Tuesday, July 31, 2007

So Lost In So Many Ways

Wow. I've been neglecting my blog huh?

But not without just cause. Let me start by saying just how much I "loathe" Caribana. Not that I've ever actually "been" to Caribana to make such a harsh statement like that. But it's one of those events that happens along every year just to drive me bAtSHiT at work. Seriously; it's more busy a time for me at work than Christmas. I hate it, hate it, hate it. I wish the whole sordid event would go bankrupt and disappear. (Forgive me, those who enjoy it - it's my fatigue speaking.)

So... in other news... Ted is in Montreal. He just got there earlier this evening. It's business til Friday night, when I get there. We've got a wedding to go to on Saturday -and- it's Pride weekend in Montreal so we're hoping to enjoy a bit of the festivities. I'm more than a little anxious - ok... make that "apprehensive" about driving to Montreal by myself. Only because I get lost oh-so-very-easily... yes... even with directions. And my friend Arran and his new boyfriend Neil were "supposed" to be coming with me, but it turns out they can't leave til Saturday morning. I'm happy they're still coming, but it kinda defeats the purpose of why I invited them along in the first place if ya know what I'm sayin'. Wish me luck. It's a six hour drive, and I could very likely still get lost in my own neighbourhood.

I'd love to write more than this, especially considering how little I've written since last week, but I'm simply too tired right now, and the babies need to go outside one last time before bed. I never quite sleep well when Ted's away as I've said before. If you're reading this honey, I love you, and I can't wait to see you Friday night. Or Saturday afternoon, depending on when I finally find my way. ha

Good night all. I hope your summer is in the process of being eventful and fun. God knows mine is.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

No House For You

A brief post today.

Yeah, the town house in Brampton... ...let's just say it's a little TOO fixer-upper. We both liked the layout and the location, and the exterior. But inside, absolutely everything needs to be changed and we don't have the money to do that, considering we'd be throwing all our money at a mortgage and condo fees for it. And we're just not handy gays. Y'know? Other gay guys could rips stuff apart and decorate and renovate like the wind. Us??? Not so much. We kinda need a place that we can move into and change over time. This place is a little better than a hovel, and we'd have to live in said hovel for god-knows how long. (with holes in the walls, and nasty floors, shitty carpets, and fucking wallpaper EVERYWHERE...) It needs new kitchen cabinets, and electrical work... blah blah blah. Anyhow... I'm a little bit relieved, a little bit disappointed. The dogs would have loved the little yard and the neighbourhood. Oh well. I wasn't crazy about moving all the way out to Brampton anyhow. My commute is long-enough as it is.

Later peeps. The Thursday workload beckons... or is that the Thursday workload cracks it's whip??

No time for lyrics today, but I do recommend a song called "Baseline" by Quarashi. It's a funky rap/reggae/rock/alternative hybrid tune. The band is largely unknown. The album is called "Jinx" and it's awesome when you're in the mood for something aggressive.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Things I Wouldn't Post on YouTube #1

Aren't I Mr McPosty today? This was too funny not to share. It's shamelessly dorky. I'd be embarassed for him if he weren't so hot. He looks like he knows he's being dorky, so I think that cancels a bit of it out.

Enjoy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UPv7D8mM1g

Kit Rides Again

The voice session was a great success. Phew!

When I got there, I was somewhat disconcerted to find it was a "different" room full of clients... OK, only 2 this time (that I didn't know) down from 5 the last time - but it's a small room. wink
But LUCKILY... the producer and creative director were all-over the same issues that I had with the script being so long and filled with dialogue "uncharacteristic" of what we'd done before. hee hee... the character integrity issues of an animated KitKat bar. You can laugh... ...I am.

It took me twice as long as my March session, but there was 3 times the dialogue involved, so I don't feel too bad about it. Sadly, this particular material is going into a fully-produced and animated PowerPoint presentation, so it won't even hit the web, and I'm not even certain if I'll ever see what the final product is. BUT... the campaign is a huge success for them (according to some of the facts and figures I was reading) sooooo.... it's lookin' pretty good that they'll need me again for web up-dates. AND I might add, they only asked for me to come back. My female counterpart wasn't included in the presentation. Thank goodness I practiced all the lines, even the ones that I was pretty sure would be assigned to her.

The revised dialogue was cheeky and clever. I might add: I have a new fondness for the word "sassy"... it's fun to say as "Kit". My accent held. Although I was a bit horse and dry by the end of the whole experience. Dry, perhaps because I was sweating like a sauna-bound pig in a mink coat. It was fun though, and I've got more demo-tape material!!
I truly marvel at the talent of Damon, the creative guy who was there to direct me and ask for particular inflections. The guy can do sooo many character voices, including the one I was doing. You should hear his Spanish accent; flawless. I'm lucky they were looking for someone non-unionized, 'cause he could've done the part - easy.

