July 1st weekend: T minus 4 hours 30 minutes.
4 days of cottage time.
Dozens of campfire songs.
700 km, 6-8 hours of driving.
Zero speeding tickets (I hope).
800-metre swims across the lake.
4 nights of sleeping under the stars.
12 cottage meals (improved by K-magic).
Hours and hours of waterskiing and windsurfing.
Many, many deliciously refreshing alcoholic beverages.
(at least) 3 amazing friends and 7 incredible family members.
1 weekend and countless memories to add to 20 years of personal cottage history.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
An Inspirational Public Service Announcement
We are all deeply affected by things that we consider "important" to us. I put important in quotes because only those events that become rooted deeply within our being - that class of stimuli that can leave behind fundamental questions about who we are - truely have the power to strand us with emotional unbalance.
In my life right now, like in anyone else's, there are a number of entries listed in my "important" book. Any one of these entries (people, places, things) have the power to drastically alter my emotional state... This is a choice that we make when we sign on - from joy to hurt - it's a package deal.
Even when things get bad, it's impossible to stop being you...you just transform into a version of you that you may be uncomfortable with. The good news is that the emotional centre of your body, no matter how tarnished, remains intact. In times where emotional paralysis leaves you searching for something, remember that there are people that you can turn to for support.
So smile! Take the positives from your life experiences and run with them. Flood your ears with songs that speak to you, and chill with the people you love. :)
In my life right now, like in anyone else's, there are a number of entries listed in my "important" book. Any one of these entries (people, places, things) have the power to drastically alter my emotional state... This is a choice that we make when we sign on - from joy to hurt - it's a package deal.
Even when things get bad, it's impossible to stop being you...you just transform into a version of you that you may be uncomfortable with. The good news is that the emotional centre of your body, no matter how tarnished, remains intact. In times where emotional paralysis leaves you searching for something, remember that there are people that you can turn to for support.
So smile! Take the positives from your life experiences and run with them. Flood your ears with songs that speak to you, and chill with the people you love. :)
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
James Blunt
Don't you love it when you discover new artists? Recently, I've been going through a "discovery" phase, with lots and lots of new music filling my Winamp playlist. At the top of this new playlist is James Blunt. I want a voice that evokes an emotional response like this guy's does. Songs to look out for are "You're Beautiful" and "Out Of My Mind".Turn up the volume, turn down the lights, and listen....
Pride
This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to check out Toronto Pride. It was soooo hot outside, and I had no sunscreen or sunglasses (what was I thinking?). I bought some cheapo sunglasses in the subway station, then hunted around until found the last bottle of 8 SPF sunscreen at a convenience store. Fewf that was a close call :) Burned and blind wouldn't have been very fun! Once I had all the necessary items, pride was awesome. There was soo much energy out there. I've come to the conclusion that pride is essentially an excuse for people from all walks of life to get together and have a big party in downtown Toronto. Hell, even the Conservative Party had people walking in the parade (who woulda thunk it!).The highlight of the day was most definitely Ember Swift, an independant artist from around here. In short, she blew me away....so much so, that I coughed up the $15 to buy her album. Her unique style and experimental nature captivated everyone there. She is independant by choice, and she sticks to her live roots...purposefully avoiding the media & marketing mess that defines our music industry. www.emberswift.com - support this artist.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Country Music
Anyone out there like country music? I'm not the biggest fan, but I've had "phases" over the years where my favorite music has been country. I'm in one of those phases right now! On the weekend, I resurrected a country playlist that I created as a theme list for a Beverly Hillbillies theme curling tournament at the Border Curling Club, and added some more classics and new singles to it. This playlist has been my listening music at work for the past two days, and it has been an extremely enjoyable experience.
