james' mind nuggets

where the puck is going...

2012-02-07T23:48:00.000-08:00

Well last post i talked about some big changes happening.

I guess now that they are mostly concrete i feel safe letting it all hang out...
Today i gave my 2 weeks notice to UVic. I loved the job back in the day, but management had different ideas on what would take them into the future than i thought they did. In retrospect they probably made the right money decision, which is what it's all about in the end.

So once i started working only 4 hours a week, and the rest of the time waiting idly by the phone to get called in for a shift, i decided it was time to fucking do something.

It took my time, because...well I'm me. I applied at some places in town. Which is hard. It's hard to have to look for a job at almost 30. I feel like a loser because I've never had to work for work before.

UVic also spoiled me on cooking. I don't think i could go back to the typical restaurant/pub grind anymore. I don't want that stress.

So it has slowly come to this.

On the 28th of this month i fly to Edmonton. To start cooking in camps.

"Ugh! Why? Are you crazy?" you are all saying i'm sure.

Maybe I am.

It's going to be a huge change for Candice and I. 21 days in, 7 days out. For the foreseeable future. I would like to somehow be able to work through till August and call it quits, but there are layoffs in Spring/Summer, so it may only be for a few months.

But the money is SO worth it. Enough that within 6 months i would have no debt. That is an amazing thought. I have had debt as long as I can remember. Shit, I had like 4 Columbia House accounts in high school.

So yeah that's the big change. It's a sacrifice, but in life you have to make sacrifices in comfort to move forward. I am finally learning that. If something like this isn't scary it's probably not worth doing. This is what i have to do to secure my future.

Kevin Smith said something back when he started making Red State that has really stuck with me. He said we surround ourselves with people who say "why?" all the time, and end up in that habit at every idea we have. "Why quit your job?", "Why try that new thing?". Instead we should be asking: "why not?"

"Why not quit UVic and go work my ass off in a camp to make for a better future and marriage?"

"Why not up and move half way across the planet to experience life?"...more on that in the future...

He and Joe Rogan, through their pod-casts, have helped reshape my thinking on a lot of things, and on how I live my life. You may laugh it off, but for me it's been a good and positive thing.

Plus what's the worst that can happen? I go and hate it and quit. At least i tried, it's more than a lot of people can say.

So yeah. 84 hours of work a week. It will kick my ass into gear for a job anywhere else, if nothing else :)

Then wedding in September. Then after that, who knows.

Maybe move to the UK or New Zealand... :)

James.

Ch ch ch ch changes.

2012-02-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

Things are about to go crazy over here.

I'll post the happenings here once things are finalized.

Lets just say new job opportunities have arisen that will help me be out of debt before getting married.

These opportunities may lead to more writing and more time to slim down as well.

Also, after the wedding there may be more crazy changes.

Who knew 2012 was going to get so awesome? Not me

James.

2012 bitches!

2011-12-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

Well 2011 has come and gone.

It was a pretty good year. Full of accomplishments, and some misses.

I started the year finally finishing school and getting my Red Seal. Met some great people and made some new friends. Did some work with Dan at The London Chef which was kind of life changing. It made me realise, finally, that i needed to get my shit together and leave the Four Mile.

I had been there for 6 years, and had basically learned all i could there. So I started sending resumes out to different places in town.

After a series of interviews i got my dream job at Brasserie l'Ecole. This was what i had been working towards all my life.

I lasted 5 weeks.

The job was great. I can't say enough nice things about about everyone who works there and the food they produce, but it was not for me. It's a hard thing to realise and admit when you are not good enough for something. I am very hesitant to ever admit failure. It was the first time in forever that i had been defeated.

It's very humbling to come to terms with reality. I did that a lot this year. Brasserie was the start. I was/am simply not cut out to cook at that level. Oh well. At least i tried. Maybe one day. I am over it.

After that i started my stint at UVic. I love the place. Every one i work with is super cool. My job is fun and the pay is great. I'm dealing with some stuff there now that I'd rather not get into right now, but lets say i may be looking for work again soon. Hopefully not though.

This year Candice and I set a date for our wedding, September 1st 2012. So that's where my head will be next year. So muck to plan.

Started and killed a web comic with Jesse this year. I still have the scripts and may re work them into prose, or a film script. Jesse is just FAR to busy the devote the time to drawing a comic right now, so maybe one day we will get something done.
As far as i can remember that was the gist of 2011...

2012. Big year. Changes.

People say that telling everyone what you are doing is bad and will actually demotivate you. Others say the opposite.

I don't know who's right...doesn't matter.

Change #1: Money management. I fucking suck at this. This year i need to get control of spending and buying shit i don't need. I have always had this problem, and largely ignore it, but i figure with a wedding coming up, i need to gain control.

Change #2: Time management. I have to sit down and write out what i would like to accomplish in a day and figure out the best way to do it. I sleep 7 hours a night and only work 8. Travel time to and from work is 90 minutes total. So i have 7.5 hours a
day to do whatever i want. More than enough time to do A LOT.

Change #3: Friend time. I am horrible at making plans. I always have an excuse to not go out. This year i want to change that. I'm going to try and have at least a night a week that i go out and spend time with friends. Be it a movie, or playing games. Shit, even just coffee and a chat will be nice. Lord knows i owe a lot of people some time and coffee.

Change #4: Weight lose/health. It's time. If i set my mind to something i can do it. I quit smoking cold turkey, i can do anything. I have let myself go too long. I have always been big, and honestly just learned to live with it. I still don't mind being a big guy, 29 years of something and you get to the point in your mind where it is life. Nothing will change it. But that is bullshit. A few months ago i experimented with the 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferris, and it was very successful. I lost 31 pounds in a month with no extra exercise. Just fixing my diet and eating good food. So starting January 2nd I am committing to the diet full time, with added exercise daily. I'd like to lose as much weight as I can before my wedding in September. It's not really for the physical benefits (those will be nice) but for the health of it. I have to live in this body for the rest of my life...why shouldn't it be in better condition so it runs better? After some weight loss I'm looking at maybe getting into some martial art...kick boxing or ju jitsu...something that will help keep me accountable to my body.

So yeah...we'll see how this year goes. I'm looking forward to it more than any other year.

Happy New Years.
James.

Christmas 2

2011-12-27T23:32:00.001-08:00

Been in White Rock for a couple days. Big family Christmas over here at my cousin Shawn and his wife Christine's place. Been great to see relatives I haven't seen in 7 years.

Tomorrow Candice and I are off to have lunch with my mom and catch a flick before heading home. Then back to work :(

Plus, you can't go wrong when you are surrounded by 4 dogs all the time.

J

the best of 2011

2011-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

so another year of movies, games, music and tv has come and gone. there was some good stuff this year, but looking back, it was far from a great year for entertainment.

there are some things that stand out to me (the lists below), but not nearly as many as years before. it was actually hard to come up with ten movies to make a top ten.

the lists below are in no particular order (the movies are now), they are just a collection of what i enjoyed the most this year. i have yet to see everything i want in theaters thus far (tintin, sherlock holmes 2, "tinker, tailor, soldier, spy", the iron lady, we bought a zoo, the girl with the dragon tattoo, and war horse) are left. :(

any hoo, here they are.

MOVIES

1 - rise of the planet of the apes
2 - super 8
3 - mission impossible ghost protocol
4 - the muppets
5 - drive
6 - fast five
7 - attack the block
8 - transformers 3
9 - harry potter 8
10 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

MUSIC
(i listen to very little music actually, mostly podcasts, so this list was hard to create.)

The Black Keys - El Camino
foo fighters - wasting light
nightwish - imaganerium
swollen members - dagger mouth
jay-z & kanye west - watch the throne
coldplay - mylo xyloto
trent reznor & atticus ross - the girl with the dragon tattoo
florence + the machine - ceremonials
adele - 21

so yeah... there ya go. i may add some minor reviews to these. or not. i was going to add a list of games, but i only beat maybe 2 this year...and TV i am unsure on. i know Game of Thrones was my favorite of the year. that's enough.

J

coming soon: a post about my year and what i have planned for 2012. it's pretty deep and shit.

update

2011-12-16T22:18:00.001-08:00

just redid the design of the blog slightly. made a new title bar.

gonna update with a my favorites of the year post thing soon (have to see a couple more films first).

then in the new year i'm planning on using this a bit more. i have some big changes to make, and am starting already. so we'll see how it all works out. i'm thinking: pretty well.

maybe in the new year i will start using capital letters again.

james

Movember

2011-11-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

this here blog is pretty blogtastic as of late.

i contemplate updating it with exciting stories and images from my day to day life, but then i figure it may not be to exciting?

working a fair bit. been playing a lot more video games...so all in all being very unproductive. hopefully i can change that soon. starting to get that urge to worry about my health again. got the supplements starting to roll in. next is rebuilding my diet so i can eat properly with my stupid work and bus travel schedule. then i guess will be working some exercise back into the mix. i have all this drive in my head to get healthy, i mean this is the vehicle i have for the rest of my life...shouldn't i keep it in the best condition i can? i would do the same if i owned a car. i do this with all the useless material shit i accumulate. why not myself? am i so lazy that i will procrastinate myself to an early grave? fucks sake. at this rate i am doing that.

crazy shit happening in this world right now. occupy Wall St. is amazing. i love that people are starting to fight for what they believe in. it's an inspiration. the governments of this world, particularly America, are so fucking deceitful it's nuts. the fact that banks and pharmaceutical companies decide what we can and can't do in our day to day lives is beyond nuts....ugh i could go on a giant fucking rant and post stories from around the net etc, but i won't. if you care about any of that you all ready know.

I feel like i am starting to change my views on a lot of things. is this what happens with age? or am i finally starting to open my eyes to the world?

either way i suppose it's a good thing to question.

work is going good still. it has its days like anywhere else, but the pay makes up for it.

Candice and I are slowly plugging away at wedding planning...and honeymoon planning.

yeah....not much else to say right now.

I miss all of you i never see and rarely talk to. maybe i will get my shit together and try to be social again soon.

James.

...

2011-09-25T23:31:00.000-07:00

well.

september is gone.

i'm working full time again.

less than a year until marriage.

about a year until a honeymoon.

got to meet a chef idol of mine, Vikram Vij of Vij's in Vancouver, and got to work with him.

Genius.

Not much else going on. It's fall so i'm getting into my play video games mood time of year. It's almost all i want to do...that and watch movies. I feel i don't watch enough movies any more. A fucking shit load of TV travels through my television, but not much in the way of "films". It's not the worst thing ever, i watch some damn fine TV, but i feel that my attention span is getting shorter. Too much TV and constant internet at all times is making me dumber i think. I can't remember the last time i went a few hours without checking facebook or twitter, just to see what other people are doing. Perhaps i should start "living" and not worry about what someone i never see or talk to is up to.

Is it too late to reverse this though? Are we/I too jacked in to social media to ever get out? I always like to think that i could quit facebook/twitter/flickr/google+ etc....but then i would have no idea how to contact anyone any more. How would i know anything? We are so reliant on all of this, that it's too late to switch back.

I don't know where i'm going with this... just some random thoughts.

University livin'

2011-09-08T00:33:00.001-07:00

Well it's September folks. Almost the end of the sun and warmth and wasps. Soon the leaves with fade and fall from the trees and the rain will start again. Fall. My favourite season.

I think i should live in Ireland or Northern England where the weather is almost always this way...maybe one day.

So, my blog title. Confusing? I'll clear everything up for you i guess. No i am not living at University. Nor have i started classes. I am taking their money rather than forking over mine.

I started cooking at Uvic this week. It's great. Basically full time, great wage etc.

So that's that.

Hmm.... Candice and I have set a wedding date. September 1st 2012. Pretty bad ass.

With my new job and lack of stress will come more writing i hope. Rt7 is on hold for a bit i think. Lots going on behind teh scenes i won't divulge right now, but eventually. Mulling about with some short story ideas i may write out and have Jesse do some art for all children's book style. They will be FAR from children's stories and i haven't actually written a word on digital paper yet, so who knows what will happen. One of the stories is a "remake" of Steve vs. the Zombies. A short i wrote in film school that was beloved by all. Also working on some sci-fi ideas and a Lovecraftian detective story.

So look forward to more from me this year. The last year brought many changes to my life, good and some not so good, but this year is to be positive and full of creativity and fun and friends.

James.

august 2011

2011-08-12T11:08:00.001-07:00

job didn't work out.

unemployed, but applying places.

Candice and i are heading to Vegas at the end of the month to get away for a bit.

Getting married in 2012, details to come to those who are invited.

Started a rewrite on RT7, with a format change which will make it even better!

Summer Shenanigans

2011-07-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

Got a new job.

Life is going pretty great right now.

Work is long and hard, so less writing is getting done, but the work is worth it.

RT7 is still being developed though.

I miss all my friends i never see.

If you read this, drop me a line. I'm free on Sunday and Mondays.

James.

The end?

2011-04-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

This is probably going to be the end of this blog. I'm 95% certain of it.

Let's be honest...I don't really have much to say. I am trying to focus on living my life to the fullest right now, and honestly i just don't feel like sharing anything on here any more.

Any stories i need to tell will end up on Facebook or twitter, or in a comic strip or short story.

I am too into writing Roof Top Seven to even think about blogging right now, and if i do it will be to promote my comic. I don't need two blogs for that.

I will keep this blog here for archival purposes, and may re-tool it in the future to have an actual theme. We'll see.

Thank you to any of you who read it and gave a shit about what i had to say. It means the world to me.

James.

