Too Fast

This past weekend as I noted in my previous post marked the 30th anniversary of the passing of Harry Chapin. Harry's music played a pivotal role in my ascendance from childhood to adulthood. His were the first concerts that I attended without parental supervision. I would sit for hours listening to his albums, (yes-ALBUMS!!) trying desperately to memorize the lyrics to every song-not an easy task as his shortest song ran over four minutes in length-while attempting chord progression after chord progression until I had a semblance of his sound. His poetry spoke to me. He was a storyteller set to music and I was enthralled. Harry Chapin was to me what John, Paul, George, and Ringo where to my friend the Beatles Fanatic. He and Debbie Friedman z"l were the soundtrack to my youth. This adoration only grew each summer as I headed off to camp to live, work, grow and share with an entire community of Harry-philes. GUCI was a veritable cornucopia of learning opportunities about Harry and his music. We would sing his songs at campfires and lights-out programs. We would use his music to enhance shiur and limmudim messages. We would talk of his work for World Hunger and his great philanthropic deeds. Harry was one of my first Tikkun Olam heroes. But most of all, we would just sit around and sing. There was always a new Harry song or album to learn and listen to.

The summer that Harry died, I was 18 years old. He was touring that July and was headed to Indianapolis later that month. Rumours were swirling around camp that "the powers that be" were in contact with Harry and his people to come to camp to visit, and perhaps perform a few songs. It was definitely in the talking stage, but it would tragically never come to fruition. When we heard the news of his horrific crash, I recall feeling as though somebody punched me in the stomach. We mourned for days as was befitting his iconic status. This past weekend marking the 30th anniversary, that feeling came back to me just as fresh and just as visceral.

It is truly odd to me that I can recall 30 years with such colour and vividness. 30 years. I have graduated both high school and university. I got married, had children, watched them grow and develop lives of their own independent from me. I have developed a career, built a life with friends and family, suffered loss and accumulated much. 30 years has gone by much too quickly. I am not trying to be wistful or maudlin, just stating a fact. Harry knew it. He even sang about it.


I let time go lightly when I'm here with you, 
I let time go lightly when the day is through.
I keep a watch on time when I've have work to do, 
I let time go lightly with you.


30 years is a long time and it has flown by in an instant.

***A quick addendum. It was actually Harry's brother Steve that wrote the lyrics for this song, but Harry was the singer.

Harry Chapin Remembered

30 years ago yesterday, we lost Harry. I was at camp that summer and I remember the devastation that we all felt. I saw Harry many times in concert. He was one of the great live performers of all times and was way ahead of his time in terms of philanthropy. One of the all-time greats

Summer Stupidity

Summer is a funny time. People seem to have feelings of invulnerability. We see it all the time. Cars driving far too fast on city streets. Young men stupidly diving into lakes, rivers, and swimming pools without first checking depth. Young women vainly scalding themselves pool or beachside without the benefit of proper SPF. Skateboarders, rollerbladers, and bikers weaving in and out of city traffic without the protective gear they so desperately require. Any of these might easily qualify for the 2011 edition of the Darwin Awards but frankly two events this week seem to have the inside track.

First up has to be the poor deluded soul who died this week from a tragic motorcycle accident. The 55 year old man was participating with others in a ride protesting New York State's requirement to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. He was, of course, helmet-less when his bike fish tailed sending him flying over the handlebars and cracking his skull on the sidewalk. Police and emergency personal say that he probably would have survived the fall had he been wearing a lid. I suppose that his personal liberty was a more important than his safety because he died for the cause. While one could probably successfully argue his libertarian point of view, I am having a difficult time of thinking of his death as anything but senseless and stupid.

Next we have to mention the annual stupidity in testosterone surge known as the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Earnest Hemingway romanticized this race against maiming in his 1923 novel The Sun Also Rises. Almost 90 years later, hundreds make the pilgrimage to Spain in order to test their mettle and stupidity against beasts angry enough to kill everything in their path. People are gored, trampled, brutalized, and often killed in a dumb and misguided attempt to hold onto a tradition that should have been outlawed years ago. Sorry! Anybody who chooses this idiocy as a "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" story is kind of asking for trouble and gets my vote for this year's Darwins! Please folks. Let's try to have a wonderful summer, but keep it safe.

A Patriotic Ditty

I realize that this particular video was made for Canada Day 142, but we are still here two years later and the sentiments are the same. Music and Lyrics by Oscar Brand and sung by The Travellers. I think it is our God Bless America. Way Better than O Canada! Enjoy the 144 Canada. We are perfectly "square" today as always.

New Country Rehab

From last night's "Cash Bash" at Hugh's Room! These guys were my highlight for sure. They are playing Dundas Square in August. I urge you to check them out if you are in the Toronto area.

Post Stanley Quick Hits

Some random thoughts post Stanley. If you aren't a hockey fan, so sorry but it needs to be said.

