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totchipandaTeal deer: had a wonderful weekend, enjoyed the concert, happy to see my uncle after 10.7 years, considering moving out east?!
Wednesday evening was spent erranding. I needed developer for my hair dye, bc it had been 3 months since the last one and I was NOT meeting Ben with those roots! Then I got some gas and swung by the pharmacy to pick up my brain meds, where they hadn't switched me back to generic after a shortage put me on brand name for a month and then I wasn't switched back. The nice young man put in the request and said "10 mins!" At a cost savings of 66%, it was worth it. At home I made okonomiyaki for dinner and dyed my hair and started collecting things to be packed. Suitcase got brought out and left for the kittens to inspect long before I actually started packing lol. I did set an alarm for just before 8 so I'd have time to make coffee and shower and tend to the kittens' needs before abandoning them for three days, but I of course was awake early and just noodled around the internet for a bit.
Picked up M just after 9:30 AM and off we went! Drive to the airport was great, parking was easy, we cleared security in no time, and sat down at Chili's (no longer in the city, ONLY at the airport, inside the gates) for breakfast. Bailey's coffee at 10:30 AM and fajitas for breakfast lol. But I wanted to do that anyway because I didn't want to get off the plane ready to chew my arm off from hunger.
Flight was good, very full, and BOOOOORING. WestJet had nothing terribly interesting to watch, and the plane was flying above the clouds so all we saw was... clouds. I was so hoping to see the great lakes as we went over! Nuts. Landed a little early but of course it always takes time to deplane. Thankfully we didn't have any luggage to collect so it was just off on our Toronto adventure!
Airports are confusing, but we found our way. We came in a Terminal 3, which runs an adorable train to Terminal 1 where we were catching the train into the city proper. At the station, it cost us $12.35 to board the second train. Of course it was dark by then, but we later saw that this train was a diesel and it made 2 other stops before we got off at the end of its line. And it was SO COMFORTABLE!! Comfy seats, wi-fi, POWER PLUGS, coat hooks, a spot to put your luggage with a containing bar (one woman completely ignored this and left her giant suitcase in the aisle), and most amazingly, a bathroom. DAMN what's like living in a modern city??
At the terminal, we had to go to another set of trains to get up to our hotel. Walking out, signage directed us to the CN Tower and the aquarium and conference centre THIS way, and transit options THAT way. We went THAT way, and ended up in one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen in my life, Union Station. The modern building opened in 1927, and it's just one of those STUNNING pieces of early 20th century architecture, I can't even. We stood there for a few minutes just admiring, and then decided to walk to the hotel.
I don't really regret this decision, google maps was very good and we had just spent 4 hours stuck on a plane. It wasn't really COLD, but there was a stiff breeze that was quite chilly. And we got to see so much of Yonge street. It was just wonderful, gorgeous old buildings everywhere in amongst the modern constructions. We kept noting places to eat, as we were getting hungry and had agreed on checking into the hotel first. It just never seemed to come lol. We found the "Times Square of Toronto" which M wanted to see, so we paused to take that in, and it was very cool.
FINALLY reached the hotel and checked in, where we agreed that it smelled weird. It also had two double beds, not queens like M had thought, so on our quest back the way we'd come to get food, she was trying to find the booking info to see what she'd booked. And it turns out they don't have any queen beds, just doubles or kings with a pull out couch. OK fiiiine. There was a McDonald's close by, and while we'd said we didn't want to eat chains we could find here, we were just done with the day and HUNGRY TYVM. (We lost two hours, so even though it was around 8pm Eastern, our bodies said it was 6pm Mountain and you ate 8 hours ago, feed me thanks.) So we got our nuggies and popped across the street to the pharmacy to get something with which to combat the smell. We settled on a Lysol spray as neither of us like Febreeze.
The spray did take care of the smell and it didn't come back, so we suspected it was the cleaning products. And then we were both awake VERY late bc time difference, but that was OK because our only plan the next day was the concert, and perhaps some sight-seeing if we dragged ourselves out of bed at a reasonable time. The hotel did provide coffee, but only powdered creamer and sugar to lighten it with, and it was NASTY. So after a chill morning, we got dressed and headed out on ADVENTURES!!!!
