My World

Bit of a random quirky one this week, which was interrupted mid-stream by the arrival of the temporary room mate (that’d be Shawn then!)

Link: podcast27.mp3 (32:35, 14.9Mb)

In this week’s show:

• The week/weekend in review
• Feedback from last week’s show
• The new Theatre Sports production: Breaking News
• Chris Moyles’ birthday surprises
• Margarita Pracatan
• And a bunch of other stuff that’s totally worth listening to.. mostly..

Bit rushed, and posting this later than I wanted to.. bring on the pizza, I want to crash out and watch TV!

Somehow I managed to go through the whole week without updating my blog.. and when I look back on the week, I can’t really remember much about it.. my frustrations with Microsoft Visual Source Safe continued, work was a bit manic, then just plain entertaining.. then all of a sudden the weekend was upon us and here we are!

Friday: Went out for Shawn’s leaving do. Good turn out, Brian was there sporting his new glasses, Shawn with his new tattoo, Noelene, Shannelle.. British Mark was there with his girlfriend Abbey (Abbie? Abby?).. Good food, good conversations, good times (and I didn’t drink either!)

Saturday: Not much.. got up late, vegged, chilled, mucked around online, watched a bit of 24, did some cleaning and tidying to prepare for Shawn’s arrival - he’s staying here for a few days before he heads off to Australia.. Brian came round, we went out to Theatre Sports and checked out their new show Breaking News. Before the show starts, you’re invited to cut a clipping out of newspapers from the week, then they pick certain clippings and do sketches based on them. Sounds like it could be fun but meh.. I dunno.. we both found it kind of average. There were a few funnyish moments, but it definitely wasn’t as entertaining as classic Theatre Sports or their other shows like The Imprentice. Went for food afterwards, had some heavy conversations which wasn’t exactly the plan but then it never is, is it? Guess it’s part of “the process” or whatever? We’ve spoken since and it’s fine, amicable etc - just one of those blips on the radar when everything’s not quite all peaches and cream. It happens.

Sunday: Chill day. Got up late, phoned the parents, spoke to Rob back home too. Alyson bailed on afternoon hang out plans (wench!), Kira persuaded me to go out for coffee which ended up being a bite to eat. Came home, chucked laundry in, vegged out, watched some more 24 (I’m now up to date!), chatted online for a bit, watched Grey’s Anatomy (how much do I love that show?!) and here I am - updating my blog and thinking about bed soon.

Plans for the week ahead? Hmm.. dunno.. nothing springs to mind right now.. podcast tomorrow night, maybe a movie mid week? we’ll see..

Quick recap of the past week, nothing really controversial or insightful..

Link: podcast26.mp3 (19:44, 9.0Mb)

In this week’s show:

• Adam Carter’s podcast forum
• Movie reviews - Transamerica, Freedomland, Final Destination 3
• Weekend roundup
• Shawn’s new camera
• MS Visual Sourcesafe rant

Stuff I forgot to talk about:

• Shawn’s musical talent and the potentials for podcast intros and/or music beds
• The fight that broke out at the movies on Friday night (gotta love the gangs!)
• Buying a Variety heart at the movies even though no one else did (c’mon - it’s for the kids!)

Phew! That was the weekend then! Seemed to fly by at a rate of knots and here we are, Sunday night coming to a close, Monday almost upon us again!

Friday: Went to the Old Spaghetti Factory with Brian then hit the movies to see Freedomland. Awful movie. Like really bad. Started off ok for the first 5 minutes then turned really random, strange, odd. IMDB currently rates it 4.9 out of 10. I’d say that was generous. I’ll go with a.. hmm.. 2? or 3? nah, fuck it - a 2.. it was the kind of movie you should have walked out of.

Before the movie started, Doug steps up and does his spiel about turning off cellphones and pagers, no feet on seats etc - the standard drill.. thankfully there was no awkward audience participation required to win a poster or movie goody bag etc.. but he was trying to get people to dig in to their pockets and buy a Variety heart for $3. And no one wanted one.. except me. Much as I’d rather contribute directly than through some Paramount corporate fundraising drive, I felt sorry for the guy, and also for the kids.. come on people - this is sick children we’re talking about.. what’s $3? DO IT!

