Category Archives: It Really Did Happen!

The crumbs and animal hair of real life.

Who are the pickles in your neighbourhood

Posted on May 25, 2017 by

Ever since the snow melted, I had been eyeballing this jar of pickles at the bottom of our street. It was a litre jar of bread-and-butters lying on its side next to a cedar hedge right there by the stop … Continue reading →

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One brief shining toilet

Posted on May 4, 2017 by

Last year, I moved into an office on the second floor because, logistically, logically, it made sense. Six months later, logisticallyer, logicallyer, it makes more sense for me to move back where I came from. It’s kind of like getting … Continue reading →

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Pump rage

Posted on April 6, 2017 by

My general state of being whenever I wait for a gas pump to free up can best be described as “seething.” I’m not great with waiting, even in a car surrounded by the endless possibilities of radio entertainment because, as … Continue reading →

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Risky business for columnists

Posted on March 30, 2017 by

Hi there. How’s tricks? Does anyone say that anymore? “How’s tricks?” Sounds Damon Runyon-esque. That’s Damon Runyon, the American writer, not Damon Runyan, the Canadian actor and star of “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” though, honestly, what kind of parent does … Continue reading →

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Father-daughter-Beyoncé bonding

Posted on March 23, 2017 by

Conversations these days with my 15-year-old daughter go something like this: Abby (getting out of the car): “Can you write me a note? I’m going to be late for class.” Me: “You’re not going to be late. Just be quick.” … Continue reading →

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The ¼ buck stops here

Posted on March 16, 2017 by

A Canadian quarter from 1907 turned up in my wife’s change from the liquor store last weekend. I like to think it ended up there by way of a slow-moving nonagenarian war bride in a cardigan purchasing her bi-monthly supply … Continue reading →

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Out of the crawlspace, into the tree house

Posted on March 9, 2017 by

When I was little, my older brother and I would spend hours tunnelling into the piles of snow at the end of our driveway. This was back when we regularly got snowfalls of 17 feet at a time. Or something … Continue reading →

Posted in It Really Did Happen! | Tagged , , , , , , , | 27 Comments