Working in Montréal today --How to make friends and influence people

Hi folks,

I will be working in Montréal today.

Don't worry this is not about Rob FF Ford.  You could just skip down 3 paragraphs if you like.

Alright, the Ford saga is done for now.  Unless they charge this guy with murder.  No, I don't have inside information, but gosh, what the hell do you think the police investigation is about?  No one really gives a turd (this is a family channel)  if some local boys is Rexdale are smoking crack, but ppl generally care when someone that claims to have a video is subsequently killed.

But I digress. Unless they charge Ford with murder or conspiracy to commit or accessory before or after the fact, then the whole Ford story is dead.  Why?  Because the headline today is that the guy that may or not be Ford's new personal trainer (at 336 lbs, he is a walking coronary incident) was convicted of trafficking in steroids several years ago and had a sports coaching ban imposed.  Yeah?  So?

Friends, this is a headline in search of a story.  Next we may find that the guy that cuts his grass shoplifted a Playboy magazine from a 7-11 when he was 15 -MORE HEADLINES!

So instead of regaling you with Mayor FF Ford stories, I have short recount of a round of golf in Raymond, Alberta some 30 years ago.

At the time I was gainfully employed with the Lethbridge Community College, and a colleague and neighbour of my, Brian.. (!) nope, can't recall his last name.. went off one Satuday morning to play a round of golf.

When I arrived at the course, Brian introduced his friend Biff or something that had asked to join us.  The usual greetings were exchanged.  Biff, Daniel.  Daniel, Biff.  Hi Biff.

In short order we were checked in, and on deck for tee at the first hole.  "So what do you do for coinage Biff?"  

Sidebar here.  If you want to make friends, you need to make an effort to engage in conversation, one of the best ways is to ask someone about themselves..

and we are back.

"I am a piano tuner", he answered with great pride.  It was like.. "I <short pause> am <emphatically> a piano tuner".  "Really, a piano tuner, sounds interesting", I replied.  You see by making comments about topics raised by the other party in the conversation, it shows that you are listening and engaged.

Now I know very little about piano tuning, but picture an old craft where the master tuner can feel the resonance through his finger tips and uses his worn wooden hammer that was passed down from his father and his father before him.  Armed with a tuning fork, felt, damper and an ear that can hear a perfect 440 Hz and the derivations therein he sets about his craft.

"So, where did you study?", I inquired.  "Correspondence school.", he answered.

Damn. I lost it.

"Wow" I exclaimed, "the postage must have been a bitch."

Funny thing about being on deck for the first tee is that often there are other groups hanging about waiting to tee off as well.  This resulted in a bit of an audience for my one liner response.  the audience was not disappointed.   Much guffawing and laugher ensued.  Maybe even a snort or two.

Bif was not amused.

We did not become friends.  The first and the next 17 holes certainly dragged on :)

Have a great day.  Be nice to others.