RKS 2024 Film: “Suze”: Go Ahead and Dump Everything on a Good Trooper

Suze (Michaela Watkins) is a single divorcee living with her self centred and spoilt daughter Brooke (Sara Waisglass) in Hamilton, Ontario. Nothing is going Suze’s way. Just as Brooke is off to start McGill University in Montreal her goofy boyfriend Gabe attempts suicide and his father then dumps Gabe on Suze to watch as he is off on a contract “up North” and selfishly fails to even give Suze a date for his return. Suze is dumped on yet again. She is stepped on and manipulated by a world that cares solely about themselves. Despite the sporadic moments of humour you most likely will empathize with Suze and perhaps venture so far as to pity her.

The comedy is not ribald but self depreciating and at times with precise targeting of boomers and millennials. The “cuddle party” scene is a gem. Matters head downhill for Suze until she explosively stands up for herself and her ideals to the surprise of her manipulators. I can imagine the audience breathes a sigh of relief for Suze. Finally Suze finds both herself and happiness. What was surely unlikely at the beginning of the film comes to pass. Suze has found the light and scampers toward it to begin healing from a very bad hand of cards. Loneliness, a central theme of the film, is handled with care. Maturity surfaces for Brooke, Gabe and Suze late in the film.

And that Vesuvian emotional eruption by Suze feels so good you won’t stand up and cheer as such behaviours are only in the minds of film critics of the 1950’s and 1960’s but you feel vindicated.

 Watkins has an impressive resume. This will be one of her notable performances.

The film could have veered toward sappiness but being a Canadian movie that is impossible…well not really! Canadian grit shines here and makes the film worth an enjoyable watch. The acting throughout is solid.

You can watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cgc_te4qGM

“Suze” is directed by Linsey Stewart and Diane Clark.

Currently playing in Canadian theatres.

RKS 2024 Film Rating 86/100.

“Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog”: The Final Cut: Reviewing the Script of a “Dog Saved My Life” With Nicole Kidman: Paco Saves Nicole Kidman: Mr. Gordon Lightfoot’s New SMASH HIT: Chapter Sixty Three (63)

Before the big cast BBQ tomorrow Nicole (we are on a first name basis) convenes a cast meeting. To relax the atmosphere Mr. Gordon Lightfoot grabs his guitar out and sings “The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald”. Bosco, Dylan the Westie, Penny and I are so pumped up! Are we dreaming?

Mr. Gordon Lightfoot plays a tape of the theme song he has composed for the film called “Paco a Girl’s Best Friend”. It is a haunting song backed up by Inuit throat singers from Northern Canada. The attendees clap and holler Nicole hiding her tears well. Mr. Gordon Lightfoot is not known in Australia. But he will be soon. The song was released a couple of weeks ago and is rising like a bullet on the Billboard charts. “MR. GORDON LIGHTFOOT YOU HAVE A SMASH HIT! “

Nicole stands up and speaks, “Hello everyone. It is so good to see you all here. We are going to make the damn best movie ever. It better be just that as executive producer I am funding it. You out there are part of this exciting project so I am counting on you.

You have read through the script through many times but let me give you my take on it. The film is called “A Dog Saved My Life” and I am the lead character Alice Springs. The co-lead is Reggie that marvelous dog sitting in a chair at the back of the room with his name on it. Reggie will be called Paco a rescue dog from the Dominican Republic. Reggie is a newcomer to acting although there are two Disney films Reggie had extensive involvement with “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” and “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog 2”. Together these two movies are the biggest grossing movies ever. There is also a series “Reggie” on the ABC network in the United States that is syndicated in 33 countries including Australia.

Alice Springs is a rich Australian girl living in Melbourne accustomed to always get what she wants but when she gets it is meaningless. She has had three disastrous marriages including the last one where she was severely beaten by her deranged husband. No amount of money can fix her broken soul. So she comes to rough and tumble Darwin, Australia to heal. Neither drugs, a fling with a Canadian copper miner, alcohol, birdwatching, yoga or mindfulness can repair her broken soul. Alice sinks into a deep depression which is so severe neither psychotherapy nor anti-depressants can help. She overdoses on pills and survives. Medical intervention saves her but she feels this is really the end of her life. There is nothing but more heartache to look forward to.

