I love it all.

Just an update... I love my new ipod. I mean, I really love my new ipod. I can't wait to get it to the gym. I also love my new Wii remote. I know I don't have anything to play it with, but I love my new Wii remote. I also love my new Zelda game. I know I can't play it yet, but I love looking at the case. I really love that. I won't dare open it before I have a Wii though, I've gone two years without major spoilers, and I can wait longer.

Man, buying expensive technology is so much fun.

Wii less

Well, it's Sunday, and I'm Wii-less. I've got the new Zelda, and an extra controller, but no system. I couldn't get up early enough to line up outside a store, so I didn't make it. I had no idea that this console was so popular, there's been next to no commercials for it. Oh well, I guess I can wait a few more days. On a good note though, I've got a new ipod nano!! Okay, now I feel happy again. Time to fill it up, later.

Wii Man

Go Mr. Wii Remote!


Sunday!!!

What's been keeping me busy...

If someone would have told me a few months ago that I would find myself managing at two BP’s, and also filling in for the regional marketer, I would have laughed. But, here I am, and loving it all the way. Now I have lunch with the owner and GM, while we plan our strategies to increase sales, all while eating great Chinese food. Tomorrow I’ve got some marketing to do at the local businesses, and then I’m off to close at our sister BP location. That will be very interesting for sure, I can’t wait to see what it’s like there.
Best part of all is that I’ve been making it on my own terms, being myself and not catering to what anyone thinks. I recently knew this guy who was so scared about people finding out who he really was (by that, I mean his gay life), that he really lived a lie with most people around him. Well hope you’re having fun bud. Hey, and by the way, it’s amazing how many staff members we have working for us who used to work at Jack Asstor’s. Small world, eh?

I've also been able to hang out with my friends every few days. It's great just to relax with them and play some DS. Not to mention that Wii is less that a week away. Oh, and it's chocolate making time soon as well. Hope you all plan on gaining some weight this Winter=)

Wii on South Park

Wow, you know when you've created a hit when your product hasn't even launched yet, and it's already on South Park! Only a few more days til Wii. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out the link.

12 Years in Prison?

My dream started off in a bus with Veena and Sreng. The bus arrived at the Airport, to take me to prison! It all felt very sudden for me, I had known about it for a week or so now, but really just ignored it. Now, it was all real, and my last few days of freedom were over. I felt like it was all a dream, it could be really happening to me (ironic eh?). I started crying when I said by to them, and Veena said “you're crying?” I said to her: “well ya, I’m going to be there for a long long time.” I got off the bus and went into the airport alone. There I saw some familiar faces from school. They were all excited because they were taking fun trips to fancy places. They asked me where I was headed to, and I told them prison. "Brutal eh?," I said to them. I felt like a loser, they'd all be successful by the time I got out, and 12 years of my life would be wasted. Totally wasted, that's what bothered me the most.
I remember taking out all my personal belongings and placing them on this glass platform, while I spoke to a couple from school. I don’t remember what all the stuff was, but they were things that meant something to me, that were given to me, or things that I made. I told the couple to leave the stuff here; I thought it would be funny for the next person to pass by and see it all, wondering whose it was. They said okay, and I left.
Somewhere in the airport, I thought... “Oh my god, I’m still scheduled to work next week, I never told them!” In my dream, it was the same day as today, so I knew my real life schedule for next week. I never had a chance to phone though, but did it really matter? I was going to be in prison for 12 years.
I took the trip to the prison, and arrived a some sort of forest area. My “cell” had a thatch roof, and was a big circlar room. From the windows all around me, I could see naked guys standing outside, who where either keeping guard or just fellow prisoners. I think they were prisoners, because I felt that I would be doing the same thing soon.
At this point I woke up because I had to pee. But, when I fell back asleep, the dream continued...
Now, I was in a totally different setting. The I was now a prisoner in my own home, the family room in our basement to be exact. It looked different though, with a huge opening to the outside on one side, and windows at the top of the wall. I remember thinking, “okay one hour down, now just the rest of the 12 years to ago. Maybe if I’m really nice I can get out in 8?” I also couldn’t remember what I had done to get to prison. I knew it was murder, but I didn’t remember doing anything. There was a woman outside watching me, making sure that I stayed put. At one point I left and went outside. My house was in a downtown area, and I went into a large building. I went up a few floors and went down a corridor. I passed a lady on my right who was sitting at a desk. She called me back, and I realised it was the woman who interviewed me last week for a job. “I recognised you too she said.” Over her shoulder, sitting on the floor I could see an old high school friend, Ben. I waven hi to him, and then turned my attention back to the woman. “Hi .......(insert wrong name here)......I mean, Gina! How are things going with the position search?” “Oh, I’m still looking, I’ll let you know”. All I kept thinking about was getting the job, and hopefully getting out of jail. Would this be possible I thought? I didn’t tell her that I was in jail. I think it was at this time that I went into a washroom, and peed at a urinal. Some guy stood next to me and started speaking. He asked me if I wanted to smoke pot with him. I told him no, knowing that I wasn’t allowed, and that the guard would probably smell it on me.
I left, and went back to my home. Well, it wasn’t really my home, it looked like a downtown building. I went in through a different door, and downstairs to the dark prison room. I made sure to be seen by the woman. “Where did you go?” “Oh, just upstairs to get something...” Then I saw a computer sitting near by. “Hey, can I use the computer? I trade stocks.” “As your job?” “Ya,” I told her. “I don’t know, I’ll have to ask.” Fear ran through me thinking of where my stocks would be in 12 years. They’d probably be better off than if I was left to manage, I thought.
I looked at the time, and now a few hours had passed. What the hell am I supposed to do here for all this time? I kept the thought that I could get out early if I was good.
Then I spoke to my dad. I told him to get a lawyer, and see if they could appeal. “appeal?” he said to me. “Ya, check things out, try to get me out of here”.
Later, it got cold, and snow started blowing through the hole. I ran up to block it, and the woman came “where are you going, stay put.” I told her I was just trying to block the snow from coming in.
I woke up again from this dream, and was very happy to know that I wasn’t going to prison for something I didn’t do.

