tardy 2008 entries

I certainly haven't been blogging much, especially since I've been working.

Need to find a happy median here. I miss the blogging and the little writing it entails.

My dream job took a tumble into the darkness in the new year when four of six top managers were unceremoniously discarded. The least said about that scenario the better. The best that can be said is that we seem to be heading back towards some light -- and that I'm not in management.

On the brighter side, I have been taking salsa classes since the new year and am beginning to feel as if I can actually fake a dance. It's fun and I've signed up for another five weeks.

And, this week, after many tours of furniture stores, I will be ordering a fine Italian bed -- with storage! It will take two months from time of ordering, but is worth the wait and long overdue.

I put in for an extra day off for this upcoming Easter weekend and will be heading to the Windsor/Detroit area to see my brothers and their families. I haven't seen most of them since Christmas, so it is an anticipated trip.

And even though I actually love all the snow we've had this winter (and can't get over the way Toronto is so anti-snow) -- spring's time is due and fidgeting in the wings.

St. Pat's in Motown

Photo by: detroitirish

I'm feelin' downright nostalgic for the cold-weather parades I occasionally attended in Detroit city with my dad. He had a warehouse on Michigan Ave. about a block from the now-empty Tiger Stadium -- which is still standing, but who knows for how much longer.

The area is part of the historical district of Corktown, but for the most part Michigan Ave. is wide and empty and derelict with small pockets of activity. The neighbourhood, however, still has some bustling Irish pubs and sports bars.

The best part of the parades of mostly Irish folk -- or folks pretending to be Irish -- were the school bands from Detroit. Usually the weather was frigid, unlike last year as can be seen in the photo.

We would line the streets bundled against the cold, keeping warm with coffee and hot chocolate, and the Detroit school bands would strut by with major attitude in their summer marching uniforms.

Proud and smart and funky, they were the best marching bands I've ever seen.

I'm going to head to Toronto's St. Pat's Day parade tomorrow. I need a pick-me-up and the weather promises to be sunny.

But, I'll miss that Motown beat.