P.S. make sure you follow my crazy foray into the web comic world. It may be awesome!

Roof Top Seven

2011-04-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

This blog has been pretty dead for a while.

School is finished and I got my red seal.

Yay!

So now i'm looking for work and writing a comicbook with my friend Jesse.

Go check it out if you can and let me know what you think. Follow it and tell all your friends!

James.

busy busy busy

2011-03-19T13:55:00.001-07:00

sorry for no update in over a month.

School has been nuts this year and I've been trying to devote all my attention to it.

Also currently working on The Rooftop Seven with Jesse, so that will be coming soon.

Post school i am heading to Bon Jovi in Vancouver, then spending a week doing nothing but writing and job hunting. Then off to Seattle for 2 days of good food, pinball and Keving Smith, followed by a week in Hawaii to unwind my brains before getting back to work.

I'll keep you all updated on the goings on of my life occasionally, but i will be slowing down on writing about my life so i can better focus on living it.

The RT7 blog will be continuously updated though once school is done because that is work :)

James.

school and films

2011-02-10T10:33:00.001-08:00

School starts in 5 days.

One more movie left to see in the Film Festival.

Everything I've seen has been pretty great. The highlight was yesterday seeing The Chef of South Polar, a Japanese film about 7 scientists and a chef working in Antarctica for a year. It was extremely funny and the actors were all perfectly cast as their quirky characters. One of the best movies I've seen in a long while.

So anyways, school starts Monday morning. My last year of cook training or whatever you call it. When i pass i'll have my Red Seal which should open up more doors for me.

Currently i have a main plan, and a back up plan post school, so i feel good about that.

Main plan is to hopefully get some work out in Alberta on a camp cooking. This will be good for the $5K i can make a month after taxes which will get me out of debt in no time and pay for a wedding while banking lots as well. Then if all works out, Candice and I are looking at possibly moving to England for a year or two. It's been a dream of both of ours forever, so fingers crossed everything works out.

Back up plan involves me leaving the Four Mile and getting work at various places around town. I figure if i apply at all the places i love to eat, some one should hire. Then i can go around different jobs over the next couple years and learn a ton of stuff i should have been learning all these years at my current job. So I am kind of doing my cooking career backwards.

I am really hoping for plan 1, but plan 2 will work out if it doesn't.

After school Candice and I are heading to Vancouver for the day to see Bon Jovi. Not my favorite band, but will probably be a killer rock show. The next week Perry and I, with Candice head to Seattle for couple days to play lots of Pinball and drink, followed by seeing Red State and Kevin Smith do a Q&A after. I am fucking excited for this! Then we wake up early to fly to Hawaii for 7 nights. Going to the Big Island this time which will be a nice and relaxing vacation before getting back into work late April.

So that's all for this week kids.

James.

Top Ten 0f 2010

2011-01-08T23:39:00.000-08:00

Below are my top 10 favorite movies of the last year. They are in no real order because i don't really feel like dissecting the pluses and minuses of each. I really like them and love a few of them, so the thought of ripping them apart makes me nervous i may not appreciate them as much as before.

snow and work

2010-11-23T23:32:00.000-08:00

School is finished. It has snowed, and i am back to work...kind of.

I'm not getting the hours I'd hoped for...granted i can see why. The road out side of the Four Mile is a fucking nightmare and i hate to walk on it...i can't imagine having to drive on it. Not to mention the waits to get along the road because it's one lane all day.

Now the wonderful white wonder that is snow has decided to grace Victoria with her presence. Don't get me wrong, i kind of love snow. I find it peaceful and eternally calm...I think it would be my favorite time of year to die. White, cold, peaceful, quiet. At night it's dark but eerily bright...it does have it's drawbacks: Icy roads that threaten to break my ankles and cause car accidents. Some times it's too damn cold to be walking in the wind too work at 7 AM, and it gets super ugly when it melts and gets dirty.

These are pretty terrible things, but i still love snow.

So ya...work. Slow and still not my favorite place to be. It's hard to work somewhere doing something you love to do when people around you don't give a shit. Now i know it's pretty easy and common for people to work in my industry and slack off to earn a cheque...but why do i have to deal with the worst of them. Why do i have to hear so much negativity all the time. If you don't like it, fuck off.

Now i have spent my fare amount of time bitching about the place. It's natural for any person at any job. But at least i try to do it outside of work and not in front of staff and bosses. It destroys morale and makes cooking on the line a nightmare when you are working with zombies who could care less if your burger takes 7 or 15 minutes to get to you. Or care if it's burned to fuck.

Rant over. The Four Mile is a pretty great place. Not where i want to spend my career, but i have learned a lot and made some great friends. I have bitched about it for years, but that's because it's what cooks do. I just think there's a difference between bitching about a place you WORK, and work hard, to bitching about a place you couldn't give a shit about.

Rant over 2.0

Off to Maui in a week or so. Cannot wait. Going to celebrate Candice's birthday and our three years together so far. I see countless ahead of us, but three years feels like something grand. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but i love her more every passing day and cannot imagine life without her. I picture her tearing us as she reads this...hopefully not at work.

So there you have it. It's been weeks since i updated my blog, and I've done a ton of stuff you don't need to read about for minutes of your day. Just know i am happy and i feel like some great roads and hurdles are a head of me in the next year.

I cannot fucking wait.

October

2010-10-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

(content edited by me to remove things which may be objectionable to some people who may read this...)

October is flying by!

Two weeks left in school then back to work for a bit.

School has been a blast. I have the best teacher and some really great classmates. I am learning a ton and it is very refreshing to not be at the Four Mile, but still cooking.

So school is done in 2 weeks. I am going to miss it...not just because i have to go back to work and real life....but because i am going to miss learning. In my field of work i should never stop learning.

I am hoping to spend the beginning of November in Crofton for a few days...get away from the city and just chillaxe. I guess we'll see if Perry will have me. November 6th heading to North Vancouver for wedding thingy. Then back to the Four Mile for around 2 - 3 weeks. Then off to Hawaii for a week. I am beyond excited for that. I haven't flown over the ocean in forever! I travel a lot, but it will be nice to go somewhere that feels far away...not that Mexico, New York or Florida were close...

Hopefully i see some awesome whales and turtles. Eat lots of fruit and Pork. Yum.

Then back to the Four Mile for Christmas season. it will be so busy.

New Year will lead to unemployment again. Starting my third year of school January 24th, so i am going to spend a couple of weeks studying and getting ready. It sounds like a lot of work! I am pumped.

After school ends on March 7th, i am going to hopefully catch the Clipper to Seattle and then head to Dan and Lauren's for a week. Comic-con...great friends. Hopefully Candice can maybe make it down for a day or two while i'm there...then we could head back together.

Going to see Metric in November. Thats the only concert i have in my future right now...not that much can live up to X Japan a couple weeks ago.

Ok. This is long...and i am needing to watch a movie.

Have a great week.

old man

2010-10-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

I am 28 in a mere 5 and a half hours...jesus. time flies.

X japan last week was phenomenal. Easily in my top five favorite concerts of all time.

school is going good. Lots of work...i feel like it's all i do.

jack Johnson was also a great concert...just overshadowed by X.

Seeing Jesse and Shari was awesome as always.

Candice spoiled me. I love her too much for words.

Ok. Off to make dinner and get caught up on some tv now that i am a little ahead on homework.

yay

2010-09-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

i'm currently in school. that is why there are no updates.

i wake up at 5:40, get home at 3 ish, and have around 3-4hours of home work a night.

this weekend i'm heading to Vancouver to see Jack Johnson and X Japan in concert (different shows)....kind of an early birthday weekend thing.

it's my birthday in exactly 2 weeks tomorrow. yay!

talk more in depth at a later date.

Wednesday afternoon music videos!

2010-09-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

I quick little music video mix for you all on this fine Wednesday.

A pretty varied mix, but what's new :)

If you enjoy or hate any of it, leave a comment and let me know.

Die Roten Punkte - Ich Bin Nicht Ein Roboter (I Am A Lion)

Recently discovered this German band from Candice's cousin Natasha. We went and saw them live a couple of weeks ago at the Victoria Fringe festival, and i fell in love instantly. Not all of their music is as synth'd out and poppy as this, but it is all equally awesome and hilarious.

Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna

Yes, i am one of those white guys who listens to some mainstream hip hop. Sue me. I have always liked Eminem but have never been an outright fan, and most albums I have only liked 4 or 5 songs. now he has come back and made my favorite hip hop album of the last few years (along with The Blueprint III by Jay-Z. Recovery is full of so many personal stories, so much emotion and honesty, that i can't help but listen in near awe. Not a huge fan Rihanna, but she has a great voice and adds a lot to this track. There are songs on the album i like a lot more, but this has a great video, so I'm posting it.

Front Line Assembly - Plasticity

I have been into FLA since early high school. I believe Dan got me in to their super awesome industrial/EBM musics! It makes me happy when i listen to it. It gets me amped up, and if there was a music i might dance to, it would be music like this. Also, they are Canadian :)

PIG - Painiac

Another band that Dan got me into, Pig is easily one of my favorite industrial bands. Raymond Watts is pure vocal bliss. For me anyways. He has been in the forefront of Industrial music since the early 80's. Collaborated with KMFDM, toured with NIN. Everything he touches is elevated to another level.

Florence and the Machine - Heavy In Your Arms

I recently discovered Florence and the Machine through word of mouth, Candice, her performance on the VMA's and that annoyingly catch song on all the Eat, Pray, Love commercials. I initially shrugged it off as another pop act i could care less about. Then out of boredom i gave the album "Lungs" a listen and was enthralled. The vocals on this thing are otherworldly. Florence Welch is only 24, but her stories and emotion come from somewhere much older. Beautiful music. This video is for a song she recorded for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse's soundtrack. The video and song are Twilight free, so don't let it stop you from watching.

DJ Shadow - Six Days

DJ Shadow. Wong Kar Wai directed video. Beautiful song and video from one of the industry's best producers.

Doveman - Breathing Out

I saw Doveman open for The Swell Season last year. I don't know much about him (Thomas Bartlett) other than he really liked red wine at the concert. It's airy piano filled quiet music. There's something about it i love though...

Patience - Lily Green

Lily Green is an unsigned independent musician from New Zealand, now living in Wales. I discovered her about 4 years ago when she contacted me on myspace because we had similar tastes in music. I listened to her stuff and promptly sent her money for a CD. I'm sure I'm not the only one this happened to, but luckily i did get a CD from her and it wasn't a scam. Hell she signed and personalized it too. I can only describe it as a more electronic styled Tori Amos...i don't know if that does her justice, but i hope so.

The Lonely Island - Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions

I love The Lonely Island and wish a new album would come out. The Digital Shorts on SNL are the highlight for me. This is a song they did for the MTV Movie awards last year. JJ Abrams on keyboard is gold.

That's it for this time. I hope some of this music is new to you and inspires you to give the band a shot.

James

Fall

2010-09-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Fall is here...well almost.

It is my favorite time of year. All the greens give way to oranges and amber's, with red peeking through brightening everything. The heat goes away and we all can start wearing pants and sweaters. The smell of months old dust burning away that first morning you turn on the heat. The hours of television to entertain you each night, rotting your brain when you could be reading on the couch with hot chocolate and cinnamon toast. Hell, maybe i'll do both at the same time this year. :)

I start school in ten days. I am a little terrified, i won't lie. I know i shouldn't be and that i am really damn good at what i do. It's just the being judged daily for what i love doing that scares me...even though I've never gotten a bad judgement.

So on top of school i don't have much planned for the Fall. A couple concerts planned the first weekend of October. My birthday the following week. No plans this year for turning 28. Candice and I will probably go out for dinner. That's all i really need. The first week of November I am going to try and head up island and see Perry and Dan and Krista in Crofton. Spend a couple days amongst friends and cats. Maybe do some writing. Stupid fall. It's when i simultaneously get the most creative and lazy. Starting school puts a damper on my willingness to write too. All i can think about is how i should be studying cooking shit, and not writing about pulp superheroes and zombies. Balance is a bitch.

After that it's back to work at the Four Mile.

Last week i helped Perry move to Crofton. That was a good week. Saw lots of movies, drank lots of Gin. Finally reconnected with Dan and Krista, Jamie and Claire. That was a long time coming. I am extremely bad for dropping off the face of the planet with friends. I don't know why...gotta remedy that.

So that's about all i have to say. I figure it's better than just a blog full of links to music videos though :)

More Music Vids for your Tuesday.

2010-08-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here's another Tuesday music video mix for you. This week i tried to keep it to more English music for all of you just incase all the Japanese music threw you for a loop.

Although there is still a couple Japanese video's below (I can't help myself).

Some of these video's i've loved since highschool and i always comeback to when i want to watch a really great video. Others are newer songs i'm into.

This Blog will go back to being more than a You-Tube dump site soon, but I've just been busy doing nothing lately.

The concert in Vancouver on the weekend was phenomenal though. Also, The Frames seem to be doing a 20th anniversary tour through the states this November, so it looks like i may be doing a Seattle trip end of November, early December. Fingers crossed.

Anyways, here's to some awesome music.

Enjoy.

