And You Think You’re Having A Bad Day….

Unlucky driver or just plain bad driver? You decide.

I live on the western side of Winnipeg in an area called Charleswood. There is a 1,100 acre greenspace called Assiniboine Park and Forest very close to where I live. It’s a big park! It has 3 main entrances off of Roblin Blvd, the main one in the middle of the park and two more on the southeast and southwest corners.

One Saturday morning I was out running errands. I was driving past the park and I noticed that the police had set up a speed trap at the main entrance. When I got to the southeast entrance there was a second speed trap and they had stopped someone and were in the process of ticketing him. I remember the car and the driver very clearly. I remember the car because I'm a car guy. I remember cars. I remember the driver because he looked really mad.

Proudly Canadian

It’s Friday night and it’s been a terrible week in Canada. We lost two servicemen on our own soil to senseless acts of violence. I’m not going to call it terrorism because, frankly, it’s too soon to know what the murderers’ motivations were. But calling them senseless acts of violence seems like understating the obvious.

I am sitting here watching coverage of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo’s body being transported back to Hamilton along the Highway of Heroes. There are tears in my eyes. I, like many others, have spent time in the last 2 days thinking about what it means to be Canadian. It is not a simple question and it definitely does not have a simple answer.

2013: The Year In Review

So 2014 has arrived and that means that 2013 is now behind us. All together now, “Thank God!” The world did not end in 2012 as predicted and 2013 did everything in its power to make us wish it had.

First the good news. Under the current laws of physics, there is no way that 2013 can be repeated - ever!

Je Me Souviendrai

It means “I will remember.” Tomorrow is November 11. Remembrance Day. We have a phrase that is associated with this day: “Lest We Forget.” But lately it’s starting to feel like it may be too late for that. A great many of us seem to have already forgotten. Our day of remembrance has lost its meaning.

The Beater Diaries

My father was a car guy. I am a car guy. My father believed that cars should be looked after, cared for and well-maintained. He believed that such cars were always worth more at trade-in time. And he always got big bucks for his trade-ins. I am my father’s son. Except that I tend to keep my cars longer than he did. I get attached. He never did.

The Gift

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the 28^th of June, about a month before our 17^th anniversary. I was sitting in my office when the phone rang. Call display said it was my wife. When I answered, she was beside herself with excitement. The Winnipeg Humane Society had a program where they loaned abandoned animals to various pet shops in the hope that they would be adopted. My wife had been walking past our local pet store and had seen a cat in the window. It was love at first sight. “You don’t have to buy me anything for our anniversary, but I really, really want this cat! She’s beautiful! We’ve just got to, got to, got to adopt her! …..” (heavy sigh).

My Baby Girl

My baby girl graduated from university a few weeks ago. In a few more weeks she will be getting married. My baby girl isn’t a baby anymore. But she is to me. To me, she will always, always, always be my baby girl.

My daughter is a musician – a very good musician. I could give you a list of the instruments she plays, but it might be faster to list the ones she doesn’t play. She plays a lot of instruments. I went through our house a few years ago and took an inventory of all the instruments “we” own. The word “we” is in quotes because…... well, you’ll see.