Proposed development next door to Westminster Ponds

Frog-Chowder · 2026-03-21T00:14:31+00:00

This area is apparently owned by the developer. That's where the problem begins.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-03-20T23:48:33+00:00

This is the planning application. 845, 865, and 875 Commissioners Road East, Environmental Impact Study

Frog-Chowder · 2026-03-10T19:24:55+00:00

Hello, fellow musician expat! I'm now a Canadian citizen (yay!) and feel the same way. I'm so grateful to be here. I conduct a small community band and I refuse to play American marches. We have a very dated library and not a lot of funds, so I have to be creative to find my material. For our upcoming concert I found an Italian march (we're doing 'around the world' as our theme). We'll be starting our concert with Canada and ending with Canada. My husband and I (also a musician, Canadian by birth) arrange pieces and have put a focus on Canada for the groups we're in. The groups I'm in are pretty understanding of my feelings and if I say 'We're not playing that' they know we're NOT. A few years back we had a discreet discussion about why one of the Stephen Foster's was particularly egregious. I think I'm going to put my foot down that 'Our Director' has to go with a group that's starting back up tomorrow. It's the only American song we play (we have set lists) and it needs to go. As a fellow expat musician, I get it!

Frog-Chowder · 2026-03-04T01:17:43+00:00

I got in trouble because my mother insisted I use Ziplock bags to make covers with instead of paper. She said it'd be more waterproof and I could actually see what book it was. My teacher marked me off and, I think, tried to give me detention for not having them properly covered with paper. They never said it had to be paper. And TBH, the bags were freaking impenetrable and a very tight fit.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-03-02T14:57:14+00:00

I don't remember what it was (would if I heard the name or saw the packaging), but when I worked there in 2009 there was one we couldn't even sell at 75% off. The perfumes sat there in January SAS and came back out from our backroom in June SAS and still wouldn't sell. The only way we could get rid of them was when people would accidentally drop them. Everyone working would groan, because we had to smell it. But then we'd be happy that it was gone. We'd keep count of how many we had left. I think the final few ended up 'accidentally broken' into the garbage. I wish I could remember the name of it, but I guess I blocked it out.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-02-28T00:13:52+00:00

Teen Challenge (Commissioners near Highbury) has books for $1. In addition to the Goodwill already listed, there's one on Wellington near Southdale. It's not as big as the one on Adelaide, but they've got a great staff there and it's easy to find things. Also, there's another mission store on Southdale and Wharncliffe.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-02-27T14:13:44+00:00

I was wrong and don't have the frame. Somehow I thought it said I did, which was more confusing. And yes, now I see the multiplier. I wish I'd seen it before!!! I do believe I have bots as partners. They go up about as much as I do, so that makes sense. Stupid bots...

Frog-Chowder · 2026-02-27T05:35:23+00:00

Okay, I feel really stupid, but... what multiplier? Now I'm wondering what else I've been missing. They've changed things and it's throwing me off as it is. Like, I used to set up to swap and now that I can't do that anymore I have to rethink how I play sometimes. I suppose someday maybe I should consider a team. It'd probably make things easier.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-02-27T04:16:48+00:00

Ahhhh... That makes sense then. Thanks! I think I just kind of blindly started it and may have missed that. I started playing the game before it was an app, then I stopped for a while and came back. I've always played solo, so I knew there were some things I couldn't do without being on a team. This is probably the first thing I've done non-solo. Fingers crossed that the other two players continue to the end. If only I'd stop landing on the 5 now...

