You know,

[camwyn]

when things get stressful, and the amount of casual hatred, stupidity, and nonsense around you gets to be too much to bear with grace, I find myself thinking of how my parents said 'running away never solves anything'.

Total bupkis. Running away solves the problem of 'how do I go about catching my breath without being repeatedly struck in the solar plexus by the collective fist of Bad Things'.

Of course, for it to work properly, you have to run back once you've got your breath back. Which is why I'm glad to report that Amtrak has informed me they'll be more than happy to carry me straight into the heart of Toronto this October... well, as straight as one can get if one stops in New York, Niagara Falls, and someplace referred to only as CBN along the way... for a very reasonable sum of money indeed. And back again, I hasten to add. Now I just have to work out accommodations and stuff. Not only will I get to see some good friends again, but I'll be able to re-visit the Royal Ontario Museum again, and you know what? The ancient Sichuan pieces I was so fond of will be there through November. Huzzah!

I feel better just thinkin' about it, man. Now to check up on the Dundas Street youth hostel, and other hostels in the city.

Comments

[lwood.livejournal.com]

I have delightful Canadian border-crossing on Amtrak stories to tell you... once you're back and then best delivered in e-mail. Well, best delivered in person, but that's unlikely, so...

-- Lorrie

[camwyn]

Well, considering that the only person I personally know ever to get sent back at the border was riding a Greyhound bus and was one of maybe three American citizens on a bus full of Mexican workers, and he got sent back because he didn't have $600 or a credit card on him (at least, according to the Greyhound people), unless your stories involve cavity searches, they probably can't be that much worse.

Note: this was in Seattle on the way to Vancouver, and while the bus driver, also an American citizen, was a total ass and confiscated this person's return ticket then claimed he'd never seen it, the OTHER Greyhound people were very nice and arranged for the trip back home.

[lwood.livejournal.com]

That sounds bogus as a reason to bounce someone -- the money and credit cards. Then again, Greyhound gets a lower class of clientele than Amtrak, so who can say?

The stories aren't bad, they're just funny ... but for full appreciation there're bits not for public consumption.

-- Lorrie

[just-the-ash.livejournal.com]

Oh no! They have you stopping in the Christian Broadcasting Network!

Seriously... I love the ROM. Only been once. But it was a good time.

[camwyn]

I've been twice. This'll be the second time I'll be seeing an exhibit that stopped at the Met first. Last time was Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids, notable for its life-size statue of the Fat Man of Egypt. (His name was Hemiunu; he was a prince and an architect, and he was sculpted as a seated fat guy, complete with fat-guy chest.) The ROM's the only place I know of that includes a full set of hockey pads in the Hall of Arms and Armor, 'cos dammit, that's armor too...

I gotta bring a better camera this time, though. For the scenery and for the ROM, esp. 'cos you just don't get collections of Korean art like the ROM has anywhere else on this continent.