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| Friday, August 30, 2002. |
8:46 PM - I have one thing to say about this gallery of pictures, from last night's gathering: Urkle !!
Yeah yeah I know, you don't get it.
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8:53 AM - Last night I met J outside her workplace and we caught a bus heading downtown. I like the feeling of settling in enough to meet after work and go do something social. It makes this all seem a little more real.
The event was a GTA-B get-together to say hullo to some bloggers (us and Sam & Melissa) and goodbye to a blogger (Gary), who is off to NYC. It was a nice pleasant affair where I wished people had worn Name & URL tags as I remembered very little of the people I met. I also tried two new beers (to me), Steamwhistle and Tetley English Ale. Yummy. All in all a good evening. Later on, I will update with some URLs of people I met, once I hunt a little. Oh, and kudos to the table-hopping host, Rannie.
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| Wednesday, August 28, 2002. |
11:05 PM - Turbo TBIT
1. Read previous post.
2. Add 40 basic cable channels.
3. Add 30 extended cable channels.
4. Add 32 digital TV channels (60 days free).
5. Flick flick flick.
6. GoTo (1)
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| Tuesday, August 27, 2002. |
11:10 PM - *whew*
It has been a long long time since I spent a day at work not sitting in a chair behind a keyboard for 8+ hours. Today I spent about 7 hours on my feet. I forgot how taxing that can be. It was a good first day. But I don't think I even have the energy even to surf. G'nite.
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12:02 PM - Having purchased some new clothes for the new job, I was looking at the labels in order to properly take care of the clothes. Bing! What does that one mean? I am used to "iron, no iron" and "wash in cold" concepts but this handy chart told me what I was missing.
P.S. For those who know me, you may now chastise me. I not only entered The Gap for the first time, I bought two shirts. I have joined the Evil Khaki Wave... but I actually didn't buy any khaki.
*bows head in shame*
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9:51 AM - Heh. A little story about Meeting Neil Gaiman. (link via... well, Neil)
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8:44 AM - Yay !! Today all my years on the internet have been validated. I received an email that will help me unburden from all my debt and money woes. I am going to help some nice young Nigerian men move some money using my accounts here in Canada. They are being taken advantage of in their own country and for my troubles I will get more than enough cash to settle my debts. Isn't life grand?
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| Monday, August 26, 2002. |
11:36 PM - My latest desktop comes from the newly re-launched Epitaph Records site, as done by the boys & girls at Surfstation. My DT choice was a piece by antigirl, one of my favourite dirty collage girls.. which read incorrectly sounds like one of my lates search terms.
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11:02 PM - I am in love with the melancholy. I have just finished watching Jin-Roh, The Wolf Brigade. Stark, beautiful and terrible, it was one of those I missed at last year's FantAsia. Along with the movie itself I am enamoured with its vocal theme by Gabriella Robin, an enya-like atmospheric piece without the reverb and sacchrine. I want to play it on level 11 from the porch of a pond-side cabin, the smell of woodsmoke in the air and frogs & crickets accompanying it... a soundtrack for my life.
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| Sunday, August 25, 2002. |
11:42 PM - Heh. Not a flashie but some good old fashioned animation using Flash as its source. It is The Little Ninja. I like the kid and the backgrounds are impeccable. There is a certain scary cat laddy who should be doing this stuph. Oh, I am also very fond of the site design. (from him-not me-michael)
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7:49 PM - We never made it to the Karaoke With Lorn thing last nite. It was a "private party only". That means we misinterpreted the webpage posting about "no tickets required" as not needing convention passes when it actually meant you even had a slim chance to get in (with a convention pass) unless you bought a $70 ticket. We were not the only people we saw wandering away somewhat perturbed by the terse and rude response by the woman at the door. Hrrmph.
But the whole standing in line with convention-goers reminded me why I never go to conventions -- the caste system amongst geeks. And I say geeks in the best possible light, as I consider myself quite the D&D Geek. But geeks come in different types and some types despise others. I remember an early experience where I was trying to learn more about anime (about 12 years ago) by dropping into free viewings of various movies. I asked, coming in 5 minutes late, "Which one is this?" to be answered, "If you don't know you shouldn't be here." One poor fellow was wandering around, stopping in front of some of the crowds and breaking into spontaneous conversation with what I assumed were casual friends. But their cold silences and turning away just proved they didn't know him and didn't want to, not being interested in rising beyond his social faux pas.
