Thursday, July 05, 2012
Welcome to Copenhagen...
As a method of entering a new country, flat on your back lying on a stretcher certainly does have a dramatic flair, although I can't say I really recommend the experience.
First of all, I'm fine.
Second of all...oi, what a day.
We're currently in Denmark getting ready to start the big leg of our vacation, which is a Baltic cruise. Copenhagen was only ever meant to be a 24 hour buffer, just in case something went wrong with flights, luggage or something else. Still, the more we read up on Copenhagen, the more I was kind of regretting not spending more time there, especially since we basically just killed a day doing nothin in Ottawa, having completed the sealift ahead of schedule.
Our flight was Ottawa-Toronto-Copenhagen. The later leg is about 7.5 hours long, which is the longest stretch we've done by plane in about three years. Anything less than three hours, Cathy and I can do in our sleep. Still, I figured that since most of the flight would happen at night, we would just sleep it off, wake up the next morning and hit Copenhagen running.
Yeah, not so much.
The first problem was I couldn't get to sleep, which was weird. I could have slept on the Ottawa-Toronto flight, but I could not get comfortable or drift off. The second problem hit about an hour before landing when I began to feel....weird. And it was a weird I had a funny feeling I'd experienced before.
Back in 1996 I flew to South Korea to teach English, including a hellish 14 hour Toronto-Seoul leg in which I quietly lost my mind wondering if this wasn't the stupidest thing I'd ever done in my life (I'd got a job offer to teach English in South Korea 10 days earlier). I ended up having a panic attack and passing out. The plane stewards, not quite knowing what to do with the white guy passed out in the bathroom, just brough me back to my seat and quietly ignore me for the next several hours.
So yeah, I knew something weird was happening. I got up, tried to stetch, then went to the bathroom, but things got worse. I managed to make it out of the bathoom and sink to my knees. Someone asked if I needed help, I said yes and then it was light's out.
Next thing I'm hearing is Cathy's voice, sounding frantic, and a group of people around me trying to figure out if I'm all right. Oh, and an elderly retired doctor who was travelling on the plane, trying to determine if I had a seizure or something (I didn't).
What happened over the next few hours was really quite extraordinary. Air Canada's staff were fantasic. One of the stewards was also a fireman, so he had first aid training, and stayed with me until the plane landed. Even brought me a lovely tank of my very own oxygen. I kept insisting I was fine and tried to make jokes, but they made everyone on the plane wait until the paramedics came on board and took me off. Despite my protests, they carted me away to a hospital in the back of an ambulance, where they ran a bunch of tests. All came back negative. I'm pefectly fine (well, as fine as I was before all of this. Oh, and a scrape on my head from where I hit the floor). But we didn't get charged a thing. Some paperwork, but assurances there was no bill to settle up, which is amazing.
We had to go back to the airport to get the bags, which was pretty straightforward. And we got reassurances that we were in the country legally, although our passport wasn't stamped.
No one can figure out exactly why I passed out like that. I think the flow of blood to my brain was restricted because I was trying to get comfortable and I did something weird. Or sitting for 7.5 hours without getting up to stretch my legs or take a walk. I will be walking every 10 bloody minutes on the return flight, I can say that much.
So anyway, a dramatic entrance to the country. But I'm fine. Once we got to our hotel, we actually spent several hours wandering around the city and even walked out to see the Litter Mermaid statue (it's a touch anti-climatic). So the worst seems to be over.
Beautiful city, by the way. Just wished I had entered it properly....
Monday, July 02, 2012
Ah, our national airline
(This was supposed to go up on Canada Day, but the internet at the hotel collapsed before I could post it. So let's pretend it's still July 1, shall we?)
So on this, our national holiday, let us consider a national instution and pastime - Air Canada. Because the airline is an institution and hating it as much a national pastime as watching hockey. And today we got to see the very thing that makes Air Canada something you want to punch in the face, but also kind of admire.
And before you express concern over the admiration, keep in mind that surveys constantly rank Air Canada as one of the best airlines operating in North America. It baffles people, but really, you're not flying on enough American air carriers. Once you do, you kinda respect what Air Canada is doing a bit more.
Today was supposed to be fairly straight forward - get Boo on a cargo plane. The plan was simple - get up around 6, have him at Air Canada Cargo around 6:30, he gets transported to the airport around 7, goes on a plane around 8 and then heads to St. John's where he summers with his grandparents.
Things went off the rails around 6:31 when we arrived at Air Canada Cargo in Ottawa and there was no one there, even though the office hours state it opens at 5:30. The place was closed. Keep in mind we confirmed this flight a month ago, was told the offices would be open and it would be business as usual. Not so much.
So after some waiting around, and discovering that no, they weren't running a little late, we managed to flag down someone in the warehouse. Seems he was the only one who came into work that day. The agent and office staff - no idea. And he couldn't book the dog because he didn't have the codes or training to do it. And as this was 7 am, on a Sunday, on Canada Day. No one was answering their phones.
Thus began The Stress. Because the dog had to go out today. I let Cathy take to the lead when dealing with this, not because I'm not capable, but because a stressed out and pissed off Cathy is far scarier than I am. She made it pretty clear to the poor bastard at Cargo, then she wasn't happy and, what was worse, there was at least one more level she could go to, and it wasn't going to be pleasant if she had to go there.
I've seen it. It's not pleasant. You don't want her to go there.
Thus ensued many frantic phone calls. Cathy's parents were involved. The 8 am flight came and went. The Stress was building. A complete stranger who was dropping off mail from Canada Post offered to watch the dog for us for a few weeks if we couldn't get him out today. No reason, just wanted to help out obviously stressed people. Which is astonishing when you think about it.
Finally, there was a resolution. I'm not going to get into the details because I'm fairly certain rules, and possibly laws, were broken. But Air Canada staff rallied at the last minute and Boo managed to get on a flight and made it back to St. John's today.
Which is what makes Air Canada awesome and frustrating at the same time. The fact they had almost no staff at Cargo, nor could they find anymore for more than 90 minutes who could help makes you want to smack your head (or the senior managers at the local Cargo office's heads) against a brick wall.
But when the crunch came, ordinary staff rallied, helped out, were extremely apologetic (and sided with us in our frustration) and managed to get the situation resolved. On a Sunday morning. On Canada Day.
Ladies and gentlemen....your national airline. Much like the rest of Canada, it's frustrating and often doesn't work the way it ought to. But the ordinary people can still rally and surprise you.
And because it was said to us many times today as we wandered around Ottawa and made me smile every time - Happy Canada Day.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Four things
1. I have no less than two draft posts saved on the fiasco that is the new Access to Information legislation which the government of Newfoundland and Labrador just passed, but I wasn't happy with either of them and put them away, figuring I would go back and make them better. Yeah, didn't happen and now it reads as awfully dated.
Not helping was the fact that there was already a lot of excellent commentary coming out on almost a daily basis ripping it apart. So rather than try to replicate what they produced, I instead recommend you go and read what Ed Hollett, Russell Wangersky and Geoff Meeker have to say about it. They pretty much smack it out of the park.
It's a bad piece of legislation and one that I think the government badly misjudged the level of opposition to. Will it sink them in three years time? Not on its own. But when they're listing the reasons this government lost, it'll be on the short list.
2. Meanwhile, back in Nunavut, it's a couple of days until Summer Solstice and the bay is finally starting to show signs of breaking up. They're have been no snowmobiles on the bay in a couple of weeks and there's now some open water showing. Granted, there's no way all this ice is going to be gone by the end of the month, so I'll get to go on vacation and be able to tell people there's still ice in the bay. That always manages to freak out southerners. The downside is it will soon start to throw off the sealift boat schedule, which is always a nuisance.
I'll post up a pic of what the bay looks like in a couple of days. I have an idea for a picture of the bay at sunset on the 21st. Just to give you an idea of what the first day of summer looks like in Iqaluit.
3. But in the meantime, here's another picture for you.
There's a fun group on Facebook called the Iqaluit Auction Bids, which is pretty much what it sounds like. They've cracked down on some of the junkier stuff recently, so pretty much everything there is northern crafts related. You can find some very nice stuff there. For example, if you happen to need a pair of polar bear pants (the seller promises they are very warm), well, you're in luck because there's a pair being auctioned right now.
I found the above on the site and managed to win the auction. What we have here is an ulu, which is the half moon shaped knife, and a men's carving knife. The knives are steel, the base is made from a caribou antler and the handles are made from muskox horn. It's the last detail that really caught my eye because muskox are not native to Baffin Island. They're both really nice and quite sharp. I almost feel bad that I have nothing to use them on right now. But who knows. Anyway, they're a nice addition.
Also, anybody can sign up for the auction site. A lot of people from Ontario have and tend to snap up kumiks (boots) to the point where insane price wars have broken out. Give it a look.
4. And finally, because I have been remiss, let's all leave a few nice comments for my lovely wife Cathy, who got her marks back yesterday and graduated with her Masters in Special Education. That alone would be enough, but she managed to do that while getting straight A's. It's a hell of an accomplishment and I'm insanely proud of her.
Last Five
1. Meeting across the river - Bruce Springsteen
2. Babylon - David Gray*
3. Rockville - REM
4. I didn't know that you care - Lloyd Cole
5. The charging sky - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
Not helping was the fact that there was already a lot of excellent commentary coming out on almost a daily basis ripping it apart. So rather than try to replicate what they produced, I instead recommend you go and read what Ed Hollett, Russell Wangersky and Geoff Meeker have to say about it. They pretty much smack it out of the park.
It's a bad piece of legislation and one that I think the government badly misjudged the level of opposition to. Will it sink them in three years time? Not on its own. But when they're listing the reasons this government lost, it'll be on the short list.
2. Meanwhile, back in Nunavut, it's a couple of days until Summer Solstice and the bay is finally starting to show signs of breaking up. They're have been no snowmobiles on the bay in a couple of weeks and there's now some open water showing. Granted, there's no way all this ice is going to be gone by the end of the month, so I'll get to go on vacation and be able to tell people there's still ice in the bay. That always manages to freak out southerners. The downside is it will soon start to throw off the sealift boat schedule, which is always a nuisance.
I'll post up a pic of what the bay looks like in a couple of days. I have an idea for a picture of the bay at sunset on the 21st. Just to give you an idea of what the first day of summer looks like in Iqaluit.
3. But in the meantime, here's another picture for you.
There's a fun group on Facebook called the Iqaluit Auction Bids, which is pretty much what it sounds like. They've cracked down on some of the junkier stuff recently, so pretty much everything there is northern crafts related. You can find some very nice stuff there. For example, if you happen to need a pair of polar bear pants (the seller promises they are very warm), well, you're in luck because there's a pair being auctioned right now.
I found the above on the site and managed to win the auction. What we have here is an ulu, which is the half moon shaped knife, and a men's carving knife. The knives are steel, the base is made from a caribou antler and the handles are made from muskox horn. It's the last detail that really caught my eye because muskox are not native to Baffin Island. They're both really nice and quite sharp. I almost feel bad that I have nothing to use them on right now. But who knows. Anyway, they're a nice addition.
Also, anybody can sign up for the auction site. A lot of people from Ontario have and tend to snap up kumiks (boots) to the point where insane price wars have broken out. Give it a look.
4. And finally, because I have been remiss, let's all leave a few nice comments for my lovely wife Cathy, who got her marks back yesterday and graduated with her Masters in Special Education. That alone would be enough, but she managed to do that while getting straight A's. It's a hell of an accomplishment and I'm insanely proud of her.
Last Five
1. Meeting across the river - Bruce Springsteen
2. Babylon - David Gray*
3. Rockville - REM
4. I didn't know that you care - Lloyd Cole
5. The charging sky - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Virginia Park Condos?
So this story with CBC back in St. John's caught my eye. For those not clicking on the link, a building known as Virginia Park Plaza is giving notice to all its tenants to leave by the end of September because they're converting the building into condos.
So why is this worth mentioning in the blog? Because I grew up in Virginia Park. I remember when that plaza went up and spent more than my share of time hanging around there. Whether it was going to the Mary Browns for a Snackaroo or a Big Mary, slowly devouring most of the collection of kid's books at the library, or buying comic books from the convenience store I spent my share of days around that building. It's also possible I was beaten up once or twice behind the plaza as well. But I have less fond memories of those occasions.
I'm not exactly surprised they're getting rid of the building. Virginia Park has always been an...odd neighbourhood. When I was growing up half of it was middle class housing and the other half was social housing units. Let's say the dynamic was interesting. And straddling the line between that was the Plaza and the elementary school (our house was pretty near the middle line as well).
So yeah, a lot of things happened down there. I suspect the Plaza was a regular stop for the RNC for many, many years. I haven't lived in the area for many years, so I've no idea how bad it is now, although it wasn't in great shape last time I walked past there. Most of the storefronts were empty and there were plenty of signs of vandalism. That wasn't always the case. I remember when it first opened all the spaces were full. There used to be a bank and a Pipers department store there. Not so much now. Not for many years.
So no, I'm not shocked that they've decided to give up on the place and try something else with it. What I am shocked is that they're going to build condos there. Seriously? I understand building condos in downtown St. John's, out by the university, down by Quidi Vidi Lake or in a few other spots around town. But Virginia Park? They've had problems with vandalism and other incidents around there (pretty sure most of the woods behind the Plaza were cut down decades ago after a few sexual assaults happened) so it's not exactly what I would view as a dream area of town to build high end condos.
Let's put it this way, I grew up in the Park, I still have family and friends there, and if I was getting ready to drop a couple hundred thousand on a condo, this would not be my first choice.
So exactly how crazy is the housing/condo market in St. John's that this seems like a sound business idea?
Last Five
1. 505 - Arctic Monkeys
2. Still the same - Bob Seger
3. On - Bloc Party
4. Acid tongue - Jenny Lewis*
5. Back in your head - Tegan & Sara
So why is this worth mentioning in the blog? Because I grew up in Virginia Park. I remember when that plaza went up and spent more than my share of time hanging around there. Whether it was going to the Mary Browns for a Snackaroo or a Big Mary, slowly devouring most of the collection of kid's books at the library, or buying comic books from the convenience store I spent my share of days around that building. It's also possible I was beaten up once or twice behind the plaza as well. But I have less fond memories of those occasions.
I'm not exactly surprised they're getting rid of the building. Virginia Park has always been an...odd neighbourhood. When I was growing up half of it was middle class housing and the other half was social housing units. Let's say the dynamic was interesting. And straddling the line between that was the Plaza and the elementary school (our house was pretty near the middle line as well).
So yeah, a lot of things happened down there. I suspect the Plaza was a regular stop for the RNC for many, many years. I haven't lived in the area for many years, so I've no idea how bad it is now, although it wasn't in great shape last time I walked past there. Most of the storefronts were empty and there were plenty of signs of vandalism. That wasn't always the case. I remember when it first opened all the spaces were full. There used to be a bank and a Pipers department store there. Not so much now. Not for many years.
So no, I'm not shocked that they've decided to give up on the place and try something else with it. What I am shocked is that they're going to build condos there. Seriously? I understand building condos in downtown St. John's, out by the university, down by Quidi Vidi Lake or in a few other spots around town. But Virginia Park? They've had problems with vandalism and other incidents around there (pretty sure most of the woods behind the Plaza were cut down decades ago after a few sexual assaults happened) so it's not exactly what I would view as a dream area of town to build high end condos.
Let's put it this way, I grew up in the Park, I still have family and friends there, and if I was getting ready to drop a couple hundred thousand on a condo, this would not be my first choice.
So exactly how crazy is the housing/condo market in St. John's that this seems like a sound business idea?
Last Five
1. 505 - Arctic Monkeys
2. Still the same - Bob Seger
3. On - Bloc Party
4. Acid tongue - Jenny Lewis*
5. Back in your head - Tegan & Sara
Friday, June 08, 2012
Ah, to be in Iqaluit in June
Today at 5:23 pm...
