Gettin into the Groove or the Rothko rant

After awhile on the road driving is the norm.  I miss my car when it's out of sight, I worry about it as though it were a child. This is how I felt with my car in an underground parking garage in Toronto.  I spent two days in Toronto, not near enough to get much of a feel for the place.  Yet it reminded me of a lot of other fairly large cities.  I walked around quite a lot, a homeless man asked me very seriously what I thought he should do for a career.  I took him in, studied him, saw that he was high on something but also sincere and said, "Something in Social/ Human Services where you could help people."  "Yes" he said, "I've often thought of being a social worker." 
I enjoyed the Ago Art Museum although it was all a bit underwhelming because I started with a special exhibit, "Abstract Expressionist New York", it was all on loan from the MOMA.  Ha!  I had to laugh and I had to see it of course.  Although I have been to the MOMA many times and certainly abstract expressionism is a movement I am very much inclined towards, there were paintings there that I had not seen.  A whole room of Rothko, starting with some earlier paintings that had some figures. 
Let me say that again, a whole room of Rothko.  So pretty much everything else I did paled in comparison to the WHOLE ROOM OF ROTHKO. 

Early Rothko with Figures

There was another whole room of Rothko years ago when I was studying in London at the Tate Modern.  I would go there often and just sit, totally absorbed with tears at times rolling down my cheeks.  Rothko should always be a whole room.  Never mashed up against various other artists.  This is how the Rothko painting at the RISD Museum is displayed.  I still take it in for ages, but it's not as whelming. 

Wishful Drinking starring Carrie Fisher!

Oh but this also cracked me up, take a look what was playing on Toronto's "Broadway".

Bruce Peninsula

From Toronto I took a long drive to the Bruce Peninsula.  Very very cool place.  Not terribly unlike the coast of Maine except for the main difference being that it's on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.  It does have kinda the same feel.  Camped there for a 3 nights at the Canadian National Park Campground which is situated on an interior lake which was far warmer than Georgian Bay or Lake Huron.  It counts as washing if you swim in the lake right?  National Parks generally do not have showering facilities. 
Also spent a bit of time in Tobermory right on the tip of the Peninsula then jumped on the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry and crossed over Georgian Bay and then headed through Southern Ontario toward the US Border. 

And now dear friends the coffee shop is closing so I'll leave it there for now, but aren't you glad I figured out how to upload the pictures from my phone.  I know I am. 

Traveling is tiring

Duh.
I am going to need to start a regime of high energy foods if I'm going to make it another 5 weeks.  9 days into my trip and I'm dragging.  Nonetheless. 
I very much enjoyed Quebec City, despite how touristy it is.
Montreal was not for me, far too vast, although I know there is a lot happening there.
Ottawa is quite nice, but just a short visit here just the same. 
Today back into the car and heading to Toronto, a long drive for sure. 
Saw a play last night that was part of the Ottawa fringe festival, it happened to be playing in a very cool arts center just next door to where I was staying.  It will remain nameless only because it was absolutely terrible.  It used tennis as a metaphor for a relationship with your boyfriend/girlfriend and demonstrated this exactly.  It was interminable and didn't have a scene break I could sneak out during.  I also felt bad because there were eight people in the audience and the actors were trying so hard.  Alas, they probably enjoyed themselves though, likely they even thought the script was cute and funny.  Horrendous! 
Ah well, I'm glad to know there is absolutely terrible theatre north of the border as well.  I'm sure it would have done well at the New York Fringe too. 
Alright back into the car for seven hours.
Thank you to my dear, dear friend who gave me several audiobooks.  Thank you, thank you.

Maine on up into Canada

Maine was amazing and I think if I hadn't booked things in Canada already I would have ended up staying there for ages, but I guess it was good I did because I'm also really enjoying Canada.
Driving up highway 201 through Northern Maine there is a town called The Forks, population 30.  That really struck me.  Thirty people in a town.  That's just an extended family really.  But as a town.  Think of it what you will.
Made my way into Canada and up to Quebec City.  Wonderful walled in city.  Completely geared towards tourists but somehow that seems ok here.  It's not as aggressive as that sort of thing can be.  On my way to Montreal today.
It's hard not to be exhausted all the time or surprised to see my honda civic with the Mass plates and the Cape Cod Beer sticker in this foreign city.  I supposed being slightly confused about one's location is the mark of a traveler, never really getting accustomed to one place before one moves on.
I was on a guided tour of Quebec City yesterday and in the group there was a couple from Connecticut.  After introducing ourselves and saying where we were from, the woman said to me, "I wondered where Cape Codder's go on vacation.  They head north, I guess."  "Yes that seems to be right" I said.  "We head North."  (Well in the summer anyways.)

New Things and New Places

The big, big, biggest news of all is that, Sleeping Weazel Inc. has emerged and will be weazeling it's way around Boston and Providence in the near future.
So much more on this soon, but do make sure you look out for this amazing theatre company that will be expanding theatre and blowing your mind very soon.

In other news, this particular playwright will be taking off tomorrow morning on a six week journey through the U.S. and Canada.  I'll be posting what I come across along the way, theatrical or otherwise.