So instead of karoke, we walked Queen St West and played the "that's new" and "that used to be..." game. Its been around 5 years since we last wandered Q St W.
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11:04 AM - And now for some elements to be presented as vignettes in the novel I will never write, the novel that would be only ever presented in trade-paperback format, hopefully designed by Dean Allen and would mention, on the back bio leaf, a weblog as an invaluable resource.- Pugs are like little rockets of ugly when they chase after balls, zooming just as fast as their border collie companions. The trouble is that their little lungs only allow for two such zooms before bellows-like wheezing ensues.
- A blue plastic ball is just as good as sheep to said border collie.
- Two year olds, human two year olds that is, learn to enjoy kicking a big beach ball inadvertently -- when they reach down to grab said ball, their feet come forward in toddler lack-of-control fashion and kick the ball away. Thus the ball has run away from the toddler and a chase begins. Fun.
- With an armload of socks and undies I wandered the dungeons of my apartment building this morning, looking for the source of the mournful trumpet. The various storage rooms and twisty hallways carried the sound away from me at every turn. After making a full circle I surmised the player was in one of the storage rooms.
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9:21 AM - I realized this morning that it has been over two months, probably more like three, since I last surfed a dezine portal, even the ones in my permalinx. Not my interest path anymore. So I have cleaned up the section and I am going to keep it focused on a few sources, more personal work sites and my nostalgic fondness for KLOK.
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8:47 AM - The comments section for this post of loverly early morning photos is a hillarious example of not talking about the post at all. (fr. photojunkie's homage which has a quick lesson on cross polle... i mean cross processing)
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1:50 AM - Resize your screen to a decent, maybe quarter, size and watch this fun lil flashie about driving. And you wonder why i complain about you four-wheel freaks (fr. a fragment)
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| Saturday, August 24, 2002. |
7:52 PM - OK, so I am Greater Toronto Area Blogger. What does that mean? Am I part of an elite club of entertaining people who like to run personal sites and meet occasionally? There are many sites I run into that have a blog element and are Toronto based but are not part of GTA-B. Are they chosing not to "belong to something"? Have they just simply been overlooked? Are they islands in the stream not even noticing their geographical references? So far being part of GTA-B means to me a very friendly moderator / host in Rannie, setting up events galore and dragging people away from their keyboards as often as he can find reasons. Its nice, its friendly.
Are there competitors, though? In Mtl there was the Anglophone bunch (YUL Blog) and the Francophone bunch (the pssst crowd). I don't believe it was ever intentional and many people crossed over the "line". Does or will Toronto have competitive Blog groups, perhaps already starting in those who you BlogMeetup while being unaware (or annoyed by) of GTA-B?
Yes, I am trying to stir up shite ;)
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11:04 AM - We saw a druid (long brown robe, big long greying beard) in a park on Eglinton last night. I am still wondering if we were the only ones who could see him because he was somewhat startled when we stared.
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| Friday, August 23, 2002. |
4:09 PM - Not as funny as Oliver tends to be, but gave me a good chuckle.
Fat Cat likes to hop on desk while I am typing. Fat also loves open windows and the noises coming through. Fat Cat decides to jump from desk to tall window sill. Fat Cat uses loose pile of papers as launching pad. Fat Cat launches. Loose pile of papers shoots out from back feet of cat covering me and floor. Fat Cat actually only launches about 3 inches which spills her head first, tail poofed, onto the floor. I hear the thump of her head on the electric radiator. Fat Cat launches herself with lightning speed out of office. I am still spraying OJ onto monitor.
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2:43 PM - I am the proud owner of a baby "joe job".
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11:32 AM - On the drive down from Mtl, I was asked by the Manitoba-born, long-time-in-Mtl driver if I would miss the large selection of beers available in QC. Definately, I will miss the brew-pubs that did some yummy-yummy ales and belgian-style drafts, but as to selection? Heh. Ontario has a GREAT selection. Just look at this list at the nearby Beer Store. Don't judge it by the first few pages; the better stuff is buried and includes many of the QC brands I bought at my local Dep.
