muc rocks the tacos, i get ready to go back to work.

muc and tai at the shum's.

muc and jenn...

yesterday i met-up with muc and jenn and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee with the both of them at layla's on fourth ave. seems like all's well in their world even if being in thunder bay isn't the perfect situation - they're making it work. jenn spends a lot of time in vancouver due to her job but is trying to figure out how to work remotely more so she can stay with marc more in thunder bay and marc's trying to find a way out of thunder bay to a bigger or at least better market. good luck to both...jenn had to go meet her sister to do some things so marc and i headed downtown for some tacos at la taqueria. he hadn't been so why not now? as it turned out it wasn't the best taco experience ever - at least for me...but i'm not gonna bitch too much - it was great to share a meal with muc. we ended-up over at brent and mina's place where tai schooled us on the ipad. nice to see the shum's as well...
i stayed home last night and pondered my future - which means i watched tv on the couch and ate some beef stew i had made many moons ago - i'm trying to eat out of the freezer for a bit to get some turnover of the things that are in there...pretty good stew really.
well, the months long vacation is over starting monday morning. i got the call this morning from steve h. that i was to be at bill's shop at 7 a.m. monday morning. we, at the BOC don't start our new show until later in the month so bill's recruited me for the time being while they shoot out of town....at least i think that's what's going on...
good times..

g. xo

hangin' in T town

me and garvie during our walk boxing day.

as luck would have it, or fate or...both issy and ailsa's parents - tom and dorothy - live in tsawwassen (delta) so it made visiting over the holidays easier. on xmas day i went to issy's for dinner and then afterwards issy and i went down to the brown's for a visit - issy meeting tom and dorothy for the first time - kinda exciting...and boxing day i went out there again and had a walk along the beach with ailsa and then a very nice dinner with tom and dorothy and two of their close friends, jean and bill - though i am now thinking i've got his name wrong...this getting old really sucks...in any case, two very nice people i'm glad to have met and shared a meal with.
yesterday was a very uneventful one, and that's ok. i had a little visit with mishi at the pickle and then attempted a few errands and then spent the night getting to know my couch a little better.

ever since i finished reading the keith richards autobiography i have been wanting to see some of the rolling stones movies, actually re-see them, and today i watched 'gimme shelter' shortly after i got up. pretty good stuff, although very tragic at the same time - if you've seen it or heard about the free concert they did at the altamont raceway in san francisico (which is documented in this film) you'll know what i'm on about...still a pretty good way to spend a morning relaxing.
todya's activities are unclear at this point...i know muc is in town from thunder bay so i'm hoping to see him at some point while he's here. lena's also in from montreal and some food is being planned for thursday. i'm having dinner tonight at garvie's with her neighbours and fiona and i, maybe, will be seeing the new yogi bear movie soonish...i'm leaving that in fiona's hands...
i think i need a snack....

g. xo

cloudy with a chance of sleepiness

after being mr. pickle yesterday, i made my way out to issy's and our xmas dinner. issy always says, 'it's nothing fancy but you'll get a lot of it...', and she's right...and i'm not fussed by fancy. a great, well cooked turkey, all the trimmings, veggies and for desert two types of pie...good times!
xmas eve was more good food and make-you-sleepy deserts over at ailsa's with her parents - tom and dorothy - and fiona...a very excited, spinning like a top because santa's coming fiona. pretty exciting. i haven't been involved in something like that, the little ones waiting for santa, in a long time, so it was pretty cool - and the food was great too...garvie made a meal she's kinda famous for, a beef bourguignon...nice.
i was tuckered out when i got back here last night and fell asleep on the couch while watching 'storage wars'...have you seen that show? i was hypnotized by it....
somehow my place has become a disaster zone so i've got to take care of that...then i may go open the pickle and then head out to tom and doro's for some more food to make me sleepy.

g. xo

a sleepy fiona gets ready to head to bed xmas eve.

but not before opening a few presents first.

garvie opened a few too.

xmas day - fiona playing with some of her goods.

ailsa and issy at tom and dorothy's.

good morning grove.

