apartment for rent....soon.

let me say this first...i don't the exact date yet but, i will be renting out my place in gastown very soon....let's say december 1st, or so. maybe even before...but i wanted to get the word out..
now i will say this as well...and i'm sorry to have to say it but, it ain't cheap. i won't let the entire cat out the bag here but suffice to say it's at market value...e.mail me and we can discuss it because there are a few variables that change the price a little - for the better...
so...
it's a 720 sq. ft. two level loft style apartment. balcony. dish washer. washer/dryer. garbage disposal. tub with shower. south facing. lots of sun. corner suite.
i can send pics as well...

there ya have it...any questions please feel free to ask.

g. xo

u-brew..no, you fuckin' brew...

the term u-brew or you brew is kinda tainted so i am hesitant to use the term so i won't any more...but i will tell you this. my good pal,and all around good guy and bomber, blair - who i have shared a bed with at apex near penticton....long story..anyhow, he has taken over the ambleside brewing company and want you to come on by and see what's what...
check out their web site for some of the more pertinent details...

good times to be had drinking beer...

g. xo

make-up candy

mishi's been making candy wallets for some time now - wallets fashioned out of tarp and fabric shopping bags and wrappers from crazy candies - generally from japan..if you see me i'll gladly show you mine. they've been a hit with the kids and now she's making these new make-up/tolietries type bags as well...nice.
available at the pickle and maybe dream soon enough...

nice work moto.

g. xo

Wonderin’, waitin’ and worryin’ about silly little things that don’t add up to nothin’

That’s the way it can be.

I was out having dinner with my friend jenny the other night and she mentioned to me that she had read ‘the blog’ this blog and felt like she was spying on someone she didn’t really know that well. (I know jenny though a friend and our dinner the other night was the first time we had ever just hung out) she mentioned that she had read it or begun to read it and then had stopped because she felt like it wasn’t right, that she was reading about someone’s life that she, maybe, shouldn’t be reading about. I assured her that it was all in the public domain and that I didn’t write anything that I ever worried about in as much as who read it. And that’s a fact. She mentioned a few passages in one recent posting, Sugar Twin, and asked me about them. Or rather pointed them out as an example of something she felt strange reading. As we spoke more about it she mentioned that there were things in the posting that she wondered about, if they were true, whom I was writing about, etc. then the light went on. I told her that posting such as Sugar Twin and A Kiss That No One Sees and Hotwire Spark are works of fiction and that, while they may be inspired by real events, loosely, they are, fiction. And I added that to anyone who knows me, or most, they know that to which she said something I had never really thought about or considered - not everyone who reads my blog, this blog, knows me as well as some others who do. Read this. Good point.

I wrote, for many years, a column called the Cowshead Chronicles that was very similar to the blog in that it moved between fact and fiction without having to state that that was what was happening. It seemed obvious to me, but it would. I was writing it.

So what’s the remedy? I don’t know. I can only do what I do and hope people pick up the difference and see what may be true, what’s fiction and what may be complete bullshit. But I’m glad she made that point, it makes sense to me, it’s on the money.

I guess as a rule of thumb if you read something on here about a guy living somewhere in the states, maybe in his car, or hanging out in Wal Mart parking lots, etc…it’s probably not me…although I have slept in a Wal Mart parking lot before in the states…..

g. xo

i think....

...it may be happening.

i'll let you know.

soon.

g. xo

a long day for ella

grannie's house at fith and morton, port alberni.

that was a long day...well, actually, it's still going on now. after my early wake-up (see insomnia around 3:30 a.m....) i got to work around 4:45 and did a little tidy-up and organizing so the control freak in me could leave at 7 a.m. and feel ok...
the ferry was as uneventful as usual and as i always take my laptop and watch movies i don't see much of the ferry or scenery i have seen since i was a kid.
i stopped in at floyd's and watched as tracy's kid - janine's daughter's 2 year old child - ran around the house naked singing and dancing and generally have a good old time...nice to see floyd and hand deliver him a new lawn order t-shirt. pretty exciting stuff.
i made my way from floyd's in nanoose bay to port alberni and to the church where grannie's service was being held. it was a nice, simple service and all that were there said as much. all of my cousins were there along with their wives and children. lots of children. nice to see all of them, if only for a short time. i'm not going to pretend that we're close, we're not, but i do love them and was happy to see them. just happier to see some more than others. great to be there with issy on her hardest of days. i love her so much.
after a short visit after the service i was on my way. i'm glad i went. i'm glad i was there with issy.

