I'm the first to admit that I'm one of those people who enjoys reminiscing about my youth. Back when times were simpler and I didn't have to worry about such things as rent or bills. I have a lot of fond memories of my childhood because.....and let's face it......the 80's were the best time to be a kid! You remember the 80's, don't you? The decade of New Wave music, acid wash jeans and mullets. For me, growing up in that decade was especially cool. For instance, I LIVED for Saturday morning cartoons.....something that is pretty much non-existent nowadays.
Saturday mornings were the epitome of our childhoods. I'm sure the ritual was the same for most. We'd wake up long before our parents did, pour a bowl of our favorite sugary cereal, and then plunk down in front of the television set for 5 to 6 hours of animated bliss. The shows were the best back then too. The old adage is true. "They don't make them like they used to". Some of my personal favorites as a kid included "He-Man & The Masters Of The Universe", "The Real Ghostbusters", "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'N' Wrestling", "Scooby-Doo", "The Smurfs" and "Pee-wee's Playhouse".
What bothers me in this day and age however is that the Saturday morning ritual is now non-existent. My niece, now 12, has never experienced the joy of Saturday morning as we all did. Why would they? After all, they have entire channels dedicated to cartoons 24/7. If you wanted to watch an episode of SpongeBob at 3:30 AM on a Wednesday, it could be done. Sure, as kids certain cartoons aired throughout the week in after school time slots, etc. But the beauty of Saturday morning was that many shows were "exclusive" to that day, which is why we anticipated it as much as we did.
So, what is there to find on Saturday mornings in 2010? NBC has a fine mixture of paid programming and news shows. ABC airs the same tired episodes of Disney sitcoms that can be viewed 20 times a day on the Family Channel, and FOX has a steady supply of Japan-imation cartoons. The quality of programming over the years definitely went down the shitter. Back in the day, most cartoons had a moral.....a lesson to be learned. You just don't see that anymore (save for pre-school shows aimed at a child's developmental skills).
Rant aside, I also used to love wrestling as a kid. I grew up watching the likes of Hulk Hogan, Junk Yard Dog, King Kong Bundy et al. I collected the toy wrestlers. Remember them?? They had the acrylic paint that came off all too easy, and they were made with rubber that was hard enough to injure someone when dropped from a decent height! Wrestling was great back then because they knew how to tell a story. In some cases, they'd take the better part of a year to convey a storyline, wherein the climax would take place at Wrestlemania. As a kid, I couldn't wait to see the end result, especially Wrestlemania III where every kid my age HAD to know the outcome between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant. To us, these were mortals among men.
I've tried watching wrestling today, and I just can't be bothered. They air two shows a week, and I believe two pay-per-views a month. Over the years, they seemed to shy away from the "family dynamic" and focus more on a mature audience by parading scantily clad women and having people worship a consummate finger raising beer drinker. Various storylines, one of which focused on necrophilia, was in extremely poor taste.
Another big part of my childhood revolved around video games. Man, I had them all. The first console we ever owned was a Colecovision which was connected to my parents' 13 inch black and white TV set in their bedroom on Stevenson Street. As a child of 6, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world, and was only allowed to play it when I behaved. We only had 4 games for it, but Donkey Kong was by far my favorite. If I recall, I got pretty good at it. A few years later, we had an Atari 2600, and years after that, a Nintendo Entertainment System.
I have fond memories of the Atari. Living on York Road, all my friends had one. We'd jump from house to house, cartridges in tow, trying to beat each other's high scores at games such as "Pole Position" and "Berserk". My dad had his own Atari as well, so it was a treat to play games with him on weekends when I'd visit. I remember he and I used to play "Crackpots" and "E.T." a lot. (Looking back, "E.T." was one shitty game!!).
It's amazing to see how far techonology has come in such a short period of time. Back in the day, a great hockey video game consisted of two lines and a dot. Today, you have pretty much the closest thing to a televised broadcast.
As for school, I have really fond memories of going to Tytler, as well as living in that neighborhood. Known as the ward, I lived in that part of town until I was 10 years old. Tytler really was great though. With teachers such as Ms. Farby, Mr. Rebalotti and Mz. T......how could it not be? Mind you being legally blind, I was teased a lot, but eventually learned to take it with a grain of salt. I remember how there was not one blade of grass on that entire property. The place was essentially a death trap. We had a jungle gym at the front shaped as a train, one shaped as a plane, and one shapes as a dome. We had a slide as well as a steel merry-go-round. Great times, but safety was definitely NOT priority #1. I also remember the bulls eye on the side of the building which was used for snowball target practice. :)
I don't remember watching a lot of movies in the 80's, but my love for films of that decade developed as I got older. Of course I had seen (and loved) films such as "Ghostbusters", "Back To The Future" and "Gremlins", but films such as "The Breakfast Club" and "The Terminator" were unknown to me at the time. I remember going to see "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" in the theater on 3 or 4 different occasions. Back in the 80's, that film wasn't released on home video until 1989. Therefore it was re-released in theaters throughout the decade. I remember my sister bawling her eyes out every time she'd see E.T.....white as a ghost, lying in that capsule. Incidentally, the very first movie I ever saw in the theater was "Teen Wolf" with my dad. We had a 2-screen Cineplex Odeon downtown and I was given the choice to see either that or "Back to The Future". I guess at 8 years old, seeing a guy turn into a werewolf was a bit more appealing to me than time travel.
I could go on and on for a hundred paragraphs or more about my childhood memories, but I have to cut this off somewhere. I will say this though. I love the internet. Over the past number of years, I've been able to relive some great childhood memories from sites such as YouTube as well as nostalgia-centric sites like Retro Junk. I'm not one of those people who "lives" in the past, but I am one who likes to revisit it and reminisce every now and then because hey, my childhood is what made me the upstanding gentleman you see before you........Oh, who am I kidding???
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Holiday Reflections
I still can't get over how fast the holiday season has come and gone. It felt as though there was no time for any sort of 'build-up'. In a way I consider this to be a good thing because it didn't really make way for any post-holiday depression I tend to succumb to come Boxing Day. Now, if you've read my previous blogs, you'd know that I had an especially difficult time trying to get into the holiday spirit. I let life's troubles take over what is most certainly my favorite time of year. Hell, I didn't even watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" this year. If that wasn't a cause for concern, then I don't know what is!
It wasn't until literally 2 days before Christmas when I began to actually enjoy myself. A huge reason for this was an invitation I received from my dad and step mom inviting me to lunch, in which my Aunt (whom I hadn't seen in about 16 years) also attended. It was during that lunch when I actually felt the holiday spirit creeping in on me. Sounds weird, I know. But to sit there and enjoy a meal with family whom I rarely see really meant a lot to me. We joked, laughed, caught up on things, etc. It was the first time over the course of past couple of months where I allowed myself to have a good time, laugh a little, and not worry about life's problems. For that meal, I am eternally grateful.
I also had a revelation. I've come to realize that what will be......WILL be. I don't have any control over the outcome of certain things, so why spend all my time worrying about them? I'll cross each bridge when I come to them, and until then, I can't sweat the small stuff. Life's too damn short!
