Prologue by © Dennis Rohel
I woke up the next afternoon around 3:00 PM, after he slept 8 hours. The Hepatitis C complements of Jimmy the Junkie left him tired. His testicles hurt, and he was tired all the time. I gathered himself in the effort to go check the mailbox. I dressed, before I made my way along the same route to the Canada Post mailbox, except there was no Black Van this afternoon. The mailbox on Springer Avenue was resting on its side. The Canada Post mailbox that beat like a drum last night was silent. The mailbox was on its right hand side, and the drum silenced itself resting with the top pointing to the Northwest Territories. The mailbox was freed by removing the nuts from the steel bolts which were set in the concrete. Canada Post would not deliver through "rain and snow" this time. Jimmy the Junkie and his Crew would now have "The Note", and they would be bringing "The Note" to the Clan from Clavet. I had my doubts that he should have waved "The Note" at them while passing the Black Van, and then on the other hand this just may put a stop to their activities?
I returned to my suite, and he booted up the Onlineglass-com computers in the computer room guarded by a camera in the window. The Canada Post mailbox lying on it's side made it official in the night, and Jimmy the Junkie, his Crew, and the Clan from Clavet had "The Note" in the 4th week of October 1997. I mused that Canada Post's repair records for the mailbox would coincide with the date on ""The Note"". The Canadian Crown Corporations are well known for meticulous paperwork when it comes to expenditures. While their cost controls may not get such detailed consideration, the repair records detailed a service call within two blocks of where the Clan from Clavet followed me home from Granville Street. I checked my email, and he had mail from Bill Matles of UDI suggesting that I should give him a call in Philadelphia regarding their upcoming meeting.
While I considered the upcoming conversation with Bill, my mind kept wandering back to the fourth week of October 1997. The Canada Post repair records for the mailbox would coincide with Telus Bells phone records to Crime Stoppers from 88 Ranelagh Avenue in Burnaby. I was not interested in money from Crime Stoppers so he did not make the report by phone, and they did not have a mailing address on their web site. The call to Crime Stoppers was necessary to mail "The Note". I wanted to stop Jimmy the Junkie and his Crew because they were out of control with the financing of the Clan from Clavet. Now, I mailed "The Note" only to have "The Note" stolen from Canada Post! It was six of one, or half a dozen of the other? Would it have been better not to wave "The Note" at the black van? Life is a serious of decisions. I reached for the phone to call Philadelphia.
I caught Bill in the office working late that day. The time zones caught me off guard, and I made a mental note to consider both the Russian and Eastern time zones more carefully. His late hours were working well with Russia who was 13 hours ahead, however I realized that my dealings with the east coast would occur in their morning as they were 4 hours behind by regular hours. It was very odd, as the Ruble crashed. The world was writting off the Russians as has beens, and the old Soviet Union was now a lonely Russia, and now a lowly Russia. In a short 20 years, the world had a clown Donald Trump was leading the 95%ers south of the 49th parallel. We had our chance to get closer to the Russians, but we were wrong. In a short 20 years, Russia was taking the Arctic, and we were flowndering with a clown. Bill and I discussed the options available for the timing of the meeting. I agreed to meet with their group on Saturday November 7th, before the Veterans Day Holiday. The meeting would be held at Independent's auto glass warehouse, and their group would travel from Philadelphia and Washington for the meeting. The phone conversation was left with I confirming the timing of the meeting in on November 6th 1997, once I had purchased my ticket to leave the Vancouver Airport on November 6th. I would now need to buy a ticket.
The Eduard Toll natural gas tanker navigates Northern Sea Route through the Arctic Ocean in January
.
This route runs along the northern coast of Siberia and Russia, to the north of Scandinavia. Unbelievably, this image is taken from the vessel Eduard Toll as it navigates the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic Ocean. Russia stakes it claim to the north!
On October 30th 1997, Garth deposited Joan's seed money into the Winsoft HSBC Bank on 2590 Hastings Street East, and I checked out the flight options available to fly to Philadelphia on November 6th. He planned to arrive on the 6th of November, and he would stay overnight at a hotel before the meeting on Saturday. Garth agreed to buy the ticket on October 31 ST leaving Friday November 6th in the morning. Garth had a friend in the travel industry, and I would take care of the ticket using his travel agent. I should be able to phone Bill back on the 31 ST with my confirmed itinerary. Meanwhile, I worked on my other industry contacts because 'even the early bird does not want all the eggs in one basket'.
I continued to cultivate my knowledge of the auto glass industry in the popular forum Glasslinks. He followed the forum on a daily basis to develop insight and contacts in the auto glass industry. It was apparent that the IGA could be the ticket to accessing about 1400 independent auto glass shops across the United States. The independents saw insurance company steering and 40 % discounts on NAGS pricing to be serious industry problems. In Burnaby I worked my way into Speedy Auto Glass by talking with Brian in their warehouse. Brian referred him to Doug who was in charge of their IT department. Doug arranged a demo of the site with the management of Speedy to review the project. They did find the project interesting, however they did not make any commitments at this time. They did express concerns about NAGS, and their need for NAGS in the warehouse. Meanwhile, Mitchell was still protecting their market share by guarding their proprietary rights to the part numbers in the auto glass industry.
