Welcome back to the internet!

After several days in an internet blackout, it feels good to be back online. Dara and I are in our eighth (I believe) day of our Canadian adventure and we're having a good time. We have also recently been slapped with some really bad news, but as it is Dara's news to give, I will let her blog on it (see her "a lot from a little" blog in my links section).

In the mean time, I will update my readers with the latest from the Toronto front in a brief, pictureless blog.

For starters, our flight to Toronto was okay. I had two Xanax pills in my system at the time, which did very little to quell my fear of flying. The stress of our day was heightened when we arrived at John Wayne Airport (good) to take our flight to Toronto, and were told we'd been diverted to LAX Airport (bad), where we would arrive in Toronto several hours later. The down side is that our ride on the other end had to wait for us, but we had a direct flight on an Air Canada plane, which was a lot more comfortable and enjoyable, if flying could ever be considered enjoyable.

Since arriving, we have been visiting a host of old friends and family, which has been great. It has been wonderful to see the city, and remark on the subtle changes here and there. The CN Tower is now illuminated; The Pickle Barrel changed their fries; there are a few more condos up, but for the most part, it's our old, beloved Toronto.

We've had several family reunions to attend, and I've been able to spend more than a few days with my family, which has been great. I was able to visit my sweet grandmother in the nursing home, while she lovingly mocked me because of my paunch (though I didn't mind pointing out that she'd gained a few pounds since last I saw her too). It's always hard to visit my Gram (who is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's) because it's sad to see her so changed from where she was, and because I feel guilty that I can't see her more. Still, with my mother and sister (Ashley) in tow, it's nice to know that we brought her day a little ray of sunshine, even for a few minutes.

After visiting Gram, Mom needed a beer. If anyone knows my Mom, they know she doesn't drink beer. Ever. So we hurried to the nearest pub where we met my brothers Scott and Cat and had a few pints between us. It would have been nice to have my older sister Cherie here for this part, especially because Mom slammed back two pints' worth of beer in a short time. For a novice drinker of Mom's diminuitive height, this produced wonderfully hilarious results.

Besides my visits with my family (which have all been great) and with Dara's family (likewise), we have been able to squeak in some time with friends (again, great). My only drawback (besides the aforementioned really bad news which Dara will get to in time, I'm sure), is that I haven't had enough time to spend with everyone. For instance, I only got to see my Barrie friends for half a day each, and got even less time with my quirky, but still lovable brothers.

Still, despite the bad news, and the fact that the Pickle Barrel isn't quite as good as I remember it, it is really good to be home, to see family, and to take a break from the internet for a while.

More updates and pictures to follow.