Country music was one of the first genres of commercial music that interested me, way back in Grade 4 when I was 9 years old (Before country, I think my repertoire consisted of the Muppets Christmas album, Kids Songs 2, and Dance Mix 92). I remember driving along Brown's Hill Road in my dad's Datsun Pickup truck on the way home from the Ayer's Cliff Country Fairgrounds with my dad and Sirena (my best friend since forever), when Shania Twain - Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under started playing on 1490 AM. My dad and Sirena had both heard this song before, since they both liked watching the new channel that we got on cable, NCN (New Country Network, before it became CMT). I really liked the song, so I started watching more NCN. The next time my family took a trip into Zellers in Magog, I bought Shania Twain's CD (The Woman In Me) with money that I saved up from my paper route.
I can still remember most of the songs that interested me back then! Many of them are still in regular rotations on my playlists. Songs like Kathy Mattea - 455 Rocket, Bryan White - Someone Else's Star, George Strait - Check Yes Or No, Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee, John Michael Montgomery - I Swear, Tim McGraw - I Like It, I Love It...and sooo many others.
My interest in country music faded when someone got me Dance Mix 95 for Christmas, but resurfaced when I joined Columbia House :) I think I joined a few times, and scored over 40 free CDs. I managed to accumulate over a hundred CDs (about half of which are country). Columbia House took me to collections when I was 14 years old because I forgot to finish my contract with them :) Was the collections woman ever surprised when she got me on the phone! But I digress. My point is that I went through a lot of hassle to collect those CDs, but I'm extremely glad that I did, even though they'll probably collect dust for a very long time (enter mp3).
I'm forgetting one little piece of history that got me interested in country music. For a good chunk of my elementary school years, Ms. Belknap used to babysit my brother and I after school. We'd walk home from school, share a powerhug or two, pour a pot of tea, and throw on John Denver's Greatest Hits :) I still know all the words to Grandma's Feather Bed. Also, my dad used to play it on the guitar for my brother and I when we were young. I was clearly introduced to the genre at a very early age.
Country music is a very interesting genre. Millions of North Americans love it. If you're one of those "Ewwww, country" people, I implore you to open your mind (and your ears) a little, and try to understand why so many people appreciate this genre of music. Start with today's songs of the day:
A brand new country ballad:
Something a little more upbeat:
Country music was one of the first genres of commercial music that interested me, way back in Grade 4 when I was 9 years old (Before country, I think my repertoire consisted of the Muppets Christmas album, Kids Songs 2, and Dance Mix 92). I remember driving along Brown's Hill Road in my dad's Datsun Pickup truck on the way home from the Ayer's Cliff Country Fairgrounds with my dad and Sirena (my best friend since forever), when Shania Twain - Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under started playing on 1490 AM. My dad and Sirena had both heard this song before, since they both liked watching the new channel that we got on cable, NCN (New Country Network, before it became CMT). I really liked the song, so I started watching more NCN. The next time my family took a trip into Zellers in Magog, I bought Shania Twain's CD (The Woman In Me) with money that I saved up from my paper route.
I can still remember most of the songs that interested me back then! Many of them are still in regular rotations on my playlists. Songs like Kathy Mattea - 455 Rocket, Bryan White - Someone Else's Star, George Strait - Check Yes Or No, Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee, John Michael Montgomery - I Swear, Tim McGraw - I Like It, I Love It...and sooo many others.
My interest in country music faded when someone got me Dance Mix 95 for Christmas, but resurfaced when I joined Columbia House :) I think I joined a few times, and scored over 40 free CDs. I managed to accumulate over a hundred CDs (about half of which are country). Columbia House took me to collections when I was 14 years old because I forgot to finish my contract with them :) Was the collections woman ever surprised when she got me on the phone! But I digress. My point is that I went through a lot of hassle to collect those CDs, but I'm extremely glad that I did, even though they'll probably collect dust for a very long time (enter mp3).
I'm forgetting one little piece of history that got me interested in country music. For a good chunk of my elementary school years, Ms. Belknap used to babysit my brother and I after school. We'd walk home from school, share a powerhug or two, pour a pot of tea, and throw on John Denver's Greatest Hits :) I still know all the words to Grandma's Feather Bed. Also, my dad used to play it on the guitar for my brother and I when we were young. I was clearly introduced to the genre at a very early age.