Now THAT is what I will miss -- walking home from the Metro and stopping to grab two bottles of a Rousse to have with dinner and later in the evening. Two beer, bought at a corner store. Since I don't have many drop-by friends here yet, a case in the fridge will look daunting as if I am required to drink many more than I want. I also tend to buy "no preservative" beers so they don't last as long. I took a swig of a Raspberry Wheat when I returned to the brother-in-laws a week after the "interview trip" and it tasted like someone had peed in my bottle. Oh well, the vicinity of the Granite more than makes up for that :D
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| Thursday, August 22, 2002. |
10:28 PM - There.
A while ago I got hold of a scratchy version of "A Stroke of Genie-us", that ingenious little bootleg tune. J just asked to hear it and its archived on some CD somewhere so I DLed it again and got hold of a nice, clean extended versions that sounds right out of a studio. This time its on an ask only basis as Sympatico may be capping my bandwidth even though they claim I am on the "no cap" old account.
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10:24 PM - Hello, archives? Come back please.
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9:50 PM - Mmmmm, internet radio in its robust yummy self. WFMU-FM 91.1 with lots of archives and playlists and show listings. I shall be digesting for the next few weeks or until they are shut down.
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9:14 PM - Andromeda is the new music sharing tool being tossed around. Its web based and server attached so the pages come and go. The interesting thing is that I am seeing less pirated songs (someone would have to tell you that they have them) and more personally made music iˇmeˇmichael's music. I am very fond of this idea, in fact I am downloading still can't remember for a mix. Hope he doesn't mind.
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7:10 PM - Today's agenda:- interview for "joe job"; went well, nice place.
- haircut; made a travesty of my head. where oh where is my toast cap ?!?
- about an hour after I comment that my printer is doing OK, it dies a beeping death. update: it's back? humidity?
- all the stress I have put aside for the last two weeks in order to accomplish this herculean move, came creeping back into my neck.
- Banks are annoying places.
- I would really really like to see the new series Jeremiah, it being right down my path of post-apocalyptic heroes. i need a grey-market dish. update: the official page can only be viewed with the US; what's up with that?!?
- this DSL connection reminds me of a cable-modem, at times super fast but sleep-inducing slow at times; i watched a progress bar on IE pulsate today, 25% no 15% no 20% no 10% no 27%. tres weird.
- i really haven't anything else worth blogging and for the first time i seemed concerned about it.
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| Wednesday, August 21, 2002. |
4:52 PM - So I wander in from doing errands (first interview tomorrow at noon for a 'joe job') to listen to CBC's "The Roundup". I hear a St. FX student talking about Gaelic storytelling in Cape Breton -- Rear Christmas Island to be precise. "Hmmmm, I spent much of my young summers there," I think. Then he mentions a recording of Murdoch MacNeil and I am thinking, "I know a Murdoch MacNeil." Low and behold it is my Uncle Murdoch, or more precisely my Grand Uncle Murdoch, a one time ferry captain. I recognize his voice immediately, that backwoods Cape Breton accent with the Scottish and Irish gaelic tossed in gently.
Back when Pooh-Dave (or J-Dave) was over to "the cave", I mentioned to him that I grew up knowing more gaelic then I have ever known french. It was a toddler surrounded by gaelic speakers thing, wanting to know what the stories & songs were about. My grandmother and her sisters taught me around the oil lanterns and games of Scat, before the first lightbulb was ever installed in my great-grandfather's house. Murdoch was the only MacNeil (or McNeil) in the area who got to hold onto his full name; well that I knew of. Almost everyone in the area was a MacNeil or McNeil so the naming convention became a combination of your name and your father's with the surname assumed. For example, my parents live next to Johnny Malcom-J -- John, son of Malcom-J McNeil. Murdoch was a captain of The Ferry, which in that day was the only way to cross the Grand Narrows to Iona. He was the first MacNeil to be thought of when a Murdoch was mentioned, having some prestige.
Listening to his voice on the radio I could smell the farm house that he and Flo lived in. I love memory.
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9:53 AM - This morning on This Morning (actually about 2 minutes ago) I listened to an interview with an Iranian (descent) weblogger here in TO. He talked about the popularity of blogs in Iran, both men and women, and described the freedom it gives them. The host hoped to find some sort of rebellion or political agenda in the use of the weblogs but Hoder just said they are like all of us -- talking about nothing for the most part, boyfriends, music, etc. I am sure they are happy to have this outlet in such an oppressive society and do not want to tempt the authorities to shut them down.
