In My Own Words...

Choices

2011-05-29T17:25:00.000-04:00

Since November of 2007, I have managed to post at least one blog entry each and every month.....until now. I'm not entirely sure why I didn't submit an entry for the month of April. Perhaps it was due to the lack of activity. Or maybe it had to with the fact that very few people read this thing, thus causing me to be less inclined. Whatever the reason, the streak is over. Ah well, it ran for a good 41 months. A valiant effort if I do say so myself.

This past month has been somewhat interesting. I turned the ripe old age of 34 on the 16th. My birthday was much less eventful than last year's, causing me to succumb to a bout of depression. Par for the course really when your life is as boring and mundane as mine. It was nice of my sister to spend the whole day with me though. I really appreciated that.

While on the topic of my sister. She will be moving to Guelph permanently as of next Thursday. My mom had agreed to allow her to take up residence in her basement. It's a win-win for both of them really.. My sister gets a chance at a new start, and my mom gets some extra cash in her pocket. I'm really hoping the arrangement works well for the both of them.....but I suppose only time will tell.

Brittany has been adapting extremely well to her new diet since her trip to McMaster a couple of months ago. Much better than any of us had anticipated in fact. Various foods had to be excluded from her diet, including cheese chocolate, sweets, white bread, and bananas. The doctor figures that after a year on the new diet, her bowels should return to normal size and she'll be 'regular'. I'm just so happy that she's finally getting fixed up for the better. Her medical problems have been plaguing her for many years now.

In other news......news of which I'm not particularly proud of. I made a decision to take my dad's basset hound last week. He had stated that he was in the process of moving and was unable to keep her (as well as his Great Dane). First, let me say that I jumped into this decision with both feet, and certainly without thinking it through. I helped train my mom's two dogs (a Pomeranian-Poodle, and a Shih Tzu-Poodle) a few years ago, and thought it would be great to have a dog of my own.

So without hesitation, my dad brought her over last Sunday night. At first I was ecstatic, thinking I did the greatest thing in the world. But in the two days that followed, I quickly regretted that decision. Upon bringing her, my dad stated that she cried a lot. This was an understatement as I did not sleep for over two days as a result of the crying. Unfortunately for me, I was cursed with being an extremely light sleeper. Hell, I could hear a mouse fart from 30 paces. lol

Secondly, walking Annie was almost an impossibility, as I'm almost certain my dad didn't take her out for actual walks, but in turn let her out in the backyard. The absence of a leash for her led me to that conclusion. She had absolutely no control while walking, and being a heavier dog, she would constantly pull me around rather than allow me to navigate.

Thirdly.....and this was the deal-breaker. Every time I would clean up her feces, it literally made me physically ill. I have a really bad gag reflex when it comes to such things, and I would literally have my head in the toilet once I cleaned up after her. For the record, I've never owned a bigger dog............nor have I really been around one for that matter. For me, it was all just too much.....too fast.

So Tuesday, my dad and I had some words via text message. After which he agreed to pick her up. Needless to say, he was none too pleased, and I couldn't blame him. If I were in his shoes, I would've been upset as well. Be that as it may, I knew whole-heartedly that I made the wrong decision to take her....and the decision to return her broke my heart, but I had to do what I thought was best. Not only for myself, but for Annie as well.

You see, she constantly wanted to be outdoors, and I think she felt confined in my little apartment. I'd take her out for a good 45 minutes, bring her back, then I'd head over to my mom's to get Britt off to school. It would take me about 10 minutes just to get out the door because Annie was so insistent on going out again. Of course, once I did leave, I could hear her crying incessantly......which of course made me feel terrible for leaving her alone.

However, my dad was insistent that I had another reason for giving her back. He figured the real reason I no longer wanted her was because of the way she looked. Let me state here and now for the record that this had nothing to do with it. I thought she was a very beautiful dog......we all did. But he was certain that was the real reason. Perhaps he said this out of anger........or he really thought that way. I really don't know. But we all agreed that it was indeed an absurd assumption.

My mom really took a shine to Annie in the short time I had her. She was quite disappointed and saddened by my decision to return her, and even stated that she would have taken her if she'd had the room. This only further proved my reasoning. She has a 3-floor, 2-bedroom townhouse. I have a 1-floor, 1-bedroom apartment. World of difference.

As it stands, Sandy's (my dad's estranged wife) daughter has agreed to take the two dogs until a suitable home can be found. I sincerely hope they find a great home for Annie. She really was a sweetheart, and if it weren't for the reasons I stated above, I would've had no problem keeping her. But, I did what I thought in my heart was best. I can only hope that in time I can be forgiven for it.

On that note, I should wrap this up. But I will admit that I'm glad to be writing again. I've said in previous blogs that writing (for me anyway) is the sincerest form of expression....and conveying my thoughts, feelings and emotions in the form of the written word truly is cathartic for me. Until next time.

Dear Snow: Eff Off Please!

2011-03-31T19:46:00.001-04:00

Here it is, the 31st of March and I'm STILL awaiting the arrival of Spring. When you consider the fact that we started getting snow back in November, this Winter has indeed been one of the longest in recent memory. I'm not a fan of extreme cold....or extreme heat for that matter, thus explaining why I prefer both Spring and Autumn over Winter and Summer. We had a few days of beautiful weather about 2 weeks ago, leaving everyone with the impression that the snow was gone for good. Of course, that was short-lived as the warm streak was followed by a wallop of a snowfall which caused school transportation to be canceled for a day. WELCOME TO CANADA!!

I know, I know. I probably sound like some crotchety old fart who has nothing better to do than sit and complain about the weather. Such is the excitement (or lack thereof) of my life!

I realize it's been about a month and a half since my last blog post. I'm not sure why I haven't been inclined to write lately. Lack of motivation perhaps. Hell, I've rarely updated my Twitter lately as well. You know I've hit a dry spell when I can't even summarize my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Be that as it may, I figured I should make an effort, seeing as this is the last day of the month. If you refer to my blog archive, I've written at least one entry every month since November of 2007. So breaking that streak was NOT an option!

I am happy to report that Brittany will be going to McMaster in Hamilton on Monday to deal with a rather personal medical issue that has been plaguing her for many years. This appointment itself was made well over a year ago, so we can only hope that some good will come of it. You'll forgive me if I don't reveal the details, as it is indeed a personal matter. Those of you close to us most likely know of which I speak.

Anyway, I'm sitting here desperately trying to drum up something coherent to write about....but I'm not going to split hairs. My life is anything BUT exciting these days. So rather than sit here and write 5 or 6 more paragraphs of useless filler for the sole purpose of making this look like a semi-lengthy entry, I think I'll cut my losses and wrap this up with the hopes that I'll have more to write about next time. Something eventful has to happen soon.......right???

Credit Denied!

2011-02-18T09:15:00.003-05:00

What a joke. I applied and was approved for a Capital One card about two weeks ago Upon approval, they sent it to Canada Post for me to pick-up. I go there yesterday and as it turns out, I have insufficient ID. I showed them my birth certificate, health card, social insurance card, CNIB card, the Canada Post notice AND the letter I received a day earlier from Capital One stating the card was coming. Turns out they REQUIRE either a driver's license or a passport. Well, I'm legally blind and will never drive a day in my life...ergo....no driver's license. I collect ODSP and can't afford to travel...ergo...no passport. It's both understandable and frustrating at the same time. Understandable because I know these security checkpoints are in place to avoid fraudulent behavior, yet frustrating because I'll never own....nor need to own those two pieces of required identification. I even went so far as to ask the clerk if either a blood or urine sample would suffice!

Anyway, I called Capital One this morning to see if there were any other way to verify my identity. As predicted, there was none. So I simply told them that Canada Post will eventually return the card and for them to immediately close my account. It's not a BIG deal per se, as I swore for years that I would never own a credit card. But seeing as I have no "established" credit rating I figured it couldn't hurt. Also, seeing as online shopping has become the norm, having the card would have definitely had its advantages.

On the other hand, not having a card also has its advantages. No impending debt. No annual fee. No insane interest rate. These reasons are probably why I'm not as irate as I probably would've been. In all honesty, it is Canada Post who pisses me off more than anything. Requiring the "proper" identification may prohibit me from receiving any packages from them in the future. My mom even told me about a similar issue involving a co-worker not long ago.

It's really a double standard though isn't it? They're so 'up-in-arms' over security measures, yet there have been MANY times where a parcel has been left at my front door.....in the open.....for anyone to have access to. Talk about the polar opposite of trying to retrieve something from the branch itself.

But, all's well that ends well I'm no better, nor worse off than I was before. I just felt the need to rant about it in the greatest form of expression I know how! The next blog entry will consist of happier overtones. Promise!!

New Year...New Blog Entry

2011-01-20T00:45:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe we're already past the halfway point through the month of January. It has gone so fast to the point where the holiday season feels like nothing more than a distant memory. I'm unsure if the increased speed in which the days and weeks pass can be attributed to me just getting older, or the mere fact that I've managed to keep pretty busy this month. No matter how you slice it, February is just around the corner.

Seeing as my life can be pretty boring and mundane most of the time, I often find it difficult to write a bi-weekly blog entry chronicling the events of my life, especially when there are very few of which to write. So, when the occasion arises where something semi-interesting DOES occur, I'm more than happy to relay my thoughts to all of you who read my blog entries..............yes, all three of you!!

Let's start with New Year's Eve. As I'd said before in previous entries, I had planned to throw a party at my apartment for some time. I was really surprised and thrilled by the turnout, and honored that so many people wanted to help me ring in the new year. In attendance were myself, my mom, my sister, Steve, Sandy and her boyfriend, my dad and his girlfriend, Brittany and my buddy Rick. Music was blasting, everyone was dancing. It was definitely a party. Unfortunately for myself, I was having a little TOO much fun and was drinking Crown Royal as if it were going out of style. This of course led me to being hunched over my balcony giving the neighbors an unwanted present! Following that, my dad apparently threw me in a 'fully dressed' cold shower to shake it off, thus causing me to miss the countdown at midnight. However, after a change of clothes, everyone was so amazing by counting down again in my honor. If I wasn't numb from the base of my skull to the bottom of my feet, I would've appreciated it then and there!

Now I feel I should let it be known that I'm not a heavy drinker by ANY means. Anyone who knows me will vouch for that. In general, the only time I ever drink at all is if I'm going singing at Knights of Columbus on a Friday night, and even then I stick to beer. No hard stuff. All I know is I'll never drink like that again.

The next morning, I felt like a first class heel, and the first thought that entered my mind was that I had ruined the party. Throughout the day, everyone reassured me that I did not, and that everyone had a great time! My dad even texted me and said, "We've all been there." So it was a relief to know that everyone still enjoyed themselves despite my stupidity! Also, I will state for the record that as of this writing, I haven't touched a drop of alcohol! Just thought I'd get that out there!!

Anyway, New Year's Day I actually felt really good. Aside from feeling like I was outside of my own skin for most of the day, I was ok. My mom took Britt, my sister and I out for lunch at Sun Sun's downtown which I really enjoyed. As for the rest of the day, we vegged out and watched a couple of movies.

The following weekend Rick and I took Brittany to the Toronto Maple Leaf Alumni game downtown. The original plan was that I'd purchase the tickets upon receiving my GST cheque. Every year, I'd use that cheque to take her out to do something for her birthday, whether it be a movie, a hockey game, etc. So, I relied on my GST to come in so I could take her on this excursion as well. The Friday rolled around and for whatever reason, the cheque was not in the mail. So, I had told Brittany that we'd have to postpone our outing until the following week, which basically meant that the Alumni game was a no-go.

Much to my surprise, my mom came home from work and had told me that a co-worker was giving away two tickets to that very game. The first guy he offered them to had turned them down, so he then offered them to her! Now how's THAT for timing?? So, the next day Rick picked us up and we were off. We ate lunch at the arena restaurant where Rick now works. He even went so far as to buy Brittany a birthday cake which I thought was very cool, and indeed very much appreciated! Needless to say, Brittany was on cloud 9.

The Alumni game itself was interesting to say the least. Former Maple Leaf players went head-to-head against the Guelph Firefighters. I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd never attended one of these charity games before. It was definitely nothing to be taken seriously. The referee was equipped with a microphone and cracked jokes and make comments throughout the game. Players would perform various gags which included a pie in the face, a bucket of water over the head, and a mascot giving the Leafs pizza to distract them while the clock ran down. It was definitely comical.

What I enjoyed however was the opportunity to see a few great Leaf players in person which included Gary Roberts, Bob McGill and Rick Vaive. I had hoped there would've been an autograph session following the game but we weren't so lucky. We even attempted to wait outside the locker room door following the game for about 20 minutes but eventually gave up. I definitely would've loved a photo-op with some of those players!

The following Tuesday was Brittany's actual birthday so I decided to take her out to Subway for dinner once she got home from school. It wasn't much but I wanted to do something for her that day. When I took her home, my mom had a birthday cake waiting for her! I think she was a little overwhelmed having received a second cake mere days after Rick gave her the first. Long story short. She had a great birthday and I couldn't have been more happy for her.

The next weekend (which would have been LAST weekend) was pretty great as well. Rick wanted to celebrate HIS birthday in style so he invited his friend Bill, my friend Maria, her sister and I on an excursion to Mississauga. He had planned this well in advance, and I had told him that I was unable to afford such an excursion, especially with Christmas and Brittany's birthday having just passed. But, he insisted on flipping the bill and insisted that I come along. Now, I will say that it makes me somewhat uncomfortable to allow someone to pay my way. Being on ODSP, I have very little money for extra-curricular activities. I both acknowledge and accept that. Such is the reason why I never eat out at nice restaurants. But I think he, more than anyone understands my situation, and I'm extremely thankful that he granted me the opportunity to have such an amazing time with friends.

Anyway, at Montana's I had literally the best ribs I've ever eaten in my life. This is no exaggeration. But then, there really isn't a fair basis for comparison as the only ribs I buy come in a small box and cost $6.99. lol These were nothing short of amazing. In fact, I'm craving them this very minute! I swear I've even had dreams about them! They're THAT good! Along with the ribs, I also had a quarter chicken with sauce, corn mixed with red and green peppers, fries and cornbread, after which I was extremely full and could barely move. I can honestly say that I ate like a king that night! Far cry from hot dogs and Kraft Dinner, let me tell you.

After dinner, we went to the Yuk Yuk's comedy club. This was the first time in over 10 years since I last set foot in a Yuk Yuk's. The venue in Mississauga was considerably larger than Kitchener's location by far. Out of the three comics, I laughed hardest at the M.C. This guy was a riot! He was an older gentlemen with a quick wit and a dirty mind. His range of topics included everything from old saggy balls to prostate exams. It's a shame I'm unable to remember his name.

I didn't find the first comic very funny at all. He was Italian and had a voice which resembled that of Sylvester Stallone in 'Rocky'. It was obvious that he had been trying too hard, and was even on the verge of choking while on stage. Bottom line: The room was so quiet you could hear a mouse fart. The main comic which followed was considerably better and had many gigs to his credit which included performing at The Comedy Store as well as The Improv. He was also a contributing writer to both The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. I found the first half of his act to be somewhat weak, but as he went on he gradually picked up steam and I found myself laughing quite a lot towards the end.

After Yuk Yuk's, we went to a "dessert restaurant" called Dimitri's. Now, I've never been to a place such as this before. Their entire menu consisted of nothing but desserts. Cakes, pies, ice cream, sundaes, crepes, cheesecake........you name it, they had it. What baffled me was how busy this place was. We ended up having to wait at the door for about 20 minutes before we were eventually seated. I seriously had no idea these places existed, nor that they did amazing business.

After looking at the menu, I decided to keep things simple, as I was still quite full from dinner. I went with a sundae that they called "Green With Envy". Let's just say my simple, light dessert choice was anything BUT. lol. This sundae consisted of mint ice cream with chocolate chunks, crumbled Oreo cookies, whipped cream and a cherry. This thing was a meal in itself! It was very delectable though, and I did enjoy it.

Anyway, I guess that sums up my fun-filled January. I know the month isn't quite over yet, but I don't foresee any major plans for the next week and a half.

On a final note, I just want to send a shout out to my friend Jen, as well as wish her boyfriend a speedy recovery. Wishing you guys all the best!

Until next time.....

Loving The Holidays

2010-12-29T13:25:00.002-05:00

I can say with certainty that this holiday season has been one of the best in recent memory. It really is no wonder why I look forward to this time of the year so much. Everyone's a little happier, and everything just seems right with the world....even when it isn't. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better Christmas this year.

My family and I don't go all-out when it comes to Christmas, such as attend parties or draping our homes with baubles and tinsel. My mom's sole holiday decoration is a small rotating fibre-optic Christmas tree which sits on an end table. My apartment contains nothing more than the "soft glow of electric sex", otherwise known as the Leg Lamp. We keep it simple and that's how we like it. I've really enjoyed spending time with my family. Christmas Eve we sat and watched "Christmas Vacation" and "The Ref" while dining on potato wedges and scantily-sauced wings from Double Double. We're about as casual as casual can be, and I frankly wouldn't have it any other way. Following the movies, my sister came back to my apartment with me. We played some cards and afterwards I watched "A Christmas Carol". This was none other than the 1951 Alastair Sim version which I consider to be the best and definitive version of the story. After that I threw on "It's A Wonderful Life" but began dozing off about 45 minutes into it. It was then that I realized I should call it a night.

Christmas Day was nothing short of perfect. I received a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call from my mom requesting the presence of both my sister and myself so the gift giving could begin. So we trekked across the parking lot from my apartment to my mom's house, both still half asleep from staying up a little too late the night before. Brittany awoke shortly after, ecstatic as ever. Needless to say, she did VERY well this year. In the months leading up to Christmas, I had her 100% convinced that she wouldn't be getting a Nintendo DSi, nor a PSP (Playstation Portable) as money was just too tight all around. Unbeknownst to her, my mom and I managed to make it happen. Her eyes literally lit up!! I had bought the DSi brand new but we agreed to buy a previously used PSP as she only wanted it for one game, and one game only. Spending $200 on a new system for only one game was unjustifiable.

Of course receiving these uber-gifts made her lose interest in everything else she received that day, including a digital camera and a portable DVD player. The gaming systems were the big hits, and nothing else came remotely close.

I bought my mom a Sony Walkman mp3 player which she absolutely loves. I bought her an iPod Nano a number of years ago but the screen crapped out a few months ago. It was still operational but viewing the screen to select songs was not an option. I contemplated getting her the new Nano, but the screen size is ridiculous on those things. I also got her a new Sunbeam microwave, something she's been wanting for a while. Last year I gave her mine, which was a low-wattage Danby that rarely cooked things properly. But yet, it was better than nothing. My sister got her two tins of Tim Horton's fine grind coffee.

My sister wound up getting socks, socks, and more socks. If you tell everyone you want socks, chances are that's what you're going to get. I believe she got 39 pairs in total. I bought her 3 1 litre bottles of Bacardi Breezer for New Year's, as I didn't think she'd have much money to buy herself refreshment for this Friday's party.

As for myself, I made out very well. I received a ton of Leafs memorabilia from my Dad, who came bearing gifts later in the day. These included hand towels, a Tim Horton statuette, a bean bag pillow, a jigsaw puzzle, a mini-jersey, mini playing cards, and pajama pants. From my mom I got the following DVD's. "Knight And Day", "1408", "Ghost Writer", "The Fugitive" and the first season of "7th Heaven". She also gave me a bottle of Crown Royal, Nike Leafs shirt, 2 Subway gift cards equaling $30, some socks, A Toronto Maple Leafs inflatable beach ball, a miniature Maple Leafs Dodge Viper, 2 large chocolate bars and a box of cordial cherries.

Last but not least from my mom, I got a TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS TOASTER, which was easily the best gift I could have received this year. Let's get past the fact that owning a Leafs toaster is pretty damn cool in and of itself. You may ask yourself what this toaster can do that regular toasters cannot. Well, let's just say that this particular toaster contains the ability to toast the team's LOGO right on the bread. I remember seeing this in the Avon booklet back in October, but couldn't justify paying $40 with Christmas just around the corner. In November, my sister had let it slip that my mom had ordered it for me. I was understandably upset as it would have been an amazing surprise. My mom was upset as well once I told her what my sister had done, and we mutually agreed that she'd cancel the order since the surprise had been ruined. Well, the joke was on me since the order never was canceled, and I was absolutely ecstatic to tear away the wrapping on Christmas morning to find out that she got it for me after all!

From my sister, I received a Mighty Mouse t-shirt, a pair of MMA Elite boxer shorts, and a Toronto Maple Leafs lighter. From my friend Chris, I was given the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Mind you, two minutes out of the box, my sister decided to branch it out and hook on the included ornament only for it to smash to the ground seconds later. lol I had a feeling that this was what Chris was going to give me. Heaven knows he threw out enough hints over the months. We've been best friends for 20 years, yet he fails to see how intuitive I really am. Anyway, last but not least I was given a $25 gift card for HMV from my buddy Rick which I'll be using next week to pay for my second season of "7th Heaven" when it comes in!

The day itself was very peaceful. We watched a string of holiday films on television, all of which I'd never seen nor heard of before. All the while, the smell of turkey continued to waft through the air. The "old man" from "A Christmas Story" and I are a lot alike in that regard!! I absolutely LOVE turkey, and having to smell it all day just make me look forward to it that much more. When it was all said and done, the turkey dinner was amazing. I've never been a huge fan of white meat as I find it to be usually dry. NOT this time. This was definitely the juiciest turkey I've ever had......and I've eaten a lot of turkey in my lifetime thus far!

Of course, it didn't take long for the turkey-induced coma to set in so I headed for home around 9:30 that night. The next day we didn't travel too far. Boxing Day sales really weren't too great this year. I usually look forward to hunting down some good deals but they were indeed few and far between. HMV didn't even have a door crasher sale this year, as they've done in previous years. My mom and I did however go to Zehrs and learned they had DVD's on 3 for $12, so I ended up getting "Changing Lanes", "I Am Legend" and "The Green Mile" which happened to be the 2-disc special edition I'd been looking for.

Yesterday was a very special day as well. My sister, Brittany and I got together with my Dad, his girlfriend Sharon, and my Aunt Patti Jo for lunch at King's Buffet. Sort of a post-Christmas get-together as Aunt Jo was unable to schedule time beforehand. It was indeed a great meal with great company. As gifts, I gave each of them a CD I had put together throughout this past month consisting of Christmas songs I'd performed and recorded. I figured something from the heart would go over better than something from a store. :) My Aunt gave my sister a set of Christmas coasters, and gave me a hot chocolate kit complete with mug, travel mug and even marshmallows! It'll definitely come in handy while in this drafty apartment! She gave Brittany a gigantic box of Smarties. In addition, the 3 of us were given Wal-Mart gift cards! I thought that was extremely generous of her.

About an hour after we returned, my mom called and decided she wanted to go to Wal-Mart, so we all went along. With my gift card, I purchased the 7th season of "Two And A Half Men" as well as some garbage bags. Brittany got a "Sims 2" PSP game and a toy sword of some sort. My sister got herself some pants. Upon returning we decided to watch 9 back-to-back episodes of 'Men'. Good time!

This morning, I had awoken early because I had been asked to sing a song at my friend Maria's grandmother's funeral. In fact, she had first asked me back in October when she learned her grandmother was taking a turn for the worse. I agreed without hesitation and was honored to have been asked. Anyway, last Tuesday she did pass away and Maria asked once again if I'd sing. Just as before, I responded with a whole-hearted 'yes'. Doing this today was rather emotional as the song I sang was the same song I was supposed to sing at MY grandmother's funeral over 3 years ago. However, it never happened as I was unable to get to New Brunswick.

Anyway, standing at that podium, I sang the song as best I could, even with a bad case of "morning voice". lol. I was extremely nervous as I didn't want to muck it up by forgetting the lyrics, etc. Standing there, it was rather difficult to hear the backing track I had provided, so I had to listen especially hard to make sure I was singing in time to the music. As I sang, I could hear various family members crying, and I even began to well up towards the end.

Following the service, I was greeted with hugs, handshakes and "thank yous" from those in attendance. You will never know how happy it made me feel to know that I could do something so meaningful for that family. Talk about ending 2010 with a good deed!! In all seriousness, it was truly an honor to have been asked to do it, and I can only hope I did it justice.

I think it's safe to say I've been keeping myself pretty busy, and I'm not even done yet. Tomorrow I have to clean the apartment since Friday I'll be hosting a New Year's party at my apartment. I'm really looking forward to ringing in 2011 with both friends and family. I'm excited about it really!

On that note, I'd like to wish everyone the very best in the new year. Take care of yourselves!

Just 7 Shopping Days Left!

2010-12-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

It's amazing how elusive the holiday season can be. Just when you think you have all the time in the world to shop, decorate, bake, etc, it sneaks up on you without warning! I still can't believe that Christmas is now just over a week away, and I can honestly say that I'm really looking forward to it this year, What's not to look forward to? Spending time with loved ones, watching Brittany open her gifts......and let's not forget.......THE TURKEY!

I'm really glad that I've been able to be so enthusiastic about the holidays this year, especially since last year's deep depression mode. I've even done my best to cheer up those around me. My mom in particular whose financial woes have been somewhat preventing her from getting into the spirit of things. I simply told her that if last year had taught me anything, it's not to worry about things that are beyond our control. Worrying about it won't change it, so learn to accept and move on. I've chosen to adopt this philosophy over the past year, and I'm that much more thankful for what I DO have in my life as opposed to what I don't have.

Since last month, I've been sifting through my Christmas movies contained within my DVD collection. I swear I've watched about 30 of them by now! I really enjoy collecting holiday films as they do help enhance the spirit of the season for me, especially those I fondly remember from my childhood. Over the summer I managed to acquire a handful of hard-to-find titles through "The Beat Goes On" store here in town. So watching those over the past month and a half have indeed brought back some great memories from Christmases past.

Speaking of Christmas movies, I will be hosting a movie night this Saturday consisting of about 7 holiday favorites. Brittany, Maria, my dad and his girlfriend will all be in attendance. I invited my mom but she figures that would be a good night to get all of her wrapping done. I'm hoping she'll change her mind! The movies I'll be showing are "A Christmas Story", "Christmas With The Kranks", "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York", "Jack Frost", "Jingle All The Way", "The Santa Clause" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" as some of you know is not only my favorite Christmas movie, but favorite movie in general! Long story short, it should indeed be a great time. Unlike my Halloween movie night, getting together to watch Christmas movies has not been an annual tradition, although I have hosted one or two over the past number of years. I'm hoping with this, a new tradition will be born.

As far as Christmas shopping goes, I have Brittany's pretty much finished. I'll be heading out next week to do the rest. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to it. I hate the mall this time of year! Elbow-to-elbow shoppers, 20 minute line-ups, etc. It's going to be an absolute zoo, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do. I'll just be happy to have it finished. Since money is tight this year, I'm putting together a gift for various relatives. I won't disclose what that gift is as some of them read my entries, but I will say that I've been putting a lot of work.....and a lot of heart into it. I just hope it pays off!

Today is Brittany's last day before she begins her Christmas break. She's understandably excited about the holidays. Mind you with her being 12 (almost 13), it seems as though some of the magic has been lost. Such is the case as kids get older, She used to love watching Christmas specials with me, but this year she has no interest at all. I won't deny that it saddens me a bit, but my little girl is growing up after all. As for me, I'm still a big kid at Christmas. Always have been.....always will be. I could be 102 years old and still sit down and watch 'Rudolph' and 'Frosty'.....and I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit it!

The fact that Brittany is growing up so fast has really gotten me to thinking lately. When I look back at the past 12 years, and how involved I've been in Brittany's life, watching her grow and being there for it all. I'm really starting to think about how much I would love to do it all over again. I really would. All of these flashbacks have been running through my head. As a baby, I'd sing her to sleep, watch Treehouse with her, and simply do things to make her smile and laugh. I always loved reading her bedtime stories, making up silly voices as I went along which she absolutely loved. Christmas Eve, I'd call her up pretending to be Santa Claus......just so many memories. As I've written many times before, Brittany has changed my life and single-handedly made me a better person. These past 12 years have been nothing short of a gift. I guess I just wish I could do it all over again......

One night I said all of this to my sister only to have her laugh it off. In her opinion, I'm 33, single, and not getting any younger, and basically don't have a hope in hell of raising a child of my own. Great pep talk, eh? But in a sense, I'm thinking she's right. My last relationship was over 4 years ago, and I am indeed approaching my mid-30's. My ultimate dream was to always settle down with that someone special, and to raise a family. But you know what? If it never happens, I'd be okay with that, because when I leave this world, I'll know that I helped raise Brittany as best I could. It's just that these days, I can't help but think of how much I'd love to do it all over again. I think what triggered these feelings was my sister's roommate's daughter. I've never met her but have heard her in the background over the phone many times while conversing with my sister. She's 3 and an absolute sweetheart! Anyway, my sister asked if I'd pretend to be Santa on the phone for her. So I did. I asked if she'd been a good girl, and that she remember to leave out milk & cookies. This little child was in total belief, and before she let me go, she said "I love you Santa!!!". You'll never know how great it made me feel to do that. It took me right back to when Brittany was that age. Eyes full of wonder and absolutely no doubts. I miss it so much.

On that note, I should wrap this up and get some cleaning done for tomorrow's movie night. I'll try to post again before Christmas, but if for whatever reason I don't, I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. Be safe and have fun!!

Four Days Of Agony

2010-11-25T00:31:00.000-05:00

I can't stand being sick. I'm sure that's the general consensus among, well....pretty much everyone. Still, it doesn't make it any less true. I hate being in a position where I can't be of any use to anyone, let alone myself. Such has been the case over the past 4 days. On Sunday, I went home after spending the three previous nights at my mom's as a result of my water heater going tits up YET again. No functioning water heater + no heat in the apartment = a freezing 33 year old male with a severe case of "turtle dink" Frigid temperature is NOT kind!!

Anyway, the plan was to obtain a key from the Co-Op office following the weekend so I could call Reliance to have them come fix it for the umpteen millionth time. For whatever reason, the Co-Op doesn't deem it necessary to have my own key to unlock the door to access a water heater of which I pay monthly. Why? I'll never know.

So, Sunday rolled around and I decided to go home for a bit just to check on a few things. As I stepped through the vestibule, the door to the water heater was open, and a Reliance technician was there working on the neighbor's unit. So I kindly asked if he'd look at mine as well (my water heater....NOT my unit!) Luckily it wasn't a problem and I later learned the damn pilot light went out again. This thing fizzled out about 4 times last winter. Long story short. Heat was restored

Anyway, at about 5 I started feeling extremely light-headed and began burning up. I chose to lie down for a bit with hopes that I could shake it, but to no avail. So, I decided to make a bowl of hot soup....only to have my head in the toilet bowl 2 minutes after finishing it. It was not a pleasant thing! I even managed to bruise a rib in the process. Every time I'd move, cough or sneeze, I could feel the sharp pain in my side. Luckily, today that pain has subsided considerably.

Unfortunately, I've spent the majority of the past four days bed-ridden. Monday was no better than Sunday. As for yesterday, I thought I was on the mend as my fever had broken, but I developed one hell of a congestion to the point where it was extremely hard to breathe. Today was much of the same. When I get stuffed up like that, it's almost claustrophobic, as though I feel trapped. I went over to my mom's to get some Vick's Vapo-Rub and some throat drops. Thank God for her boyfriend who has opted to stay there all week to get Brittany off to school, as well as be there when she gets home. This has allowed me to get some much needed rest. Anyway, the Vick's didn't work so well because I was too stuffed up to even breathe in the vapors, so I decided to go the convenience store and pay through the ass for 10 Advil Cold & Sinus tablets. I normally wouldn't pay their astronomical prices, but I had to do something, and those pills have worked wonders for me in the past.

