#meat shop Calgary

[doabameatshop]

Exploring the Best Chinese Meat Shops in Calgary: A Guide

Sure, I can help you with that! Here are some of the best Chinese meat shops in Calgary that you can check out:

T&T Supermarket — T&T Supermarket is one of the most well-known Asian grocery stores in Calgary. They have a wide selection of fresh meats, including Chinese-style barbecue pork (char siu), roasted duck, and more. Their meat section is well-stocked and the quality is excellent.

Central Grand Meat Market — Central Grand Meat Market is a Chinese meat shop located in the Chinatown district of Calgary. They offer a variety of fresh meats, including pork, beef, and chicken. They also have a selection of cured meats, such as Chinese-style sausage (lap cheong).

Calgary Co-op — Calgary Co-op is a popular grocery chain in Calgary that offers a wide variety of meat products, including Chinese-style meats. They have a good selection of marinated and ready-to-cook meats, such as sweet and sour pork and spareribs.

Hong Kong Meat and BBQ House — Hong Kong Meat and BBQ House is a specialty meat shop that specializes in Chinese-style barbecue meats. They offer a variety of meats, including roasted pork, duck, and chicken. Their meats are freshly prepared and have a distinct smoky flavor.

Dragon City Mall — Dragon City Mall is a popular Asian mall in Calgary that has a number of shops selling Chinese-style meats. There are several meat shops in the mall that offer fresh and cured meats, including Chinese-style sausages and bacon.

These are just a few of the best Chinese. I hope this guide helps you find the meat products you are looking for!

[casspurrjoybell-32]

*Warning Adult Content*

RECURRING TROUBLE - Chapter 8

Ahote

The drive across town was long, my feet were starting to ache from being cramped and there was a special motion sickness that came from just watching trees move by for minutes on end.

Aponi and Kaya were up in front with the pack's Xi, resource manager, Chaska.

Chaska was a sturdy build man with a serious face and a deep baritone voice, he scared me sometimes but he was a sweetheart.

I was in the back with Alek and Len, it was a tight fit but mostly because Len and Alek kept their distance even though they were sitting next to each other, leaving me squashed up by the window.   

Len was asleep now, he had his head on my shoulder and a little frown on his face as he held onto my arm. 

My gaze moved from Len's cold face to Alek's tired one, he was resting his head on the window glass and his eyes were half-closed.

His blue eyes suddenly went wide open and I watched as Alek raised his head before turning his gaze to me, we stared at each other for a while, holding each other's gaze with no purpose exactly.

I was the first person to look away, I heard him let out a sigh as I wiggled my leg a bit, trying to make sure it didn't go to sleep.

I let out a hum to drown out the repetitive sound of the truck's tires crushing the sand as we drove on the dirt roads.   

"We're here," Chaska said as we started to drive past little buildings that dotted the landscape.

The place where our pack sold our meat and got a hold of household supplies wasn't too far away, I could remember the place clearly.

I shook Len by the shoulder, making him wake up and let go of my arm as he raised his head and rubbed his eyes with a hand he had balled into a fist.

Alek was looking out the window still, nibbling on his lips as we continued to drive through the roads.     

The town became denser and more populated as we drove into the heart of it and we soon got to our destination and the Xi packed the truck before unlocking the doors and climbing down.     

"Aponi, Len and I will sort out the trade," he said as everyone got down.

Everyone was squinting under the sun as they stretched their legs and looked around. It was a warm day. Winter had finally given way to spring.

"You two can sort out the shopping list," he said, looking at Kaya and myself.

We were standing next to each other now, taking instructions from our resource manager.   

"You'll go with them, you can find the things you need at the convenience store," the Xi said, looking over at Alek.

The foreigner gave him a curt nod before staring down at his feet.

Unlike us, Alek's clothes were bright, the sky-blue jacket and red trousers he had on made him stand out more than he already did.

Some people in the parking lot were looking over to us.

It was known that our pack, our pack drove down to town from time to time, so I was sure their curiosity was fixated more on Alek because he was clearly not part of our reserve.     

Chaska frowned a bit, playing with his earring as he sniffed the air.

Aponi did the same and then Kaya, we stood in silence for a while, probably all coming to the same conclusion.

"If you see anyone from the Weberville pack, ignore them," The Xi said, breaking the silence and making Kaya groan.

Len and I chuckled a little and Alek just watched us in confusion, Kaya had some bad blood with one of Webberville's pack members.

The pack had been none existent five or so years ago but the growing congregation of werewolves moving down from places like Ontario, Montreal, and Calgary to come down to the more rural areas for safety stipulated an informal one.     

"We'll be off now. We'll meet up at seven," the man said as Len made to open the Truck's trunk.

The smell of deer blood hit my nostrils and I looked away, I could never be more pleased with having been born an omega, I don't really think I could be anything else.

Hunter, Watcher, Manager? None of those roles suited me, automatically filed into care/housekeeping worked best for me.   

"Come on," Kaya said, making a gesture towards the grocery/convenience store we often visited, Alek and I walked on either side of her.

Kaya's short hair flapped around in the wind and Alek and I had our hair in buns.

When we got into the store Kaya immediately pulled out a shopping list and I got us a basket as Alek wandered to another end to grab the things he needed.     

I walked around with Kaya, mostly hanging around the food section as we got cereal and spices.     

"Where's Alek?" Kaya asked me in a low tone, looking up from the tin of corned beef in her hand, I blinked, looking away from her to stare into the aisle across.

Alek was looking at toys, I frowned in confusion, wondering what he was doing.     

"Huh? I wonder when he's leaving?" Kaya muttered, making me turn to her again, he had red eyeliner and her lips were painted black.

"I'm guessing when the construction up the road is finished or when he runs out of money and has to absolutely leave," Kaya continued saying, dropping the can of corned beef back on the shelf before grabbing another one from a different brand.   

"When are you going to fuck him?" 

"Kaya..."   

"He'll be leaving sooner or later, it's better to do it than regret it. Wouldn't you prefer doing it with a stranger? It's not like things will become uncomfortable and you'll have to see him forever like you would if you messed around with someone in our pack. He's pretty handsome too," she said and I licked my lips, looking down at my shoes as the words left me.

I didn't have anything to say to that, she had a point. I was desperate for physical contact and Alek was there, perfect and willing.     

"Spirits help me," I cursed under my breath as my face warmed up.

Kaya laughed at me, watching as I nibbled on my bottom lip and darted my eyes over to Alek from time to time.

'Was I really going to sleep with him just because I felt lonely?'     

I walked past Kaya, leaving her with the basket of groceries before walking over to Alek who was now at the corner where they sold batteries, I stood beside him for a while and he looked up after a handful of seconds, his eyes wide in surprise and his brow arched in question.   

"What are you getting?" I asked in a low tone, looking down at his basket, there was a little toy soldier mixed in with the supplies in it.     

"Things," Alek muttered, looking back at the shelf.

"Batteries, tape... things I could use on the road, you know?" he said, making me shrug as I looked down at our feet, my heart was beating fast and my head felt clogged with thoughts.

I always felt this way when I was close to Alek and I guess he felt the same way too, there was no denying the chemistry between us and maybe it would be a good thing to stop ignoring it like it didn't exist.     

"The toy's for Elan if that's okay," Alek spoke up after a period of silence, I nodded, looking down at the basket he had in his grip again.     

"It's fine but Elan likes teddies," I said, watching as Alek swiftly took the toy soldier out of the basket before heading to switch it out for a bear, I laughed, sighing and shaking my head as he walked back to me.

"You didn't have to do that," I sighed, watching as the foreigner shrugged his shoulders. 

"I'm trying to get on his good side, I have to be accurate," he said, making a shiver run through me as I spotted the double meaning, was he trying to get Elan to like him because of me?

I sucked in my bottom lip, letting the questions that had been swimming in my head for a while pop out.     

"When do you think you're leaving?" I asked, watching as the blond-haired man shrugged.   

"Whenever they're done with the construction uphill, or when I absolutely have to leave," he said, brushing past me.

I blinked, following behind him and wandering to the aisle where they kept lighters and the like.     

"What do you do? I mean, since you left your pack what do you do for work?" I asked, leaning on the shelves as Alek squat by the shelves to look at something.

He smiled, shrugging a bit as he looked through the types of polish they had.   

"You know, things. Odd jobs here and there," he explained and I just nodded. 

"Do you think you'll ever settle down somewhere?"     

"I feel like I'm being interviewed," Alek said, cutting me off and I blinked, realizing how invasive I was being, so I apologized, looking down at the tiles as I scolded myself in my head.     

It's just..." I paused, holding his gaze with his.

"I'm trying to make a decision."     

