| So, we got a dog. |
[Nov. 23rd, 2006|03:02 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  tired | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Tenacious D - The Pick of Destiny | ] |
The last month has been...well, like having a baby. I feel like a first-time dad.
His name is Oscar and he's a mini Daschund...ie. a wiener dog. We got him from a breeder in Montreal...we had to pick him up at the cargo building 20 minutes outside the airport, which sucked. He took to us immediately though, which was amazing to me...it was an instant bond.
The first few days were bad...we had no idea what we were doing. He peed and pooed everywhere, and he barked uncontrollably whenever we went out of his sight.
But after that we did research (probably should have done that beforehand, but hey, we're new at this). He's coming along now, thanks to the crate training. He does his business when and where we tell him to (out on the balcony on newspapers) and he doesn't bark anymore...his separation anxiety is vastly improved. Now we're working on dominance stuff, to make sure he understands that we're the leaders of the pack.
He's very playful and very social...he loves people (especially girls) and plays with other dogs well. We take him to my sister's apartment on the second floor, because her roommate has a dog. They're hilarious together...chasing each other and playing and wrestling and stealing each other's toys.
He's 5 1/2 months now, and Olivia loves him to pieces. She wanted a dog her whole life, and since she helped me get the cats, I figured I'd return the favour. I know, I'm great.
Here are some pics...enjoy.
The first day
The cats aren't really sure what to make of him yet.
In his house
Today with Olivia
Today with me
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| This is the new stuff. |
[Oct. 10th, 2006|03:51 pm] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | New Iron Maiden | ] |
I have a Myspace account. Check it out here.
I'm on Facebook now as well. Look for me here.
And finally, a collection of my best photography can be found here.
Please feel free to leave comments and criticisms. |
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| Tom Petty + Virgin Festival = great weekend of music |
[Sep. 11th, 2006|12:44 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  mellow | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Tom Petty/Vfest bands | ] |
Petty was great...still kind of a hippie, still a great showman.
The Heartbreakers are one of the best backup bands out there. Mike Campbell plays a mean lead guitar.
My dad was like a little kid, singing along and bouncing up and down...I love going to concerts with my pop.
The Virgin Festival was absolutely worth the money ($60). Say what you will about Richard Branson, but he knows how to put on a show.
Muse was incredible...might have been the loudest band I have ever seen. The heavy outros at the end of almost every song just blew us away...they live up to the hype of being Britain's best live act.
Managed to catch most of Eagles of Death Metal, who were also good showmen and played well...though I don't think Josh Homme was there, the drummer looked like a different dude.
And Alexisonfire really impressed me...I wasn't so sure how well their music would translate live, but they were spot on. The singer/screamer sounded right off the record, and the guitars were perfect. Lots of energy and a commitment to musicianship was nice to see.
The Flaming Lips had their set cut short because the show ran long, but they were entertaining. The lead singer did his famous giant bubble into the crowd thing, and they shot off giant balloons and streamers and confetti, whilst a giant alien and giant Santa Claus were on either side of the stage, with people dressed as aliens and elves. Weird.
Almost wish I had bought tickets to today's show (Strokes, Raconteurs, Wolfmother, Thrice, Broken Social Scene), but $100 seemed a bit steep.
All in all a great weekend of music. |
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| We're in! |
[Sep. 1st, 2006|10:41 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  exhausted | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Alexisonfire - We Are The Sound | ] |
Our new place is sexy. Lots of windows and open space, new clean appliances, a huge balcony...basically everything the last place wasn't.
We were able to move both Olivia and I plus my sister on the second floor by lunch time. I arranged the boxes and the contents therein as best I could, and then went off to work, whereupon Olivia and my mom unpacked and organized pretty much the entire house.
.
I'll be setting up the electronics and such tomorrow. We are currently picking up a free wireless signal, so perhaps we won't have to pay for the internets, which would be a huge bonus.