So, here I sit. 12:15 in the morning. I've already taken two tablets, and will take a 3rd once I finish this writing. They seem to be working as I've been able to breathe easily for the last few hours. So here's hoping for a brighter day tomorrow!!

As of next week, I'll be getting to work on my Christmas shopping. I normally start in August but money's been especially tight this year. Last year it depressed me to no end, but I've taken a different outlook this time. Why worry about what you cannot change? I can only try and do the best I can with the little I've got, and that's what I intend to do. I won't let it deter me from enjoying what is sure to be a wonderful Christmas with my family.

As for New Year's, I plan on having a get-together at my place again this year, since last year's was so much fun. Lots of drinks, lots of tunes, lots of laughs. I'm really looking forward to it! Sandy has already agreed to come and I'm ecstatic about that. She is so much fun to carry on with!

On that note, I should wrap this up, pop my pill and get some shut-eye. Oh, and a very Happy Thanksgiving to my friends south of the border! May your stomachs be full.....and your pants be loose!

Twelve Hours Of Horror

2010-10-31T08:11:00.000-04:00

As of 30 minutes ago, I officially wrapped up my 9th annual Halloween Horror Movie Night (TM) lol Although I didn't quite get the turnout I had hoped and expected, the night was still very much a success. In attendance were myself, my mom, my niece Brittany, my dad, his girlfriend Sharon, and my sister Becky. So in essence, it was quite the family affair. A few others were supposed to attend but were unable to for various reasons. Nonetheless, a lot of fun was had by all. As with every year, I handpicked all of the movies for the night. This year I went with "The Final Destination", "Last House On The Left", "Evil Dead II", "Sleepaway Camp", "Dawn Of The Dead", "Creepshow" and "Halloween III: Season Of The Witch". Some were old favorites while others were completely new to me. 'Sleepaway' and 'Dawn' among them. Of course, there was a vast supply of munchies on hand which included homemade dip, cupcakes and macaroons (all of which made by my mom. I also had chips and chocolate bars on hand.

I think it's safe to say that as of this writing, I'm absolutely exhausted! Having not slept for close to 24 hours will do that. If it weren't for the heavy caffeine and sugar intake throughout the course of the night, I'd most likely be sawing logs right about now. In the meantime, I wait for the inevitable caffeine crash!

This weekend as a whole has been pretty great as a matter of fact. Friday my sister and I went to Knights for karaoke and had an incredible time. The place was packed and I sang maybe 3 or 4 songs at best, but it didn't matter. I've learned that a huge part of having a good night out can be attributed to the company you keep. A couple of months ago I became friends with Lynda and Christine....who happen to be sisters of my dad's girlfriend. Every time we get together at Knights, we always have a blast. Friday for example, I was up dancing more often than not. Christine and I even did the "Time Warp" which I am embarrassed to say my sister has captured on video and vows to post it on Facebook. lol As the night wore on, my sister bought me a couple of shots.......something I rarely EVER do as I'm more or less a creature of habit......i.e. beer. Luckily for me, they were easy going down because hard liquor and I do not mix! Let's just say gravity's a bitch. lol I have a gag reflex when it comes to hard liquor. If there's a mix involved....then no problem. Anyway, about 20 minutes after the second shot, I was in the Knights of Columbus washroom praying to the porcelain God. lol

Now here it is, Halloween. After some much needed sleep, I'll be taking Brittany out trick-or-treating tonight while freezing my balls off at the same time! We won't be traveling far as we usually just hit the nearby townhouse complexes for the sake of convenience. She'll be dressing up as a fairy princess tonight. I was going to take her out as an uber-Leafs fan....complete with my hat which has a flashing logo in LED lights, as well as one of my jerseys. She agreed to it....until today when she opted to be a princess instead.

As for tomorrow, Brittany has a Physical Activity Day off from school, so I decided to take her out for lunch and maybe get a start on Christmas shopping. Money is unbelievably tight this year so gifts will undoubtedly be few, but I'll do the best I can with the little I've got. I've decided not to let it get me down this year. This time last year, I was indescribably depressed and was unable to allow myself to look forward to Christmas. I hated that because it has always been my favorite time of year, especially the build-up. I love taking Britt to the parade downtown. I love watching long strings of Christmas movies & specials. I love belting out Christmas songs in the privacy of my own home where no one can see or hear me! lol. Long story short, I did none of those things last year.

On a final note, I'm really hoping Facebook fixes their blog import feature. My last entry from late last month was unable to be imported as a result of FB's lack of interest to fix the feature. Since 2007, I've posted all of my entries on Blogger. Following which I import to Facebook so friends can read my writings. This process worked without fail up until last month. It's a small gripe.....but a gripe nonetheless.

So Happy Halloween to you all. I must get off here and prepare my costume for tonight. I'll be wearing a dildo with a potato on the end of it. 'm gonna be a DICTATOR. ;)

Busy Busy

2010-09-28T00:12:00.001-04:00

For the first time in a long time, my social calendar has undoubtedly been quite full. In addition to singing at Knights for the last 3 out of 4 Fridays, I have been enjoying constant visits from my new friend Maria, whom I'd posted about in my previous entry. She and I have been spending a great amount of time together, as she visits at least 3-4 times a week. It's nice to have someone in my life who actually enjoys spending time with me. In my last writing, I had made mention that I had developed feelings for her, but I've come to the conclusion that she sees me as nothing more than a friend. As amazing as she is, and as much as I would love for us to develop a relationship, I have come to the conclusion that having her as a great friend is a lot better than nothing at all. Maria is one of the few people I can talk to for hours on end without ever running out of things to say. Needless to say, we've done that on many occasions over the past few weeks. Other times we'll watch a DVD box set, or even fire up the karaoke machine for a few tunes. I truly value our friendship and can say with all certainty that I've never met anyone like her!

Last Saturday my dad and I attended the Preston Music Festival for the 2nd year in a row. This time around, we chose to stay for the entire event which consisted of 11 bands over an 11 hour period. Long story short, a good time was had by all. I really enjoyed the bands in attendance this year which included various genres such as classic rock, celtic rock, ska, blues and metal.....to name a few. It was bar none another wonderful father / son outing. Great music, barbecued sausages, cold drinks........all the makings of a great day!

Yesterday (Sunday) morning I received a call from Russ, my friend and former drummer. He had asked me if I'd be willing to jam with he and Harmen that day for old time's sake. Since it had been 4 months since what I now coin as the "2-4 incident", I figured why not. Russ assured me that there were no strings attached and that it would be strictly just for fun. A couple of hours later he picked me up and we were on our way. Upon entering Harmen's he was clearly overjoyed to see me! Apparently he thought I still held a grudge from months before. I assured him that it was water under the bridge and that I'd gotten over it a long ago. I can honestly say it was a great time! I'll admit, I missed it. I always enjoyed playing with live musicians as opposed to a pre-recorded karaoke backing track. We played through most of the songs we'd learned as though no time at all had passed. Even Maria, her niece and sister even stopped in to hear a few songs.

As it turns out, we will be going to Fergus next month for the Halloween party at the farm.....as independent musicians of course! But surely there will be nothing preventing us from getting up there and playing our songs. I'm very much looking forward to going for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, people there look forward to hearing me sing. I know that sounds extremely egotistical.....and I don't mean it to be. Basically, all I've been hearing lately is how everyone at the Fergus parties wished I could be there. As a singer, that really means a lot to have people actually requesting my presence. Hearing how people enjoy what I do makes doing it all that much more meaningful. No ego intended!! Secondly, as opposed to the last time, there will be NO expectations what-so-ever. In other words, we're not going as a band with the intention and hope that everyone will bring their 'A' game. Surely, I'll be performing with other musicians that night, as will Russ and Harmen no doubt. This time around, it's all pleasure and no business.....and that I can live with!

The news about the Halloween bash puts me in a quandary where my Halloween movie night is concerned. The night I was planning on hosting it falls on the same night as the party. The initial plan was to push the movie night back a week to the 23rd, but just today I thought about maybe hosting it on the 29th instead which would be the night "before" the party. Of course, I'll have to see if this is on par with everyone else's schedule. I'm sure something will be figured out between now and then because I'd really love to be able to do both.

As for this year's Halloween movie night line-up, I've begun concocting a list.....a list that I'm sure will be revised at least a dozen times between now and the end of October. But so far I have my sights set on "Sleepaway Camp", "Evil Dead 2", "Zombieland", "Halloween III", "The Final Destination", "Cujo", "Creepshow" and the remake of "Nightmare On Elm Street". I try to vie for a nice mixture of classic and contemporary. But fair warning to those who will be in attendance. The above list is subject to change......and most likely will!

I Love This Time Of Year

2010-09-14T12:17:00.000-04:00

With cooler weather, children back at school, the return of my TV shows, and the new hockey season.......one thing is perfectly clear. Autumn is fast approaching! Although it isn't "technically" Fall for another week, all the signs are in place, and I love it! This has always been my favorite season for many a reason. (Damn, that rhymed!) First and foremost, I'm looking forward to Halloween.....or more specifically, my Halloween movie night. If you've read my entries in past years, you'll know that I host this movie night every single year with this being the ninth consecutive. I'm looking forward to this one in particular because this will be the first where my dad will be in attendance. I'm still deciding on which movies to show this year. I have a few ideas but hope to have a finalized list soon. After all, I need 7 or 8 to fill an entire night!

Brittany is now back to school, and unfortunately, it's not going as well as we'd hoped. This year she began grade 7 and was sent to a school located clear across town. This particular school was chosen because everyone figured it was better suited to meet her specific needs. What was supposed to be a fresh new start turned out to be the complete opposite as she has so far been picked on, and even had to succumb being called vulgar names. Needless to say, the school has been contacted, and we hope to isolate this before it starts getting out of hand. It still baffles me how cruel kids can be nowadays. Sure, when I was a kid, I was teased a lot for being legally blind, but I've never had to endure even remotely as much as Brittany has. After the week she had last week, I decided to have her over Saturday which was a lot of fun. I made her ribs, biscuits and corn for dinner, and let her pick out a movie to watch. She really enjoyed herself, and I think it helped take her mind off other things.

Lately, I've been doing quite a lot of singing. Although I vowed to go to karaoke maybe once a month, I've gone twice in the past 2 weeks already, and slated to go yet again next Friday. 2 weeks ago when I went to Knights, my friend Rick came along as well as a friend of his from his cooking class. In turn, she also brought her sister, Maria whom I later developed feelings for. We've since been texting from morning to night every day (to the point where I think I'm going to have to upgrade my text plan) and she came over for a really nice visit on Sunday night. It's still way too early to tell if anything will come of it. I've told her how I feel about her, and I'm really just happy getting to know her, and developing a friendship. All I know is it's been a very long time since I felt so comfortable with someone. All I can say is she's an absolute sweetheart, and I can only hope that one day down the road, she'll give me a chance.

Anyway, back to the karaoke thing!! My Stepmom, Sandy messaged me early last week and asked if I'd go singing with she and her friends. I accepted, and shortly thereafter learned that my dad was going to come out too. I thought that was pretty great since the last time he heard me sing was with the band, which in turn was a disaster. lol So around 5 on Friday night, Sandy came to my place and we had a few drinks. Was that ever FUN! We cranked some music, and laughed and carried on like a couple of kids. We later agreed that we should have stayed at my place instead of going to the bar because we ended up having so much more fun. At the bar, I performed a song Maria had asked me to sing; "God Bless The Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts. Until the day before, I never once attempted to sing that song. I'd heard it many times over the past years but basically shied away from singing their songs for fear that I'd mutilate them! But, in less than 24 hours I practiced it incessantly and sang it Friday night. Long story short, she absolutely loved it......and that's all I could've asked for! We ended up coming back to my place at around 3 in the morning where Sandy crash landed on my couch. My dad stuck around until just after 5 when he left for home.

Sandy messaged me yet again just yesterday asking me to come out again THIS Friday. I later got another message pushing the date from this Friday to next....which is probably for the best since my dad and I are going to the Preston Music Festival on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to going again. We went to the same festival last September and had an amazing time. Although it's a much, MUCH smaller scale than that of last month's Blues Fest in Kitchener, it is still undoubtedly a lot of fun. Cool weather, 11 bands, good company. A guy can't ask for much more than that!

A Day With The Blues

2010-08-08T20:41:00.012-04:00

I can honesty say without hesitation that yesterday was one of the greatest days I've had in a very, very long time. My dad and I attended the Kitchener Blues Festival which took place in downtown Kitchener, Ontario. We had planned this outing approximately three months ago when I first heard that David Wilcox would be performing. Now for those of you who don't know (and who have been living under a rock for the past 30+ years), David Wilcox is a Canadian Rock/Blues legend and is not to be confused with the American folk singer of the same name. In his career, he has churned out a great number of hits, including "Do The Bearcat", "Riverboat Fantasy", "Layin' Pipe" and "Bad Apple" to name a few. I've been a longtime fan of his work since I was around 13 years of age. Having loved his music, and never having the opportunity to see the genius at work, there was no way I could pass on this festival.

My dad and I arrived shortly after noon yesterday, not quite knowing what to expect. We even had lawn chairs in tow for fear that there wouldn't be a place to sit. As we walked down King Street toward the main stage, we soon realized that seating was hardly an issue. Hundreds upon hundreds of chairs were lined up in rows facing the stage. In short, our lawn chairs were not needed and shortly thereafter were returned to the truck. We arrived in time to catch a good portion of the first act known as The Fraser Melvin Blues Band who apparently won a Youth Showcase event held earlier in the year, and were rewarded the opportunity to play on the big stage. As I listened, I could clearly see why they won. For a group of young guys, they played as well....or in some cases better than some seasoned veterans.

Once they had finished, my dad and I decided to walk down King Street and check out the vendors. At the official souvenir booth, my dad bought commemorative t-shirts for both he and myself. He also bought a compilation CD which was put together by people running the festival consisting of songs by 19 of the artists that were in attendance. I was amazed by the number of vendors which lined the street. Food, clothing, Aboriginal instruments, temporary tattoos, and even DVD's were on display for purchase. After surveying the area, we made our way back to the stage for the next act.

Paul Reddick was up next who happened to be a Juno Award winner in the Blues category. I had heard the name a number of times before but was none too familiar with his brand of music. I thought they were fantastic with a nice mix of both Blues and Rockabilly. Reddick's harmonica skills blew me away, and I was pleased that he used those skills in almost every song he played. Shortly before his set ended, my buddy Rick showed up and sat with us. Once Paul Reddick had finished we all decided to grab lunch from a vendor selling burgers, hot dogs and sausages. Long story short..........we went with sausages. ;)

Following lunch, my dad decided to purchase a miniature guitar replica for his grandson whose birthday was yesterday. Brendan, so I'm told, is a gigantic fan of guitars and is learning to play one himself, so a gift such as this was clearly right up his alley. Once that was all said and done, we made our way back to the main stage only to find our seats were taken. So we had to sit considerably further back. Next on the stage was a lady who went by the name of Miss Angel. I really enjoyed her soulful style and her back-up band was fantastic. Her back-up singer was pretty easy on the eyes as well!! I had noticed mid-way through her set that Miss Angel's voice was starting to give out as she sounded very hoarse, especially towards the end. That's not to say all was lost as she brought out a couple of other musicians for what I considered to be a hell of a jam session.

Following Miss Angel's set, we decided to stay put. For one, there was no way we were going to find better seats than the ones we currently had. Secondly, had we vacated them, someone else would have swallowed them up like vultures. You see, the next performer was someone I dared not miss. I speak of none other than the "high sheriff of hell" and guitar icon......David Wilcox!

Prior to his set, the people came in droves in an attempt to find seats. Looking behind me, King Street was absolutely packed with people. That's when I knew right then and there that this was going to be something special. After twenty minutes of sound checks, out came the man himself. The place was almost deafening! Let me tell you. Hearing Wilcox's albums is one thing, but to watch him live and onstage in an experience in and of itself. Watching him play his guitar with wild abandon is something that needs to be seen in order to fully appreciate.his talents. He plays like a man possessed with a wild look in his eyes. It only further proved the man loves what does.....and he does it damn well.

Earlier on, we questioned whether his setlist would consist of mostly newer material, or his older classics. His 90-minute set consisted of mostly his hits from the 70's and 80's, with a sprinkling of newer material......material I enjoyed equally as much, including the song "Catman" from his latest album "Boy In The Boat".

Following his set, I was simply mesmerized. This musician who played before me.....the man whom I idolized for 20 years did NOT disappoint. Once he finished, we decided to take a shot in the dark by approaching the autograph booth with the hopes of maybe meeting Mr. Wilcox, get his John Hancock on a photograph.....and perhaps a chance to have a picture taken with him. We stood in line at the autograph booth which was located to the rear of the stage for approximately 15 minutes. The line was surprisingly short as there were only a handful of people before us. My dad and I both purchased 8x10 photographs. In addition, my dad also purchased the aforementioned "Boy In The Boat" CD. When Mr. Wilcox came to the booth, the line moved swiftly. Rick, armed with his camera, was ready take pictures, should it be allowed. Sure enough it was. My dad approached him before I, and reminisced about seeing him play back in '86 at Buffalo Bills here in Guelph. He signed both his photo and CD and they posed for a picture.

As I approached the booth, I was admittedly starstruck! I told him that I'd been a fan for a very long time and that it was a privilege to watch him play for the very first time. He autographed my photo and posed for a picture with me as well. He was a true gentleman. After leaving the booth, I was on cloud 9. A live performance, a photo-op and an autograph...all in the same day. I had already predetermined that anything we had done there on in for the remainder of the day wouldn't even begin to hold a candle to what I had just experienced.

So.....for the hour that followed, I was basically walking around with my head in the clouds. Rick decided to bail and promised to have the photos online later in the day. We decided to have dinner at a restaurant near the bus depot known as "Mark's Downtown Diner", but they were closed. So back to the festival vendors we went! I had yet another sausage (love those things), and my dad had a 6 oz hamburger. Had I known the burgers were that freakin' huge, I definitely would have had that instead! We made our way with food in hand to Victoria Park where a gigantic tent was erected (largest tent in Canada, so they said). Our intention was to watch Dr. John and the Lower 911 perform. Problem was, they had a whole different set of rules for the tent. NO food,...NO drink....NO recording devices.... NO flash photography. As we had full cans of pop and half-eaten dinners, they obviously weren't going to let us in. So, we found a picnic table just outside the gate surrounding the tent and chose to sit there. It didn't bother me in the least because this tent was filled to the hilt. At the entryway, you'd literally see 3 people leave, and 15 enter. It was massive. At the table where we sat, we may not have been able to "see" the band, but they could be heard very clearly.

Now I've heard of Dr. John for many years. A Blues man straight out of New Orleans who had garnered many hits, and made a vast number of television appearances. My dad and I were both in agreement that he didn't sound all too great this time around. Even on the Blues Festival's website it states that "Dr. John knows how to throw a party". The way I saw it, when 95% of the songs in his set were slower than sap, it was hardly enough to get you into a party mood. Regardless, it was nice to hear a living legend of the Blues and I don't regret listening to him.

After about an hour or so at the picnic table, we decide to head back to King Street to hear the final act of the night, Jonny Lang. Prior to doing so, we decided to treat ourselves to a couple of funnel cakes! Now if you've read my past entries, I don't need to tell you of my love for this delectable dessert! I thought it was great that they sold them at the Festival, as I didn't make it to Canada's Wonderland this summer. The place where I normally enjoy them!

This funnel cake vendor was a lot more elaborate than what I'd been accustomed to. At Wonderland, you have a choice between ice cream, strawberries.....or both. Here, you had your choice of mixed fruit, banana, icing sugar, cinnamon, chocolate syrup....and a few other optional items I'm unable to recall at the moment. I went with the mixed fruit and ice cream by figuring I could recreate the taste of Wonderland. The only reason they had mixed fruit was because they were all out of strawberries. My dad had the same, but also had chocolate syrup added to his. Needless to say, those things were damn filling....and unbelievably good!

So, we head back to the main stage to catch Jonny Lang. I can't say I've been a big "fan" of his, but I certainly know his work. He had a huge hit with the song "Lie To Me" in the late 90's, garnered many Grammy Awards and nominations, and even performed with Wilson Picket in the film "Blues Brothers 2000". I was really looking forward to seeing him perform. Unfortunately, "seeing" him perform wasn't really an option. King Street was crammed with people, and there was absolutely no way we were getting even remotely close to the stage. So, we ended up parking our asses next to some flower beds of a vacant building. Lang was phenomenal. His vocal ability is staggering, as was his guitar playing. He pumped out a few Blues standards in addition to some of his original music I remembered hearing from years before.

Lang rounded out his set and came back for an encore in which he performed an amazing rendition of "Lie To Me" which began as a slow acoustic version which slowly excelled into the much faster-paced song that put him on the map. It was an amazing way to round out a perfect day!

Once Jonny Lang finished, which was close to 11pm, we went to the parkade and headed for home. I invited my dad up to my place for a while to hang out and check out some of the footage I captured with the camcorder by connecting it to the television. I was somewhat disappointed with the footage however because being as far back as we were basically meant having to zoom in all that much more. Doing so makes the camera extremely touchy when moved. Not to mention a lot of the time, I had to dodge people's heads, etc just to get a decent shot. I plan on putting a small compilation together featuring David Wilcox's performances......preferably using the less-shaky shots!

Well, what can I say? It had been a very long time since I had that much fun, and I'm sincerely grateful to my dad for wanting to take part in this with me. I literally had the time of my life. We both decided last night that this will now be an annual excursion for us!

Is it too early to say I'm already excited for next year?!?!

Some People's Children....

2010-07-31T12:48:00.000-04:00

In my last writing I made mention of how the children within this Co-Operative housing complex constantly tease and make fun of Brittany on a regular basis. Yesterday, one of those children stooped to a new low. A low which literally threw me for a loop.

While Brittany was outside playing, the one girl who lives in a unit adjacent to my mom's presented Brittany with a sealed letter. This girl had told Brittany that the letter came from a man who lived in the apartment buildings across the road. Brittany immediately brought the letter to our attention, at which point we opened it and tried to decipher what it had said. It was clearly written by a child as Britt's name was included, as well as a vast array of both spelling and grammatical errors. The note basically said, "I AM WATCHING YOU BRITTANY WITH SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS........YOU'RE DEAD"

Before I continue, I need to make this perfectly clear. I NEVER liked this kid. Ever since last year, she has given Brittany a hard time and even threatened to have someone come and beat her up last summer. I have seen her deface public property, in addition to harming her pet hamster by throwing it in the air and dropping it.....and the mouth on her! I've never seen a kid her age swear that much. This girl spelled 'trouble' to me from day 1, and I never liked the idea of Brittany hanging around her as I was convinced she was a terrible influence. However, my mom allowed it as she figured Brittany had no one else to hang around.with. So basically, my hands were tied.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. After figuring out what the letter had said, my mom and my sister went over to the girl's house to bring it to her mother's attention. She evidently did admit to writing it and broke down in tears. Later last evening, the mother showed up at my mom's door with the daughter alongside her to make a formal apology to Brittany. I later learned that the mother had taken her to the police station in regards to the matter. I'm guessing it was to impose a "scared straight" scenario of sorts. The police made it crystal clear to the girl that had she only been a little older, she would have been arrested for initiating a death threat.

Now tell me something? What child in their right mind would do something like this? What exactly goes through their head in this type of situation. My jaw literally dropped when I heard about this as it takes one hell of a cruel person to even think of such a thing. I mean, I knew the girl was trouble from the start, but this pretty much takes the cake. Needless to say, Brittany will not be having anything more to do with her again.

On a lighter note, my sister and I went out to Knights of Columbus for karaoke last night where a good time was had by all. It's not as busy as it used to be, but that can be attributed to the weather, and the fact that people actually do have lives! Anyway, I met up with an old buddy of mine from way back when I used to sing at Brewsky's and Stingers as a teenager. It was definitely great to catch up, as I don't usually run into a lot of people from my past.

This was my second outing to Knights since I left the band in May. One way or another, I've got to keep singing! Live band, karaoke....whatever. It's what I do! I was actually supposed to go to a party in Fergus tonight at the farm where we used to play. The guy who owns the farm called me twice this week asking if I was coming. It's basically the open jam concept I had written about before. Random musicians playing with other random musicians, etc. After last night........and a little too much partying, I decided I don't have it in me to do it again tonight. Let's face it, I'm not 22 anymore! My plan for tonight is to just relax, make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie or two.

I will say this though. I am very excited about next Saturday as my dad and I will be attending the Kitchener Blues Festival. I am really looking forward to finally seeing David Wilcox live and in person. I've been a fan of his music for many years and decided that I definitely don't want to miss this opportunity. Another artist I'm looking forward to seeing is Jonny Lang. I remember hearing some of his music in the late 90's, as well as his appearance in the film, "Blues Brothers 2000". He's a hell of a singer and guitarist, so seeing him live will be a treat for me as well.

Until next time....

My Grade 6 Graduate

2010-06-28T22:23:00.000-04:00

Whomever came up with the adage; "They grow up so fast" certainly knew what he/she was talking about. I was both proud and honored to be in attendance at Brittany's Grade 6 Graduation which took place at her school this past Friday afternoon. As I watched her receive her certificate, it hit me. My little girl is growing up! Then it hit me again. She's not a little girl anymore! As of next year, she will be in Grade 7. Furthermore, she will be entering her teenage years. I'm reminded of a line from an episode of 'The Jetsons'; "JANE!!!! HOW DO I STOP THIS CRAZY THING?!?!"

The crazy thing I refer to is none other than life itself. If only we could slow down the sands of time rather than continue to live at a breakneck speed. I mean, it was only 12 short years ago when I was presented with the opportunity......no......PRIVILEGE to help raise Brittany from when she was only 5 months old, yet it only seems like yesterday, and as though little time has passed. I find it hard to believe that the gorgeous little infant I rocked to sleep every night while singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is now almost equal to myself in height!

All I can say is that I'm unbelievably proud to be her Uncle. I was only 21 when she came into my life. At that point, I had no sense of direction, and wasn't very fond of myself as a person. Throughout the 90's, I bounced around from place to place not knowing where my life was headed. When my mom obtained custody of Brittany and asked if I'd help raise her, my eyes were opened wide. I am eternally grateful for Britt, as she single-handedly changed my life, and ultimately made me a better person. Because of her, my life had meaning again.

It's an honor, even to this day that Brittany continues to look up to me. Not a day goes by when she doesn't say "I love you Uncle Andy". That girl is all heart, and I'd like to think that my mom and I had something to do with that. We've tried (and continue to try) our best to teach her right from wrong, as well as to treat others with respect. I only hope that she continues to utilize those life lessons throughout her life.

During her Graduation ceremony, I was armed with my handycam with which I captured quite a lot of footage. That evening, I pulled an all-nighter as I compiled a video presentation commemorating the event. To me, it wasn't just a video chronicling the events of the day, but it was also a message to Brittany letting her know how truly special she is. She's had it rough over the years while in school having to deal with hate, ridicule, bullies and the like. Even around her home she's had to succumb to kids treating her like absolute dirt for simply being a little different. Even this afternoon, her class had a Grade 6 dance. She came home all depressed because NO ONE would dance with her. She told me how badly she wanted to come home right then and there. It was for reasons such as this as to why the video conveyed the message I had hoped it would. The end montage showcased photos of Brittany as she grew up over the years. In the backdrop, Christina Aguilera's song "Beautful" played. I wanted her to listen to the lyric, and believe them to be true:

"You're beautiful in every single way. Words won't bring you down."

Anyway, tomorrow is her last day of school and she's all mine for the summer! On Wednesday, I'll be taking her to Wimpy's (her favorite restaurant) for lunch to celebrate....and perhaps an ice cream cone for dessert! And of course as I stated in my last entry, we'll be off to Canada's Wonderland in four weeks. I sincerely hope she has a good time this summer. I'll certainly try my best to make sure she has a good one.

On a final note, I want to share a poem that Brittany gave me a few Christmases ago which literally brought tears to my eyes. This poem was framed and hangs in plain sight outside my bedroom door:

TO MY UNCLE

There's someone like a father

who means the world to me.

He's always there when needed,

I know he'll always be.

He laughs when I am happy.

He cheers me when I'm blue.

What would I ever do without

A special uncle like you.

Needless to say..........I truly AM blessed.

Taking Britt To Wonderland

2010-06-12T07:48:00.000-04:00

I am really looking forward to next month. On the 26th of July, I'll be taking Brittany for a day-long excursion to Canada's Wonderland. If you've read my older entries, you'll know that Wonderland is my absolute favorite place to go for a good time. Add the fact that I'm a self-proclaimed coaster freak. In truth, I'm more excited for Brittany. She had previously been there once when she was 6. However, we were there only 6 hours, and half of that time consisted of waiting while my sister and I went on the big rides. Even though she had fun, I still don't consider it the proper experience for her.

But now she's 12, as well as possessing the required height to board any ride in the park! This time around, it will just be she and I going, and I couldn't be more excited. I've promised her free reign of the park. Anything she wants to ride, we'll ride. Anything she wants to avoid, we'll avoid. No worries. I'm making this day all about her. My goal is to show that girl the best time she's ever had!

I know there will be rides I'll be itching to go on that I'm pretty sure she'll shy away from. But it's all good. I certainly won't make her go on anything she doesn't want to. Something tells me though that she'll be a trooper. She even insists that she'll ride the Behemoth when we go. For those who don't know, Behemoth is the tallest, steepest, and arguably fastest coaster in the park. I have a gut feeling she'll take one look at it and change her tune instantly. I'm also looking forward to treating her to her very first funnel cake. I've loved them ever since the first time I went to Wonderland in the early 80's. I have a feeling Britt will love them as much as I do. In addition to the plethora of rides and funnel cakes, I'm looking forward to taking her to the shows. This year they have a "Rock Band: LIVE" thing going on so it should be fun to check out, in addition to the mainstays such as the Victoria Falls high divers. I think she'll be in for a real treat. We'll also round out the day by doing some souvenir shopping.

Needless to say, it will be a busy day all around. We'll be taking the Greyhound to and from. The bus leaves for Toronto at around 8 am. Once in Toronto, there is a 45-minute layover, after which we hop another bus to take us to Wonderland by 11. At the end of the day, we hop the bus at 9 headed to Toronto, then wait almost 2 hours to catch bus back home to Guelph. The only downfall I have with the bus schedule is the fact that we lose 2 hours out of the day at the park. I mean, we get there an hour after the park opens......then we have to leave an hour BEFORE it closes. Trust me, there's a lot that can be done in 2 hours. I've proven that in spades! It'll be a fun experience for Brittany though. Something tells me she's going to be absolutely exhausted by day's end.

I just want to give her an outing that she'll remember for years to come. I still remember when my dad took me to Wonderland when I was a kid. I also remember DESPERATELY wanting to ride the Dragon Fyre (first looping coaster at Wonderland). Each year we went, I was too damn short to ride it.....until the one year when the top of my head was finally above the line! I still remember how ecstatic I was to ride that coaster. I felt 10 feet tall that day! So began my love for roller coasters....and thrill rides in general. I think this trip will be a day Brittany will never forget. All I can say is July 26th can't come soon enough!!