Today at 6:57 pm...
Now, I believe the traditional responses to when it snows here at this time of the year and you complain are:
1. Suck it up, buttercup.
2. You live in the arctic, what else were you expecting?
To which I will point out that a mere two days ago it was 17C, sunny and people were wearing shorts and mini-skirts around town. So this is a bit of a jarring to the system. I will also add that my co-workers, many of whom are Inuit, were cursing a blue streak when this snow started to fall around 4 pm or so.
So I believe I will complain, just a little bit. And say that the clock to when my vacation officially starts kicked into overdrive today.
Last Five
1. Father Lucifer - Tori Amos
2. Up in flames - Coldplay
3. Hurricane drunk - Florence and the Machine*
4. Fred Jones, part 2 - Ben Folds
5. Every part of me - Sam Roberts
Today at 6:57 pm...
Now, I believe the traditional responses to when it snows here at this time of the year and you complain are:
1. Suck it up, buttercup.
2. You live in the arctic, what else were you expecting?
To which I will point out that a mere two days ago it was 17C, sunny and people were wearing shorts and mini-skirts around town. So this is a bit of a jarring to the system. I will also add that my co-workers, many of whom are Inuit, were cursing a blue streak when this snow started to fall around 4 pm or so.
So I believe I will complain, just a little bit. And say that the clock to when my vacation officially starts kicked into overdrive today.
Last Five
1. Father Lucifer - Tori Amos
2. Up in flames - Coldplay
3. Hurricane drunk - Florence and the Machine*
4. Fred Jones, part 2 - Ben Folds
5. Every part of me - Sam Roberts
Wednesday, June 06, 2012
Sea lift preparations
Vacation planning is lovely and all, but flying out of Iqaluit is a two-stage affair. I did most of the planning for the fun stuff, which is running around Europe. Cathy handles the more practical aspects of the other stage of the trip - the sea lift.
I'm sure I've explained the sea lift a dozen times, but for those new to the these parts and who don't want to dig through the archives, it's basically this: Living in Iqaluit is not cheap, nor can you just wander down to the store and find everything you want. This isn't a sea lift item for us because it's perishable, but for example, I have walked into North Mart and not been able to find chicken. Or bell peppers. Stuff like that. So if you want to save a few dollars, and make sure that things you really like to have are at your fingertips, then the best way to go about doing this is to do a sea lift.
There are two ways to do this. The first way is to just do an order online (North Mart does it) and in a few months time the stuff you ordered will be delivered to your door once the cargo boats (sea lift boats as they're called here) start to come in. Or you can do what we do; we go down to Ottawa and do it ourselves.
A sea lift order can be a fun, scary, frustrating and intense few days. But before you even get that far, you need to start your planning. Cathy's already started. It involves taking the master list of what we ordered last year and then walking through our storage room and see what we ran out of, what we're running low on and what we clearly over ordered last year. Trying to figure out how much you're going to use of something from week to week can be an issue. Trying to do it for a year is something else.
For example, soft drinks are easy. We budget one can, per person, per day. Pretty straight forward number although it does get you some deeply odd looks when you're going up to the cash at Costco with two shopping carts full of soft drinks.
But the rest can be dicey. How much pasta do you order? How much rice? We actually appear to have slightly under-ordered the amount of toilet paper we need this year. And then there's the things you over-order, like toothpaste. When we first moved here in 2005, we did a sea lift. Complete shot in the dark so we were all over the place in terms of how much we needed of different items. And in no area were we further off than toothpaste. Nearly seven years after that sea lift crate landed on the beach in Iqaluit, we are finally on our last tube of toothpaste. We'll need to buy more, although I think we'll probably cut back on the order this time around.
So yes, trying to juggle what you need to order, what you might want to try, what you might want to drop...it's a tangily business. And that's just the non-perishable goods. We're also looking at buying a new box spring and mattress, a new dish washer, maybe a dryer, some more flooring and to replace a few power tools that have up and died.
So you make your master list, then prepare with military precision what places you need to hit, what you're going to buy there, and how long you're going to spend there. Oh, and in what order you're going to visit different stores. And you need to rent a vehicle large enough to carry most of this stuff because having things delivered can cause all sorts of problems. We had $800 worth of items go missing two years ago from the time we left Costco to the time our sea lift crate arrived in Iqaluit.
Now, once you start buying all of this stuff (and you can remember to start breathing once you see the bills. We dropped nearly two grand at Costco in less than three hours last year) you have to drop it off somewhere. In our case we use TSC who will take our purchases, package them properly, crate it up (and use more nails than you can imagine) and then send the whole works to Montreal. From there, it gets put on a boat which will eventually arrive in Iqaluit.
From the time we make our purchases to the time it arrives at our front door will take about two months.
It's not for everyone, obviously. You need the patience and organization to do all of the prep work and actual work. I may be...somewhat...lacking in those skills, but fortunately Cathy is quite good at it. You need to be able to mentally and financially handle how much money is coming flying out of your bank account in a short period of time, knowing that over the course of the year you will save money because you paid $2 for that jar of pasta sauce at Wal-Mart as opposed to $5 at North Mart when you need it in January. And we won't even get into how much you save on toilet paper. If you have a baby, the amount you can save on diapers, formula and other supplies can be truly staggering.
Oh, and one other quirk to the whole sea lift, again for the new people here, we have no wharf facilities in Iqaluit. So when our stuff arrives on the boat, it just sits there in the middle of the bay until a barge can reach it. From there the crates are loaded on the barge and then driven ashore on the beach at high tide (and only high tide. We get 10 metre tides here). Once it's loaded onto the beach, we have to wait until a local company gets to it, picks it up on a forklift, drive it through the community and then deposit it in front of our house. We then get to spend about two hours using cutters and a pry bar to open the crate, and then off-loading the works of it into our house.
The scary thing about all of this is that it can be kind of fun. Which goes to show you don't have to be nuts to live here, but it's certainly helpful.
Last Five
1. Cold, cold ground - Tom Waits*
2. Hold on loosely - .38 Special
3. Jefferson Jericho Blues - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4. Glendora - Rilo Kiley
5. Creepin' in - Norah Jones and Dolly Parton
I'm sure I've explained the sea lift a dozen times, but for those new to the these parts and who don't want to dig through the archives, it's basically this: Living in Iqaluit is not cheap, nor can you just wander down to the store and find everything you want. This isn't a sea lift item for us because it's perishable, but for example, I have walked into North Mart and not been able to find chicken. Or bell peppers. Stuff like that. So if you want to save a few dollars, and make sure that things you really like to have are at your fingertips, then the best way to go about doing this is to do a sea lift.
There are two ways to do this. The first way is to just do an order online (North Mart does it) and in a few months time the stuff you ordered will be delivered to your door once the cargo boats (sea lift boats as they're called here) start to come in. Or you can do what we do; we go down to Ottawa and do it ourselves.
A sea lift order can be a fun, scary, frustrating and intense few days. But before you even get that far, you need to start your planning. Cathy's already started. It involves taking the master list of what we ordered last year and then walking through our storage room and see what we ran out of, what we're running low on and what we clearly over ordered last year. Trying to figure out how much you're going to use of something from week to week can be an issue. Trying to do it for a year is something else.
For example, soft drinks are easy. We budget one can, per person, per day. Pretty straight forward number although it does get you some deeply odd looks when you're going up to the cash at Costco with two shopping carts full of soft drinks.
But the rest can be dicey. How much pasta do you order? How much rice? We actually appear to have slightly under-ordered the amount of toilet paper we need this year. And then there's the things you over-order, like toothpaste. When we first moved here in 2005, we did a sea lift. Complete shot in the dark so we were all over the place in terms of how much we needed of different items. And in no area were we further off than toothpaste. Nearly seven years after that sea lift crate landed on the beach in Iqaluit, we are finally on our last tube of toothpaste. We'll need to buy more, although I think we'll probably cut back on the order this time around.
So yes, trying to juggle what you need to order, what you might want to try, what you might want to drop...it's a tangily business. And that's just the non-perishable goods. We're also looking at buying a new box spring and mattress, a new dish washer, maybe a dryer, some more flooring and to replace a few power tools that have up and died.
So you make your master list, then prepare with military precision what places you need to hit, what you're going to buy there, and how long you're going to spend there. Oh, and in what order you're going to visit different stores. And you need to rent a vehicle large enough to carry most of this stuff because having things delivered can cause all sorts of problems. We had $800 worth of items go missing two years ago from the time we left Costco to the time our sea lift crate arrived in Iqaluit.
Now, once you start buying all of this stuff (and you can remember to start breathing once you see the bills. We dropped nearly two grand at Costco in less than three hours last year) you have to drop it off somewhere. In our case we use TSC who will take our purchases, package them properly, crate it up (and use more nails than you can imagine) and then send the whole works to Montreal. From there, it gets put on a boat which will eventually arrive in Iqaluit.
From the time we make our purchases to the time it arrives at our front door will take about two months.
It's not for everyone, obviously. You need the patience and organization to do all of the prep work and actual work. I may be...somewhat...lacking in those skills, but fortunately Cathy is quite good at it. You need to be able to mentally and financially handle how much money is coming flying out of your bank account in a short period of time, knowing that over the course of the year you will save money because you paid $2 for that jar of pasta sauce at Wal-Mart as opposed to $5 at North Mart when you need it in January. And we won't even get into how much you save on toilet paper. If you have a baby, the amount you can save on diapers, formula and other supplies can be truly staggering.
Oh, and one other quirk to the whole sea lift, again for the new people here, we have no wharf facilities in Iqaluit. So when our stuff arrives on the boat, it just sits there in the middle of the bay until a barge can reach it. From there the crates are loaded on the barge and then driven ashore on the beach at high tide (and only high tide. We get 10 metre tides here). Once it's loaded onto the beach, we have to wait until a local company gets to it, picks it up on a forklift, drive it through the community and then deposit it in front of our house. We then get to spend about two hours using cutters and a pry bar to open the crate, and then off-loading the works of it into our house.
The scary thing about all of this is that it can be kind of fun. Which goes to show you don't have to be nuts to live here, but it's certainly helpful.
Last Five
1. Cold, cold ground - Tom Waits*
2. Hold on loosely - .38 Special
3. Jefferson Jericho Blues - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4. Glendora - Rilo Kiley
5. Creepin' in - Norah Jones and Dolly Parton
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Going down
The other obsession over the last few months, which my friends on Facebook are undoubtedly tired of hearing me post about, is trying to get back in shape. Since mid-February I've managed to lose 35 pounds. Which, don't get me wrong, I'm quite pleased about. However, there are certain things that prevent me from getting too smug about this.
1. Having lost that much weight makes me realize in retrospect what a fat bastard I'd let myself become. I mean, it's genuinely appalling that managed to happen, or all the creative excuses you manage to come up with to overlook that fact. "Oh, I'm not fat in that picture, the wind was just blowing a certain way to make the shirt look puffy." (or you could just be fat). "Oh, I haven't put on any extra weight, I'm still wearing the same size pants" (Yes, conveniently ignoring that my dress pants had elastic built into the waist, covering a multitude of sins).
2. Having lost that much weight and looking better can make you feel cocky. Until I realize that I'm right around the weight I was when Cathy and I got married. And when I see those photos I realize I was still quite over weight even then. So there's obviously still a lot of work to do.
The weird thing is that once you start having some success people start looking to you as if you possess some magic and hidden knowledge. I really don't. I've tried many, many times before to lose weight and it always failed. This time, it clicked. Well, clicked so far. The possibility of relapse is still there.
The only thing I can offer is that I had a genuinely awful few weeks back in February and March. My friend's death hit me a lot harder than I thought and I'm pretty sure I was depressed. I've been down before, but I'm not sure the last time I felt something like that. And one day, I just got so frustrated feeling that way, that I went back to the gym, hoping some endorphins or something might work.
It did.
I felt better for most of the rest of the day. The next day, when I started feeling bad, I went back. And I've kept doing that. Five days a week, for at least one hour each time. Thirty minutes on an elliptical, 30 minutes on different weight machines. And then I started to change my diet. I only eat three meals a day. No snacks. I've reduced my portion size. I've tried to cut out a lot of processed foods and eat more fruits and vegetables.
But I think the most important thing is I've got myself in a routine and I've sufficiently scared the crap out of myself over the consequences of breaking that routine. I didn't go to the gym for two weeks in April between being in Florida (even though I walked at least 10 km a day on the beach) and a head cold (in which I nearly drove Cathy nuts over my anxiety about not being able to get to the gym). Any time I get hungry, I have a glass of water.
So even though I'm a bit hungry even as I write this, I've just started my second glass of water.
Because I am apparently a creature of routines. I've been told that I do not handle change well. Normally I think is a disadvantage, but I think in this one case, now that I've settled into this routine I'm glad I'm reluctant to change it.
I'm sure there are any number of dieticians or fitness experts that would say what I'm doing is wrong, but as long as it keeps working for me, I'm not going to mess with it. Thirty-five pounds in 15 weeks is nothing to sneeze at. The ultimate goal is 80 pounds, but I still have until February 2014 to get there, so I have time. And I'm not going completely nuts. I'm going to be on a cruise ship this summer. There will be food. I will eat the food. Plus I'm going to be in Denmark. If you think I'm not going to eat Danish there, you're nuts.
I imagine there will be some tweaks later in the summer. A friend has sworn that these are supposed to be really good for tracking activity, so I think I might invest in one. And if things keep going well, clearly new clothes are going to be needed. I have a depressing amount of money tied up in jeans that no longer fit. And a co-worker described one of my dress shirts this week as looking like a peasant blouse, which I'm assuming is bad.
I'm also setting up two rewards if I hit my goal...one I mentioned the other day...the big trip to Peru and the Galapagos . The other is a nice, hand tailored suit. Cathy doesn't get that as I don't wear suits and lord knows my job doesn't require it. But I think if I had a really nice suit, one that fit well (which I don't think I've ever owned), I'd wear it. Plus it would help me keep the weight off...no sense spending that much on a suit and then not being able to wear it.
So yes, the Secret to my Success is apparently temporarily losing my mind and acquiring a mild case of OCD. As I said, not sure I can recommend it. But hey, whatever works for you...
Last Five
1. Chocolate Jesus (live) - Tom Waits*
2. The Wanderer - U2
3. Sugar mountain - Neil Young
4. Mongrel heart - Broken Bells
5. Object of your rejection - Chely Wright
1. Having lost that much weight makes me realize in retrospect what a fat bastard I'd let myself become. I mean, it's genuinely appalling that managed to happen, or all the creative excuses you manage to come up with to overlook that fact. "Oh, I'm not fat in that picture, the wind was just blowing a certain way to make the shirt look puffy." (or you could just be fat). "Oh, I haven't put on any extra weight, I'm still wearing the same size pants" (Yes, conveniently ignoring that my dress pants had elastic built into the waist, covering a multitude of sins).
2. Having lost that much weight and looking better can make you feel cocky. Until I realize that I'm right around the weight I was when Cathy and I got married. And when I see those photos I realize I was still quite over weight even then. So there's obviously still a lot of work to do.
The weird thing is that once you start having some success people start looking to you as if you possess some magic and hidden knowledge. I really don't. I've tried many, many times before to lose weight and it always failed. This time, it clicked. Well, clicked so far. The possibility of relapse is still there.
The only thing I can offer is that I had a genuinely awful few weeks back in February and March. My friend's death hit me a lot harder than I thought and I'm pretty sure I was depressed. I've been down before, but I'm not sure the last time I felt something like that. And one day, I just got so frustrated feeling that way, that I went back to the gym, hoping some endorphins or something might work.
It did.
I felt better for most of the rest of the day. The next day, when I started feeling bad, I went back. And I've kept doing that. Five days a week, for at least one hour each time. Thirty minutes on an elliptical, 30 minutes on different weight machines. And then I started to change my diet. I only eat three meals a day. No snacks. I've reduced my portion size. I've tried to cut out a lot of processed foods and eat more fruits and vegetables.