Country music is a very interesting genre. Millions of North Americans love it. If you're one of those "Ewwww, country" people, I implore you to open your mind (and your ears) a little, and try to understand why so many people appreciate this genre of music. Start with today's songs of the day:
A brand new country ballad:
Something a little more upbeat:
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Hours of fun!
Are you looking for something to pass the time? Well, I guarantee that this will keep you busy for a little while. I'm working on getting my high score up there. :) It would be most helpful if you knew a thing or two about the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Large Double-Double Please
Alright, here's the thing...I've never liked coffee. I could never understand the need to tank up on caffeine at the beginning of the day, especially by drinking something that, when judged by non-coffee drinkers, tastes bitter and nasty. I had closed the book on coffee...after all, why would I drink coffee when tea, iced cappuccinos and french vanilla taste soooo much better. Well, this week I was desperate... I needed help. And in my desperation, I turned to coffee...am I ever glad that I did.
Coffee is a magical drink provided to us, in part, by a magical country called Columbia (for now anyways...Taiwan hasn't entered the coffee business yet). Somehow, these coffee grower people discovered long ago that coffee is like sleep-in-a-cup. With coffee's help, I can stay up till all hours of the morning, sleep 10 or 20 of the 40 winks I'm supposed to get, and still function the next day!
In other news, we have a Tim Horton's at work....yes, in our building. Oh dear.
Coffee is a magical drink provided to us, in part, by a magical country called Columbia (for now anyways...Taiwan hasn't entered the coffee business yet). Somehow, these coffee grower people discovered long ago that coffee is like sleep-in-a-cup. With coffee's help, I can stay up till all hours of the morning, sleep 10 or 20 of the 40 winks I'm supposed to get, and still function the next day!
In other news, we have a Tim Horton's at work....yes, in our building. Oh dear.
Excuse Me While I Get This Off My Chest
Let me hear you say, this shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
We will now return to regularly scheduled blogging already in progress.
This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
We will now return to regularly scheduled blogging already in progress.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Music Moves Me
It's been a while since I've declared a song of the day... So today, I'd like to share a very special song. If you haven't discovered this guy yet, you're really missing out. The following song has the power to throw my emotions around. Whenever it comes on, I just drift (usually singing along) into an undescribable world... I have a feeling that everyone will feel uniquely different when they listen to this song, so give it a try next time you're ready for a road trip of the mind.
Michael Buble - Feeling Good
Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me
And I'm feeling good
Fish in the sea, you know how I feel
River running free, you know how I feel
Blossom in the tree, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me
And I'm feeling good
Dragonfly out in the sun,
You know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this old world is a new world, and a bold world, for me
Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine, and I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
Michael Buble - Feeling Good
Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me
And I'm feeling good
Fish in the sea, you know how I feel
River running free, you know how I feel
Blossom in the tree, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me
And I'm feeling good
Dragonfly out in the sun,
You know what I mean, don't you know
Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this old world is a new world, and a bold world, for me
Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine, and I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good
Happy
I love it when things go right. Life can be a bitch sometimes, and when it is, we generally have to suck it up and go about our business, hiding our emotions in order to maintain some semblance of sanity. Luckily, life is sometimes generous....it gives us weeks like this one.
For the past week, I've been extremely honest with myself, mostly because I haven't had to be dishonest :) I hope to share some of that honesty would you in this post. Last Friday, I connected with a very special person. Her and I hit it off at a mutual friend's birthday party. When I'm around her, things are natural and fun! It's so nice to see that we both feel the same way about each other. Sure, we both have doubts, but most people do at the beginning of anything! It's awesome to know that it is possible for me to connect with someone on an emotional level like this... I wasn't sure it was possible, given my history...so it's nice to be proven wrong. Thanks life, for this wonderful reality check!
