My View

I’m certain that the summer is going to come to a very abrupt and unwelcome end. So I’ve got to cram as much partying awesomeness into the last weeks of it as I can. I’ve got to live it up before the winter rolls around and I’m firmly cemented indoors by mass quantities of snow. So this being the first weekend after my sister’s wedding, we were open for any and all plans.

I got a text from Joce-force that our crew was around and ready to get down on Friday night. I will drop anything if my dudes are all free, because as I’ve mentioned it happens so rarely that we’re all free on the same night. Karan tried to wuss out at first, saying that he’d only have a few and chill for a bit. But Joce-force wasn’t having any of that. She decreed “get wasted or nothing at all”, an excellent mantra for the night!

So after getting appropriately wasted, we ventured out into the city to wreak further havoc on our lives and livers. We had originally planned to go to Brunswick House a.k.a The Bruny, which is kind of turning into “our bar” as we’ve been there a lot this summer. However, some typical neanderthal bouncer bullshit prevented us from getting in. Apparently, since Karan is brown he is an undesirable candidate for this particular drinking establishment. At least that’s what I surmised from “bro, you like totally can’t come in here, it’s not gonna happen for you tonight”. Fucking bouncers. If they’re not denigrating someone then how else will they know that they’re, like, the coolest most rad dudes in the universe?

So we marched ourselves indignantly into Kilgour’s, the next closest bar, and demanded shots:

Shots! Shots! Shots!

I don’t know that a bartender has ever had such a bizarre experience. Our group of seven walks up to the bar, orders seven shots, slams them back, and then marches right back out. Then we carried right on to Lee’s Palace. Ain’t no stopping us now!

we’re really gonna go in there? You bet!

We got in without hassle, which is exactly what we wanted. As per the nightly itinerary, we then proceeded to go nuts. I’d never been there before, but the Magpie has told me a bunch about this place. And it was definitely everything that it was cracked up to be. The dance floor was packed, the beats were (not my style) but fresh I suppose, and the drinks were cold. You know you’re in the right place though when you see the ramblings of drunkards scrawled all over the bathroom walls:

the writing is on the wall…

Suffice it to say, I was quite hammered at the end of the night.

The following night D and I dusted ourselves off and made a trip out to Parkdale for the Magpie’s birthday party. I had not yet ventured that far west, and I was feeling a bizarre mixture of excitement and apprehension. From the stories I’ve heard, this side of town isn’t for the feint of heart. And honestly, it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. All week leading up to the party I’d been joking to the Magpie that I’d be hella pissed if I got shivved in an alley because all my teeth are real, leading a perp to assume me a profitable target. It was dark, but from what I could see there was a quaintness to the neighbourhood.

The party was a full blown luau, and it was a blast! We met a totally new group of unique and interesting people. We drank like fish, as per usual, and ate delicious bacon wrapped pineapple hors d’oeuvres. Amongst other tasty morsels of course, but the pineapple was the standout for me.

We crammed a whole buttload of partying into this weekend. Fear not, I paid the price for my debauchery. I was left horrendously incapacitated by hangovers on both Saturday and Sunday morning.

However, I have a secret weapon that gets me back on the mend. It’s the gorgeous view I have of the city from my apartment:

breathtaking!

this is at about 8am

We have a sweet corner apartment so I can see a lot of the city from it. Both mornings this weekend I was up very early. So I just popped a couple of Advils and sat down on the V.I.P. balcony sofa soaking it all in. Nothing like a nice cool breeze on your face and a stunning view of the city first thing in the morning.

It’s not just an amazing hangover cure. It’s good for all your troubles! When I’m frustrated, bored, restless, tired, annoyed, or sad I just head out to the balcony. Looking out over the city reaffirms where I am in my life right this moment. I’m instantly reassured by the city that my troubles aren’t so big, and I’m headed in the right direction.

In my quest for the little things that make my day that much brighter, it’s comforting to know that I have the best pick me up right outside my door.