Richard XXX

Now is the summer of our discontent
Made inglorious winter by this climate change
And all the clouds that poured upon our houses
Endless rain and thunder's wrath. 
 

Back Alley Robot Activated

 

Back Alley Robot

 

The Gregarious Gentlemen of Gaming & Guinness

Here's one of the group photos for G&G XX. Crazy that this tradition has now lasted two decades. While I couldn't be there for the whole thing this time, I still had a great time. Here's to twenty more years or more of these shenanigans. 
 

A Close Call

 

Today Sylvia and I had a close call on Anthony Henday Drive. We were in the middle lane when, in the course of regular spot checking, I spotted a large cargo truck swinging into our lane. I had barely enough time to shoulder check on my left; it was clear, so I was able to quickly dart over to the left lane. The truck came close enough to cause Sylvia to yell "Yiiiiikes," and I'm sure were were only a few inches apart for a second or so. 

The other driver showed no sign of awareness, blissfully ignorant of their role in possibly killing one or both of us or at least damaging the vehicle badly enough to turn it into a write-off. 

It was a good reminder that driving is inherently dangerous. Situational awareness is critical, because even if you never make a mistake (and I've made my share behind the wheel), someone else will, and you need to be ready for that. 

Even though I was performing my regular mirror and window checks as I was driving, I was lucky, too. If I'd been checking left instead of right in the critical moment, we might have collided with the truck. 

Stay safe out there. 

A Little Space and Time for the Science of Centring Yourself

It feels like forever since I enjoyed a few minutes outside, alone, on a nice day, at one of my favourite places. Even better, this occurred just after seeing some of my favourite people at what is now one of my favourite movies of 2026 (Project Hail Mary)--the first I've seen in theatres this year, and only the fourth I've seen in theatres since 2019, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Feels good, must do more often. Get outside, disconnect, look to the stars, not to my screen. 
 

SCTV and Me

At the moment I write this, Amazon Prime is streaming all six seasons of SCTV, AKA Second City Television, the sketch comedy show that arose from Toronto's Second City comedy troupe. Like many others, I was a fan during the series' original run; indeed, we moved to Alberta just in time for the third season, which was filmed in Edmonton at the old Allard studios on 51st avenue and even on location in Leduc, where we lived at the time. 

Because you never know how long any given show will be available these days, I immediately started watching SCTV on Prime from the beginning to try to capture all the episodes I missed back in the 70s and 80s and to revisit any I remembered. It turns out that out of the entire first and second seasons--as far as I've gotten--I remember only the fifth and 26th episodes of the first season, so much of the comedy is new to me thus far--quite a delight. 

The show is as silly as I remember, but also much sharper, with social commentary, double entendres, and pop culture references that went over my head as an adolescent. 

My favourite sketch from the first season is "Crossword" from episode four. I was astounded when the opening credits included Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud, two incredibly gifted and respected British stars of stage and screen. I figured this was a gag--including these legends alongside Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, and Harold Ramis--virtually unknown, comparatively, especially in the mid-1970s. But sure enough, the two knights show up in a sketch called, "Crosswords," in which they're cast in a Harold Pinter play and exchange dry, mundane dialogue about which landmarks they should visit and how to solve the crossword clues. It's a strange skit, capturing the weird feeling of Pinter plays perfectly, and the two gentlemen are hilarious in the most deadpan manner possible. I'd love to know what circumstances made this bit of television history possible. 

It's also neat to see the loose narrative of the fictional SCTV evolve during the first two seasons; the skits are held together with the various goings-on at the station itself, and it amuses me to no end that Harold Ramis' departure as Moe Green, station manager, is covered by a kidnapping; the station is too cheap to pay the $2000 ransom, and Moe Green is never seen again on the show. Grim! 

As with any sketch show, some bits are funnier than others, but the actors really give every scene their all, and the cheap production values bring their own charm, putting the show's success almost entirely in the hands of the writers and comedians. 

I already remember why I loved this show, and it's a real treat to finally see the many episodes I missed. Looking forward to seasons three to six! 

Where I've Lived, and When: Part One

In 2014, we went back to Flin Flon and shot a photo of our old house. 

A few years ago, not long after Dad died, I asked Mom if she remembered when we moved from Flin Flon, to Thompson, to Leaf Rapids, and finally to Edmonton. Yesterday, I found the post-it note upon which I jotted down the dates she gave me, allowing me to determine where I've lived, and when: 

Flin Flon, Manitoba: February 1969 to July 1971
Thompson, Manitoba: July 1971 to September 1973
Leaf Rapids, Manitoba: September 1973 to March 10, 1979
Edmonton, Alberta (Millwoods): March 1979 to June 1979
Leduc, Alberta: July 1979 to September 1987
Edmonton, Alberta (Lister Hall, University of Alberta): September 1987 to April 1991

When the Monsters Came to Edmonton

Sylvia and I went for a slow, cautious, leisurely drive around west Edmonton last night to see some Halloween decorations. Here are some of our favourites: 

I didn't get a photo, but I think our best creepy moment of the night was passing by some maniac who dressed up as Michael Meyers (from John Carpenter's 1980 slasher, Halloween). Whoever created the costume and played the role did a masterful job of looking really threatening without really doing anything other than standing still and staring out from blank, featureless eyes. Yikes! 

