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Writing; Hivers; Goodminton

Wednesday night I went to Geoff’s for a writing group meeting. I had tried to write something for the meet but the thing I started on didn’t get very far off the ground, so I just brought an old piece. One of the girls there wrote about lack of fulfilling one’s potential, or even the wisdom to self-analyze, and we talked about that for some time. I have been thinking about that for years. Certainly I look at my life, my beliefs, and my attitudes quite a lot. But I fret about not living up to my potential. I have skills, but self-promotion and social graces are not among them. It’s been a constant thorn in my side, along with my inherent laziness. Who knows where I would be if I was a little more friendly/gregarious. Maybe I should take up drinking.

On Thursday I went into a studio to do voice recordings for Stewie’s game Sword of the Stars. Taylor was there to help and it was good to see him again. We had to share a microphone for a chunk of lines, and then I had my time alone in the booth doing crazy voices that I probably can’t tell you about but maybe Stewie can. It was fun and challenging.

Stephane and I played more racquetball at the Mount Pleasant Community Center on Ontario and 15th. I noticed they also have badminton for $4 drop-in for 2 hours on Thursdays at 7:45. Anyone else interested in that? We also talked about finding a place to play outside. I’d totally spring for a net. I guess in theory you could set it up in a park wherever you want.

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Coke Zero does in fact taste more like regular Coke than Diet Coke

This morning I drew some character portraits for Spaceship Zero the RPG. Just for fun.

I went for lunch at uh…Tom’s Cafe I think it’s called. I’ve been there once before. It’s a total dump there, which is kind of endearing, especially with the $3.95 lunch specials. It’s hard to find a non-saggy spot on the diner-style benches. On my previous visit I was the only patron. This time there was a lady who, in addition to ordering food there, had a big bag of carrots and other crunchy vegetables that she ate very loudly (with her mouth open). I actually had to get up and move to the other side of the restaurant, it was driving me so crazy. I got chicken and broccoli today, and there was some confusion when I asked for no rice or noodles, she said it would be a dollar extra. Eventually we sorted out that it’s because I’d be getting more chicken and broccoli instead of the rice. I was trying to sort out my Mandarin class notes but I just wasn’t in the mood. But that’s okay because the owners were watching some Cantonese version of Coronation Street that they have on VHS, so I absorbed some of that instead.

I am trying to think of something to write about for Geoff’s writing group tonight. It’s not working. I started something but it’s just not holding my interest. I don’t want to wait for inspiration because I know sometimes you have to make your own, but I just can’t get into what I started. I thought about resurrecting old short stories I began years ago, about doing a superhero tale, Ghostbusters fan fiction, and now I’m sifting through old blog entries for other ideas.

Furthermore I am sick of hearing The Pretenders.

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Another Million Dollar Idea

Here’s another Million Dollar Idea courtesy of Toren. The “Manual Labour Network.” People spend gazoolions of dollars on gym memberships and home exercise machines. Meanwhile, not far away, hard work is waiting to be done on the streets and in the homes of the lazy and the poor. The MLN co-ordinates chores involving hours of physical labour with those who want to get in shape. After getting off work from pencil pushing, head down to Auntie Griswold’s cottage home to haul several loads of brick for her new walkway. Not only will you get a good workout, but you’ll have the satisfaction of helping someone, and maybe a fresh apple pie from Griswold’s family recipe. Or you can help Bob McSmooch move this weekend and maybe he’ll slip you a few bills for your trouble. Jenny Squiddler is a tiny jawa of a person who can barely lift a jar of marmalade, but she is heiress to the Squiddler Preserves fortune, and she needs her ceiling painted. Free jam and buckets of cash to those who want to work their arms a bit for an afternoon.

And now for a bit of fun, the Periodic Table Table

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My Weekend With NoMeansNo

You would think that being around a bunch of young people, and people you haven’t since you were 18 (and you’re now 35), would make you feel old. But playing with NoMeansNo this past Saturday had exactly the opposite effect. It was invigorating!

Fustie picked me up from work on Friday and we went down to Divine Industries new location. In the move they found a bunch of Thickets tapes and stuff that was destined for the bin, but Allen saved it for me. He also gave us BTO’s broken Juno award for Best Selling Album of the Year 1975. We figured we could give it away as a prize during our performance, or award it to NoMeansNo, for a lark. I picked up 25 CDs and then we headed to pick up the costumes and Mike Patience, then into Chilliwack we drove.

