More Rambling & Musings

From: "Bill Auchterlonie" <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Lazy Bones- The Bum Ticker Update #17

Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 18:31:27

Etien :

Nothing to be proud of? Be humble - and be proud that you are humble!

I nearly died 18 years ago in a pile up on the 400. I was in serious pain

for over a year. Constant pain can change who you are and want to be - if

you don't keep on top of it. And even when you do it's not easy.

Patience is a virtue - and attention and higher consciousness are key to

real healing.

Love,

Bill Auchterlonie

Monday, November 30, 1998

It's was exactly three weeks ago that I was rolled in to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit having just undergone an operation called the "Bentall Procedure". I won't go into detail about it again because truthfully, it's hard to believe it all happened. Except for the fact that it feels like there's a very fat person sitting on my chest, I still have trouble coming to terms with the severity of what they did to me in that O.R.

Herb asked me the other day, "So how do you feel about the fact that you were actually dead for a moment when they stopped your heart and lungs?" I really didn't know how to answer that question. However, we both concluded that perhaps because of that reality, I am currently subconsciously content with the fact that I am not doing much these days. Perhaps because I am deep down so happy just to be here, I am not as concerned with the day to day stuff. The need to achieve and do all the things I did before, has suddenly left me. I know it will return, but I think even when it does I will be looking at things with an entirely different point of view.

Actually the scarier part for me occurs when I think about what could have happened had I not found out about this aneurism. Ok, perhaps I might have been fine for several years, but eventually, boom! I would have been toast. Or more descriptively, - chili falling off a piece of toast. It is so hard to imagine that sudden kind of thing happening to one's life. I know it happens all the time to people. And I can't believe my luck to have found out about my problem while there was still time to fix it voluntarily. On the other hand, it's probably not a bad way to go, just as long as you're ready to go. But how often does that happen?

Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 17:44:20 -0800 (PST)

From: Peter dellaFemina <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Lazy Bones- The Bum Ticker Update #17

Steve,

>more of the same old drivel...

Ha! Hardly drivel, Steve. I am getting the biggest kick out of your

pain as well as your joy! It's good to reminisce about this stuff,

especially when I see where I am at this point in time. I'm sure the

improvement is imperceptible right now, but in a couple of months

you'll be rejoicing about breathing a bit easier and the absence of

pain in your chest when you lift something heavy. A year from now

you'll find it difficult to remember why you feel so helpless today.

Trust me, the discomfort DOES disappear over time, though it is indeed

a gradual process.

Keep that wonderful humor coming, man! You're bringing all of us up in

the process. And spend your down time well - it'll be gone soon enough!

Give my best to Dory and all your fine friends.

Peter dellaFemina

The Negative Guy

(probably away from my Mac)

It was an awesome, springlike day with temperatures breaking sixty degrees F. The sun poked thru the clouds for about a two hour period and I took advantage of that time to go for my walk. It was my longest one yet. I stopped in at the hardware store for some replacement parts for our leaking kitchen faucet and then dropped in to see my friend who runs the local make-your-own-wine store. We had a short chat and I made my way home. All in all while I was gone for about and hour and a half, it felt like three hours! But it was great.

Oh dopey me, here I go. Mr. Fix-it Plumber man. Sure, don't read the instructions. So like there's this little set screw (allen key) holding the top of the tap on, and guess what, it turns counter clockwise. No wonder it was so tight. I was turning the wrong way. I didn't find that out until after I stripped the screw. Now it won't turn at all. Do I actually have to call a plumber to change a few washers? What a goof.

Big Drums and Kiddy Toys

Penner Mackay and Rod Hillier of Niagara-On-The-Lake make huge drums out of used wine barrels. Hence the Barrelhouse Drum Company. They are not only awesome sounding hand made instruments but they are finished like fine furniture. As an outlet to play these instruments Penner formed an ensemble called the "Drumming Fools" consisting of a circle of about seven or eight local drummers who gather in Penner's playhouse on Thursday nights for drum madness. They have also performed around town to appreciative and overwhelmed audiences at various special events. It is not easy getting them out of the playhouse as it takes at least three van loads to move all of the drums and other percussive paraphernalia.

Most Fridays at Peter Griffin's restaurant, The Dog and Drum Pub, (Peter is also a Drummin' Fool) is Fool's Lunch. Which ever fools can make it will gather for lunch and a "debriefing" on, or a continuation of, the previous night's frivolities. Not being actual "drumming" fools , we do however consider ourselves to be foolish enough to join in on the Fool's Lunch whenever we are actually in town on a Friday at lunchtime. We are Fringe Fools.

Another little thing that started up with the Fools is the collecting of "Kinder Egg" toys. Now Dory and I had never seen these things before and at first we couldn't believe how stupid they were, but have now a growing appreciation for their endearing qualitites. A Kinder Egg is a hollow egg shaped chocolate thing with a toy inside. The tiny toys have to be assembled and they come with detailed instructions. Anyway you got the picture. Peter keeps the collection lined up on display on a long shelf behind the bar. Very cute.

Unfortunately due to the wee little cut on my chest, we've been absent for the last month or so. When Peter came by to visit last week Dory sent back a bunch of Kinder Eggs for the Fool's Lunch. That explains the following:

Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 14:09:11 -0500

From: Herb at the Shaw Scene Shop <[email protected]>

Subject: mr. pooky

i have to say

that today

i feel that i may

say...............

thanks fer the egg

the KINDER (sp?) kind

that is.......

we 3, penner, roderick and i

had luncheon with the fools,

(we in fact were the fools today)

and enjoyed our little treat,

mine was a womans head,

i think she was singing

"i ain't got no body".............

(must have been from the french revolution series)

thanks!

you sound like you hurt

so to you i should blurt

just say yes to drugs

they're not just for thugs

but for people like you

who hurt like you do

they make you feel better

(maybe you'll even hallucinate and knit a sweater)

i know this is tough

and everything might make you huff

but it will probably be okay

one day

so they say

hee hoo humm na hey

so when the pain makes you go ba-zoink

make it go away, oink-oink

-herb in pookyland

Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 00:30:10 -0800

From: Binz <[email protected]>

Subject: Where you at?

Your web pages are a wonderful thing!

I have the odd Monday off for the next few weeks. I know I live close

to you but I don't know your address. I've got some Marc Cohn CDs we

could listen to some afternoon? Let me know where you're at near the

Bluffs and I'll come a visitin' - with advance notice of course.

Dick

P.S. My singing teachers have always told me that to get a big breathe

you have to start breathing from your ass. So...start there, work your

way up till it hurts...stop...exhale and start again. In a couple a

days you'll be singing like Ben Heppner...

and your neighbours will be really mad!!

Updated December 2/98

Sorry to interrupt your reading, but if you are enjoying this journal so far, then you'd probably enjoy my music as well. Please check out my music site, listen to some sample sound clips of my songs and please order one of my CD's. I'd really appreciate your support. Thanks, Steve.