#192 - Dinner and a Show

I slept in today for an extra half an hour thinking that I would stay a bit later at the studio since we had the musical to see in the city tonight and I would not be going directly straight home.

Unfortunately, the drive to the train station took over forty-five minutes instead of the usual ten. Police had the street blocked off for some reason, mostly likely due to the construction happening in that area. The street in front of my home on the other side of a green space is dual lanes in both directions and a main travel route to get to the highway. This means there are plenty of transport trucks driving with full loads all day long. And we all know how slowly trucks accelerate.

So, it was painfully slow going in both directions. Robyn suggested I return home and work from there for the day, but she hadn’t seen what it was like out there. It would have taken another thirty minutes to return home. No thanks!

A train was five minutes away when I arrived, so I may as well keep on with the journey. It’s the price the company has to pay for demanding we come in three days a week. Sometimes the journey in is going to be compromised.

I have to come into town anyways for the musical. Robyn, the kiddo and the kiddos’ school friend are coming into the city after they are finished for the day.

There was a brief moment when I left the house that I thought I might stop in for a quick breakfast at the diner, but that dream died on the vine. Maybe I’ll grab a vegetarian breakfast sandwich at the café again. The walk will do me some good, I could certainly use the exercise.

I did eventually get some writing done on the train. I was just going to sit with my eyes closed and rest, but I really wanted to get some words written and the seat I am in is perfectly fine for writing and the train is the longer all-stops one. No excuses!

I’ll need to squeeze ever moment of writing out of the day that I can today. A lunch session is definitely in the works and likely an after-work session before I leave for the musical and another one on the train ride home afterwards.

I made a pitstop at the café after all, I mean why not at this point, a few minutes more won’t make a bit of difference. And I am glad I did, because it was delicious and provided a soothing balm to the day’s rough start. I made a nice cup of vanilla earl grey to make the meal even better.

I am continuing to make revisions on files and now we are changing all our clouds, so that has to be incorporated into all the approvals and revisions as well. It’s slow going and tedious work sometimes, but a necessary evil.

I did a bit of thinking on my assignment, going over the various situations I had brainstormed and binned a few because I think they will not work well in this case. I’ll probably drum up a few more ideas after work and see if anything really speaks to me. In any event, I need to decide this evening so that I have enough time to properly write this. Otherwise, I am wasting my mentorship and my mentor’s time.

I am sitting here at the studio in the gigantic lunchroom, but over in the area with couches. No one else is sitting here, but the kitchen area currently has about a hundred employees eating and chatting just a few meters away. The couch area in a sunken down part of the kitchen. So, it is fairly noisy in here. Still, it’s the kind of crowd murmur that acts more like white noise. If I could make out any of the conversations it would be very distracting. Like writing in the diner, the noise just fades into the background, and my mind seems to prefer it. The noise, like white noise helps the mind focus, and the energy in the room adds to my own instead of taking it away. It’s better than writing in a bubble, although, some days that is the only viable solution.

I skipped getting anything for lunch, and I didn’t even bring the leftovers from last night’s dinner. I woke up feeling full. Not that it stopped me from having a breakfast sandwich. But if I have breakfast, I don’t really need a lunch. I’d rather eat something a little before the musical starts.

I didn’t bring my book to read today either. I chose the Writers of the Future Vol. 41 as my next read. I’d read a few of the stories a while ago and didn’t like some of them, which is unusual because they are usually really good. I remember thinking, damn, I should enter this contest if these are the winners. They might be better than anything I can currently write, or maybe they aren’t as bad as I remember. I could have just been in a mood or might have been to analytical of them. It’s easy to get that way after taking a writing class about a specific subject. It’s all you can see for a while. So, maybe I’ll love them this time around. I just have to will myself to crack open the cover again and peak inside.

I haven’t much news about the US attacks on Iran. There was something about an ultimatum and a possible treaty or maybe even a cease fire, but the information coming out of the White House is less reliable than asking ChatGPT.

Then I pop on the google and see that Israel has attacked Lebanon today and in response Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.

And I read that Kanye West was denied entry into England from the Home Office. This was due to his antisemitic comments he made in the past. They deemed he would not be “conducive to the public good.” People are starting to assert their morals again and basic good taste all around the world. Well, maybe not in the states yet, but it’s a promising sign that people have had enough crap and will let you know if you are the one dishing it out.

