Misguided Ravings of a Lunatic

Well, another year's come and gone. Nothing new there, really; It tends to happen after all. Anyway, let's see if I can summarize the year in a way that (a) won't get my ass handed to me, (b) sounds moderately like the truth, and (c) doesn't offend anyone, shall we ?

Work

Karaoke World was my employer for most of 2008. Started off really slow in January – but that's nothing new. Apparently the after-Christmas time is as dead for entertainers in the bars as it is for the retail industry. Oh well. I had some money incoming, but nothing big. I stuck with them though, as they were my ONLY source of income for most of the year. I weathered working up in Bowness (Man, looking back I miss those days), down in High River, and all over the map whenever I was needed. Many good memories of Bowness – Harry with his Trent Reznor version of Hurt, in addition to his smooth voice, Amanda had her hard-rock attitude. Pete, Nev, Marcel and Lynn with their classic country sound. Gord and Jodi with their beautiful harmonizing. Even if it was technically James' place, it ended up becoming partly my place, too. And I miss it.

Next it was going from there on Friday-Saturday to adding Wednesday nights in High River. That was actually quite fun – doing Guitar Hero 1, 2, 3, and encore for them every week with their high-end Peavy guitars, huge screen, and small little speaker setup (which put out good sound for what it was). Then getting cut from that after my one week vacation in July, and just puttering around doing the odd show here and there whenever they could find me something. I loved it - hosting Karaoke here one night, then Rock Band there the next. The differences kept me alive and happy, not to mention it was FUN !

From there, I kept on bouncing around, helping Dusty when I could, but all in all the fall wasn't too strong for me – I barely was able to keep my head above water while going to school.
All of a sudden I got asked to help out at All-Rite, but not as a driver like I'd been thinking. I got an office job, and all of a sudden I had (a) money, and (b) something to keep me busy. It was really nice, and still is. Even with the steep learning curve that I've had to climb, but apparently I didn't do too bad off, because within a week I had a key, and within two more I was working all day Saturday's on my own. Plus I love the fact that working as a part time employee is still netting me $650+ / paycheque.

School

School, well that's the same as it's always been, really. Interesting. I've been bounced around, done some stuff, and passed a class that had been giving me grief for ages. Finally. So that's that. Took the summer off, started up in the fall, and am still there.

The school opened it's doors to Bow Valley as one of it's nursing campuses - so now DeVry's in the upstairs, whereas Bow Valley's on the main floor. Somehow that doesn't quite seem right to me, but oh well. It's not my call - I just go there.

Love Life

This section will be even shorter than the rest of 'em. Donna and I split back in April, and I've been single since. Haven't really put myself back on the market, though - that whole "afraid of commitment" thing and whatnot. But it still doesn't matter too much - single has been my staple of life for so long that I almost wouldn't know what to do with a girlfriend. I live my love life vicariously through my friends.

Vacations

This year, I took two vacations. One of which I plan on taking again, another I am thinking about - depends on how I'm viewed in the new year now.
First vacation was for the May Long Weekend - only I made it the May Long Week. I was invited out to my friend Steve's place in Ontario for the week to party hard and enjoy some time with friends. Only a bunch of family problems happened about a week before I went out there and the plans got changed a little. I still went out there, still partied up with him, but instead of crashing at his place like the original plan was, I ended up at his brother's place a half hour out. No biggie - London was where the party was anyway, and where Jace, John, Frame, and everyone else was too. Plus it was really good to meet some of these people in person, that I've only ever been friends with online and known for almost a decade. So that was fun. Depending on how bad of an impression I gave them, I may or may not be allowed back out this year. It also depends on school, too - can't miss too much of that anymore.

While there, we did the tourist thing, they showed me around Toronto, and we partied it up with a homemade fireworks show that was absolutely awesome. If I can go back, I definitely will.

The next vacation I did was my usual one - take a week off and go relax in Montana, with a side trip up to see Matt in Kelowna. Only the side trip ended up being most of the vacation, heh. In the span of one week I went from Calgary, AB => Eureka, MT => Kelowna, BC => Penticton, BC => Eureka, MT => Okotoks, AB => Airdrie, AB. Something like 2800 kms in less than a week. BUT the good news is I got to see a few good friends in that trip, spend some time hanging out, relaxing, nerding it up and all that jazz. PLUS I got to go see a good friend of mine in Pentiction, one I haven't seen since back at grad, as well as her two beautiful little girls. Both of whom sort of adopted me as Uncle Marc. Something I'm used to, at least, heh. Then it was back to home and up to visit another friend in Airdrie so I could relax a little and just be me.

