four bagger night life

holy cow.
i left a lawn i usually do on the weekends until tonight because i was asked to - why? well, the strata is having their AGM (annual general meeting) tuesday and ali, my pal and caretaker, thought it would be nice to have a nice looking lawn for the people who only show up during the meetings...so....long story, too late, made short - i did it tonight and it was a hard go. in the end four huge bags - no shit about 75 to 90 lbs each. fuckers. my trailer is loaded down now. i'd go down the hall to workout but i'm fuckin' beat.

speaking of beat...i'd say the pizza's at the new roma campagnolo or campagnolo roma are unbeatable. or at the very least - fuckin' great. after hockey last night i grabbed the garbs and mishi and we went there for snacks. we had three different pizzas and a nice salad...oh, and the chef sent over a pasta made with ox tail that was awesome as well...it's really a place that neighbourhood needed. they've been packing them in since they opened and you should really go by. i know corie and katherine went there the other night and had a great meal as well. it's nice for them as they can walk there from their new place. rob - bartender extraordinaire at refuel and k-win made the scene as well last night.

ok. i need some food...oh, and tonight's fare is a nice kale and white bean soup made by a woman i cut grass for - or have cut grass for. she's a chef. no i'm serious. a real chef. i don't want to drop names but she works with a certain iron chef and she paid me for cutting her lawn in food. salmon, sausages and soup. great deal as far as i'm concerned. bartering lawn cutting for food is my idea of success. good times.
ok.
snacks.

g. xo

mary how does your garden grow?

well....
so far so good. a little tissue germination and then a nice nap in some sea soil and we've got lift off.
maybe i have a green thumb after all.

g. xo

wayne white facination

i have a wayne white thing going on right now...though in reality i have had it going on for a long time i just didn't know it.
wayne white is an artist (he's also an illustrator and used to work on pee-wee's playhouse) who takes thift store art and then paints phrases or just single words on them. things he's overheard or just words he likes. i love it/them.
i want one.
i need one.
i e.mailed him and told him so.

(blogger is being fucked and won't let me upload pics so click his link to see his work...)

g. xo

lawn order heads west

dez hussey, who works at topanga, works also as a landscaper and his boss called me the other day and asked if i'd go look at a lawn down on west 2nd in point grey near the vancouver yacht club....fancy...so after a refuel burger the other night, the garbs and i went by and had a look at a lawn that hadn't been cut yet this season. and it was longer and even longer today, as i struck up a deal earlier this week, to cut it - i think...well, at least this fist cut. and i'm going to sing the praises, again, of the new honda i bought on the weekend . it's so great that it makes short, no pun intended, work of a long lawn. i love it.
i just had a wacky leftovers kinda meal - a couple mini burgers - minus the buns, eggs, toast, soup and the sweet potatoes from last night. a little of each. good stuff.

ok. now a little yogurt - a new avalon dairy yogurt that's quite nice i must say and then relaxo.

have fun.

night night.

g. xo

good lookin'...i should have done a before and after...

one sweaty guy...

me, not the garbs...
that was a day.
i started off my day walking from garvie's to my place - 19th and main st. to 4th ave and fir - then went and cut three lawns (i bought a new honda quadra cut and it's fucking awesome!), cooked up some mini burgers and veggies at the garnyard for ailsa and fiona and then, after they went home full of bbq goodness, i put five tomato plants on the basket of my bike and took them to mishi and garbs at the manhattan for their rooftop garden. then over the cambie bridge to whole pay cheque to get some staples for tomorrow's breakfast...i'm tuckered out.

here are a few pics form the last few days...in no order whatsoever.

have a great week.

g. xo

my weed seeds....they're germinating right now.

tomato delivery.

ha ha h aha ha ha ha ha...maybe greg - who gave me a great phone call the other night - should buy these for his home.

mmmm....grilled sweet potatoes.

tomatoes in my basket.

the garbs and garvie.


fiona loves her burger.

let it grow

today was planting day at the garnyard. ailsa was on hand to get her hands dirty and big a super duper helper...thanks garvie...some tomatoes were planted along with chard, pumpkins, zucchini, beets, carrots and bok choy. hopefully some of it grows. the mary-jane goes in next week...

see you at the bbq.

g. xo

some before and after pics...

sweet tooth...

last night the garbs and i mowed down a couple burgers at refuel and, since they didn't have the dessert the garbs likes anymore (he loves the sugar pie they used to have but are not making anymore) , we headed over to the new campagnolo roma on hastings street and sampled their desserts. we ordered two and they gave us three...pretty good. the garbs kept looking at their pizzas and thinking that mishi would like it there so i think a trip there is in mishi's future. good stuff.


the other day when i went to the auction with marcy, i bought more tomatoes plants than i could ever use so...if you'd like a plant, or two, let me know. for $3.50 a plant they're yours, or free...there are three different types and i'll let you know what i've got left when and if you e.mail me. i put up a note in my building elevator but someone took it down. i then put up another thanking the person for taking down my note - it got taken down too. so no one in my building gets cheap plants. fuck 'em.


have a great friday!

g. xo

happy birthday marcy!

and the birthdays just keep on comin' in may! today it's marcy's turn...
happy birthday marcy!g. xo

vote for goodness.

the fawnz sent me this today. dave, her main man's cousin is trying to win a scholarship...

.....

dave says...

As many of you know, my niece Stephanie, otherwise known as Chuck, was diagnosed with aggressive thyroid cancer last year. She underwent an invasive surgery to remove her thyroid as well as a few other important glands that were also affected. She then underwent radiation therapy and is still struggling with the right balance of medications to keep her out of the hospital. The scar from her surgery starts behind one ear, goes all the way down under the chin and up the side to the other ear. Being a volleyball star, she was devastated that the surgery to save her life kept her from playing volleyball her final year of highschool. The muscles in her neck and shoulders had to heal before she could even lift her arms, let alone play volleyball. But this courageous girl still got up for every early morning volleyball practice and was determined to stay part of the team. With some hard work, she was eventually able to play a little bit in the back row and just do some forearm passes, though she still couldn't lift her arms, serve, block or spike (what she's really good at). Finally near the end of the season she was given the go ahead to slowly start lifting her arms. She was able to come up to Houston for a visit and came out to one of our volleyball practices here and did some hitting. We were excited to be down on the island and got to watch her play a small bit in her first tournament back. She was awesome! Then when her team won the islands and qualified for provincials, the provincial tournament was in Prince George so Kelsey and I went to watch her play.

Her neck and muscles may be healed but it's still a daily struggle to balance her diet and medications so her body gets what it needs. She's often very tired and naps most afternoons. Thyroid medications and calcium are super important and without the right concoction, it's very dangerous for her (as we discovered when she came up to visit last summer - she spent the night in the hospital on an all-night calcium IV because she had extremely low calcium levels which could cause her heart to stop beating!!).

Amongst all this, she has managed to maintain a 96+% average in all her courses and will graduate in June. Please see the link below to vote for her for the Province newspaper's Head of the Class Adversity Scholarship.

Thanks,

*******************************************************************************************

Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 7:41 PM

Subject: Stephanie's a Finalist for an Adversity Scholarship

Wow – Steph has been selected as a finalist for the Province’s newspaper Head of the Class Adversity Scholarship – please go online and vote, link is below. Please feel free to pass along to those you know!

http://theprovincecontests.com/hoc2011/adversity.html

For those of you who were not aware of her challenges for Grade 12, she could hardly even play volleyball in September and only managed half days at school for the first semester. She only had clearance to pass the ball with no hitting/blocking/serving until November, just as the team was preparing for the Island Championships to qualify for Provincials. Needless to say, she went though exhaustion to pain, and it took her a very long time to recover from the surgery. She is absolutely an amazing young woman.

