Book ~ "Rowdy: The Roddy Piper Story" (2016) Colt Baird Toombs and Ariel Teal Toombs

From Goodreads ~ In early 2015, Roderick Toombs, aka Rowdy Roddy Piper, began researching his own autobiography with a trip through Western Canada. He was re-discovering his youth, a part of his life he never discussed during his 61 years, many spent as one of the greatest talents in the history of pro wrestling. Following his death due to a heart attack that July, two of his children took on the job of telling Roddy's story, separating fact from fiction in the extraordinary life of their father.

Already an accomplished wrestler before Wrestlemania in 1985, Roddy Piper could infuriate a crowd like no "heel" before him. The principal antagonist to all-American champion Hulk Hogan, Piper used his quick wit, explosive ring style and fearless baiting of audiences to push pro wrestling to unprecedented success. Wrestling was suddenly pop culture's main event. An actor with over 50 screen credits, including the lead in John Carpenter's #1 cult classic, "They Live", Piper knew how to keep fans hungry, just as he'd kept them wishing for a complete portrait of his most unusual life. He wanted to write this book for his family; now they have written it for him.

Roddy Piper was professional wrestler and actor. He was born in Saskatoon, SK, in 1954 (I didn't know he was Canadian). He was the youngest of three children and his family moved around a lot because his father worked for the CN Rail Police. His father was a strict disciplinarian and Roddy left home at an early age and fell into wrestling. Starting out, he did the circuits across Canada and the States before becoming the mouthy heel "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. He was in the process of researching and writing this book when he passed away in suddenly in 2015 and two of his children took up the job of finishing his story.

I was a fan of wrestling in the late 1980s and early 1990s (I even attended Wrestlemania VI in April 1990 at the SkyDome here in Toronto). I knew wrestling was fake but it was fun. I like reading bios and have had this on my to-be-read list for years so finally read it. Despite his persona of being a heal, Roddy sounds like a nice fella who was loved and respected by all. It was interesting to read the behind-the-scenes stories of the wrestling world and the wrestlers who were villans and enemies but actually good friends of Roddy's. I found it was written at a high level with just enough detail. I found myself Googling the names of wrestlers I haven't thought about in years to see what they are up to today (alas, many had passed away young). It's an interesting book if you are/were a wrestling fan. There are lots of pictures at the end. As a head's up, there is swearing and descriptions of drug and alcohol use.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate ... the colours are black and mint green.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Island Foods, Toronto, ON (Gladstone Avenue)

I had lunch today at Island Foods at Gladstone Avenue/Queen Street W.

I ordered what I always order at Island Foods ... a boneless chicken roti. As usual, it was delicious!

Book ~ "Three Days in June" (2025) Anne Tyler

From Goodreads ~ Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job - or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit. 

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.

This story takes place over three days:

Day 1 - Gail is divorced, in her early 60s and assistant headmistress at a school. She discovers come fall she is jobless. Debbie, her daughter, is getting married tomorrow and is spending the day at a spa with everyone but Gail, who wasn't invited. Max, her ex-husband, arrives for the wedding but has nowhere to stay because he has brought along an elderly cat he is fostering (he was going to stay at Debbie's but Kenneth, her fiancé, is allergic to cats) so Gail lets him stay with her. She must put on a happy face at the rehearsal dinner.

Day 2 - Debbie is getting married today and they discover Max hasn't brought a suit so they take him shopping. The wedding and reception happen.

Day 3 - Debbie is now married and heading to Bermuda with Kenneth, Max is heading home and Gail is alone again.

Considering how long this author has been writing, surprisingly this is the first book I've read of hers. It was just okay. It's written in first person perspective in Gail's voice. Not a lot happens ... mostly Gail reflecting on her life but not doing much to change it.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

In honour of St. Patrick's Day I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate ... the colours are ivy and mint green.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Book ~ "The Hitwoman and the Family Jewels" (2013) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ How do you say “no” to a mob boss?

When bumbling hitwoman Maggie Lee is asked by her mob boss employer to kill a cop, she wants to say no.

When her sexy murder mentor, Patrick Mulligan tells her the cop in question is a guy she once dated, she REALLY wants to refuse.

But when her former date, Paul Kowalski tries to kill her, she changes her tune to “Hell, yes!”