After lunch I went back to doing revisions and volunteered to take on another pain-in-the-butt file. Often, we are given photoshop files that look lovely but are made in such a way that they can’t be used in Harmony, the animation program we use. These are often blending modes that when sent to the other program end up looking nothing like you were expecting. So, we go in and try to replicate the look using modes that will cross both platforms. It’s a pain, and I’m never could figure out why designers use them other that it’s easier for them and they don’t care about the next user.

Around two-thirty I started feeling a bit peckish and nipped out to the corner store that sells premade sandwiches. I grabbed a turkey breast on whole wheat and headed straight back to my desk to eat it there.

I was the last person on our show to leave the studio, mostly because I was stalling, waiting for my people to arrive so we could all go to tonight’s musical.

I decided to leave; an empty studio is no fun and jumped on a streetcar heading towards the downtown core along King. I jumped off a few stops early, thinking I would prowl the area and see if I could find a coffee shop to do some writing while I waited. It was chilly outside as well, so I was looking for a warm landing place. I remembered that there was a Second Cup coffee shop near the theatre and I headed towards it. I had to pass the theatre to get there and as I passed there was a crowd fanned out around a single theatre employing calling out names. The names garnered cheers and ahhs from crowd.

I stopped to ask a woman what was going on, and she informed me it was a lottery for this evening’s performance. The winner gets to see the show for twenty-five dollars. The only catch is you needed to have two people to get tickets.

The lady who was answering my questions whelped for joy, apparently, they had called her name. She told me her friend had yet to arrive from Scarborough, would I mind stepping in so she could claim her ticket? Having some free time I happily agreed and stepped into the theatre where she purchased two tickets for a measly $50. I paid $90 a ticket for four tickets. The others who didn’t win the lottery lined up again for the chance to buy the remainders at $50 a ticket.

We chatted for a moment and then parted ways both happier for having the experience. Glad I got off the streetcar a stop early and decided to wander.

The coffee shop I was heading to ended up being closed for renovations, but there was a great Indian restaurant that used to be above it, and it was still there. I decided that I deserved some chicken korma, naan bread and some Indian basmati rice with peas.

It was as delicious as I remember and it has a great view overlooking the street from the second floor. The meal came out quick, and I, having pulled out my laptop to get some writing in, had to quickly whisk it away.

Naan bread only ever tastes right when you get it directly at the restaurant. Now I am very full and bursting with possibilities that I hope wait for the performance to end.

Robyn and the kids have arrived and are getting sausages and street meat from the cart across the street from the theatre. I was able to write a bit more to get me close to my quota for today. I’m sure the theater experience and the performance will have me returning to get in a few more thoughts.

So, far it’s been a great start to the evening and a stark contrast to the way the day started in congested traffic.

I met my people at a sandwich shop a few buildings down from the Indian Restaurant. They wanted street meat but the guy only accepted cash and who carries cash anymore?

We entered the theatre and climbed all the way to the top. Four flights.

We made it without any coronary issues, and I couldn’t remember what tickets I’d bought and was pleasantly surprised to see it was the first row of the balcony and not to far from center. We had a great view of the stage and enough leg room. Elbow room can always be improved in these old theatres, but you kind of expect. I had a cute and petite older lady sitting beside me, so it wasn’t much of an issue.

I coat checked my backpack and coat, which for three dollars was a good bet.

The show was great and the three mains were excellent. The story took a turn I wasn’t expecting and that made it all the more entertaining for me. There were lots of laughs and to be honest I thought they would be a little harsher on the whole religious belief thing. I guess if you are a Mormon, it’s not going to be your favourite show of all time. Although, they portray them mostly as people who want to help others even if their beliefs are a bit odd.

I would recommend this show to anyone who isn’t easily offended or uber religious.

After the show we strolled in the cool weather, which felt refreshing, to the train station, not entirely sure when the next train would be leaving, but secure in the knowledge another would be along within an hour.

But my later day luck was still in full swing, and the train was just pulling into platform five and six as we arrived.

I have to say that for a day that started on shaky ground, it sure blossomed into a wonderful day that ended in a great night out with my wife, the kiddo and the kiddo’s friend.

The train we are on is quiet, no boisterous baseball or hockey fans and no concert goers who have lost their sense of hearing and feel the need to yell at each other.

I’ve been able to make my writing quota again, all written in stolen moments throughout the day, just like right now as I type this on the train.

Both Robyn and I are in the studio tomorrow and we will travel in together and hopefully have lunch together as well. Looking forward to having a train buddy.

Good night, and until tomorrow.