My Blogitty Blog Blog

2008-07-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

WOW I never thought this comic book would EVER be brought to film but this trailer is making me think differently... watch and let me know what you think!

Watchmen - Trailer

I like watching Birds!!!!

2008-06-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Apologies to my British readers ...I'm not talking about girl watching, but I have become a bit of a Bird (The ones with feathers) watching fan! It all started with me being sick with bronchitis and stuck on the couch for weeks. I looked out the window and thought it would be cool if I could get some quail or other crazy looking birds to show up on the lawn! Well I started with seed on the ground, and then a small feeder. Now I have an intricate bird sanctuary featuring multiple feeders, hunks of suet, and a bird bath.

Never would I have thought I'd be into this, but I am!

So far I've seen everything from Quail (Yes, they come every day now) to Ring Necked Pheasants (Pictured above). I have to say it's pretty cool and if I ever decide to own a camera I'll take some pics.... won't that be exciting?!!? My ultimate goal is to lure the elusive California Condor to my Lawn!! Sure they are endangered, and they don't exist anywhere near this part of the world. I understand all of that. But, I think with a little bit of patience and the right kind of meat to feed them with, I will have all 12 feet of their wingspan hanging out on the front lawn in NO time!!!! Okay maybe not....

As always hop on over to www.whatsupgf.com to see me making an ass out of myself, and email me anytime as I will try and get back to you right away! I reallywant to hear from you! Also you can add me on Facebook and Twitter. Talk to you guys soon!

Wow, I suck at updating this thing!

2008-06-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there!!! Yes I suck for not keeping this thing up to date. I'm sorry, I really am. I guess a lot has changed since we talked last. I now work for Canada Post, and have been since December. And that's about it!

See why I haven't written much? Well I guess I could go on about a LOT more but things are really good, and I have pretty much put the Museum closure debacle behind me (It had NOTHING to do with me, I just worked there). I have to say that I'm really enjoying sorting mail, it pays well, and the people I work with are nice.

So let's recap the last few months or so...
- I'm still tall.
- I'm still being stalked on this blog by some anonymous commenter
- I am buying Comics at an alarming rate (No girls, it REALLY is cool to read comics)
- I'm on Facebook and now twitter (ADD ME)
- I smell faintly of Fried Bologna
- I'm still in Grand Forks and working for Canada Post
- I want to go to Spokane to watch some movies
- I am on a never ending quest to buy Steak-Umms! I'm sure somebody still sells them SOMEWHERE!!

Yeah, those are the highlights. Oh, I'm helping out a friend with his new website www.whatsupgf.com. Les (My friend) has just started this venture and we film little videos talking about the latest happenings in town. I'll keep doing that until he starts making money and can hire people a little more camera friendly then me! It's just in it's beta stage right now, and he's ironing out a lot of kinks, but take a look and don't laugh too hard at me on video.

I guess I do have more to say but I will wait and honestly try to update this bad boy at least once a week! *

And please, feel free to email me and tell me how you're doing! I love getting email!!

*no promises however.

Okay this has gone too long without an update!

2007-11-14T01:01:00.000-08:00

I am amazed at how many people email me about how pissed off they are I've been AWOL from the old Bloggity Blog Blog! It really is nice to know people read it and want to read more. I'm sorry, and I am going to do my best to write regularly here. You can't really take a break from this thing or you'll just find it harder and harder to get back into it the longer you leave it!

A lot has been going on with my job as Administrator of the Boundary Museum that I just didn't want to talk about in such a public forum. Basically, the Society that pays me is locked out by the City of Grand Forks. Now I'm still being paid by the Boundary Museum Society... but how long will that go on? I don't really know.

So once again my life is thrown into uncertainty... and that adds a bit of anxiety to my everyday life I don't want. I'm actually holding up great despite the added pressure of (probably) facing unemployment again. But I hope things work out and I can go back to work soon. For more info go to the Boundary Museum Blog (Run by fellow Museum employee Les Johnson) here.

Oh and please feel free to email me or add me to your facebook! Can't wait to hear from you!

A very sad loss...

2007-07-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

John Paul Federico passed away Friday after being sick for quite some time. For those of you who didn’t know John Paul, he was a classmate, and a friend of mine who had special needs. He came from an amazing family that, no doubt, was a huge part in John Paul becoming such a great man. I feel a great loss right now, but, (and I know it’s cliché to say) as long as we have our memories of JP he won’t ever really be gone.

It can be said that John Paul was arguably the most liked person in the entire city of Grand Forks. He was the kindest man I think I’ve ever known, and it wasn’t just because of his handicap, he had a genuinely gentle and loving soul. I feel very strongly had John Paul been born with all the advantages you and I have, I would still be writing these same things about him… he was truly a beautiful person.

One thing that always amazed me about JP was his incredible memory. He could recount things we had done in high School together that even I could no longer remember. Anytime I saw him, he’d say Hi, give me a hug, and ask how I was doing, and how my family was, then he’d ask if I am still living at the coast or wherever it was I had last told him I was living (He always got it right no matter how much time had past). When we finished talking he’d remind me to say hi to my family for him and carry on his way.

Shortly after I moved back to Grand Forks JP saw me and asked if I was still in Vancouver and I told him I had moved back here now. His eyes got wide and asked ‘Really?... that’s great Gregg!’ and then gave me a huge hug. I was extremely touched at how happy he was to have me back.

I work in the Boundary Museum where John Paul volunteered for well over 15 years and was loved by everyone who had ever worked here. John Paul cleaned the Museum every week and was a hard working person who could always be counted on to do a good Job in every room of our building….well, every room except for one. John Paul steadfastly refused to enter the women’s washroom to clean it. As John Paul said, he wasn’t a woman so he was NOT allowed to go in there!! You’ve got to appreciate a man who stands by his convictions!

The last time I saw John Paul was at his house not very long ago. He was very sick, jaundiced, tired, in a lot of pain, and looked so incredibly small. But all of those things didn’t keep his smile from beaming and his attitude upbeat and positive. I sat next to John Paul as he and his mom talked about an incident where he had got into a little trouble in school one day when someone remarked

‘I bet Gregg got in a lot of trouble in school too… right John Paul?”

John Paul shook his head and said

‘Nope, Gregg was always a good boy”.

As he said that, John Paul reached over, patted my leg, looked at me and smiled. That was one of the greatest compliments I will ever receive in my entire life and I certainly won’t forget that smile he gave me for as long as I live.

As I said earlier, John Paul is not really gone, he left behind far too much kindness, happiness, and love. And if you think of John Paul you will be filled with that kindness, happiness and love. And because John Paul can still make us feel that way without actually being here, is why he will never truly be gone.

Pics from the Penticton Elvis Festival....

2007-07-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Here is but a smattering of pics from the Elvis Festival a week and a bit ago. I'm quite sure we may see some more later on .... so here goes!!!

'Return to Sandor' is literally mobbed by women at a Beer Garden

Everywhere you turned you saw Elvii..

If people weren't watching there would have been a fight over the mike...

My dates for the weekend....

Two of my fave Elvis people.... Ben & Vanessa

We went to a house party filled with Elvii, and it was hosted by the man below. I'm a bit out of it in this picture (Drunk beyond all belief) plus this man had a grip on me so tight it could have been a WWF headlock.... it frightened me. Also look at Andrew (In the background) I think he's in love with the person who took this picture...

I'm sensing therapy in this kids future...

Here's how a lot of my time was spent .....

The Measham name lives on......

2007-07-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Great news from across the Pond.... this just in from cousin Bill Measham!!!!

"I would like to introduce Alec William Measham who was born at 17.54 on 27th June 2007 and weighed 9lb 5oz.

Alec was born nearly two weeks after his due date which meant that H had to be induced resulting in two days of extremely painful and uncomfortable labour. After an epidural and lots of pain relief it was evident that he could not be born naturally as he was facing forward and his head became stuck. His heart rate became a little erratic and so the consultant decided he would try forceps and after two contractions out he came. He and H had to stay in hospital until Saturday but are now home and fine."

So glad to hear baby Alec and Helena are doing fine, and it's good to know my second cousin will carry the Measham name on and beyond the 21st Century!!! Congatulations guys..can't wait to see Alec and family!

Elvis comes to the Okanagan....

2007-06-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

... And I go to Elvis! Yes faithful blog readers I'm off tomorrow AM to take part in something I've been 'hounded' to go to since 2003!!! My good friend, and 'Elvis Tribute Artist' (ETA's for short), Sandor is taking part in the Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival and I'm going to hang out with him! I'm also going to meet a few old friends and other ETA's I befriended while living in Vancouver and serving on the board of the Official BC Elvis Fan Club!

These guys go to the festival, that is actually a competition, every year and they take it VERY seriously. I hope they all do well... So good luck goes out to Sandor, Brian, Terry, Adam, and of course Elvis Paul!!!! I will see you guys Friday night. Of course I don't need to tell you that women can't resist a guy in an Elvis suit, I just hope I can keep up.

Lots of fun should be had by all drinking, singing, and just catching up. I will try and update my blog with all sorts of pics and news from the weekend... WATCH THIS SPACE!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention Sandor has the best Elvis stage name... "RETURN TO SANDOR" I love it!

Wrestling and baseball making for strange bedfellows

2007-06-13T15:54:00.001-07:00

Word has it former MLB-player Warren Cromartie – a veteran of the former Montreal Expos now clocking in at 53 years-of-age – is set to make his in-ring professional wrestling debut on June 17th in Japan...

read more | digg story

You won't get this in Surrey.....

2007-06-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I finally came to the realisation that I'm glad to be living in Grand Forks right now. Tell you why.... It's Friday night, and I'm heading into Overwaitea for a quick pick up of some food, which I figure will be a two minute stop. I walk in and right away I'm talking to one of the nicest guys in the world, Rick Rougeau, and his lovely wife Sabrina (Who is coincidently one of the nicest women in the world). We start talking and before I know it 10 minutes have gone by and as we start to say goodbye in walks one of my best friends (And T-Ball overlord) Brian McGraw, who I proceed to talk to and start to shop with. As Brian and I walk around the store we are greeted by familiar faces and smiles from all around. People I haven't seen in years coming over to shake my hand and are genuinely happy that I've moved back to the 'Land of Sunshine and Borscht'.

All in all, I think it took me an Hour to get my shopping done, which, by the way, consisted of Two comic books, A pizza, and a bag of Hershey kisses for those who want to know... yes, yes I am well aware that combo isn't exactly how Hugh Hefner spends his Friday nights. The smiling, the friendly faces, and the waving, was something that made me realise this is a great community, and I am really glad to be living here at this point in my life.

Hey quick Meat Draw update. I was shut out in my bid for a seventh consecutive meat win two saturdays ago, HOWEVER last Saturday I was back on a winning track as not only did I win more meat but I also claimed a $100.00 Pull tab prize as well! Not bad huh?

My meat streak....

2007-05-25T16:27:00.001-07:00

No, the above title to this blog entry has nothing to do with me running around pantsless. It does however, refer to me having won meat 5 weeks in a row at the Grand Forks Legion Meat Draw. Now normally, I wouldn't crow about spending my Saturdays at the Legion gambling with Pensioners on hunks of Meat but I've won meat 5 freaking weeks in a row!

