L<3VE

Margaret Ethel Hancock
August 7th 1914-March 28th 2008 Loving Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother.
Caring Friend.
Loyal, Honest, and True.
You will be sorely missed, although we know your time has come, and that you are happy and reunited with those whose strength and determination could not match yours.

The body may weaken, but your light will never waver.

Thank you for making me the man I am proud to be today.

uh... yea?

So my uncle just called me.
He just called me for what I think is the first time ever.
Just called me to ask if I'd be a pallbearer for my Grandma's funeral.
In case she dies soon.
I know it's because he's going to be in Ottawa for about 2 months.
Where he will be having some tests done, and will eventually have a surgery for a new pacemaker and defibrulator.
I get what he's trying to do, and hope things work out for he best for oth him and my Grandma... but WTF!?

Mellancamp

So, I survived another birthday. My 23rd was the birth of "Classy on the Inside" and as far as events. it was one of the best birthday's I've ever had.

(23rd Birthday!)

It was such an outpouring of love and support from such a vast array and group of friends. It was also the catalyst for chang ein my life. I realized, that as much as I've been alone, and done everything on my own for the last 4 years, I still had people willing to help me, and to listen, to critique and to comfort. It also didn't hurt that we got our party on that night in such a manner that there was no class left on the outside at all.

It started a shift from the talk, and idea or change to the action of change. Which has made this last year so much harder, and so much more fulfilling than I could have hoped for. Thanks to anyone reading for that. I'm a better man for all of you.

(24th Birthday!!)

So this year, for my birthday, I took a little trip to Ottawa. I was in the city for EXACTLY 24hrs and 17min. And I had a complete blast. These people are friends in the greatest sense of the word. Generous and caring, kind and beautiful. Honest. Trustworthy. So how else should we celebrate than in a private box at a Tom Cochrane & John Mellancamp concert! Classic rock at its best, the kind of show where you wait for one song in particular, but for all the time in and around that song, you are reminded of so many other songs that have been a soundtrack to precious moments of your life. If you've read this blog for a while, you will know how much live music means to me. Everything around me fell away. The stress, the stiffness from the bus ride up, the music sort of wrapped around me and time became as fluid as the notes in the air. I would swear to God that we were only at ScotiaBank Place for 10min.
(Life is a Highway)
(Jack & Diane)
Upon my arrival home Sunday evening, a group of 12 of us went to Matsu on Park for a Sushi Birthday Dinner. I love the food here, the quality and care is on par with any of the best sushi restaurants in a bigger metropolitan city. It's hidden from view, off of any main street here in Peterborough, so most students are unaware that they have more than one sushi option. It was such a good dinner, filled with laughing, and reminicing. I've known all of these people since i was in ninth grade, and we still get along like thieves. We've come along way from dinner's at chain restaurants, and to a degree I'm going to take some credit. I've pushed their palates for almost a decade, so I think the Swiss Chalet celebration is on its way out.

(Me & Mr. Matsu)

I hope that this theme will continue throughout my twenties, I am in my mid-twenties now, the first birthday to sufficiently freak me out. Looking back though, I don't see much of a change, and the change I do see, is easily for the better.

Mazel Tov!

this past weekend...

was AMAZING.

I have leftover funds in my bank account thanks to working so much, so I used the occasion of my old roommates and my friend Bono's Birthday to let loose.

(steve & the birthday bono. she tates like gin!)

We had rented the upstairs of CHAMP'S, a local bar, for this private, but momentous occassion.

It brought us all together fo the first time since april, when most left town having finished school.

It also brough together my older and younger brother and myself, a feat that is so rare, i can count the occassions on one hand!

(the littlest brother, Thomitron [Thomas to our mother])

This is just a taste, i am still missing soo many picures. I just am so glad that not only could we all let loose, but we could do it together.

(look low, we are re-enacting a photo taken at a keg party I threw last year)

Goodtimes had, more to follow.

rock band

i am no vid kid.
i pretty much think video games are a wast of time.
that being said, my brother just bought "Rock Band" for the XBox 360.
its guitar hero with a reg guitar, bass guitar, vocal mic, and drum kit.
i have never had so much fun in my life.
thom on guitar, shawn on bass, me kicking the drums whle jenny handles the vocals.
it recognizes the pitch, volume and tone of your voice, allows multiple solos, and the drums have bass, snare, kickdrum, something else and cymbals.
it was soo NOT a waste of 4 hours.
this is not us, but a sample of what its like... HERE.
(vocals accross the top, guitar, bass and drums allong the middle.)

fluidity of kharma

Today will be fun.
I went out last night to shoot some stik with the guys, a thursday night tradition i've been missing a lot lately due to work. Made the effort because cluper leaves for czech very soon. A great adventure for him, but a serious loss for our crew.
I got solid sleep and solid progress made in my book.
Soon I will be getting to hawk trimmed and such.
Then a meeting at the hotel with my boss and the head of the culinary program at Sir Sanford Fleming College.
Then out for dinner, RARE, the newest kid on the block here, and from word of mouth, and excellent gourmet steakhouse.
Plus, today is payday... and I have all my bills up to date!
Money to play around with!!
Psych! Money to put towards a downpayent on a house.
Seriously. Within two years I will own my own home.
Good times always lead to good things.
Peace.

turn the page

2007 saw...
The beginning of "classy on the inside" with my 23rd birthday extravaganza.
It saw the Carleton Charity Ball weekend in Ottawa.
It saw me getting my fab apartment, the first time I've truly lived on my own.
It saw new friends becoming a significant part of my life.
It saw me quitting my job of seven years.
It saw me happy at work with my new job, in my line of interest.
It saw debt reduction.
It saw honesty and openness for the first time in as long time.
It saw the multi colours, the Jew-fro, crew cut, Mohawk and beard.
It saw contacts and a drop of 60lbs.

2008 will see...
The resolve to drop another 40lbs.
The further drop in debt.
My return to school.
Travel, for the first time in my life.
More honesty, more friends, more freedom.
The resolve to cook more, if that's even possible.
The resolve to keep a visual record of my life.
A clean house. Literal and Figurative.

My heartfelt best to all of you in the new year!!

choppy chop chop

rule number one of any kitchen...

BE CAREFUL.

there are a multitude of ways to injure yourself. has anyone seen the commercial about workplace safety where the woman scalds herself with boiling oil? well, the other prep cook took off the tips of two fingers when the food processor exploded as he was making coleslaw. he will be off work for two weeks, so i will therefore, understandingly, have less of a life than i currently do. so i will have been working 7 days a week for almost 9 weeks. at least my bills are getting all caught up. theoretically.
a cogeco mix up means i made payments to the wrong account. so i have to make 4 months of payment at once, because they have mailed me a $240 refund check for an old dormant account.
otherwise, i'm having a relatively skint christmas. good gifts, but on the cheap. everyone understands, but it hurts me because giving is the fun part. otherwise, i've been antisocial, and i apologise. this will return to regular posting in the new year. apparently the hotel business slows in january.
if i'm not back on soon, the warmest wishes to everyone over the holidays, whatever you celebrate. hanukkah ended last week, but everything else is in full swing. so the best to you all.

Amalthea, the Last Unicorn...

OK, I know it's been a while, but It has been really busy. I've been working a tonne and so I spent yesterday relaxing and hanging out with my friends, which was nice. As you also know, Halloween was yesterday, and this year, my costume, though not as elaborate as last year's "Flying Spaghetti Monster" was totally unique. I was "The Last Unicorn". I took a child's costume and had to get my mom to insert panels in the sides so it would fit me but it was totally worth it. And as proof that I was the true last unicorn... not another unicorn existed in all of the downtown, or any of the 4 parties I hit up from Saturday to Wednesday...

So that is the gist of what occupied me, other than the constant functions and banquets going on at the hotel. I am so busy, working 9 hour shifts without breaks (by choice, no one forces me to keep working). But I have managed to get to the gym a lot more regularly now that it's located right where I work. Even with the constant tasting and snacking that go along with working in a professional kitchen, I've managed to drop 5lbs. Go Team High school Pants!

In other news, well, I've redecorated my apartment (as much as you can with a 350sq foot bachelor) and it looks a lot bigger and a lot nicer. Thanks go to my friend Iris for some furniture and the inspiration to get rid of a lot of my unnecessary things. Maybe one day I'll be able to get rid of some of my clothes too. That would free up a tonne of space...

Give. Thanks.

Let's start with a Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and foes here in Canada.

And Then, I'll follow that up with an awkward Happy Columbus Day to our friends to the south.

Something strange happened yesterday at my mom's house:

My family did thanksgiving without stress, without argument and without incident. Except that I forgot along the way to make stuffing. My turkey fell apart (good sign), the gravy was lumpless and from scratch. The veg roasted to a golden tang and the turnips and potatoes were mashed to the perfect consistency. The rolls were flaky, as was the crust on each of the 6 pies. Wine flowed, but not to excess and conversation was honest, and engaging. I found myself having a rare moment of appreciation for my family. We shared coffee and cool breezes in the solarium as the dogs took the scraps of meat from my nieces with a thoughtful and gentle appreciation.

First my sister's wedding in August, now this? I'm really very thankful for them, I've let go any actual resentment and anger a long while back, but if this continues to Christmas, I may have to even ease up on the jokes. We went through a lot, my family, but we've never banned together in any way other than in silence before.

I love and respect everyone in my family, but never have I seen eye to eye with them. Until this last year, that is. And I'm extremely thankful for it. Its something I missed out on for a long time, and with each passing week, we find middle ground to meet on.

How was your holidays?