If you are reading this blog in chronological order, for some reason, then you may not be aware that I am reaching back in time and retroactively blogging my first few utilitaire rides as part of the Utilitaire-12 challenge. You may also be regretting that run-on sentence. No fear; there will be many more. At any rate, go forward in time and read about it. I'll wait.
Ready? Utilitaire-12 task #1: Bike to breakfast/lunch = Brunch at Swan Diner!
My friend D is heading back to Paris soon and we met up for brunch on west Queen W outside her morning class. Along with her friend K, we walked west to Swan Diner where, despite the late hour, we only had to wait about 15 minutes for a booth. It was a booth right at the back near the kitchen, but that turned out to be not a problem. Especially when it meant that our food came right to the table when it was ready. The place was very busy, but the service was quick. We talked of shoes and ships over lattes and the Hangtown Fry (smoked oysters and pancetta scrambled with eggs). D explained how some Parisian restaurants are trying to do brunch as an exotic thing, but they're getting it wrong; the food is mediocre and expensive. We shook our heads and ate our yummy, cheap food.
Because it was the first day of my birthday nonad, and because we happened to be passing by on the way back to my bike (and because I look for any excuse to buy cupcakes), we stopped at Dlish. I bought a salted caramel and chocolate coconut, their February flavour. They pack them into a box with holes for the cupcakes, but my ride home through Trinity-Bellwoods is a trifle bumpy and the cakes were upside down when I opened the box. Fortunately, only a little icing was lost in transit. And a slightly smushed cupcake is still a very tasty cupcake.
Mileage: From my apartment to Queen W & nearly Bathurst and back: 5.2 km/3.2 miles.
When I bike anywhere that takes me along Queen St or places further south, I almost always head through Trinity-Bellwoods Park. It makes me happy. It's a lovely park. It's full of trees and there are elegant gates at the southern end. More importantly, it reminds me of Paris in that people really use it. Not only are the paths filled with dog-walkers and joggers, but also people out for a stroll. They all, or almost all, heed the ding of my resonant bell and get out of the way when I pass them. The lawns are filled with people hanging out, even now in the cold. The playground and tennis courts and off-leash areas are almost always in use. It's a living, breathing park. It's public space at its best.
As with all things, sadly, it has its problems. The paths aren't particularly well-maintained. There is a good wide stretch running north-south on the western edge that is in mostly good shape, and it even has a running path and a sidewalk to help the multi-use traffic flow. Unfortunately, before you get to that bit, the path is so narrow that only one bike can pass at a time. The path winds around bushes so you can't see what's coming in the opposite direction, and roots have push their way under the path so that it has buckled. The city spent a goodly amount of time a year or two ago creating a path along Crawford to Dundas and I don't see why they couldn't have fixed this path at the same time. The southern end of the path is so cracked and full of potholes that it's no wonder my macarons and cupcakes rarely survive unscathed. No road would be allowed to last in that condition.
I spent the afternoon cleaning the apartment (rewarding myself with a cupcake for good behaviour) before I biked off to dinner and a play. I could have used that and the trop to Dlish as my second and third utilitaires, but rules are rules and I'm only allowed to a) count two utilitaires per week and b) count two utilitaires in one day once. These rules are forcing me to be strategic about the events I write up as utilitaires.
So here is the first entry on my control card. I'm looking forward to the next six weeks!
Ready? Utilitaire-12 task #1: Bike to breakfast/lunch = Brunch at Swan Diner!
My friend D is heading back to Paris soon and we met up for brunch on west Queen W outside her morning class. Along with her friend K, we walked west to Swan Diner where, despite the late hour, we only had to wait about 15 minutes for a booth. It was a booth right at the back near the kitchen, but that turned out to be not a problem. Especially when it meant that our food came right to the table when it was ready. The place was very busy, but the service was quick. We talked of shoes and ships over lattes and the Hangtown Fry (smoked oysters and pancetta scrambled with eggs). D explained how some Parisian restaurants are trying to do brunch as an exotic thing, but they're getting it wrong; the food is mediocre and expensive. We shook our heads and ate our yummy, cheap food.
Because it was the first day of my birthday nonad, and because we happened to be passing by on the way back to my bike (and because I look for any excuse to buy cupcakes), we stopped at Dlish. I bought a salted caramel and chocolate coconut, their February flavour. They pack them into a box with holes for the cupcakes, but my ride home through Trinity-Bellwoods is a trifle bumpy and the cakes were upside down when I opened the box. Fortunately, only a little icing was lost in transit. And a slightly smushed cupcake is still a very tasty cupcake.
Mileage: From my apartment to Queen W & nearly Bathurst and back: 5.2 km/3.2 miles.
When I bike anywhere that takes me along Queen St or places further south, I almost always head through Trinity-Bellwoods Park. It makes me happy. It's a lovely park. It's full of trees and there are elegant gates at the southern end. More importantly, it reminds me of Paris in that people really use it. Not only are the paths filled with dog-walkers and joggers, but also people out for a stroll. They all, or almost all, heed the ding of my resonant bell and get out of the way when I pass them. The lawns are filled with people hanging out, even now in the cold. The playground and tennis courts and off-leash areas are almost always in use. It's a living, breathing park. It's public space at its best.
As with all things, sadly, it has its problems. The paths aren't particularly well-maintained. There is a good wide stretch running north-south on the western edge that is in mostly good shape, and it even has a running path and a sidewalk to help the multi-use traffic flow. Unfortunately, before you get to that bit, the path is so narrow that only one bike can pass at a time. The path winds around bushes so you can't see what's coming in the opposite direction, and roots have push their way under the path so that it has buckled. The city spent a goodly amount of time a year or two ago creating a path along Crawford to Dundas and I don't see why they couldn't have fixed this path at the same time. The southern end of the path is so cracked and full of potholes that it's no wonder my macarons and cupcakes rarely survive unscathed. No road would be allowed to last in that condition.
I spent the afternoon cleaning the apartment (rewarding myself with a cupcake for good behaviour) before I biked off to dinner and a play. I could have used that and the trop to Dlish as my second and third utilitaires, but rules are rules and I'm only allowed to a) count two utilitaires per week and b) count two utilitaires in one day once. These rules are forcing me to be strategic about the events I write up as utilitaires.
So here is the first entry on my control card. I'm looking forward to the next six weeks!
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