Defining three key jobs existing today
by Robert LaFrance
Some words or
phrases don’t seem to make sense until one looks them up in a dictionary.
‘Pipefitter’? Key grip?
Down at the club,
Kincardine Arms, Flug and I were talking about these amid a general discussion
of important topics. We hear about pipefitters, of whom I have known a few, but
have never known what they do, exactly. Surely they don’t go around all day and
fit pipes together.
Here at our
estate we clean stovepipes once every three weeks or once a month; when we put
the pipes back together, are we pipefitters?
No, according to
my (paper) dictionary, a pipefitter is “a tradesperson who
installs, assembles, fabricates, maintains and repairs mechanical piping
systems”. I’m glad that’s cleared up.
Now, as to
a key grip, a phrase we keep seeing in movie credits. They “coordinate with
the electric and camera departments alongside the director of photography to
control lighting and camera movement and setup. The key grip directs
the crew of grips, many with specialized skills such as dolly grips, crane
operators, or special equipment operators”.
So now we know.
And here’s another question that Flug and I asked each other as we sipped our
lemonade: What does the word “Arms” refer to in the name of this building that
we’re sitting in?
**************************
Wednesday evening
I must have been in a masochistic mood, because I watched a news and public
affairs program called ‘View From Parliament’. Boy, if that’s the view that all
our MPs have they don’t make nearly enough money.
Two cabinet
ministers from the present federal Liberal government were on there, and two
former cabinet ministers from the Tory party were sitting there as well. The
last two had been in Stephen Harper’s cabinet and had been well known for their
anti-immigration views. Muslims were a bad lot, they thought, but they didn’t
advocate buildings a wall on the 49th parallel and forcing the U.S.
to pay for it.
Anyway, all four
of the politicians were padding their parts and trying to be as confusing as
possible, somewhat like an insurance company policy or a page of bank services
charges. I made a cup of tea for myself and sat back to enjoy the talking
points as they say, what H.D. Thoreau used to call ‘vocal intercourse’.
“What shall I
call this in my column?” I asked myself. In my younger and politer days I would
have referred to the conversation as ‘male cow manure’, but I think I’ll call a
spud a spud and say it was nothing but bul…
“Better not print
that, Bob,” said Flug, who had been watching me type.
*******************************
I cover a lot of
hockey during these winter months (as good a time as any) and often think of
the days when I played for the Currie Road Ramblers, whose outdoor rink was
only a few miles (yes, I said miles!) from my house in Tilley. Donald Rossignol
was the centre on the line I tried to play for and Flug was on there somewhere.
Looking over my shoulder again, he said a few minutes ago: “Bob, did you say
you played FOR the Currie Road Ramblers? I would have said you played AGAINST
them. Hahahaha.”
Truth to tell, I
never really liked Flug.
**************************
At the Perth Elks
Christmas Dinner on Thursday, Dec. 8, I was honoured to receive a 30-year pin,
which means that the nation-wide organization has refused to kick me out for
three decades.
Perth Elks and
Elks Canada do a huge amount of good, much of it for hearing-impaired kids, a
lot for people who have suffered disasters such house fires, and I would like
people to realize this.
The Perth lodge
became a reality in the early 1950s when Sewell Shaw and other folks in the
area worked liked dogs to get enough people interested and they certainly did,
including members from Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle, Maine.
I joined Perth
Elks in May 1978 and dreaded the initiation ceremony; Daryl Goodine and I were
set to be initiated the same night and were rather nervous, to say the least.
We expected to be attacked by a goat, thrown in the nearby river, shot at, and
otherwise ruffed up. We want to the bar about three hours before the ceremony
and by the time it arrived we were in no shape to worry. Turned out we had to
take an oath and sign a paper and that was it. All that lemonade…I was upset.
Seriously, if I
were to advise anyone to join a service club, I would say join the Elks. One
meeting a month to set up activities, and one great dinner every month. I can’t
wait for January’s meal.
-end-
Merry Christmas
everyone, and have a great year!
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