O Canada

Summer is here, and along with Summer comes our annual Canada Day Get-together. For the past five or six years we have hung out at my place and gone to see the Fire-Works at the Assiniboine Park. This year, however we will be breaking tradition. Between recent developments with Jessica and Scott, we will not be able to attend (the steadily worsening fireworks displays). We're going to relax...and I intend to enjoy the down time...

July is definitely going to start off differently, and will be a month of changes.

On July 3rd, I move out into an apartment - a home all on my own. I applied for a place on Wednesday and was approved almost immediately. I get the keys Monday afternoon, and I can't explain how excited I am. I have a lot of work to do, packing and such, and I've drafted many people to help me...and eventually it's all going to get done. I feel terrible having to leave Lana behind...but it was an eventuality I knew I would have to one day face. I'm really going to miss home and especially her...

Mid-July, I'm going to be going to Montreal for the first time. Joshua and I are planning a week long road trip to and from Montreal...a nice get away to escape not only work, but Winnipeg in general. It'll be nice to leave the city and have a mini vacation. It's definitely well deserved and I'm sure we could both do with a holiday. I'm quite excited to see old Montreal and of course to visit dear sweet Heather.

Later this month I also register for classes. Yay for the University of Winnipeg...fourth year, holy. What have I done with the last few years? Scary.

Finally, this month I hope to get a new job. I've all but given up on waiting for RBC to finally contact me, and Joshua and I may have new jobs lined up at Convergys. While I know it's evil, it's well paying and something I should be able to do with some proficiency. I hope to keep working at Safeway part time...but if I'm going to afford living on my own (and going to school at the same time) I need something with more hours. In comes Convergys...time to sell my soul.

A lot has changed in the last month, my sister has graduated, my friend's lives have changed and my views on the world have shifted...so much has changed, more then I can even really relate here. My new place is going to have a nice little office for me - so hopefully my writing can get back on track once again. Time to revisit my list of goals from April:

1. Support My Creativity - Working on it...
2. Complete Screenplay Draft - Failed...
3. Complete Novel Edit Draft - Due December 25th, 2006
4. Plan May-Long Bash - What a bash it was...
5. Move Out On My Own - WOOT!
6. Learn One Great Song - Due October 14th, 2006
7. Archive My Life - Slowly working on it...
8. Run In The Marathon - My running partner broke his knee...
9. Find Happiness - Think I might almost be there.

Two failed, two succeeded...several still in progress. I'm getting there...let's hope July is as productive as it will be different.

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." - Jawaharlal Nehru

...Happy Birthday Jennifer, where-ever you are...

Welcome To The Sixth Month

Wow...June already. Five months of the year are behind us and we are racing towards summer. We piqued at 24°C today, which is definitely nice for May. A lot has happened in the last month...but sadly in a way not much has happened at all...

I hosted a great BBQ over May Long Weekend...for those of you who were not in attendance, I must say that you missed a great time. I learned a lot of things about friends that I didn't need to know, had a lot of great food and overall had a great time. Scott had his birthday two weeks ago, and in the middle of his birthday I had a heart attack (not literally). Lets just say sometimes I need to stop worrying and avoid stressing out when things like cakes fall onto the floor. My leather couch will never be the same.

I've continued to make preparations to move out. I've been purchasing a lot of dishes and such in order to move out (hopefully in July). I recently had an interview at RBC...and if I'm lucky enough to get a job there I'll be pretty much completely set. I've been training for a new job at work, which is rather enjoyable. Yay.

How many cheese graters does it take to make a home? Apparently eight.

Laura and Kevin moved into their new home recently, and I helped them. In the process of the move I discovered that between the two of them they own eight (8) graters. Eight. Holy. I don't think I've done so many dishes in all my life - it was a good time though, and I'm glad I could help. She's just never allowed to move again, cause I don't think anyone is willing to lift that Fondue set out of her place.

What upcoming events have I got to look forward to, you ask? Pride starts today...so I suppose that's relatively important. On Canada Day I intend to host a BBQ...as per tradition. My sister and Tink both turn 18 this month. Hopefully soon I'll have a new job and I have to finish my screenplay. Hmmm, good luck with that last option.

What do Wolverines and Michelle have in common? You'll have to ask me to find out. :-)

Time to wrap this up and head to bed, where I can rest and sleep in. Yay for having a glorious day off tomorrow. Oh, can I not wait. What a great way to start off the month. I hope that all is well with everyone and wish them the best of luck this month. Take care!

