Fat Pants, Skinny Pants

By the end of last week I couldn't bear to squish myself into the pants I usually wear and searched my closet for some older, roomier ones from a few years ago. Seems I've over-indulged somewhat at mealtimes and had a few too many sweet snacks between times, idled too much. I wrote awhile ago about reaching the 150 lb mark; when I stepped on the scale the other day I found I'm nudging 155. Just enough to feel I'm being cut in half when I wear my regular assortment of pants.

Ah well, better to have to wear old clothes than to have to run around pantless, n'est pas? And what's a guy to do in this situation??? Why,.... buy new clothes of course!! Maybe even a pair of those ones with elastic waistbands. (Nice, eh?) Exercise; bah!!!

Or I could resolve to eat less, eat smarter, and be more active. Whatd'ya think??

Anyway, hard on the heels of that last run of work this has been a busy week of catching up, running around town, doing a bit of visiting and trying to catch up on some rest. I was supposed to work today and tomorrow dayshift but the boss reneged on that (putting me into a foul mood for the day yesterday, which I had a tough time shaking out of). It's all in the perspective though - I'm due for a break and should enjoy the time off much as I could use that money. I still work Friday - one of those 26 hour sleep-over shifts.

Lynda was happy to walk into some yummy aromas last evening on arriving from work. I had browned some pork chops and then slow simmered them in mushroom soup with onion and sherry and spices - served over a bed of rice. Good stuff. Then we watched some of the best TV that we had seen in a while - the 2008 Honorees of The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It was a great tribute show which included video highlights of each persons career and then performances of either dance or music. 2 great hours spent honouring George Jones, Morgan Freeman, Twyla Tharp, Barbra Streisand, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend.

Our plans for tonight, New Years Eve, are weather and energy dependant. We're either going to an alcohol free city sponsored skate and music event; heading out of town to Lynda's brother's house party; or hanging here at home. It is supposed to continue cold with some snow forecast so we'll see. We'll see how energetic Lynda is after work.

Hey friends!! All best wishes for a happy, healthy new year. It has been wonderful sharing '08 with all of you. Let's keep sharing all the good stuff and helping one another through the rough patches. Blessings on all of us.

Randomness

This is going to be a catch-all post covering some recent stuff.

At tonights meeting I got the full lowdown on how those DVDs made it here to my work. My director friend Cindy also happens to be in recovery and was to pass the discs on to my coworker at last Saturday nights meeting. He left without them so Cindy and my 87 year old girlfriend Audrey decided to have an adventure and deliver them here. Without knowing exactly where they were going they eventually found the residence and presented themselves at the front door. They dropped the discs but not before being invited in for sandwiches and a cup of tea. Wish I'd been here for that - 2 women in a men's treatment facility along about 10 at night sitting yacking with a bunch of drunks and addicts in recovery.

Despite how little face time we've had lately Lynda and I have had some good times and conversations. I admitted to her last night that I've been smoking occasionally and she seemed to appreciate my honesty. Took the news well and asked a few direct questions about how long I intended to keep it up and how I was to go about quitting again. Hmmm.... good questions.... not sure about the answer though.

Had a phone conversation with my daughter Sarah on Christmas night out in Vancouver. She had called Lynda earlier in the evening to say she was having a dismal day after a run in with her sister-in-law and had removed herself from the situation. By the time I called her, her man and Zeph had returned home and things were running smooth again.

Due to the plunge in oil prices we're seeing some major relief at the pumps. Last summer we hit a high in the mid $1.30's per litre; tonight on the way to work I saw some stations at $.64 per litre. Incredible!!

On the heels of that series of snowstorms we have milder temps over the freezing point and today it rained heavily all day. With the thaw has come dense fog - pea-souper stuff lying close to the ground. Rivers on the rise - load the kids in the boat. At least we don't have to shovel this, T.G.

Particularly during my work weeks on nights I try to post here on a daily basis and most times that isn't a problem. Things haven't been that busy on the work front lately... to say the least. Last night though I simply wasn't in the mood to sit here and write anything. No tidbits of news, no opinions to share, no books or music to talk about. Neutral mood and more than a little bored not wanting to be here. I wound up watching an old favourite feelgood movie - 'Babe'. (yes, the one about the piglet) Even with that hiatus I was chafing at the bit to be on my way at 6. ** Actually, now that I recall, I was feeling 'seizure-ish'. Had a premonition that I may have one; weird visual shifts, hallucinations of odours. Never came about though. (For anyone new here - mine aren't of a serious variety; more discomfort than anything.) **

I was sitting here a couple of hours ago when out of nowhere a guy I don't know stuck his head into the office and said 'Hello'. Startled, I got up from the desk to say hi and shake his hand. He told me he had gone through treatment here 8 or 10 years ago and was in town for a party when he decided to stop by. We do encourage our program graduates to return to the centre but typically that invitation is for during business hours. Preferably clean and sober. This guy wasn't, smelling strongly of liquor. He maintained alcohol isn't a problem for him and that he is still clean of coke after all this time. Well, good for him and all that but I'd say his drinking impaired his judgment tonight.

