Where Has Summer Gone...?

[rusty_armour]

This past weekend, my mom and I made our annual pilgrimage to the EX, a sign that summer is coming to an end. Where did it go? I'm sure it wasn't all that long ago when it was only starting. Not that I'm complaining. Around this time of year, I'm usually hoping for a good frost to kill off all those nasty allergens floating around. And I happen to love autumn with its pallette of beautiful colours. However, I still can't help feeling the tiniest pang of regret that summer will soon be over. While I wouldn't say it was the most exciting one on record, it wasn't entirely uneventful either. I actually saw two musicals in the space of two weeks, when I'm usually doing well if I see one musical in an entire year.

The first musical, Spamalot, was planned. I'm a big Python fan and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (the movie the musical is based on) is one of my favourite films. Anyway, I bought two tickets and invited my sister to come along. This involved her staying for the weekend, dining at her first Thai restaurant, and watching her big sister walk into a table after we had both had Margaritas. Oh, and then there was the musical, of course. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Not only did it include some classic moments from Holy Grail, but it was a great send up of the musical genre.

The second musical was an unexpected bonus. A good friend of mine informed me of an incredible discount on The Lord of the Rings, so I ordered tickets immediately for me and my mom (who really wanted to see it). When I heard that The Lord of the Rings would soon be closing, I was sure I'd never get a chance to see it. However, the Mirvischs' loss was my gain, as I'm sure the discount only came about because the final curtain will soon be coming down. It's a real shame because the musical is really spectacular in terms of staging and special effects. I was amazed by how much of the story they were able to recreate on stage. Then there was the stage itself with all of its cool hydraulics. It's something you really have to see to believe.

Besides the musicals, the only other major event of the summer was probably the EX. As usual, my mom stayed with me for a couple of days so that we could have a real girls’ weekend. Shortly after Mom arrived on Friday night, we set off for Ikaros, a new Greek restaurant in my area that we both wanted to try. At Ikaros, we were able to satisfy the cravings we’d been suffering since the end of our trip by dining on moussaka and baklava. We were even given a little doggie box of desserts. Man, I can still taste the delicious honey! The EX also involved some sinful eating (or “grazing” as Mom calls it). I ate my first hamburger in months, as well as a chocolate-vanilla ice cream cone. When we weren’t stuffing our faces, we were visiting the cat show (and seeing the other animals in the Agricultural Building), walking through the Rico Colliseum, wading through the noisy, crowded Midway, and spending money in the Arts & Crafts Building and the Vendors’ Market. Among my many purchases was this really fab shirt that is surprisingly flattering on me (Hello, new waist!). I also bought a cheapo Sherlock Holmes DVD with two movies on it. Unfortunately, I inflicted the first movie (Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace) on poor Mom. It was awful. We were able to laugh at first (especially when everyone was saying Moriarity instead of Moriarty), but then the experience was just painful. Speaking of Sherlock Holmes, we visited my favourite bookstore (Sleuth of Baker Street) yesterday, where I bought two pastiches. However, as I was eyeing a book that was $150.00, I think I showed remarkable restraint. Mom was also very good, only buying the first two books in a series she was interested in. However, she made up for it by buying a beautiful little Tiffany-esque lamp in another store on Bayview. My only other purchase was a wedding present for a friend of mine. Anyway, after shopping ourselves out, we returned to my apartment to cool down. Then, Mom hit the road and headed back to Scarberia.

You know, considering that I'm lamenting the rapid end of summer, it seems ironic that this entry has dragged on for so long! *g*

Comments

[espirk.livejournal.com]

You are *so* lucky to have caught The Lord of the Rings musical before it closed! I would have loved to have seen it, and I agree, I think it's unfortunate that they did not get the audience they needed here in Canada. I heard that they were moving the musical to the UK. I hope they find more success there.

It sounds to me like you had a wonderful time leading up to and at the Ex! I have only been once because it's a bit of a drive from Ham Town, but I highly enjoyed it when we went.

I'm glad you had a great summer. Going out and doing things you don't normally do is what it's all about and it's great to know you got to do a bit of that. I am bemoaning the end of summer too! It just occurred to me that choosing to be a teacher ties my life to the Dread of September, which has plagued me in all my school years... Aaah!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have to say that I was very lucky to have caught it. I'm not sure why it wasn't able to attract more numbers given the number of LotR fans out there. I was expecting it to run in Toronto for at least a couple of years. Maybe other people believed the same thing and didn't rush to buy tickets.

I always have a great time at the Ex. Maybe you'll be able to make it again some time, though I can understand why you wouldn't want to drive there from Hamilton. *g*

I think you're right about summer being a time to go out and do things you wouldn't normally do. I actually wish I had done a bit more of that. Oh, well. There's always next year.

Congratulations once again for officially becoming a supply teacher! That is AWESOME news! :-)

[sorne.livejournal.com]

The EX sounds like fantastic fun! And interestingly Nickolas Grace was lamenting that he didn't get the part of Arthur in Spamalot (he *really* wanted to do it) but it was only because they're bringing Tim Curry over. Sounds like I'll be seeing two musicals next year as I want to see LotR too - even though I've heard bad things about it. We were thinking of you at Legend - and reminiscing about Silver Arrow 2000. It's getting autumnal here too - because of the extended drought many trees are losing their leaves early :(

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I think you'd love the EX! They have a pretty good cat show every year, not to mention the animals in the Agricultural Building and the horses in the Colliseum.

It's a shame that Nickolas Grace wasn't able to play Arthur in Spamalot. He would have been absolutely perfect in the role! I haven't seen Tim Curry in the role (We have Michael Siberry in the Toronto production), but he must be pretty good if Spamalot won best musical on Broadway.

I thought that LotR was pretty good, though I'll admit that I was probably won over by the effects and staging alone. I don't think the story was as strong, but it's impossible not to make comparisons to the films and have the musical fall short in that respect. I think they managed to cover a surprising amount of material considering the limited time they had to convey the whole story. If it makes you feel any better, I know two diehard Ringheads who loved the musical so I think it could be worth it if you're a fan.

It was sweet of you guys to think of me while reminiscing about Silver Arrow 2000. I have lots of wonderful memories of that con. :-)