cancer show

I live on a street not unlike the one I lived on when I lived with my parents as a kid. Probably not unlike so many other streets in other small towns. Like the street that you may have grown up on. Growing up surrounded by much the same things that I’m surrounded by now. Homes with children running through them destroying most of what was in their path. Homes cut off from the rest of the neighbourhood by fences and gates that seem to never open and let anyone in. homes that had dogs that barked well into the night, dogs that would be maced at one time or another, dogs that would bite. Like the dog that bit me the night we moved into the our new house. A house directly next door to my, then, best friend art.
Art and I had become friends through baseball but perhaps more by default due to the sheer size of our town and the general lack of kids my own age. Our friendship was based mainly on this and I think we both knew that then but it wasn’t something we ever talked about. We were kids and maybe didn’t even really understand what it meant to be friends let alone best friends.
Art and I would steal cigarettes and head to the wooded area near his house and share them like bottles of coke, passing them back and forth each trying not to cough or choke with each pull on the increasingly soggy end. “Don’t nigger lip it” art would sometimes say as if that was going to help me become a better smoker. Like it was better I become a great smoker than anything else. In the woods we were alone, in our own world but sometimes hardly spoke to each other. Sometimes I would find myself just following art through the woods trusting that he was leading us, me, somewhere. More often than not we would just circle around often coming across clearings where teenagers had had parties on the weekends, bottle and cans littering the area. Sometimes we would collect up the empties and take them to the bottle depot spending the money on jawbreakers and coke and when we could manage it, steal playboy magazines, shoving them down the fronts of our pants. Magazines that would eventually end up in milk crates hidden in the woods behind trees so we could look at them whenever we went there to smoke the stolen cigarettes.
Art’s sister, susan, was a growing concern to me. Three or four years older than art and myself it still only made her eleven or twelve but it was enough that I considered her. I ,of course, really had no idea what it was I was actually considering but I did know that seeing her naked was at the top of my list. I often think this is why art and I remained friends for as long as we did, or at least why I stayed friends with him. At night, after we had moved in next door, I would find myself sneaking out of the house and setting up shop close to the fence that separated our houses. Through the slates in the fence I could see into susan’s bedroom hoping each time that I would catch a glimpse of something. Something like what art and I had been looking at as we sat in the woods smoking and looking at stolen magazines. Every night I went back to bed after completeing yet another fruitless task. Some nights she would come into her bedroom and look out the window and I would get scared that she knew I was there, imaging what she would do if she ever found me there. I would sit and be as still as possible, sometimes holding my breath when she would look my way, my heart beating as if it was going to explode, sometimes sweating through my shirt. Often she would stand at the window brushing her hair looking at her reflection in the window almost like she was waiting for something to happen. Sometimes she sat at her dresser, looking at herself in the mirror, touching her face, rubbing her skin as if she was looking for imperfections. More often than not she would read on her bed, talk on the phone, close the curtains, turn off the lights and go to bed. And with that, so did i.

bright lights for granny

so as it turns out ella, my granny-issy's mom, will, after all, have to have surgery to repair her broken hip. she's heading from port albeni to naniamo today and may have the surgery today or tomorrow. say a prayer for ella. good luck ella.

g. xo

when in doubt....

make a stupid face... i know i've said that before but...to end the first run of retro pics i give you....me. one from hearst castle in california and the other from NYC times square...you'll be able to figure out which is which i'm sure.

oh..and i made an exciting toy purchase today...part two of a five parter...details as they come in..when it comes in i'll post a picture of it. it's cool. my 20" Dalek dunny is in at point roberts as well...i'll get issy to grab it for me. i'm not sure if i'm going to keep it or not yet. i think for now it'll be in the Voltage window on main street for a while until i decide. it'll look good there.

good times. good times.

garn xo

don't tell garn...

...the truth. ever. what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

(truth be told...he knows much more than you think..)

g. xo

keeping up with the jones...

the boys were pretty happy last night as they got to switch from days to nights in one quick turnaround...good times. we were shooting down on west cordova, not to far from my place, and i know for sure that al was stoked to be there. eric was having some dizzy issues and corie was looking forward to a great tuna fish sandwich from craft service a little later on...or maybe not. we're on a jet li movie right now called Rogue and we were filming inside, what used to be Mondo Lisa-a lunch place in the hood years ago which is now called Brioche. Years ago (1999) we filmed another Jet Li movie, Romeo Must Die, right across the street at 350 west cordova, The Block clothing store. it all comes around...




