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Norm Macdonald鈥檚 passing recalls memories of nightmare visit to B.C.

Macdonald joked about terrible bed-and-breakfast experience on Vancouver Island
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Canadian comic Norm Macdonald arrives at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day at The Langham Huntington Hotel on April 2, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Invision - Chris Pizzello)

Canadian comic Norm Macdonald has died, leaving behind countless stories and jokes, including an unpleasant vacation he once took to Victoria.

In an interview from 1998, the Quebec-born comedian and Saturday Night Live anchor told David Letterman about his regretful decision to book a bed-and-breakfast on the Island.

鈥淭he idea is you go there, it鈥檚 a guy鈥檚 house and you live in his room and then he makes you some breakfast,鈥 Macdonald joked in his signature deadpan manner.

When Macdonald arrived at the 鈥済uy鈥檚 house鈥 he was greeted by a gruff old man he called ol鈥 Harold Delaney, who showed Macdonald 鈥 the only guest for the night 鈥 to his room. As Macdonald was settling in to sleep, he said a knock came at his door.

鈥淎nd I figure, uh oh, ol鈥 Harold Delaney wants to have sex with me,鈥 Macdonald said.

But, no, the old bed-and-breakfast owner was simply after a game of Scrabble.

Macdonald told Letterman he went first and laid down 鈥淩ABBIT鈥, a word he felt moderately proud of, before watching in disbelief as ol鈥 Harold Delaney took half an hour to produce 鈥淗AT鈥 only to place it across the triple-word score, nowhere near Macdonald鈥檚 鈥淩ABBIT.鈥

Macdonald said he let it slide and continued to produce words like 鈥淪LEIGH鈥 and 鈥淎VOCADO,鈥 building off his own words, while ol鈥 Harold Delaney produced 鈥淐UP鈥 and other miscellaneous object words placing them wherever he pleased.

鈥淚鈥檓 playing excellently, I should be in the lead, but instead I鈥檓 like a thousand points behind,鈥 Macdonald joked. Finally, as the old man laid out 鈥淏OOT鈥 across a triple-word score Macdonald was aiming for, he called ol鈥 Harold Delaney out on his game.

鈥淲ha? You鈥檝e never heard tell of a boot?鈥 Macdonald said the old man responded with exasperation.

The next morning, Macdonald said he woke up hungry and was looking forward to the breakfast part of the bed-and-breakfast, but when he asked ol鈥 Harold Delaney what was on the menu, the only response he got was, 鈥淚 never been much for breakfast.鈥

鈥淪o I go, 鈥業 guess I鈥檒l go down to McDonald鈥檚 and pick up some breakfast or something鈥,鈥 Macdonald said. 鈥淎nd Harold goes, 鈥楥an you pick me up an Egg McMuffin?鈥

Macdonald鈥檚 death was confirmed Tuesday (Sept. 14) by his management agency after a long, private battle with cancer. He was 61.

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