As Ian Sees It

 We got past Grey Cup and American Thanksgiving.  And far be it from me to pass over a chance to bring up that the Saskatchewan Roughriders are the Grey Cup Champions...... but I digress..... Tomorrow is December first.  There are no more hurdles or barriers between my favourite time of the year and me.   We are small town folk.  I grew up in Drayton Valley, Alberta. Population 4000 for almost the whole  time I was a resident.  My first posting was Pelly, Saskatchewan population 300.  There isn't even a detachment there anymore.  My better half was a city girl until we tied the knot.  Since then the largest place we lived was about 20,000.   When you're a kid in a small town, there is nothing better,  and I do mean nothing better than the big city department store toy department at Christmas.  The Bay, Simpson's Sears, Eatons.  All were huge four story department stores in downtown Edmonton.  The decorations were...

 Well it's been a while.  Almost half a year and for that I am truly sorry.  Truth is my blog seemed to go the way of the Bay.   There is a bevy of reasons that I haven't been keeping up on the blog front.  Well, excuses really.   But instead of giving a long long list, why don't I just try to do the honest thing and tell the truth.   When I started writing a blog, I basically did it pour moi.  I just liked to sit down and rant a little about the things in the world I loved, and didn't love so much.  To recognize some of the people in my life who have done great things large and small, famous and ignored.  To vent a little about the loneliness of being a liberal thinker in a solidly conservative environment.   It was therapy.   I discovered I loved writing and it gave me a safe place to do it.   What happened way back when was I somehow developed a following.   People actually read my stuff and I shamelessly began to ...

   Since I lost my original blog According to Ian a couple years back, (We all know that story) I have tried very hard to stay away from my unpopular political opinions.  Well.... unpopular in this neck of the woods for certain.  I tried to make As Ian sees It more family friendly.    It doesn't really matter cause I lost pretty much all my followers when I moved to Blogger.  As hard as that is on one's ego, I always did say that the blog was therapy I needed.    And I need this.  It is time to get a little political.  So here goes:     I think we all have seen what political interference exists in this era of the world wide web.  And I don't believe for one minute that the interference exists only on the one side of this polarized paranoid rabbit hole we Canucks have followed the Americans down.  I hate political interference be it from Russia, China, USA, or Conservatives.    But I especially hate it ...

   I married into an Irish Catholic family which means I will never be short of family almost no matter where I go.  It is pretty cool actually.   On my inlaw side,  when you include the people my wife's siblings have married, it goes something like this:  I have 10 brothers in law, 10 sisters in law, and I think 31 nieces and nephews.  We are going to Halifax this year to a wedding that will welcome number 32.   And in spite of the fact I can't remember what I had for breakfast, I know all their names.  And through the years, I have managed a little alone time or couple time with almost all of them.  Those are the best times.  You get to have conversations and explore the interests and humour of each of them.  Those personal moments leave you feeling like you have made the family connection.  Having a huge family is pretty freaking cool.  Tell you what,  most of those nieces and nephews have families of their ow...

 I guess I should almost start with a big "Hello"!  It has been a while.  The weather got better.  There was lots stuff going on in the world and at home.    And those of the golden years know that we are as distracted as we are busy.  And then there is the whole "Who's reading this anyway?" vanity thing I am kinda ashamed of.   The ego thing.  How much better would the world be without it?   But it's been two months and some stuff has gone on that I would like to touch on.  Some of it is old news now, but hey!  So am I.    We are home from Paris for almost a week now.  I have to say that I don't know if there is anything better than travel.  But such a statement calls for specifics.  While I love a road trip.  Well, a road trip in good or decent weather in a comfortable well maintained vehicle,  I have to say that the whole flying thing is not a pleasant experience.   I truly did miss ou...

   Today the Prime Minister asked the Governor General to dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28th 2025.  On April 28th I will spend most of the day on a jet with Carol and our oldest Granddaughter.  We will be on our way to Paris.  The city of lights.  Our granddaughter  is finished University this year and being a few years older than the other 10 people who call us Granny and  Grandpa we have the means and the health to do this for her now.   I have never been to Paris.  I am so excited I can hardly contain the inside squirm.   And being the lonely Liberal here in this corner of my home and native land,  I shouldn't really have to worry about an election the day we go to Europe.  But if you think Carol and I are going to forego our vote because it doesn't matter anyway,  well I can only assure you you are wrong.   Voting in a Canadian general election has never been more important.  Mostly ...