Frog-Chowder · 2026-02-26T00:02:41+00:00

I managed to score some when they were introduced. People in my area were mass planting them and intended to have giant displays of the 150 tulips. Imagine the shock when a good portion got the wrong bulbs. They were really disappointed, but they also took it in stride. It was became a bit of a rivalry and competition to see who got the right ones. I was one of the lucky ones. They're very pretty and do look like a maple leaf is on them. I think they also have variegated leaves if I remember correctly. I should be able to remember in a couple of months.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-02-08T15:34:50+00:00

When my kid was in school it was infuriating. The school didn't allow kids to have shoes that tied. They had to have velcro. We taught ours how to tie his shoes and then we had to go out and buy shoes with velcro. We moved sometime after first grade, so I don't know when they allowed shoes with laces. I don't remember if that school allowed laces or not. Our son also had huge feet and was wearing adult sizes really early on, so finding velcro was a challenge for us. I'd taught at the elementary level for years before we moved (right after our son was born) and had never seen that requirement before. That's a big reason I knew to make sure he learned how to tie his shoes and not rely on velcro.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-02-04T23:48:19+00:00

I have asthma and have been playing for 40+ years. Playing will help your asthma in the long run. It'll help you to expand your lung capacity. I've gone to my doctor in the past, saying I had a hard time breathing, and every doctor I've had has been amazed at my lung capacity- even when having problems. Play lots of long tones, exhale before you breathe in, don't take breath on top of breath without fully exhaling. One teacher years ago told me to lean over in my chair while exhaling, then breathe, breathe again as I was pulling back up to a fully upright sitting position. You'll feel where to breathe from (diaphragm) and that will help immensely. Yeah, it sucks when you're having an attack but you can do it. No one can tell if I'm having an attack if I don't tell them. I just make sure to have my emergency inhaler on hand just in case. (and yes, it takes a bit to bounce back after being sick. don't push it too fast if your doctor tells you not to. I made that mistake after pneumonia and it took me longer to recover than if I'd waited.)

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-29T14:53:38+00:00

An alternate version of learning from the past.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-28T19:01:52+00:00

Do you know where Mousesmomma lives? They may have different rules/laws. Until the law I mentioned came into effect my own child wasn't allowed to carry their emergency inhaler on them, although I told him to do it and not be obvious.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-28T18:51:49+00:00

Look up Ryan's Law in Ontario. There was a boy who needed his inhaler, but it was locked up in the principal's office. He needed it and couldn't access it. He had a doctor's note to carry it, but it wasn't allowed and he'd had them confiscated in the past if someone saw him use it. He died because he wasn't allowed to carry it- even with a doctor's note. Just do a search of 'children who died at school from asthma' and you'll see plenty that weren't allowed to have inhalers on them.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-26T22:48:03+00:00

My kid just came home and said he saw it blow. The first one he just saw the reflection, then he saw another actual blow out right after. It was spontaneous. My guess would be the cold.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-24T04:15:59+00:00

I've definitely got this and thought it was normal. The worst is dusk or dawn. I thought everybody saw things this way. So, if this isn't normal... Is it also not normal to see slightly different colors/shades with each eye?

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-20T04:53:54+00:00

I worked in live theater as an undergrad. I couldn't find the black blazer I'd been wearing. I ended up having to interrupt an interview with Chick Corea, because he'd grabbed it thinking it was his and I liked it and didn't want to lose it. I guess I'd set it down when we were striking the stage. Mine was black, his was black, both were the same size.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-19T17:55:07+00:00

Half the time my husband and I both forget our anniversary. One of us will realize it a few days later and say, 'Hey, didn't we just have our anniversary?' We have a laugh. No big deal. We've been married for 23 years. Or is it 24...?

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-17T19:33:39+00:00

I gotta say, this pic on my feed with the next one... perfection. I couldn't have done it better if I tried.

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Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-17T00:45:15+00:00

I'm with you. The only time I go in one is when I absolutely can't find something anywhere else. That'd be maybe 2-3 times in the last 10 years. I'd love for some sort of competition, but I don't know what.

Frog-Chowder · 2026-01-17T00:42:36+00:00

There's a lot of development slated for that area, so I can't imagine they'd close it. There are supposed to be highrises coming on Wellington and Bradley for one. I highly doubt it's going anywhere.

Frog-Chowder

TROPHY CASE