lawns, art, sun decks and skate decks...

another busy weekend for old garn...friday night was the usual snacks at topanga with corie and the garbs followed by some hanging out at garbs and mishi's later on with mr. tornack...i was trying to buy cirque tickets online but it kept fucking up so i don't know if we're gonna go or not...issy went on tuesday and loved it...corie and fawn went the week before.
saturday i drove down to point roberts to mail a toy to some guy in the states and then dropped by issy's to see her new above ground pool...i guess it didn't work out so well and she sold it on craigslist...hipster issy selling shit on craigslist...
back in town i dropped by jessica's to see the damage being done there with the building of the new deck addition...matt, jessica's boyfriend, has taken on the task and i have to say, it's a scary one...i've told them i'm gonna go by every few days and take pictures to document the progress...matt says in the new couple of days it will probably look the same...go matt go!
i had to wash my car, larry, after it came back from renting it to 'masters of horror' the other day..actually, three days...i don't know where it was parked but it had a few birds near by...i may charge them for cleaning...
i went to jo's for dinner last night-she was making me dinner for helping do handyman shitola around her new place...a new place where when the trains go by all conversation has to stop...anyhow..i'm happy to help out and i got a great meal out of it...nice salad action, chicken drumstick thingys and sorbet...nice...
went and saw 'prairie home companion' last night at the fifth ave...garrison keeler, the writer of the original series on PBS, was a guy i really liked for a long time..i was a fan of many like him...guys far smarter than myself...tom snyder, randy newman, keeler, paul harvey,spaulding gray, etc...i always think of randy newman-the good old boys period, when i think of keeler..i'm not sure why, but i think they have things in common when it comes to weaving a tale or story...maybe somewhat like harry chapin too...guys i wanted, in some way, to be. i have been known to tell a story ot two...and i wanted to someday do what they did, in some way-but never ever did. sure, when i was at cbc i told a few stories on-air but the monologue was what i wanted to do..to hold the audience in the palm of your hand...grey did it to me a couple of times...it's an amazing talent...to not be self-serving or egotistical but to entertain with the simple act of storytelling...maybe i thought that was going to be the way i left my mark...something for people to remember me by...my father, i think, thought i was destined to be the next great canadian writer at one tme-never happened, probably won't...but that's ok... i think my only real regret now in my life-besides certain failed relationships, is that i failed to make that mark...(and i'm not looking for any sympathy, i'm just sayin' out loud...)
i have been lucky in my lifetime to be surrounded by extremely taleneted individuals...artists, writer's, musicians, etc...that i always wondered what my thing would be...i still don't know...people like pam and tobe who kinda do it all-paint, design, make art/furniture/lighting, corie who is a great fabricator, and artist and has made good use of both talents, mishi who has carved out a nice way for herself and who makes great jewelry, garbs who for a big man has a great knack for the delicate work he does, marc and brent who really made their mark on the punk rock scene in canada and maybe the world, marcy who has seen through a few musical projects and continues to do so, old friends like michael turner who continues to make a living from his writing...and so many others...don bull, judy radul, nick rust, nick scmidt, the network, etc...i wish i had a little of what they all had..maybe i have something else i don't know about...oh well..anyhow...moving on...we ran into corie at the movie...he had to get the hell out of there...
this morning the network and i went for breakfast before i went to cut joel's lawn..but not before i had to give the finger to a bus driver who has no idea about the zipper method of merging...and then some couple in a car next to us making smiley faces at me and then telling me at a stoplight that they were just admiring my tattoos...ok...we ended up at seb's on broadway...home of the watery coffee and wayward service...i had only been there once before and hopefully, i can wait a while again before i go there again...then it was off to cut a lawn, take zulu's records recycling to the transfer station and get a snack at solly's bagels...i was gonna help megan with her fridge(?) but it kinda got late so maybe this week sometime...then the garbs and i went to the network's to put in the lights...no rest for the wicked...then we got the hell out of there, dumped some bottles in the alley behind my place and headed to robson street, where the garbs lives...i needed some crap at london drugs so it kinda worked out...garbs bought me a coffee at artigiano and we sat on the steps on the art gallery and watched the italian dudes and dudettes drive around honking their horns...
now i'm home, cleaning my bathroom and making some kinda bean soup thing...it'll be nice to get back to work tomorrow and relax a little...

