An Easter Story from my past....

It was 1958, the Saturday before Easter and my friend Ted and I had made our way to New York City. We were 16, but both of us were pretty big, and we had fake ID’s if we needed them, and the drinking age in New York was 18. The rest is history.

 We had a great time, and even got to the Village Gate to see Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry on stage. It was remarkable in  many ways, including experiencing going to a bar at the 8:00 a.m. opening. I’ve never done that one since. We watched (and drank) with what I thought of as “professional” drinkers, I guess alcoholics by today’s standards. I do remember we had a good time, no cars were involved, and we all lived to tell about it.

 However, the most memorable event to me, those 55 years ago, was walking in Times Square at about 8:00 p.m. and there was a man in a suit and tie, with the “good book” held high above his head, screaming, with a Southern accent,” What are you doing, out on the streets of New York, the night before Easter, without a bible in your hands?”

 So wherever you may be, as you read this, in that crazy man’s honor, let me ask you, “What were you doing, wherever you may be, the day before Easter, without a bible in your hand?” (Accent implied)

Tom Tom vs. the World...

Two weeks ago we were in New Jersey, a road trip for sure. While there we had to go to a museum in New Jersey, and we had directions. The problem stems from having 3 sets of directions; a MapQuest set printed out by my wife, a GPS set being fed to me by my Tom Tom in a normal voice, and my mother-in-laws direction because she’s been there recently and knew how to go. They were all different!

After ten minutes I cried out in pain, “Two of you must stop!” The smartest thing to do was to turn off the Tom Tom and my wife, and listen to my mother-in-law. Because, either way, if she’s correct we all win, if she’s wrong, we can blame her and she’ll keep quiet about it. Any other was I was going to lose!

We easily made it to the museum and while all three were probably correct, the simplest solution is always the best!

Twice Hurt

 

Sitting quietly at lunch in Subway, the room was almost empty. Besides myself, there was a table of three young guys, in their early 20’s and a table with a youngish couple.

After a few minutes the young woman (of the couple) walked over to the three guys and excused herself, and explained (I could not hear the whole conversation clearly) she and her husband were opening a new business in Dundas, and she wanted to know if they regularly came to Subway in Dundas, or were they mainly a Westdale crowd? She excused herself a number of times for being nosey but wanted to know. They gave her an explanation, missed by me, and she was satisfied.

Clearly she didn’t’ want to hear from the old man as she ignored my presence.

A few minutes later, after I was finished lunch, I got into my car and went to the bulk Barn. I shopped and bought a number of bags of candy items and when asked about my purchases by the young woman at the register, I told her how every moth I brought candy to my regularly scheduled meeting and how much fun it was for people who do not always have candy access, to be able to choose from a whole bunch of items.

She asked what kind of a meeting I attended and I told her a Board Meeting. She apologised for asking because she said, “It may have been an AA meeting or something”.

OK, so here it is, I am ostracised for being an old guy and fingered for maybe being an alcoholic or even a sex addict! This was surely not my day!

Faking It....

Richard Parkes Bonington (25 October 1802 – 23 September 1828) was an English Romantic landscape painter, who moved to France at the age of 14 and can also be considered as a French artist, and an intermediary bringing aspects of English style to France. Becoming after his very early death one of the most influential British artists of his time, the facility of his style was inspired by the old masters, yet was entirely modern in its application. His landscapes were mostly of coastal scenes, with a low horizon and large sky, showing a brilliant handling of light and atmosphere.

This painting came to me last year, and as it says on the frame in the lower centre, it is purported to be a painting by Richard Parkes Bonington.

On the back of the painting is a newspaper ad, clearly from another time, looking for additional paintings by Bonington and from an art project in London, England. As several of us were pretty certain this was not a Bonington, I ventured to contact the agency and they informed the the ad was 40 years old and the woman who ran the ad and the Bonington project, was long gone from their employee. But, she had been replaced by a man who eventually became the Director of a major US museum in the upper mid-west. I contacted him, and he asked for a photo of the painting which I sent immediately. He assured me that not only was it not a Bonington but it was not even a copy of a Bonington!

I hope to sell it this year, and instead of being a painting worth $150,000 and up, I hope to get $200 for it. It has a great 19^th century frame and would look great with a mirror in it.

I will need the owner to give her OK for this, and I have the feeling she bought it years ago assuming it was real. She may not be willing to let it go.

 

Shoes for dancing.....

I finally succumbed. After years of saying no, it is not cool, I purchased Velcro closing shoes!

It is not cool! However, it is easy and comfortable. They are Rockport’s and came from Winners (TJ Maxx) of course, and were a huge bargain. I am not proud of this but it made me laugh.

 

I never thought I’d do this but I never thought I’d be this old either.