for what may be the 18th year in a row, maybe less i dunno, i made my way to the grove this morning and had my yearly eggs florentine with a side of brown toast, coffee and a small orange juice. nice. the hollindasie suace has gotten runnier every year and this year it was barely there..loved it. exactly perfect.
i'm off now to open the pickle - last year as a joke i told mishi i would open the pickle and sell something...and i did. who knows? maybe i will today - come on down.

merry christmas homies!

g. xo

some good action at the grove...

ho diggity!

the grove. 2010 edition.

for those who may be interested. i will, once again - this may be year 17 or 18 - be eating breakfast at the grove restaurant on deman street tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. i will be having eggs florentine, as per usual, and if you'd like to join me, please do. you don't have to have eggs florentine, you can have whatever you like. they have good truck stop style coffee there and decent toast.

happy holidays.

g. xo

for the love of tamales...

last night ailsa, 'he who can not be named on the blog', the fawnz, mishi, garbs, corie, katherine, ann and dean came by to sample some tamales i made up...and some tacos as well...and while it didn't go exactly according to plan (sometimes there aren't enough tortillas ready, or you can't find a beer or opener or someone yells 'fire' or...), it was a pretty good feast. the taco fillings included halibut, chicken mole and beef brisket with home made guacamole, pico de gallo, and a few other salsas and mexican style cheese. tasty...the tamales were veggie - a mushroom, garlic, tomato and onion mix - and a carne version - a chicken mole filling...i made far too many tamales so if you feel like having one come on over today at 12:30 pm when the garbs will be here enjoying his second, second helping.
all in all it was a good night and everyone went home full of mexican style goodness...

g. xo


the garbs loves the xmas tacos!

almost as much as he loves the poncho i brought back for ailsa that has proved to be a bit of a bust - if anyone would like a poncho thingy let me know...

corie took his turn trying the poncho on...

corie dishes up carmel sauce for the wicked gingerbread ailsa made for desert last night...

ailsa gives the poncho one last try...

tracking...

this morning i tried the tracking number i had been given by the fine folks at the post office in mexico and low and behold, it looks like the package may, actually, be moving out of mexico.
after sitting for there for nearly a month, it now says it's on its way to the united states.
will wonders ever cease?
at this rate i'll see that package around may.

g. xo

ho....ho....ho....when's dinner?

i got my freak on today...um, i mean, santa suit...every year, for the past 5- 7 years but we can't remember how long i have been doing it, i have been going to the pickle and putting on the santa suit mishi and i got at a topanga xmas party many, many years aho. i sit in the pickle a little, go to the market and see what's going on there, get a coffee, talk to a few kids - 'you're not the real santa', 'yes i am', 'no, i can see the elastic for the beard'...'oh ok....i just need a coffee.' , and say hi to a few folks. today i sat outside the pickle as well...(from a passing car), 'are you the real santa?', 'duh...of course i am...'
it's fun. we take some pics, i give a few fingers and then i'm done...i usually do it on xmas eve so there may be two garn cringle sightings down at the pickle this year...come on down.
before the santa suit it was another errand day but nothing too important...picked up some goods from the hitmen at the meat shop on renfrew, had a little chiro action, garbs and i went for burgers (again) at refuel and a little recycling...easy day.

have fun today/tonight...i'm attempting to make tamales from scratch - the garbs and mishi are my testers tonight...one veggie version with tomatoes and mushrooms and the other a chicken mole...

ok.

g. xo

new this and that plus package update...

so...according to my good pals and awesome neighbours while i was in oaxaca, richard and pattie, my package, that i sent over a month ago from mexico, is stuck in US customs...why? i dunno - and neither do they - customs not richard and pattie. i suppose US customs wants to see if there's anything in the box they can break and then sent the package on its way to me. so we'll see what happens from here but for those of you who asked for bags from mexico - when the parcel gets here, you'll get your bag action...
after my iphone launching party the other night while watching the odds rock out xmas style, i went to the apple store and left with a whole new phone. turns out they can't replace the front glass - and were actually amazed i broke the front glass as the back glass on the 4 is what usually breaks...lucky me. anyhow, i have a new phone and the communications world is back on its axis. it cost a little to put it back on track but...merry xmas to me.
miss fiona is getting pretty excited about christmas and it really shows that this time of year really is for kids. the other night she was spinning like a top with excitement...christmas day will be very interesting.
i saw the garbs today, i don't think he shares the same excitement about this time of year as fiona does...i could be wrong though.
while i'm not a big jeff bridges fan i am looking forward to seeing him in the cohen brothers re-make of true grit...does that open soon? i remember seeing the original with john wayne with my parents when i was a kid living in dawson creek. i'm gonna get popcorn for this one.
i'm tuckered out...