"Hmm," Alek hummed, getting up before looking down at the tub of polish in his hand.

"And what kind of decision might that be?"     

"You know," I shrugged.

"I've been thinking... about you," I started, watching Alek look at me with a small frown.

"What if we..." my words got stuck in my throat.

"You know," I shrugged, my face was burning now and I wondered why I couldn't get the words out of my mouth even though I was a grown adult. 

"Are you sure?" Alek asked when he got the hint.

I was bad at flirting, I think most wolves were, we just grew up and had it easy because your lifelong partner was already assigned to you, it wasn't supposed to be this roundabout to get laid.   

"Yeah," I answered, nodding as I looked straight at Alek again.

"I think it's time I stopped being a spoilsport about my mate leaving me, right?" I said, a sad smile made its way to my face and an equally uncomfortable smile crept onto Alek's lips too.     

"I wouldn't know what that feels like, I don't have one," Alek said after some time.

"But I think you can still grieve about things while enjoying yourself," he mumbled, rolling the tub of polish between his fingers. 

"I think I'll get this one," he said, breaking the silence that had fallen upon us when I didn't say anything.     

"Definitely, good choice..." I trailed, watching him drop it in the basket before picking it up again.     

"Hey," I called when Alek wanted to make for the direction of the cashier.

Kaya seemed to have already paid and left, she was nowhere in sight and was probably standing outside by the truck waiting for Len and Chaska.

"Maybe you should get..." I stuttered, my last words not coming out.

With a sigh, I pushed back strands of my hair that had come loose from my bun as I tried to arrange my words.     

Why couldn't I just say it?

Not using protection was why I had Elan in the first place. 

"I'm an Omega. I could get pregnant, so..."     

"Oh," Alek said, relieving me from the pains of having to explain further.     

"Yeah..." I trailed and he gave me a small smile before handing the basket to me. 

"I'll be back," he said, before wandering away. 

We only exchanged knowing looks when he got back before paying for everything and the cashier and heading out to the big central space that hosted the parking lot and drive-through.

As expected, Kaya was by the truck but she was talking to someone that wasn't part of our group.

The scent in the air told me it was a wolf and since the scent was familiar but still strange, I tagged its owner as being part of the pack that lived in his town.

The closer we got to the two, the more obvious it was that they were arguing. 

"Just fuck off," were the last words we heard before the stranger shook his head and walked away.

Kaya looked like she was shaking, so I reached out to give her a side hug, burying her head in my shoulder as her frown softened as her lips continued to tremble.     

"What's going on?" I asked, rubbing her shoulder as I stared out into the parking lot. 

"A Webberville wolf?" I asked and she nodded.     

"He says there are plans to relocate our reserve," she said.

"I don't think the construction uphill is the end but the beginning," she said in a low tone.

My arms went limp and I wasn't sure what I could say that would make any of that sound better.

We had this issue occasionally, the pack elders would fight it out and we'd get to keep our reserve without a headache for a while until the government suggested its plans again.

It didn't help that we were sitting right at the center of an oil rig area.

"Do you think we'll have to move eventually?" Kaya let out.

She was more asking herself the question than me, I stayed quiet, only turning to my side when I heard Alek walk up to stand beside us. 

I sighed as he reached out to squeeze my shoulder, it was a nice gesture but it wasn't enough to wade away the worry in my mind.

[khazanaqueen]

Halal Food in Canada: A Growing Trend and What You Need to Know

As Canada's multicultural landscape continues to expand, the demand for Halal food has seen significant growth across the country. Halal food, which adheres to Islamic dietary laws, is becoming more accessible, thanks to an increase in Halal-certified restaurants, supermarkets, and specialized food suppliers. Here’s an overview of Halal food in Canada, including what makes food Halal, where to find it, and why its popularity is on the rise.

What is Halal Food?

"Halal" is an Arabic term meaning "permissible." In the context of food, Halal refers to products prepared according to Islamic dietary laws. These rules prohibit certain foods and specify a method for slaughtering animals that ensures the meat is pure and lawful for Muslims to eat. The guidelines for Halal food focus on cleanliness, humane treatment of animals, and ethical sourcing. Top bangladeshi Restaurant in Toronto

For food to be Halal, it must meet specific requirements, including:

No Pork or Pork By-Products: Muslims are prohibited from consuming pork, so Halal foods are entirely free of pork or any by-products.

No Alcohol: Any food containing alcohol is considered Haram (forbidden).

Halal Slaughter Process: The meat must come from an animal that has been slaughtered while invoking the name of God (Allah), following a swift and humane process.

Clean Ingredients: Foods must not contain any Haram (forbidden) ingredients, such as gelatin derived from non-Halal sources.

The Rise of Halal Food in Canada

Canada’s Muslim population has been steadily growing, especially in urban areas like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. According to recent statistics, there are over 1 million Muslims in Canada, comprising about 3% of the national population. This growing demographic has increased demand for Halal options, which is why Canadian food suppliers, grocery stores, and restaurants are embracing Halal certification to cater to this expanding market.

Additionally, the Halal food industry isn’t just catering to Muslims. Many non-Muslims in Canada are increasingly choosing Halal food due to its reputation for strict ethical standards, animal welfare practices, and quality assurance. The focus on humane treatment and cleanliness resonates with Canadians who prioritize ethical consumption.

Finding Halal Food in Canada

Finding Halal food in Canada has become easier than ever. Here are some of the top ways you can locate Halal-certified products across the country:

Halal Grocery Stores and Supermarkets: Many major grocery chains, like Walmart, Loblaws, and Sobeys, now carry Halal-certified meat and products. Specialty stores such as Al-Rahman Halal Meat and Paramount Butcher Shop in Ontario, as well as Madina Fine Foods in British Columbia, also cater to Halal consumers.

Halal Restaurants: Canada boasts a wide variety of Halal restaurants serving diverse cuisines, from Middle Eastern and South Asian to Western and fusion dishes. In cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, restaurants such as Paramount Fine Foods, Nando’s, and The Halal Guys offer Halal-certified meals that meet the dietary needs of Muslim patrons.

Halal Certification Labels: When shopping, look for certification labels from recognized organizations, like the Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA) in Canada. These certifications provide assurance that the food products meet Halal standards.

Halal Food Apps and Directories: Apps like Zabiha, Halal Advisor, and websites like Halal Foodie make it easy for consumers to find Halal food options in their area. These tools list Halal-certified restaurants, grocery stores, and butchers, making it convenient for users to access Halal food throughout Canada.

The Importance of Halal Certification in Canada

To meet the standards of Halal, food suppliers and restaurants often seek certification from a recognized Halal authority. In Canada, organizations like the HMA and the Canadian Halal Food Certification offer certifications after thoroughly inspecting and verifying compliance with Halal standards. Certification is essential for building trust with consumers, ensuring they can confidently choose products that meet their dietary needs.

Why Halal Food is Popular Beyond the Muslim Community

In Canada, Halal food is increasingly appreciated by a diverse audience. Non-Muslims are drawn to Halal options for several reasons:

High Ethical Standards: Halal practices emphasize humane treatment of animals and environmentally conscious farming.

Health and Quality: Halal standards promote cleanliness and health, which aligns with the values of consumers looking for high-quality food.

Cultural Curiosity: As multiculturalism flourishes, many Canadians are exploring Halal food for its unique flavors and quality, whether it’s Halal-certified pizza, shawarma, or biryani.

Conclusion

With its growing availability and popularity, Halal food is becoming a staple in Canadian dining. The increase in Halal-certified grocery stores, restaurants, and food apps means that Canadian Muslims have more options than ever, while non-Muslims can also explore the benefits of this dietary tradition. Whether you’re a local resident or a visitor, Canada offers a variety of Halal food choices that cater to diverse tastes and dietary needs. As demand continues to rise, Halal food is set to become an integral part of Canada’s food landscape, reflecting the nation’s inclusive and multicultural values.

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 2: Calgary to Banff

Signal here is a bit hit and miss, so I’ll post words and pics separately as the latter tends to bodge it!

I don’t think it was jet lag that woke me up at 05:30, but a combination of excitement and the need to pee! I decided to make a start on the first official journal entry of the trip, before we got ready to get some breakfast. Our options were the hotel buffet, or the infamous Tim Horton’s, which does a menu suspiciously similar to McDonald’s! We opted for the latter and it was pretty damn tasty at a very reasonable price, so I dare say it won’t be our last. We ambled down the rather sleepy Calgary street compared to 7 hours prior, to our hotel and met with the group in the lobby once more ready to set off at 08:30am, to our first destination, Canmore. With Will.I.Am’s I like to Move it Move it track cranked up, which I take full responsibility for.

