Welcome to Tuesday. Before I go any further, thank you for the FB posts (www.facebook.com/erindavispage), Twitter comments @erindavis or emails pointing out that the thermometer we used was likely just supposed to be used briefly in the oven and not left in the turkey. Our favourite method for measuring temperatures is with a probe that has a wire that snakes out of the closed oven door and attaches to a digital readout that sits on the counter. It also alerts you with a persistent beep when your meat is at the temp you desire. We’ll try and find one of those to replace the one we melted! Thanks again.
 
This is a day that could be a huge one stateside: midterm elections are being held. Will Kennedy-esque Robert “Beto” O’Rourke unseat the lugubrious Rafael “Ted” Cruz in Texas? Will Stacey Abrams triumph in Georgia? Will it be a blue wave, a red wave or maybe a wave of apathy? Pins and needles time, once again. I, for one, have PTSD about the last time Americans went to the polls.
 
Not to make it all about me, but here’s a story that you may or may not be familiar with. It made it into the book (Mourning Has Broken, Feb. 26 HarperCollins, pre-order now on Amazon.ca).
 
As you’ve probably noticed, Rogers is a very big company and, as such, when you’ve got an announcement to make, you do so with a number of departments’ involvement. Take my resignation. I’d made the decision in October of 2016 or thereabouts, having worked nine months after Mike Cooper retired to spend more time with his wife, and some 14 months after the death of our daughter. It was time. Darren was ready, I was ready and a great new host was waiting in the wings.
 
What day should we announce it? A date was chosen, November 10th, and then – no – it couldn’t be that date, as Breakfast Television was going to be doing their show live on location elsewhere. It most definitely was not going to be the Friday, November 11th, so we moved it up to Wednesday, November 9th. When I asked about the US presidential elections the night before, no flags were raised. What could possibly go wrong?
 
Long story short, a difficult morning was made even harder by the mood in which I – among a vast many others – awoke on the 9th: incredulous, unbelieving, disappointed and fearful. What a great way to say, “Oh, and by the way, I’m sorry to be leaving you….”
 
In the end, of course, my timing didn’t make a bit of difference. It’s just the way it’s framed in my memory. By the time that week was over, Rob and I were on a flight to catch a ship and begin a long-planned vacation before we came back home to pack up and really ship out – for good.
 
I guess I’m remembering this all so clearly today for two reasons: one, that it’s another election day and hopes are high for, if not a clean slate, then at least one on which a brighter future can be sketched. And two, I’m waking in Toronto again today.
 
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m thrilled to be here hosting two big events, the Performance Excellence Summit and the Canada Awards for Excellence. It’s just an honour to be invited to emcee these two illustrious events and I hope to have a pic or two with Peter Mansbridge, whom I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting, and our pal from frequent radio visits, Rick Mercer.
 
Some pretty good company today – along with the best and brightest from corporate Canada – and it’s enough to keep my mind occupied until we get back to Ottawa tonight to park ourselves in front of the CNN that daughter-in-law Brooke has ordered just for our visit! And Stephen Colbert is going live tonight, too. 
 
Talk to you here tomorrow – and let’s all hope for the best.