Garth bought the ticket on October 31 ST for the trip to Philadelphia inside the 7 day window for a discount, and I was preparing my server to demonstrate the Onlineglass-com software from a computer while in Philadelphia. In one way, I felt sick that Jimmy the Junkie, his Crew, and their Clan from Clavet knew about "The Note". Maybe, it would have been best if "The Note" had gotten to Crime Stoppers to get Jimmy the Junkie off the street, and then "The Note" would have separated them from the Clan from Clavet? I considered sending another note or making a phone call to Crime Stoppers. He did neither. Instead, I figured this might just be enough! Jimmy the Junkie might just own up to his lie about money to his crew, and his Crew would quit along with the Clan from Clavet. I tried to keep working in preparation for the trip, and Jimmy the Junkie had the Honda Civic with a car full of people out on the street in front of the house on 88 Ranelagh Avenue in his Honda Civic with multi coloured body parts.
Over the next few days in November, I mused that "The Note" was never going to be delivered by Canada Post. He hoped that this would be enough to at least brush off Jimmy the Junkie, his Crew, and the Clan from Clavet. I decided to quit, and he would wait and see what happened. He knew that Canada Post never delivered "The Note" to Crime Stoppers, and he thought this might work to brush them off. I prepared for my trip to Philadelphia on Friday, and he refined Advanced Server 2000 to serve the upcoming demonstration from Pennsylvania. I confirmed my itinerary with Bill. I had left footprints encased in concrete to confirm the call to Crime Stoppers, and Canada Post repairs would confirm that Jimmy the Junkie, his Crew, and the Clan from Clavet stole "The Note". There never was a phone report, and "The Note" never arrived! Finally, there would be no more phone records to Crime Stoppers after the Canada Post mailbox pointed towards the Northwest Territories. I just quit. I packed for my trip Thursday November 5th to be ready the next morning for my first meeting with auto glass industry participants.
On Friday November 6th, Bob gave me a ride to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). I check in for my flight, and I elected to carry on my upper rack sized bag with wheels on the flight. I preferred to travel light on my flights, as I wheeled my bag through Canada Customs. He found my gate for flight AC 550 on Canadian Airlines to Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona(PHX). I bought a Starbucks in the International Gate services area, before he boarded the Canadian Airlines flight at 07:45 in the morning for breakfast en route to Phoenix. I didn't think Jimmy the Junkie and his Crew would follow because of their criminal records, however he was not sure if the Clan from Clavet would finance someone else on a flight into the United States. I boarded Onlineglass-com's first international flight, as soon as the preferred and disabled boarding calls were completed. He sized up as many of the Canadian Airlines passengers as possible before boarding, and he started noticing their jackets, clothing, stature, and little things which would help him recognize them were he being followed by the Clan from Clavet.
The plane departed Vancouver International Airport on the 6 of November at 07:45, and the routine flight time of 3 hours brought me into an approach to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The Canadian Airlines flight docked at 11:45 local time in Phoenix. Phoenix Sky Harbor International is huge American Hub, and I paused to let the Canadian Airlines passengers on the plane move ahead of him after exiting the plane at the gates in Terminal 2. Once the Canadian Airlines passengers were ahead of him, I worked my way past the gates onto the corridor heading to Terminal 4 at the other end of the airport. He took the Walkway over East Sky Harbor Boulevard to Terminal 3 pulling my luggage. I noted the lighter clothing and darker tans of the Americans. He did not notice any of the original passengers of the Canadian Airlines flight as I worked my way through Terminal 3 past the Control Tower.
The walk through Phoenix Sky Harbor International was coincidentally timely in this passage though Terminal 3, because the fall and winter solstice gave away the origin of people through their skin colour. I continued through Terminal 3 in one the largest and busiest airports in the state of Arizona. Terminal 4 was the largest terminal handling 75% of traffic in the ninth busiest airport in the United States. Meanwhile, I have been hazed and hunted for so long at this point that he sensed he was being followed. While riding the flat escalators through Terminal 3, he over heard a few words. He was being followed. He looked around to realize that there was skin that was not of Arizona origin. Rohel is not a racist, but it's the colour of the underlying tan in most complexions which can be geared to the sun. Sure, many people might avoid the sun, but it actually works remarkably well with the clothing. Their clothing was heavier. He was not good enough to determine whether they came into the airport with him on his Canadian Airlines flight. He would test them.
The 13:15 flight of United Airlines out of Terminal 4 was delayed. Since, I was not going to be meeting with anyone on business that day, he decided to wait in a bar close to the Gate for the flight. He would wait for the announcement that the flight was boarding in the bar. The delay was an extended delay for technical purposes, and I became aware of the same people from the Walkway he noticed. There was a blond man in his 20's with what appeared to be an older blond women with him in the gate area. They were now waiting for the flight as well. They also decided to enter the Roadhouse 66 Bar with him. I sat down at the bar, and they also took a chair along the bar. I ordered a beer at the bar while he walked to the Check In Desk at the Gate every 10 - 15 minutes to check on the status of the flight. Finally, irritated Check In Desk attendant told him that they would make an announcement on the speaker system once the flight was ready to leave from Gates B 1 - B 17 for US Airways. I returned to the Roadhouse 66 Bar.