Maggie and Patrick grow closer as they scramble to figure out what it is that Kowalski is looking for and what it has to do with her prison escapee father.

​Maggie’s search is hampered by the presence of U.S. Marshals hunting her father and her crazier-than-usual family.

​Along with her snarky talking lizard, grammatically-challenged Doberman and a pissy cat, she races to solve the mystery and protect her family. But nothing in Maggie’s life ever goes as planned.

When Maggie was recently in a car accident, her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company and doesn't have the kind of money it takes to keep Katie in the high end hospital she needs to be in. To supplement her income, she has become a reluctant hit woman for a mob boss. This time he wants her to kill a cop. Maggie had gone out with this cop a couple times and even though she had gotten bad vibes from him, she is reluctant to kill him because he is a cop. In the meantime, her father, who was in prison for robbing a bank and murdering a teller, has escaped and U.S. Marshals suspect Maggie knows where he is.

This is the fourth in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series (#48 is coming our next month) and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but you should read the first one as there are many references in this one that will make more sense and you'll have the background. I had my doubts about this series when I discovered Maggie can now carry on conversations with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie takes care of until Katie recovers, and DeeDee, a dog she took in when she killed her owner. It sounds dumb but they are amusing and good friends and confidents to Maggie.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times ... she hates her job (her boss keeps hitting on her and smells like pepperoni) but has to keep it to appear "normal". Though I look forward to reading the others in the series, I wasn't crazy about the ending as it's a cliffhanger for the next book (I hate when authors end books this way to make you buy the next one). 

Book ~ "The Hitwoman Gets Lucky" (2013) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Maggie Lee’s a lot of things:

• The daughter of a mom in a mental institution and a dad serving time
• The niece of three meddling aunts
• The aunt (and now legal guardian) of her beloved niece, Katie
• The friend of a snarky lizard, a dyslexic Doberman and a semi-psychic co-worker
• A contract killer.

But one thing she'd never thought she'd be is a thief.

That's about to change as she heads to the casinos of Atlantic City to help her sexy murder mentor, Patrick Mulligan, steal something from a professional thief.

Maggie's never been lucky in love or money. Will this gamble pay off or will she lose her shirt, her heart or even her life?

Maggie was recently in a car accident and her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company and doesn't have the kind of money it takes to keep Katie in the high end hospital she needs to be in. So she becomes a contract killer. When Patrick, her murder mentor, asks for a favour, she can't say no. He needs her help to steal a flash drive that has incriminating evidence about him.

This is the third in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but as it's a novella, you should read the first ones as there are many references in this one that will make more sense and you'll have the background. I had my doubts about this series when I discovered Maggie can now carry on conversations with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie takes care of until Katie recovers, and DeeDee, a dog she took in when she killed her owner. It sounded dumb but they are amusing and good friends and confidents to Maggie. 

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times. I look forward to reading the others in the series.

Book ~ "Darling Girls" (2024) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls, they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

When Jessica was five, she was fostered by Miss Fairchild, who doted on her. Five years later Miss Fairchild fosters Norah and then Alicia and Jessica doesn't get the same loving attention she used to. But as Miss Fairchild begins to be cruel to the girls and trying to play them off against each other, Jessica, Norah and Alicia bond as sisters. They eventually were able to break free of Miss Fairchild. They age out of foster care and, though each has their own issues, they remain close.

Twenty-five years later, Miss Fairchild has sold her house and when it is being demolished, the body of a child is found. Jessica, Norah and Alicia are contacted by the police and questioned. They remember young children being brought into the house and disappearing when they lived with Miss Fairchild, specifically one named Amy ... is this one of them.

I've read a few books by this author and I thought it was just okay. It's written in first person perspective in the voice of the patient of a psychiatrist (these parts are labeled) and third person perspective as the story unfolds. It was a depressing read and some may find this story upsetting as it deals with child abuse. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and ivy.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Pogue Mahone, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had lunch today with the Toronto Social Seniors and Retirees group at Pogue Mahone Pub on College Street (at Bay Street). 

Here we are!

Gord had Irish Potato & Leek Soup (potato, leek, onion, fresh herbs, swirl of cream, Irish soda bread) and Vegetable Gyoza (ponzu, scallions, sesame).