conscience was guided by a higher being.

There's some interesting modern sculptures here.

I think this was near a day care centre.  I wonder if any of the kids have nightmares about this thing.

That's it... back to my Sunday chores.

Here's some recent food pics.  I didn't cook any of it though. 

Roast beef cooked by my brother and his wife, it was medium rare inside. 

Peking duck - yummy.

Lobster w/ ginger and green onions. 

Stir fried filets of fish

Four fruit pie from Dufflet

(strawberry, apple, rhubarb and blueberry)

Lemon Parfait cake also from Dufflet

I need to be awake in about 4 hours.  Insomnia is a slow form of torture.  I'm sure I'll eventually go crazy from the lack of sleep.  Maybe it'll take months or hopefully years.  By then the zombie apocalypse will happen.  I'll be with a gang of survivors and someone will say:  "Matt will take the night watch - he never sleeps!"  I'll guard the camp with my sword and a gun.  I can picture myself with a mean looking scowl - meaner than Clint Eastwood's.  My body will be lean and buff.  My pristine white tshirt will be barely able to contain my biceps, triceps, deltoids and all those other muscles which I've forgotten from Biology class.  

In other news, everyone in my family is sick from some bug.  If they aren't coughing, they are sneezing.  I have the sniffles and so far it's starting to fade away. I don't like hanging around sick people but duty calls. 

What's interesting is that I suddenly remembered that dad also suffers from insomnia.  I remember he would stay up reading till the wee hours of the night.  Maybe I inherited this gene or trait.  My siblings don't have this problem.  I told my brother a couple of years ago that I sometimes take pills at night to sleep.  He laughed and jokingly said that's what booze is for. I crave sleep more than I crave food or sex.  A good night's sleep is like drinking a cold glass of water in a desert.  Maybe in a few days, I'll write a more coherent and intelligent entry.

There have been more job cuts in my business unit.   They were fairly senior people and not entry level positions.  This is what happens when you don't meet targets - you have to cut cost.  So far I've been lucky but that axe feels like it's getting closer.  Oh well, it's not the end of the world if I get cut.  I'm sure I'll find a way to survive even if I have to take a job that pays less than half of what I make today. 

My sister lost her job a few weeks ago.  She showed up for work one day and was told the company has gone under.  It was really unsettling for her and the people that worked for her.  She's working on a couple of leads right now and I hope those come through. 

In other news, dad's oncologist has ordered bone scan and CT scan.  He hates those test and he kept telling the doctor he was fine and not in any pain.  But I know he sometimes will lie just so that he can avoid visiting the doctor / hospital.  I keep telling him while there isn't a cure, the doctors can at least help him deal with the pain and discomfort.  But he is stubborn.  I told him once that he might complain of a headache if he got beheaded.  He chuckled and said that's probably true. 

Despite all of these, I'm still thankful for what I have.  I had a wonderful meal with J and his family last night.  I played a bit with the kids but I cannot stand watching the cartoons that they watch.  Tomorrow, I'm at my brother's place with his extended family for Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm not crazy about the big crowd (somewhere between 16 to 18).  I know my sister will make a fuss about the soup she is bringing.  Dad will be cranky because he isn't allowed to drink.  But I just try to cherish the time we have with the family and raise a toast to the ones that aren't with us anymore. 

I was assembling a floor lamp last night.  I was on my knees trying to figure out the cryptic instructions and slowly making progress.  It was getting uncomfortable so I lowered my hips.  If I did it properly, my butt would have been resting on my heels.  As I lowered my hips, my ass bumped into something.  I thought it was the box and didn't think too much about it.  Then I heard "ssssssssssssss...." and wondered what that noise was.   I felt liquid in my butt.  I turned around and realized I've sat on a can of silicone spray.  It sprayed silicone lubricant in my butt.  WTF!

I had just used the lubricant on a couple of parts and put the spray can down behind me.  When I leaned back, I "sat" on it and it sprayed right through my pants and boxers into you know where.  Is this stuff poisonous?  I tore off my pants and ran into the shower. 

Anyone joking about lube on my butt will be met with a very stern look from me.   I am not amused. 

When my siblings and I were young, my mom would tell us that dad used to sing to her when they were dating.  She giggled and laughed when she told us the story.  We all laughed at this unbelievable story.   We've never heard dad sing before.  Then one day, she was telling the story again when dad was in the room.  So he sang the song and pretended to chase after her.  We were laughing so hard at the two of them.  It was one of the very few times I saw dad out of his typical Asian father role.   He continued singing while we laughed hysterically.  After he finished, they both went back to whatever they were doing. 

I'm not sure why I thought of this tonight.  I had a tough time remembering which version of the song they liked.  I chose this version because dad also had a deep voice.

Did you sing to your loved ones or vice versa? 