When I'm done here I think I'll watch a DVD that I've owned for quite awhile but have never watched. 'Stevie Ray Vaughn - Live at the El Mocambo'. (recorded here in Toronto back in 1983, released in 1991) If there was ever a case of a talent being cut down way too soon this is it. Tragic loss, this one.

Time for a bite to eat and then the movie. Ciao.

** Here's a link to Stevie covering a couple of Hendrix tunes - Little Wing and Third Stone From the Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAG-kX_IlUw

The DVD was recorded the year of Stevie's first record release and features all the material from his first album with Double Trouble. Stevie died in a helicopter crash following a concert on August 27, 1990 at the age of 45. In 2003 Rolling Stone ranked him #7 on their top 100 guitarist list.

The Big 'Aaaahhhhh!!!'

Whew!! It's over for another year.... one more Christmas behind us.

Interesting day..... not entirely as I would have liked it but, all said and done, it was alright. The only two downsides to it were being forced to spend time listening to the toxic spoutings of stepson #2 and consequently having to bite my tongue in my own house (#!*&%$, ouch!); and being scheduled to work tonight. C'est la vie.....

Once I was up for the day (but still very much waking up) I was tapdancing about the kitchen alternately trying to help Lynda where I could and also staying so much as possible out of her way. Dinner turned out great and right on time. Good job Lynnie!! Driving to work I was feeling the effects of a very full belly - chuck full of turkey, potatoes, dressing, veggies, cheesecake and apple crisp. Lynda and I were so busy we didn't even have a chance to exchange gifts. I left for work a bit early to avoid #2 and any possible confrontation and escorted our clients to an outside meeting. (Yes, A.A. operates 365 days a year.) Good meeting - one of our weekend counsellors happened to have been asked to speak and did a good job relating his story.

Things here at work are REALLY quiet; the clients are safe and secure being here; the phonelines are still. In years past it hasn't always been so; some upset and agony through the holidays. Looks like it may be time to choose another movie to watch. Last night it was the first of the 'Bourne' series - a good solid action film. Did I mention I've picked up another series of day shifts next week? Don't think so. Thankfully these land at the end of the week so I'll have the chance to reset my body clock and rest up to recharge the old batteries. I'm feeling all of my 54 years and then some.... due for a little break. (thanks again for your kind invitation Kel - if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.)

In relation to this blog's name - Constant Change - and the upcoming New Year - and my involvement in A.A...... I haven't made new years resolutions for a number of years now because my program is one of ongoing change. This does however provide an opportunity to review my inventory, track change and progress, and try to spot any deficiencies or defects of character that need further work. I got sober when I was 48 so I may be all grown up and almost perfect if I live until I'm 96. It's important to have a plan..... lol.

For New Years Eve I've asked Lynda if she'd like to attend a city sponsored alcohol-free event at our new GM Centre. It includes an evening of free skating (something I haven't done since I was a teen), an early music performance for the kiddies, and a later one for the adults leading into the big countdown. As chance would have it the headliner is a guy who ushered in a very drunken new year for me about 25 years ago. David Wilcox - worth doing a search for - a veteran blues-rock guitarist.

Scanning the blogs earlier I see some celebrated early, some on the day and some chose to opt out and not celebrate at all. Wherever you land in that range I hope your day was a good one whether in company or alone.

Merry Merry

Hope everyone has the merriest of Christmases!!

I haven't been my usual verbose self this week as I've had little sleep..... which really kills the urge to write. Last night I had to put my head down for a while here at work (which of course is verboten.) Couldn't keep my eyes open. Driving to and from work has been nerve wracking with all the never ending snow we've had. Ah well, I'll be a long time dead and can catch up on my rest then.

Today Lynda and I will have her two younger sons over for the day and dinner along with one of their girlfriends, plus her 5 year old daughter. When I arrive home from work come morning I'm to get the turkey out of the freezer, figure out how long it needs to cook, baste it with oil and depending on time pop it in the oven. By the time I sleep, get up and clean up it ought to be time to join the rest of the crew for dinner before I come back to work. Hmmm.... turkey for breakfast.... might start a new trend.

