Checkered Lounge Pants

So like I am on the phone with Gramma Marceniuk (my boyz maternal grandparent) to tell her I put Kevin on the airplane in London, when she said Cam got a job. Yahooooo! He had gone through some training supplied by a security firm and had told me he was applying for work (I always told him to go to actors school and head to New York, be cause, you know, he’s Cam, eh…). He works at the MTS Centre. Amanda, after some health concerns, is back working on the yachts and spending port time between her home in Vancouver and the Caribbean islands. Kevin has used some down time (the grow cycles in greenhouses) to go visit the grammas and grandpas back home. Did I mention he got married earlie r this month?? Yup, he and Audra whipped up a whirlwind wedding on her last visit. They have been wrestling with US immigration since last May to get him a US visa so they can set up a home in Boston. I hope that comes soon and this love story will have a happy ending. We are under snowfall warnings in th...

I was listening to The Current on CBC radio this morning in the car and there was an interview concerning a new by-law in a major city in Canada. The by-law restricts demonstrators by making it unlawful to protest with anything that obstructs police from establishing a protesters identity. At first blush, the cop being interviewed seemed to make sense that authorities need to be able to confirm the identities of "hooligans" (circa I was talking to a football/soccer fan of West Ham and their Inter City Firm, in Montreal last week, but that's another story). The CBC announcer asked, "well, what if I was peacefully demonstrating outside CBC and I didn't want to be recognized by my boss and fired, and its against the law to wear a balaclava or a gas mask?" It was at this point that the cop began to leave the realm of common sense. "Peaceful demonstrators would not have to be worried about any confrontation UNLESS THEY ARE CONTEMPLATING CONFRONTATION" ...

My legatee, John Burns, (an experienced Union activist long before I cut my teeth on social justice and the labour movement) called the other day and invited me to visit my old office and staff, followed b y lunch. When I arrived I soon discovered we had been joined by my predecessor and links partner John( or as his sister coined him the "Aged One") as well. John has blessed us with a visit or two on CLP over the years. (photo: l-r, John Burns, John Moore-Gough, alias the Aged One) The 3 local union presidents reunional afternoon was very enjoyable, in spite of , or perhaps due to, the interuptions of periodic industrial crisis of one sort or another, as is the nature of the vocation of a Local Union President. The admin assistant, Barb, had been very busy, inspite of a horrific car accident, since my retirement. Barb (see her blog Lakeside Lair link on CLP) and her partner built a chicken coop at their home to supplement the worm farm they started a couple years ago. She g...

Its been a busy couple weeks. I really haven't had much time to keep abreast of current events and I don't seem to be worse for it. I have been visiting blog commentaries regarding the Gaza strip invasion? offensive? shock and awe? whadda ya call it? Nevertheless, Bush's war machine seems to have left some residuals on how to murder what... rebels? insurgents? Hamas? and their families and communities. Israel seems to have learned the lesson well. Not to over-simplify but, notwithstanding the decades of rhetoric, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude that war profiteers are the biggest promoters behind the Zion and Arab weaponry, followed closely by the absurdity of political interests. WTF, how can we forget the politics behind the Iran-Contra Affair when US squirreled deals to Israel to provide arms for Iranian ...what? insurgents? terrorists? rebels? that opposed the Ayatollah, until, the US had to authorize payment directly to the Ayatollah... what? terrori...

I have to apologize to our New Years Eve host. To make a short story shorter....we never made midnight. Ouch!! Cocktails were in abundance and dinner was nothing less than haute gourmet, but the old peepers just could not stay open to see the ball drop or pop the cork on the Champagne. Sorry Tim and Alexis and Austen (I do take some comfort in outlasting SweetPea and Kevin. LOL). Checked out a book on modern folklore from the library and chuckled when I came across the story about Neil Armstrong dedicating his first step on the moon and then whispering "Good luck Mr. Gorsky". Mr. Gorsky was allegedly Neil's next door neighbour when he grew up. In the spirit of Neil Armstrong's fairy tale (appears to be a myth) to bring his neighbours wishes to fruition (google "Good luck Mr. Gorsky" if you require details), may all your New Years resolutions be realized. Speaking of resolutions, I read a popular blog commenting on New Years resolutions and the futility of pr...