Sometimes I think writing keeps me sane.  Maybe it's just the process of sorting and organizing all these thoughts that fly around in my mind.  Try to picture bats flying madly around in a cave, except my thoughts sometimes collide with each other.  Recipes and S&M collide.  A wok wrapped in black leather being sensually tortured over a hot stove.  Food and cars collide.  A Civic Si HFP covered in a heaping mound of fried rice.  It's strange. 

I woke up this morning with a headache.  It's not a big massive headache.  But it's big enough for me to notice it.  I look for my aspirins but they have disappeared.  I have no idea where my aspirin ran off too.  I think my aspirin has eloped with my viagra.  Eternal sex w/o any headaches. 

Maybe what I really need is a morning assistant.  I need to become a morning person again. 

Here's what I'm looking for.

• Monday to Friday, show up at 5:15 AM - leave around 9:15 AM
• my alarm will ring at 5:30 AM.  If I don't get out of bed within 5 minutes you gently (and I mean gently) persuade me to get out of bed.
• no tickling, no pinching, no yelling, no spikes, no whips, no taser guns...
• help me downstairs (only 4 steps) to the bathroom
• fetch my newspapers so I can read while I take a dump
• make sure I don't finish reading the entire newspaper in the bathroom
• gently push me into the shower
• get my clothes ready
• make coffee and breakfast
• make sure I have some fruits too
• open the blinds, windows etc...
• nudge me over to my desk and power up my laptop
• stick around to make sure I didn't forget all my passwords
• make sure I have a healthy lunch in the fridge
• give me a word of encouragement

I stumbled on this band reading someone's blog.  Wow... they deliver.  I'm sure some of you have heard of them already.  I'm kinda slow on these things.

They are Monsters Calling Home.  I am having crush on all of them.  

I love how music can make me happy. 

Where do bloggers go when they stop blogging?  How is it that life can get in the way of what once was a passion? 

I miss your soul searching entries.  Usually they were simple things about what you did today.  It wasn't terribly exciting but I got to see a wisp of what you do.  I laughed when you shared a funny moment or a joke.  Your wit & your dry sense of humour helped me unwind after a long day.  Sometimes you don't even mind if I laughed at you.  I knew it was a good entry when I was still smiling after I commented on your entry. 

It was always interesting to read about your travels, your love of food, travels, books, planes, photography, music & art.  I loved how you carefully crafted an entry.  Each word had a purpose.  Your entries triggered memories, emotions and moods.  I saw what you wrote.  I felt what you felt.  Your words carried me away to your mind.  It was intimate and beautiful.  Your video entries captivated me.  So that's what you look and sound like. 

Sometimes though, you were angry or sad.  The burdens of work and life took a toll on you.  You poured your heart out when you had relationship issues.  You were inconsolable.  The worse was when darkness descended on your life.  There wasn't anything to do but to pray and hope. 

I marvel how tough you are and how resilient you can be.  I envied how some things can be so easy for you.  How did you cook that dish?  How did you write so well?  Even with the same camera and same lens, I know I can't capture images as well as you can.  I cheered as you lost another pound, ran another mile or met someone new.  It was heartening watching you conquer your fears or marking another milestone in life. 

So why did you stop blogging?  Or did you move elsewhere?  Was it tumblr, Facebook, Blogger,  WordPress or gasp... Twitter? 

I wanted to let you know that I missed you and hope you are doing well.

I went out for a walk tonight.  Along the way, I came across the usual characters in my neighbourhood. 

• an angry woman who was screaming at someone.  Her eyes were wide with rage as I slowly walked past her. 
• city workers in their garbage trucks emptying the trashbins.
• a grocery storeowner putting away the fruits and flowers for the night. 
• people clinging on to the weekend and saying slow goodbyes outside a bar
• a drunk peeing on the sidewalk. 
• a homeless man trying to sleep
• a cook in his whites smoking on the sidewalk
• dog walkers.... lots of them
• another angry person, this time it was a man who clenched his jaw and squinted his eyes.  He looked like Clint Eastwood. 
• a woman by a shelter door, one foot in and one foot out. 
• a young man carrying some take out food, he looked tired and dirty. 

As I neared my building, I saw a small woman with a big black dog crossing the street to my side.  The dog was bigger than the average German Shepherd and kept sniffing at the sidewalk, trees, light posts and shrubs.  They were about 20 yards in front of me.  All of a sudden the woman yanked the dog to her left and crossed the street again.  I stopped and wondered why.  The large trees on this section of the sidewalk creates large pockets of shadows.  I peered ahead and saw a trashbin with some trash the overflowed on to the ground.  Then I saw something small, dark with a thin white stripe.  It was a skunk.   The woman was almost on the other side when she turned towards me and yelled "Watch out!".  She continued her walk and didn't look back to see if I heeded her warning.  I crossed the street and hoped the skunk stayed on the other side of the street. 

I got home safe and sound.  I think we need more people in life to yell "watch out!".  Thank you ma'am *tips hat*.