Posted on March 20, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

Adam Scott

 

 

Ok ladies. It’s not polite to drool in public. The picture above is of Adam Scott. He is the number 2 golfer in the world, he’s Australian so he has the accent, he’s a gazillionaire and …. wait for this, he’s single.

Well, it was an amazing week hanging out in Florida with my son, Peter. We spent several days at the Bay Hill Golf Club ( owned by Arnold Palmer ) during the practice rounds for the big tournament coming up this weekend. We saw just about all the big names in golf. Rory wasn’t there and Tiger withdrew. It’s fun watching people at the top of their profession. It was also great to get away from winter for a spell.

I certainly haven’t taken a vacation from writing. I have all kinds of new story ideas and penned four new ones while on the trip. I was mentioning on Facebook the other day about an infamous occurrence on a golf trip to Pinehurst, North Carolina. Pinehurst has been a golf mecca for a long time and people come from all over the world to play on the nine courses that make up the complex. It is a high end resort, so you are wondering what I was doing there?

I was a guest of a relative. I’ll cut to the chase. On the final night of our stay,  I wore my kilt to the five star dining room. You must wear jackets and ties. I won’t spoil the story but there was alcohol involved. And the wait staff  were all African Americans who had never seen a kilt. Use your imagination. Coming soon, “Right Up Yer Kilt.”

Back in 1973, I was working  in Victoria , B.C. after graduating from St.F.X.  On one memorable Victoria Day ( the actual holiday ) several members of my family, including my father, attended the Victoria Day parade. Dave Barrett was the Premier at the time and he was the parade marshal.  At the conclusion of the parade, we retired to a watering hole. Well, one thing led to another and before you could hum “Barrett’s Privateer’s” we were off to the premier’s home in Esquimalt for an informal visit. Our father was horrified. Learn more when I publish the story “ Grin and Barrett.”

I’m thinking that this Saturday would be an excellent time to release my story about the appalling client service I received at a car rental agency when I arrived in Florida. You might detect just a hint of sarcasm in the piece “Hurtz Like Hell.” The alternate title could be “Hurtz. Like Hell.”

And of course, I took a stab at a touchy subject…sex education,  in the story “Everything You Wanted to Know About.”

I’ll be back in the country later this evening and at my desk in the morning.

Have a great weekend..

 

Posted on March 13, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with 3 comments

Confusion Square 2014

From the sound of things, I am certainly not the only shopper in the world who has received poor customer service…or none at all. This is not a knock on Nova Scotia but it is. Sort of.  I am heading to Florida tomorrow and while I can’t predict the weather, there is something I know with certainty. I will receive excellent service wherever I go. Florida knows where their bread is buttered and they have the client service piece nearly perfected. Now, they’re not perfect and you will encounter the odd clerk who is disinterested ( See  “Shell Lacking” in the archives on my webpage – November 23/13 ) but that is the exception to the rule.

Our community and our Province have so much going for them but I think there is a general malaise when it comes to customer service. Some ( very few ) excel while a great majority wallow in mediocrity and a small number are pathetic. I recently took a course on Social Media. I got to meet a number of business people in the community who are trying to improve their skill set. I believe the government should offer mandatory courses in client service for small businesses.  OK.  Enough of that.  Not quite a Rick Mercer “rant”, but close.

This Saturday I will be posting the story “Head on Collision” which reflects on the challenges of so many families who have a spouse working in Alberta and doing the commute. It’s hard on everyone and when you get a tired worker coming home from 21 days straight of 12 hour days, running headlong into the other spouse who has managed the house and several children for 21 days ( 24 hours a day ), the results can be disastrous. Spoiler alert: the story has a happy ending.

I am still basking in the glow from the 48 hour music fest on the weekend. In case you missed my post on Monday, I put a list of my 10 favorite albums of all times on Facebook. There was a chain of comments that went on relentlessly for the better part of two days. I ended up writing a story called “The Songs We Sang.” Coming soon.

One of the early paragraphs talks about my university days and mentions the student strike in 1971. The epicentre of strike activities was an area called “Confusion Square”, a former parking lot area adjacent to Xavier Hall and across the street from Morrison Hall. The main issue in the strike was co-ed housing which would be laughable today. But back then, it was a very big deal. Big enough to shut down the university before the end of the year. We got to do “take home exams.” I know several people who wrote those exams at the Triangle Tavern ( now Piper’s Pub ). I asked for and received some interesting photos from that time period.

Every song brings back a memory. The soundtrack of our lives.

I was thrilled to receive an e-mail from a high school friend and former teaching colleague. I think I’ve only seen him once in the last 35 years. He heard about my book and tracked me down. We taught in the same school in Fairview ,Alberta. I had an instant flashback to a particular Good Friday in that staunchly Catholic community when a bunch of us decided to have a party. It was bad enough to be partying at all on such a solemn occasion. But it gets much worse. It was an outdoor party and (ouch) the house was located directly behind the church. It was sunny and warm. It was during the Good Friday service.  Fill in the blanks!

I will be checking in from Florida. My son and I are going to attend the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill golf tournament next week in Orlando… as spectators, of course!  I am sure there will be a story or two.

Have a great weekend.

Posted on March 6, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

One of life’s little pleasures ( treasures )

 

Do you know anyone who has been stricken with a condition known as OPBD?  Now, just in case you are scurrying off to check The New England Journal of Medicine or The Lancet, this particular condition was only coined four days ago…. by me. I’m thinking I will set up a Wikipedia account and claim this as my own.

And what, pray tell, are the symptoms of this rare affliction? You can only get it a couple of times a year. That’s a good thing. You can avoid coming in contact with it if you keep your eyes and ears open. If you happen to find yourself in the middle of it, you can immediately remove yourself from the path of danger.

So, what is OPBD?

Optimum Points Bonus Day at a national pharmacy chain. Peggy, a good friend from Halifax, found herself in the lineup at SD in the middle of a feeding frenzy. She posted a few thoughts on FB and off to the races I went. Thanks, Peggy for the idea and some of the key phrases. Haven’t figured out a suitable title but so far it looks like “Nothing to Sneeze at.”  Kleenex and toilet paper were on sale.

And thanks to another buddy from Halifax, Wendy, I was presented with the opportunity to write a piece on client service, or the lack thereof. Don’t you just love being ignored in a store or a restaurant? “The Invisible (Wo)Man”  takes a major league rip at poor client service.

TICKETS FOR THE FUNDRAISER ARE NOW ON SALE.

I knew that would get your attention. I really believe and hope that this event will be a sellout. In addition to the ticket outlets ( Brendans, Brosha’s Short Stoppe and The Tall and Small ), you can get them from me. There are other groups who will be selling them as well.

I’m getting some great feedback on the story I wrote about Lent: “ I Give Up.” If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look… especially if you were brought up Catholic. And if you weren’t brought up Catholic, still read it and realize how lucky you have been that you haven’t had to give up single malt scotch or chocolates for 40 days and 40 nights.

Have a great weekend.