Everything In Green

It's been more then a week since my last entry - completely unacceptable. In that time nothing terribly exciting has happened in my own life...but I shall do my best to recap events around me...

Laura is getting married...wow. The wedding is going to be sometime in 2008 I believe. A ways off to plan. Yay for Laura. Carly is back in town for a month. Yay. Michelle recently went shopping with us and bought a bunch of nice new clothes...that was a lot of fun. Life feels terribly mundane right now...

The word was dark and colourless last week. Even just a few days ago only a few specs of green could be seen on the lawns on my street. Last night it rained and now green colours are in full bloom. The trees along the forest have begun to open up to the world. Everything around me seems alive and so full of life...

...so why is it that I feel like I'm stuck, unmoving, unchanging? Spring is blooming all around me and I can't even drag myself out of my bedroom. I'll attribute it to a bad week and try to push on forward. That's all I can really do right...go on with my life as though it were happy and filled with life? Even if it's not, I have to imagine it were as though it should be...

Damn, must stop watching excessive hours of Angel.

Oh, on the plus side, I'm going on a date - in July - with a girl. I'm attending a wedding in July with Christina, which means I need to get some nice clothes. Yay more shopping. I know now what I want to do tomorrow. Alright, time to bring this pointless rant to a close...

Tell me, is it odd that I prefer proper names?

Le Sigh

I sit here in my front lawn at 2AM contemplating not life, nor my future. For once this thoughtful mind if focused on one topic only "would it be les sigh, or le? Perhaps la? No...le..."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is my focus for tonight. My mind isn't particularly into writing right now so rather then focusing on my screenplay I have decided to come outside, enjoy the nice weather and compose a pointless webblog entry.

What is new in my life you ask? Work was hell today. Hell on Earth - I swore that the stench of ash and brimstone had leeked into the cash office and that the bakery was going to be enveloped in endless flames...damn, I wish. Worst close...ever. What else? Hmmm. Purchased a nice new shiny cell phone, yay for having good credit and blowing cash. Started a bunch of investments. Vowed to start reading Wicked tomorrow (I'm getting threats by those who wish to borrow it). It's only been six months...really.

Went to saw Ice Age the other day, that was enjoyable. It didn't hold a candle to the first though. I will always love that movie, for countless reasons. There was this cute little kid in the theatre, who normally would have annoyed me, but kept laughing and looking back at us...he wasn't really into the movie, but he still seemed to be having a blast. I was in a good mood, so I appreciated it. :-)

Spring is here...and simply put, I'm loving it. Been rollerblading and running and walking and generally doing my best to get back into shape. I plan on going for a rollerblade tomorrow...maybe a run. Not sure yet. This means I need to get up in 7 hours. Can I do it? Yes. I will. Maybe.

See? Told you this would be a pointless entry.

Happy Birthday Laura...*Hugs* I hope you had a great 22nd Birthday Celebration tomorrow, and I and sad that I must miss all of the partying. Happy Birthday to You! :-)

Alright...time to bring this pointless rambling to an end. It's getting a little chilly out, and my lust for the starry night has been appeased. So with a satisfied le sigh, I shall bring this to a close...goodnight everyone...

"Squirrel Please!"

Hot!

Damn! I'm Hot!

No I haven't gone conceited overnight. I promise.I just got in from a nice long rollerblade and raking the lawn. It's 20°C outside, the sun is beating down and it's just really beautiful and HOT outside. I'm loving this weather. It's supposed to rain a bunch after the weekend, which is a shame, but it'll still be warm and b-e-a-utiful.

:-)

I work from 4:00 until Midnight which shouldn't be too bad. Joshua and I are at the desk together, if I remember I will bring my iPod and we can listen to music all night. Should be good. I'm quite looking forward to having tomorrow off. I think I'm just gonna crash tonight - didn't get any real sleep at all last night...bad night. Boo.

Everyone got together for a M.E.R.P. day yesterday. It was a great deal of fun...have yet to tally up all the scores yet. They did fairly well considering we skipped the last half of it. Very little in the ways of storyline, but fun none the less.

Worked on my screenplay last night. Slow and steady progress. I'll put up a preview and more of an update in a few days.

Time to head off now though...need to get myself all ready for work. I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. Take care...

