Rob's Blog

WHOA!

2005-12-05T02:14:00.000-05:00

Has it been that long already!?

As I write this, I will let you, the reader know, that we now have a new computer! No more 455 mhz, 25 gb anymore!! (And as of one year before it was about 133 mhz, 8 gb)! Now we have a state of the art, CD/DVD burnin', rip roaring new PC!! Hooray! I can finally download and burn that Bleach and Naruto!!

I've been really busy with school these last few months. Triumphant with the "Tropic Networks" ad campaign, but not so much with "Canadian Blood Services" (both presented to the clients). For fun, I've made a desktop background featuring Bleach characters.

Tomorrow, it'll be loads of fun (detecting sarcasm in my voice) as I use image ready and dreamweaver to make a website... I suck at web design!! An all nighter is planned but I hope that I won't have to.

Whatever... 2 more projects and this semester is OVER!!! Yay!

Anyway, hope you all enjoy yourselves!
Rob

Missing somebody sucks!

2005-08-02T23:37:00.000-04:00

You know what's hard? Having your girlfriend away for almost 4 months. It kinda makes you crazy at times. Like today, it was like, I spent all day hoping that I'd get to talk to her for a while on MSN. But we only got to talk for like 1 minute.

When someone is gone for that long, you begin to have weird ideas in your head. The girl at work, Courtney (no relation to my ex! Hahaha!), was telling me today about how she and her boyfriend were apart for two months. The whole time she kept wondering if he was cheating on her. Now, I know Kana wouldn't do that, but I do wonder if she still feels about me in the same way that she did when she left. I guess it's only natural to have some aprehension. I wonder if she's thinking the same kinds of things about me?

Either way, she needn't worry! I can't wait to see her again, because I miss her terribly and if anything, these last 19 days until her return are creeping by so slowly! It's like when you're a kid and it's Christmas, but you have to sleep or else Santa won't come. It takes so long to fall asleep! That's sorta the way it is with Kana coming back, y'know.

Anyway, I've exposed enough weakness for one day!
Rob

3 weeks to go...

2005-08-01T23:52:00.000-04:00

Only three weeks until my girlfriend comes back from Tokyo. Man, I miss her! I can't wait until she comes back. I'm getting pretty anxious now.

With 3 weeks left until her return, that also means that only 4 weeks remain in my illustrious grass cutting career. Next week, no bosses will be available due to vacation so that gives me more responsibilities (though Tony will serve as the figurehead leader).

What will I use my power for? Hm... for starters, that Poison Ivy at Remic... nobody is going to cut that! I mean, you can't expect summer students to trudge around in poison ivy, cut it, and get infected!! That's madness! I will make sure that the city and the brass don't get their way in this one. They should be spraying that or leaving it alone!!

Well, at least I get to do some good before retiring from the landscaping game.

Passing the bill

2005-05-24T20:42:00.000-04:00

I know I know! I'm avberaging like 1 post a month lately. Besides the fact that school was insane by year's end, Kana was leaving for Japan soon thereafter and me staring my final summer at Gemma, I've been a busy guy.

Big News: Bill is no longer on the grass crew! He's been shuttled to Comstock where he lives out his days doing turf, garbage or whatever they assign him. Of course, that crafty bastard will probably find a way to drive a truck around all summer doing very little physical labour. He may be evil, but I tip my hat to this hardcore slacker... as I bid his ass farewell.

The reason being that the powers that be decided to amalgamate the OG (Original Grass Crew) and the Bizarro (read: Western) Grass Crew into one unit. Essentially, this created some redundant positions. Bill fell out. Pierre stayed in.

Is this necessarily a good thing? In my opinion, it would be like the Martin Luthor taking the place of the Pope. You see, I was made aware by Shamas that we do not hate/fear what is completely different. We fear that which is similar, but slightly different. On the surface, Pierre is okay. He picks us up and drops us off at appropriate times (break and such) and is not so "prison guardish". But...Everything must be done his way. He does not overlook unimportant areas (making us cut in areas that don't need it) and frankly, I was beginning to butt heads with this new megalomaniacal leader of the whip crew. But that's when things got twisted in my favour.

I was placed on the newly formed "Parkway" crew (or grass crew special ops as I like to call it). In this, I get a truck (the original grass truck), a student (Jason, he's doing fine), and a whole mess o' Parkways in the East and West (as well as Kingsview and River Road). AND I no longer have to do the NRC, CMHC, Expo. Sa-weet.
Also, I only answer to Lyle. No asshole middle man to hold me down anymore. I guess that's decent for my last year. I no longer return home from work enraged and yelling. I am calm. I just pity Rivard who is stuck there. He told me today that things ain't good there without me. It seems the new batch can't hold the workload. Ah well.

Aside from that, Naruto is awesome. I just caught up to the anime, so that means I've seen the Lee Drunk Master fight and The Sasuke vs. Naruto battle. Awesome.
Gundam Seed was also very good and perhaps certain world leaders (who shall remain nameless, but their names rhyme with push)should watch it and see the ultimate result of his reactionary policies.

While on topic, for anyone who has watched "Berserk" (which is in the top 3 anime series I've ever watched), do you not think that not only did Griffith get what he wanted (power) but, so did Guts? Guts did not want power though. Guts wanted endless amounts of powerful enemies to fight. He did say that he only lives to fight. Therefore, did Griffith not create a world in which Guts could fight?

Anyway, that's it for me.
Rob

Wild Teens

2005-04-17T03:25:00.000-04:00

I left English's tonight at about 2:30am. We watched Bubba Ho Tep which I liked. Anyway, so I decide to take the back way home. To get there, I can either take the 174, or St. Joseph. I could also make may way to Innes, but Innes sucks right now. I chose St. Joseph.

While waiting at the light, at the corner of St. Joseph and Jeanne d'Arc, this car packed with teens pulls in behind me. There seems to be about 7 or 8 in the car. Probably been drinking.

Anyway, they're screaming at me and giving me the finger. The light changes, I casually make my turn and take the slow lane. The car pulls in beside me, and the two rightmost passengers start shouting expletives and flipping the bird at me. They do this hanging from the windows.

Perplexed by the nature of their actions, and understanding that this is a stupid situation at best, and a bad situation at worst, I casually turn on Orleans street in a manner that would make it impossible for them to follow. My speed never exceeded 50 km/h at any moment. I make my next right and soon, I'm on St. Joseph again, near Jeanne d'Arc. I chose to go home via the 174/ 417 instead.

What the hell is wrong with kids today!? Damn, I'm only 27, but have things deteriorated that much!? Wild teens at the doughnut place, wild teens on the road. I don't know, something has to change.

