The Good Ol' Garbage Sale.

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!

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.

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...

...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?!?

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!

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.

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...

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!

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'...

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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!