I love Estevan. We have our weaknesses, no doubt, but having called this community home for several decades, I've come to appreciate its nuances.
Some people can live in a town or city for years and never feel comfortable, so after three to six years, they decide to move on and find a niche somewhere else where they will feel comfortable. Or they move to Weyburn.
OK, I know, I love digging Weyburn. It's one of my weaknesses. I suppose that's because it's so easy.
Someone made the statement the other day that Estevan is comfortably industrial with just a hint of redneck to add to the mix. OK, it was me.
At least I got a debate going about whether Estevan could truly qualify as a redneck city, understanding that the term can be one of endearment (i.e. Larry the Cable Guy and Chris Foxworthy style) or it can be downright cruel and ugly (racist and ill educated). I make the argument that Estevan is among the lovable rednecks, not the cruel and ignorant crowd.
So here's a test folks. Choose one.
1. Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Pavrotti or Lady GaGa?
2. Jimmie Johnson or Pilates class?
3. Have you ever lived in a small town? Major city?
4 . Have you read a book written by Michael Ignatieff or Margaret Atwood?
5. Price is Right, Oprah or The Fifth Estate?
6. With everything being equal in cost, you would prefer to vacation (holiday) in: Cancun at a Playa de something (provided it doesn't blow up), Phoenix, Palm Springs, New York, Ottawa, Deadwood S.D. or Paris?
7. In retirement, you'd like to live in Toronto; Mesa, Arizona; San Antonio, Texas; Estevan or Kelowna?
8. Do you know how to eat oysters correctly and know all the tools on the dining table? Better yet, have you sat at a dining table within the past four months? Do you know how to use a fork for something other than stabbing meat?
Hey, there are no correct or incorrect answers. I skimmed through the list myself and wondered about a couple of my questions. But answering them truthfully will give you an idea of what I was trying to get at.
We may not be totally sophisticated, but at least we can spell it correctly 92 per cent of the time.
OK, now to wrap up this week's diatribe, give me the answer to this question about American politics.
Who in the heck is leading this Tea Party thing? In fact, who is leading the Republican Party? I know I'm a little hazy on my U.S. politics, but darn it I'm not getting a straight sense of who is in charge there. I hear a lot of spokespersons spouting, but none of them appear to be leadership material. So does Obama get to govern by default? Oh sure, there's still McCain and Palin to kick around for laughs and giggles on the other side, but who is warming up in the bull pen on the serious side of this party and their side bar agency? And please tell me Donald Trump was just kidding. He was, wasn't he?
Maybe we can lend them some of our pseudo politicians. We seem to have a surplus of C+ political actors we could lease out.
