A Modern Day Hobo

Boo.....

2008-05-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

.....YAH!!!

What changes?

2008-04-24T07:24:00.002-07:00

As of Monday, 5th May 2008, I will be an employee of the Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver, located right in the heart of Vancouver at Burrard & Robson streets.

I am excited and nervous, but very much looking forward to it. The Sutton is where all the celebrities stay when they are in town filming for their next big mega-smash hit movie, although not being one to be star-struck I do not expect this to be a distraction. I wouldn't mind meeting Cameron Diaz, though. Easy on the eyes, that one.

One new band a day keeps the boredom away!

2008-04-21T08:23:00.002-07:00

One of my goals for this coming summer is to see two bands I've never seen live per month. Officially I would like this to start in May, but last week I saw a band called WHY? that I'd never seen before. It was good, but not great. I'm not sure who the next band will be, but possibly Ladytron when they come to Vancouver in May.

There are changes in the midst, is all I have to say. Changes in the midst...

Happy birthday!

2008-04-07T07:05:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to wish my Pop a happy 60th birthday! Thanks for crying like a baby when I showed up! Oh, and thanks for all the booze and good times over the weekend. You're the best!

As the Kool-Aid man says...

2008-03-23T09:50:00.002-07:00

.....Oh Yeah!

What a vacation. I love being on vacation, I really do. I much prefer it than not being on vacation. Just the whole action of being on vacation is so much better than not being on vacation. Plus it's more fun!

Amazing snowboarding, great snow... Awesome seeing some of the friends that I met last year, and meeting new ones. I had a perfect holiday!

I'm back in Vancouver now, and looking forward to my next vacation... whenever that may be.

Vacationville!

2008-03-16T12:53:00.002-07:00

After a busy February month at work, and a couple busy weeks following, I'm on VACATION!

WOOP WOOP!!

I'm off tomorrrow on a snowboarding road trip back to Rossland and Red Mountain, which is going to be pretty much crazy awesome. I'm hoping to meet up with a few friends that are still around, meet some new people, ride some sick gnar-gnar (really? I just said that?), and have some grand ol' times. After all, isn't that what vacations are all about? Yeah, that's right.

I've been lazy about updating this blog, but with a little determination and focus, I'm hoping to turn around that streak and get back on top of things. A little encouragement anyone?

Wooooooooooord up.

Snort, Snot, Snig, COUGH!

2008-02-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

I'm having a sick day today because, well, I'm sick. I started feeling crappy a couple nights ago. Must be from all the hot chicks I've been making out with lately....

Ahh, gotta love self-depricating humour, no?

But seriously folks, I'm sick and looking for sympathy. Let the clouds of sorrow open up and rain down upon me!

2008-01-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hey world, what's been going on? How about that Heath Ledger dying? Kind of sucks, he was a good actor, and seemed to be one of those all around swell dudes. Shame about his 2 year old daughter not being able to grow up and know her father...

I got a new phone. Same number, new phone. I had sent in my old phone to be fixed, as it was having problems. Many, MANY weeks later I got a phone call saying that it was going to cost too much money to fix, so the company I got my insurance through was going to give me a good chunk of change towards a new one. So that's that story...

The weather here in Vancouver has been absolutely stunning lately. Sunny, beautiful, bright. However, it's a bit different if you're looking for fresh snow. The skiing and snowboarding has been, well, not so nice, and as a result I haven't been out for a couple weeks. Hmm. However, my roommate Dave wants to buy my board from me, which would force me to get a new board, which would get me excited to hit the hills regardless of conditions. There's another story...

Today I had a great day. Full to the brim, if you will. I went to the bank, I joined the local gym, I cleaned the entire house, I organized a couple closets, and I went for dinner with a friend I haven't seen in a while. There are many stories there...

I wish I was a better storyteller.

Another one bites the dust!

2008-01-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2008, the year so great they ended it with an "8"!

Ouch, sorry about that.

So it's the new year, I hope everyone had a great holiday, filled with relaxing moments, familial entertainment, and many, MANY drunken nights of debauched debauchery! Hell, isn't that what the holidays are for? Yeah, I thought so.

As for myself, well, my wrist had sufficiently healed enough to go "shred some gnar" (read: snowboard) a few times, had a few adult beverages, ate some delicious food, and did a good deal of relaxing. Thanks to all my loved ones for your thoughts and beautiful gifts over the season. You are all amazing people and I truly appreciate it.

I'm back at work now, but I've got the upcoming weekend off and then I'm up in Whistlah! for a job overnight on Monday, so that should be good. Nice to get away, especially when you get paid to do so! HA!

Welcome to the new year, y'all!

Happy Holidays.....

2007-12-21T14:55:00.001-08:00

......you sick bastards!

Rival Gallery is open for business.

2007-12-11T17:32:00.000-08:00

Follow the link to the right, or check out www.rivalgallery.com. There is a pretty good show on there right now, and it's a great site centered on up-and-coming Canadian photographers. You won't regret it!

Owee.

2007-12-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

Last night I got so excited about the snow that my housemates and I built a snow side down or twelve-or-so front steps and rode down it on our snowboards. I managed to break my wrist as a result...

...but MAN! was it ever worth it!

White fluff.

2007-12-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

There is snow on the ground in Vancouver, and it has been snowing all day! Welcome back, Winter!!

Back in Van

2007-11-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all.

I'm back in Vancouver now after a nice, busy trip home. During my time home I went to see Neil Young perform live at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. I would definitely include it in my top 5 concerts of all time, and possibly go as far as saying top 3. Possibly.

Another highlight from my trip was having to check my toothpaste that I had planned on bringing on the plane with me to, oddly enough, brush my teeth.

It's good to be back in Vancouver, though, despite the rain. Plus I need to get back to work so that I can afford to live.

Zzzz...

2007-11-02T18:09:00.001-07:00

I have one more day of work (tomorrow) and I have already logged nearly fifty hours this week. With tomorrow's hours I will definitely be pushing towards the sixty hour mark. This has two huge run-off effects: First and foremost, I will have an excellent paycheque. This is good because I am taking a week off to go home and visit my family and see Neil Young live and in charge in Detroit Rock City. The second effect is that it is making me extremely tired. Today I purchased a medium cinammon dolce latte with an extra shot of espresso from Starbucks. I never go to Satanbucks if I can avoid it, but I was so tired I had to cave in.

One more weekend of hell and it's vacation time.

It's always go, go go!

2007-10-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Whistler today, after just being there over the weekend. It's for work, but I always consider it a pleasure to go. Being in the mountains and fresh air, with the arrival of the winter snowboarding season around the corner, make it a beautiful atmosphere to be in. This coming weekend I have to go to Victoria for work, and again the following weekend.

It's a hard life, the jet-setting of a tent & event rental company employee...

This is what I look like when I'm drunk.

2007-10-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

The daily dose.

2007-10-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hi there. Remember me? I was given crap by my mother last night for not updating my weblog as often as I used to all those years ago, so I'm updating with some not-so-interesting-news for her benefit. Here goes:

We've been "interviewing" potential new roommates at my house as one of our current roomies is, sadly, moving back to her native New Zealand. It's been quite the process, and we've had an outstanding number and range of contestants email us. For example, we've had about 110-odd individuals apply in response to out advertisement, of which we've had approximately 15 come in for "getting to know you" chats. Of those 15 or so, one was an ex-writer for Rolling Stone magazine who's published more than two books, one person who works for eBay deleting auctions that are deemed "unworthy or against eBay policy", one person who owns a house that he doesn't want to live in (but he's going to keep the house, of course), and a whole raft of others. We've narrowed it down to three people, and will more than likely be making a decision by the end of the week.

Yesterday I started work at 4pm and didn't finish until 11.15pm.

This coming weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, and my housemates and about twenty others have rented a chalet (pronounced "shall-ay"), in Whistler and will be having a good ol' fashioned drunken weekend away. One of my roommates is going to arrange for us to do something called the "Whistler Zip-Line", which is basically a thin wire stretched between two trees that you fly down attached by nothing more than another thin wire. Should be excitingly life threatening!

Today I am finally doing some laundry that I have been putting off because I've been so busy these past weeks. I am also planning on going for a coffee at Granville Island and reading my book, as well as doing some research on:

a) building a website for myself to showcase my photography
b) continuing education classes
c) flights home to see Neil Young in Detroit with my baby brother (oh, and visit the folks!)

Have a happy day!

From four wheels to two...

2007-09-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well howdy y'all!

