merry christmas to everyone out there. this was taken on boxing day, and yes, we had a white christmas, fortunately. hope this finds everyone well and rested. Happy new year...
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Calgary at Dusk2
Guess who got a new camera??? yes, after three months of taking shitty pics with my cell phone camera, i decided to make the plunge and buy it. This was taken during the deep freeze from which we are just exiting in calgary now. we had a day of 0 degrees this week, but the rest have all been below 10, reaching a pit of -40 with the wind chill. Needless to say, as we haven't yet entered the tradtional deep freeze months of january and february, this winter is going to be a long, chilly affair.
i was talking with a friend last night over a couple of beers about a number of different things, and he mentioned the Al Gore movie out right now. I haven't seen it yet, though i have every intention of doing so. He was mentioning how upset he was by it, or motivated/worried. And, he's right to be. If you look at the state of the world, there aren't very many places where you can just be and not worry. there is something effed up in every corner. Stephen Hawking said just yesterday that if the human race is going to survive, then we'll have to colonize other planets in distant galaxies. Matthew Good mentioned on his blog something to the effect of if you're unconcerned with the world at this point, then you are ignorant of the facts.
It's just so tempting though, to be ignorant, as they say that's bliss. It just seems so hard when everyone has their own struggles every day to also devote time to everything you worry about. We concluded in our conversation that definitely you have to choose one thing to commit to to try and affect...be it hunger, human rights, the native struggle, global warming, endangered species, animal cruelty, GM foods, etc. otherwise, you'll be truly ineffective, and left feeling helpless. Then you can devote the rest of your time to self-centered activities that make you happy.
i was talking with a friend last night over a couple of beers about a number of different things, and he mentioned the Al Gore movie out right now. I haven't seen it yet, though i have every intention of doing so. He was mentioning how upset he was by it, or motivated/worried. And, he's right to be. If you look at the state of the world, there aren't very many places where you can just be and not worry. there is something effed up in every corner. Stephen Hawking said just yesterday that if the human race is going to survive, then we'll have to colonize other planets in distant galaxies. Matthew Good mentioned on his blog something to the effect of if you're unconcerned with the world at this point, then you are ignorant of the facts.
It's just so tempting though, to be ignorant, as they say that's bliss. It just seems so hard when everyone has their own struggles every day to also devote time to everything you worry about. We concluded in our conversation that definitely you have to choose one thing to commit to to try and affect...be it hunger, human rights, the native struggle, global warming, endangered species, animal cruelty, GM foods, etc. otherwise, you'll be truly ineffective, and left feeling helpless. Then you can devote the rest of your time to self-centered activities that make you happy.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Thom Yorke--Atoms for Peace
I just started playing with adobe premiere pro the other day..this is my first video from there. things are going well...school is crazy hectic, but i'm enjoying it...i don't blog much any more...maybe i'm happier now or something...anyway, yeah, things are awesome here....hope everyone is doing well.
I just started playing with adobe premiere pro the other day..this is my first video from there. things are going well...school is crazy hectic, but i'm enjoying it...i don't blog much any more...maybe i'm happier now or something...anyway, yeah, things are awesome here....hope everyone is doing well.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
first year of hockey
ah, the memories are ripe as another hockey season fast-approaches. Peter Mahr's voice will soon be ringing loud in my tv-less house. Of course, i can't go to a flames game anymore, as the season is already sold out, with 14 to 15 thousand season's tickets in advance. anyway, haven't been doing shit-all bloggin of late because i dropped my camera and broke it. as well, i'm genuinely happy with my life right now, and don't have much to complain about...until i preview the news sites and see what is happening in the world. What do people think of the Thai coup that happened lately? What about vietnemese food? salad rolls???dammit, those have to be the best things going. I'm sure that we have more than 400 Vietnemese noodle houses in calgary right now, and new ones opening all the time..quite an insatiable taste for noodles us beef lovers have. ta
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Sunshine Meadows, Alberta
Does anyone else think that we have reached a cultural low in this world? How many times do we have to be inundated with stupid pranks, people copying jackass, or just general benevolence as far as the world outside of the city goes before it becomes too much? I'm tired of the norm of decency towards human beings being shifted towards the acceptance of assholes, attention-seekers, and general goofs. I don't feel better watching that crap, and at what point does it become too much? I'm not becoming a centrist leaning right, or anything like that. But, there is a richness in culture available to everyone...ideas...the internet is full of them, as are libararies and people we talk to. We can become more intelligent..rather than dumbed down, as is what appears to be happening. We can only improve society through education and learning, and wanting to learn, striving to learn..not through paint-balling people on the street, or dropping rocks off of bridges onto cars. Bam Margera is a self-centered man who has done nothing to improve or positively affect society.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
clarity?
'officially' started work today, meaning that I got paid for being at the schoo, even though i've been there every day for about a week now. Teaching is one of those strange professions where you put in just about as much time outside of the school, therefore unpaid, as you do while you are there. No overtime to bank up, no bonus cheques...not that i'm complaining...we knew that going in, and plus, we get paid summers and 2 weeks at christmas etc etc, so it's all good. I feel myself getting stuck in a routine again, which is kind of hard to take, but I don't really have a choice. When you're a workhorse, your options and energy become less and less. I am taking spanish courses twice per week starting in sept. , and I want to join a gym, but we'll see. I've been running 5 km every other day, which has really helped..
but, whenever i'm stuck in a place, i start to feel the itch to leave...i think they call that wanderlust. I've been chatting with lots of buddies still overseas...one in japan, 2 in korea, and one buddy doing the europe rounds right now... and i'm pretty jealous. I've been thinking lots of Mongolia for some reason, lately. I'd love to go horsebackriding over there, or mountain biking..seems pretty unchartered. or siberia...both? + Japan????
Anybody following the liberal leadership race? Ignatieff? Brison? I have no idea..i know Ignatieff has as huge career outside the country as a journalist and scholar, and he's obviously smart...but, he was pro-war back in 2003, and that's a huge strike....i want someone good to take out harper...that's all...please???
but, whenever i'm stuck in a place, i start to feel the itch to leave...i think they call that wanderlust. I've been chatting with lots of buddies still overseas...one in japan, 2 in korea, and one buddy doing the europe rounds right now... and i'm pretty jealous. I've been thinking lots of Mongolia for some reason, lately. I'd love to go horsebackriding over there, or mountain biking..seems pretty unchartered. or siberia...both? + Japan????
Anybody following the liberal leadership race? Ignatieff? Brison? I have no idea..i know Ignatieff has as huge career outside the country as a journalist and scholar, and he's obviously smart...but, he was pro-war back in 2003, and that's a huge strike....i want someone good to take out harper...that's all...please???
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
PARTY. KIPLING. LABOUR DAY LONG WEEKEND
So, this guy in the red shirt started an idea about a year and a bit ago, to trade from a paperclip to a house. Well, the son of did it. he really did it. and now, he's going to have a party. on labour day. i'm going. are you? should be fun...there is a beer gardens. It's a nice central location in kipling, in sask, and in canada in general. what better way to end the summer than this???? so, think about it! i know most people won't want to put in the time blah blah blah, but, risk it and you'll have fun, guaranteed. laters
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
doaner and wanner
it seems that during ball tournaments, all rules of society are wiped out...norms, actually laws, and even personal values. Take these two, for example. On any ordinary weekend, not only would they never ride a bike like this, the people of Hanna would never let the ride a bike like this...but, all that changes on slo-pitch weekends.
I thought of a pretty neat side-story for a seinfeld episode the other day..does anyone else do that? anyway, it involves Kramer, and I think it really could have worked.
He phones a random company, let's say the telephone company, and gets put on hold. At first, he's all indignant, of course. But, as time goes bye, and he's still on the line, he hears their playlist of songs, and decides he really likes it.
As the episode goes on, Kramer's struggle is to trying to be put on hold at the company, just so he can hear their play list.
He calls and asks to be put on hold.
When his call is finally answered, he says, in his Kramery way that no, he doesn't need anything, and that he wants to be put on hold again.
Of course, this disrupts the company, as they can't get to as many customers as they would like to (or maybe they're improving service, and answering calls faster). Either way, it's bad for Kramer's playlist desire.
So, he probably uses two lines, his and Jerry's...maybe Newman gets involved.
In the end, they all end up losing their phone service or something.
That could work, could it not?????
If only this was 12 years ago that I thought of it. And if only I knew Larry David.
If anyone knows Larry David, pass this on to him.
Ball tournament in Byemoor this weekend..home of Darcy Tucker. This is the biggest, baddest, redneck tourny out there. Sure not to disappoint.
I thought of a pretty neat side-story for a seinfeld episode the other day..does anyone else do that? anyway, it involves Kramer, and I think it really could have worked.
