Toronto Delivers

Goodbye Hell's Kitchen apartment on 43rd and 10th aptly named New Gotham Building. Goodbye to Mr. Hong, our fav dry cleaner who can hem and sew in minutes and delivers our heavy starched clothes every other day. Goodbye to the million+ people who walk by Times Square everyday and to the yummy pigs in a blanket at Brooklyn Diner. Goodbye to our barista friends at Starbucks. I hope the Starbucks in Toronto gives us freebie lattes during their customer days (do they even have customer days, I wonder?). Goodbye to our muscular acquintances at Crunch on 42nd/11th. Goodbye to the Falun Gong demonstrators on Broadway. Goodbye Broadway musicals, we'll miss you the most. Goodbye to the homeless sitting under the bridge on 9th Avenue between 41st and 42nd. Goodbye to Central Park especially Gus, the polar bear at the Zoo. Goodbye to our dear dear friends... we'll see you in a couple of weeks... in beautiful Toronto, we've been told its the "Manhattan of Canada."

Nice view of Niagara Falls [real player needed]

I'm not sure if this is typical of New York movers but the moving company we used was stopped at the Rainbow bridge border because they didn't have all their paperwork lined up. So we had to be dragged back to the border to provide proof that we actually owned these items. All 90 moving boxes. Yes I'm a pack rat. Edward is not but I am. 1/4 of these boxes are paperwork for my dissertation so it was important to bring them with me. No sofas, chairs, or beds in this truck since we've given these away to our friends. Have to run to Ikea and get new stuff. Moving is always an excuse to get new stuff and pack more things. Besides, from our one bedroom Manhattan apartment to a two bedroom Toronto apartment, I have more room to spread my 'stuff.'

Robin loves stuff... We just have way too much stuff and we need to reorganize. I didn't want our apartment in Toronto to look like our apartment in New York before we left.... lots and lots of stuff! So we're doctorate students... that shouldn't mean that we don't have time to clean up right? Or is that asking too much. Writing the dissertation means accumulating lots of reading material. Glad we have a second room where all the stuff can just be packed in one room and closed when there are guests. Robin needs to read through the 15 steps to a clutter free home in between reading stacks of organizational development, management and training books, articles, and magazines.

I have to learn how to speak like a local instead as a jaded New Yorker. So I had to grab books on the subject.

We're heading to Vancouver.... ok I'm heading to Vancouver in February along with my best friend, Jeffrey. We love the moose design by Darren and just have meet him personally when we get there.... check out the Northern Voice website... its not too late to register, yknow!.

In finding ways to support the hosting of this blog, I saw blogvertise. Has anyone joined their program? What do you feel about the idea? Is it just another method of WOM or a different paradigm? I'll join and let you know my experiences as well.

Would something like this work? Click Here to Advertise on TorontoDelivers.com. Does it mean being a sell out, unethical, or a pragmatic blogger?

We found this link and thought it was pretty cool. We've embedded it on the right column of the page (for now at least) so you can check out what we're listening today. It's quite cool though it only plays 30 seconds of each of our tracks (they don't want to be another Napster so you have to actually download the song if you'd like to listen to the whole bit - but its pretty cool anyhow). Make sure to turn down your computer volume control, you might wake up your coworker. Enjoy!

When we're not reviewing restaurants, we cook at home... ok I cook at home for the most part [grin]. And pasta is one of our favorites. If you haven't found out about Barilla Pasta's partnering with Second Harvest, you still have 28 days to check this out - they will donate $1 for every download of their Celebrity Pasta Lover's cookbook to any city/state in the States! Its only available until end of February 2007 so better download today! It's FREE!

Since we have strong connections to the States, we continue to find ways to help out our North American brethren. We like how the website allow you to choose which Second Harvest foodbank gets the donation (you know ours will be NYC) - that's a World Class act, if you ask us. The total donation they are hoping for would be $100,000 and that would mean at least 100k downloads.

No we weren't funded to promote this but we just think its a great idea so download away and see Piece Brosnan's Vegetable Orzo Primavery, Tyson Beckford's Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Penne Rigate, Harrison Ford's Spaghetti with Spicy Tomato Sauce. Yum!

You've probably seen this but we were just chuckling we had to share...

We've partnered with Amazon.com and opened our online bookstore tonight.

Check it out! You might be something about Toronto you've not known before.