Rob

Muffy in the Morning

2005-03-24T12:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm back from New York. Actually, we came back Sunday, but I've been swamped with schoolwork since coming back. For the last 2 days I've been trying to make a plan to revive the "MR. Sub" brand, which was the focus of this project. Thankfully, it is complete. Anyway, New York was pretty fun. I got to spend a lot of time with Kana, which is always a bonus.

The bus ride to New York was wraught with problems. The bus broke down near Kemptville, which sucked but at least we were still close to Ottawa. We waited for a new bus for about an hour. Then, somewhere near New York, the bus got caught in crazy traffic due to a horrific accident (there was nothing left to that big rig) delaying us by another hour. But once we arrived, I felt like such a tourist, but I couldn't help it. I mean, I was excited and this was a place that I'd never been. The size of the buildings and number of people on the streets was just crazy. It was like Canada Day in Ottawa... except it was a normal day!

The next morning, the class made its way to Rolling Stone magazine for a preentation by the VP of Marketing (or some title like that). They gave us all the current copy of Rolling Stone, US and Men's Journal. From there, we were on our way to Calvin Klein. The presentation was bit dull, but they gave us all CK hats, and provided snacks for us. The layout of the offices reminded me of their stores so I felt uncomfortable the whole time. I just wanted to leave! Then we went to what was one of the most interesting presentations I'd ever attended. The Art Director's Club was awesome for those interested in the field of advertising. They gave me (and my classmates) many useful tips and ways of understanding the various things which comprise our future careers. The rest of the day was ours. Kana and I went to a Japanese restaurant on First St. (or was it Avenue?) Either way, the food was pretty good.

The next day, the class went to Queens and visited the set of Law & Order: Trial by Jury. That was pretty cool, but seriously eclipsed by our visit to the set of Sesame Street! Imagine 32 grown adults running around taking pictures and waxing nostalgic on one of our favourite childhood programs. Snufflelufflegus (excuse my spelling) was hanging from the rafters (the one Muppet available for viewing) and one by one we took snapshots poking our heads out of Oscar the Grouch's trash can! There's a really nice pic of Kana and I under the Sesame Street sign and on the stairs in front of the appartment building where the human characters live.

The next day, a group of us went to Ground Zero, and then to Canal St (Chinatown) for some shopping. Many were fascinated by the cheap knock-offs by that doesn't interest me. Kana and I did find a cool store that sold some Japanese candies (which made her happy) and I found souvenirs there as well.

On the last day, Kana and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There I was able to see many pieces that I'd only seen in books, including a few Goya's. It's to bad they don't have "Saturn devouring his Children" but that's cool. I think my fav piece in there was a landscape by El Greco. That's a surprise because I've never been a fan of his figure paintings. But apply his techniques to landscapes and WHAM! you get a striking visual feast. Very cool... I came out with a whole new respect for El Greco. Oh, and there was a huge exhibit on Rubens which was cool.

Every morning, it was my habit to get dressed and head down (from the 12th floor) for a smoke. I'd return with my weather forecast, beginning my career as a meteorologist. "Muffy in the Morning" they would call me, if I was on a major network, but alas, my career ended all too abruptly when we went home. The bus ride home was much easier than the ride there. Except when the bus swerved to avoid a deer. I've never seen a bus move like that! I think we may have been on two wheels!

Since then, I visit New York through the magic of video gaming by playing Spiderman 2 for the PS2. At least, now I understand the city layout much better (having visited the place). And Kana bought me a print of a pencil drawing (that is amazingly detailed) of New York and a print of the Statue of Liberty, since I was not able to see it at all (not even from a distance).

Anyway, that's that.
Rob

Going to the big apple

2005-03-15T08:55:00.000-05:00

I leave tomorrow for New York. On the positive side, other than the fun I should have while there, I got a bursary yesterday. So I now have an extra $400! With that, I can eat while in New York, and probably will make it (financially) until my first paycheck this summer! YAY!

I took the bus to school for the first time ever! From Blair to Baseline. Needed to since I don't want to leave my car in the city for 5 days. This was the best solution.

Cool, I'll be back after the trip to tell you about it.
Rob

Stupid Guards! What an odd time!

2005-02-23T03:57:00.000-05:00

So I'm in the PC lab at school. It's 3:21am and I'm a bit mad. Normally, the guards give us the key to access our labs. But this stupid guard b*tch says that I can't access the lab at this time. That we don't have 24 hour access. Bull Shit! How is it that I'm here like twice a week overnight and this is the FIRST time I've been denied access? Oh and she took down my name and program at first, in what I thought was to mark down the complaint on a note. But, I quickly realized that she was pounding me for information. She wanted to know who was breaking the rules and letting us in. "How tall is he, what colour hair, french accent?" I always answered: "I don't know". Why should I help her catch somebody that's helping me out! F*ck you b*tch guard! You get no information from me about or inside man!

Okay, before all this, on the drive from English'd to school, I began to think about today. Kana and I "talked" on the phone today, but she seemed like she was not in a good mood or something. I remembered that she had gone to the health services (doctor) for a problem she'd been having in the abdominal region. She'd told me earlier that she wanted to see me in the morning before school (which means like 7am). From those pieces, my mind began to wander...

Why was she (possibly) in a bad mood? Was it related to the doctor's visit? Why would she want to see me early? Abdominal problems... ohmygod! I thought Kana might be pregnant! My heart sunk into the pit of my stomach as I pulled up to St. Laurent Blvd. I turned the corner, and pulled over to a pay phone at 2:30 am to ask her if she was. Yeah, a bit rash, but I was worried! Of course, I felt a bit stupid after she plainly told me that she wasn't. But I was also relieved... What a weird occurence. Sometimes strings of information can be gathered and assembled to create some weird ideas, or concepts.

The other day, Kana took me out for Japanese food. She had Tempura assortment and I had Teriyaki Chicken. We shared the gyoza, drank green tea and were given a bowl of miso (I think). I didn't like the soup too much. Too fishy for me. Seaweed does have a fishy taste to it. Makes the soup taste like it. I don't like fish. But the gyoza was good. And of course, the chicken, rice and veggies were good too. I ate my first ever meal with chopsticks. I did okay, but my hand was sore after and my technique is not quite right (and still rudimentary).

I have a cold. It sucks, because I'm just starting it. I just sneezed like 5 times in a row, and blood came out this time. But my nose feels a bit clearer now... well, at least on the right side anyway.

I got my car back. I can't remember if I mentionned the problems she'd been having. 3 weeks ago, $600 was put into it for a new waterpump, timing and serpentine belts. 1.5 weeks ago, my car gets put into the shop again. This time for the dreaded transmission. Just over $2000 (with tax) later, my car is working again. That's $2,600 in 2 weeks. Yikes! I have like $60 right now to my name. My parents had to pay that one. I'm getting my income tax very soon... I hope it's the amount that we figured it out to be! I need the cash.