Our purpose for the stop was to stock up on snacks and supplies, which we did in abundance, including a trail mix of our own creation, protein bars and a couple of Canadian specialities, including maple cookies. We also found a shop that sold SIM cards so G could reconnect with the outside world. It was a quaint place with a big supermarket and smattering of other businesses dotted around. The back drop to these shops was incredible and I fear through out most of this blog no words, or even pictures will do justice to the beauty and magnitude of Canada. Onward we went to our next stop, tunnel village campground.

As we arrived I think it’s fair to say we were all quite impressed at just how nice the site was. We were given a tent erection demo and thankfully it seemed quite a simple process, the only downside was the previous owners of our tent must have either packed up in the rain or camped in a river as it was soaking. However that didn’t deter us from putting it up and as I sit here cross legged typing away I can confirm that it’s dry and doesn’t smell. I’m not sure the same can be said for some of us! Megan and a couple of others prepared lunch, a selection of meats, cheese, crackers, dips and veg ready to fuel us for the afternoon’s hike up tunnel mountain. Once we’d had our fill, it was time to pack our bags for the rest of the day’s activities, a hike and a hot spring. Now, it’s of vital importance that when camping in these parts, any ‘smellies’ aka food, toiletries, etc are locked away, otherwise the rangers will come and put them in the trailer of shame.

We started off with the hike, a winding path with stretches of flat taking us up to 2000m elevation. The ground was a little slippy in places due to loose rocks or very smooth flat patches, but the views were stunning. The group was in good form and Megan ensured we had plenty of breaks for drinks, snacks and photos. Going up was sweaty work, but coming back down was quite pleasant by comparison, especially with the tingle of smugness that comes with knowing you’ve already done the hard part as others huff and puff past you going the opposite way! We got back to the minibus fairly unscatched and had a couple of hours until our dinner reservation so were given an option. Hot springs before or after dinner? If we opted for after we could go and check out Banff town for a bit, so the choice was a no brainer.

We parked up near a tiny liquor store where G and I picked up some wine and tequila mixers before heading down the main street, which was postcard picturesque. G was on the hunt for a jumper, which after sending a member of staff running to another shop to find the right size, she did purchase, along with a bracelet and a magnet! After popping in a few other souvenir shops, including a wonderfully garish Christmas shop, we walked the stretch of the street and had our photo taken by a lovely old American lady (having already taken a few group shots of her and her friends!) And it just so happened that this took place across from a bar with some outdoor seating and great views of the mountain and as we had 45 minutes to kill we quenched our thirst with a tangy beer and dry cider (6.5%!) turns out Iain and Hannah had the same idea but they’d opted for a break from the sun and were tucked around the corner inside, so we tottered off together to dinner at the Elk and Oarsman.

As our party of 13 perused the menu, with various sports flashing around the tvs on the walls, the option of trying some elk was too tempting to pass for some, including G! Knowing I could have a bit of hers and being a gut bucket, I went for a full rack of bbq ribs and I’ll tell ya, they aren’t stingy on the portions over here! They didn’t even fit on the plate and I left oinking. Our final destination of the evening was the Sulphur upper hot springs, which wasn’t as smelly as it sounds as they treat the water. The sign did look as Megan described it, like ‘people soup’ and it was a popular spot for a Sunday evening. Admittedly it did look like a normal pool, but as cooking in hot water goes it was most pleasant taking in the view whilst jumping out for the occasional cold shower.

It was a 10 minute trip back to our camp site where thankfully our tent was still standing, despite some bloke telling us that it was his pitch and the rangers were going to take it down (even though they told us to go there!) luckily he was a friendly Canadian who was happy to pitch up somewhere else! Megan told us the plan for the next day which includes a 5 hour hike and swim in Lake Louise! Roll on the tent sleep!

G’s highlight of the day: The view from the top of the hike whilst enjoying some snackies! The beer in the sun was a close second!

[canadianjobbank]

Apply now: https://canadianjobbank.org/sales-supervisor-retail-9/

[college-girl199328]

The Easter Bunny isn’t the only adventurer hopping alongside shopping carts this spring. Inflation is also climbing aboard, nuzzling into the furthest reaches of credit card bills and overblown budgets.

“This was $400,” said shopper Tina Pentoni, motioning towards her half-full cart outside a northeast Calgary Walmart. “Easter and a few groceries,” she shrugged.

“I used to go to Co-Op and Safeway,” said Bonni Blasetti, another shopper. “Now it’s more like Superstore and Costco.” Shopping around isn’t a luxury everyone’s time can afford, so Global News put four grocery stores in Calgary to the test on Thursday — for spaghetti night.

We went to Superstore, Save-on-Foods, Safeway and Walmart. Our shopping list: a bagged salad kit, 1 pound of ground beef, one white onion, four cloves of garlic, one green pepper, 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, 1 can tomato/pasta sauce, dried oregano, a package of spaghetti and a loaf of bread.

We chose the cheapest store-brand options, where possible, and tallied up the cost by the cart. Safeway was the most expensive of the four shops, ringing in at $32.21 for our basket of basics.

Next was Save-on-Foods, where our total was $28.10. Walmart came in at $25.13. Superstore, meanwhile, offered savings on items like meat and produce. Comparable items there totalled $24.00.

[iaahafoods]

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[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“Ford Strike Second In Numbers,” Windsor Star. November 26, 1942. Page 3. ---- Only Winnipeg Walkout Involved More Men Than 13,500 Out in Row Here ---- A study of available records shows that the strike at the Ford Motor Company of Canada war plants, affecting an estimated 13.500 workers, is overshadowed in numbers only by the sympathetic general strike at Winnipeg in May, 1919. which involved about 27,000 emploves.

SYMPATHETIC STRIKES The work stoppage in Winnipeg, stemming from a dispute which members of the metal trades there had with their employers over wage increases and the question of a 44-hour week, led to the calling of sympathetic strikes in Brandon, Man., Calgary, Edmonton. Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert, Sask. 

After the Winnipeg Trades and Labor Council had championed the cause of the striking metal workers, street railwaymen. elevator men, postal employes, clerical and stenographic workers, employes of department stores and some classes of railway and municipal workers stopped work in sympathy with the strikers. 

Later, newspaper pressmen struck, being joined by telephone, telegraph and electrical workers and cutting Winnipeg off from communication with the outside world. Processions, demonstrations and rioting followed, resulting in casualties, including one death.

LEADERS ARRESTED On June 17, seven labor leaders who had taken prominent part in the strike were arrested on charges of seditious conspiracy, and on June 25 a royal commission of inquiry was requested by the strike committee and subsequently held. Within a few days there was a general return to work. 

Of the strike leaders arrested, six were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment April 6. 1920, five for one i year and one for six months. 

In 1924, more than 7.000 coal miners in Alberta and British Columbia engaged in a walkout which lasted from April until October, and caused a time loss of more than 1.000. 000 working days. 

Approximately 11,500 Nova Scotia coal miners were involved in a walkout in 1925, and before this dispute was settled they had lost nearly 1.500.000 working days. Disputes in the mining industry accounted for slightly more than 90 percent of the total time lost through work stoppages that year.

CAUSES OF FRICTION Records of industrial disputes show that from 1901 to 1936 changes in wages constituted the most, important cause of friction between employers and employes.

Since 1936, however, union questions, chiefly union recognition, the discharge of workers for union activity or membership and the employment of union members only in closed shops have led to many strikes and caused about 40 percent of the total time lost.

Most of the important disputes after 1931 occurred in textile and clothing manufacturing, logging, saw-milling and wood-working industries, with a substantial number arising in coal mining. 

In 1941, strikes in the mining and metal manufacturing industries caused three-quarters of the time loss, which that year was greatest in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. The principal disputes involved gold miners at Kirkland Lake, Ont., coal miners at Glace Bay, N.S., metal products factory workers at Toronto and St. Catharines. Ont., aluminum workers at Arviria. Que., and steel rolling-mill workers at Montreal. 

Ford Plant Gates Are Closely Picketed TYPICAL of the manner in which the tightly-guarded gates of the Ford Plant were picketed this morning is shown here. The man directly in the centre of the croup of pickets, carrying a parcel, identified himself as a painter who had been previously denied admission to Plant 2. He is shown as he was surrounded by pickets at the door of the main office where he evidently intended to learn his status. As an hourly-rated employe, he was meat for the pickets because they have instructions not to admit any in that category. The photographer who took this picture, contrary to picketing instructions, was told to get out of the vicinity of the plant or have his car overturned and his camera smashed. The union denied instructions had been issued to bar photographers.

