Geeky Cat Miusings

This is a sweet claymation video for the Fleet Foxes White Winter Hymnal:

I love going to cafes but am a little tired of the sameness of the big chains such as Second Cup and Starbucks, even though I do love their coffee when it is fresh. It can be difficult to know where to start the journey of cafe discovery but I was fortunate enough to have a friend point me to a useful site called Blogto. Someone there already started the cafe investigation and posted their results online for the rest of us, who are a bit short of time to really get out and crawl through the city for a cozy up with a caffe latte.

I went to Beaver this past weekend but I found their coffee tasted burnt and the joint itself was only okay. The quilts on the walls did not make up for the hard seats and very loud music that is difficult to yell over. Manic coffee doesn’t bombard you with loud music so that you can sit on the cozy sofa at the back and listen in on a discussion about literature and the local music scene, hoping the discussion would get personal and juicy. The barista made a latte with a beautiful decorated foam topping and it tasted good, but I really judge a cafes quality by ordering a regular brewed coffee. They had a small selection of vegan cookies which are very nice. I have been to Tequila Bookworm a couple of times this past summer and enjoyed their food, but I have never had their coffee. Once I went there to play a board game with some friends and liked the relaxed service since it meant we could play for as long as we wanted without being kicked out.

I revisted Tan Coffee, a cafe that I found this past summer. My visit to Tan in July was one of the highlights of my summer. I ordered an avocadocino and sipped it while laying in the hammock in their back patio. This time around there was no hammock option since the windchill of -20 discourages patrons, but they do have nice sofas to relax in and delicious vegan cheesecakes to help generate internal heat.

My hope is to check out all those cafes listed there and find a truly cozy spot to have a great mug of coffee.

We all enjoy a hot cup of tea on cold days to warm us up, but we typically like to feel the warmth of the cup in our hands and not the scalding hot liquid pouring over our bellies, which is what happened to me on Monday. I went to a cafeteria to get some tea. I poured the hot water into a styrofoam cup and then walked over to the milk and cream stand. I placed the cup down and as soon as I poured the milk into the cup, it flipped over and splashed all over me. Because the water was really hot, my belly was burned badly over several inches square and blisters formed, most of them popping immediatedly. I wondered if the flimsy nature of styrofoam made it prone to flipping. I usually use ceramic cups at work and so I am used to a cup with more weight to it.

I tried to keep my top from touching the area, but I continued with the meeting that I was attending even though the burn was hurting me. I did see a doctor after the meeting and she applied an antibiotic lotion to the burn and covered it with a high-tech covering after making sure I was up-to-date on my Tetanus shots.

Many people were giving me very different advise on what to do — it seems that everyone has their own prescription for treatment. Some say to apply ice to the area while others say do not. Some say to apply cream or vitamin e and cover it with gauze while others say to not apply anything because it is better to leave the area uncovered so that it can breathe. I am not planning to go around with the area uncovered because it really isn’t bikini weather in Canada. Besides, my friend said that the area will be very prone to cancer now so I should be very careful when I go suntanning. Fortunately, I don’t have any bikini pieces, so I won’t have to give them up. I am also very glad that I don’t have a belly ring –

Thanks for all the advise…

Have a nice cup of hot tea…but do have it the right way.

I have had more than my share of cranky TTC drivers lately. I know their jobs are stressful but they shouldn’t be taking it out on customers -and some drivers do seem to forget that passengers on the bus are the customers. Late Saturday night I got on the bus at the subway stop and sat down. A girl got on the bus, hugged the driver and started chatting with him. They chatted continuously as he drove along his route while she stood beside him. When we approached the stop just before my home stop I approached the driver to ask him if he could stop at my street because the TTC offers a request stop service: Request Stop allows a woman to get off the bus at locations between regular TTC stops from 9:00pm to 5:00am. Since the driver and the girl were still chatting and made no signs of stopping so that I could speak, I said “Excuse me, could you please stop at this street?”. The bus driver got very mad at me saying that I interrrupted him while he was explaining something to this person. Well, he has been explaining “something” to this person (he wasn’t willing to admit to her being his friend?) for 10 minutes. Does a customer not have the right to interrupt such a long winded discussion to safely get off the bus? I am finding some drivers are forgetting who the customers are and need to be reminded to be client oriented.

Here is a homage to the two of the things that I love best in this world: Naps and Cats. I LOVE them both!

Happy Napping.

This is a great song and I would love to see it expanded to opera length because there is enough material in my TTC travels for a full-length story.

Winter is upon us and I am feeling very chilled. This weather is hard to take for someone who thrives at temperatures above 25 degrees. Darkness falls around 4:30 so I don’t see any daylight. When my work day is done I long to get home and cover myself with a warm blanket and a cat or two.

I have seen some great shows lately: The Sound of Music with its catchy tunes and its must see mountain; Legoland and its twisted characters, A Christmas Carol with its ominous ghosts promising us bad dreams if don’t propogate the spirit of giving. I saw a live concert by Sondre Lerche who sang songs for the movie “Dan in Real Life” and I tried very hard to remember the story line.

I had some wonderful meals this past month, the most memorable was at Live at Dupont and Spadina, a place that specializes in raw food. Their combo plate is delicious — a must try. Pizza, macaroni and cheese, stir fry, I can’t remember what else. I have a hard time finding their website.

I love the atmosphere at Madeleines Cherry Pie and Ice Cream. It feels very old world — I just wanted to stay there and nobody seems to want to show you the door out either. Try playing their gourmet trivia pursuit game while you nibble on some lavendar biscotti.

Taste Cafe is a hip joint in Parkdale. A great place to sample different cheeses. It is run by three brothers who are friendly and a bit theatrical. If you like surprises, they will offer to bring you a sample of mystery cheeses and wines that complement the cheeses. After you have tasted it all they will tell you what you have just eaten. It is a surprise and it is fun.