Can You Hear Me Now?

Friday night, I went out with Christine and her boyfriend L@khena. I brought my digital camera.

Christine

L@khena

And then, because I am digitally challenged and haven’t recharged it since I got it, the battery died. Figures. I was finally ready to snap a bunch of photos of actual human beings!!

It was so great to see them both. Christine heads back to Quebec today, I’m going to miss her. She also gave me a gift card for the Olive Garden that she bought for me when she was here last summer! It’s going to be hard to go there and not eat their bread sticks now! Yikes!

They got me drunk, paid for our delicious dinner and wine, then took me home. I wish that happened more often for me haha! Christine always spoils me when I see her, and if her boyfriend is there too, he spoils us both.

Saturday, I knew I had made a mistake. Not because I was hungover or anything, unless I want to start calling it my MS hangover. I stayed in bed for a looooong time. It was a combination of too much red wine, which contributed to my lack in judgement, which contributred to my ordering baklava for dessert, and the Arabic coffee, which is not only full of caffeine, but white sugar. I slept horribly and was tired all day. I stayed in bed until almost 4:00. I hated having to get up, I hated having to shower, I hated having to get dressed in something besides sweat pants because I was going out, and I hated trying to prepare my first and only meal at 6:00 pm that consisted of rice crackers and tuna. I just wanted to stay home.

So that just tells me I can’t drink any more than a glass or two of wine, and that my eating plan is not worth falling off of (no, I don’t consider swaying from my regimen once in awhile breaking my making-it-to-two-years goal - it’s if I lose it for days and start eating like before and have a hard time getting back on track, then I’ve broken it).

Anyway, I tried to cheer myself up about going out, because I was going to see some amazing musicians and an old friend and it was going to be a brilliant night. I HAD to smarten up and get in better spirits!

My Access driver helped. He was on time and told me the other person he was going to pick up and drop off before me had cancelled, so we had a lot of time. I was going straight there, and I would be super early. So we decided to go to Tim Horton’s and get coffee! My driver was really nice, and said he would buy me coffee because “you are a sweetie”. He was, of course, Muslim. Haven’t I said before that all those Muslim cab drivers love me??? Anyway, we actually talked about our views on marriage (how do these conversations even start? I don’t know) and he said that when he gets married, he expects only two things from his wife: That she respect his parents, and that she keeps a clean home because he likes a clean home. I asked “um… will you help with keeping the clean home? Or is that ‘woman’s work’?” He hesitated… then said he would help on his day off if he’s not too tired. “What about if she works full time? Isn’t she tired on her day off, too?” He said they could do it together on their day off, but he didn’t say it like he meant it, he just knew what I wanted to hear. “What about a cleaning lady, are we allowed to hire a cleaning lady?” (Yes, I said WE ahahaha) He said if he can afford a cleaning lady, then yes, we can hire a cleaning lady. We. Ahahaha

Well, I’m glad I cleared that up.

So, XL coffee in hand, I arrived at the Church where the show was (I love it when musicians perform in churches, such a better atmosphere than a bar because everyone is actually listening). I was first in line and when the doors officially opened a few minutes later, I got a great seat in the first pew. Padded pews even! I remembered that my friend Debbie was married in that church, I recognized the carpet.

Anyway, the show was A M A Z I N G. All on stage were Melanie Doane, Jeremy Fisher, Jenny Whiteley, Barney Bentall, and Blair Packham. They each took turns performing a song, and after two rounds they took a break. When the second set was about to start, Blair came over to me, leaned over and kissed me on the forehead and asked how I was. Then he asked me if I could film parts of the second half with his video camera. Okay, people, I’m still learning the ins and outs of my own little camera, I’ve never even held a video camera before! But I took it and did my best. He knows I’m a one handed wonder, and considering that, I think I did pretty damn good! I kept switching from his camera to mine, and I got some decent footage too. I’ll be sending them all to Blair for him to do whatever he wants with, and uploading them to You Tube if you’re interested, including Barney performing “Somethng to Live For”, his hit song from the late 80’s with his band the Legendary Hearts. They’re all a little shaky because a) I’m a little shaky, and b) I was tapping my foot which I have now learned the hard way is not a smart thing to do when you’re trying to hold a camera still. Just tap and bop your head along with me, and it will look normal.

After the show I went backstage to return Blair’s camera and then we went out to the main lobby. I got a picture with each of the guys… I don’t know where the girls were. Typical me.

Me and Blair Packham

Me and Barney Bentall

Me and Jeremy Fisher

It was a great night. I called a cab and was home around midnight. My cab driver, who I did not recognize, surprised me by asking me if I still did accounting. Apparently he picked me up from the Pub about two years ago. GEEZ those guys have good memories!! And I am simply unforgettable. I hope that’s a good thing.

I wanted to leave you with the Awesomeness of Mr. Jeremy Fisher performing “High School”, but that video is 149MB so I can’t even upload it to You Tube!! So instead you get part of the encore; Barney got everyone up to join in a sing-a-long. L-R: Melanie, Jeremy, Jenny, Barney and Blair. Enjoy!