No More Cheap Freight

2010-05-25T19:06:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday night was one hell of a wake up call for me. As you may have read in previous entries, we had been gearing up to play just south of Fergus on May 2-4 weekend. I had been looking forward to this for some time while under the assumption that we'd be ready to play.....and play well. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

In short, it was a disaster. Our keyboard player was so far gone, he royally messed up on every song we played. Having no guitarist to fall back on, he was the only melody maker of the group. Therefore, if he screwed up.....everyone knew it. And they did. He'd play wrong notes/keys, etc thus making me sound as though I was singing off-key. He couldn't even remember how half of the songs started. To add fuel to the fire, he didn't properly set up my microphone, as it was too quiet most of the time before eventually shorting out in the middle of a number of songs. It was truly embarrassing to the point where people who at first gathered to hear us play gradually walked out of the barn.....no applause.....nothing. The very last song we played was unbelievably out of key, I placed the mic on the stand and said "I'm done".

I came to a firm realization that night that we weren't going anywhere. It wasn't just Saturday night, but a culmination of practices where I've had to deal with the exact same thing. As a result of drugs and alcohol, our keyboard player constantly has to be re-taught. Songs we learned and played for 19 months were all but forgotten to him. With newer songs we've learned, he'd argue that we never tried them before, when in fact we had a number of successful runs with them. The fact of the matter is that we formed over a year and a half ago, and we still sound like three people who have only met and played for the very first time. It's unbelievably frustrating for me because I'm always the one with the clear head. The one who tried to take this band seriously and make something of it. And yes, I had some beers Saturday night, but I refused to drink myself stupid because I wanted us to perform to the best of our ability. Clearly, my effort went to waste.

I came to ask myself why I was wasting my time and talent on something that was clearly going nowhere. Why continue to put my faith into someone who clearly has no willingness to change. So after waking up Sunday morning, I texted both band members and tendered my resignation. This time for good. I came to realize that I deserve better. I deserve to play with musicians who take music seriously without using it as an excuse to get drunk and/or high. So with that being said, I'll be placing various ads on the net in search of a band looking for a singer. All I know is life's too damn short to be stuck at a dead-end.

Old Enough To Know Better, Still Too Young To Care

2010-05-17T20:56:00.000-04:00

Having turned 33 yesterday, I can honestly say that this was indeed one of the best birthdays I've EVER had. I really didn't expect anyone to bat an eye over it, as I generally don't make a big deal when my birthday comes.around. Another day, another year older.....blah, blah, blah. However I was incredibly overwhelmed by the amount of people who actually gave a shit. lol

Saturday morning I get a call from Russ (my friend and drummer) inviting me out later for wings at Moose Winooski's in Kitchener. It's a known fact.....at least to me that this place makes the best chicken wings I've ever had. So, I accepted the invite. I spent the majority of that morning cleaning the apartment as the plan was to come back and hang out after the wings. I soon get a call from my niece, Brittany asking me to come over because she and my mom had a surprise for me. I go over there to find that they baked me a colossal chocolate chip cookie complete with icing, sprinkles and almonds. I thought that was just great, and Britt was happier than anything to have given me that. She also wrote me a letter in an envelope which also contained $20. It meant a lot to me that they went through the trouble of making that for me.

Anyway, later that day Russ and Harmen come over to pick me up as well as load a case of beer in my fridge. It was then that I knew we'd be doing more than just hang out after dinner. So, we went to Moose's.....which literally blew me away because the last time I set foot in there was about 7 or 8 years ago. They completely renovated the place from top-to-bottom. We sat in the bar area which had at least 40-50 big screen TV's strewn about. Most of which contained sporting events, while others had electronic trivia. I thought the atmosphere was great. So, we wound up sitting AT the bar since the place was packed to the hilt. We ordered a mess of wings and some "moose chips" (their fancy name for hand-cut french fries) as well as a beer. I literally forgot how amazing their chicken wings are. Nothing even comes close. Of course, Russ knew this, which is why he insisted on treating me there.

So, after dinner we head back to Guelph. Russ dropped Harmen and I off at my place while he went to pick up his son and play car swap with the wife before coming back over. I decided to dip into my Crown Royal, as I still had half a bottle left over from New Year's..........last of the big drinkers!!!! I threw on a concert DVD for Harmen so he could experience the 5.1 Dolby surround sound. Shortly thereafter, Russ came back with his son. Soon after our buddy Roddy and his girlfriend Toni showed up, followed by my mom, Britt and her 2 dogs. Later that night, Russ' girlfriend Shelly came as well.

Needless to say, it WAS a party. We had music going all night, a few games of cards, an alcohol-induced duet with Roddy, lol. It was just a hell of a lot of fun. Something I really don't have a lot of these days. Much needed, let me tell you. I honestly don't have a clue how much I drank that night. I known I polished off the rye, and who knows how many beers I had after that! lol It wasn't until 4:30 in the morning when Harmen was the last to leave. In truth, I'm surprised we didn't get complaints from the neighbors. With 7 adults, 2 kids and 2 dogs in a 1-bedroom apartment, it got pretty loud. But hey, in the 8 years I've lived in this Co-op, I've never made a sound. I figure I deserve ONE night. :)

So, I went to bed at about 5 that morning, and was woken up only 4 hours later with a barrage of phone calls, text messages and Facebook wall post alerts from people wishing me a Happy Birthday. Fortunately, I didn't suffer much of a hangover. I didn't have to talk to the porcelain telephone by any means, nor did I suffer from a headache. I had a bad case of the shakes for a while though and had absolutely NO energy. Around 2 yesterday, Russ picks me up for band practice. In all honesty, this was the last thing I wanted to do because my throat was simply shot, and my bed looked more and more inviting with each minute that passed. But, considering the big 2-4 party was next weekend, I figured I should put forth an effort.

Following practice, I came home to lie down only to receive a call from Rick saying he was on his way. We had planned to go see "Iron Man 2" last night. So, off I go again!!! We went to Wendy's first because I was craving a Baconator. Add the fact that I hadn't eaten a thing all day. I decided to try my hand at a triple......something I'll never do again. Damn was that thing filling. The upside though was that I was too full to spend another $10 for a popcorn combo, so I saved money in the long run. I was really excited to see "Iron Man 2" because I absolutely loved the first one. The sequel definitely didn't disappoint, and I was really impressed with Michey Rourke's character. This is one I'll definitely be owning on DVD upon release.

So, I make it home around 9:30 and all I can think about is going to sleep. I go online for a quick second to check my messages, and my sister decides to engage in a voice chat which lasted about an hour. She insisted on wishing me a Happy Birthday herself. So beyond the shadow of a doubt, it was an amazing weekend, and to everyone who sent me messages, came to celebrate in person, etc, I sincerely thank you! It's just nice to know sometimes how much people care, and it definitely lifted my spirits.

I was extremely touched today because Brittany wrote and read a speech for class as per an assignment. Her speech was about me in which she wrote about how I was her hero, and how much she looked up to me. Words simply can't express how I felt when she showed me that after school today. In truth, I've just tried my best to do right by her over the past 12 years, and I would never trade a second of it. That child means more to me than life itself. That is a fact.

Anyway, as I stated earlier, we're performing at the 2-4 party just south of Fergus on Saturday night. We're really excited about it, as we get to debut some of our newer songs not yet heard by the general public. lol It also means a lot to me that my dad will be there. He really enjoys the music we play so I have no doubt he'll have a great time. The game plan is to play about 3 sets, with 12 songs in each. So more or less, we'll be playing our whole repertoire. Russ' girlfriend Shelly will be manning my video camera and recording the whole show. I'm looking forward to that as I'm planning on compiling a DVD with the footage. Yesterday, she came with us to practice so she could get a feel for the camera. We plan to get there around 7 or so for sound checks on Saturday, and will probably start playing around 8:30. I seriously can't wait!

What's In A Name?

2010-04-30T05:54:00.000-04:00

Well, after 18 months of deliberation and hundreds of suggestions shot to hell, our band finally agreed on a name of which to present ourselves. For the last while I've been pushing the idea of coming up with a name for a number of reasons. First and foremost, publicity. I wanted to get us out there and with the wealth of multimedia resources at our disposal, I got a little tired of referring to ourselves as "our band" as per our YouTube videos and my past Facebook postings. Then of course, there's word-of-mouth, the best possible form of free advertising. So, I knew we had to call ourselves SOMETHING. Harmen (my keyboard player) once suggested "The Andy Radke Band" but I shot that down rather quickly. This band is a group effort and my role is no more important than that of Harmen or Russ. So I had zero intention of being singled out.....frontman or not. Anyway, about 3 weeks ago, Russ had an epiphany after coming across a sticker which read "SAY NO TO CHEAP FREIGHT". After running it by the rest of us, we all agreed that "Cheap Freight" had a nice ring to it so the decision was unanimous. So far, the name has received nothing but positive feedback.

I am very excited about May 22nd, as we will be playing in Fergus yet again at the farm. We played there twice before last year. Once in August, and again on Halloween. I always have the greatest time there, probably because the audience is so responsive, and they have no problem letting you know they're having a good time. In truth, I was sort of hoping we could play there the weekend before the 2-4 weekend, as the 16th is my birthday. I honestly couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than play with my band, tie one on, and just have a hell of a good time. But it's all good. I can do all that a week later!!

We're working on a handful of new songs I'm really excited about trying out in front of an audience. These include "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" by Journey, "Green Door" by Shakin' Stevens, "Swingtown" by Steve Miller Band, "The Midnight Special" by CCR and "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles. I'm really hoping these get a positive response.

Aside from the band, I've also gotten back into the habit of singing online again. Years ago I used to sing on a chat program called Paltalk. For those unfamiliar, it contains hundreds of different rooms spanning many different topics. Included are a handful of karaoke based rooms in which you can sing a song using a PC microphone and a backing track. What's great about these rooms is that you can listen to others sing as well. Your name gets added to the list and once it's your turn, you take control of the mic and sing your song for others to listen to. I used to love doing it years ago but somehow lost interest. I just started doing it again this past week. Needless to say, it's been a great time killer in the evenings, and most importantly, it keeps me in practice between jam sessions. Mind you, I don't think I've ever let a day go by without singing something......somewhere.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T19:59:00.001-04:00

I guess since this is considered as "Easter Monday", the holiday isn't quite over yet. So, Happy Easter dammit! My family celebrated yesterday in the form of a delicious rabbit stew........kidding! In truth, we had a ham which was pretty damn good. We don't generally observe the holiday, aside from giving Britt a gift and a few chocolates, but my mom figured it would be a good excuse to have a nice meal. So, no complaints here.

Admittedly, I was saddened that my sister was unable to join us as originally planned. Unfortunately, she got herself into some trouble and (as I write this) is currently in custody until at least tomorrow when she appears in court. I had received a call Monday morning from her appointed attorney stating that she was put under arrest and taken into custody for hitting her boyfriend the night before. It's a sticky situation because the two of them together are basically oil and water. My sister has an incredible temper, and her boyfriend is a raging alcoholic. So as I understand it, he spent the day at a bar getting loaded, came home that night and called my sister every name in the book. Albeit, this isn't the first time he's insulted her, but I guess this time my sister reached her breaking point and retaliated in the form of physical violence. Neighbors called the police and she was placed under arrest.

Her lawyer had called because she was to be in court on Thursday morning, and he had requested that a family member be there as a means for support, subsequently increasing her chances of being released that day. Unfortunately, this was an impossibility because I had no transportation to get there and back. Secondly, it would have taken an hour and a half to get there, which would have been long after the court precedings. Third, I had to get Brittany off to school by 8:45. So as a result, she has been in custody for the entire weekend.

It breaks my heart because although I may not agree with things my sister does, she DOES have problems. A lot of them mental. Her demeanor is not that of an average 31 year old. In many ways, her behavior is child-like, and I genuinely believe she does the things she does because she doesn't know any better, nor can she grasp the realm of rationality. For instance, on occasions where she comes to visit Brittany, it takes no time for the two of them to engage in petty arguments, totally reminiscent of two children fighting. Rather than walk away when being egged on by the child, she chooses to argue, tooth and nail until someone has to intervene.

I love my sister to death. That's a given, and although she's locked horns with me time and time again, I haven't given up on her. I would love to see her get some professional help. She has a lot of baggage that needs to be dealt with. Baggage I believe is preventing her from being truly happy in life. I realize I'm taking a gamble by making this private situation public in my writing. I do this because I want people to understand the situation rather than make snap judgments about her, as some have already done, and whom I've confronted in that regard.

So as to what tomorrow brings, I really have no idea. I will be making a call to her attorney in the morning to find out if she had been released or not. Given her mental health, I think having her behind bars would provide her more harm than good. But then, I'm no psychologist. I just pray that she's alright and I have my fingers crossed that they will release her. I love you sis. Never forget that.

On a MUCH lighter note, my band and I are still practicing every weekend. If all works out, we'll be playing at a private birthday party for my drummer's father on May 9th. We're also talking about playing in Fergus on the 15th for the outdoor jam. I'm really hoping this pans out because the very next day is my birthday, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than go up to Fergus with a cooler full of beer, and playing tunes all night with my boys! We played in Fergus twice last year; the outdoor jam in August and the Halloween bash in October. I always have the greatest time there. So, here's hoping!

On Friday, which was Britt's start to her 4-day weekend, we decided to go to the carnival on the other side of town following a phone call from my drummer asking if we'd like to join he and his son. Britt was ecstatic, as she'd never been to one before, so how could I say no? Let me tell you something. You might think lawyers are pirates. You may think pirates are pirates. But in my personal opinion, there is no bigger pirate than the CARNIE. Talk about insanity. We get there, Russ and I spend $20 each which is the equivalent of 36 tickets. Each ride costs 3 tickets PER person. The four of us go on the Tilt-A-Whirl. BAM!!!! 12 tickets gone just like that. Russ, his son and Britt go on the bumper cars. BAM!!!! 9 more tickets gone. Britt and his son go on 2 more rides together. BAM!!!! Another 12 tickets. We were there less than 30 minutes and we only had 3 tickets left!!! We spent another $10 so the four of us could ride the ferris wheel. Gone, just like that.

So after all that, I decided to treat Britt to lunch so I got a large fry, a sausage and 2 pops. There went another 15 bucks! The sausage wasn't even worth it, as the bun was stale and the meat was overcooked. Following that, Russ decides to try his hand at this dart throwing game where you had to hit blue stars on a wall. The prize was a wood-plated picture of his choosing. That boy spent 35 DOLLARS on that game before he actually won! Britt wanted to try that one but I steered her towards a much simpler one where you simply throw a ball and try to knock over blocks. She did well, missing only one block after 3 throws and was rewarded with a small stuffed koala bear. Before we left, I bought Britt and Russ' son each a candy apple, and that was pretty much the end of that excursion. In about an hour, I myself spent about $50. But you know what? I have no complaints about spending the money because Brittany had the time of her life, and even now.......3 days later, she's still talking about how much fun she had. You can't put a price on that!

Mind you, when you look at the logistics, it really is a rip off though. Especially considering you can get a park ticket to Canada's Wonderland for just over $40, spend up to 12 hours there, ride what you want as many times as you want, and hell, even watch stage & ice shows. You just get a whole lot more for your entertainment dollar. But, I guess these carnival folk figure that we yuppies can't make it out to places like that and will pay premium prices to go on mediocre rides. Well......this yuppie fell for it!

While on the subject of carnivals, I will say that I LOVE rides. When I go to Wonderland, I ride EVERYTHING, coasters, flat rides, you name it. I've always felt safe and secure going on rides at Wonderland because quality control is pristine. The rides are extremely well maintained, therefore I never feel like I'm in any danger. However, carnival rides are in a class all their own. Shady looking people get paid very little money for erecting these rides in an extremely short period of time. There's clue #1. lol. I mean when you seriously think about it, how easy would it be for someone to forget to tighten a bolt or something?? I remember when I'd go to the carnivals as a kid, I loved riding this one called "The Zipper" where you stand in this rotating cage that flips you every way but loose. I believe it was about 5 years when I watched the news and saw some kid was on the verge of falling out of the cage.....hanging on for dear life because the door wasn't locked. Scary stuff.

But hey, I'm still just as much a thrill seeker as ever. I'll continue going on those rides until my dying day, or at least until my heart goes for a shit. ;)

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

2010-03-14T22:50:00.000-04:00

I don't know if someone put a voodoo curse on me today or what, but I have had one hell of a bad day. First and foremost, I once again have no heat in my apartment. And no, I haven't been neglecting to pay the heating bill! A few days ago, Reliance (the company of which I rent my water heater) apparently came to perform a routine cleaning. Little did I know until last night, they somehow managed to turn off my heat as well. As I probably mentioned in a blog entry last year, my apartment consists of baseboard heating whereas hot water flows through the pipes, therefore heating my home. Anyway, I called up Reliance regarding the problem and was told that they would send someone out today. So, last night I almost froze my nuts off lying in bed, cocooned in my fleece blanket. This morning, the repairman shows up and concludes that I have no heat because the guy who previously came forgot to re-ignite the water heater's pilot light. So after a few attempts, this guy couldn't re-light it because apparently one of the valves on the unit had gone bad and needed to be replaced. I was told this would take a couple of days at least. At which point the part would be delivered to me, and I was to call Reliance back to have them come install it and re-ignite the pilot light. I'm just thankful this happened at the end of winter as opposed to a month or two ago. Mind you, until this gets fixed, I have absolutely no hot water.

What pisses me off is the fact that I dealt with all of this last year. I played a huge juggling act between reliance and the Co-op sanctioned plumbing company to fix the same issue. Months later, I went through it again when my taps lacked water pressure. This all happened around the same time my stress-related health issues occured. Is it any wonder???

But nope, the day doesn't end here. I had planned to have Brittany here all week during March Break to play her Wii, watch movies, and basically have a good time. I get a call from my mom this afternoon stating that Brittany was absolutely unruly and refused to be co-operative. I could even hear her mouthing off while on the phone. So as a result, those plans are blown to hell because she has to learn that she can't treat people like that. I don't know how many times I've told her to respect others and to behave, but it never seems to want to sink in.

Ok, what else?? To a lesser extent, there was a big Co-op board meeting today to determine whether or not the father and son who months ago got buster for having a grow-op in their unit would be allowed to remain members here. Needless to say, it was a marginal decision, but one which allowed them to stay here. This bothers me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this is meant to be a family community. There are a lot of young children who frequent the property, and the fact that this kind of illegal activity had been going on just irks me. Regardless, I don't have a problem with the father per se. Personally, I've got nothing against him. However, I can't stand his teenage piss ant smart-ass son of his. He's locked horns with all of us at some point, and was even caught breaking into the Community Centre on New Year's Eve. As a result, the Centre is permanently locked and is no longer inaccessible unless the coordinator is present. Takes one apple to spoil the bunch, doesn't it. Given this situation however, there is a much bigger picture. How are we supposed to protect our children when illegal activities such as this are going on right under our noses. And to allow these people to stay after all of this just tells me a lot about how much they care about the safety and welfare of the residents who live within. Ah well. Shit happens.

Up next on the docket, I received word from my drummer today that the new guitarist who was pretty much a lock as the newest member of our band will be out of the loop indefinitely as a result of his ill mother being admitted into the hospital. I feel extremely bad for the guy, but in the same breath, the timing couldn't be worse. How do I say that without sounding like a douche?? Seriously though, we spent 18 months trying to find someone. This guy comes along......who actually sought US out via our YouTube videos, sits in last Sunday for about 5 hours, plays......and plays WELL, and all of a sudden his mother takes sick. It's just a case of really bad timing. But it's all good. His philosophy is clearly the same as mine. Family will always come first. I just wish Steve, his mother and his family all the very best.

Last but not least. Here it is the end of the day, and just when I think nothing else could possibly go wrong, I get paid a visit from the RACCOON. I may or may not have explained this in previous entries. I'm too tired to remember, and too damn lazy to go sifting through old posts. lol But over the past few months a raccoon had made itself a home in my attic. Night after night this little bastard would scratch incessantly on the attic floor (MY ceiling). A month ago I made a call to the Co-op office to have it evacuated as well as have the hole next to my balcony repaired. A hole in which the raccoon both enters and exits my attic. Anyway, for weeks I waited to have this dealt with, but to no avail. I then realized that over the last few days......I heard nothing. At some point while not at home, maintenance came in and patched the hole. It was then that I realized that the raccoon was long gone, and I could enjoy peace and quiet once again without the constant scratching noises above me.

I had to laugh on Thursday night though because I was visiting my mom, who lives just across the parking lot. We were watching 'American Idol' when suddenly her two dogs started barking at the back door. Wondering what they were barking at, we turned on the outdoor light and sure enough, the damn raccoon was sitting on her fence!! Looked to be the same one, as they equaled in size. We thought it was hilarious considering I hadn't heard anything at my place in days. We figured it came over there to check up on me. lol. We had a good laugh about it, even the next day.

WELL.........back to tonight. .Just before I was ready to go to bed.......what do I hear going ape shit above my computer room???? I don't know how the hell it managed to get back in there........but it must have. For about 5 minutes, I could hear it running like a bat out of hell, scurrying above me in a frenzy. So I don't know what the deal is. Did they trap it in there?? And if so, why haven't I heard it in days. Did it find another entry? So many unanswered questions....................my head hurts!

On that note, I'm off to bed. I don't think anything else could possibly go wrong today........but then again, there's still another hour to go.

Feeling Like A Pin Cushion

2010-02-23T23:18:00.001-05:00

It's funny. I've been administered more shots in the past 9 months than I have in my entire life. Of course this began in May when I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I had blood work done in January and wasn't expected to return to my doctor until March. However, last week I receive a call stating that further tests required even more blood work. As to why, I really have no idea. The doctor stated in January that I would only receive a call for more testing if the results of the existing tests weren't normal. In addition to the blood work, I also had to piss in a jug for 24 hours to be taken to the lab for testing. All the while, I had given them a 48 hour sample back in June. As to why I'm being subjected to so many tests these days is beyond me. I guess I won't really know anything until March when I see my doctor again. Needless to say, I fear the worst yet hope for the best. I mean, I had an echo-cardiogram done back in June which came out clean, so I'm under the assumption that it isn't heart-related. I've been taking blood pressure pills in addition to water pills for the past 9 months, so I can only assume that my BP is in check. Mind you, I was told in December that it was higher than it should have been. Harmen (my keyboard player) and even my mom suggested that it may be diabetes-related. I really don't know. Anyway, I've decided not to let it worry me. What's the point in getting worked up over something that may very well turn out to be nothing? Should the tests reveal something of a serious nature, I will face it head-on and roll with the punches. But until I know for sure, I refuse to spend my time worrying about it. Life's too short!

Well, after an 8 month referral, I was finally able to have my cyst removed this past Thursday. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous. I'm not a fan of surgery.....however minor. But I knew it's something I wanted done, as the large lump on my cheek was an eye sore of which I was very self-conscious. I hated the way I looked, especially in pictures. I'd had the cyst for a number of years, but it remained relatively small until about a year or so ago.....and I knew people talked. Some would ask me point blank about while I'd overhear some talking behind my back. All I knew is that I wanted it gone.

The surgical procedure lasted about an hour. Of course I was given MORE needles to freeze the cyst and surrounding area. I was awake during the procedure, and although I felt no pain (aside from the initial needles), I felt a lot of pressure, as though my skin was being pulled to great lengths. Felt weird really. Upon completion, I was stitched up and sent on my way. The three days that followed I was in relative pain, so I wound up taking Tylenol with codeine which worked pretty damn well! On Sunday I reluctantly removed the bandage covering the incision. It was weird for me because I'm one of those guys who very rarely gets hurt. This was the first time I'd hat stitches period, and upon removing the bandage, I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out, I worried for nothing. Although the incision is evident, it had already begun healing nicely. Of course I proceeded with caution, making sure not to touch it as to avoid infection, etc.

The difference is definitely noticeable. The big-ass lump on my face is gone and I couldn't be happier about it. As for the incision, it'll apparently be healed within 2-3 weeks of the surgery, and all I'll be left with is a scar. The guys in my band have already given me the name of "Scarface". :)

Speaking of which, things are looking up in that department. Last Sunday we had an incredible jam. Russ' friend Luke came out and played guitar for us. He was more or less learning the ropes but sat in and did well just the same. Later on, Rob (one of the guys who plays guitar out in Fergus) showed up and joined the jam. He sang harmony on a lot of our songs and is a hell of a guitar player. I even sang harmony on a couple of his tunes. Last I heard from Russ, he's definitely interested in joining us and is absolutely willing to sing back-up for me. He has a great ear for harmony and made some of our good songs great.

But that's not all, folks! As of NEXT Sunday, we have yet another guitar player coming out by the name of Steve. He contacted both myself and Harmen online, saw our videos and figured he'd be a good fit. So I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the table. I find it both funny and ironic though. For 16 months we couldn't even snag ONE guitarist, and now we have THREE who are interested. So as I see it, there's nowhere to go but up.

In other news, my mom's 10 month layoff has come to an end. The same day as my cyst removal, she receives a call from her boss asking if she'd be willing to return to work. With tears in her eyes, she answered with a resounding yes. I'm incredibly happy for her because as the days, weeks and months wore on, I could see she was getting into a deeper and deeper depression. The day-to-day monotony of waking up and having nothing to do certainly got to her. So upon getting the call on Thursday, she was back at work Friday, and even worked a half-day on Saturday. She's understandably in a lot of pain right now though because she's working muscles that have laid dormant for many months. I reckon as time goes on, she'll get back into the swing of things and it won't be as much of an issue.

So, lately it seems that the positives are outweighing the negatives these days, and for that I can't complain. :)

Olympics, Valentine's Day & Other Incoherent Topics

2010-02-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

There is just something I absolutely love about the Winter Olympics. When compared to the Summer games, there is simply no contest. I speak in terms of diversity and variety alone. Over the course of 17 days, we get to watch an amazing array of events, all of which are unique from each other. Whether it be the grace and pageantry of figure skating, the extreme speed and precision of the Luge, or the incredible strength and stamina required for Speed Skating, there is always something to look forward to. Of course, the epitome of the Winter Olympic Games.....for me anyway is Ice Hockey. As Canadians, we cheer incessantly for OUR team to win OUR game. I had the pleasure of watching the Women's team dominate Slovakia with a score of 18-0 on Saturday. Should they get the Gold, it will be their 3rd consecutive since 2002. As for the Men's, their first game isn't until Tuesday. Needless to say, I WILL be watching.

As you know, yesterday was Valentine's Day, and I hope you all had a great one. I never really observed V-Day to any extent.....being single and all. However, I did receive a wall post on Facebook yesterday from my Stepmom which really opened my eyes and put that day into perspective:

"Always a reason to celebrate love, Andy.Maybe you or I or others don;t have a sweetheart at the moment but we do have LOVE!!!"

There is so much truth to that. I always considered Valentine's Day as a day reserved for couples, but after reading her post, it made me realize how lucky I am to have such great people in my life. Having reunited with Sandy and my dad only 7 short months ago is a blessing in and of itself. Furthermore, I'm getting reacquainted with other members of my family whom I'd not seen in many years.

This past Friday was an excellent day to say the least. I was invited to dinner to celebrate Sandy's (belated) birthday in Cambridge.with my dad and Aunt Jo. I ended up spending the majority of the day there which was nice. It was nice to reconnect with family, share some laughs, and just enjoy myself. It definitely beat the day-to-day monotony of sitting at home watching paint dry. My dad and I did a bit of shopping at a couple of stores downtown as well as a dollar store next to King's Buffet. Moments like that are meaningful to me because after all, we did lose 17 years.

After dinner, we went back to Sandy's for a while and hung out before my dad and I headed back to Guelph. We went to Harmen's place where my band and I would play a few songs. My dad had seen our band videos on Facebook, but I wanted him to hear us in person. Our set was cut short however as we got there much later than expected, but it was all good. My band mates totally understood our reason for the poor punctuality and we wound up playing about 5 or 6 songs. My dad's input was important to me as he also shares a love for music.

As for this week, it should be a good one. First of all, I'll be doing my income tax either Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll be using it to buy my mom a new battery for her truck, as her existing one is currently on life support. lol. It's something I want to do, and I'm just glad the timing works out, as I very rarely have any "extra" money. But, it's something she needs and I'm more than happy to do it, especially since she's having a rough go of it financially as well.

Thursday I'm off to the hospital for day surgery. After a long 8-month wait on a referral, I finally received the call to have the cyst on my face removed. I've had it for a number of years, but only recently had it become larger in size. I've been extremely self-conscious about it, especially since it's on my face.....plain as day. So I'm ecstatic to know that it will finally be removed. I was told that I will be left with a scar on my cheek, but I still think that will be a million times better than this huge protruding bump. Not to mention..........chicks dig scars! ;)

Feeling Nostalgic

2010-02-06T00:59:00.000-05:00

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!

Holiday Reflections

2010-01-01T14:23:00.000-05:00

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.

Christmas With The "Krank"

2009-12-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

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.

Writer's Block

2009-11-11T18:45:00.000-05:00

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!

Drama, Drama Everywhere

2009-10-12T08:14:00.000-04:00

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.

Rising Leafs And Fallen Leaves

2009-09-23T03:30:00.000-04:00

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.

And The Band Plays On

2009-08-31T00:21:00.000-04:00

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.

H-O-T

2009-08-17T02:31:00.000-04:00

You know, I was really enjoying Summer up until a couple of weeks ago. Up until then, the weather was absolutely perfect. It felt more like Spring really. Lo and behold, it was too good to last. Those hot and humid days of Summer have indeed arrived and I'm fully prepared to move to the Arctic until Fall. lol I'm really not a Summer person. I'd just as soon stay in an air conditioned house as opposed to a beach on a hot day. But hey, that's me. Fortunately, Autumn is just around the corner so I'm definitely looking forward to the cooler weather. Boy, you know when you're getting older when the weather becomes a 'hot button' issue. LOL. Give it time, and I'll wind up turning into one of those crochity old farts who watches the Weather Channel 24/7. Lots to look forward to!!!

About 2 weeks or so ago, I had a 'falling out' of sorts with the keyboard player in my band. He and I had agreed to play an informal jam in Fergus. Nothing serious or iron-clad. Just a random assortment of musicians screwing around in an outdoor setting. Anyway, I had planned on going to this as my mother's boyfriend was taking good care of her following her surgery (which was a week prior). Anyway, to make a long story short, the boyfriend fucked off and left her hi-and-dry........again. Therefore she was left with no one to help take care of her and Brittany. Given the state my mom was in, she could barely move, and she was unable to lift anything of adequate weight. Anyway, my keyboard player contacted me the day OF this jam......keep in mind I hadn't heard from him during the 2 days leading up to it. There were still a lot of question marks regarding how we were getting there and back........even that morning. I texted him back and told him my situation with my mom and that I was unable to go. Naturally, family comes first. Anyway, he called me back and basically ripped me a new one stating I was "abandoning the band" and "your mother should realize that this is important to you" among other nasty remarks. Let's set a few things straight. First and foremost, I wasn't abandoning the band. Russ (our drummer) was supposed to be camping that weekend, and I only learned during my conversation with Harmen that he wasn't camping and that he'd be coming out. Secondly, this wasn't a gig by any stretch of the imagination. There was no commitment to this. Just musicians getting together and playing for the sake of something to do. Of course, in his eyes, I was king shit because I "let everybody down" and that he told everyone that he was bringing a great singer. I never asked him to spread the word about me going there. And if he did promise these people, he certainly should have made sure he had a ride lined up for me to get there and back.......which he did not.

