pixies tix.

if anyone's interested...i have two extra tickets to the pixies show on may 4th...this wed. for sale...great seats.

call me./e.mail me.

g. xo

and so saturday.

i always wake-up earlier than i want to on saturday mornings even if i stay up a little later, the night before, than usual. the light comes in - even with the blackout blinds mishi made me some comes in my bedroom door and once that happens it's all over. that and just being used to getting up before six every day makes it hard. and then on mornings like this one where i have six or seven lawns to get to i have to just sit and wait. wait until the folks in the west end or up on west fifth wake-up so i can get the engines started.
last night the garbs, corie, 'he who can not be named on the blog' and i ended up at topanga for some dinner. we don't find ourselves there as much as we used to, or at least i don't - for reasons to involved to get into here - but last night was good. a few drinks, bull and his pals - including the beautiful donna - were there eating as well....including his pal greg who i don't care for much - you can't love everyone - but it's very entertaining getting him worked up over the canucks - he's an insane kind of fan...like he may lose his shit at any point trying to get you to come to his way of thinking over the canucks...it's good. i enjoy it. i tried to get him to make a bet with me last night but his wife put an end to it...(maybe he's not really the boss after all...) anyhow...good fun.
after corie headed home and we dropped off 'he who can not be named' at his place, the garbs and i ended-up at refuel so the garbs could have a marg and a dessert - gotta keep him fueled up.
this morning after my first lawn, and after my breakfast snack at the caper's on robson, i went down and saw k-win and got my hair chopped. and i mean short for spring. today it was all clippers. i think i'm a good number two cut with a little taper after. short. it's good. perfect keep my head cool lawn cutting cut. thanks k-win.
then it was off to more lawns and the burning of fossil fuels.

good times.

go nashville! (maybe...)

g. xo

a marriage made in england...

and only england - because i'm fairly sure we wouldn't put up with it. sure, the queen is paying for the costs directly associated with the wedding - the food, the drinks, etc...but the security - with numbers being quoted in the tens of millions...she's not fronting that tab. and, as noted on the news today, because they just had a stat holiday for easter, and will have another on monday for the royal wedding and then next week another - that i'm not sure of the reason, the british economy stands to lose, literally, billions of dollars because of the days off of work.
and come on...really? unless you're a young child who looks at this as a young girl becoming a princess....why would you care? care enough to fly to england, camp outside buckingham palace, pay big money to stay in a hotel, etc...to see two people get married? really?
it makes more sense to me that they're selling barf bags with the pictures of what's his name and what's her name on them...i'd like to have one of those.
the british royal family is so incredible outdated and why the british put up with it is beyond me and millions of others. and why we put out the carpet for them when they come to town is simply absurd.
ok. i've said my piece. i find it funny and laughable so maybe that's what it's for. our amusement. and i'm sure, because it'll be hard not to, i'll see clips of it here and there on t.v. and in the papers, but i will be sleeping soundly when it's on live and being beamed across the globe to billions of homes.
good luck to them as i'm sure they're nice folks,but the whole thing is retarded.

mind how you go.

g. xo

who'll be the first to say it...

i wish i had something to report but i don't. nothing good anyways and the bad is not to be reported so...i have nothing useful...not that the blog entries are ever really useful.
my current playlist is like so:

county line - cass mccombs
what are you willing to lose - lucero
each word's a beat of my heart - mink deville
love lies bleeding - elton john
glorious life - joel plaskett

i'll stop now...

g.

sad but true..

listen here.

great song. scroll down to hear it.

g. xo

mishi doesn't like steaks but she loved this sign.

(from the vault)

g. xo

rough draft

my man cam and i have been working on a new lawn order shirt (he doing most of the work me doing a lot of pointing...)
why i want nixon on there is really unclear - even to me - but i do. i loved nixon as a kid. i watched his final speach on the t.v. in my grannie's living room in port alberni. i watched him say 'sock it to me' on laugh-in. i loved it when rich little would do his impersonation of nixon on his show, and i would try and mimic that impersonation.
anyhow. nixon, agnew, kissinger - all pretty good characters.
and now the new lawn order shirt will salute my man nixon.
just because.

the design above is a work in progress and will change but if you're thinking you'd like a nixon edition lawn order shirt or hoodie - let me know.

g. xo

my main man ken...

