Whitby Free Press, Wednosday, Juno 16, 1993. Page 7 A 'Bill' Around our household we have a saying, a way to explain why something has been forgotten, misfled, lost, overlooked. "What a Bill thing Wo do." My mother-in-law coined the phrase, maybe after the time I had promised Wo pick up my carless in-laws following a meeting. They waited haif an hour before phoning from the bus stop Wo say "Neyer mind!» Or maybe it was the day several years ago when I drove halway home before realizing I had left Erin stili in day care. No, it couidn't be that. No human soul has heard that story, nor ever wil. The point is, the phrase has recognizable meaning. Recently we had been invited Wo a home in Seagrave Wo take part in the annu.al Canoe-the-Nonquon River. The event is a two-hour paddle tbrough some of the most beautiful country on God's Earth. In prep aration, seven-year-old Erin and I iced a cake, packed aw ay the coleslaw, gathered up ail the sunblock and insect repellant we couid find, fielded an unscheduled Phone cail, and then left -- forty minutes behind sc edule. Funny thing about starting a journey forty minutes late. Get Iost just once and you arrive forty-five minutes late. This is a Bill thing Wo do. We arrive. Everyone bas gone canoeing. The house is locked so there is no way WA put the coleslaw in the fridge or anywhere out of he sun-drenched car. We drive some of the adjacent roads but cannot find canoers. Canoeing is not something you do up and down a highway. Finally we give up, and retreat to Port Perry where we rent a canoe for an hour. Later, we return to the bouse Wo join the food portion of the outing. Another haif hour wait. Stiil no people. Finally, I check the invitation. Aha! We are a week early. What a Bill thing to do. On the sulent trip home Erin turns Wo me with wiser seven-year-oId eyes. "It's a good job," she said, "that you didn't put the coleslaw in the fridge."~ Life happens. The hostess did not Iaugh o ion g (well, maybe a bit o lon g) when I told ber about t he mistake. She (laugh) under (laugh) stood (snort) perfectly. Then she told about the time a -few years ago when she sbowed up at a man's home shortly after 6 a.m. Uer small car was packed Wo the rafters for a two-day trip W a conference. (She was president of the local chapter of an organization, be its director.) The man's wife is prepaning breakfast for two of four children. Following some conversational exchanges, always subdued around sunrise, she began Wo be concerned. Ralph, she Iearned, was stiil in bed. "Well, for the convention we've got a flight Wo catch." "Convention? No, I don't think so. That's, next week." What a Bill tbing Wo do. Several years ago I mistook square feet for cubic feet and ended up witb nine yards of topsoil in the driveway. Forgetting where I park doesn't aven count. Neither does ru.nning out of gas. Other items do: greeting an acquaintance by the wrong name; striding purposefully Wo a meeting and then realizing youdon't know where youre headed; showing p or a party at the rigbt time -- but the wrong bouse. My favounite story (since it didn't bappen Wo me) is about this guy who missed bis mother's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Clean forgot until bis mother Wold bim everything went well, not Wo be concerned, she knew he was busy at something important. What a really Bill thing Wo do. ---------- v. t .f. ~ ~. SUPPER AT JOHN BIGm'S BARIN RAIS1NG, MYIITLE STATION, JUNE 10, 1909 This is the victors' table made up of the one of two teams which competed its hall' of the barn first. The farmers' wives served a meal to as nmany as 200 men at local barn raisings. John Bright was later Dominion Livestock Commissioner in Ottawa. Whltby Archives photo 10 YIEAILS AGO from the Wednesday, June 15, 1983 edition of the WIITBY FREE PRESS *Regiorna1 councillor Tom Edwards opposs maki ng Wbitby a city. *A N,-ighbourhood Watch program is eginning in the Pringle Creek subdivision. *The nine.week-old Sklar Furniture strike is over. *The Donald McKaiy house at Centre and Gilbert streets has been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. 35 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, June 12, 1958 edition of~ the WIIITBY WEEKLY NEWS " Bill Forbes, chairman of the Whitby Public School Board since 1950, bas resigned as he is leaving Whitby. " Construction bas begun on a four-room addition to King Street Public School. " Residenial growth is outstripping industrial growth in Whitby. " A and P is advertising a leg of lamb for 53 cents a pound and loins for 29 cents a pound. 80 YEARS3 AGO from the Thursday, June 12, 1913 edi tion of the WILITBY GAZEIE AND CIIUONICLE " Two hundred representatives are attending the Bay of Quinte conference at the Whitby Methodist Tabernacle. " James Rut'Iedge, chairman of the Board of Education, laid the cornerstone for the new public library on June 9. " A disgruntled employee burned down the old Sylvester Lynde stone bouse on the 3rd Concession, which was used as a boarding bouse for CPR construction workers. " There are 120 prisoners from the Guelph Reformnatory working on the Ontario Hospital farm.j 1 j 1