Last Evening with the Actor

My pleasant evening last night began with a leisurely walk through Queens' Park, where the leaves are (finally) beginning to grow. I stopped and sat on a park bench for a while, maple tree seeds blowing into my hair, and a little Asian child, dressed in an adorable yellow jumpsuit, probably under a year old came over to me and was looking at me--what a cutie! I tried to ask her grandparents who were with her what her name was but they didn't speak English, so we just ended up laughing and gesturing. I was trying to kill a bit of time before walking over to my friend Marc's place, or rather the beautiful house of friends of his, for whom he house sits, in the Annex. I then walked west on Harbord in the late afternoon sun-- a pretty street that I haven't walked much since my full time school days. After arriving at Marc's, and after we nearly had to call the fire department because the tray of fat underneath the barbecue in the backyard caught fire, we had a lovely relaxed meal outside (using the fine crystal wine glasses that the home owners apparently never use!) of a jarred broccoli soup, enhanced with some white wine, milk, and sliced fennel, some herbed "black rice" (I don't know if that is what it is called--we found it in a paper bag and decided to cook it), some broiled tilapia fish with lemon, garlic and olive oil, and some sauteed veggies (that Marc had intended to barbecue!) that actually turned out delicious: sweet potato, red peppers and asparagus. Afterwards, we cleaned the kitchen to the likes of Sarah Harmer and decided to go out for a walk in the remaining light to get some Korean walnut cakes.... Along the way we encountered an ice cream truck and looked at each other.... of course the walnut cakes were sacrificed (though I did pick some up for Antonio) and we indulged in the chocolate dipped twist ice cream cones of childhood... Back home Marc served up some gin and tonic water with slices of lemon and frozen wild blueberries, probably my one regret of the evening because I am the world's lightest weight and started laughing a little louder after that. I think it also must have contributed to me walking into the bathroom doorknob when I got up last night, the pain, the agony.... But a great night nonetheless.









technorati tags tilapia, broccoli soup, rice, gin and tonic