September 3: Pack/Unpack

My stethoscope has been relegated to the top shelf in my spare bedroom. I’m writing this down here so that when the time comes in 12 months, I will be able to find it. I might need to call upon you, my readers, to help jog my memory a bit.

Besides unpacking from my recent stint in northern Ontario, I am packing for 2 upcoming trips. (I know--one of my parameters was to spend more time in Toronto.)

The first trip will start tomorrow. For a couple of decades, I’ve wanted to cross Canada by train. Over time, there have been subtle reminders of this: listening to Stuart McLean broadcasting the Vinyl Cafe on board the Canadian, chatting with a sweet older couple visiting from Scotland and paying dearly for the privilege of train-ing through the Rockies in style, and appreciating the civility of train travel on a recent trip to London, Ontario.

Earlier this year, I found a great website with deals offering up to 75% off VIA trains, making the splurge to travel first class on THE CANADIAN very affordable (For those of you who may be interested: http://www.viarail.ca/en/deals?sortby=1). Sometimes you just have to seize the opportunity, not knowing if the opportunity will still be there later. So seize I did: I will be taking the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver over the next few days. This should be the perfect way to make me slow down a bit. How far can one run on board a train? Besides, it is fitting that my first trip this year is spent seeing my own country. I plan to curl up with a good book or two in the panorama car, watching the Canadian landscape pass by.

Update on the TIFF tickets: I got to the line shortly after 6 a.m. and by my estimation, the wait would be about 5 hours--I really have better things to do--so gave up on this. For what is considered one of the top film festivals in the world, the TIFF ticketing system is really archaic!

Tonight, I had the privilege to be inspired by an extraordinary man named Charles Mulli.

( http://www.mullychildrensfamily.org)

He narrated the many things he does to provide a stable loving family life to his 2148 children--quite a remarkable man with a great vision and huge heart.