g. xo

sleepy but not sleeping

insomnia rules.

g. xo

bikes, mowers and cube vans

wow...what a weekend...action packed to be sure.
saturday was errands, delivery of a vacuum to the pickle, lawns....more lawns, then another lawn...then doggie ambulance - stella needed to get to the vet over on 4th so we, shauna and i, loaded her in the element and took her there (hopefully it all works out and her tests come back all good...), then a quick drop at topanga to down a couple tacos and then off to hockey....and then back to topanga with the garbs and mishi for a real dinner...whoa...

saturday also saw the garbs becoming better acquainted with the pavement near burrard and pacific blvd. poor little fella was about to lose his hat as he rode down the hill - it was windy doncha know...? and then, faster than you can say jingus jangus....he was getting down with the gravity...the paramedics came and took him to st. paul's and now he's the proud father of new stitches...thank someone he's ok...
sunday found me up at 7 am again and cutting in west vancouver at 8 a.m. (if they weren't awake when i got there, they were shortly thereafter...)
that done it was back to the shop to get paul's cube van and go help the storm salon kids move the shit outta their place...they have a new home soon on pender st. but until it's built they have to store the stuff they have...so in the cube it went and off to k-win's storage. i'm excited to see the new place..shauna did a great new site for them....check it out...
then back to the shop, washed my car and headed to granville island for a coffee...then the garbs and i went for a burger...i needed a burger....now i need to sleep...off to port alberni tomorrow morning...

have fun.

i love you.

g. xo

gordie

our man gordie is a guy who has lots of stuff. no. really. he has lots of stuff. many trucks - all shapes and sizes, trucks with search lights on them, lathes, tools o' plenty, generators, electronic devices regular folks shouldn't have, etc. rooms and rooms filled with mismatched bit and pieces. one of the things gordie has is a jacob's ladder. not the biblical jabob's ladder but...well, maybe he has that all sorted out as well.
anyhow.
gordie brought it to the shop to show us. and after a few false starts...away it went.
oh gordie.

g.

go gordie.

we have ignition.

james lends a helping hand.

gord begins the demo.

the boys have 911 at the ready.

ella

Growing up I had the privilege of having, at one time, three sets of grand parents – my father’s parents, Garnet and Francis, as well as my father’s own grand parents, Floyd and Maggie, and Issy’s parents, Fredrick and Ella. I didn’t know that not everyone had these full sets of grand parents and that some of my friends, even at my young age then, didn’t have any grand parents at all. I can remember them all and how they were and how they acted and spoke and who they were. My great grandfather, Floyd, had a best friend named garnet and named his son after that best friend. I. in turn, was named after my grand father. My grandfather, taking what would have been somewhat of a tradition, named his first son after his father and I guess, if I hadn’t gotten clipped, I would name my first after my father. Alas, there will be no Floyd harry the third. It was a long way for that.

My grand mothers were all very different and had their own ways and means and didn’t mind letting you/me know what they were. Maggie, my great grand mother was already quite old by the time I came along but nonetheless made sure I knew that manners extended well beyond the dining room table. She and Floyd lived in a house in Hammond that is now a heritage house having been designated so and the owner really did a great job fixing it up. There’s a plaque on the front of the house now, “Harry House” . It sounds funny to me but I’m still kinda proud to see it there.

My father’s mother, Francis, was tough. Plain and simple, tough. She took no bullshit from anyone and even as she lay dying in her hospital bed in New Westminster’s Royal Columbian she let the nurses know who was the boss. We all kinda knew Francis was the boss. But for all her tough nature there was a wonderful, caring woman beneath it all. A wonderful cook and great grandmother. But fuckin’ tough as nails.

