All I Want Is All I Need (Part 6)

I am a walker. Honestly, I love walking- rain or shine, hot or cold, day or night, absolutely smashed or sober as a bird- I derive so much pleasure from walking. Listening to and observing the sights and sounds of the city, absorbing- things I think most of us take for granted. And the whole notion of the taxi- forget about it. I'll pass on paying to get chubs, thank you very much.

There is, however, one machine that, if I were to suddenly to come into possession of it (my upcoming birthday, perhaps), might alter my perception of walking...

I have wanted a Vespa for ages. And I figure with my lack of skills behind the wheel of an automobile (I'm a fun driver, if not safe), perhaps a Vespa would be a good jumping off point? There is just something so wonderfully cosmopolitan, so very European about driving a Vespa. Two summers ago, while shopping in Paris, I was lucky enough to witness some young French aristocrat, in a shawl-collar cardigan over a v-neck tee, motor his navy blue Vespa to the entrance of Le Bon Marche and nonchalantly stroll into the department store to do some serious damage, no doubt. Ah, yes...how I envision myself motoring down Bloor to Holt's, creepers similarly gawking at my vision of nobility as I nonchalantly stroll inside to find more objects to add to All I Want Is All I Need... 

Up until last night, in all of my nearly 21 years, I had never attended a concert. I've had the pleasure of witnessing many DJs "spin", and some indie bands do their thing at small Toronto bars, but I had never attended one of those massive, pyrotechnic undertakings filled with the thousands of screaming fans of the headliners, who help define the music of a generation. Like I said, I hadn't been...until last night.

My great International Gypsy friend N surprised me a few days ago by inviting me to The Killers concert at The ACC. A friendship with one of the band members had developed through some of her New York exploits, and she was offered a few tickets for the show. Along for the ride were M and M, and after a few pre-drinks in the underground at Union Station and the lobby of the ACC (aka light vodka Rockstars- and was that N with a mickey of Finlandia?- ever-so-discretely sipped behind LCBO paper bags aka homeless styles), we settled into our seats- 4th row right-stage (did I get that right?). We ordered some drinks, danced the night away (WHY would you come to The Killers concert and sit in your seats the whole time? Really, some people boggle my mind), and belted out our fave tunes. The concert ended with my personal favorite, When You Were Young.

The night wasn't over yet though! N had also procured some backstage passes, and we hung out with the band backstage. Expecting a hardcore after-party, I was instead somewhat pleasantly surprised to find that the band members were...ummm...average? Hardly the "rockstars" I'd figured they would be. After some stiff drinks, exploration (the food table's "special order" was a box of Coffee Crisps which, according to one band member, do not exist in the U.S.), and generally hanging out backstage for a while, M and I left for a little drunken action at Andy Poolhall.  When we were young...

Resolution

So I've taken quite the sabbatical from blogging, but it's a new year and I'm inspired!!

Being the marvelous Aquarian that I am, I naturally found it very intriguing to learn from M, my very good friend and an arm-chair astrologist, that 2009 is supposed to bring me oodles of luck and prosperity. This is excellent news...God knows I could make do with a little bit of luck!!

And though I don't necessarily agree with the whole concept of the New Year's resolution (that is, deciding to make a personal change at one specified time of year as opposed to constant growth), I've nevertheless "resolved" to make a number of alterations in my life, and so this- accompanied by my purported year of luck- I think sets me up for nothing but success. Trust I'll keep you posted!