Brush with smarminess, part two

[Cameron MacLean]

Hi all,   Mentioned to some of you that while on my evening flight from Toronto to Ottawa the other week, Paul Martin was on the flight, a couple of rows ahead (in business class).   That was Brush With Smarminess part one (actually, part one was Geddy Lee as my seatmate to LA a few years ago).  (Actually, part two was Ed Kilroy (president of IBM canada) as my seatmate from Edmonton last year, three weeks after IBM's takeover of my company - good thing I was well behaved).  So Paul Martin is actually BWS part three.   So, I thought for my flight tonight, I would take the business class upgrade, and see if I might see any other notable dignitaries.  Darned if John McCallum (Minister of National Defence) wasn't two seats over.   But even more interesting than him was this:   As the flight arrived at the gate, we all rose to gather our belongings.  I grabbed my suitcase from the overhead bin, turned around, and came face to face with his excellency, John Ralston Saul (and his security detail of three), whose wife is Adrienne Clarkson, our governor-general.  Actually, I almost bonked him in the head with my laptop bag.   Mr. Saul was wearing a blue, three quarter length wool coat that had some beautiful beaded embrodiery on it.  I remarked to him that it was a beautiful coat.  He said to me:   "Yes, it was made by a woman in Fort Simpson, she is known for her beadwork".   I said to him, "Fort Simpson. Hm.  I know who you mean, she's the one who uses Porcupine quills for thread".   He looked at me like I was from another planet, and asked me how I could possibly have known that.   I replied that my brother is a bush pilot who lives in Fort Simpson, and that he had asked this Dene woman to make a pair of moccasins for my son.   Of course, then his attache started talking to me, asking about which airline he flew for.   I mentioned that he used to fly for Ted at Simpson Air, but most recently was flying for Jacques at South Nahanni Airways.   Then John Saul broke in, and asked if that was the outfit that flew that big twin engined floatplane, and yadda yadda yadda.   I was going to bum a ride in their limo, but the RCMP guy (long cheap trenchcoat, big moustache, complete cliche) was giving me a dirty look.   later..   ..Cameron