And not just any old hunk o' beef, but top grade stuff like a whole turkey! Yes, Yes, I know that's poultry, but please let's not get technical here, I'm on a streak baby! So this Saturday I walk into Branch 59 with my head held high, and Joe DiMaggio like assurance that the streak will continue. Should I win, and continue to win weeks after, I will provide lovely photos of all my meat winnings! Aren't you guys excited??

Now if the Legion only had some single ladies under the age of 54....

On coaching drunks...

2007-05-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my good friend Brian McGraw I've been roped into coaching T-Ball. T-Ball are 4-6 year olds playing Baseball off of a, you guessed it, tee. At first I was just an emergency fill in coach, but that was 4 practices ago! I am now a full time coach for T-Ball commissioner Brian McGraw who rules over Tuesdays and Thursdays with an Iron thumb of learning and fun!

And I must say I am amazed at how fun it is! First off forget anything about actually coaching. It is more like you are in charge of 11 drunken midgets all doing their own thing.

"Okay Bobby, you stand here. And Lisa you go over t..... No Bobby back here buddy! Great, don't move! Now Lisa were gonna move yo...No Bobby don't climb that fence you go over here where I showed you, okay big guy? Now Lisa, you c... Bobby! Over here Pal!"

And it goes on like that for about 15 minutes, and then once you have them all set up, Commissioner McGraw signals it's time for them to do something completely different.

It is very rewarding, as the kids are always smiling and they get better every time out. Could do with more single Moms though...

Hey I bet you're all wondering when the big ceremonial induction dinner is for Legion Branch #59 right? Well you all have to come and see me become 'official', I'll take no excuses...

Saturday June 2nd
Legion Branch #59 in Grand Forks
Drinks start at 5pm sharp!
It's pot luck so please bring a pot or some luck.

One of the best....

2007-05-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a lucky guy in the sense that I have a wonderful family who love and care for me. I'm even luckier that, in addition to a great family, I have not just one, but a handful of people I can call my 'best friend'. I may not have 3,417 friends on my myspace.com or facebook page but in real life my small handful are some of the greatest people you will ever find, and no amount of 'friendship' on myspace would equal what I have with these 'best friends'.

Sadly, my current life situation has caused me to not be there for one of my best friends. I'm hoping I can say a few things about the man here, as I won't get the chance later this month when Mike Ciccone strolls down the aisle to marry his lovely bride, Rebecca Hall, on May 20th. Shortly after Mike popped the question to Rebecca he asked me to be his Best Man, and for a time I said I would, but for several personal reasons, I had to bow out. Mike was understanding and gracious and I know he thinks no less of me. But it doesn't change the fact I feel like I've let him down somewhat, and I should be there for him. So, I'd like to share a few things about Mike that I would have done at the big wedding, had I been able to attend.

Not many people know this but Mike will not help you move. If you don't want Mike to show up someplace, just tell him there is moving involved and he will not darken your doorway until the coast is clear. Mike will balk at my claim, but I can verify this from several sources, those several sources being my brother Jim. I'm not sure why Mike avoids helping people move. I think there is something in his genetic make up that causes a stammering, yet bewildering, auditory defense when asked to put boxes in trucks. I liken it to an Octopus who squirts his ink to confuse his attacker, and then quietly slips away unscathed.

**TELEPHONE RINGS**
“Hello?”
“Hey Mike I need to move, can you help next Sunday?”
“Ahhh ....ummmm geeez,..... ahhh yeah I, uhhhh can't ummm make it, I.... ummm, have an appointment”
“You have an appointment on Sunday?”
“Yes. Gotta go!”
**Click!**

It's a phenomenon that must be investigated, but I fear much like the Sasquatch or the elusive Yeti, we will never truly understand it.

I can't actually remember the exact moment meeting Mike at BCIT in the fall of 1992. We were both taking Broadcast Communications (that's Radio for those not in the know) and I'm almost positive he was there from day one, but I can't say for sure because I didn't hear him speak until weeks after we'd been introduced. In fact, I know he barely spoke to anyone, until one day, when I was being my usual loudmouth self, no doubt trying to impress a girl in our class, and in my attempt I screwed up whatever it was I was trying to do. Mike spoke up with a quick and clever jab at my gaff that caused the whole class to laugh at my expense. I turned to him, sighed, and said.... “I liked it better when you didn't speak!”

Outside of me being a bit loud and Mike a bit quiet I quickly realised Mike and I were very much alike in many ways. Almost scary alike actually, to the point where I can't even recall ever seeing a movie with Mike, and disagreeing on what we thought of it (And we have gone to hundreds together). In fact to illustrate this point of like mindedness, there is a website called YMDB.com where you type in your all time top 20 favourite films, and then your list is compared with other people from all over the world giving you a top ten of whom you share the most movies in common with. Well, out of however many millions of people who had listed their favourite films on this site, I was amazed to see a Mike Ciccone from Abbotsford, BC clocking in at #3 on my top ten. What are the odds?

We became fast friends at BCIT sharing our love for movies, music, Baseball, David Letterman and many other forms of amusement far too nerdy to list here. Quickly we were teaming up writing gags, or 'bits' as we called them, for our radio shows, comedy routines, skits or whatever else popped into our heads. Later on in our lives we even made a movie together. The film had everything ... Mike wrestling a horrible Space Alien, Mike being electrocuted to death, Mike walking down the street with a tin foil space suit on, oh and there's also a scene where I have sex with a chair.... don't ask. Send me the right amount via paypal and I will post it on the internet....

I know in something like this you are supposed to have a few funny stories about your times together but to tell the truth there are sooo many things I can't even begin to pick just one thing. I mean we've done so much together where would I start? We've been to Las Vegas a few times, we've done day trips to Seattle, been all over small town BC, seen countless Vancouver Canadians games, Got locked in the Metrotown parking garage after hours and couldn't get out! We even shared season tickets to the Vancouver Grizzlies for all but one season of their short existence. In fact Mike and I met the nicest person ever at those games.

Our seats at GM Place were on the second level, dead center, two rows up, and we always sat next to the same lady (who it turned out was an African-American, motherly, ex-Californian police officer named Rena), we would share a nice smile at the beginning of the game with Rena, but pretty much ignore her when tip off rolled around. Well, a few weeks into the season listening to Mike and I talk Basketball, and deciding we actually knew what we were talking about, Rena turned to Mike and I and asked 'How the heck do two white boys from Canada know so much about Basketball?' We made sure our seats were next to Rena every season after.

Mike and I have so many running jokes and do them sooo often that we actually had to retire some because they were even making us sick. Somewhere in the ether of space hang banners of jokes worn out with over use. Lord knows how annoying they were to people around us. For instance Mike would call me up and ask what I'm doing, and I'd reply truthfully about the video game I happened to be playing ...

“I'm playing Ultima, it's where you have to get this magical sword to destroy an evil dragon that is killing everyone in the land”

Mike, without hesitation, would say “Wow that sounds like an awesome video game”

And on cue I'd reply... “Game?”.

Now you kind of understand why we 'retired' these things...

Despite the fact I now live far away I know Mike will still always be there for me. When I was diagnosed with a severe depression disorder some time ago, Mike would call and come over as much as he could, which wasn't easy, because by now he lived all the way out in Squamish. But, he'd still make the trek to my lovely downtown Surrey apartment to check in with me. He'd ask me where I needed to go, take me to the grocery store, then to the Comic Book shop (as he knew I liked my comics), buy us some pizza, watch a movie with me, and most important of all, listen to my problems. He didn't have to do this as he was seeing a pretty young thing named Rebecca at the time (Although I don't think I was yet allowed to tell anyone they were dating) and seeing me took away from his time with her. That's not easy to do when young love is blooming. I may not have seemed very appreciative at the time, as I was in a horrible state, but it meant a lot to me.

I can honestly say you'd be hard pressed to find a funnier, smarter, kinder or more loyal friend then Mike Ciccone. This is a man I look up to and respect, and I know Rebecca is well aware of how lucky she is so she doesn't need me to say it. I love him like my own brother. I know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him as I know there is nothing he wouldn't do for me.... except help me move.

Good luck Mike and Rebecca, I wish I could be there to help celebrate your big day....

This one's for the ladies....

2007-05-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Getting many requests for pictures of me in my underwear from the female readers and I'm not one to disappoint the fairer sex. This Picture of me was taken last week... take it all in ladies!

This crazy thing called facebook the kids are all talking about...

2007-05-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

So a week or so ago my good friend Mike Ciccone sends me an email and says "sign up to Facebook" nothing more, nothing less. I go to this Facebook website and since I tend to do most of what Mike says (Although a few times I've had to say 'NO that's just WRONG!') I start putting in my personal info and add that nice picture of handsome ol' me you see over there to your right.

When I'm all set up, it tells me to add a friend so I add Mike Ciccone, and Bada Bing, I see all of Mikes friends that, lo and behold, happen to be many of my friends also. Then I start typing in names from the past, and BOOM, here's an ex-girlfriend I haven't talked to in 16 years, BAM, here's my good friend Geoff who I lost contact with forever and a day ago and so on, and so on. And if that weren't cool enough, people who I hadn't yet looked up, start to find me first and ask ME to be added to their friends list.... people from High School, people from College, you get the picture.

So whats the point to all of this... well nothing really, but it's been very cool to talk to several people I haven't seen in years. And since I have a bit o' time on my hands here in the Forks I have set up several coffee dates with Facebook friends as they march on through Grand Forks during the summer. Oh, there is a caveat to Facebook, and thats while I have been lucky to find many friends from my past, the majority of people on the site were born after I graduated High School, but hopefully it will grow and more people remember to look me up! So what are you waiting for go and sign up, but don't forget to add me!

On what to do in a small town.....

2007-05-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back here where I grew up, Grand Forks, BC. Now what do I do? Well, thats a question I have mulled over for the last two months... what exactly do you do in a small town? I'm not a young guy anymore so going off and hitting the bars every night is out. there's not a whole lot of single women here to chase. The movie theater isn't exactly up to THX standards, and there's only a handful of people I know that still live here (But it's a fantastic handful)... so what to do?

Well to start off I joined the Grand Forks Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch #59 if you are scoring at home). I think I may be the youngest member but you know, that's okay because it's actually kind of fun. I'm all official with an actual Legion membership card and everything (Okay, my name was spelled wrong but I'm used to that by now)! So far, the Saturday Meat Draw is the only event I take place in (Won BIG last Saturday!) but I have been told by the higher up's that they 'have plans' for me. What those plans are I have no idea. Every week I keep asking when all the hot single women will show up to the Legion lounge, but everyone just says "Ummm, that's next week Gregg' then they pat me on my head and send me on my way. I'll keep you posted on all my Legion goings on and also WATCH THIS SPACE for info on my induction ceremony and dinner. It's were I get sworn in and all that good stuff. All my friends and family are hereby ordered to attend.... Date and time will be coming soon!

One thing I miss about the big city are my weekly batch of new comics. Yes in this small town of GF our old comic book shop 'Landmark Comics & Gifts' dropped the comics part about 15 years ago and I have to rely on a random five or six issues on magazine racks once a month. When you are a nerd like me, this STINKS! When I was a kid the drug stores here had HUGE circular racks full of comic goodness...but alas no longer. In fact I only know of three or four places in GF that even carry comics anymore. Hey, if you live in the boundary country and know of a place that sells comics, email me and let me know where! Now, no doubt there are various mail order places on the internet, and when I get more settled I'll look into getting back into new comic goodness in that fashion. Until then however, I have to hunt and peck my way through drug store shelves for a gem here and there.