Anyhow, Christmas was great as always. We focused mostly on Brittany this year as finances were tight. She of course had a great time, especially when it came to receiving her Nintendo Wii, the 20+ games that came with it, as well as the plethora of peripherals. Until Christmas, I'd never played a Wii before. This thing is FUN. Admittedly, it's not something I would play on my own, as it's more of a family friendly console as opposed to the Xbox. But to play games with Brittany is just a blast.....whether it be emulating a tennis player, a bowler, a golfer.......or the hundreds of other possibilities, she and I have a great old time playing it together. My mom and I decided to keep the console at my apartment. With the Wii, you need ample room to move around, and as my living room is more of an open concept when compared to my mom's, it just made sense. I will say this though. I LOVE the Super Mario Bros. game. It's a great throwback to the old Mario games I grew up playing as a kid. While playing it......for one brief moment......I actually felt like I was 9 years old again. lol
As for myself, I was incredibly happy with what I got this year. I didn't expect much because as I stated before, money was tight all around. From my mom, I received a 6-pack of tighty whities, Stetson cologne and aftershave, some chocolates and the "G.I. Joe: Rise Of Cobra" DVD. AMAZING movie by the way!!! From Brittany, I was given a Toronto Maple Leafs santa hat which I just love and actually wore all through Christmas Day. My sister gave me this incredible Leafs ice bucket and glassware set with coasters. All of which containing the team logo. She also got me Leafs playing cards and a personalized Leafs key chain. From friends I received 1400 Microsoft points and two DVD's, "Big Stan" and "DOA: Dead Or Alive". My Aunt gave me a beautiful card which included a $50 Wal-Mart gift card............and finally, from my dad and step mom........I got....................
THE LEG LAMP!!!!!!!!
After years of wanting one, I finally got my major award!!! Now I feel the need to explain this, because I am utterly shocked by how many people had no clue what I was talking about when I made mention of this. I thought everyone and their mother had seen "A Christmas Story" but evidently I was mistaken. Anyway, in the movie, the patriarch of the Parker family receives a prize which gets delivered to his door in a giant wooden crate. Upon opening the crate, he finds.......you guessed it. A leg lamp! Now you'd have to see the movie to fully appreciate the splendor that is the leg lamp! The replica I got for Christmas stands 20 inches tall and stands on my kitchen table. Initially, I figured I'd only display it every year during the holidays, but I'm seriously considering leaving it out year-round, because let's face it. It looks so damn good! Aside from the 40-watt bulb lighting up, the leg ITSELF lights up as well. Definitely one of the coolest gifts I could've received.........and one hell of a conversation piece!
Christmas dinner was amazing as always. My mom's boyfriend always outdoes himself. Of course, I outdid myself as well and wound up in a turkey-induced coma as the night wore on. Later that night, I developed a head cold......a cold that lasted for the four days which followed.
Anyway, Boxing Day I was hell bent on going to HMV for their annual door crasher sale. There was only one item I wanted, the "24 - Season 7" DVD set which sold for $20. Regular price was $55. Considering I own seasons 1 to 6, this was pretty much a no-brainer. Later that day we went to Wal-Mart. Brittany went as well with a gift card she received from my cousin in New Brunswick. With mine, I purchased "Two And A Half Men - season 6" and Britt got herself yet another Wii game. As we roamed through Wal-Mart, I was feeling increasingly worse. So when we got back to my place, Britt played her games while I lay on my couch where I slept for most of the day. That night I decided to watch my Leafs game, but that didn't pan out as well as planned. I was awake through the National Anthems......and that was about it. I slept through the entire game......sitting up. I was totally out of it that day.
With the cold, my New Year's plans were up in the air. I had planned to have friends over on New Year's Eve for a get-together. Nothing major. Just good friends, drinking and having a good time. But as sick as I was, I was unsure if that was going to happen. Luckily, after a few nightly Neo Citran injections and the wonder that is Advil Cold & Sinus, I gradually started to feel better. So, last night I kept my plans.
Russ and I went over to Harmen's first because we were supposed to play some sets for a few friends, but that didn't work out as the people who were supposed to come couldn't get a sitter for their kids. So, we jammed for about an hour and Russ dropped me back off at home, and would return later with his wife and son. Harmen was supposed to come as well but he chose to back out at the last minute. Also there was my buddy Rick.
So we ended up having a great time last night. I drank about half a bottle of Crown Royal and was basically feeling no pain. We played some games on the Wii (kicked Russ's ass in Boxing!!!). Watched Dick Clark's balls drop at midnight, ordered some wings and wedges, and played some tunes. It was definitely a perfect way to ring in 2010.
As for today, I'm in pretty rough shape. Fortunately, I haven't had to pay a visit to the porcelain God, but I've been in and out of bed for most of the day with the chills. Just a friendly reminder why I hardly ever drink like that!
So all in all, the holidays were great. But, now it's January and we're back to the monotony that is our daily lives. As far as resolutions go, I've decided to do whatever it takes to better myself as a person. I plan to start taking various school courses to broaden my horizons. You're never too old to learn something new! On that note, I'll wrap this up by wishing each and every one of you all the best in 2010 and I thank you for continuing to read my ramblings. :) Cheers.
It wasn't until literally 2 days before Christmas when I began to actually enjoy myself. A huge reason for this was an invitation I received from my dad and step mom inviting me to lunch, in which my Aunt (whom I hadn't seen in about 16 years) also attended. It was during that lunch when I actually felt the holiday spirit creeping in on me. Sounds weird, I know. But to sit there and enjoy a meal with family whom I rarely see really meant a lot to me. We joked, laughed, caught up on things, etc. It was the first time over the course of past couple of months where I allowed myself to have a good time, laugh a little, and not worry about life's problems. For that meal, I am eternally grateful.
I also had a revelation. I've come to realize that what will be......WILL be. I don't have any control over the outcome of certain things, so why spend all my time worrying about them? I'll cross each bridge when I come to them, and until then, I can't sweat the small stuff. Life's too damn short!
Anyhow, Christmas was great as always. We focused mostly on Brittany this year as finances were tight. She of course had a great time, especially when it came to receiving her Nintendo Wii, the 20+ games that came with it, as well as the plethora of peripherals. Until Christmas, I'd never played a Wii before. This thing is FUN. Admittedly, it's not something I would play on my own, as it's more of a family friendly console as opposed to the Xbox. But to play games with Brittany is just a blast.....whether it be emulating a tennis player, a bowler, a golfer.......or the hundreds of other possibilities, she and I have a great old time playing it together. My mom and I decided to keep the console at my apartment. With the Wii, you need ample room to move around, and as my living room is more of an open concept when compared to my mom's, it just made sense. I will say this though. I LOVE the Super Mario Bros. game. It's a great throwback to the old Mario games I grew up playing as a kid. While playing it......for one brief moment......I actually felt like I was 9 years old again. lol
As for myself, I was incredibly happy with what I got this year. I didn't expect much because as I stated before, money was tight all around. From my mom, I received a 6-pack of tighty whities, Stetson cologne and aftershave, some chocolates and the "G.I. Joe: Rise Of Cobra" DVD. AMAZING movie by the way!!! From Brittany, I was given a Toronto Maple Leafs santa hat which I just love and actually wore all through Christmas Day. My sister gave me this incredible Leafs ice bucket and glassware set with coasters. All of which containing the team logo. She also got me Leafs playing cards and a personalized Leafs key chain. From friends I received 1400 Microsoft points and two DVD's, "Big Stan" and "DOA: Dead Or Alive". My Aunt gave me a beautiful card which included a $50 Wal-Mart gift card............and finally, from my dad and step mom........I got....................
THE LEG LAMP!!!!!!!!