UNKLE - Rabbit in Your Headlights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsg1y2ZrPfA

Boom Boom Satellites - Kick it Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8odIWEzE2wE

David Bowie - I'm Afraid of Americans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRV2SqiYt6Q

Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8OipmKFDeM

FILTER - Hey Man Nice Shot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myq8rgb9ed8

How To Destroy Angels: The Space in Between

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWbfgGDl6XE

KMFDM - A Drug Against War

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4-bUYU3BH8

Marilyn Manson - Coma White

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQPJYnr48yU

Nine Inch Nails - Down In It

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrrEo3hZABU

Pink Floyd - High Hopes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqvcmud3LFQ

Pixies - Where is My Mind?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8YNgrg9Vus

Skinny Puppy - Worlock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhoMbt5oDzw

The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2hzVV2Nwfs

Underworld - King of Snake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUSZWwnoVj0

X Japan - Dahlia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZq2bga2G-E

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auzfTPp4moA

aphex twin - come to daddy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Az_7U0-cK0

james.

slowly updating

2010-08-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

new image title header thingy!!! I made it myself on some mspaint action (i'm too stubborn to learn Photoshop).

Officially off work now. Not back until November 2nd! AWESOME!

This unemployment thing excites me a bit right now. I cannot wait to not wake up early and not go to work. Just stay home and get centered or something.

It's been 6 years that I've worked at the Four Mile, and with all the changes (and horrible slowness due to massive road work) i decided i needed some time to just get away. I do start school on September 20th, so it's not all fun and games, but i will have some of those too.

This Sunday Candice and I are heading to Vancouver for a quick 18 hour trip to see The Swell Season again. They are playing outside in Stanley Park, and Black Francis (Frank Black, lead singer of The Pixies) is opening. So i am imagining a super great show! I love The Swell Season and The Frames too much not to go see them when a chance arises.

So after our little Vancouver adventure i guess i will take a week and do nothing...head up to Perry's on the 31st and help him move for a couple days.. head home on the Friday or something...we'll see how long he can put up with my broke ass lounging around his place....maybe if i take him some home made tonic and cook for him i can get away with it :)

Then September will be full steam ahead into studying for school. The bloody first day is a test!

Then October 1st is Jack Johnson in Vancouver...then the big one! X Japan is playing The Queen Elizabeth on October 3rd!!! Dear god. I almost fainted with excitement when i learned of the show.

I have been listening to X Japan since '95 when Fraser copied me a CD onto tape from his friend Kumiko. I was fucking hooked. I have listened to everything they have recorded as a band and all their side projects. I have spent countless hours watching every concert film i could find. Now, years later, they have reformed in LA and are going to give it a go here in North America!

I hope they have some success here. These guys have sold 30 million albums in just Japan...and sold out the Tokyo Dome (which seats 55, 000) 18 times! They are huge!

OK... enough of that excitement. I am just too damn excited!

Then Back to school after that super weekend in October. My 28th birthday on October 12th...nothing planned. I have school. Candice works. Maybe go out for dinner.

Then back to the Four Mile in November to work for a few months, then back to school in February to finish it off and walk away with my Red Seal...which i assume will help me find jobs and make more money :)

James.

Tuesday Evening Music Vids

2010-08-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Round two of my blog filler consisting of music videos. I enjoy hunting down these videos, hopefully they don't all suck.

Prince - Let's go Crazy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij-jM8CcQIQ

Easily one of my favorite tracks by the Great Purlple One. The opening of Purple Rain with this song playing is easily in my top ten favorite opening's in movie history.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - Summertime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_PDns23RWY

Becasue it suits the weather right now, and i still love listening to the Fresh Prince's Greatist Hits Cd. Way too many good tracks.

Tom Waits - Hold On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knII3S0MZtY

Tom Waits is a fucking God! those of you who don't like his music should all re-evaluate your taste.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Mercy Seat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFdUTM4gU-o&feature=channel

One of the best Post - Punk/Rock stars of our time. His music is amazing, including scoring and writing the Australian western epic The Proposition (see it!) he scored The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and is currently re-writing The Crow remake...which gives me hope...

Yoshida Brothers - Rising

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERXiliJfdI

japanese brothers who rock out on the shamisen! The mix the traditional Japanese music style of Tsugaru-jamisen with more modern styles and instruments. Amazing!

SUGIZO - Elan Vital

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGwKxXmkItg&feature=related

Japanese guitarist formerly of Luna Sea, now in X Japan. He has also released a few solo projects with amazing instrumental music, like the above video.

Dir en grey - DOZING GREEN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXZxjDdjeLY&feature=fvw

Japanese metal. I have been a huge fan since the late 90's, which is weird because i normally am not a fan of screaming in my music. They do something that just clicks for me and i'm not quite sure what it is.

Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ5VlOl6tj4

One of my favorite musicians ever, with one of my favorite songs ever.

Amanda Palmer - Astronaut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O6GqCwjh-k&feature=channel

One of my new favorite musicans, Amanda Palmer, is formerly of The Dresden Dolls and is rocking out solo now. She just released an album of Radiohead covers on just the ukelelle. Also, she is engaged to Neil Gaiman, which is awesome.

Dropkick Murphy - State of Massachusetts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S2rN17G_00

Boston native's the Dropkick Murphy's are my favorite punk band. They make me wish i was more Irish so i could rock out even harder to their music.

Bruce Springsteen - Spirit in the night live in Barcelona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZWmbt_d76Y

One of my favorite Boss song's from his first album. This is from his barcelona show in like 2001. I love the performance because it's just him on Piano, and at the 4 minute mark he forgets the words. Classic.

Buckethead - Soothsayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFoBbNHvOME&feature=related

phenominal live performance by Buckethead. One of the best Guitarists on the planet.

Guitar Wolf - UFO Romantics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmyV0dPE0mI

LOVE LOVE LOVE Guitar Wolf!!!!

There ya go. Hopefully you enjoy at least one of these videos.

James.

Ripping off Perry

2010-08-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

I am really into Perry's idea (stolen from Warren Ellis) to do a music mix every week. So here is week one i guess.

Included is a quick sampling of a tiny piece of my musical interest...there will be alot more random bands you've never heard of in coming weeks.

Enjoy what you can, and if you like any of it let me know. Maybe i can create some new fans.

So without further ado...

The Frames - Fitzcarraldo (Live)

(this is actually The Swell Season performing a Frames track, but i figure it's all the same band members...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX0TFbzjccM

Nightwish - The Islander

(Finnish Symphonic Power Metal! This is a more mellow song. I love it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2sd8UMUaIk

Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass

(Just some fantastic hip Hop.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEBGCOCxLgA&feature=related

Sage Francis - Escape Artist

(More great underground Hip Hop. Sage is a genius.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ7w-z4BvMo

Rocco DeLuca & The Burden - "I Trust You To Kill Me" LIVE

(One of my favorite musicians...his guitar playing is out of this world.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zq2cf7U400

Broken Bells - The High Road

(just great! danger Mouse and James Mercer from The Shins.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWBG1j_flrg

Colm Mac Con Iomaire - The Blue Shoes

(The Violinist from The Frames and The Swell Season. Amazing.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPDyEg2Y6_Y&feature=related

Danko Jones - "Full of Regret"

(Cool new video from Danko Jones. Great Canadian Rock and Roll with no Bull Shit.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F8guNGt-IU

FINNTROLL - Trollhammeren

(Because sometimes we all need some weird Black Metal/Folk/Polka from Finland.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGywo81G6lk

The Swell Season - Low Rising

(New Single from my Favorite band.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5KV1Lf2NkY&feature=related

She & Him - In The Sun

( Beacuse it makes me smile and feel all happy. Zooey Deschanel is great!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W18_OO8TD78

The Dead Weather "Treat Me Like Your Mother"

(Jack White can do no wrong! Love how Raw The Dead Weather sounds.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7QSkI6My1g

Coconut Records "Microphone"

(Jason Schwartzman is a great actor, and a great one man band!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSDVX6fRSr4

Puscifer - The Humbling River

(New track from Maynard James Keenan of Tool fame. i love it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkxdXj7PxRU

So there you have it. Leave some comments and hopefully, ENJOY!

James.

(with credit to Perry and Warren Ellis for the idea)

updates

2010-07-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

ugh...i hate sleeping in on a work day. I always miss my bus by like 2 minutes...it's aggravating.

I could walk the whole way i suppose, but at this hour i am way to lazy and tired.

Work has been super dead as of late thanks to the massive amount of road work happening outside. I am not too impressed. Having gone from full eig

ht hour shifts two weeks ago, to the measly 6 hours i'm managing to get now, i am terrified for my bank account.

Last week before we went to Washington State i sprained my wrist, so at least WCB will give me some more cash soon, and my damage deposit from a place i lived in 2 years ago is finally coming my way. So not all is bad really.

Another Six weeks and i'll be off work for two months to do my second year of technical training at Camosun for my Red Seal. Hopefully i'll do my third year in February and then i'l be all fancy and have a card saying i'm a Chef. So that will be nice and should help open up the doors to some new job opportunities.

Off to see The Swell Season again in three weeks at the Malkin Bown in Stanely Park. I cannot think of a better band to see in an outdoor theater setting than them...granted i am biased and love them unconditionally....in fact here's a great music video by them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5KV1Lf2NkY&hd=1

Perry is coming down tomorrow for a day, so that's prett

y exciting. I see some movie watching, comic shopping and Magic playing in our future. I may have to subject him to some Zombie Dice and Cthulu Dice as well.

To put a downer on this post, my mother is in the hospital right now. She is getting better and will be out soon. I don't want to dwell on it too much, just know that she will be fine.

It has been tough on me though, i won't lie. I am still scared of the worst happening, but i know she is in the best place she can be and the chances of that happening are very slim to none.

The States were fun last weekend. Got to meet up with Dan and Lauren, went to the Olympic game farm and saw some too cute bears. Ate good food. Spent too much money.

Now to slow down on that...after this weekend maybe :)

Any hoo, i guess i better get my ass in gear and actually head to work before i am late.

Have a good one.

James.

shoppin'

2010-07-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

currently in a Best Western in Mount Vernon on some sweet free wi-fi.

came down yesterday afternoon on the ferry and have been doing some shopping. there is something nice about getting away from work and life and just wandering stores, looking at things you can't afford.

i got some shoes yesterday (thanks Vans outlet store) for super cheap...so i feel it has been a worthwhile trip.

Also i am obsessed with grocery stores down here. They have so much random shit that we don't i go crazy! Also, i love the feeling of browsing wine in the same isle as peanut butter.

today we are off to eat breakfast then hit the road for some more shopping madness, including the Disney store, where i go crazy for so many random stuffed animals i feel like a 4 year old on christmas.

tonight we are staying in Silverdale and meeting up with Dan and Lauren for dinner...probably Mexican because its amazing in the States. Tomorrow off to port Townsend for some wandering and then home on the Coho.

James

Scott Pilgrim!

2010-07-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

Scott Pilgrim volume 6 (the last one) came out today!

I think i got the last copy from downtown Victoria! Awesome! Some girl tried to steal it from me (and by steal i mean guilt me into letting her have it) it didn't work.

So tonight i have some plans...go for a walk, maybe eat dinner...we'll see on that one...it's too bloody hot to eat food in this weather. If only i could live on Ice Cream!

side note: I have seen Dan and Jamie's Ben and Jerry's commercial in theaters 3 times now!

Then i am going to try and sit down and read all six volumes of Scott Pilgrim and weep at it's super spectacular ending (i assume). I have loved this book and its characters for about 2 years now and am dreading the ending, which i do to everything i read or watch. Shit. I still haven't finished the last Harry Potter book! But with the dread comes the great satisfaction that i feel having gotten to watch Scott go through hell for the woman he loves.

Wouldn't we all?

Bryan Lee O'Malley is a great Canadian talent that i'm glad to see has blown up with fame! I cannot wait for his follow up to this!

Also, the movie is out August 13th! see it as a double feature with The Expendibles! Go Stallone!

UPDATE! went out for Greek food for dinner...had souvlaki...it was yum! Wandered to Fairway market and bought random British candy and Jamie Oliver Pasta Sauces! Also got some Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding flavored chips....i may die tonight.

Also, I forgot Hell's Kitchen is on tonight, so I won't get through all of Scott pilgrim tonight. So the forthcoming review of the series will be a little later than tomorrow.

James.

Foo!

2010-07-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

New Design!

AWESOME!

All right....a newly re-invigorated James' Mind Nuggets is coming soon!

Quickie movie reviews, amazing life stories that will blow your minds! Restaurant reviews...maybe recipes! Wine and cocktail reviews! Holy shit i say!

....now if i follow through... :)

Went to Foo Asian Street Food for dinner before the movie tonight...it was my second visit...not as good as the first. Dammit!

My first visit i played it safe...Butter Chicken, Pork Pot-stickers, Paneer Dumplings, Papaya Salad....Fuck it was really good! So I've been wanting to go again and try some new things. Tonight i decided to try a Chicken and Paneer "Hot Pocket" and a Pork Belly Sandwich....Now don't get me wrong...both were really good...just not perfect. The Hot Pocket thing had great chicken thigh....juicy and tasty...paneer was great...well spiced...the bun was their fry bread wrapped around all the good yummy bits....but i think it was under fried...by like 30 seconds...and i ate it second...so the molten insides had time to cool off too much..making it luke warm...not amazing to eat.

The Pork belly sandwich was inside a steamed bun version of the fry bread...Delish! It had a chili Hoisin sauce and pickled vegetables...also super delish!...then the pork belly...so close! It was braised well...the fat melted in my mouth...the meat fell apart...they just didn't fry it enough! i want that crispy outside on the fat! So fucking close.

So in closing...not perfect, but still a million times better than most any other restaurant in town.

Candice and I went to see The Girl Who Played With Fire. The second film in The Millennium Trilogy. It was pretty freaking good. Not as great as the first, which is near perfect, but i thought it rocked. It was full of character back story and was a huge set up to what i hope is a great payoff! Damn solid little movie and i highly recommend it (even to Perry, who i think would enjoy the well written believable characters).

