It’s been more than a year since I lost a tooth. It was always a troublesome one. When it needed a small filling, it turned grey. So I got a veneer on it, which lasted several years until I swallowed it while eating a caramel apple at the Western Fair. Then one day while driving home from work, it just made a break for it. I called the gap it left behind, my hillbilly tooth. …
To Tell the Tooth Read More »
My Little Sister Tabitha, gave birth to a daughter late last week, making me a “Gamma” for a second time. Vienna was 7 lbs., 5 ounces, and perfect. She also set a family record for length of time spent in hospital for a birth. They checked in at about 11 am and were home, baby in arms, by 4:15 pm. …
Vienna Waits for You (A Billy Joel Song) Read More »
Nudism versus naturism; they’re two very different things, although to the untrained eye, they’re both collections of naked people. My eBook, The Naked Truth, chronicled my summer as an employee of a nudist resort. My visit late last month to Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park was a different experience. …
Nudism-Naturism Revisited Read More »
The idea was to create a bunch of little events throughout the year because it’s a milestone birthday-year for Derek. It began with the trip to Iceland. And I haven’t thought of how it will end, yet. (I’m open to ideas!) But here in the middle, his daughter was going to come from Nova Scotia for a surprise visit. …
From fornicating Mayors to mass shootings to random attacks on strangers, I’ve had quite enough of the news for a week. This week, my smart, beautiful, amazing step-daughter is visiting and I’m giving myself a break from everything in my usual routine. …
Yesterday was my brother’s birthday. I call him my baby brother because he’s 20 months younger than me, but about a foot-and-a-half taller. It amuses me to call him that, while looking straight up to make eye contact with him. …
Throwback Thursday – Baby Brother’s Big AdventureRead More »
Throwback Thursday – Baby Brother’s Big Adventure Read More »
People are often surprised to learn how far back Derek and I go. We worked together at CKSL in London in the early 1980s. After that, we also worked at CKNX in Wingham, although our decisions to go there were separate and although we were pals, we weren’t “together” at the time. Our history is very When-Harry-Met-Sally. But this is about CKNX, which turned 90 on the weekend with an open house, a big birthday bash and the event we attended, an alumni BBQ. …
Our Favourite 90-year-old Read More »
We didn’t spend actual Father’s Day with my Dad this year. Yesterday was the 90th anniversary of CKNX Radio in Wingham – more about that tomorrow. But we did do an early Father’s Day get together. Despite enduring Parkinson’s for years, he has somehow kept his wit and sense of humour. And so today, I want to share with you my favourite picture of him, that shows his wonderful smile. …
Dad’s Day, The Day After Read More »
When someone notices my sixteen-pounds-and-counting weight loss, they always want to know how I’m doing it. After they find out, they often have a suggestion of something I should take to help the mission along, or replenish a missing mineral/vitamin/acid, which they can apparently tell I need despite no medical training or test results. …
Supplementary Expenses Read More »
A colleague died suddenly at work a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t know him well, but he was a friendly, cheery guy who always made a point of saying good morning. People who worked closely with him were devastated and he was clearly well liked around the building. …
There Must Be Some Misunderstanding Read More »
I should have known when I walked into the home and it smelled of stale smoke. I should have guessed that the rug I was buying from a Kijiji ad would smell that way too. But I had no idea that it would become the thing that stunk up the joint, and waste fifty perfectly good dollars. …
The Rug from HELL Read More »
It took me some time to formulate my own thoughts about the revelation that Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip has terminal brain cancer. Obviously, I had thoughts I could share on the air, but I had to hold back on my instinctual reaction, which was to suggest that people give to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada if they want to do something useful in Gord’s name. …
Throwback Thursday – BTFC Awareness Read More »
Friends are seated in a restaurant, looking over the menu. …
Dinner Conversation Read More »
You know those times you lost your mind with laughter and had a difficult time stopping? That happened on the Main Street in Bayfield six years ago with my friend Laurie. Passersby must have thought we were drunk in the middle of the day, bent over laughing with tears running down our faces for no apparent reason. …
Throwback Thursday – Wilma and Betty Do Bayfield Read More »
It’s not really fair to compare our Las Vegas wedding to a wedding with invitations and guests and centrepieces, except that we were ahead of the trend on something important: customization. These days, brides and grooms are realizing that they can have a service that’s as long or as short as they want, and have it contain what they want, instead of taking a cookie-cutter ceremony from someone who simply inserts their name into the wording. Our friend Laurie is now an ordained Minister and that’s her niche: officiating customized, non-denominational weddings. …
Your Wedding, Your Way Read More »
When it comes to recyclables! People have told me I’m a fool for sorting my plastics/cans apart from my paper/cardboard because the pick-up guys merely throw it all into the same truck. Not content to just assume, we invited the city’s head of environmental programs to explain on CJBK. …
Separation is a Good Thing Read More »
We spent a little time out in the sticks last weekend in West Lincoln, toward the Niagara Region. We were warned that there were ticks in the fields but when in Rome, one roams. …
There are so many people doing so much good for others, and it’s one of the biggest advantages of my life and career that I get to meet so many of them. …