• The Canucks were terrible in this series. Sorry west coasters but it is true. It is pretty hard to win a seven game final while only scoring eight total goals. Their power play was simply non-existent (something like 3%!) and they even allowed two short-handed tallies. Roberto Luongo may have been horrid when it counted, but it really didn't matter because this team simply couldn't score.
• I have heard a lot about how the Canucks were playing hurt. Bullshit! Great teams learn to manage their injuries in the crunch and rise to the occasion. I think the Bruins' loss of Nathan Horton for four games was a far bigger hole than Vancouver's loss of Mason Raymond for a game and half and the Black Bears still managed to put together some offence.
• Boston's third and fourth lines badly outplayed Vancouver's first and second. The Sedins were MIA and Ryan Kessler, though clearly not healthy, was all but invisible. Brad Marchand, Shawn Thornton, Patrice Bergeron, and the ageless Mark Recchi were simply unstoppable.
• Boston played far better in Vancouver from the very start of this series than Vancouver ever played in Boston. Frankly, the Canucks were lucky to win both of those first two games and could just have easily left for Boston down two rather than up two. There was a mirage factor that had fans hoping for the team that dominated during the regular season. This clearly wasn't that team.
• Tim Thomas was all-universe. We have all seen goalies stand on their heads to carry a team, but this was truly unreal. As long as Boston scored one or two,  everybody knew that Vancouver would be in tough in every single game. Luongo never showed that poise. Thomas simply didn't allow his very few mistakes to rattle him the way that Luongo did.
• Can we please get off the bullshit that this was Canada's cup!! As a Leaf fan for all of my life (I know-let the ridiculing begin!!) I can almost guarantee that if the Leafs were ever fortunate enough to find themselves in Vancouver's situation with a chance at the Holy Grail, (May God make this possible during my lifetime-PLEASE!) westerners would be actively rooting for whichever team they might be playing, and hatefully against all that is Toronto. Just the way it is, folks.
• As a Leaf fan I have to say that I was thrilled to watch Tomas Kaberle hoist the Cup. This is a guy who slogged away and gave his all to a thankless fan base here for 11 futile years. He never complained even when he was being mocked and dumped upon. When he was finally dealt, he had only good things to say about our laughable franchise. He deserved the chance to win and I for one was happy to see it happen.
• For all of those Leaf fans lamenting Tyler Seguin, I get it but get over it. Phil Kessel has scored 30+ goals in each of his first two seasons here. Players like that don't grow on trees in the NHL. He may not be a complete player, but he isn't crap either. Seguin didn't play a huge role in these finals even after Horton got hurt. He might very well be great one day, but frankly-BYGONES!!
• For all of those Leaf fans lamenting Tuuka Rask. I have two words for you-BACK UP! He didn't play a single minute. Yes he has shown to be a competent NHL goaltender, but he lost his job to a 37 year-old. BYGONES!
• The after-riots have been a true disgrace but I will put forth the theory that they would have occurred win or lose. Yesterday The Husband said just that to me-BEFORE THE GAME EVEN STARTED! The fact is that these riots were not about hockey. They were about a fringe group of assholes looking for a reason to riot. Stop blaming fringe lefties or fringe righties or the cops. Stop carping about this not being Canadian. This was about too many people looking for trouble and finding it. 

Just my two cents folks. One more-Playing hockey in June is really stupid. It is too hot to keep the ice decent. The pucks were bouncing all over the place in Boston the other night and it wasn't much better yesterday. When Bobby Orr scored his famous goal to win Boston's last cup, it was on May 10th-a full month earlier. Something needs to be done.

Now finally our attention turns to baseball. Go Jays!

Here's to My Man!

Seeing as though I am not much of an imbiber, I really don't have all that much experience in raising a glass in toast. I am really more of the roasting kind. So you will forgive me if what I offer now is a bit off of the beaten path for a L'chaim!!

A Birthday toast for The Husband.

Here's to the man who believes that chocolate is a food group and has created a special drawer in the kitchen to honour this philosophy.

Here's to the man who truly believes that drinking a half a bottle of scotch split with The Twin Son on a strictly social occasion doesn't make him punchy. Something about the healing properties of the liquid and the idea that you can't get drunk on a fine bottle of nectar, or some such bullshit! Of course he would never consider driving, operating heavy machinery, or riding a roller coaster in said condition, but DRUNK??? No way!

Here's to the man who desperately tries to convince himself that my being born at the end of one year and his being born six months later, actually makes me a full year older than him. He really hates his birthday as that is the date when the ages on our driver's licenses are actually numerically equal.

Here's to the man who absolutely loathes fantasy, science fiction, and superhero movies and television programs, but doesn't think it at all strange and fantastical that his favourite show glorifies a serial killer.

Here's to the man who truly believes that the underwear fairies will come in and magically discard all of the decrepit briefs and socks laden with holes and tears, thereby saving him an insufferable trip to Walmart!

Here's to the man who is absolutely obsessive/compulsive when it comes to the cleanliness of the pool, but staunchly refuses to clean out his clothes closet.

Here's to the man who is the smartest person I know (really and truly!!) but who cannot figure out the light laundry from the dark laundry.

Here's to the man who allows me to poke fun at him in this space on a semi-regular basis. The best sport I know, my biggest fan and cheering section, my best friend. Here's to the man who tolerates my nareshkeit, deals with my temper, listens to my rants, and soothes my many insecurities. Here's to my solver of problems, the father and son of the year, and my b'shert. Happy Birthday! The best is yet to come! L'Chaim!!!