Good news on the transportation front: I have sold my truck! I've been quietly trying to sell it for a little while now, not really putting too much effort into it, but someone has finally decided to take it off my hands. This means, of course, that I can now reduce my carbon footprint and INCREASE my "good times" footprint and invest in a scooter! In celebration of this I went scooter shopping yesterday and am pretty sure I found the one that suits me. I won't jinx anything yet by posting a photo, but I'm sure that it'll be coming shortly...

Instead, I will post a photo of my newest tattoo, which gets me one step closer to finishing my sleeve. The mountains are the latest addition. The next sitting is early November, where the background mountains are due to be shaded, but this is definitely something that I'm taking my time with, so I don't mind the wait. Besides, it helps in paying off the Visa-man!

The Science Of Sleep.

2007-09-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

See this movie. It's weird, beautiful, will blow your mind, make you sad, confuse you, scare you, make you wish you weren't watching it, make you want to watch it again....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354899/

A second summer is going on in Vancouver right now, with temperatures expected to top 28celcius tomorrow. Abso-bloody-lutely fantastic! Break out the sunscreen!

Ow. Ow!

2007-08-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Stage 2 of my new tattoo is complete. I have just returned from another sitting, this time doing more fill of the scene. Early results are excellent, and I look forward to sharing them with you all soon. All together this time it was about one hour and forty five minutes straight, with only one toilet break.

I'll tell you what -- I'm not really looking forward to getting the elbow and "dip" done. Yeesh!

Sunset/Moonrise, Larrabee State Park, Washington State.

2007-08-22T23:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time comin'...

2007-08-11T09:22:00.001-07:00

...but here's another post. I've been neglecting this weblog, admittedly, but with fairly poor reason. My younger brother Geoff is visiting, which allows for little extra time to blog, email, etc. Plus I've been on facebook, which is taking up WAY too much of my internet time. Sorry. I'll try to do better.

Anyway, we've just returned a couple nights ago from a four day trip to "the Island", which was fantastic. Probably to two highlights for me were the whale-watching trip and our brief night on Denman Island. We did the tour out of a town on the left coast of the island called Tofino. Known for it's pretty good surfing waves, it's also a major hotspot for all sorts of whales. Here's one of my photos, direct out of camera:

The second highlight, Denman Island, was a spur of the moment addition to our trip. We eventually, after a sudden bout of disappointment, ended up staying in the grounds of this cool little B&B/hostel. It was a beautiful little converted farmhouse, with all these additional little huts pocked around the grounds.

I'll try and keep this blog a little more up-to-date in the future. Geoff is leaving in a few too-short days, so after that it should be a little easier.

Cheers for now!

For your viewing pleasure...

2007-07-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Inked.

2007-07-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today I finally started to finish my tattoo that was started way back when I was in Australia. I have to say, having sat in that tattoo chair for close to three hours, it didn't hurt HALF as bad as I thought it was going to.

My next sitting is at the end of August, for another three hours. I'm sure this one will hurt a bit more as we're going to tackle more of the shading, more than likely covering a larger area. So far everything looks amazing. I'm super happy with the work that Steve at Sacred Heart Tattoos has already done, and can't wait for it to heal up and enjoy it!

As soon as I can take the bandage off and get a good photo of it I'll post and let you all enjoy it too!!

BOO!!!

2007-07-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

Don't break any mirrors, don't walk under any ladders, and don't sodomize any black cats today --

IT'S FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH!!!

Stranger Than Fiction.

2007-07-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've watched two movies recently that I'd like to recommend to all out there. The first is a recent Will Ferrell vehicle called "Stranger Than Fiction". Seriously, go rent this movie. From what I understand it's a bit of an older one, but very good. It's great to see him in more of a serious role for once, and he pulls it off with aplomb.

The second film is called "Tideland". It is director Terry Gilliam's latest offering, and seriously messed up. Kind of depressing in a way, but that's mainly in the way of the subject matter that it's tackling. Visually it's very interesting, and very much in the veign of a Terry Gilliam film. Rent it if you want your mind to be twisted (Myles, go rent it).

Also, I've just purchased the Austin Powers Trilogy on dvd. I was wrestling between this and the Matrix Trilogy, and decided this was the better buy. What do you think?

Suckers!

2007-07-02T07:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Post-Canada Day, all you hungover drunks!

Hazy, lazy day.

2007-06-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

I love having two days off in a row. It allows you to do so much more in terms of chores, yet it also gives you the option to relax and recharge, and tackle things that you haven't done in a while.

Yesterday I did some chores that I've been meaning to get to for a while, and today I'm hoping to recharge my batteries for the upcoming week. I'll probably grab a blanket and head down to the beach for a while, have a nap, read my book. I'm also interested in playing some pitch-n-putt in Stanley Park here in Vancouver. There was talk of possibly doing the Grind today as well, but I'd be surprised if that materialized.

Dark Side of Oz.

2007-06-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I attempted to watch the movie mash-up between Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" and the movie classic "The Wizard Of Oz". Overall I found the connections to be loose at best. There were only a few moments when the connections were spot on. However, it was still a pleasurable experience. Because of this I can't completely write off the idea that the Floyd had recorded "Dark Side.." with the intention of pairing it with "..Oz".

Damned conspiracry theories and old wives tales.

Halleluja

2007-06-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday today, y'all! My twenty nineth year should promise to be a good one. Thanks to all that have already passed along wishes, and thanks to those whose wishes are still pending.

Holla at your boy!

Pay Attention!

2007-06-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to draw your attention to the new link I've added to the right. It's called Rival Gallery, and it's my friend Myles' newest venture. It's an online art gallery focusing on contemporary Canadian photography.

Currently there is a show by my good friend Scott Woods. Prints are available to purchase through the gallery in editions of five. I highly recommend having a look at it and getting to know the name Rival Gallery. Good things are coming for this fantastic artistic endeavour....

Keep your eyes peeled September 1st.

Full day off #2.

2007-05-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today I had a day off after working six days in a row. It's great to be working again, because it makes the days off seem that much more worthwhile. Here's what I've done so far, and what I'm planning for the evening:

-woke and put my laundry on
-ate breakfast and enjoyed a lazy morning
-walked to Sacred Heart tattoo parlour and made a consultation appointment for 15th June
-bought new guitar strings
-went to Young Brothers Produce and bought fruit and veg
-paid my cell phone bill
-made and ate lunch
-changed my guitar strings and learned two new songs

This evening I'm going on a photo shoot and hopefully seeing my uncle for dinner. Quite a full day for a non-working day.

Ps...

2007-05-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of my new roommates and I last week. We are missing one roommate, Mellow Narelle-o. Also, Scottish Timo is included in the left of the image.

3/5ths of a day.

2007-05-25T17:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I outlined five things that I had planned to achieve on my day off. I managed to get three of them done in their entirety, and one I partially completed and changed mid-way through.

I went to the Honda dealership, and I threw in a visit to the Vespa dealership for good measure. The cheapest I would be able to get into a leased/financed scooter brand new would be $3500 after taxes, shipping fees, blah blah blah. I think I'll look at a used one.

I also went to Marks Work Wearhouse and looked at steel toed boots for my new job.

The third thing I got done was setting up the porch lights. In order to do this I had originally planned on buying a staple gun from Canadian Tire. I went to Canadian Tire and decided not to spend $30+ on a new staple gun, instead opting for the $3 box of staples that I could hammer in using, ironically, a hammer.

I did not, however, go to the beach. Instead I had a lazy morning and read my book.

First "official" day off! Woohoo!

2007-05-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm a working man, I can officially declare that today is my first "day off". Oh, did I not tell you that I'm a workin' man again? Yeah, I'm a workin' man. I have obtained gainful employment here in Vancouver, and I'm happy for it. It's going to be good to have a steady routine, especially one that provides me with a paycheque.

I've been amazed at the weather here in Vancouver. On my first day of work I actually got a sunburn! Yes, it has been very nice indeed, and I'm sure it's only going to continue. I had come to this city with the impression that it rained more than it didn't, but so far this hasn't been the case. Looks like another beauty today!

My chores for my day off are the following:

-Visit the Honda dealership down the road and enquire about buying/leasing a scooter.
-Visit Marks Work Wearhouse and have a look at steel toed boots.
-Visit Canadian Tire and purchase a staplegun.
-Use said staple gun to put up colourful Xmas lights on the porch.
-Go to beach and lay in sun.

As you can see, I'm using my days off to the fullest.