[slapshot-to-the-heart]

mistletoe & california snow - t. meier

Here’s the first of the things I’ll be putting out for the Christmas and holiday season! I’ve been working on this for the past few weeks, it’s pretty long - bear with me - but I am proud of it and how it’s turned out. As always, I read all the tags and love seeing and hearing people’s thoughts, so please let me know what you think!

word count: 7.6k+

warning: sexual content (light & brief, but no one under 18 please!)

Timo came into Noemi Silva’s life when she least expected it. It’s a cliché saying, one that had been around since time immemorial, but it was true. He wasn’t looking for anything serious, and she had just gotten out of a relationship a few months prior. But then she had gotten an internship with the Sharks social media team in winter of her senior year of college, and the more time she started spending around the players, the more he realized he wasn’t able to stay away from her. Not in a bad way, but in the kind of way where he simply noticed how radiant she was and wanted to do whatever he could to get to know her, to be around her, in whatever way she’d let him. So colleagues turned into friends, turned into him asking her out two weeks before playoffs started. She didn’t say yes right away, but it wasn’t because she didn’t know, and it wasn’t because she wanted to make him sweat it. She was worried about what people would think; an intern dating one of the team’s star forwards, worried that the office gossip would turn into arguments that she didn’t earn her job, or that she was trying to get people to go easier on her. After a long conversation with Alise, one of her best friends, then her older sister, then Timo, she finally agreed. Them being together wasn’t as big of an issue as she had thought, a few meetings with HR and some paperwork and they had the green light, as long as they kept things professional at work. And then she was offered a full-time job after her graduation, and now, almost three years after they had first met, she was days away from marrying the love of her life. 

He had proposed at the very beginning of the year, on a weeklong trip to Switzerland courtesy of the Sharks’ bye week and a very well-timed nonstop flight to Zürich. Noemi wasn’t an overly sentimental person, she thought as she curled next to her fiancé on their living room couch, watching an episode of Gossip Girl. She never had been, but even she would admit without hesitation that there wasn’t a single thing she would have changed about their engagement. 

---

Noemi’s parents were out of town on a weekend getaway to wine country, so they weren’t able to drive her and Timo to the airport for their bye week vacation to Switzerland. Everything had lined up perfectly that year, and Noemi almost couldn’t believe their luck. She had accompanied the Sharks’ delegation to the past two All-Star Weekends, one the year prior and the other only the weekend before. So they both had a full week off for the first time since the offseason. The Christmas break was great, but it wasn’t nearly enough time to travel anywhere, let alone somewhere outside of the country. They had both been worried about the flight time — for a while, the only option was nearly twenty hours with a seven-hour layover in London — but thankfully, a nonstop flight from San Francisco to Zürich had opened up that they had booked just before the holidays. 

All leading to the current moment, with Noemi, Timo, and their bags in the backseat of Kevin Labanc’s SUV as he pulled up to the curb of Terminal G. “Hope you guys have fun in the Alps, getting snowed on and freezing your asses off while I relax on the beach, getting—”

Noemi cut him off, arching an eyebrow. “Freezing your ass off, Kevin. It may be California, but I think you’re vastly overestimating how warm Santa Cruz beaches get. Have fun, though,” she quipped. 

The corner of his eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Meier, did you know that your girl can chirp better than half the team?” 

“One of her many talents,” Timo said, shrugging as he hefted their bags out of the trunk. Noemi was the first one to hug his teammate goodbye, and then Kevin pulled Timo into an embrace. 

“But seriously, guys. Have fun. Good luck,” he said, looking back at Timo. 

“What did he say good luck for?” Noemi asked, her brows furrowed as they walked through the sliding doors to the check-in counter. 

Timo made a noncommittal noise. “Not sure. Maybe he meant to say good flight?” And it was a good flight, they were both able to get a few hours of sleep in before breakfast was served just as they were flying over Scotland. 

Noemi wrested her back from under the seat before slinging it onto her shoulder and flashing a grateful smile at the flight attendants as they disembarked. She shivered as the cold air hit her on the jet bridge — as soon as they made it out to the gate, she made Timo stop so she could grab a jacket out of her bag, zipping it up all the way to under her chin. Timo snorted; she glared at him. “We weren’t all born with snow in our veins, Timo.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t say anything.” 

She had been through the airport once before, but once was nothing compared to the she-didn’t-even-know-how-many flights Timo had taken. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as they reached passport control, moving towards the automated gates as Noemi stood in the line for non-Schengen nationals. “See you on the other side.” 

Timo had already been waiting for ten minutes by the time Noemi got through. Though, all things considered — especially when compared to the hour-plus lines they were both used to trying to get back into the United States — it wasn’t bad at all. “You get through okay?” he asked, kissing Noemi as she came up to where he had settled by a coffee shop. 

She nodded. “Yep, no issues. Asked me why I was here, I said I was visiting family with my Swiss citizen boyfriend, asked how long I’d be here for, I said a week. She told me welcome to Switzerland, stamped my passport, and said to have a good trip.” She tucked her passport into her purse, zipping it closed. 

Timo bent down to kiss the top of her head as she leaned into him, her hands wrapping around his waist. “Let’s get going, then.”

---

The day before they were due to fly out of Zürich, they decided to go into the city. By they, it was really Timo’s decision; before they left San Jose, he had shown her pictures of Zürich in the winter and mentioned the zoo. It was an easy sell, she loved getting to see the lemurs. They had done the zoo in the morning and the national museum in the afternoon, before the sun set just after 5 PM. 

The beer garden he took her to for dinner didn’t have any more indoor seating — something Noemi didn’t have a preference on, but Timo seemed concerned about — so the couple settled outside, warmed by a heating lamp and a well-placed fire pit off to the side of their table. “I feel like a lizard,” Noemi remarked, glancing up at the lamp. Timo laughed, holding her hand and absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over the top as he scanned the menu. “Now, it may come as a shock to you, but I happen to be less-than-fluent in Swiss German, so you’re going to have to help me out here,” she said as she read the menu. “Pictures are only getting me so far.”

He chuckled, leaning over the table “Do you want the raclette or the fondue?” 

Noemi’s brow furrowed. “Raclette?” 

Timo pulled out his phone, quickly navigating to Google. “The best way to describe it is like warmed, bubbly cheese that’s like scraped onto the food. Potatoes, meat, that kind of stuff. As opposed to fondue, which is obviously just fondue.” 

She looked at him, bewildered. “How many ways do the Swiss have to eat cheese?” 

“We’ve been perfecting it for 700 years, No.” 

The raclette was incredible, as expected, and the saison their waitress had suggested paired perfectly. It was nearing eight by the time they had paid the check, and they had an hour long drive back to his hometown, but the night wasn’t over yet. Some of the Christmas lights were still up, and a short walk around downtown led them to a little art gallery that was still open, Timo purchasing a gorgeous oil painting of the city, the clock tower of St. Peter in the background. 

“Belated Christmas present?” he asked, grinning at Noemi, as he arranged for it to be shipped back to California. 

She rolled her eyes. “If you say so.” 

“Merci vielmal,” Timo said to the curator. “Come on, there’s one more thing I want to show you before we leave.” 

Noemi blew on her hands before she stuffed them back in the pockets of her down jacket, following him out the door. She had gotten it a few months after she had been hired by the team full-time; there were a few different people on the social media team, so she didn’t go on every road trip, but it had become an invaluable addition to her wardrobe. She had made the foolish assumption that a November in Calgary couldn’t be too cold, and had only brought a fleece and a raincoat on one of her first trips with the team. It had been one of the worst mistakes of her life, and she had ended up having to run out to a Canada Goose outlet during her lunch break just so she wouldn’t freeze to death. 

Noemi wasn’t sure where they were going, but supposed that she wasn’t in a place to be very skeptical. It was only her second time in Switzerland — she had flown out the summer prior to visit with him and his family — and she certainly wasn’t an expert, so she followed her boyfriend down the street and around the corners of tiny stone-faced apartments and old churches, a light sprinkling of snow dusting itself on her beanie. They walked for a few minutes before coming to the banks of Lake Zürich, where icy water would normally be lapping at their toes, even in January. Noemi hadn’t taken much of a look at the lake on the drive in; if she had, she would have noticed that it was completely frozen over, with couples walking and children playing tag even at the comparatively late hour. 

He squeezed her hand as he stepped onto the ice. “Come on, babe.” 

Noemi bit her lip. “Are you sure it’s safe?” 

Timo nodded. “I called and asked a friend of mine the day before we left, it’s been frozen for almost a week and the weather hasn’t gotten any warmer. It should be at least nine, ten inches thick. Plenty safe.” So she let him take her hand, pulling her out to step gingerly on the ice, one foot in front of the other. 

“Does it freeze often?”

