Bad diary keeper. No biscuit.

[framlingem]

Let's see... what have I done since the last update? Rather a lot.



The big thing was I avoided both bad music music I don't appreciate and rain at the Montreal Canada Day celebrations yesterday (YAY! Canada rocks!), by driving STL down to the nation's capital, which is both nicer and closer than Toronto. It also contains KcE, who is a rockin' cool person, and both put me up and put up with me. She was amused by the fact that ice in a glass of water can keep me entertained for ages. (I don't get bored easily.) It was all sparkly and it was sticking together. What more could one possibly ask for, I ask you?

We moseyed on over to Parliament Hill to listen to speeches/music/the general babble of people, and took up temporary residence behind a pole and a garbage can. There was this kid there, didn't move the whole time, sat on the ground with a book :D

After Amanda Marshall, we meandered around Ottawa for a bit. I've never seen a didgeridu (sp?) being played in my life before, and yesterday there was a busker playing one. Then he played two. At the same time. He sounded better playing one, though. But it was cool, so I gave him a toonie. (South-of-the-border-people-who-may-not-know-this: Toonie=2$ coin). There was a pretty good fiddler, too, and he got a toonie as well. Then there was a girl who mangled Aretha Franklin songs. She got nothing. Mainly because she was really bad, and other people were giving her money, so she didn't really need mine. Meh.

The best part, though, was the Starbucks boys with the tiny straws and cups, giving away free samples that gave me shivers (Interpret that any way you like.) It was yummy. (Likewise)

We then went back to KcE's place to chill for a bit before heading out for the evening. La Bottine Souriante and Leahy are definitely people I need to see in a better concert setting. They did one tune together - picture it. Five fiddles, a horn section, keyboards, stepdancers, chairdancers, drums... *happy sigh*

KcE and I exerted considerable willpower and managed to refrain from buying any patriotic items that glowed in the dark. The devil horns were really hard to resist.

We left a little bit before the music was over so we could 'beat the crowds'. Yeah. Right. The phrase 'seething mass of humanity' certainly rings bells. But we got a really good view of the fireworks, even though that wasn't what we were aiming for. I live in a town that host the International Fireworks Competition every year. In the summer, we have fireworks at least twice a week. I never get sick of them. The noise and the lights and the patterns - it's like a full-sensory kaleidoscope.

We eventually made it to Patty Boland's pub, which was less crowded than I was expecting, and Celtae were playing. They are SO good. *wears her Celtae cap with pride* They saw me come in and said 'Hey, we got someone from Montreal to party with tonight!' It was really cool - Brian the sound-guy dubbed me 'Lassie-Mademoiselle', so now I have a Celtae nickname. *is cool and all in with the band and stuff* I met a couple of very nice girls on the dance floor, and we got introduced. Upon learning my name, they asked 'Hey, are you the muffin girl?'

So yeah, I seem to be famous in Celtae circles as the muffin girl. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. *ponders*

Oh! And when they sang 'South Australia', the new bass guy (aka Steve) played... you guessed it... a didgeridu. A BLUE one! I go from not ever having heard one to hearing THREE in one day.

It sounded really cool with the bodhran.


*hearts KcE and Ottawa*

Back in Ottawa next week for Crush and Great Big Sea! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!