the "Moose" Moniker

When I was 9 we moved to Ottawa, Ontario.  We moved in December, and driving North East on highway 7 was like a scene from Kamouraska; snow, woods, snow.  For a kid from Toronto, it was a little alarming.  At that age I was NOT pleased about moving (I am convinced that there are life changes at age 9 that rival those of the teenage years, and even menopause.  I think there is an exit from childhood that is really tough.  Carole Hay once said to me that "nine is the saddest age") and I wasn't keen on making friends.

The funny thing is, when I started at my new school, everyone thought I was this other kid's sister.  This other kid was named Danny Burns, and he was this short, freckled, Irish-looking kid who everyine assumed I was related to.  I was also short, freckled, and Irish looking, believe it or not, so of course we became friends.  We carried this ruse that he was my brother all the way into high school. 

Sometime in grade 6, Danny Burns started calling me "Moose", based on the fact that I was always the smallest kid in the class.  I think he may have been referring to the character in the Archie comics, the giant blonde one, called Moose.  I think I revealed this in a moment of stupid candour to Roger Price, and after gleefully rubbing his hands and likely compulsively combing his hair, he decided to make it part of the show. 
 

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