Sick Justice...

2007-05-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to Whistler for the tv shoot. Apparently it has something to do with me not having a Whistler/Blackcomb seasons pass, as well as not being a Whistler "local". I mean, is anyone REALLY a local in Whistler? That town has such a huge turnaround that it's hard to think that there are any locals at all. Oh well.

On a bit of a heavier note, I had to get my car towed to a Canadian Tire today after the battery COMPLETELY DIED on me while I was crossing the Burrard Street bridge this afternoon. Thankfully my income tax cheque arrived in the mail today so I'll be able to pay off most of my credit card.

I've said it before and I'll most likely say it again: Car ownership does not pay.

First stop Whistler, next stop HOLLYWOOD!

2007-05-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

So I figured that since I'm in the "big city", I should look into doing some extras work for television and film. You see, Vancouver is known as the "Hollywood of the North", and lots of productions come to the city and are filmed here. X-Files, for one, was filmed here on a regular basis.

Anyway, I answered an advertisement yesterday calling for extras for the CTV television show "Whistler". It's a murder/mystery type show set in Whistler centering around a group of young, hip snowboarder/skiier-type youths. I think it's got a bit of a "Lost" theme to it.

Back to the point of the story, I'm going to be in Whistler next week, Tuesday and Wednesday, for filming of the show. How exciting! Also, two of my housemates have agreed to go up with me, so we're going to have a helluva good ol' time. Not only are the three of us going up to be on a tv show (did I mention it's in WHISTLER??), we get to potentially do some snowboarding, we get fed, we get paid, and it's going to be freakin' awesome!

Good times, good times...!!!

It's a Black Day.

2007-05-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

I recieved a letter in the mail today stating that I will not be considered for a spot in the IDEA program at Capilano College.

Enough said.

Running Around in the Rain.

2007-05-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

It's raining outside. This shouldn't be much of a surprise, since I AM living in Vancouver, which next to London UK counts as one of the wettest major cities in the world.

Today I've got a whole bunch of chores to run around and get to, which I'm actually excited to do! I've got to run up to Capilano College and pick up my portfolio which by now has been looked at, considered, and hopefully projected me into the lead of next year's candidates.

I'm also going to get a haircut in anticipation of any interviews I might have in the next couple weeks. Housemate Dave has told me to whip up a resume and cover letter for him with the idea of possibly working for Moose Travel Network as a guide this summer.

Also, I plan on going to Value Village to look for a duvet cover. Oh, did I not mention I bought a duvet for my new bed? Yep, $5 at a garage sale over the weekend. In my opinion, it's a bargain. If, while I'm at ValVill, I spot a desk and/or comfy chair I might pick that up as well.

Well, it's nine o'clock. Time to get this boat out of the drydocks.

Trafalgar Street Madness!!

2007-05-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Ladies and germs, I have a room of my own! After years of roaming the planet in search of a my place, I have found it. And what's even better, is that I'm slowly making it mine! I've already got a bed, WITH bedding(!), and over the next week I hope to pick up a desk and chair to complete the look. I might even look for an end table!

Look out Vancouver, I'm moving up in life!!

Yesterday two of my housemates, James and Dave, and myself did the Grouse Grind hike in North Vancouver. It was great to get out there and get some serious cardiovascular exercise, and the view at the top of Grouse Mountain was excellent. After a day of reflection, I'm surprised that my legs aren't sore. I'd like to try and get up and do the Grind every couple weeks, maybe working up to doing it once a week. Definitely a good slog up that hill...

Big Champions League footie match today, with Liverpool hosting Chelsea. Should be a good'un.

The hand of God.

2007-04-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well, two days ago I dropped off my portfolio with my school of choice, Capilano College. Now I sit back and wait. In the end, I'm actually pretty pleased with how things turned out, and would be pretty disappointed if I didn't AT LEAST get a call to come in for an interview. They said I should hear by the end of next week. Now the waiting game...

Tomorrow a friend and I have mildly planned on doing an apparently strenuous walk called the "Grouse Grind". Unfortunately the MAN is calling for rain for the next three days, which means that the Grind might be called off in favour of sitting around, watching movies, and gorging on ice cream and sweets. It's all about extremes.

Ciao for now.

Crap Crap Crap!

2007-04-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

I just called Capilano College to ask about my portfolio submission and when it has to be in by, and found out that I can't submit it on disk, which was my original plan. It seems I have to have a physical folder-type portfolio, which means having to go out, spend $25 on a folder, another $10 on print outs that need to be done, and then petrol to drive it down to the college by the due date next wednesday.

Shit.

On the plus side it's a real kick in the pants to get it done and in order, which I suppose is a good thing. I feel like I've been a bit complacent lately, and not being as (mentally) active as I could be. Hopefully this is the boost I need.

In a van, down by the river, no more!

2007-04-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well it seems that dreams DO sometimes come true.

The good folk at 2309 Trafalgar Avenue in Kitsilano have decided, after sifting through some 90 emails and interviewing a dozen or so downtrodden souls, that I am the chosen one. I will be Dave, James, and Narelle's newest (and, without being too modest, bestest) roommate. I'm very excited. I move in May 1th. Beers are on me tonight, guys!

I've ordered some cheques from the bank so that I can pay rent, and tomorrow i'm going to H&R Block to get my taxes done. Please please please deem me worthy of a return! My visa isn't going to pay ITSELF off, you know!

Game four of the Canucks/Stars first round playoff tonight. Should be a good'un.

It was the best of time...

2007-04-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day it was yesterday here in springtime Vancouver. Bright sun, little wind, a few clouds speckling the sky... And there I was, walking around in SHORTS in the middle of APRIL, while eastern Canada and the USandA gets pounded by a freak spring storm. Sorry guys, but I think I made the right choice in moving out here.

Today, though, it's raining. It's been raining since this morning, and isn't showing signs of letting up for the rest of the day. Hey, as long as I get those nice beautiful days where people come out of the woodwork to sit on cafe patios, wearing sunglasses and summer gear, I'm happy. This rain makes those sorts of days THAT much sweeter.

So I've joined Facebook. I bought in and I think I can see myself getting hooked. I stayed away for so long, and now I'm a convert. Saying that, it could still be what I predicted before: something I'll get into for a couple months, then forget about. Only time will tell.

I've got an appointment to do my taxes with the good folk at H&R Block on wednesday at 2pm. Hopefully it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg, and DOUBLE hopefully I won't have to pay anything back. 'Cause that would suck. Lots.

The Big City, part 1.

2007-04-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

Upon arrival to my new hometown, I got stuck in traffic for an hour. This was still 35kms outside the city! Quite a change from small town life in the mountains, where the population is less than the number of people at the bar I went to the other night. Crazy stuff...

Anyway, it's an exciting time to be here. The Canucks are in the playoffs, and the first night I was here was game one of the series. I met up with a friend of mine and we went out to drink some beer, eat some food, and join in the revelry. Good times, aside from the next morning, that is.

This is a beautiful place, and to shake off our hangovers we went down to the Kitsilano beach and walked the dogs. I couldn't believe I was in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, walking on a beach beside the ocean with the city skyline and glorious mountains in the background. What a scene.

Surprise surprise, it's raining today. Two days of nice weather here, though, and it's supposed to be a great weekend. Happy times!

Game Over. Adios.

2007-04-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Winter Of Adam is over. Begin The Summer Of Adam.

It's all over now, baby blue. In twelve hours I'll be leaving Rossland via the 3b highway to Kamloops. A further 36 hours and I'll be in Vancouver, dining at one of it's many fine restaurants.

So long, and thanks for all the fish, Rossland.

I love you (you know who).

53 to 49 for a day.

2007-04-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to post number 99! Or as I like to call it, the "Wayne".

Things are definitely coming to an end here, folks. April 5th, I'm afraid to say, and in a few days I'll be leaving Rossland. I wouldn't say forEVER, but for now at least. I'm looking forward to getting to Vancouver, the big city, and sorting out this school business. I've also got to do my taxes. Sheesh...

Yesterday a group of seven of us got together and drove down to a ski hill in Washington State called 49North. It was a good day, although we had some trouble getting across the border. Those damned Australians and their visa issues! The hill was nice and cruisy, and the drive was great. The only down side was finishing the day at a barn of a casino filled with smoking fatties and mulleted women. All in all, though, I'll remember the good times and not the fatties.

Bring on the summer of Adam!

Good news!

