http://www.chfi.com

Gord here…

This past weekend I was up in cottage country helping Mike Cooper put his newly acquired 40 sandbags into storage as his flood scare came to an end.

Since the water had receded, the wall of the 80 pound each sandbags need to be moved. We broke the task up into half. 20 bags 1 day and the rest the next. They are heavy for one and awkward to grip, but the second half had a fresh dumping of water from the night’s spectacular thunderstorm that passed by.

Mike’s dog Koda is a black Lab, very loving and likes to be with me when I am there, which I love. I can pet Koda for hours and she seems to dig it as well. Koda does not like thunderstorms and as the storm progressed she started to move up the bed closer to me until she was laying right beside my face and as I gave her a big bear hug I realized that she was shaking because of the storm.

As I turned on the lights, so that Koda wouldn’t see the Lighting flash as much, I laughed to myself as I thought what a sight it must be to see a grown man in bed with a shaky dog. What can I say, I am a sucker for a pretty face. Just ask my girlfriend Dawn and sometimes The General, but only when he wears his hair up.

General here…
Today is one of my favourite days of the year.
I don’t know if many people can pinpoint the exact day their life changed forever, but I can.
On this day 15 years ago - April 22, 1993 - I went on a first date with a girl named Anita Reynolds. Over a couple of Molson Canadians and some wings, we got to know each other - and by the end of the evening, as I told my room-mate about this incredible girl, I knew my life was about to get a whole lot better.
And for the record - the wings and beer dinner selection was her choice.
I defy any man not to have fallen for her.
And so here we are - 15 years later - 3 healthy kids, a goobery-yet-loveable dog, a house in the ‘burbs and a vehicle to cart us all around.
It is - in all honesty - all I’ve ever wanted.
I am living my dream, and it all started on this day in ‘93, when this boy from PEI had dinner with a gorgeous brunette from Montreal - in a pub in Toronto.
As Kim Mitchell would say…Ain’t Life Amazing?

General here…
Well - the CHFI Oldies Dance is coming up on May 30 - and by the number of emails I’m getting, it seems there is some confusion with our dances at the Old Mill - and, understandably, you have some questions:
What do we wear?
Is there food?
When does it start and end?

So, here you go - the CHFI Oldies Dance at The Sheraton - in a nutshell.

WHAT TO WEAR
Anything goes - most people dress casually - jeans -  there are a lot of people that “dress up” 50s, 60s, 70s style - hippies/disco/greasers, etc….
But, wear comfortable shoes - we dance, dance, dance all night long.
We do have a best costume contest, but it isn’t necessary to wear something of the era.

FOOD
There is food - but it’s simply fast food - pizza slices, hamburgers, hotdogs, ice cream - you do have to pay, but it’s relatively cheap – like a buck or two. And all the money goes to The Children’s Wish Foundation.

DRINKS
There is a cash bar - but only beer and wine - no spirits - and usually the beer is of one sponsor.

MUSIC
There is a deejay - that would be me - as well as a live band.
The music is mostly of the 60s and 70s - with some 50s and 80s thrown in for good measure.

Doors open at 6pm and we get started shortly after that. The dance goes till midnight.
All the CHFI personalities are there - there are special Saturday Night Oldies T-shirts for sale - again, all proceeds go to The Children’s Wish Foundation - and there are also photo areas with special backdrops -just so you can document all the fun.