Last night before I had that lie down I watched the 2nd of those documentaries. This was the video exploration and expansion of Tom Harpur's book 'The Pagan Christ'. It made for interesting viewing especially so close to Christmas. The premise of the book was that there is no real historical evidence that Christ 'the man' ever existed. No hard biographical fact in the four gospels or elsewhere. Further investigation showed paths to Egyptian Coptic sects which predated Christ's birth by more than a thousand years. In Coptic beliefs there are a large number of like stories which parallel the story of Christ. Like I said - interesting viewing that provokes thought, asks pertinent questions and provides a few answers. I'll try to watch both productions again before returning them to my friend Cindy.

Tonight I brought to work a number of videos; a variety of music, action and drama. I think it's time to choose one, go sit and pass some time.

Getting Sentimental

(and sometimes just plain mental)

No, really now... browsing through the site meter on occasion during these last couple of weeks it's nice to see certain people continue to check in here on a regular basis. Great to have some new readers and friends, too. Some regulars from early days have begun to come back as well; nice to see. You all know who you are....

Probably the best thing about having begun to blog a couple of years ago is making some friends along the way. What you share on your sites expands my world, stimulates my mind and touches me. Whether it is personal stories or fiction, music, art or photography, or an appreciation of the written word I appreciate your talents and your ability to convey it so well. I also appreciate it when you care to comment on what you see here. The more the merrier, I say.

Things are getting quiet in blogland with the holiday season kicking into high gear. If you are celebrating the season with Hanukkah or Christmas I want to wish you peace and joy and good times with family and friends. I'll be around when you stop by here with some new tale to tell.

One Quick One...

...before I head home to bed.

I just spent an enjoyable hour watching one of those documentaries I mentioned previously. This one was about the international aviation industry; current trends; addressing greenhouse gas emissions. There were lots of behind the scenes shots where John Q Public would never have access. It gave a good overview of the evolution of air travel in North America and western Europe as well as where the current massive expansion is; India. There were also projections of where the next big one will be; China.

With every technological advance it will impact aviation in one way or another from larger more streamlined aircraft design to new air traffic control systems to new generation materials.

On a personal level I found I paid far more attention to the details of the films production simply because I knew someone involved in the production of it. How to sort and organize all that footage; what to include and what to leave out; how to weave a story out of it all; how to script the information to tell the tale??? Many, many questions..... that I'll have to pose to her when we next meet.

Milestones

A couple passed in the last few hours - over 4,000 visitors and 7,000 page views. Woo-Hoo!! Though I sometimes think half those visits are likely my own - heh, heh, heh.

Seems I've Hardly Been Away

.... back at work once again.


(If you haven't stopped by lately I'd suggest you scroll back a couple of posts to check out Kel's 'Aussie Christmas' guest post.)


For the last few days here it has all been about the weather, and how!! The sight of snow blowing horizontally past the windows becomes hypnotizing after awhile. And even while it is blowing about it still piles up and needs to be cleared so I have all the subsequent aches and pains that go with that sort of grunt work; Lynda too. On Thursday we had a few inches on the ground - tonight, pulling out of the drive I had to be careful because the snow was piled higher than I could see out of the car. The good news is that the plows, sanding and salting crews did a good job despite all the drifting and largely the roads are pretty good.


My Xmas shopping is done!! Woo-Hoo!! I only have Lynda to buy for and I made it out Saturday afternoon to cover that off. I hope she's happy with her variety of small gifts. During that excursion I made a quick stop at the liquor store - here they are all government run - and was surprised at all the new product on the shelves since I stopped drinking. I was like a kid in a candy store wandering up and down the aisles - ooooo, that looks tasty. It wouldn't take me long to get into a pack of trouble there, I tell ya.


I think I've mentioned here before about a friend of mine who is a documentary film producer / director / writer. Seems each time something of hers airs I'm at work so I emailed her asking that she drop DVD's of a couple of her latest productions with a common friend. I arrived at work tonight and found them waiting for me. Cool; I'll have plenty of time this week to check them out.

We won't have any kids around this Christmas and I think that is the primary reason I haven't much enthusiasm for the season this year. That and the fact it's a typical work week; no break. Two of Lynda's sons are coming over for an early dinner Xmas day and that'll be the extent of it. Then I come to work..... If we see #1 g'son Owen it won't be until the weekend.

Work is good - a good group of guys in-house. Quiet, just the way I like it.

Winter Wonderland

We had a small snow storm earlier this week but now we're into a cycle which will bring accumulations like we haven't seen since last winter. One system is coming east - cross continent from California -, another is slipping north from the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters are saying there are 3 storms backed up that we have to face one after the other. When I got up today I was expecting to see some snow but it didn't start until about 8:30. Now already at 11 my car, driveway and walks are completely covered. They're calling for up to 35 cm before this one is over and up to 60 by the end of the weekend. (That is over 15 inches today - over 25 inches total) We will be digging out for quite awhile; where to put it all?? Mom and I were supposed to go out to do some running around town but we thought better of it.