One day while moodily walking on the beach just over the road from where we sit now with her head down until she sees Paco who she tries to shoo away but Paco stays close sensing danger.Paco is right as a huge saltwater crocodile starts slithering towards Alice who lets out a horrifying scream and starts to flee but we Aussies know it is difficult to outrun those brutes. Paco jumps out and charges the croc. Imagine the bravery of a 20-pound dog defending Alice against this brute. It will be a fatal bloodbath for him but as a Habanese dog he is an incredible jumper and as the croc now sees a smaller meal he heads towards Paco who jumps high over the croc giving time for Alice to run to safety. A crowd gathers on the beach horrified by the scene. Paco realizes Alice has run to safety and takes one last leap over the croc whose massive jaws just nip his tail. Paco is wounded and runs back to Alice to the roar of the crowd. Beach Rangers shoot the croc. Alice is somewhat of a spiritual being believing in the Buddhist concept of auspicious connections namely that there are no coincidences in her life and that Paco has a role to play in her destiny. Their meeting was not a chance one.

Our special effects guru Martin Malivoire from Canada is here promising he can create a realistic croc attack battle between Paco and the beast and this is a crucial part of the film. He must make it perfectly as it might make or break the film.

Paco like Alice is a bit of a reject. He was beaten and abused in the Dominican Republic and we have built a set 15 miles from here to replicate Paco’s village there. There will be some 20 minutes shot about Paco’s past which will serve the purpose of establishing that Paco is an outsider like Alice due to his life experiences.

Paco refuses to be touched by Alice who is so shaken up after the croc incident she is escorted to her beach house by two Beach Rangers with Paco following behind. Paco follows her to the door of her house but despite her pleading he refuses to enter her house. There is a big scene with Alice pleading with Paco to come in as she sees a role for him in her future but she is unsure what it is. Paco refuses but he is tormented by his distrust of humans so still refuses to enter. This is a crucial scene for Russell Crowe as Paco’s voice as Paco feels a connection and a tremendous amount of sympathy for Alice but through flashbacks, he recalls the abuses he suffered at the hands of humans. Paco feels that he needs a sign that he can trust Alice. Alice goes inside and brings back a bowl of water and some chopped steak and tells Paco just bark when you want to come in. Her actions of kindness may be the sign that Paco is looking for. Well at 4 in the morning he barks waking up Alice who opens the door and Paco jumps in and hides in a broom closet. For the next 10 days we see Alice trying to show Paco she is trustworthy and just like that one morning as the sun is rising he goes up to Alice’s room and jumps on her bed. Alice gestures for Paco to come for a cuddle but he growls at her. Russell, again this a key scene as Paco wrestles with the idea of establishing a safe relationship with a human. Paco is on the cusp of making a reconnection with humanity and is wrestling with suspicion and distrust rather like Alice.

The remainder of the film is about Paco and Alice learning to trust each other. Alice finally makes a connection with a living being and devises a plan to introduce dog therapy in abused women’s centres. She opens 6 of these shelters in Australia. The therapy programme gets thumbs up from the Australian government. Alice finally finds a purpose in life and Paco learns to love Alice and trust humans again.

So there we have it mates. Let’s party at the barbie tomorrow and take a day off then start rehearsals the next day.”

Many of the tough veterans of the film industry have moist eyes listening to this tender story. But there is tremendous pressure on Martin Malivoire and Russell Crowe. Actors must be a solid team. I sense Kidman will not tolerate any Kinskiesque behavior on the set!

I feel I have a great responsibility as an actor to portray an abused dog that learns to love and trust humans and to the abused women of Australia. And Nicole is so great I simply can’t disappoint her. A successful film will bring Bob and Fay lots of money but they already have so much so money is not the issue here. I also can’t let Martin Malivoire or Mr. Gordon Lightfoot down. “IT’S SO HARD TO BE AN ACTOR! I HAVE SO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY!” I have a leadership position in a major motion picture.

Oh by the way Bob has been hiding a bit of a secret from us. He wrote the screenplay for “A Dog Saved My Life”.

