Friday Favourites

 

Dave and I got out for a little golf game this week when my mom was in town.  Had to have a bite to eat on the patio too.

We ate inside at one of our favourite restaurants Queen Margherita Pizza on Wednesday.  I thought it would be busy so we go there early but we were only one of two tables seated so it was great for us.  They were still doing a busy takeout business. 

This bottle of rose has been elusive all summer in Ontario. It is made by Whispering Angel, my current favourite rose but the only bottles I could ever see were in Thunder Bay.  Then Mom was at the liquor store this week and saw one lone bottle so she grabbed it up.  We enjoyed it!

I appreciated this Tweet so I had to screenshot it. If you know then you know.

Also on this note, how great is Andre de Grasse, our Canadian sprinter!  So happy to see him win two medals, including a gold!! He runs in the relay this morning so we'll be watching again. 

My Mom leaves this morning so last night we got out for dinner at Nodo. This restaurant is always good and we got an easy spot on the patio.  

We opted to the meat and cheese plate to start, along with the warm olives and bread knots.

We both ordered pasta for our main course.

I posted about my favourite podcasts on Wednesday.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favourites.  Have a happy summer weekend!

My Favourite Podcasts

Are you a podcast fan? I have been listening to podcasts for a few years now and I have a few different ones on rotation now.  When I used to drive to work, I would listen to them in the car.  Then when I took the subway to work on a regular basis I would occasionally download them to listen to on the ride in.  Now that I've been at home, I mostly just fit them when I can - doing some work at my desk that is somewhat mindless, folding laundry or making dinner, walking to do errands, and yes, I will even listen in the shower. 

So here are the ones I'm listening to now and why I like them:

The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - I've mentioned this one before and I am slightly partial to it because Peter has read my letters a few times on the air so that was neat.  This podcast started out in 2019 as a daily show that discussed the Canadian Federal election that took place that fall.  I was always a fan of his when he was on the CBC so I was keen to hear him again.  After the election, the podcast turned into a weekly one that was going to address current events.  When the pandemic started in March of 2020, Peter started putting out episodes Monday thru Friday, mostly on Covid related things, but occasionally on other current events.  I found that he offered reliable information and I could sort out what was important to me throughout these past few months when the various news stories were hectic and confusing. 

The Daily by the New York Times - I check the topic each day but only listen to the ones that are of interest to me.  I appreciate the deep dive into different stories.  They just did one about the residential schools in Canada which was neat to hear from a US perspective.

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd and Monica Padman - I have always loved interviews with celebrities that go behind the scenes and are more than just a promo for their latest project.  Dax and Monica get to spend a lot of time with their guests so they get into some good conversations. They also often have non-celebrity types, but actual experts on various things so I will listen to those episodes.  They have also had other iterations - Monica and Jess Love Boys, Nature vs. Nurture, We are Supported By, and Armchaired and Dangerous - and I usually listen to those as well. 

The Bestie Breakdown with Shay Shull and Erika Slaughter - I have read Shay and Erika's blogs for years and they recently started a podcast.  Their topics aren't super hard-hitting, and pretty superficial, but I like hearing their banter even if I don't always agree with what they say.

Serial - there have been a few seasons of this show, the first one was the most popular about the murder of Hae Min Lee and the alleged wrongful conviction of Adnan Syed.  The most recent season was about a PAC (politcal action committee) in South Carolina.  It's pretty obscure for me in Canada, but I do enjoy things about the Southern US and US politics so it was good to put on and go through the episodes.  

An honourable mention to This American Life.  I used to listen to this all of the time but then got out of it and I just haven't jumped back in yet.  Plus I have so many other podcasts to listen to I can't keep up!

Weekend Recap

I know that we always say this but the summer is going to be over before we know it, we are into August already. 

On Friday night we had dinner at the golf club.  It was so lovely to be out on the patio, perfect weather.

Q had some ice cream for dessert and clearly enjoyed it!

We walked over to the practice area after eating and the boys chipped.

And hit a few at the range.

On Saturday morning Dave got ready for the golf club championship weekend.  He laid out his kit like the pros do.  He had fun playing the two days but didn't make the cut to be able to play the third day.  It was a great way to meet more people at the club and of course enjoy some patio time as well. 

Meanwhile we took E to his first baseball game of the season (they had a late start and then we have been away).

Such a nice morning to be out.  This field has two playgrounds nearby which Q visited but he also just played with some toys and stayed occupied.

E's cheering section.

On deck.

He had three base hits (and then got home on each round) and one strike out.  For now they have one of the coaches pitch to the kids which works pretty well.

We went home for lunch and then walked up the street to get a few things for supper.  I let the boys pick out a drink on the way home and E picked this one, and he is a true fan of marketing (like me) so he felt he needed to change the label when he got home.

We were having steak for dinner, along with some corn and this pretty salad.  A fresh Ontario field tomato and basil from our plant.

I love fried onions and mushrooms with my steak.

That evening we watched Jungle Cruise, it was cute, we love The Rock and Emily Blunt. 

On Sunday morning we had a slow start to the day, first we watched the 100m men semi final and final to see Andre de Grasse win his bronze, and then we tuned into the F1 race, which was very entertaining!  We had a bite to eat for lunch and then went out to play mini-golf.  It was slightly colder than normal so Q dressed in a toque and gloves.  

He kept it on for the entire round but at the end he was sweaty. 

Then we parked down by the Humber Bay Shores area and walked along the lake.

And then grabbed an early dinner at the Firkin pub there.

Q took this so I will excuse the angle

When we got home, we watched The Mitchells vs. the Machines because my mom hadn't seen it before.  

Monday was a holiday, I got up for a run and then we watched the Olympics for a bit before heading out to High Park for the afternoon.  

First stop was the splash pad

Then a walk through the labyrinth.

And then the castle playground, and then a hike through the woods back to our car.  

E had baseball practice on Monday night and then we finished our night with even more Olympics. I love a long weekend in the City, even though we didn't leave the west end.