The Roadhouse 66 Bar became the place of chance coincidence that day. The Clan from Clavet's blond crew were not shy, and Jimmy the Junkie and his Crew were not shy either in Burnaby. I overheard their conversation in small segments. The segments from a few chairs down along the bar supported my concerns. I now knew they were along for the ride. He believed the young man was from Blackie Street in New Westminster the day I was informed about my Hepatitis C at the New Westminster Medical Clinic. I searched my memory for the women sitting in the waiting room at the New Westminster Medical Clinic. They would have known about the New Westminster Medical Clinic appointment from the crew in the Black Van. They were not concerned about their flight. I decided to check the flight status one more time. He realized the passengers were gone with the irritable Gate attendant on the next status check.
I was not only quite sure she was at the New Westminster Medical Clinic, but he was quite sure of the young blond man on Blackie Street. What was certain was that they missed their flight. They were going to stay with I. It was by chance that the United Airlines staff forgot to announce the departure. Chance has a real clarity sometimes. I found a United Airlines counter where there was several other passengers including the Clan from Clavet's blond couple complaining they missed the flight. I went to the United Airlines counter expressing my problem after he had religious checked every 10 - 15 minutes with the irritable Gate attendant. He found himself complaining with the two blond people in the bar. The United Airline staff resisted, however they relented after confirmation there had been no departure notifications on the airport speakers.
United Airlines was able to put me another flight in Terminal 4 in Phoenix along with the Clan from Clavet's blond friends. I was able to get on the 16:00 hour flight on US Airways for the non stop flight to Philadelphia to arrive at 22:19 local time with the blond trackers following along. I had phoned ahead during the delay to let Bill know that he was not on the original schedule so he should not pick him up at the airport. I took the $40.00 dollar cab ride from the Philadelphia International Airport to the Westin Hotel where Bill had reserved a room in Philadelphia. I hoped he would loose the Clan from Clavet's crew in the cab.
The cab left the Philadelphia International Airport to merge onto the I 95 North before exiting to the I 76 toll road. The toll road entered New Jersey before they merged on to the I 295 North toward the New Jersey Turnpike / Trenton area. Then they exited on to 36 A toward the New Jersey Turnpike / Berlin. They merged on to Route 73 before turning right on 555 Fellowship Road to The Westin Mount Laurel Hotel for the first night of my stay in Philadelphia in New Jersey. I paid for the room which Bill had reserved, and he went to sleep after setting the alarm clock for 06:00 in the morning. He would sleep 6 hours, and he awoke for a quick shower before heading downstairs to meet Bill in the hotel restaurant.
I was able to find Bill in the hotel restaurant, and they had coffee before leaving the Westin Hotel for Independent Auto Glass. The 30 minute drive went quickly, and I explained the concepts of Onlineglass-com to their group in the offices above the auto glass warehouse. I tried to listen to their questions, and he answered as accurately with the objectives of the project as accurately as possible. He learnt a lot about the industry in the United States that day, and they broke for lunch in a nearby restaurant where I tried to listen to the industry talk about steering, discounts, and tighter wholesale margins. They returned to the offices in the warehouse, and I started to stress how the Onlineglass-com software was more market oriented in its overall effect on the industry. The price sensitivity of a shared database appeared to be what the industry needed?
The industry needed regionally sensitive competition to set the auto glass repair pricing. What was not required was an arbitrary parts and labour pricing system. The industry did not need a arbitrary pricing system which was discounted by insurers to face independent glass shops against each other for their very survival. The larger industry players did not need cutthroat pricing either. I used Independents computer to connect to my server in Burnaby where Bob was sitting downstairs with the phone just in case something went wrong with the server in Burnaby. I touched base with Bob by phone before connecting to the server. He tried to show how the existing format would allow independents better access to insurance claims on a level playing field with an overall reduction in costs to insurance companies caused by savings in claim processing itself. The meeting and demonstration went well, and Bill drove me back to the hotel at the Westin.
On Saturday night Bill and his wife picked I up at the hotel for dinner at a nearby Lone Star Steakhouse& Saloon. They had dinner, and they discussed the meeting before agreeing to go site seeing on Saturday. They dropped I off at the Westin, and Bill was going to look into transferring I from the Westin Hotel on Fellowship Road to the Westin Hotel on Island Avenue near the airport for my final night in Philadelphia. I finally had a few hours to himself on Saturday night to get some sleep. He would be able to sleep until 11:00 hours on Sunday morning before Bill came by to pick him up for a tour of the city on Sunday afternoon. The next morning I packed my bag after Bill phoned to let him know he was able to arrange a transfer to the Westin Hotel on Island Avenue for my last night in Philadelphia. Then, I waited at the entrance of the hotel with my bag after checking out of my room.
