Book ~ "Under the Influence" (2016) Joyce Maynard

From Goodreads ~ Drinking cost Helen custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet taking portraits of school children and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. He’s drifting away from her, fast.

When she meets Ava and Swift Havilland, the vulnerable Helen is instantly enchanted. Wealthy, connected philanthropists, they have their own charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, edgy art and dazzling parties.

Then Helen meets Elliott, a kind quiet accountant who offers loyalty and love with none of her newfound friends’ fireworks. To Swift and Ava, he’s boring. But even worse than that, he’s unimpressed by them.

As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillands’ influence - running errands, doing random chores, questioning her relationship with Elliott - Ava and Swift hold out the most seductive gift: their influence and help to regain custody of her son. But the debt Helen owes them is about to come due.

Ollie witnesses an accident involving Swift, his grown son and the daughter of the Havillands’ housekeeper. With her young son’s future in the balance, Helen must choose between the truth and the friends who have given her everything.

Helen was in her late 30s and divorced. She made a bad decision one night while drunk and lost custody of Ollie, her young son. Over the next few years, she does all she can to get him back. In the meantime, she is working as a photographer taking pictures of families. Occasionally she works with her friend, Alice, doing catering gigs. At one of these gigs, Helen meets Ava and Swift. They are rich and Ava befriends her. Suddenly Helen is spending all her time with them, hanging out and doing odd jobs for them. In the meantime, Helen meets Elliott and they start dating. But Ava and Swift don't approve of Elliott and the feeling is mutual so Helen is juggling relationships.

This is the first book I've read by this author and it will probably be the last. I found it really dull and kept waiting for something to happen ... which finally happened about 80% into the story and by then I didn't really care. It's written in first person perspective in Helen's voice. I didn't find any of the characters likeable. Helen was drab and immature. I found it hard to believe that Elliott would fall in love with Helen about ten seconds after he met her, especially considering she treated him so badly. Ava and Swift were way over the top. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Firehouse Subs, Etobicoke, ON

I had lunch today at Firehouse Subs on North Queen Street on Etobicoke.

I ordered a medium Club on a Sub (smoked turkey breast, honey ham, crispy bacon, and melted provolone, served with tomato, mayo, and deli mustard) with a dill pickle spear served on the side. It was a tasty sub and the pickle was fun.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

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

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and raspberry. Rather than donating them, I'm going to keep them as they match my jacket.

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!

Mandarin, Toronto, ON

I had a fun time at the "Let's Celebrate Chinese New Year" event (my first event) at the Mandarin (2200 Yonge Street) with the with Toronto Social Seniors and Retirees and met some nice people!

Book ~ "The Things We Keep" (2016) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ Anna Forster, in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease at only thirty-eight years old, knows that her family is doing what they believe to be best when they take her to Rosalind House, an assisted living facility. She also knows there's just one other resident her age, Luke. What she does not expect is the love that blossoms between her and Luke even as she resists her new life at Rosalind House. As her disease steals more and more of her memory, Anna fights to hold on to what she knows, including her relationship with Luke. 

When Eve Bennett is suddenly thrust into the role of single mother she finds herself putting her culinary training to use at Rosalind house. When she meets Anna and Luke she is moved by the bond the pair has forged. But when a tragic incident leads Anna's and Luke's families to separate them, Eve finds herself questioning what she is willing to risk to help them.

Anna was a paramedic and in her late 30s when she started having symptoms of early stages of Alzheimer's. Their mother had had Alzheimer's so she knows what's to come. She puts her affairs in her twin brother, Jack's hands and chooses to move into Rosalind House, a seniors assisted living facility. Because it's a seniors facility, everyone is elderly except Anna and Luke, a fella Anna's age with similar symptoms to hers. Anna and Luke are drawn to each other, even while their memories deteriorate.

Eve is a single mother with a young daughter named Clementine whose husband left them with a scandal. They have lost everything and have to start over so Eve gets a job as a cook at Rosalind House. She and Anna become sort of friends (though she has to reintroduce herself to Anna all the time). Jack doesn't approve of Anna's and Luke's friendship/relationship and does what he can to keep them apart. Since Anna and Luke probably don't have a lot of time left mentally and physically, Eve, because she has lost so much, feels they should be able to enjoy what they have while they can and does what she can to ensure they do.