I could then set aside $150 for the New York trip and save the rest for gas and stuff. But that doesn't mean I'll spend the entire $150.

I just sent an E-Mail to Robyn about the lack of 24 hour access in the labs. Hopefully, she does something about it!

Anyway, I should be off.
Rob

My car... I hate winter!

2005-02-17T06:19:00.000-05:00

You know, I always say that I get lethargic in the winter. Not quite depressed, but at a low energy level. School suddenly becomes extremely difficult to maintain, but I always seem to manage pulling through in the end. This year, things are nice. I have an awesome girlfriend, and I'm still floating in the sea of education. But my car... oh my car. Two weeks ago, my car had to be towed home from school. I have CAA so it's cool. But the repairs (water pump and 2 belts) costed over $600. I have only $100 currently so my parents had to pay it. That sucked.

I visited my friend Kevin last week. I hadn't seen the guy since the summer. While I was there, kaput! went his PS2. So he went out and bought a new one (the sleek new model). But I was in the presence of an electronic malfunction. Then, last Friday, my car went down again (and had to be towed from Barrhaven to Embrun (further than school). It was the dreaded "T" word that any car owner hates to hear in the same sentence as "finished" or "done". The transmission is screwed...

That will cost $1,750 to repair... (Of course I can't afford it!) So that's trouble. These money woes are a real concern. Luckily, I may receive $600 in income tax within 2 weeks. All I have to do is make this last $100 last that long (fat chance -- thank you gas prices + over-priced smokes). I'm sorry provincial and federal governments of Canada, but I like to smoke, I know it's not the healthiest choice, but should I be forced to quit because you tell me to? Defiantly, I say no! Why must smokers be treated like second class citizens, or even villains? Ah well, until then, I just have to bear with the high price, until the Native contraband kills the taxes, as they've done in the past. History tends to repeat, don't you think?

I have to come up with a second ad (to present alongside the first concept) for RB Computing. My agency class (and my paying client) demands it. But I have no ideas right now. I'll think of it though.

Well, that's that. I might get my car back tonight (after 6 days) but it's not certain.
Also, Naruto is awesome. I've watched 77 episodes so far (of 122 and counting).

Rob

When things go awry

2005-01-21T14:44:00.000-05:00

Yeah, before I begin, can I just leave a message for motorists out there? Drive safe people! I saw 4 accidents today, 2 of which involved more than 2 vehicles. 1 accident during rush hour on the Queensway (or Ottawa's superhighway) and 3 after school at about noon. It wasn't snowing, raining or icy. It was horribly cold out today, but the roads were dry. So shape up out there!

My bank card was canceled yesterday because the bank suspects that someone may have copied it. It was a bit embarassing to put gas in my car and realize after, when the interac machine didn't work, that I couldn't pay for it! Luckily, it's a gas station that I go to regularly, so they know me. Things got sorted out without much hassle.

I got my passport photo taken today. You know, I'm more comfortable doing business in english, but as soon as people see my name, they revert to french and then it becomes more difficult for me to communicate. Yeah, I know french and can understand it perfectly. But, I'm out of practise so when I go to speak, I often forget words and have a hard time saying what I want to say. I wish they'd stick to english when I want to do business.

With that, and a few things I won't mention,
Rob

It's 6:37am

2005-01-13T06:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was great. I got to see Kana for the first time in almost a month. I was so happy when I got to the door. Too bad her host-Dad was there (he answered the door) because it made our first glimpse of each other after a long time a bit awkward. But she looked amazing! I'm a lucky guy! Hehe

We went for breakfast and then looked for Ang at Canadian Tire (absent). So, we went to school. I had a meeting, she didn't. She gave everyone candy, Thom his Cds, Ang and I our gifts (I'm making a comic for her). Then it was more boring class... I don't like Proposal Writing! Grr!

So then we went to a movie (Lemony Snicketts) which was a weird, weird movie! I'm still not entirely sure if I liked it or not. I mean, it was weird! Well, not what I expected is more like it. There was a bit of a snag (miscommunication/ misread) for which I felt horrible, and I couldn't end the day like that.

So, we went back to her place and talked for a while. She is so awesome!
Since then, I've been here and there (but not home, and no sleep to boot), but I got some schoolwork done. I guess people are gonna show up soon, so I'll leave it at that.

Rob

Resort Zombies

2005-01-11T01:14:00.000-05:00

I just awoke from a nap, and just in time. I had a weird dream about zombies. I have those on the odd occasion, and they are always a bit weird. Let's go over it before I forget.

I was driving down a road that in the real world I don't recognize. It's just as well, at some points, it was reduced to one lane on account of parts being raised 4 or 5 feet above the rest of the road. Meanwhile, the low lying sections were immersed in water. The grass was green and it was warm outside, so I was on vacation! Yeah, it's funny how dreams work.

I got to this hotel, which looked oddly like a cross between a shopping mall and an office building. I walked in and soon realized that outside, there were small gatherings of flesh eating zombies. These pockets, though frightening, seemed unintelligent and slow, but once in a while, you'd see a zombie streak past at high speeds. So they were a mix of traditional with the "new" fast type.

A few people had gathered in the hotel (guests) to discuss the problem. Meanwhile, two girls stood at the doorway hoping to get in. I thought we should, but some asshole asked them to make a zombie dance. If they could do that, then they'd gain entry. Well, it didn't take long for one of the girls to come running back, (I assume the other was eaten), and she smashed the windows to get in. That alerted not only all the zombies in the area, but the regular humans as well. Everyone in a 200 meter readius suddenly darted for the hotel.

As the normals came in, they B-Lined for stores that were lined up in the hallway (obviously hoping to barricade themselves inside). A small group of hotel residents, including myself, made our way to the roof and locked the door. Best place to sleep we thought.

There was an old smashed up car on the roof. I used it to barricade the ledge that lead from the highest point on the roof to the lower section (everyone was on the highest part). Oh, and yeah, in my dream, I could move this car sideways... super strength, though unnoticed at the time. I had just lied down for some sleep when 3 men came onto the roof. Dressed like maintenance men, they looked pissed at us. I guess we stole their spot.

Morning hit with the realization that I was alone on the roof. Some stupid bastard went in the hotel and I assumed everyone was now dead(ish). I was no longer safe on the roof as the door was broken, so I made my way into the hotel. As I went in, I encountered the janitor, who was a zombie. But he just smiled at me, raised his hat and went about his rounds. Even in the dream I thought that was a bit odd.