Of course my mom felt like a first-class heel when I told her what was said. She felt like the world's biggest burden and it took everything I had to re-assure her that she was not. My family always has and always will come first. I mean, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had gone to this thing, leaving my mom to fend for herself a week after surgery, in addition to keeping a watch on her 11 year old grandaughter.......who can indeed be quite a handful for someone who is as healthy as a horse. So I have no doubt in my mind that I did the right thing. Following the debacle, I tendered my resignation to the band. I needed to be amongst people who were capable of understanding when a family emergency arises.

But two weeks had past. Harmen and I had no contact up until yesterday. Russ had invited me over for a BBQ, during which he casually asked me if I wanted to go to Harmen's with him to sing. He claimed he missed jamming with me and that it didn't have to be a big ordeal. So I agreed to go. Harmen and I talked, during which I explained how I felt and I guess he felt pretty bad about how he handled the situation. The three of us have agreed to jam together every now and then, but have not committed to re-forming as a band. At least not at this time. I will say this though. I had fun getting in front of that mic again. I'd hate to think that the 9 or 10 months we'd spent practicing together went down the drain. But we're all keeping our options open.

Lately, I've been discovering the many different uses for my cell phone. I used to use it strictly for talk and text, but I think this past week I have finally caught up with the age of technology. In the past week, I have linked my Facebook, MSN and Twitter accounts to my phone. Definitely a great way to stay in the know. I don't have an iPhone or anything like that, but I get all my updates, PM's and chats via text message. I think the reason for not exploring these options sooner had to do with the fact that I was on a 'Pay As You Go' plan, and only last month did I switch to a monthly contract which includes 200 weekday minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends, 1,000 outgoing texts and unlimited incoming. In truth, I'm not paying much more for this than I did for the cards every month.........but the level of flexibility is a million times greater.

It's hard to believe Brittany will be back in school in only 2 weeks. This Summer has sped by like a freight train. She's all excited about it though. Just yesterday, she was already packing her backpack with her newly bought school supplies. I'm happy for her though, especially since it's rare these days that a child of 11 actually looks forward to going back. lol. She's had a decent time this Summer though. My mom has been taking her to the Splash Park almost every day, so it's all good. We've been limiting her interaction with the neighborhood kids who live in this complex. Every last one of them are demon seeds. lol. They tease and ridicule that poor child every chance they get. Their parents must be so proud!

On a final note regarding my buddy Rick. Last I heard he is still at McMaster. According to a friend who told a friend who told his Uncle's best friend's second cousin twice removed, he has issues with his spleen. As to what issues, I really don't know. You know how these things get lost in translation. Be that as it may, I hope he recovers from this real soon.

Ok, it's after 3am, and I'm going back to bed. Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow! lol

What Goes Up......

2009-07-28T13:42:00.000-04:00

......must eventually come down. Remember my last blog entry when I wrote about how everything seemed right with the world?? Well, let's just say this submission is the polar opposite of that. It's amazing how much can happen in the course of two weeks.

For starters, my good friend Rick is fighting for his life in the Critical Care ward of Guelph General Hospital. Although we'd known each other since high school, we only became GOOD friends in recent months. As of last Monday, he went to the ER as a result of coughing up blood. He was admitted later that day. 8 days later and 2 operations (that I know of), and they apparently still haven't rectified the problem. He has been bleeding internally and was unable to breath on his own at one point. A few days ago, doctors deduced that he had a bleeding ulcer. Today I learned that this prognosis was incorrect. It was told to me a few days ago that doctors didn't give him much of a chance, given his current state. As it stands, they will be transporting him from here to McMaster either today or tomorrow.

All I know is it pains me to see a friend go through this. Rick is the kind of guy who would do anything for a friend without requesting compensation. In May, he and I even started a "1 vs. 100" tradition where we would get together to play the live game on Xbox every Friday night. It was always a blast. He was one of the few friends I had who just wanted to be a FRIEND. I've had friends who only bothered with me when they needed something. Friends who were too busy to even give me the time of day, etc. Not Rick. He always enjoyed coming by here and hanging out....and I certainly enjoyed his company. The mere thought that he may not make it through this ordeal......well......let's not go there. I haven't experienced much loss in my life. The hardest by far was having to deal with my grandmother's passing in 2007. I've certainly never had to say goodbye to a friend. Let's just hope I won't have to anytime soon.

In other news, my mom had her surgery last Wednesday. As to what surgery she had....I'm not at liberty to say. Let's just say gravity's a bitch when you get older. LOL. Take from that what you will. Anyway, she went in Wednesday morning and was home by Thursday. She's still in a fair amount of pain.....which tends to subside after a couple of Tylenol. What amazes me though is how active she is. Even 2 days after the surgery, she was on her feet, walking up and down the stairs. I expected her to be in bed at least for a little while. She began complaining of sharp pains, so I had to put my foot down and tell her to take it easy. It's a little difficult to heal when you're running around like a bat out of hell.

In the meantime, Brittany has been staying at my apartment with me. My little roommate if you will. She's no trouble at all. I do my best to keep her entertained. Between video games, the occasional round of Uno, and watching movies, she seems pretty content. Keeping her here just makes it that much easier on my mom. One less thing for her to worry about, especially since Britt can be a handful every now and then.

My mom's boyfriend Joe has been amazing to her. Since her surgery, he has waited on her hand and foot, keeping the house clean, running errands, etc. I am extremely grateful to him for taking such great care of her.

To end this on a high note, my father and I had our reunion on the 18th. He, his wife, and their grandson came to my home for a wonderful visit. It really was great to see them both again. Before they came, I was quite nervous. I mean, this was the first time I'd seen them in 16 years after all. But, the nervousness went away in an instant and we talked and carried on as though no time had passed at all. I was amazed by how much my dad and I have in common. Most notably....movies. lol. He's a bigger collector than I am! He even brought over the goods to make his homemade hamburgers. I've loved his burgers as a kid, so it was a great treat to be able to enjoy them again after so long. Needless to say, they did NOT disappoint. I really enjoyed meeting their grandson, Brendan as well. What a great kid. He spent the whole time playing the Xbox. Sharp wit, I tell you. I most definitely look forward to our next visit. Hopefully it will happen sooner than later. All I know is that day is one I'll never forget. It meant the world to me that they came, and even moreso that I was able to reunite with my dad after so very long. Life really is too damn short......and given Rick's situation, and the fact that he's only a year older than myself........those words could not have a truer meaning

Music & Roller Coasters

2009-07-14T19:35:00.000-04:00

You know, it's not too often I venture out for extra curricular activities. I'm more or less a home body who may go out once in a blue moon to see a movie, etc. I know, it's not the most exciting life, but I'd grown accustomed to it. So in the off-chance that I actually DO go out to engage in something different, you'd better believe I make the most of it! Such was the case this past Monday when I, along with my friend and my sister, took a trip to Canada's Wonderland. But more on that later. First, I want to backtrack to two days prior when my band took part in what I considered to be the best gig yet.....

This gig took place at a birthday party for a sweet older lady named Marion. Our band basically collaborated with Wayne Mack, with whom my drummer has played with for about 14 years. So, while Wayne stepped in to play to the country crowd, I was there to cover the rock side of things, so to speak. lol. I even enlisted my buddy Rick to act as our cameraman for the show. Playing back the footage, he did an incredible job capturing the event. Not just the band, but the surrounding atmosphere as well.

The meal was to die for. Marion's husband Joe roasted a pig. There were two kinds of lasagna, chicken wings, salads, etc. It was great. Everyone there was incredibly hospitable as well. Even Marion's daughter came up to the band at the beginning of the night and handed us a large cooler full of beer. She was even willing to refill it, had it become empty. Definitely didn't expect that!

The gig itself was amazing. People danced, sang along and had a great time. I loosened up quite a bit as the night went on and we wound up rocking the place later in the night. It WAS a party!! At the end of the night I received countless compliments on my singing which basically put me on cloud 9. I tell you, there is no better feeling in the world than making people happy by doing something you love. It makes all the hard work and practice worthwhile! Not that it was ever a chore to begin with....

Even the next day, I felt as though I was on a natural high. Wayne came by later that day to pay me for the gig. I didn't expect to get any more than $20 or so, but he ended up handing me a $50. In ALL the years I've been singing, that was the most money I've ever made doing so. Don't get me wrong. It was never about the money for me. It has always been about the love of music. Let's just call getting paid the "icing on the cake".

So, anyway, Sunday was my day of rest, as Monday was the day we would go to Wonderland. So I lounged around and took it easy. Pulled all of the gig footage from my memory cards, etc. Rick ended up coming by later that day and we went to see 'Ice Age 3' at the theater. Normally I wouldn't go see a family flick without Brittany but I had a free coupon to go see it, so I figured what the hell. It would get me out of the house for a few hours. So we went to A&W for dinner where I had a cheddar bacon sirloin Uncle burger. lol. It was actually the first time I've ever had an A&W burger period. I usually get their chicken sandwhich....or fried chicken. But, it was good. The movie itself was cute, funny at times. Had it not been for the free coupon, I would've definitely seen something a little more to my taste. But it was all good.

Well, Monday morning rolled around and I was up before 6. My sister Becky crashed here that night so I could make sure she was up. Brett showed up at around 6:30 and we were on the road before 7. It took only an hour and a half to get there as we made it to the park by 8:30. We ended up standing in line until 9:30 when they opened the gates. Although the park didn't officially open until 10 we were confined to the International Street area until then.

When 10 rolled around and the rest of the park was accessible, the first thing we hit was Behemoth. I'd been dying to ride this coaster since they first announced it 2 years ago. The line up was incredibly short and we were on it within 5 minutes. This was bar none the best coaster I've ever had the privilege of riding. The first drop alone is incredible, as you're literally facing the ground! Unfortunately, my friend Brett was unable to ride it because, as a heavy-set guy, the test seat at the ride entrance was unable to be locked when he tried. Be that as it may, he managed to fit on everything else in the park and he wound up having a great time.

Throughout the course of the day we hit 20 rides. This included 10 out of the 11 coasters in the park. The only coaster we didn't make it on was 'The Fly' because it was broken down. Ah well, I figure it's something to shoot for next year! We also caught 3 shows including 'Endless Summer' which was a show on ice held at the Paramount theater. The world-class skaters were phenomenal. It was a spectacle to watch. We also caught the Victoria Falls High Divers as well as 'Airbourne', an acrobatics show involving trampolines and diving boards.

For lunch, we ate at "Coasters", a 50's themed diner near the 'Minebuster'. I love those old-style diners. Quite the atmosphere to say the least. They even had a classic Wurlitzer Jukebox. The food itself was pretty good. Loved the burger. Fries were a little on the soggy side but it was good eats for the most part. Rather than have an actual dinner, I treated myself to a funnel cake! These are one of the main reasons I go to Wonderland. No one makes them better. I got mine with the works, icing sugar, soft serve ice cream and strawberries. It had been 3 years since I'd last had one, and it was definitely worth the wait.

I did a fair bit of souvenir shopping as well. For myself, I picked up a Behemoth frosty mug (which lasted a whole 30 minutes after I got home because I accidentally dropped the damn thing....and as a result it broke in 3 places and the fluid spilled everywhere). I also got a black Behemoth t-shirt which I think looks pretty cool. I got my mom a Canada's Wonderland coffee mug. I originally wanted to get her an ashtray but apparently they no longer sell those. For Brittany, I came across an airbrush kiosk where artists airbrush images on t-shirts. Since Brittany is a die hard Pokemon fan, I asked if they knew how to do that, since there were none depicted in the portfolio, nor were any on display on the wall behind. The gentleman stated that he only knew how to do Pikachu from memory, so I went ahead and placed the order. Let's just say that 2 days later, she still hasn't taken it off!!!

I will say this about the day. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was absolutely amazing. It wasn't cold. It wasn't blistering hot. It was perfect, especially with the light breeze that continued throughout the day. As for the rides themselves, we barely had to wait to get on them.....with only a few exceptions. In most cases, we'd jump in a line, and we'd be on the ride inside 5-10 minutes. This is why I've ALWAYS insisted on going on a Monday. Going on a weekend is hell, because you know full well that's when most families decide to go, and line-ups for even the simplest rides can take forever and a day.

Anyway, we left the park at 10 when it closed and made it back home by 11:30. Yesterday I chose not to do a damn thing. I was definitely in a vegetative state. lol. In pain from head to toe, I just sat around watching episodes of 'Frasier' from my box sets. I could barely even talk because my voice was incredibly hoarse from wailing on those rides!! Yesterday afternoon however, my drummer's girlfriend called me and asked if she could use my computer to look for work. I had no problem with that. She brought her son along so I put on the 'Short Circuit' movies as a means to entertain him. Chris picked them up for me while on his trip to the States a few weeks ago. I hadn't seen them in about 20 years and I found myself laughing my ass off all over again, especially at the first one. But then, of course it hurt to laugh, so I tried to keep that to a minimum.

So, this will be the last of my excursions for the time being. My mom goes into surgery exactly 1 week from today so I've focused all of my energies on making sure she is well taken care of during recovery. If that means missing out on certain things, then so be it. Family always has and always will come first. I'm just glad I got to go out and have the time of my life over the past few days. Given everything I'd gone through recently, I most definitely needed it!

Hot Enough For Ya?

2009-06-28T19:08:00.000-04:00

Well, earlier this week I had no other choice than to install my air conditioner. I tried to tough it out as long as I could with the intention of saving at least a few dollars on my next hydro bill......but nope. Couldn't do it. Once the 30+ degree weather rolled in, I had no choice. You see, I hate summer for the most part. I'm not a fan of extreme weather in general. Extreme cold....extreme heat. Doesn't matter. It does NOT agree with me. I guess that's why I've always preferred Spring and Autumn. Thankfully, we have what I considered to be a great Spring this year. Unlike previous years where Winter would end and Summer would automatically begin.....at least that's the way it felt. Ah well. What can I do but grin and bear it.

I'm very envious of my buddy Chris and his girlfriend right now. As we speak, they are vacationing for a week in Ohio. Most notably at Cedar Point in Sandusky. This is a theme park I've always wanted to visit, being the roller coaster nut that I am. This place has an astounding 17 coasters, including Top Thrill Dragster......a coaster I've been wanting to ride since I'd first heard about it. In addition to Cedar Point, they're also taking excursions to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame......another place I would love to see. They're also visiting the "Christmas Story" house in Cleveland. A few years back, someone put this house up for auction for next to nothing on Ebay. This was the EXACT SAME house that was used in the movie "A Christmas Story". The gentleman who won the auction renovated it to its former glory, adorned it with the same antique furniture, appliances, electronics, and other knick-knacks as they appeared in the film, and opened it to the public for tours. Across the road from the house, this fellow also created and opened the "Christmas Story Museum" which contains props, clothing and other memorabilia from the film. Within this museum is the "Christmas Story" gift shop in which you can purchase your very own LEG LAMP! I can't remember if I'd posted previously about wanting this 'major award' but I do. It would be the ultimate Christmas decoration and would certainly turn some heads upon seeing it from my balcony window. Chris offered to pick me up one while he was there, but given my financial situation as of late, I told him it wasn't the greatest idea. But I swear, one day I WILL own one!

Anyway, this weekend hasn't been too bad for me, aside from the fact that I acquired a very sore throat on Friday night. I even had to skip band practice today because of it. Shame too as we had both lead and bass guitarists coming out. But seeing as it hurts to talk.......let alone sing, there really wasn't much point in me being there. Shit happens, so they say. But Friday was good. My buddy Rick came over for a round of '1 Vs. 100'. We grilled up a couple of steaks and what-not. Definitely a good way to spend a Friday. Yesterday I took Brittany to a variety show at the Shelldale Centre which was put together by the Lion's Club of Guelph. Pretty sad turnout as there were maybe 15-16 people in attendance. But Brittany had a blast. I'm kicking myself now for not bringing the camcorder because the magician used Brittany as a special helper for a lot of his tricks. Definitely made her day, especially when he allowed her to carry the rabbit around for the audience to pet. I was happy for her. As for today, I didn't do much aside from visiting my mom and her boyfriend. Definitely a relaxing Sunday.

Last weekend however I put my new camcorder to use. I was recruited to record the footage for a wrestling show (also held at Shelldale Centre). Considering it was my first time capturing a sporting event (if you want to call it that), I didn't do half bad following the action. During pre-production I put together a rather impressive video consisting of clips from YouTube and a multi-image effect. I'm starting to think I'm not half bad at this editing stuff. Anyway, right now I'm sitting in limbo with this project because the guy who runs this wrestling company agreed to give me the music for the wrestlers' entrances. I need these so I can re-dub them during editing as the audio from the raw footage was yet to be desired. But it's been a week later, and I've heard nothing.

Well as it stands, the future of my financial situation is up in the air. To make a long story short, disability is cutting me $150 per month because according to them, I'm on subsidy and they're only responsible for giving me the subsidized amount of the rent. See, when I took the apartment in April '07, the co-ordinator of this Co-Op told me otherwise, which is why I agreed to take the place. So, I had a letter drawn up for disability stating July's rent increase and that's when they stuck it to me. However, the co-ordinator here claims it's absolute bullshit because I'm not the only person here living on ODSP, and every one of those people get the same amount that I SHOULD be getting. She swears she'll take care of this, so I'll remain optimistic for the time being. The way I see it, the definition of subsidy basically means "geared to income". Now that my income is apparently lower, then shouldn't my subsidized rent???? Things that make you go hmm......

It's a shame though because after taking Brittany to the variety show, my mom took me to this lady's apartment to look at a dog. She knows how much I've wanted one. Anyway, it was there where I met Benji. A 9 month old Yorkie-Poo. I fell in love with this pooch at first sight. Friendly as hell, obedient, and loves to cuddle. lol. She lady wanted $200 for him and it broke my heart to walk out of there without him. Because my financial situation is uncertain, I can't be making such a purchase right now. It's a shame because it looked as though the people who had him didn't take very good care of him. He was in dire need of a trim, his eyes were dirty, etc. Not to mention the kid who was there had no problem tugging on him every which way but loose.

You know, I just don't get it. The cost of living goes up, yet we continue to get screwed. I was born legally blind. Did I ask for it? No. Can it be fixed? No. I'm simply playing with the cards that were dealt to me. I honestly don't know how the government expects you to live in this day and age. Hell, if it weren't for subsidy, there's no way I'd be living in this apartment right now. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I guess they're more than content with seeing us live with our heads just barely above water.

Anyway, Brittany is finally finished school and is off for the Summer. I tell you, it's hard to keep that girl indoors these days. Even with the weather as hot as it's been, she'll play out there for hours. I was supposed to take her to Wonderland with me in a couple of weeks but given her recent behavior, I think I'll have to exclude her. I'm hoping she'll eventually learn that she won't be rewarded for misbehaving.

How about the string of celebrity deaths this month?? It's surreal. In the past month we've said goodbye to David Carradine, Ed Mcmahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Billy Mays (the Oxi-Clean infomercial guy). Out of all of them, Michael Jackson's passing surprised me the most. My mom had messaged me on MSN saying he died. I seriously thought she was pulling my leg. Definitely a huge loss to the music industry, especially given that he was supposed to engage in a comeback tour next month as well as production of a new album. May they all Rest in Peace.

Life's Too Short

2009-06-16T18:48:00.000-04:00

This is indeed a momentous occasion. Ok, not really. Let's just call it my personal best. What you are reading here and now is my 50th blog entry. The reason this is such a big deal for me is because over the past 8 years I've tried to manage many a blog. Let me rephrase. Over the past 8 years I've tried AND FAILED to manage many a blog. However, I've managed to keep this one updated for well over a year and a half. Mind you, who knows how many people actually read the damn thing, but if nothing else, I can use it as a means to reminisce fond memories when I'm old and senile. At least it's good for something. Right?...................right.

I have to say that things are going quite well with the band these days. We took a month's hiatus due to personal issues but just over a week ago we jumped back on the bandwagon (no pun intended) and got back to work. As it stands, we have two confirmed gigs this Summer. One on July 11th which I believe is local, and another in Haggersville on August 15th. We started working on some new songs as well including "Framed", "Mony Mony", and "Let It Bleed". To date, we have approximately 20 songs in our arsenal of cover tunes of which we perform. Now, to start writing our own stuff. Hopefully soon.

For those who don't know, I got my results back from the specialist about a week and a half ago. Aside from hereditary high blood pressure, my heart is perfectly fine and the plethora of tests I administered came back clean. So to make a long story short. I'm on meds for life, and I'm not going to die............at least not today!

I'm still on my diet, although I've hit a few snags lately. Temptation is indeed my worst enemy, and although my willpower has been waning, I'm still hell bent and determined to stick with it. I weighed in last week and lost yet another three pounds since the 1st of June, but I'm willing to bet I put them back on. lol I will not quit. Not this time.

So, Brittany is finished school as of next Thursday. Naturally, she's looking forward to Summer.....so long as she can behave herself. Her behavior as of late has been something to be desired. I fear that she is becoming a spitting image of her mother (my sister). Their character traits are nothing short of identical. This past Friday, Britt was grounded for a week after swearing and insulting the neighborhood kids. I'll be removing privileges over the Summer as well, unless she smartens up. This includes the Wonderland trip next month. Gotta learn somehow.

I'd also like to make note that I recently started communicating with my father again. It had been about 15 years since we last had contact. I think my sister was a big reason for this as she had always remained close with him. After practically every visit she'd have with him, she'd always tell me things that he allegedly said about me that were none too flattering; I was a loser.......I'll never amount to anything.......oh, and that I was gay (not that I have anything against gay people).......to name a few examples. But, I've come to realize that none of these things were true. I confronted him via private message 2 years ago in regards to these rumblings, and he swore he never spoke ill of me at all. At the time, I didn't know what to believe because following his reply, I confronted my sister on the matter, and she stuck to her story. So here I was between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, if my sister did make all of these things up, then she would have been the sole reason why my father and I were estranged for so long. On the flip side of the coin, if he did speak ill of me for all of those years, then I'd be better off staying away. It was a lot to ponder. But sadly, I know how manipulative my sister can be, and she'll lie, cheat and steal if it meant getting her way. Unfortunately, she's done it many times before. Anyhow, a couple of years had passed since he and I exchanged private messages. I know I said some hateful things within that I wish I could take back. That's not the kind of person I am. It really isn't. But for years I had been feeding on what my sister had continued to tell me, and I guess it all came to a head when I confronted him on it.

Anyway, I had the big health scare last month and it made me realize how short life really is. You can go at any given time without warning. Realizing this, I wanted to make peace with everything and everyone. I reached an old friend from high school with whom I was at odds with for 14 years and reconciled. My best friend of 20 years had done me wrong some time ago, and I chose to forgive him and bury the hatchet. But #1 on my list was to reconcile with my father. I came to realize I had options in life. I could either go on pretending he didn't exist while holding on to harsh feelings (misguided as they were) or I could extend an olive branch and open the lines of communication with him again. For the record, I'm really glad I did. We've been exchanging messages over the past few weeks talking about movies, everyday life, health, etc. It's really nice to hear from him again as we seem to have a fair bit in common. But it's all about baby steps and I'm sure as time goes by, he and I will have a great relationship once again. Just messaging him, a lot of great memories come flooding back from my childhood. The first movie he took me to see, the first time he took me camping, our trips to Canada's Wonderland, etc. You know, I only have one father, so I can either hold onto a meaningless grudge....or I can forget the past and start anew. I prefer to try the latter.

Anyhow, turns out I'll be staying at my mom's for a couple of weeks in July. She'll be going in for surgery on the 22nd and won't be able to move for quite some time. She's not allowed to bend over, lift anything, etc. The original plan was to have Brittany stay at my apartment with me so she'd be less of a burden for my mom, but I decided it would be best if I stayed there, so if she ever needed me for anything, I would be there for her. God knows, she's been there for me every time I've needed her, so it's the VERY least I could do. She keeps telling me not to revolve my schedule around her, but I told her my decision was final. I insist on being at her beck and call until she's healed.

I recently began watching this old British comedy show my friend Rick introduced me to. A 70's sitcom entitled "Are You Being Served?". I'd never once seen it until this past weekend but I find it to be quite funny. I get quite a kick out of sophisticated comedies. It's probably why "Frasier" remains one of my favorite shows. Admittedly, I haven't opened my eyes to much British fare.........aside from Mr. Bean and Benny Hill. But I think I'll be a little more open-minded. It's certainly a different form of humor than I'm accustomed to, but hey. Variety is the spice of life.

Full Dance Card

2009-06-01T02:40:00.000-04:00

For the first time in a long time, I'm actually looking forward to summer. Of course I still hate the heat waves and the high hydro bills as a result of running my air conditioner full-tilt in order to avoid those heat waves. However this summer, as opposed to previous summers, I actually have plans. First and foremost, some friends and I have decided to start holding weekend movie nights where we watch films based on a certain "theme". This can run the gambit from anything such as a certain year, certain genre, or starring a certain actor/actress. I think it'll be a fun trend as it will give me a chance to see certain movies I may have otherwise never seen before. May sound corny to some, but it's more of a social gathering than anything. I could care less about the bar scene anymore so I consider this a great alternative.

In addition to being invited to a barbecue on Canada Day, I will be taking Brittany to Canada's Wonderland in mid-July. I haven't been there since 2006 so I'm pretty excited. My friend Brett will be coming as well. I was disappointed for not making it there last year because I've really wanted to ride "The Behemoth" (the new coaster they built last year). However this year will be a different story. I've always loved thrill rides. There's nothing at that park I will not ride. Correction, the only thing I HAVEN'T braved yet is the Xtreme Skyflyer (or in Lamen's terms: the bungee jump!) But I think this year I'll suck it up and finally take the plunge......literally!

Anyway in August, we're talking about a day trip to Niagara Falls but nothing's been etched in stone yet. It's looking good though. I went there with friends back in '05 and was surprised how much you could do for very little money. When we went, they had a kiosk advertising 5 attractions for $20. Those attractions more or less filled our entire day (aside from the Maid of the Mist) of which we paid extra.

Then we have Labor Day weekend in September. Rick, Brett and I will be returning to Algonquin Park for a 4 day camping trip. I'm most excited about this because I absolutely LOVE camping. We went to Algonquin (also in '05) and it was bar none the greatest camping trip I've ever been a part of. I'm definitely looking forward to doing it again!

Although not a summer event, we have also nailed down tickets to go see Robin Williams at Casino Rama in November. I love his brand of stand-up comedy. I remember hearing the "Live at the Met" audio cassette when I was a kid. In my opinion, he's one of those comedians who doesn't have to rely on profanity as a second language to be funny. Albeit vulgar at times, he has the quickest wit of any comedian I've seen with a sense of sophistication as well. Something tells me I'm really going to enjoy seeing him live.

Well, my birthday was just over 2 weeks ago where I became the rip old age of 23..........oops, damn typos. I meant 32. The day of my birthday was pretty depressing. I was originally supposed to have a party at my place that night, but in light of my high blood pressure, I figured it probably wasn't the best idea. I was really in no mood anyway. So Brittany came over and spent the day with her ol' Uncle. That girl always knows how to cheer me up. I swear, she could see the bright side of a plague. lol The day after on the Sunday, Rick and Brett treated Britt and I to a wrestling show in Kitchener. Brett is an actual wrestler who performed a run-in during the show. Now I haven't been a fan of wrestling for many years but I figured Brittany would enjoy it so I agreed to go. Brittany was on top of the world. lol. You should have seen her trash talking the bad guys during matches, etc. I was sitting there gutting myself laughing. It was hysterical. The biggest laugh is when she said something to the one wrestler and he slowly started to approach her with a menacing look on his face. I swear, I thought Brittany was going to jump out of her skin. She hid behind me shaking like a leaf! Took a little while to convince her that it was all a show and that the guy was only pretending.

After the show, we went to Rick's for a barbecue which was really nice. What really surprised me is that they went out of their way to get me a birthday cake! Now how cool is that? It was totally unexpected. I can definitely say that friends like that are truly hard to come by, and I'm a very lucky guy.

Ok, health update! Since my last entry I've had a series of tests done. In the course of 3 days, I had both an echo-cardiogram and a heart ultrasound, I had to pee in a jug over the course of 24 hours, and I've had two sets of blood work taken in the same day. I was supposed to see the specialist for my results this past Friday but learned that the lab did not have them ready yet. So as it stands, my appointment will be this coming Friday. I'm hoping for the best, but I'm most concerned about the results from the cardiologist. High blood pressure I can handle. A bad heart.......well that's something else. My mom said to me the other day that if they did find something wrong with my heart, it would probably be that it's too big. I think that was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.

Alright this is getting quite long but I have to touch on one more thing before I wrap this up. Two words: GRAN TORINO. I saw this Clint Eastwood movie for the first time on Friday night, and I will state for the record that it has now become one of my all-time favorite films. Even at 78 years old, Clint still proves how amazing he is, both as an actor and director. I literally could not take my eyes off of it. Ok, now I'm done.........for now!

Quite The Scare

2009-05-14T10:03:00.000-04:00

You know, I've always been a healthy person for the most part. I can't even remember the last time I had to see a doctor for anything. Sure, I've had the usual bout with the common cold.....menial crap like that. But to the best of my knowledge I've never had any serious health issues. At least until now.

Over the last few days, I had been extremely stressed out for a number of reasons. I have a friend who just separated from his wife, yet still lives with her. And he's constantly telling me how she holds all the cards, threatening to take his kid away from him if he doesn't kiss her feet, etc. Add the fact that she constantly kicks the guy out of their house so the guy whom she cheated with can come over and sleep in HIS bed. Of course myself........the voice of reason, tried making him see what she was doing to him. Of course, my warnings and advice went unheeded so as it stands, he continues to bend over and take it up the ass from her.

But, that's no all folks!! My sister comes to visit. Something which would be stressful to me in and of itself. Well guess who all of a sudden wants to get involved with her? My separated friend, that's who. The thing about my sister is that she is a cheater, plain and simple. She constantly cheated on her longtime boyfriend until he eventually had the smarts to walk away. She cheated on her last boyfriend WITH the previous boyfriend. She's notorious for a being a "you know what". So imagine my surprise when all of a sudden my friend wants to get involved with her. So, here we go again! I sit down with my friend and basically tell him how he's trading up one cheater for another, and that he has no idea how much my sister would hurt her. Of course, these words fell on deaf ears yet again. So, I went to my sister to try and convince her to stop leading the guy on........which is exactly what she was doing. Of course, you can't reason with my sister. She's one of those people who thinks she's always right, and throws one hell of a temper tantrum when you say the wrong thing to her.

So on Tuesday night, my sister got defensive and started spouting off inane bullshit, pushing my buttons to no end. Basically disregarding the fact that I was looking out for my friend. I was visiting my mom at the time and shortly thereafter she had noticed I was pale as a ghost. Not long after that I felt a sharp pain in my chest, in addition to increasing numbness throughout my body. I was also extremely short of breath and my chest felt tight. The paramedics were called and they managed to gradually slow my breathing down. After checking my blood pressure, they concluded that it was through the roof, and that I was to go to the hospital to get checked. So on the stretcher and into the ambulance I went. My sister and friend followed to the hospital.