Bill picked I up at the entrance of the Westin Hotel at 555 Fellowship Road in NJ, and they took Route 38 from the Mount Laurel Westin towards Admiral Wilson Boulevard. They drove southwest on Fellowship Rd toward Route 73 where they turned right on Route 73 before they took the ramp onto I-295 S for 14 km. They merged onto I-76 W toward Camden / I-676 for Philadelphia on the Partial toll road before entering Pennsylvania over the Delaware River. They took exit 349 toward State Hwy 611 / Broad Street before merging onto Pollock St for a few blocks. Then they turned right on S Broad Street before turning right again at E Passyunk Avenue. Bill had time to think about the meeting the day before, and they stopped in at Pat's King of Steaks on 1237 E Passyunk Ave for one of the best cheese steak burgers I has ever eaten. Bill could see how the software would effect the auto glass industry. The downtown neighbourhood appeared to be free of the Clan from Clavet, however I remained aware of someone watching them. They finished their dinner before heading for the Liberty Bell which was the first part of Bill's tour.
They drove northeast on E Passyunk Avenue before turning right on Washington Avenue. They turned left at S Columbus Boulevard onto a ramp to I-676 before merging onto the I-95 North for 20 km. They exited on Woodhaven Road before merging onto PA-63 W / Woodhaven Road W and then they took the Franklin Mills Boulevard / Millbrook Road exit to Franklin Mills Boulevard. They talked about Onlineglass-com, and the Sherman Anti Trust problems NAGS was facing. Bill compared it to the Tool & Die decision of years past. In the Tool & Die decision the company involved lost their proprietary rights to their specifications. He expected the NAGS part numbers to become public domain eventually. Bill also felt that the IGA was possibly the best way to approach the industry in the United States because the IGA represented 1400 independent auto glass shops. Finally, they turned left on Liberty Bell Boulevard to find parking close to the Liberty Bell. I learnt a lot about the Liberty Bell that Sunday, and Bill brought him up to speed on The First Continental Congress.
The First Continental Congress is where delegates from twelve of the thirteen British North American colonies met on September 5, 1774, in Philadelphia. The Congress was represented by 56 members appointed by the legislatures of the twelve Colonies. The Congress met briefly to consider options, organize an economic boycott of British trade, publish a list of rights and grievances, and petition King George to address those grievances. The Congress called for another Continental Congress in the event that their petition was unsuccessful in halting their perceived enforcement of the Intolerable Acts of King George. One year later, their appeal to the Crown had no effect, and the Second Continental Congress was convened the following year to organize the defence of the colonies at the onset of the American Revolutionary War. They completed a walk through the buildings where these events occurred, and Bill and I returned to their vehicle.
They completed the tour of the early history of America, before Bill drove me to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Steps where Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) trained for his big fight against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) by running up the steps. Bill brought up catastrophic weather events in the auto glass industry, and he elaborated on a case he was involved with in the courts. It was about price gouging after a tropical storm. The ability of Onlineglass-com to adjust pricing for events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and tropical storms would be effective is allowing price increases during such events. However, Onlineglass-com could also be used to curb price gouging during such events. It was a feature that I had entirely overlooked. Previous to November 1997, the statue of Rocky Balboa (Italian Stallion) had been moved from the Museum of Art to Veterans Stadium. The Philadelphia Phillies (NL) and Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) played their respective sports at Veterans Stadium. Bill and I stopped by the stadium to see Rocky' statue at Veterans Stadium. Finally, they were tiring like the tour, and Bill suggested that he might drive me to the Westin Hotel near the airport. I agreed as the trip had taken it's toll on him, and he was tired.
They drove the scenic route north toward Hartranft Street before turning left at Hartranft Street on to S Broad St / PA-611 for 1/2 a km. They continued straight on S Broad St / PA-611 before taking the I-95 S ramp on the left to the I-76 for a 20 metres. They merge onto the I-95 S past the Reserve Basin where the American War ships could be seen in the distance. I realized the Forest and Ice People and a different species than south of the 49th parallel. Americans loved their history, and they knew their history like a religion. Canadians knew less of their own history, but Canadians were much more knowledgeable about global history. Americans loved their military and glory in war, while Canadians didn't have the same interests in the glory and killing. I could see more in the Warships than steel. He could see people that saw something else in fighting, and Americans knew nothing more than conflict for their entire lives. Conflict was cultured into Americans.
Historically the American culture was shaped by many military events. They occupied Italy in 1945-1946, while they reoccupied the Philippines in 1945-1946 in preparation for Filipino independence. Italy's occupation was increased in 1946 in the Free Territory of Trieste. The US Marines garrisoned in Mainland China during 1945-1947 meddled with their allies (Soviet Union) in the removal of Japanese forces from Mainland China. Americans increased their meddling in 1948 in Berlin, and Americans occupied South Korea and Germany during 1945-1949. The Americans continued their occupation of Japan from 1945-1952, and they occupied Austria from 1945-1955. The Americans increased their presence in Jerusalem in 1948 to protect the US Consul General, and in 1948-1949 America dispatched troops to Nanking and Shanghai China to protect the American Embassy when America lost positions to the Communist troops. I realized just how much glory and killing could be seen in the Warships in the Reserve Basin.
