Wednesday Night #1047 – David's 70th birthday

The Invitation (Reminder)
Dear all,
As I contemplate the storm from high in Place Victoria, I am hoping that you will hitch up the sled dogs and join us for a special evening tomorrow, March 27, to celebrate David’s 70th birthday ( which he just may have told some of you!). No matter what the weather, the welcome will be warm, the candles will be lit and we look forward to a heated discussion to dispel the snow, sleet and other elements that theoretically do not deter the mailman (oops… person), so should certainly not deter the FOD (Friends of David) and the FOWN (Friends of Wednesday Night).

It’s a night of Os
Appropriately (to the weather), we will host another David, our favorite pastor, David Oliver, who has promised to recount the experiences and findings of his MBA team’s recent trip to a Cree settlement where they analyzed the opportunities for development.
David O. believes that Wednesday Night might develop a new direction as a think tank on native issues. Let’s see what we can do.
Beyond that, the topics should range from Ontario politics to Oscar winners with sprinklings of Oddities.
Please come and celebrate with us!

                            The Report – David’s view of March 27^th 2002

Breaking with tradition, there are no notes by Herb or Gerald or Robert, edited by Diana, for the Wednesday Night Salon of March 27^th, #1047. Thanks to a wonderful group of people, I was the target and beneficiary of a simply extraordinary celebration of my 70^th birthday and it was, I assure you, a complete surprise. In fact, the night before, as the storm was buffeting the city and Diana was working on the final Reminder to you all from her IATA office, I called her to complain that it looked as though there would only be three people present for Wednesday Night – her, David Oliver and me. She assured me cheerfully that Tony Deutsch would also be with us.
As I worked away on my final editing upstairs on Wednesday, I was unconscious of the growing swell of conversation on the Main floor and when I came down, I was pleased to find that there were more people than I had expected, but still nothing registered. In my usual state of single-minded concentration, I made for the dining room with my load of tapes for the evening. My first clue was that the chair at my seat was not my usual chair (and we all know how proprietary each of us is about his/her seat at Wednesday Night!). As I was about to insert the first tape in the machine, I was sharply told that my tapes would not be required, that I was to sit across the table from my usual place, and that I would be yielding the Chair to Canon David Oliver.
From that moment, it was a fantastic, touching, highly entertaining and unforgettable experience. Brian Morel’s video made with the complicity of so many (who can forget Margaret’s message from the boiler room?), Roslyn’s incredible dinosaur, Susan Eyton-Jones’ sexy ‘60s “Happy Birthday, Mr. Chairman”, Norbert’s magnificent cake, the beautifully conceived and executed Chairman’s medallion co-authored by Harry Mayerovitch and Allan Mass which I will wear every Wednesday with the greatest pride and affection, and all your wonderfully kind comments, starting with George Bowser’s inimitable doggerel … left me speechless. I couldn’t even think of an appropriate interruption!
Bless all of you who came to share this magical evening with Mouse and me and those who couldn’t be present, but participated through Norbert’s secret birthday site!
Mouse went to the office for a long day on Thursday, so it was not until Good Friday morning that she and I were able to work our way through the cards, gifts and messages on the Happy Birthday David site. What treasures! Without wanting to diminish the value and importance of anyone, I want to particularly thank Nobby Gilmore and Astri Reusch for their respective works of art which now occupy places of honour along with Herb’s beautiful sculpture from the Thousandth Wednesday.
Since then, I am slowly making my way through the loooong list of people to thank each one personally for their generous gifts, wine, flowers, cards, thoughts and friendship. In the meantime, please view the pictures and messages from that fantastic evening and share it again with us!

                                THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!