Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Michelle, ma belle

Episode Date: July 29, 2019

This is for my oldest daughter on her fifteenth birthday.

Michelle, my belle These are words that go together well My Michelle Michelle, my belle I love you. I love you. I love you. That's all I want to say. Until I find a way.

I will say the only words I know That you understand At 12.55 a.m. Exactly 15 years ago today My Michelle entered the world I'll never forget that night at Women's College Hospital. Michelle was breached, so she arrived via emergency C-section. I got to cut the cord,

which I wasn't able to do when her older brother arrived two and a half years earlier. James was premature and was rushed off to the NICU. I remember that night, driving home to be with James. It was surreal. I was driving along Bay Street at about 3.30 in the morning when I stopped at Richmond Street West. 3.30 in the morning when I stopped at Richmond Street West. A movie crew was shooting a scene and there were automobiles from the 1930s driving along Richmond Street while people walked about dressed in outfits from that era. When I looked east from this vantage point, I saw something I never expected to see in Toronto. I saw Madison Square Gardens.

The complete exterior of Madison Square Gardens had been duplicated, complete with a marquee that indicates there's a scheduled hockey game between the New York Americans and Ottawa Senators. Ron Howard was directing Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger in The Cinderella Man, the story of Depression-era fighter and folk hero Jim Braddock, who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round slugfest in 1935. What can I say about my Michelle? We've always been super close. She tells me everything, and I've done my very best to make her as independent as possible. She's made that very easy. I put her in Timbits hockey at Swansea,

just like her older brother. I loved that winter at the rink, but when I told her she could play house league, she clearly stated that hockey was fun, but not for her. She was going to dance. And dance she did, and does. She's been a competitive dancer for years now,

and loves it. And I'm told by those who should know that she's excellent at it. Would I have preferred she play hockey? Absolutely, but I'm always filled with great pride when I see her excel in competitions and recitals. Michelle was nine years old when her little brother arrived, and she completely embraced the role of big sister. She's absolutely amazing with Jarvis and Morgan,

so nurturing and loving. They're so lucky to have her. Around this time, actually maybe a little bit earlier than Jarvis' arrival, Michelle started her own podcast. She proudly hosted She's So Young until she didn't. I've asked her on Toronto Mic'd many times, but she only said yes once.

That was episode 109. Here she is talking about dance. And since this year, I've been doing competitive, which I do, lyrical, jazz, ballet, stretch and strengths, and that's five hours a week. Do you enjoy this? Yes. Or else I wouldn't be, you know. Because it's eating into your potential host league hockey time. Yeah, it really is. but I got over it. So do you want to dance your life forever?

Do you want to continue? Yeah, for a while. I would like to continue for a long time. And here she is talking about her first concert. What was your first concert? Selena Gomez. Two years ago. I thought it was a pretty good show.

I went thinking... It was intense. Is it what you thought concerts would be like? Yes. Because I've seen so many movies with concerts in them. Oh, yeah. I always expected it. I gotcha.

Do you, did you think I would enjoy it as much as I did? Or did you think I would hate it and just be there like essentially to be your chaperone? Actually, at the beginning, I thought that you would like, when I just pitched the idea randomly saying like, oh, dad, I want to go to the Slita Gomez concert. It's happening in like August or something. And then when I pitched the idea, I thought you would just like keep pretending to forget and not like tell me and be like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. I think it's sold out or something like that. But you got right on it at the very beginning. No, that's the first time. I don't think you've done it since. It's the only time I think you've ever come to me and said you wanted to see a concert like i don't know how to say no to that well that's like because i don't really look for concerts anywhere but this was on family channel they marketed in the right place yes i was like

so that was your first concert by the way if you ever want to see another one you know the trick you just gotta ask right and uh you've been to a TFC match. We went to our first TFC match at BMO Field. We biked there. It was so cold. It was cold, but we got toques. We got toques. Yeah, but my hands froze and my body was freezing because it was like...

Was it November? It was... No, I think it was like... Yeah, somewhere close to November. Well, we biked there. So it wasn't... No, I think it was like October. Okay. I don't... But it was biked there, so it wasn't... No, I think it was like October. Okay.

It was cold. It was cold. It's on the lake. That's why it's below from the lake. It was really, really cold. But my point is you've been to a TFC match now. Yeah, and we were in like the fan area. So there was all this like...

Supporter section. We should give a shout out to Elvis because they're his tickets. Hashtag Elvis. Is that what kids are doing? She does not sound like that anymore. Who is that little girl? She's completely unwilling to record with me now, but a live mic recently caught her

rapping over a song. JB first, one foul down, playing ball, now the whole city love you out. Boy, know they wasn't down for the kick, oh. Dirty got a dozen rounds, better get low. Lil Johnny gave his life for the shit all he got. With a plot and a bottle from the Winko. Still north side, park side, bitch stole.

Soul wins, no friends, we skip those. Traffin' S in my way and the asin' might hit that gate. Might fall from west flat. On the concrete, real street runner. When it comes to school, I couldn't be prouder of my Michelle. She gets way better grades than I ever got in high school. She's smart. She's funny.

She's kind. She's polite. But she's independent. She's no pushover. But she's polite, but she's independent. She's no pushover, but she's completely respectful. The world is her oyster, and I can't wait to see what she becomes. Happy 15th birthday, Michelle.

Papa Bear loves you. Final question. Okay. Are you happy? Yes. That makes me happy. Thank you. Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? Isn't she precious?

Less than one minute old. I never thought through love we'd be making one as lovely as she. But isn't she lovely? Made from love. name of love Isn't she pretty Truly the angel's best Boy I'm so happy We have been heaven's best I can't believe what God has done

Through us he's given life to one But isn't she lovely, never enough guitar solo Isn't she lovely Life and love are the same Life is a year The meaning of her name God being true Has not been done Without you who can see the one

That's a very lovely name of love Hey! Thank you. ДИНАМИЧНАЯ МУЗЫКА Eu quero ver você aqui Come on, get out of there. Get out of the water, baby. Come on. Get out the water, baby. Thank you. ¶¶