As I crossed one particualr hall, a zombie noticed me and began to make it's speedy way toward me. Lucky for me, it was 50 feet away and I was already running at that point. I opened an official looking door and went in. After slamming it shut and twisting the lock, I went to the back of the room and grabbed a chair for defence. Though I was seated in the corner (out of breath and scared). What I failed to realize was that there was a doggie door! And someone came sliding in... but it was another normal human. At the moment he entered, I noticed the third man (another normal) in the room.

He passed the full paper basket through the doggie door and it came back empty. When questionned, the man simply said that the janitor still makes his rounds. Weird! Anyway, I wondered how this guy proposed to live here what with food and such. He said that it was no problem, that he went to town everyday and motionned to the large windows. When I looked out, I couldn't believe what I saw. Hordes of people, dancing, swimming, frolicking on the beach... They were normal, and unaware!

I guess the resort was so cut off that these people remained oblivious! Except that, one came in to the office, for a readon that I don't recall, and opened the door leading into the hotel... Zombies came down on us hard.

In the end of the dream, I'm not sure if I was a zombie or not. I was seated with two zombies talking in what looked like the common dining area. The room was actually full of zombies doing this. I got up from my table, and left with a few departing pleasantries. Then I woke up.

Weird, weird, weird!
Rob

Vacations...

2005-01-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've neglected this blog for a bit. But don't be alarmed, I missed some school days too. I think I just needed some time to unwind. Christmas is my only real vacation all year, so what with the family stuff, it ends up kinda hectic. I needed a break, just for me.

Kana comes home tomorrow! YEAH! Except that I don't get to pick her up at the airport, for some reason. I miss her though, and I can't wait to see her. It was her birthday on the 6th and today, she's taking pictures in her kimono, because she's become a legal adult in Japan (at 20). I hope things are going nicely for her.

It's funny though, how insecurities are. What with not picking her up, even if I know the reason, something at the back of my mind tells me that it's for other, more negative reasons. But I know that's not true, still, the thoughts are there. I guess a month apart was hard, but this summer, it'll be 4 months! That's gonna be much harder. I spent a lot of my time this vacation thinking about her and missing her. That's not to say I didn't function, because I still did.

Either way, I'll see her on Wednesday (hopefully early), so we can hang out together that day. It'll be so fun! I haven't seen her in a long time, so I'm excited to see her.

Anyway,
Rob

Dirty Cold

2004-12-20T04:15:00.000-05:00

It's irritatingly cold today. This morning it was -22 degrees celcius with the wind chill (and like -17 without). It was blowing snow (ie. windy) and it was just not a nice day. After visiting at English's tonight, I went to my car and started it up.

It was so cold in there, I even zipped up the green hoodie! The cassette deck was acting weird because of the cold (which is normal under those circumstances) so I had to listen to the radio. I flipped through the programmed stations and found that there was nothing on. So I stayed on the last station I selected. Playing was "Dirty" by Christina Aguilera. I sat there and listened to Dirty, while smoking a cigarette and waiting for my windows to defrost.

It was an irritatingly cold day.

But you know what I love even more? That in January, temperatures will dip below -40 celcius! That's what killed my first car last year. Man, what a start to one of the strangest years I've ever had. I mean, it was January and I had brought Courtney to English's. This was a rare event since I didn't go to English's to often at that point. Anyway, it was oh, like -45 out. I decided that we should go at about 2. I figured Courtney wouldn't want to stay until 4am or anything. I went out to warm the car up... it wouldn't start. We slept at English's on the matress that is now Shamas' bed (I think).

The next morning I called my Dad for a boost. We tried from 9am until 1pm, but alas, it would not start. The tow truck brought it to the mechanic we always go to. 2 weeks, 2 mechanics, several parts later.... nothing. The car was finished. So we payed him $100 and gave him the car for parts. Otherwise, it may have costed over $1000! Yikes!

By March, I had another car. That was about the time that Courtney and I broke up. Hm. You know, Kana asked me in October if I was over Courtney. I said that I was. And it was true. I couldn't explain it to her how I knew, but I did. I've thought about it. You know how I know? I can look back at the time she and I spent together, and I can smile about it. It really was a nice time, and now it's over and we can take all that we given to each other, and learned from the other, and move on. That's how I know.

Actually, I heard from her like 2 days ago. I had E-Mailed her some time prior about my grandmother dying (she knew her) and about keeping the rest of the stuff she had that was mine. She just got back to me. She offered her sympathies for my grandmother. And she told me that her parents have moved back to Ottawa, since they had been living in New York (near NYC) for like 7 years. It'll be nice for Courtney to have family close again.

I'm happy to have known her. Without her, I wonder if I'd now be with Kana? It's hard to say, but I'd like to think that in the 3 years I spent with Courtney, I learned a few things that will make me a better person. Things that would allow me to be with Kana, in the here and now. I guess that's how it works. And I'm happy about it, because of Kana.

Ah well, I guess I've rambled enough.
Rob

Alone

2004-12-18T00:42:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a bit. I was just so busy with final projects and exams that it was absolutely crazy! But that's all over now.

Kana left for Japan yesterday. I dropped her off at the airport for 6am. It sucks because she'll be gone for like 1 month. But it's good that she gets to visit her home, you know. The last time I saw her was when I snuck a peak at her entering the airport as I drove away. I already missed her at that point... Not like missing someone who's been away for a while. No, it was more like a sinking feeling. Either way, it wasn't the greatest feeling on Earth.

From there I went to school and finished making Shamas' going away present. I turned his blog into a book. I made the artwork from stock photos that I manipulated on Photoshop. I'm getting much better with that program. Last year at this time, I could barely turn Photoshop on! Now I can do SOOOOO much with it. But of course, there is more to learn.

It's weird having nothing to do! It's not often I get to do absolutely nothing and not have to worry about the consequences. Still, I have to clean my room and my car at some point soon. I bought an air freshener for my car, but I think it smells like a bathroom air freshener! Wonder if Vanilla would have been a better choice than Ocean Breeze? Maybe next time.

Rob

Busy, busy, busy...

2004-12-09T03:32:00.000-05:00

Just letting you all know that I'm not ignoring this time we spend here together on this blog. No, I've just been swamped with work. With having had to take several days off a few weeks back, I've been playing catch up at school. The good news is, that since I'm writing this, you know that I'm now on par with where I should be.

It's a lot of work though, the "End of Semester". Always a few big projects to do, and then for a reward, some exams... Ah, the dreadful pain. But at least I'm not alone at school all the time at night. Kana's always there. That's one of the perks!

I'm getting so much better with photoshop! I can now make these really cool images that are totally manipulated, but look really cool. I still say that I owe most of that to Kana, but Pete does help and I think I may have even picked a few things up from Frenkenstein!

