After 30+ years in the near north, Rotzy is finding that the move south, south Brantford, that is, is a never-ending series of surprises and adjustments.
Read about his launch of physical self-improvement exercises and his observations of fellow participants.
About A Week Before….
….we left Nakina for the Banana Belt….about Sept 20th….we got a nice card with a picture of a Kingfisher on it and a hand written note inside from someone who was/is obviously a “From Nakina” fan, wishing us ‘good luck on (your) move’ as well as hoping the column would continue. So….SO….we made it to Brantford, the move went well and of course I’m continuing merrily along with the “F/N” column. But since the card/note wasn’t signed by anyone, in spite of Miz. Jo and I racking our collective brains a dozen tymes, we still have no idea who sent it? It would be great to put a name/face to its author/sender…if it was you, please let us know at jbrotz@bell.net and end the mystery. Thanks.
“Imagine”….
Brantford drinking water tasting as bad as Rotzy can remember it tasting. Well, it does. Maybe worse. Having been born here in 1945, yours truly arrived in the same year they added ‘flouride’ (or is it ‘flourine’?) to the drinking water (to guard against tooth decay) which came/still comes from the Grand River. Hence, when the ‘class of 45’ began K/G, it was closely watched over/monitored all through public school by regular visits to all the schools by a Dentist….a really olde guy as I recall….and I’m pretty sure the results were positive. Of course I don’t remember what the Grand water tasted like prior to 1945, but I well recall it when I left for Peterboro in 1973….BAD….and trading the Grand River for the Ottonabee River was a ‘sweet-tasting’ deal. Anyway, having been somewhat ‘spoiled’, with Miz Jo and Rotzy having been on well water (at 3 different locations) for over 30 years I’m trying my best to re-adjust to the Mighty Grand. It’s like ‘welcome back to 1945 Rotzy’!
Getting Used To ‘City Life’
One “F/N” reader recently wrote to me that ‘Brantford is not a really BIG city’. Well sir/m’am, with as many people (300) living ‘in the building’ we’re now calling home as there were ‘in the entire town of Nakina’, well THAT is BIG! Also, when I left here 45 years ago, the population was about 60,000….it’s currently nudging 100,000. So THAT is BIG too! Anyway, in an effort to be ‘city slickers’….and/or ‘one of the crowd’ so to speak….we’re doing what Brantfordians do….which explains how we landed in Frankies Bar a week ago Sat, a neighbourhood watering hole that really packed ’em in(!) for an exceptional band doing three matinee performances. A LONG tyme since I/we had seen/heard anything like it, and jammed in elbow to elbow. The group is back in November….I expect we’ll be there!…early so we get a table!
And Another Thing
We had a ‘food meeting’ last week and Jo Ann declared that from here on, Fridays will be ‘Take-out/Order in Day’. That kind of eats in Nakina had/has dwindled down to Sam’s Pizza Day…which was (is?) done in support of Nakina PS 4 or maybe 5 tymes yearly. Well, as to our potential/possibilities. For starters there’s the Hungarian Hall, just two blocks from Harris Place….Thurs and Fri only from 3:00 to 6:00….and we’ve enjoyed it twice; stuff like pierogies, cabbage rolls, shish-kabob chicken, meat loaf, etc. Mmmmmm! Methinks next week may be Swiss Chalet for some chicken and ribs. Zehr’s Market has some great dine at home Deli stuff. Well, the olde guy is already drooling at the thought of Chinese Food from the Oriental Restaurant…it’s been a couple decades….or more. Just doing our part trying to become part and parcel of the local landscape. Of course there’s KFC, tho I’m inclined to try Popeyes Chicken, and Lord only knows how many different pizza places there are. I’m lovin Fridays!
Exercising And Stuff
Miz. Jo and Rotzy signed up for the Home Support Exercise Program, a thing aimed at seniors which encourages walking, stretching, improving balance, etc. altho its geared to only ‘do what you feel comfortable doing’, not setting personal records. For now our young leader Koreen comes every second Thursday, puts us at our own levels and we work at it DAILY, writing down our results. The group has grown a little and now there are two ‘Bob’s’….my co-hort is wheel-chair bound due to a stroke but he’s working out too. He not likely knows it, but….aside from being a ‘real character’….he’s my inspiration. Jo Ann had picked up a new Fit Bit*tm at The Source and was/is well into daily walking over and above this new Program. Pretty safe to say at this point, we’re both still enjoying trying to improve our health!
Sign Of The Tymes
I pulled up in front of a nearby convenience store last Wed, and tho I’ve been there a couple tymes I hadn’t noticed the sign taped directly on the front door in my prior visits….highlighted in yellow, it read ”We Do Not Serve A Hooded Customer”….then something like ‘for the safety of staff’. I kinda smiled and told the proprietors ”if you were in Thunder Bay you’d be closed and out of business in a week”!
Hats Off….
to the organizers of the 50th Year Reunion of the Eagle Place Eskimos victory over the Terrace Hill Roughriders to capture the Brantford Juvenile Football League Championship….on Nov 3rd 1968. To be good sports about it, Terrace Hill was invited….some of their guys showed up, as well as their coach who Rotzy’s been friends with since 1959. Actually some players from the other BJFL teams were there as well as a number of guys from high school ball and Jr Bisons as well. I rather doubt there was anybody in the room who is NOT getting OAS….there were a lot of hugs, a lot of laughs, and from what I could gather, a fair amount of bulls—ing. A real ‘workout’ for Rotzy’s long term memory, tho one of my guys from 1970 was amazed at my recall of players’ sweater numbers. Anyway, hats off to the guys who have been putting last night together for the best part of a year! And thanks!!
*Thought Of The Day:…Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing. (Albert Einstein)
