I'm Reading The Wrong Books

Gives New Meaning To "Toot, Toot"

Since I was two lanes over, the logo says "Reggae Trucking". Cool motoring, mahn.....

I tried to get closer, but the guy freaked as I veered toward his lane.

And get this; I think he was on his cell phone. What a safety risk. I couldn't get over far enough to get a good shot of that, though. The 401 was too busy.

Okay...in case my mother is reading this, I was in the back seat.......

Who Is This Guy?

He is either a sports figure or a politician.

I know this because I only watch sports or news on TV. So unless I work with this guy, I wouldn't have any other way of recognizing him.

But boy, he looks familiar.

This was supposed to be a better shot, until he cottoned on to what I was doing and deked sideways.

Maybe he's a running back.

Just Like I Remembered It

Visited my old stomping grounds this week - Calgary. And some things don't change.

Although this did - this iconic location - The Cecil Hotel - has been shuttered for good. Because in the Calgary version of Webster's dictionary, iconic means "rubby dub".

This is the most derelict part of the city, the part they are trying....hoping....to clean up.

People used to shoot and sell crack right at the front doors. All day long.

And to make things better for city officials, the stoplight at this corner is where the expressway from the airport dumps people downtown and gives tourists their first feel of the city.

Here, some of the Cecil regulars approach me as I am snapping away.

Now I hear you say, you're stereotyping, no good, no good. So how do I know they're regulars?

"Hey, we were Cecil regulars. Wanna take our pictures?"

I politely declined......to take any more.

Although they shut down the Cecil about a year ago, these folks, and many others, are like extras in a George Romero film, night of the living drunks. They have no where to go.

Except this guy.

My cabbie said closing the Cecil has had some unintended side effects, though. Many bums, rather than hanging out here, now all head farther downtown to panhandle.

Not that there weren't enough of them there already. So city officials are back to scratching their heads. Those bums have outfoxed us again!

Thus ends another installment of "Slagging Downtown Calgary"......

Friday Night In Calgary

Yup, yup, watching a building being built. Yup, yup.

Except when yer watching some feller taking yer picture.

Bwaa Ha Ha Ha....

If I could just get this machine out of my doctor's office, I could make Superman POWERLESS!!

Fitting Tribute

Was up at Queen's Park (Ontario's home for our parliament buildings) recently and found a lasting tribute to our fighting men and women (not members of the WWE, sorry Chris) etched in stone.

It looks to tell the story of significant accomplishments of Canada's participation in the two great wars.

The black and white etchings adds a grittiness and realism to the depiction of what must have been the horror of those events.

We Are Not Amused...

And don't be looking up my skirt.

Queen Victoria does sentry duty at Queen's Park. To keep an eye out for the likes of me.

Of course, with the revelations from recent movie "Young Victoria" - which is closing the Toronto Film Festival today - that Queen Vic wore 50" panties (can you call them panties with a 50 inch waist?), I won't be sneaking a peak no more.

Get Me Out Of Here!

On a recent trip, decided to do some stretching for my poor aching back on the floor of my hotel room.

As I was lying on the floor I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye. And then out of the corner of the other eye, something else moved.

And then something else. And something else. And then...okay.

There were ants. Everywhere. And I mean lots of them. The carpet was a beehive of activity. Okay, an ant's nest of activity. Busy, moving fast. All over.

I called the front desk, and they were a bit skeptical, but agreed to move me. And they would send James up to check it out.

I thought, is he going to be able to see these little guys?

Then something else moved. A potato chip crumb was lumbering across the floor. So with the magic of time lapse photography, I had the evidence.

See the potato chip crumb? Neither did James initially.

Heading for the green line.
Taking a break.

Every once in a while I would lose sight of it. As I watched closer, this is when the ten or so ants would put it down to rest. So they put it on its side.

Then, heft it back up again and away they would go.

Where? I'm not so sure. And neither were they. But they were movin', baby!




The more I watched, waiting for James, the more I saw all sorts of stuff trucking across the floor.

Now, I won't name the hotel. But if you are planning a Holiday and will be staying at an Inn, I'd be very careful about which one you select.