Look at that...a post!

James!

back

2010-06-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

back from Vegas a long time ago...

haven't felt the urge/need/desire to blog....again...i just feel i have nothing to really say that would interest people...hence the lack of updates...i'm not depressed as this sounds so far...i'm just living my life.

I'm engaged now, to the best most beautiful person ever. That makes me happier than anything.

School starts in September....so time to start studying soon....and i need to get my fucking drivers license....the inability to drive up island to visit Perry, Dan, Jamie Krista and other friends is making me feel pretty shitty lately. i crave the long lost "hanging out" i used to be so good at. I am not lonely, per se, I have Candice and work ppl, but it's different....i dunno.

all in all life is awesome, except for a few things, but those will only change if i initiate the change. Work is getting better i think....more responsibility make me feel more worthwhile there...and the bit of a raise make me a happier person..

James.

Vegas Baby!

2010-04-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Off to Vegas in just over two weeks!!!

Figured i'd better get in a trip before i can't. Work should pick up soon for the summer season, then school in September to November, then January to March...so no time to go anywhere long distance until after that....and then it's time to save for Japan.

So Candice and I are going, with Perry tagging along. I am fucking excited.

Got tickets to go see Penn and Teller (FRONT ROW) with meet and greet after! Renting a car and driving to the Grand Canyon, Hover Dam, Route 66!

Plus all the Casinos, Freemont Street, and my God, THE FOOD! There are SO many great restaurants in Vegas i am having trouble narrowing down where to go.

Definitely hitting up the Vegas branch of Serendipity 3 (from the John Cusac movie) for Frozen Hot Chocolate (it was bliss when we went in New York) and Shepherds Pie to die for. Hubert Keller has a Burger Bar where you can get Fois Gras and Truffles on Kobe Beef! So, ya, going there. Bouchon, by Thomas Keller (considered the best chef in America) for some French Bistro cooking, YUM! Mesa Grill by Bobby Flay, all the Buffets! Where do i start???

I guess the main question will be if we can get into any of these places....hope so

I will let you know when i get back :)

James.

Japan

2010-04-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

I want to go to Japan.

This is a dream I've had as long as i can remember...and every year it creeps up on me and i get obsessed with the idea of going. Unfortunately i have no money to go, and none saved due to the fact i make little money at my job and love to buy things.

So it will remain a dream a while longer...but one day soon i will go...and it will be the best thing ever.

Work has been not great lately...everyone seems on edge and cranky. People are talking of leaving, my hours are still cut and i don't exactly feel loved there anymore. A change may be coming soon.

Heading back to school in September to do level 2 of my apprenticeship at Camosun, then hopefully level 3 in January. Then i'll have my Red Seal and can start earning a proper living in my chosen career. Hell maybe actually be someones boss one day.

Started drafting out some ideas to bring back the Rooftop 7 with Jesse the other night. ideas are percolating. It is going to be awesome...or not so much and just a great way to get me writing again. I'm happy with either outcome.

Have a great weekend. Planning to go see Kick Ass tonight and then play some Wii with my love.

James.

New blog

2010-03-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

New Blog coming soon.

Prob on a different site as i will want to keep this blog open for any unless bull shit i feel like spittin' at you.

Will add link once it's up.

Here we go!

http://jamesreviewsmovies.blogspot.com/

James.

Return to the Emerald City!

2010-03-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Before i begin, I'd like to credit Perry for the amazing photos. He may kill me for using them, but i just wanted to share some pics with you. He said he didn't want them on Facebook, so they are not...only my blog.

Here's a link to his Flickr for when he adds more pics.

Thanks bud.

So last Friday Perry and I headed to the Emerald City Comic Con!

It is amazing...not as cluster fuck insane as San Diego 3 years ago...but busy enough to make a non-geek cry.

We woke up bright and early Friday and hit up some Timmie's for breakfast. Caught a cab to the Coho Ferry and promptly paid our reasonable fare. Went through customs and boarded our 90 minute ferry ride.

(this is my camera, not his)

Spent the ride over playing with Perry's new camera. A Nikon SLR. It was so fucking nice. It felt like a normal film camera...had weight to it....god! I want one!

Anyway...

Dan and Lauren picked us up in Port Angeles and we drove into Silverdale, making fun of random stores (a Twilight store, Smitties: not the one we have here...this looked like a place diners would BE the food for hillbillies, a creepy porn trailer, etc) along the way.

shaking fist in anger!

We stopped at Famous Dave's for some much needed lunch! I had a platter that included a 1/3 rack of fall off the bone pork ribs, some pulled pork, beans, mac and cheese, corn bread, corn on the cob! Goddamn it was tasty! I had some drink called "Mama's back-porch punch" or something...delish!

wandering into food heaven!

After lunch i waddled out to the van and promptly died...then through necromancy i was revived and we hit up the mall so i could grab a PS2 game I've been hunting for for a couple years.

Went to Safeway and bought groceries. Hit up Walmart so Perry could buy some clothes...he got a wicked Green Lantern Tee. Went to Dan's.

Spent the afternoon and evening catching up and shit. Watched the "Found Footage Festival 4" and Lauren made some delish home made salsa and guacamole.

Went to bed.

Woke up at 5:30...i think it took Dan and Perry till 6 to get me to move.

Went to Jack in the Box for breakfast...had an awful croissant egg thing....blech!

Caught the Ferry to Seattle and 80 minutes later landed and drove to convention. Parked and headed in to exchange tickets and line up.

At 9:55 they let us in and we ran to the table Where Mike Allred was set up so Perry could commission a sketch. Dan and Perry stayed there a while as he had not yet arrived, then minutes later were told he'd be a while yet, so they ran off to see Tim Sale for a similar request. I lined up to get a book signed by Ben Templesmith.

Not five minutes later Perry came running up telling me we had to go get our tickets to see Stan Lee! We bolted to the other side of the convention hall to what can only be described as a FUCKING NIGHTMARE!

PART of the line to get tickets to get in line!

The tickets for the Stan Lee signing had to be pre-bought, i assume because they knew it would be madness...but when pre-selling thousands of tickets...why make them "Will Call" for pickup, and why make the pickup area like 20 feet from "The Man" himself?

It's needless to say more, but it was a mess and we eventually got the signatures. He was so nice and awesome.

THE MAN!

After the signing we ran over to Mike Allred's area again and lined up. I headed back to Ben Templesmith and got my copy of Fell #1 signed. He was SO nice.

Got our stuff signed By Mike and Laura (his wife who colour's his art) they were were nice and spent time to talk to us and everyone else in line. So happy with that meeting.

After that we ran some of our stuff back to the van and then had some lunch at a place called Moby's in the convention center. The food was OK tasting and cheap, so YAY.

posing in parking lot, trying to smile....

After lunch headed back into the Con and took some pics and did a bit of shopping.

Ash pimping Vitamin Water

Went and bothered David Mack and bought a trade i needed. Also bought an original sketch from him. Dan also got one, and Perry got one too.

Awesome.

While Mack was sketching for Dan I decided to head to the next table and chat up Mike Oeming and get a book signed. While he was signing and chatting i managed to screw him up and he added the number 30 to his signature (it was the price of a book at his table i was asking about) he apologized a million times and drew a little sketch on the cover. I laughed it off and didn't care. Needless to say i bought the book so i could tell this story , and in doing so managed to distract him again as he signed that and he started sketching a different character inside the cover that was from a different comic! He was able to turn it into a flaming sword from the book i was buying though. It made my day. He was so nice and very cool with fans.

Joe Quesada

After that Dan Perry and I headed to the Panels room to watch a Cup O' Joe. It's a Q&A with Joe Quesada, Brian Bendis, Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker about the Marvel Universe etc. It was OK but nothing special... Cool guys though.

Matt Fraction and Brian Bendis

After that we headed back to Dan and Lauren's for the night.

Woke up Sunday and same story as before we ended up at the Con for the day.

This second was alot more layed back. The second the doors opened I ran to get in line for a Joe Quesada signing, Dan ran to a line for Bendis and Perry ran to Tim Sale to get his commision ticket.

Stood in line for almost 90 minutes then gave up on Quesada. Within this time Perry ran around and got books signed for all of us. Dan eventually left the Bendis line as he was notified that Bendis wouldn't be there until 1pm. After escaping the Quesada line Perry and I ran books to the Van.

On our way back, not 15 minutes later, Quesada was there signing. I was pissed. Shoulda waited a few more minutes! Next year i guess.

We went to Moby's for lunch again.

After lunch Dan just chilled cause he had nothing he wanted to buy, so Perry and I ran around getting a couple more signatures and Perry got his Tim Sale drawing. It was amazing to watch the man sketch.

Mack doing my sketch

Dan and Perry got another sketch each from David Mack as well.

I was able to find a few trades i needed and then good and broke, we called it another Emerald City Comic Con done.

I wish i was able to get more signatures and see more artists, but it is SO hard with only 2 days. I am so happy next year is three days.

That night we went out to Azteca for great Mexican food then went to the theater and watched The Crazies.

The next morning we played some Magic and ate lunch, then they drove me back to Port Angeles to head home.

It was an amazing trip again this year. Unfortunately the 4 days go by way to fast, so money willing i will try to stay for a week next year.

Some random bird

Thanks to everyone who helped make it a great convention and absolutely great visit with amazing friends.

James

coming in a day or so

2010-03-17T20:34:00.001-07:00

The ultimate bad-ass post comic con blog post is going to be online in a day or so... just writing it and getting together the couple pics i want to put up.

hopefully it doesn't totally suck...

James.

March-alicious

2010-03-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Happy march to you all.

I am quite unsure of what i want to write on this blog at the moment...some days i think my life is SUPER EXCITING and i want to write everything down, and other days...not so much.

Think i am getting a cold. Heading to the dentist tomorrow. Watching the Office right now because it is hilarious.

Next week Perry and i are heading to Bremerton to hang with Dan and Lauren for a couple of days. Hitting up the Emerald City Comic-Con (which has now become a yearly ritual i plan to keep alive). Not planning on buying too much, maybe a couple of prints if i see something. Maybe a few books i need. The main reason for the trip is to see some friends i see far to little of, although there are far more friends out there i have lost contact with i regret.

Going to meet Stan Lee while i am there. Get a book signed. I am TOO fucking excited to finally meet "the Man". The characters and comics he created helped shape my mind while growing up (along with WAY too much Calvin and Hobbes) it's a wonder i didn't throw myself off a roof years ago trying to save a life.

I will return once i get home with a fun blog-tastic story filled with pics of my adventure to the America's. Home of fatty delicious foods that will render me unable to move for weeks after...god that excites me actually...

Being a cook i have a pretty great understanding of nutrition and how the body digests foods and gains nutrients and vitamins etc....so you think I'd maybe live that knowledge (especially knowing the health risks involved in not...) But, goddamn, i love me some bad food.

I am in fact totally sure that the governments of this world design the worst shit to taste the best...not that i only eat bad. I enjoy myself some veggies and a balanced meal once in a while, but I'll take a greasy burger over a salad any day.

...how did we get here....oh yeah....America. So i cannot wait to eat some hellish BBQ and Mexican, maybe some Creme Brule ice cream made with custard. Gorge on some fucked up chip flavors we will never see here in Canada...oh man. Some Mr. Pib (far better than Dr. Pepper) some giant 1.5 ltr energy drinks...i am excited and disgusted all at once.

Hopefully i may ingest a piece of fruit or a vegetable while there....but if not i am already planning on purging my system when i get back with salad and chicken breasts for a few days after.

So i shall get back to living a glutenous life of junk food and cooking, while dreaming of days long past where i had too many local friends to have free time.

I miss those days, but at the same time i am happy as can be spending every day with the woman i love and could die happy tomorrow.

boo

2010-01-31T08:16:00.001-08:00

it is too early on a sunday morning and i cannot sleep...i just want to go back to bed but i am not tired...this is lame.

off to play mass effect i suppose...and eat a bagel.

february

2010-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

Jesus fucking Christ January went by fast!

Life has been keepin' on...Candice and I are still madly in love and don't hate each other, which is awesome.

I'm still at the Four Mile slinging burgers and steaks. It's OK. After 5 years i feel i may need to move on soon though. That in itself is a scary thought. it's hard to up root from something so comfortable and natural as this job. I literally don't have to think too much when I'm there and i know the entire menu and basically every recipe in the place off by heart. Now to move on and re learn all these things...scary. But it will have to happen if i want to progress in this career.

Need to start saving money for school here pretty soon. Maybe after Seattle next month.

Heading to Dan and Laurens for a few day in March. It's been a year so it will be nice to catch up. Also going to hit up the Emerald City Comic Convention again...buy some shit... check out the sights. A good geeky guys weekend. Gonna meet Spock and Stan Lee...Thomas Jane, Felecia Day and the rest of the Guild....Will Wheaton again....Should be fucking spectacular.

Trying to get a netbook in my possession here pretty quick. I think it will be good. Then i can turn my pc into a gaming/movie pirating rig, and use the netbook for all my Internet, music, blogging use etc....be able to sit on the couch and chat on MSN while watching Tv sounds divine...also i think it will help my writing. I know it's stupid to blame my lack of writing on anything other than sheer laziness and lack of motivation, but i think it would kick start it. The though of sitting at a desk typing pains me...I hate how formal it feels...always have. Maybe I'm just an idiot, but i have always needed to be away from a desk to work or write...shit i write more long hand lying on my bed than i do sitting here...i am hating this right now.

