The 2% solution

My goal for this year is to donate 2% of my salary to charity. I say this, not because I'm seeking acclaim or anything, but merely to challenge myself. If it's written down publicly, it'll be harder for me to avoid doing (at least that's my theory).

Give while you got it and karma will reward you when you don't.

Back from vacation

Not sure why I needed all that time off, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time.
Perhaps I didn't need the outlet. Perhaps I had nothing to say.
Most likely - I was just plain lazy.
First step, back to some semi-regular posting.

Early starts

5:30 AM. Why is there even a 5:30 AM? I really only need the afternoon version, yet for some reason, I'm awake at 5:30 in the morning these days. Doesn't seem to matter what time I've gone to be, 10, midnight, 1 - I'm wide awake and staring at those numbers on my clock radio the next day.
I remember when I was young, my dad was always an early riser. He'd get up about 6 and go sit in his chair and catch up on his reading. He'd always be there if I ever dragged myself up extra early to watch my cartoons.
Maybe it's just something with getting older - the body rebels against sleep. I used to love sleeping in till noon. Can't even remember the last time I did that. These days, 9 is sleeping in.
I guess this might be something to get used to. Oh well - at least I have plenty to read.

SXSW part 1

The first half of SXSW is almost over. Music starts on Wednesday. I've made it to four movies so far with a few star sightings at some of the premieres. Contrary to certain unreliable french sources, Kristen Bell is not 'chunky' - still smokin hot.

It's always good to be on the road. Didn't take me one day before vacation mode kicked in - the old 'have-no-idea-what-day-of-the-week-it-is' feeling. That coupled with exploring a new city has made for a fun few days.

Bring on the bands...

Holidaze

I officially know when I have entered holiday mode when I can no longer remember what day of the week it is.

It's that feeling from when you were a kid on summer vacation. From the end of June to the end of August, you really had no concept of time. The days just blurred together in an seemingly unending stream of diversions, only interrupted by the arrival of the first back-to-school ads.

I've got that feeling back this week and I'm hoping to keep it for at least the next two weeks.

Thank goodness they don't make back to work ads.

It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times...

As much as I love christmas and giving presents, I hate christmas shopping for them.

Of course, I have no one to blame but myself for leaving it this late.

The malls are filled with packs of ravenous shoppers, shouldering each other aside, filling the air with christmas cheer and cursing. The reason people are so happy to be at home with their families is because even the craziest family dynamic is a breeze compared to the malls.
I think I've got three presents left to buy - I'm going to try and make a series of surgical strikes over my lunch hours this week - and pray that I'm done before the weekend.

If you see me out shopping on the last weekend before christmas with the grumpy masses, you'll know I've failed.

Stupid monkeys...

Rituals

Ah Christmas time - time for my usual christmas rituals - things I like to do every year during the holidays. I'm not sure why, but mine all seem to revolve around TV.
I like to watch the Grinch, the Charlie Brown christmas special, and that old Bing Crosby movie Holiday Inn.
We used to do a christmas ski trip every year, but that's fallen by the wayside. For a few years we walked Candy Cane lane - but that was back when we lived only a couple blocks from it.
I guess I also have my usual round of christmas visits I do on christmas day. Ok, phew - I thought all my rituals involved sitting on my ass in front of the TV. See - I do get out of the house...

Music and me

Just listening to some old songs on my iTunes.
I find it interesting how - depending on your state of mind - you can extract different things from the lyrics of a song. If you're feeling down and out, every sad lyric applies to your life. If you're mad, you rage with every injustice that is sung about. If you're in love, every romantic line is something you'd say to your girl.

My line of the week (at least this week) comes from an old Cracker song...

"I don't know what the world may need but I'm sure as hell that it starts with me, and that's a wisdom I'd laughed at.''

I have no idea what that means about my mood but hey...it's still a good song regardless.

Dirty Cheese Lickers!