The steel Warships in the Reserve Basin may have been active in the Korean War from 1950-53 when the United States chose to get involved between North and South Korea, where the American glory and killing included over 36,600 US military. While losing or fighting to a standstill in Korea in 1950-1953, President Truman ordered the US Seventh Fleet between Korea and mainland China. In 1954-1955 America occupied China as naval units evacuated US civilians and military personnel (Intelligence) from the Tachen Islands. The Americans had barely buried their dead when they started their meddling in Vietnam by sending military advisors into Vietnam on February 12 1955. Meddling takes time to create problems, and America occupied Egypt in 1956 with a marine battalion to evacuate US nationals and other persons (Military Advisors) from Alexandria during the Suez crisis. American foreign policy in the Middle East had heated up the entire region since the end of WWII. The strategically placed meddling surfaced again in Lebanon in 1958 as Marines landed in Lebanon by order of the American President. The action was supported by a Congressional resolution passed in 1957 that authorized such actions in that area of the world (Middle East). I remembered something he had read about at the University of Saskatchewan. American Foreign policy in the Middle East was designed to destabilize. In 2017, President Donald Trump would suffer penis envy when visiting China with his little gun.
Like any disease, the meddling in Vietnam which began in 1955 (possibly 1947) continued to fester, and the number of troops in Vietnam with stars and strips in their eyes continued to increase in numbers. I could see a direct relationship between the need for American troops and the hate of the American occupation. The Americans called anyone who challenged them either Communists or Terrorists. In 1959-1960 The Caribbean Second Marine Ground Task Force was deployed to protect US nationals (military and civilians) following the Cuban Revolution. In Thailand in 1962 the The Third Marine Expeditionary Unit landed on May 17, 1962 to make sure the local population didn't have a political choice towards Communism. Political discussions were completed when the Americans withdrew by July 30 1962 when 5,000 marines had finished discussing political science. Since most Communists were getting attacked by the Americans, the Cubans worked out their strategic defence with the Russians. The Cuban self defence alignment caused the Cuban Missile Crisis on October 22,1962 as detent was tested. President Kennedy instituted a "quarantine" on Cuba from the Soviet Union. Kennedy warned the Soviet Union that Cuba's self defence with nuclear missiles would lead to an American nuclear retaliation against the Soviet Union. I mused that the American Revolutionary War was great for the Americans, but the Cuban Revolution was obviously bad for the Cubans. Was there such a thing as tripartite detent?
The US troop levels had grown to 21,000 Marines discussing political science during 1964 in Vietnam. The Americans spent 1962-1975 in Laos putting down any populist support for anything but the Laos Government. The Americans meddled in Zaire in the Congo in 1964 when a populist movement was overtaking the state. American responded by transporting state troops out of the rebellion to rescue them from defeat. Americans interfered in the Dominican Republic in 1965 with 20,000 US troops as the local revolutionary forces were not entirely friendly to America. General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo had been a brutal dictator for 30 years in the Dominican Republic until 1962, and the people were choosing a popularly elected leadership in the aftermath of Trujillo. The American love for life, liberty, and freedom for all people did not apply in the Dominican Republic. America put that in writing on August 7 1964 for Vietnam as the US Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin resolution affirming their position in Vietnam. The Americans would crush military and political opposition in Vietnam with "All necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States". I realized of course that America called them all Communists or Terrorists. The American Revolutionaries were very fortunate indeed that there was no America for King George?
The United States sent military aircraft to fight another popular rebellion in the Congo (Zaire) once again in 1967 along with logistical support to quell the revolt. Ironically, the Americans suffered losses in the USS Liberty incident in 1967 when the Israeli armed forces killed 34 and wounding more than 170 U.S. with their American made Aircraft. The deaths seemed to inspire the Americans. They broke their Gulf of Tonkin resolution of 1968 when they started bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail of the sovereign nations of Cambodia and Laos for the next two years. The secret bombings were initially to "support freedom and protect peace in Southeast Asia" according to President Johnson who had asked Congress for the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. The attacks on sovereign nations became the American way of life. America bombed Cambodia, Laos, the Viet Cong, North Vietnamese, and civilians from April 30 to June 30 in the 1970 while some thought they were leaving the theatre rather than attacking US and South Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam. The American people were told the Tonkin Gulf Resolution covered these attacks to ensure the continuing safe withdrawal of American forces from South Vietnam.
