Bats in the Belfry

SO my work schedule has changed up from now until the end of July and all of the sudden the time that I usually devote to blogging every week is gone!  Actually, my entire routine throughout the week, which is based on me having split shifts with 3 or more hours off in the middle, has to be readjusted.

I like the new schedule, but I HATE this.  I am too much a creature of routine.  Trying to change that routine makes me feel groundless, like a leaf in the breeze.  Of course I'll get used to it.  Probably just in time for my schedule to change again.  

I mention this because I have to find new times throughout the week to do things like this blog so if you're used to it coming out on wednesday or whatever, hold on.  I will get it out every week though.

Anyway, on to our subject matter.  First off, you may remember my mentioning the Wayne Foundation in THIS post. Hopefully everyone listened to the interview between Kevin Smith and foundation founder Jamie Walton.  You may even have followed the foundation on Facebook or befriended Jamie on Twitter.  The reason I bring this up is that the long-awaited part 2 of the aforementioned interview is finally available for download at Smodcast.com, HERE.  Please listen.  Although it's a sad story it has a happy ending!  Promise!  

Oh speaking of Wayne Foundation, they're also offering T-Shirts now, from their new official site, the-waynefoundation.org.  Please check them out.  Help if you can, if not financially then at least by spreading awareness.  Some problems MUST be fought in this world.  This is one.

So now we've got through the serious portion of the blog, and speaking of Batman, check out this trailer for Arkham Asylum 2: Arkham City!

I'm very excited.  The first Arkham Asylum was my first and favourite Xbox360 game, and I'm expecting big things from the sequel.  Apparently you can even play as Catwoman!

 
Awesome!

Hockey & Prose

So tonight's the big night...game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals!  I'm pretty excited.  This is the first year ever that I've paid any attention whatsoever to hockey and it's been a good year.  Of course I cheered for the Maple Leafs, and also rooted for the New Jersey Devils, and neither of them turned out enough to even make the play-offs, but both had a good showing in the last half of the season and it was very entertaining watching to see if they could pull it off.  I'm looking forward to next year.  

As for tonight, well of course as a Canadian I'm rooting for the Canucks.  Luongo provides lots of drama.  When he's on his game he's a superstar, other times not so much.  I do like Boston too.  Tim Thomas is stellar.  Whoever wins I've had a fun ride.

So yeah, after 34 years as a Canadian citizen, 26 or so spent IN Canada, I've finally been converted.  Go Canucks!!!

Anyway since I don't have that much to say about hockey, and to prove that I'm still the sissy-boy you all know and love, here's  a bit of prose I wrote the other day...it seems depressing but it's not.

I am a wasting disease.
Strip away the parts of me that I no longer want or need.
Losing so much of myself, that which is no longer essential.
Inundate myself to loss that I might become immune, to that which came before and that which will come soon.

I transform into a leaner, harder self.  Generosity is a slow, seeping wound and I am drained of all my fluids.  I would not have you reciprocate.

I am respawned as a dry being, paper and leather, wire and bone, dust and glass.  Everything that once was is now reshaped into something modern and incomprehensible.  My new skin is fire.  I leave a smudge of ash on your fragile cheek.  

I am remade
I am hallucination
I am a wasting disease.

La Vie Solitaire

So currently my number one gripe in life is that I'm going through it alone.  Haven't had a girlfriend since last September and haven't really gone out on any dates or even been more than passingly interested in doing so.  I just haven't met anyone who's interested me enough to pursue, and it's frequently gotten me down.  

As long-time readers will know, I've always considered myself a "relationship guy".  Since I started dating at 16, I really haven't spent more than 3 years of that time single, and never more than a few months in a row.  I think I may have spent 8 or 9 months in a row once before.  So I've been in a relationship for at least 15 years out of the last 18.  Suddenly I'm not in one and have no prospects for same and it's thrown me for a loop.  Until last week that is.

Last week, while I was on vacation, I realized a few things.  First off, I realized that I was having a great time on vacation and that there was no way I could have had the week I had with a girlfriend tagging along.  I doubt the Cleveland trip would have happened and I certainly couldn't buy myself a new TV without undertaking a lot of exhausting conversations about whether or not I could afford it or if I wanted it or whatever.  Then I started to think about it further and realized that every day I have everything exactly the way I want it.  I watch what I want on TV.  If I want to go out I go and if I want to stay in I stay.  If I feel like shaving off my beard I don't have to ask permission.  Same thing if I want to grow it back.  No one bugs me if I get up in the middle of the night and make noise or accuses me of being anti-social if I wander off half-way through a movie and start playing guitar instead.  I can play hockey on Xbox whenever I want.  Hell, if I wanted to I could go play hockey in REAL LIFE (not that I would...it's a recipe for disaster).  Anyway my point is I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, without having to discuss it in committee.  It's actually a pretty good trade off for a few measly feelings of loneliness.  It's something I've never experienced in life.  There's always been some woman there questioning all my activities and trying to control my free time.

There's a quote from the movie Fight Club that goes "We're a generation of men raised by women. I'm wondering if another woman is really the answer we need."  I think that sums up my feelings.  In the past I've always felt like I needed some girl to tell me if I'm doing things right, to validate my lifestyle or boost my self-esteem or something.  Now I realize that not only do I not need that, but that I'm pretty damn happy without it.  I'm not saying I'm suddenly going to become anti-relationship and if I meet someone that really interests me then I'm sure I'll reconsider, but with this new-found perspective I don't consider myself a "relationship guy" any more.  I'm done worrying about it and spending my time and money trying to attract someone just because I think I'm supposed to.  It's ridiculous.  I think I'll be a free man instead.  This solitary life ain't so bad.

Stryder Wolfe's Week Off Part 2

In case you missed it, I was on vacation last week and started a day-by-day record of what I did.  You can read part one here.  Now on to part two!

Day 6 (Wednesday):   Brian and I hopped in the car on a sunny morning and hit the road to the lovely city of Cleveland!  It was the first time either of us had been.  We wanted to check out the rock n` roll hall of fame and just see what the city had to offer.  Wednesday afternoon we checked into the Hyatt and started off.  Cleveland was very cool...super friendly people.  Mention you are from Canada and people tell you where all the fun is, where to go to hear some music, meet some girls, whatever.  They also seem to want to buy you drinks frequently.  Brian and I both soon realized that American beer wasn't gonna cut it and switched to whisky.  After that things got a little hazy but luckily I snapped a few pics.  

House of Blues...where it all began

Yeah, that`s a guy dressed like Scooby Doo.

Of note was the above bar, where we walked into a strange place full of British and American rugby players dressed as cartoons and basically drinking as much as possible as quickly as possible.  Captain America threw up all over the men's room.  Hilarious!  At the end of the night, which involved several other fine establishments, we managed to get ourselves back to the hotel room in time to catch a few hours sleep before....

Day 7 (Thursday):  The Main Event!  After a very shaky morning in which much aspirin was consumed, We make it to the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame!!!  The place is huge and had a marching band out front playing House of the Rising Sun in a both surreal and cool arrangement.  Baton girls were included!  However, what really caught my attention out front was this

The Bus in Black

Johnny Cash owned this tour bus!  Sadly we were not allowed inside but it was cool to sit next to the bus that was his home away from home for decades!  After admiring the exterior for quite some time we finally made it inside, where we were fairly promptly told that photos were not allowed.  Fortunately, before I was told to put the camera away, I managed to get a shot of the items that inspired this trip...

Hey Slash, you left something!  No worries, we'll take care of it!

There were hundreds of cool musical history pieces to see at this place and some truly amazing displays for the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Nirvana and so many others, but the thing that took my breath away the most was seeing this lovely Top Hat and Jacket belonging to Slash of Guns N' Roses fame.  Just so cool to see up close and personal.  


Of course Lennon's glasses and green card were super cool too, but the security guard was right there so no pics...sorry.


Anyway after walking around the RNRHoF for several hours it was time for a quick meal and then back to Toronto.  This was around the time that it started pouring rain in biblical amounts.  It was an interesting car ride home...there were several times I couldn't really see the road and once where we almost died.  Brian shot some video:

 
You know, the usual road trip fare...we decided to skip the casino on the way home and just head on back to get a little rest before...

Day 8 (Friday):   A laid back, fun day.  Went with Michael and saw Thor.  Great movie!  Took a character I could seriously not care less about and made him interesting.  Also you GOTTA love Natalie Portman AND Kat Dennings in the same movie.  That much hotness on the screen all at once was a little distracting but I ain't complaining.  After the movie it was back to my place to meet up with the guys (and girl) and actually take the new TV for a proper spin courtesy of XBox 360 and Rogers television, who proved that programming a PVR isn't so hard, even for a dork such as myself.  

So what are you ladies doing after the interview??

Day 9 (Saturday):  Darkness falls as I realize it's my last day before work and that the place is a wreck.  Thus commences a 6 hour cleaning binge on my apartment, complete with rearranged furniture and several thrown out, obsolete appliances.  I haven't done that much work since I helped my buddy Jeff move.  I have to admit though, the place looks good.  I am actually proud of it again, which I haven't been for a long time.  Apathy has given way, at least temporarily, to wanting to live in a nice environment.  I blame the TV...once one thing looks awesome, the rest have to match.


Once cleaning time was over, I grabbed a shower and decided to reward myself with a USB microphone that came recommended to me by internet superstar Danielle Fricke.  This inspired me to write and record a new song which I was pretty pleased with.  You can learn more about that in my last post.  Finally, I had my last little pre-work get together and many games of EA Sports NHL were played until it was time to go off to bed.  After all, I had to work in the morning.


All in all it was an awesome week.  I spent a lot less than you'd think from all the stuff I did and a good time was had by all. Thanks to the friends who made it all possible and to the City of Cleveland, who know how to party hard, even on a Wednesday night!

Wanna see my smilin' face...