Some blog titles just write themselves.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1847441289

First off - this is another example of why british bookstores are vastly superior to our own.
Why is this not available at amazon.ca? Is there such a big difference between british and canadian humour?

Second off - who doesn't have a good housemate story?

I can't tell you how glad I am that when I go home now, I can be reasonably sure that everything that was in the fridge in the morning will be there in the evening.
Plus not having to play the 'how high can I stack the dirty dishes' game.
Have I mentioned that I love my new place?

I've been playing my game this week - Mass Effect.

It's pretty cool to go into a store and see it actually there for sale. 3 years of work by 150 people encapsulated in one little package.
What's a good sign is that I'm playing it at all. It's the first game of ours that I've actually played after it's been released. Usually I'm so sick of a game after playing it continuously for the last month of production that I don't even break the cellophane on my own copy when I get it. But for whatever reason, I'm still finding the fun in ME. (the main reason is that it's a freaking awesome game!)
Hopefully we get some good sales from those turkey-eating americans this weekend and we'll all have some nice big bonus checks coming next year.

Happy thanksgiving my american brothers - now put down that drumstick and get down to the store.

The planets are in alignment

What is going on lately?

I have this theory that there are maybe a dozen women who will really stand out in your life. Being a guy, I can't say if this theory holds true in reverse if you're a woman, but anyway...
I'm not just talking about a beautiful woman you spot at random or something, I'm talking about women who actually touch your life in some way. Someone who if you spotted them in a crowd years later - they would stand out as if they were the only one in the room. Someone who immediately sucks you in - mind and body.
I have no idea why - but over the last month - I've bumped into/hung out with 4 of the women that have this effect on my life - some of whom I haven't seen in years. One of them is getting married, one is dating someone. The others are fresh out of relationships and just trying to figure out life again. All of them make my heart ache when I see them. Needless to say, it's been kind of a surreal month.
So why is the universe doing this to me? Is there some message I'm supposed to be getting. Is karma paying me back or something?
That's my goal for the rest of the year - to figure out what it is that is going on and what I can do about it.

Yay for us!

The Mass Effect release party was last night and a great chance it was to meet up with everyone away from the office. I am always amazed when I step back and look at the number of really nice (and incredibly talented) people I work with. Makes me remember another reason why I don't want to work anyplace else.

Mass hits the shelves on November 20th - and as positive as everyone is about the game, I still get some butterflies in my stomach when I think about it. Will people see the little faults I do? Will people like the characters and the story? Will people buy it (and buy lots of it)?

I almost want to go down to the game store on the 20th and just spy on people and see what happens. Openning night is almost here...

Good things come to those who wait

Are you a good things first or good things last kind of person?

Like when you get the paper - do you save your favorite section to read last or do you pull it out and devour it straight away? Or with your favorite food - do you eat everything else on your plate first or do you dive in and eat the good stuff first?

Me - I always try to save the best for last. Sure I rush through the rest of it just to get to my favorite, but then... the pure delight as you slowly relish what you are consuming - either with your eyes or your mouth or your ears. There's something to be said for getting all distractions out of the way and then concentrating on pure enjoyment.

Ghosts and Goblins...best of

A couple of selections from our costume contest - there were lots of good ones this year.
Not sure who won yet (and the one I voted for I haven't even put on here - that's how many good ones there were)

Every Halloween needs a ghost

And something from ghost busters

The Mask of Vulcan (from that old Hercules cartoon)

The obligatory cross-dresser

Skeletor

Not to be confused with the Mask

SNLs ambiguously gay duo

what a blockhead

a pretty good Bruce Lee


Anyone else see some good halloween costumes this year?

Our Small World

Back from London and it was spectacular.

It got me to thinking about how much travel can influence people - broaden their horizons - expose them to new cultures and new ideas. I've lived a pretty privileged life. My parents dragged me around the world on their own travels when I was young, so I was exposed to some pretty cool things. I think that's why I have this lifelong love of exploring.

