Posted on February 11, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Our just desserts?

There’s an old expression I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. The recent changes and updates to the Canada Food Guide have me and many other Canadians thinking about what we eat. Although Christmas is now a distant memory, I’m reasonably sure that most people have dialed back their excessive holiday eating. Not surprisingly, more gym appearances are made in January than any other month of the year. In other words, we’re trying to get our act together… again.

“You are what you eat.”

Surprisingly, the Canada Food Guide does not have a category dedicated to sugar. I don’t think I’m the only confessed sugar addict. Back in the early 80s, sugar was often referred to as “cancer crystals”. Besides desserts, most processed foods contain traces of sugar and some of them, including fast foods, are absolutely loaded with it.

I have been repeatedly told by family and friends that sweets are ok in moderation. Unfortunately, I did not inherit the moderation gene.  When I smoked, I smoked close to two packs a day. Good thing I quit cold turkey when I did about 40 years ago. I am healthier because of this choice and I have saved myself a bundle of money. Two packs a day these days will set you back about $1,200 a month. You could afford a very nice home in Nova Scotia for that price or a one bedroom apartment in Vancouver.

Like most self -respecting Maritimers, I drank my share of alcohol. I decided on January 1^st of the year I turned 60 (eight years ago), that I would put a cork in the booze bottle for good. I felt that sleeping better was a sensible trade- off for the momentary high of a glass or two of wine.

In the not too distant past I ran marathons and biked like a mad man. My neck and back now hate me for this excessive behaviour. There is nothing wrong with running or biking. Just do them in moderation!

You get my drift.

If you are what you eat, then what are you?

I am apple pie, crème brule, strawberry shortcake, coconut cream pie, oatmeal cookies, date squares, apple turnovers, Timbits, crullers and donuts.

I am mom’s pineapple squares, Evelyn’s lemon tarts, Effie’s chocolate squares, Nora’s fudge, Mrs. A.B.’s butterscotch pie, and Violet’s blueberry grunt. (A tip of the hat to old neighbors and friends).

I am profiteroles, Budapest roll, chocolate chip cookies, peek freans, cherry pie, muffins.

I am chocolate. I am death by chocolate. I am Peace by Chocolate!

I am jelly beans, hard candy, Oh Henry bars, coconut bar, crispy crunch, cherry blossom, caramel cake and Jos.Louis. I am plum pudding, fruit cake, cinnamon rolls, tomato cake, banana bread, cheese cake.

I am Nanaimo bars, rice krispy squares, butter tarts, lemon loaf, parfaits, trifle and sweet cereals.

Have I missed any? Please do tell.

I don’t have the nerve or resolve (yet) to kick the sugar habit but I’m working at it. I am fairly certain that sugar is my number one enemy and will eventually do me in if I’m not careful.

Valentine’s Day is lurking which usually means chocolate.

Maybe you can surprise your special person by purchasing them a lentil burger on Cupid’s big day.

Have a great week.

 

Posted on February 4, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

The Rockies

Over the past six weeks, I have travelled by car, ferry, ferry taxi, bus, train (Skytrain in Vancouver) and airplane. I mustn’t forget travel by foot. I covered a lot of miles over the streets and trails of Victoria and Vancouver. I like driving less with every passing day and I’ve become a big fan of public transit. If you have time and you’re not in a hurry, travel can be relatively painless. Of course, every one of us has a travel story that has gone south, and I don’t mean Florida.

I have become a student of air travel and have adopted a few strategies that take some of the stress out of this mode of transport. Baggage is always a big deal so whenever possible, I travel lightly with only a carry on bag. It avoids the zoo around the baggage carousel and of course minimizes the chances of your baggage not arriving at its destination.

I’m always astounded at the whole check in procedure when you arrive at your appointed gate. Everybody sitting in the waiting room is going to get on the plane but when the first pre-boarding announcement comes over the loud speaker, there is a stampede for the check in counter. I wonder if those people pushing and shoving think they’re going to arrive at their destination before the others. Yes, if you’re the lucky one to be first on the plane, you avoid those other annoying passengers banging you in the butt with their laptop bag.

But if you’re the last person to board the plane, you also avoid the pandemonium and that is precisely what I have been doing the last several times I’ve flown.  It’s very calming.

The same holds true at the end of the journey. You know that just about everyone on the plane is restless having been sitting in cramped quarters for numerous hours. If you have a tight connection, then it is imperative to gather your carry on bags and beat a hasty exit from the plane. However, if you have a checked bag, then standing at a crooked angle by the window seat, trying your best to break into the lineup, is an exercise in futility unless you’re 100% positive your bag is going to be the first one off the carousel. How often has that ever happened to you? Never. I thought so.

