HERE's a "Money-Shot" from the 3rd Floor Gallery. That's the PEACE TOWER and PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS in the CENTER - Just a few Blocks away... The "Puddle" Area, is THE RIDEAU CANAL - which is flooded in Early Winter to freeze up as The WORLD's Longest ICE RINK. IT's finally been drained, semi-cleaned... IT'll be re-flooded soon again for the Summer Small Boat Traffic. A little Ways to the RIGHT, there's a LOCK-SYSTEM that goes Down to The OTTAWA RIVER.
So. Today was the First *really* SUNNY Day this Week! Was a tad Cool in the Morning, but got much Warmer later on.
The SHOW opened at 10am - however, unless You want to end up *behind* a few Thousand Other Women, and MISS OUT on getting one of The GOODIE BAGS, You HAVE to be There by 9:00 at the Latest!! Seriously, NO Joke. It's like Hundreds SUDDENLY "Beam-In" when You're not looking!
MOTHER and I left at 8:30 with a short Drive to THE BIG MALL. Parked The CAR. TOOK a Bus to DOWNTOWN. Found Our Way IN - quickie "plumbing" break for Her... Got Our Tickets - WooHoo, had a Discount Voucher! And, was Directed to proceed Down The RAMP to the End of the Line...
It was around 9-ish Then, and We were near the Bottom of The RAMP. I'm guessing there were perhaps 300 or so People AHEAD of Us... -- Ahh... *TIMING*... Within MOMENTS, there were a few Dozen more BEHIND Us! Shortly after that, the "Beyond The RAMP People" were moved to the other side of the Short Escalator to keep The Main Entrance clear.
Within the next 15 Minutes, at least 500 or *more* "appeared"! Then, at 10, We began to herd up
The RAMP, crossed over to the base of THE ESCALATOR where They took Our Tickets. Once,
"TOPSIDE" onto the 3rd Level, We received Our GOODIE BAGS.
Which, are actually rather nice looking This Year! [BELOW]
BUT, *NO* Time to "check" Them out, there's FOOD to be Sampled and STUFF to be "Acquired".
These BOOTHS were situated Outside of The SHOW ROOM along The GALLERY. And, after waiting around for So Long, One does start to get Peckish... Mind You, many of Us "Veterans" did notice that there weren't nearly as many Food Booths as have been in Previous Years. It used to be like going to a Grocery Store with all of the great FREEBIES back Then!
..oh, well...
After "BRUNCH", off We were to tackle The SHOW ROOM in Our "Mission" to Acquire FREE STUFF!!
FATHER likes *Free* PENS... We probably have enough Now to supply an Entire SCHOOL! Of course, that still doesn't Stop Us from getting *more*... Or, all of those Little NOTEPADS.
The "Trend" Item This Year, appears to be the TOTE BAGS... We got a LOT of Those! - Just MORE
BAGGAGE for Me to SCHLEP! -- OH! Have I mentioned that I spent ALL Afternoon wearing a Not-So-Light-KNAPSACK, and BOTH of the ABOVE Ever-Increasing-in-Weight BAGS..? That were filled with Additional *BAGS*!?
Hello..? MR. GRAVITY, *not* My Friend!
Three Hours LATER, We emerged from The "MOSH" ROOM with MOTHER in need of sampling the
"Hydraulics" once again. As for Me, a DROP ZONE was in immediate Order! -- Got a nice Spot by the Window, in the Shade, on the Carpet...
I had BOOTY to Re-BAG...
As I did, She went back to the FOOD BOOTH for "Lunch". Upon Her return - with yet, another BAG - some of the nearby Seating freed up and I moved Our TROVE over There...
BTW, I should "NOTE"... As lovely as This New Facility is, *considerably* MORE Benches - perhaps along the FIXED Walls, would be Convenient!! ...just saying...
Anyhoo. I parked Her on the Comfy Bench, whilst I took a few Moments for MY much needed Repast! - And, Yes, I came back *with* BAGgage...
Around this Time, MOTHER wanted to go Back IN to see THE SHOW's Head-Liner "Guest" - ERIC BRAEDEN - "Victor Newman" of the Soap Opera "THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS" -- At this Point, I was NOT up to having to HAUL Everything through the ESTROGEN MASSES, again!
I gave Her Directions and turned on Her Phone... I took Pics of the View, chatted with the odd Nearby Person, and worked on the Vitamin D manufacturing.... For a good Half Hour.
So, as it turns out... She didn't quite catch ANY of ERIC's Presentation - She got side-lined at some Booth..? However, when He was Back Stage doing some
"Autographs", MOTHER did get a fleeting glance and *managed* to "persuade" One of the "Security" People to take THIS Pic of Him.
Ahh... MOTHER.. and Her shameless *use* of the "Great-Grandmother-Old-Lady" Card!
Not long after Our "regroup", We LEFT!! Our Day was yet to be *over*...
It's LATE. I'm Exhausted! So, PART 2 of Our *Advanced* "MOTHER's DAY" Adventures, Tomorrow! -- FIND OUT about a few Other *Interesting* People We met at THE SHOW, and "What" bit of Fortune crossed My Path!!
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looks fun dear hugs tinkx
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