2007-03-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Good news, everyone! I went to the post office today and got a letter from Thompson Rivers University, in Kamloops, about my application. It turns out that I can transfer over 18 credits from my days back in Fanshawe College! Pretty good, eh? Of course, this is all contingent on if I get in to Thompson Rivers University. The program I applied for there is called Digital Art & Design, or DAAD for short. This is pretty encouraging news, especially as DAAD is my second choice program behind Capilano College's IDEA program.

Things are moving along, and my portfolio is done. I just have to type up some words to accompany it and I'll be off to the races! Next stop educationville!

Jollywood.

2007-03-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

While running errands yesterday I popped down to the local video rental store to see if there were any "previously viewed" dvds for sale. They usually have some pretty good deals, and this time was no exception. "BUY TWO, GET TWO FREE", read the sign, so I started my search. In the end I picked up Spiderman2, Fast Food (a snowboarding video), Thunderstruck (an Australian film somewhat about AC/DC), and Zatoichi (a Japanese film about a blind swordsman).

Last night I watched Zatoichi, and really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I'd never really seen anything like it before. Why, you ask? Well, it was good. Don't get me wrong. Lots of great swordplay and action, as well as some funny bits. But the thing that got me was the dancing. I mean, it was wierd. Interspersed with all the action scenes and regular acting was dancing, where the extras would be doing "Stomp" routines to the movie sountrack. Then, the last scene in the movie had the entire cast (I'm pretty sure I saw a crew member in there somewhere, too...) doing a Stomp/tap routine.

I know that Bollywood movies very often have dancing in their movies, and it's usually expected, but this is a Japanese samurai movie! I didn't know that samurai had such amazing tap dancing abilities! What is this, Jollywood?

Nearing the Century. Sorry.

2007-03-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Welcome back! Good to see you again. It sure has been a while...

I'm saying this more to myself than anyone, really. It's been a few weeks since I was last on here, and to be honest not that much has happened. It seems like time is sort of standing still here for the moment. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm having a good time... It's just that not much of note has happened since last I was on.

Okay, I had a great night at our staff party last week, where I got really drunk, laughed a lot, and had a great night. Okay, so the weather is really warming up here and today I got a bit of sun on my "Robert Smith" face. Okay, so I've sent away all my transcripts for school and am working hard at getting my portfolio together...

Hmm. Seems there's been a bit more going on than I thought. Sorry. I'll try to be a little bit more diligent here. Sorry blogger. Sorry blogger readers (if there's any still out there).

I'm off to an early spring barbeque, so I've got to cut this short. Sorry. This is post #96 for me. Only four more until I hit the century mark. Keep your eyes pealed...

Independance is MINE! MWUAHAHA!!

2007-02-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

That's right, folks, I'm hitting on all four cylinders! I've just finished driving some four hundred kilometres in my new/old GMC Sonoma truck, white, with matching canopy, extra set of tires, and cd player. All for the low, low price of... Yeah right. Did you actually think I was going to tell you? Forget it.

Vancouver was good. The weather was outstanding, aside from one day, and I'm even more excited about schools than before. In particular I went to visit Capilano College and the IDEA program, and it looks good. Damn good. I also think my chances of getting in are pretty good... Especially after seeing some of the other potential students' portfolios. I mean, come on. If for some amazingly extraterrestrial reason I DON'T get in, I'd be shocked, appalled, and disgusted.

Keep the words of encouragement and advice pouring in. I'm on a high right now and want this train to keep on a-rollin'!

Zzzz...

2007-02-10T08:38:00.001-08:00

Isn't it wierd how shitty you feel when you only get three hours of sleep?

Check it off the list!

2007-02-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I've just now finished applying to all the schools I'm looking at here in BC. For five schools it cost me a measly $185.00 for them to simply review my applications and decide if they want me to attend an interview and portfolio review. THEN I might get in. Geez, what a process!

Oh, but it's not actually finished... I still have to gather and send off my HIGH SCHOOL transcripts to each school, which I think is a bit ridiculous considering I've been out of high school for ten years. Apparently my college transcripts aren't enough, and even that I graduated almost seven years ago. Oh well.

Now I just have to get my portfolio in tip top shape. I'm sure I'll be asked to send off portfolios to each school, so that's going to be my goal for the next two months or so.

I got drunk on my own last night and made chocolate chip and banana pancakes for breakfast this morning. They were delicious!

One Month In...

2007-01-30T16:44:00.000-08:00

Again, my apologies. I've been slacking off with my weblog, and I'm sorry.

So January is basically over, and it's been a pretty good month. We haven't had any new snow here in quite a while, so people are getting pretty anxious for the skies to open, but it will come. We can't really complain, though, when we look east to Ontario and Quebec and the winter they've had... I'm just happy to be out there and enjoying the winter weather.

In just over two weeks I'm off to Vancouver to meet my parents who will be flying over for a visit. I'm looking forward to this, and having some time away. The past week or so for me has been, well, interesting. I'm sorry, but I can't really get into it. Again, my apologies.

Some pretty big news here for you all: within the next week I will hopefully have all my school applications in the mail. Awesome, eh? I'm pretty excited to get these done with, so I can focus on my portfolio. For those not in the know, I'm applying for courses in Graphic Design and one in Professional Photography. Good times!

Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Ass-numbingly Cold in BC!

2007-01-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's been on average -17celcius here for the past week. No call for a break until Thursday at the earliest. Oh, and no new snow for snowboarding in over a week, either. I guess I shouldn't really complain, actually, since Blue Mountain in Ontario recently had to lay-off almost their entire workforce. Ouch.

I'm making plans for a bit of a break in February, as my folks are coming out to Vancouver for a week. I'll be flying out to meet them, visit a couple schools, eat some delicious food, do a little shopping, look at buying a car... You know, the usual.

"Don't take your guns to town, son".

...And three days in...

2007-01-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all... wherever you may have celebrated, and with whomever you celebrated, I hope that it was a joyous occassion. Congratulations to everyone for making it through another year, and may the next 365 days (now 362) bring prosperity and happiness to you.

Cheers!

Three days to go!

2006-12-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Xmas, wouldn't you say? We just had three cents worth of snow last night, a nice little touch of powdery white stuff. Probably just enough for Santa and his Reindeer to come sliding on all the rooftops.

I was just thinking how nice it would be if there actually was a big round man who traveled the world and stuffed gifts down everyones' chimneys... Wierd, but nice. It would be especially nice for people that aren't with their families, or for people that actually DO need those new socks or package of toothpaste.

Me, well, I'll be working Xmas day. It should be alright, I guess. A little bonus money in my pocket, and bright happy faces all around as they "shoosh" down the hill. I've been invited to a pot luck dinner in the evening, with a secret Santa give away.

You know what I say: Ho, Ho, Ho and a bottle of rum!

I'm a baaaad man...

2006-12-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

I've been told that I don't update my weblog frequently enough, so I'm going to try and focus on that a little more. Hopefully I will be able to add more photos, too. I will try for one new photo a week, and see if that pleases the masses (by "masses" I mean the four or five people that actually follow this)...

So the job up at Red Mountain Resort is going well. This past Saturday I had my first shift as a bartender in the Rafters bar, and it was pretty good. I was only there for a couple hours, but by the end of it I felt like I had most of the basics down. I like working in bars, and have worked a couple before, so I'm sure this one won't be any different. Hopefully all the American tourists that come up for weekends are good tippers!

What else? Xmas is coming up thick and fast, and I feel bad because I haven't had a chance to send off my presents to my family yet. I'm sure I'll get them in the mail this week though, no worries...

Right now it's snowing like a biyatch here in Rossland. It's very pretty, but can be hard on the back. Apparently it's meant to snow all night and all day tomorrow... probably another 30cms or so... When it dumps, it damn-well-dumps here!

Have a great day!

Work is such... Work!

2006-12-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

But when you've got views like this all around you, somehow it's all worth it...

So far everything is going well, except for this constant pain in my entire body. I think it will be a good winter. Snowboarding is fun and SO relaxing. When I'm out there I'm not thinking of anything else, and it's great. The job itself should be alright, and the people seem pretty nice and very friendly. Everyone is there to have a good time and have a laugh.

More images later!

Back in the thick of it.

2006-11-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Well folks, finally here's a real update for y'all. I hope you enjoyed the last couple photo posts.

Things here in Rossland, BC, are flowing along nicely. For a while there I was a little worried that nothing would fall into place, but it seems to be working out great. I've been working part time at a restaurant down in Trail waiting tables, which has been good for pocket money but not good at all for bankable money. So finally I managed to land a job at the local ski hill, Red Mountain Resort, as a lift operator. I also had an interview with the food and beverage people yesterday, and I'm confident something will come up there.

