For the past 2 years, I’ve made it to the ALL YEARS Viscount Bennett High School Reunion hosted at Schanks Sports Bar on the first Saturday night of May.
In 2025 we had many of my 1975 grad cohorts — it was our 50th.
In 2026 by the time I left, we had only 6 graduates from 1975.
Viscount Bennett is today demolished. As are some of us elderly grads. 😀
My first full-time job out of High School was milkman. I started at age-17 … when the minimum age to drive a milk truck for Palm Dairies was 25. 😀
In 1975-76 I was saving money to join pals on a gap year trip to Europe.
Great job. 4-days / week. Good pay.
We laughed at the letter carriers who worked 5 days / week. We laughed from our heated trucks.
I only had one fender bender accident over many months. Palm Dairies did the repair. Insurance company not notified.
At that time we were still doing home delivery of glass bottles. Using milk chutes. Accepting cash or milk tokens.
Drivers understood that there was no real reason to continue home delivery — other than inertia. Old folks still believed the milk was fresher if delivered direct to the house. It wasn’t.
… perhaps the single biggest detriment to the milkman was the proliferation of refrigeration in households. Refrigerators were first introduced in the 1910s, and just 30 years later, more than half of American homes had one.
By the 1960s, just about every home had a fridge, and families were able to store perishable items, including milk, easily and reliably — all but eliminating the need for daily deliveries.
What Ever Happened to the Milkman?
October 2025 I had my 3rd ever episode of Vertigo.
Happily, it only lasted about 10 minutes. The previous two, over a decade ago, lasted much longer. This time I was able to resist vomiting.
Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. …
It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspiration, or difficulties walking. …
Vertigo accounts for about 2–3% of emergency department visits in the developed world. …
In fact, the first time a police woman called the ambulance. And I underwent a half dozen tests at the hospital.
It was concluded that I had normal Vertigo, requiring no follow-up medications or treatment.
Here’s one physical treatment that I have tried. I can’t claim it works, however.
I do suffer motion sickness, as well — but only on amusement park rides.
6-7 is oh so last year.
I turned 68-years-young today.
I’m finally old enough to join the Old Fart Adventure Travel TikTok Crew. 😀
On the road in Singapore.
I’ve had many birthdays on the backpacker trail.
Tam and Les bought me birthday lunch in Little India. We had a robot waiter — though it was too uncoordinated to actually make it to our table. A waiter brought it the last mile.
For decades already I’ve been the oldest person in most hostels. I’ve grown used to the distinction.
Mostly, the kids treat me as a bit of a novelty: How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?
Life is short ➙ If you want to travel, travel.
Having just cleaned out my parents final home, I was reminded of a great philsopher:
I psyched up for yet another purge. Organizing, donating, reducing, simplifying my worldly goods.
For example, how many pairs of socks do you think I need for the rest of my life?
Should I hang on to all the singletons — just in case the other somehow shows up later? 😀
… NEXT ➙ Underwear.
UPDATE. Here’s my 1st load of donations for the Sally Ann.
Our thanks to the 2025 Viscount Bennett High School reunion organizers, Rod Peterson and Dayle Conlin.
They host a reunion in May each year at Schanks Sports Grill in Calgary.
It’s open to all Viscount grads, teachers, from any year — and any +1 who wants to come along and shoot the breeze with ol’ timers.
After 25 years or more, former classmates look familiar — but I usually couldn’t quickly come up with their names. 😀
I attended Viscount Bennett High School in Calgary, graduating 1975.
Due to the area’s ageing population and the opening of other high schools nearby, after only 30 years Viscount Bennett closed in 1985.
Ron, Brian and myself were organizers of the 2000 reunion which was hosted in the old school — at that time a continuing education institution.
The day before the 2025 reunion, I stopped by my ol’ school to check the state of demolition.
Sad. But change is inevitable.
I returned a student I.D. to our High School President, Greg Cole. He had dropped it in the time capsule, way back when.
Brenda Mikkelsen and Debbie Dalton made it.
Drinda Miller Rainville was there.
I was too busy chatting to take any photos.
When not traveling, I stay with my Mom at her home in Parksville, B.C.
➙ PLEASE spread the rumour that I am some kind of son / saint caregiver. 😀
Though I tell people I’m semi-retired, I seem to be mostly retired in 2025.
