Tales of the plague and crying over spilt bubble tea...

Yesterday was a crappy day. I am sick. I seem to have contracted something flu-like which seems ridiculous in July, and yesterday I felt really really crappy. My body felt like it had been beaten in a bad fight or a car accident, or had fallen down a lot of stairs, and there was just this crazy pressure in my head - it sucked really fucking bad..........walking from my house to my car required an awful lot of my stamina, and so I spent the majority of the day watching dvds, cause outside of mumbling to myself and staring at the wall, this was the pastime that seemed to require the least amount of brainpower (and/or will to live).......which was key - just to prove my point in regards to my diminished intelligence, at one point yesterday Leslie said to me that she had seen ‘Dave and Jen’ which I thought about for a moment, and then answered, ‘who the hell are dave and jen?’ She responded ‘Dave Strange and Jen Squires’ (in that tone that people use when they’re answering a *really* dumb question......sorry Leslie; sick skull is only a burden) which I *still* had to think about for a minute before I realized these were friends we were talking about (sorry guys - really not my day) ............bleh...............and the worst part of the day? The giant sticky mess that was left of me and my kitchen after an ill-advised attempt to make bubble tea while sick........the cover pops off a cocktail shaker and the rest is history, covered in glucose syrup. I am unsure of whether or not I will regain my taste for bubble tea............

So I finished off the day watching ‘The Fellowship of the Ring,’ which has always held the power to make me feel better.........well except when Boromir dies his noble death - that’s incredibly sad, but the movie still makes me happy......

And yet all in all, better than the day before the day before yesterday, which was one of those where absolutely nothing goes the way you want it to, and every little thing that can occur or not occur to annoy or inconvenience you, will. At the end of the day I was talking to my friend Shawn on the phone and he told me to just go to bed and write the day off.......which was excellent advise. By that point I was in a mood that redefined ‘bad’..........

The only part of that day which really bears mentioning at this point, was running into an old friend at Hava Java (which is normally my favorite-est place in the world but only bred crappiness that day). I see him around periodically - and most people who know me will surely have heard me mention him - he was once one of the nicest, happiest, coolest, intelligent, and all-around kick-ass people I’ve ever known.......I loved hanging out with him and talking to him, and did so at length..........I spent way to many 3am’s and sunrises at Tim Hortons on topsail rd (when it was *the* goth place to be) with this boy......and he’s one of the few people I ever let get away with being protective over me. Now I think he needs someone to be protective over him.........I think - but I don’t know how to do it, and I don’t know who else can either. My friend seems irrevocably fucked up these days; he has undergone a change such that it’s nearly impossible to see the person he once was in the person he is now - and I have no idea what, if anything, can help him. I suspect he might be schizophrenic or some thing.........I have a pretty limited knowledge of stuff like that, but he manifests incredible paranoia, and -most worryingly - carries on lengthy conversations with himself....so I am at a loss......



I have had an ass couple of days.........

And there doesn’t seem to be much going for the weekend. And next week I turn 26......I guess we’ll see how that goes..........


on an completely unrelated note, the new geico gecko speaks like Steve Harris............this rules.


Music: The Return of the King Soundtrack

earplugs. sobeys, most wisely spent 3 bucks ever.

I am much berated for not updating this thing enough - so I am trying.....but what to say? It’s summer and the beauty of summer is the spare time and nothing much really happening.......

Actually shows have been happening and music in general; some are past and some are upon us but I am enjoying it - it seems to be the flavor of the summer (well - along with coffee, but everything in my world has a slight coffee taste). My little mainland jaunt afforded the opportunity to see roughly a dozen bands in a week or so (enough that a bouncer at one of the venues in Ottawa started referring to me as a regular), and now I’m just trying to keep pace. Since I’ve been back I’ve seen everything from hardcore shows in vegan communes to acoustic sets in dingy bars (actually I think both of those might have been the same day.......)

Last week saw the return of sheavy, assisted by JKW; this was pretty good....strange more than anything else. People were present and absent who were and were not expected, things seemed a little off-kilter but overall it was a good time - though neither myself nor anyone else had or, in fact, ever will have as good a time as the new guy from Incidium, who was without a doubt the happiest and sweatiest person in the bar - random metal guy, I love your enthusiasm; at some point we will formally meet. As well there were a really awesome couple of blues shows courtesy of a lovely gentleman named Raoul, who’s last name I won’t presume to attempt to spell, but who was fantastic. Of course he was playing with my friend Steve so his quality was presumed, but it really was excellent; and the man sings and plays harmonica - who knew how great that could actually be? And the Powerhouse Blues band also came out of hiding at these shows to put off a great set as well.

As for this week so far I’ve taken in Glen Nutio - who I enjoy way more than I would ever have expected of myself, and not just cause he plays with a professor of mine! That was actually a really fun show - got to hang and drink with said prof in nautical wear (which was much more classy than the matching after-hours club girls from junctions last week), catch up with a bunch of wayward friends and associates, see a chap wearing what was essentially a plush unicorn helmet, play my worst game of pool *ever*, and was told that another professor of mine, who I liked and respected quite a bit, had told someone completely unconnected that I was an excellent student.....................this was especially nice to hear - I’m becoming more and more convinced that this Classics thing is my path, so it’s nice to have people who are already on that road believe I should be taking it as well. Which I decided, today, to do in full force - I would like to do my Masters at Oxford if at all possible; there’s nowhere I would rather be for Classics, so I will aim for that and work from there.

The rest of the weekend holds shows that are obligations but should still be fun due to the expected attendees, the long-awaited taking in of wax mannequin; next weekend Jigger; the weekend after that the JKW cd release............there are metal shows coming up, hardcore when August hits, bands from away, long range plans in the works to travel to see witch, blind guardian, Maiden of course, my own shows with the awesome band who’ve taken me under their respective wing (and I *am* learning bass - I’ve been practicing, albeit without amplification, I’ve got a few of their songs mostly worked out, a magnus rising song down perfectly, some random type O, and other bits and pieces.............three of my fingers are, hmm.....funny - first they hurt, then they went numb, then they hurt again and now they’re kind of pins-needle-y all the time.......I figure this will pass in time........hopefully...........)
Music is too good.

Today I bought a cd called the Gersch. The first post I ever out up here, I believe had a bit about how much I love the stickers that go on the front of cds..............this one has raised the bar for all that will follow. It reads: ‘Historic recordings featuring the guy from Isis with the best hair.’ And he certainly plays like he has the best hair.

Mmmm - cds............so many on the way to me right now.........must.....hold.......out..............I can make it..........

On a completely unrelated note, I love Highlander...........I think I forgot, but I do - some day just for posterity I will type out my recollections of my phone call from the crazy Highlander-guy and put it up here, cause it’s actually one of the funniest things that has every happened to me.

Music : the Gersch