Timo shook his head. “First time since ‘65. You’re getting something special here, No.” The snow gave their feet some purchase on the ice, and it was only a few minutes before they were standing where the middle of the lake should be, looking up at the jet-black night sky. “Can you see Cassiopeia?” Timo asked, looking up to the sky, his hands jamming in his jacket pocket, playing with what Noemi could only assume were his keys. 

After their first date, dinner and a comedy show, they had driven to a stunning viewpoint on the outskirts of the city, bringing a blanket and laying outside stargazing and lazily kissing until they had to go to sleep sometime after midnight. “I could stay here for hours,” he had murmured as she lay against his chest. “Don’t think Boughner would take too kindly to you being late for morning skate,” Noemi had said. But she wasn’t arguing; she would have stayed there the rest of the night if they could. And Cassiopeia had always been her favorite constellation, the first one she pointed out to Timo that night, and one she loved just as much almost two years later. 

It took her less than ten seconds to find it, the familiar “W” beckoning her just like it had a hundred times before. She looked back to where Timo had been just a moment before, mouth half-open, ready to show him the stars. 

But he wasn’t there. Well, not standing, at least. He was kneeling on the ice, a blue jewelry box with a ring inside it balanced in his hand as the other reached out gently for hers. She gave it to him, of course she did. “Noemi Francisca Silva, you came into my life when I least expected it. I didn’t think I wanted a relationship, you weren’t sure either, but somehow after a few months of trying to be ‘just friends,’ we realized that just friends wasn’t going to work. And God, am I glad we figured that out. You’ve somehow fit in my life so perfectly that I have no clue how it ever worked before you were there. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, but even more than that, you’re so full of joy, you’ve always got a kind word to say about anyone, and you’re the best person anyone could ever ask for to have in their corner. I’m so glad you’re in mine.” He paused for a moment, looking back up at her with a half-smile on his face. “You asked what Kevin wished us good luck for back at the airport. Well,” he shrugged, “this is it. Noemi, it’s been the honor of my life to get to love you, and I can only hope you’ll let me do it for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?” 

For as worried as she had been about the ice not twenty minutes before, Noemi barely paid any mind as she crashed down next to him, their foreheads touching as his shaking hands slid the ring onto her wedding finger. It was the easiest answer she’d ever given in her life. “Yes.”

 --

As Noemi straddled Timo in the driver’s seat of his SUV two days before their wedding, the bags of falafel having long since been abandoned in the back seat, she thought that she had never been so grateful for tinted windows and early sunsets. “The milkshakes are going to melt,” she gasped out as his fingers started to trail up her shirt, playing with the line of her bra. 

“We’ll throw them in the freezer when we get home,” he said. Well, there’s not really any way I can argue against that, Noemi considered. So she let him pull her shirt off, undo the buttons on her shorts, and grab a condom from the center console — he had made damn sure to clean it out before filming a “what’s in my car” bit with the video team earlier that week — and slid into her as she tried desperately to keep her moans in check. “It’s okay, baby, let it out. I want to hear,” he said. 

And she was in no place to argue. So she gasped and whimpered while he moaned underneath her, the seat tilted back just enough for him to hit her just right. And Timo knew almost everything about Noemi. You don’t get to be together with someone for over two and a half years without learning about them. He knew she liked waffles over pancakes and hated having to get up early and how she almost cried the first time she got sent to the principal’s office in third grade. He knew her body better than she did, how to send her crashing into an orgasm that left them both breathless with tired, goofy grins on their faces after. 

But as Noemi steadied her breathing, looking out the window — the parking lot was still mercifully empty — she thought that maybe she’d leave out the fact that they had just fucked right across the street from her childhood church. At least we’re not trying to get married there, Noemi thought. I’d take up the whole damn time for Confession just for the past month. 

---

Noemi stuck her head out of the door of her seventh-floor hotel room. The coast was clear. It was the end of February, ten months after they had gotten together, and the team was in the middle of their last big Midwest sweep of the season. Going through the Central Division — plus a stop in Toronto — was incredible and Noemi was shaking herself awake every morning, realizing that this really was her job, but it was also exhausting, and as much as it may have seemed counterintuitive, lonely at times. Well, lonely in a particular way. She had the rest of the social media team, and she was friendly with most of the athletic training staff, and she saw the players pretty much every day, and she was friends with most of them. But the team was a little more than halfway through the trip, and she’d barely gotten to spend any time with Timo. Sure, there were meals, and the few off hours they got had been amazing — when they played the Preds, it was her first time in Nashville, and walking around Music Row had been the highlight of her weekend — but it wasn’t the same as if they were back in San Jose. 

Okay, if she was being totally honest, she missed the sex. It obviously wasn’t like she was finding it impossible to go without, she had dealt with it just fine when he was on a roadie and she was back home, but knowing that they were so close but couldn’t quite get there was a special kind of torture. Until now, when Timo had texted her just five minutes before. Kevin’s just gone out for a run, says he’s getting food after, some baked potato place or whatever. Idk. He’s weird. Anyways, coast should be clear for an hour or so 👀 

Noemi had initially rolled her eyes at the message, not even sure if she’d text him back, but the more she thought about it, the more she was tempted. Fuck it, she thought, texting him that she’d be right over. Which is how she found herself trying to sneak the 50 feet over to Timo’s room without being seen. Everyone knew they were together — they had for months — but the last thing she wanted was to have to explain to Erik Karlsson that the reason she was out pushing curfew was that she just really, really wanted dick. The poor man didn’t need to know. 

So she barely had to tap her fingers on Timo’s door before he swung it open, walking her back towards the bed while holding her around the waist. His knees hit the edge of the bed. Thank God there were two; she wanted him, sure, but even she wasn’t about to cross the line that was having sex in her friend’s bed an hour before he was set to sleep in it. She fell on top of him, sighing as his hands wandered under the hem of her oversized Santa Clara t-shirt, a mainstay from her college years. “Gotta get this off of you,” he mumbled. 

Noemi let out a breathy laugh. “Good things come to those who wait.” She barely had time to let out a gasp before he flipped her over. “It’s only been, what, a week?” Noemi asked, giggling. 

“Too long,” Timo replied, his lips trailing down the column of her neck. Her shirt was quickly forgotten on the floor, his following after a few minutes. She had gotten so worked up over the past week that he barely had to spend two minutes between her legs before she was pulling his mouth back up to hers, her hands fumbling with his belt buckle before finally getting it undone. “Fuck, one second,” he breathed, half-falling off the bed as he stumbled over towards his suitcase, zipping open the inner pocket before pulling out a condom. “You ready, babe?” he asked as he rolled it on. 

She nodded quickly. “Get over here.” He had just pressed into her when the door opened. 

“Brought back some fries to share, thought it would be nice since you didn’t get a chance to—” Kevin hollered as he walked into the room, while Noemi tried frantically to grab anything she could to cover herself. “Oh God. Jesus. Were you two just fucking?”

“In a manner of speaking?” Noemi said, pulling Timo’s dress shirt tightly around her. 

“God, why would you two? I’m not even going to ask. I don’t want to know. You two are gross,” he said, though he had the tiniest of smiles on his face when he finally brought his hand away from his eyes. “I’m going to, I don’t know. Go down to the lobby, and...Watch CNN or something. Be done when I get back.” 

He was gone just as quickly as he had walked in, and Noemi fell back on the bed, her face buried into the nearest pillow. “We’re never going to be able to live that one down, will we?” she asked hopelessly, already knowing the answer.

“Nope.”

---

 A month or so after he proposed, when the post-engagement glow had begun to fade and the equal parts excitement and apprehension about planning a wedding began to set in, they had to figure out how they actually wanted everything to work. Where and when and how and how many, things neither Timo nor Noemi had ever even considered went into planning a wedding. Things like figuring out if their vendor provided linens or if they had to rent their own, things like what to do with the flowers after the reception was over and how to reserve a block of hotel rooms. Enter Mohana. Noemi had been an art minor in college, focusing on watercolor  and digital design, so she sent over bits and pieces, links to Pinterest boards and concept art, and then handed off the responsibility. 

It was important to Timo that the wedding be during a time of year where the team would be able to make it; sure, summers were free, but everyone had vacations to go on and family to visit and he really didn’t want them to have to go to the expense of flying back to California just for a weekend. Even though he knew without a doubt that they would. And neither he nor Noemi thought it was a good idea to do it in spring — spring meant the playoff push and their schedules being filled even more than usual, and they didn’t want it to turn into just one more thing to worry about. Which meant fall or winter, but fall could be hectic with the season starting and most of the weekend dates for their venue had already been booked up. Which took them to December. Her own parents hadn’t really cared, but Noemi’s grandparents hadn’t been exactly thrilled when she told them she wasn’t having a church wedding. They got over it pretty quickly, though a lengthy call from her mom might have had something to do with that. 