Ella, Issy’s mother was a tough nut of a different sort. She, too, let you know that the rules were to be followed and that, like Maggie, manners were a good thing beyond the dinner table. We spent a lot of summers staying at Ella’s/Grannie’s place in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. Her husband, Fred, passed away in 1971, the same year as my great grand father Floyd – or at least that’s how I remember it…they were very close in the timing of their passing. I believe both were 86 years old. Fred was much older than Ella. Fred was a wicked snooker player. Anyways, back to Ella. Grannie instituted grand children’s day so every summer we, all the cousins, would gather at Grannie’s for this ‘holiday’. Macdonald’s was still a new thing and still good so often we’d get burgers and shakes and fries, other times it was cold cuts and ice cream and sandwiches or…it was also at Grannie’s that the before bedtime snack, for some reason named ‘mug-up’ was invented. We’d take cups/mugs and fill them with ice cream and put chocolate sauce on it and eat that shortly before bed as we watched the last of the TV for the day. Ella loved the kids. And it showed. Ella loved having that energy around her. Ella's house was always a place where the kids were welcome. At night after spending the day swimming at Sprott Lake or climbing in Ella’s cherry tree and eating far too many cherries, I would lie in my bed upstairs and listen to the radio under the covers, CKLG mainly from Vancouver, thinking about the next day and what it may bring. I liked being at Grannie’s.

Ella recently suffered what may or may not have been a stroke. She pulled out of it like the champ that she is but the slide had begun. Spry and lucid as she had been up until that point, the end seemed certain. Ella passed away this morning at around 3:00 a.m. at 101 years old. She was my last grand parent. She was the world’s greatest mom’s mom – Issy.

In my adult years I wasn’t as close to Grannie, for a multitude of reasons (family stuff is always weird…), as the rest of my family was, or I assume they were, but she was my Grannie and I loved her very much. As a kid I couldn’t have asked for a better grand mother.

Today I’m sad for Issy who loved her mother so very much and who cared for her in a way that was nothing short of amazing. A saint. I love you Issy.

g. xo

when a trash can is more than a trash can

i never thought i'd be hot for a trash can...ever, but these are pretty nice...maybe i need to step-up from the galvanized bucket, i bought at army and navy, that i've been using for the last 12 plus years...

just maybe.

g. xo

in times of great stress...

go on-line and order some new shoes.

i just did.

and in colors i maybe shouldn't be wearing...

fuck it.

g. xo

sugar twin.

I’ve been far luckier than I deserve.

It’s the truth.

I’ve held the hands of some pretty beautiful women over my lifetime. No denying that. You can’t. From Toronto through to Santa Cruz and up to Portland and over to remote parts of Wyoming, they’ve made my company and made it all that much better – by their goodness and their graciousness, I couldn’t be a luckier guy. Ask anyone, they’ll tell ya.

The way I figure it, and I really don’t try and think about it too much, why should I? But, I’m average at best, if a little charming, but average in every way, maybe even a little below average in the looks dept. but I do fine. They’re fine, I’m fine, I mean, I can’t complain. Not a bit. I’d be lying if I said I loved them all, straight lie. And I’m sure they didn’t all love me either, shit, some I would hazard a guess, didn’t even like me in the end. Maybe even the beginning. But I had a car, I could get them outta town, into other parts of the state, for weekends away or such else. When I was living in my car I lied then, a little, said my place was being fixed-up and that I’d be moving back in soon enough, and Wendy, she didn’t seem to mind that I stayed on for weeks longer than I said I would. And why should she is I was filling the fridge every week with Rolling Rock and cold cuts and bread on the counter. Maybe she knew I was lying but she never let on.

Now they’re all over this town – the women I dated and loved, with other men, some with women – I get that too. They’re living with others that treat them better than I did, gave them what they needed, at least for a while. Like a fresh set of sheets, new and it feels good to be next to them. I’d fall in love if I could. I have. Once or twice before. I fell in love, quickly, once with a girl from New York City, we were in central park. I wrote about her in a notebook. I wrote how I was gonna move from New Orleans to be with her. Move, with all my things and be there with her, getting a job somewhere – I didn’t know where but I would. She loved me too, then, for that moment anyways. I’m capable. Love. I don’t know that my heart can take it anymore.