First stop was the Tim Horton's on the corner, where we got coffee and donuts (plan was a light breakfast and a late lunch so we wouldn't have to eat again until after the concert) and then headed into the subway to go back to Union Station. We STRUGGLED with the ticket machine, or rather, the ticket machine struggled with my Alberta-only bank card, bc I'd thought that with all the back and forth we wanted to do, buying a pass with a chunk of money on it made sense. I ended up using cash to get a ticket, which short-changed me $2. The very nice transit employee tried so hard to help (on the way back she was still there and we were able to tell her that it was just the machine, the fancier one at the station by the airport train worked just fine) but we finally got underway.
Admired the station again and then headed towards the tower. It's one thing to see it from the air, and kind of in abstract in the distance, but to be at the base of it looking up... JFC it's tall. Welp, we're here and this is the touristy stuff we live for, so up we went, where we walked the deck twice and spent a good amount of time just STARING. It was so neat to see! I had to check which lake we were looking at, and I think we could see a bit of the US opposite it (as a vague suggestion only), and this was one of the smaller lakes. Amazing.
We didn't have time to see the aquarium, alas, but Google maps told us that the old Much Music building was 1km away, so we walked over to see it. MM shut down in the mid teens, but the building is still there and it is also beautiful! Then we walked back to the square for lunch, where we had yummy burgers and a milkshake before popping back to the hotel to get ready!
M wanted to be assured of our arrival at the concert hall, so we took an uber over, where we got into a line with a handful of other people and a security guy spent a lot of time yelling at people that THIS line was for the meet n greet, and THAT line was for general admission. The hall is a different old part of town so it was sandwiched between other businesses that they were not allowed to block access to. NYAHAHAHA we get to stand here and you don't!! They let us inside just after 6pm, where we got first access to the merch (managed, we found out later, but a long-time friend of Ben's who just wanted to come on tour and offered to do the merch table) which was already pretty limited from the first 8 or so stops.
Inside, goodies in hand, we went to line up in the hall and Ben was there!! We were chatting with the people ahead and behind us and then finally it was our turns. M went first, where she told him that she was supposed to see him a few years ago at a local con and forgot how to spell her name. Then I went up and shook his hand, gave him my name and told him that we'd come from Alberta for this. "How was the drive??" he asked. "Oh no, that's like 30 hours. We flew." (he'd just done Washington shows and then Chicago, and they are on a bus so I think he knew exactly how long that drive is!) He was signing the poster and said "I hope to hear those giggles during the show" and took my phone to take our selfies and that was it!
We could have been right up at the front since we were there so early, but Melissa likes to see the whole stage from a few rows back and I think I would have felt too crushed (tried it at a more active mosh-pit type concert and did not like it) so we picked our spot and held it. I ended up with taller people in front of me so anything central was just the back of their heads, but we were able to keep a good bubble despite two girls standing literally with their arms in our backs (they moved off and shoved their way closer. BYE). some of the girls around us filmed like EVERY song, which is fine, but I chose to keep my phone in my pocket for most of it and just enjoyed the show.
It was SUCH a good show. He talked about how this was the first show that was over 1k attendees, and during one song someone put their phone's light on and when he noticed it and waved a hand, more people joined in (i saw videos on Instagram, it was a sea of light!). After, he was a little husky-voiced saying that he'd written that song first as an 8-line poem for a friend who was having a hard time in the early covid days, and it was before he'd ever considered actually writing and performing music, it had a special place in his heart and we were the first show to put our torches on. Towards the end, he asked the band "I don't want to stop, do we know 10 or 11 more songs?" but of course all things must end, and end it did. It was so so so wonderful.