So other than comics and meat, I'm trying to keep busy by visiting the few people in town I still know, and I'm walking (almost) every morning with my Dad through this very pretty little city. I had forgotten how good the silence is. When you go for a walk and all you hear are birds, and maybe a slight breeze, you don't get that in Surrey.

So please, if you can, come visit or call me. I have a new phone number and email. Drop me a line HERE , say hello and I'll give you the digits. WORD!

Crap I almost forgot...... before I go I want to say a very late congratulations to my good friend Marlies Dick (See pic below) who at the age of, well let's just say, just over 40, has become a Constable in the RCMP. It's hard enough to do it when you are a young whipper snapper, but to do it when you are a little older (NO, Marlies I'm not calling you old), have 4 kids, and a demanding husband is simply unheard of. I am sooo proud of Marlies. The RCMP just got a good person and it looks a little prettier now too! Way to go!

I can't believe I used to eat this shit....

2007-05-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Peanut Butter.... I used to eat Chocolate freaking Peanut Butter. And not just once in a while but a LOT! I loved Kraft's Koogle and I think for a short time I felt it was even better than actual Peanut Butter. I thought of this food today because I was just thinking how we change, and how things evolve, because I've certainly done some changing and evolving as of late. I have moved from beautiful downtown Surrey to my old hometown of Grand Forks, BC as of March. Why the change? Well faithful readers of this blog (And yes I do still get emails about this blog) were no doubt left in the lurch by my rather dramatic last post here in December.... so here goes.

I'm back in GF to 'find myself' as it were, and looking for a change, a change I should have done some time ago. Things were just stagnant, and I wasn't getting better in my, once fun filled, apartment in Surrey. I had to go to a place and be closer to people who I loved, and loved me, a place where I had no choice but to be sociable and interact. Soooo, I'm here now and surrounded by loving family and friends who have helped me feel better about life, and more importantly, feel better about myself. I won't name names, but if I've been hanging around you for more than an hour at a time since I've been back in GF you've been a big help to my self-confidence and well being. Thank you all.

So what does the future hold? I don't know, and for the first time in two years I'm not going to worry about it. Huh? What was that? What does Koogle have to do with ANY of this? Well I don't really know, but I would LOVE to taste the stuff again today just to see what kind of crap I used to love as a kid!

I'll post more... and I hope you come back and read more.

Oh, one last thing. I've got a new email and I urge all of you to email me today!

2006-12-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

Just so everybody knows I'm no longer employed as I've walked away from my job. I tried it... was happy with the money but for whatever reason I felt uneasy and nervous. Now that feeling is normal and completely understandable when you first start a job. But, when it increases in intensity with each and every day that passes something is wrong.

Even on the weekends I couldn't calm down. I'd clock watch every minute of the day and count, to the second, how long I had till I had to go back to work... and When I was at this Job I'd count every second till I got to leave. This led to less sleep, less eating, and worst of all I could feel myself start to go to a very dark place again. I couldn't work there any longer and be healthy.

I've played it over a million times in my head that I can...."just go to work and collect a paycheck", "It's just a job it doesn't rule over me" , "I need the money cause I've got no financial options if I leave", blah, blah, blah........ But, this particular Job, for whatever reason, was creating a response from me that has made me stop wanting to talk to friends, going out on the weekend, writing here on my blog, and worst of all I was avoiding talking to my family, and if I did, I simply lied to them about what was going on. When I did talk to anyone I had the same answers 'Job is fine', 'It's a lot to learn', 'can't go out tonight I'm busy'.... and those were again, just lies.

I did the job fine, very well in fact, but it was making me sick (Meaning Depressed for those who don't know). I don't ever want to be sick like that again. Now this is obviously a simplified 'Readers Digest' version of what's going on with me right now, but so many of you are emailing and asking me how the job is going, I just felt it would be easier to put it here as it's mostly good friends and family who read this anyhow. So If I haven't got back to you with an email or a phone call lately, this is why... but don't be put off, please stay in touch as I won't hide from you ever again. As for what I will do right now? I'm not really sure, but I do know while I may be scared and upset about my situation, and I've worried many people with this decision, I do know that I've done the right thing for myself.

Thank you.

Love,
Gregg

"Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow......"

2006-11-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

You know for my money the all time best version of the song "Let it Snow" was by Mister Ed Ames. There is no doubt, that when Ed was singing 'Let it Snow' he was talking about a day like today. NEVER, have I seen as much snow fall as I have in the last two days. And for the lower mainland that is CRAZY! The city is in a panic, and I have no idea if I'll be able to make it to work tomorrow. Oh well, all I can do is go to the bus stop and see if the Bus shows up or not.... this weather is certainly out of my hands.

Speaking of work, many of you have been asking how my first week at work went...well it went. It's a lot to learn, and quite frankly a little overwhelming. I'm a little stressed out about the whole thing still, but I'm hoping as I continue to learn more about the software program that I am supposed to help people with, that the stress will lessen and let me enjoy my evenings a bit more.

I've now lost 30 pounds thanks to weight watchers! That's 30 pounds in 11 weeks for those counting at home. I feel very much lighter on my feet and I look forward to losing at least another 20. I would also like to take this time to thank all of you who have been supportive of my weight loss journey... you've all been a great help and I owe you all very much.

Oh before I end this little update, I need to share that the Gonzaga Bulldogs started off their 2006-07 season by beating #2 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. That made me VERY happy!

Now since I started off with Ed Ames, why don't I end with Ed Ames......enjoy!

Well there is much to talk about.....

2006-11-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

.....but little time to do it in! It's been a whirlwind week in my little world! First off the big news.... I got a job! Yes I got a real job, with a livable wage and a possibility of it being interesting work! It's a software company that makes billing and clinical software for medical clinics. I would be the guy who will help the hospital employees out on the phone if the have a problem with the program. It's an office job Monday to Friday so that's good, and it's in Surrey. But, it's a little far away and is going to be a bit of a bitch to get to on the bus. So if anyone has a car they want to give me... please give me a call or email me!!! Hey can't blame for trying can you?

I'm very scared to tell you the truth, as I haven't worked in a long time but deep down inside I know it will work out just fine. I start on Monday at 8:30 am sharp. However due to the crappy bus system I think the closest to that time I can get there is 7:30am.... c'est la vie.

Last night I was the emcee of a big Elvis concert in West Vancouver called "Ultimate Elvis - An Evening of Champions". The crowd wasn't huge (Yet it wasn't small) but it was enough to break even and make some money for the Food Bank and it was a great show! Some Great Elvis singers were there, and It was fun doing theater type stuff again even if it was just being an emcee. I also met some great people last night... a very rewarding experience all around.

So that's just a quick news flash for now. Again, I'm pretty excited yet nervous as hell all at the same time about the new job but as I said earlier I'm sure it will be just fine. As always please don't be a stranger email me or call today! Oh yeah speaking of calling, I finally entered the 21st century and got a Cell phone. Hooray for me! I feel almost like a 'with it' kind of cat now, what with having a job and a Cell phone! So now you have to write me to get my new cell phone number!

Taking a break for Remembrance Day

2006-11-09T01:10:00.000-08:00

Hey there! I just wanted to poke my head in and say that my top 10 actors list will be coming next week as I've decided to take off for a few days to Kamloops to visit family and friends! In the meantime you'll notice I've changed a few of the links over on the right side of the blog and I've added a really cool widget that shows you what I thought of the last few movies I've seen!

It's also Remembrance Day and I urge ALL of you to take the time on the 11th and go to you local services where ever they may be and remember those who fought to preserve the rights FAR too many of us take for granted. Don't say you are too busy, or have better things to do, just go. It's the very least you can do for those brave men and women.

So check out the new links, especially the one to my myspace.com page. I have to wonder if I am the only person who visits the blog who has a myspace page, the most popular thing going on the internet today!! If you do add me as a friend make sure to leave a comment or two on it as well...

I'll be back soon with more top 10 lists and more musings about my so called life (Hey, 'My so called life' that would be a great name for a TV show!)... In the meantime here is a VERY funny video from the boys of 'The Mighty Boosh' called 'Sweet', enjoy!

Sorry for the delay....

2006-11-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in over a week....my bad. And weirdly enough, there are some people who take the time to email me and let me know I haven't posted!!! So here I go, bound and determined to not make this post about whining that I have no Job or this and that. Instead, I'm going to make some lists... yes you read right lists with an 'S'. I am going to list in the next few days my top ten favourite Movies, Actors, TV shows, Music acts, and maybe, Video Games ever played. But the best part is each listing will be accompanied by my expert commentary on why each deserves a place in my all time top 10.

Now keep in mind these are my Personal top 10 lists so no complaining please! Well, okay that’s not true I welcome your complaints and suggestions by emailing me and posting comments here on the bloggity blog (Which by the way, you don't have to register for, as you CAn post anonymously. But just remember to sign your name with your comment so I know who you are. Never did figure out who my Internet stalker was.....You still around Internet Stalker? )

So today let's start off with a Juicy one.... All time top favorite Music acts!

10. The Housemartins: Who? I hear many of you ask? Well this British Band hit it big in North America with a song called ‘Happy Hour’ but quickly faded away from notice here. I only really learned to love these boys when I discovered a few of their albums in a Radio Station I was working at in the early 90’s. Then I bought their compilation ‘Now That’s what I call Quite Good' and it is a must for all music fans.

9. Alanis Morissette: Shocked to see Ol’ Alanis on the list? Well so would I, if I saw this list 15 years ago. But since then, Ms. Morissette has become one THE female singer/songwriter from Canada, if not the world. She really got started with the HUGE ‘Jagged Little Pill’ but I think really hit her stride with the less angsty ‘Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie’. My favourite songs of hers are many from ‘Unsent’ to ‘Ironic’. Plus I think she’s GOURGEOUS!*

8. Paul McCartney: Depite his recent divorce problems, The Cute Beatle is still one of the greatest names in Music history. Macca (As the British Press call him…why can’t the British Press have a cool nickname for me?) is, in my opinion, the best solo Beatle, putting out Classic albums like ‘Band on the Run’, ‘Flowers in the Dirt’, and ‘McCartney’.

7. B ryan Adams (1980-1987): While that may read like Bryan died when he was 7 years old it is representative of when his music career died..to me at least. Now, I don’t hate Bryan's new stuff (Some of it is great) But for me it’s this seven year period that I can listen to over and over again without tiring. Any album from this period is a gem, but I tend to grab ‘Cut’s Like a Knife’ more than the others. He is however, still an amazing act to see live.

6. Chris Isaak: Yet another person I love to see live in concert. First time I saw Chris on TV was on 'Late Night with David Letterman' singing Blue Hotel. I knew this cat was different yet very reminiscent of an old 50’s rock ’n roll heatthrob. So many Albums to choose from Old Chris but his best is ‘San Francisco Days’.

5. The Ramo nes: I owe my Brother Sean on this one as he was a HUGE Ramones fan, and that made me one too. They started Punk Rock yet kept their musical sensibilities the whole time and made great sounding songs that I believe can be enjoyed by young and old alike despite their label of Punk Rock! Go right to any of the bands albums released from 1976 to 1986 for a great listen.