The Cambodia Campaign lead to the Victimization of the Cambodia and Laos. America would try to split the opposition into competing groups. This became standard American Foreign Policy since WWII, and the American occupation peaked in Vietnam in 1969 with 543,000 paid and drafted warriors for life, liberty, and freedom. However, these principles would not deter Operation Nickel Grass in 1973 when America airlifted weapons and supplies to Israel during the Yom Kippur War. In 1974, the Americans would also be meddling in Cyprus during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. On May 15 1975, President Ford ordered military forces to take the SS Mayaguez from Cambodian naval patrol boats in international waters, and on April 12, 1975, President Ford ordered US military forces to proceed with the planned evacuation of US citizens (military and intelligence) from Cambodia five years after the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. On April 3, 1975, President Ford ordered US naval vessels, helicopters, and Marines to evacuate of refugees (American Informants), and US nationals (Embassy, Military and Intelligence) from Vietnam. Finally, on April 30 1975, President Ford ordered 70 helicopters and 865 Marines to evacuate about 1,400 US citizens, 5,500 third country nationals, and South Vietnamese from landing zones near the US Embassy in Saigon and the Tan Son Nhut Airfield. The Americans had lost their wars against North Vietnam, and they failed miserably to bomb the sovereign states of Cambodia, and Laos into the dark ages.
The Americans ran from their mess in North Vietnam, and they would shortly return to war they lost in Korea. Thankfully, suddenly, the steel Warships in the Basin appeared in I rear view mirror. Vietnam was evacuated, and there would be no more chemical warfare on their people. Meanwhile, Bill and I drove through Exit 15 to merge on Enterprise Avenue toward Island Avenue as Bill and I talked about a successful trip. They turned right on to Island Avenue before turning right into Westin Suites at 4101 Island Avenue in Philadelphia. I thanked Bill for his help, and they agreed to talk more when I returned to Burnaby. I checked into the Westin Suites, and he was happy the business trip was finished. I appreciated the auto glass industry insight he had found in Pennsylvania. However, he did not want to be a part of the deal making.
I wanted to work with a team to incorporate the auto glass industry needs into software with a software team. He was looking forward to having management take care of the business side of the software, as I unpacked my bag for the last night in Philadelphia. Then, he decided to take a walk to see how far he was from the airport for the next morning because he was running out of money. He left the Westin heading northwest on Island Ave / PA-291 toward Bartram Ave before turning left at Bartram Ave / PA-291 for a kilometre. He could see the airport another kilometre away, and he decided he would walk the next morning to save money on a cab. He would build in an hour to take the walk in the morning, and he decided to stop for a drink near the Hampton Inn at Bartram and 88th Street.
I ordered a pint in the bar, and as always he kept to himself. He chose a seat where he could keep both the entry traffic and bar patrons in front of him. He considered the mild letter of intent he had signed as a positive start, and the industry input he had absorbed on the trip was valuable. Some of the existing claim processing companies could represent insurance companies while connected to the Onlineglass-com database for spot checking claims outside of normal parameters, and the wholesale auto glass industry fit into the shared database as he had originally planned. He paid cash for a second pint, and he was pleased that the blond man and women from Sky Harbor International airport did not reappear during my trip. The trip had gone quietly other than that dark haired man staring at him during the Cheese Steak in downtown Philadelphia. He felt that he should have recognized him, and he definitely kept looking in their direction as they ate. I finished my beer, and as I left, I once again had a feeling that I was being watched. He walked back to the Westin thinking he was just being paranoid. He slept.
On Monday November 10th 1997, I woke up at 8:00 AM to shower and pack my bags for the flight back to Vancouver. I stood at the Westin desk waiting for my turn to check out of the room, and while he checked out he thought he caught a glimpse of the blond haired man on the stairs. However, he checked out and wheeled his bag out of the hotel. He walked northwest on Island Ave / PA-291 toward Bartram Ave where he turned left at Bartram Ave / PA-291 past the Hampton Inn. I continued my walk to S Gov Printz Blvd where he walked right to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). I checked in to get my boarding pass, and once again I kept my luggage with him on the plane. He waited for my flight on Southwest 560 to board at 10:35 hours for Phoenix in the domestic Gates, and my flight arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor International at 13:35 hours local time.
I pulled my luggage from the Terminal 4 Gates to Terminal 2 with special attention for anyone he would recognize. I arrived at Terminal 2 with my boarding tag, and I cleared customs to board my Canadian Airlines flight at 14:40 hours for Vancouver. The non stop flight arrived in Vancouver at 16:00 hours where my friend Bob was able to meet him at the airport. Bob drove from Vancouver International Airport in Vancouver to Burnaby where I was happy to be finished my first trip for Onlineglass-com. Their was a lot of hope for the project, and the industry participants appeared to support the concepts built into the Onlineglass-com project. I had a few drinks with Garth and Bob before they left and I went to sleep with Bertha by my side.
The next few days saw I emailing Bill in Philadelphia regarding my safe return to Vancouver, and I arranged to meet Garth and Joan regarding the trip to Philadelphia the following weekend. The trip had cost Onlineglass-com close to a thousand dollars Canadian, however it did appear to be worth the effort. The existence of Onlineglass-com as an alternative to NAGS was becoming a seed in the auto glass industry which would continue to grow in the future. There was always the problem of the Black Van in the alley, and while I knew "The Note" was never delivered, I was concerned about my safety. He was concerned about Jimmy The Junkie, his Crew, and the Clan from Clavet. Then, Telus Bells rang on November 14th 1997. It was my cousin Calvin. Calvin was with the RCMP.