“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog”: The Final Cut: Reggie is Under the Spell of Nicole Kidman! Chapter Sixty Two (62)

On our flight to Darwin, Australia from Toronto we watched 6 Nicole Kidman movies and that lady can act. Bob says she has won an Academy Award. My favourite film is “Eyes Wide Shut” which took two years of filming and was it Kubrick’s last film? She is good looker too! And I am going to be living with her for 4 months in Darwin! If she looks at me I am going to melt. Dylan the Westie chortles, “You silly dumb pup!”

We landed in Darwin and a limo was waiting to drive us to our villa. It is a grand one with 6 rooms overlooking the ocean. It was once the home of the founder of Warrego Mines in Tenant Creek. Nicole will be arriving to join us a few days later.

After being in the air for 22 hours we are so tired we can hardly think. Bob and Fay summon up the last of their energy and take us for a walk in a beautiful neighbourhood which is close to a big beach. We head to the beach in the blazing sun. Bob loves the ocean so we go to the beach. OH NO there is a sign warning us of saltwater crocodiles and poisonous jellyfish! Although Dylan the Westie and I are tough I don’t think we could win a fight against these ferocious saltwater crocodiles.

It is blazing hot and thank goodness Dylan the Westie and I had Marine haircuts before we left. Our tongues are drooping!

So we head back to our villa and drink lots of water and are sound asleep by 6 p.m. and are woken up at 8 a.m. by the smell of bacon and coffee prepared for us by the day maid. There is fresh fruit galore. There are eggs and yogurt too. Dylan the Westie and I get our chicken kibble and drink lots of water. In this heat we dogs get very thirsty. That Aussie watermelon was so sweet!

Somewhat groggy we start our routine. Shooting of the film starts in 6 days so every morning Bob or Fay read me the script which I know by heart. We go for a late morning walk to the beach and we are all very nervous about being attacked by a crocodile or stepping on a poisonous jellyfish. We head back home for a lunch of grilled fish, green beans and salad. Dylan the Westie and I feast on a small plate of green beans. YUM!! We love our meat but we love most veggies some raw and some cooked.

Nicole Kidman arrives in a couple of days from Los Angeles. Her husband Mr. Urban is not with her as he is on tour in Europe and may join us later. I am not a big fan of his music like I am with the music of Mr. Gordon Lightfoot.

Nicole was born in 1967 so is younger than Bob and Fay. She is smaller than she looks on the screen and as tired as she is she’s a good looker! She speaks softly and talks to us dogs like Bob and Fay do. She is a bit shy. She knows all about me. Almost everything. She calls me her little star! I melt when she looks at me!

For lunch we eat grilled kangaroo and tender saltwater crocodile filets with a glass of Viognier from Australia for the humans. Bob told us Australia is a huge wine producer. Dylan the Westie and I get a chunk of the crocodile and kangaroo. Like chicken we say! WE DOGS NOW LOVE CROCODILE AND KANGAROO MEAT! We are down under as they say and are having a ball. I am a bit nervous about my role in the upcoming movie but Nicole exudes confidence and professionalism and promises me that she has my back! What a lady! She is grand! She is so tired she excuses herself to “crash out”. She can speak with an Australian or American accent but as she is in Australia she is speaking with the Australian accent. It is a bit funny not at all like Canadian or British pronunciation.

Nicole is up early in the morning and she takes us for a walk to show us around. Its a bit cooler in the morning so there a few people out for walks. Dylan the Westie and I are wearing our Hamilton Tiger Cats jerseys we received as a gift rom the mayor of Hamilton at the Grey Cup game. The locals smile asking Nicole is Hamilton in Zealieland?

Nicole sits us down and gives us a talk saying you see a crocodile stay away and run if you can. There are also poisonous snakes and spiders we must keep an eye out for. People do not recognize Nicole as she has no make up on and is wearing a big hat with sunglasses.

Nicole tells us we have a special “Canadian BBQ” tomorrow. Mr. Gordon Lightfoot who has composed the title track for our film is coming and as well Martin Malivoire and his wife will be joining us. Penny too!  Martin is doing the special effects. Russel Crowe who will be doing my voice is coming. I can’t believe this is happening. Pinch me. I must be dreaming. Before bed I say my evening prayers and I see a vision of my first master Anwar who is in The Land Beyond. He says to me “Merde” and pats me on the head. Merde is a word in France that means shit but when said to an actor it means good luck!

