things…

A 12-14 year old slightly overweight kid was in the 7-11 tonight filling up a huge 52 oz. jug with some Slurpee brand slurpee product and I, being amazed by the size of this mug remarked… “That’s a LOT of slurpee!”  He quickly replied… “You buy the cup for $8 but then the refills are only $1.89!”  What a deal -lol.  Just for rough comparison that’s over 200g of sugar – the near equivalent of a 2L bottle of Coke. (click)  And yes, I was there getting a girl sized slurpee myself because heck, I deserve it once in while.

After a swim this morning, I was in the locker room and some kids were running around whipping each other with their towels.  A childhood memory rushed back…. it was in grade 7 gym class when my friend whipped my nads with his towel.  I think I cried.  I might have gone home.  I probably hated him for a while.  Now that I think about it, that may have been the reason why I didn’t mind stealing his girlfriend in grade 9.  Then again, I probably did him a favor.

‘The Puffy Chair‘ was a neat movie.  I kinda liked it because it wasn’t too predictable, but the whole romance thing got me depressed after a while.  Not to ruin any endings (spoiler alert …but it’s still a good rental none-the-less) but I’m glad things didn’t end up all lovey-dovey like most might have.  It’s by the Duplass Brothers.  As a bonus, it had a great Spoon song in it …That’s the Way We Get By.  Sweet.

I got one of those hair-cut things today too.  I don’t mind the Hot Razor cause anyone there seems to do a fine job …it’s close, they’re accommodating especially on Saturdays, and it’s not way over priced like some other places.  I typically ask for the ‘number 2′ on the sides and back but this girl, who I think was kinda new, said she doesn’t use the guides on her razor …like it would be cheating or something.  That was weird.  It worked out fine though.  Strangely enough she didn’t use any water either.  She did mention that I had a lot of hair.  I countered with something like ‘for now, yeah..’ but she reassured me that if I didn’t start loosing it when I was in my 30’s then it was a safe bet I’d keep it for a while.  Although, I am considering the shaved head thing again.

Then again, maybe not.

circa 1994

ch, ch, ch, changes…

The old header was a picture of a leaf superimposed with a shot of the moon …but for some reason when I recently threw up that ‘two ant’ image it kinda called out for change.  It was greener I suppose …and antier as well.  And who doesn’t like ants anyway?  Heck, they even dispose of their dead in ways that we’re still learning about!  The ants around my place have taken a liking to my basement/body-storage-chamber as a dumping ground for a few of their friends.  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.  It’s been 10 years or so and I’m still alive, so I figure it can’t be that bad.  I hardly ever see them dumping the bodies though.  The vacuum cleaner works wonders as well …and it’s not as if there’s a lot of bodies either – maybe a couple times a year.  Maybe.  I remember when we first moved in we’d set up ant traps and spray the place every so often, and all to no avail.  I suppose we could use stronger chemicals …but then I suppose we could fix the foundation enough so they can’t get in in the first place.  But nope …that’s not going to happen.

The ants are here to stay it seems …so let me be the first to welcome our new insect overlords!

the three tenors

Ahhh, weddings.  What’s not to like about weddings!

Actually …when you’re a bitter old cranky bastard like myself you can find quite a few things.  But I digress, as I always seem to do.  The wedding was fine.  Heck, it was darn near beautiful – and full of all that stuff that makes all weddings special.

But enough about the wedding.  Instead, let’s talk about how the Wedding Crashers did!  Surely having a live band at a wedding would produce endless stories and memories that kids and parents could share with future generations ….reliving those special musical moments that a DJ could never duplicate!

Actually …when you’re a cranky old bitter bastard like myself there’s really not much to dwell on.  The gig worked, people danced, sound came out of the speaker thingys that sounded vaguely similar to the people producing it and it was all good.  Or rather good enough I suppose.

So, now you’re probably wondering what exactly it was that I came away with after the day.  I’ll tell ya ….I cleaned my car!  I also made a neat ’stack’ by placing the sound mixer on top of my bass cabinet …and that made it look cool.  I also gleaned some info from the wedding picture-taker girl about saving my images in RAW format as opposed to JPEG – this is good cause it might help me clear up some color issues I think I’m having.  I also vacuumed the basement and cleared up a lot of the cobwebs that were down there.  Our basement lies beneath a trap door in the kitchen btw …kinda spooky, but able to contain 5-6 full bodies before arousing suspicion.

Really …I never joke about that kinda stuff.

The three tenors ....kinda. Actually, if they sang tenor then perhaps ...but they don't. Or maybe they do? Hummmm. L-R - Jeff, Joel and Don.

the friday…

With the day off today I headed out with the camera for a bit.  I kinda meandered around the neighborhood and eventually made my way over to the Muttart Conservatory …and then inside.  Exciting ….lol, I guess.  It was somewhat disappointing though.  Not that there wasn’t stuff to see, but that there wasn’t anything that really jumped out at me.  Maybe it was the daytime experience.  I’ve been there a few times at night for some gigs, and I remembered it as kinda magical in a way …not this afternoon though.  It was fine, don’t get me wrong, but perhaps the night/post-dusk experience might have a little more to offer.