Saturday: Woke up early. Said sod it and went back to sleep. Woke up later and felt kinda grotty. Got up, mooched around, went out for lunch and to run a few errands. Met up with Kevin and went to the movies again, this time to see Final Destination 3. Much better movie! Sure, it’s a bit teen cheese porn with it, but generally entertaining in a lighthearted way. IMDB currently rates it 6.3 out of 10. Yeah, I’d go with a 7.

Came home, chilled for a bit, then went round to Gill & Steve’s for food, drink, chat. Good time had by all :-)

Sunday: Got up at a reasonable hour and Shawn phoned literally minutes later. He’d been up and about since the crack of dawn (his regular weekday sleep pattern) and was keen to do something sooner rather than later.. fair enough.. I jump in the shower, scrub up, get vaguely presentable and we headed out in search of a new camera for him. Eventually tracked the one he wanted down at Staples and all was well.

Came home, chilled, did laundry, chatted online, watched a bit of TV, and here I am.. Sunday night, ready for bed, another week flown by, and back to the grind tomorrow.. where DOES the time go?!

Was it last week or the week before? I can’t remember.. but either way, my Thursday was crazy.. and today was exactly the same - bizarre!

Started off going to bed at 2:30am after an epic phone call.. yeah, definitely a bit late for a school night.. “interesting” chat.. bit heated at points.. and definitely said a few things I regret in hindsight.. Woke up around 5am to a massive coughing fit, then went back to sleep.. Got up and felt surprisingly fine.. went to work, got lots done, had a meeting, and that’s where the entertainment started..

It honestly had me cracked up with amusement (or was I just delirious with sleep deprivation?). We got kicked out of the meeting room because we over-ran our booked time.. continued discussions back in the office.. then realised it was 2pm and I was hungry. Grabbed lunch with Tomas at the place next door.. came back to the office.. and SLUMP.. wow.. post food tired slump to the max!

Went to Metrotown after work, iPod on, good times.. couldn’t decide on food so ended up having liquid lunch (dinner) in the form of Booster Juice.. and here I am.. home, sorting out bits and pieces, radio cranked. Will tomorrow be half as entertaining? Who knows?!

We do this thing at work once a month where they provide cake for everyone, in celebration of the people whose birthdays occur during the month. Usually I can’t be arsed (a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips etc) but this month I figured I would, seeing as how it was my birthday this month.

Pretty good set up - they have sponge cake and chocolate cake, cut in to neat’n'tidy square chunks, paper plates, napkins, plastic forks.. people from all over the company drift in and out, scoffing, chatting, taking take away..

I opted for chocolate cake and it was good (pedestrian! “Today I had a bagel and it was very nice..”) if a bit stodgy. Oh well.. gym tonight - s’all good right?

Warning: I’m ranting and raving, venting, letting off steam.. some might argue I should write it, delete it, be done with it.. but meh, whatever - my blog, my life, my memories right? Right.

ARRGGHHHH You know what I hate? I hate when you get wound up over something but you’re not exactly sure why and then that winds you up even more and it all goes a bit Pete Tong!

Great day at work. Had my 90 day review, probation now completed and I’m a permanent member of staff, woot! I come home, eat, then head out to the movies. Meet Kira there, Brian turns up 10 minutes later, we go see Transamerica (IMDB currently rates it 7.9 out of 10, I’d give it a 7 - bit slow in places). We’re leaving, Kira asks Brian where he lives cos she’s driven down and is probably thinking of giving him a lift home (totally decent thing to do in my books!).

He says False Creek but he’s headed downtown near my place. Which cracks me up cos I don’t know why he can’t just say he’s headed over to Mr X’s, which I already know from discussions yesterday and totally don’t have a problem with (special day or not be damned!). Prior to this conversation even starting, I’d got it in my head that I’d probably walk home cos a) it means Kira can go straight home and not go out of her way, and b) I fancied a walk with my iPod on and I had to swing by the IGA for milk on the way home anyway.

When I say I’ll probably walk, Brian asks me multiple times if I’m ok, am I sure, really, honestly etc etc, then says he can see something in my eyes.. What the fuck? I really hate that. It’s one of my pet peeves that winds me up. I don’t know why it does, but it does, and always has done. If I say I’m alright I’m either actually alright and you’re reading me wrong, or I’m not alright but I’m going to say I am cos I don’t want to talk about it and you should drop it. Which one of these was it tonight? The former.. so definitely the former!

We get to the traffic lights at Burrard and Smithe. Brian says he’ll jump out cos he’s headed up Smithe. I say I’ll do the same cos I’m hitting the IGA for milk and don’t want to be dropped off at home then walk a block back to the IGA.. then we have this weird fucked up conversation where I’m saying I’m fine, even though the tone of my voice would suggest otherwise, but it’s more out of general frustration than anything particularly aimed at him. And the worst part of this is that there’s no way I can say that it’s got nothing to do with it being Valentine’s day and him going over to Mr X’s etc without it sounding like I’m just saying that shit and trying to convince myself or whatever.. which, fuck, is SO not the case!

Then we have this weird interaction where I’m trying to say I’m fine, I’ve got no beef, it’s all good, but he’s having none of it cos I’m still ranting like a crazy highly strung person, which is more my frustration with the whole situation than anything specifically to do with him.. and.. breathe.. breathe.. take a fucking breath Paul.. I tell him to go off, have a great night, see you soon etc.. but it still feels wrong and awkward and fucked.. so 30 seconds later there’s the “Look, I’m sorry, I’m acting like an asshole and I don’t know why” phone call from me to him.. which probably didn’t help matters much.. ARRGGGHHHH!

[time passes, Mark calls, I rant on the phone for a bit, then come back to finish my blog entry]

Fuck.. I dunno.. there’s no way I can say anything about this being nothing to do with him and Mr X, or Valentine’s day, or any of that shit without it sounding like I’m in denial or trying to convince myself or whatever but it’s all just a crock of shite cos it honestly has nothing to do with any of that. The whole deal was more the “Are you ok? Really? c’mon now, tell me what’s up, I can see it in your eyes” thing which has always wound me up (although I don’t know why).

Hmm.. full moon.. now THERE’s a possible explanation! (Seriously - that thing makes massive bodies of water (oceans) move large distances (the tide going in and out), and the human body is like 70% water - you’re honestly telling me it has no effect?)

Rant over.. let the aftermath begin.. always interesting, when you blog about shit like this.. and for the record, this SO isn’t meant to be “I write stuff in my blog then you reply in yours” thing.. Jared asked me the other day about stuff I’d said in my podcast about Josh and my birthday and if he’d be hurt/pissed by it. Meh.. maybe.. but it’s nothing I wouldn’t say to his face.. yet at the same time can’t be arsed bringing it up cos it’s really not that big a deal. I’ve always said “You got a problem with me? Pull me on it!” and I appreciate the people that do. Nuff said, I’m done.. (FINALLY!)

Update: Name of “the other bloke” changed to “Mr X” to protect the innocent.. at Brian’s request.. *shrugs* fair enough.

If you have a blog, you have to write about Valentine’s Day. It’s the law. In true Bridget Jones’ diary fashion, here’s how mine played out:

Traditional cards sent: 1
Traditional cards received: 0

Work flyers sent: 5 (because Deejay made me buy $5 worth)
Work colleagues who know I sent them one: 4
Work flyers received: 3
Work colleagues that I sent one to who also sent me one: 3

As promised in the podcast + previous blog entries, the group shot from Saturday night. Check out those swanky pants Ryan was wearing.. and the way yours truly looks a bit weird or drunk or out of it.. ever so slightly.. which I really wasn’t..

Click the pic for the larger version:

A round up of my birthday + other random bits and pieces earns this podcast the title of “The Birthday One”.

Link: podcast25.mp3 (38:25, 17.6Mb)

After last week’s debate about show notes/timing, I’ve come to the conclusion that no one actually gives a toss, so it’s way easier for me to just upload the file and write some blurb about what’s in it - who cares about the timing? (feel free to comment/email if that’s not the case).

In this week’s show:

• I’m still coughing away…
• Birthday shout outs
• Daniel’s birthday night out
• My birthday night out
• Some talk about new movies
• TV stuff
• Fuck even listing it this way is dull isn’t it?
• And it sounds even more pedestrian than it really it
• Enough’s enough - just listen to the friggin’ thing already!

I forgot to talk about Shawn’s musical performance, DOH.. and forgot something else too, but I can’t remember what it was right now.. must be the onset of senile dementure.. I’m getting on a bit eh? ;-)