What does all this mean, you ask? Well, if something DOES come up in F&B at the hill then I can give up on the restaurant job. My main problem there is that the shifts are infrequent and traveling back and forth is sketchy at best. If I had a car of my own it'd be no problem, but public transport here runs at ridiculous hours, so I can't rely on that.

As you can see, everything job-wise is falling into place perfectly. My future, on the other hand, is all over the map. I've got some great ideas, and just came up with another one an hour ago. I like this one and might look deeper to see how far I can take it.

It's all in how determined one can be to obtain their dreams. Make it happen.

Through The Fog...

2006-11-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

Closed for the Winter!

2006-11-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

When it dumps, it dumps!

2006-11-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Well, today is snow day number 3 here in Rossland, BC, and it's bucketing down. I went to bed last night and there wasn't a fleck of snow in the air. When I got up, somehow there was three inches on the ground. All this in a span of seven hours... And it hasn't stopped! Amazing.

Tomorrow I am hoping to start my new job at the Trails End Cafe down in Trail. I'm going to be waiting tables, but it won't be that bad. The menu is amazing (and pricey), and the restaurant has a good reputation, which should bring in some nice tips for yours truly. And trust me, I need it. I'm looking into buying a car (just a little run-around for the winter and beyond) and it looks like the insurance alone is going to cost me more than the car! Well, not quite, but it's still a kick in the dick.

Some more good news for you folks out there: I got an interview at Red Resort. This is the big one for me. Ideally I would like to work days at the mountain, then about three nights a week at the restaurant. This would give me the money I need to play around for the winter, as well as put some aside for when I have to decide what to do in the spring. Most importantly, though, I'd be keeping busy and meeting people, which is definitely what I need at the moment. Restlessness is setting in!

Good things are happening, I can feel it. The ball is rolling, and I think it's rolling in the right (albeit lengthy) direction...

Snow day #2.

2006-11-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

Right now, here in Rossland, BC, it's snowing like a mutha... I'd finish that sentence, but sensitive eyes are watching. They are calling for up to 15cms of snow today and over night, but from friday until tuesday it's meant to rain, rain, and rain some more. All the beautiful snow will be gone for good. Well, until it snows again.

Talking to a lady in a shop today, she told me that it's a pretty regular thing to get over twenty five FEET of snow each year. I assume that this doesn't all happen at once and you have to dig your HOUSE out of the snow, but tweenty five feet of snow is still twenty five feet of snow, no matter how you look at it. Apparently about five years ago they got hit with more than FORTY FEET in the season! Are you fucking serious??!!?? That's some back-breaking shovel work, let me tell you...

No, it's actually good. I'm looking forward to the snow. I haven't done a whole lot of winter photography, so it will be a good challenge for me. Oh, and that whole snowboarding thing should be pretty fun, too!

All settled in, with LOTS of places to go!

2006-10-29T18:16:00.001-08:00

Well, I've moved in to my new place here in Rossland, BC, Canada. A little history of Rossland: It was apparently the place of the first ever helicopter flight in North America by Louise Gagnon in 1902; Rossland was home to the country's richest gold mine; There are over 200 mines dotted around the area of Rossland; It is home to approximately 3500 people.

Everything is super amazing at the moment. I'm confident that a job will come soon, and I'm even more confident that my photography skills can only improve by being in such a beautiful location. Rossland is only about 10kms from the US border, so if I felt like going for a long weekend to Washington, I could walk there. HA! Everyone that I've met in my short time here (and there's been quite a few!) has been super nice and helpful. Just yesterday I was given a tip off about two different job opportunities that look interesting!

The house itself is very cool, too. Two bedrooms, huge living/dining room, big kitchen where I can build up some culinary skills, massive bathroom with a kick-ass shower... It's very nice indeed. The tv only gets two stations that are always fuzzy, so I won't be watching it that often, but this can only be a good thing! Oh, and there's a huge, fenced backyard that I can go out and make snow angels in when the snow arrives.

Did I mention that last year (from what I've been told) there was six feet of snow on the ground at one point? Good things are going to come from this move to BC, I can tell...!

All settled in, with LOTS of places to go!

2006-10-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

You CAN get something for nothing!

2006-10-23T17:42:00.001-07:00

Well, that's a bit of a lie, or at least an exaggeration. If you read down a few posts, you'll notice that I had all my camera equipment stolen from an underground parking lot in Calgary (thanks again, fuckers). Anyway, after much wrangling and telephone calls between parents, insurance claim agents, etc, I have finally started to rebuild my stockpile.

Here in Vancouver, at a Best Buy, and via a telephone call back to London, Ontario, to a claims agent, with the help of Manager Michael, I managed to spend close to $3500.00 on camera goodies. The most exciting piece of all is a brand new Nikon D80 digital SLR, along with two lenses (18-135mm and 55-200mm). These two will pretty much replace the four lenses that were stolen, but I DO still wish I could have picked up a 50mm f1.4 prime. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers when you're shopping at Best Buy. I also picked up close to $350 worth of filters for the two lenses, which shocked Manager Michael. Also, I threw in a nice SB-600 speedlight flash for good measure. That's the main unit. I also got a Canon Powershot A710 for nights out.

It was fun and frustrating at the same time doing my shopping, and took over four hours to get it all done. In the end, though, I got close to the equivalent of what was taken from me by the Calgary Crackhead. Now I'm off to start making beautiful art. Can't wait to be in those mountains again!

Oh, did I mention that all of this didn't cost me ONE PENNY? No? Well, all of this didn't cost me one penny. There.

You CAN get something for nothing!

2006-10-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a Westerner -- It's Official!

2006-10-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today I passed from mountain time (like I said before, fuck you Calgary. Mountain time is NOT my time!) into Pacific Time. I don't ever plan on going back. Sorry everyone. Pacific time seems to suit me just fine...

BC. What to say about such a place? Everywhere I look there seems to be something new and exciting and beautiful and amazing. I'm loving it so far. I'll let you know again when I actually decide on a place to stay, and start looking for a job. That could make or break this whole experience. The job hunt is one of my major worries right now, but I think I've come at a good time of year, so hopefully no problems.

We're in Nelson right now, which is apparently one of the sunniest places in BC. Even though we arrived and it was dark, I've got a good feeling about the place. I only noticed ONE Wal-Mart! Lots of coffee shops, street shopping, it's on a lake, and the air is clean.

About 10,000 people call Nelson home, but there's a good possibility it might be 10,002 by the end of this month.

Fuck You Calgary.

2006-10-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Last night as Stephanie and I were peacefully sleeping the night away at the Days Inn here in Calgary Alberta her car was broken into. I'm guessing that it was probably some kind of addict looking for some crap to sell. Thankfully the "crap" they decided to take was ALL OF MY GOD DAMNED CAMERA EQUIPMENT!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!! So not only do I not have a camera to take photos of the rest of our trip, but all the photos since Red Lake Ontario (about two weeks ago) and all the undeveloped/exposed film has been taken.

Thanks Calgary. I don't know if I'll be coming back any time soon...

Mountain Time is MY Time!

2006-10-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Calgary, Alberta. The urban sprawl here is huge. I think we probably drove for about thirty kilometres before we got into the city proper. Absolutely crazy. The place is booming, but there isn't enough housing for all the people to stay in, so people are having to rent one bedroom apartments for $1000/month. Is it REALLy that amazing of a place? Sure, it's pretty sunny for most of the year, and those chinooks will warm you right up in the winter... But the COST!!! Think about it!

So off to Banff tomorrow or the next, and probably spend a few days in the surrounding parks area exploring and getting used to the mountain air. Hikes, bikes, and good ol' times...

BC is next, and off Vancouver to see a couple friends and an Uncle. Can't wait.

Beautiful Ontario, when will you end?

2006-09-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

To anyone out there who has traveled the length and breadth of Ontario, Canada, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME IT WAS SO DAMN HUGE!!!??? Holy crow, it's been ages. Since leaving London two weeks ago, we have already clocked up more than 2,600kms on the speedo, and we're only in Red Lake! Yeesh! There's still four more provinces to go!

Actually, we should be in Manitoba come Saturday, which will be very exciting indeed. It's time to get this show on the road and see some places I haven't been before. Mind you, I haven't seen Northern Ontario before, and have thoroughly enjoyed it, but there's something about getting out of the province you grew up in, you know? Also my excitement for getting to British Columbia is drawing me to get out there.