Ted could tell everything went well by how positively "chipper" I was when I got home. It's great to enjoy your work. I have a new appreciation for that notion.

(More on the town house tomorrow or Friday.)

How 'bout an old Canadiana summer rocker... "Keep On Lovin' Me Baby" by Colin James.
He's probably the most underrated guitar player in history. The man treats his axe like an appendage. This song is old... but "timeless" old.

Well I want you to love me.
Well I want you to love me.
Well I want you to love me.

whoa yeah
whoah yeah
whoah baby
you know what pleases me

Well I want you to kiss me
Well I want you to kiss me
Well I want you to kiss me

whoa yeah
whoah yeah
whoah baby
you know what pleases me
YOU KNOW WHAT PLEASES ME!

Early in the morning
any time at night
well I can feel your tender lips
making me feel alright

Keep on loving me girl
Ahow how how
Keep on loving me baby
whoa yah
whoa yah
whoa baby
you know what pleases me

SOLO

Early in the morning
any time at night
well I can feel your tender lips
making me feel alright

Keep on loving me girl
Ahow how how
Keep on loving me baby
whoa yah
whoa yah
whoa baby
you know what pleases me

Freak Accident

I received this material (below) in an e-mail forward from June, Ted's dad's wife, earlier this week. It's really quite breath-taking and scary. I don't particularly like the fact that every such instance is used to perpetuate strange circumstances as acts of god on our behalf, but hey... I can't certainly understand why a survivor of such an incident would suspect a higher power. ...If it brings you comfort.

Message was as follows:

OK Folks.........take a close look at the picture..........
Look at the first picture above and you can see where this guy broke through the guard rail
(right side where the people are standing on the road).His truck left the road, traveling from right to left.
He flipped end-over-end, Across the drainage outlet and landed on the left side of it.Now look at the 2nd picture below
IF YOU WEREN'T A BELIEVER IN GOD BEFORE, WOULD YOU BE AFTER THIS?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Anxiety Ridden Tuesday

The good news is, that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed "The Mask of Zorro". The bad news is, that I've got butterflies so bad this afternoon that I feel like I could throw-up. I'm not comfortable with the volume of lines I have to read, or the choice of dialogue for the character. The more I practice the script, the more awkward I think it sounds. GAHHHH!

And to make matters even more lined with anxiety, we're going to look at a town house in Brampton tonight. The thought of buying a home is both exciting and frightening. I don't know if I'm ready. I don't know if our financial state is ready. It'd be nice to have a yard for the boys, and a place of our own, instead of throwing rent money at something we'll never own. But we know nothing about real estate, and the market (from what I can tell) is really scary right now. Is there anybody who could back me up on my theory that it might be better to keep renting until the market cools or falls? 'Cause right now... my little real-estate-ignorant brain is telling me we could end up paying way too much for a starter home and then not be able to sell it for more than what we paid. Is that off the mark? Mind you, the little place we're looking at is relatively cheap at 150,000. I just don't know much, y'know?? (Ted just called me to say our appointment to see the place has been moved to tomorrow - so at least that's one iota of anxiety belayed.)

Blah... wish me luck staying in character.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Z for Zorro


Alrighty friends... I need help with a house plant. See this picture?

This is a tree that I've had for about 11 years. It's starting to look a little shoddy (aside from the dusty leaves -blush-) and the last time we moved, the moving process was not kind to it, so it's missing a lot of it's former lushness. I'd like to cut both trunks down with a saw to let it grow back, but I'm afraid to do so, 'cause quite obviously I don't want to kill it. I don't even know what kind of tree it is after all these years. I cut the very top off every few months to get the branches off the ceiling, and that part always grows back, but I'm worried that if I hack off too much it will just die. It was replanted just a few short months ago and it's looking better since then, but I'd like to restore it to it's former leafy glory. Can anyone tell me what kind of tree this is, and whether I can cut it without killing it? I've e-mailed some plant expert and received no reply, and I've googled all I can think to google to no avail. Help!
On to a different topic... ...remember my mentioning that I'd be doing the KitKat singles campaign again? Well, my voice session is this Tuesday and they gave me the script to practice and I'm freakin' out a little. Why? Because it's LONG!! And the stress of voicing an accent or character voice for any length of time, is tremendous at times. Because you "fall out of it", quite literally. My biggest hurdle with Kit's "Antonio Banderas" accent is not wavering from suave Latino into Count Dracula. Trust me. We had a few giggles at my last voice session because of it. It's amazing how easy it is to drift from one accent to another when you're fakin' it. So my preparation for battle is this: I bought "The Mask of Zorro" on DVD yesterday, starring (of course) Antonio Banderas. hee hee 'Cause I really need to study up on his nuances and just get my mimicking up to par. Funny enough, I'm going to have to watch the movie by myself, because Ted and Tammy have no interest whatsoever in watching it. Ah well. Can't say as I blame them. It's not like I'm a huge Antonio fan. I just happen to be able to mock him. Imitation isn't always the greatest form of flattery.
I hope you're having a great weekend. We're off to a little birthday party tonight for our friend Jamie.
Get a little hot n' dirty with a sexy summer tune from the dearly departed Aaliyah. It's both difficult and sad to think she's been gone for 6 years now. Such a sweet voice and boundless talent.
More Than a Woman

