As I hustle to consolidate my ideas in one place, I can’t help but look back on the year so far and how much I’ve accomplished in the process. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to slow things down and take some time to let things simmer, but it hasn’t been that kind of year—I’m finally getting my act together, and I know it won’t happen overnight.
The Quest to Make EXCELLENT Content.
I’m convinced I’m on to something, trying to mine the very best content from the hundreds of ideas I have scattered about, but I need to be patient with it all because amazing content can’t be rushed.
But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Our standards have plummeted in the hunt for quick content, too many creators looking for ways to game the system instead of actually innovate. We try hard to mimic others’ successes rather than look to forge our own paths, confused when it doesn’t work for us as well as it did for the last guy. And that’s a damn shame in a world craving better content than ever.
So sure—I’m a bit behind with my posts. But it’s because I want to create something the calibre of which the world rarely sees—I’m consistently inconsistent, but when I put work out, I want it to be amazing.
That in mind, let’s not dawdle any longer. You came here to see where I’m at with my second monthly update, and I’m more than happy to oblige. Without further ado, I present The State of the #BloggerLife, March 2019—”Consistently Inconsistent”.
I hope you enjoy it!
The 2019 200 Monthly Update—February
Zach put it best—with any to-do list, it’s only human to do the easy stuff first for that rush of accomplishment and leave the harder stuff for later. And that’s precisely what happened with The 2019 200, getting so much done in January that I was on track to finish the list by September.
But reality eventually catches up to you, and as you struggle to make everything fit, you soon understand what’s actually possible with the time you have and what’s just wishful thinking.
So for February, amidst Live from the 3.5 and everything I got up to for Black History Month, here’s what I managed to accomplish amidst all the chaos….
Pretty sure I had this idea before, but couldn’t make it stick. Putting together a quick synopsis of the week to show what I’d been up to without needing a full post for every little thing.
But the last time I did it? I overthought everything, getting too lost in the details to make it effective.
This time it’ll be quick, dirty, and good for people who just want the highlights of what your favourite blogger’s favourite blogger* is up to!
So let’s go!!!
Sunday, September 27th
Started the week by wrapping up our church retreat at Camp Kwasind in Utterson, ON, a few hours north of Toronto. Little Man had a killer time, even going as far as finding comfort in the arms of other parents.
As I stood outside, chipping away at our icy walkway with a spade borrowed from our in-laws (because remember, our garage is still frozen shut from the ice storms), I suddenly recalled that February started with a surprise visit from my parents.
Having missed out on seeing DoomzToo for the entire month of January, they came to Casa de Palmer to see a scruffy Casey Palmer in his house clothes, a relaxing weekend planned with his family and sister-in-law, who was visiting from Ottawa.
Lesson learned—always dress like you’re ready for anything.
Regardless, another month’s come and gone, much of it spent seeking refuge from the harsh Canadian winters we face each February. Many of my Canadian peers likely read this with disdain—after all, what does Toronto know about the cold?—but while we don’t share the massive snowfalls or the extensive swaths of black ice you endure while commuting to your destinations, we too know freezing winds that chill you to the bone. We too know the misery of days all too short, sun blotted out by snow, hail and all manner of projectile falling from above to ruin our days.
Today’s #100HappyDays was a bit of a guilty one, with my amusement at the bewildered and disgruntled Torontonians riding the subway this morning, disgusted at a change to the names of our lines that made us seem “a little too much like New York”.
News flash, friends—we’ve been aping New York City’s style for years, and this is just another example. We’re not as cool as New York in the world’s eye—we’re the most multicultural, but people know very little about us. Well, except for that Drake guy. We don’t control the media the way NYC does. We don’t have a 9/11 or anything that inspires a sense of intense unity among our peoples. We’re just us — and that’s okay.
Don’t see this as us trying to mimic anyone else—the TTC’s going for the opposite: making it easier to figure out which line you need to ride if you’re not familiar with Toronto’s transit system (as basic as it is).
I think Torontonians need to get off of their elitist high horses and embrace change. Because it’s going to happen. And until we do, I’ll be the guy gleefully listening to your complaining about something that affects your life in the most minuscule way possible.
Pulled Pork and Beanasaurus
Southern slow smoked pulled pork, kettle cooked baked beans, creamy slaw and fried mac and cheese bites. $8.75
Last updated on November 21st, 2020 at 11:19 am
Above all else, #BramptonTweetup taught me never to say never, ’cause you never know when you’ll be eating those words.
Maybe Brampton gets worse a reputation than it deserves. In addition to the fact that there are all too many Torontonians who couldn’t point to Brampton on a map, people often say it’s too far, too hard to get to it, or too dangerous. And were you speaking to a younger Casey Palmer, I might’ve agreed with you.
The Far Side of the GTA
Brampton’s a long way from home, but sometimes you’ve gotta venture into unfamiliar territory to try something new.
In early September, my friend Lat reached out to invite me to a tweetup in her hometown on Brampton, ON. For those not in the know, I’ve a long and sordid history with that little place.
Born and raised in Mississauga, ON, Brampton was always the city just north of us that we’d never visit. I mean—being Mississaugan had its societal pressures—too good for Brampton to the north; not rich enough for Oakville to the west; and nowhere near cool enough to hang with the kids of downtown Toronto to the east. But we always knew Brampton was there, it just wasn’t somewhere we’d go after dark.