i love you all...i really do.

g. xo

the garbs and i stopped to watch some skaters doing thier thing...



more skating...



this kid is gonna get beat-up at school tomorrow...



garbs loves haning out on robson street...



jessica smiles even though her house is a combat zone...



more backyard action at jessica's



looking...um...good...



deck action...



they really want a deck...



the fence is next...



the kids have an alley party behind my place...

more proof soccer/football is fucked.

so let me get this right...two teams play to a draw. then, instead of playing until someone legitimately score a goal, they do a shootout? after all the time they've out in it gets settled like that? with a net that huge it basically takes someone fucking up rather than a great deal of skill to decide the game. play until someone scores. it only makes sense. and of course, everyone on commercial drive today is italian. much like st. patricks day when everone is irish regards of where they were actually born. but..whatever. it's only soccer, it just seems like a cheap way to win.


g. xo

ps...as to fridays post regarding the dry cap...kimlett, who is a superstar, says she can make a wicked dry cap..thank-god someone has stepped up to the plate...and, as usual, it kim...superstar. and also in regards to the dry cap. debate, saying jenn doesn't know how is not meant as an insult...i think she's a very nice woman and i hope it wasn't taken as a slag..i love all the kids at jj bean...even that freaky english kid...

lunchtime at the five and dime...

jennifer, the queen of the universe, messaged me and asked if i wanted to go to the red burrito for lunch...why not...? i grabbed corie and we drove down and picked her up from the giant kitchen...i just made that up but really like it...genesis foods is no lobger that, it's the giant kitchen...the red burrito was, as usual, very slow and i have to say, i hope their other locations don't suffer from this type of slowness..they now have one on braodway near camibie-i have not been there, one in north vancouver-not been there either...but jeezzuss..they've got to speed it up a little...but look at me, still standing in line to get one..although i have bolted a few times when the line has been too long and it ain't movin'...
afterwards we went to jj bean for a coffee and to get rid of the queen and outside near the door of jj bean was this freaky woman who made faces at me and uttered something...i dunno...she was still there when we left and i wanted to get a picture of her but she was giving me the evil eye...she wanted to kill us...
corie has been searching all the jj bean locations for a barista who actually knows waht a dry cap. is...today's barista, jenn, does not know...the pictures prove this...still tasty but a little too much milk action...

ok..back to work now...

g. xo

hey look at me....!!!!



and the winner is...



...too much milk!!!!

turds and teeth....

the world famous Turd Wrangler...



this morning i had to go and get my teeth cleaned. i had, of course, forgotten about the whole thing as i had made the appointment six months ago when i had my crowns put on...i'm not one to remember dentist appointments. martha, who does my teeth is awesome. she lives over on bowen island and has done so for over 23 years, long before the hipsters and upwardly mobile started clearing land over there. she tells me she's not a treehugger, and i believer her...we talk about art and how stupid it can all be...zenon, my dentist, who i have known for a million years, has some great art in his office, and some suspect pieces as well, but that's art right?
on my way to the dentist, as i puled out from my parkade, i saw the Turd Wrangler...the dude who cleans out the porta potties across the way at the koret building was there doing his thing..his truck has a wind deflector with the name of his truck on it...turd wrangler..nice. made my morning. good work buddy.
so it's friday, another wek almost over in the wonderful world of film. i made it, sort of. joel comes back tuesday from norway so we've still got a few more days of peace...
hairchop tomorrow with k-win...and man, i need it...freakin' afro!

more later...

g. xo

good morning...



whoa..i may puke...



martha...she can't show her face. she's part of some sort of witness protection program.