He phones a random company, let's say the telephone company, and gets put on hold. At first, he's all indignant, of course. But, as time goes bye, and he's still on the line, he hears their playlist of songs, and decides he really likes it.
As the episode goes on, Kramer's struggle is to trying to be put on hold at the company, just so he can hear their play list.
He calls and asks to be put on hold.
When his call is finally answered, he says, in his Kramery way that no, he doesn't need anything, and that he wants to be put on hold again.
Of course, this disrupts the company, as they can't get to as many customers as they would like to (or maybe they're improving service, and answering calls faster). Either way, it's bad for Kramer's playlist desire.
So, he probably uses two lines, his and Jerry's...maybe Newman gets involved.
In the end, they all end up losing their phone service or something.
That could work, could it not?????
If only this was 12 years ago that I thought of it. And if only I knew Larry David.
If anyone knows Larry David, pass this on to him.
Ball tournament in Byemoor this weekend..home of Darcy Tucker. This is the biggest, baddest, redneck tourny out there. Sure not to disappoint.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
this is a vid from just after a goal in river stadium...i love u tube. so, yeah, i've been rockin out lately...ball tournament last weekend that I coached our team to victory in...great times, check out the pics if you like...i wouldn't recommend the videos to everyone. what else?? um, just got my ass kicked mountain biking for two days...saddle sores etc. I went out with one of my buddies who likes to really push himself hard, and man, i'm so out of shape, i couldn't push myself at all. anyhoo, take care and enjoy the vids...
this is a vid from just after a goal in river stadium...i love u tube. so, yeah, i've been rockin out lately...ball tournament last weekend that I coached our team to victory in...great times, check out the pics if you like...i wouldn't recommend the videos to everyone. what else?? um, just got my ass kicked mountain biking for two days...saddle sores etc. I went out with one of my buddies who likes to really push himself hard, and man, i'm so out of shape, i couldn't push myself at all. anyhoo, take care and enjoy the vids...
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Nearing Sunshine Village
time does have a strange way of flying when you are having fun...though it seemed like ana was here for a long time, looking back now, on the day she left, she was here for exactly one month, actually a little less because she arrived in the afternoon and left this morning at 1015, so there you have it...less than a month. but we had tons of fun, a few arguments, and now my place seems much emptier than it was a few hours ago. This time, though we promised to see each other again, it's going to be a long time in between even possibly being able to see one another, so that's scary in itself.
it's the little things that people miss the most, because you can always phone friends and be with someone...but you get used to how a person is, how they touch you, how they breathe, how they look at you...and then suddenly it is gone, and you feel incomplete because those things that were always there have vanished, and can't be replaced by phone calls and email.
it's the little things that people miss the most, because you can always phone friends and be with someone...but you get used to how a person is, how they touch you, how they breathe, how they look at you...and then suddenly it is gone, and you feel incomplete because those things that were always there have vanished, and can't be replaced by phone calls and email.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Mt. Assiniboine
nothing puts more self doubt, and ultimately satisfaction, than an arduous trek in the mountains. The first 2 km with your packs full of food and bodies adjusting to the weight are the most difficult...after about 3 days, your body is used to the weight, which has gone down from eating, and you feel like you actually could hike for 2 weeks straight.
We started off our trek at Sunshine Village, and crossed some grizzly bear meadows. On the way to our first destination, Og Lake, we passed several meadows, valleys, and uphill killers. At one point, which was likely about 5 pm, we reached a trailhead. We could go left and reach Porcupine campsite in 1 km, basically straight downhill, or we could move on and try to cover the 9.5 km left to Og Lake. We had already come some 13 km. But, we had our hearts set on Og Lake, and that's where we headed...
Finally, as it was getting dark, we came up over a rise, and there, in this picture above, we caught our first glimpse of the lake.,...friggin awesome, as we had had no water in at least 10 km, and ended up drinking out of a puddle...as well, it was getting dark, and no one wants to hike in Grizzly Country in the dark.
So, yeah, we made it 22.5 km the first day..great feeling at the end...torturous in between.
We started off our trek at Sunshine Village, and crossed some grizzly bear meadows. On the way to our first destination, Og Lake, we passed several meadows, valleys, and uphill killers. At one point, which was likely about 5 pm, we reached a trailhead. We could go left and reach Porcupine campsite in 1 km, basically straight downhill, or we could move on and try to cover the 9.5 km left to Og Lake. We had already come some 13 km. But, we had our hearts set on Og Lake, and that's where we headed...
Finally, as it was getting dark, we came up over a rise, and there, in this picture above, we caught our first glimpse of the lake.,...friggin awesome, as we had had no water in at least 10 km, and ended up drinking out of a puddle...as well, it was getting dark, and no one wants to hike in Grizzly Country in the dark.
So, yeah, we made it 22.5 km the first day..great feeling at the end...torturous in between.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Cowan Lake
Well, the ball tournament was everything that it should have been, and everything that I expected. Drunkeness, yelling, and general mayhem ensued, which can only mean good times, and a great cultural experience for ana, cause, yes, in small town alberta, that is culture.
In other news, we're heading out today to go trekking in the mountains for a few days, and then back this weekend to spend it relaxing etc before ana has to go already back to bs. as.
I'm considering moving out of here after 6 months, cause i want a place where I can have a pet, and my landlady is allergic to all things with fur....though she hasn't reacted to me yet, so that's a good sign.
It seems as though the rescue efforts of canadians are going more smoothly now. Canada had the most people out of any country to rescue, and there are likely thousands more to come. We had upwards of 40,000, whereas the states and britain were in the mid-20000.
I had written stephen harper last week to ask him to justify his response to the situation in the middle east, and though he hasn't yet written me back, i did get an email from his staffers...an actual written email..not just general email that would get sent to anyone who writes the prime minister....and they assured me he had read over the email...whether this is true or not remains to be seen.
In regards to my last post, I would like to make something very clear to everyone. I am not a racist or anti-semite. Maybe my word usage was wrong, but my intentions were very clear. I think that it is wrong for one country to bomb another country as Israel has done in Lebanon. The response was too strong, and too many innocent people have been affected.
I am not condoning in any way Hezbollah. I know that they are the ones who sparked this conflict, and have, over the years, inflicted terror upon the state of Israel along its northern borders. I can only imagine what it would be like to live in constant fear of missiles.
But, I cannot be convinced that this bombing of Lebanon was the best plan, and i'm sure i'm not alone. I know that they dropped leaflets telling citizens to leave, giving them advanced warning. However, what if the citizens can't leave, either because the roads are bombed out, they are too poor, or certain family members are immobile? What if they don't want to leave because it is their country, and no persons should have to vacate their houses so another country can potentially bomb them?
Family Bombed Trying to Escape
Kofi's response
CNN article on civilian children affected
UN Response
I think that, in the end, we would all like to see long term peace in the region, which may mean persuading Syriah and Iran to stop funding Hezbollah. In this respect, let it be heard that I agree with Tony Blair and Condi Rice. But, I don't think that the bombing should continue. It's too big a risk to civilians on both sides...a temporary ceasefire may be the answer, followed by a UN buffer zone along the border to allow the Lebanese government to reign in control of those parts of the country that were lost to Hezbollah.
In other news, we're heading out today to go trekking in the mountains for a few days, and then back this weekend to spend it relaxing etc before ana has to go already back to bs. as.
I'm considering moving out of here after 6 months, cause i want a place where I can have a pet, and my landlady is allergic to all things with fur....though she hasn't reacted to me yet, so that's a good sign.
It seems as though the rescue efforts of canadians are going more smoothly now. Canada had the most people out of any country to rescue, and there are likely thousands more to come. We had upwards of 40,000, whereas the states and britain were in the mid-20000.
I had written stephen harper last week to ask him to justify his response to the situation in the middle east, and though he hasn't yet written me back, i did get an email from his staffers...an actual written email..not just general email that would get sent to anyone who writes the prime minister....and they assured me he had read over the email...whether this is true or not remains to be seen.
In regards to my last post, I would like to make something very clear to everyone. I am not a racist or anti-semite. Maybe my word usage was wrong, but my intentions were very clear. I think that it is wrong for one country to bomb another country as Israel has done in Lebanon. The response was too strong, and too many innocent people have been affected.
I am not condoning in any way Hezbollah. I know that they are the ones who sparked this conflict, and have, over the years, inflicted terror upon the state of Israel along its northern borders. I can only imagine what it would be like to live in constant fear of missiles.
But, I cannot be convinced that this bombing of Lebanon was the best plan, and i'm sure i'm not alone. I know that they dropped leaflets telling citizens to leave, giving them advanced warning. However, what if the citizens can't leave, either because the roads are bombed out, they are too poor, or certain family members are immobile? What if they don't want to leave because it is their country, and no persons should have to vacate their houses so another country can potentially bomb them?
