Toronto, April 2012

You know, I don’t really like to travel.

I have mentioned this before and it is a true statement as far as it goes. I get nervous about a week or so before any trip and as the date for leaving approaches that nervousness seems to get more and more intense. There have been times when I have passed out on the morning of a flight and once I was all “atremble” for the week that I was at my destination. Over the years I have had more than a few trips to the doctors and several specialists as well. The last time I was diagnosed by a couple of internists and it was their considered medical opinion that I didn’t really have much to worry about as although not common, it is known in certain medical circles. I was happy they didn’t name the disease after me.

You might think that I am afraid of flying, but that is far from the truth. I just love that rush you feel when the plane gets up enough speed to take to the air. It is true that I don’t like being crammed in a too small seat, given “bits and bites” to eat and tiny glasses of coke to wash them down. I don’t think anyone likes the four hours or so in the air, but it certainly beats three days driving. Speaking of driving, the same thing happens to me when I drive.

If I lived in an earlier century, I would never know this feeling. I suppose that if I lived in a future time when they have perfected some form of instantaneous travel I wouldn’t know the feeling either. If I lived a solitary life, there is a good chance that I wouldn’t venture very far from my home. If there were no reason to travel then I wouldn’t know the feeling either. To me, the oddest thing is that I am not particularly concerned with the nervousness. There was one time that I passed out on the floor of the bathroom and came to just long enough to tell Louise not to call 911 because “I am fine!”, and promptly passed out again. I know…stupid man!

Now, after having said that, I must say that I did have a very good time in Toronto and vicinity this past week. I guess “good time” doesn’t apply when you consider that we went back because Louise’s mom passed on. It was a good funeral and I think that Lena would have loved her send off. She liked to have the family around with all sorts of busy going on at once. It wouldn’t have bothered her that some people were driven crazy trying to coordinate their lives around her funeral. In fact, I think she would have loved it.

Her kids and their significant others caught up on gossip, and more than likely gossiped about each other. We made sure that there was good food and good company. Nice to touch base with everyone, and I somehow doubt that we will all manage to get together again. The grandkids had a good time getting reacquainted. They all seem to be cut from the same bolt of cloth, being equally funny, intelligent and sarcastic. In fact, there is a very good chance they may all meet again in Hell. I am pretty sure that God doesn’t like people making fun of His priests. Nah…they all have the gift of gab and will be able to talk their way into heaven.

Louise managed to have a good visit with some girl friends from high school one night. There were other friends that we managed to visit and John and Karen put us up in wonderful fashion. I highly recommend staying with them if you ever find yourself in Toronto. I hope that we didn’t put them out too much, but I am certain that when the last hand was waved out of the window, the last kiss blown; they went home, sat together with a nice cup of Dilmah and just looked at each other. You know that look. It says “That was nice having them here…almost as nice as having them leave.” Actually, they are too nice to think that, so I have to think it for them.

We also ended the trip with a breakfast with a group of friends which although too short, managed to put the cherry on top of the trip. Maegan housed us for the remainder of our time and we even managed to go to a Second City show. It was a nice time with Maegan.

You know, I really do like to travel!