Yesterday after I left work I arrived home and put some beef ribs in the oven to slow roast through the day. Then I got into cleaning; with 2 dogs and 2 cats dusting, sweeping and vacuuming is a necessary daily routine otherwise the fur and dust bunnies quickly get knee high. (A slight exaggeration, but you get my drift.) A few loads of laundry and then it was time for a lie down before getting cleaned up in time for Lynda's arrival from work. We had dinner, cleaned that up and headed out to do some shopping for household supplies. I was surprised the stores were so quiet this close to Xmas. There wasn't much of interest on TV when we got home so we caught an early night.

Lynda has been caught up in a cycle of increasing pressure at work. They've lost a couple of people through buy-outs and so her workload just keeps increasing despite the fact she's very good at what she does. She is burnt out and about ready to blow a gasket. Overdue for a break. I put a call in to her earlier suggesting she leave early today as driving will get increasingly dangerous.

After that 11 day stretch of work, and different shifts, I'm pretty burnt out myself and trying to go easy. Quick rests when I feel in need of them; lots of water and tea; small frequent meals; vitamin supplements; whatever seems appropriate. I really don't want to be sick over the 'holidays'. (Holidays in brackets because I don't get any time off.)

I've had a look at a few blog buddies sites so far today and hope to find time to get completely caught up on blogland later on. Have a good one. It's time for me to find the business end of our snow shovel.

An Aussie Christmas

As a regular reader and blog buddy of Norm's, I’ve been asked to fill a guest posting role to share Christmas traditions from Australia – the land downunder.

















An Aussie Christmas is upside down to a northern hemisphere one. Christmas is celebrated in summer. There’s no snow, sleigh-bells, or Santa wearing a winter woolens under his red suit. In fact the weather is usually so hot, Santa would be more comfortable wearing Speedos!

Carols
Carols by Candlelight is an Aussie tradition, introduced in Melbourne in 1937 by a radio announcer who felt Christmas was often a lonely time for people. As a remedy he introduced community carol singing with the added fun of everyone holding candles.

Carols by Candlelight is broadcast live from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on Christmas Eve and is part of many family traditions – gathering in the lounge room – to sing carols and be entertained by Australia’s leading performers.

Based on the popularity of the Melbourne event, many local communities and churches hold their own small scale Carols by Candlelight event in the lead up to Christmas.

Australia has their own versions of many popular carols, and one written just for us by Rolf Harris in 1960 He thought it was crazy to sing songs about snow when it was stinking hot outside so he wrote Six White Boomers. Go have a listen.

Food
The fact that the holiday season falls in summer here, makes many northern hemisphere Christmas traditions seem a bit silly. That doesn’t stop some Aussies from still insisting that it’s “just not Christmas” unless traditions of countries on the other side of the globe are followed.

It can be 40 degrees [remember we’re talking Celsius here] on the day, but many families still insist on a “traditional” Christmas dinner of roast meat, baked veggies, and steamed plum pudding with hot custard. In many parts of Australia, Christmas day is so hot, putting an oven on in the kitchen for several hours is just pure insanity.

Contemporary Aussies favour salads and seafood, or a big BBQ meal. This makes more sense because of the weather. Stone fruit are in season – so we love platters of cherries, nectarines, mangoes, apricots and peaches. Big slices of juicy red watermelon are always popular in the warm weather, along with pawpaw, kiwifruit and berries.

Sport
We have lived on the coast most of our lives, so water-sports are another feature of Christmas. Surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, waterskiing – Mr X’s family are all big water-sport fans. So if he has a say, the holiday season includes any of the above activities – in fact, it’s just not Christmas without them!

The day after Christmas day is Boxing Day. So for those that only get the public holidays, there are two in a row. An English tradition was to have Christmas Day with family, then Boxing Day was spent giving gifts to employees or the poor.

These days in Australia Boxing Day might mean something else entirely – two days of being with family, eating and drinking too much . . .
but in our house it means Mr X wants a few hours undisturbed time to watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race on TV.

Previously we've experienced the thrills and dangers of being on yacht in Sydney Harbour as the race fleet sails out the heads and turns right for their journey south. Another year, we were lucky enough to be in Hobart to see the yachts arrive at the finish line and deliver a hot cappuccino to a friend who crewed on one of the boats.

Bushfire
Christmas is also the peak of the fire season in Australia. Hot weather, dry bush and northerly winds. Add into the mix lots of camping, BBQ’s, tourists and holiday revelers, and a stray bit of flame quickly becomes an inferno.

We built this Aussie nativity scene out of leftovers from our house building site. It shows how bushfire smoke can taint the air. It puts a yellow, orange tinge in the sky and the smell of ash and smoke gets in everything, including the water tanks.