RKS 2024 Wine: Argentinian Malbec Exhaustion

Tired of Argentinian Malbec in your red wine glass. Is there hope for Argentinian Criolla?

The wine we are trying is Criolla Grande and it has a bad rep. In Karen MacNeil’s “Wine Bible” (second edition) the grape is described as follows: “A widely planted if undistinguished, pinkish-skinned grape related to other criollas, but its parents are unknown. It is used to make coarse, bland white and rosé wines sold on the Argentine domestic market in jugs or cardboard cartons, or in bulk.”

This was fermented and aged in concrete. I do not think it can withstand oak.

Aroma: Lots of red cherry with lesser intensity strawberry, raspberry and milk chocolate. I might refer to this as a timid wine if polite or if less diplomatic weak-kneed.

Palate: Easy drinking with minimal tannins and acidity. A good grip and a long lingering spicy finish. And it is in the finish that fruit starts a gentle swell with notes of stewed rhubarb and diluted raspberry and red cherry.

Personality: Whomever dared called me a jug wine! I am easy drinking. Not fancy but certainly not supermarket plonk. Consider me a castrated Gamay Noir or Pinot Noir.

Food Match: Sautee garlic and a handful of shallots then a glug of this wine not forgetting a good sprinkling of oregano. Add enough tomatoes that you feel comfortable with then cooked and chopped rapini. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over linguine with grated aged cheddar cheese. Might do well as an outdoor wine (served chilled) at a summer barbeque.

Cellarbility: Consume by 2024-year end.

Price: $21.95 CDN (Ontario).

RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 86/100.

(Finca Feliz Tesoro Criolla 2022, Mendoza, Argentina, Bodega Finca Feliz, Mendoza, Argentina, 750 mL, 12.5%).

“Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog”: The Final Cut: Our Second Disney Promotional Tour: Reggie Goes to Australia to Screen Test for Nicole Kidman’s New Movie: Reggie Prays with the Ayatollah in Tehran: Chapter Sixty One (61)

The sequel to “Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog” has been released by Disney and it’s breaking all records yet again. Hard to guess the title? “Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog 2”. Enough is enough for the time being.  We are tiring of these incessant and repetitive promotional tours. I heard Bob saying to Fay Dylan the Westie is getting older and is having difficulty keeping up with our schedule and that this time he should stay with Fay at home in Toronto. I hear Bob saying that he is also having difficulty as these tours are far from glamorous and rather grueling and he is not doing this for the money as he has already made millions and donated millions to rescue dog societies through Reggie’s Dog Foundation. He is doing it for the children that adore me Reggie The Egyptian Rescue Dog.

Disney has requested Bob write the next sequel to the film but he replied he will wait until the conclusion of the promotional tour to decide. Bob is running out of creative ideas. Huge flows of money may be threatened by creativity and that is more of a Disney than a Bob matter.

So off we go and thank goodness we will be flying again in the Disney corporate jet. I am not going to tell you all the 17 cities we visited but thank goodness we are going to Paris and Bob has insisted upon a three-day break there. I saw Versailles last visit and we are seeing Fontainebleau and eating in a couple of Bob’s favourite restaurants. I love L’Ami Jean with its nouvelle bistro cuisine and I’ll get a few pieces of beautifully cooked meat. The whole restaurant smells of deliciously cooked meat! As I said previously, “WE DOGS LOVE MEAT!” We are staying in the Penthouse of The Hot Pillow Joint near the Eiffel Tower on Rue George Litton. Bob takes me his quiet sanctuary in Paris, The Museum of Modern Art. Bob refuses to set foot in the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay as they are “rife with tourists”.

We have been invited to dinner with the big guy Ayatollah in Tehran. Iranian children adore me as I am a Muslim. A dog to look up to. A dog with accomplishments. In fact before that important dinner the Ayatollah and I are cutting (me biting) a red ribbon on a soon to be built “Reggie’s Tehran Dog Rescue Centre”. Bob has told me he is upset with Tehran’s human rights violations and is going to tell this to the big guy Ayatollah. And he did and the Ayatollah unexpectedly smiled and said as the country had settled a nuclear deal with the United States political tensions should be relaxed and the government was in the process of planning to release hundreds of political dissidents including Nasrim a famous human rights lawyer/activist. The Ayatollah invited me to pray with him before dinner which was an honour as I have never prayed with a cleric at my side.  In Haifa, Bob told the Israeli Prime Minister Israel he should really work on solving the Palestinian problem as its unacceptable actions against these people would forever seal a streak of desperation and hatred amongst the Palestinian people. In the politest terms he was told to mind his own business!

