A LOVE Letter To Canada

“Tu seras a jamais une partie de moi”

Hey dude, why are we going to Canada?

Good question.

So, are you going to answer the question,or?

Something about meeting some people and to correct a long ago wrong was the wrought response.

To which I didn’t know how to reply.

I like the idea of getting another “Stamp” in my passport but Canada in April?

Won’t it be cold? I asked

A Simple promise of don’t worry it’s going to be fun. Floated through the air

So no Italy, Toronto instead?

Pronounced “Tronto” not Ta Ronto.

Don’t most folks travel to the Great White North in the summer?

The ice will make an appearance and I did not get a stamp in my passport as I failed to ask for one, what?

You have to ask? Nobody told me that, damn it!!

Any airport named after a song from a beloved local rock band is cool with me.

The travel could not have been easier. Pass through customs like a breeze. Which means sitting in the airport for hours, cool. Finally boarding time, but wait. There is to be a delay.

Who doesn’t cherish a last minute delay due to mechanical issues, mechanical issues?

Now 20 minutes late not even boarding yet, Just get us in the air as I am in need of the free Moosehead offered on board.

What kind of fun can we have in the frozen tundra again?

Last time I skied I hurt my knee, so that’s out. Perhaps a jet ski to leap the falls like Dude?

Learning to use a new camera. Kind of like the depth of focus.

What’s with the weird language? Is that Farsi?

Now I’ve been in a “few” airports in my day but I have never seen a Poutine truck inside the, Oh, wait a  minute.

I may have never needed a beer more than right this very moment. Why do they promise “complementarity drinks on board” only to force you to beg for a second beverage of choice?

Get me in a taxi and to my room, I’ll drop backpack, then straight to food and frivolities.

Work our way through Canadian customs and finally get outside to look for the car pick up area when whap, right in the face it hits me.

Dear God it’s snowing. In April, SNOW!

You said “Come on it’s going to be fun. We’ll see a ballgame have some laughs”.

I hate it already and have not stepped a toe on the real ground.

The wind is cutting me in half.

The drive to the hotel is pretty cool. Very modern surroundings and it’s striking how tall it is, neat.

Quick stop in the room. Need another car to get to the bar because now it’s dangerously cold. Wind chill is set at 15 degrees.

God damn it, why did I come here? Where’s my “Bunny hug”?

Fail to take any notice of my surroundings outside as the wind has frozen my eyeballs.

Tasty cold frothy beverage number 3 has me joyfully (finally) looking around and taking notice of all the happy people around me.

A YUMMY BOWL OF TASTY WAS ENJOYED HERE.

Lost count at a million flags.

Four tall beers and 2 shots (well drawn, thank you kind Canadian dude) of Jameson later it’s the end of a very long, trying airport filled day. Big day tomorrow, baseball and meeting some dude who writes for this site. Not good at meeting strangers maybe I’ll just skip out of that whole charade.

Another car back to the room. It’s winter in April. With the wind chill hovering around 10 and I’m positive one of my toes just fell off from the cold.

Safely traverse the strange hotel lobby. Must find room.

It’s where the green man runs.

Pillow, light moves, almost no sound. Beautiful downtown this city has.

Good Night kids.

Throughout this entire series you will notice the staggering height of this “Ville Magnifique”

You said you were staying in a cool condo prove it tubby.

Let’s go inside

IS THAT A BALCONY?

TAKE ME THERE PLEASE.

WELL?

GO OUTSIDE!!

BUT IT’S SO COLD.

The shadows from each building, than the sun hitting all that glass? Did they not plan for the sun, Oh wait, again, never mind.

LEFT

TURN A LITTLE RIGHT

Nice lake. Ontario I think.

Now someone said something about a baseball game.

Taj the lizard 04/05 2025