Toronto Pip [anniversary] Feb 24 2006

Hi all,


Welcome to an emotionally filled, yet strangely

normal, anniversary edition of the goings on of

Toronto Pip.



I don’t want you to get all teary eyed, and I know how

you have all missed me soooo much! But I would just

like to point out that it is my one year anniversary.

Yep it has been one year, since I left Aoteoroa [our

little bit of paradise], and it only feels like

yesterday.

But don’t panic just yet I am not returning to

terrorise you all just yet. [seriously thinking about

taking a posting in Qatar or India, but that’s a whole

different story in itself], because right in the back

of my mind is this little hammer, this little

yearning, this silent pull, back to home.

HOWEVER not for a couple of years? And definitely not

until we have a “HOOTERS” bar, preferable Kohi/St

Heliers.



I have had fun, adventure, travels, memories that can

never be taken away, but I do miss family, friends,

sheep [not that way sicko], and a decent piece of

bloody beef. Christ they go on and on about there beef

and quite frankly it is crap [and as you can imagine I

tell them so].

Sure Texas has Kobe like beef farms, but still it does

not have that we eat grass, outside, 365 days of the

year flavour that our beef has. Same goes for their

dairy products.

Sure there is Ontario lamb, well I actually crack up

laughing at the St Laurent Saturday market as they

sell their Ontario lamb, which to me looks remarkably

like a leg of hogget or mutton. Either that or they

have some kind of super lamb as the joints are the

size of my thigh? A couple of the butchers have

cottoned onto the fact that I am a Kiwi [and might

know something about meat] they disappear out the back

and come in with real slabs of meat. And on occasion

they get really excited as they actually have New

Zealand lamb in stock. And without being biased it

sooo much better, even they agree on this one.



As for Mississauga Juju, I am concerned here, she has

taken to the bottle, BEER bottle that is. Paint me red

and call me rusty but she has become a beer expert,

and this is in the winter, god help me when it starts

getting warm. Preference “Sleeman’s Honey Brown” and

god help anyone who doesn’t have it. Ju is quite the

picture heading off to “the beer store” [actual name]

with her empties in her trolley [I’m not joking]. They

still give money back on returns here. I will take a

picture as it is well worth a laugh.



Anyway that’s all for now. Next week London & Paris so

“the week that was” should be entertaining, followed

by Montreal & Ottawa, it sounds so very global but

it’s all so close. So hang onto your hats and I will

catch up with you soon.



By the way give me some of your news, its always great

to hear from home, and don’t think that it is boring

compared, because actually we are just doing what is

to be done in this part of the world.



I know its summer and all but we are going skiing

again this weekend. Will try and get some photos to

you.



Love to all

Toronto Pip