What struck me is that the host, as most mainstream media, could not grasp the idea of what a weblog is. Could she at least have gone to one for 15 minutes to support her interview? I guess all these weblog articles popping up, which may seem like a lot to us as we are exposed to almost every one, only help educate the masses. Someone should create a FAQ for "if you are going to be interviewed about weblogs by someone without a clue".
*g*
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8:46 AM - I have recently commented, commented loudly, on the politeness and friendliness I have encountered since arriving here to Toronto. For example, yesterday a homeless man said, "Hi, Dave !!" reading the name-tag on my shoulder -- he did not ask for change. But I have realized that all of this is dispensed with once people go into a grocery store. It is just as common here, as in QC, to park your cart sideways in a narrow aisle and then go to the crossing aisle to get what you need. They frown at me when I move their cart. They also see that someone else is blocking the aisle and add to the congestion by placing their Cart B next to Cart A. I now have to move two carts. As they stand there, cart in hand, trying to decide, "skin off or skin on?!?" They do not allow me to get to the boneless breasts. It takes them until next tuesday to decide; but then they leave their cart and go look for tuna. I am loathe to find out if seniors live in the area and will make an effort to avoid all grocery stores on pension-check day.
Addendum: It is a 24 hour place afterall -- i believe, as long as it is possible, I will now do all grocery shopping in the wee hours of the morning.
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| Tuesday, August 20, 2002. |
11:46 PM - Remember Princes Mononoke? Ignoring the heavy handed touch that Disney has on everything, we now get Miyazaki's next film, Spirited Away. The visuals look incredible, enchanting and incredibly rendered but what's with the furry white dragon ala Neverending Story?
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8:38 PM - OK, who wants to go with J and I to Karaoke with Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan ?!? Sounds like a cheezy blast !!
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8:30 PM - I predict that until this is resolved legally or we all get really bored, Davezilla vs. Toho will be the biggest meme around. Oh I suppose I should come up with Toastzilla. Or would This Boy Is Zilla be better?
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8:19 PM - Bwah hah hah hah, as my neighbours hear my high pitched cackle out the balcony windows. Oliver meets catdoor. Look at Number 6. Laughter ensues. I believe I am going to make that into a CD cover... "Songs Through The Cat Door".
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4:59 PM - Ooo ooo oo, I could get another celebrity sighting today and just up the street !! Bill Gates is here for Can>Win. Maybe I should ask him for a job :D
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4:55 PM - Heh. Ran into Jim Caviezel today at a gaming store. He was looking for pointers on Warcraft III. Unfortunately J knows more about the game than I do. Nice guy, great voice.
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3:06 PM - I had always wondered why Ed Bilodeau is a Calebos. Yup, he's back with a personal page that appears as a very elegant version of the 1996 "My Personal Page" idea. At least he didn't use a gray background. *eg*
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10:07 AM - Last night we had our last meal out, with the kitchen cleaned, unpacked and stocked with food. It was at the place of destiny that is around the corner at Mt. Pleasant -- The Granite Brewery. You see, during my days in Halifax, the original Granite was a regular hangout just down the road from Res and next door to the comp-labs. I was very fond of the Old Peculiar. Very. Fond. Last night I had my standard pub fare of "chicken fingas n fries" with a side-bowl of gravy and a big pint of Peculiar. Then I bought a Granite pint glass for $3. Then we bought Ginger Ice Cream from a hole in the wall. I like ice cream with a burn.
We have also dubbed a soon to be regular walk as "neighbourhood therapy". We walked through the old streets south of Eglinton, drooling over porches, envying people having porch dinner parties, listening to people practice on their guitar, critiquing the modern monstrosities that don't fit into the street, etc. Its quiet, its peaceful and people you pass smile or say hello and they let you pat their dogs. We want a house, not a big one just a nice small old one, but our economic pitfalls always interfere with such plans. Maybe when we are grownups.
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| Monday, August 19, 2002. |
2:39 PM - Hmmm, to anyone in the Eglinton-Yonge-Mt. Pleasant-Bayview area, can you tell me where the nearest comix and RPG stores might be?