After I got my coat (man that line was confusing, I joined it in the hall but it went all the way back into the concert hall and across the front of the stage) we waited outside for a short time, partly just to breathe some fresh air and also to see if anyone came out since the bus was parked on the street right outside. After half an hour or so, we decided nah, it was too cold and our feet hurt, so we walked down to the bus station to catch a train back to the hotel area. First had to get M's coat and my hat and scarf, and then went back to the drugstore again (now after midnight) for snacks! Once those shoes were off, it was game over. We heard later that Ben didn't come outside until 12:30, when we were already in bed. Another late night, letting that concert high come down enough to sleep <3
On Saturday morning, we ventured back to the tims for breakfast and coffee before chilling for an hour or so before my uncle and aunt picked us up at just about noon, where we drove down to Niagara Falls. What a sight! It was very cold and windy here too (not -40 cold, but cold enough!) but OH MAN. I was not prepared. We started with a good view of the American side, and then meandered up the walk to the Canadian side, which is really the showstopper. I went on and on and ON about WOW WOW WOW how much WATER GOES OVER THIS THING ANYWAY?! My relatives managed to sneak into a spot where the water flows over the edge LITERALLY RIGHT THERE and scooted us in, and I went on some more about how incredible and the SHEER VOLUME HOLY SHIT. (I even said "i know I keep going on about it, but HOLY SHIT")
We took a wander inside to warm up a bit, viewed the options for EXTRA TOURISTY STUFF (go under the falls for $24! More things for more money, but it's probably too cold and icy for all of that!) and opted to go back up to where we'd left the car for lupper. Not realizing, of course, that it's a goddamn MOUNTAIN so our walk up was punctuated "I'm not walking UP anything else today for any reason at all." Dinner was so-so, tasted good but was entirely mediocre, and we took our time because we were hoping to see the falls lit up after dark. The sun had JUST set so there wasn't much to see, alas. Back to Toronto, where we discovered the light-up TORONTO sign that M was hoping to find and I asked my uncle to drop us off outside "our" Tim Hortons bc we wanted to get a hot chocolate anyway. It was SO GOOD to see them again, I'm so happy they were able to put their lives on hold for a weekend to come down.
We took our hot chocolates back two subway stops to where I had noted the sign was, which happened to be a large shopping centre. We took a wander through the bookstore (NO we don't need anything, we'd have to take it back AND ALSO PAY HST ON IT) and then made our way over to the sign, which turned out to be in front of a skating rink and common area where a lunar new year festival was being held! We just wandered and watched a guy totally biff it chin first on the ice, but they had at least 3 people with safety vests on circling the rink for just such reasons. They tried to get him off but he (apparently) insisted he was fine and was out there cruising and spinning again like nothing else. OK I guess...
The next day was our flight home!! We checked out just after 10 and spent a good 45 minutes trying to find a store that just had a dang shipping tube to protect our concert posters, but the only one we could find that was ANYWHERE close by didn't open until 12. Fuck it, we'll just have to be careful. M was on that carefulness like a hawk! We took the train around to the Royal Ontario Museum, where the security guard had to poke through our suitcases, commented that this wasn't the airport (in a funny way, he was laughing; yes sir we know, we are going there straight from here lol), paid our admission and coat/bag check fees and explored the museum for a couple hours. We didn't see everything there was to see, and I wish I had realised that the Auschwitz exhibit was an extra fare bc I did want to see it altho by the time we finished with the regular exhibits I was DONE with the people and my sore feet and all of that. M was an ancient Greece kid and I was an ancient Egypt one, so there was plenty for both of us to look at hehehe. The gift shop was a little disappointing, nothing screamed TAKE ME HOME so we left with just what we'd brought and went back to the airport.
We were three hours early for our flight, with a short wait at security so we had plenty of time to sit and eat our last ontario meal. It was from a chain that we do have here, but our options were very limited and we had the time, so went with it. Flight home was good, nice and smooth, car was exactly where we left it, and I was home around 1050.
It was absolutely wonderful, and on one of our adventures we started spit-balling the possibility of moving. We are both in AB right now because its still one of the lowest costs of living in the country, but it was a bit of a brain stretch some years ago now to think that... I didn't HAVE to stay here. I CAN leave any time I want to, really. I just HAVEN'T because crushing debt made the expenses that came with it a near-impossibility. We are both locked into leases at least until this fall, but there's no way we could make a long-haul move like that in the next 6 months, so maybe in a year? All of my family is on this side of the country but a lot of the people in the US in particular I would want to visit are easier to reach on THAT side. And M's family is closer to that side. It would be a big change.
Now we're suggesting possibly starting to PLAN in a year and moving 6-12 months after that. All dependent on a lot of things, the least of which just saying "yes" to leaving Alberta, tho in which direction who knows! With the changes happening at work, it would be a good time to really consider what I want from life and how to achieve it, and perhaps moving is on that list.
