Notes from a Weekend in Canada

1. Toronto has black squirrels. They are very disturbing-- every time I see one I think it's a rat until I see the bushy tail.

2. Paging Veronica:

3. Whole milk is not called whole milk. It is called "Homogenized" and is abbreviated in the most unfortunate way.

4. I am, it seems, already a card-carrying member of the CMS "Team Catholic". There was, it seems, talk of a Team Catholic vs. Team Anglican Kickball game, until they decided that it would be better to partner up to play against Team Secular Humanism.

5a. Team Catholic tends to go to mass at the Toronto Oratory. It was gooood... Latin Novus Ordo with an English gradual (as opposed to responsorial) psalm and an altar rail. And a teenage altar boy who chanted the second reading. And several mantillas aside from those worn by yrs. truly and Emilie.

5b. It's refreshing to hang out with Catholics and Anglo-Catholics and High Church Anglicans who like good liturgy without necessarily being (crazy) Republicans. I feel like I have found my people. Unfortunately, these people say "eh?"

6. Team Anglican goes to "The Highest Anglican Church in Toronto". It is referred to as "Smokey Tom's". I laughed for about an hour.

7. Emilie is Emily's roommate. Predictable confusion ensues.

8.

Yes. That is a missionizing bus advertisement with a quote from Karl Barth. It was on the bus to the airport. On the whole, Toronto (despite the famed diversity) was almost overwhelmingly Christian... a look at a map of the downtown area shows dozens of churches and one solitary synagogue, many of the University colleges seem to be attached to Theological programs or certain denominations, and I was greeted at the airport by an announcement stating that all were welcome at a Catholic Mass that was about to be celebrated in the airport chapel. I know we're in the majority, but it really *felt* like being in the majority. I wasn't a fan.

9. Let's talk about crossing the street. In Toronto, semi-busy crosswalks are marked with large yellow lights with black 'x'es which hang across the street. The protocol here is to push the button that makes the light flash, *then* make eye contact with the oncoming driver and point in the direction in which you are planning to walk. Stay calm: nobody actually does this "pointing" thing.

9. I finished a sock:

The sock greatly enjoyed meeting PhD candidates, visiting coffee shops, a sushi restaurant, and many a conversation over Emily/ie's kitchen table. (As well as trips to Jimmy's, the Med, and Cedars in Hyde Park.) It's partner has seen the blue line, the Pub, and watched Firefly with Tom.

Which brings me to the second topic of this post:


Fringed.


Wrapped.


Delivered.

He loves it. Which is good... if he hadn't, I would have had to strangle him with it.

In other news, chick flicks lie: finishing the pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream straight out of the carton is not as therapeutic as they would make you think. I should have taken Ben (Alice E's boyfriend) up on his offer of a shot of tequila. Send hugs, but send them to San Francisco... I'm going home on Monday, and I'm so excited I just can't hide it.

Oh, and Anna: we saved you Giordano's. You were missed.