Rotzy’s moving back to civilization (Southern Ontario)…Brantford to be exact. No move is fun but after living somewhere for a number of decades, such a move tugs at the old heart.
Rotzy may have to postpone a column or two as he and the missus readjust to live in a “big city” again.
All the best Rotz’ !
….is being written Wed September 19th*, for the Times-Star Sept 26th edition, because tomorrow is ‘M’ Day (*see below). Anyway, they say that ‘hindsight’ is 20-20, right? Not sure what numbers apply to ‘foresight’, but we’re about to find out. In reference to our move to BRANTford, the subject that has pretty much occupied every waking minute for Miz. Jo and Rotzy for the last two months. Of course, we DO have a ‘plan’, but you know what they say about ‘the best laid plans of mice and men’. Or do you? I did at one tyme, but at the moment it escapes me. Whatever. Ahhhh….now it comes back to me….’M’ Day!! (*see above) is tomorrow when Atlas Van Lines arrives ‘around noonish’ to load our stuff. And there will be MUCH less stuff than when we arrived here May 5, 2000 because A/ back then they dropped off an upright grand piano and a few antique furniture pieces enroute at sisty-ugler #2’s house in Gerbilton….and….B/ an 8ft high oak hutch, a dining room table with chairs, the large mahogany desk (which weighs like a piano), an antique wool winder, etc., etc. now reside in Sherwood Park, Alberta as of last week. We’ll also be minus a quantity of stuff that went in Nakina’s Biggest Ever Yard (Moving) Sale August 11 and 12th. Aside from a couple dressers, a few smallish tables, bed, hutch and a trunk/coffee table, the move consists ‘mostly’ of packed LCBO boxes….packed ‘mostly’ with things/stuff that somehow escaped the ‘PURGE list’. So….SO….we’re out of “F/N”HQ here at 153 Hwy 584 on the 20th, staying at Pennocks ‘Schram Villa’ for two nites to ‘tie up loose ends’, turn in the Post Office key and cetera. Then, we point it south.
‘Hit The Road Jack’….
….was a great Ray Charles song from the 1960’s and I guess it could be our ‘theme’, altho Miz. Jo was/is telling folks ‘we’re going on ‘holidays’….whilst yours truly is going with ‘our excellent venture/adventure’….so take your pick/have your choice. What used to be a ’14 or 15 hour drive’ will/has become a ‘three day trip’, with layovers in Kapuskasing and New Liskeard, landing in Newmarket, which, Lord willing, is where we will be when this hits the news stands on the 26th. A few days there with our middle son and daughter-in-law before driving over to BRANTford, and again, Lord willing, unloading Monday Oct One at 303-555 Park Road North. We’ve had a number of Nakina friends asking, among other things, ”how big is BRANTford”? Well, it was around 60,000 when Rotzy left in 1973, and all I know is that The Telephone City HAS grown. That said, I/we DO know Nakina is currently sitting at about 300, and with two buildings comprising 555 Park Rd N having some 154 units, I guess all of Nakina could dwell in there with us. Methinks we have some serious ‘adjusting’ to do!!! No doubt ‘people and traffic’ will be near/at the top of the list….’shopping’ is another one. Damn….and I’m just getting used to finding almost everything we need at PTS Mini Mart!! But one thing I can/will cope with is paying $1 a litre for gas….no sweat.
”The Last Tyme”
As the realization of our move started sinking in a month ago, and as M Day (*see above) grows nearer, we find that we keep on saying to ourselves/each other “hey, this is the last tyme we’ll da da da da da da”. Some of them, like ‘the last tyme we’ll see 9 or 10 feet of snow accumlated by mid-March’, put a smile on my/our face; some of them, such as ‘the last tyme we’ll see any number of good/long-tyme friends’, put tears in my/our eyes. As well as ‘the last trip to Rancho Deluxe’, ‘last tyme here, last tyme there’, and on it goes….it’s all part and parcel. Well, the Rotzys aren’t the first oldsters who, for one reason or another have/had to leave this area….nor will we be the last. It just so happens that yours truly has a column, so I get to spill it out in print. Jo Ann and I really enjoyed our visit with Mr and Mrs H. who dropped over from next door yesterday….yet another ‘last tyme’ I suspect….as they were our first ‘official Nakina greeters’ on May 5, 2000, lending some much appreciated help with the unloading and unpacking, then proceeded to ‘school us’ on Nakina 101….here and driving all around town in our Safari van. *There were 700 people living here back then!! so it took us a few trips to learn who lived where, and who drove what make of pickup truck. I’m guessing I/we learned our lessons well as Rotzy was appointed (along with Mr H) to Nakina’s first Ward Advisory Committee in 2001. And tho he never quite managed to ‘recruit’ me to join GANRAC, we did get together about that tyme (along with a few others) to resurrect the Nakina F&G Club, and re-start The Bass Derby. Well, ’nuff said for now…it’s about tyme for my daily ‘buckboard run’ around town….and it looks like Friday will be ‘the last tyme’ for that practice. Can you see/imagine the olde guy doing a ‘BRANTford buckboard run’??? Bumper to bumper traffic, FOUR lanes wide, and Rotzy putting along in Norm The Truck at 20k/mh max….horns honking, people ‘flipping me the bird’….aka the ‘one finger salute’. Ho-lee-s–t!! Anyway, thanks Nakina for 18 1/2 great years….40 if I/we count buying Rancho Deluxe in ’78….it’s been quite a ride!!!
*Thought Of The Day…Life is short. If you can’t laugh at yourself, call me. I will. (thx t.s.)
“From Nakina”…until next tyme.