...and his beard.
holy crap. i ran into ken diamond yesterday, he of the fancy leather goods, and while i had seen pictures of him with a beard, nothing prepared me for the greatness that is ken's facial hair. so incredibly impressive. sure, i can grow a bread too but to have the conviction to keep that baby going for a couple years. i salute him. when he lived in my old building i'd see him all the time but haven't, obviously, seen him for a while. i'm a fan of ken, he's a good one. he was out walking his dog, mona, when i ran into him as i was about to cut a lawn in the west end. nice pooch. nice guy.
after the lawn action yesterday i rode my new bike down to the island, where i visited with mishi and corie - who had also ridden his bike down there. after the pickle was shut we all rode downtown together - i had some banking to do and they had margaritas to make at mishi and the garbs'. i left them to the booze and headed to the bank and then over to whole foods to pick-up some sausages to grill up and some of these cheese buns they have there that are super duper.
then i rode up to black dog video - owned by bomber and all-round great guy darren gay - and rented 127 hours, i had heard great things about it but it fell a little short for me. good flick, it just didn't wow me.
this morning - which came at 6:30 am (again) - found me puttering and getting a few small things done - returning said video, mailing letters, washing my car, etc...and now i'm home thinking about lunch...
pretty exciting.

have a great sunday.

g. xo

bringing home the bacon

it was a day of getting shit done - woke up early, cleaned the house, took care of the dead plant action out on the deck (i hope to plant my herbs and tomatoes soon...), cut a few lawns and then went to the island to have a visit with mishi at the pickle...then i went for a ride with her to vanessa's and then rode up to capers to get some needed groceries...

my garden looks ready to go,...or grow...


i had had thoughts of a refuel burger throughout the day and was actually suppose to go for one yesterday with the garbs but cancelled the day before, but now that i had groceries i figured i would just go home. but, as i rode by refuel on my way, i caved-in and went in for the burger. so there i was sitting at the bar with two bags of groceries ta my feet. i sent a text to k-win telling her that rob had just made me a particularly good margarita and with that she said she'd be right down to have one for herself...and some fried chicken. it was a good night at refuel.

also today, cam and i took some photos for the new lawn order t-shirt - a very limited edition run of this one. actually, i took the pics and cam was my model. the pics don't make much sense now but will...soon. thanks cam!

ok. i'm sleepy....more lawns tomorrow.

g. xo

a thursday to forget

wow.
that was a day.
anything that could go wrong - did. i could do deep into it but i don't really want to re-live it right now. it was a shiteater from beginning to end.
i'm hoping today is, at least, marginally better.

g. xo

station to station.

They’re fast; I’ll admit that right now. Faster than I ever was and surely faster than I’ll ever be again. Can’t go backwards. Fast and mouthy and lippy and full of shit. Most of them. If it was possible I’d camp out at night near their homes and shoot them one at a time, right in the fuckin’ kneecap and then stand over ‘em while they bled out. Fuck ‘em. The economy of motion, man. The economy of motion. Save up a little for the later rounds in life or you’ll be fucked. It’s the truth. Nothing worse than a fifty-year-old drunk. That fucker’s got no legs. It’s like a shitty life out in the valley somewhere, pretty soon you’re caught up in some shit and going to church on Sunday and believing it. You’ve got to know when to say when, to slow down and just fuckin’ relax. Took me a long time, and I still don’t know it always.

I remember sitting at a lookout just off the I-80 and thinking while I was sitting there that I had to get going. Then later on wondering why I hadn’t just sat there a while longer. On the road nothing much matters in terms of time but I’ve always made the time and then once there thought, what the fuck?

I’m still game. I really am. And I’ll keep up even if I have to hack up a lung to do it – it won’t be pretty but I gave up on looking good a long time ago. The sun still hits my face through the windshield whether it’s clean or dirty. It makes no difference. As long as I can see where I’m going.

My garbage can smells like a shitwagon so that tells me it’s time to take it out and dump it. I don’t know where as the regular dump spot has become a fuckin’ drag. I’ll figure something out. Have to bury it above the water table so it doesn’t letch into the drinking water – don’t shit where you eat kinda thing.

I’m tired and need a long sleep. Long and dark and quiet and dry.

come on....vote.

http://www.ethicalbean.com/contest/

do it right.

Issy's sister recently had surgery for cancer. Now she is cancer free but would like now to raise money for cancer research as her way of giving back.
To this end she has taken pictures of Vancouver Island where she lives and has had 2012 desk calendars made.
These are $15. If anyone is interested in buying a calendar to help her raise money for cancer research please let Issy know, isobelh@telus.net, and it'll be sent to you.
please note - She cannot give receipts as she is doing this on her own.

g. xo

where does our time go.

as i sit here watching the morning news i realize more and more why i hate the canucks - ok, hate's a strong word...nope, i hate them. but the fans they show on t.v., the ones in the bars drunk and, some, toothless, make me hate the fans more. most canuck fans i know are fine - able to have a normal conversation about hockey and the games and...but holy crap the idiots that drive up and down robson. them's a different sort...and for the record - i'm positive there are 'tards equal to them in chicago and detroit and....
and while the canucks look poised to sweep the 'hawks, canucks fans really need to remember that the team they're playing really are not the stanley cup champs. sure they have the same uniform, but over a 1/3 of last year's team are now gone. the 'hawks are just the 'hawks. we'll see what happens as they move on in the rounds. i still don't want them to win the cup, but honestly, care much less than i ever have if they do.
anyway...
got out and cut a few lawns on the weekend - and i've got to say this time of year cutting grass isn't as much fun as it is in may and the rest of the summer and fall...it's cold, wet and ....but i still love it. i only cut five on the weekend and will do more next weekend and another thing i need to get used to is the new trailer. getting stuff in and out is interesting and i'm sure over time i'll figure it all out. i better.
yesterday one of the lawns i cut was the super pest's....i like going by there and cutting...there's almost more chatting than cutting. it's good..in fact yesterday at two of the lawns i did, there was a lot of chat. it was like social lawn cutting. i probably could have cut two more lawns in the time that i shot the shit. fuck it. who cares?
ok. back to the salt mine this morning...
have a great monday.

g. xo

and el beardo...

do something for the good of the world after you vote for corie or donovan...go vote for craig's beard!

http://www.beardathon.ca/english/CraigNorthey/profile.aspx

garn xo

vote to don hoven or corie!

ethical bean is having a contest - one that you can enter as well...but for now you can vote for corie or donovan...one of them could win an iphone 4...or do i win a phone for submitting the photos...

go now! vote often!

http://www.ethicalbean.com/contest/

g. xo

cougars at the cougar show

it was a big night out for a lot of the 'older' set - me included. the cougar show was riddled with many of the grads from the classes of 1980 - 1992, with a few younger and older thrown in for good measure.


little johnny cougar has kept himself fresh by moving forward with his music rather than relying on just churning out live carbon copy versions of his hits - and there are a ton of them. he's re-worked a lot of the older 'uh-huh', 'scarecrow' and 'lonesome jubilee' era hits into stripped own roots rock numbers ans they sound like new songs many of them. some of the new numbers - which have a slight screamin' jay hawkins/jeffery lee pierce feel to them left me cold after a while but good to see him branching out.
all in all 'he who can not be named on the blog' and i had a nice night out - as did the fawnz and her main man dave as they were there to rock out as well.
good times.

g. xo

the view from my seat when everyone decided to get up and shake their moneymakers.

or this view...

or this...

hockey night in north van...

not tonight - well, in pest's case it is, as wilson (craig's son) - one of my favorite kids in the whole world - is hitting the ice tonight in north van...go wilson. but the bombers will take to the ice saturday night to play the van wonders in a second round grudge match. if we win - or when we win - we move onto a the finals tuesday night. 'ken rights!

both craig 'pest' northey and damon were decked out sweetly the other night at our second playoff game. the pest and damon gave us pointers during the game that helped us come out on top. both would have rather been on the ice but injuries prevented either from suiting up.
tonight the hapless vancouver canucks take on the defending stanley cup champs, the chicago blackhawks. and while the hawks are half the team - literally - that they were last year i still hold out hope that they can beat the canucks like rented mules. i wanna see greasy roberto sprawled out like a drunk snow angle on the ice as kane circles him leaving his jock wrapped around his head.
or the canucks could win.
we'll see. i sure hope not.

have fun...i'm off to see mellencamp. i'm not kidding.

g. xo

happy birthday blair!

from every bomber brother to the ladies far and wide....happy birthday X-Factor!

g. xo

talk with the animals...

i was thinking about it last year and i think this year i'm gonna do it - i'm gonna make myself a birdhouse. these are the exciting things i think about as a guy who owns a deck large enough to accommodate a small garden, a few chairs and, well, a birdhouse. i have been looking at a few - including one that has a solar panel and the stick a bird would rest on lights up at night and attracts bugs so the bird can sit inside and, like shooting fish in a barrel, pop its head out and nab bugs all night long. pretty cool. in the end i'll probably make myself one and be done with it. i may also put up a hummingbird feeder as those little buggers are fun to watch.
my life as a geezer is really coming into form.
speaking of geezer items - i bought the gary fisher basket bike on the weekend and rode it home...nice ride. i'm looking forward to gathering my goods on it as the weather gets better. though the garbs says if he ever sees me with a baguette in the basket he's going to shoot me. and i can not be seen wearing a Beret. pictures coming soon.
the bombers won the first round of the playoffs - or rather won our way through the first round - and are now waiting to see who we'll play in the second round. the cowboys - corie's other team and a team i sub on sometimes - didn't fair so well and are now looking for tee times. too bad.
garvie and i hit the woods on the weekend trucking through the forest in north vancouver for a few hours saturday. i took a few pics but they're on the home computer box...) now there's a nice, casual activity that can really produce a workout. for anyone - not just fat, outta shape guys like me...it's very hard at points but at the end you're glad you did it.

ok. have a great monday.

g. xo

***edit**
check out this page. there's a ton of birdhouse photos - i'm getting super stoked...and the best part is the guy includes some pics of himself...

what you need...

what you really, really need.

g. xo

from the desk of he who can not be named on the blog.

jeeps, knives and meat

i had a dream the other night that i actually remembered...well, at least the last part of it - which is all you are apparently able to remember anyways. and it was awesome.
what i remember is this:
a jeep pulled up and scott, bill and brian from work were in it - i can't remember who was driving but i think it was brian. seems right. anyhow. they yelled at me to get in and that were delivering a side of, somewhat decayed, meat to a church on the other side of town - this town being a village of sorts i didn't recognize but not unlike that of the small villages in italy or france. we pulled up outside this church and i got out and put the meat next to other meat that was there already. and when i turned to get back in the jeep, they were gone. so i kinda freaked and then started running in the direction i thought they must have gone.
i ran a bit and then heard brian calling my name and turned and saw him down in a small ravine and at the top of the ravine was a snow fence that brian came up and met me at and then sliced with his knife so i could get through. for some reason i pulled out my knife and ran with brian down the hill.
on our way we came upon bill who said, "don't look if you're queezy..." and then took out his knife and cut a chunk out of his leg saying it was hurting him, and that he had something in it...after he had the chunk in his hand he said, "oh, it's just a sliver..."
then, out of nowhere came scott chasing a pig with his knife out.

and then i woke-up.

g. xo

heartstrings

is it one word or two? could be either i suspect so i'm making it one. fuckit should be one word as well. fuck off - two words. fuckit. one word.
just sayin'.
here's my report.
the first bombers playoff game is friday night and while i have to miss it, i'm putting my heart behind them and will be willing them to victory. go bombers. go green. go blue.
garvie and i will be dining on tacos friday at lunch and then some other goodness at night and then the next morning she's off to toronto for a week of meetings and dinners out. i don't think she's a huge fan of business travel but it's part of the job so...off she goes. silver eagle. drooling on travel pillows.
i've decided that since my deck is, or at least was last year, such a heat sink that i should take advantage and grow some mary jane out there. seems 'criminal' if i don't at least give it a go. so for those of you who don't come over that often, you may want to visit in sept. then you may go home with a gift. the magic seeds are a bit pricey but i don't care as it may be a one time only deal and what's 50 bucks amongst seed pals?
richmond fontaine has a new album in the can and will be releasing it in sept. - so you could take a present from my place and then go listen to the new album...which i have to say scares me a little...not the thought of smoking pot and then listening to the album, but the description of the album...
"We've just finished recording our new album "The High Country". It's a gothic love story set in a rural logging community in Oregon. Something more than a concept record, it's a novel-sized story set to music... a "song-novel"... and it's pretty wild. It's set to be released in September with subsequent tours in Europe and USA."
so...who knows?
started working on my taxes last night...i have a system - not a great one, but a system and it takes me two nights and then it's done. total time - three hours. i'll have them all in a box tomorrow and will have capt. cornflake - our driver - take them to the man - my accountant, and that's that. there's always a few questions and extra things needed, and that's cool, but it'll be done. ish.

a bike i have been looking at went on sale and when i called yesterday they had one left...hopefully on the weekend they'll still have one left...

have a wicked night....hope you're watching baseball.

g. xo

what doesn't kill me...

wow.
that was a weekend alright. some good, some bad but more weird than anything. and tonight it got even weirder when my lights on my element stopped working. ok...not entirely, the signal indicators still work and the brake lights but nothing else. i think there may be a glitch in the trailer light hook-up and it's somehow fucked the whole deal. and there's no fuse that controls the lights in the dash etc so...i think i'm gonna have to take it in and see what's what. bummer.
tonight's hockey game with the cowboys didn't go so well and made me feel pretty old - which i am in comparison to a lot of the other players out there...guys in there early 20's running around with lungs that could power a small city. good lord. hard on an old guy. and i don't really want to play old timer hockey but it may be better for my head and soul. we'll see this week as i have cowboys and bombers games. i'll have to eat my wheaties for sure.
have you seen bob's burgers? if you haven't you need to. i think it's 8:30 pm on fox...sundays. good stuff.
i did some lawn order stuff today as well...season seven starts pretty soon and today i did some seeding. i don't really know what the hell i'm doing but i'm learning, or trying to, and am trying to grow some grass in an area at one of client's places that's pretty fucked. i told her if it works - my raking, clearing, adding of new soil and seeding, then they can pay...if not maybe we'll lay sod. pretty cool. i'm hoping it works. i'd like to take a course one day to further my education on all things grass. that and a course in book keeping. one day it'll all be about cutting grass and numbers. kinda what i do now but for much less money.
ok...i need a nap.

have a great week.

g. xo

all the marbles

for all the right reasons, damon and i have decided to postpone the shooting lawn boy until the end of the summer. i was heartbroken at first but, after some tough love type chat and reasons i just couldn't disagree with, i agreed. in the end i think we'll end-up with a better film and will develop the character of lawn boy more. it's hard when you've worked hard towards something and to have it delayed but in the end it's the right thing.
i wanna thank everyne who has put a lot into this with me - damon and jerry the most - and let them know that we will get this baby done, just with some more work to produce a better lawn boy.

much love

garn xo

my first trailer....

here it is...or there it is...my mini-slightly-less-than-manly trailer. yup. small but very useful - i hope. after a long search that was very frustrating - for me and those around me - i finally found one. a interstate 4' x 6' trailer. i think the hitch i have it the wrong size but i'll figure that out...i also have to navigate the importation/inspection thing with the government but, hopefully, that won't be too big a deal.

welcome home little buddy.

g. xo