10 Things I Learned

There are some old favorites and some new morsels of information, so settle in and say hello to Albert...

1. I've Finally Started
After talking about the project for what seems like eternity, I got off my ass and started my book this week. Actually, I started the proposal and query letter, but that is more important to be honest. Aiming to have this stage completed by next weekend. Going to take time though.

2. Turns Out I'm Free 'til Friday
Good thing I work at a restaurant without any customers! Instead of continuing to be exceptionally annoyed by the constant strain of "don't worry, you're going to get shifts," only to see two shifts on my schedule, I'm looking at it as a means to finishing the above mentioned project. Thanks for the time off...

3. A New Outlet
No, I'm not still yammering on about Keyboard Kimura, although you should most certainly visit iBlog's sister site as frequently as possible. This is about MMA 4 Real, an MMA site based in North Carolina that now features this guy as a routine poster in the FanPosts section as an audition for bigger and better.

4. Getting the Name Out There
Thanks to all 121 people who have taken part in the Shameless Self-Promotion Tour to this point, joining the Facebook Fan Page and helping circulate my name through your social networks. Believe me when I say that in the near future you'll be able to say, "I knew him when..."

5. Best Commercial Ever
Nothing beats the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man in the World" ad that is running right now. Of course, I might be biased as I am currently enjoying a Dos Equis and have liked the beer since a trip to California seven years ago. Anyway, I too want to live vicariously through myself and have an awkward moment just to know what it feels like. Stay thirsty, my friends!

6. Ghetto Vacations
We've got some serious redneck camping going on in the building across the way from us. A collection of Alberta families has invaded for the long weekend and have setup a patio table in the parking lot. They've also flooded a portion of the lot to allow their children - all 18 of them - to play in the water, instead of, I dunno, buying a $12 plastic kiddy pool at WalMart. Some kids get to go to Disneyland, some get to camp out in a parking lot. You can't make this stuff up.

7. The Blue Jays are Killing Me
Don't get me wrong - I'm happy to see the boys doing well as they earned the series sweep of the White Sox today. But man is it tough to swallow having walked away from them and proclaimed them dead back in January and see them playing so well. My man Chalk assures me that it will all come to an end soon, but right now, I just don't see it. They might have a little something going...

8. My First Mention of the Red Wings All Playoffs
I have been trying not to say anything about my boys from Detroit, but now that they're through to the Conference Finals - for the 8th time in 12 years or something like that - I'd like for everyone to acknowledge the utter dominance of the Red Wings. They may have looked shaky here and there, but in the end, the best team always wins and Detroit is clearly the best team.

9. Thoughts on Dana White
UFC President Dana White has been in the news all week after a segment about the foul-mouthed figurehead of the MMA giant aired on ESPN's E:60. While I don't always agree with the things that White says or the colorful language that he prefers, I have no problem with him as the head of the biggest organization in the sport I love. If we had a Roger Goodell or a David Stern in charge, MMA would have failed long before it got to the point they're at now. Could he clean up his language and stop the tirades at members of the media? Sure, but that is who Dana is and for better or worse, he's great for the sport.

10. I Forgot to Tell You Last Week...
But X-Men Origins: Wolverine was awesome! Just awesome. They did a great job with the relationship between Logan and Victor "Sabretooth" Creed, Deadpool was wicked and you could barely recognize Ryan Reynolds when he came out and there are sure to be more Origins flicks or spin-offs in the near future and I'll be seeing every one.

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Dishonour Roll: Marlin Travel

I'ma kill somebody!

We're four months away from our wedding day and everything - literally everything about our trip to the Dominican is fucked.

After months of hassling our Travel Agent, she finally got around to sending out invoices last week, a good five weeks after asking me for all the addresses I had previously forwarded to her and after she took her last two weeks vacation for the year.

Now they turn up today and half of our guests are booked for the wrong week...

CAN YOU FUCKING IMAGINE!

Bad is us having to get on her case about sending the invoices.

Worse is knowing that with the economic collapse that we're paying far more than we really should be.

Un-fucking-believable is what happens if this shit can't be sorted out?

Sweet suffering fuck I want a cigarette...

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Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Just a quick post today to wish the wife Happy Birthday...

Presents have been opened, we're having a little dinner at the house and relaxing together for the next few days including finally buying our couch so that we don't have to lounge around on the futon anymore.

The best present she got came from work - today starts seven days off in a row... and with the ski hill opening this weekend, maybe she'll have to dust off the ol' snowboard and get in a couple runs.

That's it for today though - Happy 26th Baby!

P.S. Sorry about yesterday - when you're as hungover as I was, thinking is far too taxing a task...

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The Rundown: What I'm Going to Do on My Summer Vacation

My Summer Vacation started today.

For the next two and a half weeks, I get to hang out uninterrupted with my beautiful fiancee both here and in British Columbia and I couldn't be happier. This is the first time all summer that we're getting a good sized chunk of time together without one of us having to rush off to work or having any familial obligations to look after.

What am I going to do?

Glad you asked...


