New Year's Eve 2006
Dec 31, 2006
New Year's Eve brought another hot tub adventure in my life and some ironing which Mike didn't bother doing for me. We headed out to the Centre des Loisirs for New Year's Eve this year as Mike's dad was playing in the band that night. Excellent times would be had! We arrived, got a drink and sat down with some of Mike's extended family and friends. All in all, I had a great night, but I must admit that it felt strange being the youngest there. This isn't a common youngster event - unlike the stag and doe's of yesteryear where you couldn't walk three feet without meeting someone else you knew!
I ended up doing the mop of shame as I had spilled Carol's drink onto the dance floor. I found this pretty unfair as I had done such a great job until she emerged from the washroom and that was the moment where my hand felt the need to let go. Doh! So we have some excellent photos with me and the mop.
After much dancing (in my awful, much needed to be replaced shoes) and a great midnight buffet (best way to cure the hangover the next day!) and some excellent tunes (Mony Mony - Uncensored), we retired for the night. I ended up back at home hoping to see my buddy Randy who was in town, but alas, he had taken off to Timmins that day so I didn't manage to see him during the holidays. I ended up having a brewski with Maureen, John and Julie but then decided to return to my slumber.
The next day had me lazing around…wait a second! That didn't happen at all…during the night an entire foot of snow had fallen and my parents were coming back that afternoon so it was up to me to save the day and snowblow the driveway! After contemplating taking the four-wheeler out with the plow, I thought better of it and hauled out the snowblower. Before that I slipped myself into a nice one-piece snowsuit and had an excellent hat - lined with fur and had the earflaps. Dad had a good laugh when I showed up later that night with it on as I had it on backwards! I swear it only happened the once!
Anyhow, starting the snowblower was a pain. I had to eventually bring the extension cord out and electric start it and even that was a pain. In hindsight, I don't think I had the choke wide open which hindered my operation. Eventually it roared to life and I trekked up and down the driveway. There's a good feeling when you blow a driveway which isn't your own. Mind you, I don't really have that problem as my best neighbour ever Barry kindly snowblows my driveway during the winter. Granted, this didn't need to happen this year yet, and now with Mike owning a truck, there isn't really much driveway to shovel.
Maureen and John have decided to move back to Kapuskasing. I wish them the best as they return in February! I selfishly wish they would go to North Bay so I would have a rest stop between Kapuskasing and North Bay, but alas, it is not in the cards. Anyhow, best of luck Maureen and John!
I ended up doing the mop of shame as I had spilled Carol's drink onto the dance floor. I found this pretty unfair as I had done such a great job until she emerged from the washroom and that was the moment where my hand felt the need to let go. Doh! So we have some excellent photos with me and the mop.
After much dancing (in my awful, much needed to be replaced shoes) and a great midnight buffet (best way to cure the hangover the next day!) and some excellent tunes (Mony Mony - Uncensored), we retired for the night. I ended up back at home hoping to see my buddy Randy who was in town, but alas, he had taken off to Timmins that day so I didn't manage to see him during the holidays. I ended up having a brewski with Maureen, John and Julie but then decided to return to my slumber.
The next day had me lazing around…wait a second! That didn't happen at all…during the night an entire foot of snow had fallen and my parents were coming back that afternoon so it was up to me to save the day and snowblow the driveway! After contemplating taking the four-wheeler out with the plow, I thought better of it and hauled out the snowblower. Before that I slipped myself into a nice one-piece snowsuit and had an excellent hat - lined with fur and had the earflaps. Dad had a good laugh when I showed up later that night with it on as I had it on backwards! I swear it only happened the once!
Anyhow, starting the snowblower was a pain. I had to eventually bring the extension cord out and electric start it and even that was a pain. In hindsight, I don't think I had the choke wide open which hindered my operation. Eventually it roared to life and I trekked up and down the driveway. There's a good feeling when you blow a driveway which isn't your own. Mind you, I don't really have that problem as my best neighbour ever Barry kindly snowblows my driveway during the winter. Granted, this didn't need to happen this year yet, and now with Mike owning a truck, there isn't really much driveway to shovel.
Maureen and John have decided to move back to Kapuskasing. I wish them the best as they return in February! I selfishly wish they would go to North Bay so I would have a rest stop between Kapuskasing and North Bay, but alas, it is not in the cards. Anyhow, best of luck Maureen and John!
The Bachelor Life Returns!
Dec 30, 2006
The day after beer and wing night brought back what I really wanted to do during the holidays - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. My parents had trekked down to Toronto for a few days and with my boyfriend duties of visiting Hearst out of the way, I realized that this was 'me-time'. That's right, Palmer Day(s) were here!
I had decided to start out by scavenging the scraps of Christmas dinner like the raven that I am. My mood settled in on a scrumptious hot turkey sandwich. With the assistance of Maureen, I identified the greatest sauce that the sandwich would need and then heated it up and applied it to the tasty treat. Satisfied, I then decided to head to the video store to rent a bunch of movies to last me two days. I then settled on their 'Buy 2, Get 2 Free' deal even though each movie was $20. In the end, I still got 4 movies for $40 plus the thought of returning a few to Blockbuster in the future when they have their minimum $8 back deal. I ended up picking up Walk the Line, Superman Returns, V For Vendetta, and Munich.
As I settled in for the rest of the day on the couch, I adjusted the heat perfectly, got a drink and nibbled on some turkey before popping in the first flick.
Superman Returns: Alright, let's start it off with a bang! I can honestly say that I never grew up with Superman like other kids did. I have only seen the four movies in the past year and Eric introduced me to Smallville in the past year. All in all, I am a Superman fan now and was anxiously waiting to see what the new movie had to offer, ESPECIALLY since it was helmed by Bryan Singer of X-Men fame. Superman Returns takes place after Superman II (by the way, check out the Richard Donner cut of the film…SOOO much better than the original.) and brings Superman back into a world which may not need him. Two thumbs up for this flick, I enjoyed the new cast taking on the old characters and the film is very much in the spirit of the original Supes.
Walk The Line: Johnny Cash biopic concerning his love for June Carter and his struggle with addiction to some narcotic. All in all, for drug related biopics, I enjoyed Ray better than this. I may even return this one to Blockbuster. It wasn't a bad film, but I didn't feel connected to the character of Cash and his struggle with love and narcotics. Meh. Would I recommend seeing this film however? Sure. It's a decent flick.
Pirates of the Caribean 2: Now, I don't know if it's the fact that I watched this in three different portions (one of which was after beer and wings night so I may have dozed through a few parts) but I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the first film. Especially the ending…buh. You know, if you're going to try and pull of a connected sequel like Empire/Return or Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions, you gotta have a killer revelation at the end of the second film followed by some enormous cliffhanger. Sure, the cliffhanger was decent, but there was no revelation. It left me with a taste of 'Stay tuned next time to find out what happens to Captain Jack Sparrow and his band of merry men." I also felt that this film felt more like the Secret of Monkey Island for the sheer "Well, I need this item to get to this item, I need to perform this task, to win back the heart of this lass." All in all…maybe I should watch this movie again in one shot.
Munich: Whoa! Munich blew me away with its sheer awesomeness. It was around 10 at night after three movies and I figured I wouldn't stay awake for 3 hours more but it captivated me and I didn't look away once. Munich deals with an Israeli secret task force who hunts down the killers involved in the Munich 1972 Olympics were some…Palestinians (? I'm pretty sure they were…can't recall now…) killed all the Israeli Olympians. So the Israeli government secretly funds this task force to eliminate all those involved. This is based on a true story so I would be interested in getting the book based on it. Pretty intriguing and I was surprisededly interested considering that I'm not one for world issues and whatnot, but I think that is slowly changing in me. I realize that I should be aware of my surroundings. Anyhow, back to the film, WATCH IT!
Throughout the two days spent watching movies, I may have consumed three other hot turkey sandwiches. This was the life...where I didn't have to think about preparing a meal. I am fortunate that I am not one of those people who hate to eat the same thing all the time.
I had decided to start out by scavenging the scraps of Christmas dinner like the raven that I am. My mood settled in on a scrumptious hot turkey sandwich. With the assistance of Maureen, I identified the greatest sauce that the sandwich would need and then heated it up and applied it to the tasty treat. Satisfied, I then decided to head to the video store to rent a bunch of movies to last me two days. I then settled on their 'Buy 2, Get 2 Free' deal even though each movie was $20. In the end, I still got 4 movies for $40 plus the thought of returning a few to Blockbuster in the future when they have their minimum $8 back deal. I ended up picking up Walk the Line, Superman Returns, V For Vendetta, and Munich.
As I settled in for the rest of the day on the couch, I adjusted the heat perfectly, got a drink and nibbled on some turkey before popping in the first flick.
Superman Returns: Alright, let's start it off with a bang! I can honestly say that I never grew up with Superman like other kids did. I have only seen the four movies in the past year and Eric introduced me to Smallville in the past year. All in all, I am a Superman fan now and was anxiously waiting to see what the new movie had to offer, ESPECIALLY since it was helmed by Bryan Singer of X-Men fame. Superman Returns takes place after Superman II (by the way, check out the Richard Donner cut of the film…SOOO much better than the original.) and brings Superman back into a world which may not need him. Two thumbs up for this flick, I enjoyed the new cast taking on the old characters and the film is very much in the spirit of the original Supes.
Walk The Line: Johnny Cash biopic concerning his love for June Carter and his struggle with addiction to some narcotic. All in all, for drug related biopics, I enjoyed Ray better than this. I may even return this one to Blockbuster. It wasn't a bad film, but I didn't feel connected to the character of Cash and his struggle with love and narcotics. Meh. Would I recommend seeing this film however? Sure. It's a decent flick.