Family Bombed Trying to Escape
Kofi's response
CNN article on civilian children affected
UN Response
I think that, in the end, we would all like to see long term peace in the region, which may mean persuading Syriah and Iran to stop funding Hezbollah. In this respect, let it be heard that I agree with Tony Blair and Condi Rice. But, I don't think that the bombing should continue. It's too big a risk to civilians on both sides...a temporary ceasefire may be the answer, followed by a UN buffer zone along the border to allow the Lebanese government to reign in control of those parts of the country that were lost to Hezbollah.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Canadian Shield Sunset 2
Well, ana jumped in feet first to my family this weekend as we drove 1000 km to northern sask for a family reunion. we got the whole deal....t shirts, competitions between sides, beer, food, food, lefsa (we're norwegians). It was amazing to meet so many people from my family that I never had before...growing up an only child in alberta, away from my family, i never had a chance to meet many of them, and it was great.
My new car rules. I drove from calgary to an hour outside of saskatoon on a tank of gas. so glad i never got an suv..you're right, screetus.
alright...so, what the fuck is up with Israel????? More important to us, what the fuck is up with Stephen Harper backing Israel? Correct me if i'm wrong, but Hezbollah, Hizbollah, etc. kidnapped two israeli soldiers, and 7 others were killed in the event. So, Israel and its backers, Canada included, say that it's alright if 300 plus lebanese civilians die? that's ridiculous. its inhumane, and I would encourage everyone to write stephen harper and address his stance on this operation. 3 canadians were kidnapped in Venezuela....did we invade venezuela? I know we don't have the history that Israel does with Hezbollah, but this is not the right way out. I have lost all (and it wasn't much to start with) respect for harper over this, as well as the state of Israel. They keep Palestinians in 3rd world conditions, controlling their lives, giving them no options out, exerting force whenever necessary to quell them....it seems ironic that a group, such as the Jews, is capable of such human rights violations. I'm not anti-semetic, but I am in favour of human rights, and I know clearly now that harper and israel are not.
...note that bush is no longer worthy of mentioning in human rights tirades.
My new car rules. I drove from calgary to an hour outside of saskatoon on a tank of gas. so glad i never got an suv..you're right, screetus.
alright...so, what the fuck is up with Israel????? More important to us, what the fuck is up with Stephen Harper backing Israel? Correct me if i'm wrong, but Hezbollah, Hizbollah, etc. kidnapped two israeli soldiers, and 7 others were killed in the event. So, Israel and its backers, Canada included, say that it's alright if 300 plus lebanese civilians die? that's ridiculous. its inhumane, and I would encourage everyone to write stephen harper and address his stance on this operation. 3 canadians were kidnapped in Venezuela....did we invade venezuela? I know we don't have the history that Israel does with Hezbollah, but this is not the right way out. I have lost all (and it wasn't much to start with) respect for harper over this, as well as the state of Israel. They keep Palestinians in 3rd world conditions, controlling their lives, giving them no options out, exerting force whenever necessary to quell them....it seems ironic that a group, such as the Jews, is capable of such human rights violations. I'm not anti-semetic, but I am in favour of human rights, and I know clearly now that harper and israel are not.
...note that bush is no longer worthy of mentioning in human rights tirades.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Cold Lake
holy unupdating guy...well, truth be told, things have been crazy busy here lately. here are some significant events.
1. because my conscience wouldn't let me, i didn't go with anything suv-ish. i bought a new toyota matrix, which is amazing on gas, etc etc.
2. ana is here visiting at the moment and for about 4 more weeks.
3. we went to a wedding in cold lake, alberta this past weekend. debauchery ensued.
4. Kyle Macdonald is now the proud owner of a house in Kipling, Sask.
5. I went to the stampede. paid 12 bucks to get in. could have paid 4.50 for a corndog...didn't.
6. I'll be going to northern saskatchewan in a few days for a family reunion...should be fun times.
7. I got a contract to teach next year, so i no longer have to worry about employment.
and that, in effect, is the awesomeness that is my life. take care, all, and have a great summer
1. because my conscience wouldn't let me, i didn't go with anything suv-ish. i bought a new toyota matrix, which is amazing on gas, etc etc.
2. ana is here visiting at the moment and for about 4 more weeks.
3. we went to a wedding in cold lake, alberta this past weekend. debauchery ensued.
4. Kyle Macdonald is now the proud owner of a house in Kipling, Sask.
5. I went to the stampede. paid 12 bucks to get in. could have paid 4.50 for a corndog...didn't.
6. I'll be going to northern saskatchewan in a few days for a family reunion...should be fun times.
7. I got a contract to teach next year, so i no longer have to worry about employment.
and that, in effect, is the awesomeness that is my life. take care, all, and have a great summer
Sunday, June 25, 2006
dave vs. random girl
wow, i can't believe how quickly this month has gone bye...unreal. only two and a half days of teaching left, which is crazy. had a whirlwind weekend, starting off with my buddy's stag party on friday night. jagerbomb after jagerbomb later, i managed to pass out at home. the funny part was the next day when i went to pick up my car, and it wasn't there. turns out, we had driven it (the dd) downtown, and I had no idea or recollection. so, it was safely in downtown calgary.
saturday, we decided to go watch and drink at a small town slow pitch tournament near hanna. it was fun, but it's amazing how all these people at the tournament, adopt the redneck persona as soon as they leave the city. some of them are even from vancouver or calgary, or wherever...but, as soon as you're in one of those situations, you either revert to your former self, or morph into a different person. otherwise, you're 'you're a citified faggot'. too funny.
so, yeah, i'm here on beautiful sunday day, waiting to talk to my girlfriend, whom i havn't talked to in a while, feeling unrelaxed and basically gross.
got a sweet flat screen monitor from telus for joining up. 19 inches..not bad.
incidentally, i'm going to be purchasing a car soon....something sporty...these are basically what i've norrowed it down to....
1. dodge caliber
2. mazda tribute
3. hyundai tucson
if anyone knows anything about these cars, that would be great information to get. the caliber is a hatchback, and the other two are semi-suv's. all for under 30,000, which is what i need. so, any info on fuel economy and drive-feel would be great. take care, all.
saturday, we decided to go watch and drink at a small town slow pitch tournament near hanna. it was fun, but it's amazing how all these people at the tournament, adopt the redneck persona as soon as they leave the city. some of them are even from vancouver or calgary, or wherever...but, as soon as you're in one of those situations, you either revert to your former self, or morph into a different person. otherwise, you're 'you're a citified faggot'. too funny.
so, yeah, i'm here on beautiful sunday day, waiting to talk to my girlfriend, whom i havn't talked to in a while, feeling unrelaxed and basically gross.
got a sweet flat screen monitor from telus for joining up. 19 inches..not bad.
incidentally, i'm going to be purchasing a car soon....something sporty...these are basically what i've norrowed it down to....
1. dodge caliber
2. mazda tribute
3. hyundai tucson
if anyone knows anything about these cars, that would be great information to get. the caliber is a hatchback, and the other two are semi-suv's. all for under 30,000, which is what i need. so, any info on fuel economy and drive-feel would be great. take care, all.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
I got a pet
contrary to popular belief, i have not succomed to illiteracy or laziness. no, i am alive and doing well. Ana is coming here to visit in a couple of weeks....that's lucky lucky. not all is lucky though...listen to this tale of woe...this series of events left me tired and needing a nap.
the night before, i decide to go for a bike ride. great. a flat tire 30 minutes later, and i'm walking my bike home. no big deal. then we get a huge storm, and the last time i looked at the clock, it said 230...great...4 hours of sleep maximum....you need sleep to deal with kids. then, all was peachy. i was driving to work, and noticed that i should get gas. no big deal...i'll get it on the way home. So, i made it. half-way through the morning, i notice that the zipper on my bag is open. crap. i search fruitlessly for my wallet. nothing. did i even bring it? surely i did. so, i've had my wallet stolen. no money, just a pain to replace all of the cards.
i tell the vice principal, and of course, before we blame any of the kids, we have to be sure that my wallet is not at home. so, during my lunch hour, i'm driving through chaotic downtown calgary, with the red light on, reminding me of my need for gas. i'm already planning on how I can get the teachers to pay for my taxi ride back to school.
the commute home takes 40 mins...frick. I did, however, find my wallet, which was a relief, though slightly embarrassing, obviously. So, i fill up, and arrive back at school unscathed, save for the 25 minutes i was late.
Once we're back, I'm teaching, and things are going smoothly, despite my fatigue. I go to check the time on my celular. Hmmm, why is is so sticky? Friiiiiiiiiiick. A pen had exploded in my pocket, covering the bottom portion of my cel in ink. great. perfect way to end it.
Was at a buddy's house watching the oilers last night. unreal. Even if i don't really like them, i know my buddies are jacked to the nines over this run, and I'm happy for them.
