"ya gotta trust your instinct, 'n let go of regret....
...ya gotta bet on yourself now star, cause thats your best bet."
TORONTO 311 ROAD-TRIP:
Friday morning we left for Toronto around 10:30am. Great weather from Grand Blanc through about an hour or so of Canada. Then it started to snow, big time. Now it was a white-out and Jut had to pee. So after about an hour of Jut holding it, we finally got off at an exit deep in snow.
A little further down the 403 is a huge accident involving a few semi's, some cars, and a tour bus. After this the traffic was fine, the sun came out, and it was beautiful.
We decided to walk the 1/2 mile from our hotel to the theatre 311 was playing WITHOUT OUR COATS (reason: we didn't want to carry coats around at a concert). We arrive and the first thing we see was a nice convenient coat-check. Oh well. The show was great. VERY SMALL venue, similar to Clutch but with more and better bars.
After the show we felt it was appropriate to hit the bar scene. We chose a bar between the theatre and our hotel. This bar turned out to be a gay bar so we did not stay for obvious reasons. We eventually decided on an Irish pub.
Some randoms from this bar: 6 pitchers, talking to the dude that introduced 311, bubble hockey, the girl at the high table.
Then the night got interesting.
It was Tom's 21st so we decided to call him. We left about a five minutes voice message for him, but the next day Drew checked his voice mail and it turns out that we called Drew's phone and left Tom a happy birthday message for Drew. I called the wrong person.
Drew and I ended up talking to a couple people at the bar about Canadian politics, the Maple Leaf Gardens turning into a shopping center, Canadian culture, and the Toronto scene. Drew made Americans proud when he announced that he thought Canada was still under full British rule and control. Last beer was ordered just after 2am.
After enjoying some fine Canadian smokes, Drew and I strolled back to the hotel making a pit stop at a deli. After I bought the sandwiches, I saw that Drew was still talking to the homeless guys we initially met as we arrived at the deli. Drew and I talked to these homeless dudes for probably 30-45 minutes about their routine and what it's like to be homeless. It was one of the most moving conversations I have ever had. It really made me think. I mean I could easily be in that situation; it's like luck of the draw. What have I done in life to deserve good parents and an education? It really hasn't left my mind since. You never know what a person is going though without being in their shoes. Who is anyone to judge someone in a situation they have never been in, or worse someone who they have never conversed with? I give these guys a lot of credit for trying so hard in life at the lowest point possible. It is a miracle that they have not committed suicide.
I think it is absolute garbage that we have all these resources and taxes yet there are still people with nothing. How ironic that 15 minutes from one of the nation's poorest cities, Detroit, is the nation's second wealthiest county, Oakland.
TORONTO 311 ROAD-TRIP:
Friday morning we left for Toronto around 10:30am. Great weather from Grand Blanc through about an hour or so of Canada. Then it started to snow, big time. Now it was a white-out and Jut had to pee. So after about an hour of Jut holding it, we finally got off at an exit deep in snow.
A little further down the 403 is a huge accident involving a few semi's, some cars, and a tour bus. After this the traffic was fine, the sun came out, and it was beautiful.
We decided to walk the 1/2 mile from our hotel to the theatre 311 was playing WITHOUT OUR COATS (reason: we didn't want to carry coats around at a concert). We arrive and the first thing we see was a nice convenient coat-check. Oh well. The show was great. VERY SMALL venue, similar to Clutch but with more and better bars.
After the show we felt it was appropriate to hit the bar scene. We chose a bar between the theatre and our hotel. This bar turned out to be a gay bar so we did not stay for obvious reasons. We eventually decided on an Irish pub.
Some randoms from this bar: 6 pitchers, talking to the dude that introduced 311, bubble hockey, the girl at the high table.
Then the night got interesting.
It was Tom's 21st so we decided to call him. We left about a five minutes voice message for him, but the next day Drew checked his voice mail and it turns out that we called Drew's phone and left Tom a happy birthday message for Drew. I called the wrong person.
Drew and I ended up talking to a couple people at the bar about Canadian politics, the Maple Leaf Gardens turning into a shopping center, Canadian culture, and the Toronto scene. Drew made Americans proud when he announced that he thought Canada was still under full British rule and control. Last beer was ordered just after 2am.
After enjoying some fine Canadian smokes, Drew and I strolled back to the hotel making a pit stop at a deli. After I bought the sandwiches, I saw that Drew was still talking to the homeless guys we initially met as we arrived at the deli. Drew and I talked to these homeless dudes for probably 30-45 minutes about their routine and what it's like to be homeless. It was one of the most moving conversations I have ever had. It really made me think. I mean I could easily be in that situation; it's like luck of the draw. What have I done in life to deserve good parents and an education? It really hasn't left my mind since. You never know what a person is going though without being in their shoes. Who is anyone to judge someone in a situation they have never been in, or worse someone who they have never conversed with? I give these guys a lot of credit for trying so hard in life at the lowest point possible. It is a miracle that they have not committed suicide.
I think it is absolute garbage that we have all these resources and taxes yet there are still people with nothing. How ironic that 15 minutes from one of the nation's poorest cities, Detroit, is the nation's second wealthiest county, Oakland.