The record cover to The Supremes album Merry Christmas.

A record sleeve with adverts for 18 Motown albums circa 1965 including the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, and Ray Charles

A record sleeve with adverts for 18 Motown albums circa 1965 including Mary Welles, The Supremes and The Four Tops

Putting up the tree, digging out the old family vinyl. The record sleeve for this Supremes’ Christmas album is an awesome little time capsule

The Muppet Christmas Carol movie being performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Big weekend for the arts. Saw The Beths last night (amazing show). Now taking in the Muppets with the TSO.

Gonna do my best not to tear up when Kermit describes Tiny Tim’s grave, “It would have done you good to see how green a place it is”

Finished Benjamin Labatut’s book “Maniac” this weekend.

I have no idea how anyone has both the intellect and the skill to write a book that good

Went to see the Orwell documentary 2+2=5 this afternoon and wow is it lousy.

It’s astounding to me that someone could take Orwell’s brilliance (he may be more relevant now than ever) and turn it into such a rambling, incoherent, mess

A black and white portrait of jazz legend Oscar Peterson on stage next to a grand piano

At Koerner Hall to see Cecile McLorin’s tribute to Oscar Peterson, who would have turned 100 this year.

If I had my way, Peterson would be on one of our bills, and there would be more statues, murals and celebrations of him right across this country

A memorial tree gnawed in two by a beaver

Looks like a beaver had a beef with poor Norman

Bistecca alla Fiorentina for dinner with an older Bordeaux (hope that’s not a faux pas with you Italophiles)

Every single time we have a meal like this, there’s only one thing I can think of…

Saw Jeff Tweedy tonight, show wasn’t for me. New material is really somnolent.

Started to complain about it to @lemon-out.bsky.social , who largely agreed, but said I should put it in perspective as l once slept through a Cowboy Junkies concert

Former NHLer Dennis Maruk signing autographs and handing out swag

Our team celeb Dennis Maruk very kindly brought swag for all of us.

He was picking corners in warm-up

@bhaggart.bsky.social thank you so much for the donation!

Playing in the Princess Margaret charity ball hockey tournament tomorrow. Somehow our team drew the PWHL team as our final game. Looking forward to having my ass handed to me on the main rink

(In case anyone wants to donate to a very good cause supportthepmcf.ca/ui/RoadHocke... )

Also, Watford deserve to be relegated for their away kits alone.

For those of us old enough to remember, looked like the hotdog colour scheme from Windows 3.1

Millwall players warming up pregame

Millwall v Watford under the lights

Overseas for a few days and, as always, was hoping to see some football. The only game that worked out was Millwall v Watford.

Not the most beautiful game I’ve been to but it does go into the books for the highest use of C word per minute that I’ve ever heard in my life

Oil painting of the Duke of Wellington by Goya, in the National Gallery - London

Saw my avatar in person today

Busker with a mohawk in Trafalgar Square playing Coldplay (of all the fucking bands)

“Punk Rock died when the first kid said ‘punk’s not dead’”

Got called “Boyo” by an elderly Welshman as I entered the pub tonight. Want sure if it was a greeting, an insult, or a shout out to The Clash (or maybe all three)

Back in the UK, approaching each pedestrian crossing like a gazelle at a watering hole, head on a swivel. Yet I still always look to the right and nearly get run over.

I swear I’m going to meet my end, taken out by a Dacia Sandero, crossing the street in front of some run down sports betting shop

We survived Boca, which was like a Mad Max movie - busses covered in barb wire and cops with assault rifles. This should be ok

Yeah, time flies. My kids are now 22 and 20. I’m still very young though. Haven’t aged at all 👀

The home jersey of Aberystwyth FC. Black and green stripes with an outline of castle ruins in the lower left

The away kit of Aberystwyth FC, white with a symbolic A topped with castle-style battlements

The football club where she’s studying has very nice kits. Might have a proud dad moment and pick one up while we’re there

Taking Kid1 to the UK on Wednesday as she starts her masters degree.
Wanted to see some football and the only game that works with our travel schedule is Millwall. Grabbed two tickets for me and K. Should be interesting to say the least

Only time I visited Stoke I came via Belfast. No one would take my bank notes from Northern Ireland. Luckily I had some older cash on hand from a previous visit to London. As a Canadian, I had no idea this was a thing

Played with Jones for a long time. Think he’s on the IR at the moment. Fitzie joined the board just as my term was ending

Kid1 played all the way through to Covid, maybe 2006 to 2019. She loved it. The Boy played for a few years before moving to soccer and then ultimate. I’ve played in the men’s league since the early 2000s.
It’s a wonderful part of the community.

' Cello Song Fontaines D.C. · ' Cello Song · Song · 2023

Such an unexpectedly fun cover song

open.spotify.com/track/7j8mW4...

When my son was in high school, he wrote a very funny screenplay about stealing tests / exams, called “Oceans Grade 11”

That’s awesome, so glad to see it!

A great B-Day dinner with K at General Public

My fave was Bereche Rive Gauche; K’s fave was Les Pinaillueses by Hélène Charbaut.

K has a better palate than me, so I think she may have picked the better wine

In the West end of TO (Dupont and Dufferin).

I think I was switched at birth and this is the lifestyle we were meant to live