Sun May 21 Ottawa Brockville Toronto

Sunday was supposed to be an early start for Shane and me. But being the two bad boys we are we stayed up until 4:30am debating philosophically (we fixed all the world's problems but the fools started all over again the next morning) and then decide that it is OK to leave at noon as long as we pacify our consciences by washing the bikes. His gorgeous black horizontally-opposed R series (I have to have the R in there) BMW naked bike is immaculate but he washed it anyway (and my R1- thanks Shane). I was packing my stuff and forgot my business card folder and map. DUH! Shane gave me a pair of cosy, warm gloves that later saved me. It was a tug to leave as I felt so relaxed and at home with Shane, Paula, Ethan and their friends but the ride to my first home was definitely looking good in the sunshine. Shane's BMW Rockster has torque. Great, stinking gobs of it. I loved watching him grunt off with an easy grace and swing into 90 degree turns at steep lean angles in a relaxed style. With my new 180/55 ZR17 tyres the R1 turns a smidgen faster than on the 190/50's but Shane's BMW had me very interested in trying one out. We walked around in Brockville for a bit and then had a salad on a roof-top terrace and gazed at the vast St. Laurence river. All that water and you can drink it! I am so used to the salty sea that my mind boggles at the sight of the great lakes and the millions of smaller lakes that intersect all over Canada and USA as they feed into this huge river.At 5pm I panicked at the long ride to Toronto and snapped a few shots of my original house. Plucking up the courage to knock on the screen door I explained that I lived in this house a LONG time ago. To my surprise, the owner was one Donny Sine, the 5 year old that took me tobogganing when I was 4 and who's parents were best friends with my parents. I remember after our return from Fulham, London, England we would ride the toboggan down the water tower hill and fly right off the stone wall into Perth street. Crazy kids. I said my goodbyes to Shane and hit the 401 to Toronto. That was a long ride and I overshot the turning to Paul and Jenny's Lakeshore boathouse/house. Paul Marantette (UPTiME Business Solutions) is an ACT! consultant for the Toronto area and one cool guy. He jumped in his '65 Corvette and as I swung back onto Islington Road I hear the roar of a V8 and he squeals in front to show me the way to their well-hidden historic house on the lake. BBQ steaks done to perfection, a good laugh with Jenny and Paul and I flop into bed. Paul is leaving at 5:30 to continue fixing his boat and then go assist an ACT! user in Markham Ontario, north of Toronto and right near a Sage office. I plan to meet him there.