Fiddlin' Fees

It appears that I haven't posted in a few days, so here I am catching up, although there is not too much going on really. Devoted Husband seems to like the new job and the benefits are great. It sounds like a fabulous office. I can only hope that he likes doing the actual work. I just called his phone for the first time, too. He really didn't seem that eager to talk. Still on double secret probation, I guess. My co-worker Miss Bella was taking the subway the other day when she heard a musician playing, as subway musicians are prone to do. It was a fiddler and MB liked the music so much she bought one of his CDs. I'm personally not a huge fan of instrumental fiddling, but I can always support the arts.    MB told me that in Toronto the musicians, or buskers, have to get a license to perform in the subway stations and in order to get the license, the musicians must audition first. They are judged on stage presence, musical or performance talent and entertainment value. Licenses, at an annual cost of $150, are then granted to the top 74 musicians and one honorary musician for a total of 75. The musicians are then placed on a 4 day rotating schedule going to any one of the 25 Toronto subway stops, so the one musician doesn't have to fight for another to get the "good stops." It all seems like a bit much to me. I mean, c'mon! They're just musicians. Personally, I'm just as entertained with an "professional" musician as with a guy banging on a bucket with a broken spatula. Like the guy I saw doing just that at the Beaches a few weeks ago. Now THAT'S entertainment! A CANADIAN FACT! While most of the auditioning entertainers are guitarists, the list of instruments played at the auditions has included the balalaika, violin, kalimba (thumb piano), cello, saxophone, mandolin, cimbalon, dizi (Chinese Flute) pan flute, banjo, dijerridoo, bassoon, hurdy-gurdy and steel pans, although it appears, no buckets.