Farewell Regina

Well you all had to know this blog was coming. It might be on the sentimental side, so look away if you don’t have the stomach for that sort of thing. I need to say farewell to Regina.

I need to say farewell to all the streets and routes that I know so well. I am going to miss knowing the best ways to get everywhere, also knowing which streets to take if I want to see some drunken bum passed out on his front lawn. Good riddance to the route I used to take to work everyday, I won’t miss you. And goodbye Vic Ave east, I also will not miss you.

Farwell to the Regina night life. Although I don’t frequent you much anymore, I have had some good times at your fine establishments. Such as my 19th birthday at Checkers (now demolished) in which I got so drunk I threw up in a juice pitcher after the bar, or the night I won $1000 in the VLT at the pump, perhaps the night at Habanos, the first night out at the bar with my then new girlfriend (now my wife), when her friends (including a certain mother of twins I know) kept ripping my shirt open. The next morning Michelle had to sew several buttons back on (that’s right, I slept over. NICE! ) Other bars frequented were the Broken Rack, the Warehouse, and McNally’s and The Owl. And I will never forget my night at the Plains.

Farewell to all my go-to restaurants. Viet-thai, Brewsters, the Tap, Rock Creek, and so on. Good times and good eats were had by all.

So long to the movie theaters. I have probably spent more money at these locations than any other business in Regina. Back in the first few years of university, I was at the Southland for almost every Tuesday cheap seats, and then at the Golden Mile on Friday for the midnight show after the Pats game.

Farewell to Regina sports. No more Regina slo-pitch, no more adult safe hockey. No more church hockey (will I still go to heaven?). So long Strasburg Expos. I hope they have found a way to replace my 3 errors per game. So long to the YMCA, and SETS and the other gyms I have gone to, I won’t miss you either. Farwell Pats, I am coming to say a goodbye in person tonight, to see you play the hated warriors one last time. To the Riders I will see you in Edmonton on September 26th, and maybe June 17th for the preseason game.

Farewell to the Regina Fire Department. I actually saw two of your trucks heading to a call today. Unless things really don’t work out in Alberta, a small part of me will always wonder what it would have been like working for you. If only you paid better and ran ambulances.

An eventual good-bye to our house. I like this house, I don’t want to leave it. Of course it holds some sort of sentimental value; some major life events took place while living here. However, I will admit that at this point I just want someone else to buy it already.

Bye-bye Jambabies. For the first time in my I feel like I will be missing out in watching someone grow up. I have grown quite fond of you, and already you two little buggers have changed so much. It sucks for me that we won’t be around to see you more often, and become the honorary uncle. Now I am just going to be the weird old guy they will meet in 15 years that will say “I used to change your diaper”.

Farewell friends and family. I don’t know how to say a proper goodbye, so I hope that their will be many visits, whether there, here, or some place in-between. I know that we are going to miss out on some good times, and the friendship you have shown me will never be forgotten. This is, without question, the most difficult part about leaving Regina.

Farewell Regina. You will be missed.