Don't Shop When You're Drunk!

Tuesday:
I meet up with Natasha in the late afternoon and we immediately head off for Margaritas at Hernando's Hideaway on Baldwin. Chowing on guacamole fresh off the pestle, sipping watermelon margaritas, smoking Avantis, it's like nothing has really changed. But eventually guac becomes inedible in the wilting heat, and once the margaritas are shot, it's time to move on.

Trawl on Queen St., looking essentially for a bra. How does a girl leave her country without a bra? When she's almost as flat-chested as a Thai transvestite that's why... We make a pit stop at some Prom Queen's shop, where Natasha buys a white bag I guilt her into, then at Mendocino she gets a call from her boyfriend telling her not to shop when she's drunk, then we make it to Kiehl's where she dumps more cash for skin products, and finally to American Apparel, where she gets a top. I dump serious cash there for a green dress, a white bra, and a white t-shirt. It's all too sexy and comfy.

Then, looking for a patio, we are forced to go all the way back to Baldwin, where all the patios are full. Still, manage to score half a bottle of Zinfandel. I am turning into a lush.

Meet parents and sister at University of Toronto. The mother is taking a class in latin. Ever moving forwards, that should be her motto. I decide to go to Ema Tei, supposedly the best Japanese restaurant. We get the sexy calamari legs tempura, some umeshiso sushi, hamachi with green onions, and salmon sashimi, and then sukiyaki for two. The father gets grilled unagi dinner. I sample that unagi... it's perfect... soft sweet creamy and rich. Mother wrinkles up the nose... too fishy, she says.

The umeshiso is very good, as is the salmon sashimi. But the hamachi and the sexy calamari are both letdowns. The standard has dropped. This leaves me less than excited for the sukiyaki. In retrospect, I gave in too easily to this demand. I didn't want to eat Japanese hotpot after my day in the sun with guacamole and margaritas. I wanted just sashimi. But alas, bad decisions are made when impaired by alcohol. My sister and mother have a lovely time with the beef and cabbage. I'm more drawn to the fat giant oyster mushrooms. I mean, the food was good, but I felt disappointed that I didn't get exactly what I wanted. Such a brat.