So here's to me surviving this end of semester crunch. Of course, not long after that, someone's leaving the country for a few weeks... I guess I'll have some time to kill.

Oh, and it's my brother's 34th birthday today. Happy Birthday Ray! I guess my Mom's making banana cake this weekend. It's sooooooooo good!

Rob

The funeral

2004-11-28T07:55:00.000-05:00

I'm still recovering from the flu I suffered yesterday, so I'm eating a bowl of chicken noodle soup as I write this. Just getting my strength up.

As you may have realized, my grandmother (my mother's mother) died on Monday only weeks before her 80th birthday. It's strange though; it seems like just yesterday that she was 29. When I was a kid, I used to ask my grandmother how old she was. She'd always say 29. I remember that as I got older (and more clever) I knew that my mom was in her 30's, so how was it possible that her mother was 29? I never did get an answer. Man, I'm 27 now...

I had to go to Sudbury this week for the funeral. I was late in getting up on that morning and stubbed my toe on the way out of the house. I think I broke it. It still hurts right now! My toe was purple when I put on my good shoes (read: uncomfortable shoes) for the first half of the wake. My grandmother looked nice. Almost too nice! She'd never put nail polish or anything like that on normally... But that's okay. It was a little strange to see her there though. Just weeks before she came to visit us in Ottawa (Thanksgiving) and this all happened so fast. It was almost like it wasn't real. But it was.

The next day, when we had the funeral, we went to the salon first. When we had to leave to attend the church, a lot of people were crying. I'm not prone to waterworks, so I was not among them. We went to the same church that we did for my grandfather's funeral. it's a new church. In fact, my grandfather's funeral was the first official function that the church had held! It was not quite open for Sunday services (but almost). So it was only fitting that the funeral be held there.

I always thought the hardest part is when the casket is put into the hearse and it drives away at the end. Of course, a lot of people were crying and I know that I was close. If you're all wondering, I think I cried on the way to school on Monday. It wasn't for long but that's when I did it. Like I said, I'm not much for waterworks, but I'm still human! I'm just, more private about it I think.

The family ate a huge supper between both halves of the wake at my Uncle Morris'. It was prepared by his neighbors and friends. I guess they wanted to help! It was very nice of them and the food was very good. I can't imagine trying to feed like 50 people! Must be tough!

Rob

What!? The flu!? Argh!!!

2004-11-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

So this sucks. I'm back in Ottawa, and I finally get to see my girlfriend, after a few days of being apart. But then, I wake up early this morning and lose any of the food that was neatly tucked away in my stomach. It sucked, but I was hoping that it was a fluke.

When I awoke later on, I tried some ginger ale and took a shower, but alas, that was lost. So I won't be seeing her today I think, though I really want to. I miss her and sometimes I was looking for her when in Sudbury. It's when I needed someone to hold. But now I have to wait until Sunday... It sucks.

Anyway, talk to you all again,
Rob

...

2004-11-22T13:38:00.000-05:00

Receive her well, Pépé...

Mix and Match

2004-11-18T02:55:00.000-05:00

So I guess I'll begin with my grandmother. We went down this weekend, and as soon as we arrived in Sudbury, we didn't even drop our suitcases off, because we went to the hospital. It was scary. I've never liked hospitals so it's like the last place I want to be. But I went because I wanted to see my grandmother.

She was asleep, or pretending, when we came in. Normally visiting hours are between 10 to 12 and 4 to 6. But they made an exception for us so the family took turns seeing her. She came out of sleep later, but still she didn't say much. You could tell she had a lot on her mind. I'd never seen her like that. That night, she did suffer a mild heart failure, but was still with us the next day. We were heading home (I was there 1 night) and you know that was so hard. When we left, she had just finished eating. She still insisted on feeding herself, and she did crack a few comments that were comical. I didn't know what to say to her when I was leaving. I've never been good at hello's and goodbyes. So I gave her a kiss and told her I'd see her later. That may have seemed a bit cold, but she always used to say: "See ya later alligator" to which I'd reply: "After a while crocodile", when I was a kid. I still always say: "See ya later" (Cya). So I guess it was my way, you know. I was so sad when I left though. I didn't say anything to anyone until after we passed North Bay (about 1.5 hours). She is still in the hospital as we speak. She won't be receiving Chemo, as it would be too hard on her.

What's nice though is the family. That night, when I was there, we ate at my Uncle Morris'. There had to be 40 people there, all family. And that still wasn't all of us. But we had a huge pot luck supper (meatloaf, lasagna, hamburgers, sausages (both on BBQ), veggies, shrimp, you name it!) And for desert: Catherine's brownies, Carole and Tante Diane's apple pie, homebaked cookies, those peanut butter squares that taste like Reese! So good! The next day, we were 20 for brunch at the "Prancing Pig" in Val Caron. The food was terrible, but I got served about 5 minutes after I walked in (with my plate I mean). I even got it before people who arrived earlier! So confusing for the poor waitress (all these rowdy people). And we can be rather rowdy! But that's what being Deschamps is all about. Oh wait, that's not my last name, but I'm still half-Deschamps!

With that, let's change subjects, shall we? Yeah, I had a great time with Kana last night. You know, she's never used a PS2 controller. Yeah the Super NES controller is nice, but once you get used to the Sony one, it fits the hand so nice! Anyway, her tiny hands would not fit on an X-Box controller that's for sure. But the Super is cool! I still have mine. Oh, wait, I should've said that she came over to my place last night and I brought her home today. She and I got coffee at that blasted Tim Horton's today (you know the one), but I figured that it'd be the best place for a coffee at that time. Whatever, don't look at me like that! (lol)

I'm gonna be off. I'm going to school tomorrow to see Kana. And work on my Royal Lepage client (who is just this side of loopy). But I shouldn't bitch about clients, eh!?

Rob

Sad news

2004-11-12T18:16:00.000-05:00

This post is not a very happy one at all. While yes, there are many aspects of my life which are currently running very well, there is very sad news to report. My grandmother, Mémé, who has been in the hospital for just under one week, is not expect to survive the weekend. I'm off to Sudbury in the morning. My parents and sister are already there, but I'm going with my brother and his wife.

So that's all I feel like writing about today. You'll have to pardon me that.

Rob

A shot in the arm...

2004-11-09T07:36:00.000-05:00

Ow!
My arm hurts! I got the flu shot earlier today (which is good) but now my arm is all sore and tender (which is not so good). But that'll go away I'm sure while the positive effects will last. I've never had the flu shot before, but with my grandparents being as they are, and Christmas being the only time I can really see them, I had to get it.

I guess that the smallest of all the things really happening these days. I'm not sure though exactly how much I can really talk about here. Well, I guess I'll let you all know soon. Just need a bit of time to let things play out. SO if you're all starved for information, sorry, just respecting someones wishes.