I heard my single, 50 year old landlady having sex the other night. It's not that I expect her to be celebate, it's just really un-nerving and slightly disturbing. her bedroom is right above mine.
Take care, all...
the night before, i decide to go for a bike ride. great. a flat tire 30 minutes later, and i'm walking my bike home. no big deal. then we get a huge storm, and the last time i looked at the clock, it said 230...great...4 hours of sleep maximum....you need sleep to deal with kids. then, all was peachy. i was driving to work, and noticed that i should get gas. no big deal...i'll get it on the way home. So, i made it. half-way through the morning, i notice that the zipper on my bag is open. crap. i search fruitlessly for my wallet. nothing. did i even bring it? surely i did. so, i've had my wallet stolen. no money, just a pain to replace all of the cards.
i tell the vice principal, and of course, before we blame any of the kids, we have to be sure that my wallet is not at home. so, during my lunch hour, i'm driving through chaotic downtown calgary, with the red light on, reminding me of my need for gas. i'm already planning on how I can get the teachers to pay for my taxi ride back to school.
the commute home takes 40 mins...frick. I did, however, find my wallet, which was a relief, though slightly embarrassing, obviously. So, i fill up, and arrive back at school unscathed, save for the 25 minutes i was late.
Once we're back, I'm teaching, and things are going smoothly, despite my fatigue. I go to check the time on my celular. Hmmm, why is is so sticky? Friiiiiiiiiiick. A pen had exploded in my pocket, covering the bottom portion of my cel in ink. great. perfect way to end it.
Was at a buddy's house watching the oilers last night. unreal. Even if i don't really like them, i know my buddies are jacked to the nines over this run, and I'm happy for them.
I heard my single, 50 year old landlady having sex the other night. It's not that I expect her to be celebate, it's just really un-nerving and slightly disturbing. her bedroom is right above mine.
Take care, all...
Friday, June 09, 2006
and, it keeps going....
after multiple trips to hanna and back, i've finally managed to get all of my stuff in here and to clear space for my parents, which i'm sure they appreciate. as we speak, ana is sending my updated photos of our cats...damn, those are the cutest things i've ever seen.
when i was driving back to hanna last weekend, i was between drumheller and home, when i saw a motorbike in the ditch..
hmmm,...strange...slow down a bit
hmmm...a wallet...hmmmm...credit cards strewn about...
frig, i hope there's not a guy in the ditch.
so, i stopped and called 911.
they hadn't heard anything
after 20 minutes of waiting there for the police to show up, and nervously searching the ditches for hopefully nothing, a truck pulls up and they have the bloodied guy with them, with all of his road raspberries, and not-being-able-to-walkness
i don't know, nor the police, why they never called anyone or took him to a hospital.
then we found the dead deer
motorbike vs. deer hmmmm
so, my school is a tough school.
legally, i can't say anything in particular on here, but there are some severely destitute children who have obviously had the crappiest home lives imagineable. I teach seven year olds. I've been told to fuck off, and that I suck lots. and i've taught there under a week.
go figure. You have to pity the poor little guys.
calgary is booming. not good for me...i'll never ever be able to afford a house here. the average house goes up 500 bucks per day. the average price for a house now is 400,000. condo....280,000 frig. i know
take care, all.
when i was driving back to hanna last weekend, i was between drumheller and home, when i saw a motorbike in the ditch..
hmmm,...strange...slow down a bit
hmmm...a wallet...hmmmm...credit cards strewn about...
frig, i hope there's not a guy in the ditch.
so, i stopped and called 911.
they hadn't heard anything
after 20 minutes of waiting there for the police to show up, and nervously searching the ditches for hopefully nothing, a truck pulls up and they have the bloodied guy with them, with all of his road raspberries, and not-being-able-to-walkness
i don't know, nor the police, why they never called anyone or took him to a hospital.
then we found the dead deer
motorbike vs. deer hmmmm
so, my school is a tough school.
legally, i can't say anything in particular on here, but there are some severely destitute children who have obviously had the crappiest home lives imagineable. I teach seven year olds. I've been told to fuck off, and that I suck lots. and i've taught there under a week.
go figure. You have to pity the poor little guys.
calgary is booming. not good for me...i'll never ever be able to afford a house here. the average house goes up 500 bucks per day. the average price for a house now is 400,000. condo....280,000 frig. i know
take care, all.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Dandelion
timing really is everything...and contacts. well, a combination of who you know and timing, peppered with a little education. I got a phone call this morning at 8 am. It was a school number. hmmm, didn't really recognize it so i answered. good thing. It was a principal from a school and she wanted an interview. asap. what??? i've been in the city for less than a week and already an interview? sweet.
so, i donned my teacherly clothes, hopped in the car, and had the interview 30 mins later. all went smoothely, and she offered me the position, which is amazing, considering i haven't even been in the country for a month yet, found a place, moved in etc etc.
so, i'm a working man, as of monday. it's awesome, this life.
on a lesser note, i got my modem yesterday from the 'net company. i hooked it up...nothing. called the 'tech support', and they told me it wouldn't be running until friday. ok.
but....
a half hour after we spoke, the computer signed me in to my yahoo messenger, and everything was working. i was checking emails, writing them, doing flickr stuff...for an hour. then it stopped. cold turkey.
i called again. they told me that they had just been doing some diagnostics on my port and then had closed it until friday.
wait.
so, it was working, everything was fine, but....
you have to close it until friday? you couldn't have just left it open? strange one, that.
yerba is a plant that they chop and dry in argentina, southern brazil, and uruguay. You then put it into a gourd, known as a mate, and you drink it from a straw. You put in hot water. you share it with others in your group. it makes you feel good. The person who has the thermos is the pourer. he or she pours for everyone. you drink until your gourd is empty of water, then give it to the pourer. It' good for digestion and has a caffieneish effect. you can find it for cheaper here...actual argentine imports. the stuff in the previous post was 'canadian organic' from a natural foods store...hence the price.
bye and take care, all.
so, i donned my teacherly clothes, hopped in the car, and had the interview 30 mins later. all went smoothely, and she offered me the position, which is amazing, considering i haven't even been in the country for a month yet, found a place, moved in etc etc.
so, i'm a working man, as of monday. it's awesome, this life.
on a lesser note, i got my modem yesterday from the 'net company. i hooked it up...nothing. called the 'tech support', and they told me it wouldn't be running until friday. ok.
but....
a half hour after we spoke, the computer signed me in to my yahoo messenger, and everything was working. i was checking emails, writing them, doing flickr stuff...for an hour. then it stopped. cold turkey.
i called again. they told me that they had just been doing some diagnostics on my port and then had closed it until friday.
wait.
so, it was working, everything was fine, but....
you have to close it until friday? you couldn't have just left it open? strange one, that.
yerba is a plant that they chop and dry in argentina, southern brazil, and uruguay. You then put it into a gourd, known as a mate, and you drink it from a straw. You put in hot water. you share it with others in your group. it makes you feel good. The person who has the thermos is the pourer. he or she pours for everyone. you drink until your gourd is empty of water, then give it to the pourer. It' good for digestion and has a caffieneish effect. you can find it for cheaper here...actual argentine imports. the stuff in the previous post was 'canadian organic' from a natural foods store...hence the price.
bye and take care, all.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Canadian Yerba
waiting for the internet to get hooked up at my new pad in calgary...so, geekily, i'm at a cafe...it's nice, but empty...i guess most people here have their own internet...
my buddy works at a natural foods store, and they sell yerba there, like the yerba i used to buy all the time in argentina...only in argentina, for a kilo, it was like 2 dollars cdn, maybe less. this yerba, the canadian yerba, is 11 bucks, and it's only 92 grams. isn't that crazy? luckily, i brought a kilo with me, and hopefully ana brings some when she comes...hint hint hint.
found a sweet little bachelor pad in calgary for 600 a month, which is unreal cheap, considering most one bedrooms i looked at were around 800 or 900...it's got four rooms, big kitchen...etc. etc. should be nice. anyway, hope everyone is alright...take care
my buddy works at a natural foods store, and they sell yerba there, like the yerba i used to buy all the time in argentina...only in argentina, for a kilo, it was like 2 dollars cdn, maybe less. this yerba, the canadian yerba, is 11 bucks, and it's only 92 grams. isn't that crazy? luckily, i brought a kilo with me, and hopefully ana brings some when she comes...hint hint hint.
found a sweet little bachelor pad in calgary for 600 a month, which is unreal cheap, considering most one bedrooms i looked at were around 800 or 900...it's got four rooms, big kitchen...etc. etc. should be nice. anyway, hope everyone is alright...take care
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Europe
i went to europe one time....here are some of the photos...click the picture and choose the size at the top to see them all better
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Go Oilers? wait....can I say that?