Despite the subject matter, I enjoyed this story. It's written in first person perspective in Anna, Eve and Clementine's voices (the chapters are labeled). I've never known anyone with Alzheimer's so it was interesting to read what it is like both from the mindset of Anna suffering from it (when it was in her voice) and those around her. The timeline jumps around from about a year and a half ago when Anna is first admitted to Rosalind House to present day as the disease has progressed (the chapters are labeled). As a head's up, there is some 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 mustard.

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 Arrangement" (2019) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Natalie, a young art student in New York City, is struggling to pay her bills when a friend makes a suggestion: Why not go online and find a sugar daddy - a wealthy older man who will pay her for dates and even give her a monthly allowance? Lots of girls do it, Nat learns. All that’s required is to look pretty and hang on his every word. Sexual favours are optional.

Though more than thirty years her senior, Gabe, a handsome corporate finance attorney, seems like the perfect candidate, and within a month, they are madly in love. At least, Nat is ... Gabe already has a family, whom he has no intention of leaving.

So when he abruptly ends things, Nat can’t let go. She begins drinking heavily and stalking him: watching him at work, spying on his wife, even befriending his daughter, who is not much younger than she is. But Gabe’s not about to let his sugar baby destroy his perfect life. What was supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement devolves into a nightmare of deception, obsession, and, when a body is found near Gabe’s posh Upper East Side apartment, murder.

Nat is an arts university student in NYC barely making it financially. She was recently fired from her part-time job and her roommates keep threatening to kick her out because she can't pay her share of the bills. When a fellow student tells her about a website where she can look for a sugar daddy, in desperation Nat signs up. Right away she connects with Gabe, a 55-year-old divorced attorney and he sets up her up financially and they fall in love. Though Gabe does care for her, what she doesn't know is that is Gabe actually has a wife and daughter and plans on keeping his secret life secret. Then the time comes for Gabe to make a choice ... Nat or his family. He chooses his family and Nat doesn't take it well at all.

I liked this story (such an intriguing premise) and the writing style. I kind of knew things weren't going to end happily ever after for Nat so it was interesting to see what happened. The ending had a bit of a surprising twist and I was buying it. This story is written in third person perspective. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

Kellys Landing Bar Grill Hub, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper this evening at Kellys Landing Bar Grill Hub (York Street/Front Street). 

Gord had Scallops & Bacon Risotto (two seared jumbo scallops, smoked bacon, spinach, grape tomatoes, Parmesan, fennel honey and gremolata). It was his first time having risotto and he said it was really good.  

I had Maple Cider Chicken (maple marinated roasted half chicken, herb-buttered fingerling potatoes and onion gravy) and it was good. 

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf this afternoon at the Bluma Appel Theatre.

It was intense and the acting was excellent, especially Paul Gross and Martha Burns who had huge rambling speeches. It’s almost 3.5 hours but didn’t seem long. 

Mac Fyfe was supposed to play Nick but because of a medical issue, he was replaced at the last minute by Rylan Wilkie. We were warned ahead of the performance that Wilkie wasn't quite up to speed so would be carrying his script for when/if he needed it. I was expecting it to be distracting and disjointed but it wasn't. He pulled it off well.

A timeless and twisted portrayal of married life. Late one night, after a university faculty soirée, George and Martha welcome a younger couple into their home. As the alcohol flows and dawn approaches, the young couple are drawn into George and Martha’s toxic games until the evening reaches its climax in a moment of devastating truth-telling.

Firehouse Subs, Etobicoke, ON

I had lunch today at Firehouse Subs on North Queen Street on Etobicoke.

Book ~ "The Swap" (2020) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Low Morrison is not your average teen. You could blame her hippie parents or her looming height or her dreary, isolated hometown on an island in the Pacific Northwest. But whatever the reason, Low just doesn’t fit in - and neither does Freya, a once-famous social media influencer who now owns the pottery studio in town.

