Rose's Cantina

I ran into Donna, an old school chum, at the local Starbucks today. Donna is an engaging soul, always busy. She was in Starbucks to grab a quick libation on route to a nail salon and then she was off to a life celebration. Donna told me that over the past weeks, she's been staging her home in hopes of selling it, after which she will retire with her lovely husband Jim to a house they are buying in the Maritimes. Next week, she'll be going to Edmonton for work. Aside from those duties, Donna somehow manages to do community theatre and travel North America as a professional Scrabble player. What a whirlwind life she leads. This kind of life is foreign to me. Our chance encounter came as I was walking back from the gym, all sweaty, listening to Bruce Springsteen do a bad impression of Pete Seeger on my iPod. After Starbucks, I was attending the grocery store to see if I could find some half price meat to put on the barbie tonight. Unlike Donna, I have ...

I was back at the Ottawa Hospital with Doris yesterday getting an assessment from her orthopedic surgeon about her still very damaged foot. Those of you who are following the never-ending saga of Bob and Doris will know that Doris broke her foot in five places going to the bathroom in October. Since then, she's been closeted in her tiny apartment with her husband Bob who is down to 130 pounds from a fighting weight of 165 pounds. Bob has diabetes, lung issues, liver issues, mouth concerns, numb feet and hands that are, more or less, claws. Tomorrow, he goes for an MRI in hopes of discovering why he's lost most of what was left of his spare weight in a matter of a month or so. I saw him yesterday, hobbling down to the parking garage to help Doris into my car. At just 65, Bob looks like he's 90. I sure hope his innards look better than his outside. Spending time with some of my old Press Club friends is kind of like getting a visit from the ghost of Christmas future. I...