Passion, instant
Sweat beads, fill me
Cupid's shot me
My heartbeat's racing
Tempt me, drive me
Feels so exiting
Thought of highly
It's yours entirely

I'll be
I'll be more than a lover
More than a woman
More than you ever
I'll be
I'll be more than a lover
More than a woman
More than than enough for you
I'll be
(I'll be more) more than your lover
(more) more than a woman
(more) more than your under cover
I'll be
(I'll be more) more than a lover
(more) more than a woman
(more) more than enough for you

Midnight grindin'
Heart rates climbin'
You go, I go
'Cause we share pillows
Taste me, feed me
There's still no separating
Morning massages
Nubaums in your closet

I'll be
I'll be more than a lover
More than a woman
More than you ever
I said I'll be
I'll be
I'll be more than a lover
More than a woman
More than enough for you
I'll be
(I'll be more) more than a lover
(more) more than a woman
(more) more than your under cover
I'm gonna be
(I'll be more) more than a lover
(more) more than a woman
(more) more than enough for you

I don't think your ready
I don't think your ready for this thing
For this thing
I don't think your ready for this thing
You're not ready
I don't think your ready for this thing
This thing, this thing
I don't think your ready for this thing

Constant pleasure
No scale can measure
Secret treasures
Keeps on getting better
Do you wanna roll with me?
We can go to foreign lands
Your hand in my hand
Do you wanna ride with me?
We can be like Bonnie & Clyde
Be by your side

I'll be
I'll be more than a lover
More than a woman
More than you ever
I'll be
I'll be more than a lover
More than a woman
More than than enough for you
I'll be
(I'll be more) more than your lover
(more) more than a woman
(more) more than your under cover
I'll be
(I'll be more) more than a lover
(more) more than a woman
(more) more than enough for you

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Best in Show (in the covetted "Sausage Dog" category)

So I walk out the front door of our building, taking the boys for their last pee break for the night. There are two (very beautiful) young guys sitting on the grate talking to one of the security guards. The two young guys are very taken by Porthos. (He has that effect on everyone... not just hot men... god bless 'em.) They're petting him and rubbing his belly, ('cause he's on his back like a common belly-rub whore for anyone who even starts to give him a few "scritches".) and the security guard (referring to Porthos) says to me: "What kind of dog is he?". Cordially, I said "He's a Basset Hound". To which he replied (as though he didn't hear me) "A sausage dog?". And I smiled and said "he's a Basset Hound". Then again from him "I thought he was a sausage dog". "Well, yeah... but his actual breed is Basset hound". (honest to goodness, I wasn't being a pr**k with the guy) And one last time... "So he's not a sausage dog?"
"(still smiling) Nope, not exactly". When really, truly... internally I'm thinking... "Why yesssss.... he is a sausage dog. ...Genuine Vienna honey garlic sausage dog. Mmmm. Spicy." dumb-ass

Don't get me wrong; I'm not a breed snob, and I don't mind if someone says "oooh look, a wiener dog" (I'm very fond of wieners.... sausage too. wink) but a) He was not listening to me. Don't ask me a question and ignore my answer and b) You're a grown man. I don't care if you know dog breeds or not, surely you know there's no such breed as a sausage dog!! Whatever. It certainly gave me a cutesy lil story to tell.

Speaking of the "sausage" dog... he's now crate-free.
Roaming his and Cole's domain while we're away, and thus far there have been no significant incidents. (aside from stealing used q-tips from the bathroom garbage can - ewww - you should see him lift the lid though. CUTE!) The only serious casualty has been one envelope delivered in the mail (a big Porthos-sized bite). The bills still arrive, so I don't think he's making a habit of it. He's become such a good boy. A daddy couldn't be more proud. I loves ma' boys!




I'm feeling a little "country" today... (Hey - no groaning... the alternative was the theme song to the Golden Girls which I've had running through my head all day. Damn you Nick!) So with a summery, feel-good tune in mind...

"Jeans On" by Keith Urban. Smokin' hot, and a phenomenal guitar player!

When I wake up in the mornin' light
I pull on my jeans and I feel all right
I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on
I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on

It's the weekend, and I know that you're free
So pull on your jeans and come on out with me
Oh 'cause I need to have you near me,
I need to feel you close to me
I need to have you near me, I need to feel you close to me

You and me, we'll go motorbike ridin' in the sun
And the wind and the rain
I got money in my pocket, I got a tiger in my tank
And I'm king of the road again

I'll meet ya in the usual place
You don't need a thing except your pretty face, alright
I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on
I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on
Aw, here we go mama

You and me, we'll go motorbike ridin' in the sun
And the wind and the rain
I got money in my pocket, I got a tiger in my tank
And I'm king of the road again

When I wake up in the mornin' light
I pull on my jeans and I feel all right
Hey I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on

I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on
I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on
I pull my blue jeans on, I pull my old blue jeans on

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Idiocy of Hell's Kitchen

This is my take on last night's episode of Hell's Kitchen. If it sounds like I'm hating it, it's because I am. This season is not nearly as entertaining as season 2 was.

