toronto

​University of Toronto, 1890 (Library of Congress)

​University of Toronto, 1890 (Library of Congress)

In senior year, we had a class trip. We went to Toronto for a weekend. Mom drove me to Windsor, Canada to take the train. Tina, Jane and I shared a room. I cannot remember if the fourth person was Cathy or Aimee. The train took about 4 hours. The four of us sat together and talked. I recall others talking and walking around and drinking. Did we walk through the train? I don't remember. It was early. 

We stayed at the hotel that used to be the Four Seasons. It was the same hotel our family stayed at when dad had his convention in 1974. The room was nice and large. A photography blog posted a photo of the demolition of the old Four Seasons. Except that it wasn't that old. It was built in the 1970s.

We went shopping in the underground mall. I bought a blouse with a turtleneck type collar. I thought it was cool. It was about $50. Mom lent me her credit card and I felt a bit guilty spending such and amount on one blouse. But I also felt cool for using a credit card. 

We had dinner at the The Old Spaghetti Factory. I think we went as a group but split into many tables. The drinking age was 19 and I was 18 at the time. They did not card me when I asked for a manhattan. Dad drank those and would let Nancy & me have his maraschino cherries. Dad's drink were sweeter & milder than this one. I only had one. 

The next night, the four of us got into a cab and asked the driver for a good club to go to. The club was dark and loud and full of foreign students. I danced with Milad. He was very aggressive with his moves and rubbed his erection against my thigh. We kissed. It was my first kiss! I was too drunk to know if it was any good. Milad and his friends called the hotel the next day. Why did I tell him where we were staying? Jane called him Midol. 

We did more walking around the city. It was cold and gray. 

There was mention of Sharon pulling the hotel fire alarm. But that was the other Sharon, Sharon McGann. The cool, popular Sharon. 

We took the train back home. Everyone was tired and quiet.