quickie

Had an interesting weekend. Not interesting in the sense that anything spectacular happened or even anything remotely close to spectacular. The little animal that we allow to live in our house decided to eat some food not intentioned for her little grubby mouth. Being home alone, it was up to me to live with the repercussions.

These included: navigating a minefield of brown feces which lay haphazardly over the floor and running to open the door whenever the little animal started getting antsy and hopping from one paw to the next. Being the loving and considerate guy I am, I stayed in on a Saturday night to take care of the little one. Rented The Inside Man which nearly threatened to put me into a coma. My reward? Waking up on Sunday to find shit sprayed all over the fukin place. The little darling even pissed all over my classic Nikes. What a weekend.

By the way, if you find a grey mini-schnauzer running around the Thornhill neighbourhood, rest assured it is not my animal. My animal is safely playing in the backyard I like to call...Canada.


peace.

On work.

Who ever started the idea of working? And money? And advancement? Why don't we know who it was? Chances are he was immediately bashed in the face with a rock after announcing his revelatory ideas, by a man who had the foresight to imagine working life. Working life for most is an obstacle course - we run and jump and crawl and push and climb our way to the top. We must do it faster than everyone else and better than anyone else, or be left in the dust to consider what might have been. It's the proverbial rat race, yet I can't seem to find the cheese at the end of the tunnel. For most of us, we work and work and work until we've saved enough money to do what you ask? Why, stop working of course! Seems ironic.

My current schedule is, though not as hectic as most, likely the reason for this rant. I get up at 6:30am and get back at 6:30pm. I'm tired and hungry and often irritable. The best part of the day is gone - and this will be the case for about 80% of each year for the next 30 years we plan on working. My energy is sapped, I don't feel like talking to anyone. At work I am pleasant and well-natured; upon leaving the office I must come across as a bastard to the people that really matter. Anyone else feel like this or am I taking crazy pills? (Or not taking my crazy pills?! I can never seem to get this right!)

Oops, it's 12:15am, time to get my 6 hrs and start the cycle...or maybe not.

There must be some other way than hoping to hit the lottery to skip to the end of the race. Or is the race the point, and the end an afterthought?

riding the wave

This has been a good week for me. I brought in two deals at work within a week. In the office I now gain looks of respect compared to looks of bemusement. I passed my final CFA exam. I celebrated twice. Tomorrow night will make it thrice. Celebrations are good. Except when you drink a little too much. The wave is cresting, and I intend to ride it all the way to shore.

Toronto International Film Festival

I've been to T.I.F.F for the last few years, seeing at least one movie per year. And without exception, my experiences have been memorable, even if some of the movies I've seen are not.

This year I'd like to step it up a notch by buying a Festival coupon book....and splitting it with some of my dearest friends (i.e. you!) Now this could be as simple as 10 coupons for $154. Check out the options here. If anyone has any hookups, get on it and hook a brudda up.

Help ME, help YOU!

2 months, 5 hrs, 45 mins.

The amount of time it took to beat the system!!

Wrong

A few loyal readers might remember I talked up a young, South African director who I'd heard had been chosen to direct Transformers. That proved to be false. Transformers will be directed by big-budget Michael Bay. The word, according to Microsoft, is that instead the young director has been confirmed to direct the movie version of HALO, which will be exec produced by a guy called Peter Jackson. The 27 yr old director's name is Neil Blomkamp. Pretty awesome stuff. To see a short movie he directed, click here.

Still looking to see Miami Vice at some point, though interest in it is certainly waning.

Very tired.. like a hooker after a night with sailors on shore leave.

g'nite.

Tchachkes

Mel Gibson has finally gone off the deep-end...we should have seen the Signs

In a clear sign that not all new technology is good technology...the crapper at work is of the automatic flush variety. The problem is that the sensor is so sensitive that every time you shift your ass it flushes. For a person like myself, for whom using a public washroom is as desirable as ripping out my toenails with a pair of rusted pliers, this lack of subtlety is troubling. Lean over to grab a square....... flushhhhhhhhhhhhh. Bend to pick your pants off the not-as-clean-as-it-should-be floor....flushhhhhhhhhhh. Sneeze....flushhhhhhhhhh. The average walker-by must think I've clogged up the toilet and good.

Bachelor party weekend summed up: boozing, gambling, strippers stripping. go-karts, golfing, greasy flying saucer. Strippers, gambling, boozing. I have come to the conclusion I'm a fan of bachelor parties. Any weekend that combines these 3 elements in varying amounts quite simply cannot be bad. It's like the equation for happiness.

Happy b-day to the Mad Russian. Your style on the slopes is unquestioned. As is your thirst for U2. Now you need to work on the golf swing. And perhaps a tennis lesson couldn't hurt. Here's to a great 27th year....nazdarovvya!

Heating up

Well, here we are. A week of summer has passed and it's now entering that scary stage where every new week brings us closer to the end. Of summer. And closer to winter. That means no more patios, no more drinking on patios, no more outdoor soccer, frisbee and walking. No more short skirts and soft-serve or warm breezes and tank-top teases. That said, I intend to live the rest of this summer moment to moment. I will cast thoughts of the impending perennial ice-age aside, and seek enjoyment from the small things; walking the dog, smelling freshly cut grass...etc etc...a nice philosophy I think, and perhaps not just for the ides of summer.

This week brings frisbee on Wednesday and soccer on Thursday. Birthday party on Friday, bachelor party on Saturday and Sunday (poker, drinking, strip clubs, buffer dinners). Booyakasha!

Still haven't seen Miami Vice - at this point it's looking like a rental :)