Big Box woes!

 After almost 61 years roaming this planet, I have learned that there are some things I have no control over, regardless of how much they burn my hind end, and the prudent advice from so many is to shrug and let it slide. I admit that I find that easy to do ... sometimes ... but encounter times (FAR too regularly!) where my consternation rises to levels that make shrugging a challenge. One weekend in the recent past, Life presented as one of those times.

It all started out well enough.

I ventured northward to Midland to assist my referee board (BDABO) with the new official training that was being run at the North Simcoe Recreation Centre. This is an annual Jr Girls' basketball tournament organized by our executive, and since I'm the newly named Secretary, I felt it important to lend a hand. The plan is to bring our brand new and inexperienced officials into a common location and pair them up with an experienced official for a morning of one on one advice and input. I was a little more excited than normal to offer some input since two of the 'newbies' were former players, one from SCDSB days, Curtis Shakespeare, and one from GC State days, Ben Dance.

I don't mind sharing that the morning was a glorious affair, highly entertaining, thoroughly satisfying, and an incredibly useful investment of time. The schools that participated featured a host of young ladies who were most eager and enthusiastic, presenting more than enough challenge and ripe with learning opportunities. 

Life felt awfully good on the drive home, but the roller coaster was simply cresting the hill.

Sitting down at my laptop to complete the evaluations that I had to complete, I checked my email and found a reply for the service request I had made to Best Buy about my Shokz ear buds. 

The back story is that I purchased a pair of Shokz Open Fit Ear buds last March to use while cycling because they were bone conduction types, allowing for music while still allowing me to hear the traffic around me. They were 'just what the Dr ordered' until a service request became necessary because the right bud had lost its ability to charge fully, meaning that it had less that half of the battery life of the left one. I had bought the extended protection plan to the tune of $79.99 for 3 years, so I figured that I was well covered by the Shokz warranty combined with the extended plan.

How silly was I?

The email I received from Best Buy included a gift card for the purchase amount plus taxes, and it struck me that even though I could use the value to purchased new ear buds, how would that affect the plan I purchased? I used the Best Buy customer portal to find the contact info and reached a young female who, upon hearing of my query, informed me that the plan was now defunct because they only applied to the old ear buds. Okay, I agreed, I understand what you're saying, so replace them instead of giving me a gift card, so that the plan I paid for would still apply. Barring that, refund some of the plan cost since it was only 4 months into a 36 month plan.

NOPE! Not the way they do things.

I was pissed, but tried to sound calm as I politely asked to be passed along up the 'food chain' to lodge a complaint with someone who had the power to change my frustration. NOPE again! She 'wasn't authorized' to do that, which only stoked the flames, and left the only choice of calling back and going through the whole auto-answer hoops. 

In the end, I'm out $79.99, and I politely but sternly informed the young gentleman I was now communicating with that I was very displeased and wanted a record of the conversation sent to customer service. He reacted exactly the way corporate had trained him and with a sugary-sweet voice, "I completely understand your frustration Stephen, and will ensure that your concerns are directed through the appropriate channels." 

Huh? Does that mean yes?

So, the weekend started out brilliantly, then crashed and burned like the loser of an aerial dog fight, complete with the whining sound effects of a falling jet fighter. All I could do was wait patiently to see if someone decides to follow up. To add insult to injury, the salt in the wound came with another email asking that a customer satisfaction survey be filled out. They got what they deserved, albeit minus the crass language, but I bet they don't keep that one on file!

As a parting shot, be forewarned when dealing with Best Buy, and don't purchase the extended protection plan ... unless you enjoy padding their pockets with a donation!

I know, BIG breath in, hold it, and slowly exhale.

PEI or Bust!

In an emotional response to some unsettling things of late, my bestie and I decided that there's no time like the present and booked an spur-of-the-moment vacation to Prince Edward Island to check off one of the items on our Bucket List. We decided that the drive was not intimidating (Uhh, foreshadowing), so it provided us with an opportunity to see some areas of Canada and the US that were previously unknown to us, and we came away with an complete sense of satisfaction! We'd highly encourage anyone who has not yet ventured that direction to embrace the challenge and Git 'R Dun!

What follows is a list of thoughts and impressions that stuck in my grey matter:

Quebec City, QB

We decided that the trip out east would be done inside Canada so we booked accommodations in both Quebec City and St John, partially because neither of us had been before but had heard about how wonderful they were, but also since they offered geographical features that generated some giddy excitement. We're beach lovers after all.

