Yo…
A Romantical Friday Flashback to February 10, 2017:
Last night love was in the air!! At Pacific Junction Hotel (RIP) sitting down with supa dupa Girth Radio (also RIP) host Sean Sirianni (host of The Creative Imbalance) to talk half business-half chillin.
The bar is mostly empty; it’s that cold.
To our right of our table I spy a pretty girl: auburn hair, sweet sweater...alone at a table sipping a beer.
I remark to Sean that’s strange...for such a frigid evening why would she put on pants and come here to sip a beer by herself? We shrug at the unsolved mystery and go back to our conversation. But Then…
A couple of minutes later Dude sitting behind Sweet Sweater Girl was texting and he turns around on his barstool and was like oh! Sweet Sweater Girl laughs...there you are! They shook hands and laugh some more as they introduce themselves...ah it was a blind date!!
They’d miscommunicated and sat next to each other but at different PJH tables.
And now they found each other.
Eavesdropping nearby Sean and I laughed as well; it was rom-com cute how they discovered each other in the mostly empty bar.
Their waitress Kayla Sherry who quickly deduced what was unfolding came over to their table and gave them shots as an icebreaker. And they were off!
They were leaning forward; all engaged...Dude was making Sweet Sweater Girl laugh; she was playing with her hair...oh man this blind date was going so well.
I suggested to Sean we gotta help them!
We decided the best way to facilitate their burgeoning romance was to score their first date.
We approached the bar’s jukebox and after feeding it many monies we cranked out the romance: Spice Girls 2 Become 1, Barry White Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe, Al Green Let’s Stay Together, Marvin Gaye Let’s Get It On, Ed Sheeran Thinking Out Loud...plus many more.
All the romantic (and some baby making) classics (though I just realized we totally forgot to drop REO Speedwagon!! So fired...)
Sean and I basically crafted their first mixtape as we scored their first date.
I wonder what they are up to now…did they get married?
I wonder if they ever think about that night when it gets cold. Or when they hear one of those songs we prompted on the jukebox.
Sean and I will…on occasion share this story. We still think about em. I hope the spark of that evening has provided enough heat to keep this current cold at bay.
‘Cause it’s too cold for you here and now
So let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater
And if I may just take your breath away
I don’t mind if there’s not much to say
Sometimes the silence guides a mind
To move to a place so far away
The goosebumps start to raise
The minute that my left hand meets your waist
And then I watch your face
Put my finger on your tongue ‘cause you love the taste, yeah
~ The Neighbourhood “Sweater Weather”
Ladies like a man with a sense of humour, yeah?
Then you’d be wise to check out Ali Hassan.
On the attached My Summer Lair episode I refer to Ali as the Brown Mike Birbiglia and that’s because over the years he’s written and performed a couple of one man shows like Muslim Interrupted and Does This Taste Funny?
I’m sure you know Ali Hassan.
Ali has entertained us as an actor…you’ve seen him in Run the Burbs, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Workin’ Moms and Designated Survivor. (In this episode we talk about his episodes on that show because he gave President Kiefer Sutherland the business!)
I call him Brown Bob Saget because he hosts CBC Radio and TV shows including Laugh Out Loud and Canada Reads. (The Canada Read debates take place March 17-20, about a month from now.)
Just like Bob Saget he does stand up…I know Ali from stand up.
His latest comedy contribution is Chef’s Kiss is a 42 minute stand up comedy album featuring comical reactions to being a hockey dad to unsuccessfully navigating Disney+ to the witty struggles of learning a new language.
This My Summer Lair episode loaded with sarcasm and shawarma.
Ali and I talk Designated Survivor to making school lunches for his kids, to Taste of Egypt (Track 19 on Chef’s Kiss) to Pulp Fiction. (This episode mirror’s Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. It’s not exactly linear and we’re jumping from story to story…)
Ali co-hosts a podcast called Doctor Vs Comedian. I take it you know who the comedian is? Dr. Asif Doja, a pediatric neurologist is the other half of the sonic operation.
Towards the end of 2024 they recorded an entire Doctor Vs Comedian episode unpacking and celebrating Pulp Fiction’s 30th anniversary.
Thus towards the end of this MSL episode I recommend to Ali—a passionate foodie—Royale with Cheese. A yummy burger joint in Detroit.
If you know Pulp Fiction you know the reference. Yummy food. So #PantsWorthy.
I’m just disappointed I wasn’t able to get ribs and bacon injected in the conversation because we are both big fans of both.
Speaking of love that hasn’t worked out…
A Romantical Friday Flashback to February 14, 2020:
Cutting through the Eaton Centre (our sprawling shopping mall smack dab in the middle of downtown ruckus) when I walked past a young woman—probably mid 20s or so—throwing away a bouquet of Valentine’s Day flowers.
The garbage instantly accepted her paper wrapped heart decorated gift like light in a black hole.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
Lissie’s Lady Gaga Bad Romance cover is dedicated to her...and whoever gave her the flowers.
Does Being Ticklish Count As Being Sensitive…
Sammy Younan
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair podcast: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
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