Noemi wasn’t initially a huge fan of having a Christmas wedding. Though, really, it wasn’t even a Christmas wedding — it was on the 22nd — she was worried that people would have already settled in with their families, that she’d be disrupting plans and dynamics and traditions, that everyone’s toes would freeze off during the ceremony and suddenly their plans would be waylaid by having to take half the bridal party to the hospital to be treated for frostbite. She might have been exaggerating on the last one a little bit; even Bay Area Decembers rarely dipped much below 50º in the afternoon. But the winery they had chosen as their venue was available, and Mohana loved planning winter weddings, and Timo’s family had already been planning to fly over to spend the holidays with them. And red was her favorite color. So, all things considered, it was an easy sell. 

Planning the wedding itself turned out to me more difficult than either of them had anticipated. The Sharks’ season ended abruptly in the Cup finals that year, so they both got what planning they could out of the way before leaving for Switzerland. Cake tasting was done two days before leaving, and she had ordered her dress in March. Facetime meetings with Mohana were usually done in the California morning, which meant that more than once, she had been explaining vendor costs and asking if they preferred peonies or poppies as they were cooking dinner in his parents’ house. Noemi headed back to California in late August — she would have stayed longer, but was limited to a ninety day stay in a six month period without a visa and didn’t feel the need to go through the trouble when Timo was following a few weeks after. It wasn’t ideal, and she missed him more than she wanted to let on at times, but a month came and went and they were reunited. 

--- 

A soft knock came on the door of the bridal suite. “Everyone decent?” the voice asked.

“We’re good!” Emily called back. It was a no-brainer for Noemi to pick her sister as her maid of honor, who had nearly cried when she asked her early in the summer.

Patrick stepped into the room, closing the door gently behind him. “Can’t have him see you before,” he said jokingly. 

“Wouldn’t want that,” Noemi said, smiling softly. Patrick had stuck around after his retirement, working with the player development staff during the season. Everyone was the better for it, and they were all so grateful to have him still be a part of the family. Even apart from his consistency and dedication on the ice, he had always been a natural leader of any locker room he was in, mentoring younger players without being asked and always being there for anyone who needed him. “It’s what the team dad does,” he always said. 

So it was only natural that Timo and Noemi had wanted to find a place for him in their wedding. He had been all too happy to step up and help them with last-minute preparations the morning of, checking in with their wedding planner Mohana and helping to get all of the organizational details squared away — he had even driven back to the hotel the guests were staying at to pick up one of the groomsmen’s shoes when he had realized he had brought the wrong pair. “You feeling good, kid?” 

Noemi looked at the clock on the wall: half an hour until the ceremony started. She gave him a nervous smile. “Definitely got some butterflies, but they’re good ones. I’m excited.” 

The corner of his eyes crinkled. “Good, I’m glad. I remember when Christina and I got married, I was nervous, sure, but I knew. Knew she was the one, knew she was it for me. I’m glad you and Timo found each other, Noemi. A piece of advice?” She nodded. “Don’t get so caught up in the nerves and feeling like you need everything to be perfect that you forget what the day’s about. It’s about celebrating you, and him, and this marriage that you’re going to be building together. The photos will turn out great, nobody’s going to get food poisoning, and you won’t trip walking down the aisle. So don’t overthink it.” 

“Patrick, I just put my makeup on,” Noemi said, dabbing under her eyes with a napkin. “You can’t just say things like that and not expect me to cry.” 

He bent down, kissing her on the cheek. “You look beautiful, Noemi. This is your day. Enjoy it.” 

Patrick opened the door to the guy’s room just as Timo finished fastening his cufflinks. He looked up. “Were you just with No?”

 Patrick nodded. “She looks amazing, Timo.”

“Course she did,” he said, like it was the easiest answer in the world. ”How was she?” 

“Good. Nervous, but good. She’s with the girls, they were all drinking mimosas or something while they did their makeup,” Patrick said, sitting on the arm of the couch. 

Timo’s eyebrows lifted. “Was she in her dress?” 

“No,” Patrick said, rolling his eyes. Well-meaning though he was, he knew that Timo had been pestering Noemi to show him at least a glimpse of her dress, to no avail. She had ended up keeping it at her parents’ house when his bothering got to be too much. She loved it though. “You’ll see her soon.” Not soon enough, Timo thought. 

“You here to impart some sage wisdom, Patty?” Kevin asked, poking his head out of the bathroom as he straightened his tie. Red for the groomsmen, a subtle plaid for Timo. 

“As a matter of fact,” Patrick said, “I did have some things I thought about if you’d like to hear them.” 

Timo nodded quickly. “Of course.” It wasn’t just that he respected him for his role on the team and his former place in the locker room, it was his dedication to his family and healthy marriage that made him immediately tune in to whatever he had to say. 

“I know you’ve probably already figured this out already, having been together for as long as you have and living together now, but in case you haven’t. When you’re in a relationship, a marriage especially, you’re on the same team. You’re going after the same goal. Happiness and comfort and strength. Remember that. You’ll have disagreements, you might fight, but don’t let that overshadow the fact that whatever issue you two are facing, you’re meant to go at it together. Two,” he ticked off on his finger, “you’re going to have to compromise, probably more than you realize. Whether it’s what kind of take-out you’re going to get or where you’re going for vacation or what you’re going to do when you hang up the skates, listen to what she says, think about your priorities as a couple, and talk it out. And sometimes you’re going to have to learn when to let it go and let her win, regardless of if you think you’re right or not.” 

“I’m learning that one,” Timo said as he finished tying his dress shoes. 

Patrick smiled. “Good. Last, and probably the most important one, this is your priority now. Your marriage is your priority, she’s your priority. You said you guys talked about kids, yeah?” Timo nodded. “When you have kids, then, your family comes first. Your kids come first. I know it’s sometimes hard for people in our positions to wrap their brains around, when your whole life has been nothing but going to the rink and going to the gym, but there’s things that you’re going to need to prioritize over that, and that’s okay. The team understands it, everyone understands it. If you miss an optional skate to drop your kids off at school, or take off the gym for a week in the summer to go on vacation. If you’ve got to miss a game because your wife’s having a baby, or you take a call in a meeting when you shouldn’t because it’s Noemi and she needs you, that’s okay. Balance doesn’t come naturally to hockey players, hardly ever, but it’s something you’re going to need to learn, even better than you might think you know now. You do that, and you’ll be alright.”

There were less than ten minutes until Noemi had to leave, and Emily had just finished fastening the last button on her dress. Noemi took a deep breath, smoothing over the lace at her hips and straightening the edges of the three-quarter sleeves. “God, it’s really about to happen, isn’t it?” she asked in awe. 

Her mom squeezed her shoulder. “It is.”

“You need me to drive the getaway car?” Alise, her best friend from college asked, eyebrows raised, one hand playing with the skirt of her crimson bridesmaid’s dress. “I like Timo, I really do, but I love you more.”

Noemi let out a snort. “Thanks, Alise, but I think I’m going to have to pass on this one. We put down a fat deposit on this place and I wouldn’t want to lose it.”

“Pity, I just got the tank filled.” 

One of her other bridesmaids brought over the veil, gently tucking the comb in right above Noemi’s low bun. Noemi brushed her fingers over the comb’s pearls and clay flowers, remembering when Timo presented it to her as an early wedding present. “I was thinking it could be your something new.” Her late grandma’s pearl earrings were her something old, a ribbon from her mother’s wedding dress was wrapped around her bouquet, and a blue-edged handkerchief was pinned on the inside of her dress. Needless to say, it was gorgeous, and as Noemi slipped on her heels, she couldn’t help but think that it had all worked out better than she could have imagined. 

Mohana poked her head in, pushing back her dark hair as she smiled at the room. “Everyone ready?” 

“Bridesmaids are good,” Emily said, looking around. “No?”

Noemi nodded, taking yet another deep breath. “Good to go.” 

“Bouquets are outside, I was just with the guys and everything’s perfect, ties are all tied, boutonnières are all in. The second shooter got a few really sweet pictures of Timo’s mom putting his in.” 

“God, I almost forgot about the pictures,” Noemi said, even though the photographer had been in the room while everyone was getting ready. 

“Alright, let’s go get my bride married!” Mohana beamed. She handed everyone’s bouquets to them as they exited, ending with Noemi. She had designed the bouquets herself, white poppies and red roses and eucalyptus branches all tied together with her mother’s ribbon, but the florist had really outdone herself. A perk of working with the business end of the team was that it took her almost no time at all to get the vendor contacts that the team used for all of their formal events, and a perk of being a WAG was that it took her one text in a group chat to get the number of one of the South Bay’s best wedding planners. And Mohana Kaur had been nothing short of a lifesaver. She had taken Noemi’s vague sketches and fabric samples that she had picked up at Michael’s and turned it into what could only be described as a winter paradise. 

