Two year old Elliott, on my bed with Teague the dog
December 2025
Following 7½ months of excruciating pain subsequent to my radical prostatectomy (prostate cancer surgery) on October 31, 2025, after all these months the pain has lessened to the extent that I can actually sit in a chair, in front of my computer, for an extended period of time. Thus, the re-emergence of VanRamblings.
Given what is going on municipally — particularly in Vancouver, with a record number of high profile candidates seeking to become Mayor post October 17th — provincially (with the deepening problems for Premier David Eby, and the provincial New Democrats, not to mention the ascendence of a far right leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia) and federally, with a decided move to the right by Prime Minister Mark Carney, and his federal Liberal Party, as has been the case for many months, I am desirous of weighing in all things political.
Although I had thought that I might take a different tack on how VanRamblings would approach covering the upcoming municipal election, perhaps emerging as a kinder, more thoughtful force for good in the writing you’ll be reading daily on this 22-year-young blog, I have of late arrived at the opinion that such change is unlikely to occur, that VanRamblings will continue to be what it has always been: an honest, straight forward, brutally entertaining, and engaging reportorial accounting on all the “people in the game”, which is to say, those persons who have chosen to enter the political fray by offering themselves for public office.
Monday to Thursday, you can expect to read my analysis of the political scene, Fridays will provide coverage of cinema, Saturdays will be given over to Stories of a Life — long a staple on VanRamblings — and Sundays to the music I love.
All that begins tomorrow.
A great family: the absolutely tremendous Alasdair, Fergus, Meaghan and Elliott
Central to my recovery — not yet complete, but progressing —has been the support of the four persons you see pictured above, rugby and (British) football phenom Alasdair, now 7-year-old Fergus who I cared for during the pandemic and beyond (along with my neighbour, Heather, who I will write about at length in the months to come) — when Fergus’ child care centre closed down and he required care while his parents were at work — and wife, mom, librarian and friend extraordinaire, Meaghan, whose very existence gives my life meaning, and on the right, 3-year-old Elliott — her name given to her by her brother — who is nothing short of a delight, both Fergus and Elliott, the most zen children I have ever known.
Raymond and Fergus, on a post pandemic walk, when Meaghan asked for a selfie
In the photo at the top of today’s column, Elliott in the bottom left hand corner of my bed, and lying by my side, as he did for three months, Teague (the Schnauzer) dog. At the foot of the bed, and outside the frame of the photo, my friend and personal health saviour, Kelly Ryan, and the aforementioned Heather and Meaghan, all three of whom, together, have provided care and kindness, working collectively to save my life over the course of the past 7½ unimaginably challenging months.
At one point, Elliott — mature and far beyond her maturational markers — turned to Kelly (with whom I share Teague), and said to Kelly …
“I have a cat. I want a dog. But I have a cat. I have asked my mom and dad for a dog, but they said, ‘Not right now. Some day.’
I have a cat. I like the cat, but I want a dog.”
And with that, Elliott turned to pet Teague, as Kelly, Heather and Meaghan resumed their conversation.
The old, Movable Type VanRamblings header (above) which Mike Klassen — VanRamblings’ webmaster, and current Vancouver City Councillor — sadly, was unable to recreate when VanRamblings’ Movable Type platform collapsed. Working for 48 non-stop hours, the supremely skilled Mr. Klassen was able to convert this blog he first created in late 2003 leading to its February 2004 début into a WordPress blog
Tomorrow and Thursday, I will begin writing about politics, likely employing the 3rd person — mixing in the 1st person where it seems necessary and appropriate — focusing on the eight well-funded candidates for Mayor of the City of Vancouver, providing an often brutally vicious analysis of their respective candidacies.
Take my word for it, you won’t want to miss tomorrow’s and Thursday’s columns.