I got a call the other day from my friend Peter Kydd, a rail worker here in Windsor, asking if I was going home to Winnipeg for Xmas this year. "No" I said, "staying home this year". Winter storms are wreaking havoc on Xmas travellers this year, eh? Once we caught up on the rail gossip he signed off. The next 24 hours seemed to include a kaleidiscope of the harshness of Old Man Winter. Its started snowing outside and it seemed to be a string of crappy weather from coast to coast. I had hoped it settled down before Boxing Day. I got my eye on some sales. BRB...gotta get the shovel and do the sidewalk.... .....no sooner had I shovelled the walk, and, Xmas came and went, the weather m an changed the forecast from snow to rain. The snow disappeared, that covered the electrical cord to the lights in the little tree in my back yard, and is laying like a long orange snake (see pic on the right) winding through the yard feeding off my outside plug. Well, we had a white chr...

"Well it looks like we are going to have a white Christmas after all," Kevin said, "it finally feels like Christmas", regarding the heavy snowfall on the drive to his work this morning. That is pretty much typical for a Winnipegger that's moved to Essex County. I remember the first Xmas I had herein Windsor Essex County, and it snowed Xmas eve. Sweet Pea Valerie and I were in some kinda funk that we were going to have to experience a green Xmas (which is a bitter sweet phenomena for Winnipeggers, because, we dream of such a thing when living in the prairies, but go into culture shock when thrust into a green Xmas). I remember my folks saying, "it might be a green Xmas this year", when the snow had not yet arrived, on the prairies, at November's end. Have no fear of that, was going through our youthful prairie minds. Speaking of youthful...its my mother's birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday Ma (do I recall an earlier blog regarding a gauntlet of D...

Fireplace is crackling (built a fire early today to ward off the dampness from the rain) and most of my Xmas shopping is done. The remainder on my Xmas shopping list has to be purchased in town (Windsor) and Thursday is "town day"on this months calendar. I couldn't wait for a haircut so I got Kevin to cut my hair the other day and he did a good job. Its pretty short, but the "mop" was getting annoying, so short is good. Speaking of good, my long time friend John arrived home from a mission to dig wells for drinking water in Liberia. His wife Charlotte sent us a few pictures of the adventure, but, this one is so typical of John Kuban. I would describe John in one sentence... "A man with a strong sense of determination and will, with a heart as big as all outdoors, and a very good friend to make in life". Welcome home John. I wish I could drop in to Lorette to hear the stories, sitting in your shop over a case of Blue. Speaking of a mission of mercy, I w...

POLAR BEAR DIP...... Hoooooooly Moly that was cold. I walked out on the stacked ice pack ( don't ask me why!!) yesterday and fell through when I stepped on the lake ice, 50 feet from shore. Good tha ng its shallow out there. Now having to plod through the broken ice and halfway back to shore, I had to turn back to thrash around and fish out my boots....wasn't going to lose them to the lake. By the time I was back on shore, my sopping wet clothes were starting to get pretty froze. Val said I was turning an ever darker shade of purple while peeling off the wet clothes in the porch. I had to promise Val that there would be no more winter swimmin' or Polar Bear dippin ' without supervision. Yo, did I just throw down a rhyme?? LOL . The day was not a total loss. I took Kevy job hunting, after dropping Val at work, since his layoff (greenhouses are inherently seasonal) and we stopped at the (Un)Employment Insurance offices (actually they are now called Service Canada) an...

