Trying

Don Grose
I think there's a song in the title of this blog...
I've been suffering with a bout of writers' cramp for
the past several decades. I get lots of ideas to put
to the many riffs and melodies I stagger across on the
Gibson Gospel and Larrivee - lots of messages I want to
communicate - but it's the co-ordinating the two that's
the challenge...I need to add a couple of titles to the
songlist...focus...focus...focus..
Well, I must doff my cap to the folks at Neptune Theatre in
Halifax. After being disappointed with the last show - last
night , six in our group, attended Neptune's latest offering,
and all six emerged raving.
Robert Benson and Nicole Underhay - the entire cast of
"Trying" were sensational. I have to admit that my palate
for theatre is fairly limited. I like to be entertained.
I'm not much into the opera and I don't like the ballet.
I have no desire to go out for a night to be a critic or
to study " the moves" of those I'm there to watch. I
have no need to go out for an evenning to be challenged.
If the actors are credible, and the story line provides
me with an opportunity to exercise emotionally,
I'm a pretty happy guy.
"Trying" may prove to be Neptune's surprise hit of the season.
If Evita and Virginia Woolf manage to out duel Benson and
Underhay's performances , our subscription will have been
an investment worth the making indeed.
If you live in Halifax and you have the chance -
go see Trying...it's a treat ! Light,
entertaining, lots of giggles, very good performers, and
I defy you not to see some of one of your grandparents in
Benson's portrayal of Judge Biddle.
Excellent night out.
Our evenning began with a meal at the French Quarter which is
across the street from the Prince George on Market Street where
the Velvet Olive used to be. It was much quietter than the
cuisine dictated it should have been. If you like a quality meal
with a touch of spice, Cajun - style, you'll like the French
Quarter. The French Quarter is not what the sign out front says.
Their sign says taste of New Orleans or something, but they've
decided to avoid the direct reference to the recent Louissiana
tragedy. At any rate, the meal was excellent, the service,
while not great, didn't manage to detract, and all in all it was
a welcome change of pace.
I am going to make one comment, underlining the fact that this is
strictly personal, about the quality of service I notice in most of
the places that we have gone to eat in the past couple of years.
Even the good servers, with very rare exception, all address their
customers, " Hi guys - How are you this evenning ? " " Everything
all right guys ?""Can I get you guys some drinks ?" Youth can be an
excuse and I am not asking for "stuffiness" but is there not some
other way to address your clientele ? "You guys" sticks in my ear
in very much the same way as " Youse" with apologies to " My Cousin
Vinny." If I ever opened a dining establishment I would spend as much
time and money promoting service as would in the kitchen. Again,
strictly personal opinion, but in Nova Scotia and the other Maritime
provinces we have a long way to go in the area of customer service in
the hospitality industry. I beleive that if the service was on a par
with the food we have to offer the price of gas, booze and tobacco would
not be enough to keep tourists away. On the other hand, travellers who
brave our prices ( and road conditions )are guaranteed to go home with
tales that fall short of testimonial support, unless we create that
"WOW" service environment - and that will not be reversed by all the
advertising in the world. Trying - we need to illustrate that we are
trying.
We'll know later today, but I tend to be more productive early in the
day so I can't wait until the tournament's over...but I'm anxious to
see if Mike Weir can hold on and win the "Crosby." Like most Canadians
I'm always very disappointed if Weir plays badly - and Lord knows we've
had lots of disappointment over the last couple of years.
I began to believe that Weir had reached his peak - and after winning the
Masters - had achieved everything he'd imagined possible, and had consciously
or otherwise made the decision to "play out the string." And who could
blame him were that the case ? Financially set for life,a young family
to enjoy - why should he deny himself all the privilege - that came with
his success ? What's left to prove ? I hope from the fan perspective that the
pride and ambition and the need to compete that spirited his ascent to the
top of international golf continues to burn. I hope that Mike Weir will
be as big a story as the season I continue to believe we're going to see
from Tiger this year and that his play at the Crosby is just a hint of
what's to come. My ideal would be to see three or four Canadians among the
top 50 golfers on the tour..then it wouldn't wound the National psyche as
severely when Weir's game goes south.

"I have not failed..I've simply discoverred thousands of things that don't
work...." T. Edison ( I think )

Happy Trials...Keep Trying.