So, once there they asked a handful of questions about my family's past medical history. None of which I had any idea about. They proceeded with yet another blood pressure test and even gave me a pill to help lower it. After no result, they moved me to another bed and decided to run a number of tests. They had to draw blood twice, I had to get 2 x-rays done, take a urine sample, and I was put on both a blood pressure and heart monitor. It wasn't until a couple of hours later when they decided it was best to keep me overnight for observation as my blood pressure remained quite high. So, my sister and friend left and I laid there alone.

The entire time I laid there, I wasn't so much concerned for myself, but for Brittany who had to watch me get taken away on a stretcher. According to my mom, she was a wreck, thinking I was going to die and such. Needless to say, I felt terrible. And all night I kept thinking how much I couldn't wait to get out of there and give that girl a big hug.

Anyway, I was basically awake the entire night. Little hard to sleep with a blood pressure monitor on your arm and a heart monitor on you index finger. Nurses came in periodically to poke, prod and puncture me, lol. In the morning a doctor came in and prescribed two sets of medication for me to help lower the blood pressure. I had one of each while I was there, which made me piss like a race horse. But I guess that was the whole idea. I was also scheduled to see a doctor on Friday on an outpatient basis regarding my blood pressure.

So at about 9 yesterday morning, I was released. My mom came and picked me up and I went straight to her place to see Brittany. Needless to say, she was extremely relieved that I was ok. I gave her a huge hug and broke down in tears. I really didn't mean to upset her.

So I stayed at my mom's for awhile and laid on her couch. She figured I should be around people for a little while before going home to my apartment. A few friends even showed up to wish me well. Russ (my drummer), his girlfriend and my buddy Wayne (who asked me to play his gig last Saturday as a guest singer). It definitely lifted my spirits knowing that these guys were willing to take the time out of their day to come see me. It really meant a lot. Even my keyboard player left me one hell of a great e-mail saying, and I quote: "You're not allowed to conk out. Where am I going to find another brilliant singer???". Good ol' Harmen. I even came home to find a lot of comments from people on Facebook expressing their concern, both under my mom's and my sister's profiles.

Anyway, my mom was royally pissed with my sister because after everything that had happened, she decided to bail and go back to St. Thomas because she was simply homesick. And guess who drove her there without a second thought........my friend.

As it stands, I was advised by the doctors to avoid any stressful situations because this could be triggered again. So I've decided to sever all ties with the friend because it's nothing BUT stress when I'm around him. As for my sister, she only comes down maybe once or twice a year anyway so there's no problem there. Probably won't see her again until Christmas.

I was supposed to have some people over on Saturday to celebrate my birthday, but I think I'll wait and see how I take to this medication before deciding to go through with it. Mind you, it would probably do me a world of good to have friends around me right now, but we'll see how it pans out.

To make a long story short (and this was pretty long), I don't ever want to go through that ordeal ever again. It was a pure nightmare plain and simple. I honestly didn't have a clue what was wrong with me, and for a brief moment, I actually believed I was going to die. But it wasn't until yesterday when I realized how much I'm cared for, both by family and friends. And frankly, that makes me the luckiest guy in the world.

Never Felt Better

2009-04-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this good. Seriously. This diet is really working wonders for me. To date, I've lost 16 pounds and I'm definitely feeling it. I've had more energy than I know what to do with. I've been sleeping better and have become a lot more outgoing than I used to be. I know it's only been a month and I still have a long way to go before I reach my target weight but I am most certainly on the right track. I'm really starting to love life again. Before I started this diet, I couldn't have cared less if I let it pass me by. I actually can't believe I have to out this weekend and buy a SMALLER pair of jeans. The ones I have used to be snug, but now they literally fall off me unless I'm wearing a belt. Pretty damn cool.

Anyway, just got back from shopping at Zehrs. Picked up a bunch of diet food, healthy snacks, etc. I bought my mom a bunch of things as well since she's having a difficult time financially as a result of being laid off. After everything she's done for me, it's the very least I could do. I stopped into the electronics section of Zehrs to browse today and came across a 'Guitar Hero' game for the Playstation 2 (complete with guitar) for only $30. I don't have a PS2 but Brittany does. For the past year or more she's had a blast playing my Guitar Hero and Rock Band games on the 360, so I thought I'd surprise her and get this for her. She's not home from school yet, so I'm excited to see her reaction when she comes in!

Things are going incredibly well with the band. We have acquired 2 more gigs since my last entry. These are not full fledged gigs mind you. My drummer is a drummer in a classic country band of which he's been a part of for about 15 years. Our keyboard player has been sitting in with his band as well, free of charge. Anyway, I was invited to be a part of this gigs where the 3 of us will be performing some of our stuff in addition to the other band doing their classic country shit. We're talking Johnny Cash, Elvis, Hank Williams, etc. I mean OLD. So the way we're approaching this is simple. We'll do our songs during these gigs. We figure people will come to prefer our type of music over ol' Wayne Mack's, and in turn, they'll want US back as opposed to him. That's sort of how my drummer laid it out anyway. See, we do a lot of classic rock with quite a few upbeat tunes that'll make people want to get off their asses and dance. Wayne's country band is fine if you want to be in a temporary coma for about 4 hours. We'll see how it goes though. A week from Saturday we're playing at a birthday / anniversary bash at Guelph Place (a huge banquet hall in town). A few weeks after that is a more informal gig where we will play in a garage for an outdoor party. As far as I'm concerned, it gets us out there and gets us heard. A little self-promotion never hurt anybody!

Plans for the summer are shaping up nicely. Late next month I'm going to Toronto for a day with my buddy Shawn. It'll be nice to get out of Guelph for awhile. The band and I have some summer gigs lined up in Fergus. Shawn and I have a Canada's Wonderland trip planned. It'll be nice to go with someone who will go on the same thrill rides as I do! Also, my buddy Rick is planning a camping trip this summer I'm ecstatic about that as I hadn't been camping since 2005 when we went to Algonquin Park. So hopefully everything pans out.

I have to say, I've really been enjoying the weather lately. That's the beauty of living in an apartment with a big balcony. I can sit out there for hours with a few beers and the radio going. Definitely a nice way to relax. Might as well enjoy it now before the heat waves of summer start rolling in. That's when I'm thankful for air conditioning. The hydro bill might go through the roof during the summer months but it's worth every penny.

Ramdom Thoughts And Ramblings

2009-04-18T09:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Saturday morning and I'm up WAY too early! So I decided I'd kill some time by updating this thing, considering I've gone almost a month without doing so. I figure, it's either do this or go back to bed, and doing this just seems like a more productive thing to do.

Anyway, last night was decent. My mom invited me, as well as an old friend of her's over for drinks. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling any pain by the time I left. You know, I'm not even interested in going to the bar anymore. I used to LOVE going out to Knights for karaoke on Fridays, but lately it's become less and less appealing. Frankly I'm more fulfilled singing in my own band as opposed to a karaoke backing track.

Speaking of the band, we're doing very well. We began learning some new songs this month to add to our repertoire. Songs we're working on now include "Long As I Can See The Light", "Jack And Diane", "Downtown Came Uptown" and "Auctioneer". Frankly, we don't practice as much as I'd like to, but that's par for the course when certain members of the band have their own lives to live. I can't help but wonder though how polished we'd be if we practiced on a more regular basis. For the most part, we only practice one day a week.....in some cases, once every 2 weeks. I think we've come along way when you take that into consideration, but I genuinely believe we could be so much better if we increased our practices. Ah well.

Well I have to tell you. My diet's going great so far! In 2 weeks I've lost a total of 12 pounds. I still have a long way to go but I'm definitely on the right track. I'm now in the routine of exercising daily. My mom even gave me her small trampoline which I now keep in my bedroom. This thing's great. It has a bar to hold on to while you jump.......I guess to help keep you from falling on your ass. lol But I've been using this thing every day and I'm really starting to feel like it's working. Of course, resisting temptation is still the hardest obstacle for me but I'm doing good. The beauty about living alone is that I control what food is in this house. My motto: If it's not here.......I can't eat it. I plan on weighing myself again on May 1st to see how much I've lost in 1 month. My goal is to lose 80 pounds, and since I've already lost 12, I'd say I'm off to a hell of a start.

Brittany had a great Easter last weekend. My mom got her some Pokemon cards, a huge chocolate egg and a bathing suit. As for me, I took her to see the "Hannah Montana Movie" last Saturday night. I don't know what she loved more. The movie itself, or the fact that she got to see a movie at 9 o'clock at night. lol. I have to admit, the movie really wasn't that bad. Great family fare with a lot of heart, and an amazing dance number. I still can't get the damn song out of my head. Does admitting to liking this movie make me an honorary tween? No?............ok. lol

I've recently reconnected with some old friends I went to high school with. I'm really happy about this. We've had a questionable past, nothing I want to go into detail about, but we've overcome it and it's all good. What's cool is that Brittany and their daughter are in the same class together. In fact, their daughter is coming over to play with Britt today. They're both pretty excited about that.

Hard to believe I'm going to be 32 next month. It feels like my birthday just passed, and now it's rolling by again. I'm not sure what I want to do this year.......if anything. If the rest of the band is up to it, I'd like to get some friends together and just play.......and drink. lol I think that would be the ideal way to celebrate. But we'll see how it goes.

On that note, I'm off like a Jewish foreskin!

Onward And Upward

2009-03-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday was a great occasion for me, as well as the other members in my band. After 5 months of practices, we finally had our first public performance. We played as part of an open stage jam at the Red Chevron Club. Sure, the place is a hole-in-the-wall shithole, but to us it was a start. Russ, Harmen, myself and Tom (who only recently started playing with us) performed 4 songs in our set: "Ain't No Sunshine", "Crocodile Rock", "Never Been To Spain" and "Kaw-Liga". Needless to say, I did NOT expect the audience reaction we received. Everyone cheered after each song........and in some cases, DURING the songs. People were up dancing. It was an amazing feeling. Sort of a natural high to be totally honest. I even got up again later in the day and performed 2 more songs, this time with Harmen and Russ' drum teacher Jay. It was definitely a great time. I later found out from Russ that the guy in charge of hiring talent approached him and was willing to book us for an entire show! Harmen and I are understandably ecstatic about this. As for Russ.......not so much. He's been in bands before so it's not as big a deal to him as it is to us. But I digress. But, as it stands, we're not ready to perform a full show quite yet. We only have about a dozen songs in our arsenal and need a good deal more to fill a 3-4 hour gig. What's cool though is that 2 weeks prior to our performance at the Chev, we've begun working on a handful of new songs. So hopefully sooner than later, we'll be ready to take on an entire show.

Anyway, there was something I meant to post in my last blog but didn't as a result of being self-absorbed in the melodrama that is my life. lol. About 2 weeks ago, I attended an assembly at Brittany's school where she was presented an Award for outstanding achievement and the willingness to help others. That was definitely a proud day for this ol' Uncle. lol. Switching schools this year has obviously done her a world of good, and I couldn't be more proud of that little girl.

As for me, I've been battling one hell of a cold since Sunday. I don't know what it is but I just can't seem to get enough sleep these days. I can't even watch a movie without dozing off constantly. I'm starting to wonder if something's wrong with me. lol. Ah well, all I can do is try and sweat it out.

I've recently started collecting "The X-Files" on DVD. What a great show. Russ loaned me his first season set years ago and I was hooked but never bothered to collect it since each of the 9 season sets cost at least $150. So imagine my surprise when I went to Wal-Mart and saw the first 5 seasons for only $19. My mom's even bought me some (including the first season) to help get it completed faster. As it stands, I have the first 6 sets with only 3 to go. I love this show because it sort of has a Twilight Zone / Creepshow type of vibe to it. Almost every story is completely different. I never watched it during its original run on television because I chalked it up as being nothing more than a show about aliens / sci-fi, etc. Definitely so much more than that.

So, Britt had her March break last week. We didn't do too much as far as extra-curricular activites were concerned. She spent a lot of her time either playing outside with friends, or staying in and playing Xbox. I did take her up to Stone Road Mall last Thursday though for an outing. Plus I needed a new cell phone from Future Shop since the LCD display on my other one was euckered.

Last but not least, I'm officially starting my diet next Wednesday (April 1). And no, it's not an April Fool's joke. lol. Every time I try to diet I fall off the wagon, but this time I have a good feeling about it. Not to mention, being the frontman for the band, it probably couldn't hurt to drop a few............dozen pounds. lol

Live And Learn

2009-03-15T07:58:00.000-04:00

You know, just when you think you know who your true friends are, they turn around and stab you in the back. My so-called friend of 19 years........the one I met way back in junior high.........did just that. To make a long story short, he basically used me and took full advantage of my good nature to benefit himself.

In my last blog entry, I explained how the one girl (Jenn) came down from Cambridge to hear my band play. What I didn't say in that entry is that Chris was trying to hook the two of us up since January, figuring we'd be a good match. So, I figured part of the reason she came was so we could get to know each other better, etc. Well, that night after jamming with the band, Jenn and my "friend" came back to my place. Hours after they supposedly crashed on my couch (which is a large sectional by the way), I decided to crash. This was at about 5 in the morning.

See, that whole time they spent the night, I felt some sort of vibe. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I found it odd that Chris kept asking me when I was going to bed. Seemed a little anxious actually. And all the years I've known him, and all the years he's crashed at my place, he'd never once given a shit about how late I stayed up. After all, the guy can sleep through a blizzard. But that night seemed off. Even Jenn complained that I was keeping her up by staying awake so late. I even offered to give her my bed for the night because I knew I'd be up late. I usually stay up really late on weekends as it is.

So, Jenn went home on the Sunday, and I was definitely interested in her. She seemed like a great person, someone I could really be compatible with. So throughout the week, I'd ask Chris what she thought of me.........was she interested.......etc, etc. Needless to say, he kept tip-toeing around my questions which really gave me a reason to wonder.

So, this PAST Sunday after band practice, I had quite a bit to drink. So I went online and confronted him point blank about it. He admitted to having feelings for her himself but would NEVER act on it because he had a girlfriend (who, by the way was in in Florida the week they both spent the night here). So I was pretty pissed off, especially since I thought he was trying to hook her up with me.

The next night my mom was talking to Jenn on MSN and asked about her and Chris. And man, a lot of information was revealed that night. Jenn admitted to my mom that Chris told her he was in love with her...........under my roof. Apparently they kissed and that was it. Jenn also admitted to liking him too........which basically meant I was nothing more than chopped liver. lol But that's not the issue. She didn't have feelings for me and that was fine. But even she led me to believe that there was something there during the week after she had left.

So, now I was really pissed off. Chris had pulled the wool over my eyes big time. I wondered why he INSISTED on crashing at my place that night. His excuse to me was to.....and I quote, "make sure she doesn't steal anything from your apartment". Sad excuse but I bought into it. Fact is, he wanted to crash at my place so he could make his move, which is why he was so anxious for me to call it a night.

So you know what I did?? I called his girlfriend..........the one who was in Florida that weekend. At this point I really didn't give a shit After all, she had no clue what went on, and Chris obviously didn't have the sack to own up to anything. So, I told her everything that was said between Jenn and my mom, and the conversation I had with Chris that Sunday. Turns out, he'd been lying to everyone. Including his girlfriend by saying that he didn't e-mail her that Saturday he was here because my internet was apparently down. My connection worked just fine.

So she confronted him and apparently he owned up to everything.........plus a dash extra! Not knowing what was said between Jenn and my mom, his girlfriend called his bluff and asked him what ELSE happened. You know what? He owned up to having SEX with Jenn on my COUCH...........no more than 3 feet away from my fucking bedroom!!! He knew DAMN well what he was doing.

Of course, Jenn denied it, saying that it never happened. But come on. If you have a girlfriend, and she catches you in a bunch of lies, and you ADMIT to sleeping with another woman, you obviously did it. Why would he shoot himself in the foot like that if it never happened? It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

What's worse is that Chris was willing to use me again for this coming weekend.........his birthday. His intent was to book a room at the hotel he works at, and have me and Jenn there to get drunk with him...........something he NEVER does. You see, he was making me out to be the conduit between the two. Jenn obviously can't crash at HIS place. He lives with his mother and sleeps in the same bed as his 19 year old brother. So I guess he figured he'd use good ol' gullible Andy to have her down here, give her a place to stay for the weekend, so he could have his way with her all over again.......all under my unsuspecting nose.

To make a long story short. I've blocked and removed both Chris and Jenn from Facebook and MSN. He fucked up our friendship royally. Frankly it was a long time coming because over time he had become less and less trustworthy. As for Jenn, I hardly knew her in the first place. We chatted sporadically online and I only met her that one weekend. So no big loss there. I've come to realize with friends like that, who needs enemies.

As for me, I'm going to concentrate on the two most fulfilling aspects of my life. My family and my band. Does it hurt that my best friend of 19 years did this to me?? Of course. But I'm a better person for realizing the truth now, than to let it continue. I can now see why he's burned his bridges with everyone else. He's finally done it with me. Ah well. Good riddance!

Good Times

2009-03-01T19:08:00.000-05:00

I can honestly say with all certainty that this was bar none one of the best weekends I've had in an extremely long time. I don't remember the last time I had kept so busy, yet had so much fun. Friday morning I met up with Chris at Stone Road because he was buying a new laptop and needed my expertise (since he doesn't really know shit about computers). lol So, I gave him the thumbs up on the model he was looking at so he bought it. I then did my banking followed by breakfast at Angel's Diner on Wellington. I tell you, for $3.99 you really can't go wrong with their breakfast. Really enjoyed it. I then picked up a couple of DVDs at the used DVD store in the same plaza, then headed home. About 5:30 that afternoon, Russ picked me up for band practice as well as a pit stop to the beer store. Practice was good as always and I was definitely feeling no pain. After that, I decided rather than go home, I'd go to the karaoke bar instead. Being Friday as well as the fact that I was already half in the bag, I figured why not! So, Russ and his girlfriend dropped me off at Knights.

By the end of that night, I was totally gone. lol. The bar was packed and I really didn't know anyone, aside from a couple of familiar faces. I also only sang 2 songs the entire night because of the number of singers. So at about 1:30 I stumbled home.

Luckily on Saturday, my hangover was nothing more than a minor headache and some dizziness. This was good since the band and I were set to play our first gig at the Red Chevron Club that afternoon. I tell you, everything was ASS-BACKWARDS that day. The gig at the Chev was an open stage ordeal where other bands as well as ours were supposed to play. Well, I get there at 1:30 when Russ calls my cell telling me that there would be a change of plans. Apparently they would be letting a shitload of people up to sing with the "house band" before allowing the other bands up. So, from 1:30 until 2:30 I sat there by myself looking like an idiot. At least until Chris, Christine and Jenn walked in. Christine and Jenn actually came down from Cambridge just to hear me sing, so that was really flattering in and of itself. Soon after, my mom and her boyfriend showed. Following them was my keyboard player Harmen...........but no Russ (my drummer).

So, Jenn and I sat and talked and got to know each other a bit. My mom had a few beers and was feeling no pain. Harmen set up his keyboards and sat in with the house band for a handful of tunes. But still..........no Russ.

So I ended up calling his cell to answer when he finally arrived.......with bad news no less. As it turned out, drums were NOT allowed at this gig. I shit you not. They figured it would be too loud if drums were played. So, Russ and I were clearly pissed off as our chance at a first gig went right down the shitter. However, I did get up on stage and sang two piano-oriented songs with Harmen which was great. Not to boast, but I got one HELL of an ovation. Half of the bar even yelled "ENCORE!!!" after my second song. What a great feeling!

So, a new game plan was put in place. My mom and her boyfriend would return home to pick up Brittany following her youth group outing. Chris, Christine, Jenn and I would grab a bite to eat downtown. Harmen would play a few more songs with the house band than disassemble his gear. After all that, EVERYONE would go back to Harmen's where we'd play ALL of our songs for everyone to hear.

So after our dinner at Wimpy's downtown, that's exactly what happened. When it was all said and done, there were a total of 11 people at Harmen's. Britt, my mom, her boyfriend, Chris, Christine, Jenn, Shelley (Russ' girlfriend), Russ, Harmen, myself...............and Tom. Yes, Tom. Our new bona fide guitar player!!! I just met this guy that night but he decided to come jam with us and I'm damn glad he did.

As for our jam, it was absolutely AMAZING. I don't think I've ever put that much energy into my singing as I did that night. All I know is I was sweating profusely. It really took a lot out of me. We ran through all 10 songs that we'd learned over the months, and I even sang a couple that we hadn't worked on, but Tom knew on guitar. We even traded verses on "Mustang Sally" which was really awesome to do! Needless to say, everyone there loved us. It more than made up for the Red Chev bullshit. I don't think I'll ever forget that jam session.

So, we wrapped things up at around 9. My mom, Joe and Britt took a cab home because they were both pretty intoxicated. Chris, Christine, Jenn and I went back to my place. We shot the shit for awhile before digging out 'Rock Band 2'. Talk about a fun time. It's the first time I've had 4 people play all at once. Really cool. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of fuck-ups but we all had a blast. Christine left my place around 11 and the three of us decided to watch 'Porky's as Jenn had never seen it. I tell you, there's nothing more fun than watching 'Porky's' with someone who's never seen it before. For a 28 year old movie, I still laugh my ass off every time I see it.

After the movie, Jenn was semi-sleeping on the couch. I insisted she take my bed for the night but she wouldn't have it. lol. I wouldn't have had a problem sleeping on the couch. Anyway, I threw on 'Rock Band' again and did a few online tug of war battles just for something to do. At this point I had caught a second wind, probably from the 3 glasses of pop I drank. I feel semi-responsible for keeping everyone awake half the night. lol. After that I threw in the 'Saturday Night Live' DVD set I got on Friday. We all got a laugh out of one of the classic episodes. The 3rd episode from the first season is priceless, especially when John Belushi portrays Joe Cocker and performs "With A Little Help From My Friends". We were all busting a gut at that.

Soon after, everyone fell asleep, and I decided to call it a night around 5 in the morning. Didn't get much sleep though as I was up by 10. Didn't really do a whole lot this morning though, aside from shooting the shit for awhile. I decided to treat Jenn to breakfast downtown as I didn't really have any breakfast food in the house. I'm not really a breakfast person...........nor do I rarely have anyone spend the night here, so I haven't really had a reason to buy cereal, etc. Ah well. I guess I should start.

Anyway, we went BACK to Wimpy's for breakfast. If you're looking to clog an artory then that's the place to go. lol. Seriously though, breakfast was good, and filling. After the grub we headed to the terminal where should be catching her bus back to Cambridge. After she got on the bus, I headed home...............and I've been in vegetation mode ever since. lol

In A Vegetative State

2009-02-16T11:47:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, Happy Family Day. For those outside of Canada who don't have a clue what that is, it's a holiday where the general idea is to spend time with.........you guessed it! Family. This is only the second year the holiday has been in existence. But hey, whatever the reason, a day off is always a good thing.

As for me, I've been spending this day doing absolutely nothing, aside from farting around on the computer and watching a few movies anyway. I really don't mind days like this now and then. Days where I'm not obligated to do anything or be anywhere. I really enjoy my solitude sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes.

Other than today, this has been a pretty eventful weekend. Friday night I had Brittany over. She and I watched both Mr. Bean movies as well as Ghostbusters. She had a lot of fun......as did I. For the past couple of months, her sleeping over has become a Friday night ritual. Something we both look forward to. I'll make a big bowl of popcorn. We'll watch movies, play games, etc. I'm just glad she looks forward to it.

Saturday I spent the day out shopping with my mom. I tell you. If you ever want a really good workout, go shopping with her. We went to Wal-Mart, and I swear she'll walk around that store at least 3 times. When it's all said and done, you end up walking quite a few miles. lol I don't mind it though. It gets me out of the house. We even went to Zellers later that day and did the same thing. Only Zellers is considerably smaller than Wal-Mart so I didn't have to walk quite so much! That night I hung out at my mom's where she, her boyfriend and I watched the first 6 episodes of 'The Sopranos' on DVD. I've caught the odd episode here and there on TV but have never seen it in chronological order. It really is a great program.

Yesterday afternoon, the boys and I had band practice which was a lot of fun......as always. Russ' drum teacher showed up and sat in for a number of songs which was great. He is the drummer of an up-and-coming band (can't think of the name off hand) but they're in the process of recording a CD. I also found out yesterday that we finally have our first gig on the 28th at the Red Chev as part of an open jam where different bands take part. I'm really excited about this since the last time we played for people was at Russ' New Year's party almost 2 months ago.

Anyway, by last night I was pretty much out of it. First of all, I had been awake for 36 straight hours. I had 6 or 7 beers in me and had not eaten all day. Add the fact that I was breathing in second hand "smoke" all afternoon.......if you catch my drift. I went to my mom's after practice because we planned on watching more Sopranos but I could barely stay awake through one episode. So I went home, had a bite and was in bed by 9.

I had a rude awakening around 1 this morning though. I woke up in sheer agony because I somehow managed to charlie horse my leg. Shit that hurts. I couldn't move it an inch until the pain subsided.

Well.........Xbox news. As it stands, my 360 is currently sitting in limbo. I sent the system out on the 4th. They received it on 6th. It is now the 16th and my status has not changed one iota. To add fuel to the fire, my buddy Chris had his 360 go for a shit early last week. He sent his on the 11th. They got it on the 12th. And on the 13th he received an e-mail saying a replacement was being returned to him. Now what kind of horse shit is that? I sent mine in a WEEK before he sends his, and in 2 days he's been sent another one. Yet I'm still waiting with a thumb up my ass. I called the toll free number to inquire about it but before I even picked up the phone, I knew I would be given a bunch of bullshit generic answers. So, nothing much I can but wait........and wait. Ah well. It's not like I have anything better to do!

If It Weren't For Bad Luck I'd Have None

2009-02-02T16:36:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a time in your life where everything just seems to go wrong all at once?? Well that would be my situation. First of all this past Wednesday I came down with one hell of a stomach flu and was awake for close to 36 hours as a result of having to run to the can every 5 minutes. Then on Friday, my Xbox broke down and needs to be repaired........and Saturday I woke up to absolutely no heat in my apartment. Fun, fun, fun.

Well as I write this, the heating has been fixed and I'm pretty much over the flu, but my 360 is still screwed. So I made a call to Microsoft to go through the motions of having it repaired. So at some point this week they'll be sending me a box to ship the console in. In turn, they'll be sending me a replacement (presumably refurbished) 360. Microsoft estimates length of the process at 3 weeks but a friend informed me that they had the same issue and had a replacement in 1 week, so here's hoping.

What really sucks though is that I just got 'Rock Band 2' a week before the crash.......and it's bar none the most addictive thing I've played since the 'Guitar Hero' games. So you can imagine my dilemma as well as my sudden urge to go into withdrawal. lol. Man is that game fun, especially the drums. Prior to owning the game, I was skeptical about whether I'd be any good or not, but I have to say I'm not that bad. I play drums on easy level of course but average about 98-99% per song. I still play guitar/bass on Hard difficulty but I think I'm on the verge of moving up to Expert since I average about 99% accuracy on each song I try. I love the fact that you can sing in this game as well......as I'm a singer in general. I started off on easy just to get a feel for it and aced everything I tried. Likewise for medium so I'll have to try hard vocals next time.

Another bonus with this game is all the downloadable songs you can get for it. So far I've gotten the 18 song AC/DC Live pack, the complete Motley Crue "Dr. Feelgood" album, a 5 song Country pack, some Steve Miller Band, Roy Orbison and The Offspring to name a few. The diversity of song choices is staggering....and I haven't even begun to get all the songs I want. I even imported the 55 songs from the first Rock Band game into "Rock Band 2".

As for bad luck though, my mom's going through the same ordeal. The lamp in her rear projection LCD set just blew last week, and it just so happens it's not covered under warranty. She's only had the thing a year and a half and those lamps are supposed to have a life of at least 4-5 years. To replace one would cost from about $250 to $850. Highway robbery I tell ya. To make matters worse, she had to buy a new carpet cleaner the other day because her existing one would no longer turn on. I swear, we're jinxed.

So Saturday afternoon was fun. I treated my mom and my niece to an early dinner at Wendy's. It did NOT sit well at all. Of course, I was still gradually getting over the flu at that time. I think that was the first time I had a mushroom melt and DIDN'T enjoy it. lol After that, I took Brittany to see "Hotel For Dogs" at the theater. What a great movie!!! I loved it. See, I was never a dog person what-so-ever until my mom had Minnie, and later Angel. But ever since, I love everything about them. I even (voluntarily) watch the "Best in Show" dog shows now. lol But this movie had everything. A great story, a lot of laughs and a wide array of different breeds. I'll definitely be picking that up when it comes out on DVD.

Well tomorrow's the big mattress swap. lol. My mom bought a new King sized mattress an is giving me her Queen size pillow-top so I'm really looking forward to that. I should definitely sleep better at night. So, the new one goes to my mom's. Her's comes to my apartment. My existing one gets donated to Value Village. Everybody wins.

Come On Spring. Hurry Up Already!

2009-01-17T23:20:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else sick of winter yet?? God knows I am. This has undoubtedly been one of the longest winters in recent memory, and yet we still have to endure it for another couple of months. I prefer the winters of last year and the year before where we didn't see snow until January. No such luck this time around as we saw snow falling even before Halloween. Adding chaos to confusion, we had to overcome one hell of a deep freeze this past week where temperatures hit below -30 with the wind chill. Fortunately it's finally starting to subside. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd consider -8............warm. But in comparison to what we've had, it is.

So, Brittany's birthday has come and gone this past Sunday and is now the ripe old age of 11. I took her to lunch at Wimpy's followed by the Guelph Storm hockey game at the arena. We did the exact same thing last year on her birthday but she was on pins and needles about doing it again. It was definitely a good time. When we went to Wimpy's, Brittany wore her foam puck hat, which was noticed by the restaurant's manager. Shortly thereafter, he comes to our table and gives Britt a complimentary Wimpy's t-shirt. I thought that was really cool of them to do that. Mind you, this was BEFORE we even said anything about it being her birthday. After which they gave her a huge complimentary sundae. The hockey game was fun, although Guelph lost miserably. My old friend Rick was there so I shot the shit with him throughout the game.

Afterwards we came back to my mom's where Britt's birthday cake was waiting for her. My mom special ordered a Hannah Montana cake, which Britt just adored. My mom had also given her a Hannah Montana wig. lol. All in all, the child had a great day.

I'm definitely forward to this coming week as I'll finally be picking up 'Rock Band 2' for my Xbox 360. I've been wanting this game for quite some time now. I own all 3 'Guitar Hero' games for the 360 and I play then consistently. You might even say I'm mildly addicted. lol The thing I like about 'Rock Band' though is the fact that in addition to playing guitar, you can also play the drums, and even sing. I honestly have no clue how well (or how badly) I'll do when playing the drums but it should be fun to try. I did piss poor at 'Guitar Hero' when I first tried that too, so it's all a matter of learning I guess. The singing aspect of the game is a no-brainer, as I do that on a regular basis anyway. I guess the game calculates how accurately you hit notes, pitch level, etc. Should be fun. I also love all of the different songs available for it, whether it be on disc, or via download. I have a feeling I'll be playing this game relentlessly for some time to come.

I was hoping for a band practice tomorrow since the boys and I haven't jammed since January 2nd, but due to tonight's massive snow fall, it looks like Russ will be plowing all night......in which case, practice will be cancelled. I had to bail last Sunday because of Britt's birthday. But it was all good. It's all about priorities and that little girl will always come first, above and beyond anything else.