Two ants doing an ant dance. Or at least I think that's what it is? Picture from my neighbors garden however ...the Muttart ants weren't all that exciting.

Also interesting to note was the fact that Jehovah Witness people come out on Friday.  That caught me off guard.  I can’t say no to two little old ladies of course …especially when one knew my name, so I took their magazines and chatted with them for a while.  The one has been stopping by for a few years now …and they are kind.  The roomie answered the door and later made the remark that he wished he had the time to talk to them.  I’m not sure if he was truly sincere or not.  Anyway, it was a short and sweet visit.  God Bless their stick-to-it-ness!

Off to the gym for a bit, then some groceries, then I contemplate recording a guitar part for a new tune.  It’s done of course, but now comes the ‘motivation to record’ test.  It is kinda neat though …and it uses that loop I stuck in that Banff vid.  So we’ll see.  Tomorrow I’m up early for a sound-check in prep. for a wedding later that night.  Mmmmm ….and I hear we get free food!

Ahhhh, the sweet perks that come with the power of entertainment.

banff…

Hey all.  The Muskafa’s did the Banff thing this weekend.  It was fun …lots of good stuff and of course a few wrinkles which only help to make the good better.  I took some video of my trip up Mt. Rundle as well, so I’ll try to put something together (if it works out) and then post a little more about the mini-vacation/gig later.  Now I’m just looking forward to a night in my own bed.

Sleep is good.

snacks and stuff

Alright kids …straight from the kitchen of the bored, simple, uninspired and lazy chef, here’s a little snack that’s kinda good for you, quick to make and believe it or not …tasty!  Really, it is kinda good.

It all starts with…

1. two eggs (whites only)
2. fajita blend frozen vegetables
3. skim milk
4. sriracha hot sauce
5. pepper
6. one slice of whole-wheat bread
7. plate (optional)

Mix two eggs (I omit the yolk …and I’m not yolking around either) with a handful of Western Family Fajita Blend vegetables (mainly frozen peppers and onions), a bit of skim milk, dash of pepper and perhaps a tablespoon (or more) of Sriracha hot sauce.  Cover and place in the microwave for 2:22 min. (remember …repeated numbers make for faster entry!)  As that cooks away, toast (or slightly warm) your bread.  When it’s finished, remove from bowl and place on the aforementioned  bread.  You may now eat.  If you choose, you can place the toasted egg sandwich on a fancy plate and impress your friends.  If your friends are honestly impressed though …you may need to consider some different friends as these ones are somewhat dull or routinely lie through their teeth.

And that’s it!  Under 5 min. if you have your act together.  If you’re a noob, then you’re looking at around 6 min.  Feel free to substitute the ingredients as well …instead of peppers maybe you’ll use peas and carrots?  Instead of eggs you might use potatoes?  Instead of a slice of bread you might opt for an 8 oz. steak?  The possibilities are endless!

the stuff

the stuff in a bowl

the stuff on some bread after it's cooked. and no, it's not puke.

On other health related news, my pulse was interestingly low this morning.  34 bpm.  That’s usually fine, especially when I’m running a lot, but I haven’t been lately …so perhaps it’s just a welcome byproduct of a few weeks of bikes, gyms and somewhat labour intensive work?  Perhaps.  The other news is that I seem to have dropped a few pounds and slipped into those dreaded 140’s (only 149 …but still).  Again, it’ll happen when I’m running …so I suppose it could be a simple reaction to my recent sugar omission?  It’s all good though, and the important thing is that the strength is still where it should be …and those love handles might be a little lower on love.

That can’t be so bad.

rain and runs

The nice thing about rain/wet runs is that no one else is out.

It was a loooong last few days and I needed to just do something.  Something other than moving full sized tubas and driving about the countryside.  In the countryside’s defense though, it was rather nice.  From Camrose across to Buck Mountain was perfect.  Windy mind you, but hot and sunny.  As soon as I got closer to the city (around 3ish) the clouds and rain and grey and mugginess all crept in.  It seems like it’s about to break though …at least judging from the horizon.

I did a nice, semi-relaxed 35 min.  I haven’t been following any of my usual timed/marked routes this year though.  Maybe it’s the boredom.  Most likely I’m avoiding the possibility that my times are down.  By down I mean up …which is bad of course.  They’ve felt fine though.  No twinges in the knees or back or cramps in the feet or calves …nothing.  But rain runs generally are nice because they’re cooler …and cooler translates into faster.  Usually.

