pork and beans meets tikka misala
scenes from a rare subway ride
my carbonation of choice
two eyes and a tail
creme brulee at Saturday's wedding
‘Xena & Beano’ Category
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The Instagram Parade
April 30, 2012 by Gail
Posted in cameraphone, Food + Drink, Urban Life, Xena & Beano | | No Comments
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Photobooth Monday
April 23, 2012 by Gail
The House of Fielding on a chilly Monday evening
You know what comes after a Mega-Shooting Weekend, two weekends in a row? Hardcore Editing Week, that’s what. I’m buried up to my eyeballs in RAW files waiting to be processed. So while you are probably disappointed in Old Man Winter making an unexpected return to the GTA, I’m not! (I half-Bixi’ed, half-walked home in that windy mess, too.) I will be planted in this very spot at the computer screen for days and nights to come.
Posted in Gail at Large, Xena & Beano | | 5 Comments
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Tortilla: Take One
March 26, 2012 by Gail
here goes ...
Would I ever turn down an offer of homemade tortilla? Absolutely not! Especially from a native Spaniard, offering to cook it for me. If I could, I would drink sangria and eat tapas every single day.
I really miss my neighbourhood La Bodega in Vancouver! (*music warning–don’t click unless you’re ready for Spanish guitar through your speakers*) I used to eat there often. I don’t understand how a city the size of Toronto doesn’t have more Spanish restaurants. Or Cuban restaurants, for that matter. I have yet to find an equivalent to Havana on Commercial Drive. I’ve only ever eaten at two Spanish restaurants here, on the Danforth and in Kensington Market. The prices made me gasp. Why is it so much more expensive?
Anyway, the only thing to do is to make the food you want at home, which is entirely possible. However, this first attempt at tortilla was thwarted by a sudden heat swing that was too far to the hot side…
a watched pan never heats up fast enough ...
... so then you turn up the heat and it burns!
“This is the worst tortilla I’ve ever made,” he said. Nevermind, not a total loss — it was all eaten in the end. We will try again later.
We had a Food Inspector at the table, too:
Posted in Critters + Creatures, Food + Drink, Xena & Beano | | No Comments
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Flat Stanley’s Last Day In Toronto
March 26, 2012 by Gail
Flat Stanley’s going to be mailed off today back to Megan, my 8-year old niece in BC. He’s had some adventures around town, in Hamilton, and is ready to return west to the Grade 2 classroom. Unfortunately, he was completely forgotten three times this past weekend and missed out on the Humber Bay Arch Bridge trip, the Red Moon Collective monthly jam, and brunch yesterday. We won’t tell him that he’ll be missing out on a basketball game tonight — sorry, Stanley! — but all good things must come to an end, and Toronto will still be here should he decide to visit again.
These last pictures are of the Neighbourhood Watch (Xena), showing Stanley her perch post on the tall chair by the front window. Nothing gets by Xena!
Posted in cameraphone, Critters + Creatures, Xena & Beano | | No Comments
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Flat Stanley v2.0 Meets Xena
March 22, 2012 by Gail
Thanks to the miracle of modern technology (ahem, email), Flat Stanley’s disappearing act at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum has resulted in a cloning effort known as scanning and creating a JPEG. This JPEG was transformed into Stanley version 2.0 with the assistance of a full-colour laser printer, cardboard, and a glue stick.
Xena was crowned Head Inspector, Quality Control Division, for this
product launchauspicious occasion. She did finally approve Stanley v2.0 after some intensive sniffing.
More of the cat-vs-character encounter below:
Posted in Critters + Creatures, Xena & Beano | | 1 Comment
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We Miss You, Beano!
March 15, 2012 by Gail
Oh, how I miss that little face always waiting for me. It’s been a year since his passing, but he left behind a Beano-sized hole. Probably bigger than Beano-size. Xena’s an exceptionally affectionate kitty towards everyone, but Beano was picky about his humans and had a really big personality for such a little cat. (Hugh had a big personality, too, but he was a big cat.) The tuxedo cats are greatly missed at the House of Fielding!
Posted in Critters + Creatures, Xena & Beano | | 3 Comments
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The Editing Cave Is Warm
January 14, 2012 by Gail
sunny but cold
The region’s in a deep-freeze, currently, but I’m burrowed deeply in my editing cave in front of a warm computer and wearing a pair of knock-off Mukluks that are doing a good job of keeping my feet warm.
Brrrrrr….
sunny but cold
I also have a cat who loves to snuggle, in case the Mukluks fail me.
sun worshipper
Posted in House of Fielding, Xena & Beano | No Comments
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Came Home In Autumn, Woke Up To Winter
January 13, 2012 by Gail
hello snow
There’s a skylight right over my bed, so I know what the weather is like as soon as I open my eyes. It’s a far cry from yesterday, when I was driving a patient in the early morning — it was pouring rain then and continued into the evening.
Not today. The walk home is going to be messy!
Xena checking out the new white world
Posted in cameraphone, Xena & Beano | No Comments
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Xena Wishes All You Humans A Merry Christmas
December 24, 2011 by Gail
Xena's observation tower
In case you’re watching for Santa, Xena’s taken it upon herself to monitor the situation from my attic flat.
Xena's observation tower
This is the closest I got to a Xena portrait:
those bells are annoying me!
Merry Christmas, Silly Humans
Time to hit the road! For those with the password, my whereabouts can be found at the Where page.
Posted in Critters + Creatures, Xena & Beano | No Comments
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Skipping Monday
November 1, 2011 by Gail
Beano (RIP) gets busted for drinking out of my mug!
Yesterday was so crappy I was in bed by 10pm so it would be over sooner. But a special mention: yesterday morning a neighbourhood coffee shop owner took pity on me while I was on the phone dealing with unpleasantries and made me the best Americano I have ever had in my life, along with a fantastic toasted bagel and cream cheese and an amazing muffin with goat cheese, walnuts, organic butter and his ‘secret ingredient’ — Tabasco sauce! It sounds bizarre but it was incredibly tasty.
Good food and beverages (and sympathetic coffee shop owners) make life better. Also, entertaining pets like Beano… I miss that little scoundrel very much!
Posted in Critters + Creatures, Xena & Beano | 2 Comments