Living as we do on an island, we have our own fire protection systems in place, which include fast fill water pumps and high pressure hoses, potato sacks to wet and douse grass fires with, long sleeve tops, eye goggles and gloves. A couple of December's ago, we had our first experience of an ash storm. Like you guys have snow right now, we had black ash falling from the sky and covering everything. Thankfully this year we've had a couple of weeks rain so things aren't as dry as they were then.

Belief
On the whole Australia is a secular postmodern country. Recent census statistics show that nearly 20% of Australian’s state “no religion” on their census. Some 50% state Christian, with the remaining 30% aligning themselves with non-Christian religions. In recent years the political correctness police* have tried to get rid of the word Christmas in the public sector, schools in particular, and the banning of carol events and the like. Their argument being that - as a very multicultural country - the celebration of Christmas in the religious sense is supposedly offensive to non-believers.

Whenever these stories pop up in the media, there is a public outcry. And so there should be. The celebration of Christmas is part of our tradition – albeit, in slightly different ways than our northern neighbours – and political correctness is a poor excuse to stamp out a holiday season that encourages generosity, family time, and for those who choose, time to contemplate a story larger than their own.


Seasons greeting to you and yours from
Kel of The X Facta


*this a label, not a reality, we do not have a police force that deals with crimes against political correctness ;-)

Something Special.......

.....something different, something new...... from someone special.

Something for all of us to look forward to. Heads up people!!

I've been fortunate during these couple of years blogging here in that I've gotten to know a few folks and over the course of time become friends. So, for the first time, I've invited a guest writer to come and share this space with a couple of special posts.

The first post is on a topic I requested; the second will be of their choice. I'd like it to be a surprise so I won't reveal their identity.

Stay tuned!! Check back soon!!

Shoulda Kept My Mouth Shut

The bunch of us had agreed we would go light on Christmas this year buying only for children. At dinnertime tonight I asked Lynda if there was anything that she particularly wanted because I can't see not getting her anything. She struck a pose daintily holding out her left hand and said, 'Yes, a 3 carat diamond would be nice along with a whole bunch of little ones!! Smother me in diamonds!!' Funny how she can be so specific but not much help.

Knew I should have kept quiet.......

It's a Little Early Yet.....

... but a heads up for any regular readers out there - I'll likely be missing in action for a few days.

My work week wraps up Sunday morning but my boss asked me to fill in for a counsellor who is off sick so..... a quicky turn about for me to be back in here first thing Monday morning. (Groan) So, day shifts Monday and Tuesday plus a 26 hour shift Wednesday into Thursday a.m., plus I chair my home AA group meeting Monday night. At last I'll be able to run some meetings with the guys again. I might be a little weary by Thursday, ya think??

It won't leave me much time to be at the computer but I'll check in on friends as I'm able. And email - can't forget that.

Highway of Heroes

One of the busiest highways in North America is the main east-west route through southern Ontario; The MacDonald-Cartier Highway - The 401. It stretches all the way from the Detroit, MI - Windsor, ON terminus all the way to the Quebec border just shy of Montreal, a distance of 500 miles.

A section of the 401 has been renamed 'Highway of Heroes' in honour of our fallen soldiers in Afghanistan. Our soldiers are officially repatriated at services on the Armed Forces base in Trenton, ON on landing. They are then transported along this 100 mile long stretch of road all the way into Toronto where autopsies are performed before their bodies are released to their families.

Since 2002 people had begun, in ones and twos, to gather on bridges over the highway to welcome our fallen troops home for the final time. As more and more people noticed the gatherings, those gatherings grew. The flags came out, those folks were joined by police, fire and EMS personnel, veterans showed up in uniform, people came, young and old. The media noticed, as did the politicians, and last year the highway renaming took place. These impromptu observances have moved our military personnel and the families of the soldiers honoured.

Here is an article from our local paper describing the latest one last week for the 98th, 99th and 100th soldiers.