I'm almost ready to just say "give Rock (the executive chef) the prize, send the others home, and put everyone (including the viewers) out of their misery". This show gets more contrived and stupid with every episode this season. The only woman left who's even remotely likable is Julia (the Pancake house cook), but I have my doubts Ramsay is going to give her the prize. Bonnie is a whiny little beeotch whose voice almost sends me into convulsion. And "Josh" stays over Brad??? -sigh- I realize they BOTH had to go ASAP, but Brad is obviously more capable than bumbling "donkey" Josh. The dwindling cast of idiots is captivating like a catastrophic accident. You just can't look away even though your better judgement begs it.

I may post later today (on a different and more worth while topic) if time permits.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Hairy Pothead

Well... finally watched Harry Potter 4 this weekend. Nope, that's not a typo... it was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that we finally popped in the ol' DVD player. After owning it for god-only-knows-how-many months. And once again... I don't get the mania. The third movie is still my favourite I suppose, but I guess I'm just not a big Harry Pothead fan. Nonetheless, seeing the 4th was a prelude to seeing the 5th ("Order of the Phoenix" right?) in IMAX sometime soon. We promised a friend we'd go. It'll be the first of the Potter films I'll see in the theatre. I hear it's the shortest film (adapted from the longest book). To me, that doesn't sound promising... but oh well. After the 7th book is released and long gone from the top of the book sales chart, I think I'll read them all. Maybe I'll even wait for all 7 volumes to be released as one big book. That would be fun.

Music for a rainy summer afternoon: "Love Can Damage Your Health" by Telepopmusik is my selection today. Tis very chillax, yet stimulating... moody and haunting, but light and airy. The lyrics... are a little abstract, so I'm not going to bother. But I do recommend the song if you can get yo paws on it.

Friday, July 13, 2007

The Movie Soundtrack of Your Life (as dictated by iTunes)

Hey! Turns out I love Music Memes! Watch for more of these eventually. Try it for yourself and let me know what you come up with.

Have a good weekend!

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you’re cool


Opening Credits: "Bambi" by Prince (who knew my life was about wooing lesbians!?)
First Day At School: "Paul McCartney" by Scissor Sisters (I can see it, in a "kids with ADD, kinda way.)
Falling In Love: "The Very Thought of You" by Natalie Cole (Awww, that's nice.)
Fight Song: "Breathe" by Faith Hill (not so appropriate, maybe "stop fighting, and just "breathe".)
Prom: "Cup of Life" by Ricky Martin (hmmmmmmm)
Life's OK: "Mama I'm Strange" by Melissa Etheridge (HAH! That's awesome!)
Mental Breakdown: "Better Be Good to Me" by Tina Turner (Not what I'd have chosen, but ok.)
Driving: "Down" by Amel Larrieux (maybe driving downtown, in the rain at night)
Flashback: "I Feel For You" by Prince (Had this been Chaka Khan's version... most definitely.)
Getting Back Together: "Satellite" by Natalie Imbruglia (aww! sweet song)
Wedding: "Here Comes the Rain Again" by Eurythmics (I don't think so. although... it's good luck, right?)
Birth of Child: "Like a Virgin" (live Confessions Tour) by Madonna ('kay that makes sense. a child would bring about a total transformation in my life.)
Final Battle: "He Can Only Hold Her" by Amy Winehouse (did I mention this was a Bridget Jone's Diary, "final battle"??)
Death Scene: "Answer" by Sarah McLachlan (heavy stuff)
Funeral Song: "Anna Rebecca" by Jann Arden (well, it's a "good bye" for sure, just a different kind)
End Credits: "Lookin' for a New Love 2005 rocasound mix" by Jody Watley (there must be a sequel already planned. hee hee)

Thursday, July 12, 2007

ZZZZZZZap!

I must have this.


As juvenile as it may be... my desk is a thru-way for my co-workers to use my stapler after using the fax machine and photo-copier. I'm forever refilling my stapler, and I rarely use it myself. Staple-Moochin' b**ches! Taste the sting of electricity!!!

Why have I never known this type of office fuckery existed???!!

Mmmmm... Cake

Wow. This is post #100. I feel like there should be like... fireworks and shiny, scantily clad men jumping out of a cake.

Gee... in search of a visual aide... ala ripped torso smeared with icing from abs to pecs... all I could find was this blurred shot of a big lumpy cake. And who knows? There's likely a woman inside. Hopefully she's not there anymore.