Does anyone out there know of any good, exciting, challenging car games to play? Steph and I have been traveling quite a bit lately, and sometimes the conversation in the car is a little quiet. Anyone? Anyone?

So Long Southwestern Ontario!

2006-09-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Notice I didn't say "goodbye", instead opting for the pleasant "so long"... I'll be back for visits, so it's definitely not a goodbye.

Yeah, in about 20 hours I'll be leaving London, Ontario, Canada, never to return to live again. At least that's the plan. My move to British Columbia is, at this point, being viewed as a long-term move, and as such I'm having a hard time dealing with the fact that I am leaving all my good friends and family behind. So, to all those that have enriched my life beyond anything that you will ever realise, thank you SOOOO much. I value your friendship and love immensely, and hope that it will continue for many years to come.

Wow, it's really getting down to it. I still haven't packed my clothes, or even decided on which articles I'm bring with me. Nothing quite like leaving everything to the last minute, eh? Steph and I only just today managed to get the roof box strapped down to the car! Haha, its alright. Toronto is our first stop, and that's only a couple of hours away, so we'll have some time to organise things a little bit better when we're there...

So thank you London, and good luck for the future. Thank you to all my friends and family, and I'll be seeing you real soon. This is not the end, it's only the beginning of something beautiful...!

Four Days until Cashstrapsville.

2006-09-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

In four days I will be unemployed and pinching pennies. Seriously. In eight days I start the move to western Canada.

I'm looking forward to the latter of these. I'm not so looking forward to having to watch my wallet. It sucks, but can easily be done. I think after traveling the world for six years I've probably learned a few things about living on the cheap, so what's another two months, right? I'm excited to not work at this particular job... In particular I'm looking forward to not working with a couple people anymore. Don't get me wrong, there are a few people that I will genuinely miss from my work, but they are too few to keep me there.

Stephanie (my travel partner) and I have pretty much got everything sorted out for our trip, though. We managed to get a roof rack attached to her car, and the only thing we really have to get is the actually roof box to store our stuff in. This is very exciting indeed. Her little car is going to look pretty awesome with it latched atop the roof! I've already started to go through my stuff, and luckily I don't have much. Steph, on the other hand, has to have a garage sale this saturday to get rid of all her things!

When I get out west I'm living with nothing. A bed, a chair, and a dresser. That's all I need. Maybe some cutlery and food articles... I haven't decided yet.

The Good Ol' Garbage Sale.

2006-08-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's a Canadian institution. The saturday morning garage (aka garBage) sale. If you're lucky and live on a street that's into this sort of thing, maybe you can organise a street garbage sale. That way people will come in, far and wide, to peruse yard after yard of useless crap that you don't want anymore. Hey, your rubbish could be someone else's disgusting table ornament, right?

Here's an example of what you could pick up at our house's sale:

- a white stain-glassed swan lamp
- a tv that gets three channels
- a VCR (doesn anyone use these things anymore?)
- musical tapes by the likes of C&C Music Factory, the Beavis and Butthead Movie Soundtrack, etc.
- a six speed bike with two working speeds.
- an orange fondue set.

If anyone is interested, there's heaps of other useless crap lying around that you're more than welcome to take off our hands. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing at 8am on a saturday morning. Although, the couple beers I've already had are taking the sting out of it all...

Welcome to America... err, Canada!

2006-08-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

For someone who's just arrived in Canada, it'd be hard to tell the difference between this country and our neighbours to the south. Hopefully my friend Tam, who's just flown in from New Zealand, doesn't think Canada is full of loud-mouthed, over-weight, intrusive people.

You see, we (being my brother Geoff and I) picked her up from the airport in Toronto on Saturday afternoon and drove in to the City to spend the night. Little did we know that Carabana was on (Toronto's massive celebration of Carribean culture). This is a huge event, with people from all over the states coming to blast reggae music from their "pimped out" cars and drink cheap wine.

The next day we attempted to drive from Toronto to Niagara falls (118kms away). In fact, we crawled there. Carabana was over, so the Americans had to go home in their Escalades and Crown Victorias. It took us THREE HOURS to drive the normal one hour drive to the falls.

I'm being all negative here, and I'm sorry for that because I'm really happy to have Tam here and I know we're going to have a good time. I'm just not a fan of crowds...

Vitamin C and a Cleanse.

2006-07-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

I just finished an entire pint of orange juice and had a shower. Just thought you should know...

Alone in a house on a hill...

2006-07-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

...Well, in a house on a nice, quiet street, that is. I'm taking care of a friend's house for a week while her and her parents are away in Ottawa, our nation's capital. It's been really nice to have the place to myself. Two down sides: They haven't got a shower, only a bath; They haven't got internet access. On the PLUS side, though, is that they stocked the house with snacks and beer! I think it all evens out.

What a hot, HOT week! I mean, I like being outside and active and all, but when it's 40+°C with the humidity taken into account it's not exactly the best of days to be active... Let alone WORKING IN! Holy shit, it's been hot. The best part is that for the next five days it's only meant to get hotter. Then, BAM!, Friday rolls around and it's meant to be 21°. Weather is a fascinating beast...

Tomorrow, Sunday, I'm breaking down and getting a mobile phone. It's hard to believe, and I thought that I'd be able to hold out until I arrived out west in BC, but I went to the stores last week and found a pretty good deal, so I'm going back tomorrow to seal the deal. Yeesh.

Welcome to the 21st Century, Adam!

Didn't you get the memo?!?

2006-07-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

So there's a near war going on over in the middle east... I suppose you've all heard about it, right? Did you also hear that there was another tsunami over on the Indonesian island of Java? Yeah, that one sort of got lost through the cracks a bit.

What wrong with everything in the world? Why can't we all just "get along"? The ceasefire between the Palestinians and the Isrealis was going so well, and then all heck breaks loose just to the west with Lebenon and those ol' baddies of the 80's Hezbolla thinking they want to stir shit up. Apparently Iran had "something" to do with the initial attacks, according to words our of Isreal, which could really heat things up (remember when the Iranian hard-line president said something to the effect of "Isreal should be wiped off the face of the planet"?). Oh joy.

But on looking at the positives about this new war, at least it's taking away from the strife and violence that's STILL happening over in Afghanistan and Iraq. I mean, when was the last time you heard about a fresh bombing in Iraq? Probably the day before the first bomb dropped in Isreal, actually... Even though there are undoubtedly mass killings every single day. I bet Ol' Bush Baby is loving this!

Gosh Bless those American Politicians. Don'tcha just love a good international conflict?

Thinking of subject headings is the hardest part!

2006-07-10T04:39:00.000-07:00

What's going on people? Anybody out there? No? Okay then...

The world cup is over. I read on the news today that the English fans, who's team were eliminated in the quarter-finals, were estimated to have spent some 235million POUNDS on beer alone since their team went out. That's pounds STERLING. In Canadian dollars that equates to roughly half a billion dollars. More than, actually. Imagine what that much money could do for some poor, starving nation in Africa. Oh how many people it could house in war-torn Afghanistan. OR think of how loaded you could get all in the name of competition! WOOHOO!

Speaking of money, it's a rain day at work today. I woke up at about four in the morning to a massive thunder and lightning storm thinking that there is no way I was going to be able to work today. After a bit more sleep I woke at my regular hour of six-to-the-a.m. and it was still raining. Half an hour later my boss called and told me to go back to sleep. All these rain days are making it hard for me to save money for my move to Western Canada...

On the other hand, I've got the day off! Enjoy working for the "Man", suckers!

The End is nigh.

2006-07-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to "A Modern Day Hobo". Lately there hasn't really been that much hobo-ing, as any of you who read this know.

England are out of the world cup, as are Brazil. I went to a local pseudo-english pub here in London, Ontario with my brother and two of his childhood friends and watched on disappointedly as England went out 0-0 (3-1 on penalties) for yet another year. It was thoroughly enjoyable being in that environment with all those English football fans, but bitterly disappointing when they lost.

I just woke up from a nap to see that Brazil lost 1-0 to France. Thierry Henry apparently scored the winning goal, but I was asleep when he did. He is an outstanding player, and I couldn't be happier that he re-signed with the team I follow in the English Premier League (Arsenal).

The world cup is one of those special sporting events that only comes around every four years, so I have been trying to enjoy as much of it as possible. So far is has lived up to every bit of it's expectations...

