"It's not meant to be easy"

Thanks for that, Coach Cody.

Just got back from my first day of training for the Sunshine Snowboard Team. Geez louise. I'll be lucky if I can get out of bed tomorrow morning. I actually went yesterday too, but I sort of floated through things on my own, in my own time, in my own way - no team was there last night. Today, not so much.

Picture this: I show up at this place called "Peak Power: Sport Development" and it's in the basement of SAIT college. Q107 Today's Best Rock is playing on the stereo, loudly. Really big guys are lifting what I imagine to be hundreds/thousands of pounds of weights. And one really big woman is also lifting what I imagine to be hundreds/thousands of pounds of weights. I am frightened of them but I can't stop staring. Some Eastern European guy is coaching them and every 30 seconds or so, somebody drops their barbell and it makes a huge clanging noise on the floor. They have funny shoes and belts and straps that they attach to their wrists and then the barbell. They give each other those high-fives that are actually just fist punches. Fluourescent lights hang overhead. Visions of Million Dollar Baby dance through my head.

This trainer guy writes down a list of three circuits we're to go through. Oh - "we" is me, a kid who I think is probably 16? and another who's maybe 18? and then two more 15? year olds show up 20 minutes late. Whatever the case, the majority haven't gone through puberty yet. We run around the track supposedly 4 times, I did twice and the others copped out at 2 but said they did 4, I wasn't smart enough to lie. I don't know what to call half the things we did but I made it through, and I think I held my own. Although I think the Russian? trainer smirked a little two widely when I returned my 3 lb. weights that I did for some kind of arm raises. The rest I did way more. My physiotherapist is going to have a conniption when I see her next. Unfortunately my body may have given up on me by then - next appointment isn't available for three weeks. *insert deep slow breath here*

Anyway, I feel good, if not a bit out of place. One of the kids works at a golf course and I couldn't figure out how to nicely ask if he was in school (college? maybe? or still grade 3? kidding) and the other one at Tim Hortons. Meanwhile, I have to get up in nine hours and do the fucking hokey pokey or something. With a smile on my face. Let's just say that getting in and out of those little chairs tomorrow may be somewhat painful.

I can't wait for the snow to fall.
Eep!

...for the love of pete....

Gadzooks. It's the night before Kindergarten and all through the house - I am stirring, much like a mouse (although not as inconspicuous, I woke Ed up too) with the excitement of my first day of school. That makes it sound like I actually am 5 years old and I'm about to meet my new teacher. Not so. I sure hope that I don't wake up 3 months from now with the same kinds of inane thoughts like: "what kind of craft can we make that's original, creative, and has SOMETHING to do with the letter S?" .... or .... well, you get the gist. It's sad, but true, ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to try and sleep again. Wish me luck. Snakes, sand, suncatchers, sunflowers, spiders, soccer, snow..... these are the images that dance in my head. Geesh!

Listen up

Okay, so I just posted a lot of random crap on here - pictures from back home, pictures from Folk Fest, thoughts about my *new* job, etc etc. Bear with me. Also, if you are feeling offended because I didn't put any pictures of YOU and I up, there may be a few reasons for this:

• it was not a flattering pose
• we simply didn't take any pictures when we were together
• we both have crazy eyes from late night photography
  
• i wasn't sure if you wanted to be world famous on the web. if you do, let me know.

You are mostly missing out on photos of Dad, Elise, James & Emma go-karting (lots of fist-shaking) in Minden. Also, photos of Angus ripping up the skatepark in Perth, Nye getting face-painted like a pirate, and Harry with his new cat dubbed Mossflower (it's a long story).

Peace out.

What follows is a series of seemingly unrelated posts, including random pictures from my trip back home...

Not nearly rained out at Calgary Folk Fest

Feist.
Melissa McLelland & Luke Doucet.
Dubblestandart.
Kris Demeanor & His Crack Band.
Salt.
Elliot Brood.
Romi Mayes.
Lorrie Matheson.
Dan Bern.
Ronnie Hayward & His Trio.
Kathleen Edwards.
Tim Hus.
Great Lake Swimmers.
Amir Amiri Ensemble.
Jim Bryson.
Ani diFranco.
and many, many many many many many others.

(these pictures are only from the last night when it started pouring down for Ani)

Power Plant Gallery

A lovely day in downtown Toronto, by the waterfront

Boxing with Michael

This is really late at night in Roncesvalles by Joh's house. Gotta love big things like oversized boxing gloves and big nickels.

Gearing up...

So... I got a job!
I can stop worrying about that.
It's a full-time, full-day Kindergarten position at a school about 10 blocks north of my old school, so that means same kind of issues (there is a buzzer to get into the school, no unlocked doors since it's about two doors down from a shelter for abused women) but, all that being said, the staff seem super positive and welcoming and I think it's going to be a good move for me. Plus I get to work with some people I already know. Yippee!
P.S. It starts on Monday. Eegads.

How come every time you come around / My London (London) Bridge wanna go down...........??????

That is a joke title, by the way. I just can't believe somebody paid to have that song recorded, and then it got played on the radio. Funny.

It's weird being home. I'm not going to beat around the bush, it's just plain old weird. Toronto is always so anonymous in the way that nobody really cares where you're going or what you're wearing or why you're here, and for some slightly strange reason I find that reassuring and comfortable. But then of course sometimes lonely and blank.

So then I go to Perth and feel bombarded with what-have-you-been-up-tos and wow-tell-me-about-Calgarys and what-are-you-doing-out-theres (usually by random people I don't know very well) and so on and so forth until I feel totally bored with my own life story ...also kind of like I want to crawl back into my bed so I don't have to talk to anybody anymore. There are all these people that I knew once, and now I don't really, and probably never will again, and I find that tough to deal with in some ways. I mean, once upon a time, I knew them, and they knew me (or at least we thought we did), and now I hear little soundbites of information from grocery store lineup conversations about who is marrying whom or whatever. Bizarre.

Of course there are some that the conversation flows like honey, slow and easy, and I like that too. I guess I figure those are the friends that I know I'll have for years and years. okay? You know who you are, and I love you. Keep in touch, y'all. xo

PS This may seem disjointed and poorly worded, probably because it is almost 2 AM and I never stay up this late.......... zzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

Oh. My. God.

Ray Lamontagne is going to be here when I am here. August 14th at Danforth Music Hall. EEP! I am going to pee my pants with excitement.