I am just returned from a short visit to family in Sudbury. I flew Porter Airlines from Windsor, arriving Thursday evening, and returned home on Sunday evening. All flights go through Toronto, so I had an overlay each way. Lynne, my brother's wife, picked me up in Sudbury Thursday night. Friday morning was the funeral of my aunt, so I was able to see and talk with a number of family. It was a Catholic mass, my least favourite kind of funeral. I've been fortunate lately to have attended some very well prepared send-offs, involving talks by friends about the deceased, often including photo and slide displays. It was great to see so many family members all in one place; however, it tends mostly to be at funerals. Last May's celebration of Mom's 90th birthday was a happy exception.
My aunt, sister to my mother.
Typical Sudbury landscape, this one right behind the church where the funeral was held.
Sunday was my younger brother's birthday, but the party was Saturday night. Whenever I call him on his birthday, there is always the loud din of a wild party going on in the background/foreground. This year I finally got to find out what goes on at these bacchanals. The party started a bit early, with Steve, Dad and I going to a new cafe downtown. It is housed in the former showroom of a downtown car dealership, and features art deco design and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the main street. The owner was once a newspaper photographer, and the theme is definitely photographic. Called Cafe Obscura, he also sells film and film cameras. Pretty cool! After coffee, the three of us went to a brewpub called Spacecraft, where we sampled the wares. Again, it is a very cool interior, and the beer on offer was varied and of high quality. Three beers were made in house, and there was a large guest tap list.
Me, Dad, and brother Steve (alias Captain James T. Kirk) at Spacecraft Brewery, Sudbury.
Dad and Steve had a Tractor Beam Kolsch. I was a bit more experimental, trying their IPA, the Lazerhosen Dunkel, the Black Hand Stout, and a pumpkin ale. All good, and vegan food was on offer. Vegan food is very popular in Sudbury.
I watched hockey with Steve, played cribbage with Dad, and talked with Mom. Lynne, Steve's wife, wasn't feeling too well. I saw Emma Lee sometimes, but like most kids, she is addicted to screens of all variety. It snowed Saturday night, and it is snowing all day Monday in Amherstburg as I write this. On the flights and in Sudbury, I managed to read a fairly large SF novel by Sherri Tepper, which was pretty fascinating. Called After Long Silence, and also The Enigma Score, it kept me glued to the pages for many an hour. I am now back to reading authors related to the Avon/Equinox series, currently being involved with a very funny novel by Barry Malzberg.
I managed to practice some piano pieces this morning, but there is also some shovelling of snow in my near future.
Mapman Mike
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