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

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