Judging from the recent traffic around my place, Telus Field (at times too close for comfort) appears to be gearing up for a big night.  After some confirmations with the neighbor and the internets, it seems Bryan Adams is about to make an appearance.  I suppose that should be a big deal.  I suppose.  But I’m old, tired, need a shower and have to bug out for a gig of my own …so here’s hoping Mr. Adams buys a break and gets the sun out before he goes on.

Unless he decides to go for a run …then he’d probably want the rain.

Image from ehow.com

pointless babble

The week of heck is shaping up to be its namesake.  That’d be ‘heck’ if you follow my logic …and something else if you subscribe to some other form of logic.  I think that makes sense.  Hummm….

Anyway, almost 14 hours yesterday, close to 12 today and some similar numbers in store for the rest of the week – on the plus side though, my tweaky back (which was giving me a certain amount of grief the other day) is fine right now ….so that makes me happy.  What makes me sad is that I didn’t have time to do any laundries for a while, which means I’ve been pulling out of my ‘bag-o-socks’ for the last few days.  Bag-o-socks …you know, those big warehouse size packs of black cotton socks that you pick up one day, grab a few to shore up your dwindling supplies, then forget about under your bed?  Of course you do.

Aside from work and the brief time I have to post this, I came across an interesting article on MSNBC by Helen A. S. Popkin.  It’s about Twitter and a recent poll that suggests a good portion of ‘tweets‘ are pointless babble.  She comes to the defense of Twitter, but at the same time nicely remarks on the idea that we aren’t particularly riveting creatures when it comes to everyday, general face-to-face communication either …and expressing ourselves is what underlies social networking.  Are many tweets pointless?  Sure.  Are many person-to-person conversations pointless and/or mundane?  Yep.  So, why would you expect things to be any different when it comes to social networking?  You shouldn’t of course …if anything, non person-to-person interactions would be even duller and dryer than in real life.  And as ‘M‘ remarked in my previous post, certain things are much better in person than through new technologies …pointless babble being one of them.

Speaking of pointless babble ….er, near pointless babble I suppose.

post #3874.9

Greetings from the dead.

By all rights I shouldn’t be bothering with a post tonight, but sleep doesn’t seem to be calling like it should and as 12:50am rears its semi-late head I find myself half contemplative and half in a stupor.  Quite the combination.

I went in for the man today after what was close to a week off.  It was also the longest ‘holiday’ in the almost 5 years I’ve been working for him.  That’s kinda sad in a way.  It was a short stint of activity though …4 hours or so, just enough time to get my schools pulled for delivery tomorrow – commencing around 7:30 am.  Hopefully.  Did I mention it’s nearing 1:00 am now?  But yes, the glorious ‘instrument get back event’ is now on and all the happy little baritones (among many other things) need to get back into the happy fingers of those children who love them so much.  I feel like Santa Claus!  Yeah …no.

To top it off I did a retrofitz counterfitz gig tonight from 6-9 and then shot over for a DTB gig in St. Albert …hence the late night feast you have before you.  Both gigs were rather unremarkable in that there was really nothing to remark.  The shows went off as usual and all expectations were met happily by performers and crowds alike.  The weird thing was shifting from a ‘Signed Sealed, Delivered‘ and ‘Lady Marmalade‘ gig into a progressive rock show for a substantially younger crowd.  But such is my unremarkable life it seems.

There’s some AR tomorrow and Sat. as well as some WTM’s Sat. afternoon …and also a little 25th anniversary for my Dad and his wife that I need to make an appearance for.  Oh yeah …and work for the man on Sunday …that should be fun too.  Then of course there’s the expected 12+ hour day on Monday which should be a gas.

These are the times when you just put your blinders on and go I think.

smart birds

I just threw out some bread ends (you know …the stuff at the ends of the loaf that are sliced but not really a slice?) that had been in my freezer along with the remnant seeds etc. that were all in the bag.  I dumped it on a favorite spot in the yard where the birds like to hang around and as soon as I got inside, two magpies and two crows moved in.  I watched one crow pick up a piece of the frozen bread and head over to the neighbors bird-baths which I recently filled.  He (or she I suppose) dropped it in the water, soaked it, and then took it out to eat.

Neat.

I had recently heard a story about birds (crows) using tools in multiple stages to complete tasks (click here and here) and have always suspected them, especially the magpies in my area, to be rather intelligent.  In another area of the city they recently culled a few families by request of some stupid humans and it was reported that within a week or so, the resident magpies recognized the exterminators van as it approached and were able to flee the area.

We’re not over-run with them where I live …or crows for that matter, but we also have lots of finches, pigeons, robins, thrushes and blue-jays on occasion as well.  We keep our trash covered and the same goes for our neighbors, and I talk to the not-so-stupid things too …but that probably does more for me than them.

I think!

I suspect magpie is getting some pointers from wise-old crow.