This May Be TMI

There's something very strange about doing it in a hotel and THEN finding the evidence from those who've done it before you.

I feel so Monica Lewinski right now...

Add Ons

I figured out that I can add stuff onto my new blog here!

So I added the Slideshow feature which will show photos from our Flickr account. I also discovered I can do polls, which is always fun. I decided to be vain and ask about my beard.

Yup, I'm that shallow sometimes.

I'm Into American Idol Season 7 Already

American Idol Theme Song (lyrics: Alexis Cohen)
Uploaded by rhettandlink

Land Of Confusion

I have to say that this song is one of my all time favourite songs of all time. For some reason this morning I started singing it to myself. I've heard a few versions and I love them all.

This is the original:



This is an animated version by a group called Disturbed and feature animations from Todd McFarlane:



I even love this disco-esque remix of it from an ultra gay group Alcazar:

Tiny Blessings

While on stand by at work, I got a call out of the blue. It was my friend Andreas from Vancouver. He noticed on Facebook that I was sitting at work, and thought he'd give me a shout.

How nice is it to have people in your life who can brighten your day?

I had the chance to read a couple of magazines, play some Nintendo DS (Brainage 1 and 2, Monkeyball), and catch up with a friend.

So nice.

Windy Much?

Today has been insanely windy. So windy in fact that I had to take down some of the Christmas decorations (not a bad thing), and found a storm window in our front walk that didn't belong to us.

The freakiest part was walking to my car and feeling the wind go through my beard. My beard has become it's own entity it seems. I've never had so much facial hair that it becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Here's a pic taken a few days ago.

"Go Eat Another Twinkie You Fat F^%*!"

The words spewed from your lips with such ease that I was frozen for a moment. The immediate embarrassment I felt was your exact intent as you lashed out like a child. As you drove away, and I took a moment to compose myself, I couldn't help but wonder what was going through your mind at that very moment. I couldn't fathom saying something so random and hurtful to someone, and I wonder if, for just a fleeting moment, you regretted saying it. I wonder if you saw how ugly it was, if it made you feel as though you needed some kind of help. Those words made my feel sick to my stomach. Almost like you had placed a rancid Twinkie there, to rot and fester. I've replaced that feeling with something else though. I hope you have a better day tomorrow. I'm sorry for whatever has happened to you in your lifetime that can lead you to lash out like this, and I hope that in the future, good things happen to you to replace those moments. I hope you experience the true love of friends and a partner so that it becomes more difficult tom inflict pain on others, and I hope that one day, you'll look back at this moment with the same kind of embarrassment.

I will eat another Twinkie. They're delicious and filled with some kind of chemical greatness that keeps us fatties coming back for more. Possibly the same chemical greatness that insulates your trailer and keeps you warm at night.

Look, I said a bunch of nice stuff, you just know I had to say something bad...

Day One

A friend from work and I were supposed to start swimming midday with each other. I haven't heard from her, so I went myself.

It's day one. Ground Zero so to speak (yes 911, the term "Ground Zero" amongst many other does not belong to you).

That was bitchy, but hey, I'm a bitch sometimes.

It was nice to go and swim. I swam for a solid 15 minutes with no stopping, then tread water for several minutes, and then cooled down by doing some meditation in the water. That was the best part.

Then it was off to the hot tub with the blue hairs. I got asked about all my tattoos from a handsome fella, and then made my way to the showers, changed, and left.

The woman at the front desk was/is a yatch and not super helpful, but I managed to hang onto my discount for another month.

I Had The Biggest Crush...

Brilliant

This was taken with my cell phone.

No News Is Good News?

I don't know that I would call it a New Year's Resolution, but I've decided that I am not going to read a newspaper or watch the network news for all of 2008.

The other day I was watching a video online and it talked about how the media is owned and used to shape people's perception of reality. That video is on http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/ and got me thinking.

Then on CBC Radio One yesterday I was listening to a story about the American election stuff and they spoke of Iowa being a small state but that it has a lot of influence on making or breaking a person's run for the presidency. They spoke of how the media will influence people and how it can destroy a person's campaign.

That pretty much sealed the deal in terms of my decision to see what life would be like without the mainstream media.

That doesn't mean I'm going to stick my head in the sand and pretend the world's not turning. I'm just going to try and have an open mind about where I get my information.

Should be interesting.

Before & Almost After

Here are a couple of shots of the room when the packages arrived:



The main floor is open concept. Behind the couch on the left is actually the half-wall that leads to the kitchen.


The second photo taken behind the twigs is the view from behind the half-wall at the front of the room.

For the narrow bookcases I covered the back in a graphic wallpaper from Colour Your World. It took a bit of working it in, but the end result is worth the effort.

