bring something to feed the birds

As I get older I find that more and more I prefer subtle Halloween costumes. For example, last year I went as 'that guy.' Everyone knows 'that guy' or wants to be or avoid 'that guy.' However, no one immediately picked up on what I was as I looked like I normally do. This year has been no different. I decided to dress up as 'someone who is dressed for cold weather even though it is not cold outside.' I thought this would be more obvious as I often wear shorts and a light sweater in the fall. Maybe next year I'll be able to find a happy medium of obvious and obscure.


Ps - I have been getting all kinds of questions once again as to where I get the titles for these posts and whether or not they have anything to do with the actual post. The titles are usually lines from a song that I'm either listening to or is in my head at the time. Sometimes they have some bearing on the actual post, but not usually.

But there's no guarantee against injury

Once when I was a little boy...
I lived in an apartment building on the outskirts of a rather smelly town (a pulp mill was the town's main employer). Behind the building there was nothing but forest, or so it seemed as I wasn't allowed to venture too far in. Not far from the playground there was a little pond that was frequently the cause of my feet getting soaked. I don't know if it occurred to me that I was completely defeating the purpose of wearing rubber boots in knee deep water. It did however, occur to my mother who was never fond my coming home with water filled boots and wet socks in near freezing temperatures.
There weren't a lot of other kids my age in the building but there were a few and we all knew each other. I can still remember meeting my first best friend. My mom and I had recently moved in - one day we were coming home from somewhere and I saw a little blond haired boy who looked to be my age. I was not normally very outgoing but the the first thing out of my mouth when I saw him was 'wanna be friends?' And that's all it took.
In a way that building, high up on a hill, was like a little bubble. It wasn't a place anyone would go unless they had a reason. I was greatly surprised then, when out of the blue, a rock hit me in the head while I was out playing with my friend. Never having been hit with a rock before I wasn't even sure what happened. It didn't take me long to figure out as another one hit me and then another.
Standing behind me was a boy who I had never seen before, and would never see again. He didn't go to the school I went to, didn't live in the building and was so silent in his approach that I hadn't heard him coming towards us. He had a pretty good reserve of rocks with him and I seemed to be the main target. I asked him to stop but all I received for my troubles was another painful pelting. At this point I decided I would fight fire with fire and picked up one of the rocks from the pile accumulating around me. I threw it with anger and conviction but I did not throw it with good aim. Having played baseball for two years I should have been able to throw it at least somewhere near this mysterious boy who materialized only to taunt me. Instead I missed him by many feet, but did manage to break a car's windshield. At this the boy laughed - which was far more enraging then the rocks and took off. I also ran home but the owners of the car saw me and my mom received a phone call later that night.
I sometimes think about that moment in time. If there was ever a case for the existence of some sort of woodland imp who took delight in the misfortune of others I think this may be it. Of course it is possible he was the child of someone visiting but he ran off into the forest and no one else ever saw him.

why are your songs so sad?

I'm taking a homework break. Yesterday I spent almost 12 hours working on a group project for school. Tonight I have to do three things. If I wasn't such a procrastinator I would have done more on the weekend but, it would seem, that's just not my style.
I'm currently listening to the new cd from Emily Haines (the lead singer from Metric) - it's a really solid cd. It's almost like a thinking soundtrack. The songs aren't exactly uplifting but they don't make me feel sad either. As well, she has a voice that would cause ancient greek mariners to crash their boats into a cliff...
In unrelated news. I have to take back my laptop. This is actually the second one since last Saturday. I can't prove anything but I think Ol'shitty maybe up to something. If only I had a webcam then I could get to the bottom of this.

Laptropolis

I came home with a new addition to the room yesterday. Ol'shitty was not impressed.

OS: why are you doing this to me?
JV: Well ol'shitty, there comes a time when a guy has to do what a guy has to do.
OS: Right, first it's the ethernet cable, then it's weekends away. We've had over five years together - are you really going to throw that all away?
JV: You don't understand - you don't work properly anymore. Plus, your monitor is bigger than a well made economy sized car, how am I supposed to move that Ontario?
OS: Oh, I understand alright. If you really cared you'd find a way - so I came with a little more than most models, I can't help that, please don't do this.
JV: I'll always remember the times we've had together, please don't make this any harder then it needs to be. I thought computers didn't have emotions anyway
OS: (sniff) 010101
JV: Well, if that's the way you feel then good night.

