Happy Easter

Sigh.

Another self-imposed deadline missed.

Don’t judge me too harshly, okay? I was just reading an article about the importance of balancing creativity with focus – that people are always happy to focus on the shiny and new, but lost interest when something requires long-term commitment. It’s quite uncomfortable to read something that so essentially sums up yourself.

Peggy left last week for the last time, which was sad for both of us. I officially have no friend/family visits to look forward to and am now debating whether I want to go to New Zealand for Christmas in 2013 or go to Ethiopia. Family vs. holiday adventure… I’ll let you know what I decide!

I spent my long weekend reading, eating chocolate and exploring my neighbourhood. I live quite close to two of the coolest features of downtown Toronto – St Lawrence Market and The Distillery District. So I explored both of those.

The market is literally across the road. It’s got a weekly farmer’s market and flea market and all week little boutiques and cafes operate. Based out of two big brick buildings from the 1800s, it’s been a marketplace for more than 200 years, which makes it such a pleasure to shop at. I wonder about what was for sale and who was buying it – mothers finding the best deals to feed their  family, servants buying luxuries they couldn’t afford themselves for their bosses. It’s a lovely piece of Toronto history, and it’s so rare to see that kind of consistent use over two centuries.

The historic distillery was, at one time, the biggest distillery in the world. Now it serves as a hotspot for boutique shops, restaurants, breweries and even a sake distillery! It’s like entering another little world. It was actually used as a distillery until 1990, and then was primarily a film set.  It still feels a bit like a film set, especially when there is a couple dressed in full Indian-wedding regalia posing for photos outside all the Victorian buildings. They host a lot of events throughout the year, including the Jazz Festival and a Christmas market, and since it’s only a 20 minute walk from my apartment  I intend to spend a lot of time there.

I also saw the play War Horse on Saturday, which was better than expected. The tech side was pretty spectacular, and the acting was very good (although the accents left something to be desired in some areas) but I did have a few moments where I fell right out of the narrative. It’s essentially a story about a boy who runs away to WWI after his horse is taken by the army. He says things like “Joey [the horse] and I will be together forever!” and I start thinking about how long horses can live for.

Sunday was something of a loss of a day because even the supermarkets close here! What’s with that? I did head to a 24/365 shop called Rabba, and was pleasantly surprised to find the fruit was a better price and quality than the nearest supermarket. Between that and the farmer’s market I should be able to keep my chiller well-stocked.

I’m so happy with where I’ve ended up. You always hope it will work out well, but it’s hard to guess before you get there. My job remains interesting, although some elements are frustrating in that I don’t always get feedback about how I’m doing. It’s a 20 minute walk to work through the financial district, which is quite fun. All the tall glass buildings and people in suits with briefcases – it’s like the opening scene to a “girl makes good” film.

All I need now is my own theme music.