Oh no!

The weather report on the radio just said FLURRIES for tomorrow night!
I'm not ready yet.

Tim
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

It's been quite a week, hasn't it?

It's been an interesting week, hasn't it?
The most newsworthy and talked about item was the passing of Canadian music icon Frankie Venom of Teenage Head.
I am kidding about being the most talked about but not with the newsworthy comment.
I mean this as no disrespect to Stephen Harper and Keith Ashfield and all the others who struggled and worked so hard and long to become our upcoming parliament.
I am merely putting some perspective on the news of the week as it relates to that which has an impact on our lives.

Hear me out please.

When I was in high school in Ontario (about 30 years ago) we elected a punk rocker named David Disher as Student Council President (Davey Danger as he was known with his band, The Notochords).
We didn't take our politics too seriously back then. Or did we?
Davey turned out to be the best President the school had ever seen. That's probably true to this day.
Well, one of the highlights of his term was the Halloween party we had.
It started will a screening of "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" in 3D!
I kid you not! We were all given our official blue and red (election reference??) lensed glasses and sat in rows looking silly.
What an amazing movie. I'll never forget it.
After the movie we had a concert by none other than Teenage Head.
I didn't know them too much before but never forgot them after that.
Frankie Venom had so much energy and stage presence. He more than made of for the lack of movement of bassist Steve and guitarist Gord.
My friends and I had been solid rock and roll fans up to then but came to enjoy some Punk after that.

At least for its party value.

I recall that night that some thugs from another school were there and beat up two of my friends when they went outside to get some air.

The rest of us inside didn't even know it happened until the police arrived. That was certainly memorable.

That wasn't the only time Teenage Head would be involved in my life.
On Labour Day weekend in 1980 my friends and I went to a day-long concert at Mosport. This used to be a racetrack east of Toronto.

The concert was known as Heatwave and would become known as one of the best shows Ontario has ever had.
I find it amusing that Teenage Head opened that morning and Talking Heads ended the concert that evening.
Many of us felt that both of these acts stole the show from all those in between.

Coincidentally I ran into the bass player earlier in the summer while I was working with a construction crew on Queen Street in downtown Toronto. He found it funny that a guy dressed in construction gear was a fan of theirs. He was high or something at the time and he signed his autograph Steve Head. When he told me they were opening at Heatwave I didn't really believe him.

I don't even remember all of the acts but the B-52s were touring to support their first album.

The Clash had been booked to appear but couldn't for some reason.

Elvis Costello was still in his rocker phase.

Other acts that I recall we're Nick Lowe and Rockpile, The Kings, The Pretenders and The Rumor. There were others but I don't remember who.
That was an amazing but totally exhausting day.

A few years later I was friends with a girl that lived in Florida. She became a huge fan of Teenage Head when she came to visit me once.
I ended up buying her a cassette of the "Frantic City" album which she took back to Florida with her.
She and her friends loved it and I'm sure that at least a pocket of southern US fans was born.

Sadly, Frankie Venom died at 51 years old of cancer this week. That makes me quite sad since I have so many fond memories not only of the band but of everything connected in my life at the time that I can associate with the band.

Many may know the answer to this question but far more can tell you who Frankie Venom and Teenage Head were.

What party was in power in Canada when I was in grade 10 and 11?

Better still, who was the MP for my riding at that same time? I really can't remember.

I'm just saying.

Take Care,
Tim

Take a number and wait your turn please...

I can honestly say that I knew all along that Keith Ashfield was going to win in the Fredericton riding.
I didn't get a chance to meet his opponents but from what I could see I never felt that they would be able match the hard work and dedication that Keith has always shown since I have known him.
Several years ago I was the Home and School president at the kid's school.
There were a few occasions that we needed some help and guidance in dealing with the system, preferably by someone within that system.
Following a phone call or two Keith would be there to meet us within a day or two and help us out.
I never forgot that.
This isn't to say that the other candidates wouldn't do the same thing under the same circumstances.
It's just that Keith has already had the opportunity to show us.
If Keith did that for our little Home and School I am certain that he did it everywhere else in his riding as an MLA.
These little things mean a lot. He didn't even know that he was campaigning for his future MP bid but he did the right thing because he wanted to.
I always felt that he took it personally and dealt with people's concerns the way he would want his dealt with.
It seems to have worked out quite well for him.
I wonder what's in store for our provincial riding now that Keith is gone?
Well, for the last little while we have seen the signs for Conservative candidate Jack Carr and Liberal candidate Debbie McCann in New Maryland.
It may have been confusing for some amid the sea of signs for the federal election.
From what I understand the NDP and Green parties have yet to announce candidates. I'm expecting this to be pretty interesting and a tad bit exciting.
You see, Jack Carr has a twin brother Jody who is already a Conservative MLA for Oromocto-Gagetown. If Jack wins there will be twin brothers serving in the legislature which I believe will be historical in North America. (I suppose my twin sons will have to be second if Jack wins.)
Wouldn't it have been something to talk about if Jack and Jody were in DIFFERENT parties? Imagine the discussions over dinner at family gatherings!
I expect we will all be meeting these candidates soon if we haven't already as the byelection is November 3rd.
Actually, I met up with both Jack and Jody last night.
I knew where the best party in the city was going to be so I showed up at the Fredericton Inn where Mr. Ashfield had rented out the ballroom to celebrate his victory and watch results on the big screen.