Other things have gone really well recently. I think I'll call this "heart-to-heart" week because I've had some really awesome conversations with people that I care about. Thanks for being there guys, and I'm glad I could be there for you. The next 15-months are shaping up to be some of the best months of our lives and I look forward to sharing them with you!
At the heart of this post is the pride that I am currently feeling for my family. Really great things are happening in my parents' careers and my brother is sounding more and more like he cares about his future. Since early high school, my thoughts have revolved around my family and the successes that we've achieved together. Unfortunately, I have also worried about the successes that have eluded us. Many things have gone wrong, but we've battled back from the brink, and things are looking up!
I am proud to have a brother who has so many natural talents. He is the best people person that I have ever known. I hope he can turn his people skills into something useful ($$$), so that he can afford to live the kind of lifestyle that he wants to live! :)
My dad runs a successful summer language camp, and does an amazing job working with his school kids on projects like Galt Idol... The passion that he puts into his job blows me away. I always enjoy working with him because he cares deeply for the success of whatever he is working on. It's too bad that we still can't collaborate on the curling ice!
My mom has just been given a huge promotion... one that has me beaming with pride. I am soooo proud of her hard work, as well as her resolve as a professional to achieve great things. She is the hardest worker that I have ever met.
I am proud to be the son of two wonderful parents (I really hope that I can follow in both of their footsteps), and blessed to have an amazing brother. I always knew that things would work out for the best. It was only a matter of time.
For the past week, I've been extremely honest with myself, mostly because I haven't had to be dishonest :) I hope to share some of that honesty would you in this post. Last Friday, I connected with a very special person. Her and I hit it off at a mutual friend's birthday party. When I'm around her, things are natural and fun! It's so nice to see that we both feel the same way about each other. Sure, we both have doubts, but most people do at the beginning of anything! It's awesome to know that it is possible for me to connect with someone on an emotional level like this... I wasn't sure it was possible, given my history...so it's nice to be proven wrong. Thanks life, for this wonderful reality check!
Other things have gone really well recently. I think I'll call this "heart-to-heart" week because I've had some really awesome conversations with people that I care about. Thanks for being there guys, and I'm glad I could be there for you. The next 15-months are shaping up to be some of the best months of our lives and I look forward to sharing them with you!
At the heart of this post is the pride that I am currently feeling for my family. Really great things are happening in my parents' careers and my brother is sounding more and more like he cares about his future. Since early high school, my thoughts have revolved around my family and the successes that we've achieved together. Unfortunately, I have also worried about the successes that have eluded us. Many things have gone wrong, but we've battled back from the brink, and things are looking up!
I am proud to have a brother who has so many natural talents. He is the best people person that I have ever known. I hope he can turn his people skills into something useful ($$$), so that he can afford to live the kind of lifestyle that he wants to live! :)
My dad runs a successful summer language camp, and does an amazing job working with his school kids on projects like Galt Idol... The passion that he puts into his job blows me away. I always enjoy working with him because he cares deeply for the success of whatever he is working on. It's too bad that we still can't collaborate on the curling ice!
My mom has just been given a huge promotion... one that has me beaming with pride. I am soooo proud of her hard work, as well as her resolve as a professional to achieve great things. She is the hardest worker that I have ever met.
I am proud to be the son of two wonderful parents (I really hope that I can follow in both of their footsteps), and blessed to have an amazing brother. I always knew that things would work out for the best. It was only a matter of time.
Friday, June 03, 2005
New Layout
I've been meaning to add some of my personal web flare to my blog for a while now, so here it is...the new face of my blog. I also learned a thing or two about Stylesheets, and how annoying they are when faced with trying to get IE and Firefox to display the page the same way (IE is to blame...somehow they forgot about a little something called STANDARDS). I'm too tired to write a long post tonight, so I'll be brief. Tell me what you think of my new layout. If you like it, why do you like it? If you hate it, what can I do to improve it? Alright, I'm off to dreamland... Good night!
PS... The Photo Gallery section will be added once I figure out what pictures I want to include!
PS... The Photo Gallery section will be added once I figure out what pictures I want to include!
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