Halloween Party at Andria’s!

[Edit: Now with pics!]

Last year I went to Kyle’s Halloween Party, and this year I went to one at Andria’s new house. I went as a fat American,... yes I don’t get it either. [The picture of me is from the end of the night, and after many many Hot Steves. I look like a crack head:P] It was great when Craig “Osama” showed up with his very veiled girlfriend.
Veena and I went together and had a great time. I introduced everyone to the “Hot Steve” shot, which is a total rip off of the shot Chris made us, Patrcyja. I don’t remember the name, so now all my friends know it as the Hot Steve. I also engaged in some drinking games, which included a lot of drinking. And, for all those who remember me as the guy who could drink all he wanted and still be somewhat sober, those days are over! Wow, I now understand all the stories I’ve heard from people blacking out, and throwing up! It was great. Veena drove home, and I threw up three times on the way! I’m proud that I’ve finally experienced this feeling. Oh, and I also fell asleep with my contacts on, an act that I never understood how people could do before. My tolerance has weaken from months of never drinking, and studying for school.
Oh, and Happy Halloween! It’s only a few hours away now! Everyone listen closely for the ghostly whispers and footsteps running down your hallways!
Oh, and one more thing. Guess who forgot to change the time on his alarm, and arrived at work at 8:15 wondering where everyone was. Man, what a flake (to use one of Eric’s terms)

Convocation Camp

Yesterday was a busy day, but in a very good way. There were 2 parts to it, my convocation at York, and the Toronto film fest, Toronto After Dark. One of them was too long, boring and inhumane, and the other was fun, and entertaining. Following is a short story of the inhumane part of yesterday:

I was up early at about 6:55, got ready and we left to pick up Veena and Sreng at 8. After that we headed down to York, where the ceremony started at 1030. They wanted me there 2 hours early, so that I could stand in a line...Opps, I mean in lines.

HOW MANY LINES?

