Fall Openings

I'll try to cram quite a bit into this post.

Grocery shopping has gradually returned more or less to normal, including the opening hours.  I still remember the very long lines that snaked through the parking lot just to get in.  Now getting in is generally a breeze, though sometimes the line to get a cashier can be long, though going the self-checkout route can help quite a bit.  The hoarding impulse seems to have died down as well.

I was quite pleased that Toronto finally moved to Stage 3 on July 31 (over three weeks ago now!).  We were locked down harder and longer than pretty much any other major city in North America.  On the other hand, it's hard to argue with results.  Ontario is basically hovering at 100 new cases a day (better than most of the other provinces on a per capita basis and shockingly better than BC on an absolute basis), and Toronto is often under 20 new cases.  When we look down south, it is shocking what they are claimed as "success"...

The Saturday after we went to Stage 3 I stopped in at the gym just to see their plans, and then I guess I worked out later on Sunday.  I've generally been managing to get in two workouts a week and am probably at around 85% of my pre-COVID workout routine.  It definitely takes longer with all the extra wiping down of equipment, and the risks are probably a little higher than I would like (many people don't actually wear masks while lifting weights, for example) but I simply didn't have the discipline to work out at home.  My biggest gripe is that they close at 9, which means there can be a line-up of people trying to get in a 7 in order to get in a full workout before they shut the doors.  I am hoping they extend hours to 10 pm soon, which I think would largely solve that issue.  I still haven't managed to go back to the swimming pools, and perhaps I will consider that more seriously in Sept.

The kids have started going back to the dentist and orthodontist for appointments.  My much delayed check-up is Sept. 11.  (Better make sure I am up-to-speed on flossing!)

The libraries have been gradually reopening (recently we could just get the holds off the shelves ourselves) and supposedly a core number of libraries will be back to more or less normal service starting on Monday.  It's not the highest thing on my list of priorities, but I have taken advantage of the book hold service (and certainly went a little wild with the e-books during lockdown!).  I'll have to see if that means the Reference Library downtown will also be back to normal.  As far as I can tell, Robarts and the other university libraries are still very much in lockdown mode, and I don't know when that will change.

Last week the movie theatres started testing the waters of reopening.  I'm actually probably going to try to see Inception tomorrow at Beach Cinema, and then perhaps in a few more weeks I'll check out Tenet.  I believe Wes Anderson has a film coming out fairly soon, and I'll probably go to that.  Interestingly, the Paradise on Bloor was one of the last theatres to shut down, but it hasn't announced its reopening plans yet.

That's somewhat similar to the Power Plant at Harbourfront.  It was open another week longer than the Textile Museum and MOCA, but they've both reopened and the Power Plant is still closed.  It appears that the Power Plant reopens on Sept. 26 and I'll make it out fairly soon after that.

Another somewhat delayed reopening is the Ryerson Image Centre, which reopens on Sept. 16, so I'll probably get over there soon.

After holding out for quite a while, Crowsnest cancelled the fall and spring season, which was quite unfortunate, as there were at least two shows I would have gone to.  As far as I can tell, Canadian Stage still expects to present at least some shows.  There hasn't been any update at Soulpepper or Coal Mine or Factory.  Tarragon said they would be all virtual and podcast this season, and I'm starting to think that will be the same at Theatre Passe Muraille.

There was some sad news that East Side Players has decided to disband.  They were not able to weather the storm without their spring fundraiser.  While I found their work pretty hit or miss (the acting actually was usually pretty good but some of the scripts were subpar), I will be sad to see them go.  The Bloor West Village Players seem poised to return, so we shall see.

I think last weekend, there was an actual children's play outdoors in a park nearby, though I didn't seriously consider going.  Now this weekend there is a more serious play (Alphonse by Wajdi Mouawad).  I can't make it this weekend, but it moves somewhat closer next weekend to Dufferin Grove Park, and I might go.  I'm actually a little gun-shy of biking out that way for a few reasons, which I'll discuss in the next post, but I'll likely go.  A review and details on getting tickets here.

I'll end with biggest reason I wanted to get this post out there.  There is still a day and a half to catch the encore presentation of the virtual Toronto Fringe.  Check it out here until the 23rd at midnight!  And now, I really do need to move back to some more productive work.