4. R.E.M.: This was one of the bands I discovered in my High School days and still love as much now as I did then. This was also a band that turned me on to the fact I didn’t have to listen to what my high School contemporaries were listening to (Skid Row, Poison, Motley Crue, and any other shitty hair band you an think of). They opened the doors for me to a lot of bands I now love (The Cure, The Smiths, New Order, Pulp, The Replacements and the list goes on and on….) 'Document' and 'Green' are my faves of this great band!

3. Billy Bragg: The bard from Barking describes himself as somewhere between William Blake and Stuart Pearce (Although I really don't know who Stuart Pearce is...Anyone?). I came to learn about Billy while in England back in 1991 with what I STILL think is his best Album 'Don't Try this at Home'. I've seen him three times live and he never fails to disappoint.

2. The Who: Faithful readers of my blog KNOW that I am pretty mad at The Who as of late BUT that doesn’t take away from the fact these guys are one of the greatest Rock N’ Roll bands of all time. They have had members die, and even fired one, but they continue to sound good today and still make new and relevant music that I still enjoy. Roger Daltrey is the best Hard Rock Singer of all time, John Entwhislte was the greatest Bassist, Keith Moon the craziest Drummer, And Pete Townsend the most Dynamic Guitarist I’ve ever seen. Albums of note are ‘The Who Sings My Generation’, ‘Tommy’, ‘Who’s Next’, ‘Quadrophenia’, and ‘Face Dances’ (YES, I love Face Dances!)

1. The Beatles: Come on do I really need to tell you about these guys? They are the best, hands down. They could do it all and better then anyone. I love all of their albums but the best one John, Paul, George, and Ringo ever made was….. ‘Revolver’ but 'Abbey Road' is right up there, but so is ‘Beatles for Sale’ and what about…..

Bands who just missed the cut…. Ben Folds, Lionel Ritchie, The Kinks, Green Day, Weezer, Barenaked Ladies, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and a host of others.
Remember to comment here or email me to share your top 10 lists….

Coming up next, top 10 Actors ever!

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me... Well tomorrow anyhow.

2006-10-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

As of Saturday October 21st I turn one year older. It's really no big deal as I've only freaked out once about my advancing age and that was when I turned 32. Now tomorrow I'll be 35, but I don't feel to much like celebrating instead I'll just put my energy into making this next year a better one then the last two. I did however, get the best gift already from my Mom and Dad .... "The Deluxe Book of SuDoku #2"! I kid you not, I've spent the last few days (Their gift package arrived Wednesday and was filled with other cool stuff too) doing puzzle after puzzle, I think I'm addicted! If you haven't played SuDoku before, check out your local paper and give it a shot! I'm not going to explain it here but a good teacher is cousin Giles in Farndon UK as he is the one who initially showed me how to do it!

So as you can tell the internet is back up and working! I stuck it to 3web and got Shaw to put me on their service behind 3webs back! Let's just say 3web wasn't going to let me disengage their service until the end of the month ....well I showed them!

Saw a GREAT movie last week... The Departed. Why can't they make more movies like this one? All-star cast (Matt Damon, Leonardo DeCaprio, Mark Whalberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, and Jack Nicholson) First rate Director (Martin Scorsese), and you have a film I don't mind spending 13 bucks to see. This is a film meant for the widescreen of a theater... simply fantastic. Go see it today if you can. It's Violent but not overdone or gory. It's easily the second best film I've seen all year. Next up I want to see is The Prestige which has a similar all-star cast!

So that's about it around these parts.... Internet is back up, Job Search continues, and I am still going to weight watchers and have lost 16 pounds so far in six weeks! Yeah for me! Until then as always feel free to email me or leave a comment and say hi! Also if you've got the time feel free to drop by my www.Myspace.com page by clicking here, and add me as a friend if you happen to have a space there as well!

Still without Internet, still without a Job

2006-10-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well here I sit in the Surrey Public Library by a guy who is more interested in what is on my screen then what is on his, and another guy who smells like he started his morning with a bottle of Wild Turkey. I love Surrey!

The job interview yesterday with JP morgan was a bust. I did well and may very well be offered the thing, but they didn't pay very much above minimum wage. And when I told them what I thought was a reasonable starting wage the guy looked at me like I was from Mars, and simply said 'We don't pay that much'. And trust me when I say what I asked for was not a lot, and barely enough to live on.

My internet is down for day number 5. My adventures with the 3web (My internet provider)support team have been talked about on here before (I'd link you to that post, but the Library internet doesn't allow for opening multiple pages and in short I can't do anything too fancy with my posts) and let me tell you they haven't improved. Needless to say I tried to cancel my service to sign back up with Shaw but 3web refused to release my modem until the end of the month (No released modem means no siging up with shaw until 3web releases the modem from their system). I thought about Telus but visiting their website shows me that I can't get ADSL where I live. So hopefully the internet is back up soon as I can't look for work at home without it, and the internet here (As I found out today) won't let me use a floppy or a CD to access my Resume and send it to people who want to hire me.

As always I love to hear from you ....so email me today, especially if I haven't heard from you in a while! I may not respond right away (No Internet obviously) but when I check my email here at the library tomorrow I'll have something to read and write back too!

Internet Down , sweaty, and being given the evil eye by some creepy looking dude!

2006-10-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

GADZOOKS! I got home Monday from a terrific holiday in Grand Forks and found out that I had no internet!!! It's now Wednesday and I still have no Internet! I am currently on the web here in the Surrey Public Library after having just been to the gym .. I'm sweaty, and some creepy looking dude, who is waiting for a computer, is looking at me like he wants to kill me so he can get on to check his email.

So, this is going to be short and sweet..... I have a job interview tomorrow with JP Maorgan bank in the USA (No not the JP Morgan who was a judge on the Gong Show.) and I'm here doing some last minute studying so I don't look like a complete ass when I go in there tomorrow! So wish me luck...

I've also just been to the gym working off the Thanksgiving feasts that I was lucky to get in GF. My regular instructor wasn't there much to my chagrin (She's really HOT!) and I'm about to go home and watch 'Lost'. Actually I really have to go because I have 5 minutes left on my computer time and that guy standing behind me who REALLy needs to get on the internet is about to stick a pin in a voodoo doll that looks a little like me!!!

As always email me kiddies and say hi!!

I know I'm not the best dressed guy.... but HOMELESS???

2006-09-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

Hidey Ho! What to tell you this week kids, ummm I know! After three weigh-ins at Weight Watchers I've lost 8.2 pounds! It might have been more but the last meeting was done two days earlier, so my weelky loss total wasn't as high as it's been in previous weeks! So, Yay for me!

I went to the Gym tonight. When it's nice out, I usually just wear my 'gym strip' (Does anyone actually call it 'Gym strip' anymore?) and walk to 'Fitness World' from 'The ol' Love Shack' (Does anyone actually call my apartment 'The ol' Love Shack' anymore?). Anywhooo, I'm walking down 105th Avenue searching through my bag for my Mp3 Player and maybe, I was swaying back and forth a little while trying to rummage through the bag and I'm stopped by a man in a suit. He hands me a piece of paper and asks me to come to his church for Thanksgiving IF I NEED SOMEPLACE TO GO FOR A WARM MEAL AND A PLACE TO GET OFF THE STREET!!!!!!!! So I said the only thing I could ........"Fuck you" and continued on to the Gym.

Billy Bragg concert this Friday and I am VERY excited about going!! Billy Bragg, as I mentioned last week in the bloggity blog, is a fantastic musician and damn funny, his talk is almost as good as the music! As you also know, I'm going with Mike Ciccone, and eagle eyed fans of CTV's "The View" may have seen Mike make an appearance on the in-between-show community announcements playing a lost hiker! Bravo Mike, you played the part of a slow, confused, half-wit with a believability that was uncanny.

Oh before I go, make sure you guys watch The Office tomorrow at 8:30pm. I swear this is the best Sit-com on TV since Seinfeld! It's one of those rare shows that is actually better than the British show that spawned it!

Okay, okay I didn't tell the church guy to Fuck off.... but I sure wanted to!

The Who or Billy Bragg....

2006-09-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

I've got two of my all time fave music acts coming to town in the next few weeks, Billy Bragg and The Who. Now normally if I was employed going to see both might be an option, but in these cash strapped times it was even doubtfull I'd get to take in even one of the shows. Well, despite my financial hardships I really wanted to go to these concerts, so a few weeks ago I went to ticketmaster and typed in Billy Bragg... sure enough tickets just went on sale for the show (Which is happening at the beautiful Commodore Ballroom). And get this, they were only 30 bucks each!! Wow, this might be do-able I thought to myself, so let's just see if I can get some cheap seats for the same price for The Who in October at GM place.

*Clackity clackity clack* goes my keyboard as I look for tickets to what was once the loudest Rock 'n Roll Band alive (And for my money the best live Rock band EVER!). The results came upon my screen and my Jaw Dropped........... $202.00 per ticket to see what was still left alive of The Who!!!! $202.00??? $202.00 FREAKING DOLLARS???? Hold on this must be some super up-close seat that allows you to hang with the band after the show, and also lets Roger Daltrey make out with your date.

"My god I can't do that ...Lets check what the cheap seats are going for!"

*Clackity clackity clack*

"$87.00?!?!?!?? $87.00 for nose bleeds?"

I felt ill. Now going into this ticket buying mission, I had seen The Who twice before and was not going to be denied a third viewing, that is until the figures of 202 and 87 bucks filled my eyes. Sorry, but unless The Beatles and Elvis were the opening act I wasn't shelling out that kind of cash. Suddenly going to see "The Bard of Barking" Billy Bragg at 30 bucks seemed like a free show! I quickly bought a ticket for myself and my good friend Mike Ciccone to see Billy and then sat back to try and figure out how ANY Band can charge $202.00 for a Stadium show.

I could see MAYBE paying that if I got to see The Who in a small club or cafe where I could request songs. Much like when I got to see the Barenaked Ladies do a private concert for me and 30 other people some 10 years ago. Now that was a show!!! I took a girl I sold shoes with at the time named Jeanette Coomber.... *Sigh* Whatever happend to Jeanette Coomber?? Man, did I have the hots for that girl! Anyhow I digress...

I've seen Billy Bragg twice now (The Picture of Billy above is from the last show I saw him at where I was front row Center!) and this show will make number three. The guy puts on a fantastic concert and even if you don't like his music, his in between song stories and rants are worth hearing as they are funny, extremely well thought out, and smart. Can't wait to go see him on Sept. 29 at the Commodore with Mike (Although Mike don't look HALF as good as Jeanette Coomber did!) It'll be like an early Birthday present for myself (I turn thirty-freaking-five on Oct. 21 ...can you believe that?)

I'm sure most of you have heard of "The Who" but if you haven't heard of Billy click on the many Billy links scattered throught this post and if you'd like to hear one of his songs click here! Let me know if you like it and want to come along to the show with me next Friday!

Well I said to myself.....

2006-09-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

...I would take one month off to let the creative juices flow again and I did and boy are they Flowing!!!!!! What to tell you? I appreciate all the emails asking me where the hell is the next post on the blog! I was actually shocked at how many emails I got wondering where I was!

