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Wendell's funeral procession?

Last journey to city hall

Former Ottawa Mayor Marion Dewar, 1928 - 2008

Kthxbye. . .

Ottawa Senators
2006 - 2007 Stanley Cup Finalists:

Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Comrie, Joseph Corvo, Patrick Eaves, Ray Emery, Mike Fisher, Martin Gerber, Dany Heatley, Chris Kelly, Dean McAmmond, Andrej Meszaros, Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Tom Preissing, Wade Redden, Oleg Saprykin, Peter Schaefer, Christoph Schubert, Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette, Anton Volchenkov.

We don't usually do sports, so watching that was just exhausting. Can't imagine how it felt to play it. Thanks, guys. There's always next year.

...and a tip of the magic dog's pointy ears to The Independent Observer for a fine running game of Word Jumble...

Strumming past the graveyard

I attended a funeral on Monday. I didn't know the deceased, but it was nice to be there to support his grieving widow.

Her husband died Friday night from pancreatic cancer. All tremendously sad. There were many tears as a silken-voiced guitarist strummed out a balm of gentle notes.

It occurs to me that the departed took his final bow as Coyote and I were enjoying a rare concert by the incomparable Daniel Johnston, a cat who's probably used up at least five or six of his nine lives.

I found the show inspiring, in part because Johnston has long struggled with mental illness. Everyone from Nirvana to Bright Eyes has covered his songs. Some are heart-tuggingly touching. Others are just plain fun, even when it comes to death. As a prelude to the funeral mass, it seems fitting that Johnston sang his cheeky little gallows-humour riff on Bruce Springsteen's Cadillac Ranch: Funeral home, funeral home / Got me a coffin, shiny and black / I'm goin' to the funeral and I'm never comin' back.