After years of wanting one, I finally got my major award!!! Now I feel the need to explain this, because I am utterly shocked by how many people had no clue what I was talking about when I made mention of this. I thought everyone and their mother had seen "A Christmas Story" but evidently I was mistaken. Anyway, in the movie, the patriarch of the Parker family receives a prize which gets delivered to his door in a giant wooden crate. Upon opening the crate, he finds.......you guessed it. A leg lamp! Now you'd have to see the movie to fully appreciate the splendor that is the leg lamp! The replica I got for Christmas stands 20 inches tall and stands on my kitchen table. Initially, I figured I'd only display it every year during the holidays, but I'm seriously considering leaving it out year-round, because let's face it. It looks so damn good! Aside from the 40-watt bulb lighting up, the leg ITSELF lights up as well. Definitely one of the coolest gifts I could've received.........and one hell of a conversation piece!
Christmas dinner was amazing as always. My mom's boyfriend always outdoes himself. Of course, I outdid myself as well and wound up in a turkey-induced coma as the night wore on. Later that night, I developed a head cold......a cold that lasted for the four days which followed.
Anyway, Boxing Day I was hell bent on going to HMV for their annual door crasher sale. There was only one item I wanted, the "24 - Season 7" DVD set which sold for $20. Regular price was $55. Considering I own seasons 1 to 6, this was pretty much a no-brainer. Later that day we went to Wal-Mart. Brittany went as well with a gift card she received from my cousin in New Brunswick. With mine, I purchased "Two And A Half Men - season 6" and Britt got herself yet another Wii game. As we roamed through Wal-Mart, I was feeling increasingly worse. So when we got back to my place, Britt played her games while I lay on my couch where I slept for most of the day. That night I decided to watch my Leafs game, but that didn't pan out as well as planned. I was awake through the National Anthems......and that was about it. I slept through the entire game......sitting up. I was totally out of it that day.
With the cold, my New Year's plans were up in the air. I had planned to have friends over on New Year's Eve for a get-together. Nothing major. Just good friends, drinking and having a good time. But as sick as I was, I was unsure if that was going to happen. Luckily, after a few nightly Neo Citran injections and the wonder that is Advil Cold & Sinus, I gradually started to feel better. So, last night I kept my plans.
Russ and I went over to Harmen's first because we were supposed to play some sets for a few friends, but that didn't work out as the people who were supposed to come couldn't get a sitter for their kids. So, we jammed for about an hour and Russ dropped me back off at home, and would return later with his wife and son. Harmen was supposed to come as well but he chose to back out at the last minute. Also there was my buddy Rick.
So we ended up having a great time last night. I drank about half a bottle of Crown Royal and was basically feeling no pain. We played some games on the Wii (kicked Russ's ass in Boxing!!!). Watched Dick Clark's balls drop at midnight, ordered some wings and wedges, and played some tunes. It was definitely a perfect way to ring in 2010.
As for today, I'm in pretty rough shape. Fortunately, I haven't had to pay a visit to the porcelain God, but I've been in and out of bed for most of the day with the chills. Just a friendly reminder why I hardly ever drink like that!
So all in all, the holidays were great. But, now it's January and we're back to the monotony that is our daily lives. As far as resolutions go, I've decided to do whatever it takes to better myself as a person. I plan to start taking various school courses to broaden my horizons. You're never too old to learn something new! On that note, I'll wrap this up by wishing each and every one of you all the best in 2010 and I thank you for continuing to read my ramblings. :) Cheers.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Christmas With The "Krank"
I never thought there would be a time in my life where I just didn't look forward to Christmas. I always pegged myself as one of those people who would always be ecstatic about it, even when I'm old and grey. I mean, it was always my favorite time of year. However, this year is different. I'm completely and utterly numb to this holiday season. Traditionally, I'd always be the first to dig out the Christmas movies and torture everyone with the trillionth viewing of 'Christmas Vacation', or marveling at all of the houses adorned with various light displays. But nope......just not feeling it this year.
I mean, it's incredibly difficult to look forward to the holidays when I can barely afford a pot to piss in, let alone buy gifts for my loved ones. I never gave a shit about "getting" gifts, but a huge part of Christmas for me has always been the "giving". I always loved buying my family things that they wanted, and watching their eyes light up on Christmas morning. To me, that was always the best feeling in the world. But, due to this year's events, I'm not financially capable of doing it this year. At least not to the extent of previous years.
In addition, I just recently found out that I may be forced to move next year. I will have lived in my apartment for 3 years come April where my rent has always been subsidized. However, due to lack of funds, only 33% (10 of 30) people will be approved for subsidy next year. And the likelihood is, women with children will get superiority over a legally blind single guy. I have no idea what the outcome will be, but just thinking about it doesn't exactly make me feel festive. What's worse is that my mom is in rough shape financially as well. I won't disclose her personal situation, but needless to say, I worry for her as well.
Regardless of my personal feelings toward the holidays this year, I'll muster up a smile for the sake of Brittany. She's sure to have a great Christmas. Before my mom's financial situation went south, she managed to get Britt a Nintendo Wii system and a bunch of games and peripherals to go with it. I too managed to get a couple of things to go with it a number of months ago. I think she'll be ecstatic when she gets it. I've come to realize that it's really all about the children anyway. As long as Britt has a great day, that's all that matters. I can cast my problems aside until Boxing Day. lol I will say this though. I AM looking forward to my mom's turkey dinner.
Things with the band are going well. I'm still unsure if we're playing in Fergus for New Year's, but considering it's under 3 weeks away.....and I've heard nothing, it doesn't look good. As an alternative, I'm thinking of having a get-together at my place for New Year's Eve. A strictly casual BYOB ordeal with great friends and good tunes. We'll see how it goes though. New Year's doesn't really have any significance to me other than a reason to go out, party and get wasted. lol. I'd really like for the gig to go through though, since we always have so much fun playing there. But, time will tell.
Speaking of the band, I've taken it upon myself to learn to play harmonica. Harmen (my keyboard player) picked one up for me a couple of weeks ago. Seeing as we sort of have a blues/rock vibe going, some of the songs would sound great with the addition of a harp. For the past week, I've been taking lessons on YouTube which have proven to be extremely effective. I'm learning basic blues riffs and other techniques. I'm just glad to be able to add another element to the band in addition to vocals.
Anyway, back to the subject of New Year's. I have a resolution. I have decided to do whatever it takes to go back and finish school. My biggest regret was not finishing high school, and although I can't change the past, I can certainly correct it. Following that, I plan on attending various computing courses via 'Continuing Education'. Apparently ODSP flips the bill for any courses I choose to take, so I'm going to milk it for all I can. Truth is, I'm tired of living in this rut, and it's due time I do something about it. For the past 11 years I devoted all of my time to Brittany (and believe me, I wouldn't trade a second of it). But now that she's older, I can actually take the time to pursue these endeavors. Anyone close to me will tell you that I'm a whiz when it comes to computers. Unfortunately, I have no viable proof of these qualifications. So by taking these courses, I'll have something legitimate saying "Yes, he is good at this. Hire him!". Ok, maybe not in those exact words, but you get the gist.
I mean, it's incredibly difficult to look forward to the holidays when I can barely afford a pot to piss in, let alone buy gifts for my loved ones. I never gave a shit about "getting" gifts, but a huge part of Christmas for me has always been the "giving". I always loved buying my family things that they wanted, and watching their eyes light up on Christmas morning. To me, that was always the best feeling in the world. But, due to this year's events, I'm not financially capable of doing it this year. At least not to the extent of previous years.
