SuperBowl BBQ

The train trip had few highlights except for a gaggle of what seemed to be Toronto highschool girls. The one who was seated next to me always checking and re checking her leather wrapped blackberrie. Seems they were just on their way back from a weekend in Montreal. “ semi formal,” and “oh we just got something at American Apparel for $40” are words bandied about, in between.. “got to sleep at 5 am, I am sooo tired” or “am I still drunk”, “who was that close talker..Charlie??", and “.. yea until she got sick..”. and “I have pictures, they are soo money”. The gaggle: everything looked and smelled like what I imagine a wholesome Dove commercial shoot must. For late-to-getting-to sleepers, or still-drunkers, these ladies seemed to have far better hygiene than that, if memory serves me, of my class-mates of either sex after late nights during highschool days and trips.

As I left Montreal the radio spoke of the days to come and weather warnings or cold. I think I heard the number –40 bandied about, that was with with the wind chill, but still. When was the last time I heard any weather person suggest that things would even get close to a number like –40. Presently I am happy to be in a direction that takes me both West and a quickly dipping South.




The SuperBowl as you all now know was what has come to be expected of the SuperBowl, not that interesting- but yes the first half did look like something was going to happen. I was even trying harder that usual to take it all in after recently reading Stephen Lewis’ “The Blind Spot”, a great sports read for anyone sporty or not (very Gladwellian). The game keeps me wondering why SuperBowl is always such a big deal when every time I actually pay any attention to it no one seems very surprised that it is either a blow out or mostly just boring football. And yet the fans and the advertisers flock and flock to it year after year paying very silly prices for tickets and for add spots.
Explanation required: Why were most of the adds in the first half about death and loss and racism?? What was up with that FedEX add about the future and one of the FedEx associates gets smoked/ killed by an asteroid. It seems a bit harsh and leaves no warm and fuzzie any place near me. The second half adds seemed to be about talking animals, those adds where a real animal looks like it is talking.. not that cool a concept anymore, kind of 2005. The best part of the game was the food. Peter made pulled Pork sandwiches using an even more tweaked out smoking gizmo than he had in Halifax- fantastic. The snacks, beer and pork sandwiches- yup you heard me I said pork, was all good, there were even frozen chocolate cheese cake dessert things and frozen éclairs- wow. I only realized on the train ride that it was Sunday and no booze stores would be open in Ontario as they are in La belle province, but ever the gracious host Pete provided a few pints of Steam Whistle, a fine beer that is quickly becoming the Rolling Rock of Toronto. Plus the company was intimate and fun, with old friends and new. As a token of thanks I brought Pete a bottle of chocolate mustard, something I had never heard of before but it was made in Quebec and sounded right up his alley- suggested uses: South American and Mexican cuisine. A company on Ile D’Orleans made it. Why I remembered chocolate mustard and not 6 beers, I am not quite sure why.

Also for the record Jack and I did not hit the booze as hard as expected, Both of us are a little exhausted from the past few days of planning and activities. So it was sober that I said hello and thank you to Jack’s mom and saw one stunning view of the Toronto skyline from her living room window.


The Cute Jack Julian

This morning began with coffee and one very tasty brownie from Jack's mom- made with a unique French chocolate, apparently only “thrown together” when Jack comes to town, already off to a good start, if only for the brownies.