Well I didn't go far and I didn't do much, well thats not totally true. I was away for a few weeks of R&R in Kamloops visiting my Brother Jim, Tanja, and Ben and Raili ( "I WUUUUV GREGG!"), and then of course I took a couple weeks out at the folks place in Grand Forks where I got to see brother Sean, April, Sam, Chloe, and of course the entire McGraw clan.

Now back here on the lovely coast I have been REALLY trying to get a freaking job! I've applied to a ton more jobs and as always if you hear of ANYTHING whether you'd think I'd like it or not I want you to email me about it!

I did do one thing that may raise your eyebrows... I joined Weight Watchers! Yes, I had to do something., After gaining soo much weight while on medication I quickly lost 20 pounds when I stopped the pills, but that rapid loss has stopped and I feel I have sooo much more to go. So, with my best friend Roy Barisoff's wife Brigitte along with me(She's the one who got me to go!), I went to my first meeting of Weight Watchers!! And you know what.... it was great! First off I was in a room of many single, good looking women and secondly everyone was really nice! It's an interesting eating plan and it's simple enough for even me to follow! I'll keep you posted on what happens....

In the meantime I apologise for taking such a long break and I will be back at least once (But hopefully twice) a week telling you everything you never really wanted to know about me. If I haven't heard from you in a while or if you haven't heard from me, It's just been a very busy month and I am hoping you take the time to email me as I really want to hear from you.

Oh yeah before I go here is a little skit from the hilarious show "Little Britain" that I couldn't get out of my head while attending my first Weight Watchers meeting. ENJOY!

Lost a good friend last weekend....

2006-08-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

I am still quite shocked by the loss of one of the nicest men I have ever met, Timo Taskinen. Timo passed away on Saturday due to a sudden heart attack and I'm not sure It's totally sunk in with me yet. I first met Timo and his lovely wife Verna at my Brother Jims wedding to his wife Tanja. Timo was part of Tanja's Finnish 'family' having moved to Canada in 1970 with Tanja's parents. Even in that brief meeting, you knew Timo was a really good guy. I got to know Timo even better when he helped my girlfriend at the time find an apartment to buy. I had always thought realtors were fast talking guys trying to sell you something no matter what. That opinion changed with Timo as he was so cool and nice while we looked at different places. There was no pressure and he gave honest opinions on the places we saw. If anyone I knew was in need of buying a house I would tell them "TEAM UP WITH TIMO"! You couldn't go wrong...

I have never been good with what to do when someone you care for passes away and I never know how to approach the immediate family. I just want everyone to know that Timo was a great man and was taken far, far, too soon from us. And I know that Timo's wife Verna, like Timo, is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, I only wish there was something I could do for her. It was only a few short weeks ago I spent the night at the Taskinen's beautiful White Rock home and have never felt more welcome in someone else's place. Timo will be missed so very much...

My Day at 1-800-Got-Crap...

2006-08-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Had another Job interview this week! It was for the company 1-800-got junk. If you have junk, and you need it hauled away you call these people and they take care of it. The Job I applied for was to be one of the people on the phone who would book your appointment and make the sale.

I had the interview at noon on Wednesday and I took Transit... I knew I was in trouble as soon as I walked out of the apartment because I was already sweating. Anderson boys sweat, we sweat so bad that white T-shirts must be worn at all times under ANYTHING! Well, I was already getting wet spots on my arm pits by the time I reached the Sky Train. One bus transfer later and the wet marks were even bigger... "OH Crap that was my stop" I think to myself, as the bus drove past my destination of west 3rd avenue, missed by me, due to the frantic fanning of my underarms in a desperate move to stop the growing dark wet spots. The wetness was advancing much like those old movie newsreel animations showing how the Third Reich swept across Europe in 1939.

"No Problem" I think "I'll just get off at the next stop..". Well, that didn't happen until 12 blocks later as this was an 'Express bus' with limited stops! I had only 20 minutes until my interview started, but I lucked out as the next bus comes along right away and I'm making my way back to west 3rd. The correct Bus stop is reached, and I have 5 minutes to make it to 1-800-got-junk. So I have to run... If you thought the sweating was bad before, you have no idea how a slight jog in the heat will aggravate the situation.

I make it to the Interview with a minute to spare, but now the pit stains are so big that simply keeping my arms down won't hide them. The pools of perspiration are now the size of pie plates underneath each arm and I don't even want to know if I have dreaded back sweat!

First thing I notice about the 1-800-got-junk office is that it's all filled with early to mid 20-somethings all wearing T-shirts with Iron-on transfers from the 80's that were cool when I was 12, but now have a certain cheese factor so they are 'cool' again. Then, after after finding out there is no receptionist to report to (I'm told that's "Too Corporate"), I mange to make myself known and lean up against a wall painted with inspirational messages. I look down and see the sweat marks have almost reached my shirt breast pockets... I think that' a personal best for sweating.

Then out of nowhere a giant Dog comes up, puts his paws on my thighs and starts sniffing at my crotch! It's like a scene out of a bad Chick Flick starring Hugh Grant. "Oh he's just the CEO's Dog" a young 20 something woman with 4 piercing in her face says...."Hi! Come with me and we'll get the Interview going". The Interview had me and 2 others being interviewed at once by two people who were younger than me. I've been in situations lately where I've been reminded I'm getting older, like hearing kids talk about 'Old Music" like The Beastie Boys or Huey Lewis like it was a Lawrence Welk repeat on PBS. But I've never been interviewed for employment by two people younger than me.

A quick glance around this office saw about 60 High School type cubicles with these 'Cheesy/cool' T-Shirt wearing people sitting at their phones surrounded by inspirational messages about aiming higher (higher sales I would assume) and sales quota numbers. I looked around for Alec Baldwin screaming at people to close their sales a la "Glen Garry Glen Ross" but he was nowhere to be seen...

The Interview started with the girls apologising that they didn't bring the Blue Wigs for us to wear. Excuse me....Blue Wigs? Apparently, they actually make the candidates wear blue wigs during the interview to show they are willing to be part of the 1-800-junk family! This is not a joke or an exaggeration for the sake of a good story... They really do this. So no wigs to go along with my dinner plate sized pit stains, what a pity...

The next 90 minutes of this group interview are a hazy memory of buzzwords like "Think outside the Box", "Sales Coach" instead of the proper term Sales manager (I know I lost points when I had to ask what the hell a 'Sales Coach' was), the word Synergy was used far too often, along with the phrase 'team member' instead of employee.

Since it was a 'Group Interview' to hire new 'Team Members'.... I kind of zoned out during the other applicants answers (We all said the same thing anyhow) and noticed they had a pool table and a foosball table for employees. I also noticed they weren't being used. I've always heard about these companies that offer all these extras for employees but frown upon their use as it means you have too much free time and need to be working more

Anyhow despite my Lawrence of Arabia type sweating, and being slightly ill at ease with the 'Hipness' of the company I really felt I did well with my answers and did okay with the interview overall. It turns out however that I didn't do okay. My uneasiness at the hard sales approach and hipster dofus image this company tried hard to present must have come through as I got the call today telling me that they just weren't interested.

I didn't ask why they didn't want me, as images of how I must have looked with Lake's Superior and Huron under my arms, and my lack of disappointment when the blue wigs weren't brought out basically told me it probably was for the best. But the fact is, not getting a second interview REALLY bothers me personally. I could have done what they wanted, at least for a while. I know it's not a personal attack on me that I didn't get the job, but part of me feels that way. And also part of me is actually thinking I was just too old. I'm only 34 and I was too old. That thought is kind of scary... I've never been too old for anything!

Again, It's all probably for the best I'm not there, but it still sucks being turned down for something you think you could have done. It also puts doubts in your mind if anyone will want me to work for them doing anything. But that's bullshit thinking, we all know it. I'll get something soon, and I won't have to wear a Blue Wig or fight off the CEO's dog to do it

2006-08-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

David Letterman's Mr. Curious , circa 1985

When Letterman was King!!!

Sorry for the delay!

2006-07-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well I have been wanting to update the ol' Blog for some time now but my Internet service provider (3web) has decided to not work a lot of the time! I'd say in the last week it's been down for about half of that time! Not good! A call to the "Customer Service" was not very inspiring either as it was a woman who I'm not sure even owns a computer just going down a flow chart

"Is your ONLINE light blinking? NO .... hmmm, okay then I go to question #4."

No lie, she was actually saying that. I could actually hear her finger dragging down the paper to the question she needed to ask next!!! So needless to say I'm hoping the internet stays up and running so I can get this very brief update posted!

Hey I had another Job interview on Thursday! It went well, but is only for a temp job until October. If I get it, it would at the VERY least make me a bit more money and get me out of the house for a bit.

And lastly (Sorry this is such a rush entry into the Bloggity Blog Blog, but I'm scared the internet will go down again) here is a photo taken by Moi of my brothers Jims family at Thomas the Tank Engine In Washington State! ENJOY!

Well I just saw my favourite film of the year....

2006-07-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Raunchier, funnier, filled with better acting, and with a much deeper emotional resonance than the first one (And that's saying something because 'Clerks' is in my top 25 films of all time). Clerks II did prove you can go home again and have an even better time during your second stay!

Now it must be said I have much more in common with the characters Randal and Dante than I like to admit (especially Randal), but sadly I do. This film made me laugh out loud and pee my pants but then it also made me get all quiet and think "Jeez I know exactly how that guy feels!" followed by a twinge of sadness for the Character.

Nowhere is this emotion in the film more prevalent than in a classic Kevin Smith scene of Dante and Randal talking back and forth after skipping out of work to race some Go Karts. After some well timed jokes and dialogue, Dante asks Randal why he needs to go to the Go Karts to calm down when he gets upset. Randal just responds something to the effect of "Cause it reminds me when times were simpler and everything was ahead of you, instead of now" and the look of sadness on actor Jeff Anderson's face is so full of emotion and sadness when he said it, it really got to me. Just an outstanding delivery.

If the emotion is what makes this film brilliant at times, it's the funny that maintains that level. Dick and fart jokes reign supreme, as well as the most shocking take on racist epithets that I have ever seen on film. And the beauty is after you see it, it kind of makes you think. And that is why Clerks II should be, and will be, set apart from your average gross out comedy. The man takes base subject matter and can make you think!

It wouldn't be a clerks movie if Jay and Silent Bob didn't show up and once again they do not disappoint nor are they overused or overexposed in the film. Smith knows when to bring them in and when to reel them back. The beautiful Rosario Dawson is fantastic as Randal and Dante's boss, but some of the best laughs come from Trevor Fehrman as Elias. The scene with Elias and Randal talking about a troll named 'Pillow Pants', it must be seen to be believed.

So is this film for everyone? Hell no. Will some say I'm crazy for liking it better than Clerks? More than likely! Will some say I'm crazy for liking it at all? I don't doubt it. But for me this film hit all the right notes and much like the first Clerks will be watched by me for years to come!

As promised...

2006-07-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since I've been to England and I can't believe it! It honestly seems like yesterday since I've been there and I thought it would be nice to show a video of all my pictures from the trip! Honestly I hate carrying around a camera and I only caught about 1/10th of what I saw but here it is for all of you to see!

I miss everyone over there sooo much and I hope this video works!!!!

I'm back!

