the Man from Oklahoma

i was going to go straight to bed, but...

Missed the bus. Walked over to St Denis on the off chance it was late. It wasn't. Got 2 all-dressed steamed hot dogs* at Lafleur (if memory serves this is the 3rd such meal this week, that can't be good for me) and ate them while reading Lonely Planet. Walked back down to Sherbrooke just in time to catch the next bus (phew). Continued reading Lonely Planet and therefore went right past my stop, fortunately the bus turns right to go up Decarie 2 stops later and I noticed that. Then remembered it was a good thing because I had to move my car if I wanted to avoid my second ticket in as many weeks. Anyway...

...steps from my front door I am stopped by a burly, compact, bald gentleman who's just parked his truck and wants to know how to get to the Champlain Bridge. I have a little trouble figuring this out because he has a broad accent and talks extremely fast and it is midnight and I am in my usual walking-around daze. But the Champlain Bridge is something I actually do know how to find. So.

That way, I say, pointing, they're doing construction, but follow the signs for the 15 Sud and that will take you right to the Champlain Bridge.

Oh, he says, are you from Montreal?

Well, I live here...

But you're not from here? Where are you from originally?

Toronto.

Oh, where's that? Is that a suburb of Montreal?

Um, no, it's the largest city in Canada actually... it's in Ontario...

Gosh, I'm sorry.

Hey that's OK, I say, it's kind of good you haven't heard of it, that's where the SARS outbreak is...

We continue. In the course of the conversation I learn:

• That he is from Oklahoma.


• That Montreal is the most glamorous city in the world and its people are the best dressed in North America. (Since I'm wearing my black Gap stretch pants and my Bravo Les Filles net T-shirt and my leather jacket, I am willing to take some part in this.)


• But we need to work on our hospitality. People aren't very friendly, they don't just strike up conversations.


• That he works in law enforcement and is here with 5 other Americans (where? where are they? I have no idea) teaching (something underwater, my Oklahomish had a breakdown at that point).


• That I don't look 29, no way, he'd have guessed 21 or 22, I must get that a lot, do I? 29? No way.


• That he wants to know how to get to the Champlain Bridge.


• That his folks don't believe him when he tells them what a lot of snow we get here.


• That he's going to be in town for five months and he'd really like someone to go around and take pictures of/with (? problems with light-speed Oklahomish again) but only if I'm comfortable with that, it's very important that the woman be comfortable and he has the utmost respect...

Um, I say, I'm really NOT comfortable with that, but thanks, I'm sure you'll find someone else...

I understand, he says, backing away. No offense meant.

Have a safe trip, I say, just go that way, turn left and follow the signs for the 15.

Then I walk the 6 steps to my door and open it. He asks me the way to the Champlain Bridge again.

*note to non-Montrealers and the uninitiated: steamies are the fast food of the gods. trust me.

(no subject)

I just saw this Honda Accord ad.

Wow, that is cool.

(no subject)

Not my most productive day ever but... I don't really have a lot to do at the moment.

Just killing time here, really, until it's time to wander over to the restaurant for dinner & book talk. (Le Paris... sinful French cuisine coming right up!)

Apparently it's my turn to suggest a book, but I have no idea what to suggest. Hmmm.

God love Amazon.com

Here's what I shall propose:

• Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin; or


• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown; or


• The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith; or


• something on the Canada Reads list

Just 'cause elissa_carey mentioned it, I was thinking I might suggest A Game of Thrones, but this crowd does not go for 700-page series books, so perhaps I'll just read it on my own one of these days.

Off now, wish me and my books luck!

(no subject)

And "Resurrection Men" it is, in honour of our trip. I shall take it on the plane.

"The Stone Carvers", which I liked although had a few issues with, was in honour of Maria's trip to France, and she brought pictures of the Vimy Ridge memorial so we could see what we'd been reading about. Wow.

I knew there was something else!

Cynthia told me there was "a panic on the production floor" on Monday because someone (i.e., me) had been to Toronto on the weekend. She spent quite a long time calming the complainant down, apparently...

No panic near me, so I'm guessing it was the other team. Bunch of frelling hypochondriacs. I shall make a special effort tomorrow to go and cough on their printer. Loudly.

MacCountdown

In 6 days, crankygrrl and I will be on a plane headed for Scotland (via Heathrow, but never mind that).

*squeee*