Connecting Consonant Syndrome CCS

Haven't touched a drop for seven years, but I have to admit we closed the joint more than once. It was packed to the rafters every Friday and Saturday nite, folks singing their hearts out, everybody had a good time. 

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/03/31/brunswick-house-closing-tonight-five-moments-from-an-era.html

 Crying in my beer the last time I was in Albert's Hall. Suzanne and I met up with Carol Martin and Ian Morrison at the Old Brunswick House. Carol coached me informally (as my girlfriends older sister) in discus and shot put for two years in high school; she was the Canadian champ in both events at the time; she asked me how I did in the Ontario semi finals (Georgian Bay Track Meet)  in Midland. Not too well I replied; 6th. "how so" she asked. I told her my first two throws were disqualified because of style; they were a full six feet further than the next competitor. They said I didn't throw/put properly. Carol was also the Pan Pacific champion. That's how it went down in the record books that year 6th, because I didn't throw it properly; in both events despite all my training. Right. I call it CCS, connecting consonant syndrome (dz); it affects me to this day.  Apparently it only affects immigrants, not the backwater hillbillies that run the province. 

To get to the Ontario finals, I won the school meet at Thornhill High, then the regionals at Thornlea, and finally the county championship at Langstaff High School in King Twsp. I guess I must have thrown it "properly" there. I thought about it all the way home on the bus ride back to Thornhill; I knew who won that day, and so does the teacher who cheated that day. I am still proud of my 6th place finish, I loved the sport, Occasionally I wonder what direction my life would taken, if they counted my throws? Perhaps it was just as well, not much of a future in tossing a disc or putting a shot. But most of all my world view about participating in sports was shattered that day, the honesty of the footrace etc. It became apparnet to me this is the world I live in; it was a wake up call for things to come.  I had another event, I ran the 440 against all these skinny guys; life was just not fair for well rounded athletes. No high school pentathlon in those days. My friend and team mate (hockey) Terry T won the Junior Boys Ontario Championship; he threw it "right". 

Carol trained with some very interesting folks, many national champions from around the world, I was fortunate to meet a few of them. Ian Morrisson was the national cycling champ from Scotland; we had some Glen Fiddich, and we did close the joint that night, as I recall. On another double date, the four of us Carol, Nancy, Ray Powell and myself attended the Caribanna Festival at the Royal York, dressed to the "nines" we danced to the steel drums of the Merrymen; we closed the joint that night as well.

Seven Day Velodrome Race Delhi Ontario

Number One Canada: Canadian Cycling Champ Joclyn Lovell

Canadian Cycling Champ Joclyn Lovell. I think about Joclyn often, how full of life he was. He was the guy that rode the tricycle in front of the Queen at the games in Scotland, and fell over as in the stunt on the TV show Laugh In; Joclyn was a character.  We traded cars for fun, he had the the yellow one, I had the blue one. Then one day we heard the tragic news, Joclyn was severely injured; hit by a truck while training. He was paralyzed; it broke my heart, I haven't talked to him since, every time we pass a cyclist on the road I always say, "go wide". 

Rest in peace Jocelyn. Everytime I pass a cyclist on the side of the highway, I can't help but think of you; I always go extra wide.