The ads would show taxi drivers with PhDs; frostee servers with MBAs; maids with advanced degrees; to name a few. These ads are telling. They refer to a site HireImmigrants.ca {run by the MayTree Foundation} assisting employers with their hiring practices. This project is coordinated by the The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
along with CareerBridge, The Mentoring Partnership and the Toronto Community Foundation.

As Toronto eagerly tries to get more well-educated contributing immigrants, programmes like this are important to ensure that its vision towards being a real World Class city comes to fruition. A definite world class initiative, in our book.

What to do on this blizzardy weather today? Our friends at EyeWeekly and Fab Magazine have this list to get you started...

2 CAN DINE FOR 69 Loosen up with a loved one on Valentines Day by enjoying a 2 Can Dine For 69 fixed-price menu at lüb. Top your entrée off with a tasty “Circuit Boy” or “Wet Dream” martini, crafted by one of the lounge’s sizzling hot bartenders. Call and reserve your seats early – they’re going fast! 5pm. 487 Church St. 416.850.1209.

BEGINNER LINDY HOP LESSONS Meet new people at this evening of swing dance presented by the Bees Knees Dance Study. 9-9:45pm (before the Swing Gang performs). $5. Barcode, 549 College. 712-3358.

BIG BAND LOVERS' BALL A night of dining and dancing to the Galaxy All-Star Orchestra. Dinner 7:30, dancing 9pm. $29/dance; $59 dinner and dance. Stardust Dinner Theatre, Toronto Colony Hotel, 89 Chestnut. 861-0288.

BLUES ON BELLAIR Dine on a special Valentine's Day buffet dinner while enjoying live blues and jazz by Shakura S'Aida accompanied by Brooke Blackburn and Eric Soostar. $50. 25 Bellair, lower level. 944-2095.

THE BOYGINA MONOLOGUES "We all have stories and we all have genitals." So say the masterminds behind weirdo rockers Boygina. They're joined by Drummer and Pony Da Look. El Mocambo, 464 Spadina Ave. 968-2001.

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S Audrey Hepburn is resplendent as Holly Golightly in Truman Capote's story of a young woman attempting to take on the world. A top-rated date movie. 7pm. $4/members; $7.50/non-members. Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave. 778-8272.

CARMEN Bizet's classic tale of passion, jealousy, betrayal and death tells the story of a young soldier who meets a seductive gypsy who leads him to a life of crime. Performed by the Toronto Opera Repertoire. Feb 14, 17, 23, 28 & Mar 3, 8pm; Feb 25, 2pm. $12/$20. Bickford Centre Theatre, 777 Bloor W. 698-9572.

MY FUNNY VALENTINE The Art Bar reading series continues with host Shelagh Rowan-Legg and readers Catherine Jenkins, Paul Vermeersch, Alexandra Leggatt, more. 8pm. Free. 17 Balmuto. 461-5657.

KINGS OF TANGO Flaunting their facial hair, butch swaggers and impressive bulges, the Kings of Tango drive the womyn wild. For females who need girth, girls and guys in one. Crews/Tango, 508 Church St. 10pm. No cover. 416.972.1662.

THE OBJECT OF MY INFECTION The GTOs present their fourth annual anti-Valentine's Day Show that's sure to be "oozing with crabby new sketches and gangrenous old standards." Featuring Gord Disley, Samantha Bennett, Andy Boorman. 8:30pm. $8. The Rivoli, 334 Queen W.

MEET YOUR MATCH Refresh that hot male inbox because the Male Man is coming to Woody’s. The popular village hangout presents Meet Your Match night, a Valentines Day Party where everybody gets a number to wear. If you spot a hottie, record his number, and leave him a message at the Cruiseline Post Office. No word as to whether this office is unionized. 9pm. 465-467 Church St. No cover. 416.972.0887.

RENAISSANCE LOVE SAFARI A cappella trio the MadriGALS perform a full-length concert that travels through the stages of love -- from innocence to reminiscence. 8pm. $10/$15. St Stephen-in-the-Fields Church, 103 Bellevue. 588-5480.

RHEOSTATICS Spread the love while helping the Rheos celebrate the Horseshoe Tavern's 53rd birthday. Feb 14-17. $10-$13.50. Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen W. 598-4753.

SHAKESPEARE ON LOVE An evening of Shakespearean love scenes, sonnets, songs, spells. Also included in the night's events is an Elizabethan feast, silent auction and dating game. 7pm. $100/member couples; $115/general public couples. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Pk. 586-5797.