So this is Christmas......house rules have prevailed and Valerie Sweet Pea's birthday is complete so on to the Xmas festivities. The weekend was quiet and reserved (Forbes and Suzanne opted to stay home in Sudbury, but Audra brightened our weekend) and now its tree time. We will get out our little munchkin tree and ceremoniously decorate it with Sweet Pea placing ALL the decorations in their proper place (her OCD kix in big) on the tree, while I observe. We spent Saturday morning at the local hockey rink watching the neighbour's Austin play in his peewee hockey game. It was mega fun. So many things reminded me of the boyz playing hockey back in the day. I got right into the game and caught Valerie and Alexis (Austin's sister) looking at me like a nut while I was cheering on the lil guys. I found myself recalling the winter I was coaching the kids (bantam) one year and losing my voice in the playoffs. Nevertheless, with a decisive victory for the Kingsville Kings, as the bu...

Hi Hi Hi Ho Ho Ho......how are things going? Have you done all your Xmas shopping? I have not even started.......GeeeeZ. I have a gauntlet of December birthdays to get through before Xmas. Just sent 2 cards off today with gift cards (from Timmies.....dont tell, k?) and Valerie Sweet Pea has a birthday on Saturday ( and neighbours threw a party 4 her last weekend ) so, house rules prevent me from any Xmas preparation until after birthday girl is celebrated fully. Furthermore, Kevys fiance is flying from Boston and Forbes and Susan are driving in from Sudbury for the weekend. Speaking of house rules, have you seen the crazy drama in Canuck parliament??? I saw a hasty interview with GG Jean from Europe and she was hardpressed to fill in the sound bite. Canadian politics have finaly outlegged US politicians for spinning fervour and misspoken rhetoric. Its very very difficult to keep your finger on the string of developments that lead to a coalition option for parliamentary governance. Ever...

I was exercising responsible news philtering, and surfin my media sources when I came across this in the Las Vegas Sun. Is this a sign that the green conscience of North America has seen behind the curtains of the Coal Industry's greewwashed "Clean Coal" campaign???? "Times they are a changin" as Bob Dylan sang. "Up in smoke Environmentalists say future of three proposed Nevada coal plants in jeopardy By Phoebe Sweet Sat, Nov 15, 2008 (2 a.m.) Sun Topics Coal Power Plant Debate The Environmental Protection Agency’s rejection of a permit for a Utah coal plant this week spells trouble for three coal-fired power plants proposed in Nevada. Environmentalists are hailing the decision, released Thursday by the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board, as the final straw for new traditional coal plants. Utah’s permit was denied because it did not limit greenhouse gas emissions — and every new coal plant will emit millions of tons of the climate-change-causing carbon dioxi...

Helloooo, did you all have a good Guy Fawkes day? November 5 is the anniversary of the Gunpowder Conspiracy and Plot (and coincidentally my nephew Jeffy's birthday) in 1605. Sometimes I think some governments throughout the world are deserving of a successful Guy Fawkes mission. "Government should be afraid of people, not people afraid of government". I let you google the plot for further details. Kevy and I are baching it this week. Sweet Pea Valerie has gone to Winnipeg to see her family. I drove her to London to catch her plane on Thursday. Man, what a ride, some 18 wheeler operator was playing highway monitor on the trip out and tried to run me of the road while making a pass that he thought badly of. I see why they dont lets us bear arms in Canada. A touch of road rage and my possession of a loaded weapon would have been "lights out" for that rig. For some reason I imagine the scene in Good Will Hunting when Matt Damon asks the pretentiously obnoxious grad ...

If there ever was a picture that spoke a thousand words, for me this is it. Nuff said.

“Trick or Treat…. smell my feet!” echoed from the door this morning, when my Sweet Pea Valerie wandered in from a night-time of Devil's night gallivanting with her cronies. That will most likely be the nearest Chez Valyon on the Lake gets to a Halloween haunting from tricksters or treaters on this day of hallowed haunting. We have not gotten any ghosts or goblins since our migration to the rural countryside. I may have blogged that factual tidbit last year, n'est pas? (interactive image-print cut out stencil and trace on pumpkin for carving) Nonetheless, Kevin and I stocked the cupboards with some goodies just in the event there is a surprise-haunting visitor. It would be unconscionable to be empty handed if some Lil ghosts happened by our cottage. I was watching a revered talk show the other day on PBS hosted by Charlie Rose. Since retiring I have been a pig for news and the media spins concerning the labour and business world…albeit a labour editor is as rare in the media com...

