Things return to normal in Toronto – but for how long?

Ya hear that?

Listen….

It’s the sound of things getting back to something that resembles normal in Toronto.

As harsh as it may sound, it was somewhat comforting to hear the Tuesday morning news lead with a story about the bomb squad detonating an “incendiary device” in the Entertainment District. Conversations actually drifted into speculation over who will play goal for Canada in the Sochi Olympics. The morning papers are stacked with flyers reminding me I’ve got about thirty days to carve two hours out of my schedule to get the Christmas shopping done! T’is the season for the annual TTC fare hike debate and we’re back to arguing over what to do about the Mirvish-Gehry plans for King Street.

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(We’d be completely back to normal if someone were to offer a pin-headed revision of the transit/subway plan.)

The white noise decibel level over the past three weeks has been deafening. The din of iniquitous Freudian slips and political carpet bombing at City Hall managed to suck all the oxygen and energy out of every conversation I’ve had since we were trying to decide how much candy we needed for trick or treaters!

The air is clearing – somewhat. That ringing in your ear is subsiding. It would appear we’re into the re-run phase based on the mayor’s media interviews over the past few days. Nothing new to say. Nothing new to offer.

Now we can exhale and welcome the clamour, chaos and complaining that come courtesy of late autumn road work. We can take a moment to steady ourselves when we realize the Leafs are a quarter of the way through their season and well positioned among the top teams in the league. And if the conversation should lag we can always fall back on our perennial expressions of surprise that winter won’t pass us by this year.

No telling how long the “normalcy” will last considering some of the Ford/Lisi wiretaps are likely to be released in the coming days.

There is simply a pause in the shelling.

Enjoy it while it lasts. It’s not a ceasefire.

Mayor Ford has promised to wage war.

Both sides are just taking time to reload.