From The Archive

Not dames as in Dame Joan Sutherland, the female equivalent of the British title of knight, but dames as in fabulous old gals. You know what the world needs more of? Dames. We’re never in… Read More »A TRIBUTE TO DAMES

How cookies are like sex: Of Triple Double Stuf Oreos and other progress traps. A warning: My mind wanders. If I take my eye off it, my mind can get lost in a souk of… Read More »PROGRESS TRAPS

Why I Miss My Holiday Retail Job You can buy anything you want online. But the internet can’t capture the magic of the Eaton’s perfume counter at Christmas. My doorbell gets a lot of use… Read More »HOLIDAY JOB

I’ve always admired The Salvation Army. Then again, how could you not be fascinated by a movement that was launched by someone who started out in life as a pawn broker? The resolved are at… Read More »HERE’S TO THE SALLY ANN

An ode to the codes, passwords and secrets that keep the world running. There, inscribed on the inside of an old notebook, was the code. Early in their lives, I had drummed this word into… Read More »KEEPING SECRETS

I’m just a few points short of qualifying for a long-haul plane ticket on the Air Miles program. By mid-2012 I’ll probably still be a few points short of qualifying for that ticket. You see,… Read More »LAID TO REST

I just drove 250 kilometres for salami of the gods in Seattle. A lamb and gorgonzola sandwich. Was it worth it? Yes, it was. Have you heard of Salumi in Seattle? Maybe not. But maybe you… Read More »SALUMI IN SEATTLE

When a space is better suited to a photoshoot than humans. I have just finished counting them. There are 35 phalenopsis orchids in bloom inside this house. Cloud-like banks of pristine petals mirror the cumulonimbus… Read More »INFERIOR DESIGN

It’s the most common mental health issue, so why is it so hard to measure? On a scale of one to 10, where would you place your stress level? And everyone answered eleven. Eleven. It’s… Read More »HOW WE ASSESS STRESS

HINDSIGHT IS 20/20 I had an idea of what a dad should be. This idea was shaped almost entirely from popular media. I imagined a man who golfed. Who barbecued. A man who liked hockey.… Read More »DAD, IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR