The New Floodgates of the Mind

After 14 years, I finally got my hands on a WIDESCREEN version of The Adventures of Ford Fairlane!!! Regardless of what folks might think about Andrew Dice Clay, I simply love this movie and even actually drove to Vermont when it first came out on Video simply because it wasn’t available in Canada. Since that time, I’ve looked for a Widescreen version (WS, of course, being MUCH better than PnS) to no avail. Today, out of pure luck, I was at Metro Video and looked in to see it on DVD… for a measly $9 !!!!!! Woah! 🙂

Strangely enough, just earlier this week I was talking with Chantale about the FIRST Birthday Movie we saw together, remembering how we had spent the day. It was A Midsummer’s Night Dream back in 99. The next one was The Mummy. But, it was really the ’99 movie we were discussing, remembering the really nice day it had turned out to be and how we spent it. Actually, later that year when I was working for NETE and was in Vancouver for a week to work on the Ships, I picked up a special version of the book as a gift for Chantale. What can I say, Shakespeare has a lot of meaning for us as a couple 🙂 Again, I own the movie on video but really wanted a WS version since so much beautiful scenery is lost in PnS. Again, as luck would have it, Metro Video was selling it for $9 as well. Yay! 🙂

Now, normally, I avoid Metro Video because ALL the new releases they carry can be purchased for 2 to 4 dollars cheaper at other stores. But, I do admit they sometimes surprise me with deals like this 🙂 So, besides the fact that at minus 41C we’re all freezing our buns off, this can be considered a good day 🙂

I’ve spent the last couple of days reading online UK newspapers. I have to admit that I have never been struck by Financial Journalistic Sensationalism as I did reading through the articles on scotnews/edinburoughnews. I admit to being both awestruck and disgusted by how stories and headlines are warped and spun out of control by just grabbing pieces of true news. It’s almost like digging up a diary by Einstein that reads: “I once had a dream of having awoken in the body of a ferret. I was running for my life as insane Canadians came rushing after me, throwing sticks and stones. That was the last time I had pepporoni pizza before bedtime” and twisting it into a headline that screams: “Einstein admits to being Stoned!”

I hate that kind of shit everywhere I see it.

Get that bloody pickle surgically extracted from your ass already.

A busy but satisfying weekend, I must say.

Saturday, after a nice long sleep-in (to me, 10:45am is WAY sleeping in 🙂 ) I got up and had the kids play on the GameCube for a bit (James preferring Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while Melyssa was thrilled to have been the one to create a new town for in Animal Crossing. We named it Hogwarths 🙂 ). Having been through a tough week, we let Chantale sleep in longer so she could get back to peak form and then I got lunch going. Heated up the homemade sauce and put in some large rigatoni for a very tasty lunch.

After lounging around, the kids off playing in their rooms while Chantale and I chatted at the kitchen table, sipping Espresso, we all got dressed and jumped into the car to head over to Komico so I could pick up my stack of comics. Hadn’t been there in almost a month and it showed! Ouch. We were in a rush so I ran in, got my stuff, ran out, and we managed to get back on the highway and walked into the Sears appliances store on Sources at 4:55pm, just five minutes to closing. We went in to take a very quick look at dishwashers…. and ended up purchasing one on a pay-in-12-months plan 🙂 So, after all these years, I will finally be an owner of a dishwasher. Sheesh. 🙂

Back home, we had ourselves another tasty supper and then we all hopped into our pjs and sat down for our regular Family Movie Night where the thrill of the evening was: JUMANJI 🙂 What a blast that was! I had never seen it and the kids just loved it. I could see myself watching this one over again. I think if I ever come across an inexpensive used one, I’ll pick it up 🙂

The kids went to bed and then Chantale and I watched Someone Like You (Ashley Judd, Hugh Jackman). Sheesh. Hugh is definitely a hunky man, that’s for sure. It’s kind of difficult not admitting that. 🙂

Sunday, the kids came to church with me and insisted on helping out. Thus, they were ushers with me and helped with all the duties: greeting, handing out the worship books, helping with the offering, helping with the communion, and then helping to put all the books away. It was a lot of fun, actually, and I’m glad they enjoyed it 🙂 We got home after a quick stop at Loblaws and had a fun lunch after which we relaxed a bit and read. I got so cozy on James bed while he read to Melyssa and I that I ended up falling asleep. (giggle). It really turned out to be a nice day.

Once night came, I got busy. I put together the January newsletter for Church and mailed it out. Afterwards, I got through the Parents Council minutes but couldn’t send those out as I needed some Transaction breakdowns that I only had on my pc at work. At least it’s all finished now so I just have to convert it to PDF and mail it off tonight, just in time for our next meeting tomorrow night. 🙂

Life is busy. Incredible, but true!

Yup. In a totally not-like-Me way, I’ve developed a tremendous urge to go wandering lately.

