Romps and other adventures... PART 1

Every-so-often I complain that Dave and I never do anything fun.  Dave finds this conversation entertaining because he usually settles it with, “look at the photos on your phone and then complain”.  The truth is, I count my blessing every single day.  I have a happy and healthy family and everything I could ever ask for, and indeed that does include a little bit of adventure.

Now, since I have been super lazy and unmotivated for a lengthy period of time, I figured I’d either post one hell of a long post or a series of shorter thematic posts that would chronicle some of my latest romps. I am addicted to Instagram, so that seems to be the format of my chronicles lately. But, oh how I do love to romp! So here we go at a (slightly) more descriptive attempt at posterity... in a super-condensed nutshell.



Well, don't we look cute?



THE TOOL CONCERT

Whenever TOOL comes to town, Dave and I have tickets.  We have an extraordinary music collection and our tastes are very diverse, but there are just some bands we will absolutely never miss and TOOL is one of those bands.  We felt in our gut that maybe this might be the last tour in a very long time, so missing it was not an option….

 

Lately I've been having a hard time coming to terms with my age.  This man ID'd me and I fell in love with him, so I took his picture.  Very soon afterward I saw the sign that said that they ID everyone who looks under 30! FML.

I do not have a picture of the bear-like man who began to dance with me in aisle, however, Dave thought it was super entertaining when the bear decided he wanted to kiss me after a dozen beers. My knight did not even attempt to save me. No,no, he laughed and pointed instead.

All in all the show was absolutely amazing - as usual.  In fact, if I were really keen I'd try to upload all the illegal video I took.  But suffice to say, the pictures will have to be enough.  So maybe, just maybe, we are not as old and boring as I fear. Though I still think that remains to be seen.

The Mega Quarry Picnic

So, after having lived down by the river with hippies for a fair length of time in my 20's, there is something quite comforting about the idea of eating and sharing a communal experience in the woods. So, when it came time to join with other concerned citizens in showing our support against the proposed Ontario Mega Quarry, it was a no brainier that I was happy to participate in Foodstock.

The premise of the event was to bring public attention to the issue of the proposed quarry that looks to be built north of Toronto.

Seventy chefs from all over the provence set up in the woods of a farm which neighbours the proposed open pit site. They came to cook and share their support against the exploitation of this prime farmland. Much of the food they cooked was food that was local and the product of the distinct soil to which the area is home.

Though it was cold and muddy, the proposed ten thousand people that were expected came out in masses and the final total of attendants reached an estimated 20 thousand.

Though the nibbles we had were delicious, it really wasn't about the food or the outstanding musical acts. It was about free speech, democracy and the power of the individual to be heard. Ok, and a good excuse to wear my Hunter wellies?

Yes, there could have been significantly more national news coverage, but already there is a larger group that is heeding the message of our need for sustainable farmland near the GTA.

Sure I suppose I could have occupied Bay street, but Dave and I chose to use our voices for a cause near to our hearts, and I can honestly say that it was truly inspiring to be a part if it.

The views as we marched with other supporters into the woods!

Delicious morsels in hipster containers

Mud could not keep us away

So it was a little chilly, but the chefs were prepared!

Can you see the foodies for the trees?

Yes, there were moments that seemed overcast. 

Imagine this as an open pit dug below the water table... no thanks!

For kids who grew up in Ontario in the 90's this is a shot of Hayden on stage!

A truly fitting end to the day! A rainbow of hope.

Seriously, Like Really...Seriously?!?!

Being a secondary school teacher has eliminated some of my tendency to be surprised.  In fact, I think maybe, looking back on some of my childhood photos, I have always sported a bit of a bemused look.  I am often found saying to Dave, "seriously? Like really, seriously? Are you kidding me? " And it is always done with a sort of unimpressed look on my face.  


Lately, I have coined a few new personal catch phrases. The most important of which, is the product of my new phone.  Yes, that's right folks!  I finally gave in and purchased a new phone.  This is a really big deal because I was still using a cell phone that made me look like I should be in a re-run of Miami Vice.  My mantra was, "hell, all I need to do is call people.  What's the big deal?" And truly, it wasn't a big deal... until I started texting!!!!! Texting sucked me in and opened a new world to me.  It was EPIC!!! But, for those of you who are hip to the electronic world, I was using T9 to do so.  The result was frustration and messages that took aeons to send.  Total chaos I tell you. 


I would like to make an aside comment here...
Dave does not, and has never, had a cell phone.  This issue is something that really requires its own post.  However, he has made fun of my propensity for cell phone use since the beginning of time.  Dave helped encourage me to buy the new phone!!! 


So, as a Mac user I waited with baited breath for the new iPhone 4. That's right, the mother of all phones.  Sure it was going to be one billion dollars to purchase, but I figured that with the amount of time I kept a cell phone, this baby would pay for itself a million times over. So, after much waiting, I went to buy one.  And I was rejected. They were sold out!!!   I waited forever to finally get one and in September I finally managed to pick one up.  That was the day the world changed.  No longer was I just texting. No no, I had all the information in the world at my fingertips. Every time I started a sentence with, " I wonder who..." or "I wonder where..." I could find out the answer.  How? Well, with the help of my new awesome phone, and my new catch phrase - "TO THE APPLE!"


That's right. I am fighting the new Microsoft ad 'To the cloud' with my own gorilla tactics.  And it's working.  Now all the people I know who have the same phone have begun to repeat it. It's kind of what the guys who coined "who let the dogs out" must have felt like!


Now, awesome wordplay is not the only product from this wonderful invention.  I have started to have Dave stop and help me chronicle things for the blog.  We use to have the camera with us most of the time, but now we just use my phone. And thanks to the phone, you too can enjoy a segment of our lives we have begun calling... 

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING ME!

Entry #1
We decide we are going to enjoy a night with meat.  That's right, meat.  We have not purchased a new BBQ since moving and have no way of grilling up a steak.  We stupidly go to the local chain of sports bar and grills in our area.  They have a special, 5oz steak for some cheap price.  We laugh and give in (who really eats only 5oz of steak? We have to see it for ourselves). It comes out and looks like this:

Like really? You have got to be joking me.


Entry #1 B
Further on in our meal Dave empties a ramekin of tartar sauce from our appetizer (you have to have an appetizer if your steak is only going to be 5oz) into his potato.  Please don't ask me why you would put tartar on a potato. Then he hears a metal 'clink' from the bottom of the plastic ramekin. There is an American nickel in the sauce!!!!! My OCD goes through the roof, I almost barf. Dave continues to eat his meal as he believes there is nothing to be done at this point anyway. 

Like really?  You have got to be F***king joking me!!!!!!!!


Entry # 2
We decide to go on a very long drive to the surrounding towns in our area.  We are starving (it's starting to look like we eat out a lot) and we decide we cannot get to the next town.  We stop at a little family restaurant. We order French Onion soup and sandwiches.  Four sips into our soup our mouths start to decompose from the salt lick that is our soup.  Never mind the cheese slice that is not melted on the top.  "To The Apple" we check out a review and see that the food is rated 1 star by all five people who have rated it and that's because the website does not allow 'no star' ratings.  I recount this to Dave and he looks like this:

I believe his face is saying, you have got to be joking me!


Entry # 2B
We are leaving the town (with MSG poisoning and a hankering for a trough of water) and I have to stop to take a photo of the welcome sign into the town. The first descriptor has me killing myself laughing.  Please note, this town is by no means raised in elevation.  And, this might explain why the residents have only half a gun turret from a tank in their park and it might be why they are willing to eat just about anything...

This had me peeing my pants!  You have got to be joking me!