But maybe the most surprising thing that happened today was the Bell phone guy showing up as we were moving in. The phone line was literally the first thing that got done today. That NEVER happens...a smooth run-in with anything Bell-related happens once in a lifetime, as anyone who deals with them knows full well.
Thanks to Mom, Dad, Danielle, Uncle George, Mark, Paul and Matt for all the help...we fully appreciate it.
An early, quiet night is definitely in order, after getting up at 6 AM on a Friday. I'm pretty sure the last time I did that I was in diapers.
Details for housewarming shenanigans are imminent. |
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| T-minus 33 hours till moving day. |
[Aug. 29th, 2006|11:36 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  stressed | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Muse - Hysteria | ] |
My whole existence the past few days has been boxes...getting boxes, making boxes, filling boxes, hunting for more boxes. I'm gonna end up in a box when this is all over, or at least as a crazy person threatening people with "I'll box box your box box".
Thursday morning at around 9 AM the move will begin. We've got a cube van and a few able bodies...certainly not the contingent of friends in the days of yore, but we'll get by.
Marco is settling in down south...however he's run into quite the snag involving Panthro. Seems he can't ship the cat down there if the temperature is above 85 degrees...which is pretty much all the damn time in Texas.
So he might be stuck in Toronto for a few weeks...but we're not taking him, and we're not budging on it either. Between a new apartment and moving and spending a night at my parents' house, Panthro just doesn't fit into those plans.
His parents are just gonna have to suck it up and take the cat in...there's no two ways about it.
I can't wait for this to all be over and for us to be settled in the new digs.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have boxes to attend to. |
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| Ciao Marco |
[Aug. 19th, 2006|06:43 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  nostalgic | ] |
He's on the road as I type this...probably somewhere in middle America by now...Nebraska perhaps.
As I mentioned we gave him the proper sendoff. I got to his house Thursday afternoon in time for a BBQ and to help him put away most of his stuff in his old room and basement. We then headed downtown to watch Talledega Nights...delightfully hilarious and random. Great performances by Will Ferrell, Sasha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole and the two kids who played his sons.
Then to the Green Room briefly for a drink, at which time we gave him his gift...namely a genuine Stetson cowboy hat, made in Texas. He's rarely taken it off since.
I arrived early Friday afternoon to once again get fed by his family (thank you Teresa Paoli for the bounty you gave us). People started rolling in and we began the video games. Killer Instinct, Royal Rumble, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, Nightfire, more Mario Kart, and Halo.
In between the video games, another tradition: a game of Risk. Marco was being pulled in every direction by family and friends coming to visit and see him off, so he folded up shop pretty early. I took out Mike but lost to Yuri, who had the advantage from the get-go by controlling Africa and South America. My Australia-Europe empire was not strong enough.
We stayed until past 2 AM and then said our goodbyes. He'll be back for Thanksgiving which is also around the time of his birthday.
I'm sort of used to not seeing my best friends on a regular basis, ever since I went to Ryerson and they all went to U of T. During busy times I wouldn't see them for weeks or even months at a time. So in a way, it's not that big a shock.
Still, it is strange seeing his room empty and all his things gone from the apartment...I mean I knew we weren't living together in September, but after 2+ years sharing a place I had gotten used to it. The dishes and cups strewn across the place, the infinite bottles of wine, the nocturnal schedules, the snaking cords of multiple video game systems...I will miss it all.
I could not have asked for a better roommate. I learned a lot and it wasn't just on-the-fly pick-it-up-as-you-go stuff...Marco is just one of those guys that knows shit. About EVERYTHING. And I wouldn't have figured out half the stuff I did without him there.
He was always around to talk to, to hang out with, to make food with, to split chores with, to laugh with.
Between the cats, the Internet, and the girls, there was always something entertaining going on when we were together.
Thank you for everything, Marco. You were the best roommate ever.
Vaya con Dios, try not to get shot in Texas, and see ya at Thanksgiving.