So soon for that hopefully. Then expect more blogging, and hopefully more reviews of movies and things...and maybe some scripts! God it would be nice to finish a script....i had so many half done ones, and outlines that i lost in a HD crash that i am terrified to start again...but i will...

Ok this is a pretty random blog update...sorry for any useless babbling.

Talk soon

My favorite of 2009!

2010-01-08T23:47:00.000-08:00

Movies.

These are my top 10 of the year. In no order really because i don't want to break it all down.

Watchmen: One of the best graphic novels of all time gets translated into what i think is the best movie version it could have. There are changes made, but they serve the medium of film well. Great effects, acting, directing, music etc. And all of it taken seriously made for a great film version of what was once called and un-filmable story.

Star Trek: Sci-Fi came back to movies with a vengeance this year, and we ate it up. The genre being taken seriously by incredibly talented film makers helped. This re launch of the Star Trek franchise had many worried. I absolutely loved it and the crazy time travel/inter-dimensional travel story line. I thought it was a great way to tie the new franchise to the old, which old fans of Trek appreciate, I imagine. In my top three films of the year. Loved every second

Angels & Demons: I am a big fan of secret society things and religious mumbo-jumbo (no offence to any readers). I find the story highly implausible but thrilling. I am a fan of Langdon as a character and look forward to more adventures. It helps I'm a big Tom Hanks fan and love seeing anything European on film. Ron Howard amped up the action and tension in this second film and cut back on the running time, and it helped make a far stronger film as a whole.

Drag Me to Hell: Sam Raimi returns the the genre he helped make famous. The years he's been crafting his skill have payed off in leaps and bounds. He is so comfortable working in this play field that every thing comes off effortless. A great throwback to 80's horror films. I loved every moment and held a smile the entire film.

Up: Nearly perfect. Super funny and emotional all at once. A great family film that can be loved by any age. There is so much going on with the characters in this film you cannot help but fall in love with them. Pixar is the best movie studio working today. Every film the release is border line the best this i see that year...and this has happened many times. That's saying something.

The Hangover: the funniest film of the year. Zach Galifianakis is a comedy juggernaut. I'm in fear he may end up in too many films now though, and become stale...fingers crossed this doesn't happen. My hetero man crush on Bradley Cooper also helped. That man oozes charisma and just awesomeness in everything he does. I didn't laugh more at the theater this year.

District 9: The most accomplished and unique film of the year. Phenomenal acting, directing, effects,...everything. This movie came out of no where and became the best science fiction film in years. I don't have enough words to accurately review this masterpiece. See it.

Inglorious Basterds: Inglorious Basterds lived up to everything i hoped it would be...and more. It was tense at points, hilarious at others. An ode to European cinema, especially French New Wave, but wholly original. Extremely well paced, acted (Christoph Waltz as the ..."Jew Hunter" stole every frame he was in), directed and shot. Also very unpredictable at times. Too many words. all in all, I agree with the last line of this film 100%

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning: the best martial arts/action film of the year. Story was kinda slow, cliffhanger unresolved ending made me a little upset, but Tony Jaa makes me forgive everything. His skill at every physical thing on screen is like watching some action god robot from the future. He is like nothing else in film. I am in awe of the fights he choreographs.

Avatar: Pure film bliss! Avatar felt like living through a dream I've been having all my life. Watching it was like nothing I've seen before, yet every little detail on Pandora felt oddly familiar and comfortable. James Cameron swept me away to his paradise and in the end may have shown me mine. Easily one of the best movies I've ever seen. Judging by the massive money this is making a sequel is not long off, and i cannot wait!

Games

It was a slow year for new games for me. I played quite a lot of older games but not much for new stuff. These are my favourite from 2009.

Uncharted 2: Easily the most fun I've had playing a game in 2009, maybe the last couple years. Graphically it's phenomenal, the sound design is great, creative level design, fun characters, great voice work...etc. I can go on and on, but the best testament to the game is i always want to play it...even after beating it, which never happens.

Assassin's Creed 2: Not quite as good as Uncharted 2, but super fucking fun. I love killing people then free running away. The historical re-creations of Italian cities are amazing to behold, and the freedom to run all over them is exhilarating. A clever story, interesting characters, and some decent graphics made this my second favourite game of the year.

new super mario wii: haven't played it too much, but the nostalgia is great. I love the difficulty and being able to play with others (helping each other, or fucking each other over for power ups never gets old).

Music

Good year for music. These are my favorites of the year.

The Lonely island - Incredibad: Too fucking funny. Creative rhyming and comedy that doesn't get old to me.

Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin: Her best album in years (not that any have been bad). Great variety throughout and very easy to listen too front to back.

Muse - The Resistance: came outta nowhere and kicked my ass. I had never heard of them before, and some of their back catalogue isn't my thing, but this album is great.

The Swell Season - Strict Joy: My favourite album of 2009. My favourite concert of 2009. Possibly one of my favourite bands. Phenomenal. I have to words to describe how Glen and Marketa's music makes me feel.

them crooked vultures: Very solid rock album. Some songs not great, some quite derivative of older music by the different band mates, but still really good.

SMODCast: Not music, but a great listen. I can spends hours on end listening to Kevin Smith talk about whatever.

...soon...

2010-01-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

i am compiling and writing my best of 2009 list...it will have my favorite movies...probably music, TV and maybe other things in it...i don't know if it will have numerical listing...or just be a best of in no order...but we'll see.

Up within the week.

James.

(above is a shot from the best concert of 2009)

2009-12-20T20:54:00.001-08:00

a decent summary with some Ministry lyrics thrown in for good measure.

Re-Vamp

2009-11-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

this blog is stale.

I'm not so into writing about my life so much any more...not that my life is any less interesting...i just don't feel like sharing everything for the world to read...i don't have the energy.

Looking back, the only time i ever really blogged was when i was lonely...or alone. Occasionally i would have something positive to say, but more often than not it'd be dribble. Now when I'm happy and all that (which is most days) the last thing i really want to do is stop life to blog about it.

I don't know what i'm talking about...well i do. I just don't know how to word it. I'm not taking down my old mopey posts because they are apart of me...and i enjoy reading what i wrote two years ago...trying to remember the person i was and putting together how he evolved into my current state of being.

So i'm going to change this little piece of internet literature...into reviews. Movies, comics, books, concerts, video games. Whatever tickles my fancy. I've been meaning to do it for a while, but as you all know, i procrastinate...a lot!

So coming soon...James' Mind Reviews!.....or some other catchy title?

I'm heading to Vancouver tomorrow for a concert (Swell Season) Easily one of my favorite bands.

When i get back i'll throw up a review for it...i imagine it will be VERY positive. Also New Moon review coming soon, hint: i liked it alot.

AND, I'm looking for a new template...i cannot find one i like...and don't actually know what I'm looking for...dark and moody....or simple and note pad like... expect this page to change A LOT in the next bit until I'm happy with it.

Till next time.

J

Benjamin Button

2009-06-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I had heard some great things from critics, a billion Oscar nominations, but everyone i know personally didn't love it. So i have been waiting. It seems getting a Blu-Ray player and watching it in the most pristine quality i can imagine was the driving force.

And my god was it beautiful

Phenomenal acting, directing, cinematography, score, editing...I could go on and on.

And goddamn, was it gorgeous to watch.

The film flowed really well i thought. I didn't feel a moment of it's near 3 hour run time, which was great.

Inspirational and moving is how i'd describe it.

Jesus Christ. I dunno. I cannot put into words everything i feel about what i just watched. Maybe it has to do with where i am in my life emotionally. Not quite sure what i want to do. Where i want to be. Should i just live life at the safe pace i am at now, with job security and safety. Or do i just pick up and try something radical and new? It's a tempting prospect most days.

But then i am also scared of the possibilities of change. Of leaving the safety net I've built for myself. I don't know if i am capable of the commitment to pay all of my bills and cut those strings which hold me down. They give me excuses to stay in my comfortable bubble. I'm an extremely materialistic individual. Me holding out to see this movie on blu-ray is and example of that. Does my life benefit from all this new tech i "need" to have? In most ways no. But i can easily justify it to myself too. I love film. LOVE IT. Shouldn't i be able to watch a piece of art as close to the directors vision as possible. I think so. But why do i need to spend so much money to do so. I could save that money and pick up and travel...

Predicaments are sure fun.

This movie made me miss Candice SO much. God i love that woman more than you can imagine. The scenes with Brad and Cate in this movie tore me apart. I just wanted to be sitting on that dock, watching that sunset with the love of my life. It tugged at my heart a WHOLE bunch.

She is back soon (thank God). 12 days and counting. Life will change when she is back. I need to start prioritizing my life. Movies and games are great...but i need to extinguish my debts. So one day we could pack our lives into a couple suitcases and just disappear if we wanted. Start living life day by day. No routine bull shit. No more scheduling around the television shows i watch. No more sitting on my ass, eating shit food, getting more unhealthy. Fuck all of that.

I don't want to be the one stopping us from living.

Nothing lasts forever and everything changes....god i loved this movie.

james.

Love.

2009-06-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Haven't much of a subject for this post at this point. Perhaps one will come to me as i stream my brain onto this digital pad of paper.

I will try so make this as "happy" a blog as i can too. I know i can be a downer at the best of times. So happy i will be... even though i am missing my better half more than you can imagine.

I never thought myself the relationship person growing up. Didn't think i'd ever need it. It was silly. I had my family and friends...it's all a kid/adolescent needs. As i grew older I suppose i started dreaming of it, and wishing for it. Watching all those movies and television shows where a couple of people would eventually make it through life's hardships and find each other. I started really wanting that. I never really pursued it though. Too scared of rejection i think... took me till i was 24 to get my shit together.

When i found it, i was still scared, so scared. But differently. Would she reject me? Would i pansy out in fear of ruining her life? Would i get bored... Scared.

Then time progressed, and the fear lessened. I think that is normal. I am still scared of fucking something up, i suppose i always will be. Gotta keep on my toes...stay alert....i sound like a wilderness survival commercial...

This is by no means supposed to be a negative thing though... Jesus my brain goes to dark depressing places. I am in love. THE love i believe. I want to spend the rest of my life with this woman, and plan too...Unless the universe has other plans outta my control. She is the only thing in my life that doesn't ever get boring.

I have a mild case of severe AD-HD i think...when she isn't around i lose myself mentally...going from random thing to thing... hell right now I'm currently in the middle of a movie, contemplating playing a game, trying to decide what of the 6 things I'm reading i want to continue...or if i should start some thing else...and if the music i'm listening to needs to be changed.

My brain is a mess...when she isn't here.

When she is...I guess it's still a mess... but a much more manageable one. It doesn't matter what I'm doing... as long as she's by my side i feel at ease. Perhaps that is the meaning of being in love. To lose yourself in someone so deeply that without them you are not whole.

If so...Then i am in it deep.

Love...how did i live without you?

...guess i found a subject...

peru

2009-06-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

it's Sunday night... watching "By Any Means". A great documentary that follows Charley Boorman traveling from Ireland to Australia...well by any means...except commercial flights. It's good stuff. I'm addicted to the travel series he and Ewan McGregor did too. Oh to live vicariously through others :)

Candice left for Peru on Thursday morning. She's having a great time so far! I'm SO happy for her. She has been dreaming of going for a couple years now, so this trip is good for her. I guess for both of us really. We have been attached at the hip for the past year... doing almost everything together... space is good...no matter how much it sucks i guess. I'm sure the time will start to fly, it's just the night's that are lonely...she's back on the 27th... so 20 days to go!

The twins finished Mass Acre Hill. I am so fucking proud of them. Cannot wait to see it.

Perry was down for the weekend. We ate some good food. Saw some good movies. Pretty great weekend.

Any hoo... back to my virtual vacation in Vietnam.

James.

life

2009-05-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

finally figured out how to use Skype...man I'm pathetic... if only i could figure out the problems my computer is having with games I'd be very content.

just catted with Jesse, which was a long time comin. He just got back from Florida and the Bahamas etc. Sounds like he had a blast.

Boy is helping me with my wow. Which is TOO nice... considering I'm shitty at the game...practice makes perfect i guess.

Candice and I have our plane tickets bought for our trip to Florida in September. YAY! 9 days at Disney world. Cannot wait!

PAX is at the beginning of Sept as well... so doing both may be a challenge...guess i'll have to learn how to save money.

Drawing has been not great lately... gotta kick my own ass into being more productive at it. Same with reading and writing... i have so many fucking things i want to do at all times...i am just too damn indecisive to do any. How pathetic is that.

Hopefully going to see Terminator tonight. Hoping it will be fun.

Any hoo... that was just a quick little update.

Have a great week.

back and forth...

2009-05-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

...that's my feelings towards blogging this last year. I've had urges to write things down as my life progresses, but moments later i will decide not to. I am VERY indecisive like that...in almost all of my life.

So i am back now. I was going to flood you all with photos, but my hard drive crashed and i lost everything. Figures. Soon though i will have them back, so no worries. New York, Mexico, Seattle, Vancouver Island. I've been places with a camera this last year and every time i head somewhere new i am re inspired in my life.

The next trip is Florida in September i believe. Disney World here i come! A week on the other side of North America is what i will need by the end of this summer i think.

Candice heads to Peru for 3 weeks in 3 weeks. That makes me sad. I will be lonely, but i am SO happy for her at the same time. She's dreamed of going for years.

blah blah blah.... i will return when i have sorted out my brains and have a coherent time line to tell you stories in ... right now it's stream of consciousness BS.

