Duh

November 25, 2009

PHILIP
“Can you believe what Al Gore said on the front page of the Toronto Star yesterday?   You know, Al Gore, the guy who was VP under Bill Clinton for eight years. He publicly dissed the Alberta oil sands while he was on Canadian soil.  He actually said that the tar sands are a threat to human existence.  I’m telling you, even the the word ‘Armageddon’ was in the article, although I don’t actually know if Gore said that specific word. It’s pretty amazing, eh?”

TONY
“Sorry Phil, what’s your point, if you don’t mind me asking that?”

PHILIP
“My point is that Al Gore, who was the number two guy in the most powerful country on Earth for eight years straight and who is the winner — if you ask me –  of the 2000 US Presidential elections and, to top it all off, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work on the environment and to top it all off all over again, he also has longstanding, and entirely warm ties to the current US administration. He’s has ‘tossed the gauntlet’ at Canada. If the US government decides to play hard-ball about the environmental consequences of the oil sands, that’s going to  jeopardize billions of dollars and jobs in Alberta. You gotta realize that the folks who own and work in the sands are Harper’s biggest supporters. OK, so I don’t know exactly how this is going to play out but I think that this means Harper is toast. Finis.”

TONY
“So  … OK, you’re telling me that Gore just sort of slapped Harper ‘upside the head’ in public by telling Harper’s big oil buddies in Alberta that their investments might end up losing them some money.”

PHILIP
“I don’t think I could say it better than that, actually.”

TONY
“Like the kids say: “‘Is this is a good thing?’”

PHILIP
“Holy smokes. You bet it’s a good thing.  I know I tell you this stuff all the time, even if it doesn’t get into the blog. It’s simple. I don’t think that Stephen Harper is good for Canada. I actually think he’s dangerous, maybe not him specifically but some of the people around him, that’s for sure. And that’s not a risk I want to take. I’ve got four kids and a mortgage … sorry, Tony, you heard all this stuff before.

“Anyway, you know, there’s a lot of people at the top of the Harper government who openly supported the Bush Administration, including even Harper himself for god’s sake. My basic point is that I’m telling you, if you give the Harper guys a majority in Parliament, all I can say is “watch out”, because it’s going to be a disaster. Environment, economy, you name it. Sure, I know that Ignatieff supported the Iraq War in the beginning. But c’mon.  At least Ignatieff had the huevos to own up to his mistake in public. And c’mon number two. Everybody, including even university professors, learns something when it’s the first time the situation has ever come up, like deciding to go to war in Iraq in 2003, for example. Some Canadians supported the Iraq War in the beginning. Face it, when the guys who won World War Two [the Americans] ask us for military support, you at least have to give them the time of day, if you know what I mean.

Anyway,  at least Ignatieff took some time to think about how the actual Iraq War actually played out over actual time and what the whole world learned about the actual Bush Administration decision processes in regard to the Iraq War.”

You know what I can’t figure out?  Somehow, I think people think that having the Liberals  in Ottawa for the next few years won’t make any difference.  Maybe I’m missing something. If our PM and the US President are actually, true-blue, real-life friends — which I bet you they are, like you and me are — then international negotiations about things like the oil sands will be better for Canada if Ignatieff’s the Prime Minister. After all, the top folks make make the final decisions, no?

You know, I bet that Ignatieff has the secret phone number for Obama’s Blackberry.” [Note from Philip: I really have no idea if he does.]

TONY
“And your point is …?”

PHILIP
“The point is, it’s weird. Ignatieff’s Liberals would do a better job protecting Alberta’s interests than Harper can possibly do. If that’s true, then Albertans should be voting en masse for Ignatieff. It’s weirdly simple, in a way.”

TONY
“So you think Ignatieff should be our next Prime Minister?”

PHILIP
“Duh.”


It’s about a woman

November 23, 2009

TONY
“Did I tell you about the time I asked a woman out when I was younger?”

PHILIP
“I don’t remember hearing about this. What’s up with you?”

TONY
“Sometimes when you get told “no”, you actually feel the hurt, if you know what I mean. I know you get over it, but at least you notice it.”

PHILIP
“I think I get your meaning.”


Young men

November 23, 2009

PHILIP
“I’ve got to say, you’re looking awful healthy for a guy who thought he might be dying a few weeks ago. Great ruddy complexion, everything. If I wanted to be sarcastic, I’d say you should spend more time in ICU.”

TONY
“My Mom told me that you shouldn’t read books by their covers, if you know what I mean.”

PHILIP
“So you’re not doing OK?”

TONY
“Most of me is all right, actually. But you got to know, that Old Man winter is coming. It’s in the bones, young man.”


Good fortune

November 20, 2009

TONY
“Well, you know, they’re making this old pizza place into a fancy new pizza slice place. If you ask me, I think that’s a good idea. People want something to eat when they’re walking up the street. So this guy’s going to spruce up the place and give it to them. He’ll make a fortune.”


Unsafe at any speed

November 12, 2009

Welts on Tonys leg - Nov 12 2009

TONY
“Check these out. I had to go across the bridge five times for my friend, you know, and I’ve been banging myself up. I’m getting too old for this bike.”


Beautiful day

November 7, 2009

Group of 7 painting - Nov 7 2009

TONY
“It’s a nice day today, I gotta say. Now I gotta get some money together for lunch.”


News from home

November 5, 2009

Pony Express poster - Nov 5 2009

PHILIP
“Sharon [Tony's sister] put a comment on the blog that she wanted to know what was happening since we hadn’t updated it in a while, which is true. I guess you could call it a slow news day, sort of.”