Alas... although it's fun to picture someone trapped inside, with really bad poop cramps just waiting for the party crowd to yell "surprise".... I have no cake of any variety with which to commemorate my 100th blog entry. Meh... I did have leftover birthday cake for breakfast. Like... triple-layer, chocolate fudge cake with dark chocolate icing. Y'know... the kind that secretly makes you wonder if you're unknowingly mowin' down someone's idea of a practical joke.. "Ha ha ha... the chocolate cake in the staff fridge is frosted with melted Ex-Lax... don't tell anyone. Oh... and hide the bathroom keys."

So far so good. It's past lunch time and no volcanic bowel action. And just so you know... I wouldn't normally help myself to any food-stuffs in the staff fridge for fear of how long it's been there. Just, last night the station hosted it's annual summer staff party at the president's home. (No... the president of our company ya neener head.) Luckily, I had a chiropractic appointment and couldn't make it. Because ...well... these parties kinda suck when good things are happening... and let's just say good things are not happening right now and staff morale is at an all-time low, so I doubt it was anything to write home about... or write a blog entry about for that matter. But there was chocolate cake leftover in abundance... so for the sake of saying I had a healthy breakfast, let's just call it a big ol' chocolate pop-tart.

While on the topic of cake, I'm about due to bake one for Ted for post-birthday cake-cravings. He always gets two: an ice cream cake for the actual day, and then one that I bake after the fact. When I was a kid, I remember always getting a f**king Black Forest cake for my birthday almost every year... even though I HATED black forest and vocally opposed them every time. I'm still not very fond of cherries. But my mom would buy them because they were her favourite. I'm not going to delve into the topic of birthdays of yore though, lest I start bitching about how close mine is to Christmas and how I was constantly given the combo Christmas/Birthday gifts from everyone. Well, y'knew I was going to explain why. ha ha

A celebratory summer song's in order... I think... How 'bout a fluff-piece, trance-house track by Gloria Estefan "I Just Wanna Be Happy". It's from her rhythmic gem "Gloria"... one of the best CD's in the world to put on while you're doing house-work. Vacuuming never felt so party-esque!



i wanna a midnight rendezvous
i wanna give my love to you
i wanna make my dreams come true
i just wanna be happy
i wanna dance the whole night through
i wanna smell the flowers too
i wanna feel like lovers do
i just wanna be happy

i'm dancin' 'cause i feel good inside
i got the feelin' that money just can't buy
i may be dreamin' or is it my reality
i'm a believer and i believe i'm free
i can be happy because i want to be
don't need nobody to say what's right or wrong for me

i wanna a midnight rendezvous
i wanna give my love to you
i wanna make my dreams come true
i just wanna be happy
i wanna dance the whole night through
i wanna smell the flowers too
i wanna feel like lovers do
i just wanna be happy

i'm movin' to where i wanna go
feelin' the rhythm lettin' my body flow
made a decision to control my destiny
don't wanna sit back watchin' my life go by
i wanna get up, you know i gotta fly
won't ever give up until i'm happy, joyous and free

i wanna a midnight rendezvous
i wanna give my love to you
i wanna make my dreams come true
i just wanna be happy
i wanna dance the whole night through
i wanna smell the flowers too
i wanna feel like lovers do
i just wanna be happy

i just wanna be happy, joyous and free
happy, joyous and free
you know i wanna be happy, joyous and free
happy, joyous and free
i just wanna be happy, joyous and free
happy, joyous and free
i feel good inside
you know i wanna be happy, joyous and free

i wanna a midnight rendezvous
i wanna give my love to you
i wanna make my dreams come true
i just wanna be happy
i wanna have an ocean view
i wanna smell the flowers too
i wanna feel like lovers do
i just wanna be happy

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Hot Enough to Make Garbage Question the Meaning of Life

I seriously considered writing a post about the recent re-designation of the 7 Wonders of the World. But as intregued as I am by that, I really can't add anything noteworthy, equalling to more than just a big, enthusiastic "COOL". Although, I happen to think Angel Falls is more "wonderous" than the Eiffel Tower, but there are many different categories. Mind you, in the "man-made" category, I happen to think the CN Tower is more wonderous than it's French cousin as well. But let's not get too fixated on the wonderous-ness-isms of the world's bigger phallic symbols, shall we?

Today is a hot day. Like a noteworthy, 40-m'er-f'ing degrees with the humidity, hot. Much like yesterday. A day when road crews were dispatched to remedy the 401, that was buckling in places from the heat. I do not like this type of heat. I do not like this type of heat one bit. Y'know when you go on vacation to a hot destination and you're lazing about in as little clothing is possible, watching the residents of said hot destination go about their normal lives 'cause they actually live there... ...and you think to yourself "this is a beautiful place, but God, I'd hate to have to work here under these conditions, unless I was like a dolphin trainer or a stripper... or both. Well, yeah... I'm neither. I'm fully clothed. My commute is burdened by the stench of hygenically-challenged people, and up until this morning (garbage day - thank God) every walk through our building's parking lot was met with the salutation of super-heated garbage on the verge of an evolutionary step towards sentience. It's just another reason for me to fight global warming in any way I can. 'Cause if Canada becomes a tropical paradise... I might just have to become a cave dweller.

