Saturday, July 22, 2006

I won Blue Rodeo Tickets! Royal Newfoundland Regiment. My Negligence

Hi.

It's 12:42 (am) on Saturday morning...July 22. It's still technically Friday night.

I was at the Boathouse today. I took the laptop there and did some work. It's a oceanfront restaurant with a fabulous desk. I really make a very honest effort to do any appropriate 'linking' when I mention something 'linkable'. This particular Web-site isn't the best and it really doesn't do the place justice.

This afternoon Jack FM was broadcasting live from the Boathouse deck in English Bay. Everybody was given a 'slip' to fill out to win prizes. I really thought nothing of it and thought I'd win a cap, sticker, or T-shirt at best. As it turns out...they drew my name!!! I nearly died. It was weird hearing my full name and that I was from Vancouver! I won tickets to Blue Rodeo for late August. Cool! It will be an outdoor show at the Theatre Under The Stars in the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. Apparently, they will call me on Monday with details! I'm excited about that.

I am tired and can not do the proper 'crediting' for this...but I certainly will with the posting. Anyway, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment is a very interesting thing. Most people know that Newfoundland joined the confederacy in 1949, but we don't usually think about things in Newfoundland prior to its 'date' with Canada. I want to talk about the Memorial Chamber (in Peace Tower - Parliament Hill, Ottawa) and The Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

My negligence. I am sorry. I have been 'away' from the blog for a little bit as of late. I have tons of things to write very soon (next week).

Talk to you soon.

Monday, July 17, 2006

View from My Place; Ambience in EB; and Bianca


(above:) This picture was taken from Coast Hotels (shown here)

This is part of the vista from my place.


If this picture were about three times as wide...that would be exactly it!

(above): English Bay at dusk

Picture taken from: www.vancouversider.com

(above): English Bay at night (those white lights atop the mountain are Grouse Mountain (there are pictures of that in the posting called Jerome).

Picture was taken from: www.vancouversider.com

(above): My place, English Bay Beach, Stanley Park (to the left), and the magestic Rockies

Picture courtesy of Vancouver Tourism, I found it here

Anyway, I was trying to capture the 'ambience' of English Bay and the little neighbourhood. I've managed to find lovely pictures of the place, but not of the little shopfronts and of the view from here (as opposed to of here). Not easy.

There is something very nice (and difficult to describe) about walking in your neighbourhood as the shops are coming to life. There is almost an eerie silence as people aren't quite into their groove and merchants set things up for the days passers-by.

It was so lovely this morning. The Chinese lady was putting the flowers and fruit out; there was a man with a stack of newpapers under his arm as he raised a metal security 'garage door-like' thingie; there was an older couple walking (horrible hats on); and there was a man putting tables and chairs out on the sidewalk so people can sit outside and have sushi! Then, there was yours truly...just takin' it all in. Nice. I love that quiet time of the morning. Sunday mornings are often like that.

This neighbourhood feels almost 'plateau-like' (Montreal)...but a little wilder.

"Janine" is on the radio....one of my favourite Trooper tunes....(I am so singin' into my air mic and movin' around here like a pure f-r-e-a-k, folks). La, la, la,l-la, l-la, ...and if the world's getting harder and harder to understand... That particular song doesn't get a lot of air time (nor does the "Thin White Line"...lyrics to DIE FOR).

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Sue...I fuckin' love Trooper! She likes to give me shite for anything like that! I love it! I can hear her uber-witty one-liners now! Dare I attempt...

OK, this is something she would say (how brave am I?), "OK, fuckin' Trooper. WHAT-EV-ER! WE GET IT! NEXT!" Of course, she would then break out in a rap song and shag up the words (but be very clever in making up her own). I would then interupt and remind her that she is not an 18-year old African American boy....to which she will reply using words like 'homies' and 'crib' and telling me to fuck off because I'm jealous because I can't rap! She will then sing me the first verses of "Memory" (from Cats), "Tomorrow" (from Annie), and the theme song from the Brady Bunch. The really sick part of it is that...by the end of it... we'll both be singing "Radar Love" (including our vocal renditions of the guitar licks...) and laughin' our heads off. I know Sue is secretly yearning for the "Best of Rick Springfield" collection!

So, G, did I get that right? Sound like us? Of course, Bianca will have something clever to say on that one. Folks, Bianca is another friend in Ottawa. I think Sue and I met her the same night...not sure; I don't remember exactly how that one went down. I know it was at the pub though (Snug).

Bianca is an interesting sort. She will tell you tales of the lovely violence one can achieve with a toaster-oven; she will tell you about vicious 'hiss and spit' moments between 'her friend' and 'her friend's' mother in-law. Well, hello, Lena. I'd love to tell you what happened to 'her friend's' laundry room...but I'd be hung.

King of Kensington


Most of you fine loyal subjects are Canadian...ALL of you are of a 'certain age'...so, The King of Kensington should ring a bell.

This was just a Canadian sit-com (CBC) about a guy and his interaction with his neighbours and his neighbourhood (I can still see the intro where he's walking down the street saying hello to everybody...with something in his hand...I forget what...a newspaper...a hot dog...dunno).

There were 111 Episodes, 1975 - 1980, and the show starred Al Waxman Helen Winton, Fiona Reid.

Article Courtesy of the Toronto Sun.

I found this here (you can read the article better by clicking here instead of on the picture)

Walking in my little neighbourhood early morning really reminds me of Larry King (Al Waxman) during the intro to his show. There are little chairs and small tables outside shopfronts; I can now say hello to the Chinese lady who has the flowers for sale out frontl; I can say hello to the girl at the burger joint who can tell you all the people who pull parking scams in front of her shop; I can even name a few who work at the 7-eleven; and I am sure to see everything from a limousine to a strung-out druggie talking to a gull! I'm not sure the "King" had the crack-head and fowl element to his cheerful existence in Kensington Market.

I am paying closer attention to shop windows and can almost list the shops that are closest. You can see some really nice aerial pictures of Vancouver if you click here.

By now Sue is saying, "Oh, fer God sakes...can you talk about anything that happened POST 1995?!" (ok, Sue, don't read this part... to the rest of you...she loves the attention!)

There seems to be a problem with putting pics up now. Geez. I'm going to post this and continue it. I can't believe I've actually found some great pictures that are my view here!!!!

Talk t'ya in a minute.