The flower girl, Noemi’s niece Elle, grabbed her basket of petals, looking back at her with delight. “Flowers, Auntie No!” 

Noemi nodded, beaming back at the little girl. “Very pretty flowers, El-bear. You remember what to do with them?”

“I go after Tobias,” Tomas’ son was their ring bearer, and had honestly occupied most of the attention at the rehearsal, not like she minded, “who goes after Mommy, who goes after Auntie Emily. And then I throw the flowers while I’m walking.”

“Perfect, sweet girl,” Noemi said, bending down — as much as she could in her heels — and gathering up the youngest Silva in a hug. She loved her four-year-old niece more than just about anyone, and it was moments like this that made her that much more excited to have children of her own someday. Mohana had silently gotten all of the bridesmaids in order, looking at Noemi as soon as she stood up. “Showtime?” Noemi asked.

Mohana gave her a wide smile. “You know it.” After giving her attendants one last cursory look, she laid a gentle hand on the space between Noemi’s shoulders, left bare from her open-backed dress. “You look gorgeous, Noemi, and the wedding’s going to be incredible.” With a nod of her head, she led the wedding party down the halls of the winery, stopping at the oaken set of double doors that stood as the only barrier between Noemi and the rest of her life. She could hear noise behind the doors, the chattering of the people most important to her in her life. 

Emily turned back towards her sister, squeezing Noemi’s hand. “I love you, No. You picked a good one.” She stepped off to the side as the doors opened, and one by one her bridesmaids walked out, then Tobias, then Elle, until it was only Mohana left. She gave Noemi’s veil a final adjustment, and then the music changed. A gorgeous acoustic version of Coldplay’s Yellow, one of Noemi’s favorite songs and one that had become something of a theme in her and Timo’s relationship. It was playing in his car the night of their first date, she was wearing a yellow dress when he told her he loved her for the first time, they had gone to a Coldplay concert at Levi’s Stadium the summer before the wedding, just after he had flown back from Switzerland. 

Noemi took a deep breath, looked down at her ring, and stepped out the door. Some of her friends had been surprised when she told them she’d be walking down alone. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her dad, or wasn’t close to him — the opposite was true. She just felt that there wasn’t a need to feel like someone was “giving her away.” Nobody but herself had the power to do that, so nobody but herself needed to be a part of that element of the ceremony. It was the same reason she had chosen to hyphenate her name instead of just taking Timo’s. She had always loved the idea of a family having the same name, of everyone being easily identifiable as being connected to one another in that sort of way, and she didn’t like the seeming disjointeness that would happen when they had kids, even if if wouldn’t matter to anyone but her. But she also loved her name, loved how it sounded and what it meant and the connection it gave to her ancestors. So Silva-Meier it was. 

Her veil trailed behind her as she made her way down the aisle, past the rows filled with 200 of their friends and family who had proven invaluable resources and support over the nearly-three years of their relationship. She risked a look at the end of the aisle, just off to the side of the eucalyptus-and-rose edged wedding arch. Where her fiancé was, the last time she could really call him her fiancé. Timo wasn’t necessarily more stoic than most of the other men she knew, and he was actually a fantastic communicator, but he wasn’t always one to show his heart on his sleeve. No such uncertainty today. The corners of his eyes were glassy with unshed tears, a few of which threatened to escape down his cheek. Kevin tapped him on the shoulder, handing him a handkerchief. I hope the photographer got that, Noemi thought distractedly. 

It sometimes was hard for Timo to outwardly show his feelings, especially at the beginning of their relationship; Noemi loved Timo wildly, and there was no doubt in her mind that he felt the same, but Switzerland was never known as a particularly warm-and-fuzzy country, he was still an NHL player with all of the expectations and influences of hypermasculinity that came along with that. There were three times in their relationship where Noemi could remember seeing him cry. Eight months into their relationship, when her mom, Katherine, had had a stroke, he sat with her in the chapel of O’Connor Hospital as she sobbed harder than she ever had in her entire life, and he cried with her. The second time was when he proposed, and when she said yes. The third time was the May before, when the Sharks had gotten within one game of finally hoisting the Stanley Cup but fell to the Capitals in Game 6. At home. She had seen him lose games, seen him lose playoff series’, but that had been a whole new kind of hurt that she had never seen from him, and one that she never wanted to see again. 

This was the fourth, and as she reached the end of the aisle, Noemi couldn’t help but think that if she reached up to her eyes, they’d be wet too. Noemi handed her bouquet off to Emily, and reached over for Timo. “Your hands are shaking, No,” he murmured as the crowd settled back down, their officiant extending a welcome to the crowd that the two barely paid attention to. The introduction, the invocation, all went by in the blink of an eye. “Timo, would you like to go first?” the officiant asked. Noemi had been so caught up in the surrealism of the day that she barely realized it was time for the vows. 

“Of course,” he said, giving Noemi’s hands one last squeeze before beginning. “I always thought it was cliché when people say that love comes into your life when you least expect it, or when you’re not looking for it. A 23-year-old in the NHL usually isn’t looking to settle down and get married anytime soon.” Noemi gave a watery laugh. “But with you, I quickly discovered how right that was. Noemi Francisca Silva, you’re everything I’ve ever wanted and, somehow, you fill parts of myself I didn’t even realize were missing until you came along. I could go on for hours about how much I love you, everything about you. I love how whenever Hozier comes on the radio, you turn the volume in the car up so loud I can’t hear anything else, even when you’re singing along. I love how you never wrap a present without curling the ribbons yourself, no matter how many times I tell you we can buy bows. I love how you don’t even have to ask me what kind of pizza I want when we order anymore, because you already know. But most of all, I love how you’re my partner, my best friend, the person I love the most in this world. And in a few minutes, you’ll be my wife. I love you, No.”

“You had an unfair advantage,” Noemi said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m calling a foul.” She took a deep breath. “When I look back on our relationship, from the first time we met, to our vacations, to our anniversaries, to the day you proposed, there’s one theme that I keep coming back to. It’s the first thing I thought of when I sat down to write these weeks ago. It’s how you never fail to make me feel so unbelievably loved. It doesn’t matter where we are, or who we’re with. We could be at one of the fundraisers, where you’re meant to be schmoozing with Silicon Valley tech execs, or at a party with our friends. You hear me, you see me, and when I’m with you, I feel like we’re the only two people in the room. The biggest piece of relationship I ever got, from my vovó, was to marry someone who makes you want to be a better person. I’ve never met anyone who does that as well as you do, Timo, and you don’t even have to do anything. I’m a better version of myself, the best version of myself, just from being around you.” She paused, going over the words that she had been rehearsing in her head for two weeks straight whenever her fiancé was out of earshot one last time. “Du bosch mine Schatz, und Ich lieb di Bis dass de Tod eus scheidet.” 

Timo’s breath caught in his throat at her words. He knew that Noemi had been trying to pick up bits and pieces of Swiss German, but he wasn’t always there to help and it was a notoriously tricky language to pick up. That she had done it on her own made it all the more meaningful. “Timo, do you take Noemi to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, for so long as you both shall live?”  He spoke without hesitation. “I do.”

“And do you, Noemi, take Timo to be your lawful wedded husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others for so long as you both shall live?” Giving her answer was as easy as breathing. “I do.” 

Her nervous hands slid Timo’s wedding band onto his left ring finger, and he moved hers into place above her engagement ring. “Now that Timo and Noemi have given themselves to each other with vows, the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” 

Noemi had had a lot of kisses in her life, more than she could count. There was her first boyfriend, and senior prom, and college parties, and everything in between. But when Timo’s lips met hers, underneath the sprig of mistletoe that hung from their wedding arch, as he became her husband, she knew without a doubt that this was her favorite one.

[excellentexecution]

Anonymous asked: #16 for Elene and then Niccola

Send me a number and help me develop my character! | What your character does on a day off?

With Elena: 

When all he has ever known is work, days off can be kinda funny for Bret. All of his life has consisted of doing something, practicing and learning about the career that he loves. But when such days do come about, the Hitman makes sure to take full advantage, especially when around his Elena. They aren’t so lucky like the other couples they know. Each a member to a different promotion, an opposing faction of the wrestling war, their moments together are precious, truly. Bret wouldn’t trade them for anything. Even with a lack of sleep and soreness to his bones due to the sheer volume of what they do, no matter what the actual activity is, as long as they get to be a normal couple than all is well. It’s all that is ever dreamed for them. A life spent with one another, Bret and Elena in their own bliss with nothing to worry over. Maybe it isn’t a typical desire for a man like himself, not wanted nor asked for by the people who run the business, but he doesn’t give a damn. 

