#35 Oh Montreal!

I completed #35 on da list last week. 

Most people spring break in college, in the month of March, in tropical beach locations, in their bikini's - true story. NOT ME - no I spring break in May, I wait until I have a career, I do it up in my thirties, wearing cardigan sweaters, with 10 of my pals, I travel in style in a mini van, and I head north to montreal where the odds of sunburn are down, I can practice my ridiculous french, and the hardest beverage I drink is a canadian coke. Because that's how I roll. And you know what? I loved every minute of the trip - I'm not sure I laughed that much all year as I did on this weekend, it was exactly the spring break I wanted. As I type this I realize that I'm amazingly blessed.  And that experiences like this don't come every day or every year and I am so blessed that I have had many such memories. I will treasure all the memories we made. Thanks for the trip - Michele, Fred, Kathleen, SJ, Jackie, Fermin, Zaria, Eddie, Jacqueline, and Kwame - you each made it all awesomesauce!

Anyhow here are some notes and photos from on what we did and what I want to recall later. 

7 people crammed in a minivan. 

Kathleen's sweatshirt is a good noise blocker. 

There was that customs stop where the "how do you know each other?" question that might have been a stumper. 

There was a stop at a taco restaurant where they didn't sell tacos or speak English and that freaked out the big guy.
I did NOT get mugged walking up a deserted street in daylight with 10 people despite everyone's reservations. 

There was a lunch at a empty sports pub with a server named Bernard.
The graffiti was amazing. 

 It was a comical experience to drive around the block while SJ stopped freaking out about the hotel location. 

I enjoyed ridiculous french conversations while eating from a picnic basket. 

There was that lunch in our own private room where we sampled something from everyone's plates. 

There was that group ensemble number where we all burst into "stand by Me" - honestly could have been the best panhandle number seen all week. 

Michele traded corks for babies, she pinched many old italian cheeks, she got us all laughing hysterically about I'm not sure what. 

There was Kwamesauce and Mrs. Sauce and all the sauce babies - tartar sauce, bbq sauce, sweet and sour, special etc. 

I got confused in confusion and I'm not sorry we left to hit up that one Italian place. 

Renting bikes might have been the best $7 ever spent. 

I discovered I like wandering more than following maps. 

There was that one lunch at the sports pub where of course they don't sell dr. pepper. 

The transportation system in Montreal is excellent. 

There was the photobooth that might have cost me $7 but that girl in the train stop will likely not forget how I randomly gave her $3. 

There were jokes of naked push-ups. 

Ridiculously expensive Burger King Cheeseburgers. 

A trip to the top of the city with spectacular view. 

Bird watching in a Bio Dome. 

It's impossible for me to list everything that happened but it was a wonderful time and I'm thankful for Michele who pretty much made it happen.