But I think the most important thing is I've got myself in a routine and I've sufficiently scared the crap out of myself over the consequences of breaking that routine. I didn't go to the gym for two weeks in April between being in Florida (even though I walked at least 10 km a day on the beach) and a head cold (in which I nearly drove Cathy nuts over my anxiety about not being able to get to the gym). Any time I get hungry, I have a glass of water.
So even though I'm a bit hungry even as I write this, I've just started my second glass of water.
Because I am apparently a creature of routines. I've been told that I do not handle change well. Normally I think is a disadvantage, but I think in this one case, now that I've settled into this routine I'm glad I'm reluctant to change it.
I'm sure there are any number of dieticians or fitness experts that would say what I'm doing is wrong, but as long as it keeps working for me, I'm not going to mess with it. Thirty-five pounds in 15 weeks is nothing to sneeze at. The ultimate goal is 80 pounds, but I still have until February 2014 to get there, so I have time. And I'm not going completely nuts. I'm going to be on a cruise ship this summer. There will be food. I will eat the food. Plus I'm going to be in Denmark. If you think I'm not going to eat Danish there, you're nuts.
I imagine there will be some tweaks later in the summer. A friend has sworn that these are supposed to be really good for tracking activity, so I think I might invest in one. And if things keep going well, clearly new clothes are going to be needed. I have a depressing amount of money tied up in jeans that no longer fit. And a co-worker described one of my dress shirts this week as looking like a peasant blouse, which I'm assuming is bad.
I'm also setting up two rewards if I hit my goal...one I mentioned the other day...the big trip to Peru and the Galapagos . The other is a nice, hand tailored suit. Cathy doesn't get that as I don't wear suits and lord knows my job doesn't require it. But I think if I had a really nice suit, one that fit well (which I don't think I've ever owned), I'd wear it. Plus it would help me keep the weight off...no sense spending that much on a suit and then not being able to wear it.
So yes, the Secret to my Success is apparently temporarily losing my mind and acquiring a mild case of OCD. As I said, not sure I can recommend it. But hey, whatever works for you...
Last Five
1. Chocolate Jesus (live) - Tom Waits*
2. The Wanderer - U2
3. Sugar mountain - Neil Young
4. Mongrel heart - Broken Bells
5. Object of your rejection - Chely Wright
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Travel planning
So what with it being a month and all since I last blogged...and what with me now having to endure some mocking from the peanut gallery, I guess it's time to do an update.
Basically the last few weeks have been consumed with two things...I'll talk about one this evening and the other over the weekend. The first thing has been trip planning.
I quite like trip planning. It's something I rarely got the chance to do before moving to Nunavut. The resources just weren't there. Now, a combination of having the resources and essentially spending money on nothing other than trips once you get past the usual necessities (Yes, I consider buying my graphic novels a necessity. Because if I don't buy them, I go crazy. Which makes things unpleasant for all concerned) we're able to do more travelling. And through a nice confluence of events, we're able to do more travelling than usual over the next six months.
I like trip planning. Perhaps the simple thing would be to go to a travel agent and get them to do all the work. But I like scouring websites looking for the best deals. I like reading travel journalism and books and finding cool things to do. I'm the type of person who is planning several years in advance for what the next trips are going to be.
As I said, a bit of luck this year, as we're able to go to Copenhagen for a few days, then hopping on a cruise ship where we're going to putter around the Baltic sea for 11 days, going to places like Oslo and Saint Petersburg (we'll have been to the one in Florida and Russia in the same year, which is kind of cool, now that I think about it). After the cruise we're stopping in Scotland to visit an old friend. And to buy a nice bottle of Scotch. Because if I'm in Scotland, I'm buying a nice bottle of Scotch. I'm currently thinking of an 18 year old bottle of Macallan, but other suggestions are welcome.
That alone would be a pretty good trip for the year, but as I said, we're getting lucky. For example, Air Greenland is starting flights into Iqaluit twice a week for this summer. Which might not seem like a big deal. After all, Greenland isn't that far away from Iqaluit. Except there hasn't been a direct flight between here and Nuuk, the capital, in 10 years. So if you wanted to get from here to there, you either had to hire a charter (let's say it's not cheap) or fly there via Copenhagen. It could take you two days or more to get to a place that is, realistically, a two hour flight away.
So there's a direct flight. This may be a one time thing if sales aren't great. So rather than take a chance, on Labour Day weekend we're going to pop over to Nuuk. Not entirely sure what we're going to do - I suspect there may be a tour of the fiords - as I've been focusing most of the last month on getting the Europe trip planned. I've also been told by people who have been there that, you know, there are limits on how much there is to do, especially with that much time. But we're going to Greenland.
I also have bragging rights. None of my university friends have ever been there. I get to be the first. This makes me happy in deeply petty ways, but I'm all right with that.
With some luck I might get to New York in October for the New York Comic Con. But I've thought that in 2010 and 2011 and it's always managed to fall through, so I'm not jinxing myself over that one yet. And it looks like we'll back back in Newfoundland for Christmas. Which I'm happy about, don't get me wrong, but steps will have to be taken to prevent us from losing our sanity and being completely exhausted at the end of it. Because that's what usually happens.
As for the future...I think we're about 90 per cent sure we're going back to California next summer. I'd like to go to Thailand the year after, but Cathy has serious dietary concerns (their tendency to cook a lot of their food in peanut oil which would kind of kill Cathy a lot). I think a trip to the Galapagos/Machu Picchu is in the mix as well. We've never been to South America. That seems like a good way to go about doing things. And then there are other trips that rattle around in my brain...the Canary Islands, Morocco, Egypt, Belize...
I'm always a touch reluctant to write about these plans. A couple of years ago I got chastised for talking about how much we buy/spend and it makes it sound like that's all we're focussed on. And it's not. But one of the big benefits of living where we do is that it offers us the opportunity to be able to do something we both love...which is travelling. None of this would be possible if we still lived in Newfoundland. I recall when we went to the Dominican in 2004 that the choice was literally we could go there, or we could make an RRSP payment, but not both. So we decided to hell with it, we can eat cat food for a few weeks when we're 90, but we wanted that trip.
So I hope no one is offended with what seems like bragging, but is honestly just excitement that we get to go and do a bunch of cool stuff over the next six months, but even more after that. I'm going to Talinn, Estonia this summer. I wouldn't have found that on a map when I was 16. Now I get to visit there. That's pretty awesome, any way you look at it...
Last Five
1. Mockingbird - Ryan Adams
2. Give me one reason - Tracy Chapman
3. Should I stay or should I go (live) - The Clash*
4. A little rain (live) - Tom Waits
5. Last of the American girls - Green Day
Basically the last few weeks have been consumed with two things...I'll talk about one this evening and the other over the weekend. The first thing has been trip planning.
I quite like trip planning. It's something I rarely got the chance to do before moving to Nunavut. The resources just weren't there. Now, a combination of having the resources and essentially spending money on nothing other than trips once you get past the usual necessities (Yes, I consider buying my graphic novels a necessity. Because if I don't buy them, I go crazy. Which makes things unpleasant for all concerned) we're able to do more travelling. And through a nice confluence of events, we're able to do more travelling than usual over the next six months.
I like trip planning. Perhaps the simple thing would be to go to a travel agent and get them to do all the work. But I like scouring websites looking for the best deals. I like reading travel journalism and books and finding cool things to do. I'm the type of person who is planning several years in advance for what the next trips are going to be.
As I said, a bit of luck this year, as we're able to go to Copenhagen for a few days, then hopping on a cruise ship where we're going to putter around the Baltic sea for 11 days, going to places like Oslo and Saint Petersburg (we'll have been to the one in Florida and Russia in the same year, which is kind of cool, now that I think about it). After the cruise we're stopping in Scotland to visit an old friend. And to buy a nice bottle of Scotch. Because if I'm in Scotland, I'm buying a nice bottle of Scotch. I'm currently thinking of an 18 year old bottle of Macallan, but other suggestions are welcome.
That alone would be a pretty good trip for the year, but as I said, we're getting lucky. For example, Air Greenland is starting flights into Iqaluit twice a week for this summer. Which might not seem like a big deal. After all, Greenland isn't that far away from Iqaluit. Except there hasn't been a direct flight between here and Nuuk, the capital, in 10 years. So if you wanted to get from here to there, you either had to hire a charter (let's say it's not cheap) or fly there via Copenhagen. It could take you two days or more to get to a place that is, realistically, a two hour flight away.
So there's a direct flight. This may be a one time thing if sales aren't great. So rather than take a chance, on Labour Day weekend we're going to pop over to Nuuk. Not entirely sure what we're going to do - I suspect there may be a tour of the fiords - as I've been focusing most of the last month on getting the Europe trip planned. I've also been told by people who have been there that, you know, there are limits on how much there is to do, especially with that much time. But we're going to Greenland.
I also have bragging rights. None of my university friends have ever been there. I get to be the first. This makes me happy in deeply petty ways, but I'm all right with that.
With some luck I might get to New York in October for the New York Comic Con. But I've thought that in 2010 and 2011 and it's always managed to fall through, so I'm not jinxing myself over that one yet. And it looks like we'll back back in Newfoundland for Christmas. Which I'm happy about, don't get me wrong, but steps will have to be taken to prevent us from losing our sanity and being completely exhausted at the end of it. Because that's what usually happens.
As for the future...I think we're about 90 per cent sure we're going back to California next summer. I'd like to go to Thailand the year after, but Cathy has serious dietary concerns (their tendency to cook a lot of their food in peanut oil which would kind of kill Cathy a lot). I think a trip to the Galapagos/Machu Picchu is in the mix as well. We've never been to South America. That seems like a good way to go about doing things. And then there are other trips that rattle around in my brain...the Canary Islands, Morocco, Egypt, Belize...
I'm always a touch reluctant to write about these plans. A couple of years ago I got chastised for talking about how much we buy/spend and it makes it sound like that's all we're focussed on. And it's not. But one of the big benefits of living where we do is that it offers us the opportunity to be able to do something we both love...which is travelling. None of this would be possible if we still lived in Newfoundland. I recall when we went to the Dominican in 2004 that the choice was literally we could go there, or we could make an RRSP payment, but not both. So we decided to hell with it, we can eat cat food for a few weeks when we're 90, but we wanted that trip.
So I hope no one is offended with what seems like bragging, but is honestly just excitement that we get to go and do a bunch of cool stuff over the next six months, but even more after that. I'm going to Talinn, Estonia this summer. I wouldn't have found that on a map when I was 16. Now I get to visit there. That's pretty awesome, any way you look at it...
Last Five
1. Mockingbird - Ryan Adams
2. Give me one reason - Tracy Chapman
3. Should I stay or should I go (live) - The Clash*
4. A little rain (live) - Tom Waits
5. Last of the American girls - Green Day
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Ah, spring...
We all celebrate the arrival of spring in different ways. For some of you down south, perhaps it's breaking out shorts or skirts and sitting outside of coffee shops sipping lattes. And then there's how we roll in Iqaluit...
Cathy actually took out the deck furniture last weekend in a fit of optimism and was punished for it by getting about 30 cm of snow this past week. Mother Nature can be a vengeful bitch when she wants to be. I understand that much snow may not seem a lot, but consider two things:
1. This is still an arctic desert. We actually don't get much snow in the run of a year.
2. It's the end of April. Thirty cm of snow sucks at this time of the year no matter which way you cut it.
And it's not like we're entirely out of the woods. I recall there was a blizzard in Iqaluit back in 2004 that hit in May. Guy actually lost his life as he was caught out on the land. Still today it's sunny and beautiful and warm, hovering right around 0C. The bay looks like a speedway with all the snowmobiles zipping back and forth across it.
So yeah, this is nice. In a few weeks it'll be insane mucky and potholes will show up everywhere. But for right now, we're just enjoying the rare combination of sun, snow and warmth.
Last Five
1. Be the one - The Ting Tings
2. Something so strong (live) - Crowded House
3. Through & through & through - Joel Plaskett
4. Four kicks - Kings of Leon
5. Old shoes - Tom Waits*
Cathy actually took out the deck furniture last weekend in a fit of optimism and was punished for it by getting about 30 cm of snow this past week. Mother Nature can be a vengeful bitch when she wants to be. I understand that much snow may not seem a lot, but consider two things:
1. This is still an arctic desert. We actually don't get much snow in the run of a year.
2. It's the end of April. Thirty cm of snow sucks at this time of the year no matter which way you cut it.
And it's not like we're entirely out of the woods. I recall there was a blizzard in Iqaluit back in 2004 that hit in May. Guy actually lost his life as he was caught out on the land. Still today it's sunny and beautiful and warm, hovering right around 0C. The bay looks like a speedway with all the snowmobiles zipping back and forth across it.
So yeah, this is nice. In a few weeks it'll be insane mucky and potholes will show up everywhere. But for right now, we're just enjoying the rare combination of sun, snow and warmth.
Last Five
1. Be the one - The Ting Tings
2. Something so strong (live) - Crowded House
3. Through & through & through - Joel Plaskett
4. Four kicks - Kings of Leon
5. Old shoes - Tom Waits*
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
A little catch-up
Huh, wow, two and a half weeks. Well, let's do an update here...
1. Florida went pretty well, even though Cathy and I both got nailed with fairly vicious head colds. Nothing like getting sick while on vacation. Mine managed to stay on a low boil for most of the vacation, only getting bad the second last day there. Cathy got hit early and, for extra flavour, managed to couple it with an allergic reaction. So we had no idea what drugs to give her to combat what. And "All the Drugs" is apparently not a good idea as it does weird things, like self-medicated comas, for a start.
As this is our third trip to Florida in as many years, I think I'm getting used to the weirdness. One of my friends asked me what strange stuff I saw down there, and I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head. The weird is the new normal. I mean, giant billboards advertising Emergency Rooms didn't even really register. Or doctors advertising their services for lawsuits. For that matter, the sheer volume of ads for lawyers....none of it really registers as weird anymore. The Wagon Wheel flea market was actually boring. The $1.50 pineapples didn't make me break down and start crying as they did in previous years.
Even belly dancers with fire doesn't really startle me anymore.
Or bunnies on the beach.
That bunny was actually on the beach right before Easter Sunday. Taking a break before the big day, I guess.
So yes, Florida is now kind of boring. Which means it's probably time for a change, but we'll see. We like going some place warm over Easter, but doing an all-inclusive is a bit of a waste of time when you don't drink, for example. And Florida is still quite cheap. But we have a year to figure things out.
Is it wrong, by the way, that I know most of the vacations we're going to take over the next four years?
2. There was some mild panic over whether or not Republic of Doyle coming back or not earlier this month. I confess I had mixed feelings. I've obviously been frustrated with the show, but was I frustrated enough to wish people out of jobs? Not really. I wish they would hire a proper script doctor to fix they many faults in the writing.
But despite the panic, there was never any real risk. It's still one of the CBC's highest rated shows. Also, and I'm sure they knew this when the decision was being made, the Newfoundland government kicked in something like $3 million to help with the cost of producing the show. I assume that doesn't count all of the tourism ads they put on during the show as well.
3. We're entering one of my favourite times in Iqaluit. The temperature is warm enough (around -10C) that you can put away the big winter coats and wear much lighter jackets. We can also crack open a window to let some fresh air circulate into the house. I understand that sounds insane for those of you down south as -10C is still too cold. But after a winter of -40C, well, the extra 30 degrees feels positively balmy.
But it's other stuff...it's warm enough to spend more time outdoors. The light at this time of the year, shining on the snow and the ice on the bay, is stunning. I'll try and get out and take some photos this weekend. It's nice to sit in the living room at the end of the day and watching snowmobiles going back and forth across the bay.
It's all on an edge, of course. In a few weeks time the daylight will go from nice to a little too much, when it will essentially give up being dark for the next few months, which leads to an increase in the craziness. The snow will start to melt, so there will be muck and potholes everywhere.