I am like a hurricane...

2006-06-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, the wait is over. After some grief and aggravation, I have recieved my birthday present of one brand new Art & Lutherie Folk Cedar acoustic guitar in Antique Burst finish. It's honestly a thing of beauty. I had to wait two weeks for it, and in the end I didn't get it through the store I had originally ordered it from, but at least now I have it.

I've wanted an acoustic guitar for a while now, and after selling my electric guitar and amplifier I paved the way for this acquisition. It will be much easier to transport it across the country than my previous guitar, and MUCH easier to play around the numerous campfires that I'm sure will be lit on the trip. I'm hoping that my Neil Young repertoire grown substantially by the time we leave...

Another beautiful day here in South Western Ontario. Pretty sure it's great barbeque weather, and with the folks on the way out of town tonight it'll be the perfect atmosphere for a couple beverages and a couple veggie burgers. All are welcome, but if you're coming from out of the country you might want to hop on your horse pretty soon... It's meant to rain in a couple days.

See you then!

25+3+2 has arrived!

2006-06-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I am now twenty eight years old. Does anyone realise what this means? I have arrived in my (put on a deep, booming voice here) "late twenties"!!! When people ask me how old I am, I can say "I'm late twenties".

I think it's going to be a great year. Will it surpass my best year yet at the age of twenty five? Only time will tell. I have a feeling that great things will happen! Already this year I have got a new guitar, plans to make a move out west and live a proper, healthy life according to what I believe is neccessary for me, and an urge to start something of a career when I get there. From here on in only good things can happen...

If anyone wants to come along for the ride of a lifetime, you know where to find me!

Big things are a-comin'...

2006-06-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Today is the 3rd of June. In eight days I will be 28. Mark it on your calendar, because it's going to be the start of a great year. So far my best year has been my 25th, but the next year for me might just eclipse that.

So the folks are away this weekend, which means that the kids can come out to play. Those crazy "weather-people" have been calling for a 90% chance of rain today, but as I look out the window beside me the day is screaming "BARBEQUE!"... and that's exactly what's going to happen today. Brother Geoff is having a few people over, and I'm going to prepare some baked potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and maybe some veggie skewers to go along with it all... Throw in my FREE 12 pack of bottled Sleeman's Cream Ale and you've got the makings for a delicious and nutritious meal.

And I'm off to Niagara Falls tomorrow for the day to meet up with a friend I met in Australia. She's been nannying in Florida for the past few months, and the agency she's with is sending a whole bunch of people on an "educational" trip to the Falls. How it is that going for a ride on the Maid Of The Mist and drinking in seedy downtown Niagara Falls bars is educational I'll never know, but there you have it. Should be a nice day...

Hopefully those "weather-people" predict another rainy day so I won't have to worry about bringing my raincoat...

Harumph.

2006-05-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

Oh hell, let's get down to brass taxes. Work -- It sucks. It makes you tired, you're never paid enough, and you always feel like you can do better than what you are currently doing. Whatever. The worst thing to do is think about what the future holds, especially because the future is blind.

I have a serious difficulty in over-analyzing situations that I find myself in. I think too much. Why can't I leave things be and enjoy the ride? Is it a problem to think of potentiality? Is that a word? Basically I am in the habit of thinking about things that are completely out of my hands and trying to control the situation. What makes people want to have complete control over things? How come we can't let things flow the way they are meant to?

I'm hoping that over the next couple weeks I will be able to tell where things are naturally going in my life for the short term, and that they are going in the direction I want them to. Obviously it will take some discipline to allow matters to take their own shape without influence, but I think I can manage it. I hope for my own sake I can manage it...

Man I hate withdrawal.

Rain day!

2006-05-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

Ahh rain. Is there anything... wetter?

It's been raining all night, and the so-called (probably self-proclaimed, too) "weather experts" are calling for rain for the rest of today. And don't even get me started on what they are saying is supposed to be happening for the REST of the WEEK! Your crazy predictions are causing ME to have a day off work, which means I don't get paid, which means it makes it harder to save money, which means I'm going to be POOR! Thanks "weather experts", I should sue you for lack of income.

On a lighter note, only eleven weeks until Tam gets here! Oh Tam, we are going to have such joyous fun times! See you in August!

Camp me in!

2006-05-12T11:13:00.001-07:00

Another week down the drain, and the weekend is upon me. Oh joy! It felt like a short week, too, as there was a rain day yesterday and today was nearly a rain day, with me getting off two hours earlier than usual. Not bad...

It's still raining, but boy oh boy I'm going camping this weekend! There's nothing like the first camping weekend of the summer. It brings such anticipation for the coming weekends, and what with the rain expected for this weekend all further camping outings can only get better, right? We've got the tent, the air mattress, the blankets, the stove, food, food, and more food, and a little thing called al-co-hol... What could a camping weekend be without all the essentials, right?

But I'm bringing a book, magazine, chess, board games, and other various articles to keep busy with, so it shouldn't be that bad in the end. Oh joy, not long now before my ride gets here! Bring on the bugs!!

Sleepy Is As Sleepy Does.

2006-05-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Amazing how much of a zombie one becomes after not getting the recommended daily amount of sleep, isn't it? Normally my body works on an average of 8 hours of sleep each night, but the past couple nights have been drastically below that magic number. Hmm...

Anyway, today at work I was asked to dig 20 holes in the side of a hill so some lady could plant some flowers in it. This hill is made of clay and rock, so the work wasn't exactly the most fun I've ever had. However, after the holes were done I asked if she'd like MORE holes dug (obviously the lack of sleep was really affecting me)!! Three holes later and I was done for the day... Fuck that, nobody should be forced to work under these conditions!

However, aside from sometimes odd job requests, my job is going well. I've already got a pretty KILLER farmers tan! My morning ride to work and afternoon ride home is a lot more fun, and the weather is amazing. Not many complaints here!

High Speeds + Bugs + Open Mouth = More Protein!

2006-04-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

I passed! I'm smart again!

Today I took my first "test" of sorts for ages and ages. I don't think I've had to write a test on anything since I graduated from college all those years ago, and I had been dreading the day when I had to do another one. However, to tell you all the truth, it wasn't actually that bad.

For those of you down in New Zealand reading this and remember my slender frame zooming around the streets or Christchurch on a wee-little moped, well, I'm back at it BABY! and this time I'm legal! That's right, I took my scooter drivers licence test today and I passed with flying colours. I'm so happy. I forgot how much I loved zipping around on that little Yamaha FZ50...

Don't worry, there will be photos coming shortly...

Dial 'A' For Murder...

2006-04-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess a fox or a raccoon had a pretty good meal last night. Somewhere, a mamma duck cries...

Dr. Kevorkian I am not...

2006-04-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today at work I was doing some gardening when I suddenly disturbed at fresh duck's nest with 13 fresh eggs and a mamma duck. I peaked around a small bush and out ran this mamma duck without making a noise. I nearly crapped my pants... especially when I found the 13 eggs!

My co-worker and I asked a neighbour that was watching our antics and he said that the duck and its mate have been in the garden for a week, but yesterday there hadn't been any eggs. So there is a small chance that I disturbed the mamma duck as she was laying. Hopefully this 13 isn't an unlucky number. I wouldn't be able to live with myself!!

Please send donations to...

2006-04-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

ME! If anyone out there can spare a coin, a bill, a blank cheque, anything, don't hesitate to throw it my way.

I went in to work yesterday to find a pile of envelopes on the table in the staff room. Quite obviously these were pay slips, yet for some reason there wasn't one with my name. When I asked about this I was told that my information probably didn't get into the system early enough and that I would have to wait until the NEXT pay period to get paid.

Now, I don't know how many of you out there are able to spread $2.96 out over three weeks, but that's what I've got to do. If you have any tips or hints as to how I'm going to make this happen let me know. I'm stumped...

One Week Down.

2006-04-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

It's now been one week since I started my new job at River Bend Golf and Country Club, and I have to say that it's been quite enjoyable. Each day I was doing something different, though I'm sure that will change to being repetitious activities day after day soon enough. At the moment, however, I'm really enjoying things. The highlights of the week include:

1) Using a gas powered backpack leaf blower
2) Zooming around the grounds in little golf carts laden with gardening tools
3) Working for thirty minutes on Wednesday but getting paid for three hours
4) Wearing a construction hard hat and feeling like a "real man"
5) Simply getting off my ass and starting work again!