I miss Fay and Dylan the Westie but I have his blanket with me in my Winnipeg Blue Bombers bed I received from the mayor of Winnipeg at the most recent Grey Cup game so I don’t feel homesick! Yes we dogs can become homesick. I miss Fay and Dylan the Westie so very much. And Ollie and The Mookster too!

Bob and I return home to Toronto to a welcoming Fay and Dylan the Westie who was so excited he accidentally peed on the floor. I heard Bob and Fay talking over a bottle of wine from Galil Mountain Winery in the Golan Heights that Bob and I had visited. They winery has created a Reggie brand for their export market. My picture will be on the label. Bob tells Fay he is, pardon the expression, “dog tired” and that he has accepted Nicole Kidman’s offer (subject to a screen test) for me to co-star in her upcoming movie “How a Dog Saved My Life”. While on our promotional tour in Sydney, Australia for Disney we had dinner with Nicole who asked me if I wanted to do a screen test for the movie the next day which I did “bloody brilliantly” according to the director of the film and Bob was given the contract to review.

Nicole had found a beautiful house in Darwin in the Northern Territories which all of us could live in for 4 months while they were shooting the movie there. Dylan has a cameo appearance where the fierce Scottish Westie defends Nicole’s character from a poisonous snake attack! Bob and Fay also have a cameo appearance as an arguing Canadian couple in a restaurant Nicole is eating at. A family project and we will all be movie stars. Mr. Gordon Lightfoot is involved in the film as he is writing the opening track for the film. Russel Crowe will be doing my voice in the film. Penny’s friend from Beamsville, Ontario Mr. Martin Malivoire will be doing the special effects. We Canadians will be red hot in Australia.

After details of the movie are made public as we leave our Bridle Path home for our walk reporters are there asking all sorts of questions. We are in the spotlight again!

“Travels to a Different Time”:15July2005 Nazaré, Portugal: A Charming Little Fishing Village it Ain’t

Up for breakfast including that delicious yogurt in a glass topped with local honey. Delicious. A very quick pack up and off we roared in our Renault Megane getting lost on the way in Liera. Densely populated Portugal is for sure with village after village. Clay quarries with many trucks on the road. It was no quaint little fishing village when we arrived. Small town but packed with tourists. We have a large room with a commanding view of the ocean below. Alex and I headed out after check in to buy some water, fruit juice and wine right across the hotel at a minimart. Tried some red wine from the Däo which I found fruitier and lighter than wines from the Douro. After a glass of wine headed down the steep slope to the village below. Very picturesque whitewashed homes and narrow streets. Andrew and I checked out the beach while Fotini and Alex walked along the main street. The beach is large and well populated! The sand on the beach is coarse and the water clear but cold.

We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant with a marvellous view of the town and beach below. Fotini had a battle with her crab. Tasty but a job extracting the meat. Andrew complained about the guts in the grilled sardines while Alex ate her sardines and me my an Robalo without complaint. So far the best food has been in homey local restaurants. While the pousadas have the charm their meals, apart from breakfast, just can’t compete with the smaller local restaurants.  

RKS 2024 Film: “Exile”: Canadian Hitchcockian Delight!

Ted Evans (Adam Beach) is a remorseful man consumed by guilt but then again he may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder veering into a serious delusional. Too much vodka one night behind the wheel he crashes into the car driven by Mrs. McGrath killing her and her two children. Ted is convinced in serving his 5-year prison sentence for vehicular manslaughter Mr. McGrath warns him in a prison lineup that since you have deprived me of my life I will deprive you of your life and if you have relationship with any one I will kill them.

Enter Sarah (Camille Sullivan), Ted’s wife, who tracks down Ted missing since his release from prison after serving his 5-year sentence. Ted is hiding out in a remote cabin outside of Powell River, British Columbia convinced a hermit life is safest for his family.