Pirates of the Caribean 2: Now, I don't know if it's the fact that I watched this in three different portions (one of which was after beer and wings night so I may have dozed through a few parts) but I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the first film. Especially the ending…buh. You know, if you're going to try and pull of a connected sequel like Empire/Return or Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions, you gotta have a killer revelation at the end of the second film followed by some enormous cliffhanger. Sure, the cliffhanger was decent, but there was no revelation. It left me with a taste of 'Stay tuned next time to find out what happens to Captain Jack Sparrow and his band of merry men." I also felt that this film felt more like the Secret of Monkey Island for the sheer "Well, I need this item to get to this item, I need to perform this task, to win back the heart of this lass." All in all…maybe I should watch this movie again in one shot.
Munich: Whoa! Munich blew me away with its sheer awesomeness. It was around 10 at night after three movies and I figured I wouldn't stay awake for 3 hours more but it captivated me and I didn't look away once. Munich deals with an Israeli secret task force who hunts down the killers involved in the Munich 1972 Olympics were some…Palestinians (? I'm pretty sure they were…can't recall now…) killed all the Israeli Olympians. So the Israeli government secretly funds this task force to eliminate all those involved. This is based on a true story so I would be interested in getting the book based on it. Pretty intriguing and I was surprisededly interested considering that I'm not one for world issues and whatnot, but I think that is slowly changing in me. I realize that I should be aware of my surroundings. Anyhow, back to the film, WATCH IT!
Throughout the two days spent watching movies, I may have consumed three other hot turkey sandwiches. This was the life...where I didn't have to think about preparing a meal. I am fortunate that I am not one of those people who hate to eat the same thing all the time.
Beer and Wing Night!
Dec 29, 2006
Oh, the beloved beer and wing night at the Losier's happened once again this year. I would like to send a great thanks out to Vero for allowing me to leave Hearst to attend this grand event!
30 pounds of wings later, we were all content on the good job done out in the garage. I aided (in a meager fashion) to apply the sauce to the wings. The Losier's have a pretty good setup actually - the beer is downstairs and easily accessible, and the deep fryer for the wings is outside. Once the wings are cooked, they are thrown into three difference sauces - hot, thai and…hmm…can't recall the last one. Some sort of sweet&sour mixture I believe. Then we cart the wings inside, throw them into this slow cooker that has individual slots and then everyone has a basket to place their wings into.
The judgement of how many wings to cook for 30 people is a tough gamble because there is definitely a bigger demand at the beginning than at the end of a 10 batch cycle. We were going to open the other 20 pounds of wings but Bruce thought better of it and decided to see if the 30 pounds would do the trick. Indeed they did.
After dinner, Louise & Sam had created this excellent Powerpoint Presentation to display the lyrics to a plethora of songs so that everyone could take part in singing. In total, there were a good 4-5 guitars in the room at one time, a piano and I believe someone was trying to play drums with their chicken wings. This was a gathering of musical minds is all about! We hammered through a lot of the tunes we all knew, and then listened intently when there were a few that only few people could play. The highlight of the night for me is when Bruce went into some improvisational jazz number which had me in awe. Well, really, he has me in awe whenever he plays. I hope to be of his calibre one day in the future.
The night quieted down after a few hours of playing and we sat there taking it all in.
30 pounds of wings later, we were all content on the good job done out in the garage. I aided (in a meager fashion) to apply the sauce to the wings. The Losier's have a pretty good setup actually - the beer is downstairs and easily accessible, and the deep fryer for the wings is outside. Once the wings are cooked, they are thrown into three difference sauces - hot, thai and…hmm…can't recall the last one. Some sort of sweet&sour mixture I believe. Then we cart the wings inside, throw them into this slow cooker that has individual slots and then everyone has a basket to place their wings into.
The judgement of how many wings to cook for 30 people is a tough gamble because there is definitely a bigger demand at the beginning than at the end of a 10 batch cycle. We were going to open the other 20 pounds of wings but Bruce thought better of it and decided to see if the 30 pounds would do the trick. Indeed they did.
After dinner, Louise & Sam had created this excellent Powerpoint Presentation to display the lyrics to a plethora of songs so that everyone could take part in singing. In total, there were a good 4-5 guitars in the room at one time, a piano and I believe someone was trying to play drums with their chicken wings. This was a gathering of musical minds is all about! We hammered through a lot of the tunes we all knew, and then listened intently when there were a few that only few people could play. The highlight of the night for me is when Bruce went into some improvisational jazz number which had me in awe. Well, really, he has me in awe whenever he plays. I hope to be of his calibre one day in the future.
The night quieted down after a few hours of playing and we sat there taking it all in.
Moose Capital
Dec 28, 2006
Well, the morning came and I went out to check the car…no dent, no dent, oh GOOD LORD I FOUND THE DENT! Right in the rear driver side wheel was the markings which looked like Santa's sleigh had hit the Mazda as there was a streak of red within the dent. All in all, it wasn't that bad (well, at least in my opinion. Ask the opinion of the person who paid the repairs!) and later that day, Vero and I headed up to Hearst.
Hearst was fine as we chatted for a bit and I got a nice thermos set from Vero's parents. We then went out for Chinese Food (with toast! Only in Hearst!) which was an excellent meal. We then went over to Vero's sister's place to play some poker and enjoy some hot tub. I enjoy the company of the Cantin's and I especially enjoy going over to Steve's and Anne-Marie's as there is always a good selection of music and always some form of wild game hanging in the garage. Steve and I have the same music tastes as well as the same stereo amp from back in the day so it is a sign.
I am glad that the hot tub had some walls around it this year as last year I thought I lost an ear to the cold -60 windchill. Alright, perhaps it wasn't that extreme.
The next day didn't consist of much at all as we arose from our slumber around noon and then we brought the car in for some body work. I am thankful that we managed to get it done in Hearst as it's a heck of a lot easier when you actually know the person doing the job (as it was Vero's Dad's cousin) instead of bringing it to some random guy in Ottawa. Later afternoon, Vero's step-mom's family all showed up for some good spaghetti dinner and then they cheered me onto stage as I took my guitar.
We opened up the evening with some french song with Mr. Cantin on the accordian. While I can't say I knew really what the song was about, it was meant to get people moving after a huge meal. After that was over (an excellent duet between Mr. Cantin and I with Anne-Marie and Vero dancing with everybody!). Unfortunately I don't know any francophone songs so the family had to listen to a few English rockers that went over well. Vero's cousin is auditioning for Canadian Idol sometime in the spring so she sang Drove All Night (or something to that effect - Celine Dion covering Cyndi Lauper) which I managed to figure out after a few minutes of listening to the CD. Then they wanted me to sing Phantom of the Opera with her! I had no idea how to sing this song but no one could really understand why I couldn't sing it. So I explained it in the following way:
Me (to her cousin): Well…let me put it to you this way…can you sing Stairway To Heaven for me right now?
Cousin: No.
Me: Well, that's exactly how I feel about Phantom of the Opera!
After a good laugh, Vero's uncle and I attempted to sing along with her cousin on the Phantom and can say that we didn't do too bad. In fact, I may in fact be leaving my job to become a full-time Phantom.
All in all, I heard I rocked the socks off of the Cantin clan which was nice to hear as I didn't know if they would appreciate the English tunes. However, in my ignorance, I should realize that English tunes are still heard throughout the North and just because you are Francophone, doesn't mean you live in a shoe.
After the night died down, Vero and I watched the Maurice Richard movie which was excellent. I highly recommend it. I thought it was strange that it didn't follow his entire career in the NHL though. It ended with 5 years to go. Perhaps a sequel?
Hearst was fine as we chatted for a bit and I got a nice thermos set from Vero's parents. We then went out for Chinese Food (with toast! Only in Hearst!) which was an excellent meal. We then went over to Vero's sister's place to play some poker and enjoy some hot tub. I enjoy the company of the Cantin's and I especially enjoy going over to Steve's and Anne-Marie's as there is always a good selection of music and always some form of wild game hanging in the garage. Steve and I have the same music tastes as well as the same stereo amp from back in the day so it is a sign.
I am glad that the hot tub had some walls around it this year as last year I thought I lost an ear to the cold -60 windchill. Alright, perhaps it wasn't that extreme.
The next day didn't consist of much at all as we arose from our slumber around noon and then we brought the car in for some body work. I am thankful that we managed to get it done in Hearst as it's a heck of a lot easier when you actually know the person doing the job (as it was Vero's Dad's cousin) instead of bringing it to some random guy in Ottawa. Later afternoon, Vero's step-mom's family all showed up for some good spaghetti dinner and then they cheered me onto stage as I took my guitar.
We opened up the evening with some french song with Mr. Cantin on the accordian. While I can't say I knew really what the song was about, it was meant to get people moving after a huge meal. After that was over (an excellent duet between Mr. Cantin and I with Anne-Marie and Vero dancing with everybody!). Unfortunately I don't know any francophone songs so the family had to listen to a few English rockers that went over well. Vero's cousin is auditioning for Canadian Idol sometime in the spring so she sang Drove All Night (or something to that effect - Celine Dion covering Cyndi Lauper) which I managed to figure out after a few minutes of listening to the CD. Then they wanted me to sing Phantom of the Opera with her! I had no idea how to sing this song but no one could really understand why I couldn't sing it. So I explained it in the following way:
Me (to her cousin): Well…let me put it to you this way…can you sing Stairway To Heaven for me right now?
Cousin: No.
Me: Well, that's exactly how I feel about Phantom of the Opera!
After a good laugh, Vero's uncle and I attempted to sing along with her cousin on the Phantom and can say that we didn't do too bad. In fact, I may in fact be leaving my job to become a full-time Phantom.
All in all, I heard I rocked the socks off of the Cantin clan which was nice to hear as I didn't know if they would appreciate the English tunes. However, in my ignorance, I should realize that English tunes are still heard throughout the North and just because you are Francophone, doesn't mean you live in a shoe.
After the night died down, Vero and I watched the Maurice Richard movie which was excellent. I highly recommend it. I thought it was strange that it didn't follow his entire career in the NHL though. It ended with 5 years to go. Perhaps a sequel?