Milestone reveals sacrifices we make for freedom

Dec 09, 2008 - 04:30 AM
It represents a number we have dreaded for a long time but somehow knew was inevitable.
One hundred soldiers dead in Afghanistan.
On Friday, we received the grim news. Three Canadian military men were killed when their armoured vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device near Kandahar City.
Warrant Officer Robert John Wilson of Keswick, Corporal Mark Robert McLaren of Peterborough and Private Demetrios Diplaros of Toronto became the 98th, 99th and 100th soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan since 2002. Their young faces appeared in newspapers and on television screens across our nation.
And on Monday, along the 172-kilometre stretch of Hwy. 401 from Trenton to Toronto, they made that final journey along the Highway of Heroes.
While the sad milestone made headlines and reminded us all of the sacrifices our troops have made, it's important to remember the lives behind the names and faces of these deceased troops. All were based out of Petawawa.
All three men leave behind grieving family and friends who will struggle to make sense of their loss. They know their loved ones were serving their country doing what they wanted to do, trying to make the world a safer place, one where democracy has a chance to flourish.
Brigadier General Denis Thompson, whose duty it was to lead the news conference announcing the deaths of the soldiers, put it best when he said: "Already there is talk of numbers and milestones. But it is my hope that the focus remains on the lives and sacrifices of these brave soldiers as they serve Canada in the effort to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan."
Such poignant words and so true to the families of those who have died. Locally, we know the pain and anguish felt by the friends and family of Trooper Darryl Caswell of Bowmanville, who died in Afghanistan in June 2007, and we can never forget his sacrifice for his country.
Canada is committed to the mission in Afghanistan until 2011 and U.S. president-elect Barack Obama has said he is committed to the long-term establishment of democracy there. We can only hope our brave soldiers can aid in this mission with as little loss of life as possible in the years to come.
-- Metroland Durham Region Media Group

There have been a couple of occasions when I have passed by these gatherings but haven't had time to stop and pay my respects. One day soon I'll be there along with hundreds of others to do so.

BTW - With this being a GM city we have many frequent visitors from stateside. There has been some jealousy and frustration expressed that something along this line can't be organized in the U.S. for their troops being killed in Iraq. Perhaps one day soon there will be.

Another Facet To Mr. Dylan

After Lynda and I saw Dylan perform here last month cousin BJ was relating to her sister 'Roon' out in Winnipeg what we thought of the show. Dylan had played there the week prior. Roon forwarded this piece from the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper that tells me Bob is just as human as the rest of us. He is a 'fan'. Thanks to BJ for sending it along.


Winnipeg Free Press
used to be entertainment
That old guy in front of Neil's Winnipeg house? It was Bob Dylan
Updated: November 12, 2008 at 02:50 AM CST

It's not every day that you drive home from grocery shopping to find Bob Dylan rubbernecking in front of your house.
But that's what happened to city employees John K___. and Patti R__., whose Grosvenor Avenue home was the early-1960s domicile of music icon Neil Young.
"It was very neat," says K___, 53, a landscape architect who claims to have spent about 25 minutes chatting with the famous singer-songwriter.
"It's a wonderful memory."
Two Sundays ago, the day of Dylan's MTS Centre concert, K____ and R___ arrived home between 4 and 4:30 p.m. to see two scruffy men who had arrived by taxi standing on the sidewalk outside their house.
"Oh, oh, Neil Young fan alert," said R___, who has become accustomed to such incidents in the six years they've lived in the amalgamated duplex at 1123 Grosvenor.
She went to talk to them while K____ lugged in the groceries. After he was finished, he walked out to chat, too.
"They were older than your typical Young fans," K____ recalls thinking.
Nothing clicked until he noticed that one of the men had his black leather pants tucked into expensive-looking cowboy boots. He glanced up and studied the lined, unshaven face topped by a grey tuque and realized he was looking at Dylan.
K____ kept his cool, while R___, a project manager in the city's permits department, remained oblivious. Dylan, 67, was curious about the house and neighbourhood as they related to Young.
He also made small talk about the weather. K____ replied that it was unseasonably mild.
"You're from Minnesota, so you know what's usually like," K____ said. "Subtract 10 degrees."
Dylan laughed.
K____ asked if they wanted to see inside the house, and Dylan was eager.
"How long do you have for the tour?" K____ asked, meaning the tour of the house.
Dylan replied: "We're touring for another two weeks."
They showed him Young's old bedroom, now painted bright pink and occupied by K____'s 16-year-old daughter.
"So this is where Neil would have listened to his music," Dylan mused.
They took him into the old second-floor kitchen, now a laundry room. "I remember thinking I should have done the laundry before I went out," K____ says.
K____ explained the whereabouts of the Earl Grey and Crescentwood community centres, where a teenaged Young and bandmates played their first concerts.
"He was introspective and thoughtful," K____ said. "He had an interest in music beyond himself."
The encounter lasted more than 20 minutes before the two visitors left. K____ believes the cab driver did not know who his passengers were.
While K____ called him "Bob," Dylan did not formally acknowledge his identity. He didn't have to. "This was a guy who doesn't shake hands or introduce himself."
As the cab drove off, K____ said to R___: "You were pretty cool talking to a huge celebrity."
"What celebrity?" R___ asked.
"Bob Dylan."
"That's why he looked so familiar!" she exclaimed.
She started screaming to neighbours who were raking their leaves: "Bob Dylan's in the cab! Bob Dylan's in the cab!"
Ki____ admits they have no documentary proof of Dylan's visit, nor did they even get an autograph.
"It seemed cheesy to ask," he said. "I was embarrassed that we hadn't bought tickets to the concert."
......................................................................................

