day 4
Sunday- Oscar day. Started out by heading out with Toast to buy MORE chicken wings for tonight's Oscar party, and to pick up a $10 dining room chair that Marmy spotted yesterday.
Next up was Pacific Mall, an Asian shopping centre that looked much like what you'd see in a movie (BioZombie comes to mind). Never have I seen so many cell phone, electronics, DVD and anime toy shops in one place.
And this place was huge. It had a good food court too, had some noodles and BBQ pork. No allergic reactions for Toast, so no Roger Rabbit voices were made that day.
It was tiring, and kind of a sensory overload. I'm sure you get used to it if you get there a little more often. Neat place. Wacky stuff.
Came home and did the Oscar party with Toast and Marmy's group of friends. Like last year, only more people. More wings and pizza. I will not want a chicken wing for weeks..or longer.
Chris Rock's Oscar performance was funny..I loved his monologue, as well as his digs at the people he introduced. Haven't read yet how well he went over with the general public..I'm thinking the traditional Oscar crowd hated him, and were whining about the lack of Billy-Crystal-esque skits and musical numbers. I liked it, but I'd bet the feedback will dictate they go with someone else next year.
Another fun evening relaxing in T.O. with friends.
day 3
Let's see, retroactively blogging a few days events, trying to get them chronilogically right.
The acid-y tummy lasted well into Saturday, which consisted of wandering around with Marmy. Bought chicken wings and stuff for tonight, went and picked up Toast's wonky new computer, with hopes that finally, all will be well and it will run City of Heroes glitch-free.
Pracha came over, and we watched three, count'em, three MST3K episodes. That's a new record for me, three full 1 and 1/2 hour episodes in one sitting. Teenagers From Outer Space, Parts (The Clonus Horror), and Samson (El Santo) Vs The Vampire Women, which I had been saving for a night like this.
Mukey and I actually paid money to see it at The Metro in Edmonton, just to say we'd seen an El Santo film in a theatre, and it was so bad, we left the place thinking "This is a prime candidate for MST3K.."
Once I found the Digital Archive Project, one of the first episodes I looked for was this one, and lo and behold, there it was, in all its robot-and-scientist infested glory. And a fine episode it was.
day 2
Fighting some acid reflux or something from last night's Mexican food from Rancho Relaxo. Groan. It was good to meet some of the GTA Bloggers that Toast and Marmy do dinner with from time to time.
It was supposed to be dinner at Shanghai Lily's, but it was dark. Locked. No sign indicating that it was NOT supposed to be opened, no memo from the health department or anything..just dark. So Rancho Relaxo was the runner-up. Food was good, hot, but not killer spicy, but man, I am paying for it today.
Came back and watched a Mystery Science Theater 3000, "The Touch of Satan". As Mike Nelson sais, just a touch, they couldn't afford a whole bowl of Satan. Always better to watch MST3K with like-minded people. More of the same tonight I think, but without the heartburn.
in Toronto
Yes, made it here. Had feelings of abandonement, a no one was at the airport to greet me..eventally called home, got TBIT & Marmy's number, called, and found out that Toast was wandering around trying to find me. I had neglected to mention what airline I was coming in on, and Westjet lands at a different terminal than the other domestic airlines. Just as I was calling, I saw him wandering my way. What's an airport pickup without a little adventure?
Went out for beer and chicken wings, and watched Kung Fu Hustle. Was a good night. Ready for three more. On tap for the weekend are wandering around, Pacific Mall on Sunday, Oscars as well, and a few get togethers.
No Puppet Mike this time, sorry buddy, you been to Toronto already.
Some 80's metal band was eating at Duff's (the wing place) same time as we were, and there was some multi-band rock thing going on last night, according to Toast..will try to find out who they were, just for the sake of curiousity.
mia gone home
Mia (my-a, not mee-a, as I previously thought) was picked up by her grateful owner's brother today. She did inded live just down the street, and the dog that was in the yard belonged to the brother (hence the different phone number on the tag.
Presumably, Mia hopped the short fence (and was probably taught this trick by the Husky they found in the yard with the two dogs yesterday.) So, if I had put her in there, she would have just jumped out again. They have a high-fenced dog run in the back corner of the yard, very similar to the one we have, but don't use. They'd better begin using it.
I'll actually miss Mia, she was very loving and sweet, and better mannered than our two brutes. Well, we know where she lives, maybe we can go see her sometime.
Ah, the owner just called to say thanks (and to ask the same question that his brother asked, if it was our Husky in their yard. Nope, sorry. Anyways, nice of him to call. Our good deed (like a stray dog would go anywhere else..we're magnets for this kind of thing.)
photoshop contest
Hey kids. Amuse yourselves while i'm out of town..take the Yay for Mike photo from down below and do something to it. I won't have time today, i don't think, but i have some ideas to try when I get back. I'd like to see what you guys come up with, if motivated.
off to T.O.
..via Calgary. With a 9AM flight time, after deciding to drive to Calgary by myself and not put A. through driving me 3 hours to the airport and 3 hours back, I would do the park and fly thing. Pretty expensive, between 8 and 10 dollars a day to leave your car at a lot, and a weekly rate of at least 50. That, and the added fun of being on the road at 4AM, driving for three hours and flying for four-hours-plus.
We decided I should go tonight instead, and I found an airport hotel that has free parking for the week. I like that better..for about $10 more, I get to drive tonight, sleep til 6AM or so, have a free continental breakfast, and get the shuttle to the airport.
Toast and Marmy are worth it..I need this break. :)
houseguest
As A. was about to head off to work, our dogs in the yard started going berserk. They usually do this when someone comes to the door, or a neighbourhood dog is being walked nearby, or well, pretty much anything goes by (including air molecules, we think). This sounded crazier than usual, so A. looks outside and says "Oh, a dog without a leash." It was at our fence saying hello to Buzz and Molly.
So, we go out and get her, and she comes right to us. Acording to her tag, her name is Mia, and she is beautiful and friendly. No answer at the phone number on the tag, left a message. The address is a block away, so I brought her down there, thinking if it is obvious she got out, had a doghouse to stay warm in, wide open gate, etc, I'd just put her back in and she'd be a lot happier. Unfortunately, there was another dog in that yard, also friendly, but with a different phone number on the tag. Gates were closed, too. So, I didn't feel comfortable leaving Mia there, in case it wasn't even her house, and someone's information was out of date.
So, much to Buzz and Molly's anxiety, Mia is in our yard, B&M are in the house, and if they really seem like they need out, I'll do a swap, imvolving bedrooms, baby gates and covert dog movements so nobody comes face to face. Odds are they'd be OK after a short peiod of barking and sniffing, but B&M get this pack mentality going, and I would feel awful if they bit Mia in all the exitement. This is why B&M are no longer taken to off-leash dog parks.
Will post later if/when Mia's people come to get her. She is awfully sweet.
two more
Well, saw Ray and Hotel Rwanda in my effort to see the Best Picture nominees. Attempted to see Million Dollar Baby, but once it became..available...it was in Spanish. Go figure.
Ray was good. Hotel Rwanda was excellent. Movies like this get the message out there that these horrible things have occurred, and things just like it are still occurring as we speak. It's frustrating, infuriating, and so much more.
Oh yeah, and though I vowed not to see it, A. and I watched Catwoman. It is also frustrating and infuriating, although that was because it exists. It joins the ranks of "I wish I had that time back" movies. I didn't hate it like some movies, I just found it a total waste. Blankman, The Flintstones, Cheaper by The Dozen..these ones, I HATED.
If I had a time machine, among the things I'd do (after the prerequisite lottery win and drowning Celine Dion in a pail of warm water at birth) would be to somehow prevent these movies, and others, from ever being made.
superman
These are too funny. What is even funnier is that I actually had/probably still have (in a box somewhere) a number of these, some I bought myself when I was young, some given to me by my brother, purchased when HE was young. I thought this old box of really old comics was the cat's ass, ridiculous as the stories and art were.
yay mike
screenplays
I haven't been doing as much writing as I was hoping to since moving here. I have, however, been spending a great deal of time thinking about writing, and getting a few ideas solidified in my head before trying to get too much down.
My main project for the last couple of years was my drug-addicted superhero story. It's still there, but I haven't come up with that compelling plot yet..I know it is in there somewhere, so I'm letting it simmer for awhile.