But all in all, I'm at about the happiest I've been in a LONG time. Sure, school is crazy, with massive amounts of assignments and agency stuff to do. Some clients are absolutely crazy, while some are much nicer. Some profs are better than others as well. But that's all normal really. Reading week is coming. You might think "Great!" I think, "Oh no! There'll be SO much to do next week!" Reading week should be called: "Pile on the assignments until the students drown in it" week! That's been my experience anyway.

So, will write again,
Rob

You mean this isn't the "Bell Center"?

2004-11-02T07:45:00.000-05:00

Hm. What should I write about? Let's see, there's only one thing that I want to talk about since it fills up say, like 95% of all my thought patterns for the day, with the rest being basic thoughts like: "I want food", and "I need sleep", and "No, you shouldn't anally violate anyone Shamasio." You know, the usual stuff...

But yeah, I guess you could say that I'm happy and yet am subdued in that sense. Imagine it this way: You attend a hockey game in a rival team's arena. Your team streaks up the ice and scores a goal. The normal reaction is a resounding cheer, but you are in a rival team's arena. So, instead, you sit quietly (though very happy) and celebrate on the inside. I mean, were you to cheer loudly, some drunken 250 lbs. fan of the opposing team may just practice a few of his tooth extraction techniques on you.

So that's kinda where I am right now. I mean, yeah, I am happy, but at the same time, I understand that the whole thing is not "sunshine and lollipops" you know. Lots of messy little loose ends strewn about. It's okay though, give it some time and hopefully, they'll go away. So that's that on this fine morning.

Rob

Bittersweet Creation

2004-11-01T04:21:00.000-05:00

These gummy worms are fantastic! Oh wait, that's not what I'm here to talk about! lol

So anyway, I've always wondered, in my mind, which is mainly dominated be my right brain, why it is that nothing can ever be created, without first destroying something else? I mean, take a drawing for instance. In order to draw something, you must destroy the cleanliness of the page, and the pencil... I mean, that's not destruction on a large scale or anything, but it still is. I was always interested in minimalism, because it seemed to cause the least in terms of destruction. My thought has always been that the ultimate minimalist piece would be a "void". What can be more minimal than nothing? Of course, that begs the question, in order to create "nothing", must you first eliminate "something"? That's still a form of destruction!

Anyway, that's my thoughts on creation. Seems as though that's the way it goes though. Sorry, that was a bit vague wasn't it? I'm sure that a few of you will understand the point I'm making here. Not about minimalism, mind you, but about the cycle of destruction/ creation. In cheezy old proverbial talk: "You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs." It really does work that way, doesn't it? Sometimes, that can be the hardest thing.

Rob

Part II

2004-10-30T07:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I just got back not too long ago from English's house. It's 4:15am, and it's a wee bit chilly outside. But here I am, on pins and needles, and just... well, I believe I best save that, I'm getting ahead of myself. Before I pick up from where I left off, maybe I should explain my concept of the muse, so that when I use it throughout, it will be understood. Except that, it can get a bit complicated.

The muse is that voice that guides the artist's hand. It tells the artist what to make. I believe that they have genders, as much as we do. And are all completely different, one person to the next. I believe I have one. It's female if it's anything. Old friends in the arts used to tell me that I always seemed to be able to draw what girls liked. I don't know, it helps when you don't treat 'em like shit and listen to them. But maybe that was the muse, you know. Anyway, my muse really hates most others. Don't know why. It just doesn't like to play with them. My muse hated Courtney. I didn't draw much when I was with her. But once in a while I meet someone that my muse actually likes, and that makes me more creative all of a sudden. Though they can be rare. Now that I've explained that....

She and I have done so many projects together. I know her strengths and she knows mine, and we work seemlessly together to create. My muse really likes her, which is cool, because I do too. At English's one night, I borrowed one of his pens and took out my pack of smokes and began to draw on them. She had been bugging me that in my drawings, there was never any "happiness". I could get as close as content. So I thought to myself: "How do I draw happy?" The answer wasn't very hard. It was her. So I drew an image that could've been her, but was altered enough to leave it in doubt, but made the setting resemble Marshy's. And I placed her at the table looking happy. The drawing itself, if you will, was done from my perspective, as if she were able to look through my eyes. I was saying that what I remembered, was her. It was my muse that guided my hand, because my muse really does like her.

I had bought a pack of smokes for her, which I wasn't able to get for her on Friday. Angela told me that I missed her by ten minutes, but that it looked like as if somebody, Ryan, was rushing her. Anyway, so I still had her smokes, which I was to give her on Tuesday (it was Thanksgiving weekend). I slipped the portion of the smoke pack that I had drawn on, into her pack of smokes, removing the pre-existing one from her pack. And I gave it to her on Tuesday. She loved it. She displays it prominently on her white binder (under the plastic cover, by the pic of us and Pat, and her name tags.

So yeah, things were going quite well I thought. Something in our relationship was definitely changing. It's like, we were becoming closer somehow. Of course, I behaved badly the other day. I was testy, hostile, and I was exhausted. Two weeks of craziness at school had caused me to have a mental, emotional and physical collapse. I was a bit (a lot) crusty. But soon enough, I got my head back, and was making amends because I really didn't mean it. It was just too much burning the candle at both ends. The only reason I made it through it all in the first place was because she was there. Her presence made the awful workload that much more bearable. That's why when I realized how awful I was acting for a while, I felt bad. But, it's not like I don't know that she needs some time to think. And even were she to break up with her boyfriend, I doubt she'd be immediately ready to just date me. She'll probably need some time. I know, I was part of a break up with a girl in March that I'd been seeing for 3 years. It took awhile to get myself straight again. So I'm sure she'll need some time. It's cool, I can wait. It wouldn't be the first time that I've had to wait like that, and besides I'm not going anywhere.

So, Kana, when you read this, I hope you really think about it. There's no games here. I just really like you and I think it would be amazing if we could take it one step further. That's all I can think to say about it right now. I might post again this weekend, well see.

Rob

I hate making titles!

2004-10-29T13:35:00.000-04:00

You ever have one of those months? You know the ones. It begins with you having a huge party and while there, use the time, amid all the noise, to think about things and hang out with your favourite person in the world. But of course, there's always the appendage, who as usual, is being a total jack-ass toward her. Of course, I myself am not always perfect either. We all have our little quirks. But some people just have 'em in the wrong areas, you know.