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12:31 PM - Y'know, if they gave me one I would Switch in a flash. OK, so not switch but add it to my repertoire.
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11:52 AM - OK, so Vin Diesel is a D&D player. And he has a secret project that involved $800 of D&D books. I hope he is going to play The Justicar. And I am sure J wouldn't mind seeing him swing a sword :)
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10:17 AM - Hmmm it is beginning to look like I may have to replace my trusty toast cap. How else will people know me at blogmeets? And I have been considering getting a black cap for nights, perhaps this Toast-O-Lator would do? Of course, I could just open my own CafePress store and begin offering TBIT material. What do you think?
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10:07 AM - Oh great, Bread gets breasts but not Toast. Hrrmph.
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9:23 AM - So, its been one week since we lifted boxes and carried our asses down here. I was up at 7:30am, which doesn't seem as foreign as it did a month ago, to put on the kettle and make my pepper & brie sandwich for J. I just made myself a pot of coffee. I was really tempted to buy her some Hilroys and a pencil-box yesterday in order to send her off, on this her First Day of Work, in style.
This week sped by, interrupted by an over-night run back to Mtl by myself, with gradual unpacking boxes and a new regimen of cleaning and tidying. You might not notice the place is tidy amidst the chaos, but I can tell -- no more sugar on the floor, no packing kernals dancing away from cat paws, no balls of torn-off tape under the futon. I noticed the first tumble weed of cat hair this morning; time to break out the dust-broom. The kitchen is done, the stereo cabinet & TV setup, the bedroom livable and this computer room has a narrow path to this pooter. We are adjusting.
Now, with my 12 hours of constant activity waning I am getting nervous. I am very much feeling... lost, as if I was laid off again. But no worry, I have a list of "joe jobs" (with no offense to the joes i know) to apply to, including a wine seller, funiture receiver and the internet cafe(s). Today is waiting for the building handy-man to install the vanity, make extra keys, buy an ironing board (now that we have a closet to store one) and begin the aggravating job of updating my resume and attacking the online job-sites again.
One week ago the word of the day was "cobbledick".
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7:41 AM - Everyone likes to post the search terms they get in their referrers. I don't look at them often but I had a lot this morning so I did. Lo and behold, I am very nervous now about the people who end up at my page. I mean, I can accept the perv looking for "hymen personal webpages photos" but what kind of sick freako wants to see "steve gutenberg shirtless" ?!?!
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| Sunday, August 18, 2002. |
11:45 PM - OK, i never said this because I am not very good at these sort of things. But thankyou to all the people who gave me a fond farewell. While very few had the chance to do it face to face (the last two weeks were one chaotic mess) I still really appreciated all the g'byes in my Comments area and on their blogs. Thanks people, but remember, I am only as far away as this webpage.
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12:19 PM - Kewl !! Plush nuh-yarl.. n-yarl.. nyarl-toe-thep... Nyarlethotep Plush. And of course, wouldn't you like to see this guy coming down your chimney to gobble your cookies and milk and maybe a child or two? (pointed out by marmalade; no not my marmalade, this marmalade. though she is nearby i would guess)
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9:09 AM - <mage> what should I give sister for unzipping?
<Kevyn> Um. Ten bucks?
<mage> no I mean like, WinZip? *snicker*
From some of the top IRC quotes. (fr. lightning speed chick, er, i mean lightspeed)
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| Saturday, August 17, 2002. |
7:45 PM - Ahh crap, where is the stereo remote ?!? Ahh crap, where are the frelling bed-legs ?!?! Ahhhh crap, where are all the yellow towels ?!?! Ahhh frelling crap, where the frick is my Toast Cap ?!?!
*sigh*
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5:52 PM - Guess who has DSL again?
*big silly grin*
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| Friday, August 16, 2002. |
4:37 PM - Hmmm, is something up with the Comments or is it just this net-shoppe terminal?
Anywayz, the hobbit hole is clean. I am on my way back to TO. Seeya there.
And thus... a new era begins.
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| Thursday, August 15, 2002. |
8:07 PM - aaaargh; what a ride. the wheels on the bus may go round and round but the kids of the bus go louder and louder.
back in Mtl for a few nites to finish some business. and there are some snafus in the works already. anywayz, i will be around the apt tonight for some time and then hopefully somebody will be up for a beer or two.
hmm, well this terminal works better than the one in Kingston which first demanded more money and then blinked "unable to connect to internet" seconds after it ate my twoonie. oh well, ta ta for now.