We enjoyed pretty fair driving weather until we neared Ontario's most eastern city of Cornwall, encountering rain for most of the drive to QC. We bypassed Montreal in a teeming downpour, but were pleased with some sunshine as we neared the day's destination, and after checking into our hotel (complete with bike storage containers!), we did a walking tour of the old city, starting at the Citadel. If you've never been, the ambiance and architecture of the old city is a "must see it to believe it" place! I could write paragraphs on the beauty of the old buildings and the 'buzz' of the energy, but none of it would create the feelings we experienced as we looked the part of tourists, craning our necks this way and that. 

After a 2 hour stroll, and with the light waning, we decided to grab something to eat on the way back to the hotel, somehow stumbling upon Pizza MAG just off Rue Saint Louis, and were treated to one of the best pizza dinners we've ever experienced! Our young waitress was very patient with our lack of Francais as we scanned the menu, and after filling our bellies, she explained that the kitchen had made an error with one of the pies so they were giving us a two-fer! 

What? Nice!

St John, NB

Our trip to St John the next day was much less wet, although we still had to deal with roving rainclouds, and like yesterday, the skies cleared as we arrived, allowing us to enjoy a beautiful, picturesque walk from the hotel to the harbour where we grabbed a most delicious fish and chip meal on a patio overlooking the ships. We were both astounded by the level that the tide rose and fell, the barnacles and seaweed evidence of at least a 6 m change (20'ish feet for the non-Metric types). Again, our server was most patient and pleasant, and we walked off our full bellies with a stroll around the harbour in the twilight.

Like QC, I don't have the words to do the sights justice, so I'll simply invite you to put it on your list.

Prince Edward Island

Since we were driving from the New Brunswick side, we opted to use the Confederation Bridge to access the island with it's 13 km expanse having the stereotypical sense of astonishment on our faces as we marvelled at the feats of engineering to build such a structure. Our rented cottage was not too far from the bridge exit, and arriving at Augustine Cove, we were greeted by an equally jaw-dropping vista of the beautiful seaside at our cottage. We were staying on the south side of the island, the portion that featured red sandstone cliffs and shallow waters that were profoundly impacted by the tidal pulses that exposed 2 or 3 football field long low tide beaches allowing us to walk the width of the cove with only occasional shallow water crossings. For two bumpkins from Ontario, despite living on a beach, the sights left us gobsmacked!

If you know me, you'll not be at all surprised to hear that we brought the bikes! 

I have to admit that I was not at all prepared for the hilliness of the island, my rides accumulating close to 1000 m of climbing over a 100 km. The highlight of the week was the day that I set out for Charlottetown, some 40 km away, with the intention of picking up PEI's famous Confederation Trail to come back, a retired rail line much like the Simcoe County Rail Trail here at home. I was treated to a twisty, winding path of crushed limestone for nearly 75 km, passing through a host of little hamlets, and I even found a wee frozen yoghurt stand kind enough to refill my water bottles. The CT traverses almost all of the island for those that were of the mindset to do some bike-packing.

Another sight that needs to make the list is Cavendish Beach, but you'll have to grab a day pass since it's a part of the park system down there. We walked along the beach for an hour and a half before deciding we couldn't reach the end, the 5 m sand dunes, deserted beach, and assortment of sea life highlights for our efforts.

If you're in the east coast, ya gotta have some lobster, eh?

We decided to splurge on an authentic church supper in New Glasgow, a curious little hamlet in the north west of the island, and despite its hefty price tag, came away with a positive experience. for $50 a person, you get unlimited chowder, mussels, and deserts plus a lobster + potato/coleslaw salad side dishes for an entree. Although pricey, the whole experience made it a worth while adventure.

Of course, any trip to PEI would be incomplete without some lighthouses, so a few mini-roadies allowed us to explore the outer regions of the island, but it was a weird feeling to drive for literally hours to reach somewhere on an island. I guess we're just not used to that living in Onterrible. Another sight-seeing oddity if you're interested surrounds PEI's plethora of little white churches, and on one trip out to the most eastern portion of the island, we passed by 15 of them! No, we didn't count them twice! 

Maine, Vermont, and New York!