Wednesday evening was spent erranding. I needed developer for my hair dye, bc it had been 3 months since the last one and I was NOT meeting Ben with those roots! Then I got some gas and swung by the pharmacy to pick up my brain meds, where they hadn't switched me back to generic after a shortage put me on brand name for a month and then I wasn't switched back. The nice young man put in the request and said "10 mins!" At a cost savings of 66%, it was worth it. At home I made okonomiyaki for dinner and dyed my hair and started collecting things to be packed. Suitcase got brought out and left for the kittens to inspect long before I actually started packing lol. I did set an alarm for just before 8 so I'd have time to make coffee and shower and tend to the kittens' needs before abandoning them for three days, but I of course was awake early and just noodled around the internet for a bit.
Picked up M just after 9:30 AM and off we went! Drive to the airport was great, parking was easy, we cleared security in no time, and sat down at Chili's (no longer in the city, ONLY at the airport, inside the gates) for breakfast. Bailey's coffee at 10:30 AM and fajitas for breakfast lol. But I wanted to do that anyway because I didn't want to get off the plane ready to chew my arm off from hunger.
Flight was good, very full, and BOOOOORING. WestJet had nothing terribly interesting to watch, and the plane was flying above the clouds so all we saw was... clouds. I was so hoping to see the great lakes as we went over! Nuts. Landed a little early but of course it always takes time to deplane. Thankfully we didn't have any luggage to collect so it was just off on our Toronto adventure!
Airports are confusing, but we found our way. We came in a Terminal 3, which runs an adorable train to Terminal 1 where we were catching the train into the city proper. At the station, it cost us $12.35 to board the second train. Of course it was dark by then, but we later saw that this train was a diesel and it made 2 other stops before we got off at the end of its line. And it was SO COMFORTABLE!! Comfy seats, wi-fi, POWER PLUGS, coat hooks, a spot to put your luggage with a containing bar (one woman completely ignored this and left her giant suitcase in the aisle), and most amazingly, a bathroom. DAMN what's like living in a modern city??
At the terminal, we had to go to another set of trains to get up to our hotel. Walking out, signage directed us to the CN Tower and the aquarium and conference centre THIS way, and transit options THAT way. We went THAT way, and ended up in one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen in my life, Union Station. The modern building opened in 1927, and it's just one of those STUNNING pieces of early 20th century architecture, I can't even. We stood there for a few minutes just admiring, and then decided to walk to the hotel.
I don't really regret this decision, google maps was very good and we had just spent 4 hours stuck on a plane. It wasn't really COLD, but there was a stiff breeze that was quite chilly. And we got to see so much of Yonge street. It was just wonderful, gorgeous old buildings everywhere in amongst the modern constructions. We kept noting places to eat, as we were getting hungry and had agreed on checking into the hotel first. It just never seemed to come lol. We found the "Times Square of Toronto" which M wanted to see, so we paused to take that in, and it was very cool.
FINALLY reached the hotel and checked in, where we agreed that it smelled weird. It also had two double beds, not queens like M had thought, so on our quest back the way we'd come to get food, she was trying to find the booking info to see what she'd booked. And it turns out they don't have any queen beds, just doubles or kings with a pull out couch. OK fiiiine. There was a McDonald's close by, and while we'd said we didn't want to eat chains we could find here, we were just done with the day and HUNGRY TYVM. (We lost two hours, so even though it was around 8pm Eastern, our bodies said it was 6pm Mountain and you ate 8 hours ago, feed me thanks.) So we got our nuggies and popped across the street to the pharmacy to get something with which to combat the smell. We settled on a Lysol spray as neither of us like Febreeze.
The spray did take care of the smell and it didn't come back, so we suspected it was the cleaning products. And then we were both awake VERY late bc time difference, but that was OK because our only plan the next day was the concert, and perhaps some sight-seeing if we dragged ourselves out of bed at a reasonable time. The hotel did provide coffee, but only powdered creamer and sugar to lighten it with, and it was NASTY. So after a chill morning, we got dressed and headed out on ADVENTURES!!!!
