Tour (or: You Know You're Getting Old When You Meet At the Retirement Home

So much for once a week, eh kids? Ah well.

Thought you might like to know all about my week. Don't know why I thought this. But you're here, so I have a feeling you'll read it. And hopefully like it. This last week felt like I was on tour. Here is a not-so-brief (yet entertaining) travelogue:

Tuesday, March 18: Drove to London with Krista and Steph Andrews (my brother's girlfriend) for the Tokyo Police Club show. My brother Kevin was supposed to come but he was wicked sick, so we managed to get the awesome Fiona Jack to meet up with us in London and take the ticket. Show was good! It was Call The Office so the sound wasn't great. The Knaves opened and were fairly unremarkable, but we were so annoyed at having been out in the cold and rain for an hour (doors were at 8, but they didn't let anyone in until 9:10) that we were waaaay nasty about how much we didn't like them.

Will Currie et le Pays Francais were on next and, despite APPARENTLY being influenced by Elton John, they were enjoyable. I've heard them play better, but Krista was up front and apparently Currie was having mad moniter problems and was somewhat upset by this (understandably so, as there's nothing harder on a singer).

Tokyo Police Club were great. We only saw a third of their set at Winterfest so it was nice to catch the whole thing. They have an album coming out April 22 so a lot of stuff was new to my ears. Krista got a great video of a new song that I will post if/when she gives it to me. Their guitarist couldn't make it so their sound tech filled in and was indistinguishable from the genuine article (sound wise, that is; he kind of looked like Ron Jeremy). The only knock I could have is that they just kind of played songs end to end: no segues, covers, crowd interaction, etc. I give the entire show a B+.

We got on the road late and the 401 was coated in fog, so much so that we couldn't go more than 60 in some places. I wound up falling asleep (Steph was driving) and am apparently hilarious while I am sleeping. I woke up every so often to ask Steph if she was OK, and then would go right back to sleep. I also snored. Yep, I rule.

Wednesday, March 19: Drove to Ikea in Burlington with Krista to check out some possibilities for the Haus. Since I'm not moving anytime soon I want to make it a little nicer to live in. Didn't buy anything of note (except a wok to replace the one that has been adding tefloon to our stir-frys), but I eyeballed a new computer desk, some poster frames and shelving. More to come! Stay tuned.

Thursday, March 20: Drove to Oakville with Krista to play a show at Abbey Park Secondary School with the Runaway. It was a sweet show. A couple of students opened, and I didn't get to talk to them or I'd link to them here. Nifty was also on the bill and he was very cool. I didn't know any of his stuff aside from his guesting on Runaway's A Brief Word, and he was amazing. A super cool guy, too, please go check him out. I hype-manned as per usual and also busted out the Popcoustic Medley v3.0, swapping in Beyonce's "Crazy In Love" where I had previously used "I Will Survive" or Whigfield's "Saturday Night". I also debuted the "Will Ferrell Rap" that I wrote in ten minutes the night before. I'll post that video too, but later. LATER, I said! The crowd was super responsive and fun, which is always helpful. The weird thing was that the show was done at 5 PM and I was baffled as to what I was supposed to do with myself. I'm used to leaving it all on the stage, so to speak, so when I have to stay awake for another six hours it's weird.

Friday, March 21: Drove with Krista to Stouffville to do her family Easter thing. I thought it was just going to be her immediate family, but found out that her aunt, uncle, cousins and grandmother were all coming to dinner! Yikes, that's a lot of people to meet. Played Egyptian War again and won my very first game...Joyce, I'm coming for you. Also played and lost a close game of Crokinole. Also ate an amazing ham dinner. Dead pig FTW!

Saturday, March 22:, OK, this technically counts as Friday cause we didn't travel and you're supposed to do a Travellogue based on place, not on time, but ANWAYS.... In the morning we visted Krista's paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother in the retirement comunity they all live in, and I was walking throug hthe cafeteria and ran into my great Uncle Karl, who has been living there a couple of months. I had thought that he was still living in his own apartment. This is either

a) an amazing coincidence, or

b) a sign that I am now old enough to run into people I know inside retirement homes.

I'll let you know.

ANYWAY, we then drove to Toronto and did a bunch of shopping. I picked up three t-shirts at Black Market, finally spent my Sunrise Gift Certificate on Arrested Development Season 2, and bought an X-Box game I've been wanting. Krista got some earrings from a designer she really likes. It was a pretty day and warm enough to be fun walking around the downtown. Not like the 10 FREAKIN' CENTIMETRES OF SNOW THAT WE'RE GETTING TOMORROW. Ahem.

We then had dinner at Krista's friend Lydell's condo. He's this wizard chef who made (MADE!) bread bowls, and then we chose between a Lemon Pork stew or a Wild Rice and Mushroom chowdah (say it, Frenchie!). He topped it off with this amazing Oreo cake that had a brownie base with cheesecake topping. Ridiculous.

Sunday, March 23: Drove to Guelph for my family Easter thing with Steph A and my newly recovered brother. For the first time in my 28 years with this family we had dinnner out, which was kind of weird. We were at the Cutton Club in Guelph. The meal was good, but intorducing Krista to my extended family was the highlight (especially my grandmother telling me I should stop "shopping around". I think my grandmother thinks I'm a bit of a player. Holla!).

OK, 'twas ridiculously long. Now I don't have to update for weeks. But I should let you know that the Haus renovation project (i.e., painting my room, framing some posters, recovering my dining room set) is underway. Be afraid.

Be VERY afraid.

Kerry