Full Body Scan

It was bound to happen at some point. Though I thought it more likely to be on my recent trips to New York City or Boston - big American cities with reason and interest in high security. But no, it was in Ottawa.

I know Ottawa is the Nation's Capital and all that but seriously, it's like a toy airport. Anyway, it was in Ottawa when returning to Toronto where first there was the hand scan for trace of explosives (this would potentially be a problem for my prop maker friends) and then being funneled into the body scan line. I was offered the full pat down but frankly that seems way more invasive to me than standing in a circular booth and having them take a digital picture of me. If someone really gets their jollies from that well, more power to them! Plus I'm not in as good shape as I was in 15 years ago or so when maybe there would have been something more interesting to look at!

Harold-ed

So I won this award tonight. It's called a Harold - named after this amazing/crazy old guy who used to attend all the plays in Toronto and heckle the performers (I, in fact, once was heckled by him in one of my very few on stage appearances back in the early 90s).

These awards are given by your peers and are sort of general achievement awards for members of the Toronto theatre community and reflect on your overall career rather than for any one thing. Typically I'm very skeptical of them since friends tend to give them to their friends but I suppose that doesn't mean those people aren't worthy. In fact, many very worthy people have won them.

One neat thing about them is that the award itself is always handmade and designed by a local artist. Mine is a tiara! (this was in keeping with the Royal Wedding theme...)

Anyway, my friend Katherine "Harolded" me. We met when we were both at Canadian Stage during a tumultuous time in that company's history. She said some very lovely things and I was really touched. More than I would have thought I would be under the circumstances.

As an arts administrator, we tend to just get the job done, you know? But it is nice to have a tiara to show for it...