From Toronto: A Bento Box

Work sent me to Toronto last week (no, wait, week before that? Why is keeping track of past time so very hard?), which was v. fancy etc, (despite not getting to train business class as I was promised. NEXT TIME! Very keen to try out the fancy travel), but I decided to stick around and see the sundry family and friends that I have kicking about that city.

Which of course meant I went shopping.

In the course of Saturday, I went to Chinatown, Kensington Market and bopped around Queen's and King Street. This was by far the best trip to Toronto  I have yet had, and I finally FINALLY understand why some people really love the city. Although riding the subway with baggage is still not my favourite thing.

So what did I buy while I was in Toronto, you ask?

Well, a number of things, one of which I am still keeping a secret (Can we say Halloween Costume?). But one of things is that I finally found a bento box!

Yes, it has Happy New Year written on it, but I have crafty plans for this little lunch pail, which will hopefully involve awesomeness and not disaster (there may be chalkboard paint. but only if it takes well to plastic).

Part of why I am so pleased is this partitioned lunch box is a size that is actually useful, unlike the previous lunch box I bought.

Yes. Here it is beside the much prettier bunny bento box I purchased from the internet. And which, when it arrived, I realized was of the appropriate size to house three celery sticks. Four if you were VERY determined.

So Happy New Year to you guys, and I am very excited about bringing my lunch to work. Of course, I am going to have to also bring a plate because I can't go putting metal into the microwave, but Whatever! I needed to stop microwaving plastic into my food anyway.

Shopping Trip

This Sunday announced early that it was going to be grey and rainy and just a bit cold. I had initially had plans to go down to Raw Sugar, my favourite coffee shop down in Chinatown, and noodle about on my laptop, but when three rolled around and I was barely up and out of bed, (although I had completely finished The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner), I cancelled those plans and invited friends over for board games instead.

This had the double benefit of yay games and providing incentive to clean my kitchen/bathroom/tidy the gooddamn living room. My bedroom may still look like a tiny clothes explosion, but my living room has managed to get most of its floor space cleared (unpacking=hard).

Unfortunately, I promptly realized that although I was in possession of plenty of party games, I did not have any of the games ideal for three people and a bottle of wine. So I marched out my door to Fandom II, the nearby boardgame shop, and picked up Pandemic, the game I have been hopelessly addicted to for months. This game is beautifully balanced, which in my book means you actually end up losing a lot as you frantically work with your team mates to cure diseases and stop the spread of infection. (for those of you who know, yes of course Play Games was on in the background. Certain mix tape traditions should never die)

So my apartment is as clean as if has been since I've moved, I made chili for lunch tomorrow (it could, however, be spicier), and I have added to my board game collection. Today = success.

Tomorrow's Plan: get fed awesome Indian food.

And then I bought a couch

When I moved into my very own place last month (I know, super exciting!), I decided I no longer wanted to a couch which had been found on the side of the road. Or donated from a friend. Or was in some way or other not totally awesome.

This would be my first Big Furniture Purchase, and I was very excited about it.

And then I started looking for one.

A) my place is small. This means that most couches are too big, and those swank sectionals are right out and there is no way I am going to be able to fit a matching chair anywhere in the vicinity (the table for board games takes up a lot of room)

and

B) Furniture is always about a thousand dollars more expensive than I'm expecting.

Finally I narrowed my choice down to two couches found in the Market. One at the Bay (the top floor is actually awesomely filled with furniture, although smells strangely musty) and one at Van Leeuwen. Similar prices, similar size. I admit, I was very tempted to get the one from Van Leeuwen in part because  it was going to be from a real furniture store, and they let you choose your own fabric cover, and if I had just been offered a small glass of champagne while I shopped around, the whole experience would have been complete. But it turns out two hundred fabric samples with varying extra costs is a tad overwhelming.

So I wandered back to the Bay (this couch was smaller as well) and now my apartment is fantastic! There is a non-zero chance this is where I am sitting Right Now.