Retirees tend to evolve a daily routine. Here’s mine as of …
Wake EARLY
Pick up COFFEE at McDonalds
WALK the coastline at Dawn
Internet in the morning. Updating my 3 main websites. …More coffee.
Typically I don’t eat until 10:30am or later.
RUN or STAIRS in the morning.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
If I run, leisurely is 4.5km in 30min.
Lunch
1 or more hours CYCLING
Dinner. (I’m actually starting to cook a few things. Under my Mom’s direction. 😀)
Chores
Evening WALK or CYCLE. Most often just after sunset.
Upper body strength and endurance training at the playground. About 10 minutes.
I sometimes do an abdominal program at home, as well.
9pm TV
10pm SLEEP
Saturday and Sunday I try to shoot some basketball outside the local school.
I SHOULD start golfing once a week.
That’s my regular day. Of course, conflicting things come up.
Right now we’re drinking very little alcohol in Parksville. And I’m trying to eat less this winter compared with last year. Fewer sweets.
Health is still good. Dentures my biggest medical issue.
I continue to listen to about 3 audio books / week. At about 145% speed. Fewer podcasts.
I watch a lot of YouTube, as well.
In my “spare” time, 1st priority is VIDEO EDITING for my Hiking YouTube channel. Over 235 videos since I launched during the pandemic.
Most popular, so far, is a fantastic coastal hike in Portugal.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Me fishing bass in Mexico … a couple 😀 of years ago.
There are many software options for upscaling.
The better the original, the better the upscaled version.
I used one that was a FREE website in March 2025 — if you upscaled only 1 photo at a time up to a maximum of 400%.
My old Elementary school is going strong. I pass by often as my brother still lives in the Glamorgan district in Calgary.
Glamorgan Elementary is ALL fond memories for me. I’m one of those weird kids who liked school. 😀
I did get LOST first day walking home from school!
Glamorgan Elementary was built to accommodate the growing population in the neighbourhood, which was rapidly developing post-World War II. It was the very edge of the city. Next block to my family home (bought 1963) was a farm with horses.
It was MODERN — architecture reflected the educational philosophies of the time, emphasizing open spaces and accessibility. That turned out to be a mistake, I’d say. Open classrooms are too loud and distracting.
Actually, it was only the Grade 6 students who used the open area / library. I recall lower grades being in regular classrooms.
In Grade 6 me and my buddies — including Brian Mason — arrived Monday mornings with our top 10 lists scrawled on scrap paper. We compared our updated TOP 10 A.M. RADIO SONGS … and TOP 10 GIRLS. 😀
Hey — it was a more sexist era.
His Mom was a teacher at the school.
Glenn P. Michell wrote up a personal account of his experience at the school and community.
Good news. There’s a concept of a plan for a 50th reunion.
I was one of the organizers of the VB High 25th anniversary in 2000. A lot of fun.
I was one of those kids who actually enjoyed High School. 😀
Viscount Bennett High School operated as a junior and high school from 1955 to 1985, closing due to low enrolment.
In 1995, Chinook Learning Services operated out of the building until the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) closed it permanently in 2018.
We had buried a time capsule in 1975. Dug it up in 2000. Then reburied some items.
BUT it was dug up during a facility renovation, the junk dumped on the sidewalk. Brian Mason picked it up. I still have some things in my basement.
In 1975, we had something called the “Grad Notebook“.
Handmade. Something we could pass around for kids to sign as a remembrance.
Here’s mine. I took a photo of each page. Did a little editing.
The Westgate Motor Inn Bar was demolished 2004.
The CREW of the 1975 Grad Film were Ian Baird, Ron Shewchuk, Brian Mason, Richard Englehardt, Dean Cave and myself.
Many in 1975 predicted recreational marijuana would be legal by 2000. BUT it wasn’t official until 2018.
Richard Englehardt and myself won the 1975 High School car rally when the REAL winners were disqualified for not wearing seatbelts.
Loraleigh Keashly was the smartest kid in school. She went on to finish multiple degrees and became a professor at Wayne State University. Certainly her comment was the most … accurate. 😀
Ron Shewchuk was already a writer and a bit of poet:
In ’00 we will meet
All older.
Some wiser
When I see this 25 years from
Now
I will probably realize
Au revoir.
Rick McCharles 