9/11: 17 years later and clearer than ever.

I remeber the morning well. I knew the world had changed that day and we would, Canada and the United States would be going to war. Which the British commonwealth did beside Americans.
Something that sadly gets overlooked these strange days.

I remember as the sky’s shut down, towns in the far east of Canada, little more than fishing villages and refueling stops for Trans-Atlantic flights welcomed hundreds of planes, thousands of people and gave them comfort regardless of country, race, religious beliefs or gender.

I remember very sadly as I saw on the noon news when my friends and I left work to watch the news as the second tower collapsed.
Thinking my Good Lord, someone used one of the planes I build with pride and turned it into a fucking bomb.

I remember sitting in Madison Square Garden a few years later talking with people who had actually witnessed their friends jumping to their deaths rather than burn alive. How these tough sons of britches, working men and women., strong people. Cried at the thought of it all years later.

I remember the calls for vengeance that I knew would come against a regime and people who were not our enemies. I remember seeing Canadian bodies coming home from a war that had to happen perhaps but in wholesale different manner and in a completely different country and way.

My High School World Politics teacher used to say that the only coin worth holding was trust. Trust was the coin of the realm, the only thing worth anything. We as a people, both political and basic were robbed that day and days since in ways both gross and sublime.
Slights of hand have happened to basic simple freedoms, taken for granted, unworked for in our generation.

The world as a whole as I look back has changed as I predicted, we went to war, crushed a region and unleashed exactly what the planners of 9 11 had hoped for all the long. Democratic common sense and reason at war with it’s self.

A Night Off.

I am sitting here after eating a great meal, that I prepared and ate all alone.  It’s one of those weird nights since Darlene and I got together that is nice, but lonely all at the same time.

It turns out that she’s out at her mother’s place tonight, partly due to weather and family obligations and I am glad she’s there.  Not for the reasons one would expect, that we don’t get along or we had a fight.  It’s not that at all.

Sometimes we all just need a night off.  Right now I am (half assed expecting) the Winnipeg Police to be knocking on the door because I have AC/DC cranked to 11.  Not really, my ears are too old for that crap but you understand what I am talking about I hope.

Don’t get me wrong I love Darlene with every fiber of my body, but sometimes it’s just good to get some ME time.  I was a confirmed bachelor for many years before I met Dar, and everyone likes certain things.  My particular thing when, she’s out for the evening is putting in a great concert DVD and maxing out the speakers.  Is that a bad thing??? I hardly think so.

I tend to lead a pretty boring life at the best of times, I like my news at 6 and a few shows.  So unwinding with some ear-splitting rock and roll to my mind seems like a good thing.  Fist pumping in the privacy of ones home seems to be almost an unalienable human right.

So why do I feel guilty?  Maybe because I wanted a night off?  That she would be snowed in due to icy roads?  Does that make me a bad person to want a night alone, do my chores and cook a nice meal?  Crank some tunes and hog the bed?

Maybe I just miss her too much, or maybe I am just too Canadian?  I don’t know.

In any case I have a shout out to send.  Happy Birthday Mom.  It was 3 years today that I started this adventure in blogging.  I wished you a Happy Birthday then and I will do it again.  We love you and wish you the best in all things.

Bobby and Darlene

The Year of Blogging Dangerously!

Well friends and foes, I can’t help but look at the calendar and notice that it’s been just over a year since I wrote my first post.  It’s been a year of excitement, of loss and of deep thought here at Bob’s Place.   I have been applauded and heckled.  I have laughed and cried as I sat writing for you my dedicated and slightly deranged followers.

Just One of My Adoring Fans

84 entries in this last year and if memory serves I need to wish my Mom a very happy birthday again.  “Hmmmm”  Calendar says she’s turning 29 again this year.  Oh well Happy Birthday Mom, Love You!!

Looking back at the year I would have to say that my motivation for blogging remains as strong as it was when I started this little adventure with everyone.  I feel that I have grown as a writer, self-editing is the hardest part for me.  Thanks Karen for kicking me in the ass and making me take a hard look at what I put down on the page.  We may have parted company on the wrong foot but I sure to try to put a little extra care into what gets onto my pages.

My Hunter S Thompson Phase.... I'm Much Better Now!

As I alluded, I have had loss this year.  The passing of my Father first and foremost comes to mind.  It’s going to be hard as hell not to have you around this year Dad.  I am going to miss you not sitting at the kitchen table doing your crosswords at Christmas.   But there have been good times too.  Meeting people and connecting through our love of writing and sharing gut busting laughter is a prime example.

I found out that there is a good possibility that I am actually a 50-year-old woman, and I got the chance to share a look some of the fine cuisine that is driving Winnipeggers crazy!  I got to rant and rage with you.  I left no stone unturned and opened the table to all sorts of topics.  Race relations,  health care, drug use, and environmental awareness to name but a few.

Wayne what have you done to yourself!

But it wasn’t all hard work, we got the chance to share a few laughs along the way too.  I evaded the clutches of Wayne Newton when he started to fill my dreams with dread. We celebrated my 1000th hit and I can assure you that I am well on my way to FINALLY getting 1010 hits. Ya Hooo!

Damn! I'm Going to Need That!

You got to see me jump out of a perfectly good airplane and NOT fall to my profanity laced death.  Savoured the sweet overtime victory on the road to Olympic hockey gold!  We explored the junk that passes for public art on Winnipeg streets and played a prank on lovers of soft cuddly animals everywhere.

You Wouldn't Club Me??

We went toe to toe with the Catholic Church.  Apparently Pope Benedict XVI  is a huge Star Wars fan; but doesn’t care that much for James Cameron’s Avatar.  Seems the environmental epic it hit a little too close to the mark for the Pontiff.  All of that tree hugging  and spiritual mumbo jumbo seemed to be stealing the Church’s spotlight.

Pope or Galactic Emperor??

So what does the new year hold in store for us?  Well, only time will tell.  All I know is that I feel the need for some Bulgarian music videos.   Gotta love that trashy Eastern European beat!

If any one out there speaks Bulgarian, let me know what I am watching.  Stay tuned for more hilarity!  Same Bob time. Same Bob channel.

Gord Downie: Canadian Musical Legend.

For anyone who is a fan of The Tragically Hip the title of this post should come as no surprise.  For the rest of you, sit back as I try to capture the spirit of a Canadian poet, songwriter, musician, wise man and raving lunatic.

 

Gord Downie (Photo – Robert Ogden)

 

I had the great fortune of being offered a ticket to see Gord Downie and his new band The Country of Miracles last night in concert.  For the record I am a fan of The Tragically Hip and have been so since I first heard the song Little Bones, off the Road Apples album in the early 90’s.  The catchy lyrics and rocking beat lead me to other tracks such as 50 Mission Cap,  New Orleans is Sinking

 

Gord Downie Singing a Duet with Julie Doiron. (Photo – Robert Ogden)

 

There is a 49% Chance that I am a 50 Year Old Woman

Just when you think things couldn’t get any stranger around here, the hits keep coming.  I was doing some surfing today and came across a pretty cool website.

Urlai.com is a text analysis website, basically you give the website your blog address and it runs a text analysis algorithm through it to decide a few things.  The probable sex, age and mood of the web site’s author are analyzed and printed out in a pie chart configuration.

Website Analysis