I finally got around to watching 'Iron Man' last night. Man, was this movie amazing! It's one of those ones I literally couldn't take my eyes off of. It's a funny thing. I can't stand comic books...........never read them. But I love movies about them. It's weird. Same with football. It'll be a cold day in hell when I'll watch the sport, but make a movie about it and you have my undivided attention.

Goodbye '08, Hello '09

2009-01-03T12:32:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, Happy New Year. Personally, I don't really consider the dawning of a new year to be anything special. A lot of people consider it a "fresh start", but let's face it. We're still faced with the same bullshit we had to deal with the year before. The economy didn't improve at the stroke of midnight, nor did many people's financial situations. But hey, that's just me being cynical. To me, New Year's is.......for no other reason than to get loaded and party. As for resolutions, I've made none. Hell, I never keep them so why bother. lol. Let's just say willpower isn't exactly my strong suit.

This past week leading up to New Year's was pretty eventful. Myself and the boys in the band got together on 4 different occasions to practice which was great, especially considering on average he only jam once a week. My sister is still in town and will be going home a week from today. She's tried on a few occasions to coerce my mom and her boyfriend to take her back home early. So far, the excuses included being homesick, and running out of pills. With a week to go, it should be fun to see what other excuses she can concoct. lol

Anyway, New Year's Eve was different to say the least. At Christmas, I had invited my friend of 10 years (Leanne) to come with me to Russ' house party. So, she got back to me the next day and made arrangements to do this. I was ecstatic because she and I always had fun when we got together, as rare as it was. Hell, she and I rang in the new Millennium 8 years ago where we celebrated at Knights of Columbus........which to this date was the best New Year's I'd ever had.

So, Leanne came that afternoon which was fine. We shot the shit for awhile followed by a visit from my mom, my sister and my niece. Russ picked the two of us up to go to the party around 7. We had a few drinks and all was well. At least until we had "a talk". You see, I'd been interested in her for a long time......many years in fact. But over the past 10 years, she kept shutting me down in favor of a different guy, even though she constantly claimed that she had feelings for me. She had been in disastrous relationship after disastrous relationship but would never give me a chance.

So, all of this was brought up that night. I told her how I felt, and she didn't like what I had to say. She stormed out of the room and complained to my friend Russ of all people, and was apparently going to leave the party. Russ wound up convincing her to stay, and you know what?? She avoided me like the plague for the entire night. Add the fact that she spent 99.99% of the night smoking pot in the basement with everyone else.

Rather than discuss things like rational adults, she threatens to leave and then acts as though I'm a piece of shit for the rest of the night. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe how ignorant she was. It's pretty bad when I'm invited to MY friend's party, and I wind up feeling like the outcast. She's definitely not the same person I had feelings for years ago. Oh, and to add fuel to the fire, she was attached to Russ' hip ALL night long, flirting with him like you wouldn't believe. Even my mom saw it for the few moments he was at my place picking us up. And Russ further confirmed it at practice last night.

But, the night wasn't a total bust. When the band and I got up to perform our sets, all was right with the world. Now that was FUN. Apprently I did ok, even after 3/4 of a bottle of Crown. lol Mind you, the 3 of us were pretty wasted.

I ended up being the first to crash that night around 3 in the morning. The mixture of alcohol and second-hand pot smoke pretty much did me in. I don't touch the stuff myself. I'd like to keep the few remaining brain cells I do have. lol The next morning we were treated to an amazing home cooked breakfast prepared by Russ' better half. Nothing beats a home cooked breakfast, let me tell you!

Anyway, Leanne came up to me and said........and I quote, "Even though you wish I didn't come, I still had an amazing time." How ignorant and low is that?? I'm sitting there thinking to myself, "Of course you had a great time. You were constantly stoned".

So around 3 in the afternoon, Russ drives us back to my apartment. It was a pretty awkward situation. She called her mother to pick her up, and apparently wasn't going to come for another 2 hours. So, to save face, I put on an act as though everything was ok. I mean, come on. 2 hours is a long time to sit in an empty apartment with someone who is that damn ignorant. So I mustered up a fake smile and said "All is well." until she got the hell out my door.

You know what? If there was ever a time I needed complete and total closure from her........this was it. She is definitely not the kind of person I want to be involved with. She's ignorant, vindictive.........and well, a bitch plain and simple. I mean, who accepts an invite from someone and turns around to treat the person who invited them like shit? That's just wrong.

But I didn't let it ruin my New Year's for the most part. I know who my true friends are, and I thank god for them. Leanne can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. With friends like that, who needs enemies?

Earlier cynicism aside though, '09 looks to be off to a good start. I'm the singer in a great band. I have my health and my family who means the world to me. My friends are few and far between but I associate with the ones who are loyal. And as it turns out, there may be a little romance in my future. I won't say much now, because I have to see how things pan out. But, so far so good.

Here And Gone.....Just Like That

2008-12-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

Christmas is officially over for another year. It's a bit depressing because I love everything about it, especially the build-up. Add the fact that it came and went so quickly this year, it felt like there was hardly any time to really look forward to it.

But, yesterday was amazing. It was bar none the best Christmas I'd ever had. I went over to my mom's Christmas Eve which was fun. We didn't do much aside from watching a couple of Christmas specials, etc, but it was nice. I ended up crashing on her couch that night. This way it would be easier to get things going Christmas morning.

We all got up around 7am yesterday, and before too long the gift giving commenced. I tell you, Brittany got TONS of Hannah Montana stuff. Everything from DVDs, video games, shirts, dolls, pajamas, jewelry boxes, CD's, perfume, and everything in between. I swear, that Miley Cyrus girl must have made a mint just on Britt's presents alone! The top gift for Britt this year was a laptop computer. She was absolutely ecstatic when she opened this. A few nights prior, I spent half the night rigging it up for her. I got her a "Hannah Montana" wallpaper, bookmarked her favorite sites, and installed an air tight child security program into the system. This restricts her from accessing ANY site that contains anything even remotely unsuitable for children. If she tries to go to such a site, she will be stopped in her tracks. At which point she will have to come to either myself or my mom for permission. At which point, we enter a secret password which will then allow her access to the site. You can never be too careful nowadays. I've always been paranoid as hell when Britt accesses the internet because there's no telling what she could be exposed to. At least this security program gives me some peace of mind.

I made out really well this year as well. On the DVD front, I got "Two And A Half Men - Season 2", "The Simpsons - Season 11", "The Dark Knight", "The Notebook", "Hancock", "Death Race" and "Iron Man". For Leafs stuff I got a pair of boxers, a set of pajamas, a Tomas Kaberle puzzle, a Leafs dog tag, a fridge magnet identical to the one I got last year, a novelty alarm clock, a beer mug, a tumbler glass, and the '08/'09 official yearbook. I even got a Toronto Maple Leafs stoplight which is bar none the coolest thing! The three lights on it blink at random in the colors blue and white. I'm still trying to find the perfect place to put it. My mom's boyfriend gave me $50 which was cool. I also got a brand new popcorn maker, which is something I needed since my old keeps trying to kill me. lol I also got an amazing king zize fleece blanket. I've wanted one for years. I put it on my bed last night and I swear I was in a temporary coma. It was unbelievably comfortable. I got tons of chocolates, and last but not least some gift cards. One was a $15 gift card for Subway and I also got two $30 gift cards for the Galaxy movie theater. Definitely amazing gifts!

I bought my mom some great gifts this year. I got her a Samsung digital camera as well as a 2GB memory card for it. I got her a SpotBot Pet carpet cleaner, a 4 slice bagel toaster, and a dog grooming kit. I got her boyfriend the "Rocky" anthology DVD set containing all 6 films in the series. For my sister I got a $20 Wal-Mart gift card. I bought Brittany the "Pokemon" Ultimate Guide Book, the "Guitar Hero: On Tour" Nintendo DS game, the "Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus" Concert DVD, a Hannah Montana CD, the Hannah Montana Playstation 2 game, and the "Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories" PS2 game. I bought my best bud Chris 2800 Microsoft Points for his Xbox 360. In turn, he got me the "Iron Man" DVD.

It was a great day all around. I felt bad for my mom though because she felt like shit all day and slept on three different occasions. Actually everyone took a nap at some point that day (except for me and Britt). I stopped at home on a couple of occasions yesterday. I gradually dropped my gifts off at my apartment, as well as slip into my loose pants for the dinner ahead. Also, I had to bring over a pot for the gravy as they were short one.

My mom's boyfriend Joe cooked the dinner and did an amazing job! I absolutely love turkey and this year's was perfect, as was everything else. Of course, my eyes were bigger than my gut and I wound up feeling like hell for the rest of the night. lol. When it comes to turkey, I have no limits! Chris showed up at my mom's later in the evening and brought the rye I asked him to pick up for me. He works right next to the liquor store, so it made things easier on me for him to grab it.

He ended up crashing at my place last night because this morning we headed out to Stone Road Mall. HMV had their Boxing Day door crasher sale and I thought I'd rake in some cheap movies. I mostly went because they had advertised "Family Guy - Volume 6" for $20. Anywhere else it's between $45 and $50. So we cabbed up there about 8:30 and stormed in at 9. I grabbed the set of course, as well as "Wanted" with Angelina Jolie for $10, "The Incredible Hulk" for $11.99, "Raging Bull" for $6, "Borat" for $4 as well as seasons 8 and 9 of "Roseanne" for $14.99 a-piece. Purchasing those officially finishes off that series. Took 3 years but I got it done

So I bussed back home for a bit, then headed to my mom's to keep an eye on Britt while she went out to see what she could find for sales. This afternoon, we watched "The Dark Knight" which I absolutely LOVE. I saw it in the theater back in July but couldn't wait to see it again.

Anyway, that pretty much sums up my Christmas. It really is no wonder why I look forward to it so much every year. To be around great people and just simply enjoying the holiday makes it all worthwhile for me. I hope you all had a great Christmas as well.

Christmas Eve And All Is Well

2008-12-24T01:40:00.000-05:00

Well here it is. December 24th. Can someone please enlighten me as to how we got here so damn fast? It really is hard to believe that in only 2 days, Christmas will have been here and gone. As I said in my last entry, the time has just flown by.

Be that as it may, I am fully prepared. I finally finished my Christmas shopping this past Monday. I thought I was doing the smart thing actually by heading out to the Wal-Mart at 7am. You figure not too many people would be up shopping at the crack of their ass. Well, you'd be mistaken. Turns out, I wasn't the only one with that frame of mind as the place was more or less packed. But, I trudged along and got the last few things I needed. Now I can officially say that my Christmas shopping for this year is now complete.

All things considered, I'm proud of the gifts I had bought for everyone, especially considering my tight budget. It also helps that I began my shopping in August. Next Christmas will be even better now that my television is finally paid off. I was also helping my mom pay off her TV, but she just recently received a windfall in the form of back pay for Brittany's disability claim. So, she paid it off in full. So, next year I will most definitely have a little more financial freedom which is great. I'll finally be able to go to the bar once in a while again, or catch a movie like I used to.

My sister Becky came down for Christmas which is cool. She arrived Saturday night and has been crashing at my mom's. She's actually sticking around for about 3 weeks until Brittany's birthday which is on the 11th of January. She was over here earlier wrapping gifts for me which pretty much makes her a Godsend in my eyes since I can't wrap a gift worth a shit. But I won't reiterate since I made that claim in this blog last Christmas. lol

Russ, Harmen and I had an impromptu jam session tonight which was a lot of fun. It's always fun when the three of us get together. Aside from practicing the usual songs we'd been working on over the past couple of months, we took a stab at a few new ones as well including The Who's "Baba O'Riley", Three Dog Night's "Never Been To Spain and Charley Pride's "Kaw-Liga" (with a rock twist!). I was seriously impressed with how "Kaw-Liga" sounded, especially with the up-tempo sound we were going for. I'm working on sustaining the last note of each verse for as long as possible, as was originally done. I think after a few more runs at it, we'll be set.

I'm REALLY looking forward to New Year's this year. Russ invited me to his place for a New Year's bash so that should be fun. Harmen's coming as well. We'll be transporting all of the instruments from his place to Russ' so we can play some sets that night for the other people who are coming. In addition, I'll be bringing my karaoke machine and 6,000+ songs for additional entertainment. We're even toying with the idea of bringing my Xbox 360 so people can play Guitar Hero. Either way, it's going to be great. Of course, the party is BYOB. I'm covered there because I got a bottle of Crown Royal last week strictly with New Year's in mind. So let's just say I won't be ringing in the new year sober. lol

Brittany's really looking forward to Christmas, as to be expected. She got her annual letter from ol' Saint Nick a couple of weeks ago. She'll definitely have tons of gifts to open tomorrow. Between myself, my mom, my sister and even the "Adopt-a-Family" charity drive (who donated gifts for her), there's more than enough for her to open. I just hopes she has a great day. She deserves it.

Well I'll leave it at that and post again on Boxing Day as a means to reminisce. I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas (or whatever it is you may be celebrating) and all the best in 2009.

Deck The Halls......And All That Stuff

2008-12-14T00:39:00.000-05:00

I swear the older we get, the faster life flashes before our eyes. I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. Seriously, where did the time go? As a kid I remember getting more and more anxious with each passing day (which seemed like an eternity back then). But now it's rolling by like a freight train. Jeez, it feels like yesterday when I was sitting out on my balcony in my shorts with a cold drink in hand relaxing in the summer sun listening to tunes. I tell you, don't blink or you might miss it altogether. Christmas has crept up on us so quickly this year, I feel as though there's hardly any time to really anticipate it.

But luckily for me, I think ahead. I began my shopping back in August so I'm pretty much prepared. I still have one more wave of shopping to do next Monday but I'm really satisfied with what I picked up for my family this year. I even managed to get out to a Christmas party this year......believe it or not. My best bud Chris works at the Canadian Tire gas station. Anyway, last Friday they had a Christmas party / dinner at Casey's Bar & Grill. So Chris invited me to tag along. I'll admit I was reluctant because I'm not really a "people person". I'm shy by nature and usually keep to myself. But everyone there was cool. I actually had a hell of a lot of fun. I felt really bad for this one girl who sat across from me though because one of the employees was piss loaded and kept flirting with her all night, poking and prodding her, etc. She put on a good front to save face but we all knew she was uncomfortable with it. This was the first time I'd ever been to Casey's. They make a pretty good swiss mushroom burger.

Speaking of mushroom burgers, the BACON MUSHROOM MELT is back at Wendy's. Now anyone who knows me.........and I mean REALLY knows me will tell you this this is my favorite hamburger of all time. I shit you not. The problem with that though is that Wendy's only brings it out once in a blue moon. It was about 3 years ago when it was last available. So naturally, I was going through withdrawals. Ok, not really but I thought I'd add that for dramatic effect. Lo and behold, Christmas came early when I saw the commercial on TV a couple of weeks ago. lol I took my mom there for lunch a couple of Sundays ago.

Ok, you're probably thinking I'm insane for praising a god damned sandwich. For that I have two words..........TRY IT. lol

Last night I had a hell of a lot of fun. I went to Harmen's for a jam session. It had been about 3 weeks since we last practiced due to various reasons. I took sick one Sunday, and last Sunday Russ had to plow snow so it was great that we all got together last night. Damn, I enjoyed it. I never realized how much I really loosen up in front of the mic after a few rum & cokes. We didn't finish until about midnight so it was all good. We ran through all of the songs we'd been working on since the band's inception. All of which we're getting better and better at every time we play them. To the best of my knowledge, we're practicing again tomorrow, so it's all good.

As for today, I woke up with a slight hangover. Nothing a few Tylenol didn't fix. lol. I did absolutely jack shit all day. Played around on the comp, had a few rounds of Guitar Hero, sent some text messages back and forth between myself and the boys in the band. It was a day of total vegetation. lol. I normally get bored very easily, but today was just relaxing. It was nice to just do nothing. Brittany came over to spend the night tonight which was cool. We watched a handful of Christmas specials and played a couple of games on the 360. She enjoys coming over here and I definitely enjoy having her. Hard to believe she's turning 11 next month. Throws me for a loop really......which further proves my earlier point that time flies too damn quickly.

Anyway, I should get off here and try to sleep. Not likely though since I've already drank 2/3 of a 2 litre bottle of Pepsi. I'm one of those people who gets a total jolt from caffeine. I'll never forget the time I tried one of those energy drinks. I was ready to run a marathon after that. lol Perhaps I should make those a part of my daily regimen. I might actually lose some weight for a change.

Meatballs Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

2008-11-28T22:08:00.000-05:00

It's official. I've sworn off Chinese food once and for all. I know I said this back in February after puking up a lung from my experience at Sun Sun downtown, but this time I mean it. My buddy Chris and I went to King's Buffet for lunch today and it was bar none the worst meal I've ever had the misfortune of eating. As I walked up and down the aisles of food in the buffet, I came across a tray consisting of meatballs. I figured they'd be harmless simple balls of meat. The outside of these meatballs were of a hard crispy nature, as though they were deep fried. Well, I took a bite of one and to my surprise.....and disgust, I found raw red meat hidden in the crispy shell. The meatballs were absolutely raw. Naturally this turned my stomach to the point where I had my head in the toilet once I got home. I complained of course only to be responded with a cordial "So sorry sir." So I pledge here and now that I will never, ever eat Chinese food again.

I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out though because despite the horrible meal, Chris and I were laughing and carrying on like a couple of kids. It was funny as hell. I turned a few heads with my antics but I didn't give a shit. I know I had Chris laughing so hard at one point, he could barely breathe.

The day was otherwise pretty good. Got another wave of Christmas shopping finished which I'm very happy about. I can't disclose here where I went and what I bought because my mom has Facebook now and I have to keep these things under wraps.

Things are still going good with the band, although I unfortunately missed last Sunday's practice as a result of being sick. I spent most of last weekend i bed. Not much fun. I was sort of out of the loop this week wondering what was going on though. We're supposed to play a few short sets at the Red Chevron Club tomorrow night and I had hoped we could get in one more practice session in beforehand, since in my opinion, we were far from ready. I found out just tonight that we're practicing tomorrow afternoon so hopefully everything will be good to go.

Hard to believe it's less than a month until Christmas. It sort of snuck up on us this year. It's a good thing I started my shopping back in August or else I'd be screwed. I'm really looking forward to Christmas though. I'm more of a giver than a receiver. I love going out and buying gifts for people. I wouldn't care if I got nothing in return. I just enjoy this time of year in general, especially watching holiday movies and specials with Britt. She really enjoys doing things like that.

On a final note, I just saw "Tropic Thunder" tonight starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. TERRIBLE movie..........at least I thought so. The only part I laughed hysterically at was the severed head scene. The film's only saving grace. Ah well, they can't all be gems.

Single.....And Proud Of It

2008-11-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

Well it's now November. Every child in the free world has surely suffered a mild case of diabetes from whatever stash they acquired during last Friday's Halloween festivities. Department stores, toy companies and advertisers alike set their sights on making big bucks for Christmas. The air gets significantly cooler and more dead leaves scatter on the ground in a collage of red, orange & brown. Yup.............it's November.

Last Friday's Halloween movie night went off without a hitch. A good time was had by all. 12 hours and 7 movies later, I was pretty much the lone survivor by the end of the night. Everyone else had passed out at some point or another. But, it was still a lot of fun. It's no wonder I look forward to it every year. Brittany had a great time trick-or-treating as well. The complex across from her old school was bar none the cash cow of the evening (so to speak). She got a mother load from that place. lol This year, my sister took her out. It was all good, since I stuck around here getting things ready for the night ahead.

Sunday's band practice went amazingly well. We decided it would be best to focus on two songs per week, rather than pick them at random. This past week we worked on "Don't Let It Bring You Down" by Neil Young, and "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. 6 hours later, we practically had those 2 nailed down and even recorded our renditions on tape for posterity. I'm hoping to get a hold of a tape-to-digital transfer so I can convert our practice sessions to mp3 files. I tell you though, these band sessions are both a blessing and a curse. lol. I love doing the sing thing every week as well as being part of a band, but we all usually end up pretty drunk by the end of the night. It's all fine and well except for the fact that I have to be up to shove Britt off to school the very next morning. lol. But hey, you only live once. I'm having the time of my life playing with these guys so it's all worth it.

I managed to get a good bulk of my Christmas shopping finished on Friday. There are maybe 2 or 3 more things I want to get for Britt until she's done. I'll be doing some major shopping at the end of the month as well, especially now that my TV is paid in full! I'm honestly really looking forward to Christmas this year. I plan on taking Brittany to the Santa Claus parade downtown next Sunday........weather permitting. Oh shit, just realized I'd have to nix band practice next week if I do that. Ah well, Brittany will always come first on my list of priorities. Man, I wish the nice weather we've had this past week could last up until then. I'm really not thrilled about standing out there in the cold for such a long period of time. But, I'll do it as I've done many times before. :)

Well as for the title of this entry "Single and Proud Of It". It couldn't be more true. You know, I look all around me, at both friends and family, and realize that being single is what works best for me. People are breaking up, cheating on each other, abusive towards each other, etc, etc. And I've come to the realization that I don't need that in my life. Yes, I've been in relationships, but none of them have ever worked out for me. There was one time in my life where I thought I was truly in love, but even that blew up in my face. But it's funny. I have people coming to me with their problems, telling me how unhappy they are in life, whether it be because of the relationships they've chosen, or the fact that the one they loved has kicked them to the curb.......whatever the case may be. I sit back and think to myself how glad I am that I no longer have to endure any of the heartache, backstabbing and dishonesty that so many have to live with on a day-to-day basis.

Call me cynical. Call me whatever you want. Sure, I know how great a relationship can be WHEN it works, but what goes up eventually (and usually) comes down. Gravity's a bitch! Unfortunately nothing lasts forever. Look at the divorce rate today as opposed to 25-30 years ago. Through the roof! Very, very few couples ever stay together anymore. So tell me. Why would I want to give my heart wholeheartedly to someone only to eventually have it stomped on. And yes, this has happened to me before.

But you know what? Sure I may be lonely. I come home to my empty apartment every night with my nose pressed to the computer screen. I watch some TV, have a frozen dinner and go to bed. But I'd rather that than spend endless hours wondering if whatever relationship I'm in is going to go up in smoke.

Hey, maybe I should just get a dog!

Back With A Band

2008-10-29T20:05:00.000-04:00

I tell you, things are really looking up for me these days. As of last Sunday, I had my first practice with the new band. My good friend Russ (whom I'd known since high school) called me up a couple of weeks ago and said his band was looking for a singer. Naturally I accepted the offer, and I'm glad I did. For now, it's just Russ, myself and a fellow named Harmen who is an absolute genius on the keyboards. We're currently on the hunt for a guitarist but for now we're content with just the 3 of us. As it stands we'll be rehearsing every Sunday afternoon, and if we manage to get our shit together, there will apparently be some gigs lined up for us. All I know is that I need this in my life right now. Between the day-to-day monotony and boring weekends, joining a band could not have come at a better time. It's the first time in a long time I've really looked forward to something.

Our goal is to play a broad range of music from classic rock to country, etc. I love this concept because I've been singing karaoke for over 15 years now and I've attempted virtually every genre out there. So rather than stick to just one form of music, we're mixing it up. After all, variety is the spice of life.

I'm also looking forward to Friday night where I host my Halloween movie night. I've made mention of this in previous entries, but I'm still excited about it nonetheless. I've narrowed the movies down to 8 which include "Child's Play", "Beetlejuice", "Maximum Overdrive", "Halloween (Rob Zombie ver.)", "Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn", "Hellraiser", "The Hills Have Eyes", and "Friday The 13th". There's something for everybody. A little gore, a killer doll, some possessed trucks, some masked maniacs......all the ingredients for a successful Halloween. lol. I'm still unsure of the final head count though. Some say they're coming. Some aren't sure. Some change their minds about a dozen times. Who knows? For all I know, I may just end up watching these alone. lol. Hopefully that's not the case. I have to give a big thanks to my mom and her boyfriend for providing the snacks for that night. It really helped, especially since I can't afford a pot to piss in. lol

It'll be a pretty busy weekend all around now that I think about it. Friday morning I have to run out and pay my rent and bills, etc. I'm also going up to Stone Road that day for a bit of Christmas shopping. My buddy Chris is meeting me up there when he gets off work. I also need to get a replacement battery for my digital camera. The one I have now went for a shit, and I'd sort of like to have a working camera for the holiday season. Of course, Friday night is the movie marathon. As for Saturday, I'll probably sleep for the majority of the day since I'd have been up the entire night. Saturday night, I plan on going to see "Saw V" in the theater. I recently signed up for a Scene card from which you earn points for free movies. Well since I already have a ScotiaBank account, I also signed up to switch my ScotiaCard over to a Scene ScotiaCard. So I need to get to my bank and switch that over. Once I do that, I'll be rewarded 1,000 points which is equal to a free movie. So to make a long story short, I'll be seeing "Saw V" for free. Then, Sunday I have band practice, so it's all good.

On a final note, I just thought of something. It would be cool if all of the women would go out for Halloween dressed as bricks. Then my costume would be a no-brainer.............I'd go as a brick layer! BADABING!!

I Hate Solicitors

2008-10-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

Ok, time for a rant! It's been a while since I'd had one of those. lol Anyway, if there's anything I hate worse, it's people coming to my door trying to sell me things. Likewise for telemarketers. If I'm interested in buying something, I'll come to you. Don't come to my door selling your shit.

It's crazy. About 3 months after I moved into my apartment, I affixed a sign on the outside of my door which reads "NO SOLICITORS". Simple enough, right? Easy to comprehend??? Well, you'd think. In the past year alone, I've had half a dozen people come to my door offering discounts on my utilities. Now THOSE people are pushy. They will actually refuse to leave unless you show them your gas / hydro bill. They don't seem to understand the word "no".

Then you have your backpack wearing Jehovahs coming to my door asking me if I've heard "the truth". Now I'm not knocking religion, but don't come to my door step and try to infringe it upon me, especially at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Here's a truth for you. I was fucking asleep when you rang my doorbell.

I'll never understand the audactity of some of these people. For instance, years ago a salesperson came to my mom's door offering a demonstration of the old Kirby vacuum cleaners. When we agreed to the demo, they gave us a 2 litre bottle of coke.....which I thought was cool. Following the demonstration, my mom decided she did not want to buy the vacuum. You know what they did? Upon leaving, they TOOK the bottle of coke with them.

The same thing happened about 5 years ago. A kid comes to my door and before uttering a word he hands me a newspaper. He then said it was complimentary. He then went on to ask if I'd be interested in subscribing. I said no. He then said..........and I quote, "Well I'm going to have to get that back then." The so-called complimentary newspaper was only complimentary IF I subscribed. Utter bullshit.

Don't even get me started on telemarketers. Phonier than a 3-dollar bill they are. They will lie through their teeth to get their business. When I lived with my mom, someone called up and "claimed" that she had donated clothing to a charity the year before and were wondering if she'd be willing to do it again. She didn't donate shit to anybody the year before. Oh, and of course you get the ones who call offering a free trip to Florida, or California.....or wherever. They'll sugar coat it making it sound like you won some luxurious vacation only to follow it up by saying you have to go to Toronto for some time share thing. Then, and only then.....your name will be put into a draw for this so-called vacation. Liars, plain and simple.

So, you're probably wondering, "Why the rant?". Well today alone I've had 2 sets of people come to my door. Either my "NO SOLICITORS" sign isn't big enough or these people are more blind than I. Perhaps "No Solicitors" isn't obvious enough. Maybe I ought to make a point-by-point list of the types of people I don't want knocking on my door. But then, I don't think my door would be big enough to encompass such a list. lol Ok, end of rant.

Happy Turkey Day

2008-10-13T23:41:00.000-04:00

First off, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving today (well, any of you who are Canadian anyway). I was invited to my mom's for a fantastic ham dinner. I know many people have turkey for Thanksgiving but we usually wait until Christmas for that. Absence makes the heart grow fonder I always say. lol

The long weekend as a whole was pretty relaxing. I didn't really do much aside from some light cleaning, playing a few video games and watching some movies. I tell ya, too much excitement for me to handle! lol. Seriously though, I don't mind weekends like that every now and then. You get into less trouble that way.

LAST weekend however was a different story. I decided o go singing at KOC and wound up drinking a hell of a lot more than originally intended. My mom's boyfriend came out about an hour after I did and kept buying drinks all night, so when it was all said and done, I must've had at least 18 to 20 beers. My head was definitely in the toilet bowl that night.

The next morning I was in serious pain. lol. What made things worse is that my mom was over, frantically ringing my doorbell at 6:30 in the morning. So, while extremely hungover (and still partially drunk), I poured myself out of bed to answer the door. Apparently her boyfriend was supposed to come back to her place after the bar and didn't, so she had me go to her place and keep an eye on Britt while she went looking for him. That afternoon I slept from about noon to 6:30. I was definitely out of it.

So, let's just say it'll be a while before I go drinking like that again. But hey, it's not like I do it very often. The only time I drink is when I go singing at Knights, and I only go there maybe once every other month. Sometimes it's good to let loose and act like a drunken asshole once in a while!

Well, we're less than 3 weeks until Halloween and my movie night plans are coming along smoothly. The guest list includes my sister Becky, her boyfriend Jason, my friend Chris with the possibility of his girlfriend joining as well. I also invited my mom's boyfriend's son, Jesse who said he'd come. Brittany will even be here for the first movie "Beetlejuice" so it should be fun. Of course I'll be sending her home before the "good" movies start. I originally had planned the movies we'd be watching but lately I've been changing some of the titles. I've even going to Microplay tomorrow to see what they have for used horror movies. Maybe something will catch my eye. Who knows?

I also have Brittany's Christmas shopping well underway which is great. I have a few more things I'll be getting her in a couple of weeks and she'll be done. I'll then shift my focus on the rest of the family. Even though it's October, I'm seriously excited about Christmas this year. Plus, my Presiden't Choice candy cane ice cream will be back at the end of the month. That's a momentous occasion in and of itself. Ok, maybe not.........but that shit is good!

You Win Some, You Lose Some

2008-09-29T18:38:00.000-04:00

Well as it turns out, I wasn't chosen to be a finalist on CMT Karaoke Star. But, life goes on and so do I. I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but with all of the support I've received over the past 5 weeks or so, I feel like I've already won. I also have to extend a huge thank you to my mom who was absolutely relentless during the whole process. From the support group to rallying voters, to voting thousands of times herself, she definitely tried her best in the hopes that I would make it. For the record, the guy who had the most votes submitted his entry about a week and a half before the close of the contest, and was approximate 16 or 17 years old. So I'm guessing he got the youth vote. lol But hey, c'est la vie.

Pre-season hockey is in full swing. It's great to see my Leafs again although the games aren't official. It's basically a feeling out process to see who works well with who. Who will stay with the main team and who will be knocked down to the Marlies, etc. Although we've lost 3 out of the 4 pre-season games so far, the Leafs are definitely a faster team this year. After dropping some of the dead weight (Tucker, McCabe) and replacing them with faster & younger guys (Schenn, Mayers), I'm pretty happy with the rebuild so far. If anything though, the Leafs need to learn dicipline and stay out of the damn penalty box. That's what hurts them the most.

