The weather forecasts in southern Ontario throw me off. Yesterday, it was predicted that it would rain in the afternoon and continue throughout the night. I was not liking that, for I would be outside for the evening. This morning, on the radio, it said that it would be cloudy. I got so confused that I brought both my raincoat and my hooded sweatshirt with me.

Anyway, I worked on help files all morning. It has been a pretty good work week as far as hearing myself think again. I will miss this as of Monday morning.

I find it odd that folks have to comment on how quiet it is this week. Take the controller's assistant (CA), for instance.

"What did you do with everyone?" CA asked me
"Absolutely nothing," I replied.
"It's so quiet here," she remarked.
"Yep. Don't jinx it," I stated.

For me, I savour such moments. I write for a living. Behind me are sales guys who are constantly on the phone. I sit next to my old department, who talk about administrative and financial tasks. It is not the ideal work environment for me, but I do the best I can.

I had lunch at my desk, worked some more, and quietly left work at 14:30. The president's son (PS) was just ahead of me, walking towards my car. It's better that we meet that way, rather than him waiting impatiently by my desk. I wished the accounts payable woman a great weekend, for today was her Friday.

So, we got in my car and drove along highway 401 at 15:30, which happens to be the start of rush hour. I was going to see how long this was going to take me to get to Guelph. I took the express lanes first. We avoided an accident and fairly heavy congestion in the collectors. Traffic did have its heavy moments for us. We got to highway 46 in roughly an hour's time.

I was really getting hungry. We stopped at Manhattan's for dinner. We shared the most amazing gourmet pizza there. The thin-crusted, whole wheat Holiday pizza (it's a restaurant with jazz performances at night) was superb. We ordered the medium and it was huge! For starters, we had the grilled steak skewers, which were yummy.

The owner came over and asked how we were doing as he was lighting up candles. I love this joint. I should go back when there's a jazz act there.

Service was slower than normal here, but it was worth the drive just to dine in there and take it easy. Had we actually driven ten minutes further north, we would have hit the fast food joints. I'm glad we didn't.

Directions to get to Fergus were simple. We found the Fergus community centre. PS paid $5 for parking, which was a steal. We parked, got our gear, and headed over to the grounds. We showed our tickets to see Jann Arden and got wristbands slapped on us.

It was quite the festival, with guys in full Scottish attire, swords that you could purchase, and many stands where you could eat until your heart's content. I had to get a Pogo to snack on. It was yummy. I wasn't hungry. I have a thing for snacking on food at such events. I was tempted to get a whistle, but do I really have time to learn how to play it? I'm still working on learning how to play the harmonica!

There were stands there, which was good. PS had brought a blanket. We covered a bench with it and sat down. It was a clear, comfortable night outdoors.

There were many musical acts playing there in honour of John Allan Cameron, who have contributed to the Canadian country music scene. Jann was there to play for this first-annual benefit, among other musicians and singers.

I was blown away when I heard JP Hoe, a Winnipegger with French and Chinese roots, singing. He was incredible. "Always" was moving. I had to get his CD at the merchandise table. Its cover has a picture of the Provencher bridge. Cool, indeed.

I think Jann came on-stage at nearly 22:00. She kicked off with "Where no one knows me." It was cool to see her again. Her hair is still brown, but it's at her shoulders.

While singing "Wishing that," she had paused for a very long period. She is not known to simply forget lyrics. She went back into the song and then abruptly stopped everything, saying that she "had to stop." She said that she had to slow down her heart, that she was okay, and she'd be back. Silence filled the football field. It was eerie.

A couple of band members can to the rescue, with Graham Powell singing to "Is she really going out with him?" It was a good move. By the end of the song, Jann came back on stage to fans cheering who were simply glad to see her back on stage. She said that she was diagnosed earlier this year with a heart condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. When her heart beats over 230 a minute, she had to lie down to lower the rate and get some oxygen back in her head. She then completed singing "Wishing that."

The show was terrific, complete with her jokes about her bandmates, her parents, and touring with Michael Buble, who is apparently 4'11" and at "crotch height."

Towards the end of the night, she was asking about the folks in the huge beer tend and said we were the most laidback, calm group she had ever seen. As a test, she sang rock and dance songs. There was indeed a difference in energy level.

"Waiting in Canada" has always held a special spot for me. She ended the night with "Cherry popsicle," from the same CD. I was so happy. I love singing to that song on road trips.

The show ended at 23:30. We decided to let the crowd disperse. I was proud of myself for keeping track of the setlist. Here it is. I hope it's correct.

Jann Arden
Fergus Scottish Festival
Setlist

No one knows me
Willing to fall down
Wishing that
Is she really going out with him? (Graham Powell filling in)
Could I be your girl?
Saved
I would die for you
Insensitive
You're so vain
Viva Las Vegas (Maury LaFoy on vocals)
At seventeen
The sound of
Unloved
AC-DC's "Shook me"
Waiting in Canada
Good mother

Encore:
Medley: I will survive / Staying alive / Does your daddy know
Cherry popsicle

There were campers out. We visited the washrooms, which come complete with showers stalls. We were both a tad peckish, so I had a hot dog and PS had a barbequed pork sandwich. That hit the spot.

PS had helped himself to a tissue from the box in my car. He didn't say anything to me about this, except when I had offered a napkin and he said he had a tissue. Too bad he pulled so much tissue out that it was a distraction. I couldn't see out of my back windshield. In Guelph, stopped at a light, I parked the car, got out, and shoved the tissue back in the box. He fell asleep for half the trip from Guelph to nearly Mississauga. I guess this is a slight improvement. Normally, he'd be out for the whole trip.

I was gunning it back. It took me 35 minutes to get from Guelph to his place in Scarborough. I got home at 01:10. I had predicted getting home by 01:30. I was averaging driving at 140 km/h on the 401.

It was a lovely night.

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Song that's stuck in my head: Jann Arden's "Cherry popsicle"
Yummy food eaten today: A Pogo
What I crave: Gourmet pizza

Recent thoughts:
Readings, lights, and random thoughts - 2009-03-15
Thoughts about work, school, and peeps - 2009-03-09
Working from home and a mini life update - 2008-12-19
The weekend is here! - 2008-01-06
A new year - 2008-01-01