Connie

sleep it off

yesterday's action left me tuckered out last night...
up at 4 a.m. to go pick out flowers and such, work, cutting of three lawns, picking up larry at the end of the night, delivering flowers to the pickle...dang! sleepy.
today more work and more lawns...

ok. rock on.

g. xo

happy sadness

a while back i discovered an album i had on my computer that i knew i had, but that i had never given a real listen to...but it kept coming up - or songs from it did - during random play while i was hanging out in my apartment in mexico. and the more i heard the more i liked what i heard. it was the antlers album 'hospice'.
this last week, i think, the new album by the antlers was/has been released and last night, after i dropped off larry, i walked to the noodlebox listening to it on my headphones.
wow.
imagine, if you've heard, craig weldren's, from shudder to think, voice singing a song not unlike 'the saddest day of my life' or 'no. room 9, kentucky' and you'll sort of get the sound of this album, but add more falsetto and air and you're on the right track. slow, deliberate, i hate to add it but, haunting and yes, sad. i listened to it three times last night. maybe my description is way off...maybe not. but i love it.

just sayin'.

g. xo

happy birthday garbs!

it's the garbs' birthday today! the one the only garbis, the garbs, garbs. our man sebastian. he has a street named after him - (g)arbutus st. and, obviously, a tree as well.
one of mark arm's best friends.
have a great day today! it's your birthday!

g. xo

fingers crossed

maybe if i go and get larry tuned-up the sun'll come out...i thought this the other day. then i saw a note in the elevator that said i had to move my cars so they can do some power/pressure washing so they forced my hand - so i took larry down tonight to get him worked on. so if the sun comes out in the next few days you can thank me...
not really.
but it was time to get him in and after i dropped him off near main and second i had a nice walk back to the noodle box where i met 'he who can not be named on the blog' for a little dinner.
and now - lucky me - gets to go to bed and then get up at 4 a.m. so i can meet up with marcy at 5 a.m. at the plant auction. it's that time of year again - it was great last year at the auction. i got loads of plants for a great price and i got to see marcy (who i see far too infrequently these days...)
ok...night night...

g. xo

the good, the bad and the really clean...

against my better judgement i'm posting this picture that was sent to me...left to right - dave espley (aka kramer), steve williams and me on our grad night. about 12 hours later i was asleep on a lawn on english bluff road. in between that time there was a dinner, don bull driving me around in his '63 falcon - he left after a while - a couple hot tubs, drinks then more drinks and then a long nap. and no one mad at me.

.............

well...after some brain action and visit to the apple store in pacific - where i met jonathon (an apple kid who is a network expert..) - i got this stereo thing to work. he made a suggestion that opened the door to a few other possibilities and while in the shower it all came to me. and after a few cables were moved around in my router and a little config. away it went. there are still a few little things but overall i'm up and running - buckner's on right now ("don't buy any cd's from those people over there...they're ripping me off...." now that's a long but good story...) anyhow...the music is on at the garnyard so that's good. and after living like a man with one thing on his mind and one task, i finally cleaned my place after many days of squaller. there was a general mess in this place that included an old stereo receiver (still for sale...), empty boxes from a new hard drive and a new receiver, empty pop cans, glasses that once held smoothies (days old...), clothes that just couldn't make it to the laundry hamper, etc...now it's all been sorted out now that i can avert my mental gaze from the new stereo issues.
whew.
ok.
yesterday's bomber game didn't go as planned...although my plan was to just keep up...i cut a few lawns yesterday and played bombers so last night's sleep was a good one...
yesterday's action also included a nice dinner at crave with ailsa and fiona...if you haven't been there you really should check it out - i had the beet salad and then some ribs...that beef salad is the shizna. good stuff. garvie had the steak and spot prawns and fiona the big man sized burger. nice action.
today's lawn action has been postponed until another day...sadly. too wet for this guy. rain cutting sucks. period. the new lawn order shirts (limited edition nixon version) should be ready in the next ten days or so...so...if you want one let me know...don't be shy...(they're free...) a hoodie version would cost you but otherwise step right up.
i just realized i put my fleece in the wash and in the pocket were/was/are three cheques that really should have gone to the bank not the washer. bummer. i guess a few e.mails will be sent out..."hi, the dog ate my cheque...."
ok.
more here to do...

g. xo

beaten by technology

i have spent the last two nights trying to get my new stereo to work. it doesn't and i think it just may be too much technology for this lawn cutting guy. i wanted it to be simpler and more fun and it's doing the exact opposite.
i'm going to go cut some grass before the rain totally fucks me - as it has been for most of the season thus far (this is the worst start to a lawn season i have ever had....) - and think about what to do because i obviously am not bright enough to make this thing work.
and i'm not going to pay some geek squad guy hundreds of dollars to come in and, maybe, make it work.

rock on.

g. xo

clap your hands, if you think you're in the right place.