Oh man,..things have just been so overwhelming since I got back...I've been busy seeing as many people as I can, and being with my parents as much as I can sanely handle...is that part of growing up? wanting to spend time with your parents? of course they still annoy the hell out of me after 30 mins, but I come back for more, so I guess I like it...
heading up to Edmonton today with Scabby to partake in what has become 'the blue mile'....a continuation, not rip-off, of the red mile in calgary.
things are really looking good on all fronts here, and I've had to stop myself several times and just be amazed at how genuinely happy I am here. Travelling is one thing, but there is no place like home. Of course, it's not all jet-set and care free...i still have a lovely girl down in Argentina, who has the opposite scenario that I do...being that she has to stay in the apartment that we lived in for over a year, and basically has the same life down there without me in it... while I have everything new and exciting up here. so, we're dealing with that...
but, on the whole, things are looking a lot more positive in my world these days, and should only continue with tonight's festivities and debauchery, and continue next week with a move into calgary, or, at least a look at what's available in calgary.
take care, all
heading up to Edmonton today with Scabby to partake in what has become 'the blue mile'....a continuation, not rip-off, of the red mile in calgary.
things are really looking good on all fronts here, and I've had to stop myself several times and just be amazed at how genuinely happy I am here. Travelling is one thing, but there is no place like home. Of course, it's not all jet-set and care free...i still have a lovely girl down in Argentina, who has the opposite scenario that I do...being that she has to stay in the apartment that we lived in for over a year, and basically has the same life down there without me in it... while I have everything new and exciting up here. so, we're dealing with that...
but, on the whole, things are looking a lot more positive in my world these days, and should only continue with tonight's festivities and debauchery, and continue next week with a move into calgary, or, at least a look at what's available in calgary.
take care, all
Friday, May 12, 2006
denver got fat
whirlwinds. you never know what they-re like until you're in one. wednesday, i-m in buenos aires. thursday, 5 pm, in hanna, alberta...pop. 3000. tears at both ends of travel...farewell tears in buenos aires, welcome tears in calgary. all in all, a sweet and sour sauce couple of days. things here haven-t changed at all...but i;m enjoying it so far. old foods, old friends stopping by unexpectedly...my dog is fatter, which is nice. fat animals are cute...unhealthy, but cute.
anyway, now that things are going to be a little less stressful, i should have time to do some blog reading...until i move into calgary next week
which should be expensive to say the least. by for now
anyway, now that things are going to be a little less stressful, i should have time to do some blog reading...until i move into calgary next week
which should be expensive to say the least. by for now
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
there she goes...there she goes again
had a great time with my buddies here...they're gone now, off to uruguay for some strange reason. anyway, i'm into my last week here in buenos aires and finding it difficult, but better than expected. it's hard to leave a place, once you've adjusted, etc. i feel worse for ana, though, who is now left over to pick up the pieces. she's doing well though, so far. so many things to buy in the next week...so much culture here, so many things to see. it's strange, also, how i'm so used to the little things, like the candies here that we don't have there, the good transit (when it's not on strike), the different kinds of foods, the different culture. i'll be back though...i know it.
we just have this obstacle in our way first, which is this distance thing of 10000000000000000 miles. i can't wait to read back over this in a year and see where i am.
flames play tonight....do or die.
we spent the weekend in a country house south of buenos aires, which was a good experience for my friends, and everyone, really. the house was about 120 years old, used a well for water. we hand-made ñoquis and played tennis raquet baseball.
the night before, we had my going away party here, with about 25-30 people, and i avoided crying in front of everyone just by getting too hammered and passing out. i'm bad to very bad at goodbyes, and it scares me because ana wants to come to the airport with me when i go, but i'll be such a mess. it's better than saying bye here though. anyway, random as usual, but that's what's up. take care, all
we just have this obstacle in our way first, which is this distance thing of 10000000000000000 miles. i can't wait to read back over this in a year and see where i am.
flames play tonight....do or die.
we spent the weekend in a country house south of buenos aires, which was a good experience for my friends, and everyone, really. the house was about 120 years old, used a well for water. we hand-made ñoquis and played tennis raquet baseball.
the night before, we had my going away party here, with about 25-30 people, and i avoided crying in front of everyone just by getting too hammered and passing out. i'm bad to very bad at goodbyes, and it scares me because ana wants to come to the airport with me when i go, but i'll be such a mess. it's better than saying bye here though. anyway, random as usual, but that's what's up. take care, all
Thursday, April 27, 2006
south american football rules my world
hey y'all...yeah, haven't been around in a while..have a couple of buddies down from hanna...went to the football game last night...river vs. brazil corinthians. wild times...south american football...it doesn't get much better than that...be around in a while. take care all.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
check...check...is this thing on???
recent conversation with ana...
me. i'm sorry i'm so gross and disgusting all the time. it's just that i really love you.
her. 'working, not really listening.'
me. so, i guess you're all prepared to go to the movie, right? like, you've applied your preparation h and everything?
her. i hate you.
in other news, i saw a great terry gilliam movie lastnight called tideland, which was filmed in southern saskatchewan. fricken awesome, and i highly recommend you check it out. unless you're close minded, in which case we can't be friends.
you know when you're going around, doing whatever it is that you do, and you have these random thoughts or memories, and think to yourself...hey, buddy, i should write that down...but then, for lack of pen, or laziness, you convince yourself that you'll never forget what it is you thought of. only to try and think of it again later that night, and obviously you've forgotten the brilliant brainwave by that point? i hate that. i'm going to end one of my all time biggest foes as far as forgetting thoughts goes right now. from now on, i'll always remember that i think amanda peet looks like piper perabo. there. i have it written down.
also, the us is going to bomb iran. don't say i didn't warn you.
insert....um, it turns out my girlfriend didn't know what preparation H was, so, basically, she just hates me. have a good saturday.
pps...(in know there was no ps) be nice to old people. you really don't know what a difference you make to them. (don't laugh and call me a fag. just be nice to them.)
me. i'm sorry i'm so gross and disgusting all the time. it's just that i really love you.
her. 'working, not really listening.'
me. so, i guess you're all prepared to go to the movie, right? like, you've applied your preparation h and everything?
her. i hate you.
in other news, i saw a great terry gilliam movie lastnight called tideland, which was filmed in southern saskatchewan. fricken awesome, and i highly recommend you check it out. unless you're close minded, in which case we can't be friends.
you know when you're going around, doing whatever it is that you do, and you have these random thoughts or memories, and think to yourself...hey, buddy, i should write that down...but then, for lack of pen, or laziness, you convince yourself that you'll never forget what it is you thought of. only to try and think of it again later that night, and obviously you've forgotten the brilliant brainwave by that point? i hate that. i'm going to end one of my all time biggest foes as far as forgetting thoughts goes right now. from now on, i'll always remember that i think amanda peet looks like piper perabo. there. i have it written down.
also, the us is going to bomb iran. don't say i didn't warn you.
insert....um, it turns out my girlfriend didn't know what preparation H was, so, basically, she just hates me. have a good saturday.
pps...(in know there was no ps) be nice to old people. you really don't know what a difference you make to them. (don't laugh and call me a fag. just be nice to them.)
Thursday, April 20, 2006
as the pursuit of happiness would say, I'm an adult now
well, i neglected to tell everyone it was my birthday 2 days ago, on the 18th. yep, some years ago, in that awkward period linking the 70's with the 80's, my parents (mostly my mom) gave birth to me in Hanna, alberta. little could they have predicted that they'd still be giving me some money, so many years into the future, to help me get by. thanks, guys!
it's at ages like this that age becomes relative. for all intents and purposes, i should have been an adult 4 years ago. or is that more for the 30 somethings? i dunno...some of my friends have been married long enough to have those meaningful anniversaries...like, five years is the ..... anniversary, 10 is the....i don't really know the appropriate gifts, but i guess they do. i also have to start thinking about my 10 year high school anniversary...it's not the 10th year, but planning should begin this year, if we're going to have one. ah, the anniversary...where people go in shame for what they were. where people go in shame of what they have become. where people don't go.