Talk soon.

James.

2009-02-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

just fucking around with this....soon to return...i always say that...but for real this time.

NYC

2008-06-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well. I'm of to Vancouver in about an hour, then tomorrow morning off to New York till next week.

I may return to this blogging thing once i get back...i'm not sure yet. But i will mos def put up a shitload of pics on my facebook account for you all to see.

Talk to you in a week or so.

james.

HARLAN ELLISON ON THE WRITERS STRIKE SETTLEMENT

2008-02-14T16:09:00.001-08:00

Taken from Harlan Ellison’s online community, reproduced in its unedited entirety below:

HARLAN ELLISON ON THE WRITERS STRIKE SETTLEMENT

YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO RE-POST THIS ANYWHERE:

Creds: got here in 1962, written for just about everybody, won the Writers Guild Award four times for solo work, sat on the WGAw Board twice, worked on negotiating committees, and was out on the picket lines with my NICK COUNTER SLEEPS WITH THE FISHE$$$ sign. You may have heard my name. I am a Union guy, I am a Guild guy, I am loyal. I fuckin’ LOVE the Guild.

And I voted NO on accepting this deal.

My reasons are good, and they are plentiful; Patric Verrone will be saddened by what I am about to say; long-time friends will shake their heads; but this I say without equivocation…

THEY BEAT US LIKE A YELLOW DOG. IT IS A SHIT DEAL. We finally got a timorous generation that has never had to strike, to get their asses out there, and we had to put up with the usual cowardly spineless babbling horse’s asses who kept mumbling “lessgo bac’ta work” over and over, as if it would make them one iota a better writer. But after months on the line, and them finally bouncing that pus-sucking dipthong Nick Counter, we rushed headlong into a shabby, scabrous, underfed shovelfulla shit clutched to the affections of toss-in-the-towel summer soldiers trembling before the Awe of the Alliance.

My Guild did what it did in 1988. It trembled and sold us out. It gave away the EXACT co-terminus expiration date with SAG for some bullshit short-line substitute; it got us no more control of our words; it sneak-abandoned the animator and reality beanfield hands before anyone even forced it on them; it made nice so no one would think we were meanies; it let the Alliance play us like the village idiot. The WGAw folded like a Texaco Road Map from back in the day.

And I am ashamed of this Guild, as I was when Shavelson was the prexy, and we wasted our efforts and lost out on technology that we had to strike for THIS time. 17 days of streaming tv!!!????? Geezus, you bleating wimps, why not just turn over your old granny for gang-rape?

You deserve all the opprobrium you get. While this nutty festschrift of demented pleasure at being allowed to go back to work in the rice paddy is filling your cowardly hearts with joy and relief that the grips and the staff at the Ivy and street sweepers won’t be saying nasty shit behind your back, remember this:

You are their bitches. They outslugged you, outthought you, outmaneuvered you; and in the end you ripped off your pants, painted yer asses blue, and said yes sir, may I have another.

Please excuse my temerity. I’m just a sad old man who has fallen among Quislings, Turncoats, Hacks and Cowards.

I must go now to whoops. My gorge has become buoyant.

Respectfully, Yr. Pal, Harlan Ellison

blog

2008-02-10T20:16:00.001-08:00

felt the need to blog... haven't done so in a while...but i don't have much to say really.

Spent most of the week with Candice... watching TV and movies and just hanging out. It has been amazing as always.

Thursday we hit up the film festival, and caught Jordan's new flick: Aswang. It was his take on the Asian horror genre, and all in all it was pretty decent. It felt like two movies pieced together (half drama, and half documentary) and unfortunately the scares, even though they were effective, i saw coming from a mile away. Some great camera work and lighting, and an amazing score highlighted the flick for me. It also had a great myth behind it that kept me generally intrigued throughout it's run time. All in all, i recommend.

Last night went to the Atomic Vaudeville show. My first. It was fucking great. Funniest and most entertaining show I've seen in forever. Thanks to Candice for dragging me out to it.

Big shout out to everyone in the group for being so damn creative and funny. Great accordion by Natasha, and the guy who played God was amazing.

Plus, any night that involves a Bollywood Batman skit, is worth anything.

Got to hang out with T, and eat some zone last night as well. It had been a long while, and it was nice.

Alright...gonna get back to my movie, and trying not to pass out. With i had cable and could be rocking out to the Grammy's, but alas...

You all rock my world,

James.

tuesday

2008-01-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

well off to school here in an hour. 3 days to go...then the final test. Yippee

umm..other than that..not too much new to report.

Finally went to the Victoria Airport...I've never been...(is that sad?) To pick up Candice, who was returning from Ontario.

It was a good night. Had a great bus ride to the airport, read like half my book waiting for the plane...I kinda forgot that snow can delay a plane...so i was rather early... but they landed at like 10:15 ish...

Got to meet some of her co-workers who seemed pretty cool.

Then we left..and excitement hit!

We got to her car in the parking lot. The Passenger side door was kinda open...which meant there was a sheet of ice on the outside, and inside of the windows... oh happy day. But that was nothing. She had a flat tire. Yay!

Now i know... you're saying: "James...whatever... be a man.. just change that shit and be on your way!"

Oh i did that...don't worry dear reader...it was a little more complex though.

So we went into the trunk. Luckily there was a spare...and a jack. I thought "alright James...be THE man and change that shit so you can be on your way!" Unfortunately...no tire iron part to the jack...shitty.

So i scraped the windows while Candice ran back to the terminal to see if her co-workers could help us out. They came back, and low and behold..no tire iron in that vehicle either. They did try though...which was nice.

We wished them a good night and headed into the terminal to see if someone could help us out. Thank you random AVIS car rental guy. He went out to a rental car and lent us the jack. So we went back and changed the tire...i was the "man", and changed it in seconds. First time doing it too...luckily it seems idiot proof, so i could figure it out. I then returned the jack and we made it back to Candice's by like midnight.

It was a great night all around. Had an adventure of sorts with the most important person in my life. (yes...i'd call flat tires, bus rides, snow, cold, AVIS car rental guys and window scraping an adventure.)

Now i must head to school to cut and cook many types of fish, then back to Candice's house...because there is no place else I'd rather be right now. :)

much love,

James.

4 days kids

2008-01-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

well... 4 days left for school. I have learned alot, and re-learned even more.

The not working for this month was insane...i could have easily accomplished both...back to work full time on Feb 3rd. Thank God. I need some cash flow back into my life. Between school and Christmas last month, the bills have piled up WAY higher than i should have let them. That and saving for New York in May...this is going to be a real lean couple of months money wise.

Oh well. It is totally worth it.

Anyways... just felt like typing something in here.

have a great week,

James.

survived

2008-01-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

Well it is Monday night.

Tomorrow is Tuesday.

Candice is home tomorrow.

I survived a very hard week that felt longer than it was, as cheesy as that sounds. Luckily i received a couple phone calls and some messages over face book. That kept me sane.

The rest of the week was a grim reminder of my life before being in a relationship. It was pretty boring, and didn't really have any substance. thank Jesus i am in school.

On that note, this being broke shit is lame. I wish EI would send me some money soon, although i know it won't happen till after i need it. It's not the end of the world. I can cover my bills by borrowing money if i have too... god i don't want to.

any ho. I'm going to go back to doing nothing in an attempt to get tired and sleep earlier (which won't happen, but i'll still try.)

Much love,

James.

Also like to send a shout out to my boy Jesse Flemming. I know you will read this. You are the man, and an inspiration to me. I'm sorry i couldn't make it out to the 4 on Saturday. Was a little broke. It looks/sounds like you had a righteous time without me. Try to stay positive in the River. It ain't that bad, and know you have many people who support you down here, no matter what you choose to do. i'll talk to you soon, son.

as it stands now...i'm fucked.

2008-01-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

Well thanks to the wondrous world of the Canadian government, they have decided to wait until Feb. 5th to "decide" weather they are going to give me EI or not. Granted it is this month i am not working. It is this month that i am broke and have bills. It's a wondrous world.

I take a month off of work to go to school for work reasons. SO i basically just say "no" to working and making the $1800 a month i average. I assume that EI will come through and pay me at least half of that. You know, enough to pay rent and any other "major" bills i might have. But no. They will wait until i am back at work to decide if they want to pay me money i have already payed them.

Fuck them.

Granted after this they may decide to make a decision earlier, then all will be right.

Oh well... i guess i just have to borrow money to pay rent...or go talk to my bosses and see if they can help out and set up some kind of payment plan thing. God i love having between 700 and 1000 dollars to pay by Feb 5th.

fuck it. Shit works it self out. Candice is back on Tuesday. That will take my mind off of it. I just hate days off... it gives me time to think about this kinda stuff i usually just push back into the un-used part of my brain.

Peace out and have a great weekend.

James.

one fucking great weekend.

2008-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Well the first week of school is done...well it was done Friday at 7:45 Pm.

Right now it's Sunday night. I worked for the first time in a week. It was alright. Just ordered some pizza... it should feed me for a couple days. God i Love pizza.

Spent the weekend at Candice's. It was great, until this morning at 8:30 when she dropped me off. The realization i was not going to see her for 10 days (she's heading to Cuba with the Posse) ripped out my heart. I was distraught. A wreck.

I know: "wow...you are lame".

Maybe, but I've never felt this way about anyone before.

I'm better now. I know i'll live. I'll be busy. She is too far away for me to do anything, and i know i shouldn't do anything. Relationships survive with people away from each other all the time. I just don't want to be away from her. I am most happy when she is near.

Oh well. That's life. Back to school tomorrow for 5 days. Then a day off, then work. Then school for one day, then she is back! Even if only for 2 days before she is off to Toronto. Thank god that's for only the weekend.

Ok.. enough of this babble. I know she'll read this (miss you baby :) And anyone else that does, i appreciate you reading my little journal. I've been doing it for a couple years (even tho the first year and a bit is gone forever from the interwebs), and I appreciate all feedback and support.

Have a great week everyone!

To Candice and the gang: Have the best damn time of your lives. I'm envious as a mutha fucker! But i'll win with New York in May :P

Love ya all,

James.

almost the tenth

2008-01-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

Well it is 4 minutes from the 10th of January.

I love 2008. It is amazing.

Right now i'm working only 6 hours a week... which is cool and not cool. I miss the kitchen in all honesty. School is alright. Lots of theory and math...which i am not great at. I think by the beginning of next week i'll have a better handle on it.

In all honesty I've been distracted. That's a new relationship for you. Can't get her outta my mind even when i need too. I mean it isn't so bad i cannot do my work...i'm just prob at 90% rather than 110%.

Candice heads to Cuba on Sunday though, and not back till the following Tuesday, so that is alot of time i will have to focus on school...and be lonely as all hell probably.

But we have this weekend. From 9pm Friday till like 7:30am Sunday if it all goes according to plan. By then we may be sick of each other.

But yeah..that was just a quick update. At school...hate the hours of it. Learning lots. Euphoric blissful relationship. All is good.

Now hopefully i can collect EI...or I am completely fucked.

James.

it is now the 10th.

New Years

2008-01-03T17:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years.

Wow. 2008. Crazy.

2007 was an interesting year. It started off pretty normal i guess. Livin' it up in Vic West. Same old shit...nothing exciting. Then i got pretty fucking bored of life for a while. Depression kicked in. It was a bad few months...never went out of my house. Was shitty to be around and work with most of the time.

Then in may or June i made a couple of new friends at work in the form of Theresa and Jasmin. (oh NIN, what haven't you done for me). It was a breath of fresh air to not have the same people to talk to all the time. Change was starting, and it was awesome.

(nothing against any of my friends i had up to this point. I still love you all. I just needed to modify my life, and that included giving some of you less of a role in my life.)

So that was alright. Perry started coming down to Victoria more often around this time too.

Started socializing with work people more...still to this day don't really fit in. But i am more accepted now i think. (it's amazing that doing nothing more than casually drinking with people can make them change their opinion of you in an instant).

In July Jesse, Perry and myself went down to San Diego for a week for Comic Con. It was amazing, and was the highlight of my year up until early last month.

Got back from San Diego and life went back to it's grind. Lots of work, but now with less stress. I was "Post San Diego James" as Kegan called me. Don't get me wrong though, i can still get shitty and stuff at work.

Stated hanging out with people some more. Trying to expand myself socially. Dylan moved in with Seith and I around this time.

September 20th 12:01 AM. Quit smoking. haven't had a drag off one yet. And never will.

October saw my kitchen appreciation party night. I made a total mess of shit. Got way too drunk...had people spend hours looking after me and dragging me home. i still thank them to this day. True friends.

My Birthday. Didn't drink too much that night. Got to see some friends i haven't spent time with in forever. Jesse made it over from Vancouver just for it. I got a really awesome shirt. Got really stoned. Thanks Perry.

Towards the end of October shit started getting shitty again. Bailed on the Nightwish concert in Seattle on Halloween. I don't regret it. I was not in the mood. Staff party was alright though.

November. Work and stuff. Started spending way more time hanging out with female friends. I needed a change. Too much testosterone was driving me loopy. I'm sure some thought i was loosing my mind. I wasn't. Confessed feeling to someone dear to me towards the end of the month. It didn't work out exactly as i had hoped at the time, but in the end that may have been for the better.

December. There was a Tool concert in Town. I didn't go, which i still get shit for. Candice's birthday dinner was on this night. Got a little drunk. Next day, went out and did some stuff.

Then low and behold i landed myself into something i can only now describe as a relationship. At first i was hesitant, not knowing how serious either of us were. Needless to say it is still going almost a month later (which is a record for me) and it is getting better day by day.