2006-07-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Helloooooo! Certainly been one of the busiest weeks I've had in a long time so you'd think I would have TONS to tell you! Well yes and no. I had a great time with my Brother Jim's family in Issaquah, Washington on the weekend. We went down for the Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine and it certainly lived up to the hype! They could have done a really lame job and just thrown up a booth here an there with Thomas tattoos, and sold some overpriced food, but they really provide a great Thomas experience for the kids and Adults! Ben freaked when he saw the life size Thomas for the first time. "IT'S THOOOOMAAAASSSSSSS!!!!". It was hilarious... Hopefully in the next few days we'll have some footage from Jim's Video Cam to post, as well as some photos!

Meanwhile on the home front, I'm going to the Gym and losing all the weight I had put on the last year while on Antidepressants! It's hard work but I've lost 20 pounds in the last month! Sounds like a lot, but I'm 6'7" so I've got quite a bit more to go until I feel normal again!

Also one week from Now It will be one year since I traveled to England to see the extended family! So in the next few days I plan on uploading a nice video collage of all my pictures I took on the big trip! So watch this space!!! As always if you've got something to say, don't hold back email me or leave a comment here on the blog today!

I'm going to Issaquah!

2006-07-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

As faithful readers of my Blog know I get to go on a little trip tomorrow! My brother Jim and his family (Tanja, Ben, and Raili) are picking me up at lunchtime to head down to Issaquah, Washington to enjoy a Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine! Ben doesn't know about Thomas yet, as he may just get a wee bit too excited so everyone has decided to hold off and wait until the big day to tell him!

So since Ben asked me to come along I've got to go pack and get ready for a couple days of fun! Benny is a funny kid who's passion in life is Thomas the Tank Engine and the Thunderbirds (Here he is dressed up as Virgil captain of Thunderbird #2 although I'm not sure who the big goofy lookin' guy is beside him!!)

Oh and in case you missed it at my brother Sean's blog, my other Nephew Sam has also taken to dressing up like some (Pictured left) famous literary character, but god knows who he's supposed to be! Okay, Okay I'm joking I know exactly who Sam is.... He's dressed up as Atticus Finch from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.

Been going to the Gym for the last few weeks regularly. OH MY GOD AM I SORE! As I type this I am so thirsty but my legs are so sore I don't want to get up to drink the last Orangina in the fridge! Ahhhh yes Orangina, the best darn drink known to man! Screw it, I'm ending this and gonna drink some Orangina!

Bored and a little annoyed with my life,,,,,

2006-07-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

I am sick of my apartment. I am sick of not having anything to do. I am sick of having nowhere to go. Now trust me when I say I am REALLY trying to get into a routine by going to the gym, and taking a walk a couple of times a day (But have you seen my neighborhood? Not exactly a walk through Yellowstone Park is it??).

In between walks and Gym visits, I feel like a contestant on the TV show Survivor with extremely long sessions of nothing to do in between challenges. Most of my friends are married and very busy with their lives during the summer, and that's fair, and I completely understand that. But it leaves me to my own devices, and while I've always been extremely independent it's really become far too much of a good thing. Honest to god it's times like this when I wish I wish I had a roommate again!

I know I'm to blame for most of this. I should be coming up with new hobbies and things to do (Why do you think I started a Blog?), but for some reason when I try and think of something new to do I just go blank. I don't have any money at this point in my life to do much. I don't turn on the TV anymore until well into the evening because there is simply nothing worth watching during the day, and since it's summer not much more on at night. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I've hit a rut. A BIG time rut, and it's starting to really become an annoyance.

I know all I have to do is get a job, and I will, hopefully very soon (I will get one right?). But this rut, or more correctly all this free time, is really starting to get to me. If I were wealthy I would travel the world, end of problem. But sadly, that is sooo not an option for me.

One bright spot however.... I get to go to Issaquah Washington with my Brother Jim's family this weekend. Really looking forward to seeing the kids! Last week my brothers wife Tanja told my nephew Ben about the trip to Washington State and that it was fun for kids and grown ups. Right away Ben asked Tanja , "Is it fun for uncles, too? Can Gregg come?" What a great kid! Love him, and all my nieces and nephews, to death.

Wow, how whiny and self absorbed was that post? Well, I'm allowed, it's my blog. I also worry when I get down if I'm having some sort of recurrence of my clinical depression. But then I realise that being healthy means I'm going to feel a full range of emotions including feeling down sometimes. Everyone feels that way every now and then, and it doesn't mean my sickness is coming back. So when I think of it that way, it kind of makes me happy, and relieved, knowing I'm just feeling normal human emotion, and I don't have to worry I won't feel happy ever again. Trust me, clinical depression isn't a normal human emotion, it's the blackest pit you can ever crawl into. That crap is behind me... onwards and upwards from here on in. No more being bored and feeling down about where my life is. But also, no more panicking that I'm back in the throes of depression when I do have a down day like I WAS having before I wrote this.

Well at least I got the Interview!

2006-07-05T10:17:00.002-07:00

Had a Job interview today! It was at a company much like the one I worked at before, and it was a job opportunity that I thought would be a lot like the one I had before. Well, at least that's what I thought it would be...

It was a nice interview and the people were great, but when they said I would be on the road 3-4 months of the year I just had to be honest and say I wasn't interested. Spending my days driving to Kamsack Saskatchewan, trying to get a few sales is not my image of ideal employment. After I told the two people conducting the interview I wasn't interested they were really nice and we continued to talk for about 20 minutes.

It was good to get the interview under my belt and I feel more confident about the whole getting a job thing now. I always do well in interviews, and I don't think this was any exception. Well except for the fact I told them I wasn't interested halfway through... I'll have to remember not to do that ALL the time.

So lot's more jobs have been applied for and I'm expecting to be back in the rat race sooner than later, but as always if you hear of anything PLEASE email me and let me know!

Mighty Boosh clips....

2006-07-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

I've had a few people asking me about the show "The Mighty Boosh", a show I talked about earlier this month on the blogitty blog blog. So here are some clips that may give a taste of a show that I find hard to accurately explain to people...

And finally this clip is a news story about 'The Mighty Boosh' and gives a very good overview of the series...

Superman has certainly RETURNED!!!!

2006-06-29T01:09:00.000-07:00

I was front and center Wednesday afternoon to see 'Superman Returns', the sequel to one of my all time favourite films, 'Superman' staring Christopher Reeve. Let me tell you folks, he certainly has 'returned'!

I remember the first time I saw Superman, it was 1978 at the Gem Theater in Grand Forks, BC. The place was packed, in fact, there were people sitting in the center aisle on the floor! The only other time this happened was when 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' came to town one year later. Now, I had loved Superman in Action Comics well before this film came out, and was wondering how they would make it happen on the big screen with real people! Well, as we all know they made it happen, and Christopher Reeve was probably the greatest Superman we will ever know.

But sitting in the theater Wednesday afternoon I again had the same thoughts, "How are they going to pull this one off?". I was worried about all these things I had seen in the papers, and on the internet. Lois Lane has a Kid? Why is Superman's 'S' shield so small? They are going to directly link this to the 1978 Superman? All of these things caused doubts to fester in my brain and all of these doubts were silenced the minute the classic John Williams Superman theme filled the theater accompanied by the classic swooshing credits.

I won't say much about the film (for fear of giving too much away) but Brandon Routh is a worthy Superman, who gives The Man of Steel a range of emotion that also makes him a man of flesh and blood. I do feel however it must be said that Routh is not quite as good as Christopher Reeve, but come on, who could be? Kevin Spacey makes the greatest Lex Luthor EVER, and I even preferred Kate Bosworth to Margot Kidders version of Lois Lane! I was actually giddy at certain parts and I wanted to stand up and cheer like my nephew Ben at a screening of 'Cars'. It's true to the comic, and it's true to it's film predecessor. In short, this is the best movie I've seen all year, DON'T miss it!

Wow, what to tell you....

2006-06-26T01:42:00.000-07:00

Well, another week and another few posts to the ol' Blogitty Blog Blog. I'm not sure really what to tell you. What do you guys want to know? You can always email me and ask, or if you are feeling really adventurous you can always post a comment. Nothing makes my day more, than visiting the blog and seeing new comments from you guys. Well, to be honest an email from a really hot single babe wanting to date me, might make the day just a bit better. But I'll take what I can get, and comments will do just fine........ I guess.

I've been watching a lot of World Cup Soccer in the last few weeks and I must say every four years I get really excited and caught up in the whole thing. I even get up to watch England when they play at 6am (Yes I'm cheering for England... shocking huh?). But then I watch my first game and realise (as I do every four years) I'm just not that crazy about the sport. It's kind of slow, and features some of the biggest nancy boy cry babies I've ever seen! I should say I have seen premier division matches in England and they are pretty exciting to watch live. But on TV, sorry, I just don't get all the fuss. Despite all this, I continue to watch England and their march to world Soccer domination, and I even got quite excited today when Beckham scored to give Old Blighty the win. No doubt my tune will change when England makes it into the final, and I will be running up and down the street with my St. Georges Cross flag tied around my neck like a cape and singing "Here we Go"!

I am George Costanza....

2006-06-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Thought this conversation from the Seinfeld episode 'The Revenge' applied to my life of unemployment right now.....

GEORGE: I like sports. I could do something in sports.

JERRY: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. In what capacity?

GEORGE: You know, like the general manager of a baseball team or something.

JERRY: Yeah. Well, that - that could be tough to get.

GEORGE: Well, it doesn't even have to be the general manager. Maybe I could be like, an announcer. Like a color man. You know how I always make those interesting comments during the game.

JERRY: Yeah. Yeah. You make good comments.

GEORGE: What about that?

JERRY: Well, they tend to give those jobs to ex-ballplayers and people that are, you know, in broadcasting.

GEORGE: Well, that's really not fair.

JERRY: I know. Well, okay. Okay. What else do ya like?

GEORGE: Movies. I like to watch movies.

JERRY: Yeah. Yeah.

GEORGE: Do they pay people to watch movies?

JERRY: Projectionists.

GEORGE: That's true.

JERRY: But you gotta know how to work the projector.

GEORGE: Right.

JERRY: And it's probably a union thing.

GEORGE: (scoffs) Those unions. (sighs) Okay. Sports,...movies. What about a talk show host?

JERRY: Talk show host. That's good.

GEORGE: I think I'd be good at that. I talk to people all the time. Someone even told me once they thought I'd be a good talk show host.

JERRY: Really?

GEORGE: Yeah. A couple of people. I don't get that, though. Where do you start?

JERRY: Well, that's where it gets tricky.

GEORGE: You can't just walk into a building and say " I wanna be a talk show host."

JERRY: I wouldn't think so.

GEORGE: It's all politics.

JERRY: All right. Okay. Sports, movies, talk show host. What else?

GEORGE: This could have been a huge mistake......

These are a few of my favourite things.....

2006-06-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Last night I was Booooored. So boooored, I went through my backlog of unwatched DVD's and pulled out a Gem, the 1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century pilot movie (As brought back to my attention thanks to Clive Lovetts blog)!! Wow did this thing stink!! BUT, it did remind me of a great action figure that I had long forgotten about..... "TIGER MAN". Tiger Man is on screen for about three minutes then gets kicked in the nuts by Buck Rogers, but what an Action Figure he made!!!!
I know that I LOVED my Buck Rogers action figures, but I haven't thought of them for YEARS! Thinking back, I remember ALMOST liking them more than the Star Wars Action figures because they had better articulation and weren't so cartoony! I can guarantee back then I didn't use the word Articulation. Woo Hooo TIGER MAN!!!! By the way I dare anyone to watch the Buck Rogers movie and not have their ears bleed due to the theme song! "Far Beyond the woooorld I knooowww......."