Speaking of fighting global warming though. I've become a special kind of nuisance at work. hee hee... I'm constantly wandering about, turning off light switches in rooms that people aren't using. I don't really know "why" this agitates people so, but it does. In my own defense, I don't turn off lights when someone steps out for a second or anything, but nonetheless, people bitch at the fact that I've turned off the lights in the kitchen, and news room. (the latter room is only in use 4 hours a day!!) I also strike the voicing booths, the announcer lounge, the board rooms and engineering. There are no environmentally friendly bulbs in this joint and evidently it's too expensive for us to convert right now. I asked. But in the meantime, you do what you can. Let me also clerify that this isn't a bandwagon I've suddenly jumped on per say. I've always been a "light switch flicker-offer". You could say, the time to "step it up" has come. One of the producers and I have almost gone paperless too, in the way that we interact. It's cut back on a lot of paper I'm sure. E-mail and file-sharing folders are king. The moral of the story: turn the lights off be-otch... and wear deodorant. (I know, it's unrelated but anytime I can fit that in, I most certainly will.)

Summer song of the day: "Summertime" (the UFO mix) by Sarah Vaughan as found on Verve Remixed Volume One. (The original recording is some sweet classic jazz too.)

It's summertime
And livin' is easy
fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high,

oh Your daddy's rich
And your mama's good lookin'
So hush, hush little baby
Don't, don't you cry

One of these mornings
Oh, you're gonna rise up singin'
You gonna spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

But til that morning, yeah
Ain't nothing gonna harm you
So hush, so hush little baby
Now don't, don't you cry,

One of these mornings
One of these mornings
You're gonna rise up singin'
You're gonna spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

Oh, but til that morning,
Ain't nothing can gon' harm you
With your daddy and mammy
Daddy and mammy, daddy and mammy standing by

Monday, July 09, 2007

Sleep Whore, Movie Whore, Attention Whore, James Franco's Whore

Talk about a good weekend. Not a productive one mind you, but still. The word for the weekend was "SLEEEEEEEEP" my friends. I got about 30 hours of it this weekend, and I feel recharged after weeks of going to bed way too late and then getting up early (normal). We've been so busy for so many weekends in a row, that I wasn't making up for my deprivation of slumber at all. I've always been a sleep whore. It makes me envied by many and a bit of a mystic anomaly to just about everybody else.

***note worthy tales of rest (and then some): I remember one summer in my teens going to this week-long photography course in Kitchener/Waterloo and losing a lot of sleep because of making friends and having fun... then getting home and sleeping for 3 days straight with apparent bathroom breaks that I don't remember. My dad finally woke me up on the 3rd day, telling me he thought I was dead and I'd better get up and move. hee It used to bug the crap out of him that I'd sleep for 13 hours on a regular basis. He felt I wasted the days away. But at the time I was working evenings and I'd stay up til 2am after my shift, go to bed and sleep til 3pm, get up and go to work for 4pm.
One more note-worthy tale of slumber: when I first moved to Timmins in November of 2004, the second place I found to live was renting a room in this ladie's finished basement. The room had no windows. It was winter in Timmins. Being new there, I had no friends yet. I would routinely go to bed on Friday night and wake up sometime Sunday morning/afternoon. Hungry as a mo-fo of course... but yeah... Johnny like to sleep. Still do.

Anyhoo... I didn't sleep the WHOLE weekend away. We went over to Mel (Ted's sister) and Mark's place on Saturday to spend the afternoon in their backyard. They've got a pretty nice set-up with an above ground pool and nice patio furniture with a canopy and bug netting. (Loves me some bug-netting) Ted bought himself a new little stereo system with his birthday money and work bonus. It's a Harmon Kardon
i-Pod boombox. Beautiful. We call it the "Karmon Hard-on Rude-Box" or Rudy for short. ;) Robbie Williams fans unite! Anyhow, we brought Rudy with us and enjoyed an afternoon of music in the sun with the dogs, some heavy-duty dubes, and bbq.
Then, Saturday night, Ted, Tammy and I went to the 5 Drive-in, to see "Shrek 3" and "Transformers". (I know, I know Kitty. Skip a paragraph darling. xo) What fun! Seriously. Shrek the Third was way better than what I was expecting, although it totally jumped-the-shark with the little baby ogres n'all. It was cute. Not incredibly memorable, but enjoyable. As always, Puss in Boots and Donkey stole the show. And Transformers... OMG... it was a total cgi-orgy of wicked effects. I think I had a thousand tiny orgasms throughout. As a childhood fan of the cartoon and the toys (which were always too expensive sadly) I was completely and totally geekin' out on this movie. I swear, my mouth was gaping wide for most of what I was watching. No... not an Oscar contender, but a complete homage to what the Transformers were all about. The story was fast but coherent and it was everything it was supposed to be. I haven't had that much fun at a movie in a long time. I totally want to see it again. Tammy missed the entire thing. We had agreed that she'd sit in the front for Shrek and I'd sit in the front for Transformers but the moment she got in the back she fell asleep. Ahh well... she had little to no interest in it. Said "it's a boy movie".
We were a little apprehensive about how the car was going to fare at a drive-in, running off the battery for so long (being a hybrid for anyone who hasn't read previous entries). But it was fine. It would have been better had we not needed to close the windows because of the mosquitoes eating me alive. Once you close the windows, you've got to run the A/C for a while, and the car won't just sit and idle, so it runs off the battery. By the end of the movie the battery had depleted quite a bit, but it had fully charged itself again by the time we made it home. All good.