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| Monday, August 12, 2002. |
6:58 AM - We go bye-bye now. Don't know when I will have access in TO. Probably do brief connects via cafes."I er ... I have things to do. I've put this off for far too long. I regret to announce this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell. Goodbye."
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12:11 AM - Martin and I were talking about playing the VR-like Battletech game and how it may exist at the CN Tower in Toronto. I believe it did at one time, at least. He used to play it when it had a base here in Montreal. Considering he is going to be a daddy sometime soon, I wonder if he might build this for his little boy or little girl??
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| Sunday, August 11, 2002. |
8:16 PM - Whahhh !! Me tired, me no wanna pack anymore !!
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8:15 PM - Really bushed from all day packing -- a blogging break.
J and I have been sleeping with a green bean all week. Well, mostly she has. She discovered this by finding it in he bottom of the washing machine after doing the sheets. We had green beans last week with dinner, and then retired to the living room to sort comix, the dishes to be cleaned off later. The hypothesis is that Balthazar, otherwise known as the devil-cat or dead-bunny-boy in this heat, stole it and hid under the bed sheets with it. He has a history of stealing green food, such as the slice of green pepper he stole off of a slice of pizza and hid in the shower drain. I thought cats were colour blind?
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8:57 AM - Considering that after tonight, I am going to be sans internet access for some time (why did i give away my modem?) I thought it might b useful to have one of these handy blog pads to make notes of all the juicy annecdotes that are bound to happen from now to being setup in Toronto.
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8:37 AM - "What can be better than getting stoned with your old friend?" Last night, when all patience and energy had been exhausted, we took a break. We rented the FotR DVD, pushed some boxes to the side, peeled some speaker wire (the end broke off in the shuffle) and sat back with some 'za and cold beverages. I still shivered when I saw the titles come up. But by Rivendell I was nodding off and retired before midnight.
As we watched the opening, J wondered how they would subtitle the Elvish spoken aloud. Me, I wondered about the translations of this sacred text into other languages.
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| Saturday, August 10, 2002. |
9:02 PM - I love the internet. The kitchen is a mess, the pizza flyers were all thrown out and Montreal's yellow pages aren't worth the paper they are written on. But Pizza Donini does have a webpage though.
For those not from around here, where most yellow pages have at least 6 pages of BIG ads for all the major pizza joints, Montreal seems to kick the trend. Dominos and Pizza Hut are the only major places listed. The rest is lil i-never-heard-of-ya places. Tis weird.
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11:20 AM - Toronto was extremely kind to me. I think I should acknowledge some sorely needed friendliness:- Ruby, the super of our new building, who was personable, helpful and assisted in every way she could in order for us to get the apt.
- Hemwaddie (sp?), the rental agent, who plowed through FAX snafus and approved our apt in next to no time
- the manager of the Royal Bank nearby, who bent over backwards to get me a 2 grand certified cheque as application deposit (yes, montrealers, TO rent and policies will make you goggle)
- the TTC customer service rep who mapped out all routes J will need to get to and from work, even at 1am, and even gave me a free pass to the TTC to get back to Whitby
- the GTA Bloggers who invited me to the first meeting of their photoclub but really just to meet a few people and decompress from all that walking and apt hunting (ooo dewy nipples >;)
- the owner of the 2nd-hand bookstore, that specializes in film & TV, who gave me quite a few hints on finding places
- the internet cafe, where i will seek work, for having a "less than 5 mins checking email is free" policy
- the Canada Coach manager for replacing my lost bus ticket
- the print shop guy who gave me two notepads when i asked for a few sheets of scrap paper (i was out of note paper and didn't want to spend $2 on a notepad for need of two sheets of paper, "we just put out our recycling but take these with our compliments.")
- the Fido Store guy in Eaton Centre for cutting through red-tape so i could have a reactived cell-phone, with voice mail, immediately and not in 48 hours as their on-phone CS people were telling me
- Lastly, and most importantly, John & Sandie for housing me, feeding me and leaving me to the mercy of their dog, cat and two kids ;)
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10:02 AM - J's taxcab driver (she catches the same cabdriver most mornings at 5am) gave her a going away gift -- Rousseau's "The Confessions". Signed with a note of goodbye, it was both thoughtful and intellectual. That is frelling cool of him.
