The Edmonton Symphony.

This past long weekend has been packed with activity. I ran into Chelsea while walking Dougal today and she thanked me for dinner on Friday... that dinner feels like it was a month ago already.

I wrote about going to Symphony Under the Sky with my mom and Dexter the other day. Since he was going for a sleepover at my parents' place afterward, we drove because the car was loaded up with Dexter supplies.

I was happy to take in another show titled Simply Sinatra on Sunday night sans baby. We live very close to Hawrelak Park where the festival takes place - the best way to get there is by bike. Going there is particularly fun because it's all downhill. Wee! That's the sound I make in my head whenever I'm going downhill really fast.

I wore a silk cat scarf from MOMA. Good for warmth and oddball style.




Evenings are getting cool here. Needed to wear jeans (nothing but the wide-legged kind for me) and in the picture up there is my sweater on the rear rack with a bungee. Stuck a blanket in the pannier and I was ready to go. That waterproof pannier was key, since we rode home just as a big storm started spattering about.

It was great to get out without the baby as a couple. I go out often without baby D because Don is more than happy to take over the mom duties in my absence. However, Don and I being able to go out together without the baby obviously doesn't happen as often as it used to. We took the bikes down to the park and it was glorious. Found Raffaella who had reserved a space for us on the grass, spread out the picnic blanket, then went around the park creeping on unsuspecting audience members. The ESO (Edmonton Symphony Orchestra) is having a photo contest for the festival, figured I could contribute since I had the camera anyway.

Some shots from the evening!

Don was so tired from working on the new stairs at the front of our house, he needed a second wind so here he is nursing a cup of coffee (mel, this one is for you).




The line for hot dogs was monumental. We decided to wait until the performance began to get our eats. Don was starving so he ate popcorn in the meantime.




Miss Ashley who was also at the dim sum earlier that day.




Our shoes snuggling together. You can't see them, but my "bike shoes" have heels.




Steve Lippia was the featured soloist, singing all the Sinatra classics you can think of. I interviewed him for Vue magazine years ago when he had a gig here. Nice guy, loves to sing, has a great voice that is sort of like a time machine. His banter in between songs was largely preoccupied with Las Vegas, his home base. There were lots of anecdotes about the weather or about gambling, and all I could think of was the time I was in Las Vegas (I think I was 12 or so) and a prostitute wearing lots of gold lamé solicited my grandpa. Gross.

Banter aside, the music was swinging and feel good. It was also great to hear the orchestra changing styles - so versatile!

Very funny. On the way back home the storm was just getting started and there was rain and wind flying all over the place. Don and I were climbing the hill and ended up totally passing people on mountain bikes. We're talking special outdoor wear and lots of gears. Just goes to show a 3 speed cruiser (I was on the Amsterdam and Don was on the Batavus) can hold its own!