Oh, I also wanted to add, (since I forgot to mention it at all last week) that we finally saw Spiderman 3 (in IMAX) and I was disappointed overall, but it was OK I guess. The whole concept was just to cram as much marketable Spiderman lore into one movie, shake... and sell action figures. Definitely not as good as the first or even the second. BUT... James Franco... hubba hubba. You beautiful, beautiful man. You were the only saving grace of an otherwise mediocre movie. Thank you to yo mama. Thank you to yo daddy. You gots good genes!


Last night, we (Ted, Tammy and I again) went to this fancy, shcmancy restaurant called "Ruth's Chris Steakhouse", because Tammy got a 300-dollar gift certificate from work. So the 3 of us got dressed-up and went for 80-dollar steak n' lobster and 14-dollar martinis. Dee-lish... but not worth the money in my opinion. But then, I'm cheap like that. I did appreciate how steaming/piping hot the food was served; that's rare at a restaurant. Whether or not we loved it, we'd never be able to afford to eat there anyhow so it was a nice time, and our server "Lisa" was just adorable. Loved her.

Before I call it a day blog-wise... I have to toot my own horn a bit. Remember this guy??

Well, I got an e-mail last week, asking me to reprise my voice role, so Kit will ride again. I don't have a voice session date yet, but I should know soon. Cool huh?

Anyhow... for a while I'm going to shift my songs towards stuff you can really appreciate in the hot, n' sticky summer time. :D It makes me melty-bitchy-sweaty, but you have to appreciate every season while it lasts, for what it is.

India.Arie "There's Hope"

Back when I had a little
I thought that I needed a lot
A little was over rated,
but a lot was a little too complicated
You see-Zero didn't satisfy me
A million didn't make me happy
That's when I learned a lesson
That it's all about your perception
Hey-are you a papa or a superstar
So you act, so you feel, so you are
It ain't about the size of your car
It's about the size of the faith in your heart

[Chorus:]
There's hope
It doesn't cost a thing to smile
You don't have to pay to laugh
You better thank God for that
[repeat]

There's hope

Off in the back country of Brazil
A met a young brotha that made me feel
That I could accomplish anything.
You see just like me he wanted to sing
He had no windows and no doors
He lived a simple life and was extremely poor
On top of all of that he had no eye sight,
but that didn't keep him from seein' the light
He said, what's it like in the USA,
and all I did was complain
He said-livin' here is paridise
He taught me paridise is in your mind
You know that

[Chorus]

[Bridge:]
Every time I turn on the T.V. (There's Hope)
Somebody's acting crazy (There's Hope)
If you let it, it will drive you crazy (There's Hope)
but I'm takin' back my power today (There's Hope)
Gas prices they just keep on rising (There's Hope)
The government they keep on lying
but we gotta keep on surviving
Keep living our truth and do the best we can do

Stand up for your rights [echo]
Keep shining your light [echo]
And show the world your smile [echo]

Friday, July 06, 2007

Further on the Path

Lately I'm finding that I'm really troubled by philosophical, and existential trains of thought. And I guess a fair bit of it ties in with the fact that I haven't spoken to my mom (the root of all spirituality in my life you could say) since March. Sometimes when I'm out walking the dogs, I have entire conversations with myself about religion and my spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof) just because I truly can't believe that her bible-based convictions are more important to her than a relationship with her own child (or children, since my sisters are affected also by my mom's one-mindedness in other arenas). I'd like to say I'm at peace with where my family ties lay, but I guess I'm not, since it rears it's head every once in a while.