The first line was to pay for my robe. $50.00 bucks, and they weren’t going to give that back, they called it a ‘rental fee’, um...okay. Then the next line was longer, much much longer. Both lines were in a hallway to school, and there were no dividers, or arrows for which way to line up. I ended up in the middle of the second line, cutting in without even knowing it (it was a mess of people). The line was a large spiral, no exaggeration. I saw Patrycja after a while, and she budded in with me (pregnant women get whatever they want in my book). Finally, we reached the end of the second line, and then joined the start of the third line, to pick up the robes. Short line, and we went to Vari hall, which was behind a veil. I joined a forth line/mess of people, in order to get a number. I got 722. The number turned out to be my reserved spot in a fifth line. I crossed the veil entrance to Vari Hall, in order to get in line. What did I find? About 1000 people standing...in a line. I asked a girl if she was in line, and she said she was. She was number 1000 something, and said to head into the core of the line. So, I started pushing my way through, burrowing deep into the heart of this final line made up of graduates. I found the 700’s line, and found my place in front of 723, thankfully. There we stood for another half hour or so, and tried to figure out how to put the sash on properly. Finally, a voice from the floor above shouted at us to “get in line” and showed us how to do the sash. We all didn’t fit into this hall now (which is really just the entrance to York), and people in the higher numbers were overflowing outside.

INTO THE TENT

Finally, after being in this hot and smelly mess, we stated to move, row by row. We walked outside, in the cold (which was refreshing after all we had been through), and made our way to the extra large tent York had set up for us. We filtered in, passing families in friends, all packed together. I knew that my mom, dad, and Veena and Sreng were somewhere in there. I started to think it was a bad idea to come. But, it was nice to be free, walking freely after being stuck for so long in lines. That was when the real and true horrors of the morning began.

Row by row, we were squeezed into bleachers, thigh to thigh, knees to back. There was no leg room, no room to even move your head for fear of knocking off your hat. Facing us was the crowed, probably thousands of people staring at us, and a camera shooting us to place our faces on the big screen above. And then there were the lights, the hot hot lights shining on us. An angel was looking out for me, because Patrycja ended up being seated right behind me, the ODDS!

The ceremony began, and there we sat. Rumours started flying that the ceremony would be three hours, people started flipping through the book of names.....so many names, it got hotter, people were thirsty, hungry, everthing! Patrycja needed to pee, but how to escape this hell? Justin Timberlake started singing from the Ipod beside Patrycja, cell phones started calling....people found ways to cope. I started to laugh, and joke. I said it would be over in 15 minutes, just fifteen minutes. I knew though, deep down, that it would be longer...much longer. Patrycja couldn’t hold it in anymore, and an excape was planned. People moved from the row behind her, and she got to the top, and was able to get down from the side. Behind me the underground railroad was opened. It tempted me, time was passing, it was getting hotter, I felt faint from dehydration. I could see my friends, Sreng’s head tipped to the side, eyes started to close. My parents eyes followed the row of people on stage, name after name. Hurry up, hurry up. Those around me kept following the book. 8 more pages. But it couldn’t be true, they really couldn’t keep us here that long. But, the names kept coming. And then it started happening. After shaking hands, some of the graduates when right instead of left. Instead of going back up to the bleachers, they when right, into the freedown of the outside world. Fresh air, a cool breeze, food, water, freedom. Patrycja came back, and we planned our escape as well.

HOW TO GET OUT?

How would could we hide carrying our jackets and her purse when going on stage? Could we really make it out? We planned, people complained. Only a few more pages now, it had been almost two hours. It was hotter now, my robe was undone, my tie losen, and the top three buttons on my shirt were undone. Water, if only I had some water! Justin Timberlake played some more, people started conversations about nothing, with the prisoners beside them. “they are pronouncing the names wrong” “What is that big pole they are carrying”. We watched the “dignitaries” shaking hands, and smiling because they had water beside them.

We sat and sat and sat and sat. Why did I come? I want to leave and eat Sushi! How much longer! More names, never ending. We began to hate the people that stalled, even just a little. Hugging instead of shaking hands brought hatred from us towards the person. Hurry up! More people snuck off, smart people, free people. Our captures made announcements: “do not leave, stay out of respect for your fellow graduates”. Respect? What did the administration know about respecting us?

Finally, the time came, and my line went. At the last minute we changed our plan, and decided to stay. Standing up hurt, my knees cramped, and I was slightly delirious from dehydration. I waited, again in another line. A line that went up the stage. I shook hands, and smiled. The air down on the stage was cool, and fresh. I was free, and it felt nice. A camera man took my picture (which York wanted to sell us, for about $30), and then I went left. Left, back up to the jail, and we once again put on our row to wait. More names, rows and rows of more names. Patrycia went and came back, but then escaped.