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2:06 AM - Well i am back in Mtl. All those crossed toes and tingers must have worked because we have an apartment confirmed, even with a few lost FAX snafus. So I am back to help finish the packing and load a truck on Monday morning. Who is unemployed and would like to carry some boxes? *evil grin*
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| Thursday, August 08, 2002. |
8:32 PM - things progress.
if it all goes well, i have an apartment approved by tomorrow afternoon. as a reward i am going to walk around Whitby tomorrow to avoid biting nails as i await The Phone Call. ok, the shift key is back temporarily.
would all primates please cross all toes and fingers for me...
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8:24 PM - this keyboard is weird. the left shift is translating as the blogger 'post' command or the number seven. the right as the number one.
a late night back from the 'go bus' through the solitude of of suburbia is broken by a 16 year old girl's voice, 'fucking pakkies [insert exclamation point] why don't you go home to your country.' gahhh, i thought i had heard the last of such illogical racial slurs in the 80s. but here it was coming from the mouth of the boldest of the three girls, the one in tight-tight jeans and a skimpy, tight tanktop. 'we do not suck pakkies,' she bellowed at the dark skinned kids on the stunt bikes as they sped away. so i hadn't been imagining things when i heard the guys ask the girls if they wanted, 'to suck us off...' i guess teenagers locked in suburbia are rude all around.
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| Monday, August 05, 2002. |
9:57 PM - Apartment
Epic-Level, Medium to Large-size Abberation
Hit Dice: 100d12 (900 - 1100 hp)
Initiative: +23
Speed: Walk 20
AC: 11 (+1 natural)
Attacks: no natural
Damage: nil
Face/Reach: 25 ft. by 25 ft./ 25 ft.
Special Attacks: bug swarm
Special Qualities: invisibility, Fireball
Saves: Fort +12 Ref +12, Will +22
Abilities: Str --, Dex --, Con --, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +3
Feats: Iron Will
Climate/Terrain: nice neighbourhoods, Don Mills, Danforth area, Eglinton east
Organization: Low Rise, Victorian, House, WalkUpetc.
Challenge Rating: 300
Treasure: Balconies, HW floors, two BR,
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Well its the middle of day two and things are... progressing. After 12 hours of walking the O'Connor to Gerrard, Broadview to Woodbine yesterday I came away with a viewing of three apartments and three no-no's. Too small, quite the dump, a dining room off the galley kitchen (through which you have to pass through) is not a second bedroom. Prices are just out of our range or just tooooo nasty for words. But I continue. Now I am up near Eglinton with a few numbers in hand and a bit of walking to do. We are trying to find nice neighbourhoods of some interest that are on major TTC routes. And immediately. Adding to the stress is the need to FAX applications to J in Montreal in order to finalize things meaning at least 2-5 days of delays in getting a place. Last resort will be the highrises in the area where J is going to work, in the middle of Don Mills. Never lived in a highrise before but they are at least somewhat big and spacious and likely to have balconies. I am positive if somewhat sunburned :)
Anywayz, enough of the adventures of Toasted Boy vs Toronto Apartments. I have escaped the Grand Fireball (epic level spell) that is the sun and for a few minutes I am recovering. But back to it.
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10:08 AM - An oldie but a goodie of a flashie, tis we give you the illustrious pygmy shrew. isn't he cute? now get him off the bottom of my shoe-ie.
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| Sunday, August 04, 2002. |
6:52 PM - Everytime I move, my "box of nostalgia" gets emptier and emptier. Less has been put into it over the years, and less seems as worthy of keeping. For example, I toss just about every promotional item for comix or artists passed onto people who knew I would like it. But I still keep the prestigious looking invite from the Spanish Embassy for a BBQ. All postcards but those of original art (most by Mukey and Count Locke) go in the green plastic bag. Stickers, adverts, FBs & SLAMs go bye-bye but I have every piece of photocopied art from wicki -- in case she becomes so famous I can make a mint off of knowing her ;) Photographs I keep, as well as one-shots from interesting people -- such as a postcard from a CB chicken-stand called "Lik-a-Chik" or one from K10K. I have every letter J wrote to me when we were seperated for those two periods of 6 months plus. I have a beautiful pastel art-piece from a co-worker of J's, made during the time I was known as Masque in the penpal world. I don't need all that NYC material, i'll be back there. My own attempts at "art" can be chucked due to sheer embarrassment, but that one original piece of 1995 "digital art" that I love so much. I have pared a large box down to a much much smaller box.