In addition, I just recently found out that I may be forced to move next year. I will have lived in my apartment for 3 years come April where my rent has always been subsidized. However, due to lack of funds, only 33% (10 of 30) people will be approved for subsidy next year. And the likelihood is, women with children will get superiority over a legally blind single guy. I have no idea what the outcome will be, but just thinking about it doesn't exactly make me feel festive. What's worse is that my mom is in rough shape financially as well. I won't disclose her personal situation, but needless to say, I worry for her as well.
Regardless of my personal feelings toward the holidays this year, I'll muster up a smile for the sake of Brittany. She's sure to have a great Christmas. Before my mom's financial situation went south, she managed to get Britt a Nintendo Wii system and a bunch of games and peripherals to go with it. I too managed to get a couple of things to go with it a number of months ago. I think she'll be ecstatic when she gets it. I've come to realize that it's really all about the children anyway. As long as Britt has a great day, that's all that matters. I can cast my problems aside until Boxing Day. lol I will say this though. I AM looking forward to my mom's turkey dinner.
Things with the band are going well. I'm still unsure if we're playing in Fergus for New Year's, but considering it's under 3 weeks away.....and I've heard nothing, it doesn't look good. As an alternative, I'm thinking of having a get-together at my place for New Year's Eve. A strictly casual BYOB ordeal with great friends and good tunes. We'll see how it goes though. New Year's doesn't really have any significance to me other than a reason to go out, party and get wasted. lol. I'd really like for the gig to go through though, since we always have so much fun playing there. But, time will tell.
Speaking of the band, I've taken it upon myself to learn to play harmonica. Harmen (my keyboard player) picked one up for me a couple of weeks ago. Seeing as we sort of have a blues/rock vibe going, some of the songs would sound great with the addition of a harp. For the past week, I've been taking lessons on YouTube which have proven to be extremely effective. I'm learning basic blues riffs and other techniques. I'm just glad to be able to add another element to the band in addition to vocals.
Anyway, back to the subject of New Year's. I have a resolution. I have decided to do whatever it takes to go back and finish school. My biggest regret was not finishing high school, and although I can't change the past, I can certainly correct it. Following that, I plan on attending various computing courses via 'Continuing Education'. Apparently ODSP flips the bill for any courses I choose to take, so I'm going to milk it for all I can. Truth is, I'm tired of living in this rut, and it's due time I do something about it. For the past 11 years I devoted all of my time to Brittany (and believe me, I wouldn't trade a second of it). But now that she's older, I can actually take the time to pursue these endeavors. Anyone close to me will tell you that I'm a whiz when it comes to computers. Unfortunately, I have no viable proof of these qualifications. So by taking these courses, I'll have something legitimate saying "Yes, he is good at this. Hire him!". Ok, maybe not in those exact words, but you get the gist.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Writer's Block
I just now realized that it'll be a month as of tomorrow since I'd last written a blog entry. Uncustomary for me as I usually spew off 2 on average in the course of any given month. But lately, I've lacked both the willingness and gumption to write. Be that as it may, I decided to commit myself to sitting here for the next hour and update on my life's current events. Why I feel the need to write about my life is beyond me. But hey, let's look at it this way. If no one ever reads these posts, I can use them as a memory boost of days gone by when I'm old and senile......which ever comes first.
Anyway, the week before Halloween I held my annual movie night (as I had blogged about in the past). It went well for the most part. We watched 9 movies over the course of 12 hours. 9 people and 2 dogs were in attendance. Only downfall was that some of the people were more concerned about getting drunk and shooting the shit rather than watch the actual movies. But it was ok for the most part. Most of the movies I had chosen were good, with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 I had chosen blindly without previously seeing them. Out of the ones we watched, "Teeth" takes the cake for originality. Without giving away too much of the plot, it features a teenage girl with an angry toothed vagina. I shit you not! The film was indeed graphic enough to make any red blooded male squirm. I usually have a thick skin when it comes to horrors whereas blood and gore really don't phase me. "Teeth" is the exception to that rule.
The following weekend we were to play a gig in Fergus for Halloween night. That morning I received a call from my drummer after having only an hour's sleep. For reasons I won't disclose, he had to move out of his apartment that day and needed help. So he picked me up at 7:30 that morning and I helped him move until about noon. For whatever reason I took ill at that point. Everyone kept telling me I was white as a ghost and that I should go home to rest. I'm not sure if it was a result of my lack of sleep, etc but I became extremely light headed. So, I would up going home to lay down. Didn't do a lot of good however as my phone kept ringing off the hook all day. My friend Rick decided to come by early as well as he was going up to Fergus with me that night. So needless to say, by the evening I still felt like crap to the point where I had my fingers crossed that my drummer would bail out for the night after having moved all day.
But that wasn't the case. As tired as he was, he still fully intended on going. So I loaded a cooler full of beer and ice, then Rick and I headed to the barn in Fergus where the party was held. Harmen, my keyboard player was already there and Russ didn't show up until about 2 hours later. During that time I drank about 5 or 6 beers and somehow managed to catch a second wind. Shortly after Russ showed up, we went up and performed our songs. Out of the handful of gigs we'd played in the past 12 months, this was definitely the best. We had everyone's attention when we played. We'd play a set, everyone danced. We took a break, they stepped outside. It was amazing. I think we all realized then and there that we had something good! We're now seriously discussing playing some paid gigs as we now have enough material to play a full show.
We also managed to find our niche. Over the past year, we'd learned a great number of different songs, but we never really had any "set" genre. What we've done was pretty much a mixed bag of everything. But we're all now in agreement that we're a "party band". We've decided the best route to take is to perform songs that will get asses out of the seats and on to the dance floor. I'd say about 60% of our repertoire consists of these type of songs. But we're eager to learn a lot more of them. We'll still learn the odd slow song but for the most part, it's all about partying and having a good time. It's a known fact that if the band's having a good time, the crowd will as well, and we proved that on Halloween. I just can't wait to see where we go next!
So, the day after the gig I had one hell of a screaming hangover. This wasn't good as I was supposed to go to the Guelph Storm game that afternoon. Rick, who is a season ticket holder gave me his ticket for that game, as he was spending the day in Niagara Falls. I wanted to see this game in particular because Guelph was playing the London Knights......and on the Knights is Nazem Kadri, the Leafs draft pick. He played most of the pre-season as a Leaf before being sent back to the Knights prior to the start of the regular season. It was a treat to see him play in person. I still don't think Toronto should have sent him back down. He's a hell of a player.
Anyway, this weekend is the Santa Claus parade here in town. I was going to take Brittany but she has become so unruly lately, I decided not to take her as a means of punishment. Between receiving calls about her behavior on the school bus, in addition to how she treats her grandmother (my mom) on a daily basis, I've decided it's time to start pulling the plug on extra curricular activities. I hate to say it, but I really do see a lot of her mother in her. It was around the same age, when my sister would torment my mother to no end. She even went so far as to beat her with a wooden crutch in addition to spray painting obscenities outside her bedroom window. Granted, Brittany isn't at "that" devious stage yet, but she's certainly on the same path. It breaks my heart to see her behave this way. We'd done our best to try to teach her right from wrong, and to treat people with respect and kindness. It's as though all of that has gone in one ear and out the other. I love the kid to death. I always will. But there's no excuse for that behavior. She even went so far as to call my mom a witch. I mean, after EVERYTHING my mother has done for that child, over the past 11 years, this is the thanks she gets. It's a sin. And the fact that I had to watch my sister do the exact same thing years before, I don't know that I can take another round of that. The first time was bad enough.