I’ve always been very much the vacation-at-home kind of person because I just enjoyed relaxing at home. Not having to work is vacation enough and it was always enough to relax me. I enjoyed going places if there was something I had to do (for example, driving to Ottawa or Toronto for comic and media conventions to appear as a panelist). But of the type to go somewhere and veg, nope.

Lately, though, things seem to have changed within me. I really don’t believe it has anything to do with the hellish cold (a contradictory of course, but “brutal” isn’t strong enough). I do remember how extremely relaxed I was when Chantale took me to Cayo Guillermo two years ago, but even that isn’t it.

As strange as it might seem, the reason for my travel urges have more to do with The Lord of the Rings. Firstly, the fact that Chantale has been to New Zealand and related all she’d seen, helped strike the match. Watching the extended DVD versions and the extras on them fanned the flames. Finally, reading through the actual LOTR novels and realizing about all the travelling that was done and all the different folks met suddenly made me feel the stirrings of getting out there.

I’ve read so much about Tuscanny and wine country and although I’ve visited Italy twice, it was when I was younger (and, one would say, innocent). Now, I want to see it myself, walk its grounds, breathe its air. Books won’t do. I’ve heard and seen much about Greece from many friends growing up but now… now I want to go myself. A world awaits.

Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Scotland, Ireland… so many places, so many people, so many experiences…

I need a world map and a dart board.

As in a Bad/Blah Year? I don’t know if it’s because I’ve just been SO busy to date, or that the year didn’t start off on the right foot as relaxed as I thought it would be, but these days have just been “off” somehow.

The -38C temperature does NOT help in the least. Nor knowing tomorrow will be -32C.

S’funny. This January is shaping up to be as cold as last January. I know this because I remember how when Chantale was in New Zealand, we here were suffering through a massive cold and snow snap. Now, Mau’dib is in the Dominican Republic and the cold is back! Sheesh.

Chantale and I actually started flipping through the travel magazines yesterday night. Way too much debt but it’s still fun to dream…

Two good things last night:

1- Picked up Season Four of Babylon 5 on DVD. Very happy to have gotten it the first day as opposed to waiting a few weeks due to it being sold out (like with Season Three)

2- Went to see Paycheck. Ben Affleck (Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms, yo!) and Uma Thurman (Uma! Uma! Uuuma!) in a John Woo (oooo, look at the pretty explosions!) flick once again using gadgetry and human engineering. 🙂 It was fun and it was great seeing Ben doing a bunch of DareDevil-y moves near the end 🙂 Use that body you worked so hard to get, Ben!! :>

Bizarre mood this morning. Way too cold and tomorrow’s gonna hit -34C with the wind chill. Can you say OUCH?

I’ve been wanting to post this on the Comicopia Delphi Forum but just haven’t been able to!

All Jack Kirby Collector readers should make sure NOT to miss the latest issue (39). There is a very flattering review of Gabriel Morrissette’s DOGRION series including a small splash repro of the story! Gaby is absolutely thrilled by it (and, obviously, so am I!). Comicopia is also named (as a PRO/AM zine, imagine that!) and the website included for more information. So far, however, only spam spam spam has come my way 🙂

Gaby showed me the article when I met up with him on Monday and he was practically beaming 🙂

yes, a new year… but then why is it so hard to get going in the mornings? I was so sure I’d get back in the full swing of things once this week started, but I find myself running with half an engine, it seems.

It has to pick up soon, though. Just have to get out of myself and push for a bit. 🙂

Chantale started reading The Anti-Bodies recently and it has been quite a thrill watching her go through it. As an author, nothing tickles me more than watching while someone reads my work and gauge their expressions as they go through it. It’s like I get to re-experience the book through them. Of course, considering Chantale is my muse and basically the person I write to/for, seeing her really enjoying the story brings me a great sense of pride and satisfaction.

Last night during supper she told me how she had been looking forward to coming home all day just so she could continue reading it. Yeah, that definitely puts a permanent smile on my face 🙂 And when she realized that she was coming upon the end of the book, her comment was a casual: “Well you better get writing more! At least 3 this year!” 🙂

(considering I’ve started laying out the tracks for two stories already, coming up with a third shouldn’t prove too difficult… 🙂 )

Yes, I’m going a little out of my mind today. Just not a very work-busy day. So, I’ll leave 2003 behind with some more Love Quotes that I’ve been holding on for a while 🙂 After this, I’ll see you on the 5th 🙂

La vita non e nulla senza l’amicizia
Life is nothing without friends
-Cicerone

L’amore e piu temerario che l’odia
Love is more reckless than hate
-B. Gracian

L’amore e come uno schiaffo e quando arriva lo senti
Love is like a slap in the face and when it comes you feel it
-Leonardo Pieraccioni

Prima di amare, lo no ho mai vissuto pienamente
Til I loved, I did not live enough
-E. Dickinson

L’amore arriva dall’anima
Love comes from the soul
-J. Baptista Almeida Garret

L’amore e il fiume della vita del mondo
Love is the world’s river of life
-H. W. Beecher

————————–

Have a Happy and Safe New Year, everyone!