Ok, I’m back. I shaved and showered and dressed for my lodge meeting. Dark suit black tie. Looking sharp and feeling good. I brought out my winter jacket there as an overcoat and I felt a little out of place in the only +3C. I locked everything up paper in door and everything off the stove. Check. Double check. I left out of here in the dark of night and mild air. Slightly warm wearing a suit jacket underneath a winter coat in this weather but what the heck. My bus came right away to Clairview station. A brief wait on the train and I was underway. Ten minutes later at University station. Elevator and escalator up and my #4 shoed up. It wasn’t that crowded. I got a seat and then a chat with the bus driver there a bit and stopped off 194th and 82nd Ave, Time out total 40 minutes. I was at the 2nd Cup by 6:30pm.

Alright, lets find this place. I found the funeral home and A distinguished looking building. The old Masonic symbol of the Square and the Compass told me this was the place. Frosted glass behind the door told me there was life inside. I opened and inside were met by several suits and a tux. Shake hands introductions made. Still no Chris. Some guy in a grey goatee later I’d learn this to be the SW. We had about 30 guys there. Their temple at Acacia was in an upstairs loft. The Lodge itself was incorporated 1914. I don’t know how old the building is but it looked old. Strathcona Lodge lacked a organ player, which would have been perfect. Still no Chris. Dan Showed up and recognized me. I asked him if he would vouch for me. “Sure no problem.” He got a old of the SW and everything was set up. So, after signing in we were underway. We opened the lodge and then the Tyler let in about a dozen more MM. Chris was there in and so was Alvar. This was going to be a pretty good night. By the time the actual play itself got underway we mused have had 50 guys there. Impressive. I noticed their 3 lesser lights by the altar were candles. Ours are electric lights. The evening would have been better if Neil was there. Or in the future me playing keys. I’d have brought my portable keyboard to set it up before the ritual. We had two candidates prove up. The layout of the Temple was just like ours except our ceilings our higher. I can’t say much other then that from here on in because it’s a secret ;-) Lots of standing. I did my bit with Chris and Dan to play FC’s from the East. Lots of standing, Ugggh. Near the end of the lecture (delivered by a guy with a very monotone voice. (at this point I asked Chris if he was staying for the festive board. He said no as he had other plans. So I asked if he wouldn’t mind giving me a lift to the LRT. It was going on 10:30pm) Obviously having trouble with the overall things part. Finally we closed the lodge. We returned our borrowed FC robes and hats, gloves and aprons. Chris says he has his own FC robe and this has got me thinking about getting my own as well but that depends on if the lodge is doing the short or long version of the MM ritual. Last night we were doing the long version. Out in the foyer before the banquet hall someone asked the crowd if there was a James Shannon here? That’d be me. “Your wife called.”

Well we were all getting ready to leave and I didn’t know if my cell was ready as Anne said not to use until after midnight. That’s when our feature is ready. Chris drove me downtown to 103rd and Jasper and I saw the familiar hub of an LRT street entrance. So I had a chat with him briefly. He won’t see me until January as he’s taking the family to Disneyland. I wished him a Merry Christmas then and hustled down to the lower concourse and The Bay train station. I thought at first I was at Central station. I called Anne from there. My mouth was dry from lack of drink all night. She thought I was drunk and fought with me a bit and hung up. I waited for a bit for my train home and called her back. My train came along and I had to cut her short. One car on the tracks on a Friday night. It was going to be standing room only. Surprisingly it wasn‘t. I got a seat and at Clairview station. It wasn’t bad outside. No buses there as usual. I would have waited for 20 minutes for one. I decided to walk through the Superstore parking lot and home. Anne was a bit put off but everything sorted it self out. She made her perogees and a sausage and the news was almost over but I was able to catch ECW.

I was in bed by 1am and feeling pretty good. Coast was about their open lines. Normally I’d stay up and listen but I past out right away.

At the lodge I noticed in the banquet room and old upright style keyboard with a couple of broken ivory keys that must have seen better days. I felt like going to it and limbering up my fingers. But this is where they were collecting FC robes and people were gathering and I was conscious of my ride heading home. I noticed in the kitchen another upright organ, worth examining next time I decided to visit Strathcona #77. I think they have an installation December 15th but that’s also the night of our Company staff Christmas party at “Jeckle and Hyde’s.” Anne wants to go to that with me so the next time I visit #77 won’t be until after the new year. Maybe even in February. By that time I hope to be in RA as well.

Anyway, I got up about 6:30am to do the cbi thing. I Haven’t had breakfast yet but the toaster and everything is ready for waffles. After my shower after I post this. This morning I’ll be leaving out of here around 9am and I’ll bring that $20 with me so I can get my breakfast sandwich and coffee at Tim’s. Then it’s head into the office and get my dialer. I’ll take the dialer beside Bud’s and enjoy my breakfast and get started on the day. After work I’m going to wait for that #2 bus and head up to City Centre Mall. I want to visit The Source and take a look at their selection of keyboards. 2008 is the year I’m going to try a new skill. Also, I might even get a bit of lunch there as well. We’ll see. Then it’s home, a couple of hours of sleep and the 6pm news and supper after that work on F. I hope to finish it this weekend. Well the 2nd draft that is. Then it’s the Oiler/Chicago Hockey game. The Oilers are playing well and winning games. Thing is, so is everyone else. They needed a good start the first couple of games. I don’t think this year they will make the playoffs. Not unless some of the other teams ahead of them get into a slump. In between all that I’m going to watch TNA Impact wrestling.

Sometime Sunday, I’m going to be preparing my Cw pitch and get into it. I want to do some cold calling and work on that for a couple of hours before getting into the taps. We have the Ontario file here. The reason we got the land line phone in the first place. That phone, nobody gets the number except family and Greg. Our Cw boss, since he’s paying it the first couple of months. At $55/month it’s a pretty good deal for free unlimited long distance calling in Canada. I’ll be able to call my family in Victoria and Anne her sister family. Also, I’ll be able to talk to someone at the new Westminster public library to see who it is I can talk to about getting some research done. Sunday after brunch I hope to get a couple of hours in and call for Cw before the Grey Cup game. It’ll be just local City calling. All I want is turn downs so I can get used to the pitch. I might call a couple of taps in there as well so I can have some sales sheets to hand in for Greg Monday. Also, Sunday night I want to work on that short story. I’ve got a few ideas kicking around. Hopefully I can have it my first release for 2008. If I can’t find a print home for it then it goes online somewhere.

Anyway, that’s all for now

e. Jim