So what I'm thinking...is that unlike a lot of other countries that have a year of compulsory military service when you turn 18, Canada should force kids to travel. Here's your ticket and your passport. Get out of the country and don't come back for 6 months or a year or something. Why not give them $5000 or something at the same time - think of it as a reward for finishing high school.

Of course, maybe we don't want a pack of teenagers spreading Canada's reputation overseas. What if we say when you hit 21? Hmmm - I've seen a lot of obnoxious 20 year-olds. Ok - 25 for sure. By 25 you've got your shit together, you're ready to be bohemian and see some other cultures.

Nah - 25 is too late - I'm going back to 18. Why not a compulsory SWAP program (student work abroad program). Make the little buggers work somewhere overseas. I like that. You finish high school, you come in to a room, they spin a globe and stick a pin in and then some councillor sets you up with a job somewhere far away. Tell me how many parents would love that? Get those kids out of the house right away - get them to work - get them out of their comfort zones.

When I'm in charge around here - that's now on my list of things to do.

Hitting the road

London town on Wednesday!

It's been 10 years since I took a road trip by myself. And well that one lasted a year and this road trip is only for a week, I have a lot of the same feelings about going.
10 years ago I had no idea where my life was going - professionally or personally. I needed to separate myself physically from everything that I knew.
Sometimes - you need to be removed from where your problems are so that there's nothing you can 'do' - no actions you can take. I believe that with that physical separation comes mental clarity.

So what am I hoping to 'clarify' this time? Maybe this is more of a state-of-the-union trip. A chance to reflect on life as I've known it. All I can say right now is, 'bring on the road'.

See you in a week...

Blasts from the past

I came across an old journal of mine from when I was living in Oxford about 10 years ago.
It made for an entertaining read. Funny how so many themes in my life seem to repeat themselves.
It's interesting to consider what advice I'd give young Keith if I could talk to him. He seems so unsure of his place in the world - where his life should be going, what he should be doing. I guess I'd tell him that he has quite a few interesting times ahead of him and maybe not to worry so much. Life is about the journey and no one's life takes place on a paved highway - they are all country roads - dirty and bumpy and never really going in a straight line.

And really, aren't those roads the most interesting to travel?


I found an old Steven King quote in that journal that I still like today.

The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them - words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out.
But it's more than that, isn't it?
The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it.
That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.

Gravity is a harsh mistress

After hearing lots of stories about prima donna actors it was nice to discover that Patrick Warburton is a genuinely nice guy.


We went to see his movie The Civilization of Maxell Bright last night, and had a chance to chat with the actors at the post movie party. Patrick was very excited about showing the movie here and seemed quite interested and appreciative of our comments about the movie - of course, leave it to Mich to ask about the nude scene.


Now if only someone would make a second season of The Tick.

Spoooon!

The Tick is in town tonight...er...I mean Patrick Warburton. You may know him better as Puddy in Seinfeld, but to me, his one glorious season as the live action version of the Tick was the pinnacle of his career (and I'm sure he'll want me to let him know that tonight.

He's in town for his new movie which has its Canadian premiere here at the Edmonton International Film Festival. I'm not sure why, but I've never really payed attention to this festival before - even though it's been around for 20 years.

What the heck have I been doing?

Anyway - oversight corrected. Saw a great little film yesterday called Kenny - an Australian piece that follows a port-o-potty maintenance guy around various events. Really a great little film (and more about poo than you probably will ever need to know). If it ever shows up on DVD - rent it!

Relaxathon...part deux

Vacation week two starts today.

So far so good, I've been just as lazy as week one. But can it last?
Is it possible to continue to be this lazy? Seems unlikely. I was pretty lazy last week.
But I refuse to feel bad about it at all. I was pretty exhausted and a week of nothing was just what the doctor ordered.

This next week is going to be more about having fun. I feel like I've got my energy back. It's probably time to go reintroduce myself to society. It's been a while. They've probably forgotten all about me. It's almost like a first date again.

The first step is to get out of here and go enjoy what's left of the day. Now what do you bring society on a first date?