Alex Carrick’s Blog

Toronto City Council recently banned the use of plastic bags beginning January 1, 2013. It’s a tremendous source of comfort to me that our elected officials are always looking out for what’s in our best interests, whether we know it or not.   My family of five will no longer be able to tote home [...]

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There are certain tell-tale signs that let you know if and when you’ve become a hypochondriac. The following is a brief list. There are many more indicators, but logging them would take an effort that might better go towards healing issues. 1)      You bought your first coffin when you were aged 20. 2)      You’re afraid [...]

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Prologue: 1987 “What’s $100,000?” she asked flippantly. “It’s $95,000 more than I’ve got,” was his answer. She was starting to drive him crazy. She had two pre-occupations, money and her research. On neither score, was she in any way practical. They’d been living together in a basement apartment for seven months while attending Queen’s University [...]

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I’ve come up with a parlour game that’s the mental equivalent of twiddling one’s thumbs. Think of an imaginary statement, proposition or news item that uses at least two popular song titles. Then consider what the reaction of an impartial observer might be. Is this confusing? Read a few examples and you’ll quickly catch the drift. [...]

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Since video book trailers are now all the rage, the following is the script for the first foray into the field by Donna and myself. This is a little self-serving, no doubt about it, plus there is some catharsis. The camera starts rolling. ALEX: Hi everyone, my name is Alex Carrick and I’m here to tell [...]

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Tracy Tindale was at her wits end. This was the Olympics in which she was supposed to shine. Instead, she was struggling again. While most of the problem was mental, it wasn’t all her fault. In fact, her condition had recently been given a name. It was going down in the medical books as a [...]

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David and Maria made sure to arrive home on a Tuesday evening before 6 p.m. after long hard days at work for both of them. They were a married couple in their mid 40s, with three children – William aged 20, Walter 10 and Wendy 5. Later that evening, they would be meeting with Maria’s [...]

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It was medieval times in Merry Olde England and tales of knights and dragons, sorcery and witchcraft still held sway over the land. Superstition was rampant and those who could foretell the future were held in high esteem. Revered for being at the top of her profession was Madame Lazonga, a woman who had grown [...]

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My family – wife and two daughters – had already re-located to Calgary. My job in the energy sector was taking me to where the action is, Alberta’s oil patch. I was staying behind temporarily to spend time with our real estate agent, trying to sell our townhome. It was mid-fall and we’d been conducting an [...]

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After recently acquiring Marvel Comics, Disney Corporation is apparently now going after an even bigger corporate prize, Hell Inc. In a surprise move, it has been learned that the devil is interested in selling his interest in the underworld and moving to Palm Springs. There’s something about the climate there that appeals to him.   [...]

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