Bowen's Cycle Commute Journal

Tommy Douglas, the great Canadian social democrat, once said “Every worker deserves a vacation.”  By “worker”, I don’t think Douglas meant to include summer students. But my friend (Big H on Instagram, Biggie in this story)  and I took his words to heart.  In the summer of 1979, for reasons that I still can’t fully explain, Biggie and I decided that we’d celebrate the end of our summer work terms and treat ourselves to a nice little trip.  I for one, needed the break.  I worked that summer in a biology lab at the University of Waterloo.  My duties included  “harvesting” sperm cells from semen collected from  mice, fish and roosters.   The unofficial job title of  “Rooster Booster” was not one I planned to feature on a resume. Calling it quits a week early was an easy decision to make.  As for our destination, Biggie and I settled on The Bahamas.  Lying on a beach sounded like the perfect way to relax and recharge.  ...