TONY
“Well, you can tell her that my ticker’s fine and my lungs are OK but my kidneys are putting up a good  fuss today. And you can tell her I miss her too.”

PHILIP
“I’ll post it as soon as I get home.”


It’s OK

October 29, 2009

Jaime Montreal poster - Oct 29 2009

TONY
“You’re looking something happy. Did you get lucky or something?”

PHILIP
“Very funny. Wait until my wife reads this.”

TONY
“OK. So now I get to ask you for once: ‘What’s up with you with that big smile?’”

PHILIP
“Ignatieff made a big decision. He’s doing what he’s gotta do.”

TONY
“You mean the Prime Minister?”

PHILIP
“Well, he’s not the Prime Minister, not yet,  anyways. But he’s got Peter Donolo on his team now. You know what’s cool? Peter’s a Montrealer, just like me. And he just turned 50, just like me.”

TONY
“So, do you know the guy? “

PHILIP
“No. We went to different schools.  Anyway, things are looking up for the Grits and that makes me happy. That’s all.”

TONY
“OK. Good for you. Are you going calm down now?”

PHILIP
“OK. But just give me some slack, OK. “

TONY
“OK. But can you buy me a coffee?”

PHILIP
“OK.”


Just doing their job

October 28, 2009

police cars - Oct 28 2009

TONY
“You hear about the old guy who got jumped down Ronces earlier?”

PHILIP
“What happened?”

TONY
“I don’t know but next thing you know, there’s six cop cars right there. You can say what you want about our cops but they sure can do their job when they need to.”


It’s our 3rd anniversary

October 23, 2009

The new normal

October 23, 2009

Apple in hat - Oct 23 2009


New kids in town

October 21, 2009

The Eagles - Oct 21 2009

TONY
“Did you hear? I’ve got to move next week.”

PHILIP
“What do you mean? Where?”

TONY
“The pizza guys sold the the business.”

PHILIP
“So?”

TONY
“So I’ve gotta move. The new guys don’t want me here.”

PHILIP
“So where will you go?”

TONY
“I guess we’ll see.”


Somewhere man

October 20, 2009

Empty chair but at least hes there - Oct 20 2009

I took this photo at 1pm. At least he’s alive.

Philip


Nowhere man

October 20, 2009

hms-com on metal standard - Oct 20 2009

No sign of Tony as I take my seat at Alternative Grounds on a  vaguely cloudy Tuesday morning. He wasn’t here yesterday either. Hmmm.

Philip


At what cost?

October 19, 2009

Barbituric_acid - Oct 19 2009

TONY
“You know how much I have to pay for all these drugs I’m supposed to be taking?”

PHILIP
“No idea.”

TONY
“Just guess.”

PHILIP
“OK. $200 bucks. A month. Am I close?”

TONY
“$268.13.”

PHILIP
“Wow.”

TONY
“You got that right. Thank God for OHIP, like I always say, if you know what I mean.”


On the street once more

October 16, 2009

Tonys face - Oct 15 2009

Tony was sprung — so to say — yesterday. He’s back at his old location. His face has good colour (it’s autumn, after all). I bought him a coffee from Alternative Grounds and I gave him a toonie so he could buy a bagel from Mabel’s.

Philip

Under Dec 3rd in the 1030-1200 slot,

Tick tick tock

October 9, 2009

Tonys face Oct 8 2009

Tony’s  heart is a thin beat away from not working at all. The cardiologists are doing everything they can. Thank god for socialized medicine. Tony says many, many thanks for all the good wishes and prayers.

If you visit Tony, he’ll “love you forever” if you bring him an extra-large McDonald’s chocolate shake. Of course, he’ll be happy to see you with — or without — the shake.     :-)

Philip


The big C

October 5, 2009

3 - Tony in Hospital  - Oct 5 2009

2 - Tony in Hospital  - Oct 5 2009

1 - Tony in Hospital  - Oct 5 2009

Hi Everyone,

I just visited Tony at St. Joe’s. He’s got cancer, probably in the lungs, though it’s not certain if it’s in one lung or two — or even which lung. While I was there, the doctors took him for an x-ray, but I don’t know the results, — if any. In addition, he’s got heart problems, and an ugly hernia protruding from his upper abdomen. The three photos above is what he looked like at about 230pm today.

He seemed depressed and feared that they might release him.

Tony wants to thank Gwen and Cathy for coming to visit; the bananas were yummy.

More when I know.

Philip


Back in bed

October 2, 2009

Hospital bed - Oct 2 2009

Hi All,
I found him. Tony is in the hospital (again). He checked himself into St. Joseph’s Hospital yesterday after trying, unsuccessfully, to check himself in the day before through the emergency ward, and getting himself sent “home” at the end of the day — a bit ironic if you ask me.

He’s on the 4th floor, Room #4M16. If you’d like to visit him, he’d be delighted. I will try to see him over the weekend. Any ready-to-eat food you can bring him (only stuff that is easily chewable) will be very much appreciated, as his appetite is well beyond what hospital meal portions can fulfill.

Before you visit, check the hospital visiting times and associated regulations at stjoe.on.ca/patients/visitor/index.php.

Philip


Still gone

September 30, 2009

IMG00196-20090930-1135

Hi All,
No more news. I checked for Tony this morning.  Here’s the photograph of Tony’s stuff, locked up, in front of Cosa Pizza on Roncesvalles. I took the photo from above.

Philip