Last night we met our friend CBJ for dinner. CBJ’s an old friend from university, now living south of the border, who returned to Toronto for another university friend’s wedding. After Nellie, CBGB and I had a few drinks at the Duke of York we strolled across the street to meet CBJ at Fieramosca. Another friend from university showed up, and we proceeded to gorge ourselves. I had conchiglie with sausage, rapini & sundried tomatoes in an olive oil & garlic sauce. Whatever pinot grigio Nellie ordered went well with it, but I couldn’t resist ordering the new Chianti that he recommended. I know, I know, Chianti didn’t seem to go, but he’d just gotten it in that day and man, was it good.

As always, the dinner at Fieramosca ends with shots of Limoncello. CBGB joined us at our place for a drink (we each had a different single malt) before we all turned into pumpkins. In just two hours Nellie and I are meeting CBJ and his wife to go drink wine all afternoon. I have no problem with this, but those two have a wedding to attend at 6:30!!

Today was a good day. My copy of With Teeth finally arrived, as did my copy of Spoon‘s Gimme Fiction. Two movies — Unforgivable Blackness and George Washington — arrived in the mail too. Now, if only I had time to listen to / watch it all…

It would seem that I’m not drinking nearly enough. I have the following bottles of scotch on hand:

• Bruichladdich, 10 year
• Cardhu, 12 year (x2)
• Macallan, 12 year
• Macallan Fine Oak, 10 year
• Macallan Fine Oak, 15 year
• Talisker, 10 year

I’d better get on it. I canpretty much guarantee you that the night I finish my last accounting assignment (which should be about a week from now), I’ll be diving into one or more of these.

Recently I’ve begun to think of, and refer to, Toronto as “home”. I’m still prone to calling the farm in Nova Scotia “home” sometimes, though I haven’t lived there since 1993. I’ve been in Toronto almost 8 years now, and while the plan was to move back east once we were able, that’s no longer the case. First of all, we’ve bought a condo (which hasn’t even been built); second, we both have good jobs here that we enjoy (some days more than others, of course); third, my MBA keeps me here (another 3 years to complete it, minimum 2 years of commitment to my company after that). Those felt like reasons why we had to stay, but I know now that I want to stay. Most of my friends are here. The best movies, concerts & restaurants are here. The TIFF and Hot Docs are here. The pollution sucks, but…whattaya gonna do?

I still love visiting Halifax and the farm, but this is home now.

Eye tells us that both Wolf Parade and Final Fantasy have announced shows here in Toronto next month. Might as while strike while the iron is hot, I guess; Toronto’s got a bit of a crush on both of these bands after their opening slots at the Arcade Fire show. [editor’s question: can we call Owen and his looper a band?]

Speaking of AF concerts, my brother weighed in on their latest London performance.

If you don’t know who Stan Rogers is, and you consider yourself any kind of fan of folk music (or fancy yourself a real Canadian) do a little research on the man. In Nova Scotia we grew up with a certain reverence for Stan, but as I moved west to Toronto (yup, like Finch) I found that he was less well-known in his home province than in the Atlantic provinces.

I was eight when Stan died, and don’t remember it, but I know it affected my father deeply. It’s one thing when a cherished musician dies; it’s another when he dies tragically & too young. Now, when I hear his music or read about him, I find myself missing him.

Find out for yourself.

The Kings of Leon and The Secret Machines are coming to Toronto, but I refuse to pay for a concert in that shitbox Kool Haus.

This is the best What Do You Think? that The Onion has done in ages.

“If we outlawed everything some people find offensive, there wouldn’t even be a Texas in the first place.”

Rotten Tomatoes has Revenge Of The Sith at 27/29. If my hopes weren’t up before, they are now.

I finally seem to be on the other side of this cold. Still a little stuffed up, still the occasional cough, still the minor headaches and lack of energy, but at least I don’t feel like half-cooked ass anymore. Within a few days I should be capable of some exercise…just in time to drink myself silly at Santé.