One of the hot topics for the upcoming provincial election is the recent spike in power bills, which has affected both St. Paul residents and business owners alike.
From large car dealerships to small independent shops on Main Street, the increase in the amount business owners are paying for power is substantial and with the passing of a very mild winter, people are scratching their heads to determine why that is. Read the full story at the St. Paul Journal.
A review committee fronted by Justice John Major is currently collecting data to determine whether the severance package, or transition allowance, given to MLAs when they leave office is justifiable, which has prompted local opposition candidates and incumbent PC candidate Ray Danyluk to speak out on the issue. Read the full story at The St. Paul Journal.
When I first arrived in Alberta before the new year began, one of the things I noticed on the way back to my sister’s place from the Edmonton airport was a bumper sticker on the car ahead of me. It said ‘You’re in oil country’ and had the Edmonton Oilers hockey team logo. I certainly wasn’t surprised since in any major Canadian city, the residents wholeheartedly support their local hockey team. The same can be said of the smaller cities and towns across the country that diligently cheer on and wear the colours of their hockey team, whichever level it plays at. Read the full column at The St. Paul Journal.
Like many people, I grew up with the idea of someday getting married, starting a family and then gradually getting old alongside work and a couple family vacations to Cape Cod or Disney World. Maybe even taking a few more trips to some exotic places with the misses when we eventually sold the farm, metaphorically speaking (I’m not a farmer). I can recall having visions of these future events or places for as long as I can remember. However, it is only now that I have another vision: being on my own. Read the full column at The St. Paul Journal.
A report released by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) a few weeks ago has asked Members of Parliament to shut down the current pension scheme that has been creating hoopla in Ottawa. Last week, local MP Brian Storseth said the pensions are only part of a much bigger issue. Read the full story at The St. Paul Journal.
Published in The St. Paul Journal on Jan. 31, 2012
Moving stinks, plain and simple. The act of packing up all of the things you have, and usually forgot you had, tends to be tedious at best. Sure, everyone tries to make it better with a good batch of songs or even a companion to assist and shoot the breeze with, yet there is no avoiding that one moment you realize you wish you had started packing earlier, or maybe threw away some stuff you’ve been unknowingly hoarding a long time, or even decided not to move in the first place. I have a confession: I’ve experienced none of this the last two times I’ve moved apartments and, believe it or not, there is a negative side.
The ad in the classified section for the past four or five issues has been taken down as last week I moved into a new house in town. Not only was it relieving to find a place to stay for the foreseeable future, the fact that the move consisted of transporting a suitcase, hockey bag, which was filled with books instead of skates and shin pads, and a TV was much less stressful than the typical move.
Yes, I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the past three months and although it’s a little disheartening not to have some favourable items simply too big to fit in my suitcase, let alone the back of my jeep, it feels liberating. There’s no restrictions in terms of moving places and it carries an overall freewheelin, or nomadic if you will, attitude that made the appeal of moving west from Ontario so exciting. It’s definitely a lifestyle that can take some getting used to, but the idea of being able to continually meet new people and see parts of your own country you might never have had the chance to makes it worth it, for me at least.
As I mentioned, moving around with only a suitcase and a four-wheel drive vehicle does have its downsides, besides not having with you a cherished desk or record player and the like. We tend to complain during a move about having too much stuff – I for one can recall feeling light headed when staring at a living room littered with things to pack or part with – however, I believe these pieces are part of who we are as individuals. From that old James Joyce essay you, unbelievably, got an A grade on (I don’t really remember writing it, but I do remember drinking lots and lots of coffee) to a faded and torn Led Zeppelin t-shirt you still might wear to bed or if someone asked you to come help paint their house with.
Similar to the old adage ‘you are what you like,’ I think the stuff we own and choose not to part with, at least not in a hoarding way, is a fair indication of what we’re all about and to leave it behind and move to the other side of the country, or anywhere, can be a little scary. We probably feel much more comfortable when we see things we’re used to, or having the option of using something that’s familiar, even if it’s that desk you bought from IKEA (I thought it had nice little shelves and it even came with a lock). However, it’s good to every now and then test yourself by doing something totally out of your element. Taking one hour to move from one apartment to the next is something that was certainly new to me and although it may not seem like such a big deal at the time, it can put your life and what defines you into perspective in more ways than you think. I’m hoping to get that desk and record player shipped out here, FYI.
