Of Dougs and Muffins and Sacks
Maybe it's my Methodist upbringing, but I love to play board games.*
Monopoly, Clue, Risk, Stratego...you name it, I've probably played it.
Growing up, one of my favorite board games was The Game of Life. And I'm talking about the original, 1960's style Game of Life, not the updated 1990's Life, which had too many subroutines to it to be much fun. Who cares about careers? The original Game of Life had it down: You drive a car, you make money, you make babies, and if you die rich, you win.
Pretty simple.
And the best part--besides that perfectly balanced wheel that, if you spun it right, you could get a good 10-second whizzzzzzz--was that it was endorsed--nay, heartily endorsed--by Mister Art Linkletter himself.
Even had ol' Art's picture on the money.
I always appreciated that hearty endorsement. It meant a little more to me. A hearty endoresement means you've really thought about it. A hearty endorsement is not settled on just a handshake. It's a two-handed hold-for-a-second-with-one-extra-shake-at-the-end handshake of a reccomendation.
And with that in mind, I wish to not just endorse, but heartily endorse, a blog.
Guy Wonders knows how to play the Game of Life. His observations about his friends and neighbors on the cul-de-sac he calls home are thoughtful, amusing, and completely engaging. He writes in much the same style as O Henry and Garrison Keillor, two masters of detail who find the beautiful, the hilarious, and the ironic in the most common places. Although he includes himself in the action, he is rarely, if ever, the focus in his writing. Instead, he plays the bemused observer, wryly noting the comings and goings of his friends and neighbors. He rarely comments on the action, letting his descriptions speak for themselves. (And they speak with a Canadian dialect--they're all very colourful up there.)
Visit Guy on "the sack," and read about the mystery muffin that appeared at the end of his driveway; discover the true reason why his friend Oscar's wife always asks for an impossible gift for Christmas each year, and pick your favorite Doug*** in the 'Doug of the Year' contest. (I'm pulling for Big Doug).
I love where I live, but If I ever get tired of living in this country, I'm selling my place, changing my name to Doug, and moving into Guy's neighborhood.
Stop by for a visit. You'll be glad you did.
Yeharr
*Because Methodists, as a rule, aren't allowed to have much fun. We aren't allowed to smoke, we aren't allowe do drink, we aren't allowed to dance.**
**That's not true. We were allowed to dance. We belonged to a small subsect: the Rhythm Methodists.
***There's Computer Doug, Rental Doug,**** Little Doug, and Big Doug, all neighbors on the Sack.
****Who may or may not be a servant of Satan
Monopoly, Clue, Risk, Stratego...you name it, I've probably played it.
Growing up, one of my favorite board games was The Game of Life. And I'm talking about the original, 1960's style Game of Life, not the updated 1990's Life, which had too many subroutines to it to be much fun. Who cares about careers? The original Game of Life had it down: You drive a car, you make money, you make babies, and if you die rich, you win.
Pretty simple.
And the best part--besides that perfectly balanced wheel that, if you spun it right, you could get a good 10-second whizzzzzzz--was that it was endorsed--nay, heartily endorsed--by Mister Art Linkletter himself.
Even had ol' Art's picture on the money.
I always appreciated that hearty endorsement. It meant a little more to me. A hearty endoresement means you've really thought about it. A hearty endorsement is not settled on just a handshake. It's a two-handed hold-for-a-second-with-one-extra-shake-at-the-end handshake of a reccomendation.
And with that in mind, I wish to not just endorse, but heartily endorse, a blog.
Guy Wonders knows how to play the Game of Life. His observations about his friends and neighbors on the cul-de-sac he calls home are thoughtful, amusing, and completely engaging. He writes in much the same style as O Henry and Garrison Keillor, two masters of detail who find the beautiful, the hilarious, and the ironic in the most common places. Although he includes himself in the action, he is rarely, if ever, the focus in his writing. Instead, he plays the bemused observer, wryly noting the comings and goings of his friends and neighbors. He rarely comments on the action, letting his descriptions speak for themselves. (And they speak with a Canadian dialect--they're all very colourful up there.)
Visit Guy on "the sack," and read about the mystery muffin that appeared at the end of his driveway; discover the true reason why his friend Oscar's wife always asks for an impossible gift for Christmas each year, and pick your favorite Doug*** in the 'Doug of the Year' contest. (I'm pulling for Big Doug).
I love where I live, but If I ever get tired of living in this country, I'm selling my place, changing my name to Doug, and moving into Guy's neighborhood.
Stop by for a visit. You'll be glad you did.
Yeharr
*Because Methodists, as a rule, aren't allowed to have much fun. We aren't allowed to smoke, we aren't allowe do drink, we aren't allowed to dance.**
**That's not true. We were allowed to dance. We belonged to a small subsect: the Rhythm Methodists.
***There's Computer Doug, Rental Doug,**** Little Doug, and Big Doug, all neighbors on the Sack.
****Who may or may not be a servant of Satan
posted by Balloon Pirate at 11:44 PM
5 Comments:
I'm honoured by your kind and colourful endorsement of my blogging endeavours. If you ever decide to leave the great Stars and Stripes behind, there is plenty of room on the tundra for another Doug, not to mention a thoughtful Balloon Pirate.
I appreciate your reference to Mr. Art Linkletter (the grandfather I never had) and the Game of Life (I was a frequent winner of the game, but remain a sometimes confused participant in the real version). Life was simpler then, or least it seems that way now. I really liked the "whizzzzzz" of the perfectly balanced wheel. I remember it well. It's funny how we remember the small details. Hardly anything goes "whizzzzzz" anymore.
Anyway, thanks for the kind words. I've been enjoying "And Another Thing..." as well for the last few months. Cheers.
The tundra, eh? I always had you pegged as being from the Maritimes.
Maybe that's just 'cuz I dated a girl from Wolfville.
Have a Keiths for me, eh?
Yeharr
Your pegging is correct. I was in Wolfville about a month ago. As I recall, I had a Keiths while I was there. I had one tonight, too. Cheers.
Damn.
Keiths aren't available down here.
Have one for me.
Yeharr
ps: after a couple of Keiths, I go whizzzzzzz.
Stop by for a visit. You'll be glad you did.
You're right.
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