Jack is not his real name
I’ve known Jack (not his real name) a long time. We were room-mates when I was still in high school and he was in university. He was never a shining…
F. The Whole Enchilada
Saying goodbye
The art-making party for Elmaks was wonderful and fitting, and the service the next day was lovely. I don’t usually say funerals are lovely, but this one was. His art…
Blessing of the Animals
We started the day at an estate auction run by a crabby auctioneer, followed by breakfast in a Glebe diner. Over breakfast, GC and I wrote a note to Elmaks,…
Goodbye, Elmaks.
Maks and OboeElmaks, local street artist, inventor of The Swap Box, and all-round nice guy and gentle soul, died on Thursday. I’m told that his body was found in the…
I got in an actual fight
Yesterday afternoon I was walking down Merivale Road, nursing a migraine, when the guy walking in front of me grabbed an election sign out of the grass and tossed it…
Giraffes and eggs
We celebrated my son’s birthday on Saturday night. He came over for a barbecue and birthday cake. We gave him a boy mannequin wearing a giraffe costume for his birthday.…
A day and a half
I was internetless for a day and a half! It all started when Rogers offered me a significantly better deal that I was getting from Bell. I accepted it. Then…
I got a job!
I got a job! I start on Monday! I’ll be working four days a week for a non-profit housing organization I already know and like, with people I already know…
Duncan and the Diabolical Genius
Sometimes Duncan seems like his perfectly normal old self, hopping in the car to go for a ride to the donut shop, catching a mouse or having a 17-hour nap…
Poll: Banana ethics
You know how everybody has distinct preferences when it comes to buying bananas? For example, my homeless friend Dave X likes his bananas “lightly freckled.” I prefer mine still tinged…
A little carried away
I got a little carried away Thursday evening at a quilting auction in Perth. Elva Jackson, a quilter from the Lanark County Quilting Guild, died last year and her husband…
Duncan’s Bucket List
Learn to fly. Time-space travel to Australia in 1993. Find out if lovebirds taste like chicken. Get my driver’s license. Get fat again, but not so fat I can’t squeeze…
Mostly good news
The morning after I wrote that last post about all the things my birds have destroyed, I was sitting on the couch with my laptop on my lap, and Simon…
Parrots: Winged toddlers who never grow up
A lot of people get rid of their parrots once they realize what they’ve gotten themselves into. Even if they’ve done their research, it’s one thing to read about it…
Meet the Folkers
So a while back The Ottawa Citizen asked if anyone was interested in blogging about any of the local music festivals for them, in exchange for festival passes. I applied…
A duck. For Robin.
This duck is for my friend Robin Kelsey, of Watawa Life, who is fond of photographing water fowl. The picture was taken by Aubrey Stoll. I have no idea what…
Saying goodbye
I went to Parliament Hill yesterday, to pay my last respects to Jack Layton. It was a very long, very slow line which stretched pretty much around the whole East…
Goosebumps and tears
I’m heartbroken about Jack Layton’s death this morning. We all knew it didn’t look good a month ago when he stepped down temporarily from his job so he could get…
Plumbing, the pussycat, and Pinterest
My new fridge came on Wednesday. I love that new fridge smell. Even though it looks kind of naked and pristine, I feel like waiting a bit before I stick…
Since Bonnie asked…
Bonnie asked for it, and here it is! This is the table runner that GC made for his mother. Isn’t it stunning? I’ve included some close-ups of some of the…