If you don’t have a tight connection  and you have a checked bag, might I politely suggest that you stay in your seat until everyone except for the flight attendants have vacated the plane. You’ll avoid a hernia trying to twist your body to get amidst the throng panting to get to the exit. If you’re the last off the plane, you walk peacefully down the aisle. Barring a miracle, you arrive at the baggage collection section before the carousel indicator makes that jarring and sometimes annoying beeping sound.

Now those same people who pushed and shoved to get on the plane, then off the plane, are also likely the same ones who push their way to the front of the carousel. By the time they get to their vehicle, they are well on their way to road rage or a heart attack.

If you have the time, try my strategy some time. You’ll be amazed that you leave the same time as everyone else, arrive at the same time and collect your bags within minutes of everyone else.

If you just missed a connecting flight to the Bahamas, please disregard this post!

Have a great week.

Posted on January 28, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

The Trews at The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver

 

“Rockin’ alone in an old rocking chair.”

Rocking Alone in an Old Rocking Chair – Eddy Arnold

It is hardly surprising that many of the entertainment options in Victoria are skewed heavily to an older population. Victoria is, after all, often referred to as the “retirement capital of Canada”. Movies, concerts and a multitude of events are held during the day. I have been to three excellent movies since coming out here. One of them started at 11:30 a.m. and the others were mid- afternoon and make no mistake about it, the movie theatres have really upped their game to attract customers. Most of the multiplexes here have large (oversized) leather chairs that have adjustable foot rests and reclining features. Seniors prices are very reasonable ($11) but this is more than made up by the exorbitant cost of popcorn. Unbuttered popcorn (enough to feed a moderately hungry squirrel) costs around $7.50.

So when my brother in Vancouver called and asked if I would like to come over and catch an 8:00 p.m. concert, I thought that this was reasonable. We would attend the show and be back at his place by 10:30. This wasn’t any show. Many of you will be familiar with The Trews, a band who got their start in Antigonish. Two of the band members are blood relatives which made the concert that much more appealing.

The concert was on Friday. I started the day in Victoria with a 2.5 hour walk with my other brother. I took public transit all the way to Vancouver which included three bus trips, a ferry ride and a trip on the Skytrain. After a very brisk walk around the seawall (a total of 23k for the day) and a delicious supper, I was ready for bed, not a rock concert. My heart sank a bit when my brother checked out the concert venue to discover that The Trews would not be hitting the stage until 11:00 p.m. The last time I was up this late may have been for the birth of one of my children or, more recently, to use the bathroom!

I have been to a lot of concerts in my lifetime, many of them in Vancouver back in the 70’s. My all-time favourite was Stevie Wonder. Preparing to go out on the town in your 20’s is a far cry from your 60’s. Back then, it was almost sacrilegious if you didn’t warm up with a few brews or something stronger. By the time you arrived at the venue, you would be ready to rock the night away. If the booze didn’t get you in the mood then the ever present marijuana smoke would do the trick.

On this evening, the only rocking I felt like doing was in a rocking chair. How in god’s name could I stay awake until 11:00 and then go to a concert? The answer was painfully clear. I would have to go to bed before the concert. I climbed into bed at 8:30 p.m.and set my alarm for 10:30.

“Getting dark again, getting dark again; for the second time since we got up, it’s getting dark again.” Aeslin Debison.

We set out on foot for The Commodore Ballroom at 10:45. The Commodore is a Vancouver landmark opening in the 1930s when Vancouverites danced into the night to swing orchestras. Since then, the venue has hosted everything from Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels to The Police, U2 and Nirvana.

The streets of Vancouver were relatively quiet for a Friday night. That is, until we turned a corner and arrived on Granville Street. It was as if someone had their television muted and when they unmuted it, the volume went inexplicably up to 10. Granville Street was alive and pulsating. Besides The Commodore, there are many nightclubs in this section of the city. There were lineups everywhere as it became obvious that the night was just beginning for the younger set.

We entered The Commodore and made our way up the stairs to the main ballroom. It was dark and the place appeared packed. We later found out that it was a sellout. The place holds 1000… 998 of these were rocking to the music. We lurked in the shadows at the back of the room. The Trews obviously had the audience in the palm of their hands. They pounded out the tunes one after the other in a high octane performance.

Standing there, I couldn’t help but think of the generations in our clan who have performed live music.

I cannot tell a lie. We stayed long enough to see the immense talent and energy of the band but we didn’t shut the place down. I turned to my brother and asked if he was ready to go. As if on cue, the band broke into one of its greatest and best known hits “Not Ready to Go”.

“They ain’t heavy, they’re my cousins”.

Yours Trewly.