Life is one ironic son of a bitch, isn't it?
For two pleasurable years, I wrote at great length about an average Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, earning little to no money and catching flack from fellow Blue Jays scribes and site readers alike for my lack of enthusiasm about the team.
So I made a change.
When the new year began, I jumped ship, leaving my position at Bugs & Cranks to accept the role of Senior Editor and Writer at The Love of Sports, a site I had been writing for regularly where I was even earning a little pocket money.
Everything seemed to be headed in the right direction.
But this is me we're talking about, so you know something had to go wrong.
We're now midway through May, the Blue Jays are in first place and are brimming with storylines, from the continued dominance of Doc Halladay to the emergence of guys like Scott Richmond (except last night) and youngster Brett Cecil, who looks like he should stay up regardless of who gets healthy.
On the flip side, The Love of Sports is in a state of flux. I haven't had anything to do with the site for over a month due to operational issues, the money stopped coming in a good month before that and three months of putting in hours a day to build the site have amounted to being close to useless for me.
Sounds about right.
The moral of the story: do not ever attempt to become a freelance writer.
If you do and you happen to find a great site where you like writing, stay there. I miss my Bugs & Cranks family, even the dumb asses who left stupid comments.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Yep, This Sounds About Right for Me
Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Plan of Attack
I make a lot of lists.
In fact, I have a white board in my office that is designated specifically for that purpose, to write down all the shit that I want / need to do in the future.
Right now it's blank; I'm on pre-holiday holidays and not doing anything much above the daily requirements until we get back from getting hitched. Then it's on.
See, I know I've talked a lot of shit over the years about all the grand schemes and ideas and plans I've had of how to make it in this business and get myself to the next level, but like 95% of the people out there, I haven't been so good with the follow through.
That changes once we get back. In fact, it already has started, as one of the things on my list was a return to iBlog with the same passion and daily drive that made it your favorite place to stop by for the first year.
I've also gotten the go ahead to pitch any ideas I have to that MMA magazine I was telling you about earlier in the week, so that's a start. While I certainly will continue being the MMA guy at The Love of Sports, getting my name in print in the industry is always priority number one.
But there is more and I'm not aiming small.
I'm going to keep pushing the MMA side of things, hopefully lining up a big interview for when we take our trip to Albuquerque in November and exploring any interest TSN might have in ramping up their coverage of the fastest growing sport in the world.
TLOS is going to get a major jolt as well, as a chunk of each day will be spend promoting the site everyone and anywhere possible, not to mention my return to Bugs & Cranks and hopefully, the unveiling of a little project that has been in the works for some time.
But for now, I'm heading back to the couch. It's Final Four time kids and I don't start work for another three hours ...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
10 Things I Learned This Week
After a month long hiatus, Albert is back in effect!
1. I Missed This Place
Strange how you go through lulls in life. For the last month or so I have been so wrapped up in making sure everything is running smoothly over at The Love of Sports that I haven't felt like sitting down to pen this page. Now that I've been back for four straight, I wonder how I ever stopped. I need this outlet to ramble about all things Spencer and am glad to be home.
2. You Need to Check Out TLOS
Seriously - me and my man Rip have been putting in crazy hours getting the site loaded with content each and every day and I can say without bias that it is a fantastic site. Even if you don't like sports all that much, you'll enjoy it, especially my stuff. It's the same over there as it is over here - sarcastic, entertaining and smart - just with a focus on sports.
3. My Bracket Got Busted Last Night
Stupid Villanova beating Pitt! In truth, it's my own damn fault, taking Pitt to win it all on two of my four brackets, including beating North Carolina. This is what I get for straying away from my beloved Tar Heels.
4. Getting Close to Getting Hitched
We leave for our week in Ontario in under two weeks and as my man Deuce keeps informed on MSN everyday, we're T-23 days to hitting the shores of Samana. In less than a month, I'll be married... crazy!
5. Still Don't Know What I'm Wearing Either
I have an idea and a backup plan, but as of now, I need to go shopping. Of course, that is incredibly problematic living here on the edge of the Rocky Mountains where actual malls just don't exist. I mean, WalMart is the biggest name store I could hit up in a 100 km radius and there is no way I'm wearing WalMart on my wedding day!
6. Calgary Was a Bust
Last Monday, me and two of my managers bombed into Cowtown to watch the Wings and Flames. Not only did the Wings lose and look horrible, but the night of having a few drinks and some laughs turned into me being the only one who actually drank (and I only had six...) and spending two periods in the bleeds instead of down behind the Flames bench. At least I got to have a laugh with my man Tommy after the game...
7. You Know What I Just Realized?
I say "my man" a lot. Three times already in six items... guess that's the price of being as popular as I am!
8. Bouncing Back to Bugs
If you think I have strayed away from this site for too long, you should check out the Blue Jays page at Bugs & Cranks. I haven't written a thing in nearly three months, but that too is going to change. We're doing a revamp to the site and I'll be taking my baseball blabber back to where it all began on a semi-regular basis. And yes, I'm very excited that baseball is back despite how bad I think the Jays will be this year.
9. We've Got a New Sushi Joint in Town!
That is absolutely exclamation worthy and the best part is, the food is pretty damn solid. You wouldn't expect it from the look of the place; it's in an old hotel bar that has been around since Christ was a cowboy, but it's run by a Japanese family and they rock the rolls really well. Makes getting our fix a lot easier than the hour and half drive into Fernie.
10. Congratulations Pete & Brooke
I'ma be an uncle again! My brother and his new wife are expecting, so while Brooke won't be sipping the sangria while we're in Samana, there is all the more reason for me and Pistol to tie one on once we touch down.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
So I Got Me a Promotion
No, I haven't been made Supreme Ruler of the World yet, but I did get an even better offer from the people at The Love of Sports than I was initially expecting.
Remember back a few weeks, I said I would most likely be taking over one of the new sites we'll be launching this year? Well, it turns out I won't be... I'll be the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the flagship site itself!
Now, I know this probably doesn't mean anything much to a good 95% of you reading this, but a move like this is monstrous for an Internet freelancer like myself, as the site now becomes an extension and reflection of me (and my co-pilot) not only in terms of my writing, but my skills in layout, design, editing and building the readership and revenue stream of the site.
What has made it even better is knowing that I won't have to sacrifice anything to make this jump to the next level. I'm still going to be pissing off the Drunk Blue Jays Fans at Bugs & Cranks, delivering witty banter and useless thoughts galore here at iBlog and be writing as much, if not more, at The Love of Sports.
Just six days into 2009 and it's already shaping up to be a big one...
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Shameless Promotion... and Some Random Thoughts Too
You'll notice over on the right, where we keep The Movie List and The Blog Cellar, that there is a new addition to the posse.
It's a widget for The Love of Sports.
I do some work there.
Actually, I do a lot of work there.
Almost as much as I do anywhere else these days.
That's because these guys are straight knockout artists when it comes to writing intelligent and interesting pieces about sports - all sports - much like the way the B&C Family holds things down on the baseball ends of things on the daily.
I got hooked up at TLOS a couple months back and after getting my feet wet - and dropping off the Epic Carnival Sideshow Tour - I have started doing some regular pieces there, including getting a lot of my MMA addiction out of the way by previewing every PPV, profiling fighters and delivering my own personal Pound for Pound rankings. Those are coming soon...
I wanted to bring some attention to the site because, well, everyone needs traffic and if you like sports and stories about sports presented in a fairly unbiased nature and in great variety, drop by and check us out.
* * * * * * * * * *
'Member a few weeks back when I had Lil Wayne in the Soundtrack and said it was because down the road he was going to be viewed as a pioneer when it comes to digital artists and blending genres?
Seems Weezy is just doing it all these days, as he's now blogging for ESPN The Magazine.
Would you have guessed that the man who reps N'awlins more than anybody would be a Packers fan?
Me neither.
* * * * * * * * * *
Afternoon schmaltz movies are becoming a daily routine around here...
Crashed out and watched Saved the Last Dance today.
Somehow I forgot about it yesterday; definitely part of the Top 5, maybe at the expense of Benny & Joon.
P.S. What the hell happened to Julia Stiles? Where did she go? I miss her. I loved her.
* * * * * * * * * *
Went back to work for the first time in three weeks yesterday... and was sent home before I even started.
Not because I did something wrong; it was just that dead. Probably going to happen tonight too, which is fine, because the season premiere of Grey's is on tonight and I'll be pissed if I miss it.
Yeah, I watch Grey's. You got a problem with that?
* * * * * * * * * *
Speaking of work, it was really cool to get such a great response from everyone at The Cookhouse about our venturing out to BC.
Even though I've only been there for a short time, they're a great group of people and I will miss fucking the dog and avoiding work along side of them.
It's also funny that all of them to a man loathe working there and living in London.
It really isn't that hard to just up and leave people...
We're all still relatively young. Life is too short to sit around hating your job and wanting more. Go out and get more and enjoy life to the fullest.
* * * * * * * * * *
Oh yeah - I fell off the smoke wagon again.
Went the first eight days out west without a single one... ninth day, Sarah's mom came home.
Been smoking ever since.
Time to go have one now...
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Picture Says It All
My cup runneth over.
As of right now, I have way too many things on the go and not enough hours in the day to accomplish them all, which means some things are going to start failing by the wayside for the next six weeks or so.
Bugs isn't going anywhere. They gave me my start and I will stick with them come hell or high water. Besides, the Jays season ending is where I got the six weeks from, so after that, baseball takes a spot on the back burner a little.
This bad boy right here isn't going anywhere either. How could I spend nearly a year putting in work to build a readership (thanks all 8 of you!) and then shut it down? Not going to happen.
Since I can't walk into my manager's office at Montana's, pull an Ed Norton in Fight Club and get paid to not show up at work, ditching delivering dinners is out of the question as well. Actually, it's a big part of the reason my beverage container is overflowing. I've working six days a week, closing three of those nights and a man has got to sleep sometime...
Where does that leave us?
I've already pretty much stopped writing at Epic Carnival over the last month. I can't tell you when I last posted there. In fact, I had made this decision long before my drinking glass couldn't hold any more theoretical liquid.
The thing with Epic is that it's a Boobs & Babes site - which there is absolutely nothing wrong with - except that Boobs & Babes isn't what I do. Call me ridiculous, but I want people reading my work because I have something interesting and insightful (or scandalous and off-kilter) to say about the topic, not because I have a picture of some tart in her bra and panties.
Unfortunately, bras and panties generate a lot more hits that witty banter and actually having something to say...
In the end, it looks like Season Three of The Wire is what is going to suffer the most.
Even though I just picked it up yesterday and am dying to tear into the next batch of episodes to see what's happening with everyone, the DVD player is going to have to stay off.
Either that or I give up working out.
"Fat guy on the beach who has watched every episode of The Wire" or "Guy with the toned physique who doesn't know what has been happening with The Barksdale Organization" come April?
Decisions, decisions...
Friday, July 25, 2008
From the Pages of Bugs & Cranks
For nearly two years now, I have been a voice of support in the comeback of Major League Baseball player Josh Hamilton.
The Coles Notes version of Hamilton's career, for those who don't know, goes like this:
- #1 Overall Draft Choice by Tampa Bay in 1999
- Injuries put him on the sidelines where he turned to tattoos and drugs
- Multiple suspensions from MLB
- Crack Addict
- October 2005 - Quit drugs, found God
- 27-year-old Rookie last year in Cincinnati
- Leading MLB in RBI in 2008
- Insane display in Home Run Derby during All-Star Festivities in New York
I'm bringing this B&C story here to iBlog because of the rash of comments and criticism Hamilton's story has gotten in the last few weeks, not only when myself and fellow B&C writer Andy Lenartz went back and forth (and back again) over his standing - not to mention a hilarious new post by Lenartz that even I can laugh at - but from the mass media in general and the difficulty I have with some people's take on the situation as a whole.
Let me start by saying that everyone is entitled to their opinions; I don't expect everyone to agree with the things that I say on a daily basis, just so long as they don't try to convince me that my POV is incorrect.
That being said, I don't get why so many people want to shit on the Josh Hamilton Story.
Two recent comments on the story by a dude calling himself "36" have me back on my soapbox about my favourite former crackhead.
One quick thing before getting into the meat of my frustration - when you can't spell struggle (two g's homey!) or despite (not dispight), you automatically lose credibility, Maybe that's just me though.
"36" tries to make Hamilton's past as a crack addict analogous to a child molester and wonders if the public would welcome said sexual predator the same way that some have taken to Hamilton, but the two are not even remotely comparable.
Hamilton ruined his life and those of his family and friends for the most part. He tried to kill himself five times by his own admission. He smoked crack like cigarettes (also something he has been quoted as saying) and fucked up royally.
But that isn't nearly the same thing as being a pedophile, is it? Hamilton hasn't abused any children, circulated child porn or heard the words, "I'm Chris Hanson with Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator."
Call it rose-couloured glasses or the fog of my admiration for Hamilton, but being a child molestor and being a drug addict aren't the same for me.
The other part of it is that Hamilton isn't just the recovering addict who lives next door and works at A&P - he leads Major League Baseball in RBI, has an outside shot at the American League Triple Crown and is doing all of this after being away from the game for nearly five full season mired in drug addiction.
Getting his life together and making it through each day bagging my produce and baked goods wouldn't warrant much fanfare outside of his own familial unit, yet alone in the Mainstream Media, but this kid is at the pinnacle of his profession - a profession that is hard enough to achieve in the first place - and people want to say that he's not worthy of the attention and admiration? For me, that doesn't make sense.
I would honestly like to challenge all the Josh Hamilton haters out there to stop doing what they do for a living, spend millions of dollars on drugs and emerse themselves fully into the lifestyle and culture of being an addict for the next five years or so and then try to return to their lives as accountants or teachers or whatever it is they do.
Getting a job at A&P would be an achievement and I very much doubt that any of them would ascend to the top of their profession of choice at all, if they could continue in that field in the first place, not to mention in less than three years.
The media is littered with negative stories everyday and have latched onto Hamilton as a positive story. Is that really all that bad?
* * * * * * * * * *
All the above being said, the one thing that doesn't escape me in all this is the hyprocrisy exhibited when it comes to athletes, actors, musicians et al when they struggle with drug addiciton compared to everyday people.
If Josh Hamilton couldn't swing a bat as well as he does, chances are he would simply be the guy packing my groceries at A&P or pumping my gas at Petro Canada, the same way that Robert Downey Jr. would have been serving jail time instead of making movies over the last fifteen years for his numerous drug offenses.
I'm sure there are people out there who have recovered from deeper depth than Downey or Hamilton or any of the other celebrity addicts over the years that do not recieve any attention at all for their battles. While that is a damn shame, it's also the world we live in.
We're a celebrity and entertainment driven culture and society, so the exploits of the known garner far greater exposure than the equally, if not more compelling stories of the unknown, and on a large scale that is never going to change.
Did Josh Hamilton deserve another chance? Maybe not, but he got it anyway and now he's making the most of it and then some.
Isn't it better to hear about someone succeeding rather than failing? Continue reading ...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
10 Things I Learned This Week
1. Josh Hamilton Smashes Home Runs
What a display on Monday night! I took some extra pleasure in watching it happen as I have been a huge Hamilton supporter since he started on his road back last season. Dude is killing it and I, for one, think it's outstanding.
2. But Not Everybody Does
There are people out there who don't think Josh Hamilton is a good story or an inspiring story or a story worth telling at all. Well pfffffft to them! He's overcome a crack addiction to make it back to the Majors. Beyond that, he's clobbering the baseball. In our world where we're hit with so much bad news and so many horrible stories, can't we just enjoy this one without picking it to shreds? Get the latest B&C take on the situation here and here and here.
3. Why Did I Install PokerStars?
Seriously, I have done pretty much nothing other than play poker during the spare minutes of my days since I installed the stupid thing. I even stayed up until about 4 AM the other night playing some Free Money tournament for a good three hours. I could see if I was winning money, but it's actually just a great big waste of time... and still I play!
4. Engagement Party Update
This little shindig is about a month away and it can't get here soon enough. Not because I'm super excited for it, but so that it can be over. Don't get me wrong, I'm really looking forward to seeing the people who are coming and it's going to be a nice day, but for a party that someone else is throwing for us and that we didn't ask for, it sure is causing us a lot of goddamn headaches.
5. So I Bought Me a Medicine Ball...
Not those giant ones you had in Gym Class growing up - one of the four pound ones that is like a weighted basketball. It's the newest wrinkle to the Training for Warriors program that I am undertaking. Lemme tell you how insane using this thing is? You want an arm workout? Forget lifting weights, buy one of these things and fire it off the wall in 8-10 different positions and whole whack of times. And don't forget about the crunches, figure eights, pushups and everything else you can do with it...
6. Yeah Me!
It's two weeks into this and I haven't quit. That in itself is an accomplishment. Mix in the fact that I'm still eating right and it's a success. So what is it when you add the fact that I haven't bought a pack of smokes in nearly three weeks and have had about four in the last two weeks? A small miracle and a major victory.
7. Oh That Silly Lohan Family
So the latest, if you didn't already know, is that Linds is a lesbo and living with Sam Ronson, DJ'ing sister of one of my favs Mark Ronson. She (Lindsay) seems happy and hasn't been making any bad news since this relationship started. What's the rest of the family got to say about it? They're all in denial! Supermom Dina and little sister / Lindsay clone Ali swear they're just friends. Yeah, friends who like to go down on each other!
8. I'm So Pumped for The Dark Knight
There hasn't been a movie that I have been this stoked to see in ages. I can't even tell you the last thing that I was so excited about going to the theatre to see. Maybe nothing. Ever. Everyone I know who has seen it is raving. Now all I need is a night off with Sarah so we can take it in.
9. Anderson Silva is a Bad Motherfucker!
Watched UFC Fight Night last night with great anticipation of seeing Anderson Silva, the best pound-for-pound fighter on the face of the Earth, take on James Irvin, a dude with scary punching power. I thought Silva would win. I didn't think it would be as insane as it was. 1:01. That's it. Caught his leg on a kick, right hand, over. 8 more punches landed before the ref stopped it and Irvin was gashed bad under his eye. There isn't fighter on the planet that I wouldn't take Silva over right now.
10. Operation: 185 Update
Starting Weight: 204
Last Week: 201
This Week: 201
This isn't a setback - you never lose as much in Week Two as you do in Week One - and I'm writing this before getting in a workout or heading to work, so chances are that by the end of the day that number will be lower. Even if it isn't, we're good. With the addition of the aforementioned Medicine Ball, there are a whole bunch of other exercises I can do to continue dropping libs and toning my flabby physique into the rock-solid sculpture I'm gunning for for next April.
Have a great week everybody!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Where Is My Money?
Did I miss a newsletter or something when I started doing this freelance thing?
Is there some guidebook that I didn't pick up that explains how getting paid pretty much is never going to happen, because it sure as shit seems that way.
Passion Magazine is now 100% officially tits-up without every having put a dollar in my pocket. Three issues, four articles, some 6,000 words amounting to zero dollars and zero cents. I know there is the exposure of having a byline in a national magazine, as well as a picture in one, and the clippings are great for my portfolio, but none of that puts money in my hands.
On the heels of Passion's non-payment comes the situation I currently find myself in. All the spots I write for, save for one, have yet to pay me for some very good work I have done and I'm starting to get more than a little concerned.
I'm wondering if my lack of cents comes from a lack of sense. Should I have known it would be like this?
I filed my article for Trot Magazine a couple months ago, after several hours of interviews and work, plus a rewrite to better express the tone and voice the magazine was looking for with the piece.
As it hasn't been published yet, this one doesn't have me as worried, especially because I actually get emails back from my editor, which is more than I can say right now about Canadian Sports Magazine at the moment.
Same story as with Trot - interview done and put together, complete with additional pieces should they want to make the piece larger, invoice sent and...
Nothing. Not even a reply to acknowledge they got my invoice.
Most nerve racking of all is Bugs, simply because I've never run into this situation there before.
It's July 17th and I haven't seen our June numbers yet.
Normally this wouldn't matter much to me as I tend to make around $1.87 a month. But last month was a banner month for me, complete with an SI Extra Mustard link and some serious pub thanks to my on-going tete-a-tete with the Drunk Jays Fans.
Not that I'm expecting millions, but this could be a hundred dollar month and a guy could really use a hundred bucks right about now.
Instead, I'm left checking my Gmail account thirty times a day to see if I've gotten the email yet, only to be disappointed time and again.
I know the Bugs thing will work itself out - I have the utmost faith and respect for my boss over there and he's never given me any reason to doubt him in the past.
Just, when everyone who owes you money stops returning your emails and phone calls, you start to get a little paranoid.
And broke.
Monday, June 30, 2008
2 AM and I'm Wide Awake
If we're being 100% accurate, it's 2:05.
I've been sitting here at this computer for the better part of the last hour and a half, after having laid in bed for an hour without so much as closing my eyes.
I watched a webisode of MMA Live @ ESPN.com, played a little simulated Blue Jays Baseball and checked the usuals about three times each before deciding that an early morning iBlog post was in order.
Life has me awake at 2 AM on a Monday morning, one where I will be up at 5:30 with Sarah and out the door an hour later with Luke in tow.
Right now, all I can do with my life is sit and wait. Those of you who frequent the site know all about my inability to grasp the virtue of patience.
I'm dying to see the Bugs & Cranks stats for June, knowing that my SI linkage for The Thieving Bastards along with some solid numbers from various other pieces has me in a good position to make some coin for the first time in a long time. But those numbers are still a couple days away.
Those two jobs I mentioned in 10 Things are running through my head, as each is an opportunity to make something more of the situation I am currently in. Unfortunately, I can't force people to return my emails or let me know where I stand in the hiring process.
Ideas and stories and projects rattle around in my brain until they reach the "How do I get it out there?" stage where the answer is always "I don't know."
My eyes are wide open and my mind is racing.
Today is going to be a long day...
Friday, June 6, 2008
Rollin' the Dice
Yesterday, I said I should go out an get the Chinese symbol for patience tattooed on my left wrist, since I don't have any and the last time I tattooed something I had none of on my wrist I ended up, well, here.
Across my right wrist, in freehanded black and white script is the word Freelance. I got in on a Wednesday evening in April 2005. How it got there not only proves my lack of patience, but also that you can do anything you set your mind to.
In April 2005 I was unemployed. Had been for months. Zero prospects on the horizon.
I had a Psych major and an HR minor from Waterloo that I had no intention of using and had spent the better part of the previous five years as middle management for a government agency that paid me well but offered very little in the way of transferable skills. At least, that was how the people on the other side of the desk interviewing me always saw it.
The one thing I did have was a script.
See, I had written a screenplay over Christmas. I had just broken up with my girlfriend of eight months, was broke and needed somewhere to lay low, so I took refuge in the warm confines of my mother's house and her fully stocked liquor cabinet.
The script was horrible - formulaic, self-referential and predictable as hell - but completing the process showed me that I had a talent for writing. Sure it was bad, but how many people can sit down and fire off 100+ pages in a week? And if I could write a screenplay, who was to say that I couldn't write other things?
Other things became sports, as a job posting for an up-and-coming magazine based out of Toronto went from being a pipe dream to a potential reality in the span of three weeks.
Much like I still do every day, I was checking the Craigslist job board and saw a posting for writers. Still in keeping with current traditions, I flipped a quick fact-finding email to the address and expected nothing.
Twenty minutes later, I had added a guy named Frank to Messenger and we spent hours talking about this magazine he was starting and my role on the writing team. Everything sounded great.
A week later, I was in Toronto, first meeting with Frank and then sitting down at The Score with Cabral Richards* - Cabbie on the Street - to discuss his involvement in the project. Anyone who had Cabbie ready to contribute had to be legit.
The next week, my friend Chrissy and I had tickets to Coldplay at the ACC. Say whatever you want about Coldplay - I've liked them from the beginning - and no matter what Judd Apatow says, liking Coldplay does not make you gay.
Anywho, we get down to Toronto, grab dinner and a drink and walk over to the ACC. Stand in line, get to the front, guy takes our tickets...
"These are no good," he says, little scanner thingy in his handed.
"Sorry?" Chrissy nervously asks, knowing there was no way she bought counterfeit tickets from Ticketmaster.
"They're for tomorrow night. Not tonight."
Embarrassed as fuck, Chrissy stepped out of line. I followed suit, equal parts amused and annoyed. Now what the hell were we going to do, half-ass dolled up for a Coldplay show that starts in 24 hours?
"We should go get more tattoos?" I offered. The more applied to me, as Chrissy had never felt the needle.
"I'll go with you, but I'm not getting anything," she replied and the new plan of attack was laid out. All we had to do was find a tattoo shop.
We finally found a place willing to let us in the door way out in East Jesus, Nowhere. Everyone else was closing up or not interested in the $100 it would take to make my idea come to life. Lazy bastards...
After riding the couch in the waiting room talking to the owner and everyone else hanging around the shop - I'm convinced that if I came off as a douchebag they would have told me it was a no-go and sent me out the door - I jumped in a chair, rolled up my sleeve and told Anthony the plan.
"I want the word Freelance in script across my wrist," I confidently pronounced.
"How come?" shot back the second man to puncture my flesh with ink.
"My brother's name is Lance and he's up in Kingston at Millhaven doing a nickel for assault and," I couldn't get the rest out without starting to laugh. Thankfully, Anthony did too. "Actually, I want to be a writer and this is going to serve as my motivation and my daily reminder to keep writing."
"Nice man. I like that," he replied. With that, he pulled out a fine tipped marker, sketched out some lettering and went to town on my wrist.
Hugs and hand-pounds were exchanged, my wrist got all taped up to make me look like I had just tried to kill myself and we were on our way.
The next night, we saw Coldplay from the floor.
A couple days later, the magazine project was put on hold. That was two years ago.
But I had my tattoo and my tattoo was my motivation. I couldn't end up as some doofus with a tattoo that makes no sense, so I kept writing. I wrote almost every day, even when their was nothing to really write about.
It would be another nine months before another opportunity came my way.
That was Bugs & Cranks.
The rest is history in the making...
* this was how I came to meet Cabbie and since then, we've done an interview for B&C and remain in touch... that makes two good things that came out of the failed Frankly Sports project....
Sunday, June 1, 2008
10 Things I Learned This Week
1. WE'RE GETTING GIZMO!
Mid-week we thought there was no chance the cutest ugly dog in the world would be joining the family, as all we had heard was that the kids were having a hard time with maybe losing the dog. Sarah even took to looking for other dogs. Then, the email came... Gizmo the Jug is coming home!
2. Bugs & Cranks is Dead
Our site has been down for the last three or four days and it feels like something is missing from my life. Our head honcho Jesse is doing some upgrades and changing servers, so I know we'll be back in business shortly, but with B&C down it takes two parts of my daily computer routine out of the picture - checking Bugs and my Bugs emails - and since I'm all about routines, this has thrown me way outta sync.
3. Best Customers Ever
So we were swamped last night at The Cookhouse - as was to be expected - and I managed to get the Best Customers Ever... at the same table no less. Susie Rottencrotch was kind enough to order absolutely nothing from our actual menu; everything had a variation to it and her 4007 pointed, smart-assed questions really made my night. What made it even better was Jimmy Tattoo, another guy at the table objecting to paying for a beer his friend drank earlier in the evening when it mistakenly showed up on his bill. Really? You can't drop another $5 to cover your buddy's beer? DOUCHEBAGS!
4. In Truth...
Montana's has been pretty solid. 99 out of 100 customers are really understanding on nights like last night, as they seem to know that going out for dinner on a Saturday night between 6 and 8 means you're waiting at least 30 minutes for your main.
5. Apparently I Still Live In Newfoundland
It's June 1st in Ontario, a time usually marked by ridiculous humidity and "sweat from breathing" heat. In the words of Dr. Evil, "It's frickin' freezing!" Overcast skies, monstrous downpours and winds that make you feel cold to your bones have been the dominant weather system of the last three days, making London more like St. John's.
6. My New Addiction
Joining cigarettes and coffee in the Spencer Kyte Addiction Portfolio is crossword puzzles. We get the London Free Press delivered to the house every day and every day I make an attempt. Mondays and Tuesdays are generally fairly easy and completed in full in no time. Wednesday is a little harder, but Thursday is easy-peasy since it's Pop Culture stuff. Friday through Sunday, however, is another story entirely. I got seven clues today... for now.
7. Smartest Purchase Ever
Sarah and I each have new Starbucks travel mugs. Not the shiny silver ones that leak and spill and what have you; mine actually looks like a Venti cup, except bigger. Since purchasing them a week or so ago, we've barely gone to Starbucks. Instead, we make our coffee at home and head out the door. This may sound basic to some of you, but considering we would usually drop $20 a week on coffees and treats at The Bucks, forking over $25 for these two mugs has been a wise investment.
8. Number of Months Home: 2. People Seen: 0.
This is what happens when you're all growed up and life happens. Our best laid plans were to move "home" and use our days off and free time to tour around visiting old friends and catching up. So far - bupkiss - and I don't know when that is going to change. It's looking like weekends at The Cookhouse are going to be a regular thing and since weekends are when everyone else in the world has time off, well, you see where this is going. Time to get creative and get down to Hammertown and area for some visits...
9. Faye is Retired... Again
Gotta love my Mom! Early last spring I got a phone call that basically went, "Hi Sherm. Guess what? I'm retired!" Just like that - gave her two weeks notice and that was it. She spent the summer doing the things she loves most: being a grandmother, golfing, sitting on her deck staring at the water and even took to meeting a gentlemen friend. Near the end of the summer, she was ready to go back to work, so she did, taking a 9 month contract back with the OLG in Brantford. That contract ended this week. Once again, Ol' Faye is retired... Lucky bitch!
10. Happy Birthday Cori!
My former housemate and close friend Corrine Rae (Lawrence) Empringham is celebrating her birthday today. Actually, the celebration was last night, but her actual birthday is today, along with three other Facebook friends (Ziz, Marnie and Chach Machado), Alanis Morissette and the venerable Morgan Freeman. Happy Birthday to you all!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Today really sucks.
Tomorrow is going to suck even more.
Everything except the things we're each bringing on our respective flights is packed and ready to be picked up, which means I'm sitting here in a big-ish empty house surrounded by boxes and even though I've done it more times than I care to count, it still gets to me.
Leaving Newfoundland is a lot harder for me than some of you may believe.
I know I bitch about things out here fairly regularly on this space, but the truth is that the best two years of my life, relationship wise and professionally, have taken place since I landed on the shores of Dear Ol' Newfoundland.
Coming here to be with Sarah was a huge leap of faith; a belief that the feelings we shared in our three weeks together before she returned for school were real and that the beautiful weekend we had at my cousin Rob's wedding that Thanksgiving could be duplicated.
Seventeen months later, I can't imagine being without her, even for this next month and know that the decision I made in October 2006 was easily the smartest decision of my life.
But Newfoundland has been about more than Sarah.
This is where my writing talents flourished and found homes.
I found Bugs & Cranks sitting in our apartment on Crosbie Road while scouring the Craigslist Toronto website one day. Passion Magazine happened the same way. Epic Carnival came from my work at Bugs.
And this little number right here was born out of an evening of drinks and dinner for my birthday at Fog City.
All the future success that may come via the pen or the keyboard originated in Newfoundland and that makes getting on a plane tomorrow with an indefinite return date a very hard thing to do.
What makes it a little easier is knowing that the friends I've made here are going to be friends for life.
They don't have a choice... I'll Facebook Stalk them!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
10 Things I Learned This Week
Oh what a busy week it has been...
1. Remote Blogging - Not My Cup O' Tea
This installment is coming to you from the Health Sciences Library at Memorial University. Sarah's working on a project and since I need to get this done, I figured doing this now would be more productive than spending the next thirty minutes reading up on my Tar Heels victory at ESPN. That being said, this feels very strange. There are a bunch of people around, I don't have my folder full of pictures (hence the lack of Albert's presence this week) and I'm dressed, as opposed to being decked out in my housecoat and woobs. And for the record, my cup o'tea is Tetley's Jasmin Green Tea with nothing added.
2. Trendsetting - The Bad
Back to back Sunday's wrapped around the toilet bowl, puking my guts out. Unlike last Sunday, today had nothing to do with consuming an entire bottle of Vodka free from mix. This time, the cream that was just a little off - though well before the expiry date - got the best of me. Hopefully, this trend ends real soon.
3. Trendsetting - The Good
Got the mohawk shaved off today - I'm getting my professional headshots done tomorrow and the mohawk just wouldn't be a good look. That being said, the three-year-old boy in the chair next to me loved it and made the woman doing his hair turn his chair so he could watch me get my head shaved. Apparently he requested a mohawk when his parents brought him in. To this kid, I was a fashion icon, if only for the three minutes it took to remove my stripe of hair.
4. So Guess Who Is In The Final Four?
The North Carolina Tar Heels... BOO-YA! My boys played real well last night, fending off a pesky and impressive Louisville team that cut a 12 point halftime lead to zero before Psycho T & Co. put the game on ice down the stretch. Next up, the winner of the Kansas v. Davidson game today.
5. Tourney Tidbits
a.) Stephen Curry will be a solid pro and yes, he will find a way to get his shot off. He's Rip Hamilton, minus the facial hair and Hannibal Lector mask. This kid has ice water in his veins.
b.) As great as Kevin Love has been - and he has been outstanding - I just fail to understand why a guy who cannot be stopped down low insists on paying outside as much as he does. Yes he can make the three and knock down jimmies, but he's unmatched in the block, so why not just keep going to the well?
c.) I still don't like Memphis. I just can't see them winning it all, probably because if I were on the opposite sideline, I would foul the shit out of them and take my chances with them at the line. 65% cuts it against the boys they've beaten thus far, but it won't work against any of the remaining teams.
6. Transfer Completed
Monday, I found out that the job in London I was told would be there for me wasn't really there for me. If you're a regular here you read the rage the following day. Tuesday night, I vented to my boss. Wednesday, he got on the phone and got the job done. I'm officially still Rockin' the Block, at least, until something better comes along. Shhhh - don't tell them though, okay?
7. My New Celebrity Friend
As I mentioned a couple Sundays back, Michael Musto, the Village Voice celebrity / gossip columnist, replied to a little email I sent him stemming from his Musto on Lohan on Monroe photo shoot. This week, I got to thinking he would make a great interview for the next issue of Passion - our Celebrity Issue - so off went another email. D'you know what? He's in, no questions asked! The idea hasn't gotten approved yet and even if it doesn't, I've got a new celebrity friend to bitch about Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears with.
8. April Is Going To Suck
Being home will be cool, but being away from Sarah for a month will blow. Not that I didn't know this would be the case before, but it's just so much closer now. We're both being awful sooky with each other, wanting to spend as much time together before our thirty day hiatus begins and that only makes it worse. But it's only a month - we managed the two months at the start of this relationship without any hassles; a month should be a breeze, right?
9. Tomorrow is Opening Day
Honestly, I'm not as pumped as I thought I would be. Technically, the season began this week in Japan and the Braves and Nats kick off the North American regular season tonight on ESPN, but tomorrow is Opening Day for the Jays and well, this year is already shaping up a lot like last year. BJ is hurt, so is our third basemen, Boston is a juggernaut and New York is New York. Plus, the Satan-less team in Tampa looks better than ever before. Thankfully, Baltimore is going to be horrible, so the Jays can't finish worse than fourth. How's that for early season optimism?
10. Business is Picking Up
Of course, the start of the regular season means a return to routine posts on Bugs & Cranks, not just about the Jays, but baseball business in general. The Epic posts have started to flow more frequently and have been garnering a little linkage as of late, I'm a lock for the next issue of Passion (Thanks Nicole... I won't disappoint!) and journeying back to Ontario can only mean increased exposure and opportunities too. Toss in the screenplay that started coming to life earlier in the week and the writing agenda is getting pretty packed. That being said, should anyone from the Kitchener Record be perusing this prose, there is always room to cover sports for your fine publication, so make sure you call me.
Have a great week everybody. Five more shifts and nine more sleeps until I leave the island...
Monday, March 24, 2008
10 Things I Learned This Week
1. I Can't Drink Any More
There was a time when a night like Saturday wouldn't have hurt me one bit come Sunday morning. I would have gotten up, grabbed some Mickey D's and chilled out on the couch nursing a very small hangover. Instead, I got my ass kicked. Still got the Mickey D's, still sacked out on the couch all day, but the hangover was gigantic.
2. Done
With Saturday producing the Sunday that it did, I've decided to hang up the drinking on a fairly permanent basis. A couple beers here and there with the lads or over dinner or whatever is still very much happening, but bender nights are now thing of the past. Not remembering isn't a badge of courage... it's a sign of stupidity.
3. Stylin' and Profilin'
From the pictures I've seen, I looked good Saturday night. Like real good. Ron Burgundy "Hey everyone. Come see how good I look" good. Then everything went blank and I couldn't tell you the rest... stupid vodka...
4. Two Weeks
As in, I'll be home in... Crazy! Time has flown by and there is a bunch of stuff still needing to be done around the house, but flights are booked, transfers are in place and a week hanging out in Cambridge with Faye is the first course of action when I get home. Book your visits now!
5. New Province, Same Job
The transfer mentioned above is in fact a position with Blockbuster in Ontario. Responsible Spencer - the sober yin to Saturday night's hammered yang - decided that a crappy job that pays the bills is better than no crappy job, so I'm heading home to Rock the Block.
6. My Bracket Is Broken
It was shot right out of the gate. I had USC going to the Elite 8, Arizona making a trip to the Sweet 16 and a host of other scenarios that certainly haven't panned out. One thing I do still have correct though... UNC winning this whole damn thing. Tell me they haven't looked better than everyone else?
7. Remember Boyz II Men?
Man, those kids from West Philly were awesome. What has me extolling the talents of Nate, Shawn and Wanya? They were on Don't Forget the Lyrics and goddamn they had a lot of hits back in the day! Motownphilly, End of the Road, On Bended Knee, I'll Make Love to You... that joint with Mariah before she went crazy. Where are groups like Boyz II Men today? We need another Boyz II Men.
8. Pretend Blue Jays in Familiar Position
Third place in the American League East. Good to know that even baseball simulations have the Jays as paper contenders in the AL East.
9. Now That I've Staved Off Death...
I got a ton of writing to do. The Jays season starts soon and they have been busy in the last couple days - GO CHECK BUGS & CRANKS PEOPLE - Epic needs a post or two in the next couple days and we all know this blog doesn't write itself. A trained chimp named Vincent K. Monkey does it. I pay him in bananas.
10. Gotta Love That Picture From Yesterday! (Scroll Down In Case You Missed It)
Seriously, even I can't manage to get that hammered. When you get so drunk that you strip down to your thong and crash on a picnic table, ass out for everyone to see, you need to put down the Canadians and pick up a bottle of water.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Joys & Pains of Being a Writer
This writing thing isn't as easy as it looks.
I know what you're thinking - if a half-wit like me can make a go of it, a set of trained chimps hammering on a bunch of typewriters should be able to churn out something mildly entertaining in no time. Sadly, no one has gotten that to work for them as of yet, so I still come off looking somewhat talented.
Anyway...
Yesterday was one of those good day / bad day dichotomies that occasionally pop up in my writing life where a whole truckload of things go really well, but one thing goes piss-poor and spoils it all. Ironically, it's that the one thing didn't go at all that put a damper on an otherwise outstanding afternoon.
First of all, a day without Blockbuster is automatically great. Nothing personal to those of you from The Block who happened to work yesterday, but I love my time away from there more than almost everything in life. I'm sure you all understand.
Second, I smashed out two posts yesterday - the soundtrack piece below and a little fun piece about an idiot on the San Diego Chargers who should have kept his mouth shut over at Epic Carnival. Any time I can manage to actually put together two well received pieces in one day is pretty sweet.
Adding to the sweetness, I did an interview with a guy I went you university with who is trying to change the world one t-shirt at a time.
His name is Jeff Woodrow and he runs his own t-shirt company. I'm not going to go into great detail - (1) so you'll buy the issue of Passion a couple months from now that features the interview and (2) because I want you all to go to his site and find out about it for yourself. As with most things here, you'll thank me for doing so...
Long story short, I hadn't talked to Woody in a long time and it was wicked to reconnect and talk to someone of like mind who has given up everything to chase his dreams and try to make a difference.
But of course, since everything was going so wonderfully smooth and I was in such a great mood, something had to come up and ruin it. As I said before, it's actually that it didn't come up that made me mad.
Yesterday marked a full month since I hurriedly put the finishing touches on my next article for Passion, a feature (2000 words!) on Celebrity Comebacks for the January/February edition. This is the piece that I had to put together and submit while we were home on vacation, you know, when I was supposed to be relaxing and enjoying my time off.
So, d'you know how many emails and pieces of correspondence I have gotten since being told I needed to have the piece in pre-Christmas as the next issue was going to be put together before New Years? I'm pretty sure you can make a good guess...
ZERO
As my man Smitty said to me back last month when I bitched to him about the suddenly sprung deadline, it is quite amazing how someone or a collection of someones needs a month or more to layout my words. I know it is a much harder task than I actually think it is, but here's the rub:
I haven't even got back a "Article looks great, here are the corrections / edits we need you to make" email as of yet. Either I wrote a perfect article (Not effing Likely) or we're still not at the editing stage which makes me wonder why the hell I needed to get that piece in so goddamn early in the first place?! I could have spent another week easy doing more in-depth research than I did and would have had an even better article. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great and you're going to love it, but I know it could have been even better.
ARGH!
The one silver lining to all this is that the one email I have gotten from Passion Magazine in the last month was a request for a photo and professional bio for the next issue's Contributors section.
That's right - a picture of me and my mohawk all up in the next issue - plus a shout out to B&C and a mention of a little blog project too...
I'm done whining... thanks for listening.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Working Interferes With Working
The title might sound like the most ridiculous thing anyone can say, but in my life, it is 100% accurate because my life pretty much revolves around work in some way, shape or form.
For those not 100% up to speed:
I work 30-40 hours a week as a Shift Leader at Blockbuster Video. As I've said before, it's not glamorous, but I love the people I work with and the free movies are a good perk, plus the freakshow customers make for interesting blog material on a slow news day. This is the work that is deemed interference.
The work that is interfered with is, of course, my writing. At present count, there are three jobs (Bugs & Cranks, Epic Carnival and Passion Magazine), two side projects (This Blog and Nudigs, the real estate site I occasionally contribute to) and three aspirations that aren't getting the time they deserve (my book, my screenplay and a book a friend would like me to help him write).
Now I know what you're thinking: How much time can it possibly take to sit down and churn out the drivel that I throw up on this site on a daily basis? The answer, in all honesty, is not that long, at least not here. But the B&C and Epic work takes a little more time, Passion is somewhat labor intensive, although only in bi-monthly intervals and there is the simple fact that the rest of life needs to take place as well. You know, little things like eating, sleeping, spending time with Sarah that isn't her sitting on the couch looking at my back as I sit here typing feverishly.
Basically, I'm just whining. Life dictates that I need to earn money to pay the bills et al and since writing doesn't provide financial security as of yet, those 35-40 hours rockin' the Block are very much required, no matter how much I want to try to justify staying home to work on my craft.
What does all of this mean to you? Nothing probably, unless you or someone you know owns or operates a publishing company, magazine, newspaper or website that wants to pay me the equivalent of my Blockbuster earnings so that I can sit at home in my housecoat all day telling everyone I'm a writer.
Oh - you could also help boost the profile by buying up copies of Passion, checking out all my stuff on all my sites and becoming a fan on Facebook, but that's just me shamelessly self-promoting...
Monday, December 31, 2007
2007 Year In Review
As the clock starts closing in on midnight, like everyone else in the world, today is a day of reflection on the past 365 days in my life. 2007 was an exceedingly eventful year with many milestones, memories and meaningful moments. Here is a look back at some of them...
A Year As A Newfie
Like I have said countless times before - everyone needs to come out here at least once, preferably during the summer months - so you can marvel at how beautiful Newfoundland truly is. I was fortunate enough to spend the summer on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and my time in total here has been an experience I will never forget. Maybe one day, when I'm grey and old, I'll move back and be the cranky old guy who lives in Portugal Cove that used to be a writer or something.
Bugs & Cranks
Who would have thought that replying to a harmless little Craigslist ad would end up being the catalyst to my foray into writing for a living? Shortly before 2007 got under way, I joined a little baseball site to cover the Jays with zero expectations and an abundance of optimism. Two months into the baseball season, we were one of the biggest sites on the 'Net as far as the diamond was concerned and the talent pool at B&C continues to grow. Two personal highlights for me were penning my Josh Hamilton piece Five Tools, Eight Years and One More Chance months before he became one of the feel good stories of the season and catching my first Sports Illustrated link with The Anti-Ripkens.
Odd Job Jack
There was a stretch from March until June where I was more or less unemployed. Nothing I was being offered was remotely interesting to me and I kept quitting crappy jobs. All the while, Sarah stood by my side and supported my need to be proud of what I was doing, even though I wasn't contributing financially. While Blockbuster isn't glamourous, I love the people I work with, getting free movies ain't a bad deal and it's a lot better than working at the call centre. Thanks for letting me be me Baby Girl...
I Had Passion, Lost Passion and Found Passion Again
The road to writing for Passion Magazine was a long and frustrating one, but worked out in the end. I was originally contacted in June about doing a story, then stopped hearing from them altogether for nearly two months before the new Managing Editor got back in touch and filled me in. Two months later, my name was in print on two stories in the re-launch issue and is penciled in for a feature in Issue #2.
Worst. Vacation. Ever. (But It's Gonna Make a Great Movie One Day)
We should have just gotten the hint when we couldn't make it to the Dominican for Tim & Tania's Wedding. Or maybe after the Emergency Appendectomy. Instead, the car we needed to go to Ontario to pick up is a pile of scrap somewhere near Flamborough, there is one less deer in the world and the last week of 2007 was the most hectic, least relaxing week in the history of mankind. The only silver lining? I think I can write it into a pretty funny movie...
Becoming A Better Man
Warning: Some of you may not want to read this - it's sentimental and serious.
Over the last 365 days, I have become a much better man than I ever thought possible. I don't worry about myself and only myself any more. Actually, I don't even worry about myself first anymore and that is an incredible feeling. This year, I swallowed my pride and got my financial house in order by filing bankruptcy. Getting to that point was irresponsible, but knowing it was the best option was the grown up thing to do. I became a better friend - flying home for a wedding that I knew I had to be at and making time for those who are most important to me. Mostly though, the easiest thing to say is that I grew up this year. I realized what I want in my life and have done everything that I could do to make sure that happens and that's saying something...
Favourites of 2007
Big Movie: Zodiac
Everything about it was awesome. David Fincher is still a genius behind a camera, Robert Downey Jr. is still a genius in front of one and Jake Gyllenhall even made me forget about his little trips up the mountain with Ennis Del Mar... the fact that it's based on real events makes it even creepier.
Little Movie: A Guide to Recognizing You Saints
Another appearance by Mr. Robert Downey Jr. in this one, this time starring as the grown up version of Shia Leboeuf's character Dito Montiel, another living breathing person and the man who wrote the book this movie is came from. The true breakout in this film though was Channing Tatum, who casts asides any thoughts that he might just be the next good looking crappy actor with his turn as Antonio.
Album: Alright, Still by Lily Allen
Infectious. Quick. Sharp. Those are the three best words to describe this album. There is something brilliant about the light, airy, lilting nature of the "kiss my ass you stupid bastard" songs on the album and "LDN" is worth it for the horn section alone.
Song: "Stronger" by Kanye West
Anyone who wants to doubt Kanye as the greatest mind and talent in hip hop can drop me a line here and we'll get it on. Be warned though - this will end with me playing Kanye and you being 50 Cent. Mixing Daft Punk with his trademark bravado, Kanye scored the best song of the year.
Song: "Crank Dat" by Soulja Boy
Just because hearing Sarah try to yell out lyrics to it is one of my most favourite things in the world... and no Baby, it doesn't go "Soulja Boy I'll tell you what!" Superman these hos!
Book: Extra Innings by Patrick Smith
No, I'm not saying it just to kiss Smitty's ass and because he gave it to me for free. One, it is a really great read, whether you like baseball or not, because it is about life as told through a season with his baseball team. Two, it serves as daily motivation and a daily reminder that I can make something out of this here writing thing. No longer are published authors whose book I've read random people I know nothing about and that makes the pursuit of my dreams all the more plausible. Thanks for that Smitty - and I can't wait for Book #2... I'll even buy it this time!
So long 2007. It was eventful. Bring on 2008...
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Dishonour Roll: MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Dishonour Roll: Sarah's Former Appendix
I know I said last week that I would stop naming non-humans in the Dishonour Roll, but honestly, this one takes the cake!
Laying in bed last night when I got home from work, Sarah complained of minimal pain in her abdomen, which we both credited to a combination of the Kentucky Duck that we ate during the afternoon and a general not feeling well. She joked that she might have appendicitis...
She really is going to make a great nurse because she nailed this diagnosis.
After writing her exam this morning, she went to work at Student Health, felt kind of crappy and decided to get checked out. The doctor at the clinic sent her to Emerg, where she called me at work and told me the news. Three hours later, a surgeon is telling her they're going to take it out, just like that... and they did. Apparently it takes like twenty minutes.
So now, Saturday's flight is a no go and we're rethinking our vacation as a whole. Instead of getting out to Van City for sushi, family and friends, we'll be hanging out in The Cove for movies, rest and minimal movement in and around the abdominal region, all thanks to a little organ that you technically don't even need in the first place...
Stupid Appendix!
* * * * *
A couple quick hits before I shut it down after an exceptionally long day:
- My fellow Bug David Chalk read my "Oscar Speech" as he called it about getting published and told me to "act like I've been there before." Dave, the point is that I haven't been there before and there is only one first time, so I'ma be excited and emotional and thankful as shit. It's who I am...
- There is this other dude we write with at B&C named Steve Hulkower - I don't like him much. He likes to pick apart all arguments that don't fall in line with his views and does it in a real smug sorta way. And don't worry - I'm not talking about people behind their backs here; I told him all this earlier today.
- No more KFC, ever! That shit blew up Sarah's appendix and ruined our vacation. If Colonel Sanders was alive, I'd fly to Kentucky and kiss his, I said, kick his ass, yessir I would.
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