As hectic as that vacation sounded, and as much driving as it seemed, it actually was a very good vacation, and allowed me to be both who and what I needed, as well as grounding me in who and what I really am. It gave me time to think, to reflect, and to just relax and be me.

Miscellaneous Times

A few other interesting things have happened to me this year. I got asked to participate in the 4th Age Podcast - a semi-regular podcast that deals with the life and times of the Wheel of Time book series, by the late Robert Jordan. The podcast has been going on since March of 2006, and has discussed many aspects of the series. Most recently though, I had a great time in a conference call with the man chosen to finish the work of Mr. Jordan and complete A Memory of Light, Mr. Brandon Sanderson. We discussed many things about the series, many plot bubbles and anything we could try and pry out of him regarding the final book. I'm absolutely ecstatic about that, and can't wait to read it. (Side note: You can find our group at The 4th Age Podcast here on Facebook, with more info and a link to our site there.)

Another fun thing that happened was when Dusty got his place. He asked my help picking it out, which was nice of him, and then I got to help him move in and tidy it up and all that jazz. Was interesting, but the moving in party was well worth it. As was our New Year's party hosted there just the other night by his girlfriend. It's a nice little condo unit by the Home Depot here in town - something like 1800 square feet or so. Single car garage, foyer, basement den, huge living room, even bigger kitchen / dining room, two and a half baths, three bedrooms. Also it came with six appliances - Washer, Dryer, Ceramic-top stove, Convection microwave, Fridge and Dishwasher. I think he was happiest about the dishwasher, since he had a tendency to not do dishes until he needed to. =)

Other than that, not really much has happened last year. Oh, I got my settlements from my car accidents, but that didn't last too long - school and the like. But oh well. It was nice to have some closure to that.

So yeah, that's my 2008 in a nutshell. Anything I missed, well, TFB.

One of these days I'm going to learn not to ignore this thing... It's been too long since I posted to it...



Another year, gone. This one has been one of the worst and best so far, I must admit. It started off horrible, I gotta admit. Getting laid off on the first of the year, because my boss was a major cuntbitch and didn't want to keep me, so the put me off doing other stuff rather than making my sales and commissions. So that didn't go over well. Then being told that Iris died on Jan 12 (the day after my birthday). Then being rear-ended in Calgary on Jan 17. Then again on Feb 13. Talk about a good run of bad luck...

Oh well, Donna and I started going out on Feb 3, which made it a good year. We're almost at 11 months now, which is phenomenal, since it's my longest relationship, and I really, really care for her. I never really thought I could do that for someone, since I haven't had the best of love-life luck in the past. Christy, Mandy, Sara, Amy, Kat, Kat (yes, two different Kat's, neither of which is my best friend), then a long drought for a long while, then Heather, than nobody for another year, then now finally Donna. GO ME ! And of all of those girls, only Heather was a girlfriend here in person. Shows what a lamer I am, eh ? Oh well. I still love Donna, we talk constantly (when I'm home, she's home, and we have time. This weekend kinda fucked us in the ass, but I digress).

School's been up and down, primarily up (I got out of academic probation for 2 terms... then slid back into this most recent one). So I gotta pick my ass up and start workin' hard on that research paper, or else I'm gonna be in the basement again. Not what I wanna do.

Summer vacation was kinda nice. Excepting that the tracker's thermostat was fucked up the ass, it was a decent trip. In those three weeks, I drove more than I did in the previous 2 months. Okotoks AB => Eureka MT => Kelowna BC => Eureka MT => Jaffray BC => Eureka MT => Jaffray BC => Eureka MT => Okotoks AB => Airdrie AB => Okotoks AB. I think I put something like 4 000 klicks on the damned vehicle in those three weeks alone. Felt good. =) I got to go see my buddy Matt, live as he lives in the beautiful town of Kelowna (beaches are to die for out there... lotta hotties, lotta swimming, lotta parties. Translation: Lots of fun). On the mountain, it was hot hot hot. And I mean fuckin' hot. Average temp: 105ºF. That's 40ºC. Fuckin' HOT ! So I got to rest in the heat, be hot, read lots, do some catching up with my mum, and all in all just relax. Then I got up to Airdrie for a week, and that was great. Nothing big going on there, just Kat and me, living at her place for a week. Nothing happened between us, since we long ago decided that it just wouldn't work. I look on her as my best friend, the one person in this world I can go to if anything goes wrong, just as she sees me. Why ruin something like that by getting into a relationship ? I don't think so. Anywho, living there for a week taught me a couple of my faults, which is good, so I can try and fix them. It also taught us both a little patience, which we both needed. And it taught us that we can live together. Which is good, since we're both planning on moving out sometime in the next year or so, most likely into a place together, so that'll be good.