Forever Canadian: Signed

Thanks to a couple of volunteers from our very own condo complex, Sylvia and I signed the Forever Canadian petition today. If the petition collects slightly less than 300,000 signatures, the question "Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?" will be on a referendum ballot for all Albertans to vote on, beating the competing separatist referendum tacitly supported by Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP provincial government to the punch. 

And on Saturday, August 16, the Forever Canadian organization is opening a permanent petition signing location at the Kingsway Legion, which is located at 14339 50th Street, Edmonton. You can sign in the front lobby between noon and 8PM Thursday to Saturday and from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM on Sundays. 

No online signatures are accepted for this petition, so if you want to support Alberta remaining within Confederation, please find the time to sign as soon as possible. Canada isn't perfect, but Alberta alone would most likely be quickly absorbed the United States, with all the downsides that entails--from widespread gun violence to private health care to the very real threat of fascism completely taking over that nation in the imminent future. 

I don't want any part of that, and I imagine most people reading this blog agree with me. 

Alley Invader

 

In the Alley at Noon

 

Frustrated Scavenger

I was in an ill temper today (my present normal), and so this annoying bird received not a scrap. Now I feel guilty. 
 

CARTEL1

"We shouldn't park here," Sean said. 
 

Newton Place Knicknacks

I didn't live in Newton Place for long, but it's where I watched the last season or so of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I remember hardly anything about the layout of the apartment, and I have very few photos of my time there. This is one of them. 
 

Acid-Washed Jeans

Sometime between 1991 and 1994, while working as a parts driver for Norwest Automotive, I picked up a used car battery from one of our customers. I didn't think anything of it in the moment; I'd picked up used parts for disposal several times already, and this was just one more instance. 

But a couple of hours later, I noticed that my bluejeans were developing white patches in odd places, starting just below my pelvis. Over the course of the day, those white patches spread and the miscoloured denim thinned, By the time I returned home, my pants had developed huge rends, tears and gaps, disintegrating almost entirely into scraps not long after I removed my shoes. 

I figured that the battery must have cracked and leaked some mildly corrosive form of acid down my pants. Certainly my legs were quite itchy by the end of the day, and they'd taken on a slightly pinkish hue. A thorough scrubbing in the shower relieved those symptoms. 

I had occasion to tell Mom and Sean this story tonight; credit goes to Sean for coming up with the perfect title for this post. 

This One Is Lovely

While driving from Leduc to Edmonton on Saturday night, YouTube music's algorhytim slid "This One" through my speakers. To the best of my memory, never before had I heard "This One," and it captured my heart immediately; since that day I've played it dozens of times. 

There's always something new and beautiful to discover, isn't there? 
 

The Upworthy Crust

A few days ago, I learned of the existence of Big Mama's & Papa's Pizzeria. Edmonton has two locations, and today I visted the BMPP in Windermere. 

I bought the smallest available pizza, the 12-inch medium. This place offers single slices comparable in size to little people and a giant square pizza measuring 54 inches per side. Zounds! 

I was overwhelmed by the variety offered on BMPP's menu. I was sorely tempted by the Mexican, but since this was my first time here, I opted for the Stinkin' Cup and Char
Pepperoni . . .

. . . along with a serving of cheese toast. 

Cheese toast first: it's pretty good, but very, very greasy. It's loaded with garlic butter and cooked to perfection, with crispy-edged bread and cheese slightly stiff but half-melted, just how I like it. The portion size is generous for two people, and fair for four. My only quibble is how they assemble the portions into sandwiches, which results in the cheese slices melting together. This isn't a problem if you eat a portion as a mini-sandwich, but creates issues if you try to share. 

As for the pizza itself, it's scrumptious. The tomato sauce is savoury and slightly spicy--delicious enough that next time I might ask for extra sauce, as my pizza was fairly light on the stuff. This pizza comes with white and red onions, but I hardly noticed them, which makes me wonder if their flavour was overpowered by the pepperoni, the sauce, the seasoned crust, or perhaps some combination of the three. 

Speaking of the pepperoni--the key ingredient of this pie--it's as meaty and pepperoni-spiced as one could hope for. But I think the real star is the crust, which offers a satisfying flaky yet chewy texture and even a little heat thanks to the onion seasoning. 

I really enjoyed my first experience of BMPP, and I look forward to trying it again. 

The Leaning Streetlight of Edmonton

It was a windy day in Edmonton today, and while out on errands I spotted this precariously positioned streetlight right on our street. I called 311 and a fellow named Steve assured me a crew would head out right away to fix the problem. I'm sure the situation has been straightened out. 
 

Terra Losa Rainbow

On Saturday night, a rainbow appeared on the drive from Mom's place to home. I shot a photo of it with my phone before picking up a Coke for Sylvia.