Since we chose to arrive in PEI via the Canadian route, we decided to return via the USA, and learning a few things along the way made it a great choice. Our first overnight was in Portland, Maine, and thanks to some appreciated advice from the hotel staff, we took in the beauty of the Portland harbour with its sights, smells, and lighthouses. The Spring Point lighthouse was at the end of a man-made pier comprised of massive chunks of concrete, whose size made for a wonky walk since there was a considerable space between the boulders. After surviving that experience, a little more detective work revealed that Spring Point was actually an old fortress, the hill (or so we thought) was actually buttresses, barracks, and armourments that must have been a part of the harbours defences at one time. 

Being inherently frugal (I'm a former teacher, after all), I convinced Joyce that we should take the "senile" route across Main, Vermont, and New Hampshire on route to New York so that we could avoid the ridiculous number of tolls using the turnpikes. As much as that decision treated us to some incredible vistas, especially through the incredible mountains of Vermont, it did make for some 'white-knuckled' twisty-turny descents as we raced the foreboding rainclouds rolling in from the west ... yep, more rain! We even found a cute little Swiss chalet style store, high up in the hills, to purchase some Vermont old cheddar, a fav of our daughter and hubby. 

Keeping with the trip's theme, we drove through some incredible rain storms in NY state on route to our hotel in Farmington for the night, but the fringe benefit was the Presbyterian car wash that got rid of all the red dust from PEI. 

Back home in Da Beach

In the end, a host of memories were made, items checked off the Bucket List, and new plans for future travel hatched. 

Ahhh, retirement is quite okay, if I'm honest.

Happiness secrets

I often sit down at the laptop with no particular goal in mind and tour around the Internet in search of little gems that move me on an emotional level. Although those of you that spend some time cruising social media and the like may have potentially seen some of the posts that I've shared of late, I consciously choose to put them out there again in the off chance that they passed by your notice. I use an Apple app called Notes to store the ones that I really enjoy, and while I do make an effort to find the source of the inspiration, sometimes it just isn't possible. Like the case below, I share and give full credit to the author, whomever he/she may be.

As I said, this stirred my soul, and I feel strongly that moments like this should be shared.

Can I let you in on a little secret?

Not everyone likes you.
I mean, maybe not right now, but at some point in your life, there will be people that don’t like you.

People that don’t get you.
People that roll their eyes when you start speaking.
People that ignore you when you walk into a room.
People that won’t make room for you at their table.

Want to know another little secret?
It doesn’t matter. 

Not even a little.

You see, you aren’t here in this life to make everyone happy. 

You aren’t here to be everyone’s favourite. 

You aren’t here to be perfect. 

Everyone can’t be your focus.

And once you realize that truth and stop trying to understand why some people ice you out or talk behind your back or don’t like the sound of your voice, well that’s when you can really start living!

Next time you enter a room and start to panic about someone there not liking you, remember this secret ... 

It doesn’t matter.

The people that love you, they matter.
The things that bring you joy, they matter.
The values around which you build your life, they matter.

Even if you don’t matter to everyone, you matter to the important ones.
So, get out there and live your life. 

Let the haters fade into the background where they belong.

And let your true self shine bright.

It matters!

I can't count the number of conversations I have had about the folly of trying to please everyone and lending weight to the opinions of others. While I do feel there is a small part of me that values the opinions of those that hold value in my life, I can confidently state that the opinion of others is of little consequence to me because I am very comfortable in my own skin, have successfully developed a keen sense of who I am, and like the person born out of all of that. I know that makes me a bit of an outlier, and I dearly love some people that find ignoring the thoughts of the naysayers difficult, but IMHO there's a fine line drawn in the sand when it boils down to how much of the weight from other's opinions I'll choose to carry as I walk through this life.

I'm comfortable with me, and I feel strongly that I am happier because of it.

What a day!

If we're friends on social media, you'll already be aware that Joyce and I celebrated our 33rd anniversary last weekend. It's truly mind boggling that she's put up with all of my passions, faults, and shenanigans over the 37 years we've 'been a thing', but loves me she does, and the feeling is unquestionably reciprocal. It's a cheesy thing to say, but we truly do love each other more with every passing year, and now that the kids have their own partners and lives, we spend a large amount of each day's minutes wallowing in that affection.

We're generally not much for making plans for birthdays and anniversaries, but our daughter Maddi covertly unhatched a plan to have our nuclear family (our kids + spousal units) make the trek to the Big Smoke for Shrek: The Musical at the Princess of Wales theatre, and when one makes the trip from northwest Simcoe to Toronto, it makes perfect sense to do a dinner as well. She broached the subject, organized the family, bought the tickets, and even made the dinner reservation! 