It was the highlight of 2007 for me, and it came out of nowhere. i have never been happier, and i hope it stays.

Didn't really make any New Years resolutions. Figure they never work out. Unneeded stress. if i want to make any changes in my life, i will just make them. With out some superstitious tradition putting time limits and what not on me. I quit smoking, got a bit healthier, lost some weight. I figure i can keep that up and i'm looking good.

If anything though, I have decided to live life more in the moment. Not pre-plan every detail. Just let shit flow. It's more exciting living with surprise and spontaneity than a map guiding me to one destination.

Thank you to everyone that has made an impact on my life in 2007. You have made me a better person who is actually "living" his life now.

2008 will continue to be a time of change for me. I start School on Monday. So being flat broke for a month might not be the best start to a new year to most. But right now, that is the least important thing. I have amazing friends, and ridiculously awesome girlfriend, an understanding job that i enjoy (most of the time), fantastic roommate, and loving family that suport me no matter what.

I love you all.

James.

P.S. This year i will travel more than once. First New York baby!!

Christmas.

2007-12-24T20:01:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas.

Thank you to all my friends that have stayed with me through out the year.

Extra special Thanks to Dylan for being a great new roommate, T for being a fantastic new friend and life coach :), Jas for being a constant inspiration for me to better myself and all that. And to Candice. She knows the reasons.

Also to Jesse and Perry for the great vacation to San Diego this summer.

And to my family for their constant support and love.

I love you all

James.

12 days till christmas.

2007-12-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Merry December 13th.

Quick update.

I'm editing a video on Adobe Premier tonight. It's been a while. I am stoked.

Christmas is coming up fast...have to do all my shopping yet. I only know what i'm getting my brother. Everyone else is going to be hard. Not to mention everyone i know is modest and are like "get me nothing" etc. That doesn't help...although it makes me think a little harder.

Other than that, not much. Work and all that. In school from January 7th till February 1st.

MC Chris is in Vancouver Feb. 15th. That is amazing! Day after Valentines day tho...so it could be complicated if things keep being awesome like they are now.

Oh yeah. This last week has probably been the best week in recent memory. Happier than I've been in years.

But i better split. Gotta go shower and get ready to cook a Japanese dinner! And get my drink on.

Much love

James.

december 9th 2007

2007-12-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

Well life moves forever fore ward.

Dylan and I have finished moving into our new apartment/basement suite thing. It's right across the road from the Four Mile. Which is really nice...i basically get to sleep in an extra hour each day.

And that is nice...considering i usually don't get to bed till like 2 am...mainly because I'm an idiot.

I need to buy a ton of stuff for the place to make it more like home...some plants and new furniture mainly.

My TV is dying too, fucking picture tubes. I'm buying a 42" HDTV once this one dies...prob in Jan or Feb.

All the bullshit from last month has sorted it self out...pretty well too.

I'm as happy right now as i can remember ever being, and i can only see it getting better.

It's a good time to live in View Royal i guess :)

James.

P.S. Merry Christmas if i don't blog before the 25th.

fuck maybies.

2007-11-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

fuck them...there is no point dwelling on what if's and shit...you confront that shit head on and deal with it...it might not end up how you choose...but thinking about it that much will fucking drive you over the edge..as it did me.

It's dealt with...all is good...maybe better than before. Stronger at least.

thanks to everyone that knows what it was about and your input and help. I love all of you to death.

James..

maybies...

2007-11-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

well i did the thing i couldn't figure out how to do... and it didn't work out as planned i guess. I'm a little disappointed, but that is life... maybe not all is lost. Maybe it is.

I have regrets about doing it, even though i shouldn't, and i know i over think the smallest details related to it, when I've been told not too. But that is the way i am.

Maybe i moved to fast, or not in the right way. But i obviously did something not right. Worded my self incorrectly and came off different than i was meaning too. I'm pretty sure i was just being honest, but that can be like being run over by a dump truck to some people.

I will not know until i can sit and talk to the person in question open and honestly, not on the internet. That might take a while, it might be as soon as tomorrow. I don't know. Maybe i should move on, but i feel there is something there to salvage and try to nurture into something more.

Maybe i'm a fucking idiot?

James.

buzzed

2007-11-27T23:20:00.000-08:00

Still a little buzzed from the scotch i drank tonight. Figured it's been a week since i wrote on here.

Life's alright...can seem to find the words or actions to accomplish something i want. It's frustrating.

Maybe soon...hopefully.

James.

Lasagna

2007-11-19T23:06:00.000-08:00

Well....completed my first Vegetarian lasagna tonight....i think it turned out alright...granted it hasn't been cooked or eaten....hopefully it doesn't taste like vomit....

that would be hell.

other than that...not much is new. Work and MSN...OH! I saw Beowulf...it was pretty frigging sweet...and i get to have an employee evaluation at work!...i should rock that. So yeah. Laterz.

James.

Coming Soon

2007-11-16T20:53:00.001-08:00

Yo my peeps.

(shit..that was gangsta)

I got an apartment. Me and Dylan are moving to View Royal (right across from the 4).

That'll be fucking brilliant. So yeah, that is happening on Dec. 1st.

Work is work...i work. I do love it though...even with all the bitching and moaning...i can't see myself being anywhere else right now.

School should hopefully start Jan.2nd. I'm ecstatic about that.

Playing a video game right now...and i'm enjoying it...that counts for something. It has been a long while.

Not much else. just loving life everyday as much as i can...trying to stay positive and be kind. Good karma and all that shit. I dunno why really. Good people in my life now i guess...makes me want to be better. Thanks to all of them. You probably know who you are...and if not...then i dunno.

James

pain

2007-11-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

went to the dentist today. That was fun... i got 4 fillings on my lower right side across 4 teeth i think...it's pretty sore...i have to go back next week to get fitted for a new guard (for grinding at night), then back on Dec. 12th to get the guard and 2 more fillings!

WTF! I guess that's what happens when you don't go to the dentist for like 5 years, and eat too much sugar. Thank god i have stated taken care of my oral health...this should never happen again.

Picked up the best of the Colbert Report on DVD today, god...i love it soo much... 3 hours of the best...for like 14 bucks.

Anyways...back to the Colbert.

james

P.S. Life is pretty normal again...looked at a new apartment yesterday. Hopefully i get it. I'll then live across the road from work...which will be sweet.

Breakdown

2007-11-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Mentally broke down pretty hard yesterday. Not that i didn't see it coming... it was a slow build. Maybe I could have done something to avoid it...maybe not. it's over now. So Seith is moving out of here pretty quickly...i guess me and Dylan are just going to get our asses evicted...find somewhere else to go...I bailed on the Nightwish show in Seattle...maybe that was dumb....I don't think i was in the mind set to enjoy myself anyways.

Anyhoo... yesterday was fucking bad...fight with my roommate...i dunno. Sorry to the people i pestered with text messages and all that... i was just losing it. Trying to reach someone outside of the bullshit that was surrounding me. Thanks to Chelsea for calling last night, it was a help.

Sorry T and Candice. My incessant texting was most certainly annoying amongst other things. I prob came off as a crazy stalker. , i didn't mean too. You guys are great friends and i wouldn't want to fuck that up for anything. Sorry to Jasmin...i can't remember if i texted you nonsense or not, because i constantly delete my messages folder on my phone. If i didn't bother you, right on.

Any hoo, that's just something i needed to get out, in case i can't build up the nerve to face you guys right now. Maybe you'll read it, maybe not.

james.

Halloween

2007-10-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

Well happy H-Day everyone. Hope you have great plans for tonight. I bailed on going to Seattle to go to the 4 Mile staff party... Some would say that's stupid...i don't care though. Nightwish are coming to Vic in May..I'll see them then. That and i just feel like chillin with some work folk and getting a little drunk. Granted this is such a last minute decision that i have to costume...but what can ya do. I'll just have to pay for my alcohol, no biggie.

Anyways. have a great night. I'm sure i will...i hope.

James.

fucking SHAW

2007-10-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well it seems i may be without the net for the next little bit... i will prob go insane during this time. It seems when i moved for an apartment in 2005, the fuckers decided to not disconnect the internet when i asked them too... so now i have to pay for 3 months of service i never used. plus it has been so long that they have like no records of it being their error...so i HAVE to pay before i can get the net in my name again!

To ass to the ass-fuckery, because i am on Seith's account, he cannot move the net to the new apartment until i pay my bill...which makes no fucking sense. I'll get him to call them and remove me from the account or sumpin i guess.

goddammit... i am pretty choked right now.

Other than that...registered at Camosun today...umm... bought a couple comics...haven't eatin in like 30 hours...then the shaw shit on top.

Guess life could always be worse...thank god i am moving in a couple days and will have my own room again.

Life is great.

love ya all

james.

L

2007-10-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

back to work tomorrow... yippee. I must be one of a few people in this world that would rather work all the time than have a day or 2 off. what can i say...i get bored easy.

Got my ticket for the Clipper for the 31st. Seattle and Nightwish concert here i come!

Also got off my ass and got my L at ICBC today. 25 and just starting to care about driving...better late than never i guess. Luckily i remembered most of everything i read in the book 8 years ago. So by the end of Oct. 2008 i will be a free man. Driving all over the place!

Seith decided to drop the bomb that he wanted to move out today... like a week after we all signed a one year lease...we'll see how this works out. fucking roommates... almost time to get my own place.

James.

back to reality.

2007-10-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

well that was interesting. It was my 25th on Friday. Thanks to everyone that came out, even if only for a little bit. Sorry to everyone i didn't get to talk with...i was in a bit of a shit mood, but no matter.

Jesse made it over from Van, and Perry made it down, The Twins, Krista, Spence, Claire, Sherrie (sp?) who i met for the first time. All the work folk. It was good times had by all.

Got some presents, including a radical shirt that i am wearing right now, a great bottle of scotch that i am saving, and a bunch of weed (even tho i rarely smoke the stuff...if you know me and want to hit it up some time, let me know. I have a bunch). And other things.

But gifts were the last thing on my mind. I'm just glad everyone had a great time!

So thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes, booze-mail and face book gifts.

So, I'm going back to sitting on MSN and reading "I know this much is True" which is great so far. Finished "Tuesdays with Morrie" in like one sitting. I can see why so many people are inspired and moved by it now...it was mind-blowingly inspirational. Thanks goes out to she who recommended the books, you are radical and inspirational as well.

James.

thanksgiving.

2007-10-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

happy Thanksgiving to you all. I hope you spent it well. With family and loved ones. Ate great food, drank great drinks. Maybe you worked. If so, i hope that was good too.

I didn't really do much... worked. It was alright even though i missed dinner. Whatever. That's the wonders of leftovers! Got the see the folks and brother for a bit. Ate some pumpkin pie. Came home...and actually wrote for the first time in months. I have no idea where it is going right now, but the fact i did write blows my mind. Currently just tweaking with a story i started developing back in film school. It's about a father trying to raise his daughter and find them a home...during a zombie apocalypse! I KNOW! It really is that rad.

well not really. I just wanted to try and take and established genre and twist it a bit. It might work. Might not. It's all for practice anyway. Right now I'm writing it like a...i dunno. Half novel, half script. I have no idea what the final formatting will be, but hopefully something readable.

Jesse read a bit of it last night and said it was alright. I dunno... I cannot judge my own writing skills, and he like to read. So maybe it isn't too bad. That would be nice.

Anyhoo..i may add a chunk of it at the bottom of this blog...unknown at this junction.

Gonna go back to writing now, because everyone i know is having thanksgiving or are busy.

Yay no life!

luv ya all,

James.

EXCERPT OF UN-PROOFED THING I WROTE-----------------

The beast lurched towards the light, as if all its limbs had been broken and reset countless times without a care. Reeking of garbage left in the sun and sounding like an asthmatic that had run a 3 day marathon, it grasps frantically for anything within its reach.

I, luckily, am not.

This thing wanders the remains of my cozy little third story apartment, and has for a couple days by the looks of the mess it has made.

At least I think it has been two days since I left. Time is different now.

Her voice comes from behind me, “Daddy?”

My eyes do not move from the creature in front of us, “Don’t worry, honey, daddy will take care of it. Just stay behind me, kay?”

“Mm hmm.”

Good girl. The things she has witnessed these last few weeks, I’m surprised she can even muster the strength for words. Christ knows I have trouble most of the time.

I reach to my side and draw my forty-five, taking aim. There are five shots left in the clip. Cannot fuck this up.

I wait patiently as it slowly makes it way around the couch towards me and my daughter. We are probably the first live food it has seen in days, and it is ravenous.

I squeeze the trigger.

BANG!

--------------------------------------------------------------- END OF EXCERPT---------

I dunno... let me know if it is total shite or not.

Peace.

friday.

2007-10-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

man..i must be one of the few people my age that have nothing to do on a Friday night. To a degree i guess.

I mean, i went for coffee with Jordan, who i haven't seen in a while. But that was it...i sat about and read some...wrote some...played on face book. I dunno. Mayhaps there is not much else to do if i don't really drink (unless I'm trying to fit in with work folk), don't smoke, and don't want to spend money. I guess it's not all that bad in retrospect. I just wish i could accomplish more creatively inspired things in my free time...i think it might be time to start drawing and painting more often...

James.

Why i don't drink excessively.

2007-10-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Well we had a kitchen party at the 4 mile on Tuesday night. It was interesting.

