Friday, September 28, 2007

Chocolate as a substitute



Since I have known him, he has snatched handfulls of these little Swisses from work and, upon arriving late late late from work, has emptied his overstuffed pockets and offered me this motherload of sweets (This, among other gestures, had earned him the title of Sugardaddy). I keep them in a vase, or sometimes keep a few in my purse, and when I miss him (and he doesn't know this) because he works so long and late, I unwrap a little square, think of him, and my need is calmed. (Ok, I also eat some when I feel like chocolate...)

I've noticed they sell these at Costco, in a big bag, but it's not the same to buy them. It's the fact that he steals (borrows) them for me, fills up his pockets like a squirrel packing a lunch, and then offers them to me.

Last night, he came home (late late late) with a whole bag full of Swiss, and emptied it onto the bed with a huge grin. He must know how much I really need alot of little individually-wrapped portions of him right now.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Why I love the Internet...

...because on my way home, driving by Atwater Market and noticing the top floors (despite it being obvious that the market has more than one storey, and has had more than one storey for ages) I can wonder what goes on up there, come home, and find an almost immediate answer to my question:

"Atwater Market was built in 1933 from the blueprints of architects Ludger et Lemieux. It cost over one million dollars to build. The long, two-storey building allowed it to house 25 boutiques offering a variety of products. The great hall on the third floor could accommodate up to 10,000 people. The topmostfloor also had two apartments, one over the other, for the concierge and one market administrator. In the late 1970s, most of the great hall on the third floor was converted into a gymnasium, and the two apartments became administrative offices.

Atwater Market, the most luxurious establishment of its kind in Montréal, replaced the old St. Antoine Market. This new temple of commerce would bear the old name until management decided to rename it Atwater, after a dynamic municipal councillor who made his mark on the city with his organization of aqueduct services.
A rich history

Atwater Market has been the scene of many political, social or sporting events. Such major politicians as Camilien Houde and Maurice Duplessis made the walls vibrate with fiery speeches. Wrestling matches also attracted thousands of sports fans.
On April 14, 1936, the city’s mayor presided over the official opening of the Industrial Exhibition at Atwater Market. Some 50 companies were on hand to display products of all kinds in the vast hall on the market’s third floor. On September 6, 1939, military authorities announced that they would requisition the building for the Canadian army.

In the 1960s, the butcher counters on the third floor were removed in the wake of new regulations governing the sale and slaughter of living animals. In 1968, En 1968, thanks to receptive ears in the municipal administration, the residents of St-Henri succeeded in saving Atwater Market after then-mayor Jean Drapeau decreed that it be demolished.
In June 1982 Yvon Lamarre, chairman of the city executive council, presided over the official reopening of Atwater Market following restoration and upgrades of approximately $1,200,000 to the site."

Cool.