Picasso & a False Alarm

29Jul

Today was our nothing is getting done day; we both lounged around in our leisure wear, no shaving for Carman, no make up for me. I was up at 6:15, enjoyed a pot of green tea, the last of the multigrain cheerios with fresh blueberries and worked on some photos for awhile. Carman got up around 11 and then I made Pamela style heuvos rancheros with toasted English muffin and some good strong java (an international breakfast). 

It seemed a shame to waste a perfectly good day inside, but it was just too hot for Carman to be out walking around. He alternated between the Open (broadcasting from Ancaster, just down the QEW) and the Olympics on tv while playing some Poker on his iPad and I read a book, watched a movie and kept an eye on the Olympics (when they showed Canadian athletes) as well.

The excitement level picked up around 9pm when the fire alarm went off for our building (two towers and an annex link between them, in which our apartment is located). Usually when this happens (yes, we’ve had a few already in just 2 months) security announces what’s happening immediately. It was several minutes with nothing but the alarm going so I stepped out on the balcony to see what was going on out front...nothing. I came back in and a few minutes later heard sirens, so checked the hall and saw our neighbour 2 doors down, just returning home and entering his apartment, as if there was no horn blaring up and down the hall. hmmm...

Trucks come...

I went back out on the balcony and sure enough the sirens were from big red trucks coming down our street (we hear them fairly regularly going along Jarvis or College streets which are nearby. One pulled in the lane and stopped at the main entrance and the other 2 stayed out on the street near the north tower. At that point the alarm stopped and security came on to say the alarm had been pulled on the 20th floor of the north tower, they were investigating and the fire department had been called (we already had a good clue about that call) and we should please stand by for instruction. Now this goes against all of our grade school training - and drilling - during which we got out fast and asked questions later. But the thought of filling strollers and getting Carman downstairs with equipment and vessels of oxygen (in a fire) is somewhat daunting. Thanks goodness we’re on the 3rd floor because I could easily lower the strollers and a n E-tank over the balcony (must go by extra sheets) in a pinch; and Carman can walk downstairs without too much trouble, whereas going up is a no go for him.

...and trucks they go

There was no hustling going on by the fireboys so we’re figuring it’s another false alarm...I stepped back out on the balcony to once again check the goings on (and verify the distance to the ground). I took a couple of pics and looked over the balcony rail and up the north tower but couldn’t see anything that would cause alarm...but I did meet the neighbour above me, Sarah! She has lived here 2-1/2 years and said these evening alarms are much easier to handle than the 4am ones.

Shortly after, security made another announcement that all was clear, thanks for being patient and we were free to resume our inactivity.

28Jul

Cheryl & Pamela

My art & golf buddy, Cheryl, came in from London on the train today - we have tickets for the Picasso Exhibit at the AGO this afternoon. I walked down to Union Station to meet her and then we took a different route home (so we could stop at the MLG Loblaws on the way). From there we made quick work of getting home and after the apartment tour and a visit we made lunch with the deli turkey, bagel and triangle buns we had picked up at Loblaws, along with a spinach salad. Cheryl currently has a show at one of London’s Galleries, some selections from her 50 in 50 series, 50 streetscapes done to celebrate her 50th year. She generously gifted us with No. 21 Carling (visible in the upper right corner of the photo); one of my favourites, as a housewarming gift. I love this particular piece because a) it includes the old buildings along Carling & Richmond streets as well as some ghosted modern “towers” in the background and b) Carling is where Kingsmills & Marienbad reside. Kingsmills is London’s oldest family run department store, complete with an elevator operator, creaky wooden floors and a vacuum tube system for sending paperwork to the office. Carman and I have made many furniture purchases there (thank you Phyllis, who is now retired) and it was a favourite place to find wedding gifts and great Boxing Day bargains in the Christmas Dept. Marienbad was a favourite restaurant of ours, featuring Hungarian specialties like wiener schnitzel and Grand Marnier palatschinken!

AGO - new addition

While Cheryl and I toured the show at the AGO; Carman hosted Don, Sheila & Katie, former neighbours from London. Katie attends Ryerson and Don & Sheila had come to take in a ball game and visit. We hope to see lots of Katie, now that she’s back in town for school and knows where we live (very close to where she has her apartment). I’d love to include a photo here, but well...you know by now...Carman forgot to get one, and also, you guessed it!...not signatures in the guest book either! So, we’ll save a spot for next visit! Soon that book will have mores blank spots that entries!

I got Cheryl to the train station with a full 5 minutes to spare for seat selection, before the train pulled out. I’m getting pretty good at maximizing visit time while not making people miss their trains! Can hardly wait til her next visit when we’ll tour the town, pick a place and sketching the scapes...

In the meantime I will carryout my plan to capture cranes for Dad...like this one working on the expansion at Toronto General Hospital, that I captured being reflected on the INTAC building across the street...