A Travelers Bar #1

What is it about a travelers bar that strips away all the pretense and shyness?  It seems that no one is afraid to make eye contact or smile in a Travelers Bar.  Most of the time you get considerably more information in conversation than you bargained for....my wife left me, my sons on crack, I just got back from rehab, I'm going to Costa Rica for a little R &R...wink wink.  You see the sullen business traveler that always looks bored and stressed working hard to make things seem matter of fact .  The vacation travelers are super animated, they talk loud and have hats on that always seem a little out of place.  One thing I have found is the circumstances of their journey usually doesn't matter.  Everyone wants to talk and tell where they are going or where they have been.   So here is one of my favorites... Pappadeauxs in the E terminal of Bush International.  Membership is selective.  It can require a full body search, a very pricey ticket, some walking, and of course you can't bring your own utensils.

Lower Queen Street

It seems these days that all big cities have some crazy hoods that form a few blocks off of downtown.  Toronto is no different but does have a twist or two.  Toronto is a melting pot of cultures from around the world.  More so than US cities I think.  The immigration at Pearson airport coming into the country is filled with a cornucopia of language that rarely includes English.  Walking on lower Queen one snowy afternoon I came across this alley.  A splash of color on a grey day brought to you by the artist unknown.   It was tucked between an arabic book store and an old antique store run by guy from Congo.  Wouldn't it be nice if this creativity and color was the only thing that separated cultures in this world.

Table for Two

Winters can be harsh in the land of the knucks.  A very cold day in Toronto does not deter the lunch crowd from getting out.  Toronto being a very cosmo city downtown is a very busy place.  Trendy shops and restaurant are scattered all along West King Street and Wellington.   My favorite is the Shore Club.  A very busy place during the rush.  Sometimes it's almost impossible to get a table, especially on the patio.  

The comeback

It's hard to believe that you can do something for most of your life and have it feel so foreign.  Sure, I stopped for a bit.  A year or two but in the scheme of things that is not really that long.  The tennis comeback began on Saturday.  Painful, ugly, frustrating and well just plain unpleasant.   I read somewhere once that great tennis matches are usually unpleasant generally.  Unpleasantness is perhaps the only commonality that my comeback match and this statement have in common.  No great tennis here.  Just clumsy movement overlaid with back, knee, arm, shoulder, and foot pain.  Yes and the truth is is that I paid to do this.  Lao Tzu said, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".  So there you have it....  only 999 miles 5297 feet to go.

Here Bully Bully

You can always tell a person that is happy while they are working.  Often times they smile as they go about their business.  Cesar Castaneda is one of those happy workers.  Cesar manages a smile even in the those "difficult" times at work.  The number 4 matador in the world just takes the little mishaps in stride.  "Don't worry....be happy"....   Cesar successfully deflowered the Santa Maria bull shortly after taking the dirt bath.  Happy to report bull and matador are both doing fine.

JUMP

What are your thoughts for the next year?  Is it going to be another year of playing it safe?  Another year of doing what is expected of you and not what you really want to do.  We have all done it.  Most of us including me have done it too many times.  There are so many thoughts out there about what and how you should live each day.  Everyone of them telling you something that makes sense.  We hear it and then just ignore the ugly truth that we are often slaves to lives we do not want but could really change if we decided we wanted to.   Have you ever talked to a very old person about life?   Occasionally one will give you some clear, solid, and uncluttered advice,      "Do not go quietly into the night".  

Life of Passion

School is over.  I already miss it.  Alas, I was not to the sufficient level to perform my alternativa against "Conquistador".  (Thank God).  It was one of the most interesting and delightful things I have ever done.  The shear power of passion made all of this possible.  Fred Renk.  The memories and trappings of a life in the sport cover the walls of the ranch.  The suites of lights worn by his son, David Renk are placed with honor in the middle of the room.  No matter what you think of the spectacle you can't take away the fact that it is as old as we are.  Man against beast.  Take it for the spectacle I would urge you.  Bloodless bullfighting is an art and is moving the sword away from the age old event.  Like all things it will change or die.  No one knows which way the bullfight will go.    I encourage everyone to go out and enjoy the ride,  "OLE"!