Any way. I figure love’s like drinking. After each time we say we’ll never do it again. Fall in love. Drink that much. Never again. Never touch another drop but before we know it, we’re in love or falling for someone, often over drinks. The drinks we said we’d never have again.

I let ‘em bring and leave a toothbrush and maybe a clean t-shirt and underwear, the ones that get that close but that’s it – for now. It’s all I can take having around. The rest of their things have to stay put, where they are. Stay for a week if you want, I tell them. Stay for a year. Just leave your stuff where it is. The move out’s the hardest part.

It’s the fucking good-byes.

Fuck.

just when you think...

...it's safe to say, 'i think i've done it. i've got all the paperwork done, and the bank has what they need, and my mortgage broker has what she needs, and....' it's not that way at all. i don't know, honestly, how much more i can take...seriously. i just had a conversation with my accountant that was so bizarre and full of double-speak and such my head is reeling.
i will say this. out loud. i hope to never buy another place to live after this one. my heart can't take it. i have a headache that's unbelievable.

lord. please. help me stay the course.

g. xo

two years in the making...

yup. it's been over two years coming but it's finally here. the all new for 2009 t-shirt show. maybe you were involved the first time around, maybe you'd like to be this time...get all, or most, of the details here.
there was a report from the very first show right here on the old garnville blog...check it out.
there are pics of me in a bunny suit...almost worth the price of admission.

g. xo

ok...alright...hot dogs on the brain.

i'm not sure what prompted my thinking so much about them but, i can't stop thinking about hot dogs...and not even just hot dogs but the 'made famous in tucson outside the food city Sonoran hotdog'. it's like a beacon inside my head that won't shut-off, not for love nor money. fuck. and really, you can only get the real deal in tucson but i have a plan...
i've been thinking about having a little housewarming type event at the new place, hereby dubbed the new place, and making it an all day affair, like an open house, and i'm gonna make some food - pulled pork, floyd's beans and maybe sonoran dogs. an all-day meat fest. i'll have some non-meat action for those of you not into the meat but, i'm having those fucking dogs for sure. it's a ways away but i'm gonna get all the ducks in a row so when the time come it's sonoran dogs for all my friends.
here's a cool link to a thing in wikipedia all about hot dogs...
ok. that's it.
carry on.

g. xo

full tilt saturday.

after having a little sleep-in until just after 7 a.m. i got up and wondered, out loud, how the fuck i was gonna get lawns cut with the weather the way it was...i had woken-up at 4 a.m. and heard the rain and worried that i may be fucked. so there i was at 7 a.m. looking out the window at the giant silver golf ball, drinking coffee and just thinkin'. at 8:30 i saw a glimpse of goodness and decided to head out..i had to go to the shop and grab a new lawn order hoodie for nancy - who i was having breakfast with - and it was a good thing i did since i had forgotten to pick something up on friday for dan, who was working saturday....he was a little annoyed it hadn't been picked-up, and i don't blame him....so i ran off and got it...all good.
by the end of my snack with nancy the weather had changed for the better and i was off to cut...kits, dunbar, richmond, east van, and the west end...i was really making the rounds yesterday...i was a little beat by the end of it and needed a coffee...
i went to the island and had a coffee with the garbs and then we all (mishi, the garbs and i) headed up to the fish and chips place on (g)arbutus and 33rd. good chow there. you should go there...i'll dig the name up...
with dinner done it was time to head to meinhardt for a treat and then take the kids home to robson st...i had been thinking during the day that i'd go see the hold steady, who were in town at the vogue on granville. i have been a fan for a few years, or more, and have always missed them when they've been in town...so tonight was the night...
so there i was in the vogue, i took the loser cruiser up there, sitting in my lone seat, trying to wait patiently for the opening band to do there thing and then wait more until the hold steady came on...when the woman in front of me turned and said, "you're chad's friend right....?" and i'm not sure why, but i think it was because i misheard her initially, but finally i said yes and then finally recognized her...she is an ex of my pal chad, the tattooist who runs/owns sanitary electric on fraser street - who has 'worked' on me a couple times...nice girl. she's a writer who, amongst her many writing credits, does concert reviews for the georgia straight, and was there to review the hold steady show...as we talked she asked if i was there alone, when i said yes, she invited me to sit with her...nice.
the first band, still life still, were like a really poor broken social scene wanna-be band, they were terrible and jenny used the word 'unfortunate' many times to describe them...i couldn't disagree...the hold steady did exactly what i expected them to do - which was great and perfect - but sometimes it was a little too much of a good thing - and you'd have to be a fan and know their music and the lead singer's style of delivery and... anyhow..i really liked it - even if they didn't play my favorite song. they may be one of the best 'rock' bands operating right now...
it was a good day over all..in fact, at one point i said to one of my lawn clients, that it as a perfect day...the weather was the perfect temperature for cutting, the wind was just nice, i saw just enough people, saw a good rock show, and made it home to bed safe and sound...
nice.
my house could use some clean-up work though....what a disaster.

have a great sunday.

g. xo

the hold steady do what they do.

and jenny does what she does best....hate the opening band.

granville street tonight.

the evil dead and pot

one of my lawn order clients works as a promoter and is currently in the works of bringing 'evil dead - the musical' to vancouver...for those of you who love the blood and gore with a little singing and dancing should love it...
check it out..
alos...man, i could sure use some pot...i had a few conversations today that were super duper hard on the head...all having to do with my new condo purchase...mother of god it was a test...i swear to god, or someone, i've never had something be such a brain buster. and i've bought two other places previous to this and sold one on my own as well...i still don't know if it's all sorted...but there is a very real chance it could all go down the shitter and i'll lose a whole whack of money...never to be seen again.

have a great weekend...i'll be out there trying to keep a stiff upper lip.

g. xo

more rib-tastic

well...i have to say it went pretty well...all the ribs are gone, the boys - and one woman, are well fed and happy...and joel even came back from set to have a little taste of the ribbie goodness..

nice work i have to say.

g. xo

rib-tastic thursday...

ready to go...

today's recipe is for braised short ribs cooked in barolo...being that barolo is kinda expensive - not that the boys aren't worth it...i opted for a shiraz (compliments of my pal debbie who had a bottle hanging around her place so i stole it...) i think it'll be fine...but i have to admit that this always scares me a little - cooking for the boys...but it always seems to work out, or at least be eatable. fingers crossed. the recipe calls for polenta but i'm not sure i'll have time to make that as it has to be watched as you cook it and you have to keep stirring, etc...hard to work and make polenta. so, it'll be mashed potatoes and maybe another veggie...
pretty exciting.

g. xo

fresh out of the pan...now into the slow cooker.

before action.

some nice pancetta that'll give it a little more taste....hopefully.

the boys model some of the new gear

dan and joel show-off their new lawn order gear.

nice.

g. xo

the new gear is here!

it's here - shitty picture but....it's all here. the new lawn order gear is here...man, it looks great.

g. xo

biff bang pow

years ago i had a pretty cool old ford falcon - a 1961 ford falcon sedan delivery, in fact - and ottawa band furnaceface used it in one of their videos. now thanks to youtube, i can once again see my old car that i, unfortunately, sold to a guy who let it go to shit...great car.

check out the vid...watch for my car....larry four.

g. xo

happy birthday senor tornack

yup..it's the big day for our man corie...the kids at ethical bean gave him a few goodies this morning...maybe, just maybe, there will be more in the afternoon...

happy birthday man!

g. xo

coming soon...

..the best of the blog in pictures for 2008/2009.... yup october to october...i'm jumping the gun but i just wanted to warn you.

here's a sample.

g. xo

one and three

i tried. i really did. but after all the action yesterday and the early morning i had today making cables for the car boys and then a big lawn later in the afternoon...i was done. i had one more lawn to do - that i can do this week sometime - but i just couldn't do it. i was beat. i also tried to make it to brent and mina's before marc left town but got there too late, he was already gone...but i did discover that i had completely forgotten about tai's birthday celebration...and even when i saw all the folks at the shum's and saw all the kids running around, i was too tired to make the connection. it wasn't until i was in the kitchen with mina that i clued in...then i went home. i felt a little out of sorts being that i was all sweaty and covered in grass and such and everyone else was all fresh and dressed for the occasion - especially dave o. who was sporting a brand new hair cut that was quite fetching.
so that's it..another busy weekend is in the books.