Meanwhile, I've been really thinking about the zombie western. "Unforgiven" meets "Night of the Living Dead". It has also been simmering, but I've been making some progress on it lately. Hopefully on the plane to and from Toronto I can get some stuff written down. I even have a name for it, but I'm not putting it here. It is based on a real western town though, and I stumbled upon it while doing some old west research.
I have high hopes for this one. Of course, high hopes for me include actually finishing the thing, but you know, you gotta start somewhere.
monitor
Is there a better deal out there than to wander into a Value Village and find a perfectly functional 17 inch monitor for the planned "second-computer-in-the-house" for $9.95?
Well, I suppose there are better deals in general, like free, or whatever, but damn, ten bucks...I like it.
another one down
Saw The Aviator. It was good, better than I was expecting. As far as production values, it was what I expected, nothing Scorcese ever does is cheap or looks bad. I am not a fan of Leonardo, though. I think he'll always be hampered by his skinny, prett-boy look, even if his acting is good. He's taking other roles, but he always looks the same, you know? This one actually went a little way in the right direction. At times I was able to suspend my disbelief, not see Leonardo, but see an actor portraying a character..but not often.
So, yeah, it was OK. Not sure if I'll get to see Million Dollar Baby or Hotel Rwanda before Oscar night. Will rent Ray, maybe. We'll see. I've seen the two that I wanted to see, that may have to do.
PS congraulations, Mukey, on the shiny new job. Knew you could do it. Now, lets get some o that good karma over this way.
sideways
Went and saw Sideways last night. It was pretty damn funny. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that it's pretty much the only one of the current bunch of Ossar-nominees that I've seen. I'll have to try and catch a few more in the next couple of weeks.
I wonder the the half-dozen octagenarian ladies that were sitting in the row in front of us really thought about the movie. I tried to read a reaction from them during some of the funniest moments, but nada. Nothin. Blank stares while we were howling.
Then again, I did overhear them in the lobby saying, "We made a bad choice."
soon
Going to Toronto to visit Toast and Marmy in a little over two weeks. I can't wait. I'm doing my best to stay busy and keep my mood up while I'm here doing nothing, but it is tough. The trip to see friends will be awesome. A distraction.
I'm obsessed with checking out travel deals right now, even though the sensible part of me knows we can't afford to go anywhere. Ideally, this would be a great time to go and see the places I've always wanted to go, or go to again, since there's no pesky work, and thus no needing to book and count vacation days. Then again, when on EI you're not supposed to leave your "area of residnece" or else you're considered not available for work, and it can affect your benefits if they find out, but we're talking hypothetically here anyway.
If we had an excess of money in the bank, it would be great for both of us to head for Florida, Vegas, or just about anywhere for a week. Just to be distracted.
Of course, Allie is working now, and we can't do it for that reason. Any trip we take for more than a few days would mean boarding the pets, and believe me, that is not a cheap propositon when you have as many as we do.
So, yeah, I guess we're not going anywhere, other than my solo trp to T.O. I can dream, though.
job interview
Had a job interview on Saturday at Memory Lane Computers. The posting was for Product Support Tech. I'm not really qualified, but I applied anyways, just in case they were loking for a junior level tech who was willing to learn, and had a lot of varied experience in other technical areas.
Well, to my surprise, i did get the interview, and the guy was very nice, admitting that it probably didn't look good for me because of the type of tech they were looking for (A+ certified with a little more in-depth experience than I have), but he wanted to talk to me anyways, because of my "all-things-to-all-people" experience. They may have a project coming up that could use my skills, and he'll keep me in mind for that.
Also, he did say that he was going to forward my resume on to another business that he thinks may be interested (he wouldn't tell me who). So, not a waste of time to apply after all, as I feared it would be. I'll keep ya posted.
i didn't miss it
Henry's Film Corner is only on IFC in the USA...so I didn't miss it. It isn't on at all on the Canadian version. I wish I had my American dish up and running.
i love altoids
..but I never even thought of things like this. I think Toasty will appreciate this.
ossie davis
So long, JFK. Although the article doesn't even mention his role in Bubba Ho Tep.
heh
Not as good as "We like the Moon", but this is still pretty amusing.
damn
When I'm feeling a little down about where I'm at at the age of 35, I get a little self-pitying. Then something comes along that makes me think that things could be a hell of a lot worse. Many things could be worse. Somebody kick my ass.