Trust me, I'm not looking for spiritual advice when I say this, but I feel like I have to talk about it anyhow.... It bothers me that I don't really believe in God anymore. That's not to say I don't entertain the notion that God might exist, but I think that's just an oppressive, fearful upbringing talking. To have faith, one must believe. And I simply cannot. There are too many inconsistencies when it comes to religion... imperfect rules written by imperfect beings. All of it conflicting with other faiths. Much of it leading to oppression, strife, wars, and segregation. To me it seems that religion was engineered to keep human beings from coexisting peacefully, and to keep commerce at the forefront of all societies.. the weak and the powerful based on status... when truly we are all the same. I was saying to Ted last night that we (gay people in general) are living proof that something is wrong with the bible. I'm not saying the entire thing is wrong, but I assure you it isn't a "chosen" lifestyle, as many god-fearing Christians put it. So where does that leave homosexuals in the scheme of all things biblical? It's rubbish. If the bible had declared on multiple occasions that people with red hair and freckles (or something equally genetic) were evil it would be just as wrong. But because varying sexual preferences are in the minority, you get a majority calling the shots when they don't understand (nor do they try, since they have some revered book to back them up) the very existence of that minority. How in the world is that balanced, and how could it ever be? I personally have never had a heterosexual thought. Not even the slightest desire for the opposite sex. I don't know how it feels to be heterosexual, and nor do I feel the slightest curiosity about it. But I obviously acknowledge that heterosexuality is the backbone of human existence and evolution. I can recognize and accept the difference without begrudging anyone their biology even without being straight myself. Why is it so hard to wrap one's head around the notion that human beings would have diverse sexuality to accompany all the other diversities that are so blatant??? I think about these things, when I think of my relationship with my mom. A lady who's lived her life the best way she knows how, according to the word of God. And on and on she's plodded, emotionally-crippled... judgemental... and incapable of independent thought... so much so that her own children's "sin" is more than she can cope with. I just shake my head and sigh. And then I stop and feel gratitude that my parents raised me with strong morals and the desire to "do right" and to be kind, and charitable. I'm also incredibly grateful that I am gay, because in retrospect I'd hate to have been straight and blindly following what I was taught to believe without ever stopping to think for myself. There's a lot of humility to be gained from existing as one of the very things you've been raised to believe was evil and wrong. And I do think I'm a better person for it.

Yeah, I could go on. But I won't. I know my blog has become very "gay" as of late, but "Hey"... you write what you know right?

Here's a great quote instead of a song today... Talk to you soon!

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.
-Kahlil Gibran

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Year of the Eak


Happy Birthday to Eak,
Happy Birthday to Eak,
Happy Birthday dear Eak,
Happy Birthday to you!

37 and you still look younger than me. Enjoy your day! Filled with friends, family, gifts and favourite foods... Everything that makes a birthday special, then when all is quiet and you're all partied-out... practice being young with your Johnny! ;)

I love you.

me

Faith Hill "It Will Be Me"

When you start falling
Who's gonna catch ya
I'm willing to bet ya
It will be me
Who's gonna love ya
Like there's no other
Search and discover
It will be me

When all the others
Have gone and hurt you
Who won't desert you
It will be me
Weighing the options
So much to think of
But when you think love
It will be me

You may not see it now
Love is strange that way
Someday somewhere baby somehow

When you've been broken
And dreams don't oblige ya
Who's that beside ya
Oh, it will be me

You may not see it now
Love is strange that way
Someday somewhere baby somehow

Who'll be your only
True romancer
You know the answer
It will be me

What will it take to
Bring you to your senses
And finally convince you
It will be me

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Canada Day Shtuff

If you ever have the opportunity to accompany a 5 year old and 4 year old, to their first major fireworks display, I highly recommend it.

Sadly, I have no pictures because our camera batteries died. : ( But we made a whirlwind trip to Smith's Falls/Ottawa this weekend, to visit with Ted's dad and family. That was a nice/uneventful time... other than a stop at the local park in Smith's Falls for the red-neck Canada Day Celebration of the century. Yikes... nary a full mouth of teeth in the whole bunch. But that's not what I wanted to tell you about. ;)

Ted's sister Ali, her husband Mark and their 2 boys decided to tag-along to Ottawa with us to catch the fireworks on Parliament Hill. Zach and Nathan (5 & 4) had never seen a full-fledged fireworks display, so they were ecstatic to watch it all go down from atop uncle Ted and uncle John's shoulders. (Surprisingly heavy little farts. Considering how seemingly light they look.) Yeah, I know I shout it from the rooftops that I don't like kids, but there's something to be said for wonderment and enthusiasm that only a child can muster for things that grown-ups are too dignified and reserved to express. Those 2 little guys might very well forget that night, but I don't think I will. From being convinced that the fireworks were going to burn down the surrounding buildings to asking to stay up on our shoulders for the long walk back to the car (even though we were ready to drop). I do love those little guys.

To Jeff and Summer, thanks so much for the short but sweet visit. We promise the next visit will be long enough to include some quality time instead of the "run, run, run tone" this trip took-on. Jeff, I think we talked about how beautiful your house is for a good half-hour in the car. Thanks again for letting us stay. Cole and Porthos appreciate it too. ; )