here are a few more retro pics for the day...enjoy....





g. xo

blogging like a bastard...

ever since i took these photos of photos, i just can't stop posting them...a blast from the past to be sure. anyhow..here's an update on the bike-if you care...
i went down at noon today, after speaking with emily-who know owns that bike or did until it got stolen from granville island, and she's so happy we're trying to get it back...i don't know if we will but..anyhow, i went to the downtown eastside, my hood, to look for the bike again at lunchtime..i ran into a couple of cops and showed them a picture of the bike and told them what had happened this morning when i tried to get the bike back for emily. they gave me some ideas and told me a better way to go about it so i'll try that tact now..but if i see the bike i'll make another move to get it...
attached is a pic of the bike when marcy owned it..if you see it, grab it or call me and i'll come and meet ya.



in other news...i was at storm salon today or as they call it salon storm...whatever fancy pants..and i was talking with k-win and lisa and i mentioned that i thought i should give clipper cuts there on sundays between 2 pm and 4 pm. we'd call it The Sunday Buzz...or something stupid like that. 10% of all the prceeds would go to charity...and people would only have the choice of a no-guard cut or a number 1 cut...no exceptions...Lawn Order gives you a buzz on sundays....good times. is this a stupid idea or just so fuckin' great it could work...? i think so..

ok..here are some more retro pics....

g. xo

junkies and bicycles...

so there it was ..the bike i originally bought for marcy and had sold to a woman named emily, sitting on the downtown eastside outside the women's centre..yup, it was stolen from granville island and now lives down in my hood. it's kind of a long story but, i had seen it a few days before as a rather large guy, bigger than me-hard to believe, was riding it around in front of my building. today i saw it again...today i decided to do something. as my phone wouldn't connect with 911 and 411 connected me to a police switchboard that wasn't working, i did what i had to do...i grabbed the bike from in front of a nodding junkie guy holding onto a shopping cart. well, that woke him up and before you can say veggie wet burrito, i had three street guys trying to wrestle the bike away from me...i decided after a few moments of this that i would let go..so, no bike for me...and no cops anywhere...what a surprise. i'll try again later..i'm sure i'll see the bike again.

so here are your retro pics of the day...

g. xo

i was cute once...believe me...

hard to believe...i know...but here are some old pics to prove it...i wasn't always old and fat...

g. xo

music that changed the world...for me....

Lately there have been some lists here and there regarding top ten lists and desert island discs etc…I know there are albums I can’t live without but that list would be a long one, one list I have been thinking about is a few albums that defined my life in some way.
Here they are…

Freedy Johnston – Can You Fly
This album came along at a time when I needed something brand new and different. The album itself wasn’t groundbreaking but it was exactly what I needed. I had been listening to a lot of rocket, drive like jehu and jesus lizard and one night we, the snfu boys and I, went to see Uncle Tupelo at the cruel elephant and feedy opened the show. He was so good and this album didn’t leave my cd player for a long time.

Kiss – Destoyer
My sister bought me this album when I was in grade six I believe. Shout it out loud became an anthem of sorts. My friends and I listened to this record over and over. It was the start of a long love affair with kiss. I still have a soft spot in my heart for them.

Aerosmith – Rocks
Toys in the attic was great but Rocks was the one for me. The long and short of it is probably longer than it needs to be but hear this, you need this album or at least their greatest hits package. Let the music do the talkin’.

Afghan Whigs – Gentleman and Black Love
I couldn’t decide which was the one that influenced me the most. I love both of these albums. What jail is like on gentlemen is a rock moment like not many others. That’s the truth.

Richmond Fontaine – Lost Son
For years I heard about willy and Richmond Fontaine but could never fine their albums. On one trip to Portland I found lost son and it was all over. From the first notes of saviour of time and then contrails by track 5…I had been listening to uncle tupelo, son volt, etc. and this fit in so perfectly with that. Richmond fontaine may have saved my life a few times.

Uncle Tupelo – Still feel gone
The snfu boys really introduced me to uncle tupelo and changed my direction for the better. An uncle tupelo show was a great thing and I was bummed when they decided to split but what came of that, in the form of two great new bands made it ok. Gun on Still feel gone is awesome.

Replacements – Pleased to meet me
Alex Chilton alone is worth the price of admission.

Buffalo Tom – Let me come over
Certain songs on this album still conjure of images I’d love to forget but that are so deeply implanted in my heart I can’t erase them. They don’t hurt anymore but man, it was a killer then.