Dylan could also have done the same thing while in town here as Neil Young spent some of his earlier years living about 15 miles west of here in a town called Pickering, over on the border of Toronto. He also lived about an hours drive north-east of here in the town of Omemee. Neil's late father, Scott, was a famous sports writer for the Toronto Telegram newspaper (now defunct) and a broadcaster.

What's New??

Well, my work week began on Sunday night and each morning the drive home has been a harrowing, white-knuckle experience. Black as pitch on mostly rural roads; roads so covered in snow that I couldn't make out where the centre line or shoulder were; spots so icy it was like skating; aggressive drivers who have no respect for the laws of physics. Arrggghhh!!! Man! Weather! You name it; we've had it. Driving rain, sleet, freezing rain, lots of snow, fog..... the whole shebang. When I got up this afternoon there was rare and glorious sunshine so, in my tracks, a t-shirt, slippers and my robe I sat with a coffee and basked on the steps outside our kitchen door and enjoyed the rays. Beautiful!

Just outside a moment ago checking out the almost full moon and noticed Jupiter and Venus are slowly trackinng further apart in the southern sky.

Here at work the guys have been quiet this week - a good, focused group intent on recovery - and no one in crisis or with other serious health concerns. It makes my job a lot easier. It has also allowed me time to watch a couple of movies - something I rarely do on the job, perhaps 4 or 5 times a year.

I posted about having rented a particular one and Amuirin from Stop & Wander directed me to a post about it she recalled having seen written by Quoin Monkey over at red Ravine. 'It' being, 'I'm Not There', the Dylan biopic. After having watched the movie I headed to red Ravine to check out the post and it made it a fuller experience for me getting other perspective on what I'd seen. Of the 6 portrayals I was most impressed by Cate Blanchett's performance - we're talking Oscar caliber acting here. Definitely not to all tastes but I would likely watch it again (to see what I missed the first time in this multi-layered production). Thanks to Quoin Monkey for a great post and to all her commenters as well - see QM's post here: http://redravine.wordpress.com/2007/12/06/im-not-there-the-6-faces-of-dylan/

When I dropped those movies back at the store I grabbed one that Amuirin had referred to months ago; I recognized the image on the cover and recalled the name - 'The Visitor'. This one wouldn't likely have a wide audience but I really enjoyed it. It's a good story, a good character and plot driven film , well told in a linear fashion. A half hour is spent laying the foundation where you're wondering where this is going.... and it draws you in, pulls you along and succeeds in making you care about the outcome. I won't give any clue to the ending but I left it at home tonight for Lynda to watch. She called and left a message on my cell during our meeting tonight - 'I liked it but you know I don't like movies that end like that. Damn it, why would you recommend I watch it?' Well, I recommend you search it out and watch it, too. And thanks Am for the heads up.

A couple of shout-outs for significant milestones hit by blog buddies. Robin of Bountiful Healing hit the 'Big 5-0' last weekend. Kel from Xfacta and her hubby Mr X celebrated 20 years of wedded bliss yesterday. And over at Stop and Wander, Amuirin's daughter 'S' turned 11 years old!! Happy times!! Congrats all around.

Of the music I borrowed from the library I've listened to just two of them so far. Just finished Leonard Cohen's '10 New Songs' (2001) and enjoyed it. I'll need to have another go with the lyric sheet in front of me to fully appreciate it. The other is a CBC Records recording titled 'African Guitar Summit' (2006) which is simply great; nimbly flying fingers up and down the fretboards. A completely different approach to guitar playing than Western artists. Love it!! More info here: http://www.africanguitarsummit.com/home.shtml

Th-th-th-that's all folks.

Bad Blogger

Yep... that's me. I've been awol for a few days. See, in the past when bad news has been laid on the door step I've had a bad tendency to get wound up in it and promptly spew whatever it is here. I am improving somewhat...... in that I'm learning to let the initial shock of it wash over and through me before letting loose.

Despite taking some positive steps to get our various houses in order, life just keeps on happening and the happenings aren't of the 'good' variety. The latest blow happened Friday afternoon and Lynda had called me from work to clue me in on what was up. By the end of the conversation she was breaking up crying into the phone and I was sitting stunned and shaken.

Afterward while rummaging in the fridge looking for something to eat I noticed that once again we had no wine in the house. Like good husbands everywhere I jumped in the car to go get her some. Didn't miss my cue this time..... so, when she got home I poured her a glass and we talked out how we're going to handle this situation. Pick ourselves up and continue to muddle through as best we can - we have no choice really.