This past weekend wasn't too eventful really. Friday night and Saturday night I stayed in and watched hockey, followed by various movies. I watched "Beetlejuice" this weekend which I hadn't seen in years. It's still funny as hell, even 20 years later. I watched an excellent holiday film on TV yesterday as well called "The Family Stone". I absolutely love this movie. Needless to say, I'll be picking this up on DVD sometime soon. This is one of those movies I'd like to watch every holiday season.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm on the hunt to find some more Christmas specials to put on DVD. To date, I have 14 DVDs containing about 120 specials. I have 2 more discs prepped and ready to be burned. I just need to buy some blanks first. These are always fun to watch around the holidays, especially since most of them don't even air on TV anymore. This DVD project has been ongoing for 3 years now. I'm always finding some classic gems in the woodwork, as well as some newer stuff.

Well, tomorrow I do my banking and random "end of the month" crap. Pay my utilities, rent & internet. All that fun stuff. In a sense I'm really happy though because by this time next month, my TV will finally be paid in full! It only took a year and a half but it's all good. Wednesday I'm meeting up with Chris at Stone Road Mall to do a bit of Christmas shopping as well as pick up a few movies for my Halloween movie night. I'm hoping to go out singing on Friday, but that's still up in the air at the moment. It all depends on whether I can drag anyone out with me. lol

Well, the puck drops in half an hour so I'd better wrap this up.

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

2008-09-21T12:51:00.000-04:00

I just realized that it's 9 days until the end of September and I haven't even submitted a blog entry this month. I'm slipping in my old age, I tell you. But, in all fairness, I've been keeping pretty busy this month. Brittany is now in school and loving every minute of it. I honestly think it's a great fit for her. The class she is in consists of students who are more akin to her level of development, and for the most part she gets along with everyone. So far, so good.

As for me, I'm sitting here playing the waiting game. The voting for the CMT Cyber Star auditions ended this past Thursday. THIS Thursday (the 18th), they will announce on television which two Cyber Star contestants will make it to the finale. One will be chosen by number of votes, and the other will be picked by one of the judges. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but if they say my name on Thursday, I will be absolutely ecstatic. The finalists who are chosen will travel to Toronto for a week to perform on CMT live on October 2. Between the week of September 25 and October 2, people will have to vote amongst the 18 finalists. The person with the most votes wins $10,000. I only hope that I received enough votes to make it to the next stage of the game.

Speaking of singing, my new CD is well underway. I've recorded 2 songs so far. "Good Time" and "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven". I was hoping to record one or two this weekend but my throat hurts something fierce.

I'm still in the midst of deciding what movies to show for my Halloween movie night next month. So far I have my sister and her boyfriend coming, my friend Chris, and possibly his new girlfriend. There are a couple of others I've yet to invite, but it should be a good turnout this year. With a 55" screen, Dolby 5.1 surround sound and good company, it's no wonder these movie nights are always a success.

Believe it or not, I've already started my Christmas shopping. I picked up something for Britt a couple of weeks ago, and will be picking up much more next week. Something tells me I'll be looking forward to the holidays a lot more this year than I did last. I mean, last year my Nan had just passed, which was hard on all of us, so it was difficult to get into Christmas mode. But, as much as I love and miss her, she would want me to continue to enjoy the holidays like I'd always done before.

Answer me this? Why does everyone think I'm crazy for wanting a leg lamp to display during the holidays?? lol I seriously want one. There's no rhyme or reason behind it. I just love the movie "A Christmas Story" and would like to display a leg lamp from my balcony window. If nothing else, it would be a great conversation piece. lol. Of course, the people who live around here would probably think I was a fucking moron. But since when have I ever cared what other people think?

Back To School Again

2008-08-29T20:37:00.000-04:00

Could someone please tell me where summer went? It came and went in the blink of an eye, and now we're a few days shy of September and Brittany goes back to school on Tuesday. Talk about a blur. I think Britt enjoyed herself this summer though. I tried to keep her busy as much as humanly possible, but here in Guelph, extra-curricular activities are few and far between, so we had to play the cards that were dealt.

Today was especially fun. I took Britt for a pre-back-to-school outing. I took her downtown to Wimpy's for lunch followed by a trip to the ice cream shop. Speaking of which, I still can't believe I paid $8 for two cones. Highway robbery no matter where you turn. But it was a good day. I stopped in at "The Beat Goes On" which is a used CD/DVD store to pick up my 3rd season of "Grey's Anatomy" I had ordered. Got all my banking done, etc, etc, etc.

Britt's psyched about starting a new school on Tuesday. I'm excited for her. She'll be able to make a whole slew of new friends and the classes she'll be in will be more geared to her level. I have a feeling it'll all work out great for her. At least I hope.

Well, the contest is still in full swing with just under 3 weeks left to vote. I cannot believe how many people have stepped up and voted for me as much as they have. My mom alone puts in an average of 200-300 votes per day. It's astonishing. All I know is if I don't make the finale, it won't be from lack of trying. The support system I have is truly unbelievable.

So here it is, Labour Day weekend, and I don't have a damn thing to do. How sad is that? The last Labour Day weekend I actually did anything noteworthy was when a few friends and I camped in Algonquin Park. In fact, that was the last time I went camping.......period. I love to camp though. To me, it's pure relaxation. Nothing like sitting out in the fresh air, tunes playing in the background and a cold beer in my hand. I miss it.

But oh well. Fall will be here again before we know it. It's actually my favorite season. Not freezing, not blistering. It's all good. I plan on starting my Christmas shopping very soon. Something tells me I'm going to look forward to the holidays moreso this year than last. I don't know why, but it's just a feeling I have.

Also, my annual Halloween movie night is coming up at the end of October. This year, it will be ON Halloween. This will be my 8th consecutive year I've hosted this and I look forward to it every time. The fun part is deciding what films to show. I know we'll be watching the original "Child's Play" this year because it's finally coming out on DVD in widescreen! So that is a definite one to watch. I'd also like to get "Tales From The Darkside". I've never seen it but apparently it has the vibe of "Creepshow", containing short stories by Stephen King. Those are always fun to watch because you have some variety. As for the rest, I'm not sure yet, but I'll figure it out by then.

Anyway I'll end this with a funny Q&A I read somewhere last week. Can't remember where I saw it, but I laughed my ass off.

Q: Are you sexually active?
A: Nope, I just lay there.

Until next time.

My CMT Karaoke Cyber-Star Audition

2008-08-17T07:02:00.000-04:00

You know, these past few days have been absolutely amazing. As of Thursday night, I recorded and submitted my audition to CMT Karaoke Star. I had planned on auditioning a few months beforehand when I first heard that online auditions were an option. Not once did it ever cross my mind that I would get much support. I merely thought I'd take a chance and just see what would happen....if anything.

Well let me tell you. My mom was all over this like you wouldn't believe. She single-handedly messaged everyone on her Facebook contact list, encouraging them to vote, as well as encouraging my sister to do the same. She even went ahead and created a support group of sorts rallying people to vote for me. To make a long story short, the response has been absolutely overwhelming!!

You see, the online competition works like this. People submit their auditions and the general public has the opportunity to listen to them and vote as many times as they want up until the 18th of next month. 2 finalists from the Cyber-Star audition. The first finalist with the highest number of votes will get in. The second finalist will be chosen by judge Beverly Mahood. The 2 finalists will then compete with the show's remaining finalists live on television in October for a grand prize of $10,000.

My mom has told me that she has voted hundreds of times, likewise for my cousins in New Brunswick as well as many others whom she has rallied together. I truly didn't think I'd have a snowball's chance in hell of making it but with all the support I've received so far, I'm slowly starting to think differently.

Now I don't have a swelled head or anything. There are many, many great singers out there that would put me to shame, but I love what I do. I've been singing since I was 14 years old. I guess you could say it's my passion. All I know is that if I have an opportunity to do what I do on national television.............well, let's just say it would be a dream come true for me. It's not even about the money. Just the chance to sing for all of Canada would be amazing in and of itself.

I'm just amazed and even humbled by the amount of people who have taken the time to support me. Believe me when I say I am forever grateful. I also know that I can't thank my mom enough for all of her support. I tell you, if I ever make it big, I'm making her my manager. lol. She has been relentless in finding ways to get the word out about this. I hope she knows that it means more to me than words can express.

But, I refuse to get ahead of myself. All I can do is hope for the best, and if I don't make it, at least it won't be for lack of trying. Either way, I just know that for as long as I live, I'll never forget those who supported me.

The Older You Get, The Faster Time Flies

2008-08-03T04:29:00.000-04:00

This Summer is officially going way too fast. It feels like Brittany just got out of school, and here we are in August already. I still can't get over the fact that she'll be starting grade 5 next month. Whoever came up with the saying, "They grow up too fast" wasn't kidding. Anyway, it's been a decent Summer I guess. The weather has been amazing for the most part, with heat waves at a bare minimum. The nights are always cool which is what I enjoy.

I tell you, I was pretty damn sick about a week and a half ago. I don't have a clue what came over me but I wound up dying with the heat one minute, and absolutely freezing the next. I was pretty much bed-ridden for about 5 days. I had absolutely no energy what-so-ever. Thankfully, my mom and her friend Martha carted over a bunch of meds for me which definitely helped.

I ended up going out to Knights for karaoke this past Friday which was pretty fun. The place wasn't very busy but we made the best of it. I think I sang around 6 or 7 songs which was cool. Needless to say, I was quite loaded that night too. Ah well, I only really do it about once every other month.

My friend Leanne is coming to spend next weekend with me, so I'm really looking forward to that. She and I haven't seen each other in over a year. The relationship we have is pretty damn special. We actually met 10 years ago through a local telephone chat line and have been great friends ever since. There were times where I'd wanted us to be more than friends, but we never really did take that chance, although the feelings were definitely there.

Regardless, it should be a fun weekend. She wanted to go to the bar Friday, but after my excursion last weekend, I'm not sure if I want to do it all over again. Let's face it. I'm not 22 anymore. lol Maybe I'll take her out to dinner and a movie or something. The key idea is to spend time together, so it shouldn't matter where or how we do it.

I decided to get my ass in gear and start recording tracks for the new cd this week. I don't want to wait until the last minute like I did last year. Nothing worse than doing a rush job on it. I have a few songs picked out so I'm looking forward to trying them out.

On that note, I'm going to get off here and try to catch a few more hour's sleep. I was invited to my mom's friend's barbecue today, and I think I'm supposed to be providing the entertainment. lol. 'Til next time.

Why So Serious?

2008-07-23T05:30:00.000-04:00

BEST MOVIE EVER. These are the only 3 words I can use describe "The Dark Knight", the latest Batman epic which opened this past Friday. I treated Brittany and my mom out to see it Monday afternoon, and I can honestly say that it has now become one of my all-time favorite films. Heath Ledger (who portrayed The Joker) was nothing short of brilliant. The cinematography was stellar, as was the storyline. I tell you, what was a 2 1/2 hour movie only felt half as long because I was so mesmerized with how good it was.

My buddy Chris came along with us as well which was cool. (Yes we've made amends since my last entry). He crashed at my apartment for the past couple of days as well. I've decided that I really need to get an Xbox Live membership. He brought over his system's hard drive which contained his account, so I went online playing Guitar Hero III. Talk about insanely fun. The ability to go online and find someone to compete against is great. Sort of makes you try that much harder not to fuck up on any notes. So hopefully soon I'll have my 1 year membership so I can do that more often. Great way to kill time, as well as brush up on the skills.

My mom's on her 2 week vacation now which is cool. She doesn't have much of anything planned but I think she's just happy not having to work in that sweltering factory for awhile. Of course, she still spends much of her time on her new toy which is cool.

Brittany's enjoying her summer vacation so far. She's been on a few excursions over the past month including trips to the Splash Pad, as well as a couple of Big Sister's movie nights. She's definitely excited though about starting a new school in September. Hopefully she'll fit in better at Paisley than she did at Westwood.

As for me, things are still pretty uneventful. Can't afford a pot to piss in these days, let alone go anywhere. I'm hoping to go out to the bar next Friday night though. I could really use a good time out.

Anyway, I'm drawing a blank on what else to write tonight. Here's hoping my next entry is a little more informative.

Thank God For Air Conditioning

2008-07-07T17:50:00.000-04:00

You know, it was so hot today, Burger King decided to change their slogan; "If you want it YOUR way, cook it yourself." I remember that joke from years ago while watching an old Johnny Carson monologue. But it is indeed hot. 37 degrees including the humidity today. It's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. As tight as my budget is, I have absolutely no problem running my air conditioner full-tilt if it means avoiding the heat. I'm one of those guys who hates Summer. I have a low tolerance for hot weather. I can't sit on a beach for hours on end without getting agitated. But hey, that's me. This summer hasn't been too bad yet I guess. It really didn't start getting hot until last month, and even that only lasted a few days before it got cool again. Now that we're in July, the weather is starting to become consistent. Ah well, the nights are still cool though.

So, what can I tell ya? Brittany's summer vacation is in full swing. I took her out for lunch one day last week as well as a bit of shopping. She spends much of her time playing outside with her friends which is great. I love the fact that she is now at the age, and has enough independence where she can venture out and play without constant adult supervision. I have however set strict rules for her which include staying within the confines of the townhouse complex, NEVER talk to strangers, and to come get me immediately if something is wrong.

Unfortunately, she took sick last night and threw up in her bed. She was sick all day today as well. Hardly even budged. I kept bringing her children's Tylenol, dry toast and juice to help her feel better. I think she's slowly on the mend.

You know, I've totally given up on trying to go to Canada's Wonderland this year. One minute I think I'm going, the next I'm not. Then I am..........then I'm not. lol. It's crazy. I tell you, I've had it with my friend Chris. This guy is about as reliable as a rubber crotch. I swear to you. You can't make plans with the guy because he seldom ever keeps them. Then days later, I have the pleasure of hearing whatever excuse he concocted. He did this again on Friday. The original plan was a bunch of us were going to go to the karaoke bar but my mom couldn't get a sitter for Britt, so those plans were squashed. So Chris and I decided we were still going to meet up and catch a movie or something. I heard from him that morning, saying he was going to get some rest and that he'd be over when he got up. Didn't hear a word from him that night.

It sucks for me because I put faith in the guy. But I always end up waiting, and waiting and waiting when he decides he doesn't want to stick to the plan and does something else instead. But the most common excuse I get from him is "I was sick" or "I slept too long". It's funny, he doesn't mind keeping plans when it comes to his wrestling shows, or hooking up with his other friends.

Which brings me back to Wonderland. We made plans to go at the end of this month (July 31). But Friday was the straw that broke the camel's back. I don't even want to go now because the likelihood is, I'll be setting myself up for yet another disappointment. Fuck him.

You know, it shouldn't be such a big deal. I've been friends with the guy for almost 20 years, but lately I've begun re-evaluating that friendship. It's like pulling teeth just to get him to come and visit. And get this, I even caught him in a lie a few weeks ago. I found out that he had shown interest in my sister. He admitted it to her.......admitted it to my mom, and DENIED it to me. He flat out lied. Now come on, you'd have to be pretty stupid to think I wouldn't find out, especially when you repeat it to my family. I frankly couldn't care less if he's interested in her. It's his funeral, not mine. But at least MAN UP and be honest with me about it. Best friend..............right.

But, I've wasted enough energy typing about him. I'll just say this. One way or another in your lifetime, you'll find out who your TRUE friends are.

A few weeks from now will be fun. I'm treating both my mom and my niece to an afternoon at the movies. We're going to see "The Dark Night" (the new Batman flick). I'm really looking forward to it. My mom's never been to the new theater since it opened so it'll be a treat for her. She'll be on her holidays then, so at least she'll have something to do for 1 day out of those 2 weeks. lol

Well that's all I have to report for this go-round.

School's Out............Almost

2008-06-22T14:38:00.000-04:00

I look forward to this time of year. Not because of the weather, but because my niece, Brittany will be on her summer vacation. In fact, Thursday is her last day of school. It's great for me because I love spending time with her. Whether it's playing a video game, watching a movie, or taking an excursion to the splash pad, we always make the most of our time together. I cherish these moments now because when she gets older, she probably won't want to spend as much quality time with her ol' Uncle. lol.

You know, the past 10 years have been amazing for me. I have no biological children of my own, but I love that little girl like a daughter. When she gives me a hug and says "I love you Uncle Andy." it warms my heart every single time. You see, technically I'm the only male role model she's ever had. I've been there through it all.........first steps, first words, first tooth, first Birthday & Christmas..........first everything. I've had the honor and the privilege of helping to raise her since she was 5 months old. As each year passes, the bond between she and I has only grown stronger. It's an amazing feeling to have someone look up to you, depend on you and rely on you the way she does with me. I only have as she gets older, she can still count on me the way she does now.

Ok, back on topic here. lol. This summer should be pretty good. With money being an issue (the issue being that I don't have any, lol) I'm going to have to improvise as far as entertaining Britt is concerned. She's easy to please though. A simple picnic or a trip to the splash pad is enough to make her smile. So, it's all good.

In other news, my mom finally got her laptop after much trial and tribulation. She originally got one from Wal-Mart, had it for 2 days, then returned it because she had difficulty connecting to the internet. Customer service gave her a hard time and refused to take it back at first because they claimed there was various software included that wasn't returned with the laptop. Well fact was, there WAS no software included...period. So, they eventually exchanged it and she got another, this one slightly more expensive. She brought it home and I came over to set it up. DAMN THING WAS USED. I shit you not. I go to turn it on, and there's already a password on it. So, back to Wal-Mart we go. This time she got a full refund. The following day she went to the Source at Stone Road Mall and got a beautiful Acer laptop which works perfectly. I never thought I'd see the day when my mom would own a better computer than the one I've got...........let alone own a computer at all. lol

Another issue she had was with the internet connection. The router she rented from Rogers was non-responsive so she took it back and purchased one.......from Wal-Mart no less. It wasn't until the next day when I looked at the box and realized that the router she purchased wasn't wireless. So, she returned that and replaced it with the proper one. It's funny though. She kept murmuring from time to time that she was not meant to own a computer. But all is good now. She's online consistently and loving every minute of it. I'm really happy for her. She needed something in her life to help occupy her time.

Anyway, when she went to the Source that day she came back with a surprise for me. She had bought me an early Christmas present. A 22" widescreen LCD computer monitor. I was absolutely floored when she gave this to me. I certainly didn't expect it. I tell you, this thing's amazing. For a partially blind guy such as myself, this thing's a godsend. It really is. I don't have to strain to read certain things anymore. Oh, and it's pretty! lol

Anyway, I'd best be going. I was invited to my mom's for barbecued hamburgers, and I've never been one to turn down a barbecue.

Holy Crap, It's Hot!

2008-06-07T04:55:00.000-04:00

As it turns out, Summer is officially here........well, it might as well be. Yesterday we were treated to one hell of a heatwave. We hit close to 40 degrees including the humidity. In addition, we're supposed to be at around 30 degrees up until Tuesday. It sort of makes me appreciate Winter that much more. lol To add fuel to the fire, I went ahead and installed my air conditioner yesterday only to find out that it stopped working. I plugged it into 3 different outlets in my apartment to no avail. I haven't the slightest clue what the hell happened to it. I pulled it out of my window in September, after which it sat in my closet up until now. I have no clue why it would've crapped out. So, until I get it fixed, I'm stuck in this inferno that is my apartment. My only hope is that the heat isn't this bad ALL summer.

Anyhow, enough of that. I took Brittany out to see the new 'Indiana Jones' movie last Sunday. It was bar none the best of the series. I absolutely loved it. Harrison Ford may be almost 20 years older since the last film, but you wouldn't know it. Charasmatic as ever. This weekend I'm going to see 'You Don't Mess With The Zohan'.......the new film with Adam Sandler. I acquired some free tickets when I bought some Adam Sandler DVDs yesterday, so I can't complain. A free movie is always a good thing. :)

I managed to get a few Xbox 360 games over the past week as well. I grabbed "Saints Row" at a pawn shop downtown for $25. I bought "Thrillville: Off The Rails" at Wal-Mart for $20. I mainly got that for Brittany. I rented it for her on the PS2 back in October and she absolutely loved it. I figure this way she has something fun to play when she comes to visit. Anyway, I also (finally) got "Grand Theft Auto IV" which I ordered through Columbia House. It came in the mail yesterday. Finally, and this was one hell of a find.........I found a used copy of "Guitar Hero III" for only $5. I couldn't believe it. I actually had to double check and make sure the price was correct by grabbing another copy off the shelf. Anywhere else, a used copy of that game is $40 easy, so that made my day........not to mention I get to continue with my addiction. lol

So, I've decided I'm definitely getting my mom a laptop......preferably sooner than planned. She may have it as soon as tomorrow, and as a result, I'll be paying it off over the next 2 months. I don't mind doing this for her at all. She doesn't have a lot to do to keep entertained so this should definitely fill the void. I know I'd be lost without my comp.

Well, Britt had the day off from school yesterday so she and I hung out at my place for most of the day.....hot as it was. We watched a movie I picked up on Thursday called "The Secret of the Sword". It was an animated film I loved as a kid back when it was released in 1985. If you're familiar with "He-Man & The Masters of the Universe", you should know what I'm talking about. I'm a nostalgic at heart and thought it would be a great addition to my collection. So, we watched that, Britt played Webkinz on the computer for a bit while I had an extremely cold shower. We even went out for pizza for lunch. Good day all around despite the fact I had a massive headache.

Speaking of Britt, she's finished school in less than 3 weeks. I'll do my best to keep her entertained over the summer to the best of my ability. I know she's looking forward to it, and I don't blame her. That child endures so much during the school year, I'm glad she gets a well deserved break.

On that note, I should run. I haven't slept yet, and probably won't at this point. Between Chris coming over, going to the movies and setting up my mom's new laptop (presumably), my ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and their baby girl are coming to visit from St. Thomas. So, it should be an eventful day. Ah well, it's a nice change from all of the uneventful ones I have.

My Mom's Hooked On Facebook

2008-05-30T18:51:00.000-04:00

I think I created a monster.......metaphorically speaking of course. A couple of weeks ago when my sister came down from St. Thomas, she brought her laptop. Well, to make a long story short, my mom took interest. Early this week she asked me to put together a Facebook profile for her, so I spent half of Monday night scanning pics, etc. All week long, she's been over at my place chatting up a storm with old friends, etc. Up until now, she's more or less been computer-illiterate so it's cool that she's finally catching up with technology. lol. She's even in the process of getting a laptop of her own. It's all good.

I remember the first time I let her on my computer years ago, she had no clue what the hell she was doing. I came home from the bar one night only to find half of my files were deleted. Of course she denied touching it, but Brittany ratted her out. lol

As for me, there's not much to report........as usual. Oh, the exciting life I live. :) I did manage to break down and buy a couple of CSI DVD sets. I grabbed the first seasons of both the original series and 'Miami'. It's funny. I never liked CSI until just a few months ago. My mom's boyfriend was always hooked on it, but it bored the shit out of me. But lately, I all of a sudden got hooked. The sets are fun to watch and addictive as hell. It'll be nice when I have them all.

Today, I went out and did my 'end of the month' routine. Paid the rent, bills, etc. I met up with my buddy Chris downtown and went out for lunch at Wimpy's. I even picked up a new 360 game called "Saints Row". Haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I plan to tonight. I was invited to a Stag & Doe tonight, but I'm in no mood to go out and party. The older I get, the less inclined I am to go out and get drunk. lol. 10 years ago I would've been all over the invite like flies to shit. But lately I'm just as content sitting in and watching a good movie. Man, reading that back I just realized how sad and pathetic that sounds. lol

I'm taking Brittany to the movies on Sunday so I'm looking forward to that. During March break, I played all 3 'Indiana Jones' movies for her, and now she's psyched to see the new one. So am I actually, since I've been a big fan of the films for years. It'll be a good outing. I'm taking her out for lunch at Wendy's as well. I can't remember the last time I took her out to see a movie, so it'll definitely be fun.

Anyway, I ought to wrap this up. Looking at my clock, I just realized my mom should be over here soon with her nose pressed to the screen. lol. I should talk. I've been doing it for the past 8 years.

One Year Closer To Death

2008-05-18T17:22:00.000-04:00

Two days ago I celebrated my 31st birthday, and what a birthday it was. Since it fell on a Friday this year, I decided to celebrate at Knights of Columbus for a night of drinking and karaoke. I tell you, it's been a LONG time since I had that much fun. My mom decided to go which was great, since she rarely gets out anymore. My sister even came down for the weekend from St. Thomas to join the party. My buddy Chris and a few other friends even showed up as well as my mom's ex-husband's sister whom I hadn't seen in many years. It was great.

I honestly have no clue how much I drank that night. I finally cracked the seal on a 47 year old bottle of Crown Royal I had, so I had 3 rye & gingers before I even left the house. All I know is at the bar, I was given beer after beer after beer. lol I did a lot of singing and a lot of dancing, and probably even more stumbling. But I guess I behaved myself to some extent. You know, there was even a birthday cake involved. It wasn't intended for me though, since another guy at the bar was celebrating the same day as I. But I guess his cake was uneaten and he donated it to my bash. Very cool of him to do that.

Of course, you have to take the bad with the good. In other words, I had one hell of a hangover yesterday. In other words, I was talking to the porcelain telephone.....so to speak. My mom was in worse shape than I was though since she hadn't drank in a very long time. She swears she'll never do it again........but that's what they all say.

I'm actually enjoying the long weekend. If nothing else, it's relaxing. I spent most of yesterday recouperating, and today I've just been vegging out at home. Sometimes it's best just to do absolutely NOTHING.

Anyway, this forthcoming week will be pretty uneventful, aside from the fact that I have to get an affidavit sworn by a lawyer downtown. Since my rent is subsidized, I have to swear that my past year's income is accurate. It's a mnor inconvenience but I've procrastinated getting it done for the past couple of weeks. So I figure I'd better get my ass in gear.

I'm hoping to buy Grand Theft Auto IV for my 360 by next weekend. I have $40 on me, but with a side job I have this week, I should be able to afford the difference. Chris brought his copy over last weekend and I was in awe. It'll be nice to have a copy of my own. Why do games have to be so damned expensive? But hey, what isn't nowadays?

I Love My 360

2008-05-12T23:47:00.000-04:00

You know, I've owned a lot of game consoles over the years. Let's see.....in '82 we had a Colecovision followed by an Atari 2600 in '84. In '87 I had a Nintendo Entertainment System. Then, a Turbo Grafx 16 in 1990. In '93 I had a Sega Genesis. In '97 a Sony Playstation followed by a Playstation 2 in 2001. With that in mind, you can't argue the fact that I'm no stranger to gaming. Anyway, this past March I acquired an Xbox 360, and can honestly say that it is bar none the best system I've ever owned.

The graphics are truly phenomenal. Pop in 'EA Fight Night, Round 3' and you'll know what I mean. The machine has so much versatility, it's mind boggling. You see, I love racing games, but I usually don't like the music they put in the games. Inserting an mp3 player into the USB port overrides the game music with my own. Now that's cool.

The fact that the system acts as an upconverting DVD player is also cool. In other words, with a hi-def TV and connection, an upconverted player makes a standard DVD look pretty damn close to HD quality. Mind you, I plan on buying a standalone upconversion player simply because I want to use my 360 strictly for gaming.

As of last night, I was finally able to connect my Xbox 360 to the internet via an extremely long ethernet cable given to me by my buddy Chris. After connecting to Xbox Live, I've fallen in love with the system all over again. I found out I can download tons of game demos, play against other people online as well as chat on MSN. I even found out that when you play against other players, you can engage in voice chat via the headset and microphone. I'm starting to believe there isn't much this system can't do.

I even got to try Grand Theft Auto IV last night. 3 words.........BEST GAME EVER. I never thought such realism in games existed. The attention to detail was staggering. I'll definitely be getting that game as soon as I get the chance.

Now you're probably wondering why I'm so hyped up about a video game system. Well it's simple. I no longer have a girlfriend of which to speak of.......I haven't been laid in almost 3 years.........and, my social life is non-existent. Need I say more??

Actually, the 360 sort of renewed my interest in games. The PS2 I owned prior to this sat and collected dust for ages simply because I got bored with it. Now, with the interactivity, etc, it's sort of like I'm rediscovering gaming all over again. What can I say, it's FUN.

Hey, my life may be boring and/or pathetic, but at least I'm not out robbing banks or wielding a gun. I do what I do, and if people don't like it..............fuck'em.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

2008-04-27T23:04:00.000-04:00

Well here we are. New week, new entry, old bullshit!! This past week has been pretty interesting actually. In my last entry, I made note that Brittany stayed home sick the Friday before last. Well, as it turned out, she had chicken pox and had to stay home all last week as well. Fortunately, I had chicken pox as a child, therefore I was immune to catching it again. But poor Britt....covered head-to-toe in blisters. Not to mention she was constantly itchy. I brought her some calamine lotion which seemed to help to some extent. But she's clearing up quick and will be good to go back to school tomorrow.

As for me, I received my monthly barrage of bills this past week. After sitting down to calculate the monthly budget, I found I was only left with approximately 25 bucks to myself (after rent, bills, etc). So, I decided to make some sacrifices.

To make a long story short, I called Rogers to have my phone and cable disconnected? There IS logical reasoning behind this. Trust me. First off, no one calls me. Plain and simple. I get more calls from telemarketers than I do from friends and family. So I figure, why the hell am I dishing out $40 a month for a service that rarely gets used. In it's place, I DO have a cell phone with a "Pay As You Go" plan through Rogers. I figure I'll throw 10 bucks a month on that and use it strictly for emergencies. Furthermore, I spend much of my time at my mom's, so if I really need to make a call, I can just do it there.

As for cable TV........same boat. I don't use it. Keep in mind, I'm at my mom's every day from 7 to 4:30 house training her dog. When I do go home, I usually cook a meal, spend time on the computer, or play games on my Xbox 360. I honestly don't remember the last time I sat down and watched actual television in my home. Furthermore, I have over 600 DVD's in my collection so it's not as though I have nothing to watch.

So how much am I saving by disconnecting these two services per month? A cool $150......that's how much. You see, this will allow for some serious financial flexibility. It'll give me a chance to actually go out and do things again, such as karaoke at the bar, or to catch a movie. These are things I've rarely done since moving into my apartment as a result of my financial restraints. Also, by the end of summer, I'll have my TV finally paid off which will free up yet another $200 per month. Ironic, I know. I'm paying off a TV while cutting off the cable. lol. Possibly in the fall, I'll get basic cable re-instated. But nothing higher than that. I have to watch my hockey, you know.

The only service I am keeping through Rogers is my internet. I can live without television, but it'll be a cold day in hell when I give up my online connection. lol

So, that's all the news that is the news.

Only In Canada.....

2008-04-19T05:30:00.000-04:00

....can the weather be freezing cold one day, and blistering hot the next. Such is the case here in Southern Ontario. It was only a few weeks ago when we'd get the occasional flurries and cold temperatures. But now, being only the middle of April, we've received summer weather. I shit you not. Yesterday alone we hit 30'C. It's almost as though we jumped from winter to summer, while spring has been obliterated completely. lol. See, spring is my favorite season. Not hot, not cold....but just right. I was actually almost tempted to re-install my air conditioner yesterday.....almost. It's just funny because we just finished going through one of the longest winters in recent memory. Now, with the weather so hot so early, this may be one of the longest summers as well. Ah well. Grin and bear it I always say.

