I made cupcakes.

After singing along to this song for years now, I just realized what it was about.



This version kills me in a good way. Crazy amazing.

I spotted the most adorable elderly couple walking along the street. He wore a hat, she wore her hair in an elaborate neat up-do. Both were well dressed and dapper.

And the adorable part...

They shared the weight of a brown and orange shoulder bag (circa 1972) by each holding a strap in their hands, letting it sway between them as they sauntered by.

It was a lovely tiny glimpse in the bustle of Toronto shared by me, the guy behind them who even had his camera out to take a picture, and whoever was lucky enough to look up from their self absorbed day and notice that true love can carry on, shared, side by side.

So, on my way to work today I saw two women coming out of a cab and then walking across the street. Later on while at work, through the window, I saw the same two women walking by. Then after work, on my way home, I walked by them. Again. I know. What are the chances?? And I'm quite sure they didn't see me at all, at any time.

It made me wonder if I was extremely observant to notice them. Actually, it made me wonder many things, as most things do, which makes me wonder if I wonder too much. It seems I'm wonder-full.

The other day while at the subway, I made quick eye contact with a man and realized a second later who he was and he realized I looked familiar too because he came up to me and said, 'did we meet in Europe?'

No, we didn't. We worked together in 1998 at a restaurant. I knew his name (james), that I took him to a photography darkroom once to show him how to use the enlarger and that I another time years later bumped into him and his twin brother and joined them on a patio for a drink. He didn't even remember where he knew me from or my name. I remember all this even though he wasn't any kind of important person in my life and I never really thought of him since. I remember all this, from about 13 years ago, because I lived through it, and how wouldn't I remember it.

As I stepped out into the beautiful spring weather this morning, I caught the smell of gasoline in the breeze. Memories are closely linked to scent, and the first thing I thought of was the lake at my summer camp. Sad, that gasoline makes me think of a crisp cool lake.

just another night at work

Working at a restaurant is so different from some jobs. People think waiting on tables is the most terrible job and often remark that 'those poor waiters' deserve big tips. Well bring on the tips, but keep the pity. Do you drink on your job? I didn't think so.



So tonight a woman came in, ordered a beer, a shot of whiskey, a soup and then sat down. I told my co-worker who was serving her that he better get payment first because I remembered her from last time. To her credit, tonight she appeared sober and not strung out. Last time she was in she left me her health card as payment. Yup. And we have awesome health care in Canada, but not that awesome.
My boss, who is also the chef and owner of the restaurant went over to her and told her she needed to pay upfront for her order, or she should just leave. So she left. Just what we thought.

At another table sat some regulars who ordered an expensive bottle of champagne and insisted us servers each have some too. Okay then.

In the kitchen I needed to wrap up leftovers for a customer and asked the sous chef for a little package. He smiled and told me he only had a big package.

And that's just an uneventful slow night at work.

Last night my feeling were hurt all over. Without getting into details, I just had a hard time with life and the things that happen in it sometimes. I felt like a wounded puppy dog, with a dash of lunatic stirred in. It was hard to understand logic and reason, but it was harder still when I woke halfway through the night and spent 3 hours in the in-between stage of sleep and not sleep. Those hours are filled with anything but reason and I tried hopelessly to pull myself back on track with no prevail. It's completely futile when you're in that halfway world.

Well I succumbed to hours of festering and tossing and turning until I finally fell asleep. And once asleep I had a beautiful vivid dream that completely made me feel better. It was a dream of good outcome to the situation that upset me and even knowing that it was only a dream and what happened in reality still existed, I felt so much better. Isn't it strange how influential dreams can be on our moods.