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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, April 9, 2015 | 10 T Fortunate to be in the company of genius twice in one week hey say that if you live long enough, and are lucky enough, you may occasionally nd yourself in the inspired company of genius. Imagine my good fortune, nding myself staring genius in the face twice in one week -- once eagerly, and once reluctantly. I'll start with the eagerly because the occurrence (and cause) of my reluctance is admittedly a bit embarrassing. Ten years ago, I was on a road trip with our eldest who'd recently gotten into music. Actually, he'd always been into music, but he was suddenly experimenting with my kind of music -- alternative, indie, `left of the dial' tunes. He said he had an album I might like, or hate, he really wasn't sure. Then he slid a CD into the car stereo. That was one weird, wild ride. That was one weird, wild album: Picaresque, The Decem- That's Life Andy Juniper Guest Contributor berists' then just-released third studio album. An eclectic, eccentric, lyrically-theatrical, musicallymagni cent, monster of an album that remains one of my all-time favourites. From that moment, I was a disciple of The Decemberists, and a devotee of Colin Meloy, the band's brilliant creator, composer, and voice. Flash forward 10 years. Still gaga over the McTavish Travel NCL WEDDINGS AT SEA Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) will begin offering legal weddings at sea performed by the ship's captain. The new ceremonies are available on Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway, and will be on the Norwegian Escape when it enters service this fall. The company had offered legal wedding ceremonies only while the ship is docked in its embarkation point or in various destinations. All weddings include the services of a wedding planner and an on-site coordinator. Legal same-sex ceremonies are available at destinations where they are recognized by local law. The new Wedding at Sea package, priced from USD2,199, includes the ceremony performed by the ship's captain, bouquet and boutonniere, cake, champagne toast, bistro dinner for two, three bottles of wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, canapés delivered to the stateroom, priority tendering and debarkation, and one hour of photographic services. Norwegian also offers symbolic ceremonies conducted during days at sea conducted by the captain and renewal-of-vows ceremonies performed by a ship's officer. In addition to a wedding at sea, Norwegian also offers destination wedding experiences in one of the line's ports of call. Couples can choose a Harborside Ceremony, performed while the ship is in port, or a Destination Ceremony, performed on shore in select ports of call. Call us for wedding at sea planning. ncl.com band, in possession of all seven of their albums, including the new What A Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, and yet, I'd never seen them live. Until last week. With tickets given to me by the very son who introduced me to the band. Talk about eager. And talk about exceeding expectations. Unbelievable. From the opening note, the inspired artistry of Meloy and the superb players surrounding him. Musicians with the chops to take his sublime songs and elevate them into the ether. And don't even get me started on Colin's voice. Honestly, if I weren't such a man's man, I'd have shed a few tears over that voice, over some of those beautiful ballads. As it was, wily cat that I am, I just pretended I'd been cutting onions up in the rafters of venerable Massey Hall. On the very week I eagerly drove to Toronto to see The Decemberists, I reluctantly, nally read Miriam Toews' bestseller All My Puny Sorrows (AMPS). Yes, I'd heard the buzz. Yes, I was well aware of the glowing reviews, and all the awards the book had bagged. To boot, I'm a longtime ardent fan of Toews' work. I've read A Complicated Kindness -- her smash hit third novel from 2004 -- about ve times; each time a revelation, an adventure, and a delight. Still, I'd shied away from AMPS because I'd heard the novel was darkly themed; because I'd heard it was a depressing trek across bleak terrain that, frankly, I wasn't in mood to tackle. There was enough gloom going on in my world. To purposely add more just seemed like needlessly piling on. Alas, what I wasn't considering was the magic a master -- and Toews is a master of near Irving-esque proportions -- can weave with any theme. Light. Dark. And everything in between. With AMPS, Toews reaf rms her genius. Also, it turns out that AMPS, while indeed a novel dealing with death, is a humorous, heartwarming af rmation of the importance of family, and a lyrical love letter to life. What a terrible world, what a beautiful book. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@ gmail.com, found on Facebook or followed on Twitter at www.twitter .com/thesportjesters. Sweetlegs... Most comfy leggings ever! Come Shop at in Oakville Kids, Adults and plus­sizes all available MAGNIFICENT MYANMAR Exotik Tours is giving intrepid travellers the opportunity to experience mysterious Myanmar as part of a new cruise and land package added to its Asia program. The 10-day, 9-night "Magnificent Myanmar" package, which features a special departure this year on 10OCT15, starts from CAD3,199 per person (land and cruise only, double occupancy) and features two nights in Yangon, one night in Bagan, two nights aboard the RV Orient Pandaw travelling upstream to Mandalay, and two nights on the shores of Inle Lake at the Pristine Lotus Spa Resort. The price includes accommodation at four-star hotels; the cruise; all domestic flights; airport transfers; sightseeing with English-speaking guides; 12 meals and visits to such sights as the Sule Pagoda; the Sihasana Lion Throne; the Botataung Pagoda; the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda (home of the reclining Buddha); and the Shwedagon Pagoda in Bagan; extensive sightseeing in Mandalay, as well as an excursion to Amarapura, Sagaing and Inwa ­ three former capitals, and much more. In Inle Lake, the tour visits villages on stilts that are still mostly inhabited by the Intha people, stops at the enchanting floating gardens, a teeming market, as well as lotus and silk weaving villages. Having essentially been closed off from the rest of the world for nearly half a century, a tour to Myanmar makes for an unprecedented travel opportunity ­ the chance to experience this magical place while it is still largely undeveloped and unspoiled. exotiktours.com Elly's Sweetleg Boutique (647)802-8906 Contact Elly - Independent Sweetlegs Distributor today! elly.keogh03@gmail.com | www.facebook.com/Sweetlegs­Oakville­Elly Suite 300, South Oakville Centre · 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville 905.827.1100 travel@mctavish.com www.mctavishtravel.com Ont Reg No 1437985 www.oakville.ca Spring loose leaf collection April 20­May 1, 2015 Loose leaves will be collected from designated areas in Oakville as follows: Date April 20­24 April 27­May 1 Zone 1,3,4 and 10 5,6,7 and 9 Please keep leaf piles separate from any woody debris including large twigs, brush and branches. Contaminated piles of leaves or leaves that have been put out after the pickup dates will not be collected. Bagged leaf service Halton Region collects bagged leaves and yard waste on the same day as regular garbage pickup. This is a separate program from the Town of Oakville's loose leaf collection. Call 311 or visit halton.ca/waste for more information on your waste collection schedule. For more information on Oakville's loose leaf collection, contact: ServiceOakville at 905-845-6601 or serviceoakville@oakville.ca. Spring loose leaf collection zones Collection guidelines · Place all loose leaves on the boulevard or on the shoulder, not over catch basins or in the ditches in front of your house. · Ensure leaves are free of garbage or other yard waste materials. · Put leaves out no earlier than seven days before the first day of your pickup and no later than 7 a.m. on the first day of collection in your zone.