Day 19

I managed to share the burden of my cousin's potential STI and a litany of sexual stories and insights I'd been privy to—which I wish I never was—with April today when we were hanging out. I had to drop off my rental guitar today at Long and McQuade's in Ossington. I was quite sad, I'd become attached to it and it brought home the fact that I'd be back home soon and back to the daily grind and doing the bulwark of the work at the newspaper, ho hum! Decided that today I was gonna get all my shopping done, so after picking stuff up for Stacey, Mark and Fish—my mate not the Marillion singer—I bought myself some stuff to treat myself. No better way to do that either than getting some music so I picked up CDs by: Sinead O'Connor, George Harrison, The Runaways, The Black Angels (pictured below) and John Lennon. A good mix to go with the Julian Hatfield and Blake Babies CDs I'd bought earlier on in the trip. I absolutely love music. I'm not kidding when I say that it can have a very positive effect on people and pull them out of some very dark places. For me, when writing lyrics and music, it often serves as a good way to exorcise demons. April picked up some CDs too from the 'industrial' or death metal sections, which I generally avoid like the plagues they often sing about.


After that bout of retail therapy, we headed to one of my old haunts, the Scotiabank Cinema (pictured below) to catch a film. I usually go there to see films as part of the Toronto Film Festival in September. I only missed that this year because Pope Benedict XVI paid a visit to Scotland. Pretty inconsiderate of him! Anyway, we went to see a movie called Due Date, a comedy with Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis. As usual at the cinema, I stocked up on snacks. A medium coke—which would mean an in-film toilet break— a small popcorn—equivalent to our medium sized popcorn—and some Maynards Cherry Bombs! The film was very funny and April was pissing herself laughing when, at one point, Downey Jr punched an annoying kid right in the gut! She was a little more horrified though when the same actor spat in the face of Galifianakis' dog!


Later on, we went to Jack Astors overlooking Dundas Square (pictured below), but not before a walk by the lake and a pleasant run in, and photo with, some Mounties who were on their way to the Hockey Hall of Fame induction. April found this hilarious. I was a source of amusement to her as much as Downey Jr it seemed! Forced some chicken fingers and mash down my gub at Jack Astors, which was nice, but what was even nicer was that view over the square, which I took a picture of, for my sister, because I know she'll love it. It will no doubt make her look forward to her trip with Mark and the kids in 2011.


We headed home on the subway but had to get off at Keale because of a 'security alert!' Mercifully April's sister Trish picked us up, because the shuttle bus promised, didn't look like arriving any time soon. A bizarre end to a great day with an old friend. Dunno when I'll next see her again but one thing is for sure, I doubt April will have changed much and I'm thankful for that!