The Gumboot Community (begrudgingly) Expands

Hi there readers!*

It's my pleasure to introduce you to a couple of new contributors to The Weekly Gumboot.

The first, really, needs no introduction. Her name is Ms. Theodora Lamb (or 'Theo', if she likes you). Holding the editorial staff to task (again, my most sincere and profound apologies for not mentioning the positive contributions of people who stand around - or direct traffic - as we push cars towards community) and being generally and wonderfully dramatic, are only a few of the saucy attributes that our red-headed friend brings to the staff at The Weekly Gumboot. Theo even owns gumboots, and has been wearing 'em proudly way, way, way before they were cool enough to be sold in Kits.

Second on the list is Stewart Burgess. He needs an introduction, as I'm not clever enough to do him justice. "Stewart Burgess" might even be an alias. So, I'll let him do the talking. Or, better yet, writing. Below is a totally out-of-context excerpt from Stew's reply following my invitation for him to join the Gumboot's writing and ideas team. As you will undoubtedly see, there's no one-dimensional, dogmatic, top-down editorial line here at Vancouver's coolest up-and-coming blog. No, my friends. There are at least two sides of this story.

Enjoy!

"I'd love to contribute the occasional article to your on-line publication.

However, I am not entirely supportive of the merville-centric nature of your efforts (got to have a little hometown pride; perhaps it could be called 'Coffins or Kids?' or 'One homeless man's guide to warm-air grates' as I am from Victoria). At the same time I do appreciate the plurality inherent to 'the gumboot'. Equally at home on the farm or the club --at least in Vancouver--these versatile devices have garnered much attention recently (witness the plethora of gumboot-only stores on 4th and Broadway!). I myself own a handsome pair of blue and white yatching boots, which I am told are a cut above the common gumboot, despite the seemingly exact similarities in construction technique and material choice. They are now at your service. Well, the owner is as I am not sure you'd want to share in the intimacies of my various foot fungi/sweat patterns.

Let me know what I need to do."

Stew. You just need to keep being awesome. We're lucky to have you aboard and look forward to further anti-Merville, pro-community and lukewarm-gumboot espousals and commentary. Thanks for the memories.

A tres bientot.

- JCH

*(my overly-supportive parents and my friend "The Professor"* who lives at the Commercial/Broadway Sky Train station and yells angrily at people who are checking their email at Blenz or browsing their blackberry in the B-Line bus line up until they let him skim the most recent Gumboot entry).