The Freston Wizard

Following on from the prior post, I suppose the plan was to continue with the update of eventful recent days.  Following the return from NL, it was perhaps the most engaging Energy Law class of the season and a sprint around the city for some paraphernalia (nice spelling) to support the Jays in Game 1 at the SkyDome (Rogers Centre just does not seem right).  The Bringer of Rain shirt proved perfect, and enhanced by the acquisition of the red ballcap in Chinatown with Uncle K the following day.  It was an excellent day out - the Kensington market, the wandering of the streets around the Stransky conference to grab Marina, and then the subway trip down.  I still have two tokens left, so hopefully that means two more live games...  It would be a shame for the run to end here, and that's why this afternoon has been so unproductive in terms of focusing.  You almost feel like that Game 7 against Houston just has to get played, so if only the luck can run that far.

Spare a word for Oktoberfest in Kitchener as well.  So many children and such a strange sense of family all so close to a single childhood home.  It is wonderful and yet a bit claustrophobic in so many ways.  I do love the Jungle garage - many momentos there and something to aspire to down the line as part of the next place by the ocean.  A lot of ideas and great to see the whole crew.  Plus the purchase of the lederhosen in Dartmouth added a real bonus in terms of what to be thankful for - that the world still has the power to draw such tenuous connections from the past into the future in intricate and inspiring ways.  Ein Prosit.

And then to Calgary and the mountains.  Renewing old acquaintances on the Grassi walk up to see the rock climbers in those unfathomably majestic mountains.  Such memories of the first visit in 2000, and the triumphant return in 2005.  Great to see the mother-to-be doing well, and experience the wonder of childhood laughter, rock throwing, and reading the bedtime stories.  How tiring and all-encompassing it must be though, such sacrifice.  The ridiculousness and randomness of that exact trip itself an illustration of the consequences available in not going in that direction.  It is good to be uncle, in other words.

How to kill an hour, I thought.  More procrastination on the fuel-related front as you wait for a key decision out of Commerce.  The joy of passing off the lecturing duties tonight to a colleague offered the time, which was well spent lining up a perfect 26 hour sojourn back to St. John's that shall no doubt encompass the Duke for Arsenal, the finest dining of Mallard Cottage, and the best view of the harbour in all the city.  Ah me.  It will be made all the more interesting if there is an ALCS game of interest that night as well.  Stunning to think it is just a week away, and then consigned to the past.

Part of the procrastination involved the watching of ill-fated and crazed poker hands, with the favourite of all being the Spanish installment where one hand was accidentally flipped.  Alfredo continued with the betting to the end, betting his full house into an obviously better one and the commentator's lines about the Freston Wizard clouding his mind were genius.  As wikipedia quotes,   Friston the magician (El Sabio Frestón) is an imaginary character who Quixote imagines as the thief of his books and the enchanter of the windmills.  What a wonderful way to get exposed to that ancient beauty.

4:59PM.  Off to catch the first few innings.  Let the dream continue boys.  Give us bandwagoners a few more games at least.