New Video Series! Episode 1 - Manon's Veggie Burgers
It was a happy day for me when I learned that if people ask Manon how to cook something, she finds it easier to make a video of the food while actually cooking it instead of laboriously writing out a...
View ArticleCooking with Manon Episode 2 - Falafel Night!
Let me tell you, I was very happy when Kathy asked Manon how she made falafels! Wouldn't one of you like to know how she makes genuine Lac St. Jean tarte au sucre?
View ArticleMy new haircut
259 days ago, I had a #4 buzz cut from a professional hair stylist who came to our yard. I loved it. Since then, the hair has been slowly growing longer until I could stand it no longer.It became clear...
View ArticleCooking with Manon Episode 3 - Grilled Cheese Night!
Grilled Cheese Night is my favourite. I should only eat one, but I always ask for two.
View ArticleLocal Vegetables
On Friday, we went out to 200 Moodie Drive to buy vegetables that are grown right there. One of the main growers is a friend who recently came to Canada from Syria.The vegetables were sold to us by...
View ArticleMy new way to display marbles
When you and your spouse both have enormous hoards of marbles, you are always looking for new ways to display them.This morning I hit on something that had never occurred to me before: hanging them...
View ArticleWatch Lynn Miles from your couch!
One of the great things about living in Ottawa is how often you can go see a Lynn Miles show. With the pandemic, these options are more limited, but now Lynn is doing shows from her living room that...
View ArticleRepress - a new contranym?
I think I spotted a new contronym this morning.Here's the definition of contranym and one of my favourite examples from Wiktionary:A contranym or contronym is a word which has two or more generally...
View ArticleFrench TV recommendation - Audrey est revenue
A few years back, I decided to work on my French and improve my understanding of French-Canadian culture by watching French-Canadian tv shows with the French close captioning on.I discovered that the...
View ArticleFrench TV recommendation - Discussions avec mes parents
Another show I like for absorbing French even when I don't understand everything is the delightful Discussions avec mes parents. The standup comedian François Morency plays a version of himself with...
View ArticleFrench TV recommendation - Sans rendez-vous
If Sans rendez-vous was in English, it would be the most talked about show on the air.*In this half-hour comedy, nurse Sarah Lenoir (Magalie Lépine Blondeau) and her coworkers counsel people about...
View ArticlePhoto Album on the TV screen
This week, I surprised two women in my life by putting family photos on their TV screens. This is something you can do if you have an Android phone, a Google Account and Chromecast.If you use something...
View ArticleIf a tree falls in the city...
In our loft last night, we were startled by some loud rumblings. "Nothing to worry about, it's just ice sliding off the roof."But this morning, I looked out the window to see that a substantial limb...
View ArticleTerrible news: Huy Fong's Sambal Oelek
On Saturday morning, I made the trek up to Somerset Street to shop at the Lim Bangkok. I wanted some of their excellent bok choy and gai lan, but I needed a bottle of hoisin sauce and I thought it...
View ArticleFellow residents of Ottawa: You are welcome
Do you remember March 3, 2023? We got 15 cm of snow. It was the fourth big dump of snow this calendar year. After tuckering myself out shovelling, I decided to shell out the bucks and order an electric...
View ArticleMy sixth shot
I'm just back from getting my 6th shot - the latest Moderna bivalent. I'm eligible because I'm immuno-compromised not because I'm an old guy. But the nurse might have thought that I am an old guy...
View ArticleI have a valuable vintage Boggle game
I discovered recently that I have a rare collectible in my game collection. It's a Boggle game from the early '80s.Boggle has 16 six-sided dice with letters on the side that you mix up in a square grid...
View ArticleImproving air quality with our new Corsi-Rosenthal Box
This morning, Ottawa has a "Special Air Quality Statement" that says "High levels of air pollution have developed due to smoke from forest fires" and "Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health...
View ArticleAddressing the Sambal Oelek crisis
A heartbreaking sightThe Sriracha - Sambal Oelek crisis continues.Apparently, Huy Fong is still not getting the hot peppers it needs to make the sauces many of us rely on.InsideHook reports that many...
View ArticleManon's Stick Library
Manon had a brain wave this spring to further redirect the many dogs that come by from messing with her garden. [You might recall a previous effort from 2021] In addition to having a water bowl, she...
View ArticleOur Hallowe'en
We have no jack-o-lantern this year, but the sea monsters are back on the window, so we may get a few trick-or-treaters tonight. If there are any leftover mini-chocolate bars, I will just have to...
View ArticleHow I squeeze a bit more out of Spelling Bee
Many of us Wordle players have started playing some of the New York Times other games, like Connections, the Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee.A frustration with Spelling Bee is that once you hit SOLID,...
View ArticleSet your TV recorder: Les Cowboys Fringants
Les Cowboys Fringants en concert avec l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal In 2020, les Cowboys Fringant recorded a performance with l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. I was lucky enough to record it...
View ArticleSambal Oelek update - I cracked
If you're a serious Sambal Oelek (fresh chili paste) user like me, you already know that the Huy Fong suspension is over and their Sriracha and Sambal Oelek sauces have been back on store shelves at...
View ArticleMy new look
Things were getting shaggy, so I asked the lovely Manon to give me a trim on Saturday.She suggested changing things up from my usual all-over #4 or #6 and instead did the sides with a #2 and left the...
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