So Rachel’s gone home for now. It was wicked-great to have her staying here, but we wound up staying out late on a few too many school nights. Like, Wednesday at Sara’s, where we experienced first-hand the magic of time-shifting and drank Boone’s (I don’t think I even drank Boone’s when I was a teenager!). The added benefit of time-shifting was that we watched CNTM and Big Brother on the Calgary affiliates, so I got in some Calgary newscaster-preview nostalgia.

Brenda: “Gord Gilles!” “Nirmala Naidoo! (formerly Nirmala Naidoo-Hill)!” Everyone else: “…”

Or Thursday, where were the victims of false advertising at O’Grady’s. (Their $3 drink night? Apparently actually a $3 drink period-before-10 PM gouge-fest. I mean, charge $4.50 a drink if you must, but don’t tell me you’re charging me $3 and then switch it up after I’ve paid cover.) And had to hang out with Queen’s people. Now, I’m not trying to run down Queen’s people or the audience of the Jack Kerouac Knapsack Band, but I can’t remember the last time I went to a bar and saw a sea of guys who looked so…preppy. And bland. All the guys were wearing striped golf shirts or short-sleeved button-downs that were like a size too big, with baggy knee-length shorts and some variety of sport sandal. Many had baseball caps, some turned “hilariously” back or the side. I overheard one inappropriately overdressed girl counsel her friend that eating “one solid meal” every day really isn’t enough and aforementioned girl was losing a lot of weight really fast and that she shouldn’t starve herself while I was in the bathroom. Kev (of the possibly soon-to-be-defunct website) made it out though, so that was fun.

Even Friday, our “relaxing night in” turned into “get half-sloshed on Malibu and 10 year-old tawny port and get our asses kicked at cards by Alex’s sober Grade 10-aged brother.”

Saturday we introduced Rach to the magic of fish sandwiches (from the Fish Store on College? perfect summer food) and then saw her to the bus. We saw Prairie Home Companion, which had its moments, but I didn’t love it as much as I thought it would. The cast is one of those cream-your-pants great ensembles — Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilley as singing cowboys? Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin as aging singing sisters? Maya Rudolph? Kevin Kline? The Lohan? — but there was almost too much cast or something. I think a lot of the weaknesses were in the script. Like, it’s behind-the-scenes realism, but then you also have the Virginia Madsen character, who…well let’s just say she was hammering the mortality theme home a little hard. I get what they were doing, but I don’t need my movies to tell me their deep secret themes, Garrison Keillor.

Then we got burritos — highlight: a girl loudly demanding a “halibut quesa-DILL-a”. Which, to be clear, is not a menu item at Burrito Boyz. (Burrito Boyz, incidentally, gets second place in the Toronto burrito-off. Its hugeness and ample guac would have edged it into first if not for my beloved yam option at Big Fat Burrito).

We went home, were full and I fell asleep before 11:30.

Yesterday Alex and I went swimming, made pad thai and listened to the honks.