I have just returned from an almost three week-long tour across Canada raising awareness for the No Bite Is Right cause on the better way to prevent flea and tick bites, but also meeting fans and signing books. It was a lot of work but a lot of fun, and I definitely had plenty of opportunities to refine my interview skills along the way.
Our first stop on tour was Montreal, and since it’s not too far from my hometown of Ottawa, we went there by car.
I’m the copilot as usual, perched up on Mum’s lap – although admittedly not a reliable one as I was asleep for probably 90% of the ride.
But luckily when I woke up, we were there in Montreal.
Some of you may not know, but this is actually where I was born – which is also why I rep the Habs when it comes to playing hockey…
So the first morning there we were off to Breakfast Television Montreal to chat with the co-host, Derick Fage, who also happens to be a fan!
But first, they recommended we get some make-up done before going live.
I had to warn the make-up artist though, “I appreciate this is your job, but I have to let you know – even if you were the best in the world there really is no improving on this handsomeness…”
It was a good thing I didn’t see her eyes roll.
But I’ll tell you a funny story, which Dad probably won’t appreciate. After I was done make-up, it was Dad’s turn. So they did the usual stuff; the duster, fluffer, and the little eraser that removes the bags under the eyes.
When Dad was all done and waiting for our cue to go on the show, the producer walked in to say a quick hello. She took a quick look at Dad and then at the make-up artist and said to her, “let’s get him into make-up”.
Of course Dad had to reply, “oh, I just did make-up!”
To which I chimed in with, “Yeah, but he could probably use a second coating!”
So I guess Dad and I have that in common – make-up has a hard time improving on our current states!
Finally the show started though, and we met with Derick and the rest of the team at BT Montreal, who were all super nice!
When the interview began, we chatted with Derick about my rise to celebrity, some of the recent excitement, and my No Bite Is Right tour.
Although the whole time, I couldn’t help but stare at Dad and wonder, “hm, I think even a third coat would have sufficed…”
Later that day was my Montreal book signing event, which was particularly exciting because even though I was born here and have come through town many times, I had never done any sort of official meetup with my fans prior to this event.
So it was about time! I think my Montreal fans were pretty happy, and thanks to everyone who came out to see me that day!
Plus, it was kind of fun to practice my French a bit, too! (Since I am after all, bilingual).
And let me tell you – if you think I’m a ladies man while speaking English, when I start speaking the romantic language of Francais, you better hold onto your woman.
(I have a loud, commanding voice that does not require the assistance of a microphone).
So for a couple hours, fans lined up and waited to meet me and get their book signed. I also had a few little goodies currently exclusive for attendees of my book signings – like new key chains and bumper stickers.
Speaking of which, I am currently working on a major revamp of my store with all new merchandise and gear for my fans – so stay tuned for the “Grand Re-Opening!“.
So away I went, “pawtographing” books for my fans – something I’ve become quite the expert at!
“Here you go!” 🙂
The next morning it was time to head to our next tour stop, which was back to my current hometown of Ottawa!
One of the first interviews I did was with 1310 News radio, home of the Blue Jays. So naturally, I wore my Jays getup, and I was flattered when they granted me “reporter privileges” for the day with my very own ID card.
Which now has me wondering what sort of juicy story there might be lurking around that I can investigate…
(I’m thinking I should look into that shampoo thief debacle as discovered in my last blog post).
It was also while in Ottawa that I did an interview with our local CTV Morning Live show. I did so well in the interview – or more likely because I “looked so well”, they asked me to jump on the 8:00 news with them as a co-anchor.
Of course, I couldn’t help but oblige.
After all, 85% of the job in being a news anchor is just looking good for 100% of the time.
(My lawyer says I must retract that statement. They are all very handsome and smart).
What’s nice about the Ottawa tour stop though is that this is my home, so I got to hang out at home in between interviews and book signings.
This is how Mum and I watch TV at night. Her with her tea, and me with my ball.
And the next day was my book signing in Bruce Pit Dog Park (one of my usual tromping grounds).
It was great to see my hometown fans – some who I’d met before as well as new ones I’d never seen before!
But there was on special friend of mine who came out to see me that day!
Remember Paisley?! (She was my Valentine this year, and although I consider myself young, wild, and free, many people are assuming we’re boyfriend/girlfriend).
Here she is whispering a few sweet things in my ear. I think it’d probably be best if I didn’t repeat any of what she said though 😉
But while she was there, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a picture in the tick/flea cutout board we had at the booth!
Ah, we’re like two peas in a pod a flea and a tick in the same fur?!
Anyway, I really did appreciate that she came out to support me and my cause. I’ll have to organize another date with her as soon as my schedule starts to wind down a bit.
But then, right when I was starting to get back into the normal swing of things back at home, we were off again – this time to Winnipeg, Manitoba – Canada’s “heart” as they call it.
And let me tell you, it’s windy here.
In fact, I think if “The Windy City” nickname wasn’t already taken, Winnipeg would have adopted it.
While here, I visited a local radio station by the name of 94.3 The Drive for an interview. However, one thing I’ve never really done before is be a DJ, so they let me take over the sound board and drop some hot
And they didn’t mind that while I was there, I renamed the station to be 94.3 The Squeak FM.
“What kind of squeak would you like to hear next? Call our request line to let us know!”