Kinda makes your parental pride swell a bit, eh?

The least we could do for all of her work was to offer to drive and pay, and with a quick pit stop in New Lowell to pick she and Chris up, we set the arrow due south with the plan to use the TTC to make the journey since this old curmudgeon doesn't drive downtown anymore, if he has the choice. As luck would have it, the weather front that stormed (no pun intended) across Ontario that day caused a host of traffic woes on the 400, prompting a back roads course for us. Although we had planned ample time to arrive at our reservation in the theatre district, the traffic woes combined with the back road km's meant that we arrived a few minutes later than we wished. Catching a TTC train went off without a hitch and we settled into our seats chit chatting about the upcoming performance.

Wouldn't you know it, the weather was wrecking havoc with the TTC as well, and we slowed to a snail's pace. Embracing the adage that one should only fret about things within one's control, we shrugged our shoulders all the way to St Andrews station, arriving a few minutes after 5:00, and chalked it up to being 'fashionable'. HaHa!

Upon entering the Elephant and Castle and finding KP and fiancee Jess who had already arrived, the smiles, hugs, and kisses were interrupted when KP said, "I think that our old dentist is around the corner". A quick peek revealed the Cheshire smile of the infamous Johnny Cool (his actual name), his dad Dr Kevin Cool, and Johnny's brother and former student, Dr Derrick Cool plus family. Yep, you read that right, their family has 3 Dr Cools ... Dentist Kevin and Medical dynamic duo of Derrick and wife Aurelia ... topped off with Uncle Johnny Cool! What a treat it was to catch up since Kevin, wife Linda, and Johnny had moved away from Barrie a number of years ago to London, ON, to be closer to Derrick, Aurelia, and their two cherubic children.

Following the smiles, hugs, and reminiscing, we enjoyed some scrumptious British inspired fare before making our way to the POW theatre for the main event.

So far so good.

Having spent the majority of the trip down discussing how the producer was going to pull off the jump from an animated movie to the live stage, we posed a number of potential issues that were quickly laid to rest as the musical played out before us. In the end, it was exactly how one would expect, being cute, humourous, full of songs, and an over all wonderful way to spend a Saturday night. Were there some criticisms of this little bit or that? Sure, but our group came away with rave reviews for the sheer entertainment value.

The show started 30 minutes late, then proceeded to run 3 hours, so we were in a bit surprised by the late hour as we made our way back to the TTC, with what seemed to be half of Toronto alongside of us. Boarding our train we were shocked to encounter a young man passed out in an awkward position on the floor of the train. It's one thing to see such a scene on a show or movie, but it's quite unsettling to be faced with it live and up front. As the train filled, the passengers gave a wide berth to the young man for fear of the unknown, but it was easy to see that he was still breathing, quashing the worst possible scenario. The word quickly spread that the TTC officials were informed and on their way, but as they arrived one here, two more there, addressing the issue by unsuccessfully attempting to wake him, the murmur of the crowd slowly rose as discussions about what was transpiring in front of us plus the potential for delay became the elephant in the room ... or car.

So much for the quick trip home! Our kid's fur babies were going to have to cross their legs!

Twenty-five minutes and two shots of Narcan later, the young man was roused enough to accompany the EMTs and relocate to the platform, allowing the TTC to press the GO button again, much to the relief of thousands since a stopped train northbound meant that all of the trains in both directions had been put into suspended animation. 

Fortunately, the remainder of the day's events transpired as one would expect, we got Maddi and Chris home to their unsoiled but very anxious Remi, and we finally laid our heads on our pillows at a God awful 1:30 am. A text from KP and Jess confirmed that they had arrived safely back in Guelph and they too had no doggie do's to deal with. 

Yay!

Many, many thanks to Maddi for all of the time and effort she put into making our 33rd a memorable affair. We so rarely get the chance to sit a visit as a family and the opportunity was both uplifting and satisfying.

Remembering Jen

 

Warning: This piece might rub some the wrong way, perhaps feeling it doesn't belong on social media or it's not my place to comment, but my intention is 100% to celebrate a remarkable woman.

I struggled internally with writing this piece, mostly out of respect to a good friend, fellow coach, and former colleague, Burke Erwin, but in the end, I decided to focus on a nagging regret that was born of my experience.