in case anyone cares...as a side note to today's blog action...and this is kinda old news now..a few days old and all..but sleater-kinney are breaking up...easy riot grrls...you'll be ok. i saw them a couple of times. i quite enjoyed them.

dave kinsey

i have admired this guys art of a while now and would love one day to own a piece of his work...saving my pennies..he has a show right now in texas...check this link...

http://www.artprostitute.com/

and click on the picture of him painting and there are links within for pictures of the paintings and the show itself...his work is excellent.

his website address is:
http://www.kinseyvisual.com/

g. xo

whaletails, baseball and shots from the bridge...

so last night was more of a baseball meeting than actual baseball...not only did only six of us show-up for the game but both parks were taken up by league games...so we sat and watched, talked about shitola, and then left there to go to whole foods to get some of their fine bbq sausages...i was telling the queen how good they were and she mentioned that she needed to go shopping so the next thing i know we're bolting across the second narrows headed to west van and whole food goodness...and all the beautiful people there. and there were a few...on the way there, rocking out to the new kid606 disc - pretty gilrs make raves, we saw a very fine street racing machine..actually it was a plain import that has been pimped out complete with whaletail, or is it wailtail? i dunno and heavy duty braking system...it needed neither...good lookin' though! nice ride mang!
after shopping i decided to go back via the lion's gate bridge instead and look at the lovely shots we got out the window...so nice..makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside...or not. anyhow, nice shot taken by the queen. good job.
then it was a burrito for dinner at steamrollers, which by the way, really is not as good as red burrito but much faster...red burrito has now, apparently, opened one near cambie street...the slow buriot goes west young man...there will be a whole foods there soon as well...
i feel a little better today, for those who have any concerns...i still dislike my job..better than saying i hate it i suppose, more details as they develop...

g. xo

nice shot off the bridge.



nice buddy!

i just do the best i can....everyday.

i'm an idiot. we all know that. i do and say things usually reserved for complete idiots. i think deep down i mean well though and, maybe, in the end, that's all that matters. 'nuff said, i'm having a shitty day that seems to have no end and i just wanted to say that out loud.
i kinda fucked up today at work by basically spelling something incorrectly but am now eating shit over it...and i guess i deserve it but in this business simply saying sorry and admitting you fucked up isn't enough. i hate my job. i hate the film business.
today is baseball night at the park off off prior street and tonight, if there is the usual turnout i think i'm going to give it a pass from now on...i love the guys i play with and the queen comes along as well but...seven people does not a baseball game make. i hate to say it but i may have to throw in the towel. i've worked hard to try and get others tio come out but...fuck it.
i need to fire sale some toys as i just have too many now. it looks like a retarded kids bedroom in my livingroom now...it's so stupid. i should have never ever bought one in the first place..i'm serious..as much as i love them, i hate them. art? sure they are but holy crap..know when to say when.
there are others things in play as well, things i have no control over and never will so i can't even list them here...i try not to give a shit and keep my distance but it's hard. thank god i do have a job to go to each day or i would drive myself crazy. and others. why does it all have to be such a fucking test? oh well, it has to be something i suppose. show to show, paycheque to paycheque...it's a living, but it isn't a life.
i just wanna cut grass.

g. xo

more stevie y. greatness

don bull, that lazy sack of shit, sent me this picture of stevie yzerman. it's a great shot.

thanks don...you idiot!

g. xo

shit....

why do they do this to me....?



pretty cool though....

g. xo

calling all slackers...baseball wednesday...

i know i have posted this before and will again i'm sure but...come on..let's play some ball...i can hardly run at all and i'm there..my big fat gut and all...and the queen has injured herself and she'll be there...i think don bull was actually thinking of playing..but don't let that stop you from coming by and playing. all you need is a good attitude, something i lack in the rest of my life but that i display quite proudly at baseball...the big park off of prior street near the stathcona gardens or whatever the hell it's called..you can't miss it...just look for the guys hanging around looking lonely...please come. it's fun. wednesday at 7 pm...

garn xo

mr. incommunicado...or whatever...

