Newsletter

Hey there, how is your summer going so far? I have to say, while July felt like a very long month, summer is flying by. Even the kids are starting to talk about how it’s almost time for school again. On the blog, it has been business as usual. Between grilling, decoding Gen Z slang, and thinking way too much about AI, it’s been a month of tasty eats, tech takes, and the usual dad thoughts. If you missed anything on Like A Dad, here’s your quick list to catch up on.

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.

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.

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.

Why are we afraid of snow? – It’s mid February and in Canada, that is known as winter. Yesterday Toronto had some snow. The first real snow of the entire season. In our area it was many 2-3 cm. But if you turn on the news or read social media, we apparently had a major snowstorm. Was it a storm? What counts as a storm these days? It snowed. In fact it was that big movie like snow that is peaceful and relaxing. I went for a walk. It was actually refreshing. If you want to see what as snowstorm is, maybe check out what’s going on in Atlantic Canada. Over the years, we have become more and more unable to deal with winter. Not because people are incapable. It’s because in my opinion the media has conditioned us that way. Putting the fear of God into everyone when there are flurries. Like I said, this was the first real snow of the winter. Instead of covering traffic accidents, transit pulling stops and all the negatives of what snow can do. Why not pump the breaks a little and treat it as normal. It’s winter. This is what happens. It snows, we clear the snow, we all do our best to deal with the snow and maybe we should try and enjoy winter. Look at kids as soon as it snows. They are in their gear and sledding down hills. Sure there is some inconvienence, but that’s life.

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.

Hello sunshine – As I sit here putting together this week’s Friday Newsletter, I am basking in the glow of the sun that is actually out this morning. This winter so far has felt more dreary than normal so when the light blasts in through the window, it is special. It makes me think about spring. We are not that far from it now. February will be over in a blink. It also helps that lately the weather has been pretty mild compared to other parts of Canada. This is great for getting out for long walks and closing those rings on the Apple watch.

New TV – With February upon us, that means more new TV shows starting to come out. On my radar this weekend is the premiere of the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. One of my all time favourites. Larry David has been making the rounds on talk shows and podcasts to promote and I have to say, it’s nice to have LD back in my life. He even had a moment with Elmo after Elmo had his big moment on X for mental health this past week.