Catching Up: The 007 Party in Toronto

I'm way behind in posts between being forced out of the house for renos and trips to Toronto, Dallas and Edmonton. It's catch-up time, first with my trip to Toronto.

I went down for the surprise birthday party for Steve, my best friend in high school. Steve's whole family are some of the finest people I have ever met, and the whole clan - Alan, Chris, Helen and his mom Marg - were there, complete with various and sundry offspring. Steve turned 49 on 07/07/07, so his wife M.R. planned a 007 party. A number of guests (including me) came as James Bond, complete with tuxedos (and some combination of water pistols, potato guns, very fun confetti guns, unloaded cap guns, and other armament).





The Bond Girls, led by M.R., were my favourite. The reason? Steve various nieces and other hangers on make Ursula Andress look like an ugly weenie.





It was a surprise party for Steve, and yes, he appeared pretty surprised. I don't think he recognized me a first pass (but then neither did his brother Alan). He showed up in a typical Steve outfit of day-glo orange shirt, cargo shorts and bleached hair. But M.R. made him join the party, and dress in his white evening jacket. Here's Steve and M.R....



...and Steve and me.


The bartender for the party was awsome - M.R.'s brother in law's cousin's nephew or something. However he was related, he mixes a wicked and cold martini, and turned me on to a gin called Citadelle, which was awsome.

Did I mention the drinks were cold?

My job for the party was to track down some other old Lorne Park folks, and I did a lousy job of it. I started in March working through LPSS Matters (the Lorne Park Alumni site, at http://www.lpssmatters.com) and Classmates.com. I tracked down Bruce Pearson in California, Phil Graham in Vernon, Gillian Hunt in Toronto and one of the many Hendrick clan, too, but could get no further.

I was very glad to get M.R.'s e-mail in the spring with the invitation, and pleased to cross the country for my friend. It was also very special re-connecting with the rest of his family (30 years ago, I never would have thought I would be taking parental advice from Steve's little sister Helen about raising 16 year old daughters, much less asking Helen's 16 year old daughter directly). I'm looking forward to the occasional skiing visit from Chris (I got my first ever downhill equipment from his as a hand me down when he was done racing on it oh so long ago), and maybe if I'm lucky (and my "visit Alberta" pitch worked), I'll get to see Alan and his wife Marg out here soon. Talking to Steve's mom was like talking to my mom several years ago. Special conversations with all.

My photos basically sucked, so thanks to M.R. and Chris for sending me most of the shots from above. I have in return promised to scan some of my 30+ year old photos of Steve and family, and send them back for use in future opportunities to embarrass them.

Call anytime you want another visit, guys.