SOYLENT GREEN/OMEGA MAN "It's people!!!" Do your action-lovin' sweetie the ultimate favour and take him/her to this Charlton Heston double bill. Soylent Green, 7pm; The Omega Man, 9pm. $4/members; $7.50/non-members (per movie). The Royal, 608 College. 516-4845.

TICOT The Imperial Court of Toronto, a kind of rotary club for queens, puckers up at their 3rd annual Lovefest cabaret. Held at Pinocchio’s, a new drag bar that some patrons are calling “the new 501,” the drag, song and dance night kicks off with host, XIX MADAME. 10pm. 502A Yonge St. No cover. 416.961.5808.

THE KNEELING GODDESS Paddy’s Playhouse, a theatre space located above drag store Take A Walk On The Wild Side, presents The Kneeling Goddess, a suspense drama set in 1940s Hollywood about a young, naive actress who auditions at the home of a famous director and gets more than she bargained for. Starring Philip Cairns and Adele Campbell; directed by Justin Ruttan. Runs till Feb. 24th. 8pm. 161 Gerrard St. E. $15. 416.921.6112.

THE WET SPOTS Surviving a tour that had them playing in venues as varied as NYC’s Museum of Sex to an orgy in Washington DC, husband-and-wife duo The Wet Spots come home with a musical comedy Valentines Day Show at Revival. Check your innocence at the door. This is a pair that wrote a Christmas carol about getting fisted under the Christmas tree. 8:30pm. 783 College St. $12 ($30 for threesomes). 416.535.7888.

ST VALENTINE'S DAY TEA Celebrate the patron saint of love with a special menu in honour of St Valentine. 1-4:30pm. $3/$4. Montgomery's Inn, 4709 Dundas W. 394-8113.

VALENTINE'S DAY LOVE IN Join Maximum RNB, Fast Freddie, The Bellejars and comedian Gary Tait for a night of sweet lovin'. 9pm. $5. The Kathedral, 651 Queen W. 504-6699.

VARIOUS POSITIONS: 5 DEGREES OF HUMAN INTERACTION Spoken-word poets and DJs choreograph the ancient ritual of love with interpretations of curiosity, foreplay, passion, frenzy and afterglow. Music by DJs Son of SOUL, Mr Attic & P-Plus. 8pm. $7. IV Lounge, 326 Dundas W. 612-8940.

VD FONDUE Charming restaurant Big Mamma’s Boy serves a three-course Valentine’s Day Fondue special topped with sultry Valentine’s Day martinis. Organic and gluten-free menu choices available. Reservations recommended. 5pm-11pm. 554 Parliament St. No cover. 416.927.1593.

WHITE NIGHTS A young man and woman meet during Russia's white nights -- nights when the sun barely sets -- and fail to keep love at a distance. Previews Feb 14-15; runs Feb 16-Mar 3. $22-$30 (opening night $40). Wed-Sat, 8pm; Feb 24 & Mar 3, 3:30pm; Feb 18 & 25, 2:30pm. Théâtre français de Toronto, Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley. 534-6604.

And as our moms always say .. if you're going to splurge tonight, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons

Question for today? What animal are you? This has been going around for centuries. Horoscopes, Tarot Card Reading, Crystal Balls, Predictions, and Forecasts. Though valid in their own right, when incorporated to a business practice like a restaurant, it may turn off some people. If forecasting was likened to picking up a lunar chart and matching every employee's personality with their animal counterparts, does it align with asking everyone to take a Jung-like personality assessment and basing all relationships with that person on the results? Doesn't this remove unique and distinct personalities in the workplace? Do tell.

Gung Hay Fat Choi!

Nothing beats food as a familial bond to friendship building. Thus started our kick off dinner at the Nothern Voice conference. Met Saachi and Lee LeFever [whose presentation on their year long travel around the world was funny, moving, engaging], Aidan, Will, Arjun, Eric, Darren. Food sponsored by Peer 1 (which of course we originally thought was Pier 1 but then again we probably were just starving due to the day long trip to Vancouver from the East Coast) was delish. And not one but two types of cakes were served! Lemon or Chocolate! Yummy.

Our Day 1 started with something brand new to us in pre-conference sessions - an editable conference scheduling activity! Maybe not new for the regulars at Nothern Voice but since this was our first Moosecamp, it was a great idea. Topics were pitched and a blank grid was filled in minutes with hot topic sessions. Thinking immediately how this would be useful for a Toronto establishment like a restaurant, for example, then that would mean menus and layouts change on the fly so that its fluid enough to determine which works best for the current clientele and constantly fit that moving clientele target to ensure viability, creativity, vitality of a hip trendy place to hang out. Or is this already happening and we just weren't aware of it? If you've been to a restaurant that has client-focus constantly changing approach, then let us know and we'd have you write the review here!