I'll go. i won't make cheesey amends. i wasn't an asshole in school. i also wasn't particularly nice. i got mad at my friends for picking on the 'heathens' as we called them. i was part of the problem, in labelling them as such, but i didn't pick on them. and i told my friends not to. in hindsight, it wasn't much and i wish i had done more.
here's the story behind the heathens. In our town, around age 14, all of the outcasts, geeks, dweebs, dweeby geeks, etc, were branded with a name...heathen. hanna heathens. at first, i can assume they hated it. then, they accepted it, and actually became a large group. maybe they had nothing in common before, but now they were linked as heathens, and the rest of us had created it. it was awful and cruel. you couldn't be with a heathen...of course, there were crossover heathens who played football etc, but, for the most part, they were quite poor, had low low self esteem, and would have been brutalized by a lot of assholes who, while ultra cool in high school, have amounted to nothing outside of high school.
in the end, the heathens all dropped out of school, for the most part, with was a huge number. my grad class was 46. it should have have been more like 60. awful. and our teachers did nothing about it. small towns can be cruel.
well, anyway, that's that. i'm old. i regret the way i was in high school. i receive money from my parents. this was random, and i thank anyone who read the whole thing and got any sense out of it. i don't think i did.
it's at ages like this that age becomes relative. for all intents and purposes, i should have been an adult 4 years ago. or is that more for the 30 somethings? i dunno...some of my friends have been married long enough to have those meaningful anniversaries...like, five years is the ..... anniversary, 10 is the....i don't really know the appropriate gifts, but i guess they do. i also have to start thinking about my 10 year high school anniversary...it's not the 10th year, but planning should begin this year, if we're going to have one. ah, the anniversary...where people go in shame for what they were. where people go in shame of what they have become. where people don't go.
I'll go. i won't make cheesey amends. i wasn't an asshole in school. i also wasn't particularly nice. i got mad at my friends for picking on the 'heathens' as we called them. i was part of the problem, in labelling them as such, but i didn't pick on them. and i told my friends not to. in hindsight, it wasn't much and i wish i had done more.
here's the story behind the heathens. In our town, around age 14, all of the outcasts, geeks, dweebs, dweeby geeks, etc, were branded with a name...heathen. hanna heathens. at first, i can assume they hated it. then, they accepted it, and actually became a large group. maybe they had nothing in common before, but now they were linked as heathens, and the rest of us had created it. it was awful and cruel. you couldn't be with a heathen...of course, there were crossover heathens who played football etc, but, for the most part, they were quite poor, had low low self esteem, and would have been brutalized by a lot of assholes who, while ultra cool in high school, have amounted to nothing outside of high school.
in the end, the heathens all dropped out of school, for the most part, with was a huge number. my grad class was 46. it should have have been more like 60. awful. and our teachers did nothing about it. small towns can be cruel.
well, anyway, that's that. i'm old. i regret the way i was in high school. i receive money from my parents. this was random, and i thank anyone who read the whole thing and got any sense out of it. i don't think i did.
Monday, April 17, 2006
ooooooooooooh, what a weekend
haven't really been around much lately, maybe needed a break...i dunno, i hate it when blogging starts to feel more like a chore or obligation than something that i enjoy doing, so, we'll see how i feel in days to come.
went to the beach this week.end, which was fantastic..fresh air, good company, and all that jazz...didn't accomplish very much, but then again, i am on vacation.
saw a douglas coupland (sp) documentary on friday night before we left called souvegnirs of canada....it was awesome, and timely. i'll admit i had wet eyes a couple of times. it was great because it didn't focus on obvious things like hockey and wolverines and igloos...
he talked a lot about his relationship with his dad, and there were clips about terry fox, brands of beer, dad's cookies, and genuine canadian stuff. see it if you get a chance...it's not a glorifying piece of propoganda telling the world why canada is great...in fact, it's one of the few things i've seen or read that attempts and succeeds in displaying the canadian character beyond that of differentiating ourselves from americans.
hmmm, got a welcome home card from my mom...or rather, a glad you're coming home card, which was nice...you never appreciate those things until you miss them, really.
so, hope all had a good weekend with food and drink and friends, if you have them. chau for now
went to the beach this week.end, which was fantastic..fresh air, good company, and all that jazz...didn't accomplish very much, but then again, i am on vacation.
saw a douglas coupland (sp) documentary on friday night before we left called souvegnirs of canada....it was awesome, and timely. i'll admit i had wet eyes a couple of times. it was great because it didn't focus on obvious things like hockey and wolverines and igloos...
he talked a lot about his relationship with his dad, and there were clips about terry fox, brands of beer, dad's cookies, and genuine canadian stuff. see it if you get a chance...it's not a glorifying piece of propoganda telling the world why canada is great...in fact, it's one of the few things i've seen or read that attempts and succeeds in displaying the canadian character beyond that of differentiating ourselves from americans.
hmmm, got a welcome home card from my mom...or rather, a glad you're coming home card, which was nice...you never appreciate those things until you miss them, really.
so, hope all had a good weekend with food and drink and friends, if you have them. chau for now
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
i know you want to go to arizona for a year...here's how!!!
i was going through some old photo cd's the other day and found this beauty...they were all full of testosterone that night after winning the gretzky cup. yeah, my friend host the gretzky cup in edmonton. what is it? well, there are two teams, team walt, and team wayne...and they play each other 2 times per year (i think) They have draft picks, trades, and coaches. they play in west edmonton mall, the university, and at rexall, home of the oilers. it's become quite a big deal, and, as you can see, lots of testosterone is involved.
in other news, the buenos aires international independant film festival is on now...i have over 35 movie tickets for the next 2 weeks. there better be something good on.
flames won last night, no biggie...
in other ironic news, turns out there was a jet crash in kenya yesterday. not so crazy kenyans after all, Mike and Smelly. not so crazy after all...
In other huge news, got an email from Kyle MacDonald the other day...he's the guy that I have linked several times on the side, and also the mastermind behind one red paperclip...he just had an interview on K-roc in LA, and, he just traded a recording contract in Toronto for, and check this out, a free year's stay in Phoenix. It's a sweet house, and, the airfare is included. If you want this, and have something you feel you can trade for, something really cool and valuable, contact Kyle here...remember, his goal in this is to get a house for himself, after starting out by trading a red paperclip....george stroumboulopoulis is in--why aren't you?
so, free rent in phoenix for a year...who wants it?
in other news, the buenos aires international independant film festival is on now...i have over 35 movie tickets for the next 2 weeks. there better be something good on.
flames won last night, no biggie...
in other ironic news, turns out there was a jet crash in kenya yesterday. not so crazy kenyans after all, Mike and Smelly. not so crazy after all...
In other huge news, got an email from Kyle MacDonald the other day...he's the guy that I have linked several times on the side, and also the mastermind behind one red paperclip...he just had an interview on K-roc in LA, and, he just traded a recording contract in Toronto for, and check this out, a free year's stay in Phoenix. It's a sweet house, and, the airfare is included. If you want this, and have something you feel you can trade for, something really cool and valuable, contact Kyle here...remember, his goal in this is to get a house for himself, after starting out by trading a red paperclip....george stroumboulopoulis is in--why aren't you?
so, free rent in phoenix for a year...who wants it?
Monday, April 10, 2006
que divirtido!
feast all of your eyes on this thing of wonder and beauty....yes, the kona 2006 dawg primo...it was about three years ago that i promised myself that after going to europe, i would buy myself this bike...an investment in my health.
well, as things went, i kind of took a divergent path in europe, and, three years later, find myself just now about to return to calgary for a prolonged period. so, i guess now is as good a time as any to re-invest in my health. i could join clubs etc, but those add up over time...it's really much more cost- effective to buy this bike. it's a sexy beast that can handle the uphills but also rip it up going down.
to some, it probably sounds like bullshit, but biking is one of the things that is bringing me back to calgary. perfect location (almost), and lots of other riders. before i left, i was just getting into the community and lifestyle...that's kind of what biking is...a lifestyle that you buy into, not unlike surfing, snowboarding, or golf....so, anyway, i'm jacked to the nines about gettin' this shit rolling....if anyone wants to plan some serious bike trip, i'm in...i'm looking now at a camping/biking trip in the nwt,which would be an adventure..i'll drive. Of course, i'm not limited to the nwt...it could be northern bc, sask, or the north shore...
other than that, things are going pretty well...had sushi the other night, which was out of this world...and price range, but, ooooooooooooh, so good.
i have two buddies coming down here to visit on the 25th...not the best timing, what with me taking off at the start of may, but, meh...the thing is, the one guy, we'll call him lennon, is super jacked about uruguay!!what? uruguay? who goes across the world to go to uruguay? so, i'm trying to convince them to go hiking in the andes instead...but that's falling on deaf ears, i'm sure.
jackass was down here recently, filming for the wild boys. they did a scene where they used cattle prods to shock eachother in front of the pink house, which is the residence of the national government...um, little did they know that, during the military dictatorship, when more that 30,000...yes, thirty thousand, people 'disappeared', the cattle prod was one of the main devices of torture, before the people were eventually killed and dumped in the river from a plane. 30,000. that number is insane, and why it's not more well-known around the world, no one knows. needless to say, i'm sure the little prank didn't fly too well with anyone from here.
in other kenya news, they arrested 14 poachers the other day for poaching elephants and rhinos. i hate poachers...hmmm, what should happen to poachers? any ideas? not death, as i don't believe in that...but, something to learn them real good...do share any ideas...
