Night the Lights Went Out in Kinley!

Don’t recall seeing the lights of Asquith on my return from Aberdeen last night. Nearly drove right past Kinley ...our street light was out! When I did get home the power was out ...and stayed out for 6 hours! Sat and thought about the evening by candle light and saved a bowl of ‘Strawberry Ice Yogurt’ from the doom of our powerless refrigerator ...very nice. However, my glucose meter didn’t like it this morning! It was interesting sitting in the silent dark; I imagined how the pioneers felt so many years ago. Isolation lurking in every corner ...and ...pressing in relentlessly!


It’s been an interesting week in Kinley. I told the boys last night I’d have to quit hanging around with them, as it’s been drawing too much attention from the police. Last Thursday I was typing in my office when I heard Julie talking loudly in the living room; “Must be on the phone,” thought I. Then, when I went to get a coffee, I noticed that she had a ‘gentleman caller’; a fellow in a blue jacket. He was sitting in his chair with his back to me, quite youngish looking. “Salesman”, thought I, “I’ll let her deal with him!” But, as I found out later ...it was an RCMP officer!

The next day, walking Claymore, neighbours asked, “It’s none of my business, but, why were the police at your place yesterday?” I really wanted to say, “Julie got out of hand ...slapping me around ...nothing I could do really ...finally called the ...!” But no, I told them the truth! Then, Saturday, as I finished my Kinley ‘paper route’, I was accosted by the same young fellow ...wanted to ask me a few questions! I informed him that Julie had ‘spilled all the beans’ to him on Thursday, ...that there was really nothing I felt I could add. He insisted! So, I got to be interviewed on what measures should be instituted for satisfactory community policing!

Met the Court Jester at Vangelli’s last night at 6:40 to go to Aberdeen; he’d said 5:00 pm! What a comedian! I told him I didn’t anticipate much of a turn-out, as it was Oscar night. Our Jester hadn’t thought of that. There were 6 comics in our entourage, and, as it turned out, twice that many members in our audience! We offered to re-schedule, but, the owner wanted us to carry on, as these people had paid for tickets. So, we did!

It is really difficult to get a satisfying laugh response from 4 tables scattered through a fairly large room. To stage right were four ladies, (each a mother of two), from Saskatoon, on a girls night out. Stage front and center were two couples from outside Aberdeen, nice people; both men being of the large, neatly bearded variety. Left, to the back, were two more couples, I believe from Aberdeen. Center back, another couple on their first date; I’d forgotten them in my original count.

Response was light for the first few comics. Our Crown Prince did fairly well; for some reason, he went up early. The lighting was poor, so, when I got up there I anchored myself under one light; I’d noticed that when the other comics moved around, their faces were obscured by shadows. My opening, where I cut up Kinley, and Smithdale Ontario, were fairly well received. Then I tried some new stuff; never done before. I’m putting together a ‘set’ on being a ‘rural’, as opposed to a ‘metro’ sexual! The one aspect of it I did last night was on the ‘machismo’ of men’s facial hair.

It went well; I began by explaining why I shave every day ...any beard I grow has the same macho factor as does the one worn by Santa Clause! Then I critiqued all the current styles, from the ‘lumberjack’, (full, untrimmed), style, to the current, ‘interior decorator’, (small tuft on lower lip), style, and all varieties in between! The two big, burly boys in front never broke a smile; the four ladies on my right were breaking up! It’s a keeper; if the ladies are laughing, the fella’s will fall in line ...no man wants the ladies to think he’s got no sense of humour!

I was pleased with the audience response, for what there was of it. It does throw you off when they don’t laugh where you expect them to. I got rattled, and forgot to do my, ‘Arnold’, the body builder routine; worse, I reversed some of the lines in my more established stuff! You can’t do ‘instant replays’, so ..you ...just ..carry on. I really believe that, no set is worth watching till it's been staged 10 times, and I haven't done my 'established' stuff that many times!

Last up was the ‘Master’, and, his was a laid back, up close and personal, approach; just a nice, intimate conversation with 14 listeners. On our return drive, the ‘Knight of the Dark Countenance’, commented on his surprise that the ‘Master’ could be so funny, not doing a routine, but, apparently just talking to the audience! Someone was quick to point out that, that was just what you might expect, when you take one highly talented young man, and add twenty years of solid, hardcore experience!

Our ‘Jester’ informed me that each of the comics in last week’s ‘Shaw’ extravaganza will receive a complete, final edition DVD of the event. It will be most telling to see what gets left on the cutting room floor!