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| Shenanigans |
[Aug. 15th, 2006|08:57 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | tired | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Journey - Don't Stop Believin | ] |
Last weekend was Yuri and Mike's birthday extravaganza...only this time it was Yuri and Mike and Elise's birthday extravaganza.
We went to the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Friday morning. I was the only one to win some money. I finished $25 up after winning $50 on slots and blowing some on a $5 blackjack table with Yuri, which was fun.
Then later that night Elise's parents held a joint party for her and Mike (it was supposed to be a surprise but word leaked out)...great food, great drinks, seeing old friends...good times.
Also saw my ex-girlfriend who is going to school for pre-med in Montreal...we're on good terms so it was nice to see she's doing well, outside of taking up smoking and having a complex where she's only ever dated guys named Chris (I started it).
This weekend Marco leaves for Texas, so we're going out with a bang on Thursday and Friday. More drinking, video games, movies (Ricky Bobby and Snakes on a Plane), more old friends...the proper sendoff of my roommate for 2 years and my best friend for almost 20.
OK, between cleaning the entire apartment thanks to getting a new fridge with no notice and the cats driving me crazy trying to get into the bedroom, I'm zonked. Nap time. |
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| According to Jim... |
[Aug. 7th, 2006|12:53 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | good | ] |
...the Skydome/Rogers Centre is the cleanest park in the majors, Canadian homeless people are more covert than their American counterparts, and the Blackhawks are the only team in the NHL worth supporting less than the Maple Leafs.
Jim works for a newspaper in Albany, went to school in Missouri, but is originally from Chicago. He's doing a travel blog following the White Sox all across the continent, and they're paying him to do it. He's also been to spring training on the company dollar...consider me jealous.
Anyway, we caught a couple of Jays-Sox games (Sox won Saturday, Jays won Sunday), went to the Hockey Hall of Fame and visited the soon-to-be-supermarket Maple Leaf Gardens.
I took him to the finest restaurants in all the land (ie. Swiss Chalet and Gabby's, heh) and also showed him The Score studios, so he could see how we roll at the #3 sports station in Toronto.
Good times. |
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| Busball Trip Pics |
[Jul. 29th, 2006|04:40 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | rejuvenated | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Eagles of Death Metal - Cherry Cola | ] |
I had a great time...lots of baseball, lots of sightseeing, lots of fun.
Unfortunately, lots of killing time and not a lot of sleep.
Next year I'll do the East Coast, and I'll be sure to create an itinerary that has a lot less wasted time and weird arriving/departing times.
Anyway, on to the pics...first Detroit.
It was Photo Day so we were able to go on the field and take pics of the players.
I took this last one by putting my camera lens through the lens of my binoculars...I call it "Binovision".
My binoculars are digital so I took some pics on that one too...I don't have a USB cord for it because I didn't buy them, I found them. Dunno how good the pics will be, but we'll see.
Cleveland
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was pretty cool...two major drawbacks though, no pictures allowed and it was almost 20 bucks to get in.
Milwaukee
Miller Park was really nice...built like the Skydome but the building isn't nearly as cold and full of concrete.
Chicago
I look so Photoshopped into this pic...heh.
Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago
I also took 3 rolls of film (I know, I'm camera nuts) and I'll be blowing up any good shots from them for the new apartment (one month left!)
I got in at 1 PM yesterday, went home and showered, and went to work for 3. I slept for 10 hours last night, so my batteries are recharged for 4 straight overnight shifts...somebody hand me my shovel. |
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| Leavin Here |
[Jul. 22nd, 2006|06:21 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | excited | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Khaki Snack - Quantity Not Quality | ] |
Headed to Detroit in a few hours for the first leg of the Busball trip. I'm all packed and ready to go.
I will have a journal of some type up here when I get back...either written or photo or a combination of the two.
Anyway, take it easy. See y'all next weekend. |
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