Well, it's inevitable. Christmas is just around the corner. I'm not feeling it at all this year. It has always been my favorite time, but I just can't bring myself to look forward to it. With my decreased income this year, I can't afford to spend on gifts as I had previously done. Half the fun of Christmas for me is shopping for others. I couldn't care less if I received nothing. It's the giving that I enjoy.....and this year, it'll be sparse. I'd just as soon rather sleep through the holidays this year. Apologies for sounding all "Scrooge-like", but it's how I feel.
My mom's in the same boat. Thanks to this Co-Op, she's facing eviction because the subsidy she had applied (and was approved) for turned out to be an "emergency" subsidy which dried up in August. Unbeknownst to her until OCTOBER 27th, she received a letter stating that she owed full market for the months of September and October. And of course, 4 days before November meant another full market charge. So to make a long story short, the bitch in the Co-Op office couldn't get off her ass and present a letter BEFORE September stating that she was no longer subsidized. Instead, she waits 2 months AFTER the fact. So because of this, my mom is now in arrears for a large sum of money. It's ridiculous because the By-Laws clearly state that if there is ANY change in the housing charge, the member is supposed be notified 2 MONTHS AND 5 DAYS in advance. Not 2 months after the fact. So, she's now seeking legal counsel to find out what her options are because it'll just be a matter of time before the Arrears Committee starts breathing down her neck. To make a long story short, she'll be forced to move. She's still not working. She's still on unemployment.....which are the reasons she applied for subsidy in the first place. As a result of being unable to squeeze blood from a stone, she's going to have to find another place to live. MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Anyway, I know this post doesn't exactly make you want to pour some egg nog and watch Rudolph, and I'm sorry for that. But I've said it before. Putting my thoughts in writing is just a great way for me to vent!
Anyway, the week before Halloween I held my annual movie night (as I had blogged about in the past). It went well for the most part. We watched 9 movies over the course of 12 hours. 9 people and 2 dogs were in attendance. Only downfall was that some of the people were more concerned about getting drunk and shooting the shit rather than watch the actual movies. But it was ok for the most part. Most of the movies I had chosen were good, with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 I had chosen blindly without previously seeing them. Out of the ones we watched, "Teeth" takes the cake for originality. Without giving away too much of the plot, it features a teenage girl with an angry toothed vagina. I shit you not! The film was indeed graphic enough to make any red blooded male squirm. I usually have a thick skin when it comes to horrors whereas blood and gore really don't phase me. "Teeth" is the exception to that rule.
The following weekend we were to play a gig in Fergus for Halloween night. That morning I received a call from my drummer after having only an hour's sleep. For reasons I won't disclose, he had to move out of his apartment that day and needed help. So he picked me up at 7:30 that morning and I helped him move until about noon. For whatever reason I took ill at that point. Everyone kept telling me I was white as a ghost and that I should go home to rest. I'm not sure if it was a result of my lack of sleep, etc but I became extremely light headed. So, I would up going home to lay down. Didn't do a lot of good however as my phone kept ringing off the hook all day. My friend Rick decided to come by early as well as he was going up to Fergus with me that night. So needless to say, by the evening I still felt like crap to the point where I had my fingers crossed that my drummer would bail out for the night after having moved all day.
But that wasn't the case. As tired as he was, he still fully intended on going. So I loaded a cooler full of beer and ice, then Rick and I headed to the barn in Fergus where the party was held. Harmen, my keyboard player was already there and Russ didn't show up until about 2 hours later. During that time I drank about 5 or 6 beers and somehow managed to catch a second wind. Shortly after Russ showed up, we went up and performed our songs. Out of the handful of gigs we'd played in the past 12 months, this was definitely the best. We had everyone's attention when we played. We'd play a set, everyone danced. We took a break, they stepped outside. It was amazing. I think we all realized then and there that we had something good! We're now seriously discussing playing some paid gigs as we now have enough material to play a full show.
We also managed to find our niche. Over the past year, we'd learned a great number of different songs, but we never really had any "set" genre. What we've done was pretty much a mixed bag of everything. But we're all now in agreement that we're a "party band". We've decided the best route to take is to perform songs that will get asses out of the seats and on to the dance floor. I'd say about 60% of our repertoire consists of these type of songs. But we're eager to learn a lot more of them. We'll still learn the odd slow song but for the most part, it's all about partying and having a good time. It's a known fact that if the band's having a good time, the crowd will as well, and we proved that on Halloween. I just can't wait to see where we go next!
So, the day after the gig I had one hell of a screaming hangover. This wasn't good as I was supposed to go to the Guelph Storm game that afternoon. Rick, who is a season ticket holder gave me his ticket for that game, as he was spending the day in Niagara Falls. I wanted to see this game in particular because Guelph was playing the London Knights......and on the Knights is Nazem Kadri, the Leafs draft pick. He played most of the pre-season as a Leaf before being sent back to the Knights prior to the start of the regular season. It was a treat to see him play in person. I still don't think Toronto should have sent him back down. He's a hell of a player.
Anyway, this weekend is the Santa Claus parade here in town. I was going to take Brittany but she has become so unruly lately, I decided not to take her as a means of punishment. Between receiving calls about her behavior on the school bus, in addition to how she treats her grandmother (my mom) on a daily basis, I've decided it's time to start pulling the plug on extra curricular activities. I hate to say it, but I really do see a lot of her mother in her. It was around the same age, when my sister would torment my mother to no end. She even went so far as to beat her with a wooden crutch in addition to spray painting obscenities outside her bedroom window. Granted, Brittany isn't at "that" devious stage yet, but she's certainly on the same path. It breaks my heart to see her behave this way. We'd done our best to try to teach her right from wrong, and to treat people with respect and kindness. It's as though all of that has gone in one ear and out the other. I love the kid to death. I always will. But there's no excuse for that behavior. She even went so far as to call my mom a witch. I mean, after EVERYTHING my mother has done for that child, over the past 11 years, this is the thanks she gets. It's a sin. And the fact that I had to watch my sister do the exact same thing years before, I don't know that I can take another round of that. The first time was bad enough.
Well, it's inevitable. Christmas is just around the corner. I'm not feeling it at all this year. It has always been my favorite time, but I just can't bring myself to look forward to it. With my decreased income this year, I can't afford to spend on gifts as I had previously done. Half the fun of Christmas for me is shopping for others. I couldn't care less if I received nothing. It's the giving that I enjoy.....and this year, it'll be sparse. I'd just as soon rather sleep through the holidays this year. Apologies for sounding all "Scrooge-like", but it's how I feel.