Burke recently endured a husband's worst nightmare when the love of his life encountered a medical emergency that all of society's present knowledge and technology was unsuccessful in abating, his best friend and life mate passing at a tragically young age. To say that he was crushed would be the largest understatement in history, but his pathway to healing was assisted when he was surrounded by his grieving daughters, the shattered in-laws, and a hoard of supportive, sympathetic friends at Jen's astounding Celebration of Life. Joyce and I went mostly out of respect for our friendship with him, but also to show our support to his daughters whom I grew to know in a teacher-student role at Barrie North. 

We knew Burke's wife Jen as acquaintances, so not well but enough to be thoroughly impressed by the words used to express the anguish so many were dealing with. We genuinely believe that we missed out on a potentially profound experience in knowing her well. 

The COL was held at a local microbrewery called Quayles, on the 12th line of Oro-Medonte, just south of Mount St Louis Rd. To say that we came away gobsmacked by the outpouring of sympathies by an overwhelming number of friends and loved ones doesn't even begin the cut it. The cross section of attendees covered a wide assortment from all walks of Burke's life as a respected teacher, beloved coach, respected musician, and all around great guy. And that's without acknowledging the incredible circle of friends Jen made on her own! Colleagues from education, present and former athletes, fellow musicians and band mates, and friends garnered through what was obviously a life well lived, accounted for literally hundreds of supporters.

Shout out to Quayles for donating their beautiful grounds to host Jen's COL.

I have felt moved by other COL's that I have attended, but this one reached way down deep, and I feel strongly that I should embrace a change in my day to day attitude toward those in my life that I value. While it was Jen's COL that was the lynchpin, it comes on the heels of the one year anniversary of my own brother's passing that I wager has prompted the impetus to "do better" because it occurred to me that we all have a tendency to wait until someone is gone before we express how much they mean to us. I am unsure of why this is the case, but as the saying goes, "It is what it is" and I'll choose to embrace the change I feel is needed.

This sense of regret was echoed in some of the most moving eulogies I've heard in some time.

I will take the next few weeks to make sure I communicate with my loved ones the value they hold for their place in my life, how much I appreciate their love and support, how good they make me feel, in an attempt to ensure that what I might say or write at a COL is received WELL before it usually happens.

I will consider this little change as my token of respect for the obvious gem of a person that Jen was, and I would encourage any one who reads this to endeavour to make the same change.

Thanks for reading this to the end.
RIP Jen Erwin. (obituary)

The Rules!

Regular readers of my Blog will already be keenly aware that there's lots in this world that I find amusing, enriching, or enlightening, and while a lot of my writing ideas are born out of what others have posted on social media for uplifting my happiness, a lot of those ideas prompt some introspective contemplation that leads directly to posting my thoughts for others to glance at. While some pieces of late have been on the heavier side, this one is meant for pure enjoyment, the goal to lift the corners of your mouth, and depending on your gender, spur an eye roll or two.

The first list is not my own creation, but I did struggle to find someone I could attribute the brilliance to because while the ideas were there, the words were different. I did find one reference that matched 99% of this message (CLICK) so I'm going to choose to give the Wiser's clap to James West. 

You sir, have a devilishly glorious mind and your writing made me giggle significantly.

We always hear "the rules" from the female side, but here are the rules from the male side.

(Please note… these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!)
1. Breasts are for looking at and that is why we do it. Don’t try to change that.
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You’re a big girl. If it’s up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don’t hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Saturday = sports. It’s like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
* Subtle hints do not work!
* Strong hints do not work!
* Obvious hints do not work!
* JUST SAY IT!
1. ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That’s what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.
1. If you think you’re fat, you probably are. Don’t ask us.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done, not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colours, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a colour. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing’s wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don’t want an answer to, expect an answer you don’t want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine, Really
1. Don’t ask us what we’re thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as:
* Sex,
* Sport,
* Cars,
* Computers
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.

Thank you to all the women in my life for reading this.

Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight, but did you know men really don’t mind that.

It’s like camping.

Please be assured that despite the sideways look I got from my bestie when she read Mr West's thoughts, I am alive, well, unscathed, and do not fear being smothered by a pillow in the near future.

Of course, the obvious sentiment to all of this is the old adage, "rules were meant to be broken", but it got me pondering if there existed a list that was more universal in its appeal, something that would transcend the changing tide of what it means to be a man in today's society because Lord knows, it ain't the same as my formative years! Having crossed the threshold of the 60's recently, I am firmly of the belief that there's truth in the following list, but you might get a very different answer from my 20 something son. 