But for right now, it's nice.
4. Blogger has switched to a new format. Which I hate. So we'll see how this post works out...
Last Five
1. Cold desert - Kings of Leon
2. Never give up - Ron Sexsmith
3. I'm yours - Joel Plaskett Emergency
4. Breakdown into the resolve - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
5. Here comes the rain again - Eurythmics*
1. Florida went pretty well, even though Cathy and I both got nailed with fairly vicious head colds. Nothing like getting sick while on vacation. Mine managed to stay on a low boil for most of the vacation, only getting bad the second last day there. Cathy got hit early and, for extra flavour, managed to couple it with an allergic reaction. So we had no idea what drugs to give her to combat what. And "All the Drugs" is apparently not a good idea as it does weird things, like self-medicated comas, for a start.
As this is our third trip to Florida in as many years, I think I'm getting used to the weirdness. One of my friends asked me what strange stuff I saw down there, and I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head. The weird is the new normal. I mean, giant billboards advertising Emergency Rooms didn't even really register. Or doctors advertising their services for lawsuits. For that matter, the sheer volume of ads for lawyers....none of it really registers as weird anymore. The Wagon Wheel flea market was actually boring. The $1.50 pineapples didn't make me break down and start crying as they did in previous years.
Even belly dancers with fire doesn't really startle me anymore.
Or bunnies on the beach.
That bunny was actually on the beach right before Easter Sunday. Taking a break before the big day, I guess.
So yes, Florida is now kind of boring. Which means it's probably time for a change, but we'll see. We like going some place warm over Easter, but doing an all-inclusive is a bit of a waste of time when you don't drink, for example. And Florida is still quite cheap. But we have a year to figure things out.
Is it wrong, by the way, that I know most of the vacations we're going to take over the next four years?
2. There was some mild panic over whether or not Republic of Doyle coming back or not earlier this month. I confess I had mixed feelings. I've obviously been frustrated with the show, but was I frustrated enough to wish people out of jobs? Not really. I wish they would hire a proper script doctor to fix they many faults in the writing.
But despite the panic, there was never any real risk. It's still one of the CBC's highest rated shows. Also, and I'm sure they knew this when the decision was being made, the Newfoundland government kicked in something like $3 million to help with the cost of producing the show. I assume that doesn't count all of the tourism ads they put on during the show as well.
3. We're entering one of my favourite times in Iqaluit. The temperature is warm enough (around -10C) that you can put away the big winter coats and wear much lighter jackets. We can also crack open a window to let some fresh air circulate into the house. I understand that sounds insane for those of you down south as -10C is still too cold. But after a winter of -40C, well, the extra 30 degrees feels positively balmy.
But it's other stuff...it's warm enough to spend more time outdoors. The light at this time of the year, shining on the snow and the ice on the bay, is stunning. I'll try and get out and take some photos this weekend. It's nice to sit in the living room at the end of the day and watching snowmobiles going back and forth across the bay.
It's all on an edge, of course. In a few weeks time the daylight will go from nice to a little too much, when it will essentially give up being dark for the next few months, which leads to an increase in the craziness. The snow will start to melt, so there will be muck and potholes everywhere.
But for right now, it's nice.
4. Blogger has switched to a new format. Which I hate. So we'll see how this post works out...
Last Five
1. Cold desert - Kings of Leon
2. Never give up - Ron Sexsmith
3. I'm yours - Joel Plaskett Emergency
4. Breakdown into the resolve - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
5. Here comes the rain again - Eurythmics*
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Where the weird end up...
I guess before I get too deeply into this blog post I should mention something about the last Republic of Doyle....which is that it was that stupid that I think I finally might give up on the show. If the whole plot about accidentally robbing $2 million in gold bars didn't give you a brain cramp with it's overwhelming stupidity, then I have nothing for you. At all. It was dumbass from start to finish.
Also, and I know this is purely me, the last song they played before the credits rolled, really annoyed me. I like the idea that they're apparently going to end each season with a Ron Hynes slong, but "Atlantic Blue" is as close to a sacred Newfoundland song as there is. For those whoe don't know the history, it was written as almost a hymn for the men who lost their lives in the Ocean Ranger disaster 30 years ago. So yes, let's use a 15 second clip of it over a closing montage showing Des bleeding from a gunshot wound.
Gah. It just really annoyed me. It's a beautiful, beautiful song and you're going to waste it on this? Someone deserves a boot to the head. Seriously.
Anyway, as we clearly needed to recover from the mental damage the show inflicted, Cathy and I find outselves in warming climes. Yes, it's our annual (well, third year) pilgrimage to the land of the crazy....Florida. As a percautionary measure, we've left our hoodies at home.
Florida is always guaratneed to produce a steady stream of weird moments. Yesterday was my quest to get a hair cut...because as nice as my guy in Iqaluit is, we're looking at 30+ dollars there, versus $12 here. Which is why I was looking like bozo the clown the last week or so. But my usual marginally racist barber was closed unilt Monday, so I was left scrambling. Finally found a place that was open, walked in and discovered that, including me, there were exactly two white people out of the 20 or so people in there.
Still, excellent hair cut. Seriously, one of the best I've had in years. I mean, the guy spent 20 minutes on my hair. If you've seen how much I have left, you understand that you have to work to spend that much time on my hair. But man, they were thorough. Hell, there was a guy there who got in the chair next to me 20 minutes before I did and was still there when my cut was finished. If I had run into him on the street, I wouldn't have said he needed a cut to begin with. But they were seriously good barbers. Next time I'm back here, I'm hunting them down again.
Last night we did a walk down the beach and back (in lieu of my gym workouts, I'll be walking the beach at least twice a day) and came across a woman with a bunny (the easter bunny?) who were watching a pair of belly dancers playing with fire...literally. One had a hula hoop of fire, the other was doing something with a sword. I have pics to prove I haven't been drinking, but don't have an adapter to transfer them to the iPad. Not yet anyway. Maybe later this week.
Today was just the redneck flea market of the damned. Except I'm apparently getting blaise about it's charms. We burned through it in less than two hours this time. It seemed less interesting this time, although the price of food ($1.50 for a pineapple) still made me weep.
This evening is a buffet (a good one, apparently, as it costs more than $6 per person) and tomorrow is our Restocking of the Wardrobes, as we hit an outlet mall and drop an appalling amount of money in a few hours so we don't have to buy clothes for the rest of the year. Cathy's mom isn't coming this year. I think we scarred her for life last year.
More updates as more weirdness happens.
Last Five
1. Everybody knows (live) - Leonard Cohen
2. Magpie to the morning - Neko Case*
3. Gone tomorrow - The Monday Nights
4. Buzz Fledderjohn - Tom Waits
5. The loneliness - Fightened Rabbits
Also, and I know this is purely me, the last song they played before the credits rolled, really annoyed me. I like the idea that they're apparently going to end each season with a Ron Hynes slong, but "Atlantic Blue" is as close to a sacred Newfoundland song as there is. For those whoe don't know the history, it was written as almost a hymn for the men who lost their lives in the Ocean Ranger disaster 30 years ago. So yes, let's use a 15 second clip of it over a closing montage showing Des bleeding from a gunshot wound.
Gah. It just really annoyed me. It's a beautiful, beautiful song and you're going to waste it on this? Someone deserves a boot to the head. Seriously.
Anyway, as we clearly needed to recover from the mental damage the show inflicted, Cathy and I find outselves in warming climes. Yes, it's our annual (well, third year) pilgrimage to the land of the crazy....Florida. As a percautionary measure, we've left our hoodies at home.
Florida is always guaratneed to produce a steady stream of weird moments. Yesterday was my quest to get a hair cut...because as nice as my guy in Iqaluit is, we're looking at 30+ dollars there, versus $12 here. Which is why I was looking like bozo the clown the last week or so. But my usual marginally racist barber was closed unilt Monday, so I was left scrambling. Finally found a place that was open, walked in and discovered that, including me, there were exactly two white people out of the 20 or so people in there.
Still, excellent hair cut. Seriously, one of the best I've had in years. I mean, the guy spent 20 minutes on my hair. If you've seen how much I have left, you understand that you have to work to spend that much time on my hair. But man, they were thorough. Hell, there was a guy there who got in the chair next to me 20 minutes before I did and was still there when my cut was finished. If I had run into him on the street, I wouldn't have said he needed a cut to begin with. But they were seriously good barbers. Next time I'm back here, I'm hunting them down again.
Last night we did a walk down the beach and back (in lieu of my gym workouts, I'll be walking the beach at least twice a day) and came across a woman with a bunny (the easter bunny?) who were watching a pair of belly dancers playing with fire...literally. One had a hula hoop of fire, the other was doing something with a sword. I have pics to prove I haven't been drinking, but don't have an adapter to transfer them to the iPad. Not yet anyway. Maybe later this week.
Today was just the redneck flea market of the damned. Except I'm apparently getting blaise about it's charms. We burned through it in less than two hours this time. It seemed less interesting this time, although the price of food ($1.50 for a pineapple) still made me weep.
This evening is a buffet (a good one, apparently, as it costs more than $6 per person) and tomorrow is our Restocking of the Wardrobes, as we hit an outlet mall and drop an appalling amount of money in a few hours so we don't have to buy clothes for the rest of the year. Cathy's mom isn't coming this year. I think we scarred her for life last year.
More updates as more weirdness happens.
Last Five
1. Everybody knows (live) - Leonard Cohen
2. Magpie to the morning - Neko Case*
3. Gone tomorrow - The Monday Nights
4. Buzz Fledderjohn - Tom Waits
5. The loneliness - Fightened Rabbits
Sunday, April 01, 2012
Curling finale
No Doyle this week. Between the gym and a few things that needed doing around the house after I got back from the gym, it was about 10:20 before I sat down. I think this week is the season finale, so I'll try and make time to sit down and watch it.
As for other things happening, curling season wrapped up for me this week. If I haven't spoken about curling quite as much as I usually do it's because I found this season a bit frustrating. I just wasn't playing well and it wasn't...fun, although I'm not sure why as the guys on my team are pretty cool. My third, a nice guy named Jeremy, joked during our final game last night that I never listen to his advice. My response is that in previous years my Third has been a cute woman and I'm apparently more receptive to their advice.
(There are many women I should apologize to for that last remark, but let's start with Cathy, and then move on to Stephanie and Ashley, who were my Thirds in recent years.)
I suspect many people would wonder why I was so frustrated. We didn't win our Tuesday League night, but we did win the B final that night, which was nice. We curled in the Canadian North Bonspiel last night (no plane ticket again, alas) and won the B Final in that event. Apparently, it's been a B kind of week.
The weekend was actually a lot of fun. It was only a three person team due to various weirdness. After losing an annoying game on Friday night (two of my final stones picked up debris and did weird thing. Cost me six points), we won Saturday morning, a nice strategic battle in the afternoon to get to the final and then an epic one in the final. We were the last teams on the ice, all I had to do with my last shot was make a take out to win...which I missed, of course. So now we're tied, it's 10 p.m. everyone else is eating and they're trying to convince us to go to an extra end.
We deferred, as we were all exhausted. Instead, we did a fun little bit of mental torture called skip stones. Basically each skip throws one rock, closest to the button wins. No pressure. The other skip went first and put his rock in the eight foot (the white rings, for those of you who watch curling on TV). I threw mine and put it on the button. It must be said, there is something nice about doing a pressure shot like that and making it, and then looking up and seeing people applauding (everyone was watching) and pounding on the glass.
I threw the last rock, in the last game of the season to win a final. I like that.
But I'm not sure it cancels out everything in the weeks before. As I said, I was frustrated a lot, my patience was thinner that it has been in years. My broom went flying a few times when I was frustrated, which I haven't done in about five years. That's not acceptable.
So I figure one of three things will happen.
1. Business as usual. I'll go back next season and do it all over again. The odds of that are marginally better after this week. And not just because of the wins. I notice my delivery is better as I've been losing some weight.
2. I'll put my name out there and if some team wants to recruit me, I'll curl with them on the condition I'm not the skip. I'll shoot Third stone or something.
3. Take a year, possibly more, off.
We'll see. I'm leaning towards #3, but that might change come September. Maybe the itch will be back.
But for now, time to hang up the curling shoes. I'll also have to see if I'm going to add Tuesday nights to the gym schedule. I've been going five nights a week, except Tuesday (curling) and Friday (recovery). Not sure I want to do six days a week at the gym, but I'll make my decision after Easter.
Last Five
1. Ribbons undone (live) - Tori Amos
2. The letter - Mark Bragg
3. Your heart is an empty room - Death Cab for Cutie*
4. Girls like you - The Naked and Famous
5. Tiger Lily - Ron Hynes
As for other things happening, curling season wrapped up for me this week. If I haven't spoken about curling quite as much as I usually do it's because I found this season a bit frustrating. I just wasn't playing well and it wasn't...fun, although I'm not sure why as the guys on my team are pretty cool. My third, a nice guy named Jeremy, joked during our final game last night that I never listen to his advice. My response is that in previous years my Third has been a cute woman and I'm apparently more receptive to their advice.
(There are many women I should apologize to for that last remark, but let's start with Cathy, and then move on to Stephanie and Ashley, who were my Thirds in recent years.)
I suspect many people would wonder why I was so frustrated. We didn't win our Tuesday League night, but we did win the B final that night, which was nice. We curled in the Canadian North Bonspiel last night (no plane ticket again, alas) and won the B Final in that event. Apparently, it's been a B kind of week.
The weekend was actually a lot of fun. It was only a three person team due to various weirdness. After losing an annoying game on Friday night (two of my final stones picked up debris and did weird thing. Cost me six points), we won Saturday morning, a nice strategic battle in the afternoon to get to the final and then an epic one in the final. We were the last teams on the ice, all I had to do with my last shot was make a take out to win...which I missed, of course. So now we're tied, it's 10 p.m. everyone else is eating and they're trying to convince us to go to an extra end.
We deferred, as we were all exhausted. Instead, we did a fun little bit of mental torture called skip stones. Basically each skip throws one rock, closest to the button wins. No pressure. The other skip went first and put his rock in the eight foot (the white rings, for those of you who watch curling on TV). I threw mine and put it on the button. It must be said, there is something nice about doing a pressure shot like that and making it, and then looking up and seeing people applauding (everyone was watching) and pounding on the glass.
I threw the last rock, in the last game of the season to win a final. I like that.
But I'm not sure it cancels out everything in the weeks before. As I said, I was frustrated a lot, my patience was thinner that it has been in years. My broom went flying a few times when I was frustrated, which I haven't done in about five years. That's not acceptable.
So I figure one of three things will happen.
1. Business as usual. I'll go back next season and do it all over again. The odds of that are marginally better after this week. And not just because of the wins. I notice my delivery is better as I've been losing some weight.
2. I'll put my name out there and if some team wants to recruit me, I'll curl with them on the condition I'm not the skip. I'll shoot Third stone or something.
3. Take a year, possibly more, off.
We'll see. I'm leaning towards #3, but that might change come September. Maybe the itch will be back.
But for now, time to hang up the curling shoes. I'll also have to see if I'm going to add Tuesday nights to the gym schedule. I've been going five nights a week, except Tuesday (curling) and Friday (recovery). Not sure I want to do six days a week at the gym, but I'll make my decision after Easter.
Last Five
1. Ribbons undone (live) - Tori Amos
2. The letter - Mark Bragg
3. Your heart is an empty room - Death Cab for Cutie*
4. Girls like you - The Naked and Famous
5. Tiger Lily - Ron Hynes
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Recent Acquisitions
We haven't been down to the museum in town for a couple of months, I think. There's always lots of nice things there, but it can be expensive walking in there. There's a tendency to walk in with a full wallet and then walk out with it considerably lighter. Bringing your check book is a tremendously bad idea. Trust me.
There are several places in town where you can buy really nice carvings, but the museum consistently offers nice little pieces at quite reasonable prices. Let's put it this way, anytime someone comes in town and expresses and urge to buy a carving, they're steered straight to the museum.
We didn't go there looking for a carving yesterday...we were there for the Pangnirtung Print Collection. Cape Dorset gets all the attention when it comes to prints in Nunavut, but Pangnirtung has a history with prints (and tapestries) and sometimes you can find a nice print at a price that's not as high as what the Dorset ones have reached in recent years.
(I'm not saying the Dorset prints aren't worth the price, by the way. I'm all for artists getting what they can for their work. But I've noticed the spike in prices over the last seven years as their national popularity has spiked.)
We didn't find one we liked, alas. However, as this is why the museum is dangerous, we were poking around and seeing what else was there and fell in love with a carving. Several hundred dollars later, this guy is now in our carvings display.
The artist is Quraq Nugushuituq from Cape Dorset. It's also carved out of quartz, which is a little different. We have a couple of polar bear carvings, but this is the first one that's actually the same colour as the bear.
And because we're showing off a bit, a couple of other acquisitions I've just forgotten to put up on the blog. First, there's the one of a woman in an amunti we bought back in November.
The stone is serpintine and the face is made from caribou antler. The artist is Mosesie Ipeelee from here in town.
And finally, a couple of ookpiks (owls). The one on the left is more of a traditional one. The one on the right, well, someone got the idea of doing a set of ookpiks and dubbing them Angry Ookpiks, and dyed them the same colour as the Angry Birds. They were $30 each, so while it was tempting to go and buy the set, Cathy just settled on the blue one. I suspect, judging by how fast they disappeared (they were advertised on one of the Iqaluit Buy/Swap sites on Facebook) the artist is going to do quite well for herself over the next couple of months.
That's the thing about Iqaluit. It's dead easy for us to resist hitting the bars or eating out. But the sheer volume of art that's routinely dangled in front of you...that's the hard thing to pass up...
Last Five
1. Peace - Weezer
2. Mother - Emmanuel Jai
3. Champagne for my friends - Fall Out Boy
4. Yankee bayonet - The Decemberists*
5. Smoke detector - Rilo Kiley
There are several places in town where you can buy really nice carvings, but the museum consistently offers nice little pieces at quite reasonable prices. Let's put it this way, anytime someone comes in town and expresses and urge to buy a carving, they're steered straight to the museum.
We didn't go there looking for a carving yesterday...we were there for the Pangnirtung Print Collection. Cape Dorset gets all the attention when it comes to prints in Nunavut, but Pangnirtung has a history with prints (and tapestries) and sometimes you can find a nice print at a price that's not as high as what the Dorset ones have reached in recent years.
(I'm not saying the Dorset prints aren't worth the price, by the way. I'm all for artists getting what they can for their work. But I've noticed the spike in prices over the last seven years as their national popularity has spiked.)
We didn't find one we liked, alas. However, as this is why the museum is dangerous, we were poking around and seeing what else was there and fell in love with a carving. Several hundred dollars later, this guy is now in our carvings display.
The artist is Quraq Nugushuituq from Cape Dorset. It's also carved out of quartz, which is a little different. We have a couple of polar bear carvings, but this is the first one that's actually the same colour as the bear.
And because we're showing off a bit, a couple of other acquisitions I've just forgotten to put up on the blog. First, there's the one of a woman in an amunti we bought back in November.
The stone is serpintine and the face is made from caribou antler. The artist is Mosesie Ipeelee from here in town.
And finally, a couple of ookpiks (owls). The one on the left is more of a traditional one. The one on the right, well, someone got the idea of doing a set of ookpiks and dubbing them Angry Ookpiks, and dyed them the same colour as the Angry Birds. They were $30 each, so while it was tempting to go and buy the set, Cathy just settled on the blue one. I suspect, judging by how fast they disappeared (they were advertised on one of the Iqaluit Buy/Swap sites on Facebook) the artist is going to do quite well for herself over the next couple of months.
That's the thing about Iqaluit. It's dead easy for us to resist hitting the bars or eating out. But the sheer volume of art that's routinely dangled in front of you...that's the hard thing to pass up...
Last Five
1. Peace - Weezer
2. Mother - Emmanuel Jai
3. Champagne for my friends - Fall Out Boy
4. Yankee bayonet - The Decemberists*
5. Smoke detector - Rilo Kiley
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Plate madness
Friends of mine on Facebook have already seen this, so my apologies to them. But for the rest of you, this might be of interest. It is also a cautionary tale.
A friend of mine posted a link to an eBay auction earlier this week (he's not the one running it) for a used Nunavut licence plate. Now, if you had asked me how much something like that would go for, I would have said $10...maybe. I would have been off by a considerable amount.
There's less than 30 minutes left as I write this, but allow me to say that $197 for a licence plate is insane (Note: It went for $213. Unreal). I would also like to point out that the plate is almost exactly the same as the plate for the NorthWest Territories. For that matter, $20 in shipping for the licence plate is also batshit crazy, but anyway...
I made the joke after I read that auction - when it was at $110, by the way - that I had a new retirement plan. It involved me taking the day off, going to my tool box for a screwdriver, and then taking a casual stroll around town. You know, for my health and all...
If that plate goes for $200, then aside from P.T. Barnum really being a genius philosopher, I am tempted to go out this evening with a screwdriver. I figure 300 licence plates would be enough to take care of my sealift this summer.
To my knowledge, they're still making them for another couple of months, so they're not really that rare or scarce. But I have to admit, if someone offered me $200 for the plate off the back of our car, I wouldn't sell it. So perhaps there is some truth to the value of the plate. I also have no idea what the licence plate collectors market is like. Maybe it is in demand, but I find $200 a touch insane.
Although I will say this...if this actually becomes a trend, and those plates start getting a couple of hundred dollars, my plate is going to disappear (i.e. it's going to be hung on my wall) and I'll go and get one of the new ones. I'll suffer the ugly one on the car; but having someone steal it (because word is going to get out around town about this) and sell it on eBay would be really annoying...
Last Five
1. Lithium - Nirvana*
2. The Jessica numbers - The New Pornographers
3. Anna...go to him - The Beatles
4. Follow the arrows - Sean Panting
5. Ireland - Tori Amos
A friend of mine posted a link to an eBay auction earlier this week (he's not the one running it) for a used Nunavut licence plate. Now, if you had asked me how much something like that would go for, I would have said $10...maybe. I would have been off by a considerable amount.
There's less than 30 minutes left as I write this, but allow me to say that $197 for a licence plate is insane (Note: It went for $213. Unreal). I would also like to point out that the plate is almost exactly the same as the plate for the NorthWest Territories. For that matter, $20 in shipping for the licence plate is also batshit crazy, but anyway...
I made the joke after I read that auction - when it was at $110, by the way - that I had a new retirement plan. It involved me taking the day off, going to my tool box for a screwdriver, and then taking a casual stroll around town. You know, for my health and all...
If that plate goes for $200, then aside from P.T. Barnum really being a genius philosopher, I am tempted to go out this evening with a screwdriver. I figure 300 licence plates would be enough to take care of my sealift this summer.
To my knowledge, they're still making them for another couple of months, so they're not really that rare or scarce. But I have to admit, if someone offered me $200 for the plate off the back of our car, I wouldn't sell it. So perhaps there is some truth to the value of the plate. I also have no idea what the licence plate collectors market is like. Maybe it is in demand, but I find $200 a touch insane.
Although I will say this...if this actually becomes a trend, and those plates start getting a couple of hundred dollars, my plate is going to disappear (i.e. it's going to be hung on my wall) and I'll go and get one of the new ones. I'll suffer the ugly one on the car; but having someone steal it (because word is going to get out around town about this) and sell it on eBay would be really annoying...
Last Five
1. Lithium - Nirvana*
2. The Jessica numbers - The New Pornographers
3. Anna...go to him - The Beatles
4. Follow the arrows - Sean Panting
5. Ireland - Tori Amos
Thursday, March 22, 2012
This week's Doyle
See, it is entirely possible to do a solid, entertaining hour of Doyle without going completely off the rails. I think the difference is that this wasn't a silly episode. It had amusing moments and a few laughs, but the writers didn't chase them so desperately that the ran the plot clear off the rails, which they tend to do.
See, playing it straight can be your friend as well.
As is typical of Doyle, especially this season, we have several plots going on. The main plot involves Des father getting paroled from jail, and then promptly getting kidnapped. So the Doyles have to spring into action and figure out what's going on, if he's actually been kidnapped, and try to prevent Des from acting more of a spaz as always.
In plot #2, A retired RNC officer with a connection to Mal's past has been found murdered. Mal is acting vague in a way that fools absolutely no one (I assume they only thing he's worse at, other than being a father, is playing poker). Lesley knows he's hiding something, which is making her...crankier than normal.
Plot #3, we have Kathleen dealing with a sinister man from her past, along with a blue book and some money she possibly stole. Unsurprisingly, this is the least interesting of the plots. Fortunately it's also the one that gets the least amount of screen time.
The Des father plot actually holds up pretty ok. I like that they show his father his basically just an older version of Des - a geeky guy, who is a bit of a savant when it comes to electronics, a clutz and easily distracted. The difference is that he didn't have the Doyles to rescue him, like they did with Des. And lots of nice moments with each of the cast reacting to Des and his situation. Rose and Mal saying he's a good guy, Jake's mildly stunned reaction in realizing how much Des worships him and a lovely little scene with Rose and Tinny, where Rose essentially smacks down all of Tinny's bluster about how she feels about him.
Tinny, for all my bitching and moaning, can be an interesting character if they can ever figure out what to do with her. This episode she mostly worked.
Plus, there were few plot holes. Yes, it was mind blowingly stupid for the crook to take Des back to the spot where he held his dad, but I'll forgive that.
And, you know, for all the times that Jake gets hit in either the balls or the head, it's pretty well assured that he's sterile and probably should be showing the post-concussion symptoms you would see in a veteran NHL enforcer. But I digress...
The Mal subplot has some intrigue, just because it's nice to go back into his past a bit before he became a PI. The show is nearly three years old now. You can reach back into some of their pasts for story ideas. Rose's...checkered...history is a nice example. I hope they play it a bit straight, however. Lesley knows he's full of shit, so it would be nice to see if the rest of the Doyles quickly figure that out as well and Rose in particular, should be chewing his ass out. So a decent set-up for a story to come.
As for #3, Kathleen's whole point in the show seems to be more annoying than Tinny, thereby making her more sympathetic. If ever there was a time for a tragic death in the family, I'm leaning that way with the character. I imagine it's being all set-up for the season finale.
So yes, a good show. Solid, nice juggling of multiple plots, no boneheaded silliness...I could stand to see more of this.
Last Five
1. Scott Pilgrim - Plumtree
2. This is our perfect crime - The Von Bondies
3. Cold hands - Brendan Benson
4. Stop the clocks - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
5. Cigarette - Ben Folds Five
See, playing it straight can be your friend as well.
As is typical of Doyle, especially this season, we have several plots going on. The main plot involves Des father getting paroled from jail, and then promptly getting kidnapped. So the Doyles have to spring into action and figure out what's going on, if he's actually been kidnapped, and try to prevent Des from acting more of a spaz as always.
In plot #2, A retired RNC officer with a connection to Mal's past has been found murdered. Mal is acting vague in a way that fools absolutely no one (I assume they only thing he's worse at, other than being a father, is playing poker). Lesley knows he's hiding something, which is making her...crankier than normal.
Plot #3, we have Kathleen dealing with a sinister man from her past, along with a blue book and some money she possibly stole. Unsurprisingly, this is the least interesting of the plots. Fortunately it's also the one that gets the least amount of screen time.
The Des father plot actually holds up pretty ok. I like that they show his father his basically just an older version of Des - a geeky guy, who is a bit of a savant when it comes to electronics, a clutz and easily distracted. The difference is that he didn't have the Doyles to rescue him, like they did with Des. And lots of nice moments with each of the cast reacting to Des and his situation. Rose and Mal saying he's a good guy, Jake's mildly stunned reaction in realizing how much Des worships him and a lovely little scene with Rose and Tinny, where Rose essentially smacks down all of Tinny's bluster about how she feels about him.
Tinny, for all my bitching and moaning, can be an interesting character if they can ever figure out what to do with her. This episode she mostly worked.
Plus, there were few plot holes. Yes, it was mind blowingly stupid for the crook to take Des back to the spot where he held his dad, but I'll forgive that.
And, you know, for all the times that Jake gets hit in either the balls or the head, it's pretty well assured that he's sterile and probably should be showing the post-concussion symptoms you would see in a veteran NHL enforcer. But I digress...
The Mal subplot has some intrigue, just because it's nice to go back into his past a bit before he became a PI. The show is nearly three years old now. You can reach back into some of their pasts for story ideas. Rose's...checkered...history is a nice example. I hope they play it a bit straight, however. Lesley knows he's full of shit, so it would be nice to see if the rest of the Doyles quickly figure that out as well and Rose in particular, should be chewing his ass out. So a decent set-up for a story to come.
As for #3, Kathleen's whole point in the show seems to be more annoying than Tinny, thereby making her more sympathetic. If ever there was a time for a tragic death in the family, I'm leaning that way with the character. I imagine it's being all set-up for the season finale.
So yes, a good show. Solid, nice juggling of multiple plots, no boneheaded silliness...I could stand to see more of this.
Last Five
1. Scott Pilgrim - Plumtree
2. This is our perfect crime - The Von Bondies
3. Cold hands - Brendan Benson
4. Stop the clocks - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
5. Cigarette - Ben Folds Five
Sunday, March 18, 2012
How much is that doggie in the window...
It's a beautiful sunny Sunday in Iqaluit, and Spring is right around the corner. So this is the time of the year where Iqaluit really starts to glow. All that white snow, coupled with plenty of daylight...it's a nice mix.
Pity it's -37C with windchill today. Just took Boo for a walk. We both decided after five minutes we were done with being outside. It's beautiful outside, it's just much warmer to look at it through a window.
Case in point...
It's also much warmer in the sunspot while lying on a couch than lying on the snow outside.
The downside to being inside is that when certain people are in the mood to pick and poke and comb out some mats there's no where to run.
Although most of our attention is out the front window and looking out the bay, occasionally you do see cool things looking out our back window. Birds other than ravens offer me home that perhaps winter might ease up (let's not get crazy and talk about spring yet) at some point in the next couple of weeks.
This is actually from a week or so ago. I was just surprised to see a hare in town. I'm sure it happens, but it's the first time I've seen one. Most non-avian wildlife give Iqaluit a reasonably wide berth, what with their being so many ways to die and all...
Last Five
1. Hot soft light - The Hold Steady
2. We will rock you - Queen
3. Mary Jane's last dance (live) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4. Monster love - Goldfrapp
5. House of smoke and mirrors - Matthew Good*
Pity it's -37C with windchill today. Just took Boo for a walk. We both decided after five minutes we were done with being outside. It's beautiful outside, it's just much warmer to look at it through a window.
Case in point...
It's also much warmer in the sunspot while lying on a couch than lying on the snow outside.
The downside to being inside is that when certain people are in the mood to pick and poke and comb out some mats there's no where to run.
Although most of our attention is out the front window and looking out the bay, occasionally you do see cool things looking out our back window. Birds other than ravens offer me home that perhaps winter might ease up (let's not get crazy and talk about spring yet) at some point in the next couple of weeks.
This is actually from a week or so ago. I was just surprised to see a hare in town. I'm sure it happens, but it's the first time I've seen one. Most non-avian wildlife give Iqaluit a reasonably wide berth, what with their being so many ways to die and all...
Last Five
1. Hot soft light - The Hold Steady
2. We will rock you - Queen
3. Mary Jane's last dance (live) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4. Monster love - Goldfrapp
5. House of smoke and mirrors - Matthew Good*
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Doyle vs. Castle
One of the criticisms of my reviews of Doyle has been "you're taking it too seriously. It's a fluffy, fun show. Relax and just watch it and don't be so critical."
Which I'm not entirely sure how you're supposed to do that and be able to review it, but whatever. But here's the thing...I do watch other mindless TV shows. The show that I tend to compare Doyle to is Castle.
Now I know some people go that's unfair because Castle is a major US network show with a massive budget. However, I think it works for the sake of my argument. Castle's central idea is certainly more preposterous. What's sillier - a private detective solving crime in St. John's or a mystery writer teaming up with a hot detective and together they solve murder cases...and have been doing so for four years and managed to not sleep together despite insane chemistry.
Castle wins the silly sweepstakes on that one.
In terms of the look of the show, Doyle win that too. Castle is the generic New York via Hollywood backlot look that's so common on US network shows. At least Doyle looks pretty and has some character.
Castle, obviously has a better pool of actors to draw on, but Doyle still gets some entertaining guest stars. It was nice seeing Andy Jones as grumpy judge last night. I hope they bring him back from time to time. Any occasion to see Andy Jones on TV is a good one.
But the big difference is in the quality of writing, which shouldn't be a surprise considering I've harped on it so much. But let's compare an episode of Castle from earlier the season with the Doyle one last night. They have similar premises in that one of the lead characters is trapped and unable to run around and solve the mystery, meaning other people have to do it. In Castle's case, he's trapped in a bank in the middle of a robbery, meaning Beckett has to try and solve the mystery and deal with the robbers. In Doyle's case, he's stuck on jury duty trying a case where he's convinced the defendant is innocent, but being sequestered it's a little hard to prove things.
Not precisely the same, but close. But the thing with Castle is that it clicks along so effortlessly. There's some real nice tension, some good humour and a decent mystery. Aspects of it are deeply silly, but even after it's over and you start to nitpick a bit, it still holds together fairly well.
Doyle just isn't the same. I mean, I enjoy the show fine, I guess. I knew the premise is silly from the get go (there's no human way Doyle gets on a jury, but whatever), however I'm biting. Try to solve the mystery while stuck in a jury room. Except they never play fair with the premise. Of course he gets to sneak out, wander around, get in a fight and walk down the street in broad daylight with an escaped criminal (having a character point it out as silly does not absolve you, as a writer, of it being a silly thing to do). Of course he gets caught and thrown off the jury, allowing him time to run around and do the big reveal in court.
Castle effortlessly sucks you into the silliness and you go along for the ride. Doyle feels too often like it's trying to punch you in the face with the silliness. And the hangover, when you realize how stupid stuff was after it ends, is fairly brutal. I'm not sure Advil quite covers it.
Doyle is perfectly average mindless fluff, but Castle is top notch mindless fluff. The difference isn't in the budget, the scenery or even the acting. It's the writing. Until Doyle acknowledges that and works to address it, I think it's going to be stuck that way for me, no matter how much I try to turn off my brain.
Last Five
1. Trojan horse - Bloc Party
2. Sex on fire - Kings of Leon
3. Wonderful - Andy Stochansky
4. I'll wait - Van Halen
5. People got a lotta nerve - Neko Case*
Which I'm not entirely sure how you're supposed to do that and be able to review it, but whatever. But here's the thing...I do watch other mindless TV shows. The show that I tend to compare Doyle to is Castle.
Now I know some people go that's unfair because Castle is a major US network show with a massive budget. However, I think it works for the sake of my argument. Castle's central idea is certainly more preposterous. What's sillier - a private detective solving crime in St. John's or a mystery writer teaming up with a hot detective and together they solve murder cases...and have been doing so for four years and managed to not sleep together despite insane chemistry.
Castle wins the silly sweepstakes on that one.
In terms of the look of the show, Doyle win that too. Castle is the generic New York via Hollywood backlot look that's so common on US network shows. At least Doyle looks pretty and has some character.
Castle, obviously has a better pool of actors to draw on, but Doyle still gets some entertaining guest stars. It was nice seeing Andy Jones as grumpy judge last night. I hope they bring him back from time to time. Any occasion to see Andy Jones on TV is a good one.
But the big difference is in the quality of writing, which shouldn't be a surprise considering I've harped on it so much. But let's compare an episode of Castle from earlier the season with the Doyle one last night. They have similar premises in that one of the lead characters is trapped and unable to run around and solve the mystery, meaning other people have to do it. In Castle's case, he's trapped in a bank in the middle of a robbery, meaning Beckett has to try and solve the mystery and deal with the robbers. In Doyle's case, he's stuck on jury duty trying a case where he's convinced the defendant is innocent, but being sequestered it's a little hard to prove things.
Not precisely the same, but close. But the thing with Castle is that it clicks along so effortlessly. There's some real nice tension, some good humour and a decent mystery. Aspects of it are deeply silly, but even after it's over and you start to nitpick a bit, it still holds together fairly well.
Doyle just isn't the same. I mean, I enjoy the show fine, I guess. I knew the premise is silly from the get go (there's no human way Doyle gets on a jury, but whatever), however I'm biting. Try to solve the mystery while stuck in a jury room. Except they never play fair with the premise. Of course he gets to sneak out, wander around, get in a fight and walk down the street in broad daylight with an escaped criminal (having a character point it out as silly does not absolve you, as a writer, of it being a silly thing to do). Of course he gets caught and thrown off the jury, allowing him time to run around and do the big reveal in court.
Castle effortlessly sucks you into the silliness and you go along for the ride. Doyle feels too often like it's trying to punch you in the face with the silliness. And the hangover, when you realize how stupid stuff was after it ends, is fairly brutal. I'm not sure Advil quite covers it.
Doyle is perfectly average mindless fluff, but Castle is top notch mindless fluff. The difference isn't in the budget, the scenery or even the acting. It's the writing. Until Doyle acknowledges that and works to address it, I think it's going to be stuck that way for me, no matter how much I try to turn off my brain.
Last Five
1. Trojan horse - Bloc Party
2. Sex on fire - Kings of Leon
3. Wonderful - Andy Stochansky
4. I'll wait - Van Halen
5. People got a lotta nerve - Neko Case*
Monday, March 12, 2012
New strategy
So there's a story today announcing that Ke$ha (at about 14 minutes of her 15 of fame) has come out against the seal hunt. If I may, to save you time and brain cells, allow me to sum up the comments section to that story, and any other story involving the seal hunt as we enter March Madness.
"You suck!"
"No, you suck!"
Ta da! I have saved you literally hours of your life. You're welcome.
Look, I grew up in Newfoundland and I live in Nunavut. I have a decent education at this time in hopeless battles. Pick a maritime mammal - seal, polar bear, whale - I live, or lived, in places where people have wanted to kill them for various reasons they consider to be quite reasonable in opposition to nearly everyone else in the western world. That's the sad truth of the matter. It terms of cultural battles, these hunts are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. It's the cute seal with big eyes being slaughter, it's the beautiful polar bear, in danger from climate change, being killed by sports hunters. Or the smart, majestic whale being killed for no good reason.
This is where western culture sits at this point. This has been the fight for public perception over the last 40 years. In terms of public perception, pro-hunt people have lost. Of course they have their supporters. But for most people out there, for whom this isn't a life and death issue, the battle has been played out and won over the years. Those supporting these hunts are not on the winning side.
I'm not even getting into which side is right at this point. I'm just saying which side has lost. Pro-hunt people are backed in a deep, dark corner at this point. Maybe that's not right, and maybe that's not fair, but it is reality.
I had a discussion on Twitter last month with a very smart woman in town who argued that all it will take is really good organization and a really good communications strategy and it's entirely possible to turn around public opinion.
I agree with her on that part, although we're talking the "Hamlet" of communications strategies, all right. I've written a few of the buggers in my day. I can't wait to read the one that completely turns around decades of public perception when it comes to seals, or polar bears or whales. They're going to write books about that one. There will be courses at PR schools dedicated to the awe and wonder of that strategy.
But the one thing we disagreed on was money. She didn't think much would be needed. I argue that metric fuckloads of money is going to be required. Once, in a previous life, I joked that I could take an entire government department's budget, give to a PR company that made tobacco companies look good and you would still lose. Anti-hunt advocates are well funded, smart and they've been doing this for so many years it's like breathing for them. And, oh yes, many of them are zealots. Complain all you want about how they're wrong, or distorting the facts. It's a PR battle. The first casualty in these things is the truth.
So money. Lots of money. For advertising campaigns, social media campaigns, for contingencies I can't even think of right now. Lots and lots of it. Because it's not a one year burst of cash and you've won. Or five years. Or 10. Or 20. It's a willingness to spend as much as needed, for as long as needed. You have to shift a cultural perspective. It's going to take a long, long time. I also have no earthly idea where that money is coming from. That's the other problem with losing the culture wars. People will gladly give money to save polar bears's environment. Not so much with the fundraisers to go and kill them. Last time I checked, government's weren't exactly forking over the millions and millions needed. So yes, things are not going well.
If you need further proof, look at Ke$ha today. Of course she's an ignorant twit, but the fact that her opinion on the seal hunt actually made the news should give you an idea of how things are going. They're not going well. At all. So either figure out the strategy and where the money is coming from and starting fighting back or starting preparing for the terms of surrender. Because time is running out where pro-hunt people are going to have the option of making a choice.
Last Five
1. Cloudbursting - Kate Bush
2. The Curse - Josh Ritter*
3. This year's love - David Gray
4. The hitter - Bruce Springsteen
5. La cienega just smiled - Ryan Adams
"You suck!"
"No, you suck!"
Ta da! I have saved you literally hours of your life. You're welcome.
Look, I grew up in Newfoundland and I live in Nunavut. I have a decent education at this time in hopeless battles. Pick a maritime mammal - seal, polar bear, whale - I live, or lived, in places where people have wanted to kill them for various reasons they consider to be quite reasonable in opposition to nearly everyone else in the western world. That's the sad truth of the matter. It terms of cultural battles, these hunts are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. It's the cute seal with big eyes being slaughter, it's the beautiful polar bear, in danger from climate change, being killed by sports hunters. Or the smart, majestic whale being killed for no good reason.
This is where western culture sits at this point. This has been the fight for public perception over the last 40 years. In terms of public perception, pro-hunt people have lost. Of course they have their supporters. But for most people out there, for whom this isn't a life and death issue, the battle has been played out and won over the years. Those supporting these hunts are not on the winning side.
I'm not even getting into which side is right at this point. I'm just saying which side has lost. Pro-hunt people are backed in a deep, dark corner at this point. Maybe that's not right, and maybe that's not fair, but it is reality.
I had a discussion on Twitter last month with a very smart woman in town who argued that all it will take is really good organization and a really good communications strategy and it's entirely possible to turn around public opinion.
I agree with her on that part, although we're talking the "Hamlet" of communications strategies, all right. I've written a few of the buggers in my day. I can't wait to read the one that completely turns around decades of public perception when it comes to seals, or polar bears or whales. They're going to write books about that one. There will be courses at PR schools dedicated to the awe and wonder of that strategy.
But the one thing we disagreed on was money. She didn't think much would be needed. I argue that metric fuckloads of money is going to be required. Once, in a previous life, I joked that I could take an entire government department's budget, give to a PR company that made tobacco companies look good and you would still lose. Anti-hunt advocates are well funded, smart and they've been doing this for so many years it's like breathing for them. And, oh yes, many of them are zealots. Complain all you want about how they're wrong, or distorting the facts. It's a PR battle. The first casualty in these things is the truth.
So money. Lots of money. For advertising campaigns, social media campaigns, for contingencies I can't even think of right now. Lots and lots of it. Because it's not a one year burst of cash and you've won. Or five years. Or 10. Or 20. It's a willingness to spend as much as needed, for as long as needed. You have to shift a cultural perspective. It's going to take a long, long time. I also have no earthly idea where that money is coming from. That's the other problem with losing the culture wars. People will gladly give money to save polar bears's environment. Not so much with the fundraisers to go and kill them. Last time I checked, government's weren't exactly forking over the millions and millions needed. So yes, things are not going well.
If you need further proof, look at Ke$ha today. Of course she's an ignorant twit, but the fact that her opinion on the seal hunt actually made the news should give you an idea of how things are going. They're not going well. At all. So either figure out the strategy and where the money is coming from and starting fighting back or starting preparing for the terms of surrender. Because time is running out where pro-hunt people are going to have the option of making a choice.
Last Five
1. Cloudbursting - Kate Bush
2. The Curse - Josh Ritter*
3. This year's love - David Gray
4. The hitter - Bruce Springsteen
5. La cienega just smiled - Ryan Adams
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Games, Doyle and licence plates
1. Apologies for the lax posting...but between work, getting caught up in some books and the gym, my evenings have been a bit busy. Plus I'm normally tired when I mean to sit down and start writing.
2. The reading in question was Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games". I bought the books for Cathy a couple of Christmases ago and just never got around to reading them myself. I figured with the movie coming out in a couple of weeks, now might be a good time to read them because the movie looks quite good.
Well, I'll say this much for Collins, she knows how to build a body count. I though JK Rowling had quite the serial killer personality, but not many characters manage to survive this series, it must be said. And I enjoy the occasional bleak ending, but Jesus...
I also understand that is mostly meant for teens, especially teen girls, so I'll forgive the whole "which boy will she choose" because I'm obvious not the target audience. But as a role model for young girls...I dunno. Yes, Katniss is strong and looks after her family, but she also spends large chunks of the books hysterical, drugged and manipulated. They're page-turners, but deeply odd. I'm curious if they make the last book into a movie if they'll keep the ending the same. It's pretty bleak for a Hollywood popcorn film.
3. The gym continues to go well. Still maintaining the schedule of five days a week, for at least an hour with a mix of the elliptical and different weight machines. The weight, alas, is not coming off as quickly as I would like, even with the changes in the diet and portion-size. Still, this a two year plan. No one said it would be easy.
4. I did actually sit down and watch Doyle on Wednesday night. Thought about doing a full review, but promptly stayed up to 12:30 finishing one of the Hunger Game books. I watched mainly because Gordon Pinsent was in it. Pinsent is one of the few actors who get an automatic look in whatever they do. I won't always like it, but it gets the benefit of the doubt.
So it was a fun enough episode. The flashback from multiple perspectives worked, although I'm glad they only did it for the first half of the show. If it had been for the entire show, it would have become a nuisance. But it was amusing for the first part of the show. Actually, the bit from Mal's perspective was the most amusing. More Pinsent would have been nice, but I'll just have to settle for watching this instead
There was also actual detective work done and Jake actually went and got a cop to make the big arrest at the end. Well, will wonders never cease. The ending was also certainly poignant, but we are quickly reaching the point where it's idiotic that they're not together.
In other subplots, the Walter/Kathleen romance has potential to be vastly amusing. God, anything with more Walter in it. Jake tells Walter he's his best friend, but we never see the character in the show. And the Des/Tinny relationship continues to drive deep into the waters of the idiotic.
5. The other news out of Nunavut was the announcement that we have new licence plates. Ever since Nunavut split from the Northwest Territories we've had the same polar bear plate - it's iconic and looks kind of awesome. However, because of various weirdness, we can no longe use that licence plate. So there was a competition to see what the new one looks like, which you can see here.
I confess I'm not thrilled with it and the reaction is mixed to say the least. My issue is that it looks like the kitch tourist art you can buy at Arctic Ventures that was inevitably created by someone from Alberta based on what they think the north looks like. I don't know how you can have a licence plate with a polar bear, an inuksuk and northern lights and not feel northern, but this plate manages the trick.
I always thought they should have just adapted something by Kenojuak Ashevak (with her permission, of course). You would have gotten something unique and distinctly northern.
Oh well. Let's just say I'm glad we have the licence plate we do on our car and that we're keeping it when we sell the car many years from now.
Last Five
1. Can't walk away - The Monday Nights
2. Tournament of hearts (live) - The Weakerthans*
3. Map of a city - Ian Foster
4. In traffic - Andrew LeDerew
5. Lake fever - The Tragically Hip
2. The reading in question was Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games". I bought the books for Cathy a couple of Christmases ago and just never got around to reading them myself. I figured with the movie coming out in a couple of weeks, now might be a good time to read them because the movie looks quite good.
Well, I'll say this much for Collins, she knows how to build a body count. I though JK Rowling had quite the serial killer personality, but not many characters manage to survive this series, it must be said. And I enjoy the occasional bleak ending, but Jesus...
I also understand that is mostly meant for teens, especially teen girls, so I'll forgive the whole "which boy will she choose" because I'm obvious not the target audience. But as a role model for young girls...I dunno. Yes, Katniss is strong and looks after her family, but she also spends large chunks of the books hysterical, drugged and manipulated. They're page-turners, but deeply odd. I'm curious if they make the last book into a movie if they'll keep the ending the same. It's pretty bleak for a Hollywood popcorn film.
3. The gym continues to go well. Still maintaining the schedule of five days a week, for at least an hour with a mix of the elliptical and different weight machines. The weight, alas, is not coming off as quickly as I would like, even with the changes in the diet and portion-size. Still, this a two year plan. No one said it would be easy.
4. I did actually sit down and watch Doyle on Wednesday night. Thought about doing a full review, but promptly stayed up to 12:30 finishing one of the Hunger Game books. I watched mainly because Gordon Pinsent was in it. Pinsent is one of the few actors who get an automatic look in whatever they do. I won't always like it, but it gets the benefit of the doubt.
So it was a fun enough episode. The flashback from multiple perspectives worked, although I'm glad they only did it for the first half of the show. If it had been for the entire show, it would have become a nuisance. But it was amusing for the first part of the show. Actually, the bit from Mal's perspective was the most amusing. More Pinsent would have been nice, but I'll just have to settle for watching this instead
There was also actual detective work done and Jake actually went and got a cop to make the big arrest at the end. Well, will wonders never cease. The ending was also certainly poignant, but we are quickly reaching the point where it's idiotic that they're not together.
In other subplots, the Walter/Kathleen romance has potential to be vastly amusing. God, anything with more Walter in it. Jake tells Walter he's his best friend, but we never see the character in the show. And the Des/Tinny relationship continues to drive deep into the waters of the idiotic.
5. The other news out of Nunavut was the announcement that we have new licence plates. Ever since Nunavut split from the Northwest Territories we've had the same polar bear plate - it's iconic and looks kind of awesome. However, because of various weirdness, we can no longe use that licence plate. So there was a competition to see what the new one looks like, which you can see here.
I confess I'm not thrilled with it and the reaction is mixed to say the least. My issue is that it looks like the kitch tourist art you can buy at Arctic Ventures that was inevitably created by someone from Alberta based on what they think the north looks like. I don't know how you can have a licence plate with a polar bear, an inuksuk and northern lights and not feel northern, but this plate manages the trick.
I always thought they should have just adapted something by Kenojuak Ashevak (with her permission, of course). You would have gotten something unique and distinctly northern.
Oh well. Let's just say I'm glad we have the licence plate we do on our car and that we're keeping it when we sell the car many years from now.
Last Five
1. Can't walk away - The Monday Nights
2. Tournament of hearts (live) - The Weakerthans*
3. Map of a city - Ian Foster
4. In traffic - Andrew LeDerew
5. Lake fever - The Tragically Hip
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Big hearts
1. So yes, still around. I think it's safe to say I might have given up writing about the Doyle. I just haven't been enjoying this season and writing week in and week out about how frustrating the show is clearly means it's time for me to move on. Maybe I'll check back at the end of the season to see if things are getting any better for me.
Besides, the new schedule kind of occupies a lot of my time. I'm currently going to the gym five days a week. Tuesdays I curl and Fridays I take as a day of rest. So right now on Wednesday I'm getting home from the gym around 8:45. I could catch Doyle at 9, but a new show, "Nunavut Quest" comes on then on APTN. Watched the first episode this week. Really, a dogsled race across the top of Baffin Island beats Doyle hands down for my entertainment value. I highly recommend hunting it down and taking a look.
2. As has been obvious to those paying attention to the news, we had another crappy week up here. It feels like not that long ago I was writing about a devastating fire up here and this weekend we had another one, burning down a series of townhouse that left dozens homeless. Last year people were relatively lucky, or as lucky as you can be when losing almost everything...at least there was no loss of life last year.
We're not so lucky this time. Two people are missing and presumed dead. It's a small town and the rumour mill is going full tilt on what happened, but I won't repeat what I've heard happen. That's up to the RCMP to figure out.
You know, I still get a fair amount of email from people thinking about moving up here. Despite the FAQ, people still want to talk to someone and get a feel for what the place is like. I understand. I always emphasize it's a major commitment; be sure before you take the plunge. And the single question I get asked the most is "We've read all about the crime rate. Will we be safe moving there?"
It would be foolish for me to deny that Iqaluit has problems. It does and there is crime and much of it is so pointless and frustrating that it makes you want to scream sometimes. But I think you can also tell a lot about a community by how it comes together in the face of tragedy. If that's the case, then Iqaluit has one of the biggest hearts of any place I've ever been to. When the mayor has to go and tell people to please stop donating stuff because they have more than they will ever use mere days after the fire, I think that says something.
It's still not over, either. There's a fundraiser tomorrow at the Legion to help out. People have been donating to the Red Cross, or buying gift cards for NorthMart and Arctic Ventures so those left homeless can go and buy what they need. Companies have kicked in plane tickets, free cargo and cash to help out.
There's a good heart here. Maybe it doesn't get to shine as much as we might all wish it would, and that it wouldn't take tragedy for everyone to realize it. But never doubt that it's here.
Last Five
1. Please call me baby - Tom Waits*
2. Win win - Jenny Gear and the Whiskey Kittens
3. Middle of love - Ron Sexsmith
4. Girl - Beck
5. Wake up dead man - U2
Besides, the new schedule kind of occupies a lot of my time. I'm currently going to the gym five days a week. Tuesdays I curl and Fridays I take as a day of rest. So right now on Wednesday I'm getting home from the gym around 8:45. I could catch Doyle at 9, but a new show, "Nunavut Quest" comes on then on APTN. Watched the first episode this week. Really, a dogsled race across the top of Baffin Island beats Doyle hands down for my entertainment value. I highly recommend hunting it down and taking a look.
2. As has been obvious to those paying attention to the news, we had another crappy week up here. It feels like not that long ago I was writing about a devastating fire up here and this weekend we had another one, burning down a series of townhouse that left dozens homeless. Last year people were relatively lucky, or as lucky as you can be when losing almost everything...at least there was no loss of life last year.
We're not so lucky this time. Two people are missing and presumed dead. It's a small town and the rumour mill is going full tilt on what happened, but I won't repeat what I've heard happen. That's up to the RCMP to figure out.
You know, I still get a fair amount of email from people thinking about moving up here. Despite the FAQ, people still want to talk to someone and get a feel for what the place is like. I understand. I always emphasize it's a major commitment; be sure before you take the plunge. And the single question I get asked the most is "We've read all about the crime rate. Will we be safe moving there?"
It would be foolish for me to deny that Iqaluit has problems. It does and there is crime and much of it is so pointless and frustrating that it makes you want to scream sometimes. But I think you can also tell a lot about a community by how it comes together in the face of tragedy. If that's the case, then Iqaluit has one of the biggest hearts of any place I've ever been to. When the mayor has to go and tell people to please stop donating stuff because they have more than they will ever use mere days after the fire, I think that says something.
It's still not over, either. There's a fundraiser tomorrow at the Legion to help out. People have been donating to the Red Cross, or buying gift cards for NorthMart and Arctic Ventures so those left homeless can go and buy what they need. Companies have kicked in plane tickets, free cargo and cash to help out.
There's a good heart here. Maybe it doesn't get to shine as much as we might all wish it would, and that it wouldn't take tragedy for everyone to realize it. But never doubt that it's here.
Last Five
1. Please call me baby - Tom Waits*
2. Win win - Jenny Gear and the Whiskey Kittens
3. Middle of love - Ron Sexsmith
4. Girl - Beck
5. Wake up dead man - U2
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Breaking patterns
So I've been in an odd head space the last couple of weeks. Honestly, the arse end of February can't come soon enough for me. I had a January-February about 20 years ago where my great-grandmother died, my girlfriend of three years dumped me, my dog died and I was failing courses at MUN left, right and centre. This month isn't at that epic level, but there have been moments where it's felt like it.
It is, of course, a mild case of depression. I thought I'd felt depressed before - there are times when most of my teen years felt like one big wave of it - but I think this is something quite different. I mean, it's nothing like this, which is almost biblical in scope. But I like to think beneath the cynical, snarky exterior beats the heart of a generally upbeat grumpy bastard. So this has been something a bit odd for me. Hell, I'm sure that my mere ability to properly articulate that something feels a bit off probably means it's not that severe. Cathy, not being a stupid woman, knows there is something wrong, but I'm really unable to articulate it, other than I just don't feel right. As I understand, this is not uncommon for people feeling depression.
It comes and goes, but I'm discovering the one thing that does seem to help is going to the gym.
Which is odd. Never been a big gym person. I'd said since the beginning of the year I was going to have to go back as my weight ballooned up to levels I've never reached before. Clearly steps were going to need to be taken. I went once before our emergency trip back to St. John's and it remained as unpleasant an experience as I recalled from previous attempts, but resigned myself that I was going to grit my teeth and deal with it.
Except last weekend, I was feeling awful and decided I just need to get out, do something just so I could feel...different. So I went to the gym and worked out (30 minutes on an elliptical on a high difficulty setting, 30 minutes on weight machines) and I just felt better...well, I did once the dizziness stopped. Best I'd felt in days. Went back the next day just to see if the process could be duplicated, although my muscles were informing me that this was a tremendously bad idea. Still, I'll take muscle pains over sitting in a scatter-brained funk.
It's funny, I didn't go Monday and by Tuesday afternoon I was clearly in a bad mood again. Went curling that evening, made sure I ran around the ice a bit, in a better mood after the game (it helps we played a fun team, and that we won for the first time in ages). So whatever endorphins are being released from running around, it seems to help the mood and allow me to think more clearly. If I can have that and lose about 50 pounds (to start with), I'd be all right with that.
I am, perhaps, too much of a senditary person. The north can really bring that out in you if you're not careful. If it's -50C outside, as it was earlier this week, going outside and doing anything seems like an act of madness. Going to work takes significant will power, let alone any kind of physical activity. But I've always been a person who is just as happy to twack away in front of a computer than going and doing something.
So that's got to change. Pretty sure I've said that before, but I think there's a little more at stake this time. It's one thing to put on weight, even though you know it's bad and that given your family history at some point in the future it's going to come back and bite you on the ass. It's something else all together if you're in a funk, not thinking straight and you know the one thing that has worked so far to change that is going to the gym for an hour.
So away we go...
Last Five
All from "The King is Dead" by The Decemberists
It is, of course, a mild case of depression. I thought I'd felt depressed before - there are times when most of my teen years felt like one big wave of it - but I think this is something quite different. I mean, it's nothing like this, which is almost biblical in scope. But I like to think beneath the cynical, snarky exterior beats the heart of a generally upbeat grumpy bastard. So this has been something a bit odd for me. Hell, I'm sure that my mere ability to properly articulate that something feels a bit off probably means it's not that severe. Cathy, not being a stupid woman, knows there is something wrong, but I'm really unable to articulate it, other than I just don't feel right. As I understand, this is not uncommon for people feeling depression.
It comes and goes, but I'm discovering the one thing that does seem to help is going to the gym.
Which is odd. Never been a big gym person. I'd said since the beginning of the year I was going to have to go back as my weight ballooned up to levels I've never reached before. Clearly steps were going to need to be taken. I went once before our emergency trip back to St. John's and it remained as unpleasant an experience as I recalled from previous attempts, but resigned myself that I was going to grit my teeth and deal with it.
Except last weekend, I was feeling awful and decided I just need to get out, do something just so I could feel...different. So I went to the gym and worked out (30 minutes on an elliptical on a high difficulty setting, 30 minutes on weight machines) and I just felt better...well, I did once the dizziness stopped. Best I'd felt in days. Went back the next day just to see if the process could be duplicated, although my muscles were informing me that this was a tremendously bad idea. Still, I'll take muscle pains over sitting in a scatter-brained funk.
It's funny, I didn't go Monday and by Tuesday afternoon I was clearly in a bad mood again. Went curling that evening, made sure I ran around the ice a bit, in a better mood after the game (it helps we played a fun team, and that we won for the first time in ages). So whatever endorphins are being released from running around, it seems to help the mood and allow me to think more clearly. If I can have that and lose about 50 pounds (to start with), I'd be all right with that.
I am, perhaps, too much of a senditary person. The north can really bring that out in you if you're not careful. If it's -50C outside, as it was earlier this week, going outside and doing anything seems like an act of madness. Going to work takes significant will power, let alone any kind of physical activity. But I've always been a person who is just as happy to twack away in front of a computer than going and doing something.
So that's got to change. Pretty sure I've said that before, but I think there's a little more at stake this time. It's one thing to put on weight, even though you know it's bad and that given your family history at some point in the future it's going to come back and bite you on the ass. It's something else all together if you're in a funk, not thinking straight and you know the one thing that has worked so far to change that is going to the gym for an hour.
So away we go...
Last Five
All from "The King is Dead" by The Decemberists
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The guy in front
So, funny thing...I went to a press conference and I had this guy sitting in front of me.
Yeah, so that was unexpected. Went to the press conference, grabbed a chair and next think I know the prime minister of Canada is sitting in front of me. Gotta confess, the urge to noggie him just hit me and was almost overwhelming there for a few minutes. Thankfully it passed. I suspect that goes into the books as one of those "five seconds of amusement, several years of pain" ideas.
So yeah, there he was. Oh, and for the person who asked on Facebook, no, he didn't smell evil. The woman speaking is Nunavut's premier, who is a touch on the short side.
This is actually the first time I've been around this prime minister. I've meet/been around two previous ones - Martin and Chretien - but never Harper. It's interesting in that he really does not come across well in photos and video. In person he didn't come across as stiff and awkward. There was a warmth and charm there. It's very odd. Something clearly gets lost in the transition from real life to video.
The other amusing thing was after the press conference myself and the people I went to the press conference with were stranded because none of us had our cars today. So along walks the mayor, notices we're waiting for a taxi and offers a lift. So we all climb into her pick-up and get a ride. She was also apologizing for the dog fur as I was climbing over a piece of baleen from a whale that she had in the back seat. Gotta love the north...
Last Five
1. Missionary man - Eurythmics
2. The crooked line - Elvis Costello
3. Whose gonna ride your wild horses - U2
4. Prison grove - Warren Zevon
5. You won't succeed on Broadway (if you don't have any Jews) - Spamalot Cast Recording*
Yeah, so that was unexpected. Went to the press conference, grabbed a chair and next think I know the prime minister of Canada is sitting in front of me. Gotta confess, the urge to noggie him just hit me and was almost overwhelming there for a few minutes. Thankfully it passed. I suspect that goes into the books as one of those "five seconds of amusement, several years of pain" ideas.
So yeah, there he was. Oh, and for the person who asked on Facebook, no, he didn't smell evil. The woman speaking is Nunavut's premier, who is a touch on the short side.
This is actually the first time I've been around this prime minister. I've meet/been around two previous ones - Martin and Chretien - but never Harper. It's interesting in that he really does not come across well in photos and video. In person he didn't come across as stiff and awkward. There was a warmth and charm there. It's very odd. Something clearly gets lost in the transition from real life to video.
The other amusing thing was after the press conference myself and the people I went to the press conference with were stranded because none of us had our cars today. So along walks the mayor, notices we're waiting for a taxi and offers a lift. So we all climb into her pick-up and get a ride. She was also apologizing for the dog fur as I was climbing over a piece of baleen from a whale that she had in the back seat. Gotta love the north...
Last Five
1. Missionary man - Eurythmics
2. The crooked line - Elvis Costello
3. Whose gonna ride your wild horses - U2
4. Prison grove - Warren Zevon
5. You won't succeed on Broadway (if you don't have any Jews) - Spamalot Cast Recording*
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Eskimo Pop
On a scale of 1-10 how wrong (with 10 being deeply, catastrophically wrong) is it to order this t-shirt from Threadless to wear around town?
Last Five
1. Lines on palms - Josh Pyke* (seriously the album "Memories and Dust" is well worth buying)
2. Rock problems - The Hold Steady
3. The spell that you cast - Elvis Costello
4. Immersed (live) - Allison Crowe
5. Green onions (live) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Last Five
1. Lines on palms - Josh Pyke* (seriously the album "Memories and Dust" is well worth buying)
2. Rock problems - The Hold Steady
3. The spell that you cast - Elvis Costello
4. Immersed (live) - Allison Crowe
5. Green onions (live) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Funny women
This is a touch dated, but I recall thinking at the time that I wanted to write about how stupid it was, but couldn't figure out how to do it. Then inspiration struck...
The story in question was this particular idiot, Edie Brill. Eddie got himself in some trouble recently by saying that women aren't particularly funny. Which might be fine if he was another shmuck mouthing off online. The problem was he was (note the tense) the comedy booker for the David Letterman Show. His comments didn't go over well, as he is now the ex-booker.
I understand he's talking about professional comedians here, but there is the implied statement in there that women overall aren't very funny. It's not the first time I've heard this and it is, of course, insane. I wouldn't have married Cathy if she didn't have a sense of humour. And if I had to pick the three funniest people I know, two of them are women.
The one guy is Seamus, who is actually a semi-professional stand-up comedian. He's performed at Yuk Yuks, made it to standup finals in Newfoundland, carried a notebook to jot down ideas (probably still does) and worked to polish his set. He could actually be a very, very good stand-up comedian, but in order to do that you have to actually suffer years of rejection and torture before making it. I think he ultimately took a look at that and decided it wasn't the life for him. Which, you know, fair enough. For every Chris Rock, Louis CK and Patton Oswalt there are thousands of stand-ups who go nowhere, no matter how much sweat they put into it.
But he's a hell of a funny guy. He quoted me one of his routines, which bombed because the audience was totally wrong for his humour, and he had me crying I was laughing so hard.
As for the women, well, first we have Andrea...Andrea has been killing me for years. Whenever I go back to St. John's these days, time conspires against me and I don't have time to visit everyone. I always make time for Andrea, because she's brilliant. It's just dry, sarcastic humour, but it's awesome stuff.
We became friends during the mid-90s...I've never been much of a drinker, but I still liked going to bars for the social aspect. I loved going out to bars with Andrea because she would sit on her favourite stool at the Duke, men would buy her drinks and then she would just eviscerate them...I mean it was a Masters class in male ego destruction (if I'm honest, it probably was indirectly responsible for my miserable luck with trying to ask women out at that point in time because I just assumed they could all do what Andrea did). And they would keep coming back for more. Several times a night, some idiot would buy her a pint, she would take it, they would hit on her and then she would crush them with her wit. I would just sit next to her, keep my head down and try not to fall off to stool from laughing so hard.
It's always been that way. She's smart, quick and priceless. Last week was a pretty miserable week for me and a lot of my friends. It was genuinely hard to find some laughs. After a funeral service and an impromptu wake on Middle Cove Beach, several of us retired to the Ship for a drink. During the course of chatting, we had a conversation that went something like this:
Me: Are you working tonight?
Andrea: Yeah..
Me: So who's playing?
Andrea: Some fucking wanker DJ playing with his Macbook on a stack of milk crates...
Me: (head on the table laughing)
Andrea: And the only thing worse than the DJs are the crowd of assholes they attract. Is it really so hard to find clothes that fit? The guys all wear baggy shit and the girls are barely wearing anything. Christ...
On a bad day, where humour was scarce, God love her for finding a laugh...
I'm going to hold back the name of the other person, just because she works in the courts. But her stories from the courts crack me up. I can't even relate them because I'm reasonably sure I could get her in trouble. But whenever I need a laugh I can just ask her how court was and she can reliably relate something that seems too impossible to be believed.
A recent example.
Me: How's court today?
Her: The usual band of miscreants. The courthouse smells like chip fat and Belevedere tobacco.
or
Her: I am an evil bitch who takes joy in the suffering of others. It's a career strength.
or
Me: Dealing with any criminal retards today?
Her: Alleged criminal retards...
I seriously pity anyone who has to go up against her in court. Again, smart, quick, devastatingly cutting and absolutely hilarious. I swear to God, if I ever get back to writing again seriously, there is a TV show waiting about her court adventures that would be some bizarre mutant hybrid between Republic of Doyle, Night Court and Ally McBeal...
Could the two of them be stand-up comedians? Probably, but it would be a serious waste of their gifts.
Look, if you're saying you don't know any funny women, then you just must not know many women or have your head up your ass. Men should be frankly scared of how funny women are.
Lord knows I should be, but I'm normally too busy laughing to be too worried...
Last Five
1. Nothing more to say - Joel Plaskett Emergency
2. Firecracker (live) - Elton John and Ryan Adams
3. Amazing Grace (live) - Ani DiFranco
4. Long time comin' - Bruce Springsteen
5. The boy who could explode - Matthew Good*
The story in question was this particular idiot, Edie Brill. Eddie got himself in some trouble recently by saying that women aren't particularly funny. Which might be fine if he was another shmuck mouthing off online. The problem was he was (note the tense) the comedy booker for the David Letterman Show. His comments didn't go over well, as he is now the ex-booker.
I understand he's talking about professional comedians here, but there is the implied statement in there that women overall aren't very funny. It's not the first time I've heard this and it is, of course, insane. I wouldn't have married Cathy if she didn't have a sense of humour. And if I had to pick the three funniest people I know, two of them are women.
The one guy is Seamus, who is actually a semi-professional stand-up comedian. He's performed at Yuk Yuks, made it to standup finals in Newfoundland, carried a notebook to jot down ideas (probably still does) and worked to polish his set. He could actually be a very, very good stand-up comedian, but in order to do that you have to actually suffer years of rejection and torture before making it. I think he ultimately took a look at that and decided it wasn't the life for him. Which, you know, fair enough. For every Chris Rock, Louis CK and Patton Oswalt there are thousands of stand-ups who go nowhere, no matter how much sweat they put into it.
But he's a hell of a funny guy. He quoted me one of his routines, which bombed because the audience was totally wrong for his humour, and he had me crying I was laughing so hard.
As for the women, well, first we have Andrea...Andrea has been killing me for years. Whenever I go back to St. John's these days, time conspires against me and I don't have time to visit everyone. I always make time for Andrea, because she's brilliant. It's just dry, sarcastic humour, but it's awesome stuff.
We became friends during the mid-90s...I've never been much of a drinker, but I still liked going to bars for the social aspect. I loved going out to bars with Andrea because she would sit on her favourite stool at the Duke, men would buy her drinks and then she would just eviscerate them...I mean it was a Masters class in male ego destruction (if I'm honest, it probably was indirectly responsible for my miserable luck with trying to ask women out at that point in time because I just assumed they could all do what Andrea did). And they would keep coming back for more. Several times a night, some idiot would buy her a pint, she would take it, they would hit on her and then she would crush them with her wit. I would just sit next to her, keep my head down and try not to fall off to stool from laughing so hard.
It's always been that way. She's smart, quick and priceless. Last week was a pretty miserable week for me and a lot of my friends. It was genuinely hard to find some laughs. After a funeral service and an impromptu wake on Middle Cove Beach, several of us retired to the Ship for a drink. During the course of chatting, we had a conversation that went something like this:
Me: Are you working tonight?
Andrea: Yeah..
Me: So who's playing?
Andrea: Some fucking wanker DJ playing with his Macbook on a stack of milk crates...
Me: (head on the table laughing)
Andrea: And the only thing worse than the DJs are the crowd of assholes they attract. Is it really so hard to find clothes that fit? The guys all wear baggy shit and the girls are barely wearing anything. Christ...
On a bad day, where humour was scarce, God love her for finding a laugh...
I'm going to hold back the name of the other person, just because she works in the courts. But her stories from the courts crack me up. I can't even relate them because I'm reasonably sure I could get her in trouble. But whenever I need a laugh I can just ask her how court was and she can reliably relate something that seems too impossible to be believed.
A recent example.
Me: How's court today?
Her: The usual band of miscreants. The courthouse smells like chip fat and Belevedere tobacco.
or
Her: I am an evil bitch who takes joy in the suffering of others. It's a career strength.
or
Me: Dealing with any criminal retards today?
Her: Alleged criminal retards...
I seriously pity anyone who has to go up against her in court. Again, smart, quick, devastatingly cutting and absolutely hilarious. I swear to God, if I ever get back to writing again seriously, there is a TV show waiting about her court adventures that would be some bizarre mutant hybrid between Republic of Doyle, Night Court and Ally McBeal...
Could the two of them be stand-up comedians? Probably, but it would be a serious waste of their gifts.
Look, if you're saying you don't know any funny women, then you just must not know many women or have your head up your ass. Men should be frankly scared of how funny women are.
Lord knows I should be, but I'm normally too busy laughing to be too worried...
Last Five
1. Nothing more to say - Joel Plaskett Emergency
2. Firecracker (live) - Elton John and Ryan Adams
3. Amazing Grace (live) - Ani DiFranco
4. Long time comin' - Bruce Springsteen
5. The boy who could explode - Matthew Good*
Thursday, February 16, 2012
In requiem: Glenn Banfield
I've been straining my brain trying to figure out exactly when I met Glenn Banfield...certainly it was at Bitters, the grad pub on MUN campus. It was either in 1996, before I went to South Korea, or later in 1997 when I came back. But the one thing that is for certain is that it was during a trivia night, and I wasn't in a good mood.
The mid-to-late 90s were not a great time for me, for a host of reasons. I was in a pretty negative head space and my normally sarcastic and bitter personality was amplified. But doing trivia night at the grad pub was a chance to get out and socialize. And one of the night's I went there, Glenn was tending bar.
I honestly don't know if Glenn was good for bar sales. He was sarcastic and quick witted and more than once there was a mocking of alcohol selection, if not with words, then with a look. Glenn as a master of the mocking look. And in him, I saw someone not entirely unlike me. I recall, when going to the bar and ordering a soft drink (I didn't drink back then), getting a look. I think I complimented him on his superior sarcasm and mocking abilities. And with that, a bond was sealed. It was not that he wouldn't mock me from then on. He did...frequently and often (I showed up at his apartment last October wearing wearing a kangaroo leather hat. I swear, his eyes got bigger when he saw it. It was entirely too easy). But I think he knew that I respected the ability and I understood the craft involved with being that particular kind of funny.
But here's the thing...when you're that type of personality - sarcastic and bitter, cynical and grumpy - you reach an age where you have two choices. You can stay that way and deal with the consequences, which often results in being more alone, and driving away friends. Some find it charming and amusing when you're younger, but as people get older it can wear on them. Or you can change. The hard edges wear away. The core lurks there and can come out...Glenn could still freeze people with a mocking glare. But I think he got softer, less grumpy.
I am fairly certain if he heard me say that, by the way, he would cheerfully tell me to go fuck myself.
Unsurprisingly, I think this entirely coincides with the appearance of Susy in his life. Full of energy, a bright smile, huge heart and simply one of the best laughs around. I know a lot of people didn't get it when they first started going out. Glenn was the grumpy one, Susy the one who seemed to glow when she laughed (a favourite Susy memory: the opening cartoon for Monsters Inc which involves birds being silly. Susy lost her shit, laughing so hard that the rest of the audience start laughing because she was. It was also my first date with Cathy). But here's the thing...it doesn't matter how or why something works, just that it does. And it did with the two of them.
Besides, sometimes we also dig too hard looking for stuff. He made her laugh. I'm not sure how much more complicated it was - or needs to be.
Glenn hadn't been well the last couple of years. Every time I saw them Glenn was doing his best to carry on as normal, but you got the feeling normal was becoming an increasingly rare commodity. Still the raised eyebrow was there if you said that he felt was particularly foolish. Although new, to me at any rate, was the genuine affection that he spoke of Claire and Sam, their niece and nephew. He was in awe of every little thing they did. I hung out with them in October, and he was showing me YouTube videos of people test firing guns (Glenn loved guns, but in a very respectful and historical way). Things weren't going great then, but they still thought he would get better.
Cancer took my friend at an offensively young age last week, depriving us all of a man never afraid to speak his mind, who was sometimes sarcastic and grumpy, but never for a second did I think his heart wasn't in the right place. And depriving my Susy of many years of laugher far, far too soon.
Rest in peace, my friend...
The mid-to-late 90s were not a great time for me, for a host of reasons. I was in a pretty negative head space and my normally sarcastic and bitter personality was amplified. But doing trivia night at the grad pub was a chance to get out and socialize. And one of the night's I went there, Glenn was tending bar.
I honestly don't know if Glenn was good for bar sales. He was sarcastic and quick witted and more than once there was a mocking of alcohol selection, if not with words, then with a look. Glenn as a master of the mocking look. And in him, I saw someone not entirely unlike me. I recall, when going to the bar and ordering a soft drink (I didn't drink back then), getting a look. I think I complimented him on his superior sarcasm and mocking abilities. And with that, a bond was sealed. It was not that he wouldn't mock me from then on. He did...frequently and often (I showed up at his apartment last October wearing wearing a kangaroo leather hat. I swear, his eyes got bigger when he saw it. It was entirely too easy). But I think he knew that I respected the ability and I understood the craft involved with being that particular kind of funny.
But here's the thing...when you're that type of personality - sarcastic and bitter, cynical and grumpy - you reach an age where you have two choices. You can stay that way and deal with the consequences, which often results in being more alone, and driving away friends. Some find it charming and amusing when you're younger, but as people get older it can wear on them. Or you can change. The hard edges wear away. The core lurks there and can come out...Glenn could still freeze people with a mocking glare. But I think he got softer, less grumpy.
I am fairly certain if he heard me say that, by the way, he would cheerfully tell me to go fuck myself.
Unsurprisingly, I think this entirely coincides with the appearance of Susy in his life. Full of energy, a bright smile, huge heart and simply one of the best laughs around. I know a lot of people didn't get it when they first started going out. Glenn was the grumpy one, Susy the one who seemed to glow when she laughed (a favourite Susy memory: the opening cartoon for Monsters Inc which involves birds being silly. Susy lost her shit, laughing so hard that the rest of the audience start laughing because she was. It was also my first date with Cathy). But here's the thing...it doesn't matter how or why something works, just that it does. And it did with the two of them.
Besides, sometimes we also dig too hard looking for stuff. He made her laugh. I'm not sure how much more complicated it was - or needs to be.
Glenn hadn't been well the last couple of years. Every time I saw them Glenn was doing his best to carry on as normal, but you got the feeling normal was becoming an increasingly rare commodity. Still the raised eyebrow was there if you said that he felt was particularly foolish. Although new, to me at any rate, was the genuine affection that he spoke of Claire and Sam, their niece and nephew. He was in awe of every little thing they did. I hung out with them in October, and he was showing me YouTube videos of people test firing guns (Glenn loved guns, but in a very respectful and historical way). Things weren't going great then, but they still thought he would get better.
Cancer took my friend at an offensively young age last week, depriving us all of a man never afraid to speak his mind, who was sometimes sarcastic and grumpy, but never for a second did I think his heart wasn't in the right place. And depriving my Susy of many years of laugher far, far too soon.
Rest in peace, my friend...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)