After making her way to Calgary for their usual weekend together, Elena gets the ultimate experience. Kisses and snuggles from the comforts of their bed, sweet nothings whispered into her ear. A day off like none other, she would get her breakfast hot and well made. Whatever she could want - Bret would make it all just for her. Years in the kitchen growing up had made the skill of cooking an easy one to master, his pancakes called the best in all of the province. Coffee or tea on the side with fruit, gentle touches while they eat. After that would come the meat and potatoes of Elena’s entire visit. A nature hike throughout the woods just near the house, a lunchtime picnic in the field that gets so pretty that time of month, finished thereafter with a romantic dinner in the local town, cute shops and hotspots to be seen. Spoiled perhaps she would be that trip, any trip that Elena could make to see him, Bret would spend it all. He never considers doting on loved ones as something to be ashamed of. As long as means are had and money can be spared, he would do anything to see his sweetheart smile. All within the homegrown loveliness of his beloved Calgary. A homebody who likes to have fun with his girl. 

With Niccola: 

Days can never really be off when one becomes a parent. There’s always something going on, someone who needs dad around for help. Bret would never ask to change any of that, however. He loves being a father just like he loves being a husband. Two dreams that he always hoped for come true, his life is absolutely perfect and nothing could make it better. Especially with the career path he has taken, days when wrestling isn’t involved are the most treasured. Niccola a mother alone no more - those mornings spent with her are memories that bring the Hitman many smiles. Tokens of affection that turn even the hardest hours into happy ones. Kisses are shared between them just as they have always been. From the first date to their wedding, no babies or two, it means everything to Bret that Niccola understands how much he loves her. That no other has his heart like she. None other would ever, teasing caresses more often than not get interrupted, playful kids who have awoken themselves. Logan and Brianna a hungry bunch, after another smooch for the mom, and after his teeth are cleaned, dad begins on making breakfast. Hearty are the meals when days are free - there is no excuse for a lack of anything. Never would Bret allow for his kids to go starved, either. Not as long as he has something to do about it. 

Niccola joined into the fray eventually herself, they all sit and eat their fillings together. Talk about school and projects and whatever else they wish - the family outings are never boring. Planned fun that doesn’t leave the house, movie marathons have been popular choices in the past. Video game competitions on consoles that Bret can hardly operate, laughs about after Logan or Brianna beat him to the punch. Sometimes the two of them at the same time. A tag team that has taken down their hero several sessions over, sometimes they go on hikes and nature walks. Visit the local petting zoos and museums. See uncles and aunts that have missed them so, Hart barbeques that last for hours and show no sign of stop. Outrageously fantastic maybe the sight isn’t, it’s home and happiness for Bret. A bond with the people he adores most that couldn’t be broken, those days away from the squared circle are enough to make the man feel truly loved. 

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Workers at Cargill’s meat processing plant in High River, Alberta, site of the biggest COVID-19 outbreak in North America, are speaking out after they say the company ignored their concerns and withheld important health and safety information as the virus spread through the slaughterhouse.

Cargill’s High River plant employs over 2,000 workers and produces nearly half of Canada’s beef supply. Over 1,500 workers have now tested positive for COVID-19.

Meat packers  worked in “shoulder to shoulder” conditions prior to the outbreak. Media reports this week revealed Alberta Occupational Health and Safety found the company did not include workers in its health and safety processes, something that is required under the province’s OHS Act.

According to the Calgary Herald, workers voiced concerns about work conditions at Cargill’s plant directly to Alberta Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen during a telephone town hall in mid-April.

A number of Cargill workers told PressProgress the company was made aware of health and safety concerns on multiple occasions through March and April.

“In March, they wouldn’t answer questions,” Joseph Kog, a union shop steward who has worked at the plant for 14 years, told PressProgress. “They didn’t give any information to the employees.”

“We told them before in early April, since we have cases now we have to shut down, but they didn’t listen,” Kog added.

“They stopped doing the safety measures three days before shutting down.”

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @abpoli @politicsofcanada

[doabameatshop]

Why Doaba Meat Shop Calgary is the Go-To Destination for Fresh, Quality Meat

The shop’s team of expert butchers ensures that the meat is always fresh, cut to order, and of the highest quality. They take great care in trimming and preparing the meat, so that it is ready to cook and enjoy at home. The shop also offers a range of marinades and spice blends to enhance the flavor of the meat, making it easy to prepare delicious meals at home.

In addition to its commitment to quality, Doaba Meat Shop also provides excellent customer service. The staff is knowledgeable about the different cuts of meat and can provide guidance on cooking methods and recipe ideas. They also offer home delivery and online ordering, making it easy for customers to get the meat they need without leaving their homes.

Overall, Doaba Meat Shop is the go-to destination for anyone looking for fresh, high-quality meat in Calgary. With its commitment to quality and excellent customer service, it’s easy to see why the shop has become so popular among meat lovers in the area.

Freshness: Doaba Meat Shop sources its meat from local farms, ensuring that the meat is fresh and of high quality. The shop has a strict policy of not freezing its meat, which helps to retain the natural flavor and texture.

Quality: Doaba Meat Shop has a reputation for providing high-quality meat that is free from preservatives and antibiotics. The shop is known for its selection of grass-fed and hormone-free meats, which are considered healthier and tastier than conventionally raised meats.

Variety: Doaba Meat Shop offers a wide variety of meats, including beef, chicken, lamb, goat, and exotic meats like bison and elk. The shop also provides a range of cuts and styles, making it easy for customers to find what they need.

Customization: Doaba Meat Shop offers customized meat cutting and packaging options, so customers can get the exact size and style of meat they need for their recipes.

Customer service: Doaba Meat Shop is known for its excellent customer service, with knowledgeable and friendly staff who are always willing to help customers find the right meat for their needs.

In summary, Doaba Meat Shop is a go-to destination for fresh, quality meat in Calgary due to its commitment to freshness, quality, variety, customization, and excellent customer service.

[fiorick]

Meat Seafood Clerk PT

Meat Seafood Clerk PT

Job title: Meat Seafood Clerk PT Company: Loblaw Job description: to join us in our goal of helping Canadians Live Life Well®. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce…. Why is this role important Our Store Colleagues are inspired doers. They help provide a positive in-store shopping experience… Expected salary: Location: Calgary, AB Job date: Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:58:27…

[canadianjobbank]

Apply now: https://canadianjobbank.org/sales-supervisor-retail-9/

[thinfatfit]

daily reminder that climate change is real and we can all take steps to help.

steps you can take:

1. bring a water bottle with you to school / work

2. bring a reusable coffee/tea tumbler and use that when you go to a coffee shop (normally they give u a discount!!)

3. turn off the lights when you leave a room

4. learn how to properly recycle & compost in your area  (toronto go to: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/waste-wizard/) (vancouver go to: http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/waste-wizard.aspx) (ottawa go to: http://app06.ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/search/recycle/q.pl)  (calgary go to: http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/WRS/Pages/What-goes-where/Default.aspx) (edmonton go to: https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/garbage-recycling-waste.aspx) (saskatoon go to: https://www.saskatoon.ca/services-residents/waste-recycling/waste-wizard) 

5. take the bus/subway/walk/bike when you can instead of driving

6. turn down the heat / air conditioning (even by just a little bit)

7. reduce your red meat consumption

[iaahafoods]

Our head office and warehouse are in Greater Toronto Area, we have expanded our food distribution network to span throughout all the Canadian provinces. Our products are distributed in all more than narasus coffee pb aachi masala logo new food products coming soon pass pass mint flavour south indian shop near me aachi chicken 65 masala sri lankan grocery store edmonton sri lankan grocery store edmonton indian bakery calgary sri lankan grocery toronto indian meat store near me beverage distributors toronto importers of spices in canadaindian restaurant for sale in torontoindian food grocery store near meindian grocery store near me nowindian products not available in canadaindian companies in torontoindian spices shopspice brands canadacanada spices importersspice suppliers canadaindian store in halifaxindian groceries and spicesindian grocery store toronto onlineindian convenience store near mefood companies in scarborough50 cities including but not limited to Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vancouver, Halifax, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Winnipeg, Kitchener, Hamilton, Windsor, Moncton, Regina, Saskatoon, Charlottetown. This expansive network enables us to access more independent markets, allowing consumers to find our products on the shelves of their favorite local stores throughout Canada.

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https://aahafoods.food.blog/2020/09/30/aahafoods-is-a-indian-grocery-stores-in-toronto-aahafoods/

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