In the middle of November, I had less than $1, 000.00 in the HSBC account. While, he could dry out the account after the Philadelphia trip for living expenses, he decided he would apply for Social Assistance. The money from Joan would not last long, and he did not want to use it for living expenses. He was broke, and he wanted to continue with the software project for the auto glass industry. He was convinced the industry would benefit from the application of the Onlineglass-com software after the Philadelphia trip. The Internet potential was finally starting to take root in the general population with "27% of nonusers believing the Internet will become a "necessity" for their job and family, while 17% stated that they believe the Internet will replace existing media such as television, newspapers, and magazines." Internet Explorer 4.0 was moving forward with the addition of Dynamic HTML (DHTML) expanding Web developers control over content and style. I believed the auto glass shops would eventually see the advantage of a shared database. He had hope.
I would have to return the voice mail from my cousin Calvin at the RCMP in Abbotsford. I thought it was ironic that he had waived the "The Note" at the Black Van. He knew what he was doing that night. He knew "The Note" never made it to Crime Stoppers. He knew what they would do after the letter to the Piccadilly Pub. He knew that the Canada Post Mailbox pointed north to the Northwest Territories. He knew the note never made it through sleet or snow. He didn't expect the note to make it through. Yet, the irony was that the RCMP was on the phone. His new phone line with Telus rang the bells clearly from Abbotsford. There was a message to return a call to Calvin with his phone number in Abbotsford. Calvin had called I and he asked him in a message to return his call. I was quite confused about the call, as he was not expecting it. I did recognize the name. Calvin is my first cousin on my mothers side of the family from St. Brieux Saskatchewan. I assumed that Calvin must have gotten the phone number from the phone book? He was listed.
I stalled making the phone call while he thought about his trip to Philadelphia. The software he had conceptualized was designed for people in the United States who dominated world affairs. The Reserve Basin was a legacy of conflict. The Americans were barely out of Vietnam before they were in Korea after two American soldiers were killed by North Korean soldiers in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea while cutting down a tree. Then, they were in Lebanon in 1976 with helicopters evacuating 250 Americans and Europeans from Lebanon during fighting between the Lebanese. Then in 1978 in Zaire the Americans decided to meddle in supporting the Belgians and French. I was really sickened about my customers history in the middle east and especially Iran in 1980 when they fought to keep the Shah of Iran in power to kill off his people. The killing for black gold? They challenged the brutality of the Romans in a different time when the primitives were anything but civilized?
I returned Calvin's call after listening to his voice mailbox several times. He remembered Calvin from when they were young. Calvin was about 15 years older than I was in St. Brieux. Calvin was Robert's son on my mothers side of the family. Calvin went on in the voicemail to say that it was important for me to return his call regarding a personal matter. Without the voice mail, I would have missed Calvin's call. Now, he was easily found with name in the Telus directory. That's how Calvin must would have located him, but why would Calvin be calling as they had not met in 15 years? I decided to returned Calvin's call to discover that the phone number was for the RCMP detachment in Abbotsford. After all, Calvin had joined the RCMP after high school in St. Brieux about 30 years ago when I was still a child in St. Brieux Saskatchewan. It made complete sense. My call was transferred by the front desk in the detachment to Calvin's office. The line rang a couple of times, before Calvin's voicemail picked up for him. I was asked to leave a message.
I left a message for Calvin on Friday November 14th 1997 where he identified himself. He explained to Calvin that he was returning Calvin's original call. I confirmed that he had received the original voice message, and I left my phone number in a traditional phone tag pursuit. Finally, at the end of my voice message, I said, "I would call back to follow up in a couple of days" if I did not hear from Calvin at the RCMP detachment in Abbotsford. Meanwhile, I spent the rest of the day working on the data arrays for the Onlineglass-com database. He continued to ponder what Calvin was calling about from the Abbotsford RCMP. It turned into one of those nights where the Black Van was very active in the back of the house. However, I figured maybe Jimmy the Junkie, his Crew, and the Clan from Clavet would just give it up! He didn't owe Jimmy the Junkie and his Crew any money! Yet, the Clan from Clavet did make the trip to Philadelphia? He worked late into the early morning guarded by his camera in the window, before he went to sleep to awake the next afternoon for the CFL playoff game on television.
The next morning on November 15th, I awoke in time for the Western Final with my favourite team the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the western final. I checked my voicemail to find yet another message from Calvin. He had slept through the call. This message was more detailed. Since, Calvin Godart was a RCMP officer in Abbotsford in 1997, Leo had asked him for help in contacting I. Calvin explained in the voice mail that he was trying to contact I for Leo. I was relieved that was why Calvin had tracked him down at 88 Ranelagh Avenue in Burnaby. I phoned Calvin to thank him for the message. Once again, I ended up at the front desk which transferred my call to Calvin's office. The phone rang through a few times, and once again I ended up in voicemail. I left a message for Calvin, which included my thanks for his efforts in finding me for Leo. He promised to contact Leo in St. Brieux. While, Calvin and I made two calls each, they actually exchanged messages while never speaking to each other directly. Meanwhile, the CFL game began on the television computer in the computer room guarded by a camera.