Despite a valiant comeback, which included four unanswered goals in the third period, the St. Paul Junior B Canadiens fell 8 – 6 to rivals the Saddle Lake Warriors on Thursday at the Clancy Richard Arena. Read the full story at the St. Paul Journal.
For once, Wile E. Coyote’s plans still have not been foiled by the Road Runner or an Acme corporation device.
The coyote that has been roaming in the Neville Park Boulevard area of the Beach for almost two months is still at large, despite the city’s attempts at catching it. The city originally intended to capture and euthanize the coyote,but then decided to relocate it once it’s trapped.
Read the full story at the Toronto Observer.
Rua Thompson, my family’s dog, died this past Monday (July 25) after 11 years of barking, begging, crying and sometimes, when he was keen, cuddling. Born in south Oshawa, we picked the “red”, which his names translates to in Gaelic, poodle up when he was just a pup to help fill the gap left by our old dog Rouri, also a poodle albeit a black one. To say that he filled a void would be an understatement and it is only now, after losing him, do we realize he did so much more.
Rua, sometimes referred to as Ruby, Ru, Voula or ‘the bollox’ and ‘ya bastard’, was probably the most stuck up, son-bitch of a dog, however it was those traits that made him like no other. He wouldn’t always listen or come if you called, unless of course a fido snack (the good kind) or a piece of cheese was clearly visible, but he had his moments where we simply couldn’t resist staying angry at him. I can easily recall the times he took a bite out of my pizza if I left it sitting or the infamous moment he stole a piece of chicken from the dinner table in front of the old man. One would have to argue the time he snuck upstairs, where he was never allowed to go unless Frank was away on business, and sat on my parents bed only for my dad to walk in the room and hardly notice him to be more infamous. The thoughts going through his mind at the time keep us in stitches to this day.
Taking him for a walk essentially revealed Rua’s true colours. He disliked other dogs, bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers, and it could be said he was a bit of a racist, although whether you were black, white or purple, he probably wouldn’t like you anyway. What he did like, however, was his family and up until the last few moments of his life, all he wanted to do was go home and spend time with his family…and if he had time, charge the door when the doorbell rang, pick a fight with the biggest dog he saw or growl at the kids from across the street.
We all have our own separate memories of Rua and I believe those will be the ones that last the longest or make us laugh the most. If you were alone with him in the house he would be your constant companion, never leaving your side and only asking to be taken for a quick jaunt around the block and a nibble of whatever you were eating, even if it was a tasteless biscuit. Visitors to the house can recollect that crazy dog who never stopped barking, but in the end, they weren’t his family, the only ones he really cared for (with the exception of back scratchers).
American politician George Graham Vest once made the claim that a dog is a man’s best friend in his speech defending a client who’s dog was shot by a neighbour. While Rua never took to the whole training bit, shaking a paw and rolling over was something embedded in his brain since birth to never do, for us he was not just part of the family, rather a friend, a companion, an overall shit-disturber, and we loved him dearly for being so.
Whether it was because of the shoddy breeder we got him from or the lack of discipline on our part to train him properly, Rua was a rebel at heart who made his own rules and followed through on them. His death has saddened the family and his presence will be missed, although his attitude and spirit will live on for us to remember that not everything in life has to be well-trained or ‘by the book’ to be right or joyful. We don’t necessarily have to bark, winge or push things over whenever we don’t get something, much like Rua did, yet it’s a reminder to never accept what you don’t agree with and if you want to change it badly enough, go do it…Although biting someone would probably work just as well.
Rua Thompson, 2000 – 2011
Queens of the Stone Age are currently touring in support of the reissue of their self-titled debut album from 1998. I caught their show here in Toronto at Sound Academy and, as expected, they’re a fab band to see live. Despite the venue being a bit of a drag to get to, it was worth it. Read the review on Chart Attack.
Keep your eyes wide 