Running My Heart Out

Scotty and I have been running lately, and have casually discussed forming a relay team for the Manitoba Marathon this year. We were running this evening and of course today's high (12C) occurred right in the middle of our run. I actually had to peel off a layer it was so warm in the sun. Spring has finally arrived.

Nothing exceptional to report tonight. This is my fourth entry in a week (which I find impressive) but I must admit I don't have a great deal to discuss at this juncture. Quite looking forward to the nice long weekend - I have Friday and Sunday off...a rare treat, believe me. Tomorrow, however, I am forced to deal with a 6am Floral shift...so I will head to bed, leaving you with a brief preview of a conversation from my screenplay...

----------

A young woman paces in a waiting room. She fiddles frantically at a necklace and can be seen mumbling to herself softly.

REBECCA
(Mumbling incoherently)

Voices on high, they speak to me. Cry out they tell me. Cry the word. Holy Word. Holy...adjective. Associated with divine power. Divine power they tell me...so loudly, can't block them out. Must spread the word, cry out to my people. Must. The voices command it...

ANGEL ONE

She's been like this since she arrived.

ARBITRATOR

Prophet?

ANGEL ONE

Mumbling about holy voices? I'd say so.

ARBITRATOR

We still get those?

ANGEL ONE

'Fraid so. What do we do with her, boss?

ARBITRATOR

Give her to Ellen.

ANGEL ONE

She'll kill you, ya know. Ellen hates the unstable ones.

ARBITRATOR

She kills me, and she gets my job. Then she'll get to deal with all of the unstable ones. I'm safe...give her to Ellen.

The Arbitrator leaves the reception area and the Angel is obviously flustered. Placing one hand on the girls shoulder and arm, s/he helps guide her along a long corridor. Several faces look up from cubicles and watch the pair. The girl twitches and continues to mumble.

REBECCA

You're pretty. I knew a pretty girl once, she looked like an angel. Prettiest little angel girl I ever knew. Angela. Yes, Angela I called her. Beautiful. Didn't like the Word much...shame. Pretty girl. Do you cry at night?

The Angel ignores the girls ramblings and guides her into an office. The young woman walks into the office and sits at an empty desk, running a finger along it, inspecting it for dust. She peers at her finger and squints.

REBECCA
(Smiling and giggling)

Clean. Perfect. I'm in heaven, where all good prophets go. The voices listened to my cries. I did well. Oh joyous clean day. Clean, shiny. Shiny shiny and new.

ANGEL ONE
(Obviously flustered)

Honey, you have to understand - we stopped using you prophet types a thousand years ago. They just kept adding their own damned opinions into their scriptures. We upped and fired the lot of them. Sorry to burst your bubble sweetheart, but you're just looney...

Goals 2006: The Beginning

Getting back on track...

1. Support My Creativity - More pictures, music and writing.
2. Complete Screenplay Draft - Due July 1st, 2006; 120+ pages.
3. Complete Novel Draft Edit - Due December 25th, 2006; rewrites as necessary.
4. Plan May-Long Bash - Self-explanitary.
5. Move Out On My Own - Deadline, July 2006.
6. Learn One Great Song - Purchase the music and learn by October 14th, 2006.
7. Archive My Life - Create a photo album with my 1,000 favorite pictures.
8. Run In The Marathon - Set up a team for the relay.
9. Find Happiness - That one (non-destructive) thing that makes me smile...

...to be added to at any time. All deadlines final. It's time to get my life back where I want it...

Why Should I?

"I'm street wise. I can improvise. I'm street smart. I got New York City Heart. Why should I worry? Why should I care? I may not have a dime, but I got street savoir fare..."

Well I had an interesting weekend filled with fun times, chaos and work. Friday was a good night, and I had a great day on Saturday (minus some of the hellish disasters at work). Sunday had the potential to be a bad day...

Woke up after having six hours sleep, went to work to find that two people had called in sick. I was rushing around all day - broken tills and coin changers. Sunday closings are usually hellish, but Carla and I managed to get out early...and I hopped onto a bus to the north end. Fell asleep, my iPod died...great ride, really. Got to the north end and it started raining...the vehicle I was there to pick up was no where to be found. My sister had grabbed it earlier in the day. Had I not been in a good mood that day I would have been cursing and venting...

Overall it was a good weekend. I've reached a point where I'm not concerned about the small little disasters right now. My focus is on the big picture - getting myself happy again, working on my novel and my screenplay, preparing to move out, finding a second job. I did so much last year and so far 2006 has been filled with disappointment...I need to get things back on track...

