I can't believe it's been a year since this...

(TRM Picnic)


and this...

(Engagement)


Our company picnic turned out well. The sun was shining over Centre Island and it was blazing hot. Last year, I didn't know anyone at the picnic, and this year I was on the committee to help organize the event.
The highs: Whole day in the sun and not at work, too many beer tickets, soaking Kurt x3 with water + beer.
The lows: crappy 'sidewalk' chalk, getting drenched with orange juice....who does that???


Saturday, I hung out with Sharl the entire day. We watched TV in the morning, then went for a very nice lunch downstairs at this very sweet Italian restaurant called Cafe Cinquecento. We shared the antipasti platter with grilled vegetables, cured meats, cheese, and olives. I had the Quattro Stagionne pizza and Sharl had the gnocchi in gorgonzola cream. The food was very tasty. After lunch, we went upstairs for a little nap, and then headed up to St. Clair and Christie to check out the Salsa street festival. There were a couple of bands playing and a few people dancing, but it wasn't as lively as i thought it would be. Maybe if i had seen people from my dance class there, it would have been more of a party. However, there were a few really good dancers there, and some dance moves that I found really interesting. The sun felt as hot as it did in Cuba, so we didn't stay too long. When we got back home, I went up to the rooftop with my magazine and an ice cold drink and read for a bit in the nice warm breeze. Sharl came to join me to watch the sunset, and then we headed off to dinner.
We ate at the Niagra Street Cafe which is another cozy restaurant in our neighbourhood just across the street. We sat outside on the patio under the awning with our small table lit dimly with a votive candle. To start we shared a French wine and the Artisan cheese platter with 3 types of cheese, toasted baguette crisps, quince jelly and candied walnuts. I had the gazpacho soup for my appetizer and Sharl had the chorizo and chicken liver terrine. We both had steak for our mains with baby potatoes, haricots vert with a dijon jus. The service and atmosphere were expert, and the dessert...devine...velvety chocolate pot de creme with praline crumble. Sooooo smooth and soooo good, and it paired well with my foamy cappuccino. We both love food so much that I couldn't imagine a more perfect way to celebrate our first anniversary than sharing good food with the one I love.