My mom's in the same boat. Thanks to this Co-Op, she's facing eviction because the subsidy she had applied (and was approved) for turned out to be an "emergency" subsidy which dried up in August. Unbeknownst to her until OCTOBER 27th, she received a letter stating that she owed full market for the months of September and October. And of course, 4 days before November meant another full market charge. So to make a long story short, the bitch in the Co-Op office couldn't get off her ass and present a letter BEFORE September stating that she was no longer subsidized. Instead, she waits 2 months AFTER the fact. So because of this, my mom is now in arrears for a large sum of money. It's ridiculous because the By-Laws clearly state that if there is ANY change in the housing charge, the member is supposed be notified 2 MONTHS AND 5 DAYS in advance. Not 2 months after the fact. So, she's now seeking legal counsel to find out what her options are because it'll just be a matter of time before the Arrears Committee starts breathing down her neck. To make a long story short, she'll be forced to move. She's still not working. She's still on unemployment.....which are the reasons she applied for subsidy in the first place. As a result of being unable to squeeze blood from a stone, she's going to have to find another place to live. MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Anyway, I know this post doesn't exactly make you want to pour some egg nog and watch Rudolph, and I'm sorry for that. But I've said it before. Putting my thoughts in writing is just a great way for me to vent!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Drama, Drama Everywhere
First and foremost, I'd like to extend a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of my Canadian friends and family. Hope you all have found something to be thankful for. As for myself, I'm extremely thankful for having the honor and privilege of raising my niece over the past 11 (almost 12) years. If I had to do it all over again, I most certainly would. Tonight, I'll be enjoying a ham dinner at my mom's with all of the fixings. Let's just say I'll be wearing the loose pants!
Brittany has definitely reached a new pinnacle in her life this past week. She has begun communicating with her biological father, his wife and 14 year old stepson via telephone and internet. They will be meeting face-to-face in just under two weeks. His wife had wanted to put this reunion in motion for some time, but my mom (who has legal custody of Brittany) was understandably hesitant given the fact that no effort had been made on his part up until this point. But she came to decide that denying her the right to get to know him wasn't the answer. Needless to say, Brittany is ecstatic about the whole thing. She often wondered who her father was and she's thrilled about getting to know him and the members of his family.
As for myself, I've had mixed emotions about all of this, and in truth, I've been trying to deal with it. Just for a moment, look at the situation from my perspective. Since that little girl was 5 months old, I was there. First steps, first words.....everything. In 1998 my mom had asked for my help in raising her, and I did so to the best of my ability. As I stated above, her father made no effort, and her mother (my sister) made very little. To this day, she still couldn't care less. But between my mom and I, we were there. We changed the diapers, made the formula, rocked her to sleep. As she got older, I continued to do the best I could. I helped her with homework, helped supervise school trips, attended all open houses, plays and assemblies. When she was younger, I'd read her stories every night before bed. I was very literally the only male role model she'd known.
I know she's getting older, and eventually I'm going to have to let her go to pursue her own dreams and aspirations. I just keep asking myself. "Where were her parents when she needed them most in her life?". And to all of a sudden swoop in out of nowhere after 12 years with open arms......well, it just irks me. But I'm trying to look at the big picture here. A father and daughter are reunited regardless. And although I have my reservations, I have no right to stand in the way. My mom was the one who made this decision. I had absolutely no say in the matter what-so-ever. After all, I'm not the one with the custody papers. So whether I agree or disagree, all I can do is sit idly by and let the chips fall where they may. Ultimately my biggest concern is for the child. She already has a mother who couldn't give a rat's ass. If this guy wants to play the role of "daddy" all of a sudden, then he'd better step up and play an active role in her life from here on in, because I'll be damned if I let that child get hurt again. I WILL protect her until my dying day.
Ok, I'd better lighten the mood here. Getting a little worked up. lol Let's see.....let's see. Oh yes, my sister is sleeping with her cousin / step-brother. I don't know what it is with that girl but her life is going nowhere fast. She told my mom this little tidbit only days ago. The obvious reaction should've been shock and awe, but I felt neither of those things. When it comes to my sister, nothing surprises me anymore. You know, we've tried to help her. But how do you help someone who is completely unwilling to help themselves? Between the sex, drugs and her recently acquired alcoholism addiction, I can't make heads or tails of her life and it has come to the point that (sad to say) I don't answer the phone to her nearly as much because I don't care to hear of her latest escapade, or how she pines after one ex-boyfriend while sleeping with a blood relative. See, I've tried to help and reason with her before. The last time ultimately put me in the hospital with high blood pressure, so I've come to the conclusion that she's going to do whatever it is that she does regardless of any help or advice we may give her. So rather than constantly worry about her, I've decided to make my health my #1 priority. True what they say. You can't make a leopard change its spots.
Let's see, what else? Things with the band are going great. We've hit a few bumps in the road, but we're back on track.....practicing every weekend as we had done when we first formed a year ago. We're gearing up to play a jam in Fergus on Halloween night. I'll be dressing up as a brick layer with the hopes that at least one woman will show up dressed up as a brick! lol We're learing about 5 new songs which will bring our set list to about 30.....almost enough to play a show! The songs we're working on now include "Lil' Red Riding Hood", "In The Air Tonight", "Runaway", "That's All" and "Hang On Sloopy". We all agreed that crowd pleasers would be the way to go.
Speaking of Halloween, the night before the Fergus jam I'll be hosting my 8th consecutive 'Halloween Movie Night'. If you've read my previous blog entries, this is an event I always look forward to. 8 movies over the course of a night. I'm happy with the line-up I came up with for this year. I always start with a family-friendly one for Brittany, so we'll be showing "Casper" for her. After that we have "Firestarter", "Trick 'r Treat", "Hatchet", "A Nightmare On Elm Street", "Halloween III: Season Of The Witch", "Ghoulies" and an 8th which is yet to be determined. Guaranteed to be a lot of fun.
On a final note, if you read my previous entry touting how great the Leafs were in pre-season, please disregard that. 0 and 4 into the regular season is NOT a good start. lol. Ah well. I'm a fan win or lose.........mostly lose.
Brittany has definitely reached a new pinnacle in her life this past week. She has begun communicating with her biological father, his wife and 14 year old stepson via telephone and internet. They will be meeting face-to-face in just under two weeks. His wife had wanted to put this reunion in motion for some time, but my mom (who has legal custody of Brittany) was understandably hesitant given the fact that no effort had been made on his part up until this point. But she came to decide that denying her the right to get to know him wasn't the answer. Needless to say, Brittany is ecstatic about the whole thing. She often wondered who her father was and she's thrilled about getting to know him and the members of his family.
As for myself, I've had mixed emotions about all of this, and in truth, I've been trying to deal with it. Just for a moment, look at the situation from my perspective. Since that little girl was 5 months old, I was there. First steps, first words.....everything. In 1998 my mom had asked for my help in raising her, and I did so to the best of my ability. As I stated above, her father made no effort, and her mother (my sister) made very little. To this day, she still couldn't care less. But between my mom and I, we were there. We changed the diapers, made the formula, rocked her to sleep. As she got older, I continued to do the best I could. I helped her with homework, helped supervise school trips, attended all open houses, plays and assemblies. When she was younger, I'd read her stories every night before bed. I was very literally the only male role model she'd known.
I know she's getting older, and eventually I'm going to have to let her go to pursue her own dreams and aspirations. I just keep asking myself. "Where were her parents when she needed them most in her life?". And to all of a sudden swoop in out of nowhere after 12 years with open arms......well, it just irks me. But I'm trying to look at the big picture here. A father and daughter are reunited regardless. And although I have my reservations, I have no right to stand in the way. My mom was the one who made this decision. I had absolutely no say in the matter what-so-ever. After all, I'm not the one with the custody papers. So whether I agree or disagree, all I can do is sit idly by and let the chips fall where they may. Ultimately my biggest concern is for the child. She already has a mother who couldn't give a rat's ass. If this guy wants to play the role of "daddy" all of a sudden, then he'd better step up and play an active role in her life from here on in, because I'll be damned if I let that child get hurt again. I WILL protect her until my dying day.