Yes, I am now the new owner of a new laptop. Thanks to both the my mom and a scholarship from my home province (they gave to me because I'm from a small town, how sweet is that).

take me away

I'm going to spend this evening trying to pretend I live somewhere else. The international students are throwing another party - I think their goal is to achieve beer commercial status. Only they don't realize that nothing breaks or burns down in a beer commercial. This group is pretty special in that they have so far:

• tried to start an illegal bar - a 'speakeasy' if you will
• started a fire on the patio in a plant pot filled with asbestos (we're also 32 stories above ground for anyone just tuning in)
• caught the attention of the police (for some stolen chairs which they then brought back up here)
• caught the attention of building management - they're never too crazy about incidents involving the police
• set off fire extinguishers - in an event seperate from the patio fire (I had to put out that one and they've never forgiven me for it)
• peed in the elevator (maybe - it smelled like pee anyway)

Ah yes, a lot of Fenwick firsts. I can only wonder what will happen tonight...

I don't like Mondays

Marzi sent me a really neat video from the Dove Beauty campaign:
http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca/bblank.asp?id=6895

I could, if I so chose, fill up a few lines with various banalities about beauty. Instead, here's a new 'things I don't like' (it turns out I'm more of a grump than I would have thought)

• Dear Abby - I think she's an old bitty
• The Odds are no longer making records
• That I can remember a password from a videogame I haven't played in over 13 years (HBHK for anyone interested in jumping to a spot close to the end in 'out of this world' for the SNES)
• That I just posted the pervious item

Makes me want to hide

I don't think Peter Pan could have resisted growing up. He may have fought the good fight but at some point he would have had to give in. Why? To see what happens next. Humans are too social and curious to sit on the side lines for too long. Would he not have felt left out as the people he knew went off to do things, to live life, while he stayed trapped in time? Would he not have wondered about sharing his life with someone, having children, or even just going out for a night on the town (as it is he'd have to get someone to bootleg for him). Children can't wait to experience all the 'adult' things that seem so exciting when they're little. Moreover, would he be content to stay in Never Land while the rest of the real world changed radically every year - he'd probably be itching to drive a car, go to a co-ed university, go to a movie or any number of things that started happening at the turn of the 20th century.
I think all people, on some level, are curious about growing old. How will our lives turn out, what will we do while we are able to do it, and what legacy will we leave are the very reasons why it is impossible not to grow up. We have to see how will it end, but in order to do so we have to give up staying young forever.

Big Mouth

I went to a wedding this weekend. This one was special because it was mom's and it was her first time getting married. Amazingly, it was also the first marriage for her fiance too. I had only met the guy once before (I don't see my mom very often) and he seemed like a good guy All in all, it was a really great weekend. My uncle came for the event. I'm afraid that words (especially mine) won't do him justice but I'll try anyway. He is someone whose enthusiasm for life and all of its mysteries is infectious. When discovering that there were raccoons living around the house where we were staying he said, 'lets go out and catch a raccoon!' He'd never seen one in the wild before and was truly delighted that they were there. His enthusiasm for all things makes it hard for him to committ to any one thing. In his life he has been a master chili maker, a cheese cake expert, a potter, a photographer, a harmonica player, a traveler and probably a whole list of things I don't know about. He is also a perfectionist. For example, in the height of his chilli making days he happened upon an address for a ranch in New Mexico that sold premium chilli spicies. He ordered some and from then on his chilli could only be made with ingrediants from the ranch. Truly, his chilli was amazing. However, he lost the address and has never made it since. He has a thermometer for his tea (green tea shouldn't be brewed with boiling water) and told me of a really nice tea that you can only get in the spring. I could go on but I have class soon and should get ready to go.

ps - the new tv show 'heros' has some promise and I look forward to seeing how it develops