Speaking of, would anyone like some material from artist John Sarkin? He and I ended our correspondance ages ago.
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5:59 PM - Anybody a HUGE Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or Babylon V fan? I have first-season promotional material for both up for grabs. It was something I had always intended on offering on Ebay but I don't have the time nor inclination. We have glossy B&W photos, colour positive slides, plot synopses on official letterhead, layouts for print ads, etc. Quite nice to geek out to -- I know I did, I just have to consider other things.
If you are here in Montreal you can contact me (tonight, sunday) or J for collection. If you are in Toronto, you can wait until we have moved and meet me for it. Bring a job opportunity with you, if you are the latter ;)
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| Saturday, August 03, 2002. |
1:18 PM - Well there goes a week's worth of weighted waiting, lifted with a yell of "WAHOO !!" from J.
It has started. This morning I grabbed 6 croissant, a copy of the Saturday Star and a big glass of iced coffee and began the search. An hour or more later my fingers are black and the apartments section has a handful of blue circles. Monday, and here's to hoping bus-runs are quiet on holidays, I head down to begin the search in person. Hopefully if everything goes well, I will be back in a week or so with a new lease.
Yeah, we are moving to TO. Time to join the ex-pat section of the YUL Bloggers. Time to check out the circle associated with the GTA Bloggers. Time to find a job, with one less roadblock.
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| Friday, August 02, 2002. |
4:43 PM - Either they are looking for parking or "shooting the drag". The same car has driven past my window about 6 times playing the same silly pop song.
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2:17 PM - Frelling Ed copycat.
;)
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12:00 PM - Saw "Signs" on wednesday. Shyamalan is my Hitchcock. He does calm movies that make you pay attention to the characters and the elements of the film and uses adrenalin in the way it should be used, lacking big explosions or waving flags. I unabashedly adore his three movies. He can make you jump and make your skin crawl by the most mundane of scenes, or he can make your heart soar when a man raises his arms in a train station.
His first two movies were about Ghosts and about Superheroes. But not in the way you would expect, especially not if pitched in that way. Much in the way Marvels redefined the Marvel comic book world a few years ago, Shyamalan takes stock elements of SpecFic and presents them in a more... human focus. Of course, the movies are about much more.
"Signs" is about Aliens, as you probably get from the crop circles. But really it's about faith, loss of it, and being directed toward faith's return. This movie is not for the average film goer. "The 6th Sense" was immensely popular with the average audience because it made them jump in all the right places and go "oooooooo" at the end because of the surprise plot twist. This movie is not hinged on its plot twist, a concept I am glad he is getting away from because being type-cast as "that kind of director" would have been his death knell. He still uses the escalation of plot factor, but the ending is softer, gentler. As is the progression. But the jumps are there. Merill and I both jumped out of our skins while watching that Brasillian news clip.
Shyamalan also expertly works at leaving things out. Some might call them plot holes, I call them brilliantly used gaps. He leaves many things for us to wonder about, about the alien-ness of it all. Our field of vision in the events is extremely narrow, even with the use of TV news programs. Like the characters, we wonder what is going on out there and why things are happening. Then we learn that these elements are not the important concept -- back to the matter of faith.
I am not religious and barely spiritual so a lot of the importance of faith was lost on me. I sided with Merril most of the movie, who just wanted his brother to be stronger & more comforting -- lack of faith or not. I think its possible to have all the characteristics of a strong, benevolent religious leader without the belief in God or even caring about it. Still, its nice to have a little help along the way...
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9:22 AM - Oh man I have to wait till May 31, 2003 for you to buy me a Kilobirthday Beer? (fr. firda lemurpants, which sounds like a great name for a kid's show host)
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| Thursday, August 01, 2002. |
5:30 PM - I consider it too warm when I can smell my own nose. This can be alleviated by the introduction of a nice pond or ocean front beach to swim in.
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