Sarah can’t believe his “bizarre” story about McGrath on a watchful hunt. We veer into Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” where no one believed Cary Grant’s story or “Rear Window” where no one believed Jimmy Stewart’s story. But what about that man in a sailboat with binoculars? Red herring? A Hitchcockian cameo appearance?

Logic dictates here we can’t believe Ted and his behaviour and actions bolster our view of his delusions. The Hitchcockian tradition compels us to support Ted but there is sufficient character deviance where one swings to a conclusion he is a psychotic pervert. Should Ted Evans be Tud Bundy? But then he might be the true Hitchcock protagonist although his liberation from his “apparition” is based on a lie!

Interested? You should be. Suspenseful and replete with mind games yet truly Canadian with grit. Sullivan is forceful. Beach is convincing as the imperfect one.

Directed by Jason James. Written by Michael Beaton.

Available on VOD Digital now.

RKS 2024 Film Rating: 92/100.

“Travels to a Different Time”: 14July2005 Coimbra, Portugal: Difficult Roundabouts!

After another long sleep jet lag has been defeated. I was up at 08:00 working on this diary and the rest of the gang up at 09:30. I read a description about the history of Quinta Lagrima where we are staying including the grisly murder of Innes de Castro and the revenge of her lover who tore out the hearts of her two murderers.  An excellent breakfast yet again but with white asparagus. Excellent yogurt topped with honey. After breakfast headed to the old convent Convento de Santa Clara-a-Nova. A bit of a narrow if not treacherous road. The convent is somewhat barren and austere in some parts yet lush and luxurious in others. Unfortunately the batteries in our camera needed some recharging so we had to return to the hotel to recharge then back to the convent. There is some very detailed metal and woodwork. We skipped the military museum next store as it was closing.

We then drove to the University of Coimbra. We parked down below the hill where the university is located and walked up to the university. The path is of inlaid stone. The original university building sits in a beautiful courtyard with a tremendous view of Coimbra below. The chapel has walls of inlaid bluish tiles. Rushed back to car to avoid the meter expiring. We inserted more money and walked to the municipal market which was impressive but almost deserted. Then took a break at a local café where two lattes, two Sumols, two bottles of water and ice cream for about $9. Beverages at outdoor cafes are inexpensive in Portugal.

Next to the old town parking the car in an underground garage. Traffic in Coimbra is a killer with omnipresent traffic jams and difficult to navigate traffic roundabouts. Back to the Donald Duck restaurant we ate at last night “Restaurant Casino”. Mom and Pop were delighted to have us back. There was one couple finishing off their dinner when we arrived. Fotini had grilled chicken with outstanding fries. I had the octopus, Alex the arroz marisco and Andrew the swordfish steak. We stopped at the café in the art gallery for desert and returned to Quinta Lagrima.

“Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog”: The Final Cut :Canadian Grey Cup 108 Years! Reggie Pukes! Those Trudeau Children Fed Me an Entire Slice of Pepperoni Pizza or was it the Chunks of that Ivor Wynn Double Cheeseburger? Those Trudeau Children Fed Me an Entire Slice of Pepperoni Pizza or was it the Chunks of that Ivor Wynn Double Cheeseburger?

We headed to Hamilton, Ontario on Saturday night checking in at the Imperial Hotel the night prior to the big Grey Cup game on Sunday at Tim Horton’s Field. After being in so many European cities on promotional tours for the Disney film “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” I would say Hamilton is a bleak city. It has a smog and less than wholesome stink to it. I suppose that must be in part to the untreated raw sewage spilling into Hamilton Harbour. But the citizens are amazing. Warm. Affectionate and joyful Hamiltonians greet me like one of their own. And to be fair arriving in the twilight on a gloomy and cold night tells me Hamilton deserves a closer look. Perhaps if we visit Niagara-on-the Lake we can stop in there or even make a weekend of it in the summer and watch a Hamilton Tiger Cats match. I bet you they want another shot at the Grey Cup next year!

We arrive at the Imperial Hotel and there are cameras popping flash bulbs. I hear murmurs of “Nicole Kidman” and some movie “How a Dog Saved My Life”.

