Lucille and the Morning Edition

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you already know exactly what I was doing this morning, but I'm going to write about it here as well because I want to.

That's all.

Earlier this week, Julia texted me and asked if I wanted to go to a live taping of CBC's The Morning Edition at 6 AM and I was like, "Heck yes, I live for 6 AM." (I actually do. Stop looking at me like that. Barclay doesn't work until 9, so every once in a while I slip out of the house around 6 and get up to all kinds of shenanigans while he and Sullivan hang out one-on-one. It's a little bit magic, since the streets are empty and the sun is stretching but not rising yet. It's the time of day for intentional people; people who go places at 6 AM aren't messing around. And...I guess I'm one of those people now.)

The taping was at The Artful Dodger, one of my favourite coffee shops in the city, both for its atmosphere and for its coffee. It was great. We had fresh cinnamon buns and coffee and cookies, and we chatted with each other and with the lovely CBC people and there was a little music and some interviews and it was just a really sweet time.

There was also a draw for some Dan Mangan tickets which, I feel compelled to tell you, I really, really wanted to win. I was not subtle about it.

I've wanted to go to this show since I found out it was happening, but just couldn't justify the money it cost. (Budgeting is part of being an adult I guess, but I hate it.) So I did that thing I do where I pretend it's not happening and I'm not missing out on anything but that only works to a point and in the end I just spend the week before and after listening to my favourite songs from the artist and feeling a little bit sad. Or, you know, a lot-tle bit sad.

But then here was this chance to have tickets for free. I entered the draw and glanced around the room. It was, so far, me, Julia, and a table of three elderly people. I had this. I had this in the bag. I got really excited. I was not subtle about it.

And then a whole bunch of other people showed up and someone else won the tickets. A lady. A lady with nice silver hair. A lady with nice silver hair who looked, by the way, like the kind of wonderful, cheery, delightful person who doesn't care about Dan Mangan at all.

But hey, I had a wonderful time and a lot of free coffee and sweets and I also won a tote bag and a mug and a sweet toque just for showing up and saying hi. So. Containers for my stuff and my coffee and my head. What more could I ask for?

(Lucille's Dan Mangan tickets, that's what.)

Anyway, I had to rush out right after the draw so Barclay could get to work, and when I got home I had a Tweet from Stefani Langenegger, the host of this morning's Morning Edition, waiting for me with Lucille's number and a message to give her a call.

Turns out, my character assessment of Lucille was right on the money. We chatted on the phone for a bit and she told me, "I don't care to go to this concert. I don't even know anybody who would. But the lady at the cafe told me that you looked like you would've liked to win those tickets, so you should have them and you should go. All I ask is that you call me on the phone on Monday and tell me how you liked it." So I got out my day planner and wrote "Dan Mangan" on Saturday and "Lucille" on Monday, along with her number.

I think this is the most adorable thing that has ever happened to anyone. All the heart eyes in the world for Lucille and the CBC and Julia and The Artful Dodger and coffee and cookies and tote bags. It's going to be a fantastic weekend. 

Also: how cute is my nephew Charlie in his CBC gear?