Doug Murray

Today was my friend Doug Murray's birthday, who passed away a couple of years ago. July 21st doesn't go by without making me think of him and making me wonder about how things would've been different had he lived.

I met Doug when I started in the Animation-Television programme at Algonquin College back in 1997. A lot of people knew Doug as a teacher at the school in their Design programme, but at that time, he was a student. It was gratifying meeting him because he was also one of the older students too, at 33. I had been quite intimidated at the thought of returning to school at the age of 27, when many of the other students were 18 years old.


Doug was immediately charming, funny, intelligent, silly, genuine, and engaging. He could warm to any subject and had ideas and opinions on many. He was always up for a "wee pint" as he called it, and then would lapse into many Monty Pythonisms thereafter (including "Decomposing Composers" and "The Philosopher's Song").

Not long after our Siers-survival group was formed, and we were meeting regularly at the Ob, Doug showed us one of his "tricks", which was to squeeze his hands together and thus produce a credible fart sound. Hilarious! Often we'd tease him into doing it for us time and time again, and he would comply. I remember Lorne saying: "Give us a fart Doogie", and Doug, grinning like a madman, happily made the sound over and over.

I partnered with Doug in Drama class a number of times. Lorne has tapes of our Drama efforts (God!! Blackmail material for sure!) It is so poignant to watch them--usually we manage to every year at Lorne and Kim's Christmas party. Doug and I go through the pantomime motions of 1st year Charlie-Chaplin wannabes. I pretend to kill him or something, or cut off his arm... and it is all silent.

I wish that we had been more adamant about taping our later, spoken Drama moments. I really miss hearing his voice, and his laugh. I miss seeing the twinkle in his eye and the crinkle of skin that preceded great laughter.

I remember I had someone brow-beaten he and Rene into being in my Drama group, where we had to act out scripts from our scriptwriting class. None of us had practiced really. The script made sense to me, because I'd written it--but Rene and Doug were a little baffled. I finished my lines, something to the effect of being the Chief of the Tribe and having all this power.. and Doug, completely forgetting his lines, grinned up at me and said: "And I suppose that makes you special??" Fantastic!

I have our illustrated yearbook "Flip This" from 1st year, and it has Doug's drawings in it; lush, lovely life drawings and silly, whimsical animation designs. He signed in my book and I treasure the note. Another note I have is on a birthday card from our Dynomight Cartoon days. Scribbled at the back is: "Ich bin ein donut!", which is pure Doug--silly, yet very literary and historical.

Anyway, I am trolling the memories and they come fast and furious. If I dig into them too much I will be crying, and I don't want it--sometimes it is too difficult to stop, you know? Suffice to say that all that I have of Doug, I treasure thoroughly, making me miss him all the harder. He was one of the good ones, and the world is diminished without him.

((hugs))
Suzanne.

Algonquin College's Doug Murray Life Bursary
Some great Flamenco guitar music (Doug was an accomplished musician as well!)
And the old Elmdale Tennis Club where he played much tennis >v_v<

DEAD PERSON: [singing] I feel happy. I feel happy.

If you're wondering what THAT'S all about (title), then go on over to this Holy Grail site and enjoy Scene 2 all over again :-) I was initially going to name this post "I'm Not Dead", and then I was trying to remember how that scene went.. and that adding "You're not fooling anyone, you know" wouldn't make any sense. Oh well...damned Pythonophiles anyway :-P
The picture is of the Health building at Tunney's Pasture, taken from the 9th floor of the JT Bldg. No, it's not my office, but I often sit in the dedicated Internet office that this window fronts. It's no one's office. Anyone can go in there when they start going blind from gazing at their computer and want to look out the window. Well, actually they go in there and look at ANOTHER computer. I'm probably the only one that actually uses the window (that is, when I'm not updating my Scrabble games on Facebook...)

So, yes, the rumours of my death haven't been exaggerated. I returned to work Nov 26th... right around when I last posted to this Blog. Coincidence? I don't think so... I haven't stopped writing, just stopped posting (again, sorry.) I finished the NaNoWriMo in November, topping out at 50,400 words or so. I've been writing on completing that project on and off. I've also spent some time working on completing my 3-Day Novel Contest Entry and trying to turn it into an actual book. (The results are in, and sadly neither Carol L. nor I were winners. Oh well!)

The real victory was the completion of the work, and the submission of said work, not necessarily walking away with a gigantic prize. (Although I do like gigantic prizes.) It was also excellent practice to learn the rote of organization and time management. These two particular creatures are my nemeses (nemesesessss :-) Although a Virgo by birth, I am not naturally an organizational genius. I do it if I have to. And it has to be a life-or-death situation (like sorting out tax stuff. And even then, my Mom {another Virgo} had to help me out!)

In any case, I'm slowly being shoe-horned into a mold that is not really my natural environment. Organization, punctuality, coherence... Yeah yeah. All of it makes working in my new Division a little easier. Working in publications and not data capture makes it A LOT easier. I'm doing stuff I moderately enjoy, with a crew that respects me and appreciates what I do. Go figure! After designing the logo and the poster for the 20th anniversary of the publication we produce, I was even given a gift and a thank you card. I can't recall ever getting anything like that at a previous job. Ever!

So, yeah; it grates a bit, but the fit is loosening as I wear it. Like my shoes, it takes time to get comfortable in something new, especially a job. What really makes the difference is that I am splitting my time better between the 7:30 am - 3:30 pm work and my real work. I'm still drawing, writing, doing the things I love. If you can't do the things you love... what the hell are you doing?

I'm finding ways to keep happy: Tai Chi, Belly dancing, doing WW again and falling into the beautiful eyes of a lovely woman. I'm crazy crazy again, and it feels like hot and cold running water: ice and lava bursting across the planes of my skin. I write Haikus, I sip Bridgehead coffee, I fall deeper and deeper into the crevasses of her warmth and the glow of her smile. It is beautiful, and painful; a rush of wind and the sweet crystal silence of a winter wood. Who knows how it will all unravel. In the meantime, it is a wonderful ache that keeps it all rolling forward.

This is her chair, ottoman and table.
The table has been sold, but the chair and ottoman are still up for grabs: $300 negotiable :-) Send me an offer, and this lovely stuff could be yours. The chair and ottoman were newly purchased for about $700 a couple of years ago. I've tried them and they are in prime shape and super comfy. Check out the listing on Facebook!

Hanging in there by the skin of teeth and fingers.
I shall post more...serious :-)
Suz.