call me a bad friend. i'll take that. i will. i want to publicly apoplogize to a whole whack of people at once...because, i'm not as good as i once was at keeping my personal relationships going with peole i love-hell, even with the ones i like a great deal. i forget to call people back because i get all wrapped up in this shitty job, i forget birthdays-i forgot issy's birthday two years in a row because i was working so fuckin' much (sorry issy....), i miss things i am suppose to go to, i stay at home and sit on the couch because i'm just too fuckin' tired. and often, i'm too tired to even talk to people as that's what i do all day at my job.
i have become a bit of a social misfit and can no longer stand to be in the company of more than a few people at a time. social functions make me crazy having to perform and pretend i'm happy to be there when clearly i am not. i get pegged as unsocialable and grumpy, when all i want to do sit with one person and have a converstion and then go home. i have less time for bullshit. i will not sit idley by anymore and listen to people ramble on and on about shit i care nothing about when i could be doing something i want to do. i am not unfriendly i just have become a little less concerned with 'party' fun. it's just not my deal anymore...i wish i knew when the fun switch for me got turned off, but i don't.
i am thinking of moving to a different place just to escape this city and what it's become and how i think it's making me. i am less compassionate, less caring and less social. i hate the shit that goes on here. the city doesn't give a shit about the city-weird but true, people are becoming insular and distant, driver's are worse and worse and don't care when you comfront them. it's a small city that thinks it's a big city. people are fuckin' rude.
but this isn't really about me and people, really, or maybe it is. i just want to say sorry for being, maybe, a bad friend. i try, i really do. i want to make things better but i let things go. i work at a job that sucks my life away but i have become a slave to the paycheque. not that it's that good but it pays my bills, etc...and really, what the hell else am i going to do? i don't really have a many saleable skills...ok, i can make an excel sheet...nice. and i know how to make phone calls. just not enough phone calls to my friends.
i'm tired. i really am.
i just wanted to say sorry. i'll try and be better. i will.

g. xo

thanks stevie.

i really can't say much that hasn't already been said about steve yzerman. truly one of the greatest hockey players ever to lace 'em up in the NHL, a great sportsman and a true leader. anyone who had the priviledge to see him play knows this. i saw him play more than a few times when the wings came to town and played the canucks. he never failed to disappoint. today stevie wonder retired after 22 years in the NHL all of shich were played with the red wings. i'll miss you stevie, we'll all miss you.

now go hang out by the pool and get fat - you deserve it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Yzerman

g.

there goes the neighbourhood...

so they've finally started taking it down, or at least the parts of it that are so badly decayed they have no choice but to take it away and replace it with new concrete. they'll be hitting it pretty hard soon enough and i welcome it. sure, it'll make it even worse down in my 'hood for traffic and such but it has to be done...it's been a long time coming...we'll have to wait and see how it all turns out but i'm happy it's starting. it's the one domino that could kickstart an entire area...they removed the 'W' last week and are having it fixed up and it will return to the top of the woodward's building when it's all said and done...or so they say..

i'm sleepy...i woke-up this morning and realized i hadn't done something at work-ordered something very crustial-and i had to now make it all come together at 5:45 am...or at least have it all in line by 7 am...on set... i managed to pull it off but i was freakin' out..i know it's only a shity movie/film but they do pay me to have this shit organized so...and it pays my mortgage...oh well..another great day in the world of film...

good times...

g. xoxo

i'm not a complete asshole...

