| some wedding pics |
[Jul. 22nd, 2008|07:11 pm] |
There are lots more on facebook, here are a couple
( Read more... ) |
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| Can you keep a secret? |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|11:37 pm] |
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I have something I want to do for my wedding next week. I hope Pam will love it. Its something I've been thinking about doing for years now. |
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| Wedding countdown is on |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|05:17 pm] |
6 days till we leave for the Dominican, 9 days till I am married.
I'm a little scared and really excited! |
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[Apr. 26th, 2008|06:09 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Aerosmith - I'm back in the saddle again | ] |
So sick today... I have a feeling a really shouldn't have had that hep a vaccine yesterday afternoon. I was already starting to feel sick and it was just getting worse all day. I told the dr that it says right on the needle to not use if the person is sick (in big capital letters) He listened to me breathe checked a couple other things then said I'm fine, gave me the needle and then told me to go home. I got worse and worse through he night. Today Headaches, soreness, gross stuff coming out of my nose, and a swollen and very very sore throat... Pam is gone for the day at some teacher confernce or something in downtown toronto for the day/evening. I kinda sucks spending a nice day indoors and sick like this, and alone for the day. But that is most likely for the best because I'm sure I'm not fun to be around when I'm all sore like this.
Also, last week playing ice hockey I got a puck in the face and had to get stitches... that was a fun night. At 11pm on a sunday none of the walk-in clinics are open so I had to go to the hospital... and wait and wait. I finally got home a little before 6am monday morning, which is 1/2hr later then I normally leave to go to work in the morning. True I should be lucky that no one in canada has to pay anything to go to the hospital, but waiting 7 hours for some stitches sucks!
I heard a random song the other day for the first time. I wasn't sure what it was at first and I kinda liked it. It sounded like some new band trying to rip off some 70's band or possibly a Nirvana ripoff band (in the intro), but the more I listened the more I liked it, then I started to recognize the voice... is that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith? so I do a quick google search on a chance this is Aerosmith and put in part of the chorus that I kept hearing repeated. "I'm BACKKKK"
Turns out its an Aerosmith song called 'I'm back in the saddle again' from the 'Rocks' album circa 1976. Its awesome to find good songs from an era I thought I had heard pretty much everything good from already, and there would never be something new to me from it again.
- a little over 2 months till the wedding |
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[Mar. 29th, 2008|10:37 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Wycelf Jean w/ Paul Simon - fast car ( I like this guitar riff) | ] |
So my parents are coming again to the wedding. Last week they came over and said that since they think pam doesn't like them, they will not be going to my wedding. Also that my brother and sister would not be coming either. So I will have no family at to my wedding. This crushed Pam she didn't know where it was coming from and felt horrible about it. I tried tell my parents they were reading way to much into her being just as quiet as I am, and that this was not a fair thing to do....
Well its a week later they've said they are coming again (you might remember this isn't the first time they said they aren't coming) because I want them to come, even if pam doesn't... My sister might come, and my brother isn't.
We are also doing pretty much a full reception now after we get back due to my parents nagging about how we were being to cheap. 'It needs to be in a hall, it needs to be open bar... it needs a DJ.. and the big one. after we agree to these over a couple weeks of nagging... it needs to be catered. Catering is the huge cost we were trying to avoid.
.....
Anyways... It would be awesome if my family would stop threatening to not come. Its feeling the similar to that long time ago when they kicked me out of the house and told me to never come back. Except that seemed easier to dealt with. I was really good with burying my feelings for a very long time. Pam has opened me up a lot. I never knew I could be this happy, and I am very much in love with her. I'm just not sure why my parents seem to want to get in the way. |
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| HD DVD on life support as Wal-Mart backs Blu-ray |
[Feb. 18th, 2008|02:19 pm] |
from http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/02/15/tech-walmart.html
Now the point of this story isnt that important, but what really caught my eye was this.
Susan Chronister, who buys movies for Wal-Mart, announced the move on her blog Friday, the chain will no longer offer HD DVD products as of June. Wal-Mart will carry only Blu-ray discs and players, as well as standard-definition DVD players and devices that up-convert standard definition to a higher quality picture on HD televisions.
"So if you bought the HD [DVD] player like me, I'd retire it to the bedroom, kids' playroom, or give it to your parents to play their John Wayne standard def movies," Chronister wrote.