Back to the conference in Vancouver - Roland Tanglao's session on cultural diaspora was very engaging, we enjoyed Lee LeFever and Nancy White's community session, learned a lot about Mac widgets, plugins, nifty tools that we can't use since our XPs would cough 'em up, Tod Maffin's open forum with the new CBC website look [a CBC insider in the room whispered about Zed's reincarnation so watch your local listing], met and seen interesting people (dragons, interesting hat person, and jugglers included), enjoyed Vancouver weather and BC's very accommodating and lovely people.

Anil Dash kicked off our Day 2 Northern Voice 2007 conference. Two words - persistence and awareness - were his main message of developing relationships using online tools. I attended sessions by Nancy White, Kris Krug, Brian Lamb, and Stewart Mader. Discussions on use of edublogs, edu-wiki's, and overall edu-connections proved to be thought provoking and left me with questions on usage, continuous viability, and choices that I'd need to further process in the coming days.

One way to get people out and enjoy the snow (especially nice after a blizzard) is to get them to see ice sculptures. Sassafraz sponsored the IceFest in the Toronto Bloor Yorkville's area. Although Sassafraz itself is in the midst of reconstructing their restaurant, this event continued without a hitch. The sculptures were fab although the blizzard was no help (as you can see from some of these photos). We still think this idea is World Class and is a great tourist attraction. Gets people to go to the nearby cafes and shops after viewing the sculptures to get out of the cold.

A friend of ours, Mark, is heading to Miami as he's had it with the cold weather out here. So we're helping him out in determining where to go... Being in the Art Deco district is always fun so we suggested for his hotel choices to be Betsy Ross, Strand or Astor. We're sure by posting this here, we can get some comments from our readers on other hotels in the beach area.

Speaking of beaches, the idea is for Mark to get some sun, great food, and knowing him, a good bar for the evening. We suggested RatesToGo as one of the portals he should check so he can do his Trip Planning online since it has "Last Minute Miami Hotels" but knowing how he'd rather meet new friends and just let his schedule flow, we never know what he'd end up doing. He may even end up in Puerto Vallarta.

In assisting Mark, we ended up looking for places to go ourselves like in Boracay for example or Valparaiso as our anniversary is just around the corner. But this posting is not for our trip, but for Mark's. So if you have any additional suggestions for him to head out to while in Miami, post it here.

Had a dream last night. We're trying to figure out a cheap way to get out of this freezing tundra. Maybe go to Europe?! So we searched the net. Eurobookings suggests Madrid, Milano and Florence among others. These were the ones that caught our eye though.

Why? Because Spain is such a party country for us. Barcelona would allow us to practice our Catalan. Sevilla reminds us of Hotel Alfonso which is in the centre of the city of Carmen on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. Nice warm place to enjoy the sun and get a tan.

If not Spain, then maybe stay at Hotel City in Florence as its in the most ancient part (at least that's what we've been told and since we've not been there, its a good place to check out). Plus the fact that its cheaper the rest of the hotels in the area, although a visit to the Grand Minerva Hotel would be nice.

Can't decide. Too many choices. Have to spin the globe and see where our finger lands. Woke up. Now if only we could get sponsors to pay for our trip, then we'll do TorontoDelivers blogging from abroad....

The Fall Schedule for your various interests are ~
Blue Jays Schedule - click here
Toronto Marlies Schedule - click here
Greater Toronto Hockey League - click here
Leafs Schedule - click here
Toronto Gay Hockey Schedule - click here
Fall TV Schedule - click here
Global TV schedule - click here
CityTV schedule - click here
CBC schedule - click here
CTV schedule - click here
Showcase schedule - click here
NBC Fall Previews - click here

Show websites ~
Heroes - click here
Billable Hours - click here
Beauty and the Geek - click here
Canadian Idol - click here
Gossip Girl - click here
Chuck - click here
Life is Wild - click here
Corner Gas - click here
Little Mosque on the Prairie - click here
Trailer Park Boys - click here
Canada's Next Top Model - click here
Reaper - click here
Smallville - click here
Bionic Woman - click here
Blood ties - click here
Life - click here
Journeyman - click here
The Gathering - click here

Remember American Gladiators? It's back!
Do you have a show you'd like included in this list? Post the link in the comments here.