mike_campbell's blog

Hallo Gentle Reader,

It is coming up on the merry month of September and, while I'm lamenting the disappearance of August, I'm here to remind you that summer is, technically, not over until September 21st AND September is known as a very lovely month in our fair province - hurricanes notwithstanding - so we do have a lot more nice days to look forward to, I think (hope, pray, etc. etc.).

I'm torn at the moment. I've spent the better part of the "summer" bitching about how awful the weather has been - easily the worst season I've ever seen in this town - and now that I'm cautiously optimistic about the start of August, I'm choked because, well, it's August! And August heralds the END of the summer... Oh well, I guess I should just accept that it's almost time for some clown to start counting down the days to Christmas and allow myself to try to enjoy the sun while it's here.

I patiently waited through the weather hell that was June to get to the month of July and how was I rewarded, dear reader? I'll tell you. I was rewarded with more of the same!!! I have officially stopped watching the Weather Network and turn off the radio when the forecast is about to happen. I find myself apologizing to visitors to the city - as though it were my fault - and struggle to get out of bed in the morning. I am as pissed about this as you are, believe me.

OK, summer has offically arrived - at least as far as the calendar is concerned - and I, for one, am seriously not going to mourn seeing the last of this ridiculous June. Good riddance, I say! The streets and lawns of the city are waterlogged, we're suffering from seasonal affect disorder syndrome (SADS) due to lack of sunshine and i'm seeing insects in my backyard the likes of which would make a National Geographic photographer drool... Not cool at all, my friends, not cool at all...

Technically, summer isn't due to arrive before June 21st, so I guess I shouldn't really be disappointed with the spring's performance so far - but I am! However, it's come to my attention that June 21st is not that far away and I am waiting - like a 3 year-old on Christmas Eve - for the sun to start kicking some lily-white ass. Let's keep the fingers crossed that'll happen sooner, rather than later...

As much as I hated to leave Halifax just when the weather was starting to get civilized, I'm awfully glad I made the trip to Toronto. My primary reason for going - Joel Plaskett with The Emergency, Family & Friends at Massey Hall - was an unmitigated triumph. Oh, and I was in the front row, just so you know the full extent of the awesomeness... Too many highlights of the show to mention but there are already a few fun things on YouTube if you care to explore.

Wouldn't you know it, the weather forecast - if I'm to believe all combined media outlets - is telling me it's going to be the first truly sensational weekend of the Spring and I'm going to be... in Toronto! I'd be pissed about that if not for the fact that the reason I'm going is to see Joel Plaskett in my favourite venue in the world - Massey Hall!

I'm starting to wrap my head around the fact that we're going to make it through our first year. This might seem like a no-brainer to those of you who've been our loyal customers. I'm assuming that you've appreciated what we're trying to accomplish and you've cut us some slack when we've needed it.

I'm talking about the good weather, of course. And I haven't quite made up my mind about the premature advent of Daylight Savings Time. On the one hand, I appreciate the extra hour of "sun" but I can't help feeling like it's cheating somehow and it will come back to bite us in the collective ass...

I stood outside The Carleton last night (February 19th - Steve Poltz's birthday) - in shirtsleeves, I might add - wondering why the media insists on ramping up the fear factor every time we get some snow. Honestly, listening to the radio yesterday you'd have thought future civilizations would be finding our frozen bones centuries from now. Half the businesses on Argyle were closed, as were the malls(!) and every other damn thing.