have a great week.

g. xo

barnburner

yesterday was a test of some kinda will...lawns o'plenty, some hockey, some more lawns, a call from another show's picture care dept. asking me if i could help them make some cables - i could and would - and meeting fawn here at the yard, jumping in larry and heading over to get mishi and then off to corie and katherine's for corie's birthday fiesta. katherine did a wicked job with the mexican goodies...thanks kid! i was filled with tamale goodness. sure, his birthday isn't until tuesday (40th...) but it was prime time to get the week long celebration going...i was tired and after a magarita that had more marga than rita, i was done for...that and the topanga chocolate cake...home by 10:30 pm or so...but i had to be up again today just before seven to meet with the picture car guys to make their cables...happy to do so. afterwards it was off to meet nancy for some meinhardt goodness and now i'll be heading off to cut a few more lawns....
i'll sleep when i'm dead.

g. xo

mishi loves the glass tequila gun.

kristy makes the scene.

while karl drinks.

the garbs looks over everything detail.

the cake action.

ok....go!

alright.
the tally thus far on this busy saturday...
went to richmond to look at the dog lawn...no cut needed so i moved onto the teamster yard on barnard. lots of action there today as they are the car shop for the A-Team and all hands were on deck today getting shit ready for shooting...and now they have anice lawn as well. then off to bubbles and erin's place near dunbar...that baby needed a serious mow...looks like a thousand bucks now. then it was time to do meg anderson's mom's lawn....meg, a sometimes lawn order client had told her mom that i was the man for the job at her place in dunbar. she has just had new sod put down and needed/needs someone to come by and take care of it for the next little while as it needs to be cut frequently when it first goes in...very nice woman. and nice to get the recommendation from meg...meg's is another lawn i have to do this weekend...then it was off to kits to see if ali's lawn needed some work but it didn't so i moved on, after a nice blue monkey smoothie at caper's, to one of my new favorite clients, elizabeth. last time she was doing yard wrk and painting while i was there and wearing her ipod and singing out loud as she worked...it was awesome...we had a nice chat today on hr 3/4 done lawn...
now i'm home and contemplating doing one more lawn before my hockey game at 2:00 p.m.
hmm...i wonder.

or relax and cut more afterwards...

we'll see.

have fun.

g. xo

hercules and sang get down...

after work today i made my way to the west end and cut lisa's lawn and then met-up with the garbs and went and got a snack at the topanga. we had to get fueled-up before we drove out to burnaby to do a press check of the new topanga shirts - hercules and sang were doing some late night printing and told me/us to come by and make sure i liked the colors i chose. and while they're not perfect, hard to get the colors the same as the window at the restaurant and because it was had done originally, the window...blah, blah, blah..they do look pretty good though...and if you want one you can make your way down to the topanga soon enough and buy one...for those of you getting the new lawn order shirt, it will have the topanga screen on the back so a little two for one action...i'm trying to decide what color to do the printing on the front of the lawn order shirt...i really like the blue that's in the topanga design and the orange...i thought i would do some blue and some orange - the garbs thinks they should be done green...if you have any ideas on this subject let me know...soon....
ok...i need to get to bed...so sleepy. and many lawns to do tomorrow...

i love you.

g. xo

the shirts get going...

sang gets down to printing.

lookin' good...

the garbs loves his new shirt.

the garbs supervises.

the garbs and hercules.

thursday round-up

well, the handshake agreement i had in place for the sale of my motorcycle has, seemingly, fallen through so...(not the end of the world by any means but...) if ya know anyone who needs/wants/deserves a 1968 bmw /2 let me know...low miles, driven on sundays by a little old lady - 13,000 clams.

don bull sent me this link today to a site that shows off a lot of great old album covers...pretty good stuff...

and in the 'holy crap that's an expensive digital camera, man' file comes the new leica digital rangefinder. lovely.. really, it is but that's a lot of cake for a camera...i won't be buying one...swank though.

ok...

g. xo