Fustie dropped me off at Mr Woods and we rented Fantastic Four, which really really blew. We stormed the beaches of Cave-In-Foods for strawberries, jerky and wasabi peas. In the morning it was Husky House for breakfast where I asked for (and got) a veggie omelette with extra everything (no onions, hash browns or toast). We hit the Mark’s Work Wearhouse for socks, boxers and a new pair of pants*, played some Mortal Combat: Shaolin Monks, and then scoped out “The Loft” at the Ag Rec Center for load in. I helped Jordan with his drums and then we three revisited Husky House. This time, a chicken Caesar mod for me. I learned that Jordan is on some kind of Focusin to help him quit smoking. He gets up at 5 in the morning and does laundry and the dishes and makes breakfast for Tara hours before she wants it. Jordan takes off and Chris and I are back at his homestead where we engage in a game of Scrabble with Angie and her mom. Before we could finish the game we got called back to the Loft for SHOWTIME!

There were scores of kids at the show, some as young as 7 or 8, I’d wager. Tagging along with their parents, of course. We put on our satyr outfits and hit the stage to much fanfare. We rocked out splendidly and the energy was super-good. We only had a half hour so we kept the songs fast and the inbetween times tight. The crowd was clearly enjoying themselves, jumping up during Colour Me Green and generally giving us the rock hands. Garett came out as Cthulhu, complete with glowing eyes and throbbing heart, for our last two songs. Best of all, NoMeansNo was present for the performance, watching at the sidelines, and grinning.

I can’t list everyone I saw, because I’m bad with names, and you probably don’t care, but for the purposes of reminding myself later, here’s who I saw: Shalan Hay, who I haven’t seen since probably 1993. Leon, Devon’s partner in crime who lives in Taiwan and wants us to come there to play a circuit (I met his Taiwanese lady friend). Norm and Jen came out from Vancouver to see the show with a buddy whose name I forget. Syric, our longtime fan who may or may not live in the states, showed. Garett, Lea, Ashly, Tara. Bob Scott, who I haven’t seen since 1988. Matt, Merrick’s squinty roommate. A couple of old school Chilliwack punk fans with crazy hair who I have known. Cary Britton, Shane Ward. Chris, of course, who took some fabulous photos.

I handed out stickers after the show, and I sold all of the CDs I brought (22 – I pulled out 3 SSZ’s for myself & Bob), a new record. We didn’t expect to get paid much for the show as there were 6 bands on the bill, and I didn’t bother to ask Jay, the organizer about it after the show. I was just jazzed to have the experience. We watched Removal and then I got up on a chair so I could watch NoMeansNo play over the crowd (there was no stage, as such). What can I say? They still got it. It was fantastic.

After the show I spoke with Tom Holliston, the guitarist, and he really enjoyed our performance and invited us to play at their next two shows (at least one of which is a Hanson Brothers show). I got his email and hopefully that will all work out. A bunch of my friends were going out for drinks but Chris and I opted for the nerdy antisocial route of playing some more Mortal Combat until we crashed.

It was a truly memorable weekend. The only thing that would have made it better was if Marlo was there, but it’s still too soon for that, unfortunately. (57 more words until OVERSHARE) Marlo is worried about what my friends think after our breakup, but I’m sure we’ll be karaoking and watching MST3K all together again before you know it. Besides, I’m a big boy and I knew the risks when I took that step into our relationship. Despite the heartache I’m feeling now, I don’t regret taking that step. Overshare: Friday was the first day since the breakup that I haven’t cried, and had a healthy b.m. Hooray! Sleep was decent. I’m still getting maybe 75-90% of what I need on a given night, but seems to be getting better.

In all the excitement, we forgot to do anything with the Juno award. For all I know it’s still sitting on the stove in the kitchen above the Ag Rec Center in Chilliwack.

*I think this is the only time in my life I engaged in shopping therapy. Of course it helps to have money.

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One More Sleep Till NoMeansNo

I just spoke with Malcolm Reynolds on the phone.

Yesterday was hectic, except for the morning. I had my interview with Backbone which I thought went pretty decently. I was interviewed by three people. The toughest question they asked was what would I foresee doing all day in the job of designer. I really didn’t have much of an answer for them. The other question was what would be my salary expectations but we actually got sidetracked so I never answered it. Afterwards I chatted briefly with Devin.

I was wearing Stewie’s hand-me-down sweater and I took a cab to a video game company. I was like I was the mirror universe version of him (because I have a beard).