I’d never been to Winnipeg before, so it was nice meeting all the local fans, like this lovely family.
Although the whole time I was quite worried the tent my blow away with me in it! We couldn’t even set up the tick & flea cardboard cutout because of how strong the wind was!
My stay here was short and sweet; literally about 24 hours. And from here I was flying to Vancouver.
And what a beautiful city it is!
I told Mum that if I had to choose another city to live in, this would be it. In my mind, it’s essentially the San Francisco of Canada, but greener. It seems every rooftop, sidewalk, or empty space is filled with trees, gardens, or some sort of park.
In fact, right by our hotel was a gorgeous park which I’m sure in any other city would not have been dog-friendly, but here dogs owned the place!
And it was also here that a few longtime fans of mine in Vancouver met me for a little playdate prior to my official book signing the next day.
That’s me chasing a long-haired fellow by the name of Felix; an editor at the Doxie Press and a longtime fan.
And this petite cutie was happy to get a little one-on-one time with me…
“What’s your name?” I asked her.
“Farfel”, she said.
“Falafel?” I asked again, not quite sure as to what I understood.
“No”, she replied. “Farfel”.
“Oh.”
She gave me a smile while my mind still turned in thought.
‘Is that short for Falafel?”
(Paisley, if you’re reading this, you have to understand that as a celebrity, there’s a lot of women that want to meet me. Sometimes they might even want to kiss me. I can’t help that. But I promise we only talked and remained in the clear, open spaces of the park the whole time).
Maybe it was just in my head, but I felt that even in the heart of the city, the air smelled fresh. In fact, I could really tell I was in a “nature-immersed city” by the bear-warning signs blatantly adorning the streets…
Anyway, it was nice to have a little free time because the next morning I had to get up SUPER early to go Breakfast Television Vancouver.
The producer had taken notice of how well I do on TV from my appearance so far on tour, so asked if I would co-host the show with Riaz Meghji.
It was also just by coincidence that we were matching in our attire!
I really wanted to help co-host the show, but the reality was that I was just too tired. I guess I’m not enough of a morning person to host breakfast television.
They didn’t blame me though. After all, I need a certain amount of beauty sleep to maintain this beautiful visage.
When it came time for my book signing, I had quite the lineup seeing that it was my first time-ever visiting the city!
It was awesome to meet all my west-coast fans!
It’s safe to say they’re pretty laid back around here…
(Probably because of all the “greenery” around here).
And check out this fellow who bore a striking resemblance to myself with the white chest hair and all! Heck, can you even tell who’s who?
But the fans came in all shapes, ages, forms, and breeds!
And cuteness, too!
Check out this smokin’ redhead.
The only one not pretty in this picture is Dad who as we’ve just learned – needs at least two coats of make-up to be presentable.
And that about wrapped up my first-ever visit to Vancouver. Already I can’t wait for the day I return.
But the fun wasn’t over yet. My next stop (and last stop for now) was Toronto!
I had the pleasure of staying at a fancy hotel right downtown, with a lovely windowsill view..
I’m not sure if it was the heights, the view, or all the traveling, but I was feeling pretty pooped.
But luckily the next day, I did get the chance to catch more of a break.
We headed over to Niagara-on-the-Lake region (aka “wine country) for a little escape and relaxation. We found a lovely park called Queen’s Royal Park that overlooks the Niagara River and across it, the United States.
And to make a great day even better, for lunch we headed over to the Cattail Creek Winery for their special “picnic in the vineyard” experience.
I left the wine sampling to Mum and Dad, but it’s safe to say I sampled the heck out of the cheese and sausage though.
Later that day and back in the city, I had arranged for a private basketball course for me to perform my tryout video for the Toronto Raptor’s basketball team. It’s been their best season ever this year (even though they were just eliminated in the past few days) – which as you’ll see, is quite clearly because they didn’t draft me in time.
I mean, just take a look. I might be the shortest dinosaur on the team, but I got the most game.
My dribbling was off the charts, and I’m not talking about slobbering which is what you would think of when most dogs say they’re “good atdribbling”.
And after that, to further showcase my prowess on the court, I decided to stomp through what’s called “Jurassic Park” of Toronto (the area just outside the Air Canada Centre where the Raptors play).
It was nice to see my skill was finally recognized when I was invited to join the hosts of Sportscenter while they provided their commentary on the game!
“What do you think of the game so far, Crusoe?” they asked me.
“Not bad, but it’d be going better if they had a wiener on the court!”
The best part though, was when the Raptors Dance Park girls took notice of my athleticism (how could you not?!) and stunning good looks.
So obviously, we had to get a pic together.
(Sorry Paisley).
What fun! So that about wrapped up my No Bite Is Right Tour – for now! That’s right, I say “for now” because as-was determined by a Twitter contest I hosted while I was on tour, a last stop of the tour has now been identified.
So come September, I will be heading to Calgary for the last tour stop! And specifically will be joining my friends at Signal Hill Animal Clinic for a book signing/meetup event with fans from the city!
(I happened to be on the toilet when I received news of the winning clinic).
More details to come on that soon. And if you’re disappointed I didn’t visit your city this time around, don’t worry, I’m sure there will be many more chances. In the meantime, catch up on some of my previous adventures/travels/tours to various places, like New York, LA, California road trip, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, or even France, Italy, and Switzerland!
Keep dribblin’,
~ Crusoe
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