And don't even get me started about the bathroom. Or the bedspread! Although let's just say, I'm pretty sure there'd been some spreading going on before I got there....

'nuff said.

Just Another Evening In Yorkville

Okay, so it's the Toronto Film Festival. And all the beautiful people were out.

Uhh...none in this picture.

And from my vantage point, I was able to look down upon all the beautiful people. And their...assets. Until I got caught.

Here is a great shot I got of....Woody Harrelson (white spotlight in middle of crowd)....or was it Matt Damon? Or George Clooney?

OMG who cares - I got the shot!

Everybody around us had a different opinion. Although the consensus of the crowd, gathered around some poor sap's table, was Woody Harrelson ("OMG, can't you tell from his cap?")

Except it turned out our diner was Antonio Del Torro! Unbelievable!

Although he denied it, of course. "What you lookin' at?"

Now this was likely all more interesting to the hoards of zanies who were actually there.

And not interesting at all to anybody else. [Ed. note: Correct, Einstein.]

The Crowd Hasn't Noticed Me Yet

But twenty seconds later, I was mobbed, baby, mobbed!

Or was that mugged? I did have snacks in my pocket.

Papa Smurf?

Here, a member of the Smurfs (a big one) - who are here filming Smurfs Take Toronto - beats a hasty retreat once spotted.

Appropriately Named

Who buys these things?

The Smurfs?

Gumby Goes To Heaven.....

....is how this World War II memorial is affectionately known.

This is University Ave in downtown Toronto.

My folks even have Ad Astra stones laid in their name at RCAF Station CFB Trenton [Thanks, Rob], as do many former Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

Hiding From The Wrecker's Ball?

Took a walk through a neighboring neighbourhood and these beautiful homes look to be safe. For now.

But how long will it be before those venomous wrecking cranes begin to snake through these tree covered enclaves?

Of course, from the suspicious looks I got from residents as I walked along in flip flops and T-shirt, I suspect these owners have the might - financial, political and otherwise - to shoo away not only me, but those annoying excavators as well.

Not all these homes may look too grandiose, but I could just feel the snootiness oozing out from between the bricks.

I get that feeling a lot.....

MR Ducks

MR ducks
MR not ducks
SAR
CDEDBT wings
Well oil beef hooked
MR ducks

....translation?

Anybody...anybody?

Oops....

So I'm too close? What are those sissyboy firemen gonna do about it? Kick my butt?

Probably. If they could catch a scaredy pants like me. But those big, lumbering...never mind.

But 150 metres?

You can't even read that sign from back there. Not that I was ever that far away to find out.

'cause it's a breeze cruising through traffic behind these guys.

Too Much Income

I guess if you can afford a $60 felt elf (where the %^&# do you put that thing?), I guess.....

...they better damn well help you sit down when you come in.

Always Welome

Out and about in trendy Yorkville yesterday with a chum. I'm sure the restaurant owners all rue the day that I moved in to this area.

Stopped for a cool beverage on a patio and immediately realized that, as the Sesame Street song goes, "two of these guys were not like the other ones".

My buddy told the waitress, I hope having us here doesn't drive away business.

She said, "No, no don't worry about it. I certainly don't care. Doesn't matter one bit to me."

We thought, that's good.

But, wait a second, let's finish her thought; ".....doesn't matter one bit that two old, lumpy guys are sitting here."

Hey! So we drank up and left.

But not before my camera thingy went off by accident a couple of times.

Hey, even the beautful people have bad backs! Right on.

No Turning Back

I was hoping that the recession might have kyboshed this honking big condo project, but I guess not. My little buddies in behind there will be toppling into this hole before too long.

I guess the truly rich don't feel the pinches like the rest of us.

This is called the Four Seasons "Private Residences". La de freakin dah.

55 stories, with the smallest unit at 2,000 square feet. I think they start at a million. I pity the poor sap with the ground floor 2,000 square foot hovel.

"Oh, that's Arnott. We don't talk to him."

Here's a neat little purple fella in my area. My neighbourhood used to be full of these cool little houses.

But look across the street. How long before he gets the old heave ho?