Let’s Hear it for the Inmates!

The subject line was uttered by Christopher Plummer (the actor) yesterday at the National Arts Center. He was receiving an honourary doctorate from the University of Ottawa at the same graduation that Vero was taking part in.

Sunday morning arrived and I got up early to head to a comic book convention. Last time I went with Benoit, I managed to pick up Volume 2 of WildCats which was/is an excellent series that I lost touch with.

I headed down to Lansdowne Park and after scouring the area, I finally found the sports cards/comic book show and meandered around the booths. I have been toying around with the idea of getting back into the comic book world, but more from a ‘I want to make money off of it” standpoint. I shall continue my thoughts of the comic scene in a future entry.

After the convention, I went home to get a bite to eat and then headed out to the NAC to watch Vero graduate. Mike was gracious enough to lend me his great digital camera which had me feeling like Peter Parker every time I held it. That zoom is incredible! I was on the Mezzanine level at the NAC and the zoom allowed me to see people from afar easily.

Now, the only graduation I’ve ever been to have been my own. So, as a guest, it’s a different experience altogether.

As in, it’s kind of lacking in excitement. 😉

You’re sitting there waiting for one person in 500 to hit the stage. I must admit I enjoyed Christopher Plummer’s speech and he compared the graduating students to inmates who were escaping prison. He was a great speaker and had an energy to him.

Another highlight was being witness to the first Aboriginal in Canada to receive a University doctorate. Although, after hearing some employees speak after the graduation about how the claim was not true (or partially true), I’ll have to wait to see what the news has to say about it to get the real scoop. It was a moving moment though, I was taking part in history!

Vero finally took the stage and I yelled out a “Go Vero!” but I don’t think she heard it. I managed to get a few good pictures of her walking across the stage AND a picture of her shaking Christopher Plummer’s hand!

After the graduation, we headed outside to take some photos with Marie-Claude and Jean-Francois and then we headed out to Cam Kong for a bite to eat (hey Cam Kong, when the heck did you raise your prices?!).

I’m very proud of Vero to be finally done her higher education (the first incarnation of it at least). She is the hardest worker I have ever met. There were times where I just looked at her and wondered how she handled it all – school, her job, having an amazing, good looking boyfriend who is also witty and eloquent with his speech…congrats Vero on making it through! Plus you got Cum Laude which the Latin language defines as “with honor” This must mean that she didn’t do too bad.