let me start off this edition with an apology of sorts...i'd like to say sorry to my pal kim-who i think is great-because i kinda dumped on her...even if i didn't do so directly. i understand the whole critical mass thing and am in full support of those who want to protest and make their point known..it was just a bit of a shiteater day...the construction in my neighbourhood, the jazzfest action holding things up, fuckin' foxfest and all those drikinin' knobs, and then the bikers doing their thing-which included kim on her bike...so i was a little pissy and maybe said a thing or two i shouldn't have...so to kim i am sorry. please don't hold my rant against me...and i won't ask you to make any stupid drinks...i know not everyone who doesn't have a car doesn't secretly want one...'nuff said...i can be a knob my own self so...back to square one...hopefully you can forgive me...
ok..?
today was a busy one as well... it was busy the entire long weekend...we had friday off not monday so i'm back at it tomorrow...the garbs and i went over to west van for breakfast and a little shopping at Whole Paycheck...afterwards i drove him up to his mom's and went to pick-up erin and go get a slurpee...we then drove around shooting the shit and drinking our slurpees...around UBC erin took over the wheel and did a stellar job...she's a great driver so i wasn't worried at all...
the annual topanga cafe picnic at jerhico was today as well..i headed down there around 2:30 pm with corie and the network falling in close afterwards..jojo brought her dogs and corie rode is bike down there...i took my wagon as i thought they may need me to take stuff back to the topanga..i didn't but ended up giving amanda and um...what's his name, a ride...
tonight was computer tutorial night at mishi and garbs as well...good times...so a full weekend for old garn...ok...i've got to go to bed...7 am comes pretty fast sometimes...

g. xo

the topanga girls relaxing at the picnic..



dog bar...



simon says hello...



simon does ronnie james dio...



erin driving larry...



mishi and the garbs at home on tutorial night...



larry's dash...



melinda says hello...



the network and her dogs...



more....



judy rocks the tom shirt...



more larry dash action...



corie at the topanga picnic...



amanda shows off her cupcakes...

attention shoppers! attention shoppers!

my sweaty shirt yesterday as i helped jojo move her stuff...



fuck! happy fuckin' canada day. so the city of vancouver decided that it would be a great idea to shut down a bunch of the streets in my hood and surrounding area to do construction today. there are a lot of pissed off driver's in my 'hood trying to get to events and family fuctions on this canada day. and better yet, my taxpayer's $$ are paying these workers triple time today...good times. it's virtually impossible to get to my place right now. i am trapped in my building unless i want to go and fight through it. even if i was to go by bus it's a nightmare. the city planners are pure genius. good job boys.
and to the bike rider's who clogged the streets yesterday as i was trying to get around town...really, is that the way you want to get me on your team? make it impossible for me to get to where i'm going? good idea. i'm all for bikes and lessinging my use of fossil fuels but it just makes me want to kill you. and lord knows if you could afford a car you'd buy one. anyhow..there's got to be a better way.
i worked at voltage today...i'm not sure if i was a help or not but i was happy to help out. i like those kids.
cheryls form ie creative had a disco dance party at her studio today down on granville island near hammered and pickled...she and her girlfriend, lisa, dressed in disco gear and pumped up the jam...the tourists loved it...the garbs and mishi made margaritas in the pickle today while they worked..i'm sure that was entertaining...

ok..i have to figure out a way out of here...i'm hungry.

g. xo

the garbs and hugh helping out...



disco action...



more disco action...



close 'er up boys..no one needs to drive downtown today...

blurry blog action and the network buys dinner...

don bull figures i should start a blog just using my old digital camera. it only takes blurry photos, no matter what you do...well, the new one will do that too if ya let it...here's proof...a nice blurry photo of corie...jojo bought everyone dinner last ngiht for helping her move..well, not hugh but he got paid pretty well i think...and he also got a six pack of nice beer to enjoy while he watches the world cup soccer...corie also got a free meal as he's paid before when the network's been there so...drinks on the network...the garbs is working up to the five taco dinner but has so far declined the challenge.



the queen bought me some very nice knives for my birthday and i thought i should get a knife block to house them and the knife pam, tobe and mishi bought me a few birthdays ago...nice...just like being a grown-up.

ok...i have to get my shit together...i'm working today at voltage up on main street...come on by...red hot deals..today only...

g. xo

the garbshas been cut out of this picture...why? because lately, and i understand thig, he and others have objected to some of the pictures i have put in of them...so, network part of this picture - ok...garbs portion...not ok...see i'm trying ...