Visiting days!

September 27/11.

Have been here, there and everywhere the last day or so, visiting people, catching up with old friends, dropping things off, you name it.

Off to see Kevio as usual, for a "Henkell run," just in time to sparkle up his rehab dinner!

But Shhhhhhhh, - don't tell anyone!

I keep warning Kev I'm trouble! (now maybe he BELIEVES me!) My fave new title for the book I will never write is: "95 Pounds of Trouble with a Capital T!!" (LOL) - I'm more devious than people realize. (Do I LOOK all that angelic on the outside)?? I learned ALL my sneakiness from my old pal, Franelle.

Me with my best friend, Emmy award winning TV writer, Franelle Silver, (best sneak in the biz who taught me everything she knows)! Thanks! We were quite a team back in the day. Her devious legacy continues to live on in me, and always will!! After all her hard work and training, I have to do her proud, right??

Auntie Ray has a streak of deviousness too, even at age 91! Her personal philosophy, which she has passed on to me, has always been:
"NEVER ASK PERMISSION. APOLOGIZE LATER!" - Love it! As the years go by, I find I rarely ask permission anymore, just to see what I can get away with! Sometimes works, often doesn't! But fun trying!

Stopped in to see Auntie Ray (now my "surrogate Mum") at her Christie Gardens seniors condo, to drop off some cash - sent courtesy of her son, Kev, so she can pay the cleaning lady and buy groceries. While Kev is laid up, I'm "the middle man." Meanwhile, on her table, spotted this old B & W glossy publicity pic of Kev when he was younger and at the height of the Rough Trade Days! Cute!!

My cousin, Kevan Staples, "Mr. Rough Trade!"

The next day, we took off to see my parents-in-law, Ben & Jean Bornstein at THEIR seniors condo!

Out the front of the condo with my son, Max and daughter, Kate. We were all looking forward to seeing "Bubie and Zaidy"! Sam snapped the pic.

Mum and Dad B got some beautiful new furniture. Here's my father-in-law, Ben with his granddaughter, Kate, showing off their new purple couch. They both wore some great colours to match! Auntie Ray would approve!

Max tries out one of the pretty (and comfy) new easy chairs!
We had a nice lunch with Mum and Dad and then drove a couple of blocks over to the site of the old "hidey hole!" (My late Mum's house).

The new owner, Dang, is in the midst of a massive renovation, and kindly allowed me inside to see what he's done and take some shots! Wow! I can't even believe it's the SAME PLACE!! - Weird to be able to see the house again - but all different. New door here.

Livingroom in the midst of renovation.

New kitchen being installed!

Wonder what Mum would think of her place NOW??

Dang says he's fixing everything up, brand new, and has arranged to lease the place soon!

He's added these new panels.

The back deck is the only area that looks the same!!

New flooring at the front entrance.

Front hall closet the same, but walls have been freshly painted.

The old den (which also doubled as the caregiver's bedroom), also painted and has new windows.

Mums's old bedroom is repainted too, and has new windows. The beautiful vines which grew outside the windows (and Mum LOVED) are all gone now, allowing much more sunlight to flow in! Thanks for the tour, Dang!! Hope whoever moves in, will be very happy there!!

On Monday, I was invited to have lunch at the uptown Friendly Greek with my old friend, Randy. We met at CFTR Radio (now 680 News), in 1976. I was the City Hall reporter and he was general assignment and could do it all!

The following year, we dated for a few months. He was known as Randy Stevens back then, but his real name is Randy Maxwell. He was the station's best news reporter at the time, smart, aggressive and a real go-getter who wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to interviews and getting the story. (Auntie Ray would have loved him!!) We talked about old times and caught up on the present.

He works in the video biz now.

Randy S Maxwell
ALL EVENT VIDEO INC

I told Randy I still miss all the fun of those early radio days. What a blast I had working in the newsroom there. Somehow, I've never been able to get news out of my blood. Might get back to it one day, if I can!!

I brought along a VERY old t-shirt to make Randy laugh!!

This was one shirt I just could never part with!

Randy was always into photography. I still have a few shots he took of me when I was about 22. Here's one of them.

Randy shot this one in my old apartment on Roehampton Avenue (where I lived with Franelle). I borrowed her shirt and I BELIEVE I was TRYING to look sexy here. Hilarious.

Randy, ever the photographer, figured it was time for some new pics (after more than 30 years!), so he took a few in a nearby park. Thanks for the memories Randy. Man, CFTR. Those were the days, eh? As Kate would say, "Fun Tymz!"