Job Search continues! I haven't heard back from anything yet but I am feeling more confident, for whatever reason, that I will be working shortly. I will continue to hammer the Library by dropping a resume off again next week. I've got nothing to lose right? As always if anyone knows of any type of work that I would be suited for please email me today. Hell, even if you don't have anything just email me and say Hi today!

Whatever did I do without my Mp3 player......

2006-06-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

A week ago I was taking a Loooong bus ride out to White Rock to visit the Doctor and it was PACKED. I stood (Yes I stood, it was that busy) and listened to two drug addicts compare Crystal Meth stories, and one really, really, large lady hork up phlegm like she had the disease 'Captain Tripps' from the Stephen King novel The Stand. Well I was dreading the 50 minute bus ride listening to all this 'ambiance' when I remembered I had my trusty Mp3 player with me. I slipped it on and went into the music goodness of Billy Bragg, The Beatles, and Chris Isaak all of whom helped drown out the horrible sounds of The Greater Vancouver Transit system.

So this all leads me to the point of this blog entry. What is Gregg listening to on his Mp3 player? Many of you have emailed and asked me what I've been listening to lately* so here goes .....

Out of the 1300 plus tunes I have currently on my Creative Zen Micro here's what tops my chart!

5. Gnarls Barkley - 'Crazy'
This song grows on you. At first I didn't like it, but now I LOVE it, go figure!

4. Embrace - 'The World at Your Feet'
One of the 16 official songs for England at the World Cup. Unlike the other 15 this one is really good!

3. The Kooks - 'Naive'
Good ol' pop song with a great hook. Downloa.... eerrrrrrr I mean 'Buy' this one today!

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Dani California'
This band just gets better and better with age.

And Number one on my personal top 5...........

1. Keane - 'Is it Any Wonder?'
Keane is simply my favourite band going right now that could be considered "hip" by the kids of today. They have such a nice sound that I think many reading this blog would like them almost as much as I do. The bands has a new album coming out this week and I'm really looking forward to it! That is big praise indeed as I don't even remember the last time I looked forward to a new albums release.

Honourable mention goes to the entire radio catalog of "The Mighty Boosh" and Snow Patrol - "You're all that I have".

What are you listening to? Let us know in the comments section!

*Okay, Okay, NO ONE has emailed and asked me this....

My weird British obsession #3

2006-06-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Okay we've established I have a fascination with most things British, and most recently I've gone on about Hollyoaks (More specifically cast member and British landmark Elize Du Toit). And I've also blogged about my all time favourite British show Doctor Who. Which, by the way, seems to get better with every episode, although I could do with less girly giggling and hugging with The Doctor and Rose.

Now I'm hooked on a very obscure (Well obscure to me at least) show called The Mighty Boosh! I started watching it on BBCK and thought it was just weird and didn't give it a second look. Then I saw it again and then once more and I started to laugh a little more with each viewing. Now each episode cracks me up to the point I am crying during the show! I've recently found out it was on BBC radio before it was ever on TV, and I managed to get a hold of these broadcasts and found them even funnier than the TV show! It's about two guys, Howard Moon and Vince Noir, who work in a Zoo and have a boss named Bob Fossil "WELCOME TO FOSSIL'S FUN WORLD WHERE FUN IS ALL AROUND YOU.... LIKE STINK ON POOP".... and that's really all you need to know. Check it out on BBCK at 6:30pm Sundays and 9:30pm Wednesday (All times pacific!)

The Job search continues, as I've taken the search to a much broader place now and may have to take a bit less money than I was making before as I just can't seem to catch a break. Applied for various things in the last couple of days including the Surrey Public Library (Would love that job), various fabrication shops for inside sales, and a few call centers for Help desk type stuff. I've also been told I'm 90% cleared (whatever that means) for getting EI but since I didn't work in 2005 they can only go back to June of 2004 for my record of employment and I'm wondering if that will reduce the amount of money I will receive. We will see I guess!

Elvis LIVES!

2006-06-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hey, how are you? Welcome to the Blog! Bet you are visiting this Monday to see what Gregg did this weekend? Well, anyone who has visited my link section (Located in the right hand column) knows I'm a big Elvis fan because of the link to the Official BC Elvis Fanclub. Well, several of my friends dress up as Elvis and put on one hell of a show called "Ultimate Elvis". They had a gig at the White Rock Royal Canadian Legion branch #008 on Saturday and I went to wallow in the sounds of the King!

When I got there they needed an Emcee, so they asked me and I was more than happy to help out and be part of the show. It's quite funny to see how people react to the Ultimate Elvis show. Some sit, smile, and tap their feet, but some women allow themselves to get TOTALLY into it and try and get a piece of some of the Elvi on stage! It was quite funny to see some 55 year old woman slip headliner Brian Simpson the tongue when all he is trying to do is give them a quick peck!

Well on Saturday night a good time was had by all EXCEPT the 5'2" 90 year old Scottish guy who took exception to me saying Anderson was a Swedish name, and wanted to fight me. I had thought about military pressing him into the Keno machine, but instead I just patted him on the head (Benny Hill style) and sent him on his way. After all I was part of the Ultimate Elvis crew for the night!

The guys who put on the show, Sandor, Adam, Brian, (all pictured above) and Terry (Sadly not pictured above... I owe you Terry!) are all great and do this show out of love for "The King", because the money isn't really anything you can make a living on, and that makes me like the whole show even more. If you want to see where "Ultimate Elvis" is performing next click the official British Columbia Elvis Presley Fan Club link on the right.

What a horrible, miserable day.....

2006-06-08T15:39:00.001-07:00

The rain just won't stop... It's an unending sheet of wetness and gray. Okay, it's not that bad it's just that today I had to go out into it and do bunch of errands. To make the wetness of the day even more annoying my MP3 player, for some reason, chose to only play songs like "Candy Man" by Sammy Davis Jr. or "Sunshine Day" by The Brady Bunch.... yes I admit it I have The Brady Bunch on my Mp3 player.

My various activities took me to the unemployment office where I stood in line for a long, long, long, long, long time. It never fails while everyone is waiting in a line that snakes forever and a day around the office some moron thinks that the line isn't for him. So while myself, and seventy other saps who can't find a job, wait in line like nice people this Danny Bonaduce lookin' dude comes in (Well since it WAS the unemployment office it could have very well actually been Danny Bonaduce. Danny looks at the line, walks all the way to the front past all 70 of us, and up to a wicket that someone is already using. He waits IMPATIENTLY as the person finishes up with the Unemployment teller type person (We'll call her a teller from here on in) and then tries to get her to take his papers. "BUT I ONLY NEED TO GET THIS SIGNED" Mr. Bonaduce yells as he is thankfully sent to the back of the line. He's all upset and starts to mutter to some older East Indian gentleman who instead of sympathizing with him just says "Hey we're all here for the same thing, that's why there is a line". CLASSIC!!!!!!!

I then made it out of the EI office some hours later (Ahead of Danny Bonaduce I'd like to add) and went to get my hair cut. Well I know I was in trouble when I got to my regular place and the three guys who know how to cut my hair are busy. I could have said NO I'll wait for one of the guys I like, but I don't want to hurt the ladies feelings who is free to cut my hair so in I go.

Now I don't have much hair left, so I like to at least try to make what I have look good. WELL, I like a tapered back. Not a straight line of hair ending at my neck but something that is faded. I go through great detail to explain this to her.... I even said "FADE THE BACK IN, DON'T LEAVE A STRAIGHT LINE, YOU KNOW A TAPER?" she smiled and said "Of course". I knew I was in trouble when she spent what seemed like hours on my back..... she changed so many clippers and scissors I thought she was carving a statue out of Marble. She then proceeds to cut the rest of my hair, And not very well either. But to be honest, I'm really not concerned as there is only so much you can do wrong with my hair (Not counting the back of course). Then the moment of truth....... the mirror comes out and it's time to check out the back.

STRAIGHT AS A FREAKING ARROW!!!! You could use the back of my hair as a straight edge for drafting. I could be a level if you wanted to build a house. It was the exact opposite of what I asked for. It was as if she was from Bizzaro World, it was that opposite.

Oh well, in the end it really doesn't matter because when I get my hair cut, in my mind I think I'm going to come out looking like this.......but I always come out looking like this......
Oh, if anyone is wondering I'm still broke and unemployed... I'll keep you posted if anything changes.

OH LAME SAINT INDEED!

2006-06-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Now I really don’t want to be one of those guys who rags on the film version of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ just because I want to seem smart for not liking something very popular. I’ve actually seen people who haven’t even read the thing turn their nose up at the mention of the book (Poseurs all of them). Those same people do the same thing with the movie version of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and that kind of bugs me. But sadly, in the case of this movie, they may have something because it’s just not very good.

I’ll be honest here… It’s boring. The book was a fine little mystery with some great historical facts thrown in, but nothing spectacular by any stretch. The problem the film faces is it can’t delve too deeply with the historical stuff, for fear of making the film a pseudo-documentary. So sadly, it had to discard the most entertaining aspects of the book, and rely only on the pot boiler mystery which as I‘ve already said, is no great shakes.

Well ‘The Da Vinci code’ has just given more truth to the statement that the movie is NEVER as good as the book. BUT, this got me to thinking...... what book is not as good as the movie? It HAS happened you know! So here we go….. a list of films I thought were better than the book!

The Godfather (The only one on this list where the book isn’t even CLOSE!)
Jaws (The book is more pulp and Soap Opera than this Spielberg classic)
Blade Runner (The book is called “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” and I found it very dull … mind you I was 12 when I read it.
Shawshank Redemption (Probably the only Stephen King I’d put in this category)
Silence of the Lambs (Much scarier on the Big screen… I’ll never forget when I saw this in England how cousin Giles jumped like a woman four separate times!)
Excalibur (The original book is 'Le Morte D'Arthur' and was published in the 1500’s. I own the damn thing but it’s about as dry as the Sahara desert in August.)

So feel free to add some that I may have missed … there are others that are supposed to be better than the books, Die Hard, Princess Bride, but I never read the printed version to have a say.

Oh yeah one other thing… I’m still looking for a Job and getting a little worried, so if you’d like, you can click here to download my resume and HIRE ME!!!!!

Remembering Jock.....

2006-06-01T01:26:00.000-07:00

Jock Wilkinson
March 26, 1920 - May 22, 2006

The World is missing one of the good ones. My old neighbour from Grand Forks, Jock Wilkinson passed away May 22 at the age of 86. When I was a kid, I always thought Jock was just another old guy who lived across the street. But as I got older, I found out there was a whole lot more to the man than I had ever thought.

He was a World War II vet who saw action for 5 years as a signal man, starting in Italy and ending in Germany. He was there when Grand Forks opened it's first airport, and told me last summer how amazed he was by the Ford Tri-Motor that had flown in for the day. And if that wasn't enough we had this conversation in front of the Grand Forks Museum where there is a picture of a Ford Tri-Motor and a kid named Jock.

