New & Notable
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Back to the gig after that luxurious respite in the mountains. I was at Fireside, a very young (three years old) but very impressive independent in Vancouver. Great fiction selection and right across from the best French bakery I have seen so far on this trip. Those in the photo are Crystal and Rob, the good people who managed the event.
The show was especially intimidating because of the family and friends in the audience. Aunt Sue, Cousin Brendan, Uncle Bruce, then Dave and Colin. I don’t mind being flat or underwhelming in front of strangers, but I do want to please the people I love.
Posted in New & Notable, Waystations | Leave a commentThe Beret
My great friend Victoria (www.lillil.com)gave me a beret before I left Marseille so I would have a bit of French culture on my tour. The mountains said ooh-la-la when they saw me.
Posted in New & Notable, Waystations | Leave a commentRest
After four weeks on the road, I was pretty much a wreck. Too much driving, too much drinking, far too little sleep. So Dave drove me up to his newly-purchased mountain retreat, just past the Continental Divide, to resuscitate me. The place brings to mind Hunter S Thompson’s Woody Creek retreat. It has a stream, a small orchard of fruit trees, a well for a private water supply, a splash of forest, and a mountain looming in the distance. With the main house and three small out buildings, it would make for an ideal compound. Revolutions could be started in such a place.
We essentially slept, gorged on vegetables, fruit and healthy foods, and soaked in the nearby Radium Hot Springs. After two days, I am back in fighting form.
Roots
The Calgary visit allowed me to visit with my grandparents for the first time in years, and in one instance, the first time ever.
Both my parents are from Calgary, born and raised. They arrived in Ottawa in the 1970s via Toronto, the White Dog Ojibway Reserve, and Pembroke. Their Calgary roots run deep. On my father’s side, it goes back through to the Mercers on his father’s side and the Williams on his mother’s side. This is the grave of my grandmother, Elma, who I never met because she died before I was born. I didn’t get to stay too long with her, but I was able to introduce myself and say a quick hello.
On my mother’s side, the Pashaks are as Calgary as can be. There are pictures at my parents house of the Pashak general store when it ran in the Mission district of the city at the turn of the last century. My grandparents are Harvey and Anne, two wonderful people who lived a good life. I inherited my manic competitiveness from my grandmother, whose intense card playing manner is the stuff of family lore.
It seems to be truism that at a certain age a person becomes more interested in their family history. Perhaps as death becomes more tangible, we seek comfort in the eternity of our genes; for me, at least, graveyard visits help provide context for my own life.
Posted in New & Notable, Waystations | Leave a commentGirlfriends
There are many times one regrets not having a girlfriend, but few are as difficult as at 2 am when you are throwing a romantic dance party. We put on Cat Power’s cover of Sea of Love, got all dressed up and and started to dance. The only problem is that Dave has a beautiful and smart and lovely girlfriend by the name of Tara. And I have nobody.
Tara was gracious enough to spare one dance for me, but after that I had to get creative. So I dressed up a foot stool in Tara’s clothes and shoes and had me an instant dancing partner. Still, I would have preffered a real person.
Dinner with the Ebners
Anybody visiting Calgary should definitely meet Dave’s family. They are wonderful wonderful wonderful. There is a garden and even a little greenhouse in the backyard for fresh vegetables it the fall. And a place to smoke salmon, built by Dave’s dad. And great birdfeeders. And the wine room where Dave’s dad turns grape juice into great wine.
It was simply so much fun eating and talking and schnappsing. We could have kept it up until 6 in the morning and we have promised that next time we will. Dave’s dad is Erwin and his mom is Annelies. Good good people.
