And indeed, here I am, on Saturday morning in gray warm Toronto. You may wonder why I'm still here - it's fairly simple. My mom is still unable to really get out to do errands by herself, and so I have to stay here until she feels and in fact is able. I got Marcello's notarized passport page yesterday in the mail, so I can finally start to put together my visa, and in the meantime I am working as an English tutor and hopefully will be paid enough soon to really get things going.

Psychologically, bit by bit I am saying goodbye not just to Toronto but to North America itself. I was at the dentist's yesterday (my root canal from last October is almost done now and it hurts in a dull way this morning) and explained it all roughly to the assistant - yes, I'm moving to London. I'm not, unless on vacation, coming back, not any time soon, anyway. I will have to cope with new money, new slang, new rules, new ideas. My mind isn't Londonized just yet, but it is ready, and living in Toronto is now like a working vacation. I am here; I am doing things; but really my heart is elsewhere, it has been for a long time. I will have a going-away party once I have a clear idea of when I am going, and I still have things to sort out (books, mainly, and it'd be nice to get some new clothes as well)...but one by one, things are coming into shape. Boxes and boxes of books (as my mom is moving out of here as well, after me) are going out the door, bound for UC. A realtor game to sell a 'vintage' apartment came by and is on our side. After many medical problems, things are starting to straighten out and get better...my mom has a walker with wheels, and I (besides the dentistry & having to see my doctor again) am fine...

And in the meantime, I'm still buying cds. OH yes. Not listening to them (I can only really listen to something with Marcello now) but most certainly buying...I was going to post one of those neat graphics of all the albums I'd gotten recently but the site (frazy) has turned into the rather useless stylem, so I will try to figure out another way. For now, a rough list:

Home Before Dark, Neil Diamond
Cleopatra Grip, The Heart Throbs
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
Parallel Play, Sloan

The Diamond was a must after listening to an interview with him on BBC Radio 2 - you could tell he was an extrovert pushing himself to become an introvert in order to write - something that he finds scary and yet thrilling - his working process being to cut off all media and just do three things - write, eat, sleep. (Just like Scott Walker!) He really bares himself here, digging deep to express not just feelings but layers of them...

Sloan is Sloan and as long as Mandrew is aboard, I'm listening.

Lil Wayne is new to me - I don't play v. close attention to hip hop I'll admit - but he is worth it.

The Heart Throbs - this I used to have on tape (I have to go through tons of tapes before I leave to see if I still have it) - UK, female-fronted, not really this or that - I've never seen a picture or video of them, but I know the meaning of the album title. HA! They have another album but I don't know if Marcello has it or not...

Today - I have to go get groceries, chat with Marcello via Facebook while listening to Capital Gold's countdown show, and maybe even go out after that to see what's up at Amaroso (a new used cd place on St. Patrick just at Queen) and Penguin. More music and news as things warrant. And thanks for reading!