The Best Vets
This letter arrived in the mail last week. It was a wonderful surprise. …
July 2018
Work Crew Not Working
I’ve long wanted to get together with my morning men and their spouses, and we did so at our place on Saturday night.
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My Brother’s Reply
Your target-shooting brother here. Tell me this. If you were to be convinced to give up your beloved paint brushes, the ones you’ve used and coveted all your long, long (long) life, the ones you sorted through using trial and error to eventually collect your favourites at no small expense, the ones that gave you enjoyment and peace, interaction with like-minded people and camaraderie, the ones you used for decades with zero harm to anyone and then found out the arguments used to convince you were based on biased information that was totally wrong but once you found out it was too late and you could never own paint brushes again, would that be cool with you? It’s ok, I know the honest, unemotional answer. Of course it’s ‘no’. That’s the proposition legal gun owners are looking at right now.
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Lost for Words
Until now, I haven’t written about the mass shooting on the Danforth, an area of Toronto with which I’m familiar, and love. My 40th birthday party, compliments of work colleagues at 680 News, was held at a wonderful Greek restaurant there called Pappas Grill. Greektown is a great area to meet friends for a drink on a patio or dinner. …
Throwback Thursday – Hiney Winery
Only Londoners of a certain vintage will remember the Hiney Winery! It was a fictional locale, part of CKSL morning show lore, located in lovely Arva, just outside London. Rich and Norm referred to it regularly as if it was a real place. …
On Being Heard
I never imagined that I would become part of such a growing segment of society; the hearing impaired. At least six people I know are completely deaf in one ear. It’s a lot of work for them to make sure they’re always on their good side for a conversation. Some of them simply avoid social situations because it’s too much work. …
My Happiness
How do you achieve happiness? Is it a decision or a state of being that comes about due to circumstances? I used to believe the latter and now I think it’s the former. I can decide to be happy no matter what’s going on, although it’s more difficult at some times than others.  …
Catching Up
Last week, this website was a living, breathing, evolving creature. Thanks to my friends at MakeShyft, who took a broken, neglected and out-of-date piece of the web and gave it new life, quickly and economically. I’ve appreciated everyone’s comments about it and hope it’s easy to navigate now.
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Happy Birthday Mom!
Today is my Mom’s birthday. We celebrated last weekend, knowing that this weekend was packed and we couldn’t get away. We delivered the hall tree Derek made for her condo, we had cake and sang, poorly, in our family’s traditional way. Derek sings with confidence, my brother murmurs and I tend to alter the words into something that makes sense only to me. It’s chaos in every key! …
Thankful Thursday – The Gift of Distraction
There’s something to be said for keeping one’s mind off the thing that’s being a bother when all you’re doing is repeating the same information on a loop. It’s alluring to keep going over it in your head, again and again. But I’ve found that distracting myself can be just as healing. Instead of running repeat laps on the same mental track, when I come back to the issue or the thing, it’s like driving a car with a fresh set of tires. …
Review: Beyond Meat Burger
Many meat-eaters are choosing to go meatless now and then. There’s enough evidence that shows eating a steady diet of meat can have a detrimental effect to your body and the planet. And there are so many alternatives now. …
The Real Cure
We’ve all seen those videos and stories about how a cure for cancer has been suppressed, the secret to dissolving belly fat, etc.. They come from websites with vaguely familiar names and have been “overlooked” or ignored by mainstream medicine and media. …
Backstage Stories as The Park Rocked 80s Style
The music of the 1980s withstood a lot of mocking. Hair bands and synthesizers, all pushed in our faces by cheesy music videos. But as last Thursday night proved, there were some really great songs that have passed the test of time. …
Website Changes
There are changes underway on this site! A redesign is underway so there might be a few unfamiliar features. Please be patient and enjoy what we hope will be improvements to the layout. Your feedback, as always, is welcome. Thanks!
Kashin Hozem and Bolt
Sometimes, a commercial can cut through the clutter of ordinary advertising and become entertainment. “START THE CAR” from Ikea comes to mind. And this new one featuring our talented pal, Ed. …
Thankful Thursday – On Being Grateful
Life is hard. Stuff happens that’s out of your control. People move, leave, die. You have to take your cat to the vet and not come back home with him. (Us, on Monday) But people also do amazing things for others with no other motivation than it’s the right thing to do, and it feels good. …
The First Review
It’s such a kick to see my book in the hands of so many people on social media. …
He Made Our House a Home
It’s part of the deal. Pets don’t live long enough and we know that going in. Adopting a senior cat likely meant even less time and maybe that’s why most people don’t want to do it. You know it in your head but no one tells your heart. …