First stop was the Tim Horton's on the corner, where we got coffee and donuts (plan was a light breakfast and a late lunch so we wouldn't have to eat again until after the concert) and then headed into the subway to go back to Union Station. We STRUGGLED with the ticket machine, or rather, the ticket machine struggled with my Alberta-only bank card, bc I'd thought that with all the back and forth we wanted to do, buying a pass with a chunk of money on it made sense. I ended up using cash to get a ticket, which short-changed me $2. The very nice transit employee tried so hard to help (on the way back she was still there and we were able to tell her that it was just the machine, the fancier one at the station by the airport train worked just fine) but we finally got underway.
Admired the station again and then headed towards the tower. It's one thing to see it from the air, and kind of in abstract in the distance, but to be at the base of it looking up... JFC it's tall. Welp, we're here and this is the touristy stuff we live for, so up we went, where we walked the deck twice and spent a good amount of time just STARING. It was so neat to see! I had to check which lake we were looking at, and I think we could see a bit of the US opposite it (as a vague suggestion only), and this was one of the smaller lakes. Amazing.
We didn't have time to see the aquarium, alas, but Google maps told us that the old Much Music building was 1km away, so we walked over to see it. MM shut down in the mid teens, but the building is still there and it is also beautiful! Then we walked back to the square for lunch, where we had yummy burgers and a milkshake before popping back to the hotel to get ready!
M wanted to be assured of our arrival at the concert hall, so we took an uber over, where we got into a line with a handful of other people and a security guy spent a lot of time yelling at people that THIS line was for the meet n greet, and THAT line was for general admission. The hall is a different old part of town so it was sandwiched between other businesses that they were not allowed to block access to. NYAHAHAHA we get to stand here and you don't!! They let us inside just after 6pm, where we got first access to the merch (managed, we found out later, but a long-time friend of Ben's who just wanted to come on tour and offered to do the merch table) which was already pretty limited from the first 8 or so stops.
Inside, goodies in hand, we went to line up in the hall and Ben was there!! We were chatting with the people ahead and behind us and then finally it was our turns. M went first, where she told him that she was supposed to see him a few years ago at a local con and forgot how to spell her name. Then I went up and shook his hand, gave him my name and told him that we'd come from Alberta for this. "How was the drive??" he asked. "Oh no, that's like 30 hours. We flew." (he'd just done Washington shows and then Chicago, and they are on a bus so I think he knew exactly how long that drive is!) He was signing the poster and said "I hope to hear those giggles during the show" and took my phone to take our selfies and that was it!
We could have been right up at the front since we were there so early, but Melissa likes to see the whole stage from a few rows back and I think I would have felt too crushed (tried it at a more active mosh-pit type concert and did not like it) so we picked our spot and held it. I ended up with taller people in front of me so anything central was just the back of their heads, but we were able to keep a good bubble despite two girls standing literally with their arms in our backs (they moved off and shoved their way closer. BYE). some of the girls around us filmed like EVERY song, which is fine, but I chose to keep my phone in my pocket for most of it and just enjoyed the show.
It was SUCH a good show. He talked about how this was the first show that was over 1k attendees, and during one song someone put their phone's light on and when he noticed it and waved a hand, more people joined in (i saw videos on Instagram, it was a sea of light!). After, he was a little husky-voiced saying that he'd written that song first as an 8-line poem for a friend who was having a hard time in the early covid days, and it was before he'd ever considered actually writing and performing music, it had a special place in his heart and we were the first show to put our torches on. Towards the end, he asked the band "I don't want to stop, do we know 10 or 11 more songs?" but of course all things must end, and end it did. It was so so so wonderful.