Started the day off working...got paid. Went out for dinner with Dylan. Got home, showered, went out to Jasmin's. Hung out with her and Theresa and Candice. Chilled...watched the best Richard Simmons video in history. Etc. Then went to the 4...and the night ended. I was good for a while... had a great time.. drank some booze. Then someone decided to say all the bottles were free too. Then came the shots.

the rest needs no explanation. Thank Christ Jasmin, Theresa and Kyle were there to drag my ass home. Easily the drunkest I have been since the infamous after prom party at the Francis bros. place.

Sorry to Jas, T, and Kyle for putting up with my shit that night. Sorry for the puke and having to save me. All i can say is thank you, and hopefully it never happens again.

Now i have another reason to take it easy at my Birthday next week.

James.

day 3 complete

2007-09-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well 3 days are done...it's hell. Straight up. I never thought that quitting smoking could fuck you up so bad...but it does. I've been agitated, irritable, and pretty much in a foul mood most of the time. There are some bright points where i can keep myself occupied enough that i don't think of it. They are few and far between.

Not to mention working a stressful job without nicotine...I think castrating myself would be more fun. Thank the baby Jesus and all that for the support i have. Most of my friends have been cool with it. Thanks to all of you (you know who you are).

I can say that i will beat this thing like...not gonna go there. I will not smoke again. Not even one...and fuck that patch and Nicorete shit. I'm doing this old school. Only oxygen in these lungs from now on...'cept the copious amounts of pot I'm sure to ingest on my birthday. But fuck it...you only turn 25 once!

Went to Resident Evil: Extinction tonight...man...that was pretty fucking bad. Not that i expected anything else...but i like to be surprised by flicks. Optimism is big with me and movies. No matter how shitty the fucker looks...i like it to win me over in the long run.

Well off to bed again to fight nicotine demons in my sleep. House sitting in View Royal again tomorrow night...maybe I'll start reading Keegan's book. It has been 2 weeks and I'm 7 pages in. he has to be getting pissed by now.

James

the end

2007-09-26T00:11:00.001-07:00

no time like the present...i am done with smoking. keep me with it and all will be rewarded after the dark times are over.

returning for no reason!

2007-09-23T22:28:00.001-07:00

well it has been a couple weeks dear ol' interweb...and i have missed talking to you in this way. Typing on your bare white skin...alright...where i could go with that...could have been bad, and stupid I'm sure. In fact that was already stupid, and it's only a couple sentences in. Shit.

Anyhoo... Not much new (big surprise, i know). Work and shit. Dylan is living on my floor until we move on October 20th. So that's exciting...3 mid twenties guys in a one bedroom apartment. Thank Christ Seith has a girlfriend or this would be a great sitcom to air on Showcase after hours. My writing has fallen apart again.

I am just not feeling inspired, and usually pretty fucking drained after work. Excuses excuses. Have been eating a bit healthier, which is nice. Cut pop right out (unless with Rye), but still have a sugar fix in the form of iced tea. And still getting TOO MUCH caffeine in the form of Red Bull. So those are a couple things to knock off the list... then hopefully smoking. But quitting something i LOVE doing so much will be difficult. It tastes great and is a great stress reliever. Unfortunately, it smells terrible, is TERRIBLE for me, and I'm the only one of my friends that does anymore. So i have to say goodbye to them...but only when the time is right.

The exercise thing turned out to be a sham. Actually I'll elaborate on that so you all don't think of me as a lazy bastard.

The gym by my house is NICE. Well worth the $70 a month they charge. Unfortunately there is a $200 membership fee thing (which is bullshit, IMHO). And anyone that knows me, knows i cannot save $200 for anything. Plus my Birthday (Oct. 12) is coming up and i need money for that night, followed by moving a week later, followed by going to Seattle for Halloween. So I have to put off the gym thing till November. I may just pick up a punch card for like $100 and try the place out for a bit...see if i like it enough. I hope so.

Other than that I've been trying to make some new friends and get out more. Experience life and all that shit. Maybe get into a relationship one day. 25 and single is starting to wear on me. I think i am missing that contact in life. I dunno. For all my life i have been the guy that can make friends with women pretty easily, but i can never get it too that next level. I dunno. I will not worry over it too much. If it's supposed to happen I;m sure I'll meet the person for me somewhere down the road. Or not. Mystical space destiny waves like to fuck with me.

So yeah, in closing, I'm still alive. I'm pretty fucking happy (but not too happy), and life is forever crashing foreword to it's inevitable end. 19 days till I'm a quarter century. That is so fucking bizarre...and I'm not someone who puts a ton of stock into numbers.

Goodnight.

James.

zoom

2007-09-12T00:22:00.001-07:00

yay...it is now officially my day off. Not doing anything...meeting up for a dvd purchase later in the day. gotta go hang with my folks dog for a bit.

This Friday and Saturday i will be in View Royal house sitting for my folks...so if people want to come keep me company, I'm all for that.

James.

Saturday

2007-09-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

listening to the new Bruce Springsteen album right now. I am SO happy. It is the best thing he has made in years...easily better than the rising. Man...so happy. Been working lots, as usual. Might go out to western speedway tonight...dunno, we'll see.

Saw Shoot-Em Up on Thursday night. My god! It takes over the top to a new level. And I loved it.

So yeah... that's what's new... moving on October 20th... I'll have a bedroom again... so yeah..that's exciting..The gym i want to join has a $200 sign up fee... so have to save for that.. plus the $70 a month. But it's all top of the line equipment and shit.

Peace out bitches.

James.

tuesday

2007-09-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

worked...hung out at the pub with keegan and theresa. kicked Jamie's ass at some pool... gotta a little drunk... went home...got some more drinking in.. smoked a weak ass joint...but a buzz from it...chilled...now writing this and talking to peeps on MSN...

a good day.

James.

monday

2007-09-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

missed a few days of random typing on here i guess. sorry. have been working as always.. got over that spout of shitty-ness i had a couple days ago... it was like a 2 day flu/super fever...and working with that was fun as a knife in the scrote...been playing some video games again periodically. Went to see Death Sentence, which was alright, but nothing amazing... was hurt by some terrible acting and cliche movie making choices. It did have some cool as hell moments, including a couple long takes, which are my favorite things to see a director pull off well.

going to try and write meaningful stuff in here one day...views on the world and shit...just mapping things out right now for that. trying to put ideas to paper for a couple short films and maybe a short feature. also revamping some comic ideas i was working on for Rooftop Seven with Jesse.

We'll see i guess. Tomorrow night will be filled with much booze, so if i write on here it will be in a drunken haze...which may indeed be worth reading.

James.

finally destroyed...

2007-08-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

Well i am officially dead. 120.25 hours in 14 days has killed me. I figure that with the lack of sleep has driven me bat-shit crazy. I think i am sleeping like 4 hours a night. I have no reason for this...there is nothing really keeping my mind working...i dunno. Right now if the sun exploded, or terrorists blew up my apartment, or the meteor shower tonight changes it's path towards Victoria...hell any number of terrible things...I would thank them. As of now i haven't eaten in like 48 hours and have about 6 hours of sleep in that time...and i have to work early tomorrow...YAY! I love inventory on the first of the month.

Sorry for the bitchy post...but that is my mood right now. I promise if shit fixes itself in teh next hours or day i will update with something positive.

Have a Great Rest of your life.

James

ugh!

2007-08-29T11:12:00.001-07:00

My god...it is only 11 am and i have done everything i needed to do on my day off. What the fuck am i supposed to do for the next 12 hours? I guess read and write and watch things...wow! Exciting!...maybe i will go wander the city aimlessly.

James.

Tuesday.

2007-08-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well another work day done. It was exciting as always...ate a curried chicken and apple salad for dinner...yes i have become one of those guys. But in truth i have always loved salads, even though i rarely ate them until very recently. There is just something fun about creating them. I find them to be a great tool for experimenting with flavors...considering the only base taste you have to worry about is teh dressing you use and the actual lettuce part. The rest is all up in the air. Plus eating a salad with a 4oz. chicken breast is ALOT healthier than a fucking quarter pounder and fries.

Watched the Halloween remake by Rob Zombie tonight. All in all it wasn't too bad. Had some great moments in it, and it actually was a lot better than i thought it would be (which was rancid feces). Still holds nothing on the original. But still pretty good.

Other than that not much new today. I have Wednesday off. Yay, i guess. The thought off not working is kinda nice, but then i think of all the shit i have to do around the house that has been neglected, and i would rather be sweating my ass off in a hot kitchen. That's life though. So yeah..tons of house work tomorrow...not. Like i will even consider it once i wake up. I will do laundry, because i have no choice. But other than that i will lay around and do nothing i suppose. Unless some one reading this has a better idea, in which case call me! Because i will need to get away at some point tomorrow.

James.

jsut cause i'm gonna try and write in this every day.

2007-08-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

as i sit here smoking and talking on MSN, i figured i would write on this as well. I dunno why. Did nothing today after work. Was kinda depressing. But what can you do when you are broke? Actually i know there are a million and one things i could have done, but...hmmm... do you ever get in one of those moods where you just seem, like...how do i say it... lost? I, for the life of me, could not decide on what i wanted to do. I think i wanted to go out, or hang with people, but no one was around. And it seems that if i get an idea in my head of something to do, i can't get it out... i will spend hours trying to come up with an alternative, and in the end accomplish nothing. It is really quite irritating.

Time for a hobby or something...maybe random and aimless wandering...but that doesn't amount to anything. I can understand going for a walk if you have someone to talk with...but wandering the dark streets of Vic West by my self seems anti-interesting.

thank god i can type on this and smoke cigarettes.

James.

47 fucking days.

2007-08-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

Well it has been an interesting summer, to say the least. I worked a lot, and lately even more. Yeah, interesting, i know. I went to San Diego in there somewhere too. For the wonderfully, physically draining beast known as Comic-Con.

Now don't get me wrong. It was a fucking blast (yes i still curse like a sailor, some things never change). Probably the most fun i have had in years. I got to meet a lot of cool people i look up to, and spent a shit load of money. Went down with Mr. Perry Johnston, and my buddy from back in the film school days: Jesse Turner (who i hadn't seen in a couple years, and have yet to talk to since i got back). So, yeah. It was expensive and fun, and WAY to short. I could have spent a couple weeks in San Diego, but i had to come home and go back to work. And so on. My only regret was taking the train. AMTRAK has to be the worst way to travel long distances EVER! Unless maybe we just had two cursed trains that decided to have fun with my psyche. 18 hour delays HAVE to be designed by some fucking otherworldly demonic entity, because no human can be that fucking sinister. Maybe that's it. Because enough people travel by train they would go out of business if all trains were run in that way.

Then i got back to Victoria, spent a day recuperating and have been working almost non stop since. Which is nice. I do love to spend money. Which is going to change, but we'll get back to that in a bit.

Tate and Charlotte's annual summer party was a week or so ago, and I'm proud to say i finally made it out. It was a fucking great time. A lot of booze and pot. Which = great times had by all. I think i ingested more Mojito's than all of Mexico. Fucking addictive bastards they are. And of course some fine Glenfiddich passed my lips and warmed my drunken guts. Followed by Tequila, and Jagermeister shots. More than i have drank since the night i turned 24.

The worst thing about all of this...my protective bubble is being cracked. I have set up a decent closed off existence over the last couple years, and i think it's fucked. I dunno. I kind of missed out on the whole social drinking years, i think subconsciously, on purpose. Let me explain. I have this thing where i don't like to spend money on practical useful things, or expendable items. So in simple terms i hate to buy food, clothes and drinks, etc. I'd rather buy a stack of comics and some DVD's. Which inadvertently turned me into a shut in. Which seemed fine until recently. When i noticed i had like no local friends left, and nothing to do with myself. i would literally just work and watch movies and sleep. That is no way for a mutha fucker to live! So with the big 25 only 47 days away, i have decided it is time to make some changes in life.

Some will be small and some will be quite drastic. But this is the only way to grown in life. I am no longer going to sit on my ass and wait for life to lay itself out for me comfortably. I'm going to grab the bitch by the waist and fuck the shit outta her.

I figure I'll start by cutting my spending way down. As much as like to own hoards of comics and movies and shit, i can live without them. There is no reason for some one who makes almost 2K a month to be constantly broke. Unless they have a drug habit. And in a way i do. Time to cut that shit back.

Then i was thinking about quitting smoking. I dunno about this one. it might put me over the edge. I'll see how the other things work out first...then move onto that. If i do quit it will be for health reasons. Not because i don't like to smoke. Fuck I love it. But it might be nice to have better lungs, and teeth and taste buds.

The final thing I'm going to do is get in shape. It has been far to long since I've worked out. And it is the time. I've let myself slide WAY too far, and am pretty unhappy with myself for it. So I'm thinking of getting a BOW FLEX system. I know! I could just go to the gym. But in the long run this will work out better for me. I don't have to get up extra early and try to bus out to a gym. I can watch cartoons while working out on it, and i can just walk 10 feet and shower after. Plus it'll be cheaper than paying a gym membership. But that is depending on whether i can get financing on it. I can afford like $50 a month...but not $3000 right off the bat.

So we'll see. Those are some things I've spent the summer running over in my head, and I think that if i can accomplish those couple goals I'll be a happier person, and in turn a better person to be around.

And hell, if that works out, maybe i can expand my list and add the stop smoking thing, and maybe writing more frequently to the list. But for now it's time to cut spending, trim up and get some tail! I'm joking about the last part...kinda.

Peace out peeps, maybe this will become a more regular thing.

James.

new and stuff.

2007-06-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

needed a fresh start for this... maybe i'll post on it one day.

James.