Crashes with Boxes
Dec 26, 2006
I believe I went to lunch with Dana and Mike on this day over at Greco's and had some excellent pizza. Ended up seeing Aimee there which was a welcome surprise. I don't tend to visit some of my old friends from Kap who still live there when I arrive home for the holidays. Years ago, that was the only thing I wished to do. Now, all I want to do is hang out in my parents house and decompress from the year.
Boxing Day was a bust in Kapuskasing but not so much online. I truly enjoy the fact that I can order items online nowadays and not have to be in a physical store. I ended up ordering all four collector's sets of James Bond movies at $46 a pop from Best Buy. This was a definite savings over the regular $70 price tag I saw before Christmas. I figured I couldn't pass it up. So…there may be a resurection of Nights of Bond coming soon.
The rest of Boxing Day was spent with Vero who came back up from Hearst for the night which was nice of her. She also stayed in town for the Legion night which was a great inspiration. Thanks Vero! We ended up exchanging our gifts which scored me a great original painting by her, and some other goodies such as a voice recorder so I can document my thoughts/song ideas. 2007 is the year of song for Ryan. We ended up playing some Scene It but alas, there was only Dad and I against an army of women so we lost that night.
Around 11:30PM that night, we got a phone call which was odd. It was Vero's dad and I automatically thought something awful must have happened. After she talked with him, she told me that he had hit my car and she never noticed when it was in Hearst (Vero had borrowed my car). Realizing that a car is definitely better than a death in the family, I decided that the dent would still be there in the morning and I would take a look then.
Boxing Day was a bust in Kapuskasing but not so much online. I truly enjoy the fact that I can order items online nowadays and not have to be in a physical store. I ended up ordering all four collector's sets of James Bond movies at $46 a pop from Best Buy. This was a definite savings over the regular $70 price tag I saw before Christmas. I figured I couldn't pass it up. So…there may be a resurection of Nights of Bond coming soon.
The rest of Boxing Day was spent with Vero who came back up from Hearst for the night which was nice of her. She also stayed in town for the Legion night which was a great inspiration. Thanks Vero! We ended up exchanging our gifts which scored me a great original painting by her, and some other goodies such as a voice recorder so I can document my thoughts/song ideas. 2007 is the year of song for Ryan. We ended up playing some Scene It but alas, there was only Dad and I against an army of women so we lost that night.
Around 11:30PM that night, we got a phone call which was odd. It was Vero's dad and I automatically thought something awful must have happened. After she talked with him, she told me that he had hit my car and she never noticed when it was in Hearst (Vero had borrowed my car). Realizing that a car is definitely better than a death in the family, I decided that the dent would still be there in the morning and I would take a look then.
Dancing The Night Away
Dec 25, 2006
Ah, Christmas. The day of goodness which comes in the form of a wrapped box. Christmas Day was fun with Nanny around as I used her as a wrapping paper disposal unit by throwing wrapping paper at her all morning long. I also entertained in a rendition of how and old guy would dance with her (as seen above). I got a good spread of items including a great selection of clothing items from Mom and Nanny's pickings. It's always good to see that people enjoy the gifts I got them. However, Dad just told me last night that the Band of Brothers set that I bought him was already lent to him and he had seen it already. However, he assures me that he doesn't remember a thing. Sometimes loss of memory has its advantages! ;-)
The day passed by at a crawl and I awaited the goodness which was the heavenly bird from above. No, we aren't talking about an ostrich here, we're talking about the turkey dinner. Mmm boy. It was an excellent spread this year and the Konopelky's brought over another bird which was a gift over the next week as I picked at the leftovers. It was a fine meal and we ended the meal with a little viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - this movie never gets old for me. By far my favourite Christmas movie of all time.
After the movie, we started playing Maureen's copy of Scene It where we pitted the guys vs. the girls. Without a doubt, the gentlemen won both games and we will not hear any complaints of how the guys team ended up recruiting three additional members during the course of the night. We allowed the girls to borrow Kevin "Martha" Stewart for awhile. Scene It is a pretty fun game and I think I would like to try the other editions. I ended off the night heading over to Jeff's parents place with Kevin, Maureen and John for a little karaoke action. It was unfortunate that there really wasn't much selection in terms of the songs we could sing. Jeff and I belted out a tear-jerking rendition of Unchained Melody.
The day passed by at a crawl and I awaited the goodness which was the heavenly bird from above. No, we aren't talking about an ostrich here, we're talking about the turkey dinner. Mmm boy. It was an excellent spread this year and the Konopelky's brought over another bird which was a gift over the next week as I picked at the leftovers. It was a fine meal and we ended the meal with a little viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - this movie never gets old for me. By far my favourite Christmas movie of all time.
After the movie, we started playing Maureen's copy of Scene It where we pitted the guys vs. the girls. Without a doubt, the gentlemen won both games and we will not hear any complaints of how the guys team ended up recruiting three additional members during the course of the night. We allowed the girls to borrow Kevin "Martha" Stewart for awhile. Scene It is a pretty fun game and I think I would like to try the other editions. I ended off the night heading over to Jeff's parents place with Kevin, Maureen and John for a little karaoke action. It was unfortunate that there really wasn't much selection in terms of the songs we could sing. Jeff and I belted out a tear-jerking rendition of Unchained Melody.
Arch-Bishops and Penguins
Dec 24, 2006
Not much happened this day other than meandering around the town picking up last minute gifts and hanging out. That night brought forth some excellent church time with the Arch-Bishop himself gracing us with his presence. I was very impressed to see someone of this stature hit up Kapuskaing for the second biggest night in Anglican life. I was dismayed to not see Dad and Mike's name not in the bulletin under "Annual Appearances Tonight".
After the service, we headed home where the Christmas Eve bash started up with me wrapping all my gifts. After an hour, I headed out into the grand gathering down in the basement while tormenting Nanny for awhile. I do enjoy a good torment towards her. It shows her that I love her. After chatting it up with a bunch of folk, the night descended into a calmness and I must admit that I was glad to not hear someone call out for me to play some guitar at that point as I was quite comfortable next to the fireplace!
Legionnaires
Dec 23, 2006
Saturday morning we woke up and braved the outside wilderness which was covered in frozen rain. I was not impressed but once we hit the roads, it was clear sailing. Thanks to Mike who managed to change my much needed to be changed wiper blades! They were beautiful on the way up. The trip was uneventful other than getting passed by Danny and Carol in their van with some red-headed fury hanging out of the window. Also, the great iPod challenge occurred in the car near the end of the trip which was excellent. It consisted of two categories until we ran out of time: best guitar solo, and cheesiest song. Oh wait, there was also the 'most rocking song ever' challenge which Mike clearly won with Crazy Train.
After hanging out with the parents and Nanny (who had trekked up to the North for Christmas) we headed out to the Legion that night to grab an early table. I had never been to the downstairs portion and was pleasantly surprised. Bruce's band was excellent and the volume wasn't too loud and the place was packed. I saw a few familiar faces and then during the break, they invited Mike and me up to the stage. After setting up everything, we started it off with Blind Melon's Changes which went over well. Mike thought his mandolin solo could have been a little better but I thought it was a beaut.
During a small break, I commented on how only our table laughed at Bruce's joke of how they accept requests but only on the back of a 5 dollar bill. I told everyone how I asked Mike why that was and he said that it was an old joke of his Dad's. Everyone had a good laugh at that.
Then we head on into the Barenaked Ladies Brian Wilson which I had literally started playing a few nights before as per Mike's suggestion. I do remember playing it with Troy a few years back, now that I think about it, but never really thought of it as one in my repertoire. I don't know how describe the feeling of playing a new song, but there is an energy about it. There is more enjoyment in playing a song that is new and exciting to you, rather than an old one that has seen its day. So all cylinders were firing when we launched into the force which was Brian Wilson. I thought it came off pretty well even though I needed the lyric/music sheet as I had no idea how to play the song by heart by that point. At this point, we could have sit there all night long, but we knew that it was not destined to be and settled for one more song with Danny coming up to try his hand at guitar during Neil Young's Heart of Gold.
Danny was a success! He was nervous (as he should have been!) at his first time in front of a giant audience like that and it went over well. I made have flubbed a chord change here and there during the song, but I've realized that the best musician is one that makes it look like there is no flub during the performance. Also, one must realize that these things happen and it's just music, man! Enjoy the moment! Mike rocked the harmonica like no other, although he said he started to sweat when he saw the greatest harmonica player in Kapuskasing walk by him as soon as he started! I had a good laugh at that.
Thanks to Bruce for allowing us to take the stage that night! It was a moment we will never forget. PLUS, some of it is on video.
The night descended into madness with draft beer all around and meetings with old friends. Of special note was Angele who commented on my Sam Roberts shirt and mentioned how she was good friends with Matt Mays and the boys from El Torpedo. I was very excited to hear this and chatted with her for awhile about it. My favourite part of this conversation was the following:
Ryan (to Mike): Hey Mike! Angele knows Matt Mays!
Mike: Oh yeah? That's cool. (not looking too impressed.)
Ryan: No man, she KNOWS Matt Mays! Like, actually knows the guy!
Mike: WHOA!? Really?
Ah…hilarity. My highlight of the night was definitely when there was enough rye pumped into Brent's body to convince him to get up on the drums which he hadn't done in public for the past decade. It was a great time and I'm sorry to see the band couldn't whip into some Zeppelin for the guy. I could tell he got the itch back. Hopefully he pursues it!
After hanging out with the parents and Nanny (who had trekked up to the North for Christmas) we headed out to the Legion that night to grab an early table. I had never been to the downstairs portion and was pleasantly surprised. Bruce's band was excellent and the volume wasn't too loud and the place was packed. I saw a few familiar faces and then during the break, they invited Mike and me up to the stage. After setting up everything, we started it off with Blind Melon's Changes which went over well. Mike thought his mandolin solo could have been a little better but I thought it was a beaut.
During a small break, I commented on how only our table laughed at Bruce's joke of how they accept requests but only on the back of a 5 dollar bill. I told everyone how I asked Mike why that was and he said that it was an old joke of his Dad's. Everyone had a good laugh at that.
Then we head on into the Barenaked Ladies Brian Wilson which I had literally started playing a few nights before as per Mike's suggestion. I do remember playing it with Troy a few years back, now that I think about it, but never really thought of it as one in my repertoire. I don't know how describe the feeling of playing a new song, but there is an energy about it. There is more enjoyment in playing a song that is new and exciting to you, rather than an old one that has seen its day. So all cylinders were firing when we launched into the force which was Brian Wilson. I thought it came off pretty well even though I needed the lyric/music sheet as I had no idea how to play the song by heart by that point. At this point, we could have sit there all night long, but we knew that it was not destined to be and settled for one more song with Danny coming up to try his hand at guitar during Neil Young's Heart of Gold.
Danny was a success! He was nervous (as he should have been!) at his first time in front of a giant audience like that and it went over well. I made have flubbed a chord change here and there during the song, but I've realized that the best musician is one that makes it look like there is no flub during the performance. Also, one must realize that these things happen and it's just music, man! Enjoy the moment! Mike rocked the harmonica like no other, although he said he started to sweat when he saw the greatest harmonica player in Kapuskasing walk by him as soon as he started! I had a good laugh at that.
Thanks to Bruce for allowing us to take the stage that night! It was a moment we will never forget. PLUS, some of it is on video.
The night descended into madness with draft beer all around and meetings with old friends. Of special note was Angele who commented on my Sam Roberts shirt and mentioned how she was good friends with Matt Mays and the boys from El Torpedo. I was very excited to hear this and chatted with her for awhile about it. My favourite part of this conversation was the following:
Ryan (to Mike): Hey Mike! Angele knows Matt Mays!
Mike: Oh yeah? That's cool. (not looking too impressed.)
Ryan: No man, she KNOWS Matt Mays! Like, actually knows the guy!
Mike: WHOA!? Really?
Ah…hilarity. My highlight of the night was definitely when there was enough rye pumped into Brent's body to convince him to get up on the drums which he hadn't done in public for the past decade. It was a great time and I'm sorry to see the band couldn't whip into some Zeppelin for the guy. I could tell he got the itch back. Hopefully he pursues it!
Sony/BMG Rootkit Problem
Dec 22, 2006
http://cdtechsettlement.sonybmg.ca/
Visit this website to discover if you purchased a CD from Sony/BMG that had some rootkit (malicious) software which installed onto your computer. They will replace your CD for free. I know that I have a few of them, and I know for a fact that Mike bought one and it could never import into his iTunes which he thought was awful. Perhaps the new copy will?
So do yourself a favour, take the holidays you have this coming week and fill out a form to get your CDs replaced!
What does this mean to you really? Well, if you put that CD into your computer and the CD installed a program on your computer, it may allow for a Bond villain to take over your computer and rule the world. No joke, we all know your computer can handle it.
Visit this website to discover if you purchased a CD from Sony/BMG that had some rootkit (malicious) software which installed onto your computer. They will replace your CD for free. I know that I have a few of them, and I know for a fact that Mike bought one and it could never import into his iTunes which he thought was awful. Perhaps the new copy will?
So do yourself a favour, take the holidays you have this coming week and fill out a form to get your CDs replaced!
What does this mean to you really? Well, if you put that CD into your computer and the CD installed a program on your computer, it may allow for a Bond villain to take over your computer and rule the world. No joke, we all know your computer can handle it.
Christmas Party Pictures
Dec 21, 2006
Merry Christmas! x2
Well, I don't know why I have hesitation to send off my final report to Qualitative Research but I do. Something feels like it's missing. I should just bite the bullet and send it off.But this is good news on its own as I am now known as a FREE BIRD! Yowza! I'm pumped! As soon as I finished the bulk of it on Monday night I instantly was in the holiday spirit which I had thought I had lost but it's here and I'm loving it! Loving it so much that I went a little overboard on gifts and had to return a few. Woops?
I am drawing a complete blank as to what the heck I was going to write here…I suppose I should wish everyone a Merry Christmas at this point as I will be hitting the road on Saturday morning to head up North. On the agenda is a little Legion action on the night of December 23, a sidetrip to Hearst for a few days, Wings and Beer night at the Losiers (excellent times!) and New Year's Eve at the Centre. It will be a blast as it may very well be the last final appearance of Mr. Losier in a big venue. He's going out with a bang! Perhaps he will have a reuinion tour.
To all those who haven't got a card yet, have no fear, I either am still looking for your address or have completely forgotten about you.
Thanks for the wishes, cards, and gifts that I've been receiving and I send you and your families good wishes.
Aunt Lois
Dec 19, 2006
Hey, check out the great article that appeared in the Kitchener/Waterloo Record! Good thing Gary sent it to me so I could save the $2.96 to read the article online! If anyone is wondering, as far as I know Aunt Lois and Gary are doing fine. Also in this article, is mention of Rosemary Armstrong, whom I don't know who the heck that is, but I think they were trying to say Ruth Armstrong who is my Nanny. :-) I had a good laugh when I came across that part!
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That's true love
Lois Laminger says her husband is one in a million, but Gary Laminger knows that her rare neurological disorder makes her one in three million
(Dec 15, 2006)
There are two special men in Lois Laminger's life -- one who has kept her alive, and one who makes her feel alive.
The former is Dr. James Gowing, a slow-talking medical sleuth who thrives on tackling seemingly insurmountable problems like hers.
The latter is a jovial romantic, Gary Laminger, whom the Kitchener woman met just before being diagnosed nine years ago with an extremely rare neurological disorder.
Called aceruloplasminemia, this fatal hereditary disease results in gross overloading of iron in the cells and organs of those who have it.
Due to a faulty gene carried by both of Lois' parents, she lacks an enzyme in her blood plasma called ceruloplasmin, which transports iron out of the cells.
Gowing, a hematologist and oncologist at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, says only 30 to 40 cases have been reported since the disease was first described in 1990. No other cases have been reported in Canada. Typically patients die within 18 months. They usually come to their doctors with bizarre involuntary movements typical of those with Huntington's chorea. Dementia also develops.
"By then it's too late," Gowing said.
The normally bubbly Lois was initially devastated when Gowing told her she had the killer disease at age 40.
He came up with a novel treatment which involves regularly infusing Lois with plasma from donors with a high level of ceruloplasmin. He also periodically removes iron-rich red blood cells.
The iron load in her heart and kidneys has returned to normal and has been lowered in her brain.
In the nine years Gowing has treated her, she hasn't developed any neurological symptoms.
But her kidneys have failed. There's no way to know if it's because of the disease and treatment, since people without aceruloplasminemia also get her form of kidney disease, Gowing said.
Through it all, Lois has found happiness with Gary, the soul mate she met unexpectedly on the Internet and married in 2002. They share a love of laughter, teddy bears, angels, travel and the Boston Bruins.
"I'm at peace," Lois said during an interview at their home. "I've never been happier."
Her "guardian angel" Gary gave her his heart long ago.
On Wednesday he gave her his kidney.
Both were doing well yesterday at St. Joseph's Health Centre in Hamilton where the transplant took place.
"He's the most wonderful man in the whole wide world," Lois said from her bedside phone.
"He doesn't have to give me anything for Christmas."
Gary, a postal clerk who works in Cambridge, loves surprising his sweetheart.
In 2002, he proposed to her on stage at a fundraising event sponsored by the city of Kitchener, for whom Lois worked as a customer service representative.
He was in the lip-synching contest and brought her on stage while he sang their favourite song, Lionel Richie's Angel.
Seven months later, Gary surprised her again by inviting Gowing to their wedding.
The doctor's gift was a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne.
The couple had met by chance on a chat line while Gary was living in Winnipeg.
He was planning a move to Kitchener for a fresh start after his marriage of 23 years dissolved.
Lois was also newly single after the end of a troubled 23-year marriage.
"I was not looking for a relationship," she recalled.
He knew she was special the first time he heard her voice.
"I knew the laughter, I knew the happiness in her, how bubbly she was and the humour.
"I fell in love with and married an angel," he said.
Lois said Gary came along at a time when she needed him most.
"He is a kind, loving, generous and funny man."
The two shared Gowing's champagne on their first anniversary. There was so much to celebrate; so much for which to be thankful.
Without Gowing, Lois is convinced she wouldn't be around.
"He saved my life," she stated. "I thank him every day."
Gowing is an innovator. He was the first doctor in North America and the second in the world to try the anti-impotence drug Viagra on a young patient with pulmonary hypertension.
Wes Price, a 25-year-old from Cambridge, was just 19 when Gowing started treating him with Viagra for the disease which had killed his two sisters.
The active ingredient in Viagra has since been approved for hypertension treatment in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Earlier this year, Gowing presented Price's case at a conference in Poland.
In August, he presented Lois's case at a conference on movement disorders in Kyoto, Japan.
"Nobody in the world is doing what we're doing," Gowing said of Lois' treatment regimen. "There was a lot of interest."
Japanese researchers have estimated aceruloplasminemia occurs in only one in three million to one in six million people.
Gowing estimated only four or five people in the world are living with it at a given time.
Lois' father died at age 50 of a heart attack. It's not known if he had developed aceruloplasminemia.
Lois was sent to Gowing in 1997 with a diagnosis of hemachromotosis, a much more common and treatable iron-overload problem. He did a biopsy of her liver.
"She had about 100 times the normal amount of iron in her liver," said Gowing. "I'd never heard of anyone that high before."
He proposed something called a phlebotomy. His new patient was taken aback. She phoned her mother, Rosemary Armstrong, a retired nurse.
"He wants to do something that sounds like a lobotomy," Lois relayed.
Armstrong laughed. A lobotomy is a long-discredited procedure which involves a crude cut into the frontal lobes of psychiatric patients. Phlebotomy removes blood, in Lois' case to reduce iron-rich red blood cells. She began receiving phelbotomies weekly, then every other week.
But before long, she was anemic -- deficient in iron.
"That was the clue," said Gowing.
Lois' problem was that she couldn't move iron out of the storage areas in her cells.
Another treatment to remove iron, chelation, wouldn't work because it doesn't get into the cells, Gowing said.
The doctor went into detective mode, poring over existing research, of which there is little. He came up with the troubling diagnosis: aceruloplasminemia.
If Lois' body couldn't produce ceruloplasmin, was there a way to give it to her, Gowing wondered?
He contacted a London colleague who works with Canadian Blood Services and asked for donated plasma from donors with high levels of ceruloplasmin. Gowing then started infusing Lois with the plasma and before long, her iron levels started to drop.
Then in 2000, she was diagnosed with kidney disease. She ended up in hospital, where doctors also determined she had diabetes, which is a symptom of aceruloplasminemia.
Crushing fatigue forced her to give up her beloved job. She no longer had the stamina to continue her thrice-weekly workouts. The combination of inactivity and steroid drugs caused her to weight to soar from 123 pounds to her current 180 pounds.
Gary helped keep her spirits up. When she was well enough, they travelled and went to concerts. But by last April, her kidney function had declined to the point that she began dialysis treatments. She was told it was time to start looking for a live donor.
"I'm first in line," Gary recalls telling her.
His own doctor warned that because of his weight, Gary wouldn't qualify. But he was determined. He lost 41 pounds. His kidney function was excellent. He was a perfect match for Lois, in yet another way. "My mother calls him her hero," Lois smiles.
Lois can never be sure what Gary will surprise her with next.
She returned home from a trip to her native Gaspé to find that he'd built her a cedar log bed, just like one they'd slept in on their honeymoon in Tennessee. In preparation for the kidney transplant, he surprised her with a website (http://billyraebob.bravehost.com) to update family and friends.
The site's guest book has drawn well-wishers from around the world. In moving tributes, admiration flows for the pair's strength and good humour.
Lois said laughter has a lot to do with their resilience.
"And a positive attitude. You can't worry about it or you will go crazy. We decided we were going to take whatever they throw at us and just go on."
She and Gary come from close families and between them have five grown children and three grandchildren
"I could never give up," Lois said. "I have too much to live for."
Gowing is among Lois' many admirers "She is a fantastic lady. She is very optimistic about everything. She takes life in her stride and gets on with it."
WHAT IS ACERULOPLASMINEMIA?
A rare genetic neurological disorder
Patients lack an enzyme in blood plasma called ceruloplasmin, which moves iron out of the cells
Iron overloads in cells and organs causing damage
Both parents must have defective gene
Symptoms can include diabetes, retinal problems, involuntary movements and dementia
Usually develops between ages 30 and 50
Estimated to occur in one in three million to one in six million people
Only 30 to 40 cases reported since disease first identified in 1990
Often fatal within 18 month.
Mayoral Woes
Now, here's a little note for Mike, who, if he managed to remember to vote, he would have voted for Larry O'Brien and I want to hold that above his head for the next four years (mayoral terms are 4 years, right?)So, first of all, he ends up kiboshing our beloved O-Train. No wait, before that, he accepts a pay raise. May as well get the raise before starting the hard work right? Ya have to get primed to give it your all while being mayor! I personally work better when someone pays me up front with a beer. "What's that, you need a lawn mowed? Pass me a beer and I'm on it!"
One of his election promises was a zero tax hike. Now, let's be honest here Palmer's World readers. When someone is running for any sort of office, you should be smart enough to know that they can't guarantee anything. I almost feel bad for these unsavoury rogues spewing out "No tax hikes!" "Food for the starving!" "Wii's for all the 30-year old children this Christmas!" when they don't know what the heck is going on in the accounting side of things. Look at our beloved Premier McGuinty. Who would have thought that once he got in there, he realized there was something he didn't know about and so he couldn't hold some election promises? (citation needed)
So, on one hand, I feel people are stupid if they actually vote for someone because they scream 'no tax hike!', but at the same time, politicians should know better to take advantage of the stupid people out there. If you are one of those people I am blatantly calling stupid, please do the following research for me:
Take a look at any sort of office that people run for and determine how many election promises the winner keeps for…let's say the past 3 terms. I'd be interested in finding this stuff out! Clearly, if the election promises never pan out, then we all know that I can run for an office of some sort next time around and have a sweet four years of my life collecting some great cash. I wonder if there is a vote of no-confidence in town hall? Then we'd have an Emperor running amuck and we don't want that.
That's Palmer's "Factually Devoid of any Sources" Rant du jour. Here's to Mike who is now trying to squirm his way out of the whole Larry O'Brien voting thing by saying "Well, yeah, but I didn't know he was going to accept a raise as soon as he got in office! Good thing I didn't vote!"
Good thing indeed. ;-)
My Time at The Source
Yesterday at the Source...
Me: Do you have any (insert product name) here?
Guy Working there: Uh, yes! Somewhere around here. (searches around)
Guy Working there: Hey, Cindy, do you know where the(product name) are?
Girl Working there: Actually, we're sold out of them!
Me: Oh well, that's too bad. Alright, well thanks anyhow!
Girl working there: Yeah, they were like…$5 yesterday!
Me: Wow. That's like pouring salt on the wound!
Both of them: (nervous laughter. The guy laughing at the girl, and the girl wondering if she messed up)
Me: Do you have any (insert product name)
Guy Working there: Uh, yes! Somewhere around here. (searches around)
Guy Working there: Hey, Cindy, do you know where the
Girl Working there: Actually, we're sold out of them!
Me: Oh well, that's too bad. Alright, well thanks anyhow!
Girl working there: Yeah, they were like…$5 yesterday!
Me: Wow. That's like pouring salt on the wound!
Both of them: (nervous laughter. The guy laughing at the girl, and the girl wondering if she messed up)
Christmas Party 2006
Dec 18, 2006
I survived! Yes, Palmer is alive and well after a killer Christmas party. Vero estimates that 40 people entered our house at one point in the night…I would have to think that the party was a success and James pointed out the fact that there were still a living room full of people after midnight. Thanks for the props that night James.
Saturday started out running around getting a few oddities but we had a lot of it covered ahead of time with the help of the Losier clan who had made their way up this weekend. We put up the decorations and the house looked fantastic. We ended the decorating with putting up the Christmas lights above the basement area where the ice hockey championship was to take place and jammed a bit.
Rob and Janice were the first to show up so we started the party off right! Rob, Mike and I went to hook up the Nintendo and practiced a little Blades of Steel. I had never played the game much to Rob's surprise as it is THE hockey game for Nintendo. After getting the hang of it, more people showed up so I left to do host duties.
There was jaw-dropping good spread of food brought to the party - thanks to all who brought a delicious treat! They were so good that barely anything made it into the leftovers for the next day! The night proceeded well with a little Blades of Steel tournament set up with the help of Claude and all was going well up there. There were various board games being played and the people trickled in. Before we knew it, the place was packed and I don't even think it was 9:00 yet!
A few people had multiple parties to jet off to so I appreciated that they took the time to drop on by to see what the buzz was about. Hopefully we managed to snap a photo of you before you left! Speaking about photos, Mike had a tripod setup downstairs with a backdrop which consisted of a mattress with a white sheet on it. Now, this on its own doesn't seem like a bad idea, but after reviewing the photos, I had to laugh as a lot of people didn't bother zooming in so there's shots of the grey concrete wall along with the water heater in the photos. Good thing photos are able to crop easily! I also enjoyed how it seemed like someone forgot to take the lens cap off at one point. Who knows what great photos were lost in the experience?
After trouncing Claude in Blades of Steel (5-1 baby!), Matt set up the Nintendo Wii as a surprise for everyone as I noticed we had some time to kill before the trivia challenge. The Wii is an amazing party treat and I hope everyone got a chance to try it out! Thanks to Matt and Benoit for hooking us up with the Nintendo treat!
The trivia challenge started up and everyone settled in to win the Palmer Trivia Cup - an odd vase I picked up earlier in the week for the victor. After a random selection of 16 questions, the challenge ended up in a tie so I asked the tie breaking question and both teams were off by 5 years so it was still a tie! I had to retire to the computer to come up with 2 more questions but alas, it was not meant to be and both teams got the correct answer! Considering it was well past midnight and people were itching to get their gifts open, I decided to call it a draw, although I know I scorned the guys team when I didn't give them the point when they said 'mele kalikemaka' stood for 'very merry christmas' instead of just 'merry christmas'. Perhaps I should have an arbitrary judge to make a ruling on this one.
The gift exchange was a hit and there were numerous alcohol related gifts being passed about. I ended up with a good bottle of wine and a sweet, sweet clock which, as you turn it, changes the display to either the temperature, the humidity level or the weater forecast! I am very impressed with the gift actually and was playing with it all last night. Thanks to Mike and Melissa for the sweet gift! Double thanks to you guys for picking up a little something for Vero and I! I scored a nice little prism with a guitar in it as well as some kick ass Star Wars Christmas tree ornaments! AWESOME! We put them on the mini-tree that Vero and I picked up for $5 that afternoon at the craft store.
The majority of the party left after the gift exchange (to my surprise for a moment, until someone pointed out that it was 2:30 in the morning! Holy Mackerel!) and the night descended into hanging out and chatting. I am pretty sure I invited everyone down to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation but perhaps I forgot to as I found myself the only person downstairs watching the movie and dozing off. This is what happens when you drink too much apple cider!
A few observations from the night to keep in mind for next year's party:
All in all, these are very minor points. I had an amazing time and I am sure everyone else did also. These are just minor changes that one has to tweak to make a party the best experience one can have. This reminds me of the trilogy of New Years' Eve parties I had back home where the first one had some things to be tweaked, the second one was a little better, but the third one was a rip-roaring time! I ended the parties there as I knew I couldn't top them. No worries though, the Christmas parties will be ongoing for years to come!
Feel free to share your memories of the event or any other suggestions that could better the experience next time around!
Thanks to all those bringing out treats, bringing games, helping decorate, helping prepare, basically anyone who brought forth the cheer in the Palmer/Losier house on Saturday night!
However, whoever put their gum on the carpet, no thanks are sent to you. Who the heck leaves gum on carpet anyhow? ;-)
Saturday started out running around getting a few oddities but we had a lot of it covered ahead of time with the help of the Losier clan who had made their way up this weekend. We put up the decorations and the house looked fantastic. We ended the decorating with putting up the Christmas lights above the basement area where the ice hockey championship was to take place and jammed a bit.
Rob and Janice were the first to show up so we started the party off right! Rob, Mike and I went to hook up the Nintendo and practiced a little Blades of Steel. I had never played the game much to Rob's surprise as it is THE hockey game for Nintendo. After getting the hang of it, more people showed up so I left to do host duties.
There was jaw-dropping good spread of food brought to the party - thanks to all who brought a delicious treat! They were so good that barely anything made it into the leftovers for the next day! The night proceeded well with a little Blades of Steel tournament set up with the help of Claude and all was going well up there. There were various board games being played and the people trickled in. Before we knew it, the place was packed and I don't even think it was 9:00 yet!
A few people had multiple parties to jet off to so I appreciated that they took the time to drop on by to see what the buzz was about. Hopefully we managed to snap a photo of you before you left! Speaking about photos, Mike had a tripod setup downstairs with a backdrop which consisted of a mattress with a white sheet on it. Now, this on its own doesn't seem like a bad idea, but after reviewing the photos, I had to laugh as a lot of people didn't bother zooming in so there's shots of the grey concrete wall along with the water heater in the photos. Good thing photos are able to crop easily! I also enjoyed how it seemed like someone forgot to take the lens cap off at one point. Who knows what great photos were lost in the experience?
After trouncing Claude in Blades of Steel (5-1 baby!), Matt set up the Nintendo Wii as a surprise for everyone as I noticed we had some time to kill before the trivia challenge. The Wii is an amazing party treat and I hope everyone got a chance to try it out! Thanks to Matt and Benoit for hooking us up with the Nintendo treat!
The trivia challenge started up and everyone settled in to win the Palmer Trivia Cup - an odd vase I picked up earlier in the week for the victor. After a random selection of 16 questions, the challenge ended up in a tie so I asked the tie breaking question and both teams were off by 5 years so it was still a tie! I had to retire to the computer to come up with 2 more questions but alas, it was not meant to be and both teams got the correct answer! Considering it was well past midnight and people were itching to get their gifts open, I decided to call it a draw, although I know I scorned the guys team when I didn't give them the point when they said 'mele kalikemaka' stood for 'very merry christmas' instead of just 'merry christmas'. Perhaps I should have an arbitrary judge to make a ruling on this one.
The gift exchange was a hit and there were numerous alcohol related gifts being passed about. I ended up with a good bottle of wine and a sweet, sweet clock which, as you turn it, changes the display to either the temperature, the humidity level or the weater forecast! I am very impressed with the gift actually and was playing with it all last night. Thanks to Mike and Melissa for the sweet gift! Double thanks to you guys for picking up a little something for Vero and I! I scored a nice little prism with a guitar in it as well as some kick ass Star Wars Christmas tree ornaments! AWESOME! We put them on the mini-tree that Vero and I picked up for $5 that afternoon at the craft store.
The majority of the party left after the gift exchange (to my surprise for a moment, until someone pointed out that it was 2:30 in the morning! Holy Mackerel!) and the night descended into hanging out and chatting. I am pretty sure I invited everyone down to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation but perhaps I forgot to as I found myself the only person downstairs watching the movie and dozing off. This is what happens when you drink too much apple cider!
A few observations from the night to keep in mind for next year's party:
- I think it may be a good idea to get away from the possibility of alcohol-related gifts. Sure, I can't knock a bottle of rye coming my way, but it may not be for everyone. I think this stemmed from last year's gift exchange having a beer mug set which was the catch of the party. Perhaps having a theme for gifts will change this outcome. Themes such as games, music, chocolate…something like that.
- Maybe the ice hockey tournament was a little too much. In the end, the tournament didn't end up finished, and I heard it was a little disruptive when you would be chatting with someone and then they had to be hauled off to play their five minutes of ice hockey. I personally enjoyed it, but I can see that it may have been a pain for those not participating. I think this should be reserved for a Winter Olympics themed night were we'll also have the luge down my basement stairs!
- I think the 'bring something for everyone to munch on' is a fabulous idea. It was a lot better than the random munchies that were provided last year (aka chips).
- The trivia challenge should be changed slightly next year to not have so many questions about dates. Also, it is unclear if people prefer the multiple choice or not. Eric pointed out that he would rather see a trivia challenge where it ends up having the team actually think of the answer instead of having a shouting match about it. Although, I think that part is hilarious. I think next year I'll have a few people help me with the questions.
All in all, these are very minor points. I had an amazing time and I am sure everyone else did also. These are just minor changes that one has to tweak to make a party the best experience one can have. This reminds me of the trilogy of New Years' Eve parties I had back home where the first one had some things to be tweaked, the second one was a little better, but the third one was a rip-roaring time! I ended the parties there as I knew I couldn't top them. No worries though, the Christmas parties will be ongoing for years to come!
Feel free to share your memories of the event or any other suggestions that could better the experience next time around!
Thanks to all those bringing out treats, bringing games, helping decorate, helping prepare, basically anyone who brought forth the cheer in the Palmer/Losier house on Saturday night!
However, whoever put their gum on the carpet, no thanks are sent to you. Who the heck leaves gum on carpet anyhow? ;-)
Light Rail Begone!
Dec 15, 2006
Dang. Just read this morning that the Light Rail System that was been developed for Ottawa has been erased from existence.This plain sucks. I was hoping for some zipping train to bring me to Kanata in 45 minutes. But alas, no, this is not the case. Granted, the case of zipping me to Kanata would have taken 15 years to build, but that's besides the point.
What are my feelings on public transit personally? Well…I can't complain about the system there is now. It literally takes me 30 minutes from my Park & Ride spot to the front door of my building. Let's tack on another 10 minutes in my car to get to the front door of my house. But I don't really count that time because I feel that I'm at home as soon as I hit the car. I can zip to the grocery store or do other things I need to do.
30 minutes is not a legitimate complaint when living in a city. So, in my position, I find public transit great.
Will they ever be able to solve the awful wait times in the suburbs? No! They aren't about to put more shifts on a local route just to pick up a few extra stragglers who missed their bus by a few minutes. Sure, it would be great, but what's the benefit to them?
I think that maybe coming from the West side of town could be improved upon as I remember going out there from work would take a good 45-50 minutes and it's a shorter distance than the East trip I take now. However, they may have fixed this problem as there is a route that avoids the Lincoln Fields/Carling/Bayshore fiasco and zips down the Queensway for a bit to hit up Bayshore. Man, I wish that line was around when I was living there.
I can't speak for the south or Kanata, but the O-Train already runs south and I've used it a few times to get down to South Keys and I loved it. Saved me so much time rather than going through downtown.
To me, downtown is the problem. You have this mass exodus approaching it in the morning and late afternoon. Even with dedicated bus lanes, they still have traffic lights and regular traffic patterns that they deal with. The only way I can think of solving this problem is to avoid those situations altogether - via an underground, perhaps a dedicated 'transitway' through downtown, or something else. I am not too sure.
All I know is that I had these grand visions of the Light Rail transit zooming me to work in the morning, but now it's just a memory. I agreed with their plans to extend it North-South at first…it only makes sense. That's where it exists now. AND the South *is* becoming a huge mass. A huge similar looking mass according to Trish, Mike and Ryan as we got lost going to Ferda's birthday party a few weeks ago.
What should we all do? Move to Quebec. Houses are cheaper and you can bike to work. Awesome.
iplaying: Bario Alto - Thievery Corporation (Pure Chill Out, Volume 2)
December 23 at the Legion
For those of you who want to get a taste of greatness (in the form of Mike, Danny and myself) up on stage, drop by the Legion in Kapuskasing on December 23 where we will be hammering out a few tunes. Thanks to Mr. Losier for the invite!
Please note that December 23 is in fact that same day we will be travelling on the road. We'll feel like true rockers across Canada now, running back and forth to the next gig!
Please note that December 23 is in fact that same day we will be travelling on the road. We'll feel like true rockers across Canada now, running back and forth to the next gig!
Christmas Card Update
Dec 14, 2006
Have no fear, faithful readers, the Christmas cards are starting to trickle out. Who knows what Palmer has thought up this year to please the masses?
Whatever it is, it is sure to be personalized. As in, you'll know it's from me.
Anyhow, the first batch went out this morning, the other batch...hmm...may be out on Monday? I need to hunt down a few more addresses, that's all.
iplaying: Gone Upside Down - Dishwalla (and you think you know what life's about)
Whatever it is, it is sure to be personalized. As in, you'll know it's from me.
Anyhow, the first batch went out this morning, the other batch...hmm...may be out on Monday? I need to hunt down a few more addresses, that's all.
iplaying: Gone Upside Down - Dishwalla (and you think you know what life's about)
Beta Test
Aunt Lois
Dec 13, 2006
Before I start, can I just say that I don't have a picture of Aunt Lois anywhere in digital land? I was going to attach it but alas, there is nothing, so I stuck it out with an amazing picture of myself grilling a grilled cheese. Can you have a grilled cheese without a pickle? I think not.
Anyhow, today, Aunt Lois and Uncle Gary go under the knife for surgery. Around 1PM I believe. Now, I'm trying to rack my brain to figure out what Aunt Lois is going in for…let me consult some other websites on the subject…ah yes.
"Aunt Lois has a 'rare hereditary blood disease Aceruloplasmenemia'. This blood disease causes an Iron Overload in her blood stream and was depositing Iron on to her internal organs. Treatment has now seemed to stabalized her, but the iron is still prevalent within her blood stream as she does not have enough of the blood product Ceruloplasmin to mobilize the iron within her body. Treatment includes regular blood plasma that contain a higher than normal concentration of the product Ceruloplasmin and the occasion removal of blood.
A few years ago, however, Lois developed another rare disease called Rapidly Aggressive Crescentic Glomerulonephritis, which caused her kidney's to start to fail. Well, to make a long story short her kidney condition digressed to the state where she had to go onto dialysis in April, 2006. A year or so ago, it was determined that Lois would need a kidney transplant eventually, and as a result the hunt was on, so to speak."
Well, Uncle Gary stepped up to the plate for the woman he loves and offered up his kidney. Now, I asked Mom what it meant to give up your kidney other than the fact that you're giving up a piece of your body. Essentially, things are good to go in the both of them, it's just the fact that the extra kidney is a backup. If I'm way off on this analysis, feel free to grill me Gary!
So that's that…they are finally getting a chance to go into surgery today which must be a mind trip and a half. I can't say that I've ever had major surgery so I don't know how I would feel in the situation. I would like to think that I would be the calm and collected Palmer that you all know and that I would be cracking jokes with the surgeon (unless his name was Dr. Nick). So I'm hoping that the spirits are high today going into the operation and that you are both looking forward to some copious amounts of jell-o.
Now, Aunt Lois is the cats meow in terms of Aunts. I'm pretty sure I mentioned this before, but she was the one that would bring me to the comic book store while visiting and wait patiently. That's some serious Aunt-power right there. I can imagine that I will have learned this power when I become an uncle. As for Gary, he is also the cats meow for coming through (and also trying to spearhead a Christmas light competition! Perhaps next year. I will hit up the Boxing Day sales for a Griswald-like purchase.) for Aunt Lois (and heck, the rest of the family while we're at it) so I send my heartfelt thanks to you Gary.
I invite Aunt Lois and Gary to swing a post-surgery blog entry our way to see how the whole thing went! We want the sordid details like:
Anyhow, today, Aunt Lois and Uncle Gary go under the knife for surgery. Around 1PM I believe. Now, I'm trying to rack my brain to figure out what Aunt Lois is going in for…let me consult some other websites on the subject…ah yes.
"Aunt Lois has a 'rare hereditary blood disease Aceruloplasmenemia'. This blood disease causes an Iron Overload in her blood stream and was depositing Iron on to her internal organs. Treatment has now seemed to stabalized her, but the iron is still prevalent within her blood stream as she does not have enough of the blood product Ceruloplasmin to mobilize the iron within her body. Treatment includes regular blood plasma that contain a higher than normal concentration of the product Ceruloplasmin and the occasion removal of blood.
A few years ago, however, Lois developed another rare disease called Rapidly Aggressive Crescentic Glomerulonephritis, which caused her kidney's to start to fail. Well, to make a long story short her kidney condition digressed to the state where she had to go onto dialysis in April, 2006. A year or so ago, it was determined that Lois would need a kidney transplant eventually, and as a result the hunt was on, so to speak."
Well, Uncle Gary stepped up to the plate for the woman he loves and offered up his kidney. Now, I asked Mom what it meant to give up your kidney other than the fact that you're giving up a piece of your body. Essentially, things are good to go in the both of them, it's just the fact that the extra kidney is a backup. If I'm way off on this analysis, feel free to grill me Gary!
So that's that…they are finally getting a chance to go into surgery today which must be a mind trip and a half. I can't say that I've ever had major surgery so I don't know how I would feel in the situation. I would like to think that I would be the calm and collected Palmer that you all know and that I would be cracking jokes with the surgeon (unless his name was Dr. Nick). So I'm hoping that the spirits are high today going into the operation and that you are both looking forward to some copious amounts of jell-o.
Now, Aunt Lois is the cats meow in terms of Aunts. I'm pretty sure I mentioned this before, but she was the one that would bring me to the comic book store while visiting and wait patiently. That's some serious Aunt-power right there. I can imagine that I will have learned this power when I become an uncle. As for Gary, he is also the cats meow for coming through (and also trying to spearhead a Christmas light competition! Perhaps next year. I will hit up the Boxing Day sales for a Griswald-like purchase.) for Aunt Lois (and heck, the rest of the family while we're at it) so I send my heartfelt thanks to you Gary.
I invite Aunt Lois and Gary to swing a post-surgery blog entry our way to see how the whole thing went! We want the sordid details like:
- What type of ice cream did they serve?
- Are the nurses of high calibre?
- Did you see any ER type moments happening around you?
Casino Royale Found!
Hey, I just found my copy of Casino Royale tucked in my desk drawer at work! Yes! The day is brightening up!
Da Funk
Dec 12, 2006
I've hit this weird funk during the Holiday season where I am feeling slightly depressed. I have no idea where it's coming from, but the usual holiday season just isn't doing it for me. I sit around thinking of all the stuff I have to get done and it just brings me down.
I have a 20 page report due by next Friday for my Qualitative Research Methods class. That on its own isn't too bad (well, so I think..), but I am coupling it with the fact that Christmas is upon us and I have to pick up some gifts. This is the first year I have NO ideas for people. I'm usually good at this! I am depressed because I have no good ideas for anyone. My gifts this year will be crap this year people. Be warned.
So then I think "Ok, well, I'll have enough time to work on the report and gifts this weekend." but then I realize that the Annual Christmas Bash at yours truly is being held on Saturday! Holy mackerel, I have to get prepared! Hello Cleaning the House and picking up supplies.
Then there's the whole Christmas party at work on Thursday which I've decided not to go to. This is very unlike me. Why am I not wanting to go to the work Christmas party? Well, I won't go into the details here, but there's just circumstances surrounding it which leave me saying "Bah Humbug." Doh, I just remembered I have to pick up something for the needy family by Thursday! I was supposed to do that tonight. Groan.
What about my Christmas cards? I'm so late with them! I just got them today and still have to pick up stamps and whatnot. Sigh.
Ya see? That's what the life of Palmer is all about right now. Sure sure, my faithful readers are reading this saying "Whoa buddy, suck it up, we've all been there!". Well, maybe you have, but not the Palmer. Holidays are his fave of the year and right now all I want is good ideas to pop in my head for gifts and for my report to be done. This isn't the time to be working on reports and studying for exams! They need to adjust the school year so you get a month off as of December 1st.
Ten bucks says Vero will read this and say "Don't come out with my friends on Friday. Take some time for your report.". Thank you, but it's not needed. I think the report will be fine...it's just everything else at the moment.
All I need is to curl up with some apple cider, some Crown Royal and a copy of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and all will be fine in the world.
Alright, alright, this post makes me realize that I'm whining and I should be thankful for the good things in my life. Fine.
I have a 20 page report due by next Friday for my Qualitative Research Methods class. That on its own isn't too bad (well, so I think..), but I am coupling it with the fact that Christmas is upon us and I have to pick up some gifts. This is the first year I have NO ideas for people. I'm usually good at this! I am depressed because I have no good ideas for anyone. My gifts this year will be crap this year people. Be warned.
So then I think "Ok, well, I'll have enough time to work on the report and gifts this weekend." but then I realize that the Annual Christmas Bash at yours truly is being held on Saturday! Holy mackerel, I have to get prepared! Hello Cleaning the House and picking up supplies.
Then there's the whole Christmas party at work on Thursday which I've decided not to go to. This is very unlike me. Why am I not wanting to go to the work Christmas party? Well, I won't go into the details here, but there's just circumstances surrounding it which leave me saying "Bah Humbug." Doh, I just remembered I have to pick up something for the needy family by Thursday! I was supposed to do that tonight. Groan.
What about my Christmas cards? I'm so late with them! I just got them today and still have to pick up stamps and whatnot. Sigh.
Ya see? That's what the life of Palmer is all about right now. Sure sure, my faithful readers are reading this saying "Whoa buddy, suck it up, we've all been there!". Well, maybe you have, but not the Palmer. Holidays are his fave of the year and right now all I want is good ideas to pop in my head for gifts and for my report to be done. This isn't the time to be working on reports and studying for exams! They need to adjust the school year so you get a month off as of December 1st.
Ten bucks says Vero will read this and say "Don't come out with my friends on Friday. Take some time for your report.". Thank you, but it's not needed. I think the report will be fine...it's just everything else at the moment.
All I need is to curl up with some apple cider, some Crown Royal and a copy of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and all will be fine in the world.
Alright, alright, this post makes me realize that I'm whining and I should be thankful for the good things in my life. Fine.
posted by Palmer, 8:28:00 PM
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A Further Chapter in Bus Etiquette
Here's another rant about public transit etiquette.Let's say you are exiting the bus from the back and the bus is such that they have two doors to exit from.
Well, if you are exiting, do not immediately turn in the opposite direction upon exiting the vehicle. Walk a few steps forward until the coast is clear and then proceed in your direction.
Otherwise, you basically smash into the other gentleman getting off the bus to the direct opposite of you and then when you smash into him, he holds up the line of people behind them and a crazy mob-like mentality occurs like barracuda in the sea of blood and it's all over Gonzo.
Claude and Sylvie's Wedding
Dec 11, 2006
Well, my wingman flew off into the sunset on Friday night as we went to Claude and Sylvie's wedding reception. After writing a final exam that afternoon (which…I think I did as well as any man writing 5 essays in 3 hours could do…) I was pumped to go have a good night. They had actually got married down South somewhere so this was a reception for the folks who couldn't make it.
Vero and I rushed to the mall to pick up a wedding gift and then I headed home to get dressed. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that my pair of dress shoes were left at work so I had to make a detour back into Quebec. After picking up Trish and Vero, we headed to the reception hall which was amazingly decorated. I liked the stark contrast that the bright pink colours created. I had to set up the laptop for a presentation of photos which ended in disaster as the laptop didn't have Windows XP on it, so it doesn't have a built-in slideshow feature. After some fiddling around with it (and some heckles from various women around me), I managed to find some mass import feature in PowerPoint which saved my ass that night. An hour later, the presentation is up and running and I finally have time to run to Subway as I had not eaten yet that day. In hindsight, I suppose I really could have mowed down on the food at the wedding but I thought that would be rude (but in the end, there were a ton of leftovers).
The MC was a good time, the DJ was alright also. He wasn't as bad as Jason's ("He sucks donkey balls!"), but Claude wasn't too impressed with him. All in all, I'm a fan of the DJs that play the older music at the beginning of the night and ends it off with some newer stuff. It's the make of a good DJ.
The speeches were great, but the highlight of the speeches is how the karaoke gig next door were singing Feliz Navidad during the best man's speech and we couldn't hear a word that the best man was saying. It was amazing.
The night progressed well other than Pierre spiking my rye with some Tobasco sauce. I found out an hour ago that Benoit retaliated for me, but I was receiving the blame for it from Pierre that night so I was on a manhunt for whomever spiked it. Then Pierre retaliated again. First, you smell some olives, then your lips go numb. That's what Tobasco sauce in your drink is all about.
I beat Benoit to the garter belt which was amazing. Then they went East Coast Style where I had to put the garter belt on the leg of the girl who caught the bouquet. I had told her I was going to have some fun with her and fondle her leg a little for the show, and she had no problem with it.
While blindfolded, I realized that putting a garter belt on seems a lot harder than taking one off! I had to use my hand at one point to get it over the foot. Anyhow, things were going decent and then the MC stopped everything and when I took the blindfold off, I realized they pulled a switcheroo on me and they had put the bride's mom there instead! We all had a good laugh!
Other than that, things progressed well. We had an excellent table and I got to chat up with a few people I don't get to see often, as well as Pierre's wife whom I had only met at their wedding for a whole 2 minutes. She is pretty cool.
The night ended at 1 and we headed home amidst a giant snowstorm which hit in the past few hours. Two thumbs up for the wedding!
Vero and I rushed to the mall to pick up a wedding gift and then I headed home to get dressed. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that my pair of dress shoes were left at work so I had to make a detour back into Quebec. After picking up Trish and Vero, we headed to the reception hall which was amazingly decorated. I liked the stark contrast that the bright pink colours created. I had to set up the laptop for a presentation of photos which ended in disaster as the laptop didn't have Windows XP on it, so it doesn't have a built-in slideshow feature. After some fiddling around with it (and some heckles from various women around me), I managed to find some mass import feature in PowerPoint which saved my ass that night. An hour later, the presentation is up and running and I finally have time to run to Subway as I had not eaten yet that day. In hindsight, I suppose I really could have mowed down on the food at the wedding but I thought that would be rude (but in the end, there were a ton of leftovers).
The MC was a good time, the DJ was alright also. He wasn't as bad as Jason's ("He sucks donkey balls!"), but Claude wasn't too impressed with him. All in all, I'm a fan of the DJs that play the older music at the beginning of the night and ends it off with some newer stuff. It's the make of a good DJ.
The speeches were great, but the highlight of the speeches is how the karaoke gig next door were singing Feliz Navidad during the best man's speech and we couldn't hear a word that the best man was saying. It was amazing.
The night progressed well other than Pierre spiking my rye with some Tobasco sauce. I found out an hour ago that Benoit retaliated for me, but I was receiving the blame for it from Pierre that night so I was on a manhunt for whomever spiked it. Then Pierre retaliated again. First, you smell some olives, then your lips go numb. That's what Tobasco sauce in your drink is all about.
I beat Benoit to the garter belt which was amazing. Then they went East Coast Style where I had to put the garter belt on the leg of the girl who caught the bouquet. I had told her I was going to have some fun with her and fondle her leg a little for the show, and she had no problem with it.
While blindfolded, I realized that putting a garter belt on seems a lot harder than taking one off! I had to use my hand at one point to get it over the foot. Anyhow, things were going decent and then the MC stopped everything and when I took the blindfold off, I realized they pulled a switcheroo on me and they had put the bride's mom there instead! We all had a good laugh!
Other than that, things progressed well. We had an excellent table and I got to chat up with a few people I don't get to see often, as well as Pierre's wife whom I had only met at their wedding for a whole 2 minutes. She is pretty cool.
The night ended at 1 and we headed home amidst a giant snowstorm which hit in the past few hours. Two thumbs up for the wedding!
Behold, The Music!
Dec 7, 2006
Troy unlocked the Pandora's Box for me a few nights ago when showing me how major keys in music work and what chords sound good together.In some ways, it is some information that I knew along (ie, what chords sound good together), but never realized there's an actual science/math reason behind it.
With this, I wrote a song in honour of Stompin' Tom the other night which is a great tribute to the legend. After reading his biography as well as a biography on the Beatles, I realized that music isn't supposed to be all serious-like. It's about writing about anything you want, like the gum stuck to the bottom of the shoe!
Now that the knowledge in my head has increased, I anticipate quite a few new songs coming out of my head.
Thanks to you Troy! You don’t know what you've released.
Review: Magical Mystery Tours
Dec 6, 2006
Reading Magical Mystery Tours by Tony Bramwell felt like a magical mystery tour. Enter the realm of the sixties...an era which I hadn't really researched or heard about, although when I think about it...I suppose my parents were in the prime of their life when the late sixties occured. Were they part of the psychadelic movement? Something tells me Dad wasn't a hippie...but who knows? I should consult the old photo albums!Tony Bramwell is a childhood friend of the Beatles, growing up with them in Liverpool. There are insights to the beginnings of the band, as well as the music scene in general all over the nation at the time. It's an interesting read to see not only the inner life of the Beatles, but the financials aspects and how the record companies ran back in the day. For example, the industry was very-single driven. Now, that is definitely the case nowadays ("Hear your favourite hit single on the airwaves NOW!") but the single is usually found on the album of the day.
Not back in the day. Singles were singles. Released on vinyl with a B-Side. Rarely showing up on the actual album. Very strange.
The story follows the Beatles throughout their lifetime and then focusses on Tony Bramwell's life after the Beatles which is exciting on its own as he was big in the music industry being affiliated with the Beatles. For example, he promoted Bruce 'The Boss' Springsteen and convinced Paul McCartney to record the soundtrack to Live and Let Die, the first Roger Moore James Bond film. Neat!
The best parts of the book were the random encounters with various celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Keith 'Keef' Richards, where John Lennon accuses them of being a country band, and how Keith Moon gave Tony Bramwell his apartment as he was bored with it. Imagine!
These are the stories legends are made of, and Tony Bramwell gave me insight into this wonderful time.
Thanks to Mom and Dad for picking this one up for Christmas last year. It was a great read!
iplaying: No Use - jazzanova (In Between)
Ferda's Birthday
Dec 4, 2006
Good times were had at Ferda's birthday. I started out the day recovering from the YPS (Young Public Servants) Christmas party which brought us to the Naval Association, Paddy Bolands and the ever faithful Heart and Crown. We closed down the Naval Association and it was nice to sit by the fireplace at Paddy's as we encountered an ice storm during the party. Maren and I thought we were literally going to fly off the bridge at one point.
I then went over to Claude and Sylvie's to help Claude set up his modified Xbox. While most of the night was spent figuring out his wireless router, we achieved mild success and are now plagued with problems concerning the version of the XBMC he is using. Will have to do some further digging.
After picking up Mike and Trish, we headed to Barrhaven for the party. I had some moments of serious doubt while driving out there as I couldn’t tell if I had past the turn-off or not. We finally managed to find the right street and we got out of the car and started searching for their house. Here is an excerpt from that night's conversation:
Trish: Hey, isn't their house number 96?
Me: I don't know?
Trish: What about the street name? They live on Palmytown (name changed) Hey, we're only at #32 on the house numbers!
Me: Well…we must be on the right street. Hey, when did they build apartment buildings here?
Trish: Ryan, are you sure we're on the right street?
Me: Of course we are! Let's go find a street sign. Here's one…it says...Gallywagger.
Me: (pondering)
Me: Ah crap.
Then we all had a good laugh as we were lost in the maze which is Barrhaven (or any suburbia for that matter). I knew generally where we were as I am a human compass and discovered we were one block off from the target.
The party was in full force when we arrived. The majority of people were downstairs playing the new Nintendo Wii (which is fab). We had some munchies and chatted with everyone while trying to evoke some good Hollyisms from Holly.
I hope that Ferda equally had a great birthday party!
I then went over to Claude and Sylvie's to help Claude set up his modified Xbox. While most of the night was spent figuring out his wireless router, we achieved mild success and are now plagued with problems concerning the version of the XBMC he is using. Will have to do some further digging.
After picking up Mike and Trish, we headed to Barrhaven for the party. I had some moments of serious doubt while driving out there as I couldn’t tell if I had past the turn-off or not. We finally managed to find the right street and we got out of the car and started searching for their house. Here is an excerpt from that night's conversation:
Trish: Hey, isn't their house number 96?
Me: I don't know?
Trish: What about the street name? They live on Palmytown (name changed) Hey, we're only at #32 on the house numbers!
Me: Well…we must be on the right street. Hey, when did they build apartment buildings here?
Trish: Ryan, are you sure we're on the right street?
Me: Of course we are! Let's go find a street sign. Here's one…it says...Gallywagger.
Me: (pondering)
Me: Ah crap.
Then we all had a good laugh as we were lost in the maze which is Barrhaven (or any suburbia for that matter). I knew generally where we were as I am a human compass and discovered we were one block off from the target.
The party was in full force when we arrived. The majority of people were downstairs playing the new Nintendo Wii (which is fab). We had some munchies and chatted with everyone while trying to evoke some good Hollyisms from Holly.
I hope that Ferda equally had a great birthday party!
