November 28th, 2016
The week that was, is once again. I lead in with how much I did not accomplish last week. A familiar theme but this time the whole week went, a great deal of effort and the result is still selfsame, with identical things on the list of life. What ! Cry my readers and me too. The mattress, box spring and TV still at the end of the drive, that big change is it now snowed on. A little of the wet and white stuff, to start the Advent season. So jolly. A chat with the neighbor regarding her sofa, outside one lot down, was so much the same as my experience. She too filled out the computer forms and called Public works with no response.
I was trying to drive someplace, and soon realized that I would not get anywhere. The folk shopping were pined up a kilometer away from the shopping center. Thus Black Friday and the last day of end of the week, saw me with out Lucy, walk over to city hall. My intention was to talk to the mayor forthwith. The mayors office is now secure behind a fearless guard, from Public works dressed in fluorescent yellow outdoor jacket. I was told, one has to have and to make an appointment to UP the elevator. When the receptionist called up for me, I was told they were waiting for a call back from Public Works.
Continuing in much the same vein, with zilch happening with the reservation systems in spite of pushing buttons. Raising blood pressure and talking to anyone who would listen, the director of sales for example. I found out AFTER the fact, that I had a reservation, made the day before. HOW you ask? Having received seven phone calls logged on call display, as I thought I could go to the Santa Claus parade in peace with the two youngest of the boys of the Syrian neighbors. OFF we went decked in winter clothing of several layers. Apparently they were so excited they sat in the living room fully dressed for an hour before I went and picked them up for the walk down the street. I found another reservation for the New Year, inadvertently when I had to wave the cancellation fee for removing one I did not know about.
The Santa Claus parade was extraordinaire. We watched all manner of HUGE semi tractor trailers not so much drive by as roll, covered in lights, pretend ice, fake fires, and ligneous plants. Christmas esprit rolled by, air horns and heavy engines competing with radio stations playing rock and roll. Several teams of dog rescues, baton twinkling girls, complete with companies advertising their wares. One that jumps to mind is the toilet paper company and their white kittens pretending to slide down a hill. The fireworks at inaugural part of the parade, reminded the oldest of the two of the bombing back home. There were air, land and sea cadets, all with marching bands, all playing the same tune on xylophone and drums. There was not a lot if any, Christmas music and some hand waving from participants perched on the floats. In the spirit of geniality, and equality Mrs Claus in her own float before the mirthful ancient thing at the end of the line, he escorted by RCMP officers in beaver hats. He was almost, the jolly old thing, anticlimactic, truth be told.
We were OFF to the Titan Christmas party, decked out in the black party outfits now signaling happy times to swap stories of boot camps past. The magic continued as upon our return in the early morning, there were only green lights all the way home. HO HO HO. We were up and at it for an Advent Carol Service later in the afternoon. Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice. Dave Barry, Moi and Lucy P