After last week's Jane Pitfield debacle where I had a nice talk with the possible future Mayor of Toronto I vowed never to let it happen again. For folk not of the Great White North, this is the new Red Green, Brent Butt of Corner Gas.
The scene. I was at the corner of King and Young, exactly kitty corner from "the Pitfield event." I approach the corner and see the moment opening up before me in an instant. I stood beside him waiting at the cross walk - like him looking forward - and said "Are you who I think you are?" He says "That depends, who do you think I am?" I say "the guy my wife is in love with." He says "now that could go a number of ways..." Once I told him I wrote a blog he asked me if I knew The Flea and if he could wave to him in a picture. I obliged.
As nice a gent over the course of a 27 second conversation as ever there was or one very well versed in dealing with whackos.
Comments
gorthos - November 10, 2006 12:36 am
You are so damn Canadian Alan.. :) This coming from the guy that worships Bruno Gerussi and has a pic of himself and mercer inhis work-cave.
I have yet to see one ep of Corner Gas. Mayhap I shall rent it this weekend.
Shelley - November 10, 2006 2:19 am
So, no idea what he was doing in the Big City? However, I'm jealous. Lucky you!
Mike - November 10, 2006 8:07 am
Best Canadian Show Ever. Hank actually had a blog the other week and people were encouraging him to write it as that meant that he wouldn't stand there and talk to them -- "Why don't you go put it on the blog." Then Hank grew suspicious when people didn't seem to respond to what he had written ("what do you mean you haven't heard of Tantramar City?!"), so then Brent started reading Hank's blog and putting coles notes up on the web for the locals so they'd know what Hank was blogging about.
Flea - November 10, 2006 10:12 am
I am so not falling for that Flea thing.
Alan - November 10, 2006 10:20 am
He is waving at <i>you</i>!
gorthos - November 10, 2006 10:42 am
You know, that photo is creepy. If you blow it up on the screen, no matter where you move in the room, he is staring at Flea.
Mike - November 10, 2006 12:50 pm
Is that some sort of secret Flea greeting gesture he's making?
Alan - November 10, 2006 1:08 pm
It is all transmitted through the eyes as far as I can tell. But, joking aide, I can't tell you how nice he was about it. I asked if I could take a photo and then thought I sounded like an idiot and he was very relaxed. Then he did that look think and mentioned that about The Flea and I got out of there.
gorthos - November 10, 2006 2:19 pm
His pic is now my desktop image just so I can tell everyone who says "hey thats the guy from corner gas!" I can say "oh? Never seen it.." Then there will be querulous looks, pondering thoughts, questions all of which I will duck and eventually acquiesce that I just found the picture on the net and copied it because I think he's cute like a little shaved teddy bear who had his ears lopped off.
Is it 4:30 yet?...........
cm - November 10, 2006 2:40 pm
I've missed most of this season due to a conflict Dr Who. Yes, I could tape it, but somehow that never occurs to me.
gorthos - November 10, 2006 3:31 pm
cm likes Doctor who. Excellent. I officially think you are cool and probably supremely intelligent.
I missed this weeks ep but I had downloaded it in the summer from BBC (but never watched it as my wife cried "don't watch them you idiot, wait and watch them with me on the TV screen".
T-Bo - November 10, 2006 3:32 pm
Huh-huh,huh-huh-huh, you said Butt.....
I've never seen the show, either, but it sounds cool. I love Red Green, too. Now, Bruno Gerussi.....is that dude still alive? How about "Old Relic"? I used to watch the Beachcomers on CKWS when I lived in Watertown. One Friday night I saw a commercial Bruno did for McCain's frozen pizza, so after work the next day I went to Kingston and bought a few.
What a sheep I used to be, a baaaaaaaa-d man.
cm - November 10, 2006 11:59 pm
The first couple seasons of X-Files are great for playing "spot the Canadian". Lacey from Corner Gas is in one ep, and Relic himself is in two - one as a farmer and one as a naval officer.
This week's Dr Who was good, although I'm a little unsure of his feelings at the end. (Will I lose points if I mention I've only seen maybe one of the older eps?)
gorthos - November 11, 2006 7:15 am
coolness meter dips....
Don't mind me. I own hundreds of vhs tapes full of em plus dozens of dvds. I be a who geek.
Douglas - November 11, 2006 8:51 pm
Brent Butt played a coroner who was the half-hour-mark human sacrifice in one episode of the X-Files.
portland - November 13, 2006 11:46 am
before canada am became disco canada am, way way back in the 70s, there was this guy named norm something that hosted. i saw him coming out of a hotel on my first ever day in toronto, really my first day ever out of podunk nova scotia. holy cow, i said, you're norm something from that tv show that's on in the morning! clearly, nobody had ever stopped him in the street before, ever. i scared the bejesus out of him and he turned and ran away.
Alan - November 13, 2006 12:33 pm
Norm Perry. There was, I think on SCTV, a passing remark in a skit: "Norm Perry, he's not human..."<p>I remember when you used to stop me in the street like that, too.
portland - November 13, 2006 8:31 pm
that was him. poor norm.