The BeltLine: The best trail in Toronto?

A couple weekends ago, a friend and I explored (and conquered!) the BeltLine Trail.

It's definitely a pretty trail, with a tree canopy and wide pathway. At one point, it is situated behind some fancy houses, so you can gawk at the backyards of Toronto's rich and famous people.

We encountered quite a few runners. So perhaps it is known as a good running trail. It is well-paved, I'll give you that. 

We started the trail near Davisville & Yonge St and strolled along until the end.
Closer to Davisville, it oddly intersects major streets, which means that you either have to J-Walk to reconnect to the trail, or you have to walk up to the lights and cross the street like a law-abiding person. Either way, it is kind of annoying. It does only happen a couple times. After that, the trail continues uninterrupted until the end.

 

Verdict: Definitely not the best trail in the city, but it is a good trail for an afternoon stroll. 

Church= Cookies

I pass this church every Monday.

"Come to church. We have cookies."

Cracks me up.

The best way to spend a Saturday Afternoon in Toronto: Evergreen Brickworks

It's no secret that I love Evergreen Brickworks.
I went back there a couple weekends ago, and rented a bike from BikeWorks.

This weekend, and friend and I grabbed our Nikon dSLRs, and headed off for adventure!
Here's the evidence:

My shoes.

Brick factory

colours

Graffiti Phone Booth

heehee!

Yup. I love Evergreen.

Sneak Peek: What I'm up to

Here's a sneak peek at what I'm up to:


Moving!!
I've discovered a benefit to being a bad packer. When it comes time to unpack, it feels like you're opening presents!
I have no clue what's inside each box.
And they each have such delightful contents.
The box that's currently closest to me contains pots and pans, cutlery, magazines, towels, books and mugs, an iron, and cushion covers!


Scribbles!


New dSLR!
I'm thinking of starting a Fun Flickr account...





Working on my course. I'm having a blast.


Cleaning and organizing...


and putting in drawer liner!

 
Dog-walker training here I come!

Obsessed with Wisdom

One of my favourite photography exhibits ended last week: Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman.

I just stumbled upon it back in June. And I went back 3 more times to peruse the photos and read the quotes. ...and gain some wisdom!

 

It was such a special experience. Strolling among the photos, stopping at each one to discuss the photography and quotes with friends.

"Cooking is truly an act of love" - what do you think? 

Or, the concept that if you're not moving forward, you're decaying. Being stagnant is actually decay.
hmm. Where does contentedness fit in?

One of the benefits of going to see the exhibit so many times was that I started to remember the quotes and could compare/contrast them in discussions with friends. 

This seems manageable: 

Here is one of my favourites: (of course)

 

"enormous risks". wow. 

  

Here's another gem:

 

And from the book: 

love it.

My new favourite part of the city: Evergreen Brickworks

 

A few weekends ago, I spent a weekend at Evergreen Brickworks (EBW). I was there participating in a Digital Storytelling workshop. (It was brilliant!!! Stay tuned for more info on how it went.)

Every so often I come across these gems, and I wonder, "why didn't anyone tell me about this?!"
EBW is one of those cases.

I love. love. love. this place.
It feels like an oasis.

A place committed to nature and community. 

 

I think part of the feel comes from the fact that it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. It's definitely accessible by car, but not really by public transit. Yet it's only 10 minutes away from the city.

However...  They have a free shuttle! And.... the shuttle drop-off/ pick-up spot is about a 1 minute walk from my new home!!

SCORE!

 

So, if you're looking for me, just pass by EBW first. 

I can't wait to hang out there -  all the time. 

Saturday farmers' market.

Sunday antique market.

Yummy food/cafe (locally grown, organic delights)

Weekday activities (I need to do more research on this. ...I want to take a workshop there!) 

Bike rentals and nature trails

fun.

11 fun things to do in the elevator

According to my Yes and Yes calendar, this past Saturday was National Talk in the Elevator Day.

My new job requires me to take the elevator at least twice a day, and I've been thinking about how to make it more of an enjoyable experience.
(One thing to note, is that I'm only on the 3rd floor, so the ride isn't very long.)

I didn't happen to be in an elevator on Saturday, but the previous Friday, I made an effort to talk in the elevator. It wasn't much of an effort though. ...I said "Thanks!" to someone who held the door for me. :)

But it's a new month! I'm crowning August 2011 as "Talk in the Elevator" month.
We'll see how it goes.

To start off, I've developed this list:

11 Fun Things to Do in the Elevator:

1. Whistle/hum The Little Spanish Flea song
2. Face inward (with your back to the door)
3. Swap Twitter handles
4. Count down the numbers aloud (New Year's Eve style!)
5. Tell riders a super random fact (Did you know that 'Frisbee' used to be a trademarked name? It's like Xerox or Kleenex.)
6. Jump right before the elevator stops
7. Ask riders what they're listening to on their iPods
8. Dance
9. Conduct an impromptu poll  - Nikon vs. Canon, Mac vs. PC, M&Ms vs. Smarties, BB. vs iPhone vs. Android, Mary Poppins vs. Maria (Sound of Music)
10. Change outfits (Clark Gable style. ...no flashing!) 
11. Chug your drink before you get to your floor (bonus: if you're with a friend, get them to yell "chug! chug! chug! chug!)

What else should I add to the list?