There is a huge assortment of gifts and fruit baskets in our suite. The mayor of Hamilton has sent a case of Gamay wines from Malivoire Winery in Beamsville which is where Penny lives. The mayor of Winnipeg has sent us some perogies and two beds with a big Winnipeg “W” on them! Dylan the Westie jokes and says W is for Westie. We settle in and chow down. Dylan the Westie and I have our chicken kibble and two perogies each. Bob and Fay watch a movie while we dogs snooze. At 11 p.m. Bob takes us out for a walk. While we are ready to sleep the city of Hamilton is on fire! Groups of fans from all over Canada are crowding the bars and streets and the air is chock full of beer fumes and happy vibes.

While Bob walks us he tells us Canadian football is one of the few facts that separates us from our American neighbours. As I know really nothing about football I can’t understand what he is talking about. Bob says Canadian football is more fast paced as there are only 3 downs? As I have not watched a BBC documentary on Canadian football I am ignorant about this! We go for our pee and poop and head up to our room for a sleep.

We are up at 9 a.m. and the mayor of Hamilton has sent us a special breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry waffles and a keg of local Hamiltonian brew! And all of us get a Hamilton Tiger Cats jersey even Dylan the Westie and me!

Dylan the Westie and I go out for a long walk after breakfast and many Hamiltonians stop us and say how much they love Reggie and his best friend Dylan the Westie!

There is a little stink from the steel mills in Hamilton but then again dogs have a sensitive nose!

At 2 p.m. we join the Trudeau’s for High Tea. This Prime Minister is as smooth as silk, like an actor. We have some great jasmine tea and cucumber sandwiches with lots of little cakes. We dogs get a bite or two of these English sandwiches. I feel like I am back in London! And Dylan the Westie and I get a half a cup of jasmine tea.

At 4 p.m. we are picked up by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police escort to go to the game. The Trudeau motorcade is ahead.

We are taken to our seats by the Trudeau’s and their children. The crowd is wild and the smell of beer envelopes us. The fans are crazy with bizarre outfits. Quite frankly I have never seen such a good-hearted frenzy! Many Iranians in Tehran chant in a wild frenzy “Death to America” but in Hamilton it is,” Go Cats. Go Cats”. Not to be catty but who would name a team after cats?

As I told you after the national anthem Dylan the Westie and I do a round across the field with team flags in our mouth then Penny’s Oodlecopter does a fly over.

The crowd chants “REGGGGGEEEEE” and then “DYLAN”. Almost a billion people have watched the Disney film “Reggie the Egyptian Rescue Dog” but the chanting chills my bones and makes me shiver. Canadians have their problems and issues particularly with those nasty residential schools for its aboriginal children but tonight many Canadians are ready just to have some simple fun.

What is real is that after gobbling chunks of burgers, fries, perogies and pizza with all the excitement from the field I am becoming a bit dizzy and my stomach wants to expel the human food I have ingested. I gotta puke and the limo driver pulls aside as I empty my stomach on the streets. Dylan the Westie comforts me and says “You pups can be so silly sometimes. You shouldn’t have eaten a whole piece of pizza one of the Trudeau children fed you when no one was looking”.

Back in our suite Dylan is soon in his fancy Winnipeg Blue Bomber bed and happily snoring as 13-year-old dogs do. Bob pours some ginger ale in my water bowl and asks me to drink some. It is sweet and tickles my throat and excuse me I let out a thunderous belch but my stomach feels much better. I hit the sack and fall asleep in a flash. I remember Bob giving my jowls a rub and he says,” We are so proud of you Reggie. You have come a long way!” By the way the Hamilton Tiger Cats won the match in overtime.

RKS Literature: The Guillotine Knitter (Charles Dickens)

“There were many women at the time, upon whom the time laid a dreadfully disfiguring hand; but there was not one among them more to be dreaded than this ruthless woman, now taking her way along the streets. Of a strong and fearless character, of shrewd sense and readiness, of great determination, of that kind of beauty which not only seems to impart to its possessor firmness and animosity, but to strike into others an instinctive recognition of those qualities; the troubled times would have heaved her up, under any circumstances. But imbued from her childhood with a brooding sense of wrong, and an inveterate hatred of a class, opportunity had developed her into a tigress. She was absolutely without pity. If she had ever had the virtue in her, it had quite gone out of her.”

Charles Dickens, “A Tale of Two Cities”