Round and Round the Memory Hole

Back in the 80s, I visited Edmonton's Klondike Days with friends perhaps three or four times. On one of those occasions, I paused on the midway to observe the operation of an amusement ride that was part carousel, part roller coaster. While the riders screamed, the ride's sound system blared out "Round and Round" by Ratt.

For reasons unknown to me now, I thought to myself, "I want to remember this moment." And I have, but perhaps without the fidelity younger Earl might have hoped for. I remember the song, and I remember the shape and colour scheme of the ride, but I don't remember how old I was, who I was with, and why I thought the moment was significant.

Considering this question made me wonder, yet again, what life is all about if we can't remember, and therefore learn from, the sum total of our past experiences. From a scientific materialist point of view, of course, there doesn't need to be any "why" to my existence. And yet I'm still annoyed that I don't remember everything I've ever done and everything that's ever happened to me. It seems a flaw.

Hi-Q Boo-Boo

Today Mom phoned to tell me that she saw me on television this morning, during Global Edmonton's live broadcast of the Klondike Days Parade through downtown. I'd half suspected I might appear in the coverage, because Mike Sobel hopped into the crowd an interviewed a mother and child about a metre away from me. I, of course, coolly stared into space, offhandedly observing the floats drifting by.

Mike's appearance at my side reminded me of my first encounter with the man, sometime during 1983, back when Global was still ITV. My social studies teacher, Mr. Istvanffy asked me to join the Leduc Junior High School Hi-Q team; back in the 80s, Hi-Q was ITV's answer to shows like Reach for the Top or Jeopardy...quiz shows. I agreed, and my classmates and I showed up for a series of tapings. Mike Sobel, his face unlined and his hair jet-black, was the host.

Our team did well enough to advance to the quarter-finals, which means I appeared in three episodes. During the taping of one episode, Mike started to read from one of his cue cards: "Name an orgasm which..."

The entire set burst into laughter; how could be not, being 14 or 15 years old? Even the cameraman was doubled over behind his mammoth rig. Sobel laughed too, his face flushed, and he managed to stammer out "...organism! Okay, we'd better do that again."

The second take went off without a hitch.

Klondike Days, 1982

In 1982 my I attended Klondike Days with my next door neighbour Keith Gylander. I took this photo with my little Kodak from the top of one of the Ferris wheels. What wonders could be found in the Coliseum of Thrills? I can't remember.

This Tidal Wave boat ride didn't go high enough to fully invert, at least not that I recall. I wonder what those machines at the left are excavating?

This photo's pretty bad - I was thirteen! - but it captures the gaudy colours of the midway.

Return to K-Days

Everything old is new again! Today Northlands announced that the annual Edmonton summer fair will henceforth be named K-Days. The "K," however, won't necessarily stand for Klondike Days as it did in the halcyon days of my youth. According to the Edmonton Journal story linked above, Northlands is going to figure out a theme to surround the K-Days name.

Perhaps the annual fair could be one K long, or 1000 days. Wait, that won't work...

Perhaps the venue will extend one full kilometre.

The organizers could develop a theme of eclectic madness: Krazy Days.

Or a movie monster theme: Kong Days.

Personally, I think the fair should be called Frontier Fest or Gateway Days. But I haven't been to K-Days/Capital Ex since 1991, so my vote doesn't mean much.

Here are two photos of my brother Sean enjoying the bumper cars at Klondike Days way back in July 1982:

I suppose it doesn't really matter what we call the fair as long as people have fun. And Sean certainly looks as though he was having fun back then!