Anyway, I was content though, because at least I was with her. And I think she was happy that I was there as well. Hell, I ended up giving her the beads I'd saved from the night, because hers got taken away. I thought she should have them, because she was the only reason I had fun that night. She told me to snag some from the box in my car (which I hadn't even realized I could do). So I did take one back for myself. I thought maybe that she was saying that I deserved to still have one. Anyway, after that, there was some withdrawal because we hadn't seen in each other in a few days. I realized that I missed her a bit, I was used to having her around all the time. So I couldn't wait to see her next. It was a funny thing, because I'd never noticed it before, but I think I'd been like that for some time.

So when I saw her next, I was really happy. We just continued from where we left off. We hang out together at school. Then some crazy projects started to pile up, so it was time to work. My birthday came up, and I got to school after my "Consumer Behaviour" class. I walked up to the gang of people who were smoking outside (in my class). I figured on having a smoke and seeing if anyone else would come out. Sure enough, out came my friend and she had something for me. It actually was a bit of a surprise because I had no idea. Though when she and Angela were whispering one day while having a smoke, and I asked why Ang said "girl stuff", I figured it was related. So I got the card, and opened it, but there was so many people, and it had a lot of names and things to read, that it was kinda hard to do that there. But yeah, I got Ang's Old Fart message, and yeah, I got Nick's birthday message to Ang, and yeah, I am OLD jack ass, I mean, I'll play nice :) Ryan. That was a nice thing that she had put into it herself. But I can imagine the trouble it must have been for her to get people to sign it. I think that meant just a bit more, you know.

So anyway, I will have to go soon and shower, and head off to school to buy a report cover to hand in my Media Management Project that she, I mean Kana, and I worked on last night (she saved my ass on that one, even though I was on a bad day, and was probably at my worst for a while). But I digress. I have time to continue for a bit though, so I'll talk a bit more. We did have a lot of projects to do. And she was there with me every step of the way. Man, but it was at the time of Hillock that things seemed to change a bit. I don't remember who started it, but suddenly, she and I were tickling each other constantly and that of course quickly lead to other forms of teasing, of course it was all good natured. So then I tried a few more things, testing just where the boundaries were. She was doing it to. At some point, I was following her with my eyes. She used her finger to try to distract me from her eyes. She'd sway it back and forth, just as she had been doing with her head earlier. But my eyes remained with hers. She tried to bring the finger close to my face so that I'd go cross eyed. Still wouldn't flinch. So she thought about it, and brought her entire head closer to my face. Soon we were within inches. She chuckled and threw back. But then she reset herself, and tried it again, more intently. She held position when she reached within inches again. We looked at each other for a little then we moved away. I think she had learned perhaps where the boundaries might be at that time.

So anyway, I really do have to shower now, so, I'll continue this later.

Rob

So busy lately...

2004-10-27T20:19:00.000-04:00

I've been so busy lately. School, school and more school... Ever complete an assignment in 2 days that you had a month and a half to do? I just did. It's not like I'm slacking, I just have a lot of work to do overall and that had to take the backburner. Tell you what, it's not something I'll get an "A" on, but my charts and graphs rock! Except some thieveing b**tch stole my graph concept and used it herself making mine look less original. This girl is so not creative and that was just a rude thing to do. Of course, this is the same rude b**tch that was the sycophant at the party. You know, the I brushed off to talk to my real friends. I hate people like that.

Anyway, this message was just to make sure that everyone knows I'm alive. In other news, Shamas is out of his tent and living in a nice warm house. Check the link in a previous message for details.

Rob

Thanksgiving

2004-10-10T19:47:00.000-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm about 40 minutes away from eating my second Turkey dinner this weekend, and I guess that means I'm pretty lucky and have some things to be thankful for, eh? I won't argue that point at all. Heck, my birthday is right around the corner, and aside from money (which is always needed), I don't think there's anything that I'm in serious need of. I could use a new pair of running shoes as mine are 4 or 5 years old and have holes on the sides, but it's not serious and I probably could use them for at least another year.

But that bothers my family who want ideas for a birthday present. I'm chronically bad for that. I just never seem to know what it is that I want/ need. Call it my "libraic" personality, but I'm just so indecisive. I don't know, I guess I just want everything to exist in a sort of perfect harmony. However, that can lead to problems when I know that the balance is not right... That's when I start to react. If I'm being vague at all, there's probably a reason.

Anyway, This is really just a glorified Happy Thanksgiving entry, so:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rob

Lost in Translation -- Wallflowers

2004-10-07T03:17:00.000-04:00

What I loved about the movie “Lost in Translation” was its simplicity. I mean, I know that everyone gets what the story was about and many can probably look so much deeper into than I, but I loved the whole idea that two people found each other and found a way to cope with a cold, foreign environment, by bringing some happiness into the other’s life. Even when Bill Murray’s character sleeps with the red head (a total f*ck up) at least he didn’t screw up what he had with the female lead by sleeping with her. It’s just a beautiful movie.

Sometimes, you just have that going on, you know. So 4 weeks of blood, sweat and tears came to fruition. We had our annual ad party, and we, being in second year, were the organizers. It was an awesome party by the way. According to the teacher’s, it was the best one in over 10 years! What I loved especially, was watching everyone and how they act and react in this environment. Everyone is usually categorized in some way.

Let’s start with the ad execs. They are the salespeople, the smooth talkers. They usually mingle for a while, but then their competitive spirit kicks in and they begin to work their magic on some random target of the opposite sex. (This is definitely not me). Now, what is interesting is that their competitive demeanor often forces them to all target the same person, and in the end, there can only be one clear victor. Way to go Takacs! Better luck next time Pat! (Ha ha ha! How horribly entertaining!) Attached to these smoothies, is the next category of people: the easy prey. These are the guys and girls who are out to find somebody to play with for the night, so to speak. They want to be caught, so the task of getting them isn’t that difficult, but they still have a certain set of criteria that determines one’s success in the hunt. The smooth talkers love these because of the relative easiness of the whole thing. Thank god I came equipped with a strong distaste for this personality type. The whole thing is just so awful to me.

Next, we have those who just love to dance. They can dance all night long! I can’t. I never understood the point of flailing my body parts in several directions… it’s just not appealing to me. I know I’m probably missing the point somewhere, but I just don’t see it. But kudos to you dance folk! You are the lifeblood of the party! Without you, it wouldn’t be much of a party!!!

Some people say wallflowers are boring. That’s because they haven’t taken the time to study the situation. Being an artistic type, this is my category. Except that there are several types of wallflowers. The first of the types are those who are actually not enjoying themselves and just want to leave. I don’t remember anyone like that yesterday. Well, no, that’s wrong. There was one at my table, but he was with one of my friends, so whatever. That’s all I’ll say about these folk because there’s not much to say about them.

