Penny-unwise

Sooo - went to see the one, the only, Pennywise last night. Tyler finished class at about half 8 (pm. crazy canadians) and we met shortly after to trek the half hour or so to the other side of campus to the Ctrain station [it's an LRT, like the tube overground, and more confusing and less regular], where we waited for some tiiime. Eventually we got downtown and made it to Flames Central at about 10 - which was the venue, it's where the city's Hockey team play - got to the door and realised I'd forgotten my mother-fudging ID. NICE ONE BRUVAAA! so I bid Tyler adieu and legged it back to the Ctrain, ran up the entire main drag in downtown cos it is the MOST CONFUSING THING EVER (it's really not, but I was hot and sweaty from doing my annual amount of exercise in 5 minutes and the thought, "you spent $36 to miss Pennywise you moron" was going round and round in my head muddling things up.) Jumped on the first train, then started asking a guy on the platform if I was on the right one. Got a little bit stuck in the doors, classy as ever, then jumped off. The 'helpful' man/utter cretin told me I had to go on foot to the next station, so I ran 3 blocks before realising the tracks which definitely went to the university were equally definitely turning off the main road before 'the next station'. So I whimpered and swore and sweated some more and then turned around and JAYWALKED SO MUCH MWAHAHAHA running back. Some nice and genuinely helpful girl gave me real instructions and I eventually wheezed my way back to the orginal station I left from. Where my good friend and advisor was still standing. It turned out he was waiting for the same train I was, just to a different stop. I stripped off various layers and sat and seethed and panted giving him intense death stares, urging my Matilda skills to tip him in front of the eventually arriving train. They failed. While sprinting around I'd called a taxi company and got told from Downtown to Uni would be $35. Hows about no. So when I was on the train I desperately called around for a cheaper one, eventually getting a quote from a nice Indian chap for $16 or so, who I wasn't completely sure understood what I was saying. As I sprinted across campus feeling like my chest may explode I rang him again to book a taxi back, only to be told my cab was waiting at the library. Turned out my accidental booking actually saved me lots of time and despite numerous calls as I ran he only got to my halls as I emerged - having scared the crap out of my roommate, bursting in, bawling something about ID and running out.

On finding out I was British ("you're from Australia yes?") the, also nice and Indian, cab driver asked me if I knew the Edgware Road, did I know the McDonald's. Oh yeah. THE McDonald's. Apparently his nephew [insert name I didn't catch and probably can't pronounce let alone spell] is the Manager. I'll be sure to say hi...

I'd asked him to put the back window down so I could stick my head out of the window like a dog and cool down, which did make our friendly conversation slightly problematic so eventually I sat down properly, and then the doors locked. And the window went up. And he asked how old I was, and turned the light on and turned around. While driving. Oh good, another excellent element to my adventure. But then the window went down. And then up. And then down. And the doors locked. and unlocked. So apparently he just didn't quite understand the controls in his car. Or was showing off. And it turned out he'd turned the light on so he could start writing something in his notebook. While driving. Of course. So yes, it turned out I hadn't really needed to start calculating how hard I could kick him in the face in my awesome new boots if I needed to. I could've taken him. ANYWAY - the hero got me to the stadium I tipped him cos I made it and also I didn't have TIME to wait for change, so looked like a big spender chucking a 20 at him. PLAYAAAAA.

Pennywise were fucking epic - shame I missed The Riverboat Gamblers, but it was worth everything to see Pennywise.

Emily Crick this song is for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbTeOWeaYXk One of the happiest moments ever when they played it. The crowd was loose enough to get to the front, happy enough to mosh in and get headbutted in the face by a headbanging dreadlocked man AND LOVE EVERY SECOND, and kind enough to pick people up when they went down. Which thanks to the massive glass window/emblem thing in the centre of the polished floor, which was beery (from the inevitable spilt drinks that come from close proximity of drinks to pit) and as slippery as an icerink covered in banana skins. I have never seen so many people on their arse at a gig, and of course if one person goes down 3 people fall over them. It was hilarious, people trying to rock out and just sliding over every 2 seconds. All on this specific circle of floor. Made the gig even better.

Got back about 1, fried an egg, healed my bruises with South Park [oh, it's on] and then hit the hay ready for my 9:30 Anthropology class. On the way back from which, I genuinely overheard this exchange

"Hey man!"

"Hey!"

"Where you goin?"

"Class - I'm late, so I'll holla atchy'all later!"

Deadly serious. Deadly Canadian.

LOVE IT. It's Thursden tonight, big night in the singular bar on campus The Den. I'm excited for the infamous No Pants Dance, where they play Journey's epic classic Don't Stop Believing and everyone drops trou and dances. This better be real and not some trick that's being played on me. Because I am doing it.

Peace out wolfpack...x