One gentleman, Faisal Sayyed (CLICK), offers the following list, and I have to admit that I really like both the tone and limitations of it. 

1. Never shake a hand sitting down.
2. Protect who is behind you, and respect who is beside you.
3. Never insult the cooking when you are the guest.
4. Never eat the last piece of something you didn't buy.
5. Never make the first offer in a negotiation.
6. Don't take credit for work you didn't do.
7. Don't blame, and give credit when due.
8. If you are not invited, don't ask to go.
9. Always aim for the head.
10. Don't beg for a relationship.
11. Dress well no matter what the occasion.
12. Always carry cash.
13. Listen, nod, and most of all make eye contact.
14. Show restraint in expressing anger, no matter what. Being angry is a waste of energy.
15. Whether it's dinner, drinks, or both, avoid placing your phone on the dinner table.
16. Never pose with alcohol.
17. Proper grammar will get you far in life. Leave the foul language for the less educated.
18. Ask more than you answer.
19. You can tell a great deal about a person by their handshake, so make your strong and firm.
20. Speak honestly. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

If you're at all like me, whatever you take away from reading these ideas will make for brightening your day, and I thank you for reading.

Remembering Don

One of the neater things that resulted directly from working at Barrie Central are the "Old Fart" bi-weekly meetings at McReilly's Irish Pub in downtown Barrie, a regular sharing of what has transpired, what caused some contemplation, or what stirred the pot a little. The stories are almost always punctuated with laughter, and the banter is consistently witty.

One of the quickest, sharpest minds belonged to Don Lillow, former head of science at ol' BCC, his quips delivered with a mischievous grin. I say that in the past tense because through a stroke of incredibly bad fortune, Don's health turned for the worse, leading ultimately to his passing away at the beginning of the summer. It's been a rough stretch for the Lillow clan with Don's beloved bride Betty passing in early June.

Based on the avalanche of sympathies with Don's obituary hitting the Internet, both he and Betty were popular teachers who impacted generations of Central students. 

Don was infamous for playing practical jokes on his friends. Armed with a bountiful amount of science knowledge, his pranks were often augmented by some harmless pyrotechnics or audiotechnics. While the bulk of his devilish nature was reserved for his colleagues, his students were occasionally the target, usually a reciprocation for some grief they gave him. One of his favourites, if my memory serves me well, was Ammonium Triphosphate, a clear liquid that becomes unstable when dried, meaning physical pressure like heavy steps or sitting down onto a chair results in a shockingly loud bang. I'm sure you can imagine the result of a targeted student sitting quickly into their desk only to be startled by 4 bangs not unlike a series of firecrackers.

Having recently reached his 81st birthday, Don had been retired for a sizeable length of time, and was a regular at the previously mentioned meetings, kind of the Frank Sinatra of the BCC 'Brat Pack'. 

The last meeting we had was dedicated to remembering Don, and reacquainting ourselves with the plethora of stories centered around Don's influence. While no laws or policies were broken during any of those memory-makers, many are not really something that should be put out there into cyberspace, but suffice it to say that there are some duzers! 

A young gentleman named Tyson tends the bar at McReilly's, and he is regularly in charge of servicing our thirst. He's a likeable, pleasant, quick-with-a-smile type of guy. At the end of our time on that particular day, we pulled out our wallets to pay for the night's libations, only to be greeted by his double palmed resistance "your money is no good tonight" for covering the tab in Don's honour. After recovering from our shock, expressing our gratitude for his generosity, and putting up a slight argument, we quickly deposited our shekels in the center of the table like so many would do in the same situation, our intention to leave him a substantial tip. A credit to the type of person he is, Tyson quickly ... and loudly ... announced that any money left would be swept into the garbage so make sure to take every last dollar. 

We're old and stubborn, if I'm honest, and the pile of cash was left anyway, prompting Tyson to shove it my way as the final member leaving the table, requesting that I take it as a donation to the Lillow family in McReilly's honour. 

In a shameless plug for business, if you experience the urge for a pint or some good eats, and you're in downtown Barrie, might you consider popping into McReilly's as a small payback in Don Lillow's honour? 

Our little gang would greatly appreciate it!

RIP Don and Betty Lillow! Your influence has helped shape multiple generations!