Me Surrounded by the Carr Boys

I was the only Councillor from New Maryland there. This surprised me considering all of the good work Keith has done for our village.
I was happy to see Fredericton Councillors Tony Whalen, Stephen Chase and my young pal Jordan Graham there.

It was fun but I had to leave around midnight to get some sleep.


Future Premiere - Jordan Graham (center), Deputy of Whatever Jordan Wants me to be - Me (right), and The Guy Who Actually Gets Us There (Really!) - Mike Stockford (left)


In case you're wondering about the title of this blog I was wondering what exactly happens with those folks who have been MPs or MLAs for several years and suddenly lose their position?
Do they have to go down to the Unemployment Office like the rest of us?
That would be depressing having to write your previous occupation as "previously elected representative of the people who, it turns out, didn't like me as much as they first thought they did".
Does the Prime Minister sign their separation forms?
That would be a real pain if their family members require dental work or their kids need braces and they lose their benefits.
Does the RCMP stand over them as they clean out their desks?
I hope they make sure to check that all of the office supplies are still there.
"Excuse me, could you please put down that pencil? It's company property, not yours!"

Take Care,
Tim

The View from Here (my camera)

Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Yes, I'm a little busy these days.

I did say that this was likely not going to be a daily thing so I will miss some here and there.
I have about 10 minutes though and would like to mention the visit yesterday with Mr. Harper at Fredericton airport.
It turned out that I missed Mr. Dion's arrival by a few minutes at the same airport. That was too bad. I would like to have met him too.
I'm not sure if the NDP or Green leaders dropped in but I didn't hear of it so I never met them.
I did see Jack Layton and his wife Olivia once in Toronto years ago when they were both on City Council.
I never did like him too much then but he may have changed.
As for the Green Party leader there is no way we could ever see her out here in the Maritimes since she does all of her travel by train.
We don't have any trains out here anymore!
I'll make this quick. I waited with all of the others to see Mr. Harper.
We waited a long time really. If there were small kids there they would have gone crazy. As it was there were only a few.
When he did arrive Mr. Ashfield introduced him, he gave a nice pep talk for the troops and said how important it is that we get people out to vote (I know about that).
A few of the local media folks were there except for Charles it turns out was swimming in a pool of Liberal red this day.
There were a monster horde of media who came off of the jet with Mr. Harper and set up very quickly.
They had started in Prince Edward Island that morning and were skipping their way to Calgary.
In the end we waited for Mr. Harper to talk to his local boys like a coach in between periods.
Then we all got to wave goodbye and see he and his wife off.
Oh yes, I got 2 pictures of myself with him.
I held my camera up and snapped.
I wasn't the only one taking shots of me.
I found out that it was on the National last night as well as page A7 of the Globe and Mail today, PLUS here on the internet.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Conservative-leader-and-Canadas-PM-Harper-poses-for-a-photograph-with-a-supporter-on-the-tarmac-at-the-airport-in-Fredericton/photo/13102008/6/photo/photos-n-canada-conservative-leader-canada-s-pm-harper-poses-photograph-supporter.html

I guess they like me, they really like me.
I have to go but we'll see how Steve does tonight.
I can call him Steve. We put our arms around each other like old buddies after all.

Tim

So much for a secret!

At this moment I am standing in the Capital Airways hangar beside the Fredericton airport with a whole bunch of folks waiting for Prime Minister Harper to arrive at this "whistle stop" as he frantically makes his way around before the election tomorrow.
I should get some good pictures but maybe not one of me and him.
We'll see.
I found out that the Liberal leader Dion was here early this morning. I missed it due to sleeping and not knowing about it.
That would have been fun too.
Anyhoo, we have about 5 minutes before he gets here.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Tim

Sorry..

I had a complaint about the length of my rambling blog yesterday.
Sorry about that.
I suppose this is the danger of having the ability to write a blog while reclining comfortably on the couch with a purring cat on your chest.
If I was sitting at my desk I would be more inclined to rush to get it done so that I can go and recline on the couch with a purring cat on my chest.
I'll do my best to keep that in mind for future posts.
If I do happen to forget and ramble again, so what? Its my blog.
One thing before I close this. I had an inside tip on something and I'm going somewhere in the morning to try and see someone.
If I'm successful I will put a picture up here tomorrow.
If I'm not successful I will still write about it tomorrow.
So mysterious aren't I?
Take Care,
Tim