Jonathan's Retirement Blog

I was chastised by my son on Friday night. He had his shoulder dislocated, being checked into the boards at the hockey rink where he was playing a "friendly" game. As he waited in a hospital waiting room I commented that at least his day hadn't been a total loss because the Canada Men's Hockey team had won their game. He was upset because he had recorded the game on his PVR.

I believe that sporting events are much better viewed live in real time. There is nothing like the feel of desperation I felt when the Canadian's were playing much too cautiously in final moments of last Sunday's game and the feeling of inevitability that the Americans were going to even the score. There is nothing like the elated feeling that I felt when Sidney Crosby scored. I know where I was and what I was doing, as I do when Maelie Ricker won the snowboard cross gold medal. Both events are memorable but even more so because as they will inevitably be played over and over again by the media they will remind me of something meaningful in my own life. My own Gold Medal Moment. I don't think that you can experience that if you go home, pour yourself a beer and watch history unfold on your schedule.

This morning is the first day of March; it was a wonderful drive north from Beaverton. The temperature was -1; the sun was shining. I really had the feeling that spring if it's not here, it is just around the corner.

This morning I listened to Andy Barrie's last show as the morning host for CBCs Metro Morning. I also watched the closing ceremony for the Winter games in Vancouver last night. I have to commend the producers of Metro Morning because in my mind, it is a real tossup as to which was a better final show. I would like to congratulate Andy Barrie for a job very well done and thank you for a wonderful 15 years.

I had the good fortune to be able to watch the Mens Moguls Final live last night. Wow. The start order for the top twenty in the world was determined by their runs in the qualifying event earlier in the day. Alex Bilideau had the second best run so he was second last to go.

The other 3 Canadians, whose names we have already forgotten, put in fabulous performances, at one point occupying two of the three medal sofas in the finish area. The drama increased with every skier but reached fever pitch when an American who was lucky to be even at the Olympics knocked the Canadian from the Gold Medal Chair with only three skiers to go. The very stoic Canadian born Australian and Gold Medal winner in this event at Turin, skied an excellant run so he deservedly took his place on the Gold Medal Chair. Then it was Alex's turn. With my heart in my mouth, I watched him ski well to the first jump, do a 720 degree flip, successfully land it. and then appear to be very fast but on the edge of control, down to the second jump, where he did a huge back flip, land it successfully and then cross the finish in under 24 seconds, the fastest so far. Then it seemed an eternity as we waited for the judges verdict, then, the look of true joy and happiness on both Alex's and his brother's face when his score was the best so far. The last skier had a great run as well, the fastest of the night, and not having any expertise in this discipline other than I have skied moguls many times in my life had to rely on the expert commentators to point out two errors that he made. Another indeterminable delay but finally Alex was very deservedly confirmed as the Gold Medal winner.

It never ceases to amaze me what newscasters will say. It is just past two o'clock on Wednesday the 10th of Feburary, I just listened to the CBC news. They talked about morality; candidate Adam Giambronia and his alleged improprieties. Apparently he admitted to having an affair with a 19-year-old despite the fact that he is in a common-law relationship with somebody else. After apparently a rather unusual news conference in which he read a statement and then just left and had his assistant recall all the news media to read a statement saying that effective immediately he was withdrawing from the mayorality contest.

The news reader then went on to state that this issue is far from dead, I totally disagree. I think that he has done something immoral that as completely decreased the odds of his getting elected mayor. He has done the honorable thing and withdrawn from the race. What he's done was not illegal. Perhaps the media should look at itself and say did we force somebody out of the race,that would've been a very good candidate just to get a good story.

In February 8th, it was a beautiful morning. Sunny but the temperature was -14. The drive from Beaverton to Barrie was wonderful, and actually when I got to Barrie the temperature had risen to -11.

On Sunday I watched 2 sporting events, one was the PGA golf tournament from the Los Angeles area. The other was the Super Bowl for Miami. I think it is the unpredictability of sports that makes them very interesting. Steve Stricker was supposed to win the golf tournament. He started the day leading by six strokes. He did win but only just. What caught my attention was his interview with Roger Maltby where he was clearly emotional. Here was a man that was very appreciative of having one, very appreciative of the sponsors, and very appreciative of the fans for taking the time to come and watch it. I deserve it winner. In the Super Bowl the new Orleans Saints were supposed to lose to the Indianapolis Colts. We all know that didn't happen. Again there was a post game interview where the quarterback from the new Orleans Saints was holding his very young son who was wearing a set of headsets. Perhaps it was the inquisitiveness of the son that showed me an appreciation of a sporting event it was the simplicity of the moment that captured my attention.

I was very lucky to be driving to Barry on the morning that Andy Berry announced his retirement from the morning show on CBC. There is something about hearing something live that enables one to capture the true human emotion that someone may be feeling. Yesterday morning Andy Berry announced his replacement. It was wonderful to hear his replacement speak from the heart, it is something that just cannot be duplicated when repeated on the newscasts later in the day.

Today is 5 February. I just had a very pleasant drive to Mugsville. The present temperature is -4°C, it is overcast and today's topic of conversation on the CBC was the Toronto Transit Commission. There are reports of ticket takers sleeping in their booths and the latest is a driver who pulled his bus over to the side of the road, went into Tim Horton's, sat and had a coffee. Somebody captured it on the video camera and posted it to You Tube.

The chief general manager of the product transit commission was interviewed this morning, and he talked about dealing with these problems. The interviewer suggested that there is probably systemic problems within the employee group of the Toronto transit commission that has a morale problem.

My feeling is is that there needs to be a major capital investment either in infrastructure or in the new equipment. I think companies are a lot like a life, there has to be rebirth and from what I've seen lately the Toronto transit commission is still operating old buses, old streetcars, and old subway cars. I know that at Air Canada there was an enthusiasm when a new type of airplane was introduced. It may be simplistic, but the TTC is tired.

This was on the welcome screen in the 11th floor at 160 Elgin St. In Ottawa on Monday morning