It may seem trivial to many of you, but the most impressive thing Jock ever did was have the ability to always know the difference between myself and my brother Jim. Aside from family members and close friends who see us everyday, many people have a tendencey to get Jim and I confused with each other. Not Jock, not ever. Being a younger brother and wanting to be known as his own person, well, that always meant a lot to me... Thanks Jock.

HOLY CRAP, I’M BIG IN ANDORRA!

2006-05-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

You may notice to your RIGHT (and slight scroll down), I have a counter telling us who’s who when they come to visit. Now, I must say I am in shock at the amount of people who have come here to read my rather ordinary musings. I actually have a reader in Portugal who wrote me and said hi! Now this counter just doesn’t read ‘hits’ but rather 'Visits', meaning it only counts you once a day no matter how many times you access the blog, and it doesn’t count me at all. So yesterday alone, there were 22 individual visitors to this humble ol’ Blog. I’m very happy about that, thanks everyone! By the way, anyone ever heard of Andorra before?

The Job search continues! Today I applied for a couple of Provincial Government jobs and one of them sent me for a loop because I actually had to print off a PAPER application and fill it out by hand! WOW, in this day and age of emailing resumes or online applications, that was a real shocker. Anyhow the job was for a help desk position which is kind of what I used to do at Wellons so we’ll see what happens. I keep telling myself something will happen with all these jobs I’ve applied too… something HAS to happen right? As always if any of you have any leads, tips, or even an Idea, don’t hold back….. email me today!!!

My dirty, dirty,secret...

2006-05-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

If you’ve read my blog for the last little while you’ve read my feelings about the British show Doctor Who. The good Doctor is probably the greatest export from the British Isles since corgi toys! Well there is another show I watch from Old Blighty and I’m not as proud of my devotion to it (No doubt my British readers will have a chuckle over this one) I am addicted to a British soap opera called Hollyoaks!!!!

It’s brilliant! It has it all, romance, laughs, sex, drama, high adventure, and most of all it has IZZY!!!! Yes the character of Izzy Cornwell has just been introduced and it’s made a great show even greater! My only complaint is that I thought recently I had missed some episodes, but it turns out Hollyoaks released a Video only special entitled “Hollyoaks - Indecent Behaviour” that tied up, and started a bunch more storylines. I can’t find it ANYWHERE (well at least anywhere for a free illegal download)! So if anybody across the pond has a copy… send it on over! I’ve got a Hollyoaks jones and I need my fix!

Do the walk, Do the walk of life.......

2006-05-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Kids, which one is Gregg?

Howdy Hi, Girls and guys! Well this weekend was a busy one with the 12 hour Hour relay for Life in Langley! This year I was a member of my friend Colin Cameron's team and despite the very wet and cold weather fun was had by all! Pictures will be coming later in the week, I promise, so watch this space! The weekend raised a total of $305,000 for cancer reseach and thanks to you guys I was able to add $475.00 to that total! Thank You!

I am almost hesitant to say it, but this weekend my withdrawal from Antidepressants seems to be on the ropes. I'm beginning to feel much better and the 24 hour car sickness is more like 2 or 3 hour a day car sickness! It's actually quite weird to feel good after three weeks of feeling crummy!

Oh by the way if you are new to my blog or want to re-read an old post but don't see it, be sure to check the right hand column for a link to all my posts for this month. For some reason, that I'm trying to fix, only a certain number of my posts show up on this page. So you'll need to peruse the links on the right for all the posts.

Welcome to Kamloops town!

2006-05-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well my road trip continues here in the lovely little town of Kamloops! Visiting my Brother Jim, his wife, and kids (Ben and Raili) hasn't been the best visit as I've been a little icky the last couple of days from my withdrawal from antidepressants. But today I feel very good and ready to face the world! Yesterday saw some real nasty and rainy weather hit Kamloops so Jim, Ben, and I watched the entire first season of "The Adventures of Spin and Marty" on DVD. I have to admit at first I didn't think Ben would like the show (with it being Black and White and relatively slow moving when compared to today's cartoons) But he LOVED IT! Within minutes he was cheering on the boys of the Triple "R" ranch, and asking aloud at the end of every episode what "Will happen to Spin and Marty Gregg?". Just goes to show you good TV is good TV no matter when and where it's made.

So a quiet stay in Kamloops ends tomorrow as I make my way back to the dank urban sprawl that is known as Surrey. Much to my surprise I've had many of you who follow this blog emailing me and asking when I'm coming home and such. Well I expect to in town around 10pm tomorrow (That's Wednesday to you folks without a calender) so give me a call then , or email or comment on this here Blog! Can't wait to hear from you!

Grand Forks is Hot! And I don't mean Fiona Forbes Hot either....

2006-05-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

It's a billion degrees here and there is no doubt Summer has truly started! The last few days have involed MANY Grand Forks type activities like eating Borscht down at the Grand Forks Hotel, sitting outside and sweating while the kids play in the water, and taking a stroll down Market Ave. I went Downtown with my Dad and since it was sooo nice we parked and walked everywhere we needed to go. My Dad is the freaking King of Kensington! Seriously, when he "walks down the street.." everyone pops their head out of their stores and yells "Hi Andy!", Dad waves, smiles, and then keeps on walking along.

I then got to spend the Afternoon with the McGraws. Brian McGraw is a man I've known since 1990 and is something of a Hockey legend in this town. I sat and Drank Pepsi while I got all the inside scoops on all the girls that I think are good looking in GF and who still live here (Brian and his wife Jessie are the first people I go to to see if someone is worth my time or not!). I also found out that Brian and Jessie's 4 year old Kayden favourite TV shows are as follows.. Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs, and How it's Made. Quite the line up for a little kid!

It's not been all fun and games here however as my niece Chloe came over and showed me her treasured NeoPet, "doglover_985" (Neopets are online "Pets" you take care of, feed, and love). She had created a lovley blue pet that her and her little brother Sam thought was the best! Well after they left I went on the neopet website to see how her neopet was doing and through some wrong clicks I accidently fed her Neopet some food and turned it into some sort of horrible monster (pictured here). If Chloe asks, I will just blame it on some sort of horrible computer virus going around.

Heading to Kamloops tomorrow... I'll update you there!

"The Slag Piles are coming in Sight......"

2006-05-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

WOW! My blog is only one week old and I'm already taking it on the road! Here I am in lovely Grand Forks where it's bright, beautiful and 28 degrees celsius YIKES!!! What am I doing inside on a day like this typing on a computer you ask? Well I'm still a bit under the weather due to withdrawal from antidepressants (It's almost gone thank you for asking), and I'm still sleepy as I took the red eye from Coquitlam to GF last night getting in sometime around 3 this morning!

After a few hours sleep I was up and out the door for a dental appointment, where I'm happy to report after avoiding the dentist chair for over seven years my teeth are in perfect biting order with no cavities to be seen! Tonight, I am being taken to the pinnacle of sophisticated dining, it's called 'Clydes' (No Manson it has nothing to do with Clint Eastwoods Orangutan). I'm going to have a big ol' burger with Mom, Dad, Auntie Glo and Uncle Tom, to celebrate the Ortis' wedding anniversary! Much more interesting updates to come while the Blog remains on the road until next week when the big show winds up in Kamloops! Please try to remain calm...

About as serious as this Blog gets.....

2006-05-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

On May 26th I will be participating in a 12 hour "Relay for Cancer" in Langley. My good friend Colin Cameron started this last year in honour of his late father Stu Cameron who passed away fighting this horrible disease. It's a great time where a bunch of us stay up late and walk for 12 hours and eat junk food! There is a survivors lap where anyone who survived cancer joins in to start the relay, and a candle light lap to remember friends and family we've lost (It's hard not to tear up while walking in the dark and seeing all the names and candles let me tell you.) I'm walking to honour all the people in my family who have fought, and thankfully, beat cancer. If you'd like to donate to my 12 hour relay you can click here to help stop Cancer with this very safe online transaction! Thanks!

Where have all my DVD's gone... Long time passing

2006-05-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

I own a lot of DVD's... almost too many (last count I had over 300). Since I haven't been feeling too well the last week, due to my bodies withdrawal from no longer taking antidepressants (which is by the way getting better everyday) I decided I was going to veg out and watch the ENTIRE
Star Wars saga to pass the time. Problem is they aren't here!!! I've lent them to somebody, and CAN'T remember who!!!! Do you have them??? I'm trying hard to remember who borrowed them, but I'm stumped. Of course this is coming from the guy who can't score higher than 6 on the Simon game posted in yesterdays blog!!

Anyhow I'm still a sucker for spreading the word of the DVD so take a look at my DVD list here and let me know what you'd like to borrow!

While I'm here I'd like to thank all the people who have emailed me about the blog and/or left comments... It's a good feeling to wake up to emails don't you think?

Anyone going to Grand Forks?

2006-05-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Since my employment at Wellons Canada is ending officialy next month, I am on my way to Grand Forks to visit my Mom's dental office (She works there) and get the ol' chompers back in order for free while I am still covered by medical!!!!

So are you are going there before this Sunday? TAKE ME TAKE ME TAKE ME!!! Let me know and the whole trip I will entertain you with stories about me drinking WAY too much Super Socco and having an allegric reaction that made me look like Rocky Balboa after 15 rounds with Apollo Creed!

("Jim I drank too much Super Socco!")

Looking for Jobs in all the wrong places....

2006-05-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

I need a Job!

Yes I need a job but not any old Job like Joe Buck from "Midnight Cowboy" would take.

I've got a few good leads on some things so I'll keep my fingers crossed. One is a warehouse Job that deals with Games and Comics and things, and the other is a Job like I used to do at Wellons Canada.

Something tells me the warehouse job, filled with toys that I would enjoy, pays very little, while the job dealing with something I could care less about will pay much more!!! Ain't that the way?? I've also applied for several jobs with the federal and provincial governments, and civilian jobs with RCMP that I hope to hear from.. but every day with no reponse makes me think I'll never hear from them!!!

So to all my little bloggers out there be sure to say your prayers and eat your vitamins, as well as keep an ear out for any jobs for lil' old Gregg! And hey, while you're at it keep an eye out for Fiona Forbes and ask her if she wants to go on a date with me sometime!

Doctor Who and me....

2006-05-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

Since the CBC in it's infinite wisdom has chosen NOT to show season two of Doctor Who this year, I've taken it upon myself to download all of the episodes from the web.

And must I say I'm very glad I have!! The new Doctor David Tennant is no Christopher Eccelstone (Last years Doctor), but he's growing into the role. He's a bit like my fave Doctor #5 (as played by Peter Davison pictured on the left) but also a bit quirky like Doctor #2 Patrick Troughton! By far the best episode this year was "School Reunion" that featured the return of K-9!!!!

YAAAYYY!!! Okay I will stop now as my Blog is losing readers the longer this goes on~~~~~

OH yeah....... Bille Piper is Damn hot!!!

I mean why not????

2006-05-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone else has a Blog why not me???? I am sooo going to try and post something (no matter how mundane) everyday.

I've stopped taking antidepressants and I am SICK! Yes it's an actual withdrawal and it feels like the flu. How long can this last? It's been going on a week and I'm hoping I'm heading towards the finish line VERY soon!

Good thing is no sadness nor any type of depression has reared it's ugly head since I've been weaned off the drugs. I doubt it will return either, due to the help and support I've received from all of you guys... now, cue some lame song like "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree