Boyz N' The Hood

Today we decided to do lunch a bit differently to celebrate the end of a hectic week and take the boys out for some sun while Lidia and I seized the long-overdue opportunity to stuff ourselves silly with the fine fare offered by the infamous Chippy's Fish And Chips (just a few doors down from our vets).

Chippy's ain't anywhere near cheap (lunch for two will set you back nearly 30 bucks with tax and drinks), but you get your money's worth, and the menu offers several types of fish (I went for the halibut), prawns, and large scallops to keep you coming back. And their fries are probably the best in the city (I suggest trying them with just a touch of garlic mayo...)--the closest my refined palate has encountered that compare favourably to the fry trucks in my hometown.

Chippy's has just two stools at the window for seating, so obviously, we had to find ourselves a new location to chow down. Luckily, right across the street is Trinity-Bellwoods Park, so we found a picnic table near the terrific (and for Toronto, surprisingly well-maintained) playground that I'm sure one day will become the boys' second home.

Of course, this much-needed relief from my hectic workplace made it all that more difficult to want to return to the indignities of live television, so we decided to extend my break just a little bit longer so we could introduce Carter and Nathaniel to some of the neighbourhood regulars.

Along the way, I met two of my coworkers, Ken and Stu, whose collective gushing failed to rouse the guys from their rather epic slumber...

We passed the school on our corner just as a group of kids came back from what appeared to be an art camp. Some pretty nice drawings in tow, but I think I can teach the boys to do better...we'll see...

The first visit was pop-in to Capelli Colori to see Bernardo and his assistant, who have been cutting Lidia's hair for a few years now and have just recently taken me on as a client. We assured them that once the boys do, in fact, start sprouting copious quantities of hair, his salon will be our first and only destination.

After that, it was a quick scan of the patio of The Foggy Dew, but again, none of our usual wait staff appeared to be on duty. Some other time...

Next up, Top Convenience, where the very nice lady who runs the place with her husband (I've shopped there regularly for nearly nine years and have no idea what her name is...) has been asking about the boys for months...she was overjoyed to meet them--imagine how she would've reacted had they been awake!

Eventually, I broke down and realized I had to get back into the whole responsible parent/breadwinner jive and limped back to my crappy workstation and outdated software, taking some comfort in the fact that one day, the boys will probably regard what I do as something pretty cool...I guess it has its moments...