On a more positive note - We took the day Saturday to drive up to Lynda's mother's place for a long overdue visit. Driving was bad on the way there because of a snow storm but getting home was no problem. We had a few hours with her Mom and also had a visit with a couple of her brothers.

I haven't had a chance to get into the music and reading from the library but I rented a few movies and we watched a couple of them. 'Gone Baby Gone' was a decent story, well acted and produced. Not for the faint of heart though - there's a fair bit of violence and bad language. The other was the Coen brothers 'No Country For Old Men'. Maybe I need to watch it again but although I liked parts of it, it didn't sustain interest or hang together very well overall. Really don't understand how it earned a 'best picture' Oscar. The final 15 minutes had both Lynda and I going, 'WTF?!?' Tomorrow night I might watch the third one - 'I'm Not There' - 6 actors portrayals that provide a biopic of Bob Dylan. (I'm definitely on a Dylan kick, aren't I?)

The last 36 hours has seen a huge arctic air mass pushing in from the north and west bringing sharply colder temps. Tonight it's down to about -15C so I'm layered up like crazy and still having a hard time shaking the chill. Thankfully there is no wind to add a windchill factor to the equation. C'mon April!!!!!

Pot of Stew

Odds & ends - the Canadian constitutional crisis seems, for the time, to be settled. Our newly elected government will be allowed to continue to govern until parliament is recalled January 26. They are to present a budget the next day and face a vote of non-confidence at that time. May sanity prevail.

Another library visit - picked up Hunter S Thompson's 2nd compilation of letters; 'Fear and Loathing in America.' Also, a bunch of music. Leonard Cohen's '10 New Songs'; Melissa Etheridge's greatest hits package 'The Road Less Travelled'; another compilation 'African Guitar Summit'; and Canadian rocker / bluesman Colin James 'Limelight'.

Blogland seems relatively quiet these days; so am I. The recent events regarding the federal government boggle my mind. So has last weekend's murders here in town. For a city of 150,000 we have a very low murder rate - including these two we have a total of 7 this year to date - so I imagine when these things do happen it really grabs one's attention and shakes up the emotions. I know it has gotten to me.

The job hunt continues - I spoke to a small business owner the other day who is ramping his business back up after an unscheduled hiatus. The timeline is sketchy - we shall see.

Later......

Govern-Mental

Crazy days in this country's capital. Our newly elected parliament is in danger of a very quick demise due to a coalition effort by the other 3 main political parties. Insanity abounds in all the politicking which puts us all in a precarious position - we need stability in these days of upset.

I've allowed myself small doses of news because personally I find the proceedings infuriating and it is all beyond my control. Aaarrrgggghhhhh!!!! It makes my blood boil.

The situation is too complex to attempt to explain here. If you care to get the latest on it try cbcnews.ca. Our Governor General is returning from a trip abroad today to try to sort out the mess and give some direction to parties involved. Whichever way it goes it will be a sad day for Canadian politics.

Jig's Supper

Before leaving for work Lynda started our dinner. Each hour you add something else to the pot and continue to let it boil - at the end you have a yummy concoction. So easy I don't think I can screw this up.

You start with a ham cottage roll.
Add turnip.
Then carrot.
Potato.
Onion.
Cabbage.
(roughly equal quantities of each except the onion; a little garlic is an option, too.)
Top up with water as needed; the cabbage goes in when you remove the meat to be sliced and needs only 15 or 20 minutes. Pour off the water (saving it if you wish for stock) and mash all the veggies. Actually by the time everything is ready the water has made itself into a nice gravy that can be poured over the whole shebang.

Just an hour and a bit to go before the feast begins. Woo-Hoo!!

With all the humidity in the air our fire alarm has been going off so the windows have been wide open all day. With the temp hovering just around freezing it's a crackling good fresh air day here inside.

We blame our east coast cousins - the Newfies - for this concoction but it likely has it's roots in our common English / Irish / Scots roots.

Updater

Re: The Horror

The media isn't divulging many details regarding the health status of those injured in the attacks the other night. The woman killed is being described as a hero who intervened when her husband was first stabbed. He continues to be in serious but stable condition. One of their children is also stable; the other appears to have sustained serious injuries and they are guarded in what the disclose about him. It doesn't sound good.

There may have been the unintended slant in what I wrote the other night that this was a family dispute gone seriously wrong. It turns out there is a connection but that it was a resident from across the hall who initiated the attack. He has a known history of mental problems and substance abuse / addiction. He has a relation to the family but a circuitous one.

There were 3 other young children present at the time but they were all uninjured, T.G.

** 3/12/08 - Just announced on the evening news that the youngest son, 3, succumbed to his injuries despite the very best efforts of emergency and all medical staff.

** 6/12/08 - Sadly, the husband and father has also died.