Friday Newsletter – Marching forward with friends

Every Friday I fire off a list of things I think you need to know. Want me to know something in return? Leave it in the comments.

Good morning and happy Friday. We made it. February is over and we can start the march towards spring. Although the way winter has gone in Toronto, one could argue we are already in spring. This weekend is supposed to be sunny and over 10 C every day.

Looking at our backyard, it’s like all the plants are very confused. Not buried in snow and ice, so much daily sun and warmer air.

March is such a boost for the mind. To go with spring, it’s that time of year to start planning summer vacations, summer plans for kids, March Madness, tax refunds (for some), and daylight savings time.

It also means more desire to get outside and fire up the Big Green Egg.

But all in due time. Let’s focus on the present.

Checking in on what brings in the readers

With February coming to a close, I thought you would be interested in what blog posts are bringing in the readers.

With February coming to a close, I thought you would be interested in what blog posts are bringing in the readers.

What topics are driving the most traffic so far in 2024?

The dinosaurs may not be extinct afterall

Just when you are about to be out, they pull you back in. That’s what the Toronto Raptors did to me last night.

My overall interest in the Raptors this season has been moving further and further into the background. The past few months has been a rollarcoaster of good, bad and really ugly moments. The faces keep changing. The losses are piling up. Everything is leading to a rough end to the season and ending up in the lottery, where they may not even have a pick.

But last night, I felt a glimmer of hope. I felt a real interest in this group. I actually watched most of the game and cared about the outcome.

Recipe of the day – Beefy enchiladas

Every other weekend, it’s my turn to do meal prep for the week as well as grocery shopping. Each time I sit down with some cookbooks and my phone and try to come up with a handful of meals for the family. As weeknight meals, they ideally are pretty simple, tasty, and something everyone will eat.

Going through this process 26 times per year, you get stuck in a rut. You get bored of what you are cooking. It’s only natural. So, for me, it’s good to have a few meals that are fun to make, enjoyable to eat, and provide that homecooked feeling with real ingredients.

More and more, I am starting to realize that there is a dish that checks all the boxes. The enchilada.

Navigating the hilarious chaos of parental burnout

Parenting is a roller coaster of emotions, from heart-melting moments to the occasional meltdown. While the joys of fatherhood are unparalleled, there’s a side of parenting that often goes unnoticed – parental burnout. Dads, we don’t need Elmo to ask us if we are okay? It’s time to shed light on the comical chaos that comes with being a parent, share a laugh, and perhaps pick up a tip or two on surviving the whirlwind of in my case, fatherhood.

Friday Newsletter – The all Toronto edition

Every Friday I fire off a list of things I think you need to know. Want me to know something in return? Leave it in the comments.

It’s Jamaican Patty Day – I love Jamaican beef patties. But I had no idea there was an actual Jamaican patty day in Toronto. Well it’s today. Here is the back story. 39 years ago Toronto authorities determinded that the term “beef patties” was too misleading when referring to the tasty Jamaican patties. They said vendors could no longer call them beef patties. As you can imagine, it did not go over well. It created some serious negotiations between the city and Jamican beef patty vendors. Eventually the vendors won the right back to call them beef patties. Guess what day that happened? Yep, February 23. So that is why in the city of Toronto, today is known as Jamaican Patty Day. Another little tidbit I did not know – Toronto consumes more beef patties than anywhere else in the world other than Jamaica. This is just another reason why Toronto rules.

Want all the Toronto food news? I suggest following Suresh Doss.

My interview with NBA broadcast legend Mike Breen

This is not a real interview with Mike Breen, however it is me seeing how realistic ChatGPT can be. Spoiler alert, it’s pretty good.

For those not familiar with Mike Breen, he is an American play-by-play sports commentator. He has been the lead announcer for NBA games on ABC and ESPN since 2006, including the NBA Finals. He is also the lead announcer for New York Knicks games on the MSG Network. Breen previously called NFL regular season games for both NFL on Fox and NFL on NBC, as well as New York Giants preseason games.

You most likely know him for yelling “BANG”, when a player hits a big shot.

Why did I choose to fake interview Mike Breen? Well, he is a well-spoken guy with a distinct voice and style and I figured that would be a good kind of person to use ChatGPT with.

So without further explanation, here is my fake interview with Mike Breen.