Ok, I'd better lighten the mood here. Getting a little worked up. lol Let's see.....let's see. Oh yes, my sister is sleeping with her cousin / step-brother. I don't know what it is with that girl but her life is going nowhere fast. She told my mom this little tidbit only days ago. The obvious reaction should've been shock and awe, but I felt neither of those things. When it comes to my sister, nothing surprises me anymore. You know, we've tried to help her. But how do you help someone who is completely unwilling to help themselves? Between the sex, drugs and her recently acquired alcoholism addiction, I can't make heads or tails of her life and it has come to the point that (sad to say) I don't answer the phone to her nearly as much because I don't care to hear of her latest escapade, or how she pines after one ex-boyfriend while sleeping with a blood relative. See, I've tried to help and reason with her before. The last time ultimately put me in the hospital with high blood pressure, so I've come to the conclusion that she's going to do whatever it is that she does regardless of any help or advice we may give her. So rather than constantly worry about her, I've decided to make my health my #1 priority. True what they say. You can't make a leopard change its spots.
Let's see, what else? Things with the band are going great. We've hit a few bumps in the road, but we're back on track.....practicing every weekend as we had done when we first formed a year ago. We're gearing up to play a jam in Fergus on Halloween night. I'll be dressing up as a brick layer with the hopes that at least one woman will show up dressed up as a brick! lol We're learing about 5 new songs which will bring our set list to about 30.....almost enough to play a show! The songs we're working on now include "Lil' Red Riding Hood", "In The Air Tonight", "Runaway", "That's All" and "Hang On Sloopy". We all agreed that crowd pleasers would be the way to go.
Speaking of Halloween, the night before the Fergus jam I'll be hosting my 8th consecutive 'Halloween Movie Night'. If you've read my previous blog entries, this is an event I always look forward to. 8 movies over the course of a night. I'm happy with the line-up I came up with for this year. I always start with a family-friendly one for Brittany, so we'll be showing "Casper" for her. After that we have "Firestarter", "Trick 'r Treat", "Hatchet", "A Nightmare On Elm Street", "Halloween III: Season Of The Witch", "Ghoulies" and an 8th which is yet to be determined. Guaranteed to be a lot of fun.
On a final note, if you read my previous entry touting how great the Leafs were in pre-season, please disregard that. 0 and 4 into the regular season is NOT a good start. lol. Ah well. I'm a fan win or lose.........mostly lose.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Rising Leafs And Fallen Leaves
The great thing about Autumn isn't so much the cooler weather. It isn't the fact that my favorite TV shows return from their Summer hiatus. It isn't even knowing the anticipation that Christmas is only 3 short months away. To me, Autumn signifies the fact that hockey season has returned once again. For those who don't know, I'm a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan......and proud of it!
Of course, being a Leafs fan means enduring a hell of a lot of criticism from nay-sayers. Par for the course really when you consider their track record over the past number of years......or when you take into consideration that they haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1967. But I digress. I'm a fan, win or lose. And I'm proud of it.
See, I was never really a hockey fan until about 2001. I'd been exposed to hockey throughout most of my life but never really took interest. My mother's second husband was a huge Buffalo Sabres fan, and as a kid, I was taken to a handful of games. But even then, I couldn't have cared less. As to why I took interest all of a sudden only 8 years ago is still a mystery, even to me. I decided to watch a Leafs game, then another......then another, and so on. Before I knew it, I was hooked, and today I consider myself a loyal and devoted Leafs fan.
I had planned on conveying in detail how great my team has been during pre-season, but I thought I'd spare those who couldn't give a rat's ass about hockey. I will say this. Brian Burke's rebuild is going according to plan. We're younger, faster and tougher. I've been watching the last 5 pre-season games and it definitely shows. It's been 6 years since the Leafs last made the playoffs. In short, I don't think it will be extended to 7.
Ok, enough hockey talk. I had a scheduled appointment with my doctor last week which went extremely well. As it turns out, my blood pressure is normal......and here's the good part. If I continue to lose weight and keep my pressure normal over the next 3 months, I will be taken off the medication! Mind you, taking the meds never bothered me at all. I take 2 pills in the morning and that's it. I am on the right track though. I have lost 30 pounds since April and I feel better than ever. For years I've been wearing XL (extra large) shirts and size 40 jeans. Well, now I've downgraded to L (large) shirts and size 36 jeans. I have a long way to go though but I'm more confident than ever that I'll reach my goal. My mom and I have even started a powerwalking regimen every morning.
Things with the band are going great these days. Although life intrudes and we don't get to practice as much as I'd like, I'm still happy with the direction we're taking. Russ' friend Jimmy has just signed on as our permanent bass player, so I'm really happy about that. Harmen, Jimmy and I practice on Wednesday nights, and Russ sits in on Sundays whenever possible so it's definitely a step up. We've also made a list of about 20 new songs we'd like to work on which include "Lil' Red Riding Hood", "Run Runaway", "Rock This Town", "Footloose" and "Hang On Sloopy". Good times!
What really lit a fire under me to get our band motivated again had a lot to do with the Preston Music Festival. My dad had invited me to this event and I was more than happy to accept. Held this past Saturday, there were 10 bands over the course of 11 hours. We had the privilege of seeing the first 7. The diversity was great, as one band played Reggae while another played the Blues. One band played a mixture of classic rock and country while another played classic rock with a contemporary twist. My favorite band was definitely Bad Pickle who played the likes of AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne.
I learned a lot from this show, especially on how to be a good front man. Although we've only had a few gigs this year, I'm finally coming into my own as a front guy, learning how to communicate with the audience, etc. This festival was basically a clinic on how to do it.....and do it right. Needless to say, my dad and I had a great time that day. Aside from our visit in July, this was really our first father/son outing in close to 20 years and it meant a lot that he asked me to take part. I certainly look forward to many more!
Well, 3 weeks into September and Brittany is doing quite well in school from what I understand. According to her teacher, she has become more focused on her work and has become more co-operative than in the past. I'm one proud Uncle. I've always told her that she could do anything if she put her mind to it. That being said, I should put my mind into getting a few more hours of sleep before I have to be up for my powerwalk.....otherwise it'll be more like a power crawl.
Of course, being a Leafs fan means enduring a hell of a lot of criticism from nay-sayers. Par for the course really when you consider their track record over the past number of years......or when you take into consideration that they haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1967. But I digress. I'm a fan, win or lose. And I'm proud of it.
See, I was never really a hockey fan until about 2001. I'd been exposed to hockey throughout most of my life but never really took interest. My mother's second husband was a huge Buffalo Sabres fan, and as a kid, I was taken to a handful of games. But even then, I couldn't have cared less. As to why I took interest all of a sudden only 8 years ago is still a mystery, even to me. I decided to watch a Leafs game, then another......then another, and so on. Before I knew it, I was hooked, and today I consider myself a loyal and devoted Leafs fan.
I had planned on conveying in detail how great my team has been during pre-season, but I thought I'd spare those who couldn't give a rat's ass about hockey. I will say this. Brian Burke's rebuild is going according to plan. We're younger, faster and tougher. I've been watching the last 5 pre-season games and it definitely shows. It's been 6 years since the Leafs last made the playoffs. In short, I don't think it will be extended to 7.
