Islands and baseball

I rise at 8:30, brush my teeth and start writing this nonsense. I have an hour or so before Alexei surfaces.

"What's the plan for today, Dad?" Alexei asks.

“A diner breakfast is always a good place to start.”

“And after that?”

“A trip to the islands. And, of course, the baseball tonight.”

A quick search on the internet throws up the George Street Diner.

"It looks like a classic diner." I say to Alexei, showing him some photos.

“Cool.” He replies.

Eventually, Andrew shows his face. He's up for the diner. Though I doubt he'll be eating. He doesn't do breakfast. Often, he doesn’t do lunch, either.

The plan is breakfast, then a ferry to the islands. As we're running a little late, we get an Uber rather than the tram. We roll up at the diner just after noon. We're lucky and can get a booth.

Again, it's licensed. Andrew gets a tin of lager. While Alexei and I plump for coffee. I order a standard breakfast, Alexei a large one. Andrew isn't going to have any food. Until the waitress tells hm that at busy times, everyone has to order food.

"Why not get a single pancake?" She asks.

“OK.”

He manages to eat the pancake without any trouble. It does look quite nice, thick and fluffy.

The breakfast is pretty good. So I order a large gin and tonic to go with it. I am on holiday, after all.

It's a little after 13:00 when we leave. Which is cutting it a bit fine for the 13:20 ferry. Even though our Uber comes pretty quickly, we're still a few minutes late. The next ferry isn't until 14:20. We have to hang around.

As it gets closer to the time of the ferry, it starts filling up on the quayside.

"I hope we'll be able to get on." I say pessimistically.

“Always positive, eh, Dad.” Andrew retorts.

“Just realistic.”

“You always say that. You’re so predictable.”

“Consistent is how I’d describe it.”

It turns out there was no need to worry. We even get seats. It's not a long journey. Just 10 minutes or so. With wonderful views of the city skyline.

We're headed for a beach on the other side of the islands. Alexei wants to have a dip in the lake. While he changes in the changing rooms, Andrew and I settle into the Beach Bar.

“There are no doors on the changing booths. I had to go into the toilets to change.” Alexei complains. Before heading off for the lake.

It’s a tin of Strongbow for Andrew. Double Jamesons for me. With two ice cubes. It's quite warm in the sun. We switch seats to find some shade.  I wouldn't want to get sunburnt.

We have a couple of rounds while Alexei is away, with Andrew switching to draught Molson. I try to buy a round when Alexei returns. But my fucking credit card won't work again. What the fuck is wrong with it? I get Andrew to pay instead.

We're aiming for the 17:00 ferry back to the city. We get to the dock 15 minutes before departure. And there's quite a queue.

"I hope we can get on." I say.

"Don't start with that stuff again, Dad." Alexie replies.

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. Stop being so negative.”

We do get on. But have to stand. Not such a problem as it's only 10 minutes or so.

Back at the hotel, we do a bit of quick shopping at the supermarket. Bread, cheese, milk. That sort of stuff. And some beer. I get a six pack of IPA called Amsterdam Boneshaker.

No time to hang around. We have tickets for the baseball tonight. Another Uber gets us to the ground a little after 19:00.

We need entrance 2. Which involves a lot of climbing. Which isn't really my thing at all. The last part in the stand is really steep.

"This would really freak your Mum out." I remark to the kids. I mean being so high up.
It's even freakier because the roof is closed.

“It freaks me out a bit, too, Dad.” Andrew says.

We missed the first innings of the White Sox. Where nothing much seems to have happened. That’s all about to change, though.

After a couple of innings, I say: “How about some beer?”

“I suppose that means you want us to fetch it.” Alexei says.

“Well, you wouldn’t want to make your poor old Dad do all that climbing.”

“Always playing the oldie card, eh?”

The kids do go and fetch tins of beer. Large cans of Budweiser for them, IPA for me.

It’s another high-scoring game. The White Sox get five runs in one innings. Then three in another. Then four. The Blue Jays hit several home runs. But with no-one on the bases, they only get a single run.

The massive video screens are dead impressive. But are flashing stuff so often, accompanied by booming music, at any little break in play, that it becomes rather distracting. And stops the crowd from getting any proper chants going.

A bloke a few seats along does try to get a chant going a few times. “Let’s go Blue Jays.” He shouts. It’s not the most inspiring of calls. A couple of times he does get others to join in. Until the stadium starts blasting music out again.

With the Blue Jays way behind, the crowd starts thinning out after the seventh innings. We leave during the last innings. Mostly because I wanted to be sure of getting to the Steam Whistle Brewery over the road before it closes.

It’s located in a former roundhouse, right next to the railway museum. The interior has impressively high ceilings. And not that many customers. It is late, though.

We arrive just before last orders. The kids get Pilsners, I go for an IPA. It's not the greatest one I've ever drunk. It's OK. We only have time for the one.

The crowds have dissipated a little when we leave the brewery. Though, as the police have closed off some of the roads, we have to walk a bit before we can get an Uber.

Back in the hotel, we eat a little and watch some What We Do in the Shadows. I turn in at 01:30.



The George Street Diner
129 George St, 
Toronto, ON M5A 2M6.
http://thegeorgestreetdiner.com/



Steam Whistle Tap Room
255 Bremner Blvd, 
Toronto, ON M5V 3M9.
https://steamwhistle.ca/