Hummmm.....just reading my last blog post and wondered why I had never mentioned it was my Thanksgiving post??? Oh ya, I got all twisted up over crony capitalism.....or what I like to call "Dixie Chick stigma", but that's another story for some other forum. Speaking of meltdowns, I had a meltdown on Thursday last. I booked a foursome on the local golf course I frequent and fully expected to blow my game through the roof (and my partners) after several games of sub 20 handicap strokes alongside hours of practising short game fundamentals. WELL, triple bogey, triple bogey, double bogey, quadruple bogey start and blow me down. On that pace, I was destined for the worse game of the year and so much for my expectations of grandeur. They were purely delusional...LOL One partner, attempted consoling me, when, after enduring my whining and griping about practicing all week for naught, said to me, "even Ben Hogan said that there is such a thing as golfing too much". I g...

I am giving thanks for this weather.....28C on Sunday and I was sweating it out on the golf course...whew. It was sooooo good I did again yesterday to wear off some turkey calories. LOL I hit the local winery after the game and stocked up for dinner. Val had made cranberry sauce the night before. We dined with my son and my golfing friend, John, who drove in from Dresden. The meal wrapped up with the usual pumpkin pie, and, an ice wine treat from John. It was delicious. I am also giving thanks for the governments embracing principles that will save working folks pensions and savings. Pension funds and 401K lost almost 25% of their portfolios over the last 6 weeks. Many good folks university funds for the kids have dried up while corporate executives still practice lavish excesses. Did you hear the one regarding the retreat the globalized AIG funded ($450K) for its top sellers shortly after they were bailed out with $80B tax dollars?? Lehman Brothers was not so fortunate..... No one w...

Just a quick update before I run into Windsor to the passport office. I finally delivered Kevin's fiance's long promised hawg ride. Audra mentioned, on an earlier visit, she never rode a Harley before and giggled something about the vibration ( I think its a girl thing cuz I shiver over the pipes!) while I coached on the necessity of long pants and leather (yummy...LOL). We drove along the Erie shore, and, cracked the throttle returning back down the highway from Kingsville. We also got in an overnight camping at the local RV park, even though Val pulled the "duck" on us and drove home after dark to sleep in her bed (not that I minded having the sleeping bags all to myself...LOL) and closed out Audra's visit with a stop at our favourite local Asian restaurant (Kev and I really feasted like neanderthals at the buffet counter *smack smack..burp*) that we had recommended while on a junket in Quebec. Val and Kev have brutal work schedules through the next week so I sq...

Hi all, The weather has been very kind to us for fall. Kev's fiancee Audra is visiting for a few days. Val suggested we go camping so we camped out on the weekend and did an overnight er at the local campground. I just got back from gassing up the bike. I promised Audra a ride and all that s left to keep that promise is gettin her on the pad and crackin the throttle. Its the Gars birthday next week so I got to get a card in the mail (can you s[pot him on the drums at Union school?). I had a great time at the charity golf tourney I attended last week. They made $100K for Alzheimer's research. Nonetheless, its always nice to see how some of the priveleged class lives, but nuff about that for now. C ya all layer.

Just a quick note before I load everything up for a charity golf game up in Muskoka. The Union sponsored a foursome at a corporate fundraiser and asked me to attend. Imagine, a hacker like me golfing on some exclusive island course at $2K green fees. It freaks me out just thinking about it. We just got back from my last Rail Council at the Unions Education Centre. The CAW put on a social evening and squeezed in a retirement ceremony for my predecessor, the wily John Moore-Gough, and I. It was a fine evening. I brought Val along and she sat back and watched as John and I were presented with a number of plaques, clocks, apparel (I would be remiss if I neglected to mention my confreres de francais had slipped me a chapeau du Masters) and tokens of appreciation. The evening was special when I realized I was ending my professional activism at the very same facility that hosted the initial merger talks of my birth rail union with the Canadian Auto Workers Union. Ohhhh those were heady days....