Can You Hear Me Now?

Thursday I got up early to shower, dress, pack, and be ready to check out of my hotel when my cousin Sherry came to get me around around 11:00 a.m. I was leaving downtown Toronto sniffffffff for the small town of Acton, about an hour NW of Toronto. It was relaxing with family time!

Sherry asked me if I had been to Port Credit since I had lived there (Port Credit is about a 20 minute Go-Train ride from downtown Toronto and where I lived about half the time during the 3 years I lived in Toronto). I hadn’t, so she decided that’s where we’d be heading for a drive!

We passed by my old apartment, the main floor of a two level duplex. It hit me that my address there was 1-11 Mississauga Road… and my hotel for the past 6 nights had been Room 111. (Insert eerie music).

We NEVER locked our doors when I lived here. NEVER. I still can’t believe we did that.

We drove along Lakeshore Blvd. to the Port Credit Harbour where we wandered around a bit to take in the scenery, and then had a delicious lunch at the restaurant in the Harbour. Sherry told our server “this is not a quiche, it is a work of art!!” The food was awesome.

Then we drove out to Sherry’s house in Acton, where she lives with her four children Jason (21), Sara (19), Arlan (15) and Leah (11) and her common-law hubby (as of a few weeks ago, official fiance) of 8 years, Scott. And their dog, Bailey (8). They have a gorgeous new home that was just built last year and of course I completely forgot to take any pictures of it. I didn’t take any of my hotel either! I guess musicians are JUST MORE EXCITING. Hee! But I got a shot of most of the family on the stairs, minus Leah, who was at her Dad’s for the weekend (this was taken as I was leaving on Sunday):

After settling in, relaxing and having a yummy dinner, Sherry and I headed out to Oakville for the Jim Cuddy/Jim Bryson concert at the Centre for Performing Arts. We arrived and went into the lobby to get a drink before heading into the theatre. While sitting out there, Jim Bryson walked towards us and recognizing me, (we had met in Calgary and he knew I was probably going to be at this show) he came over and said hi. We chatted for a bit and he said he’d be on stage right at 8:00, so we headed to our seats. His show was 100% acoustic with just Jim, a mic and his guitar. The theatre was packed and it was a great atmosphere. I took out my camera to sneak a picture:

Good, huh?? Well worth almost getting kicked out for.

After Jim’s performance we went back out to the lobby. I wanted to buy Sherry Jim’s North Side Benches CD (she said she was going to buy it anyway) and chatted with Jim a bit more. Got my picture and I bought Jim Cuddy’s CD (”Too Many Hands” is one of my favourite songs in life).

By the way, if you have not seen Jim Bryson’s video for “Somewhere Else” featuring Jim Cuddy, go watch it NOW. It is priceless. (While you’re at it, watch “Beautifully Undone”. Sigh).

Back into the theatre to watch the Jim Cuddy Band. What a great show they put on! I have never seen Blue Rodeo live before so I had no clue how entertaining Jim Cuddy is. Sure love his voice, too. And his fiddler player, Anne Lindsay, was absolutely amazing!!!

My second and last photo attempt. I was really almost caught this time. Whew!

The show was over around 11:00 and we started the drive back. Sherry listens to Toronto’s CHUM FM in the van, and at precisely 11:17 p.m. Lindy’s “Beautifully Undone” came on the radio. I squealed like a school girl! Sherry thought I was nuts, but I have never heard Lindy on the radio, and being heard on CHUM is a big deal. Did she not UNDERSTAND that?? Sheesh.

Then it was home to bed. I finally had access to a computer again and was able to check email and stuff. Woot! Sara gave up her room for me and I had a great sleep.