g. xo

better late...

i heard about this last friday but have been busy with xmas activities and forgot to post it...
capt. beefheart is no longer with us...the mojave desert has lost one of its own.
every alt rocker, of course, cites capt. beefheart - don van vliet - as a major influence - yet he only sold a handful of albums in his time...go figure. i was never a huge fan but did love the work he did with frank zappa (r.i.p.) and used to play the odd track from trout mask replica and ice cream for crow on the radio during my days spinning discs.
a very interesting character. the link from pitchfork has a lot of great beefheart videos including a great interview with david letterman from the 80's i believe - one i saw when it was broadcast originally - letterman used to be my hearo and during his days at NBC had some amazing guests.

take it easy big shooter.

g. xo

all i want for christams is...

dear santa.

i went to see odds tonight in port moody - they were playing on the canadian pacific christmas train - and while they were playing i dropped my iphone on the ground - thing flew out of my hands as i took it out of my pocket - and...the fucker broke! so if you can find it in your fat fuck of a heart, can you please bring me a new one? come on....don't be a dick...


ok...
so corie and i went out to port moody tonight to see craig and the boys as they rolled into town on their traveling road show aboard a train as part of the canadian pacific christmas train. the christmas train rolled through a ton of towns with the odds playing up to eight shows a day finishing off tonight in port moody all the way raising money and collecting food for the food bank. it was a good time - except for the flying iphone part.

have fun this weekend....

g. xo


crazy leg, a one man wrecking crew for the odds - done grew himself a wicked moustache!

some good bonfire action at the gig tonight.

blair and ji had a good time at the gig.

boxer.

i had to get in on the act.

g. xo

(really) lost in transit.

below is a transcript of a few e.mails exchanged today with the mexican postal service, regarding a package i sent home from oaxaca...(i've cut out some of the bullshit because they always added the contact info afterwards etc...)
.........

hello.

i was enquiring about a package i had sent from oaxaca city to point roberts washington, usa on nov. 23, 2010 and was sent an e.mail asking for more information about the package.
i was told it would take between 7 and ten days. i tried the tracking number, EE70508275 1MX, and it only shows that i dropped it off and when but there is no information regarding the shipment otherwise. ie: if it has left mexico, where it may be, etc.

if i could get some information that would be great.

thanks so much

garnet

………….

Dear Garnet Harry.
Thank you in advance for having been in contact with mail from Mexico through this medium.
Regarding your query I comment the following information:

The only status in the system of the day 23/11/2010 Deposit Customer Care Center to Public Oaxaca, Oax., in order to provide more information ask me to provide your shipping destination and provide a time delivery.

Please note that for any doubt, request clarification or information about services and / or products of Mexico postal account, you can consult the website of Mexico www.correosdemexico.gob.mx post or write to the email account contacto@correosdemexico.gob.mx

Is available through the number of our Call Center at 01800701 45 00 toll-free from anywhere in Mexico, at a time of 8:00 to 20:00 hrs., Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 15:00 hrs., where we will gladly assist you and answer your questions.
Without further ado, I am at your service, but first take this opportunity to send a cordial greeting.
Sincerely,
Escarlet Lozada Rodriguez
Mexico Post

In case of any doubt or clarification provided him with Ticket number: 35624

Please note this email is sent from one direction only to notice, which accepts no input notifications PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to this message.
If you request another query kindly request you create a new mail address appending contacto@correosdemexico.gob.mx your ticket number.

…………..

Unfortunately I am the sender. I mailed some things home because I thought it would easier...

