Four Reasons I Like Saturdays

There are lots of reasons to like Saturdays. Or weekends in general. But is sleeping in, or time away from work really the reason you want to look forward to them for?

One of the downoids of being around teachers so much (being one myself, right?) is just that kind of mentality. You would be amazed at how many teaching folk simply put their time in during the school year simply (and merely) in anticipation of the summer break.

Well I for one, don’t take my Saturday’s for granted. Here’s four things that constitute the Saturday Rituals in Teddy’s life.

Bagel Run

I was born in Montreal. But it wasn’t until I was 18, when I went to study At McGill for a summer that I really fell in love with Montreal style bagels.

Hell, it was the only thing I could afford to eat.

Montreal bagels, for those not in the know, are nothing like the Dempster’s or Great Canadian Bagel fare you get in most places. Montreal (or New York) bagels are smaller, faintly crucnhy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The secret comes in the preparation; where most bread and bagels are baked, real bagels are boiled first in water.

There are a couple of places to get great bagels in Cowtown. Eau Claire used to have a wood–fired bagelry, back in the day when Eau Claire was cool. And there’s a place down by where I take dance lessons, at Heritage and Elbow.

But my favourite current bagel house is Wayne’s Bagels in Kensington. Excellent variety (my favourite is the all dressed, which has a hint of cinammon in the mix), always fresh (get there early while they’re hot, and before 2ish when they’re often sold out), and always friendly. And (here’s the kicker boys and girls) they’re wood-oven fired.

And that makes all the difference.

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Coffee Break

Everyone likes coffee, right?

Well, I know not, but I do. I’m a bit of a coffee snob; I buy beans, I have a pump driven Saeco espresso machine, and my grinder cost more than my espresso machine. Favourite drink these days is cafe Americano.

And my favourite place to buy beans is The Roasterie, also in Kensington. In fact, practically next door.

The Pavlovian response begins to kick in as I exit Wayne’s and head south. The pungent smells of whatever’s being roasted almost always let’s you know something good is going on. They do roast right on premises, several times a day when Andrew’s in attendance. He’s the guy behind the counter, supervising things, and doling out advice and trivia.

For example, in making coffee blends, he looks for opposites; something nutty and spicy along with something sweet and perfumy.

About 400 g (200 each of espresso and whatever Andrew recommends for the day) is a week’s worth of beans. They never need to be more than a week old. And always grind them yourself as you brew.

Just say no to being a Philistine.

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Saturday Papers

I admit it, I’m an information slut. The Internet was made for the likes of me.

But I love my Saturday papers. Lately it’s been back to the Grope and Dope, but also the National Dose from time to time. Especially if I can figure out when Saturday Night is included.

For me, there are three sections that I gravitate to. But only after getting through the front page, business, and even the Style section. The first is the travel section – never too early to plan your next trip. Second is the Globe Focus, and then the Weekend section.

There’s an intangible with weekend papers, regardless of the publisher. Something out of the ordinary, a bit more exotic. And it’s fun following your favourite columnists as they flit between the competetion and back again (as Christy Blatchford does).

Back in 1990, I stood in the front of some of those publishers (at the Globe 90 environmental conference) and suggested that their business models would have to change and adapt to new technolgies, like computers. Back then, I was on BixNet and DataPac, precursors to what we all know and love right now.

Still there’s something about just getting your hands dirty.

Radio Indulgance

I love Sook-Yin Lee, host of Definietly Not The Opera, or simply DNTO for non–nubs. Edgier and a bit more quirky than previous host (whom I also fell for, Nora Young) it’s a pop-culture kind of variety show.

You’re always assured of a good new band (this week’s: The Neverending White Lights) and maybe a movie suggestion (I Walk The Line, the Johnny Cash biopic).

But wait, DNTO isn’t all you get. If you’re up early enough, there’s Brent Bambury’s Go and the old standby, Quirks and Quarks.

No matter what you choose, the Mother Corp comes on strong.

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So what do you do on a Saturday?