Health report, Remembrance Day report and reporting on Don the Dink!
An addendum re Don the Dink:
Richard…BYAM…..’Don’ is really ‘Ron’….not an ‘old codger’….I’ve got 15 or 20 years on him…..but still qualifies as a Dink. AND….if he was wanting to join The BGG….he DID live here for his early years and into his teems, hence he could qualify….BUT….he’d NOT be accepted into the MENSA Division, slotted instead into DENSA or even RENSA!
Rotzy…
Rotzy Health Update….Virtually Speaking
Last Tuesday it had been six months since my first appointment with my cardiologist after 6 days in BGH for ‘congestive heart failure’ and the doctor said ‘all’s well, see you on November 9th’ at 9:00AM. Of course, in early September I did another 9 days in BGH with a ‘heart attack’….’just a ‘little’ heart attack’ sayeth the doctor on 5th Floor Cardio. But I didn’t really. Have a heart attack. ‘Little or ‘big’. He….my cardiologist….called it a ??? Poop/s–t on that! Sorry….I forget the name….methinks maybe he called it ‘an angina somethingorother’….yes….an ‘angina thingy’….but I’ll check with Miz Jo. (it’s 9:04AM Sat 13th at the moment, so she’ll be up shortly. Anyway, we got a call last Monday wanting to make my Tuesday cardiologist appointment ‘virtual’ rather than ‘real life/in person’….fine by Rotzy as it’s kind of an ‘advance indicator’ there’s nothing seriously/horribly wrong. I mean he’s not likely to do a ‘by-pass’ and/or install stints ‘over the fone’….is he? So I was convinced there is nothing wrong. *note. Miz. Jo has just arisen and told me (as to my ‘heart situation’) I should ”just call it angina.” That works just fine for yours truly, but the BEST part following my ‘virtual’ was/is that he doesn’t want/need to see this olde guy until Nov 9th 2022. “Doing good….feeling Fine!!!! Thanks.
Lest We Forget!
And I/we here at “From Nakina” HQ certainly ‘have NOT forgotten’….there was little/no mention of Remembrance Day in last week’s “F/N” column because of dates/T-Star deadlines and cetera, but Rotzy was certainly on board for my 3rd annual Nov 11 visit to Mt Hope Cemetery down at West St and Charing Cross. Last year, with COVID running rampant, and rules all in place, Brantford’s 56th Regiment coulda fired off eleven WW I Howitzer practice rounds without hurting a fly, attendance was so sparse. Anyway, yours truly picks up an extra Poppie or two, chooses a grave marker (within the ‘Veteran’s area, the older the better) at random, reads the inscription and places the poppie…..maybe even have a conversation. (*If YOU don’t talk to tombstones, that’s YOUR problem.) Last year it was a WW II, almost-20-yr old Sailor named Thompson whose ship went down in the North Atlantic. Well, this year the number of those paying tribute at Mt Hope was amazing….to the point I never did get around to my own visitation, whilst chatting it up with a number of others. Three ladies laying fresh cut flowers at EVERY Veteran’s grave….for their 5th year! Then, in particular, a tall, young Airforce Officer in dress uniform clearly stood out….he’d come from the big base out at Cold Lake, Alberta…..we spoke of NORAD, etc. and he confirmed that the large 4-engine flyover plane was indeed a WW II Lancaster Bomber, but wasn’t sure of the twin engine plane behind it as they did FOUR big circles around town. Cold Water sees/hears a pretty steady diet of F-14’s and F18’s out at the base! I noticed his name bar said ‘Howard’….he explained that 50 or more of this group were ‘family’, paying their respects while enjoying a November 11th family get together….the Air Force Officer travelling the farthest. And to those who lie in Flanders Fields….and elsewhere around the World. Canada will NEVER forget!
BGG Update
A well attended meeting for the Brantford Guys Group last Friday at The Navy Club and a question came up (from Rotzy) about ‘quorum requirements’ as to votes and cetera, and then an actual vote that would find the BGG making The Navy Club its’ single host for our weekly ‘get togethers’ during the winter seemed to ‘carry’ with ease….in fact looked to be unanimous….of course, having NOTHING to do with the fact that 3 or 4 ‘complimentary’ bowls of peanuts had just been set down in front of us….BUT….it’s gotta be sent to High Council for verification?! The BGG` is only a couple/few months old, methinks, and apparently we’re up to nearly 35 members!!….in good standing I’m sure. And I believe somewhere near 20 of the total membership are also Presidents. For Life. Appointed, not voted in. Don’t quote me on this, but methinks a while back these ‘titles’ MIGHT have been used as a ‘perq’ for prospective members joining up. There are those who are quickly inclined to question their newly-bestowed title when asked/told ‘It’s YOUR round Mr President’! but to this point no one has ever ‘balked’ completely. Once again, the group’s motto….translated from Latin…. “Meeting Friends Now, Not At Funerals.”
It Struck Me Quite Odd….
whilst putting this week’s “From Nakina” together, what with all the fuss being raised by the ‘No Vaccine For Me Bunch’ (*see below)….you know, the ‘I Have Rights’ gatherings/protests/riots seen via radio, TV, social media all over Canada….even tho they’re the ‘vast minority’….it struck me as being very ‘odd’ that I’ve only actually come ‘face to face’ with an ‘anti-vaccer’ on ONE occasion. I’m talking about people in general….friends, neighbours, co-workers, people you spot/run into on a regular basis. Yep, them. Example….I know a guy named Don (not his real name), a neighbour/friend of sorts and we’ve gotten on well for a couple or three years now. Well, about three months back I casually axed him ”got your shots yet”?….expecting a ‘yes’, just like I would from the other 300 people in our building. Well, Don didn’t say ”no” per se, but he did make it abundantly clear the answer was ‘no’ and it was/is gonna stay that way. He glared at me, growling stuff like ”I’m no ****ing lab rat”! and ”They ain’t gonna pump THAT s–t in MY arm, no way, man”!! Then added something just as stupid about ”(his) rights”. ”Whoa there Don,” I tried. Unsuccessfully. Don had turned into a 5-yr old, face purple-ing, about to really get into a tantrum….from ‘a pretty good guy’ to a ‘dink’….the SAME kind of mentality….or lack thereof….as these ‘Rights’ people bring to the front pages all too regularly with their ‘protests’ right at hospital ER Entrances. They’re ‘thinking’ along the same lines as Don the dink….not a good thing. As for Don and me? Rotzy has NEVER been one to argue with 5-yr olds….not about to start now. These are the people who Junior Trudeau and Dougie Ford walk in fear of, dont’cha know!!?
*Thought Of The Day…While most people develop and age normally, some get stuck in the ”you can’t make me” stage. (nya-nya, nya, nya, nya.)