80 more days until my screenplay deadline. Anyone want to make me a bet as to whether I can finish it?

"The rhythm of the city, boy once you get it down. I say you can own this town, you can wear the crown. Why should I worry? Why should I care? Say I may not have a dime, but I got street savoir fare..."

With Our Broken Hearts In Tow

It is five a.m. and I write this entry with bloody shot, sleepless, eyes...

Tonight was a great deal of fun for me. For the first time in what feels like forever our old group of friends got together and went bowling. We used to go on a fairly regular basis...but stopped over a year ago. Shame, really. I took a bunch of pictures and have posted several of them on my site. The 'Spring 06' section is really filling out this week...

I've missed spending time with some of my friends that I was close to during and after highschool. I saw Laura on the bus today, which was refreshing and made me smile. It reminded me of those great times before University - before everything got so complicated...

Inspiration struck this evening and I'm getting a lot of ideas for different screenplay characters. Many of them don't have names yet...and I have yet to finalize the details of the Arbitrator and his office staff...but many of the supplementary characters are falling into place...

I have the lead female (Angela), a home maker and a writer who spent her entire life chasing that one great line. The lead male (Carter) who was a drunken, abusive husband and eventually took his own life. There is also the 11 year old girl (Kaylee) who was sexually abused, and a retired General (Kayin) of Nigeria who ordered the deaths of thousands of civilians. I also intend on focusing on a young woman (Rebecca) who believed herself to be a prophet, only to learn that her beliefs were wrong...and a young teenager (Daniel) torn about his schooling/friends/sexuality and any other issue under the sun...

Those are just six out of a dozen...each character evolving in my mind faster then I can type. They will change and be re-written, their names with be altered to adapt their personality. In time I will have a complete cast, a screenplay...and I will be happy...

...that will not happen now, and won't ever happen without sleep. On that note...I head to bed. Goodnight world.

The Adventures of the Masked Avenger

Well, well, well...

It's been way too long since I've done a blog entry, which is rather disappointing. Life has been rather blah over the last few weeks and I haven't had much to update about. I took a week off a bit ago and got really sick...and just didn't feel coherent enough to do a significant blog entry. Time to make up for that...

Last night I hosted a dinner party at my place which was a huge success (or so I think). It was a four course meal with eight dishes...the twist was that the menu was written in sixteen different languages, resulting in mass confusion for those who were ordering (not to mention they also had to order their cutlery). I ended up having to eat a parfait with my fingers and watching Scott scoop goulash out of a bowl with another bowl. There was way too much food and by the fourth course everyone was stuffed...but I think overall everyone enjoyed it.

Prato da Carne
Rullo Del Riso
Daldirma Yapmak Tatli


...we even wrote one out in braille, which was interesting. :-) I shall have to try that again sometime soon.

I've finally received The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, it came in the mail today. It doesn't actually get released until tomorrow - ah the joys of pre-ordering. I intend to watch it today, possibly multiple times. Yes, I am a geek. Accept it. I'm quite psyched about this movie...yay...

I've finally got my great original screenplay concept. It's still very much in the idea phase, but it hit me on Thursday like a tonne of bricks and now I can't get it out of my mind. I see flashes of images in my mind, little previews of what it could look like on film. Psyched, definitely. Here's a preview of the introduction:

NARRATOR

We're born, we live, we die. That's the cycle of life. Forget everything you've heard about the fountain of youth, eternal life - all that bullsh*t. Everyone dies. Trust me, you'll be better off just accepting it now, it makes things so much easier down the road.

The Egyptians had this crazy theory that when a person died their heart was weighed against the goddess Ma'at. They figured this determined whether the individual would be admitted into the afterlife - oblivious or blissful heaven. Those damned Egyptians knew way too much, if you ask me...but that was three thousand years ago...and we've done a little renovating since then...

It needs a lot of editing...but it's a start. As I said, it's still in the idea phase - hell I don't even have a name for my protagonist yet. That however will come in time. For now I'm just thrilled to have an idea. Damned Egyptians... :-)

Alright, this update has gone on for too long. It's almost noon (or 11:00 for those who are still stuck on daylight savings and can't sleep) and I need to feel productive today. Yay for a day off. Take care everyone...hugs all around.

"Your arms are my castle. Your heart is my sky. They wipe away tears that I cry. The good and the bad times, we've been through them before. You make me right when I fall..."