On November 15th, I watched the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat the Edmonton Eskimos is a nail biter. His team won 31 to 30 in the last few seconds of the game. Then, I prepared himself to call my brother in St. Brieux Saskatchewan. While, I knew my father had passed away in the spring of 1997 in New Westminster when I received my brothers letter, I had avoided contact with Leo. Jimmy the Junkie, Little Mike, Mike, and Jeff were already working him in New Westminster. There was also the events on Columbia Street in New Westminster. I was just hoping that there was no more bad news as he called Leo's number after the game. The end of the game and the time zone differences would make it an evening call for Leo. I felt guilty, and the call dialled through the lines. He missed 7 years of their lives to avoid the stigma of the town drunks son! The phone connected.
Leo and I talked about Leo's new family with his wife Judy. I learnt that Leo and Judy had a baby boy which they named Jonah, after their grandfather Joe. My mother was living in Fort St. James, BC. While, Leo was bringing me up to speed on changes in his life, I realized I had not seen the town drunk for the last 10 years. I never went back to St. Brieux to visit for years, nor had I spoken to the town drunk in 10 years. Finally, Leo worked his way to telling me the town drunk was dead.
Once again, I was not surprised by the news. He had received the letter Leo had mailed in New Westminster in the spring. He was just numb from the news, again. No tears. No emotion. Just numb. Perhaps relieved. Leo had asked Calvin to help find I when he met Calvin at Uncle Roberts funeral in St. Brieux. Uncle Robert had passed away after a short period of Parkinson disease, and Calvin went to St. Brieux for the funeral. That explains why Calvin made his approach at the time that he did, and I felt more emotion for Calvin's father's death than the news of the town drunks death. While catching up on the news, Leo told I that their was a little money from the town drunks estate which had been split between the three Children. Leo had asked Calvin to contact I because of the estate. Leo was the executor of the will, and he wanted to finish settling the estate. Then, Leo asked if I would visit for Christmas in December?
I explained that he could possibly try for Christmas, however he did not have a lot of money while trying to start a new business. He explained that he was trying to get a business going involving Auto Glass Shops and the software they use in the shops. Leo volunteered hope. He said the money was at the Credit Union in St. Brieux. Leo said I should call the St. Brieux Credit Union to make arrangements for the money. I had agreed that I would call the St. Brieux Credit Union, and Leo expressed his interest in having me come for a visit during the upcoming fat red devil festival called Christmas. I arranged to get back to Leo and Judy, and I would let them know if a visit was possible. Then Leo and I promised not to loose touch with each other, again. It was a long call, but the Telus bells eventually went back on the receiver. I absorbed the news for the rest of the weekend, and he planned to phone the bank on Monday. Should I risk a visit? Should I risk his family? He should call the bank. Meanwhile, Jimmy the Junkie, his Crew, and the Clan from Clavet scuffled noisily on the white crushed rock along the side of the house. I thinks they were listening about the money on Saturday November 15th 1997?
The weekend wore through Saturday night and Sunday, as I digested my situation. The television computer barked out the controversy of the PacifiCats costs being built by BC Ferries. They were falling behind schedule and the costs were rising. The ships was being built in the Vancouver Shipyards by the NDP (New Democratic Party) to improve the capacity, speed, and service along the Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver). They were considered to become the "Fast Cat's" while I waited patiently for Monday to call the St. Brieux Credit Union. Leo and I had talked about their father Henry Yves Joseph Rohel. The town drunk died in the spring of 1997. He drank heavily all his life. He was the town drunk in a one tavern town. The town drunk not only drank himself to death, but he was a really ugly drunk while doing it. I worked my way through the weekend, and he phoned the St. Brieux Credit Union in Saskatchewan regarding the estate on Monday the 17th of November 1997 in the morning.
On Monday morning he dialled the number for information to get the St. Brieux Credit Union phone number. I considered my conversation with Leo about the ceremony they had in church for the town drunk in my absence. There was a memorial for the town drunk just outside of St. Brieux at Carre Marie church near Naicam. While Leo explained the church proceedings my mind was jolted back by the reply "St. Brieux Credit Union how may I help you"? The Credit Union had lent me the money for my mobile home in Saskatoon, however he was nervous. The small town bank had lent the town drunks son money for a mobile home while he was a minor. However, after checking several accounts the Credit Union asked how he would like the funds. They suggested that it would be appropriate to send the standard bank paperwork by mail. I agreed and he thanked them for all their help. They said goodbye, and Rohel waited for Canada Post on Monday November 17th 1997 to deliver the paperwork while he worked on the project.
Time is the most precious part of the Universe!
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