MY ESCAPE...foiled

I then sent a text to my friend Sreng, and he called me back, he was now outside with my mom and Veena, on a washroom break. I told him I wanted to escape, to go back and tell me dad to me outside of the tent. I couldn’t take it, and I followed the path the Patrycja had carved out, and made it to the top of the bleechers. A guard came running, “you can’t leave, sit down!” I didn’t, and kept walking. “Sit back down!” “I’m going to be sick,” lied to her, in a desperate attempt to get out. "No sit down, we let the other girl leave because she was pregnant!” And thus my escape was foiled, and I returned to my seat, now a deserter.

More time passed, and we all counted down to the last page, then the last row, and finally, the last name! We erupted in a cheer, life flowing through our veins again. Speeches were shortened, and finally we were set free. I rejoined my group, and quickly made it outside to the fresh air. We nearly ran to the spot that I needed to hand in my robe and picked up my diploma and certification (I was scared of another line). Thankfully, I made it before any such line had formed, and we make it out.

The rest of the day was much better, more to come...

Toronto After Dark

Are you guys ready for Halloween, the best holiday of the year? Well, get ready by watching some scary movies. Not your usual scary movies either (which are also great by the way), but some all new scary movies!
Join me at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival next week. I’ll be going on Saturday night, probably catching all the shows, first one starting at 3:30.
All the movies are playing at Bloor Cinema located at 506 Bloor Street West.
Check out what’s playing here, there are trailers you can watch too.
I’m going to buy some tickets before I go, so that I save money, you should all do the same. Let me know who wants to go, and we’ll meet up! Andria and Daren have already shown interest, so everyone else........ come along or else!
Let me know.

My Nonna Connie has emergency surgery

Today, my parents and I went bright and early down to the Collingwood hospital. Late last night, Nonna Connie was having really bad stomach pains. By 3:00am it was so bad that she finally agreed to go to the hospital. When I found this out, I was scared. It was all to similar to what happened to Nonno John. I was scared they were going to find cancer.
It turned out that her small intestine had gotten tangled with her hernia, which she has had most her life. It was either surgery or death. We decided on surgery.
Today she had that surgery, and after a few grueling hours of waiting and worrying, we were told that it went better than expected, and she was going to be better than ever. Actually, the doctor said that she was the best patient ever (what else whould we expect from the best Grandmother ever?) What a relief. She's now recovering in the hospital still, and I'm back home. She'll have to stay there for the rest of the week to recuperate.

Drangons' Den

Now, I'm not big on most of the reality shows out there, but here's one you have to catch. It's called Dragons' Den, and it's on CBCNewsworld, or channel 26. Anyone who likes business, marketing or new ideas will like this. It's like the Apprentice, just better.
Check it out, it's on Friday nights at 8pm or Saturday nights at 11pm.
Anyone catch it this week, what did you think?

Sex, Religion, and Humans

Interesting little article dealing with the shooting of those girls in the US. It looks at why the guy did them, and looks at the broader context of society and its thoughts on sex.

GST cuts will cost us

Just a short little article about how the government will make up for the GST tax cuts it introduced.

Thanksgiving with Friends

Tonight, Sreng and Veena came by and we had a Thanksgiving dinner together. There was no turkey or mashed potatoes, just pasta. Good whole wheat pasta with vegetables and creamy pesto sauce. It was great.
Actually, just hanging out with my friends was really great, it's been more than a week since I last saw them. Work and school has been keeping us busy. Best news is that we may go out Saturday night together. That is a rare occasion, as I always work Saturday nights.
Tomorrow night I work with you Jackie!!!!! Power power power!
Deb, you've also said you'd stop by, so I look forward to that. Make sure to ask for my section, no matter how filled or busy I am!

I'll do what I want

7 days straight of work finally end, and I have my Wednesday off. I can't wait, it will be great. Kinda reminds me of this South Park episode, because I can do whatever I want. Maybe not drugs and sex, more like getting my hair cut and eating some ice cream. =)
Oh, and I had a crazy dream I was in the movie labyrinth, running from all the goblins, and slamming doors in their faces. It was great. Then I was in Italy wearing swimming trunks that were tangled and had the liner hanging out. What-eva, I'll dream what I want bitch.