I can only imagine how much trouble she would have gotten in, that this news got out because the buyer was talking about it on her blog. and it just reinforces my belief that I try not to talk about my job on here. (I'm a produce buyer for a large grocery chain) crazy |
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[Feb. 7th, 2008|03:30 pm] |
I'm not sure if I'll see it, but its an interesting idea |
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| G.I.F.T. with nelly |
[Feb. 6th, 2008|08:00 pm] |
So Saturday night Pam and I ended up going to the metro toronto convention centre for the G.I.F.T. SuperGala ... http://www.giftontario.com/super_gala.htm Gift btw seems to be a pretty weak acronym. It stands for Grocery Industry Foundation (so far ok), Together ... wait what? ... anyways whatever. Its a charity that does stuff for kids or something... We got a bunch of vendors to buy the $700 each tickets, then donate them to us to use.
It was a fun night. I've been to a couple work related gala dinners before but this one was a step up. As we walked in there was a band playing at one part, fancy couches and tables set up, a bunch of bar stations, and some martini booths. (All drinks were free) and for the first time for me, I was at an event that had waiters and waitresses walking around with trays of wines, and food. I grabbed a champane off one, even though I didn't really feel like one. It was just to grab a drink off a tray like from the movies or something (ya I'm a loser).
Pam and got some drinks then walked around the silent auction part. Some cool stuff -boxes to leaf games starting at $4000, signed records from led zeppelin, the beatles, police, etc-, and some weird art. A couple pictures that looked like a solid colour, then a random line through it... starting bid was $500, and it had a couple bids??
Then we sat for the dinner part. They had about 350-400 tables (*10 people a table) it was good, lots of free stuff on the table and a couple bottles of wine( I had already had quite a few beers at this point) After the steak dinner, it was the Nelly Furtado concert.
Now I was a bit confused since the tickets had Alicia Keys on the tickets but everything I had heard had Nelly Furtado playing. Turns out Alicia Keys was booked but then dropped us to a couple songs at the superbowl instead. So they got Nelly Furtado as a backup. The actual concert was ok. I'm not a fan, but I was very drunk at this point and surprisingly knew a few songs. My highlight was the encore, she did an acoustic cover of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy. My favourite parts of her concert was her comments between songs. It was obvious she had no idea where she was "congratulations for your accomplishments" "I feel so honoured I was asked to be here" "I know this is a corporate gig, but people can stand up"
This is the same cover, but not from this night
Afterwards a back in the other section that started the night a house cover band came on playing lots of rock covers until around 1:30am.... the bars and waiters kept working until then... It was messy I was soo drunk, I was even dancing with Pam on the dance floor (this does not happen often, anymore) thankfully my boss left about an hour after the concert was over. I dont trust myself to not say something dumb when that drunk.
Overall a fun night, but one thing I thought was weird was that no one was checking tickets anywhere. If you were very dressed up and in downtown toronto saturday night, you could have just walked in. Had free drinks, watched the concert, had more free drinks etc. Weird.
Superbowl sunday, considering my hangover, due to the night before, a hangover that lasted pretty much all day. I did not go out or do anything (except some basement painting) all day. I had been planning on going to cherries to watch then game.. but changed my mind.
....
Today. Wow its snowing alot, and this storm even has lightning going on around the airport. Very weird for a snow storm.
It was a really fun |
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[Jan. 30th, 2008|08:19 pm] |
Hi, so whats going on? Not much,
Might be going to this Gala dinner on Saturday night. A black tie thing with some cool door prizes, like a new Mercedes Benz. http://www.giftontario.com/super_gala.htm, work is supplying the tickets. We would not be paying $700 a ticket for this, but for free... why not. Pam likes excuses to dress up.
Either that of we will be at a pub watching the leafs sens game, which is something that we would really like to do as well. ... Pam always enjoys watching the sens kill the leafs...
Its a toss up
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6 or so months until we get married, some of Pam's family are asking where we are registered. We weren't planning on registering anywhere, since either people are paying a lot to come to the wedding, or they are not coming. But some of her family that are not coming to the wedding still want to get us stuff at the after party we are hosting when we get back.... which is nice... but I'm sure just the idea of being registered for wedding gifts will piss of my side of the family even more (the 100 or so relatives that I have, that not able to come to wedding). Also the idea of us needing or wanting wedding gifts is pretty dumb... We have been living together for 2 years, and in our house for over a year now (which has somehow gotten pretty full in a year). We don't need stuff to start our life together... People should really just give cash to things like this. Thats what Pam and I have been doing for years now.
... I dont know maybe we'll register at one place, and then only tell the people that ask about it... maybe future shop...
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A couple weeks ago I finally burned 3 mp3 cds of every studio pumpkins release, for listening to on my hour long drive into work. Its really cool listening to these songs, some songs I haven't listened to in 5 or 6 years, and I had forgotten how much liked them. The one I've been listening to a lot recently is the cover of Depeche Mode's 'Never let me down again'
Good stuff |
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| Top Albums 2007 |
[Dec. 30th, 2007|11:30 am] |
Holy Crap 2007 was a great year for music! and its about damn time!
After listening to albums over and over (I'm in my car over 2 hours a day, just driving to and from work, listening to music)
I have to say this is my top 5 albums for 2007
1 Arcade Fire - Neon Bible ( with the best song of the year, my body is a cage.. that organ & horns & bass at the 2:10 mark... my god, it haunts me, and still gives me shivers...)
2 Radiohead - In rainbows
3 Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist ( I really do like this album, but the other 2 above this were just better...)
These 3 albums were all pretty close with me
Then
4 Foo Fighters - Echoes Silence Patience and Grace (a typical foo fighters album, 3/4 great songs 1/4 ok... to crappy)
5 Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight ( I never thought I'd include a Linkin Park Album in a best of list, but downloaded this album after hearing and really liking the song 'bleed it out', and was surprised by song other really good songs, the best of being the last song 'The little things give you away' a great progressive rock song, with some neat drumming as well)
Disappointments,
NIN - Year zero. Ok the last NIN album, 'with teeth' I wasn't expecting that much from, and I'm not sure why, but anyways after listening to that album a couple times it really grew on me, and one day I really liked it. I didn't really like most of year zero the first couple times listening to it.. but I kept at it thinking it could grow on me like 'with teeth'... it hasn't happened. The only songs that I like are Survivalism, Capitol G & Zero Sum. Same as the first time I listened to the album.
Matthew Good - Hospital Music, It seems that with every album he moves further away from the Avalanche album that I loved... This was an o.k. album, with one really good song, the 91/2min "Champions Of Nothing". Outside of that.... I guess I keep expecting him to top Avalanche and I'm starting to think he will never do it... and in that sense it was a disappointment to me... |
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| Dresdon christmas hockey year |
[Dec. 29th, 2007|11:13 am] |
| [ | music |
| | Dresdon Dolls - Truce | ] |
So its been a while, I think start every entry these days with that. General updating
The Boxing day hockey tournament was fun, even though we lost every game. Its not a good sign when I'm one of the best players on the team... but it was fun playing multiple games of hockey in one day, and also my family came to the rink to do some skating with me between games. My sister is funny, she hadn't skated in about a year, and was worried she would forget how or something... (My sister, the girl that was skating all her life, like 5 or 6 times a week, and that only a couple years ago was doing international figure skating competitions for representing Canada, its the reason I went to Prague, to watch her skating in one of those) And of course she remembered pretty quick, and was back to doing a couple little jumps on the ice in no time.
The days leading up to christmas, Pam and I were in stittzville (just outside ottawa) visiting her family and friends. I like Ottawa and wouldn't have have a problem moving there sometime, if we could both find work there, which I doubt we could.
I just found out that the Dresdon Dolls are playing in Toronto on Friday, $19... I wouldn't mind going, but I don't know if that could happen. I think Pam's parents are coming down Thursday for a couple days, so Pam can get started on Wedding Dress shopping. Only 7 months till the wedding, time to get started on that stuff! |
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| Were all clones |
[Dec. 12th, 2007|07:00 pm] |
I'm not sure why but I pulled out the old dusty, Pumpkins Aeroplane flies high box set and the Bullet with Butterfly wings single. Listening to these covers, some reason reminds me of Christmas... I think maybe its because I bought this soon before christmas many years ago, and kept listening to it while christmas stuff was up... could be. meh
I like looking into these old songs and finding out random info on them (spfc.org is great for that)
Music geekness ahead
( Read more... ) |
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[Oct. 15th, 2007|09:13 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Radiohead - videotape | ] |
Life is pretty good and things seem to be sorting themselves out.
Also, this has been a really good year for music! New really good albums from the Pumpkins, Radiohead, Foo fighers, Arcade Fire & Matthew good |
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| Stringed pumpkin |
[Oct. 9th, 2007|10:16 pm] |
Holy Crap... So the pumpkins played Set the ray to jerry in Detroit this previous weekend. A song written back in 92 for the Siamese Dream album... but didn't make it... ended up as a B-side for Mellon Collie. but has always been one of my favourite songs. Very strong but simple bass, very cool quick drumming (mainly with the snare and high hat), and very trippy sounding guitars. This song has been played only 5 times live before this... and the last time was over 10 years ago. Damn if I had of known... I might have gone... Detroit is a lot closer then some of the places I've driven to for concerts.
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Recently found out there is a String Quartet album of pumpkin songs out there. Since I'm a suck for a string section, I am in love with this cover album!
Download it here
http://rapidshare.com/files/60544251/String_Quartet_Tribute_to_Smashing_Pumpkins.rar.html
Also FYI the last song, 'The prize goes to the ghost children' is not a pumpkins song... but sounds like it could be... weird. |
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[Sep. 28th, 2007|06:01 am] |
| [ | music |
| | The Killers - Sams town | ] |
Wow, so my parents told me last night they are going to have to reconsider if they are going to come to my wedding. They are not sure if they want to come or not... and its not a money issue, of all the people coming they are most well off, they spent 3 weeks in china 4 months ago, and last week decided to go on a cruise of the Mediterranean 2 weeks from now. But now my wedding, they don't think they want to come. wow... It brings back all the memories of when I was kicked out to the street all those years ago.
Well if they don't want to come, then I don't want them there. I'm not going to beg and we are not going to change our plans just because they don't approve. |
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| Vfest pumpkins |
[Sep. 13th, 2007|02:47 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Smashing Pumpkins - Superchrist | ] |
Ok I've been busy, but I'm working from home today so I have a chance to finally write about the Pumpkins concert on the Toronto island on Sunday.
I'm not sure where it happened but my crazy-fan-ness of the pumpkins seemed to wane over the years. I still liked the pumpkins songs, but I don't know...
Well this concert was what I needed. So great to see them, and hear these songs again. Also even though this was my 9th time seeing the pumpkins, it was my first time hearing the song Hummer live. I really really like that song and it was played so well, with a slightly ended guitar soloing.
Going to this show there was really only one song that I really wanted to hear. 'United States' because of the great drumming. Well they opened the concert with that song! And during the quiet part did a solo guitar version of the american national anthem (Jimi Hendrix style) and I had heard about them doing this... but after a little of the US anthem, Billy changes and starts playing "Oh Canada" on his guitar! The crowd went NUTS! It was a great way to start the show!
So the reason I really wanted to hear United States was because of the drumming. Well later in the concert, A new song(like 3 weeks old) that is almost all instrumental (like 4 lines of lyrics in a 6 min song) Called Superchrist, was soo amazing! Jimmy's drumming on this song was some of the most amazing drum work I've ever seen live. I just kept shaking my head thinking, holy shit, holy shit... then jumping around and with this huge grin on my face. So sooo soooooo good!
One last highlight for me was in the song Heavy Metal Machine, which turned into a 16 long song with parts of the Canned Heat song 'On The Road Again'. During this song Jimmy was doing some great drumming, but Billy actually took my attention away from this great drumming because of his guitar work. He started doing a guitar solo that was going so fast and sounded so good! He started doing the Eddie Van Halen super fast guitar solo finger tapping with both hands on the fret board! I've seen videos of Corgan from before the pumpkins where he had a Mullet and played like this, but I kinda thought maybe he forgot or something... Well he remembered.
Even though this set was about 1 hour and 45 min (way longer then a normal festival set, even for a headliner) I can't wait for the pumpkins to come back and do a show by themselves, since they all seem to be 3+hour shows right now!
Anyways I had fun (well except for the 2 1/2 hour wait for a ferry after the show was done to get back to the mainland... that sucked) Oh and I also saw the Killers and Metric on before them... they were fine for killing time before the Pumpkins.
Here is the set list
2007/09/09 - Toronto Island Park; Toronto, CA
Set:
United States
> Star-Spangled Banner [Francis Scott Key]
> Oh Canada [Lavallée/Routhier/Weir]
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
That's the Way (My Love Is)
Neverlost
Hummer
Stand Inside Your Love
Tonight, Tonight
Tarantula
Starz
Zero
Glass and the Ghost Children
By Starlight
To Sheila
1979
Superchrist
Doomsday Clock
Heavy Metal Machine
> On the Road Again [Canned Heat]
Encore:
Today
You can download the concert here @
http://www.archive.org/details/sp2007-09-09.AKGck93.cabbage.flac16 |
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| dateup |
[Sep. 7th, 2007|06:48 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Hyrbid - keep it in the family | ] |
So a quick? update on things.
Pam's LTO at a very close by school, here in north Whitby, turned into a full time permanent job for her at the same school! She got the job on the friday afternoon before school started, after just finishing a week of planning for a different class that she had the LTO for. Because of this last minute change she has had some late nights this week trying to plan out lessons.
Wedding Info (I might have said this already?)
We have decided on a destination wedding to the Dominican Republic. First week of July/08. Last weekend Pam and I were at a wedding of one of my first cousins. So I went around and told everyone about our plans and was asking around if they could make it etc. It seems pretty much no one liked the idea. Either it would be too much money or the Dominican is too cheap a place and we should go somewhere nicer... It made for a rough night. I'm really not sure how many people will be able to make it.
If people can't come that's ok with us, we realize not everyone will be able to come. Its the anger that was getting to me. Pam and I can not afford a wedding in Canada... we priced out a cheap one, trying to cut all kinds of corners, but still came with a price of close to $20,000 for a cheap one day party... Or will pay less then half that to have it in the Dominican, including flights hotel booze food wedding ceremony etc. Pam having a full time job will help, but she also has lots of school debts. .... and when you get down to it paying $20,000 for one day is crazy! and in the eyes of the law we are already married (Common law) nothing is going to change! (I even got on the teachers benefit plan, being common law, Its way better then mine! You even get $400 a year for Massages! Pam and I totally going to be using that up!)
This weekend is the pumpkins concert on the Toronto island out on the lake. Should be good. I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see 'United States' live. Its pretty much a 9 minute drum solo! Its also the first time I've seen the pumpkins live since the United Centre show in Chicago Nov29/00 ... and I think this will be my... 9th time seeing the Pumpkins live. |
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[Aug. 11th, 2007|09:26 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | Smashing pumpkins - Stellar | ] |
So I'm off this week, no getting up at 5 or 7am (7am is for the weekends when I get to work from home) I actually got to sleep in this morning. Pam has gone to Ottawa for the weekend and I have lots of projects around the house to do, including widing the other side of the driveway. I did a few things this afternoon, the rest for tomorrow.... and I'm afraid I'm taking way to much pain medication (leftover from the root canal a few months ago) for my back these days... I really need to see a doctor or something about it.
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Last night around midnight, I convinced Pam to sit out in the backyard, lay with me in a lounge chair and watch the shooting stars... yaaa.. I'm a geek, but oh well, I've always liked watching the perseid metoer shower. I live on the edge of whitby, cornfields are just a block away... but I'm still int he city, and close to toronto... Too bad I'm not further away, from the cities light pollution. |
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| white water |
[Jul. 22nd, 2007|10:02 pm] |
So We are back. That was a fun weekend white water rafting! Pam myself and 10 other friends went down to the Ottawa river (about an hour's drive north east of ottawa) and did some really fun white water rafting! Pam and I are alreadying talking about doing it next year.
It also seems that while I was gone for the weekend, that matthew good annouced and started selling, then sold out a concert in toronto for october in Massy Hall (my personal favourite concert venue, anywhere) ... so that sucks... I wasn't fast enough for tix to the arcade fire shows at massey hall this summer, and now I miss out on matt good as well.
When I was younger I don't remember missing out on any concert I really wanted to go to... This seems to be a really off year for me and concerts. |
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| ottawa river rafting |
[Jul. 20th, 2007|12:12 am] |
| [ | music |
| | Matthew Good - She's in it for the money | ] |
tomorrow after work Pam and I are heading to Ottawa, not that an odd occurance, but saturday we are going white water rafting on the ottawa for the today, along with a couple other friends. I've never been white water rafting before. Should be fun.
Ps. New pumpkins songs are awesome. Truely awesome. I haven't been humming songs back to myself at work or while camping, in a very long time. |
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