Go Figurine

1979. Grade 12 Math Class.
Mr. Carmen's write's an equation on the chalkboard.
He asks; "What does this give us, Martin?"
"A headache, Sir?"
1979. Grade 12 History Class.
"Breastplates and Buckskins."
One of our textbooks.
I got the nickname "Rubberneck" 'cause I was always
looking back at the three babe's in the back row.
Breastplates and Buckskins indeed.

Not A Moment Too Swoon

At 8.04 a.m. I promised myself to not get on the computer
(or "'pooter" as my nephew would say when he was 4 year's old)
until 9 a.m. So pleased with my self restraint and then I realized
it was actually 9.04 a.m. with daylight savings time.
"Keep on playing those mind games..."

Rock The Cash Bar

Working at a Shoppers Drug Mart
It's midnight, we're closing up the store.
A car pulls up in front of the store. There's a couple in the car.
The guy jumps out of the car, starts knocking on our door.
We're tired, we want to close up, go home.
The guy's knocking louder. The woman in the car makes a praying motion.
The head cashier, Chris, gives a heavy sigh and opens the door.
"Whaddya want?" Chris asks the guy.
Buddy starts turning red.
Chris rolls his eyes and says: "At the back, to the left
of the pharmacy, next to the door."
Buddy pays, mumbles "thanks, man" drives off into the night.

The Whiner Olympics

Nuff Sled.

Voulez-Vous Crochet avec moi ce soir?

At a grocery store (yet again, you say).
Making small talk with the clerk.
Talking 'bout the weather, which isn't exactly small talk in Canada.
"Nice to see some snow" I say.
She says: "'They could use some in Vancouver."
"Halifax is getting hammered" she continues.
It's all I can do to stop myself from saying "I used to get pretty hammered in Halifax, too."

I've always wanted to go to a computer store, go to the cash and "check out" my blog.

Yet another song lyric: "My Sweet Landlord."

Au Revoir Pour Maintenant,

M. Boulanger

Be Kind; Unwind

On my way to the gym at the community centre when I notice several fire trucks parked in front. Turned out to be a false alarm. Give's new meaning to the term "Feel The Burn".
In the weight room, a guy is using a blue coloured pilates style ball. I say to him: "Should put the number eight on it." The rates for using the weight room are quite reasonable. Still, there's "No Free Lunge."
At a grocery store, notice that the suggestion box is covered in dust.
Meanwhile, my vacuum cleaner is collecting dust. It's my nature to abhor vacuums.

Flurry Up, Winter!

I heard John Lennon's song about christmas playing while I was pushing a grocery cart around Sobey's.
This was a day or two before xmas.
A tear came to my eye and I just had to stop.
As I think about that now, just minutes into the New Year, I remember Lennon telling us to dream our own dreams.
When things get tough I do what many of us do - play some music on whatever sound system we may have. Perhaps we sing a song ourself.
Maybe we choose an old favourite. We hum or play air guitar or "play" the drums with a flourish.
In some way or other knowing that the musicians we admire go through the same pain and joy that we do makes the pain easier to bear and the joy that much more uplifting.
There's also the excitement and wonder of discovering a new record (funny how we still use the term "record" this far into the digital age).
I think in the future perhaps we will all have our own radio/television/stations.
Will we optimistically "beam" our love of music to the rest of the world?
I'm going to sign off with a couple of Jokes.
- The owner of a high end stereo store is at his doctor's office.
He says to the doctor: "No way. I can't possibly have Mono"

- A woman brings her computer to her doctor. The doctor examines the computer and says: "It's not a virus, its bacterial."

Martin January 1 2010