Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The last Will & Testament

Mr. Stanley McCubbin, aged 65 years and having a thick shock of grey hair and a ruddy complexion, lived alone with his faithful mongrel dog on a large parcel of land which had been in his family for three generations, from the time his ancestors first came to the Township of Lanark Highlands from Scotland in 1888. While both his father and his grandfather had been in military service, using the property somewhat neglectfully as a place to hang their respective hats between postings, Mr. Stanley McCubbin had opted instead to become a respectable farmer. In spite of the extremely rocky ground upon which the homestead was built, he nonetheless succeeded (with the assistance of local hired hands) in cultivating almost the entire parcel. Like most serious farmers of his time, he had also become involved in municipal politics, serving with the continued respect of his community as both Councillor and Warden. Mr. Stanley McCubbin warranted the term "country gentleman" in every sense of the expression. In addition to being industrious and clean-living (and an active and committed Presbyterian to boot), Mr. Stanley McCubbin was a warm and kind man, who was slow to anger (though he could become recalcitrant at times, but that disposition would eventually melt, even if his opinion did not).

Saturday, February 13, 2010

The Weekend

My inertia this morning was such that, having torn myself from the comfort of my feathered lair to void my bladder, that mission once accomplished, I thereafter found myself seated at my computer at 5:30 a.m., staring blankly at a succession of emails from well-meaning acquaintances who seem to think their purpose in life is to save the world ("be sure to pass this along to everyone you know") from the harmful effects of one thing or another. It is a paranoia which even I find strange.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Laid Back Practice of Law

I am now thankfully recovering today from what was late yesterday afternoon and throughout the evening that followed, and overnight, a seriously uncomfortable sensation. I won’t say that I had not experienced it before. It nonetheless rendered me significantly "challenged" (as people are currently wont to colour their feelings of inadequacy). Likely the experience was made all the more powerful and daunting by virtue of my advancing age and declining resilience. Whatever the reason, I spent a thoroughly unpleasant sixteen hours wrestling with a legal conundrum which had been dropped unannounced and without warning upon my desk by an Ottawa Solicitor who by all accounts I have subsequently learned positively thrives upon creating anxiety for every level of real estate practitioner, from Law Clerks and Solicitors to Land Registrars and Agents.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Waiting for the Bus

Evan (who hated his name even though there really wasn’t much offensive about it) sat outside the large downtown hotel on a damp concrete wall with his small leather suitcase beside him, waiting for the bus to the airport. Meanwhile he intently scratched at a piece of rampant fingernail on his right index finger. If anyone chanced to notice him as they passed by, they would have taken him for someone enjoying much the same preoccupation which attends picking one’s nose. At last he was able to catch the shard of nail and dislodge it quickly, but painfully, leaving a bubble of blood behind. He instinctively stuck his finger in his mouth to soothe the throbbing.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Toronto

We have two very close friends in Toronto whom I consider to be a lightning rod of the essence of the City. For me, they focus the energy and flavour of the place.

To begin, they live in the very popular and old Cabbagetown. When I was studying Philosophy at Glendon Hall on Bayview Avenue in 1967, Cabbagetown was even then considered trendy. Now the place has been positively gentrified, though it is still renowned to embrace artistic people and the outer orbits of society, especially those who may loosely be called "committee members". Our friends' home epitomizes Cabbagetown properties, being an historic red brick town house (one in a row of about five), three stories high, on the top of which is a marvellous open-air deck, shrouded by enormous trees and overlooking one of those distinctly Toronto rear lanes between the houses. If one is inclined to be nosy (as one must inevitably be, especially after consuming a glass or two of wine), it is possible to peer into the bedrooms and living rooms of nearby homes which are packed in succession throughout the neighbourhood as far as the eye can see. Many times we have thrilled to the delight of a protracted evening meal with our friends and their collection of interesting acquaintances. The meals are invariably delicious, combining the most exotic ingredients in the latest culinary fashion, always nurtured by fine wines. Even the society of visitors to their place is essentially Toronto, in that the people are from varied walks of life, some well-to-do, others highly educated, all bubbling with enthusiasm and comraderie. Everyone appears to enjoy an element of singularity which borders on fashionable.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Lengthening Days

Three cheers for us! We walked to work this morning! Though I hadn’t planned on doing so, I am of course delighted that I did. If nothing else it expiates my general guilt about Winter laziness and lassitude, a posture sadly only too readily assumed if encouraged in the least by foul weather and a blazing fireplace (not to mention the complimentary libations). Today, however, the sun shone brilliantly, and I was energized by last evening’s welcome though infrequent abstemious conduct. I suspect it takes little more than fifteen minutes to walk from the house to the office. Even as we crossed the Maclan Bridge over the flowing Mississippi River, the air, though damp, was not freezing, bringing only a slight blush to our cheeks. I proudly sported a multi-coloured woolen cap which I had purchased this past weekend at the Wool Growers’ Cooperative in Carleton Place, one of those best kept secrets, merchandising as it does some high quality items. It is an urban prejudice that one must shop in the City to find good stuff. Frequently I have found myself observing with no small element of pride that this or that item was purchased locally.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Pennies from Heaven

My thoughts began innocently enough this morning, reflecting with humble and thankful gratitude upon the fortunes which I have recently enjoyed. I have experienced within the past two days something akin to money literally falling from Heaven. Like most things in life, the ultimate sensation was the accumulation of many smaller, less significant ones. First there was the intelligence from my Accountant that I may be entitled to an income tax refund. That of course was welcome news, but it didn't heighten my expectations greatly, as I am always of the opinion that what Her Majesty gives with one hand, she takes with the other. Then, quite unexpectedly, a cheque arrived in the mail from the local Municipality, a rebate provided to owners of heritage properties to off-set on-going maintenance costs. On heels of that surprise, I concluded a difficult transaction which provided unanticipated return, as the twisted details of the deal finally and somewhat abruptly merged with satisfaction on all sides. And just as I was beginning to think things couldn't get any better, a sizeable settlement arrived in the mail from a Trustee-in-Bankruptcy in the matter of a class action law suit about which I had entirely abandoned any hope of recovery. Granted, this latter benefit was on behalf of a Deceased for whom I am the Estate Trustee, but nonetheless it added further advantage to what had already been a successful few days.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Start All Over Again!

Thank the Heavens for the beginning of a new month! A fresh start! An opportunity once again to get everything in order, after having wallowed into the New Year through that unwelcome month of January. Now is the time to get serious about resolutions - diet, drinking, exercise and finances. The possibilities of redemption and renovation are endless!