I'm getting the hang of this, Les Amis Francophones, Siochana, People I know, What People Talk about (thanks for the great conversation, David)

I've had this blog for 1 day and 4 of you have seen this (that I know of). I'm so excited. Thank you and merci to Vanessa in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Isabelle in St-Viateur (je pense? je sais que tu as demenage...pas d'accents sur ce clavier-ci....c'est plat), La belle province de Quebec, Darrin in Newfoundland, and to Elspeth in Burnaby, BC. I guess I'm officially on both coasts now.

I have to say that it made me smile so much to get some feedback on this blind venture of mine. I really wish I could do this in French. Damn it, it's really not the type of missive of that nature though.

Les amis francophones, je suis tellement desole que je ne peux pas faire mon 'blog' dans les deux langues. Comme c'est un peu un journal personnel, ce n'est pas vraiment quelque chose pour traduire. Il n'est pas b'en b'en drole non plus que le clavier d'un laptop ne vient pas avec des accents.

J'espere sincerement que vous comprenez le plupart de ce que j'ecris. Si jamais il y a quelque chose que vous voulez que je traduise...s.v.p. laissez-moi le savoir et je vais faire mon possible de le faire.

(above) This is Siochana! 1st row (l-r): Bruce Mesh, Wayne James, Jimmy Feehan
2nd row (l-r): Jimmy Carroll, Darrin Feehan, Steve Knight

Photo taken directly from Siochana's Web-site (Darrin, I don't know who to credit for this...let me know if I need to add something).

I think most of you know what a huge music fan I am. I am going to put a link to Siochana on the mainpage of this blog just as soon as I post this entry. I will use a couple of 'full names' here because you should visit their site and you will see their full names anyway. Jimmy Carroll has been a great friend of mine for many years. Through Jimmy, I met Darrin Feehan and the rest of the lads in Siochana (Irish gaelic word meaning "Peace"). these fine folks are from my hometown of St. John's, Newfoundland. I use the term 'St. John's' loosely as I think most of us are from more specific parts in and around the area...but you all know what I mean!

(Above) Siochana playing at the George Street Festival in 2004

Again, this photo was taken directly from Siochana's Web-site (Again, Darrin, let me know if I should make any changes).




This band plays traditional Newfoundland music and is made up entirely of members of our fine Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (locally known as "the RNC" or the less-popular term "Constab"). While I am not a traditional musician myself, I sure have listened to more than my fair share of it my entire life (both live and recorded). I have several musician friends all over the country (mostly traditional Irish). These guys are amazing. I can't believe how much I love their show. God, I'd give anything to hear them now. I really love these guys. The band's talent speaks for itself (and speaks very loudly, I might add), but I want to share with you a little bit about the people on that stage that I am very, very proud to call friends. All these guys are family people (Darrin and his wife sure know how to throw a mean Christmas party...and his girls are exactly how I would want mine to be...if I were to have any). They all work full-time jobs, are involved in just about every event going (local, provincial, and national charities, curling, rowing, etc) and they have very full lives. I am so grateful that they take the time to give us the music they do. They tear the house down every time. I love my conversations with them (Ottawa - September 2005...smashing). I had the priviledge of a 'behind-the-scenes' tour of parliament with them and our great friend Kevin (who works in the Senate) just this fall past when they were in Ottawa for the annual national salute to fallen Canadian police officers of every force in the country. They are great people who are great conversationalists, great showmen, great friends, great people, really funny, and I miss them. I was so happy to have spoken with Jimmy earlier this week and to have gotten an e-mail from Darrin tonight. Please visit their site www.siochana.ca and meet my friends! If you ever have the chance to see them play...do yourself a favour and don't miss it. Oh, laddios, I've just checked the site and it looks like we're on again for this September in Ottawa! Good thing I'm keeping my apartment! Alert Kev and Cathy and let Round II begin. P.S. I noticed you're playing at my brother's pub Biddy Mulligan's (did you even know it was my brother's?), no link there because he doesn't have a site yet. Hafta talk to him!

I think they would put off a feckin' helluva show with Trooper! I think I'd even fly the 7,500+ kms just to be there. I would most definately think that some hangover prescription would be in store for 99% of the audience. Maybe you could get a pharmaceutical sponsor, lads!

This blog is surely developing into an interesting experience. I kind of feel like I have you all here. I like this.