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Maestro Fresh Wes Rings True....yet again.
cats. who knew that the old addage 'curiousity killed the cat' (coined by maestro fresh wes, i believe) was so true. i woke up last night to one of the cats jumping at the window in our bedroom. i couldn't figure out what she was doing until i looked out and saw the bats flying around and making noise. it's great, because now we can't sleep with the bedroom window open, or in her thirst for bat blood, she'll kill herself falling 6 stories. That's one thing learned about cats. The other thing I learned about cats today was that they are not to be trusted with the bathroom door slightly ajar while i'm peeing. They've grown curious to running water. To them, pee is like running water. When they hear it, apparently they run for it. Our littlest cat got a wet head today.
In true buenos aires fashion, i went to a cafe last night to read. it's what they do. they go to cafes alone, and read. nothing big. nothing exciting....save for last night. i was just getting into the first chapter of dorian grey when this lady came in, accompanied by 3 or 4 concerned men. she was crying hysterically, and from what i could make out in between sobs, her daughter had just gone missing. they were all trying to comfort her, etc, and tell her it would be alright...but frick..when i looked outside, all i saw was a sea of people. the girl was 8 years old. they brought in the police etc, and it was a big deal. before i could offer to help, the lady was taken out and put into a taxi...who knows why-to go search for the girl in a car? to see if she went home? it has to be the most helpless feeling in the world and i only hope that everything turns out alright for the family.
eating cereal around other people is the most heinous eating experience possible. first of all, if you're eating cereal, you're probably not at your best, sleep in your eyes, pillow wrinkles, etc. not nice to look at. then comes the difficulty of transporting the cereal and milk from the spoon to the mouth. apparently this is quite a feat in the mornings for most people. inevitably, people end up slobbering milk down their chins. not just once, but several times during the cerealing. come on...how hard is it? a litte coordination, a little less milk and cereal on the spoon, a wider mouth, more insertion...
apparently in Kenya today, they faked a jet crash in order to simulate the real experience. they lied to people at the airport, and to the press-- all in the name of simulation. great jokers, those kenyans....just ask the relatives waiting at the airport.'....i hated how she always emptied the styrofoam cup before throwing it away.' --just a random character trait i thought of today.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
of montréal
The top photo was taken in 2004 in Hanna....there's the railroad station and some leftover trains...(yes, the same railroad station from the nickelback video.) Though things have been really strange and stressful around here lately, my girlfriend continues to surprise me...she's much stronger than I thought she would be...which doesn't mean to say that this next month isn't going to be difficult as hell, but so far, she's doing very well...i guess in part to the fact that I'm so excited to go back, she knows it's the right decision. I'm proud of her for being so strong.
I've been listening a lot lately to of Montreal, who are, apparently, from Texas, actually. man, really catchy, nice songs. i highly recommend it. Got a sweet-ass email from blogger unknown today, doing the teacherly thing and explaining very well the situation in as far as teachers go in BC. I like to keep my options open, and bc is definitely an option, if not for this year, than the next...or one day...if i can afford it.
Humans are strange. I know I have nothing to be embarrassed of being on the computer for a couple of hours everyday. I have things to do here, hobbies, if you will. Still, sometimes, when I hear the familiar jingle of Juan's keys outside our door, sometimes i'll rush to the kitchen just so that he doesn't see me on the computer yet again. I'm sure he doesn't care, and he's never said anything to me about it...just a little mental effin on my part.
The illuminated part in the background of this photo is a hockey rink on the lake. I guess this is my most canadian photo...mtns, trees, cabin, lake, snow, water, and hockey rink. To update, the flames lost last night in overtime...frick, they aren't a scoring team, and need to avoid that shootout crap whenever they can...they snuck out a point, and remain in first, and should be above 100 points this season, barring a collapse. The west is so tight...it's exciting. can't wait to be back in calgary for the playoffs this year...should be a messy, messy time. take care, all....sorry to hear about matt good getting sick...hope he's well soon and can make up some dates.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
nuestra gatita
hmmmmmm, long goodbyes are hard. what can you say...a long goodbye is better than a short one, and then you're left wishing you'd taken more time.
we went to watch a dance/theatre performance last night. we were waiting outside, and the performance was 15 mins late or so, and people were getting antsy.
we were in a really nice spot in downtown buenos aires, so i took out the camera and took some great photos. all around the patio were high apartment complexes, casting off a really nice light. i was taking a picture of one when i noticed a guy on the top terrace, looking over the edge. no big deal..i've done that on our terrace hundreds of times. i took a couple of pics of him and then moved on to other buildings.
all of a sudden, people started to scream. the guy was on the top of the railing surrounding the terrace, apparently ready to jump.
he looked back one time and leapt. it was unreal. from like 15 stories up. I was in a state of shock, and ana was screaming so hard.
just kidding back there... we went to the dance and it was good. that's all. have a good weekend.
we went to watch a dance/theatre performance last night. we were waiting outside, and the performance was 15 mins late or so, and people were getting antsy.
we were in a really nice spot in downtown buenos aires, so i took out the camera and took some great photos. all around the patio were high apartment complexes, casting off a really nice light. i was taking a picture of one when i noticed a guy on the top terrace, looking over the edge. no big deal..i've done that on our terrace hundreds of times. i took a couple of pics of him and then moved on to other buildings.
all of a sudden, people started to scream. the guy was on the top of the railing surrounding the terrace, apparently ready to jump.
he looked back one time and leapt. it was unreal. from like 15 stories up. I was in a state of shock, and ana was screaming so hard.
just kidding back there... we went to the dance and it was good. that's all. have a good weekend.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
painting a good picture
aaaah, that last post brought back memories. memories of what? spite. yeah, that's right, my 'good times' often result from spite. spite done unto me, or my spite smiting others. anyway, it was all in good fun, and all a thing of the past now...(will continue indefinitely)
....
It's winter, 2002, and I'm finishing up university in lethbridge. I have 2 roommates, one being an avid hunter, bush supporter, and general right winger. we clashed. we got along really well, we just couldn't discuss politics, hunting, etc. without eventually arguing.
anyway, it's cold outside, as it's winter. he's getting ready to go killing some coyotes with his friend. obviously, we start arguing. so, being as there were two of them and 1 of me (as is usual), they thought it would be great to take me outside, with no socks, and hold me in the snow. They held me for 2 or 3 minutes, but in -25 weather, with no shoes or socks, it's sufficient to freeze your feet well. So, I was in pain, and eventually lost my temper...at which point they let me go.
They went hunting, and I went upstairs to run my feet under warm water. I went into his room, with the intention of peeing in the corner or something, but thought better of it. 2 days from then, we would be on our spring break. perfect. i bided my time.
That Friday, the room mates cleared out before me, and so I was left alone to my spiteful task. I took a kilo of hamburger meat out of the fridge, and placed it in a large bowl. Then, I headed upstairs, and put the uncovered bowl of meat under my roommate's bed, over the heat register, of course, where it would, over the course of the next two weeks, have an opportunity to mutate into a wonderfully moldy, fly-y, generally disgusting, revenge--which it did. Thankfully, his door was shut the entire 2 weeks, so the smell was relegated to his room alone...
wanna be my room mate?
I have been listening to clap your hands say yeah a lot lately...damn good. i hear they have a new record, so i'll have to check that out as well.
Monday, March 27, 2006
what do you think of this.....................
i took these two pictures during my 8 months backpacking in europe in 2003-04. the gondola is obviously in venice (which wasn't really all that great), and the coastline shot was in cinque terra, italy (which maybe you haven't heard of, but need to). Overall, I guess that barcelona or budapest were my favourite cities, with berlin and krakow right up there as well. Vienna? pffffffffft. And, in a nod towards the Outlaw, the balkans were amazing, with ljubljana, dubrovnik, sarajevo, split, and zagreb all being too cool.alright, time for a poll on a hot topic in Canada--
CANADIAN SEAL HUNT---GOOD OR BAD---possible alternatives?
Saturday, March 25, 2006
admissions
this was taken, as it says, on the beach in mar del plata. after all the griping and general unhappiness i've had here, i still look at the country as one of the most beautiful and diverse places on earth. ok, buenos aires isn't for me...but there are few countries in the world with the geographical landscape that argentina has to offer....
rain forest and waterfalls in the northeast
dry desert andes in the north west
lush prairie in the middle
beautiful coastline on the east
alpine andes in the west
arctic archaepeligos in the south
and, a sparse population...with 14 mil in buenos aires, and an overall population of 38 mil...that's not bad.
so, yes, argentina, you win this round. i won't cry for you, but i will say you are beautiful.
another admission.
when i was in grade 12, i got a girlfriend. one night at a party, two of my friends said that they liked her and would 'kiss her' if they had the chance. when they weren't looking, i went upstairs and threw their shoes across the farm parking lot into a snow bank. don't mess with me. i won't fight you, but i'll spite you. and you'll never know. or, you might know, but feel it too strange to confront me on what you think i might have done.
rain forest and waterfalls in the northeast
dry desert andes in the north west
lush prairie in the middle
beautiful coastline on the east
alpine andes in the west
arctic archaepeligos in the south
and, a sparse population...with 14 mil in buenos aires, and an overall population of 38 mil...that's not bad.
so, yes, argentina, you win this round. i won't cry for you, but i will say you are beautiful.
another admission.
when i was in grade 12, i got a girlfriend. one night at a party, two of my friends said that they liked her and would 'kiss her' if they had the chance. when they weren't looking, i went upstairs and threw their shoes across the farm parking lot into a snow bank. don't mess with me. i won't fight you, but i'll spite you. and you'll never know. or, you might know, but feel it too strange to confront me on what you think i might have done.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
alberta separation
i took this photo from the balcony of an apartment we were partying in after the actual filmfest party. It was strange...i met the director of the vienna film festival in the apartment, which is neither here nor there, but it was an interesting conversation.