it's been a couple of days to be sure.
i had heard that the food at the red wagon on hastings street - an old greasy spoon (actually it may have been more western/chinese) that has been taken over by hipsters (both in the seats and by the serving staff)- was suppose to be pretty good, so i went by yesterday for lunch. it's right across the street from the new campagnolo roma - a new place opened up by the folks from refuel and campagnolo. i had heard talk of the pulled pork pancakes and big sandwiches...i didn't need a huge lunch so i had the burger. a place can often be measured by the greatness of it's burger. in this case i hope not. the burger is ok, if a little overdone (some folks hate the pink...), and lacked any real distinct flavor. not terrible but not one to re-order any time soon. it's basic. so if you want a basic burger. no surprises. get it.
my geo-thermal pump at my place is making noise again...so awesome. it works fine but i think i'll lose it if i have to hear the noise it makes all summer - whenever that starts. so, once again, people are gonna come into my place and have a listen.
in other news...
i had this great idea to integrate the stereo with the new airplay system instead of my air tunes thingy from apple - and now am wondering what i was or am thinking. i was up until midnight last night trying to get it to work....and it still isn't. i'm sure it will, eventually, but not right now. there was a lot of slow burning last night and i tried to get it to work. and yes, i read all the instructions and did so over and over. i have a 30 day return on it so it may end up back at best buy yet. i'm gonna go at it again tonight...
i cut a lawn today at lunch and i think the fertilizer i put on their grass was some sort of bionic grass fuel. long and think and wet....um. anyhow. it was a test for sure. lisa's tonight after work before i head home to fight with the new stereo equipment.

have a great weekend.

g. xo

happy birthday ms. fraser

(i know i have used this pic. before but it's all i have here...and it's a good one...)

a big high five happy birthday style to katherine whose birthday it is today...another taurus. nice. nect up on the taurus train the garbs and then marcy...

g. xo

NIXON!

cam came by and applied the new nixon sticker to the back of the lawn order trailer...looks fuckin' great!

thanks cam!

g.

everything must go, everything must go...

i'm changing things up a bit at the garnyard - for no other reason than i want to and need to and am going to. and with that some things come up for sale or maybe even free.

i have a pioneer elite amplifier (click for all the info) that is awesome but really much more than i ever needed. the elite series is pioneer's high end shit. the only caveat i have about this amp is that commercial electronics did some work on it about a year ago and now one input doesn't work - the ipod input but if you're going to run an ipod through it you just choose another input of which there are many. this is a nice machine. the price will be nice as well...originally this thing was around 1500.00.
speaking of ipods...i have an old - in the world of ipods it's old - 80 gig video ipod. while it doesn't work as well as it did - it stalls out sometimes...a reset always gets it going. i'm really only looking for a good home for this. it's loaded up with music and ready to go. e.mail me and i'll let you know if i still have it.
i also have an apple airport express i'm looking to sell. i've had this for about six or seven months and it works perfectly. i'm moving to a different system so i won't need it anymore. maybe you do...offers accepted.
i also have a men's large car coat style leather jacket...going cheap. i bought it, wore it maybe three times and it has ben hung in my closet for years. made by danier leather. nice jacket but i just thought i was a leather jacket guy...and i'm not. basically beer or whatever gets you this jacket.
i will be, soon, going thorough a bunch of my clothes and getting rid of things i no longer wear...501 levis, cool t-shirts, blazers, etc...so if you're into such things let me know...

g. xo

jesus...? this is garnet...

dear god.

my name is garnet harry. i live in vancouver. i know it's lame when people are dying or think they're gonna die and they call out your name - and i promise to never, ever do that. i promise. so no call from a sinking ship will ever come from me. but, can you please make sure the canucks don't win the stanley cup. please. i promise to never ask for anything else ever.
they won the game last night and are now going to to meet either detroit - who i love but don't think can pull it off this year - or san jose - who maybe can but i don't know. i just don't have the faith i should have.
and really, it's not the team that bugs me the most, it's the fucking fans. those band wagon jumpers - not all but a lot of them. if you've ever been to a game you'll know what i'm on about. filled with people who say things like, 'we kicked ass tonight', 'we won', 'we....'....no you didn't win - unless of course you actually play for the canucks...alert - the players don't actually give a shit about you, they're playing for pay cheques.
yes, i know it's only hockey and who gives a fuck really, and junior hockey is so much more entertaining- before the players become jaded and tainted by big dollar contracts. i know all of this. (and really that the NHL is complete bullshit - i can hardly watch a whole game it bores me so much sometimes...)
but please, help a guy out. i don't care if they go to the finals - just don't let them win. please. i don't ask for much. please. do me this one solid.

