Last weekend, I was walking home from the Cashline job. It was one of those beautiful spring days that pretty much capture everything that is awesome about Victoria - smiling tourists, lazy dogs sleeping on the doorstep of their owner's independent business, and well-dressed students sipping five dollar lattes and handing out flyers on random human rights violations. All in all, a great afternoon.
On the way, I walked by the military recruiting office, and scoffed at the pictures in the window as I went past. The first was this blown up photo of a navy woman, smiling beatifically as she looked over the prow of a massive warship. The whole image struck me as funny, because these photos are essentially a "what we're all about" sort of thing - an indication of self-image, as it were. And the fact that apparently the navy see themselves as a bunch of happy-go-lucky, smiling women struck me as funny.
Because I'm odd like that.
Next up was the army picture - this guy in bulky combat armour, with "Cool guy" shades coolly frowning over a desert landscape. Yyup. That pretty much sums up the army for me - a bunch of douches that liked pushing people around in high school, and want an excuse to keep on doing that once they graduated. I'm generalizing, of course, but I think it's fair to say that everybody in the Canadian Army is an absolute tool who likes to torture small animals. It's, like, fact.
Then I came across the Air Force photo. It's a well known fact that the Air Force attracts a huge number of nerds. And this makes perfect sense - most of the related occupations are highly technical in nature, there is less of a physical requirement, and to get in you require a lot of math, physics, and computer skills. And I laughed my butt off when I saw the picture of the air force guy. Because this guy is basically how the air force idealize themselves - and this guy was a dork!
Then I took a long look at the picture. Ginger hair. Blonde eyebrows. Pale skin. Glasses. Freckles. Rather small frame. Then, I looked at my reflection in the glass. Ginger hair. Blonde Eyebrows. Pale skin. Glasses. Freckles. Rather small frame.
"...Son of a bitch," I muttered to myself softly. I didn't say anything else on the way home.
Weekly Haiku #23 - The Pandora Street 7 am Rush
wino morning march
towards shelter, free breakfast
...hungry exodus
Weekly Haiku #22 - True Story on a Long Walk Home...
i kicked a pigeon
- accidentally, of course -
...he got in my way
Music Mondays - Jon and Roy
As I get older and a little less hectic and crazy, I'm finding my tastes are leaning more towards the soft and acoustic - as opposed to super high-energy songs. Over the last six months, I've been listening to these lovely albums that have an obvious acoustic focus - the Beatles' White Album as opposed to Sgt. Pepper; Led Zeppelin III as opposed to Led Zeppein I; and the Barenaked Ladies as opposed to The Tragically Hip (a bit of Canadiana thrown in with that last one).
It really should come as no surprise, then, when I name drop Jon and Roy. Because these guys are the kings of laid-back acoustic-y music. I mean, go to the website and take a look at the guys - do they look like the type of people that are going to get angry if you cut them off on the freeway? I seriously doubt it. And then, better yet, listen to their albums (they're free on the site!). This is the sort of music guaranteed to lower your blood pressure - and yet, it's still layered and complex enough that it's not just easy-listening muzak.
I saw them live a few months ago, at Rifflandia, and they were one of the acts that really stuck out in my mind. The night I saw them, there were something like eight bands playing, and Jon and Roy were wedged right in the middle - and yet, they were the only band that night that I still remember, several months on. They even did this bit where they rapped (sublime-style) over a really cool, rolling guitar line. And it didn't suck. I was amazed.
Check 'em out. Seriously.
It really should come as no surprise, then, when I name drop Jon and Roy. Because these guys are the kings of laid-back acoustic-y music. I mean, go to the website and take a look at the guys - do they look like the type of people that are going to get angry if you cut them off on the freeway? I seriously doubt it. And then, better yet, listen to their albums (they're free on the site!). This is the sort of music guaranteed to lower your blood pressure - and yet, it's still layered and complex enough that it's not just easy-listening muzak.
I saw them live a few months ago, at Rifflandia, and they were one of the acts that really stuck out in my mind. The night I saw them, there were something like eight bands playing, and Jon and Roy were wedged right in the middle - and yet, they were the only band that night that I still remember, several months on. They even did this bit where they rapped (sublime-style) over a really cool, rolling guitar line. And it didn't suck. I was amazed.
Check 'em out. Seriously.
It never rains, but it pours
For the last six months or so, I've been working part-time at relatively low-brow, crappy jobs, while collecting my EI on the side. It's been a pretty depressing endeavour, going from working a well-paying full-time government job to plodding my way through crappy low-paying office jobs in a part-time setting. But collecting EI is even more depressing.
I'm not the type of guy that likes to sit around for too long. I'm in constant motion, like the road runner. Or a meth addict. So EI - while a great social safety net - is also rather soul-sucking for a hard-working fellow such as myself.
I've been sitting around a lot, because dropping off resumes is rarely fun:
"hello sir, please hire me!"
"You won't stop moving!"
"Yes, as you can see, I'm a very high-energy and hard-working-"
"Are you on meth?"
I got offered a full-time position yesterday. Starting tomorrow, I'll be working an Admin position in an office. Not the greatest job, but hey, it's a job. I'll also be keeping my job at Cashline for the next little bit, too - I don't wanna give up my tenure as a paid blogger, see.
So, after six months of wishing I had full time work, I am now working full time. Also, weekends. So, um, almost 60h a week.
Also, I start dance classes with the Special Lady next week. And I start three correspondence classes the following week. And I've decided I need to learn how to juggle. And I'm taking yodelling lessons, too. (Okay, I made those last two up).
It's a lot of work, but really, I'm excited about the whole situation. Like I said, I like to move around a bit, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle the workload (a few years back, I worked full time during a semester of school - which was brutal, but I lived). And I shouldn't have much of a problem handling it, because I've got a secret weapon.
Starting tomorrow, I plan on taking a lot of meth.
I'm not the type of guy that likes to sit around for too long. I'm in constant motion, like the road runner. Or a meth addict. So EI - while a great social safety net - is also rather soul-sucking for a hard-working fellow such as myself.
I've been sitting around a lot, because dropping off resumes is rarely fun:
"hello sir, please hire me!"
"You won't stop moving!"
"Yes, as you can see, I'm a very high-energy and hard-working-"
"Are you on meth?"
I got offered a full-time position yesterday. Starting tomorrow, I'll be working an Admin position in an office. Not the greatest job, but hey, it's a job. I'll also be keeping my job at Cashline for the next little bit, too - I don't wanna give up my tenure as a paid blogger, see.
So, after six months of wishing I had full time work, I am now working full time. Also, weekends. So, um, almost 60h a week.
Also, I start dance classes with the Special Lady next week. And I start three correspondence classes the following week. And I've decided I need to learn how to juggle. And I'm taking yodelling lessons, too. (Okay, I made those last two up).
It's a lot of work, but really, I'm excited about the whole situation. Like I said, I like to move around a bit, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle the workload (a few years back, I worked full time during a semester of school - which was brutal, but I lived). And I shouldn't have much of a problem handling it, because I've got a secret weapon.
Starting tomorrow, I plan on taking a lot of meth.
On Being a Paid Blogger
Ah. The fun of being at work with nothing to do. It is 10 am. I started at 8 am. And, already, I'm sitting around with zilchnadasquat to do. Basically, my job at this very moment is to wait for the technician to get to chilliwack... and to wait for ATMs to break down or customers to do stupid things.
So in a very roundabout way, I'm getting paid to blog update! Woot.
I always knew I was going to make money making this blog. Didn't realize it'd be like this, though. Still, who am I to complain. I mean, how many of you suckers are making money blogging, huh?
HUNH!?
...Yeah, that's right. Didn't think so.
Man. It's fun being a paid blogger. I now have a reason to be smug. I mean, I've always been smug. Just now, I have a reason.
I'm totally gonna out-smug that punk-rock guy that hangs out on the bus and thinks he's cool because he doesn't wear deodorant. We'll have a smug-off.
Today is shaping up to be a good day.
So in a very roundabout way, I'm getting paid to blog update! Woot.
I always knew I was going to make money making this blog. Didn't realize it'd be like this, though. Still, who am I to complain. I mean, how many of you suckers are making money blogging, huh?
HUNH!?
...Yeah, that's right. Didn't think so.
Man. It's fun being a paid blogger. I now have a reason to be smug. I mean, I've always been smug. Just now, I have a reason.
I'm totally gonna out-smug that punk-rock guy that hangs out on the bus and thinks he's cool because he doesn't wear deodorant. We'll have a smug-off.
Today is shaping up to be a good day.
Mustard Thief?
(Note: this was supposed to be posted first thing in the morning, as I had written it a few days ago for sunday morning - but blogger has made it a habit to convert everything I write into "draft mode" when I'm not looking, and I'm just realizing this now... so, yeah, late post!)
At 10:30 pm, there aren't a whole lot of places to grab something quick to eat. Normally, this isn't much of a problem - I'll just make myself a sandwich, or go out and buy a bag of chips. But tonight, I decided to do something silly.... I went to McDonald's.
I don't like McD's. The food is gross (with the exception of egg mcmuffins - which are pretty much impossible to screw up), the staff are mostly incompetent and lazy, and the average patron is less than desirable. But occasionally, I'll pop in there and grab some McNuggets.
Heading into the store tonight, I order my nuggets, which need to be cooked, so I get shunted off to the side. The staff member gets me my drink, and puts my honey mustard sauce on the counter to remind himself to add it to my bag. Next in line is a halfway decently-dressed girl with dirty hands and a gross band-aid on a finger. She orders the cheapest burger possible, and looks around impatiently. And, when the staff guy turns his back, she spots the honey mustard sauce (*MY* honey mustard sauce) and quickly snatches it and slips it into her purse.
I don't do anything, of course - if someone is at a point in their lives that they feel the need to steal honey mustard sauce, who am I to interfere? Besides, it doesn't take much for me to ask for more ("that girl swiped my sauce" I tell the guy, conspiratorily, prompting a resigned look from the staffer who has seen everything).
On the walk home, I notice that the mustard swiper is behind me. And then digs out her keys, and enters my building right after me. And, as I get into my apartment, I hear her fumbling with her own lock. So, yeah - the girl down the hall?
Mustard thief.
Just thought I'd let you all know.
At 10:30 pm, there aren't a whole lot of places to grab something quick to eat. Normally, this isn't much of a problem - I'll just make myself a sandwich, or go out and buy a bag of chips. But tonight, I decided to do something silly.... I went to McDonald's.
I don't like McD's. The food is gross (with the exception of egg mcmuffins - which are pretty much impossible to screw up), the staff are mostly incompetent and lazy, and the average patron is less than desirable. But occasionally, I'll pop in there and grab some McNuggets.
Heading into the store tonight, I order my nuggets, which need to be cooked, so I get shunted off to the side. The staff member gets me my drink, and puts my honey mustard sauce on the counter to remind himself to add it to my bag. Next in line is a halfway decently-dressed girl with dirty hands and a gross band-aid on a finger. She orders the cheapest burger possible, and looks around impatiently. And, when the staff guy turns his back, she spots the honey mustard sauce (*MY* honey mustard sauce) and quickly snatches it and slips it into her purse.
I don't do anything, of course - if someone is at a point in their lives that they feel the need to steal honey mustard sauce, who am I to interfere? Besides, it doesn't take much for me to ask for more ("that girl swiped my sauce" I tell the guy, conspiratorily, prompting a resigned look from the staffer who has seen everything).
On the walk home, I notice that the mustard swiper is behind me. And then digs out her keys, and enters my building right after me. And, as I get into my apartment, I hear her fumbling with her own lock. So, yeah - the girl down the hall?
Mustard thief.
Just thought I'd let you all know.
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