I lost my job because of my car accident and my school schedule for the summer term, so I went jobless for about 3 and a half months. Then I got a job at the local gas bar here. Not too bad of a job, pay was okay, work was decent-ish. But my boss here was another major cuntbitch. I seem to have bad luck with women bosses... Anywho. I was treated like junk. I was the scapegoat. I was sick and tired of her using her six-year-old son as her excuse for everything. And I did NOT appreciate her not giving me the one day off I needed this month to study for a major test.  I mean, come on.  One day.  That's all I needed.  It was a pop-quiz-turned-midterm.  Notice was given Monday.  It was on Wednesday.  I had Tuesday off from school, and I needed it from work.  Did I get it ?  No.  So I said I wasn't going in that day, turned off my phone, and studied.  I turned my phone on that night to find eight voicemails, and three evil text messages from my coworkers.  I thought long and hard and decided that this place wasn't right for me, and wrote up my resignation.  Since I was hired September 29, 2007, and I quit December 19, 2007, I didn't have to give her any notice.  However, I was somewhat nice in that regard.  I wrote out my letter, put it and my key into an envelope, and gave it to her at 1PM on Wednesday (the day I quit), and I was supposed to work at 230.  So she had an hour and a half to figure things out.  Better than calling in at 225 saying I wasn't going to be there, eh ?

I also got another job in early November, which was kinda nice.  It's a karaoke hosting job.  I work for a company called Karaoke World, and I love it.  The only problem is that there, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand's doing.  So I ended up without work for much of the past three weeks... which is hurting my income a little.  But that's okay.  Hopefully in the new year, things will pick up and I'll get a regular gig somewhere, and then I'll be good to go, two-three nights a week, and all will be good.


So there you have it.  My year in a nutshell.  Holy hell, this thing's gonna be long.  But that's okay, I don't mind.  It's been, what, 2 years since I posted here.  Nope, year and a half.  Close enough.

With that, I bid you all farewell.  Have a safe and happy holidays.  Please don't drink and drive, but enjoy yourselves as best you can.

Okay. Now I'm fucking pissed. I mean seriously, I'm fucking pissed. My main target is unknown, as I wasn't able to see who did it, but I'm willing to bet it was a bunch of teenagers. Not just any teenagers, but male teenagers.

My cat was run over today. The people in the car that hit him didn't swirve, didn't slow, didn't dodge. They deliberately ran him the fuck over, crushing his head, and sped off, most likely laughing about it. That's the biggest reason I think it was a bunch of teenagers - they didn't do anything but hit him. Not to mention they were going upwards of 65km/h in a 40km/h zone (for you americans, they were doin' over 40mph in a 25mph zone). And they didn't even have the sense of niceties to stop. They sped off ! I mean, what kind of fucking heartless bastard just keeps on going when you run over somebody's housecat ? It was a housecat, and anyone could tell, as he was a seal-tipped himalayan (short-fur), with a bright purple harness on. You couldn't miss seeing him if your life depended on it. They ran over his head, leaving his body twitching still. My sister had to go out and move him off to the side, to save that much, or else some other bunch of assholes would've kept on running him over.

Fucking kids. Fucking teenagers. Fucking males. Fucking THEM ! They took one of my three best friends away from me, and didn't even have the decency to stop and tell me. They just kept on fucking going. He was my cat. My friend. My sounding board. My reasoning friend. My long, languid cat. And he's gone. My cat is GONE.

If I had been home, I would have gotten into my truck, chased after them, and stomped their faces so far into thw ground they'd be spitting chinese dirt for the rest of their natural lives.

I just can't believe the audacity to do that, and not stop. I thought that in Canada, we were better than that.



Obviously I was wrong.



Forgive me.

Take The quiz yourself

Boredom overtook me, so here's the result:


You're Squall. Quiet, somber, and lonely, people
around you may wonder if you've just lost a
loved one.


Which Final Fantasy VIII character are you?