Garnet

………….

Dear. Garnet Timothy Harry

Thank you in advance for having been in contact with mail from
Mexico through this medium.
Regarding your query I comment the following information:

likewise, I ask him to provide the source destination to provide
more information about your shipment, as the last day status is
23/11/1910 intention Center to the public plaza Juarez Oaxaca customer
deposit, And provide more information

Without further ado, I am at your service, but first take this
opportunity to send a cordial greeting.
Sincerely,
Mauricio Navarro
Mexico Post

…………

i sent a package nov. 23, 2010 and have just tracked it and it only says it was sent, not where it may be now. can you help me track it?
thanks very much.

the tracking number is : EE705082751MX

garnet harry

………..

Unfortunately we have no other source of information portal only Post Mexico, so I suggest you go to the postal administration where he made the deposit, with your phone number and request a written complaint, this will allow you to indicate the exact location ship out and the reason it has not been delivered.

……………..

I sent the parcel to

145 tyee drive
Point Roberts, washington
98281
USA

The package was sent to myself, garnet Harry

………

likewise, I ask him to provide the source destination to provide
more information about your shipment, as the last day status is
23/11/1910 intention Center to the public plaza Juarez Oaxaca customer
deposit, And provide more information

I would suggest that you contact the sender so that he can make
the claim in Mexico because you are not in the possibility of haverla in
mexico

………….

i'm not sure you are reading my e.mails...

I AM THE SENDER!

I AM IN CANADA.

garnet

………..

unfortunately we only care to clients and we are not allowed to
carry out actions to contact the post of mexico portal to submit your
complaint has avenged the Internet in the option register your claim.

………

so having a tracking number is a complete waste of time since no one can
actually track it. Pure genius.

It makes no sense at all that you give tracking numbers but can't
actually track a package.

Thanks for losing my package.

Garnet

……….

You only can make the claim in the origin post office.

Please note that for any doubt, request clarification or information about services and products to Mexico Postal account, you can consult the website of Mexico www.correosdemexico.gob.mx post or write to the email account contacto@correosdemexico.gob.mx It is available through the number of our Call Center 01 800 701 45 00 toll-free from anywhere in Mexico, at a time of 8:00 to 20:00 hrs., Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 15:00 hrs., where we will gladly help and answer your questions

before the end he mentioned that for future reference in the post of Mexico is the ticket number: 35624

Without further ado, I remain at your disposal, but first take this opportunity to send a cordial greeting.

Atte.

Marco Antonio

………

So I understand that you don't speak or write English very well, and that's what I expected but, this is very frustrating. My package has been lost in your mail system and you are unable to help me. Tracking numbers seem to not matter at all.

……..

Estimado (a) Timothy Harry

De antemano le agradezco el haberse puesto en contacto con correos de México a través de este medio.

Respecto a su consulta de información le comento lo siguiente:

Para realizar su reclamación es necesario que acuda a la administración postal donde realizo el envió o en dado caso esperar la llegada del mismo.

………

thank you for the answer in spanish...it really did me no good at all.

garnet

………

You’re welcome!!!

We can’t do this processed.

Please note that for any doubt, request clarification or information about services and products to Mexico Postal account, you can consult the website of Mexico www.correosdemexico.gob.mx post or write to the email account contacto@correosdemexico.gob.mx It is available through the number of our Call Center 01 800 701 45 00 toll-free from anywhere in Mexico, at a time of 8:00 to 20:00 hrs., Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 15:00 hrs., where we will gladly help and answer your questions

before the end he mentioned that for future reference in the post of Mexico is the ticket number: 35911

Without further ado, I remain at your disposal, but first take this opportunity to send a cordial greeting.

Atte.

Marco Antonio

…………

i was joking when i said thank-you.

you've been no help at all.

garnet

new colors.

the garbs helped me lay down the new colors on the new lawn order vehicle...nice work!





ready to go.

g. xo

12 days of what?

more like what the fuck?

issy sent me this tidy number for the holidays.

g. xo

best of the blog 2010....final edition.

best of the blog 2010...pt. 7