Top Five Things I'm Looking Forward to on My Summer Vacation

5. Sleeping
Luke isn't making the trip West with us, which means there will be no dog walking us up at some early morning hour because he heard a door slam three blocks away. While I'm sure the time shift will take a day or two to get used to, chances are that I'll counteract that with enough booze to help me sleep like a baby.

4. Pints with Timothy
When Sarah's brother was here earlier in the summer, it was another one of those times where one of us (me) had to bail on the weekend full of activities to go to work. That meant that Tim and I got just our day at Wonderland to hang out. While it was a killer time and we certainly hit it off, nothing helps soon-to-be siblings-in-law bond better than a couple pints of Guinness.

3. Exploring the Lower Okanagan
The people Sarah has applied to out West already called her back, so instead of heading to Seattle during our first week, we're heading into Cranbrook and the surrounding area to check things out. Maybe we'll even do a little apartment hunting while we're there, who knows?

2. Writing
There are going to be a few days where Sarah has to go dress shopping and have Mummy-Daughter time, which means I get to kick back somewhere, break out the pen or laptop and work on my book. As much as I have been trying to cut back on some things and focus on it, life keeps getting in the way. So being out West with zero responsibilities and things to do will work wonders for my latest project... I hope.

1. Seeing Where My Baby Comes From
We've been to the places I grew up or at least a handful of them. This will be my first chance to see the places and people and experiences that shaped my future wife and while I'm sure some of you probably just threw up in your mouth a little, I don't care. I love how excited Sarah is to show me different places and that more than anything is what I am looking forward to.

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Things I Learned This Week

Welcome to the quick, mobile version...

1. Doing This On The Road Sucks, Part 1
Writing at home is easy; Sarah knows I need to do it and at times we arrange our days around the work that I need to hammer through here on the old Interwebs. Outside of Sarah, not many people completely understand. As much as it sounds like the easiest thing in the world to do - put together an article or write a few words about the latest Blue Jays signing - it's a bit more complicated than that. Maybe one day people will figure that out.

2. Doing This On The Road Sucks, Part 2
Right now, I'm in the Middle of Nowhere, Ontario posting this using dial-up. Yes, there are still places that operate strictly on dial-up. London wasn't even that much better as the DSL only worked down in the basement, close to the modem itself. Someone - Bill Gates, Steve Jobs - needs to get on this.

3. It's Just Snow People
For the last three days I have been hearing about the Winter Storm that is coming to Ontario and how it could shift our travel plans. We drove out here last night and it wasn't that bad. Woke this morning and all the news stations wanted to talk about was how Ontario was getting walloped by a storm which was going to drop - gasp! - 20 cm of snow...

4. Surprisingly...
Toronto has yet to call in the Armed Forces to help dig them out of this perilous situation. I loved Mayor Mel, but that was the stupidest thing ever.

5. Nothing Is Simple
I should have known better than to think coming to Ontario for a vacation was going to be easy-peasy. Everything is complicated, from getting sushi yesterday night to finding time to pen (type) this little number here. From now on, vacation might have to mean "go away somewhere where there is no family..."

6. Emily Grace is Still Adorable... Even When She Cries
Managed to sneak in a visit with Murielle and the baby yesterday, sort of. We had a visit but Gracie Lou was sleeping, until she woke up when we were leaving and got freaked out by the sight of her ugly unlce (read: me) standing at her crib. For the next 45 minutes, she proceeded to make strange and cry while staring at me like she had no idea who I was. This is reason #27 why we need to move home sometime soon... I need to be a part of my niece's life.

7. Today is Cole Family Christmas
I have mixed feelings about this. Everyone has always been very inviting and welcoming, but something tells me that today might be a little different. Before it was only ever adults and things change when you mix kids into the equation. Cuple that with the religiousity of the group - outside of Sarah and her dad, all are Church going folks - and my penchant for swearing could get me in trouble. Oh yeah, this is a dry event too...

8. No Booze + No Smokes... What Am I Going To Do?
Garry, Sarah's Dad, was discouraged from bringing a bottle of red wine for today's festivities. I haven't had a smoke in six days now either. That means I will be without my two greatest coping mechanisms for the duration of the day. Sarah better not stray too far from my side.

9. Passion Magazine, Issue #2
Got my finalized assignment for the next issue - January / February - and it's even better than last time. 1800-2000 words on Celebrity Comebacks and hopefully a profile on my buddy Jeff Woodrow's company Joy Apparel. I know I've told you all this before, but hey, I need to fill up a little space here people.

10. The Mitchell Report was a Big Waste of Time
There weren't many shocking revelations to me. Even Roger Clemens wasn't that big of a shock to me. As my man Cabbie said back when I interviewed him for Bugs & Cranks, you gotta wonder how a 40-year-old man keeps bringing it the way he has over the last bunch of years. Kudos to Andy Pettitte for stepping up and admitting his HGH usage; that is a class move from a class act. The rest of the "This is an outrage! I've Never Used Steroids!" bunch could stand to learn a litte from the Yankees hurler.

That's it, that's all... time to get on with the day!
(P.S. No Einstein this week... he's at home in St. John's on my computer and pulling a picture off dial-up seeems like too much work...)

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