Cheap Trick – Heaven Tonight
Well, what can I tell ya? Nothing really. This is the best of the first three albums by rick and the boys. The first three are the only cheap trick albums you really need, and you do need them.

David Bowie – Alladin Sane and Hunky Dory
That’s that. period. Although heroes was a bit of a killer too…

Eleventh Dream Day – Lived to tell
Rose of Jerhico and I could be lost…love it.

Elvis Costello – this year’s model
I’m tried of writing why…so I won’t anymore..fuck, it’s elvis…’nuff said.

Giant sand – Center of the universe
howard gelb abd giant sand..cool hippies not stinky hippies...

Jackson Browne – running on empty
i drank a lot of beer in marty basso's basement listening to this...

Neil Young – On the beach
even more beer with marty...this and the decade album...bruce barry was a workin' man...he used to love that econoline van..

Lambchop – how I quit smoking
i may have been the onbly guy running a printing press while listening to this album...

Lemonheads – it’s a shame about ray
my soft side...

Lou Reed – Street Hassle
my not so soft side...

Lucinda Williams – Sweet Old World
wanna see me cry?

Superchunk – No pocky for kitty
over and over again in my cassette player in my honda civic...how great were they?

Scud Mountain Boys - Massachusetts
whenever i'd have a fight with ratchel i'd listen to this album..i listened to it a lot...

Prince – 1999
good one...

Ramones – Road to ruin
bought this in seattle in 1979...this one really did set me on a different course...

Shudder to think – 50,000 BC
exactly what i needed right then and there...

Buy these. You’ll feel better

all retro, all the time...

more goodness from the vault...

g. xo

monday's retro pics...the fawnz, spike, mishi and more don bull

so here we go...more pics from the past...i have no report yet...although i will say this..i may be looking into getting a honda element...i know, i know...they're fuckin' ugly...but really they're not. they've grown on me. i really like them now. great for work, still able to put a lawn mower and weedeater in the back, sleep in it, have door locks that work etc...A/C.. all the good stuff. we'll see...i'll run the numbers...hard to let the coolerator go...

on to the pics...(upcoming retro pics this week include, fortune, muc, brent, more don bull...)







i love you all.

g. xo

dumbluck don bull

so today i came home and found that my black dumbluck had taken a nosedive...a little epoxy has fixed it for now...i'm having bad luck with the gary baseman toys...last month one of my dunces took a dive as well...oh well...
and to start the new run of retro photos is don bull...no need for any other information or introduction...ladies and gentlemen-don bull. again, they're photos of photos so...oh who cares it's don bull...





g. xo

happy birthday issy!!!

today is the big day. issy's birthday. you know her, you love her, you can't live without her....issy! below are some pics i have taken over the years of issy-please be advised i have basically taken pictures of pictures so the quality isn't great but the photos themselves make up for that....

i love you issy! we all love you!

g. xo

the coolerator does seattle

i'm not sure i should have gone to seattle today but i did. i had to go down to see my good pal libby, who had e.mailed me a couple of weeks ago and had offered me her large steel neon letter 'g'. how could i resist? i had seen it when we-marc, brent, mina and i, were at her place last summer. so even though my head felt like ten pounds of shit stuffed into a five pound bag i headed off down the I-5 to seattle and libby's place in wallingford. i know libby because of my friendship with marc and brent. she met them when they were playing in SNFU, shit they were SNFU-you know what i mean..anyhow, she knew marc and brent and she was also friends with some of the people who lived at 1266 (i think) granville street. sort of a punk rock house/apartment near davie street where a ton of artist types lived or crashed. it like a hit parade of names from the past when i talk to her..we know a lot of the same people from that time period..late 80's, early 90's...her man plays in a band with dave alvin..or he plays in dave alvin's band...i like libby..she be good people. libby does upholstry, which i can never spell, and does t-shirts and is basically super cool. she's about to open a new website and when i get the address i'll pass it along...there may be stuff there you'd like to buy.
so i went to libby's and after loading the neon into the coolerator, we went for breakfast at hattie's hat in ballard. hattie's is very close to the tractor tavern which is where richmond fontaine often plays when they play seattle. after breakfast we roamed around and ended up at archiee mcphee's..a crazy store that basically sells everything you don't need.
i had decided that it was better i went home rather than go shopping or for coffee or anything that took too much effort...i need more rest and these alergies are really kicking my ass...i'll be couchbound tonight to be sure...hopefully the canucks will make my day complete and lose to the mighty oil...i can only hope.

good times...

g. xo