Cooking With Gas

On Wednesday there was a gas explosion in a house not too far from here. The house was completely destroyed, a gas company technician was badly burned, and the home owner is missing (i.e. dead)... Scary stuff and a sad result. The woman's two young children apparently go to the same daycare as Sheryl's grandson. The technician was in the process of relocating the gas meter when the accident occurred. I had similar work done in my own house a few years ago, but in the context of a neighbourhood-wide replacement of the gas pipelines.

We have also experienced a serious gas leak, about a year ago out in the street a few houses away, but not during installation. Our leak was triggered months after our pipeline replacement by a careless excavator whose equipment pierced the main line. Evacuations and everything.

Still love my gas stove though... I didn't get the TV commercial by the way, but I'm on hold now for the magazine photo shoot.

Chris was home with me today as it was a Professional Development day at school, so we got his hair cut and a photo taken for a new passport. We also met my mother for lunch. She's in town while my step-father is having a pacemaker installed. It all went well and they're spending the night at my sister's while he recovers a bit.

Listening to: The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash from American IV: The Man Comes Around.

The Kindness of Strangers

Today, without warning, a wildcat transit strike left 700,000 Torontonians to find their own way home. In the middle of our first smog alert/heat wave too! The temperature hit 34 degrees this afternoon. That's 94 in American.

I spent a sweaty afternoon voluntarily riding around town, which in retrospect isn't so smart when there's a smog alert. At the end of the day I met my photographer friend Adrian, who wanted to take some more photos for the portfolio he's building for me. I was wearing a business suit and tie in the still-hot sun, coyly holding my cell phone and sweating almost as fast as I could dab it away.

After a couple of thirst quenching beers in The Distillery District followed by a quick Vietnamese dinner I drove home to walk Barkley. Being an honourable canine he has so far left my floors un-blemished, but a dog has needs...

So why were pedestrians waving at me as I drove by? Oh yeah - 8:30 PM and office workers were still trudging home in the heat! As soon as I realised that their hopeful gestures weren't a recognition of my impending stardom I stopped and filled my car with hot, tired huddled masses and drove them as far north as I could.

Listening to: Lonely in Your Nightmare by Duran Duran from Rio.