Funny what a couple of decades can do to change growing cities and negative perspectives, right?
After an unexpected (and unwanted) adventure on the east side of Toronto, Christine and I made the trek to the northwest to join Lat Leger and friends for the first-ever #BramptonTweetup at the Sul Irmaos Smoke House in the Downtown Brampton neighbourhood.
Who is Lat Leger?
Lat Leger and Crystal Boese
I met Lat last year at either SaugaTweetup or AfterWorkDrinksTO, and since then she’s become a solid friend. Living in Brampton, ON with her husband Garrett and their 3 kids, she’s more than just an award-winning mommy blogger: she’s a social media enthusiast and strategist; self-proclaimed foodie and really likes singing in the car with her windows rolled down. When you connect with her, you expect nothing but candour and authenticity, so it was no surprise to me when I walked into #BramptonTweetup to see a number of familiar and influential faces from the west side of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), as Lat’s a mutual friend to many of us.
After all, I’m not going back to the ‘burbs for just anybody.
Welcome to Sul Irmaos!
Welcome to Sul Irmaos (English translation = Southern Brothers) Smoke House website. We’re glad you paid us a visit. We are known as the sandwich specialist and if you try one of our delicious sandwiches, you’ll discover that this name fits our restaurant like a glove. We will satisfy your appetite with an assortment of choices from our menu including Po’ Boy, traditional, Portuguese Churrasco and pulled pork sandwiches. Eat in or take-out at your convenience and we also offer first class catering services for special/corporate events and more. Give us a call or visit our restaurant today! We look forward to making your day!
If you’re in Brampton and looking for a good bite to eat, Sur Irmaos has some decent offerings. Dressed up as more of a lunchtime venue, it makes “slow food served fast”, which speaks to the daily effort that Jason and Jonathan Pereira put into assembling a menu that whets an appetite for smoked meats without investing the hours to do it yourself.
The Pereira brothers were nice enough to open up on a Monday evening for us (they normally close on Mondays for a well-deserved day off).
Many of their meats are seasoned, smoked for at least 8 hours and pulled, meant to infuse as much flavour as possible into their offerings. As a testament to their methods, after being rejected from joining Brampton’s annual Rotary Rib Fest, they decided to serve their own ribs, marinating their meat for 2 days and smoking it for 14 hours, with customers waiting up to 2 hours for a fresh batch when they ran out.
So the expectations were high going in to Sul Irmaos! Here’re some highlights from the experience!
Things That Were Great:
Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Mac n Cheese Bites
Pulled Pork and Beanasaurus Southern slow smoked pulled pork, kettle cooked baked beans, creamy slaw and fried mac and cheese bites. $8.75
ATB’s Bacon wrapped jalapeno loaded with Portuguese sausage (chorizo) and cream cheese. $6.50
Find out more about MacaronZ at http://www.macaronz.com/
Find out more about MacaronZ at http://www.macaronz.com/
Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites
Pulled Pork and Beanasaurus (even several days later, reheated in the toaster oven—Jason made me promise that I wouldn’t wreck my leftovers by microwaving them)
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
ATBs (I don’t know why they’re called ATBs, but they’re jalapeño peppers wrapped in pancetta bacon smoked for 4 hours and stuffed with herb cream cheese, dates and chorizo sausage. Truly a great appetizer!)
Needed Work:
Pulled Chicken with Sweet Chili Aioli
the Sumol (I tried both Pineapple and Passion Fruit and can tell you I loved the Passion Fruit far more but were it served in a glass, it would’ve been easier to stir when the sediment started settling to the bottom)
The Skinny on Sul Irmaos
Despite sorely needing a haircut, I still had a great time at Sul Irmaos!
We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, but what was clear, however, was that this was Sul Irmaos’ first foray in the world of tweetups. Things to note:
the first course of food didn’t make it out ’til Christine and I arrived, and we were a half-hour late
the amount of food didn’t satisfy the number of guests, which may have been indirect incentive to buy meals, but you don’t invite people to your restaurants and tell the guests it’s BYOF when they get there, right?
I don’t know whether Sul Irmaos offers enough to get Torontonians jumping behind the wheel for the 40-minute trek for a Po’ Boy, however, for Brampton’s 500,000 and Mississauga’s 750,000—if you want something filling, delicious and a mere stone’s throw away from your backyard, the Southern Brothers have you covered.
In the end, it looks like Brampton’s come up a bit over the years—perhaps enough to have a recurring #BramptonTweetup to rival the very popular #SaugaTweetup from its southern neighbours (ironically run in part by Rob Sarjoo, another Brampton resident!)? But to get to that point, Brampton’s going to need the support of its people—it can’t survive on the efforts of a few people alone.
Shout-outs to:
Raj Kutty, who’s friends with the owners and made sure to give my bag a solid place to rest behind the counter
If it weren’t for Christine, who made sure I made it to BramptonTweetup, even when I was trying to avoid a major TTC delay
Davindra Ramnarine, who’s all about the food and put a review together of Sul Irmaos before it changed its name
And of course, thanks to Lat for a solid event and getting me to return to the ‘burbs. Not an easy feat by any measure, but it’s good to remember that you can only live in a box for so long before you start to lose sight of the bigger picture.
It’s a massive world out there—go explore it!
Adeus and get your nom on,
–case p.
Tell your wife, tell your kids, tell your husbands:
