from the desk of...

it is raining so hard outside right now it's almost beyond belief. i had been out running errands and getting shit done in general, and all was well - the weather had called for rain but it had actually turned into a day of sun and shine...me sitting on the back gate of the element eating veggies and noodles and having coffee brought to me that i hadn't even ordered - nice. then, as quick as all that happened came the rain as i left my chiro dude's place...and minutes after i arrived home it was hail. or is it hale? like mr. hale. regardless...and because it had been warm-ish, my deck is now steaming from the sudden wetness...kinda cool.

i'm in now i suspect. i have shit i can do here - though i may venture out later to put another coat of jingus on my new table top for the deck table.
after my very full weekend of baseball, hockey, making and putting up shelves at ailsa's, re-wiring a light at ailsa's, lawns, etc..i was gonna take a little time for me today...get some shit done that i need done...and so it was.
i have now started the process of forgetting the paralam table top and moving forward with my new clear cedar top...a first coat now complete with a few more to go before it is attached to the metal frame that now sits on my deck, alone, with no top. lonely it is. and i want to have it done by the 22nd - sure, sure it sounds like a lot of time to you...the benches are done and will come home when the new table top does...just in time for you to come over and mark them up with the keys you've left in your back pocket...and if that happens, don't feel badly, i expect it..maybe you'll get a prize for being the first to break it in...them in.
as for wanting to have these things done by the 22nd, some of you may already know, and if you don't i a: probably don't have your e.mail address and couldn't send you an invite or b: didn't think you'd want to come to my place and hang out or c: i'm avoiding you and hope you find out well after the fact...truth is... a: i can't invite everyone and i certainly don't expect to be invited to everything and b: my brain can't remember everything so...with that in mind...i am having an open house/bbq on the 22nd of may..here. right here. (and if you don't know where 'here' is...maybe that's why you didn't get an invite...) not a shaker. not a party, like real party but a gathering. and i'm cooking. i know it's the may long weekend and lots of you go away for that weekend but, this is when it is. deal. and for those who have been asking and wondering the menu will consist of the following...(all made by me...no canned goods bullshit...well, except the dogs...)

- floyd's famous baked beans
- garn's not-so-famous pulled pork
- hebrew national hot dogs
- carne asada and halibut tacos
- garn's guacamole, salsa and other taco fixings
- baby back pork ribs
- two home-made (from scratch yo!) bbq sauces
- a smiggen of salmon
- beer from ambleside brewing company (bomber pilsner)

so there.
ok. on to other things.
the new the hold steady album is good. the song weekenders getting heavy rotation right. the new band of horses is a good spin as well, though i feel it's not as strong as cease to begin but northwest apartment is also getting a high spin count. the new the national album made its way here last night but i can't say too much about it yet - but it sounds like a the national album so...that's good.

if you ever wanted to know how to cut designs into your grass....here ya go.

the wings are in phoenix tonight to play game seven against the coyotes...i'm a little nervous and as i said at the beginning of the season, i can't really cheer for a team that todd bertuzzi plays for so, really, if they lose, it's fine...and really all i care about it that the canucks don't win the cup. ever. in my lifetime. they can go to the finals for all i care. and then lose. then i know the world is still on it's correct axis.
ok. i need a snack.

g. xo