After signing up for a class, Low quickly falls under Freya’s spell. And Freya, buoyed by Low’s adoration, is compelled to share her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Finally, both feel a sense of belonging ... that is, until Jamie walks through the studio door. Desperate for a baby, she and her husband have moved to the island hoping that the healthy environment will result in a pregnancy. Freya and Jamie become fast friends, as do their husbands, leaving Low alone once again.

Then one night, after a boozy dinner party, Freya suggests swapping partners. It should have been a harmless fling between consenting adults, one night of debauchery that they would put behind them but when one of the women becomes pregnant, Low finds the perfect opportunity to unleash her growing resentment.

Low is a high school senior who will be graduating in a couple months. She is an awkward loner, lives with her polyamorous parents (and their partners) and her siblings on a farm and has no friends. When she sees a sign for pottery lessons, she signs up and becomes friends with Freya, the teacher. Freya and Max, her retired hockey player husband, recently moved to the isolated island after a controversy involving Max. Low is happy to finally have someone who seems to care about her. 

When Freya meets shop owner, Jamie, they become friends and Low is left out which pisses her off. Freya and Max started hanging out with Jamie and Brian, her husband, and one night they are partying and doing mushrooms. Some time during the night, they swap partners and one of the women becomes pregnant, possibly from that encounter. Low knows who the father of the baby is as she'd been watching the couples and uses this knowledge to her advantage.

I thought this story had an interesting premise and it turned out to be a crazy mess. Teenager Low and adult Jamie were lonely and desperate for company and Freya seemed to be the only one wanting to hang out with them ... but not together or at the same time. Freya was mean and rude to both but they still kept coming back for more. Freya didn't treat Max very well either but he felt like he deserved it. None of the characters were likeable. The ending was unbelievable and over the top and I wasn't buying it.

This story is written in third person perspective in Low, Max, Jamie and Brian's voices. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

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 aqua.

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 Hanged Man's Noose" (2018) Judy Penz Sheluk

From Goodreads ~ Journalist Emily Garland lands a plum assignment as the editor of a niche magazine based in Lount’s Landing, a small town named after a colorful nineteenth century Canadian traitor. As she interviews the local business owners for the magazine, Emily quickly learns that many people are unhappy with real estate mogul Garrett Stonehaven’s plans to convert an old schoolhouse into a mega-box store. At the top of that list is Arabella Carpenter, the outspoken owner of an antiques shop, who will do just about anything to preserve the integrity of the town’s historic Main Street.

But Arabella is not alone in her opposition. Before long, a vocal dissenter at a town hall meeting about the proposed project dies. A few days later, another body is discovered and although both deaths are ruled accidental, Emily’s journalistic suspicions are aroused.

Putting her reporting skills to the ultimate test, Emily teams up with Arabella to discover the truth behind Stonehaven’s latest scheme before the murderer strikes again.

Emily is a freelance journalist in Toronto. When she gets hired to be the editor of a local magazine in a town north of Toronto, it's an offer she can't resist. Wealthy Torontonian Garrett Stonehaven has recently bought a rundown school there. Though many support his idea of turning it into a megastore, others don't. Personally Emily has issues with Garrett because she feels he is the cause of her mother's death. As townspeople start having deaths that are ruled accidents and she learns about Garrett's past, Emily and her new friend, Arabella, suspect something is going on and start investigating.

This is the first in the Glass Dolphin mystery series and I thought it was okay. It's written in third person perspective. I like that the author didn't hide that it was taking place in and not far from Toronto. The storyline and ending was a bit convoluted but I went with it. The "whodunnit" was obvious about halfway through though Emily didn't clue in until the end. The editing could have been tighter as there were some grammatical errors and some history lessons that could have been deleted as they didn't impact the story.

Swanky Burger, Queen’s Cross Food Hall, Eaton Centre, Toronto, ON

I had lunch today at Swanky Burger at Queen’s Cross Food Hall in the Eaton Centre. 

I ordered a Swanky Smash Burger (two 3oz all beef patties, swanky sauce, onion, tomato, lettuce, pickles) combo. I asked for no lettuce or onions but it came with lettuce, which I scraped off. The edges of the burger were crispy and a bit burnt and the middle was moister but not hot. So not a great burger. The fries were basic.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate. It's been a few years since I've made any.

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

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