Sunday, February 27, 2011

It Strikes Me Funny: This is what blogs are for at times

The deadline for my column is Sunday, 2 p.m.

Today I was running ahead of schedule because I had posted a few related ideas to my blog in advance, as is usually the case, so I had the topic on my brain.

This is what my blog is for at times, in my opinion. It acts like a wall at which I throw spaghetti. Sometimes the spaghetti sticks. Sometimes it doesn’t.

My blog is also useful in other ways.

For example, today as I was writing I recalled the time I was riding home from Thunder Bay (August, 2007) and had to stop at a gas station that displayed prices I’d never seen or paid before in my life. Like this week's prices in London. (Not that I didn’t see the high prices coming, however, as I suggest in my column).

Unfortunately, I outran my word count so ditched the episode.

My blog suffers no such restraint.

“The scene is still vivid in my mind. It was a foggy morning, I was chilled to the bone, the red ‘low fuel’ light on my old Virago was glaring at me, and the first gas station I approached sold gas at $1.17.9 per liter.

Seeing the sign precipitated mild shock and awe and it slowly dawned on me that folks can charge whatever they want on that stretch of highway.


["Tough times and high prices in Thessalon ONT": photo GH]

Sure, I could have said to the station attendant that the prices were outrageous and I had a good mind to turn around and go some place else.

But two things would have happened.

He would have given me the blank stare while digesting my words and formulating a suitable response. Then he would have told me the next station was two hours down the road and politely said, “See ya later. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Sorry, I digress.”


Word count - perfect. Blog - helpful when it comes to using extra spaghetti in the pot.

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Please tune in next week for the full column.

Last week’s column; useful link appears in right margin.

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