Interesting week around here. My mom's boyfriend was evicted from her house on Thursday. You see, we live in co-operative housing. Actually my mom's house is literally a stone's throw from my apartment. Anyway, she and her boyfriend broke up late last year which prompted him to move out. As a result, he was taken off of her lease. When Christmas rolled around however, he had moved back in (unofficially). Basically stayed under the radar. That was all fine and well until he got a job delivering for Staples. As a result, he began parking his cube van in the visitor's parking. Well, needless to say, that turned some heads, and others caught wind that he was living there, while not on the lease. So, my mom applied to grant him a 3 month guest status, which was to be approved by "the board". The verdict came down on Thursday whereas he was to leave the premise and remove his "commercial vehicle" from the parking lot. Failure to do so would cause my mom to get evicted.

Now what kind of horse shit is that? I think it's absolutely ridiculous. My mom pays full market for her apartment, so it shouldn't make a lick of difference who lives there with her, so long as the rent is paid. The guy never bothered anyone. Furthermore, my mom's been a model tenant. So now, she's forced to pay for this place ON HER OWN while earning very little income. Apparently not so little that she was denied subsidy however. So she's basically screwed no matter how she looks at it.

I did however bite the bullet and step up to the plate by offering to move back in with her to help her with finances, but she refused. She doesn't want me to give up my apartment. Albeit, it would a hard thing for me to do, but for the sake of my family, I wouldn't think twice about it. I told her the offer will always be on the table if she just can't make it on her own.

But this place feels more and more like a dictatorship. I swear, you can't even break wind without someone filing a complaint. If you've read my earlier blog entries, you'll know that they even screwed me financially because of their negligence.

Well that's enough of that. Brittany stayed home sick yesterday. She was burning up the night before and wasn't much better in the morning. She slept for most of the day. Last night my mom wanted some alone time so I brought Britt over to my place for the night. She enjoys sleepovers at her Uncle Andy's. lol. It's all good. We usually watch a movie or 2, play some Xbox 360, etc. I do my best to keep her entertained. Now if I could only find someone to keep ME entertained. lol

I've Procrastinated Long Enough.....

2008-04-10T01:40:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I let a month go by without an entry on here. But then, considering I'm rarely at home these days, it's not so far-fetched. My mom got another dog about a month ago (a Pom-Poo named Angel) so I've been over at her house every day house training her, just as I did with her first dog, Minnie over a year ago. So needless to say, I haven't been on the comp much lately, and when I am on, writing a blog entry is usually the last thing on my mind.

So, I finally got an Xbox 360......the other thing occupying my time. :) I only have 3 games so far but my buddy Chris loaned me a few including Guitar Hero II. Needless to say, that game gets played the most. I'm much better at it than I was a few months ago. I'm getting really good at the fingering. (Hey, my ex-girlfriend used to say the same thing!) BADABING!!! Seriously though, it's a lot of fun. The games I have so far are 'Project Gotham Racing 3', 'Tetris Evolution' and 'CSI: Hard Evidence'. All of which are highly addictive.

Anyway, it's hard to believe we're in April already. Where the hell has the time gone? Brittany will be done school in a few months which is cool. In July I'm taking her to Canada's Wonderland. I may have mentioned that in a previous entry but my memory's gone to hell in a hand basket.

I'm sort of looking forward to my birthday next month. It falls on a Friday this year which is great! As far as I know, my sister and her boyfriend are coming down so we'll be hitting the bar for sure. Hard to believe I'll be 31. I'm slowly creepin' up there. lol

I've really been enjoying the warm weather lately. After the long winter we've had this year, it's a welcome change for sure. It's days like this where I love to just sit on my balcony with a cold beer listening to tunes.

I had a hell of a time with my computer over the past couple of weeks. I don't know what the hell happened, but I ended up getting a virus, which morphed into about 200 forms of spyware. lol. It took 2 anti-virus programs, 3 anti-spyware programs, and a shitload of patience to finally clean everything out. What baffles me is how I got the virus in the first place. I'm extremely careful when it comes to opening files, visiting certain websites, etc. I never open e-mail extensions, so the cause is a mystery. I came close to throwing my hands in the air and doing a complete re-format, but I'm glad it didn't come to that.

Well, that's about all I can muster for this entry, but I'll try to keep updated more than once a month. TRY being the operative word.

Officially On A Diet

2008-03-02T00:57:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many diets I've been on over the past 10 years, but let's just say that willpower hasn't exactly been a friend of mine. When I stick to it, I do quite well and lose weight rather quickly. But, when temptation comes to call, I'm weak. lol. Regardless, I decided the other day to take another stab against the battle of the bulge and have officially started today. I think a big reason my diets usually failed before was because I lived at my mom's where everyone ate normally. Every other day it'd either be pizza, Burger King, Chinese.....whatever. It was extremely hard to stick to eating healthy when a plethora of delicious aromas filled the air. But now it's different. I live alone and have full control of what food comes into my home. If junk food isn't here, I can't eat it. So based on that analogy, I have a feeling I'll succeed this time. I just have to get back into the routine of daily exercise once again. It's hard at first since I'm so out of shape in the beginning, but the more I do it, and the healthier I eat, the better off I'll be.

I've just become so uncomfortable with myself lately. I find myself more fatigued and lazy and that's not good. Mind you, it's easy to live that certain lifestyle when you don't have a social life, nor any money to go out and do things. So, the easy route is to stay home and park my ass on my couch in front of the tube with a bag of potato chips in tow. But no more.

Well, Brittany's now a part of the Webkinz craze that's been sweeping the nation. My mom got her one a couple of weeks ago, and upon entering the code into the website, she is absolutely hooked. Lately I've been letting her crash here on Friday nights just so she can have ample time to play it. You want to know something? I hate to admit it, but I'm mildly addicted to the site as well. lol. This is only because of the games. There are a lot of classics in there such as Mah Jong (renamed Tile Towers), Snake (renamed Picnic), etc. I've always loved quirky games like that and consider them great time killers. It also benefits Brittany in a sense because by playing these games, I earn her Kinz Cash which she spends on her virtual pet, whether it be food, clothes, new rooms, or whatever. Add the fact that she's not here too often to play it. I know, I know. I desperately need a life. lol.

I've been getting back into the habit of singing online again. Last summer I joined a site called SingSnap where you record and submit songs you sing yourself. I've also started using PalTalk again which is a series of voice chat rooms, some of which act as karaoke rooms, where each singer takes a turn singing a song of their choice. I used to do it years ago when I first got a computer on a site called M-Player which is long since defunct. I tell you, if it weren't for the internet, I'd literally go stir crazy.

Swearing Off Chinese Food

2008-02-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

Well, let me tell ya. Last Sunday I was sick. I mean REALLY sick. You see, I thought I'd done a good thing by treating my mom, her boyfriend and my niece out to a lunch buffet at the Sun Sun restaurant downtown. Sort of a Valentine's gift of sorts I guess. Anyway, I really didn't eat all that much. 2 plates and a bit of ice cream for dessert. I don't know what the hell it was I ate, but man did I ever get sick about an hour after the fact. I was talking to the porcelain telephone for the better part of the afternoon. Seriously, I was in agony. I later found out that my mom took sick that night as well. So as it stands, I'm staying away from Chinese food for awhile. I don't ever want to be sick like that again.

As a result, I ended up losing my voice for the better part of the week which sucked.....being a singer and all. Speaking of being sick, my mom's dog took sick this week as well. 3 days in a row she crapped on my floor in my apartment, and let me tell you, it was anything but solid. To add fuel to the fire, Brittany had a P.D. day from school yesterday, and she too was sick, puking in my bathroom sink of all places. So, yesterday was quite the day. lol.

I really can't wait for winter to be over. This is the longest winter we've had in years and I just found out that another storm is expected to roll through tomorrow. I swear, the first nice spring day we get, I'm cracking open every window in my apartment, including the balcony. Then I'll be in heaven. I enjoyed sitting out on my balcony last summer. It's pretty relaxing. I usually go out there with my portable CD player in tow, just relaxing with a cold drink and listening to tunes. It's pretty nice actually.

Well I got my T5 in the mail yesterday so I'm going to get my taxes done this week. I need to go to the Co-op office to get a rent receipt written up for 2007 first, so I'll get that done on Monday. The original plan was to use my income tax to buy my Xbox 360, but I've changed my game plan slightly. I decided to put it all on my TV payments, therefore it'll be paid off by the end of March. Then, I'll get my Xbox on the Future Shop card and pay that off over the next couple of months. The interest on it won't be nearly as much as the TV was. Thank god for payment plans, or else I wouldn't own any nice things. lol

I've been spending a lot of time lately watching "Everybody Loves Raymond". I own all 9 seasons on DVD and thought it would be cool to watch the show from beginning to end. I started about 3 weeks ago and have already cleared 5 seasons, with only 4 to go. That show is a laugh riot, and one I don't think I'll ever get tired of. When I'm done watching those, I may move on to "Friends" or something. Boy, don't I lead an exciting life??? Maybe so, but I get into less trouble this way. ;) There's always a method to my madness.

Let's Boycot Valentine's Day!

2008-02-04T18:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm speaking solely as a bitter 30 year old single guy, but Valentine's Day is about to rear its ugly head once again. Of course, this means nothing to me, since I am single, but I've had issues with this day for a while now. I mean, come on. It's just an excuse for flower shops, greeting card companies and chocolate moguls to push their products....all in the name of love. The way I see it, why devote one day a year to tell your significant other how much they mean to you. Shouldn't it be an "every day" thing? I've been in a handful of relationships, albeit disastrous ones, but I always expressed my feelings and surprised my girlfriends with flowers, etc. I genuinely believe that if I ever do find the right person with whom I'd want to spend the rest of my life, I'd spend the rest of my days doing the same. Yes, there are a few of us hopeless romantics left. Others use Valentine's Day as an excuse to do something nice for the one they love. I know, you're thinking these are ramblings from a guy who is single, but I've always felt this way, single or not.

And the world keeps spinning.........

In other news, we got hit with one hell of a snowstorm last Friday. It was so bad, all of the schools were closed down. It was all fine and well. Brittany hung out with me and played video games all day. She enjoys doing stuff like that. I'll be glad when Spring rolls around. I've had enough of winter. I swear, if I ever win the lottery, I'm moving to a warmer climate.

If you read my last blog regarding my financial situation, it just got worse today. My rent went up $60 and because the people in the office Co-op couldn't get their shit together, I now owe $186 in arrears. It's complete bullshit though because I reported my financial changes back in November. They didn't get around to them until just now. I received no notice of my rent being changed, therefore I continued to pay the same amount through this month. Now all of a sudden, whoever is in charge of finances decides to pull the thumb out of their ass and actually get some work down, therefore leaving me almost $200 in debt. Complete and utter bullshit. I'm not contesting the fact that I owe the money, but the amount of my rent should have been changed back in November, and I could've easily paid the extra $60 per month. They're idiots, plain and simple.

It never ends for ol' Andy. I love my apartment, and I don't regret moving here, but I've definitely traded one set of problems for a whole new batch......this time financial. I just hope one of these years things work out for me. Hey, a guy can dream.

Financial Woes

2008-01-22T17:17:00.000-05:00

I tell you, it stinks being on a tight budget. I'm sure many can relate, but it doesn't make it any less true. When I moved into my apartment back in April, I began to wonder if I had done the right thing, because eventually, the bills came pouring in faster than I was able to pay them. First there's rent, followed by water heater rental, then gas, then hydro. Then there's the big combo bill from Rogers consisting of cable, phone and internet. Then of course, I have to eat so there's more money dished out for groceries.

I guess in a sense I'm complaining, and in the same breath, I'm not. Being on disability doesn't exactly give a person much financial flexibility. Once the aforementioned utilities, etc. are paid, I'm left with very little for extra curricular activities. I do however enjoy living alone so in a way it's worth it. Especially after talking to my good friend who shares a house with 3 other people. Their rent, utilities, food bill, etc are split 4 ways, which is all fine and well until someone falls short. Within the past 6 months, they've had their phone disconnected, gas disconnected, a threat from the hydro company to have THAT disconnected, etc. All the while, my friend has tons of extra cash to buy things he doesn't even need. To add fuel to the fire, he constantly calls me to brag about it. lol.

That being said, I might not be able to afford much luxury, but at least I can be rest assured that I'll always have heat in my house. To me that's a lot more important. More important to some I suppose.

What drove me to touch on this topic of money (or the lack thereof) is the Union Gas bill I got in the mail the other day. I'm on a monthly budget plan where I pay only $61 a month. August is considered the "pay-up" month where I either come out ahead, or the company does. Well looking at this month's bill, I saw that my gas usage literally quadrupled from the amount it was the previous month. Had it not been for the budget plan, I would've owed $250 for the past month alone. I thought for sure it was in error because I live in a small 1 bedroom apartment. My heat is always at a bare minimum. I used very little hot water, and only when necessary. So needless to say, it threw me for a loop.

I found out today that the previous meter readings were "estimated guesses". In other words, rather than send someone out to actually read the meter, they took a guess on what it might be. So, because they under-estimated, they're making up for it by over charging me this month. Talk about ridiculous. Anyhow, I'm going to take an educated guess in the hopes that next month's bill will be a little more feasible.

I know money can't buy happiness, but it would at least perk me up a bit. :)

Celebrating Brittany's Birthday

2008-01-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that my niece turned 10 today. It's amazing how fast time flies. It literally seems like yesterday when I used to feed her strained carrots and rock her to sleep while watching The Teletubbies. Now here it is 10 years later. She's in grade 4 and I couldn't be more proud of her. I've helped raise her since she was 5 months old to today.

Anyway, to ring in her first birthday with double-digits, I thought I'd take her out for a night on the town! First, I'm taking her to a Guelph Storm hockey game.....something she's wanted to do for a long time now. I took her once last year and she had a blast. I'm also taking her out to dinner at "Wimpy's", a diner downtown which makes the best (and biggest) hamburgers around. Needless to say, she's all excited about everything......and I'm glad she is.

My friend Chris will be joining us for the game which is cool. He and I bought the tickets yesterday while we were downtown. I'm pretty sure he's coming back to my place after that. He bought Guitar Hero III the other day so he said he'd bring it over. So the likelihood is I won't be getting much sleep tonight. That's ok though. I don't have to be up in the morning.

I'm really getting dismayed with the Toronto Maple Leafs these days. The last few games they've been taking it on the chin. They are really playing horrible. I watched most of last night's game which started at 10:30. Mid-way through the second period, they were already losing 5-0. The night before they lost 4-0. I hope they make some major changes soon....starting with the firing of John Ferguson Jr. He couldn't make a good business deal to save his life. Also, as much as it pains me to say it, I think they need to drop Sundin. The guy spells "devotion" and I'd personally hate to see him go, but because of the salary cap, there's too much money tied into him, and the guy isn't getting any younger. I think the money could be better spend on younger, faster talent. Again, I'm looking at the big picture. Sundin's a class act and I'd love to see him retire as a Leaf, but I think his days are numbered.

Ok, I didn't intend for this blog to turn into a sports column. My apologies.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T05:30:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is....2008. The holidays are finally behind us and we can now move on with life as we know it. I'll tell you, I had a hell of a great time on New Year's. We didn't really do a whole lot, aside from watching the UFC pay-per-view and the countdown at midnight, but man did I get loaded. lol. I ended up drinking a mickey of Crown Royal as well as about a dozen beers. Needless to say, I was feeling no pain. At least until yesterday. The good news though is I behaved myself. lol. As much as I drank, I was still fully aware of my surroundings, even at 2 in the morning when I left my mom's. I wish I could be like that every time I drink. I don't like losing control, or behaving inappropriately. I like to be able to drink, get drunk, and still have a head on my shoulders. In a perfect world maybe.

But I swear, I haven't drank as much as I have this holiday season. Between the bar a few days before Christmas, a few drinks every other night at my mom's, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve........damn. I'm not a big drinker. Seriously. The only time I do it is when I go out to the bar, which is quite rare these days as well.

Anyway, I have Brittany crashing at my place for the next few nights since my mom goes back to work today. Britt doesn't go back to school until Monday. My sister and her boyfriend go home today as well. It was nice having them down.

Some other good news. I finally finished the CD. Literally 2 days before the end of the year! I'm actually really happy with how it turned out. There's probably about 2 songs I wish I could do over, but none of them are perfect.

Anyway this is a short entry since I really don't have much to contribute today, so hopefully I'll have something exciting to report the next time around.

'Twas The Day After Christmas......

2007-12-26T20:49:00.001-05:00

I don't usually make a habit of posting a blog only 2 days after my previous one but I thought I'd chime in on how Christmas went. Needless to say, it was great. Spending the day with loved ones always make Christmas worthwhile for me. I went to my mom's on Christmas Eve, infused some Christmas spirit into my system (in the form of half a dozen beers), and basically hung out. Christmas morning, I got a call from my mom around 4:30 saying that everyone was awake and that my presence was requested. So I hauled ass over there. It wasn't a big deal, since I woke up at 3 that morning.

So, the gift giving commenced. I'm proud of myself this year because I think I did a damn good job picking out gifts my family would like. I got my mom a coffee maker, a T-Fal deep fryer, a Keith Urban CD, a set of lavender candles, and an Oscar De La Renta perfume gift set. I got my sister a Stephen King DVD set containing 4 movies ("Thinner", "Cujo", "Storm Of The Centry" and "The Tommyknockers". I got her boyfriend a t-shirt with a white tiger on it. Looks better than it sounds. Then there's Brittany. This year I got her the Furreal Talking Parrot, a set of 4 "Kingdom Hearts" graphic novels, 2 Nintendo DS games; "Thrillville: Off The Rails" and "SpongeBob SquasrePants: Atlantis". I also got her a shirt that says, "If you think I'm cute, you should see my Uncle." I thought that would be funny as hell. Needless to say, she loved it. I also got her a Bakogan starter pack. To this day, I'm still not sure what the hell it is. All I know is that she loves it. I also got her a Simpsons blanket which I bought through Avon. I even got something for my mom's dog, Minnie. A Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. It looks adorable on her.

I made out really well this year, although I wasn't expecting much. I got 2 DVD box sets, "Family Guy: Volume 5" and "Two And A Half Men: Season 1". For movies, I got "Transformers", "Slither", and "Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer". I also got a hooded sweatshirt, a Belgian waffle maker, a portable George Foreman grill, a wood-plated Toronto Maple Leafs poster, Maple Leafs coasters, a Maple Leafs calendar, and Maple Leafs socks! My sister got me a shirt I swore I wouldn't wear in public. It has the Leafs logo but instead says "Toronto Maple Laughs". It's funny as hell, and I'll gladly wear it within the confines of my own home. But as a Leafs fan, it'll be painful. lol. Her boyfriend got me a hilarious shirt as well. Let's see, I also got a lot of chocolates, an Air Wick air freshener which sprays ever 7, 15 or 30 minutes. I also got an Adidas cologne gift set as well as a few bottles of Navy cologne. I think that covers everything. lol

I wasn't planning to go out today, but I thought I'd check out the Boxing Day sales at the mall. I ended up getting a few movies for dirt cheap including, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry", "300", and "Knocked Up". None of which I've seen yet so it should be fun. I even got "The Simpsons: Season 10" which I've been wanting for awhile. I got the collectible Bart head packaging only because I have all the other heads. They're pretty rare nowadays.

So, I met up with my buddy Chris at the mall and he came back with me to my place with Xbox 360 in tow. He got Guitar Hero II for Christmas and I got to try it for the first time today. Holy shit is this game great! It's seriously addictive. A bit hard on the fingers after 7 consecutive hours but still fun just the same. Whenever I get my Xbox, that will definitely be the first game I pick up.

'Twas The Day Before Christmas......

2007-12-24T09:02:00.001-05:00

....and all through the trailer. The beer had gone flat and the pizza was staler. :) Merry Christmas everyone. Well technically it's Christmas Eve, but hey, same shit different pile. I meant to submit an entry one day last week but I just kept putting it off. Anyway, I finally finished my last-minute Christmas shopping last week. I think I did alright this year as far as gifts go, especially considering my limited budget. I just hope everyone likes the shit I fought so hard to get. :)

I'm still not really into the festive spirit, even this, the day before Christmas. Personally, I'll be glad when it's done and over with, so we can go back to life as we know it. Yes, I'm a Scrooge this year, so sue me. Bah humbug!! :)

Seriously though, it's not as bad as all that. I still like Christmas, especially when it comes to my niece. I'm just not excited about it as I had been in past years. My sister and her boyfriend came down on Friday which was cool. The three of us went to the bar for karaoke, and man did I ever get wasted. I have no clue how many beers I had. All I know is that I went from multiple bottles to multiple pitchers! I apparently made quite the scene at the variety store at 3 in the morning. I tell you, there's nothing worse than hearing the stories the day after the fact. lol I definitely needed a fun night out though, so it was all good.

Brittany's last day of school was Friday. She was there a whole half an hour before the school called me and said she was sick. The poor thing missed her Christmas party and everything. If memory serves, she took sick at the start of last year's Christmas vacation as well.

I'm still trying to get my CD finished, but I've been sick for the past couple of weeks. Almost 2 weeks ago, my mom took sick and stayed home from work for 3 days. I basically stayed over at her place to take care of her. I went out and bought her Neo Citran and cough medicine, brought her food when she needed it, etc. She was literally bed-ridden for days. Well as luck would have it (or lack thereof), I caught her cold and was in just as bad a shape as she was. I still tried to take care of her until I realized I needed to take care of myself. So, the few days which followed, I was stuck in bed. Unfortunately, I had no one to take care of me. :( I've always been independent like that though. I've always fended for myself.

Anyway I should run. I need to call my sister at my mom's and get her to wrap the rest of these gifts for me. I hate wrapping. It's funny, I can work circles around a computer, hook up any type of electronics known to man, but I can't wrap a simple Christmas present. Funny world. Well I "can" wrap, but the outcome would not be too promising.

On that note, have a very Merry Christmas, or whatever it is you're celebrating, and all the best in 2008. Cheers.

Still Working On The New CD

2007-12-10T21:40:00.001-05:00

I tell you, these days if you looked up the word "procrastination" in the dictionary, I swear you'd see a picture of me.....at least in regards to getting my new CD finished before year's end. Since 2000, I have made a CD every year consisting of songs which I perform using the aid of karaoke backing tracks, which I then record and mix using a recording studio I have on my computer. The result is usually pretty good. My reason for doing this was to send copies to my relatives who live in New Brunswick. My grandmother (Nan) in particular always looked forward to each CD and constantly asked me when the next would be ready. So from 2000 on, I have made a new disc every year, each consisting of approximately 20 songs.

This year however, I've been off to an extremely slow start. To date, I only have 13 songs recorded, and am hoping to have the rest done before Christmas. As I may or may not have mentioned in a previous blog, my Nan passed away at the end of August which has left a huge hole in my heart. A big reason for making these CD's was for her........and now she's gone. This probably attributes to why I haven't been motivated to get it done. Included on this year's disc is a song I was supposed to sing at her funeral, but because of unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to make it there. The song is titled "Wnen I Get Where I'm Going" which will be the very first track on the CD in honor of her.

I've also attributed my Nan's death as the number one reason why I'm having trouble looking forward to Christmas this year. Although I rarely ever saw her, we did talk a lot on the phone. Also, every Christmas, she'd give us a call, sending her greetings and telling us about her day. It saddens me that I won't get that call this year, or any year from here on in. She was a remarkable woman and I'll always miss her deeply.

But on a lighter note, I have a few more gifts I need to buy. Becky (my sister) and her boyfriend Joe are coming down late next week so we're going to venture to Stone Road Mall for the last minute stuff. I'm looking forward to having them down for the holidays. Believe it or not, I'm actually looking forward to New Year's this year. My mom's throwing a party at her place, with plenty of booze and munchies. I'll be bringing my karaoke machine and over 7,000 songs. My buddy Chris is bringing his Xbox 360 with "Guitar Hero II", so that should be good for a laugh, especially when we're all pissed drunk. lol. So yeah, New Year's this year is shaping up to be a pretty good one.

I went to the movies yesterday for the first time in 8 months. I wanted to see "Beowulf" but it only played in the evening so I wound up seeing "Fred Claus". It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. It had its funny moments, but overall I considered to be a very nice holiday film. I definitely enjoyed it.

25 Days 'Til Christmas

2007-12-01T11:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was pretty eventful for me. I managed to get another wave of Christmas shopping finished. I met up with my buddy Chris yesterday morning and did most of my running around in that neck of the woods. At the end of each month, I run my usual errands which include paying bills, rent, etc. I usually do this close to home as a matter of convenience, but after begging me to come down to the Stone Road area, I figured what the hell. I'm sort of glad I did because I really don't get out often anymore. The farthest I usually go is about 10 minutes from my house by foot. So it was a nice change of scenery.

I also got to try the Xbox 360 for the first time. Two words = HOLY SHIT. I'm not kidding. Never before have I seen graphics that realistic. I tried Fight Night Round 3 (boxing game) and I swear my jaw hit the floor when I saw how good it looked. Just amazing. So needless to say, I'll be getting one as soon as I can. I can only imagine how good it'll look on my 54" hi-def TV.

But anyway, as I said, I got some more Christmas shopping done. I grabbed a couple of gifts for my mom, one for Britt, one for Chris, and I even ordered a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey for my mom's dog. I may have previously mentioned that, but my memory's gone for a shit.

For lunch, I treated myself to some KFC in the food court. Explain this to me? What size chickens do they round up in that establishment?? The 3 pieces of chicken I had in my meal were so tiny, you'd have to put them all together to equal 1 decent piece. It was just a lick. I may get sicker than a dog from eating at Mary Brown's, but at least full grown chicken parts are served. I swear at KFC, as soon as the chickens hatch from the egg, they drop them in the deep fryer. Ok, sad thought I know. But it helps to best illustrate my point. :) "BIG Taste Lives Here" my ass.

Man, can't you tell I'm just rolling in holiday spirit??

Freakin' Cold

2007-11-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

As of yesterday, old man winter reared his ugly head here in Ontario as we were treated to a barrage of snow, wind and freezing rain which caused quite a few cancellations around town. This further proves why I can't stand winter, although it's still technically fall. I never liked the cold, especially over the past 4 years where I would walk Brittany to and from school, no matter what inclement weather came our way. Fortunately though, Britt's old enough to walk herself to school so I no longer have to endure the cold, at least not so much. In a way I hope it sticks around at least for another month. It's been a few years since we've actually had a white Christmas, so in that respect it would be cool. But come Boxing Day, it can all disappear. I'm not one of those people who engages in winter sports or activities. I like warmth. I really do. :)

So anyway, my Christmas shopping is well underway. I got my credit card last Friday and have already made 3 separate purchases for Christmas gifts. I love the fact that the card is pre-paid. I can only spend what I put on it which is great. The fact that I can do all of my shopping online is even better. I hate the malls this time of year. So now, I can do it all from the comfort of my own home. As of next week, I'm purchasing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey for my mom's dog, Minnie. I already know it'll look adorable on her.

For whatever reason though, I'm not really in "festive mode" quite yet. I love Christmas and always look forward to it, but this year I just don't feel the spark. I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and a little more cynical. Or perhaps the blatant non-stop commercialism constantly shoved down our throats is getting to be too much. Perhaps when it gets closer, I'll look forward to it a little more, but as for now, it's just not happening.

The Same Routine

2007-11-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

I tell you, in the story of my life, things go downhill after 30......or so it seems. I've fallen into the same monotonous routine day after day and my social life is almost non-existent. You see, I was 21 when my niece Brittany was born. My mom obtained custody of her when she was 5 months old, and I've played a large role in raising her ever since. I didn't do a lot of the things that people in their 20's would normally do, such as party every night, go to concerts, etc. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining in the least. If I had to do it all over again, I would. That little girl always has and always will mean more to me than life itself. However, I used to go singing every Friday night at various karaoke bars, most notably Knights of Columbus here in Guelph. For me, it was a way to let my hair down for one night, slam back a few beers and sing a few tunes. It's something I'd been doing for years, until recently.

Lately I've just lost interest I guess. For one, I never have anyone to go with, so if I do go, I wind up sitting by myself looking like an idiot. Secondly, the people I used to go with are either not around anymore, are too busy, or just aren't interested. So basically I just don't bother. In a way it stinks because I love singing in front of people. It's like a natural high to me, especially after singing something that gets a major audience reaction. I also like partying with friends, having a few beers, carrying on and all that good stuff. But it seems those days are long gone.

I guess I'm just in a rut these days and I need some fun in my life. Every day is the same. I get up at 6. Go to my mom's at 6:30. Wake Brittany up at 7. Make her breakfast at 7:30. Pack her lunch at 8, send her off to school at 8:30 then head back to my apartment where I spend the next 7 hours scrambling to find things to occupy my time. Then 3:30 rolls around and Brittany comes to my place. I take her to my mom's at 4.........anyway you get the picture. It's the same thing day after day.

I don't even look forward to the weekends anymore because there's never anything to look forward to. I was in a band for a brief stint until the other members lost interest and walked. So now I don't even have that. I'd love to get back into the routine of singing at the bar, but as long as I have no one to go with, there isn't any point.

As far as relationships go, it's the same deal. I've been single now for almost a year and a half. But I guess it's a catch-22. You can't be in a relationship if you don't find somebody. You can't find somebody if you don't go out. I don't go out because there's no one to go with. lol. Vicious cycle, I know. :) Seriously though, I'm extremely shy by nature until I get to know people. I'm not the kind of person who can confidently approach someone and strike a conversation. That's just not me.

Ok, I'm done bitching and moaning about the boredom that is my life. I guess sometimes it's easier to express my thoughts this way.

First Post

2007-11-06T08:51:00.001-05:00

Well, this would be my umpteenth attempt at managing a blog, so I figure what's one more? Anyhow, I hope everyone had a great Halloween last week. Mine was alright. On the 27th, I hosted my annual Halloween horror movie night where we watch movies from night until morning. This year was the best turnout ever, so I was definitely pleased. The movies we watched this year were "Cujo", "Cat's Eye", "Black Xmas", "Hatchet", "The Evil Dead", "Slither" and "See No Evil". This was the first year I had to turn people away due to lack of seating room. It's no wonder I look forward to it every year. My mom was a main contributor that evening as she made homemade subs and peanut butter cups. Very, very cool of her to do that.

As for Halloween night, I took my niece Brittany out for trick-or-treating. We hit 3 townhouse complexes and she made out like a bandit. I wore my Toronto Maple Leafs garb included the cap with the bright flashing logo. Needless to say, I was one hell of an easy target. lol

Anyway, now that Halloween is over and done with, we now shift our focus on Christmas. This is bar none my favorite time of year. I've always loved Christmas as a kid, and I love it just as much today. With Brittany, I guess I enjoy it somewhat vicariously through her. I'm enjoying it while I can because eventually she'll be too old to give a shit. As for me, I'll always look forward to it regardless.

I'm a bit depressed this year though regarding the holidays because I simply can't afford to spend the same money as I do every other year on gifts. I moved into my own apartment back in April, so most of my money is tied up in rent, food and utilities. But I'm making the best of it, and I hope everyone enjoys what I get them, no matter how cheap the gifts may be. :)

It still won't deter me from enjoying the holidays though. A week from Sunday, I'm taking Brittany to the Santa Claus Parade downtown. For her, it's a great time. For me, it's freezing my ass off for 3+ hours. But that's besides the point. If enduring the agony of watching people dressed up in musty old Smurf costumes (who haven't been popular since the early 80's by the way), then so be it.