One of the first things i read when we got home last night on the internet was part of a discussion group of alberta separation. what the hell is that all about? why would alberta want to separate?
ok, i know that all of these rednecks think that the feds keep screwing them over, etc, but i think we need a little perspective. WE GET BONUS MONEY from our provincial government. I just got 400 dollars for doing nothing. absolutely nothing. i don't even live there.
Your life in alberta isn't that bad.
'but they keep taking all of our money with the National Energy Program.'
who cares, we're all part of the great country of canada. don't you want to take care of other people in your country? if alberta falls, and it may when the oil runs out, wouldn't you want the rest of canada to help out, as we have done with the east coast (maybe not enough)?
'but the feds are all crooked'
ok, they've had problems. our premier is a drunk, he went into a homeless shelter, and yelled at homeless people, telling them to get a job. What kind of leader is that? Anyway, how bad off are we that we lost that money as tax payers? what i mean is, it's not the end of the world, and we didn't suffer from it. it was wrong, but i'd rather have the liberals in power, trying to correct their mistakes, than stephen harper.
what would alberta's options be if we separated? become part of the states? who says bc wants to separate? you know we'd end up another state, being exploited for our oil and natural resources. the point is, if you're unhappy in canada, you can move your family to the states. if you don't want to move, do something within the democracy that is canada to change what it is you don't like.
here's a link to the discussion forum....here
One of the first things i read when we got home last night on the internet was part of a discussion group of alberta separation. what the hell is that all about? why would alberta want to separate?
ok, i know that all of these rednecks think that the feds keep screwing them over, etc, but i think we need a little perspective. WE GET BONUS MONEY from our provincial government. I just got 400 dollars for doing nothing. absolutely nothing. i don't even live there.
Your life in alberta isn't that bad.
'but they keep taking all of our money with the National Energy Program.'
who cares, we're all part of the great country of canada. don't you want to take care of other people in your country? if alberta falls, and it may when the oil runs out, wouldn't you want the rest of canada to help out, as we have done with the east coast (maybe not enough)?
'but the feds are all crooked'
ok, they've had problems. our premier is a drunk, he went into a homeless shelter, and yelled at homeless people, telling them to get a job. What kind of leader is that? Anyway, how bad off are we that we lost that money as tax payers? what i mean is, it's not the end of the world, and we didn't suffer from it. it was wrong, but i'd rather have the liberals in power, trying to correct their mistakes, than stephen harper.
what would alberta's options be if we separated? become part of the states? who says bc wants to separate? you know we'd end up another state, being exploited for our oil and natural resources. the point is, if you're unhappy in canada, you can move your family to the states. if you don't want to move, do something within the democracy that is canada to change what it is you don't like.
here's a link to the discussion forum....here
Friday, March 17, 2006
In Mar Del Plata
we came to mar del plata yesterday for the film festival which is here for a couple of weeks...we're just catching the tail end of it. (this is the same city as bush was in in november for the summit of the americas.) needless to say, things are a little more calm now...well, in the city, not really in my life. there's some tension, as both ana and i are in the middle of me deciding about leaving etc, etc, so neither of us are in great moods...she's upset thinking that i'm leaving . and i'm pretty irritable as well, actually pretty impossible to get along with, to be fair to her.
anyway, we went to see gravehopping last night, which was fantastic..it's a slovenian movie, and not unlike most balkan movies, it was an incredible mixture of complete desperation and sadness mixed with crazy manic moments...if you ever get a chance to see black cat, white cat, you'll know what i'm talking about...really dark movies. anyways, that's where i'm at now...
i took this picture a few days ago in buenos aires...it's better if you look at it in a bigger size. anyway that's it...i hope everyone is well. take care
anyway, we went to see gravehopping last night, which was fantastic..it's a slovenian movie, and not unlike most balkan movies, it was an incredible mixture of complete desperation and sadness mixed with crazy manic moments...if you ever get a chance to see black cat, white cat, you'll know what i'm talking about...really dark movies. anyways, that's where i'm at now...
i took this picture a few days ago in buenos aires...it's better if you look at it in a bigger size. anyway that's it...i hope everyone is well. take care
Monday, March 13, 2006
i see the sun coming up, rather than going down
ah, the great white north, so close...it's strange, but i think of being there, back in canada, and i feel excited. i haven't felt that way in a while. i guess it's a sign. i picture myself staying here another year, and i feel ill. of course, i know the grass is greener, yadayada, but whatever. so, i feel happy, even though i have a tough period ahead of me. um, not much else happening..had bbq yesterday, which was fantastic as always, and my cats do nothing but pee and poo all day. it's ridiculous, really, that cats 3 and 4 months old can fill the toilet bowl with caca everyday.
i snapped this pic at around 7 the other morning from on top of our roof. hope that all is well with everyone...
i snapped this pic at around 7 the other morning from on top of our roof. hope that all is well with everyone...
Thursday, March 09, 2006
holy randomness
I've sat here for a long time now, both today and last night, and i can't write anything...it's worrying. i want to kind of switch it up a bit on here; focus on something positive...well, one positive thing is that i'm listening to jack johnson's In Between Dreams. It really doesn't get much better than Jack Johnson. I was saying to ana the other day how, I can listen to something more complex, let's say for example the Arcade Fire, and I really enjoy it. It may even make me
forget how much i like acoustic music. But all it takes is one listen of neil young's harvest, harvest moon, or Jack Johnson's anything, and i realize that in the end, i appreciate simple, honest sing-song over loops, engineering, and different layers of noise. Simplicity is something you crave when you're surrounded by the complicated.
In university, i took a sociology class called something like Canadian Identity--How to Identify the Canadian Character. It was an interesting course, and we focused on topics such as music, hockey, urban character, how we are seen internationally etc. In the end, I decided that to define the canadian characteristic, you could divide us into two groups of characters...1. that character which can be defined as the group trying to find a common identity to unite canadians, usually unsuccessfully, and...2. that character which defines Canada as anything that America is not, and bases the identity on challenging americans, finding things that we do better than Americans, or pointing out their flaws (often not admitting our own similar faults---ie..obesity.)
All of this came to mind in the past couple of weeks during the olympics, which I could sadly only keep track of via the internet and the world baseball championships. I found myself, everyday during the olympics, though it shouldn't even matter, going to the medal tally, and seeing where canada placed. After a while, I noticed that I didn't care where Norway was, or Germany, or Russia in the standings. I wanted to see where Canada was and the States...that's all that mattered. When the women couldn't play the States in the gold medal game, it was a let down...like, at least we were in the gold medal game, but it was lesser knowing that we wouldn't beat the states. In hockey, though it was a bitter pill, I took comfort in the fact that the Americans didn't do very well either. So, in the end, despite the fact that it was a world stage, really, all that mattered to me was how much/if we did better than the Americans. 
I could care less about baseball, let alone the world baseball championships. But, when I saw that Canada beat the States, in the States, it became a matter of national pride. "Damn, feels nice to beat those yanks on their own field", and other thoughts like this. It's moments like that that make me think about our national character and much of it is tied to our neighbors to the south. It's also moments like that that make you thankful that we have a neighbor like that to the south, rather than a Sweden or a Norway-those countries are far too perfect. No, it's better to have a fault ridden, easy target neighbor like america.In other news, they discovered this new Lobsterish creature in the south pacific.
Ok, I know it's important for some to keep exploring, to keep learning about the earth etc. But let's face it...what is the real significance of this thing?news conference.
diver...yes, we made the discovery off of easter island a few months ago. it's never been seen before.
reporter...so, it's a very important, significant discovery, then.
diver...yes. very important to the scientific community.
reporter...how? how is this thing important to the world?
diver...(long pause...awkard silence ensues) well, if you look at the picture, this thing is wierd looking. look how wierd it is. it has blond hair on its claws. isn't that wierd?
reporter...so, that's why it's important? because it's wierd?
diver...essentially, yes. Next question.
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