Posted on January 18, 2014 under Storytelling with no comments yet

I don’t drink and drive.  I don’t smoke and drive.  No big surprises there as I neither smoke nor drink.  Occasionally I will have a coffee beside me in a cup holder and have been known to eat a muffin while holding the steering wheel with one hand.  I like to listen to the radio and will carry on a conversation with fellow passengers.  With the possible exception of drinking and driving, none of these other activities constitute a distraction or a danger to other drivers, according to Section 100 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

Unless, of course, your spouse is in the driver’s seat giving you directions.

I have become intimately aware of section 100 D (1) of the Act.  It pertains to the use of hand held cellular devices.

On a recent business trip to Cape Breton I discovered the subtleties of the Act.

Let me confess that I can’t tolerate people who text, call or e-mail while driving.  I would have been one of the first people to applaud this addition to the Motor Vehicle Act, having nearly been run over on several occasions by someone oblivious to me being in a crosswalk.  And I would be the first to agree that enforcement needs to be stepped up.

As long as it’s not me that’s being enforced.

I will spare you the details of my transgressions, but when I was stopped on the outskirts of Sydney, I was not texting, e-mailing or talking with anyone on my cell phone.  I politely offered the officer my phone to examine my log, which would make it clear that I hadn’t actually been using the phone.

I will, however, admit that I was cradling the phone in my hand.  Perhaps sending a coy glance its’ way.  Guilt by association.

I was given the option of paying the $169 fine or appearing in court on February 14^th.  Happy Valentine’s Day, officer.

Did I mention that I am quite fond of pets?  We had a dog in the family during my youth and, until recently, had three cats as family pets.  I bear no ill will to our four legged friends.

I eased my way off the ramp onto the 105 heading for the Louisburg exit.  Oddly enough, my phone rang minutes after parting ways with the Mountie.  I didn’t pick up the phone.

I was just getting up to speed when I was passed by a small quarter ton truck.  I did a double take and sure enough, there was a Golden retriever behind the wheel.   I followed in hot pursuit.  I admit that I was still a bit rattled from my recent encounter.  I decided to pass the vehicle and sure enough, this elegant pooch was perched on his master’s lap with one paw on the steering column.

For a moment, the cynical side of me thought about pulling off the road and calling the Mounties to report the sighting of the miraculous dog driver.  I didn’t check the Motor Vehicle Act to see if there was a section on sarcasm.

I am sorely tempted to take three cats for the drive to Sydney on February 14^th.  I’ll make certain that they are all on my lap, paws on the steering wheel, as I enter the Court House parking lot.

 

 

Posted on January 16, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

Music has always been a big part of my life. My earliest memories were of house parties at my parents home. Young and old would gather in the living room around the piano and sing. Occasionally a fiddle player would show up but it was mostly piano and voices and as time went on, guitars were added to the mix. I still play a bit of guitar but am pretty average.

I say this things as a lead in to a story I am working on and I must warn you that it is pure nostalgia. We Baby Boomers think that were grew up in the golden age of everything, including music. Back in the ’60’s, there were quite a few local bands and if you were a musician, you could actually make money doing it. Isn’t that a novel idea! I see so many fantastic musicians plying their trade these days and other than a few of them, the rest struggle to make a living.

Back in the late ’60’s there were two bands, The Strangers and The Escorts who pretty well had the local market cornered. This was the era when there was a dance at the local Parish Centre virtually every weekend. Some people came to the dance… to dance, some to drink and others to fight.

The story is about these two bands. I can speak with some authority on this one as I was a member of The Escorts. I was eighteen,  playing on stage, making quite a bit of money and believing I was cool. Everything in the last sentence is accurate except for the last part. The story is called “Escort Service.” If nothing else, the title might get some of you to read it. Hope you’re not too disappointed when you find out that it doesn’t involve a brothel!

Heard some people complaining about the January thaw today…not enough snow for snowmobiling, snowshoeing and skiing. Last week the other half of the population was complaining about too much snow. Maybe there will come a day when each of us will be able to completely control the climate to suit our liking!

So, after weeks and week of backbreaking shovelling you’ve had enough and you order a snow blower. The day it arrives there is not a lick of snow on the ground and you can all but be assured there won’t be another snow fall of any consequence for the rest of the winter. I can think of several other things along these lines, sort of a “Born Loser” theme. Have to write a story about this…my weekend homework.

Have a great weekend and stay tuned for “Driven to Distraction” on Saturday.

 

 

Posted on January 14, 2014 under Storytelling with no comments yet

What does your early morning routine look like?  Do you leap out of bed ready to embrace the day, from the moment your feet hit the floor?  Or do you hit the snooze button a couple of times and beg for two more minutes of precious sleep?  However you greet the morn, it is just about a dead certainty that you will pour some form of caffeine down your throat before heading for a hot shower.

I am an early riser and the toughest part of the day is swinging my legs over the side of the bed.  One too many marathons have given me a friend for life: arthritis in my back.  The first few moves are tentative until I get my feet onto the floor, but after that, I’m good to go.

These days, I’m at my computer before the birds are up, with a coffee in hand.  And after writing a new story and checking e-mail it’s off to the shower.

For a mother of young children, having a shower may be the most blessed time of the day and quite likely the only private moment in a revolving 24 hour cycle.  And that shower takes place at any time of the day or night … whenever the slim window of opportunity presents itself.

Most people who work outside the house start their day with a shower.  This is not an optional activity.  It is like priming the pump to get the well going.  You draw the curtain, turn the knobs and enter your own little oasis of tranquility.

The water pulsates from the shower nozzle and immediately hits you on the head.  It’s like a massage of the brain.  The warmth washes over you as you begin to visualize the day ahead.  There was a time when shampooing my hair was a project.  Can you say “afro?”

You start with the mundane things.  It is garbage day or I have a dental appointment.  You run down the “to do” list in short order.  But often, this is when your mind strays well beyond the present.

In January, it is common to ponder the year ahead and wonder what it might bring to you and your family.  Do I have any big goals that I want to accomplish?  What changes do I need to make in order to be healthy?  What do I need to do to increase my happiness index?

Some of our very best ideas come from the shower because we can actually hear ourselves think.  Other than the soothing sound of running water there is no extraneous noise to distract you.

After towelling off, the next step is usually the mirror.  You have successfully wiped away the fog in your head and now it is time to do the same with the mirror.  You have a perfectly good day in front of you.  What are you going to do with it?

It’s time to transport those ideas from the shower room and kick them into gear.

Ready.  Set.  Go.