After I got my coat (man that line was confusing, I joined it in the hall but it went all the way back into the concert hall and across the front of the stage) we waited outside for a short time, partly just to breathe some fresh air and also to see if anyone came out since the bus was parked on the street right outside. After half an hour or so, we decided nah, it was too cold and our feet hurt, so we walked down to the bus station to catch a train back to the hotel area. First had to get M's coat and my hat and scarf, and then went back to the drugstore again (now after midnight) for snacks! Once those shoes were off, it was game over. We heard later that Ben didn't come outside until 12:30, when we were already in bed. Another late night, letting that concert high come down enough to sleep <3
On Saturday morning, we ventured back to the tims for breakfast and coffee before chilling for an hour or so before my uncle and aunt picked us up at just about noon, where we drove down to Niagara Falls. What a sight! It was very cold and windy here too (not -40 cold, but cold enough!) but OH MAN. I was not prepared. We started with a good view of the American side, and then meandered up the walk to the Canadian side, which is really the showstopper. I went on and on and ON about WOW WOW WOW how much WATER GOES OVER THIS THING ANYWAY?! My relatives managed to sneak into a spot where the water flows over the edge LITERALLY RIGHT THERE and scooted us in, and I went on some more about how incredible and the SHEER VOLUME HOLY SHIT. (I even said "i know I keep going on about it, but HOLY SHIT")
We took a wander inside to warm up a bit, viewed the options for EXTRA TOURISTY STUFF (go under the falls for $24! More things for more money, but it's probably too cold and icy for all of that!) and opted to go back up to where we'd left the car for lupper. Not realizing, of course, that it's a goddamn MOUNTAIN so our walk up was punctuated "I'm not walking UP anything else today for any reason at all." Dinner was so-so, tasted good but was entirely mediocre, and we took our time because we were hoping to see the falls lit up after dark. The sun had JUST set so there wasn't much to see, alas. Back to Toronto, where we discovered the light-up TORONTO sign that M was hoping to find and I asked my uncle to drop us off outside "our" Tim Hortons bc we wanted to get a hot chocolate anyway. It was SO GOOD to see them again, I'm so happy they were able to put their lives on hold for a weekend to come down.
We took our hot chocolates back two subway stops to where I had noted the sign was, which happened to be a large shopping centre. We took a wander through the bookstore (NO we don't need anything, we'd have to take it back AND ALSO PAY HST ON IT) and then made our way over to the sign, which turned out to be in front of a skating rink and common area where a lunar new year festival was being held! We just wandered and watched a guy totally biff it chin first on the ice, but they had at least 3 people with safety vests on circling the rink for just such reasons. They tried to get him off but he (apparently) insisted he was fine and was out there cruising and spinning again like nothing else. OK I guess...
The next day was our flight home!! We checked out just after 10 and spent a good 45 minutes trying to find a store that just had a dang shipping tube to protect our concert posters, but the only one we could find that was ANYWHERE close by didn't open until 12. Fuck it, we'll just have to be careful. M was on that carefulness like a hawk! We took the train around to the Royal Ontario Museum, where the security guard had to poke through our suitcases, commented that this wasn't the airport (in a funny way, he was laughing; yes sir we know, we are going there straight from here lol), paid our admission and coat/bag check fees and explored the museum for a couple hours. We didn't see everything there was to see, and I wish I had realised that the Auschwitz exhibit was an extra fare bc I did want to see it altho by the time we finished with the regular exhibits I was DONE with the people and my sore feet and all of that. M was an ancient Greece kid and I was an ancient Egypt one, so there was plenty for both of us to look at hehehe. The gift shop was a little disappointing, nothing screamed TAKE ME HOME so we left with just what we'd brought and went back to the airport.
We were three hours early for our flight, with a short wait at security so we had plenty of time to sit and eat our last ontario meal. It was from a chain that we do have here, but our options were very limited and we had the time, so went with it. Flight home was good, nice and smooth, car was exactly where we left it, and I was home around 1050.
It was absolutely wonderful, and on one of our adventures we started spit-balling the possibility of moving. We are both in AB right now because its still one of the lowest costs of living in the country, but it was a bit of a brain stretch some years ago now to think that... I didn't HAVE to stay here. I CAN leave any time I want to, really. I just HAVEN'T because crushing debt made the expenses that came with it a near-impossibility. We are both locked into leases at least until this fall, but there's no way we could make a long-haul move like that in the next 6 months, so maybe in a year? All of my family is on this side of the country but a lot of the people in the US in particular I would want to visit are easier to reach on THAT side. And M's family is closer to that side. It would be a big change.
Now we're suggesting possibly starting to PLAN in a year and moving 6-12 months after that. All dependent on a lot of things, the least of which just saying "yes" to leaving Alberta, tho in which direction who knows! With the changes happening at work, it would be a good time to really consider what I want from life and how to achieve it, and perhaps moving is on that list.