Afterwards I was supposed to meet with Naomi to get the costumes but she hadn’t finished them. I was also supposed to go to Divine to pick up CDs for our show but I totally forgot, so I’ll do it at lunch today. Then I had a meeting with the V-Con guy and Jon and Michael. That was good and it looks like we’ll be having Cloud City inside V-Con in October. We met at a small pub inside City Square called “Lifestyles.” It was full of old men and the jazz was too loud. If V-Con gets the guests they’re after, it will be CRAZY FANTASTIC but there will be no mentioning of names until they’re confirmed.

The meeting took 2 hours, however, so I rushed home to call Naomi. She came and dropped off the costumes and then she dropped me off at Marlo’s. I was apprehensive about seeing her but I didn’t want to take off for the weekend without checking up on her and on myself. We sat around and talked and we both felt much better afterwards.

Tonight I’m heading out to Chilliwack right after work. Tomorrow is the big show with NoMeansNo. I can’t believe that Mario gave me the wrong venue information. He told me it was at the Hope River Hall. Then I got an email from Chuck on Wednesday night that the flyers around town said The Loft at the Ag Rec Center and he was confused because our site said differently. So I called the organizer and confirmed it’s at the Ag Rec Center. I emailed all the lists and the site so hopefully nobody will go to the wrong place. Mario…sheesh. I guess I should have double-checked earlier.

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Another night goes by

Today I have an interview at a video game company. I got the entire day off from RBC which is great, because I really needed to catch up on sleep. Today I went to bed before midnight (I would say about 1:20 minutes earlier than usual), woke up at 2:40ish, went back to sleep, woke up at 4 something, and then have intermittent dozing at 1-2 hour stretches until about 9am. I figure between all of that I probably got 8 hours, which was my goal. Watching classic Trek and Black Books kept my mind off of things. Even when I’m feeling fine, you sometimes have those nights where you wake up and you just can’t go to sleep because your mind is so busy. TV is the ultimate cure to a busy mind.

Did I mention this? As of last week, I’m back on my regimen of good diet and exercise, which did me well in the summer of 2004. Spoiled so far only by Stewie bringing home some licorice allsorts. I’ve had no appetite in the mornings lately, Chef salad for lunch pretty much every day, and misc healthyish things for dinner. Last night it was nuts, broccoli, and a yogurt at Tim Hortons in Chilliwack*. I bought Cadbury Mini Eggs for a co-worker/supervisor at work and I wasn’t even tempted to eat them. Sugar is addictive, as Marlo says! I am weaning. My sugar intake has been limited to fruit and carrots. I have been so busy with band stuff, VGG stuff, and drawing that I haven’t had as much racquetball as I’d like.

How’s that for a boring entry? Well I’ve got news – IT’S NOT FOR YOU!!!

*Yes, right after work Naomi drove me out to band practice where I did not practice but rather we just took costume adjustments.

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Smellular

Okay…so…it’s gotten to the point where it’s actually been inconvenient a couple times that I don’t have a cell phone. Especially trying to organize things with my dumb band. So, anyone have any suggestions as to what kind of cell phone I should or should NOT get?

Also, while doing vanity searches at work today I stumbled across the Thickets on a site called Song Meanings . Now you can tell the online world what Big Robot Dinosaur means to you, if anything.

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Le Chinois

There’s a woman not far from my work area who works on our Mandarin help line. As my Mandarin classes progress I am starting to pick up on things she is saying. It’s fun! I still have a long way to go. Maybe, just maybe, I can talk some of the other 9 people in my class (only some of which have actually made it to all 4 classes so far) to form a study group.

Speaking of Chinese, on Chinese New Year the manager in my department Mani, who’s a super nice guy, gave me two fortune cookies and a scratch ‘n’ lose inside a hong bao (those little red envelopes) – the scratch ‘n’ lose I gave to Marlo (I didn’t know what was inside till I gave it to her and she opened it) but inside one of the fortune cookies was a fortune that read “PEOPLE YOU DEAL WITH WILL BE MORE CO-OPERATIVE THAN USUAL.” I have taped that to my monitor.

2000 KELICAMS:

There must be some alarm clock somewhere in town that I am in tune with…maybe downstairs. I can’t actually hear it, but it wakes me up at 6:45 every morning. It’s uncanny. Star Trek 3 The Search for Spock was my companion this morning, and it did me right. I fell back to sleep in less than half an hour and I stayed there until 8:30.

Thanks to everyone who has emailed me suppor-diddly-ort. I appreciate it. Furthermore: it’s supposed to be sunny for days! I’ve worn my brown Cons 2 days in a row – and I may again tomorrow!