Again, I have to say that it was 100% due to Ra McGuire's book "Here for a Good Time" (which I told you in an earlier posting that you HAVE TO READ THAT BOOK) that led to the development of this blog. Thank you, Ra! I remind you all that the beer bet is seriously on the table!

I had the fine fortune of meeting Ra at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, BC on June 30, 2006 at the Golden Spike Days Festival. This festival celebrates the laying of the last spike of the Canadian National Railway. I little Canadiana fer ya!

Isabelle is a francophone friend of mine from Pointe-Lebel (near Baie Comeau), QC. We were neighbours in residence (Pavilion Parent - aile C, 2e etage) at Universite Laval. Isabelle is a wife and a mother of three wonderful boys. I like to think that all those I hold dear have great hearts, and I know they do. I just have to put Isa in her own category somehow. I admire her in so many ways and I have never seen a spirit quite like the one she is blessed with. Seems only fitting to mention Jenny (another neighbour from residence), the Swedish leg of our trio. Jenny now works for the Foreign Ministry in Stockholm and has seen the world over. A fluent Swedish, French, and English speaker, Jen shows me the world! The three of us had the wonderful opportunity for a reunion in the summer of 2004. It was the first time we'd been together since 1996. We met in 1995 and have wonderful memories. I saw my first hockey game with Jen (Nordiques de Quebec contre les Penguins de Pittsburgh). I had my first drink of 94% alcool with Isa sitting under a desk (and there are pictures). We sat in Carre d'Youville when Quebec City didn't win the 2002 Olympic bid. We ate crepes, cheese, cookies, and cheesecake. We ran time trials in the hallway of our floor (on a wooden trolley designed for people moving boxes). We experienced the Quebec Winter Carnival. We made tons of language mistakes. We played guitar in small residence rooms. Can you imagine Newfoundland, Quebecois, Swedish tunes! Thank GOD for the 94%!!!! I remember Cadi (from Africa) stopping to hear the music! it was great. Thank you for those fantastic memories, mesdames!

Vanessa. Now, THERE'S a story! Vanessa is my lifelong compatriot (or probably more accurately...'cohort'...police friends please look away). She doesn't even know this, but when I'm faced with dicey situations... I ask myself what she would do. I'm then comfortable. Vanessa has a new baby and I am very proud of them both. I think I had something to do with the baby's name (wink, Nessa). Vanessa is a person of dignity, intelligence, honour, and she's pretty cute! I have learned a lot from her. She is very fair. She is honest and forthcoming. She is open-minded. Her quick wit is fuckin' stellar! We've shared moves, cities, and provinces. We've seen each other through new boyfriends, bad boyfriends, good boyfriends who became bad boyfriends and eventually became old boyfriends. We've helped one another through periods of frustration, devastation, happiNESS, drunkeNESS (hehehe, aren't I clever?), and we've had too many laughs to count. Maybe the baby will see this one day...I have to be careful (wink).

Elspeth. This is a new friend here in BC. This fine lady hails from Northern Ireland and is a spitfire. She just clebrated her 61st birthday and I've enjoyed happy hourssssssss, gardening, chats, and she will always be my very first bocce partner. She has shared with me her wisdom, her kind heart, and her bacardi! Her lawn was the first one I ever mowed! She taught me so much about plants and gardening in general (something I really love). She is a kick-ass badminton player. I also have to give her credit here for being a part of my 'operation quit smoking' support team. Thanks, Elspeth....for that and so much more. I'm really glad she's here.

So, those are the folks who have contacted me since I started this blog. Merci and thank you.

One more topic and it's time to post. As many of you know, I have lived from one coast to the other now, with a large part of my life being in Montreal and in Ottawa. David is in Montreal and he one of my best friends. Many of you reading this blog know David and what he means to me. We had a 2-hour chat tonight. I spoke to him about this blog and how it's interesting that people talk (phone or in person) about things they do, plans they are making, memories, troubles, good things going on, etc. They, don't, however, often talk about things they think about, notice, wonder, etc. This blog seems to be that sort of medium for me. David and I have camped in upstate New York. We have painted the town red in several cities. We have decorated many Christmas trees! I've talked David home safely when he's been on the road with hockey. He's talked me through many relationship follies/situations. He is my friend and I can't imagine not having him in my life. He picked out my skates with me in 1998. We've eaten/drank soup in small cafes during winter walks in the country of the eastern townships of Quebec. We've shot pool. We've enjoyed every seasson. We've smiled a lot. David, I thank God for you.