g. xo

2550 and 47...and other numbers.

hi.
let me start off by saying a big old hearty thank-you to all of you who took the time to wish me a happy birthday last friday. yup, i'm another year older. not better, just older. and that's ok. i guess...and if it isn't, oh well. i had a barnburner of a birthday - work was insanely busy and basically non-stop disco action from the start to the end of the day. makes it go quickly, the day, but at the end, wowza, tired.
but then i got to have a very nice dinner with garvie at bishop's on 4th ave. i hadn't been there for what seems like 15 or more years and it really does live up to it's billing. and john bishop still comes to the table to say hello. and in a much less showman way than vig. i like that. garvie had duck and i had beef tenderloin...with all the fixin's. some nice action...thanks ailsa.
five times today i saw guys with shaved heads and big beards. weird look. like their head is upside down. just sayin'...odd trend to see so many in one day - including one just now on House.
a big happy mother's day was had, i think, by issy last night. the garbs, mishi and i met up with issy at brown's social house and ate like champs - a phrase issy used last night and i was so proud when she did. in a million years i could never have been given a better mom. i love you issy.
i had to work saturday, which wasn't a huge deal since it was raining like a bastard and i couldn't cut anyways, so sunday i had to make some tracks and get some lawns done...i'm still behind - i played catch-up tonight getting at one after work and will do another tomorrow - but i'll get it all done. i get kinda wigged-out when it rains and i get behind but, as ailsa says, people understand...but i still get edgy about it...
i do love cutting the lawns.
ok.
i'm gonna have a bowl of cereal.

g. xo

soggy.

how's a guy suppose to cut grass in this weather...?

the rain can fuck off anytime now.

have a great friday.

g. xo

walking in circles

if you ever thought you'd like to pledge some money to someone doing a walk-a-thon...now's your chance.
fiona, ailsa's offspring, is going to be walking the track at her school and you can pledge a per lap thingy to her walk. they're rasing money for equipment - general - and also for smartboards they use in the classroom.

if you'd like to make a pledge e.mail me and i'll pass along the info to garvie.

g. xo

more hip hop

mina's 'hip hop mom' can now be seen world wide on the interweb super highway.

look here.

good stuff...

g. xo

hip hop shum style

life long - or so it seems - pal, mina shum is having a showing of her latest project and wants you to come see it...

Event Advisory: Free Public Screening of Mina Shum's 'Hip Hop Mom'

May 4, 2011

(Vancouver, BC) -- Vancouver filmmaker Mina Shum today announced the completion of 'Hip Hop Mom' just in time for Mother's Day. The cast and crew of 'Hip Hop Mom' invite you to participate in the screening and the live internet launch of the film on Wednesday, May 4th, 2011 at Chapel Arts. The screening and party is open to the public and free of charge.

Film Screening

Significance: 'Hip Hop Mom' is Mina Shum’s comedic take on how moms of the world can stay true to themselves while raising a family.

Details: 'Hip Hop Mom' screening and party with the cast and the crew. Live internet launch @ 8:00 PM

Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Screenings: 7:00 PM, 7:30 PM and 8:00 PM

Location: Chapel Arts, 304 Dunlevy Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6A 3Y4

...

g. xo

one fine frenchman.

this morning i awoke to some sad news. it came from my good friend debbie.
.......

Last night my little Frenchie left us, and when I say us, you know I mean this with all sincerity; he was my little boy, but he was also part of a much bigger family.

Francois' illness came quickly and decisively, but he fell asleep peacefully and in true bulldog style - 3 snorts and a kick of his back legs and then he was resting quietly in my arms.

Thank you to all of your for embracing this fine french bulldog, many of you as if he was your own, and for loving and sharing him with me.

Be well.

Debbie
......

he was a good little buddy.

g. xo