Ok, enough hockey talk. I had a scheduled appointment with my doctor last week which went extremely well. As it turns out, my blood pressure is normal......and here's the good part. If I continue to lose weight and keep my pressure normal over the next 3 months, I will be taken off the medication! Mind you, taking the meds never bothered me at all. I take 2 pills in the morning and that's it. I am on the right track though. I have lost 30 pounds since April and I feel better than ever. For years I've been wearing XL (extra large) shirts and size 40 jeans. Well, now I've downgraded to L (large) shirts and size 36 jeans. I have a long way to go though but I'm more confident than ever that I'll reach my goal. My mom and I have even started a powerwalking regimen every morning.
Things with the band are going great these days. Although life intrudes and we don't get to practice as much as I'd like, I'm still happy with the direction we're taking. Russ' friend Jimmy has just signed on as our permanent bass player, so I'm really happy about that. Harmen, Jimmy and I practice on Wednesday nights, and Russ sits in on Sundays whenever possible so it's definitely a step up. We've also made a list of about 20 new songs we'd like to work on which include "Lil' Red Riding Hood", "Run Runaway", "Rock This Town", "Footloose" and "Hang On Sloopy". Good times!
What really lit a fire under me to get our band motivated again had a lot to do with the Preston Music Festival. My dad had invited me to this event and I was more than happy to accept. Held this past Saturday, there were 10 bands over the course of 11 hours. We had the privilege of seeing the first 7. The diversity was great, as one band played Reggae while another played the Blues. One band played a mixture of classic rock and country while another played classic rock with a contemporary twist. My favorite band was definitely Bad Pickle who played the likes of AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne.
I learned a lot from this show, especially on how to be a good front man. Although we've only had a few gigs this year, I'm finally coming into my own as a front guy, learning how to communicate with the audience, etc. This festival was basically a clinic on how to do it.....and do it right. Needless to say, my dad and I had a great time that day. Aside from our visit in July, this was really our first father/son outing in close to 20 years and it meant a lot that he asked me to take part. I certainly look forward to many more!
Well, 3 weeks into September and Brittany is doing quite well in school from what I understand. According to her teacher, she has become more focused on her work and has become more co-operative than in the past. I'm one proud Uncle. I've always told her that she could do anything if she put her mind to it. That being said, I should put my mind into getting a few more hours of sleep before I have to be up for my powerwalk.....otherwise it'll be more like a power crawl.
Monday, August 31, 2009
And The Band Plays On
You know, certain people have certain methods of which to experience a high. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, caffeine....or any other stimulant. For me however, it is the sheer joy of getting up on stage, singing my heart out, then watching the reaction of the people in front of me. This my friends is my euphoria.
Just over a week ago I was invited to a farm outside of Fergus to take part in an open jam session. Harmen (my keyboard player) and I had reconciled a week before so I thought it was a great idea to do this. So, I armed myself with a case of beer, a cooler full of ice and my camping chair. Russ picked me up and we we were off. Let me tell you, I never felt more at home at this place. I was surrounded by people who love playing music as much as I, and we all got along great. Outside of the farm house was a makeshift stage put together with wooden skids....complete with Christmas lights. Patio and camping chairs surrounded a giant bonfire only a few feet from the stage.
It was basically a free-for-all. Anyone could get up to play and/or sing at any given time. Since Russ, Harmen and myself had been together almost a year, we entertained the crowd with our entire setlist. Needless to say, everyone loved what we did. I was even asked to get up and sing various other songs including "Brown Eyed Girl" in which I turned into an audience participation thing near the end. I was totally unleashed that night on stage.....a feeling I'd never really experienced before.
You see, I've been singing in karaoke bars for years, and believe me when I tell you it's NOT the same thing. Karaoke is a little more conservative. They call your name, you get up, you sing your song, you get down.....wait 1-2 hours for your next turn.....repeat process. Even the 2 gigs we did with Wayne Mack earlier this Summer were NOTHING like this. But last Saturday man.....we had that crowd in the palm of our hand, and everyone on stage knew it. It was totally unabashed, pure FUN. Of course, I was feeling no pain as the night wore on, but if anything, it just loosened me up even more! The ability to perform alongside great musicians whom I'd never had the privilege of playing with before was a treat. The one guitarist (Rob) and I were totally in sync. He'd sing harmony to my melody in some of the later songs, and I found myself singing certain songs I'd never once sang publicly before. To make a long story short, I definitlely look forward to going out there again!
When it was all said and done, the 3 of us agreed that we've come too far to split up our band. I mean, we'd proven to ourselves (and others) that night that we have what it takes to entertain a crowd......and it can only get better from here.
Well, Brittany goes back to school in 2 days. Hard to believe she's off to grade 6. Where does the time go?? Next year, she'll be starting junior high, followed by high school two years after that. It definitely feels like life is moving in fast forward, and I've yet to decide whether or not that's a good thing.
On a final note, with this being the 31st of August, I'm definitely saddened. Today marks the 2 year anniversary since my grandmother's passing. I can't go a day without thinking of her. She was truly an incredible lady who lived her life to the fullest. She lived with very little but that didn't stop her from making the most out of life. She will always be missed. I love you Nan. Rest in Peace.
Just over a week ago I was invited to a farm outside of Fergus to take part in an open jam session. Harmen (my keyboard player) and I had reconciled a week before so I thought it was a great idea to do this. So, I armed myself with a case of beer, a cooler full of ice and my camping chair. Russ picked me up and we we were off. Let me tell you, I never felt more at home at this place. I was surrounded by people who love playing music as much as I, and we all got along great. Outside of the farm house was a makeshift stage put together with wooden skids....complete with Christmas lights. Patio and camping chairs surrounded a giant bonfire only a few feet from the stage.
It was basically a free-for-all. Anyone could get up to play and/or sing at any given time. Since Russ, Harmen and myself had been together almost a year, we entertained the crowd with our entire setlist. Needless to say, everyone loved what we did. I was even asked to get up and sing various other songs including "Brown Eyed Girl" in which I turned into an audience participation thing near the end. I was totally unleashed that night on stage.....a feeling I'd never really experienced before.
You see, I've been singing in karaoke bars for years, and believe me when I tell you it's NOT the same thing. Karaoke is a little more conservative. They call your name, you get up, you sing your song, you get down.....wait 1-2 hours for your next turn.....repeat process. Even the 2 gigs we did with Wayne Mack earlier this Summer were NOTHING like this. But last Saturday man.....we had that crowd in the palm of our hand, and everyone on stage knew it. It was totally unabashed, pure FUN. Of course, I was feeling no pain as the night wore on, but if anything, it just loosened me up even more! The ability to perform alongside great musicians whom I'd never had the privilege of playing with before was a treat. The one guitarist (Rob) and I were totally in sync. He'd sing harmony to my melody in some of the later songs, and I found myself singing certain songs I'd never once sang publicly before. To make a long story short, I definitlely look forward to going out there again!
When it was all said and done, the 3 of us agreed that we've come too far to split up our band. I mean, we'd proven to ourselves (and others) that night that we have what it takes to entertain a crowd......and it can only get better from here.
Well, Brittany goes back to school in 2 days. Hard to believe she's off to grade 6. Where does the time go?? Next year, she'll be starting junior high, followed by high school two years after that. It definitely feels like life is moving in fast forward, and I've yet to decide whether or not that's a good thing.
On a final note, with this being the 31st of August, I'm definitely saddened. Today marks the 2 year anniversary since my grandmother's passing. I can't go a day without thinking of her. She was truly an incredible lady who lived her life to the fullest. She lived with very little but that didn't stop her from making the most out of life. She will always be missed. I love you Nan. Rest in Peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
