Freezing rain had fallen overnight, followed by some snow. I felt better that snow had fallen. At least there would be a bit of traction.

My dad helped remove the snow and freezing rain off my car this morning. That was so nice of him. Driving all the way to work today wasn't bad. I just took it easy. I eventually parked in my regular lot and took the underground pathway to my workplace. I got there just before 09:00.

It was pretty quiet at work. Most managers were at a town hall meeting. Others were late, including the project coordinator. We traded stories about getting to work.

I had a couple of meetings this afternoon. The project coordinator had made a mandarin orange cake for cubicle guy, as today was his birthday. That was sweet of her. We all ate cake and had our meeting, which was nice.

I eventually left work at 17:45, after having changed into a pair of jeans. I first headed to my car to get rid of my bags. I proceeded to head over to Commerce Court to get some money out of the ATM and then had some chicken yakisoba at Edo for dinner. It hit the spot. I then walked over to Kool Haus.

The walk was fine, albeit crisp. I waited briefly in line before going inside. I had to show the security guy my digital camera. He was nice. I then talked to my friend on my phone and sent an e-mail to my friends on a typo I had made about our plans to eat and drink tomorrow.

I'm guessing the show started at 20:00. I wasn't really paying much attention. I was enjoying my Malibu coconut rum and coke.

Teitur came on and improvised his first tune, without playing his guitar. It was nice. He then played several songs. "Louie Louis" was wonderful, in honour of Louis Armstrong, as it was revealed to us all at the end. His interpretation of "Great balls of fire" was beautiful. He had a great sense of humour, saying that he's be by the merchandise section to sign "body parts."

After his set, I went over to the merchandise table to look at the goods. I then chatted for a bit before going back to see KT Tunstall.

She was hilarious. She's kind of like Jann Arden -- mingling with the crowd with her wisecracks and singing such incredible songs. Most of her songs came from her latest songs, although "Black horse and the cherry tree" demonstrated her creative with her loop pedal, which is kind of synonymous with her. She ended the show with "Suddenly I see," which got the crowd in overdrive.

"I don't want you know" had a special meaning to me. It was a fun night out, particularly with a couple of Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans.

Here's the review from the The Toronto Star:

Tunstall could have a career in comedy TheStar.com - entertainment - Tunstall could have a career in comedy

November 23, 2007

Ashante Infantry
Pop & Jazz Critic By her own definition KT Tunstall is hopeless. "It usually means doing something you really enjoy," said the Scottish singer/songwriter in her introduction to a song so titled during her Kool Haus show last night. That her powerful, slightly raspy voice sounded exactly the same as it does on recordings was a pleasant surprise. But the real discovery was how funny the 32-year-old performer is. Accompanied by two backup vocalists and percussionist, and clad in a miniskirt and short boots with funky tights and a T-shirt proclaiming "I'm With The Band," Tunstall was in fine fettle, cracking wise throughout the 90-minute set, serving up backstories to her tunes and singing "Happy Birthday" as an Irish jig for a stagehand. The half-filled venue suggests that the Tunstall has a more modest following than those other UK exports du jour, despite her inaugural album having sold nearly four million copies worldwide and having songs featured on Grey's Anatomy and performed on American Idol. Her introspective tunes fall between the soulfulness of Amy Winehouse and Corrine Bailey Rae and the pop renderings of James Blunt and Lily Allen, but she's equally talented. The highlight of the show was when Tunstall performed alone, just playing guitar in styles she described as "old strummy strummy " (on "Ashes," which also saw her imitating a trumpet solo) and "new pick picky" (on "Paper Airplane"). While most of the night's selections, such as "If Only," "White Bird" and "Funnyman," hailed from this year's Drastic Fantastic, there were a few gems from her 2004 breakout debut Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the blues-stomp hit "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See" (used in The Devil Wears Prada film). The music was well-executed, but it was her sassy asides that stole the show. "You might appreciate this more than other nations," she said. "Interviewers are always telling me that I'm known for being very feisty. I say `Thank you, (the Toronto artist Leslie Feist) is a f------ brilliant guitarist." As the concert wound up, by way of launching into the nip-and-tuck commentary "Saving Face," she asked whether anyone in the audience had had plastic surgery. "That's a healthy response," she said of the laughter that ensued. "In New York City, half the crowd went quiet and the other half said `Me.' "One guy yelled out that I should get breast implants ... I'm quite happy with little handfuls," noted the singer, adding that she was looking forward to her grey years when she could wear slippers all day and eat chips for breakfast.

The show must have ended at around 22:30 or so. I left the venue and headed west along Queens Quay. The walk was brisk and the wind had died down. Still, it was a bit nippy.

I got a bit lost using PATH, the underground walkway. Luckily, someone at the security desk of one of these buildings helped me get out of the joint.

I found my car in the parking lot and sat down. I drove myself to the nearest ticket vending machine to pay for parking. I then drove home, taking the DVP-highway 404 combination. It was nice to not drop the president's son whenever we used to go out to such event. I liked getting home sooner.

I arrived home at 23:40. I was so glad I didn't have to pack my lunch for tomorrow. Instead, I showered and checked my e-mail out before calling it a night just before 02:00.

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Song that's stuck in my head: KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I see"
Yummy food eaten today: Chicken yakisoba
What I crave: Coconut rum and coke

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