You can't really tell from the photos, but I picked up a couple of nice accessories. The picture frames, and the clock is mirrored which is a nice contrast to the black and white of the paper and shelves.


This is a view towards the front of the room. The cranberry coloured bulkhead runs the width of the bookcases encasing it. On the other side of the bulkhead is the entryway.



This is a view that gives you an idea of what the front of the house looks like. The front door is actually 2 steps down from the livingroom level. We also updated the lighting on this level.



That's it so far. Tomorrow we're going to add some finishing touches and clean the place up a bit. So happy with the result.

xoxo

Murphy's Law: Ikea

Last week we bought two Ektorp loveseats, and seven Billy bookcases in white (4 wide, 3 narrow). They were delivered 2 days ago, and after showing up two hours late, one of the bookcases was seriously damaged.

It happened in transit. I know this because we selected the bookcases, and they're set aside for delivery, but also the box had boot marks all over it.

They are supposed to come today before 1pm to bring the replacement.

Oh, and the other photo here is the coffee table I bought at Structube. I got an amazing deal on it, and it looks great with the furniture.

I will update the photos once the room is put together, and you'll be able to see the custom stuff we did to some of the bookcases.

I know you're excited about it... don't lie.

I've Heard Of Being Balls Deep, But This Is Ridiculous!

I'm on a slightly earlier shift this week, so the chances of me waking up early enough to grab a bite before heading out are slim.

So, this morning, I had the opportunity to stop on the side of the road, and walk through a path to get to a coffee shop.

Little did I know that this path was overtop of about 3 feet of snow. I went off the path slightly and ended up balls deep in snow. I literally dropped into the snow. I'm so thankful that it was so friggin early this morning or that could have been incredibly embarrassing.

I managed to get a coffee and a toasted bagel, gathered the rest of my dignity and walked the path back to where I parked.

Once I came home and changed into lounge stuff I discovered that I sliced my leg up a bit. Must have been on some kind of bush under the snow.

Jeesh :)

I Sty, With My Little Eye

It all began yesterday when I woke up and could feel something in the corner of my eye. I rubbed and rubbed, and forgot all about it as I went about my day.

Then, as the day progressed, my eyelid got heavier and heavier, and sore. It was to the point last night where my vision was blurred because it was causing my eye to aim somewhere else, and my glasses aren't set up for that.

I went to the clinic today and it turns out I have a sty.

I've never had one before.

Now I have to put ointment in my eye, four times a day, for five days. I'm not one to handle stuff going in my eyes, so not sure how this is going to play itself out.

When we first got our cats, we used to have to wrap Spike in a towel to put ointment in his eyes. Shawn jokingly mentioned that he was going to wrap me in a carpet and do the same.

It sounds funny, but it might just have to come to that.

P.S. I'm not complaining too loudly. There are people FAR worse off than me. Our friend Larry for example has incredibly swollen balls. I prefer the eye, thank you. I hope he's ok.

xoxo

Older .... but I love everything about it

Free Couch

So, as per my last entry, we're getting a new livingroom delivered tomorrow, and I need to find a home for our old couch. The sooner the better. If you know someone who can pick up this couch, for free, asap, it's all theirs. First-come-first-served.... mind... out...of... gutter....

These are the only photos I could find of it.

01/01/2008 - A New Beginning

It's January 1, 2008. I thought this is as good a time as any to start something new, something fresh.

I've done blogs before. I have/had an account on LiveJournal for years, but I feel that I've outgrown it a bit. I'll keep it alive, because there are people there I care about, but I want this new blog to be more about my own growth.

So, what's new for 2008?

For one, Shawn and I have purchased a new livingroom. Out of the blue, after talking about it forever, we were at Ikea, and decided to just bite the bullet.

Our main level is open concept, so in our livingroom we're going with wall to wall Billy bookcases in white, and two white Ektorp loveseats. I went to a store called Structube and bought a fab new coffee table as well.

I went to a wallpaper place and chose a nice graphic print to line the backs of some of the bookcases, and we chose some lighting for the main floor which should tie it up nicely. I'll post pics as soon as we have it set up.

Also new for 2008, my facial hair. For years I've had a beard but in September I decided to let the goatee part of it grow out and keep the rest trimmed in line with my hair. It's been growing strong and longer than I've ever had it. I think I'm going to see how long I can grow it before it makes me mental. I've had a lot of great feedback on it so far. Shawn purrs like a kitten!

We're tying the knot in October 2008. Shawn and decided it's finally time to make it all official like, so we're getting married. We've chosen the locale, and there should be around 100 people in attendance. More to come on that.

Well, that shall do it for my beginning post. More to come.

Happy New Year!
xoxo
Angus