Hicks on Six Expires Soon

[jon]

Not quite yet

I’ve mentioned this before in the column, but let’s make it semi-official, especially since Marty Forbes coaxed it out of me for an upcoming interview in The Edmontonians magazine.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, I will retire from the Edmonton Sun after my 60th birthday at the end of this year.

When I turned 50, I made a promise to myself and my wife.

If I was fortunate enough in this world of constant change to stay on Page Six as a columnist for another 10 years, I would move on at 60.

It was and continues to be a wonderful run. I am so grateful to The Sun for 18 deeply satisfying years on Page Six and for 28 years in total of non-stop reporting, editing and commentary.

I plan on making my 60s the most interesting, fun time of my life.

I hope to be more entrepreneurial, more project-driven, take a few risks, do things I’ve not had time to do, discover who I am outside this delightful but all-consuming bath.

No good-byes yet. Dec. 31 is a way’s away.

Art of Conversation XLV

Capital FM’s Rob Christie, Audie Lynds and myself will bring Art of Conversation XLV back to an Outback Steak- house on Thursday, April 29, starting at 4 p.m.

This time it’s the renovated Outback Steakhouse in the west end, directly across from West Edmonton Mall at 17118 90 Ave. Regional manager Jeff Balchin promises the same outstanding service as was the case at the Outback North three years ago for Art of Conversation XVIII.

Hicks on Six, Edmonton Sun - by Graham Hicks

[jon]

Naturopaths, bull-riding and rock ’n’ roll

What made the Art of Conversation XLV, the 45th gathering of our “conversation club” to be exact, last Thursday at the westend Outback Steak House tick?

My first conversation was with naturopath Herbert DeloRey. Herbert described a new naturopathic tool measuring some medically important brain output. Fascinating folks, naturopaths, but I haven’t a clue what they are talking about!

Chatting with bus driver Garth Springett, we were joined by Doug Stacey who regaled us with great stories from his bull-riding rodeo days.

Who was at the bar but Bruce McGillivray! The retired Royal Alberta Museum director is now a full-time musician in the band Six Feet Up that plays Edmonton in summers, Phoenix during the winter.

In walked Edmontonians’ publisher Sharon MacLean bearing a stack of the fresh-off-the-press magazines headlining my year-end retirement plans in Marty Forbes’ media column with a front-page photo by Terry Bourque and the caption “Hicks, the long goodbye.” Thanks Sharon!

And so it goes with Art of Conversation, a series of chats fuelled by a brewski or wine, with the understanding that it’s perfectly OK, actually expected, to strike up and enjoy a conversation with a stranger who’ll be a friend at the next Art of Conversation.

Seems to work. Four years on and it keeps growing!

Thank you, Jeff Balchin of the Outback. The service was great, the Outback munchies delicious.

Art of Conversation XLVI will be at the end of the month once Capital FM’s Rob Christie and I get around to nailing a location and date. Probably downtown.

ref. - http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/columni ... 13401.html