07/11/18

Laundry night in Bologna

Laundry time

In each glamourous life, a little laundry must be done. So that’s why I’m sitting in a hot little laundromat called Lavapiumone in Bologna on a Monday night.
From the pictures it looked pretty nice. Clearly it was a promo shot. I was really supposed to go to LaveLave but somehow missed it altogether. It had seats. Continue reading

08/13/16
Reality cover

David Bowie

I’ll stick with you, baby, for a thousand years.

Nothin’s gonna touch you in these golden years.

David Bowie, Golden Years

David Bowie For a Thousand Years

It was croissant Friday, payday, and I was treating myself to the usual croissant.  At 7 a.m., upon entering my favourite patisserie, I caught the tail end of Bowie’s song, V2 Schneider.  I hadn’t heard it in years:  since the wasband decommissioned my turn table in fact.  The next song was Golden years and memories came flooding back.  My eyes started to tear up thinking about the song.  I sang it to junior when he was little.  It was the song I listened to it when I felt all my friends had abandoned me.  When I listened to it when I felt immortal.  Mr. Bowie was on my side. Continue reading

11/15/15

Paris Cries, Junior does not

When I heard of the attacks in Paris, my heart broke. Is this what the civilized world had come to? Yet junior seemed unmoved.

While watching the CBC, tears streaming down my face, I worried about my friends, my friend’s friends, my family in DK, my family in Italy. Where would the cowardly acts of stupidity stop?

Junior says, “It’s not happening here, it’s not happening to people I know. I’ll save my tears for then, otherwise I’ll run out of tears.” I understand that. He’s watched me cry for almost a decade but I haven’t run out yet. Continue reading

08/11/15
Lemmings Gary Larsen

Lemmings

Lemmings Everywhere

“Am I the only sane person here?!!?  I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”

Mugatu,  Zoolander

Lemmings on Transit

I’ve been riding the transit system on the damp coast for about 2 decades (yikes!) now and I’ve come to realise that most people really are like lemmings – where one goes, others follow.  And it doesn’t matter how foolhardy the act is, people will follow, not once stopping to think that perhaps they shouldn’t. Continue reading

03/24/15
Lego Superman

When Superman Needs Help

He did things that only Superman could do
Things that sis and I could not believe were true.

Harry Connick Jr., He is They Are

My Superman  

My dad has always been my superman.  There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do.  He could fix anything and build something out of any kinda material.  He rebuilt our entire house!

He could climb mountains and swim oceans.  He was the coolest dad on the block because he raced motorcycles.

So cool, in fact, it saved me from being stuffed into a locker in grade 8.  Turns out the grade 12s had heard of my dad and thought I was cool because of it.  Whew! Continue reading

03/31/14
Humphrey Bogart

Norman – A Man of Character

Norman’s House of Flowers

I’ve walked past his house many times over the years. It’s on the way to a store I frequent. In the spring and summer, his front yard is full of flowers. It’s in stark contrast to all the carefully manicured lawns around him.

All these years I’ve enjoyed the garden during every season yet I’ve never seen the person or people who inhabit this house. Until today. Today, I met Norman.

I was standing in front of his house, admiring the field of poppy plants springing up amongst the hyacinths and daffodils. “Spring is on the way!” he said. “And isn’t it grand!” I replied. Continue reading