Turtles, Peak employees in love

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turtles Bubbles and Squirt

TURTLE LOVE -- Popular bandleader Danny Kramer, often seen in formal penguin gear at prestigious galas and weddings, has a strange and unusual family life. He and his wife, Wendy, have two trained adult turtles at home, affectionate members of the family.

"You just pat the floor, whump-whump-whump, and call them, like this," says Kramer. "And they come running."

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Danny Kramer and his wife, Wendy, have turtle love.

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Larry McIntosh and his bride, Shelley, celebrate their Mexican honeymoon

Bubbles (a male, age 23) and Squirt (a female, 22), will strain to stand up tall on their stubby front legs to get picked up and cuddled.

Wendy, now a University of Manitoba student adviser, bought the tiny turtles with her birthday money when she turned 10 years old.

"She treated them with love and attention, like any other pet, and she has completely socialized them," says Kramer.

They were "toilet trained" using flat tubs. Loving warmth, the turtles sleep in a pile of towels in the toasty bathroom at night, often tucked up beside the Kramers' cat Topaz.

"They like his nice, warm belly," says Kramer.

And, get this. These red-eared sliders can live 50 to 70 years.

Says Kramer with a laugh: "They're going to get the house, because we don't have any kids!"

And here's their sweet Valentine story for you.

"They're not brother and sister. I think of them as a married couple," says Kramer. "The male adores the female and wants to be everywhere she is. He'll look all around the house until he finds her. If he's upstairs and she's downstairs, and there's no one there to carry him, he'll tuck and roll, bumping down the steps to get to her."

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PEAK OF THE ROMANCE -- Honeymoon couple Larry and Shelley McIntosh are just back from the Mayan Riviera.

"We sat on the beach, ate great food and gazed into each others' eyes," says McIntosh.

Both he and his wife work at Peak of the Market, so it's fitting the romantic 50-somethings had pineapple and carrot cupcakes at their Jan. 14 wedding. Did the bride, who wore a divine cherry-red dress with narrow straps, carry an artful bouquet of veggies? "No! You have no idea how many people suggested that," says McIntosh.

They were married at the Delta hotel by Mayor Sam Katz, and Joey Gregorash sang his hit song Together at the ceremony.

"We had 145 guests, all who purchased tickets for $150.10 each. We predict the net proceeds, which will go to CancerCare Manitoba, will be over $6,000."

Guests included Vickar Community Chevrolet's Larry Vickar, Shindico's Sandy Shindleman, philanthropists John and Bonnie Buhler, CJOB's Geoff Currier, Ari Driver of Perfume Paradise, Assiniboia Downs track announcer Darren Dunn, Blue Bomber Obby Khan, Variety's Club's Wayne Rogers, Winnipeg Harvest's David Northcott, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce's Wendy Stephenson, and fundraising guru Louis Trepel.

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VALENTINE'S BASH FOR SINGLES -- Psst! Are you single, not just wishing you were? (That doesn't count!) A couple hundred singles, late 30s to 50s, are descending on the Masonic Centre, 420 Corydon Ave., on Saturday, Feb. 4 for a Valentine's bash thrown by the Adventures for Successful Singles club. Music is Top-40, Latino with some romantic slow dancing. The hook is you have to wear something red. Club owner Ray Antymis says that's not so hard, even for unimaginative guys. "One year a guy showed up in red leather pants at our Valentine's dance. Can you imagine? But usually it means red socks, shoes, pants, even a bandana." For women? "Well, it's completely open, isn't it? And you should see all the different hues of red the women wear!" Smorgasbord and dance is $25; dance only, $15. For tickets, call 775-3484.

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SUCH A DEAL! -- The winners of the Manitoba and northwestern Ontario Toastmasters' humour contests this year present their award-winning speeches/yarns for a ticket price of only $2 on Saturday at 7 p.m. "These speakers are all awards winners who have competed to make us chortle, giggle and guffaw," says Catriona Younger, president of St. Ignatius Toastmasters. Hot tip: If you want one of the last tickets, get there at 6:30 p.m. at the south-side entrance of St. Ignatius Church, located at Stafford Street and Corydon Avenue. Speakers include Chris Mackling from the aerospace industry, professor Rick White from Brandon, Stu Cummings, who's the District 64 contest winner from Sioux Lookout, Ont., the Dream Factory's Marivic Tuazon from St. Vital, junior high teacher Sheryl Berglund from Steinbach and teacher Jason Athayde from the home St. Ignatius club.

Got tips, events, sightings, unusual things going on? Call Maureen's tip line at 474-1116, email Maureen.Scurfield@Winnipegfreepress.com or send mail to the Insider c/o the Winnipeg Free Press at 1355 Mountain Ave. Winnipeg R2X 3B6

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 3, 2012 B2