So I'm looking forward to the upcoming summer for sure. Being outside is going to be amazing, and I found out that I'm allowed to wear shorts instead of having to wear long work pants all summer! Woohoo!! Today I got fitted and ordered my work "uniform", which is going to consist of two polo shirts, two moisture wicking t-shirts, a wind jacket, and a fleece jacket. By the end of the summer I'm going to have one killer farmers' tan!

Another five months of this and I hope to have saved up enough money to get my skinny, farmer-tanned ass to BC! Time for the wagon train to start gassing up!!

I'm in the money...

2006-04-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all those people out there that were so positive about my finding work... Your good vibrations really paid off, and today I had my first work day since returning to Canada. I have started work as a "landscape maintenance worker", ie I cut grass and pull weeds all day. Hey, it's a job, right?

Actually, I had a really good week last week, and was offered another position as well. This was through one of the agencies I signed up with. It was a warehouse/factory position, and while it was slightly higher paid than the job I took within "landscape maintenance", I decided that it would be better to spend the next few months outside in the bright sunshine and beautiful southern Ontario summer weather than in a stuffy, hot warehouse. Plus I get free golf at my new job when I'm not working, and at the regular price of $90/18 holes, I think that's a pretty good bonus for working there.

So today I got to play with a gas powered leaf blower, a gas powered "power broom", and I got to drive around a little golf cart laden with tools. This coming Saturday I'll be trained to drive a ride-on mower, a ride-on rake (I don't get it either...), and other crazy "landscape maintenance" machines.

Yay me, I have a job! Hopefully I'll be able to save up enough money by the end of it all to make my move out west to BC, where my heart and mind live. Bring it on!

Check out Mr. Awesome...

2006-03-26T18:37:00.000-08:00

First things first, congratulations to those two special people who got hitched yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to mention your names here in case certain people might inadvertantly stumble upon my humble weblog, so if you know who you are, all the best...

It was a good day in The Big Smoke yesterday, albeit a long one. Early start, late finish, but fun times all the same. The restaurant in particular, Kalendar, was outstanding. Definitely a place I would eat at again. Excellent recommendation...

Secondly, I went out and did something rather stupid today. I bought an Apple Powerbook G4 laptop computer. I'm enjoying it, even if it was a pretty big investment. It's officially my own computer, the first one I have ever purchased on my own, and did I mention it's all mine? HA! It will be a good investment to help me further my photographic aspirations, so the cost doesn't really bother me that much. Besides, it was on sale with a rather nice discount! I'll get some programs from a friend of mine who works on Apples all the time, and I'll be good to go!

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the internet connected to it and I can look at hours and hours of pornography at my own leisure! Suh-weet!

I've hit the half century!

2006-03-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, everyone, you are now reading my FIFTIETH entry in this blogger weblog. Thanks to all those that have stuck around, even though I know you are few and far between...

I should explain the beautiful photo of our little friend up top... This weekend I went away to Toronto for a few days with a friend, and on the Sunday we walked through High Park, which is a large park on the western outskirts of the city. It's large and sprawling, and accomodates a small "zoo" of sorts. I was especially excited when my friend told me there were bison (more often referred to as buffalo) enclosures. However, she neglected to tell me ahead of time that there were YAKS there as well! I can only assume she witheld this information because she knew how excited I would be.

Anyway, they were beautiful, and there was even a little wee baby munching away on some hay. Man, yaks are humongous! I had no idea! We also saw some huge bison and some highland cattle, which are awesome.... I'd like to share a quote from the weekend, overheard out of the mouth of a little girl as she passed the bison enclosure:

"Mommy, I can see some poo coming out of that one over there!"

Through style and grace......

2006-03-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

...........I shall prevail.

May I have your attention PLEASE!!

2006-02-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hello all (or rather, the few that read this). First off, I would like to draw your attention to a couple weblogs that I have discovered. A fairly popular Canadian comedian/polital commentator named Rick Mercer (www.rickmercer.blogspot.com) has, at first glance, a rather funny weblog. Of course, there is no way for me to verify whether or not it actually IS Rick Mercer, or just some crazy man thinking that he's Rick Mercer, but it's funny all the same. Also, I cannot verify that this next weblog is written by the stated author, but MC Hammer (www.mchammer.blogspot.com) apparently is involved in the blogging community. Check it out, if you dare!

So, now that I have introduced you to something new, let's get onto the meat and potatoes. I don't know how many people noticed, but the Canadian Men's Hockey Team lost in the quarter-finals of the Winter Olympics. For those that don't know, that means they went without a medal. WITHOUT A MEDAL!! Yeesh...

Anyhow, Canada ended up third on the medal table anyway, one behind the mighty USofA. Of course, had we won a medal in the men's hockey, we would have tied them. Luckily they didn't win a medal in the men's hockey either. But as a nation we are more than happy with our medal count of 24. This is the most we have ever won in the tournament, which is outstanding.

Deeper and darker, I am still unemployed, and prospects do not look to be getting any better. Maybe I'm limiting myself, maybe I'm not allowing myself to experience new things because of my bias towards them. Who knows? At any rate I know that something will come along in due time, and I can't allow myself to get down about my lack of income. Sometimes it's hard, but things will look up. I have to believe they will...

Later, douche-mouth.

Have you caught the fever?

2006-02-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

Ahh, my favourite time of every four years has arrived. Ladies and gentlemen, let "The Games" begin!

Yes, that's right, the winter Olympics have started, as I'm sure you are all aware. Officially today is the second day of action. Already Canada has secured one gold medal in the freestyle moguls, and the women's hockey team has trounced Italy 16-0. As I type this the same team is now outscoring Russia (RUSSIA!!) 12-0. On the hockey front the rest of the world might look like it will have a little trouble with this event. In three days time the men's hockey team starts their gold medal run with an opening game against (uh-oh) Italy. I have to say I'm feeling pretty good about this one...

The winter Olypics, in my mind, are much better than the summer Olympics. I mean, does the summer Olympics have an event where you blast head-first down a giant ice slide at 150km/h? NO! Does the summer Olympics have ballroom dancing on ice? NO! As far as I'm concerned the only thing the summer Olympics have that the winter Olympics don't is power-walking. And once the winter Olympics get power-walking on ice, well, forget about it. OH WAIT! IT ALREADY DOES! And it's called speed skating...

IN YOUR FACE SUMMER OLYMPICS!

A Modern Day Hobo

Boo.....

What changes?

One new band a day keeps the boredom away!

Happy birthday!

As the Kool-Aid man says...

Vacationville!

*Snort, Snot, Snig, COUGH!*

Another one bites the dust!

Happy Holidays.....

Rival Gallery is open for business.

Owee.

White fluff.

Back in Van

Zzzz...

It's always go, go go!

This is what I look like when I'm drunk.

The daily dose.

From four wheels to two...

The Science Of Sleep.

Ow. Ow!

Sunset/Moonrise, Larrabee State Park, Washington State.

It's been a long time comin'...

For your viewing pleasure...

Inked.

BOO!!!

Stranger Than Fiction.

Suckers!

Hazy, lazy day.

Dark Side of Oz.

Halleluja

Pay Attention!

Full day off #2.

Ps...

3/5ths of a day.

First "official" day off! Woohoo!

Sick Justice...

First stop Whistler, next stop HOLLYWOOD!

It's a Black Day.

Running Around in the Rain.

Trafalgar Street Madness!!

The hand of God.

Crap Crap Crap!

In a van, down by the river, no more!

It was the best of time...

The Big City, part 1.

Game Over. Adios.

53 to 49 for a day.

Good news!

Jollywood.

Nearing the Century. Sorry.

Independance is MINE! MWUAHAHA!!

Zzzz...

Check it off the list!

One Month In...

Ass-numbingly Cold in BC!

...And three days in...

Three days to go!

I'm a baaaad man...

Work is such... Work!

Back in the thick of it.

Through The Fog...

Closed for the Winter!

When it dumps, it dumps!

Snow day #2.

All settled in, with LOTS of places to go!

All settled in, with LOTS of places to go!

You CAN get something for nothing!

You CAN get something for nothing!

I'm a Westerner -- It's Official!

Fuck You Calgary.

Mountain Time is MY Time!

Beautiful Ontario, when will you end?

So Long Southwestern Ontario!

Four Days until Cashstrapsville.

The Good Ol' Garbage Sale.

Welcome to America... err, Canada!

Vitamin C and a Cleanse.

Alone in a house on a hill...

Didn't you get the memo?!?

Snort, Snot, Snig, COUGH!