I always say that you can judge a party by the wallflowers. Are they smiling and reacting to the environment around them? If so, your party is probably kicking major ass. You see, they aren’t not dancing, or whatever, because they hate the place. They just feel more comfortable on the sidelines. It does show an excellent perspective. You see, wallflowers tend to congregate (smoke anyone?) and share information among themselves. It’s the original information superhighway! Being among this group, I know I do it. Kana’d tell me something that is currently unfolding and I tell her something that I knew. Sometimes, we leave our position to gather more information, but in the end, it’s all one vast network. It’s actually pretty cool.

There is a third type of wallflower, but these guys are creepy and you should probably just avoid eye contact. Other personalities to avoid: the clingy drunk ass; the violent drunk ass; the obnoxious drunk ass. See a pattern? Being as though this was a business affair, as much as it was a fun one, there was another type to be careful for. The poser/sycophant is quite an annoying creature.

These are the people that would never speak to you normally, but because you just made a mural that fell down, but still rocks because no one cares, they suddenly want to be your friend. And they arrive at the worst possible times. Like when you convince one of your friends to come out for a smoke with you, because she’s a little bit angry with you, and you are trying to find the words to apologize for doing something that you probably shouldn’t have. That’s when these little parasites usually latch on to you. They’re all like: “Rob, your such an amazing artist! You’re the best one in class! Blah, blah, blah…” I’m polite for like 30 seconds, and may even tell them a story trying to educate them a bit, but they rarely get it. So I end up trying to ignore them so that they go away, so I can talk to my real friends. The one’s that helped make the mural, you know. It’s like Lost in Translation. When Bill Murray’s character is about to leave and he’s at the hotel, some groupie is all over him, but he excuses himself politely (very quickly) to talk to his real friend (and say goodbye).

What’s worse is, they didn’t even acknowledge my friends at all. I mean, Kana was there every step of the way. That mural was as much hers as it was mine. But did the sycophants go to her and say: “Kana, that was awesome! Your amazing!” No. They went to me, because of my established reputation. But there were things that I only trusted Kana for (not even myself) when making the mural. I think she knows how I feel about it all. Kana, if you’re reading this: Thanks for all the help. I couldn’t have done this without you! You’re awesome! Our mural totally kicked ass!!!

So anyway, I hope everyone out there has a good day!
Rob

Embrun's Finest

2004-09-25T07:50:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

Check this out. I got pulled over today, for the first time in all my 10 years of driving, for a breathelizer test. Heh, heh. You see, my usual is 6 beers over the course of the night. That's it. I know I'm good to drive. Today, I got to put my theory to the test.

The cop pulls me over and with the standard questions, invites me to sit in the back of the cruiser to take on his machine. First, I made him show me how, then came my turn. I breathed into the device as I was shown. Then, "beep" and he took the machine away. It took about 15 seconds for the results. 0.032 baby! Way under the limit! In fact, at 0.05 they give you a 12 hour suspension... but not this kid, I blew a 0.032.

So I politely thanked him for the service and bam, I was on my way home. Now, if only they were so efficient at the Tim Hortons, like they are at pulling my sober ass over for a alcohol test, then all my dreams would come true.

The Tim Horton's problem

2004-09-14T23:21:00.000-04:00

Well, ain't this swell. There's a party going on, right in my own backyard. That's right, there's a Tim Horton's right behind my house and it's been the bane of my existence ever since it was built. You see, little hoodlums from the surrounding area love to park there and blast their stereo's and party. They do this every night. Sometimes it starts at 3pm, sometimes at 5pm, sometimes at 8pm, but you're sure that they're gonna show up. The noise rattles my house and is enough that I can often sing along to whatever music is playing. That's not to mention the alcohol or drugs that cycle through the parking lot. Oh, and they just love to race. In fact, this spring, at least 2 teens have died in horrible car crashes (probably due to speed and alcohol) after visiting the parking lot.

It's 11:30pm now and still they party. We've been trying to get the police, the township, the by-law officer, anyone to remedy the situation, but no one wants to do anything about it. You'd think the death of young people should be enough to get the problem fixed, but no, you'd be wrong. And hey, what about that time a teen shot an off-duty cop with a pellet gun (accidentally) in the parking lot... Nope, still not enough. It's absolutely friggin' frustrating! Why should I have to listen to them night after night as they disrupt my peaceful existence? I dunno. Ask the lazy ass cops, or the township...

I even argued last fall in my driveway with 2 police officers about the problem. You see, it was 2am, and my ex (we were dating at the time) came into my room complaining that the noise was unbearable. I agreed (since it had kept me up as well). I called the cops. You know what they did? The cops showed up, talked to them for 20 seconds, and then drove away. So I called back, now filled with rage!

The cops showed up to my house (as we discussed). It was bitterly cold, below zero. I stood outside and discussed the situation with them. They perceived it as really nothing. In fact, I was the bad guy for disturbing them!!! I mean, holy sh*t! What kind of ass-backwards town do I live in? The conversation was over 1 hour long and you know what, nothing was resolved... lazy pigs!

So that's my story. Just count yourself lucky if you don't live by a Tim Horton's. If you do, I feel bad for you.

Rob

Let's try this out & see

2004-09-14T02:50:00.000-04:00

All right. On the say so of my good friend "Roberto Shamasio", I've decided to give this blog thing a try. Now, I'm a little bit unsure of just what to talk about in these things. I mean, my personal life, is just that, and beyond that, my life is rather dull. I mean, the characters who play a role in my life can be quite interesting and entertaining (http://shamasio.blogspot.com) but really, but I don't think I'm all that exciting. It's not entirely my fault. I live out in the boonies where I mostly play video games and await the weekend so I can see my friends in the city.

So just to get to know me a bit, my name is Rob, I'm almost 27, and I'm taking advertising in school. I'm currently single, with my last relationship having lasted 3 years. Yeah, we broke up in March and I don't think I've been quite right ever since. But hell, things'll get better eventually. Some say I can draw really well. I did take Fine Arts and Animation already so maybe they're right. I don't know. Not like I've been doing much drawing lately anyway.

For the past 6 summers, I've been cutting grass with a power trimmer along parkways and at government buildings. Yeah, the pay stinks and the job can suck, but I think I like it. I mean, where else can a cowboy, a goth guy, a prep and an emo guy all hang together? It's all about the social interaction. I've always drawn two comparisons for the grass crew: It's either like "Survivor" or like the movie "Platoon". Of course, in the latter scenario, that makes me Tom Berrenger... yikes! But at least for a few weeks every summer, our asshole of a supervisor goes on vacation and I take over his duties. It's like a vacation for us student folk.

Overall though, there's not much happening to me these days. I just kinda wait out my days (either at school or at home) and let the time pass. It's not really fun at all, but them's the current breaks. So I guess I'll leave it at that for today.

Rob