1. Write for Love, Let the Money Come Later
After spending a good number of months building up a readership at a couple different sites, I put them on the back burner to pursue a job with Heavy.com for the lone reason that they were going to pay me.
Ten weeks later, I was dropped via email... without ever receiving a check. I've been assured it's coming, and take solace in the fact that the continuing staff there have yet to receive their pay either, but it made me realize something.
I write because I love it and that needs to be the motivation. Ironically enough, I finished Stephen King's On Writing last night, and d'you know what the final message of the book was?
"I write because I love it, not because of the money."
2. If You Hear "No Disrespect," Expect an Insult to Follow
I'm as guilty on this one as the next guy, as I use the line, "no disrespect to (insert fighter)" fairly frequently, following it up with some statement about how the inserted fighter isn't up to par or a legitimate contender.
It's as if we think that offering up that precursor gives us the ability to say whatever the hell we want about someone. They no I don't mean it disrespectfully, so saying they look like a total jackass / have the talents of a trained chimpanzee / smell a little south of god-awful is okay...
No it isn't, and I hereby pledge to remove that phrase from my vocabulary.
3. I Love My Non-Paying Jobs
The one that pays me - picking produce orders for 35-40 hours a week at Islands West - isn't all that bad, but the pair that put little no money in my pocket on a regular basis are great.
After the whole Heavy debacle, I joined forces with the guys over at Five Knuckles. They had been syndicating my work from Keyboard Kimura for a while, have a great community and believe in my talents to help propel their site to bigger and better.
What really has me stoked is my role with Armageddon Fighting Championships. While I don't really have a defined title, I'm doing all kinds of different things, like hunting down sponsors, lining up media exposure, and building Fan Pages on Facebook.
Yes - you need to join.
Kind of ties in with the first thought of today - enjoy the work, do a good job and the returns will come in time.
4. Victoria Kicks Everywhere Else's Ass
It's January 17 and I plan on wearing shorts today. Not because I want to see if I can brave the harsh outdoors with my pasty white lower limbs, but because it's around 10 degrees, nice and sunny and there is very little wind.
Additionally, not having to shovel... awesome! Yes, it rains, but d'you know what? Rain at five, six or seven degrees is so superior to snow and ice and bullshit at some god-awful temperature well below freezing.
I've enjoyed everywhere I've lived over the years - 13 cities, 31 addresses in 31 years - but Victoria takes the cake.
5. So I Never Told You My New Year's Resolutions
Thanks for sticking around... and Happy Sunday!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Things I Learned This Week
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Blogs About Dogs and Unreturned Inquires
This is my dog, Luke.
If you've been here before, you've heard a thing or two about him. Little man is my canine sidekick and I wouldn't want it any other way.
As it turns out, Victoria has a pretty healthy pug population; from Chili upstairs to the two puggles who avoided Luke like the plague at the Dog Park yesterday, they seem to be everywhere, including in the newspaper.
Well, at least on the newspapers website.
Adventures with Ollie is an entertaining blog written by Adrian Chamberlain, chronicling the hilarity and odd moments that are present through his pug, Ollie.
In just over a week of being here and knowing about the blog, both Sarah and I are fans. Additionally, I'm jealous as hell.
Seriously, the guy is living my dream; getting paid to write about the ridiculous things that his overweight animal companion does on an irregular basis. All that is missing for his situation to turn into my version of paradise is a bottomless keg of Guinness and a plate of chicken wings.
What makes it all the more awesome for me - and yes, when I say "all the more awesome," I mean "a massive kick in the cujones" - is that this is the same newspaper who wouldn't even send me a "thanks, but we're in no way interested in your thoughts on MMA" email when I inquired about doing some pro bono blogging for them before moving out here.
The Adventures with Ollie blog certainly gives me hope that one day I will be able to fully live the dream, spending my days in my sweatpants while making money for my trivial thoughts on everything from the latest Kate Gosselin to the Georges St-Pierre signing a sponsorship deal with Under Armour Underwear.
It also makes me want to tear my own eyes out, since blogs about overweight dogs dressed as bees for Halloween gets coverage galore but the fastest growing sport in the world can't even get me a "piss off, rookie!" response...
Maybe I should write more about Luke and less about Brock Lesnar?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Things I Learned This Week
1. Our Movers Suck!
First, they agree to a date for pickup. Then they tell us we're going to have to change that to accommodate their schedule. We sort things out, come to a compromise and our things get put on a truck.
Seven days later, they're still not here and the phone call we were told we'd get today as an update still has materialized.
For anyone out there considering a move, especially one of a great distance and with time constraints, this is why you pay the extra money to go with one of the big boys... you get your stuff when on time.
2. Maybe We Shouldn't Travel
The more I think about it, the more I realize that every trip we plan to make has some element of frustration beyond the usual, acceptable "sat next to a guy who smelled funny on the plane" type of annoyances.
In the last two years, we've had an appendix up-end Christmas in Vancouver, a collision with a deer derail a road trip back to Newfoundland, headaches galore with our wedding in the Dominican and the current travel situation that has us living like squatters with nothing more than an air mattress and the clothes on our backs.
Something tells me we need to take a break from trying to go places and just enjoy exploring the surroundings of Victoria.
3. Trying to be a Better Person
I've had a lot of windbags chiming in on pieces over at Bleacher Report lately, launching personal attacks at me and others just for the sake of having something to say, and I just don't get it.
What good comes from pissing in someone's cereal or calling someone "trailer trash" when you actually know very little about them? We're all guilty of it at one point or another, myself included, but I'm doing my best to stop. I really just don't see the point.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and can think whatever they want about just about anyone. But if all you can add to the conversation is namecalling and nonsense, why open your mouth in the first place? Because really, none of us are perfect...
4. Liking Victoria
This is exactly the type of city for me; lots to do, the things I like and want in close proximity and plenty of space and scenery to enjoy all rolled into one.
Instead of having to drive 30 minutes to buy clothes from the terrific trio of Zellers, Wal-Mart or Superstore, I can drive ten minutes, roam through all kinds of quality stores in the mall and pick up a Starbucks while I'm there... stopping on the way home to grab some sushi.
I get why some people love quiant little places like Kimberley as much as they do; it's a great town, just not for me. I need life, some traffic and options on every corner and so far, Victoria is coming through in spades.
5. Future YouTube Sensation
One of these days, I'm going to bring my camera outside and tape Luke wrestling with Chili, the pug from upstairs.
It's priceless and if David After the Dentist and Charlie Bit My Finger can become YouTube sensations, than Pug MMA can certainly follow suit, especially if I can capture the times that Chili bites onto Luke's chubby little cheeks and starts dragging him off the concrete and back onto the grass.
Seriously, it's hilarious... you'll see.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Settled Into An Unsettled Situation
- Landlords are great, as is their dog Chili; he and Luke are already best friends
- Starbucks is around the corner - perfect distance to be a reward at the end of a walk...
- Sushi joints everywhere
- Internet and such is all set up and super fast
- House is going to work just fine, once our stuff arrives
- Stuff isn't here yet, so we don't know for sure if everything is going to fit
- Car needed fixing the minute we got here; nothing like an unexpected $300 to kick off a move
- Chapters is miles away
- Uncertainty doesn't sit well with the missus, but she's doing okay
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Things I Learned This Week
1. A Few Less Headaches
Moving is a stressful process, so it was great to get a couple of the headaches out of the way earlier this week by finding a place to live and discovering that we have pretty solid landlords who will be living above us with their pug named Chili.
Additionally, getting great reviews of the neighbourhood from friends and family that have frequented Victoria over the past few years helps too; nothing worse than thinking you found a great place to live and ending up in a stinkhole.
Now all we have to do is coordinating getting everything out there with spending a couple days in Vancouver.
2. My Time Will Come
I'm still super impatient, but this week yielded a couple great interviews and a few chances to talk to people in the MMA industry, reaffirming my belief that writing about the sport will eventually become my sole career.
It was great to hear "Showdown" Joe Ferraro echo some of the thoughts and feelings I have, both about the growth of the industry and future opportunities, as well as some fighters to keep an eye on.
There is no better way to know you're on track than to have someone who has made it that you look up to and respect saying the same things as you.
3. I'm An Uncle Again!
Charlie Olivia Kyte was born on Wednesday and I'm happy to report that both mother and daughter are doing well.
I would have told you sooner, but no one called to tell me... not my brother (the dad), not my mom (the doting grandmother), no one.
How can I be out of the loop inside my own family circle?
4. Step-Mother-in-Law
Additional congratulations go out this week to my father-in-law Garry and his now fiancee Theresa. While step-mother-in-law is easily the most awkward title a person can hold, T is awesome and I'll be happy to spit out that mouthful of a moniker over the coming years.
These two are actually nauseatingly cute; they text each other all the time, talk three or four times a day and are like school kids around each other, all giddy and silly and in love... makes me sick!
Congratulations guys... may I suggest somewhere warm in the winter for the wedding?
5. Dedication is For Suckers... Sometimes
I like to consider myself a hard-working guy and someone who does whatever is needed of him at work, covering shifts, doing the little extras and all that stuff that should get a person ahead.
Turns out, I was just a chump.
Back to the slower season and what has my hard work through last ski season and all summer gotten me? Wednesday and Thursday days on the bar, where a grand total of 23 customers could possibly turn up.
The guy who left for the summer gets more shifts than me. The woman who works "when she needs to" gets more shifts than me and the one who showed up loaded every weekend all summer long gets more shifts than me.
Super...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Rundown: Countdown to Victoria
Now that we've found a place and confirmed moving dates with the the guys who are hauling our stuff to the island, all that is left to do is pack and think about all the things I'm looking forward to with this move to Victoria.
While I'm certainly going to miss aspects of life here in Kimberley, the simple truth of the matter is that despite my one year sabbatical to the quiet outdoors of British Columbia, I'm a city boy at heart and Victoria has more of what I'm looking for.
What are those things? Keep reading because they're the topic of today's Rundown.
Top 5 Things I'm Looking Forward to About Victoria
5. SUSHI
I don't think I can say this enough - I love sushi!
As much as the drive to Fernie makes for a nice evening out with the wife, spending three hours in the car to enjoy my favorite food just isn't worth it. Instead of having sushi once in a blue moon, we'll be able to walk around the corner and pick up dinner whenever we want.
Fast food will be a thing of the past; sushi will replace all on-the-fly meals and that is absolutely awesome.
4. BEST FRIEND FOR LUKE
This may sound silly to some, but since we aren't at the "having kids" stage of life, Cool Hand Luke gets treated like our child and everyone wants their kids to have friends.
With this move, the little puggy bastard will have a built in best friend right upstairs. The little ball of energy will be able to hop out into our fenced backyard and hang out with Chili, our landlord's pug.
While we'll certainly still play "The Bite Game" and go for some marathon walks to tire him out, it's going to be real nice to just open the door and let him expend some energy without having to stop everything to entertain the dog.
3. COVERING LIVE MMA EVENTS
In addition to making a long weekend out of the UFC's proposed trip to Vancouver this coming summer, Victoria is home to Armageddon Fighting Championships.
Being able to get out and cover events in person will be a great way for me to continue my development as an MMA writer and foster some new relationships within the industry.
Maybe the newspaper will be interested in having someone cover these events for them...
2. BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SARAH
I love my jobs and I want the same for my wife.
Right now, she hates work and it's making her question her chosen career path. That makes me angry.
Hopefully, this move to a bigger and better hospital with actual opportunities for growth and improvement, not to mention support and stronger management, will result in a renewed faith in her abilities as a nurse and a long and fruitful career of helping others.
1. CIVILIZATION
Shopping. Restaurants. Museums. Movie Theatres.
Nothing personal Kimberley, but having a choice between buying my clothes at Wal-Mart, Zellers or Superstore just doesn't cut it for me.
I need a place with malls and stores and more than four restaurants and a big-ass movie theatre that shows all the new movies and museums and Chapters and Starbucks...
You get the point.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
It's Official...
Victoria, here we come!
While the move was official a couple weeks ago when Sarah secured a job, you can never be 100% until you find a place to call home and over the last 18 hours, we've done just that.
If I may say so myself, it's going to be awesome.
Why?
For starters there are two bedrooms, which means world headquarters of ESKimo Enterprises will exist in their own separate space, as opposed being situated in the living room.
It's on the ground floor with a fenced backyard, so late night pee breaks for a certain hyper-active pug will involve opening a door instead of dragging my lazy ass off the couch for a stroll in the darkness.
We're not too far from Sarah's new hospital, there are a number of restaurant / pubs in the area where I can drop off resumes and our landlords, who will be living upstairs, seem absolutely great.
But the best part of all... they have a pug!
While Sarah and I will still have to work on making friends, Luke will have a built-in playmate and sparring partner right upstairs in the form of his new pal Chili.
There were certainly some other option, but this one just made the most sense, being in town and close to everything we want and need, including sushi.
Chili was the clincher.
I just hope he and Luke get along, although two pugs wrestling it out for ownership of the backyard could make for an awful cute YouTube video down the road...
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Good Times, Good Times
So the rain and misery that was supposed to accompany Tim & Michelle's visit to the booming metropolis of Kimberley has yet to materialize, which means we're getting out and about today.
However, we'll be a little slower than normal since we hammered back a bunch of booze last night.
Not anything gross - no one puked, no one is on their death bed this morning - but enough that I can officially say that moving to Victoria just became a whole lot more awesome because we'll get to spend far more time hanging out with these two.
And when we do hang out, I know what three of us (Sarah, Michelle and this guy) will be drinking: Parrot Bay Vodka coolers.
Goddamn them things are good!
Not ultra-sweet like the thousands of brands of Bitch Pop out there, and not horribly tasteless of bland like so many other canned or bottled drinks you can get out there. These things are effin' awesome.
I'd tell you more, but the day awaits. Someone has to make breakfast, Michelle and I need to start on the Caesars and then we're off to float down the river...
See you tomorrow.
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