A time that night in Toronto...

Today marks a very important anniversary for me. It was 10 years ago that I first went to Toronto.

In June of 1997, My Fairy Godfather Mark, who at that point was really just a friend of a friend, said that he was going to meet a friend of his in Toronto over the July 4th weekend. He asked if I wanted to come along, he said the more that went, the cheaper it was. I had never been to Toronto, really had never thought about going to Toronto, but I'd been working at the job I have now for almost a year, and had not had a vacation, so I said sure why not?

That year, July 4th fell on a Saturday, I think. We traveled up the Friday before. Go to Buffalo NY around lunchtime and got in a horric traffic jam. But we made it the rest of the way up. We stayed at the hotel Selby, the only time I stayed there. It attempted to have turn of the century atmosphere, but really didn't succeed at it. Still it was enough for us. We met Mark's friend Paul at the hotel. He took us to eat along Church Street, at the Blue Mango (it's not there anymore). Gay Pride had been the week before, and all the flags and such were still up.

This trip I was first introduced to Woody's (of Queer As Folk fame), Remingtons, the Eaton Centre, the CN Tower, the lakeside area, the Rocket, Out In The Street, the chinatown area, and Labatt's beer. And I've been in love ever since. I've been thre 15 times in the last 10 years as a matter of fact. And I plan on going back this fall.

I've scanned a few photos of the trip. Surprisingly, i have none of the three of us. I've only got some landmarks.

I've got the Hotel Selby, where we stayed.


The CN Tower, I took from the lakefront.


A Afro-Canadian celebration we stumbled into.


And Remingtons, where much fun was had, both this trip and subsequent ones.


I can't imagine my life now without Toronto. And for that I have one person to thank: My Fairy Godfather Mark. I have so much to thank him for, and since he's moved back to Michigan, I've been neglecting him, even though distance does tend to do that to a relationship. So even though I don't think I've ever said it enough, Mark, let me say here I love you, and all that you did for me, helping me come out of my shell and helping to shape me into the gay man I am now. i don't think there's anyway I can repay you.

POLT

One of the most meaningful things that's happened to me since I've been governor - president - governor - president. Oops. Ex-governor. I went to Bethesda Naval Hosptial to give a fellow a Purple Heart, and at the same moment I watched him - get a Purple Heart for actions in Iraq - and at that same - right after I gave him the Purple Heart, he was sworn in as a citizen of the United States - a Mexican citizen, now a United States citizen. - George W. Bush