Keep On Blogging in the Free World.

Well for some god-forsaken-reason I woke up this morning at 5:15am and could not get back to sleep. Probably had something to do with the fact I fell asleep on the sofa at like 8pm, but lets not get into that.

Lets see...hmmm... the weekend was a mixture of crazy and relaxed. Friday started off at Crush, like most fridays. Jenn came down for a couple cocktails, as well as the usual suspects Rob, Paul, Brad Bell 3.0, yes Brad Bell, so you can guess where this one is going. I vaguely remember the first few shooters, as well as picking up a donair from the king tut. But that pretty much is it. I definately remember waking up at midnight and not having my phone. Then it was a walk about the neighborhood to find Jenn, to get my phone. Once running into Jenn I got the low down, that I left the bar at 630 and went home to bed. A sure sign that I am getting old lol. But I am young enough that once meeting up with Jenn and Jessica, we then proceded to the house party at Robs place (down the hall from my apartment).

Things were pretty cool there. Carly was there. She rules. If you dont know her I am not going to get into a long explanation as to why she rules, so we will just suffice it to say that she rules. The party ended at Robs when Paul had had enough and needed to go to sleep. It then proceded down the hall to my place, where it continued until around 5am. And then it was time for bed.

Saturday was a nice relaxing day. I Did some cleaning around the house. Went to Pisces to get some things for the aquarium and the Fisheees. And other than that, nothing but laying on the sofa relaxing. Saturday night was much the same. Taps had a gig in Sundre, so I had the place to myself, so I just enjoyed the quiet time.

Sunday morning I woke up to a good 4inches of snow on the ground, so it was a nice slippery drive to church. The service was small but nice. Gavins last day playing the piano for all of us. He is being replaced by Angela, and if it is who I think it is, she is a CUTIE lol. After church it was home to watch football and eat fast food. Wendy's for lunch and then KFC for dinner. Man now that was an NFL Sunday. The highlight of the day was Indianapolis vs Denver. The game was close, and AWESOME. Manning sure knows how to keep the game interesting. He plays the clock perfectly.The Colts won the game with a field goal in the final seconds of the match. Perfectly orchestrated I must say.

Sunday night was practice at the lodge. It is step up night on thursday, and installation comes next month. I will be SD this year, which means a little more floorwork, but more importantly helping out with a few more committees and preparing myself for JW next year. I dont have much to say about that now, but I will try and make a few notes later in the year.

Lets see what else. Oh yes, Blaine is coming down to Calgary next week to discuss the whole Safety thing with me. However, he did tell me to go ahead and enroll in the additional courses I will need to get my National Construction Safety Officer certification. I think that is a pretty good sign that I will soon get the job for all of Alberta. I am not sure what that will mean around here, but Blaine did say that he has a plan, and I am sure, that is at least part of the reason why he is coming down next week.

I dont want to get ahead of myself, but I can almost feel the weight being lifted from my shoulders, and let me tell you, I will be glad to pass it on. I am sure the new job will have its own challenges, and I know there will be sacrifices to be made. But I will be glad to move on, as lately things have not been going the way I would like them, and I have been battling a bit of depression over my inability to correct things. And the only way I foresee to make things better is to put those responsibly for getting the work done, in charge of their own fate. And by that I mean, it should be a great opportunity for everyone to take responsibility for their individual roles in the process.

That pretty much sums things up in my neck of the woods. Oh yes, and I just noticed that my blog is one year old today. Who would have thought I could keep it going a whole year. I remember when Jessica first got me into it, I was a little skeptical. It has been a funny process, but I am glad for writing here. It has been a great outlet for me, even if it has caused a few ripples along the way. It is a medium that is in its infancy, so I am sure it will take awhile for people to understand both how to use it, and how not to used. God knows I have learned a few lessons over the year, and from what I have read from my fellow bloggers, they are mutual lessons. On that note I would definately like to thank Linny for her insights on the Medium of Blogging. I agree with you 100%. I am sure there is a psychology thesis in there somewhere, I maybe one day we will all get to read it. And my final note for my one-year-blog-anniversary is a thank you to all the other bloggers Cory, Jenny & Linny, Brother Wayne, Jessica (for awhile), Jen (Black for awhile). Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your lives and your insights. We might not always agree (DOLPHINS RULE), but I am a better person because of your efforts and friendship. Keep on Blogging in the free world

Blast from the Past

Well following waynes lead I too am posting a few oldies, that should give everyone a laugh. THe first looks like it is from Patricia's parents place, out at Sandy Beach. No doubt one of our crazy weekends at the lake. By the looks of things this is prior to Patricia and I dating, because that looks like Cathy Law and Blaine in the photo. For those in the know that is Little Mary (Patricia's little sister) down to the right, incredibly cute, and I am sure we all had a crush on her back then, even if she was a couple years too young


The Next photo's location is a mystery to me, but that is Jayson Oulette sporting the great outfit on the couch playing original Nintendo. Me in the middle (with the beginings of a receading hairline, and that looks like good ol'Dave Contardi on the sofa in front, but I am not sure, I remember Dave having bicepts, and well that person on the couch is thinner than I. Way in the back Ken appears to be deep in conversation with whomever is behind the lamp.



I have to get to work but I will comment on these photos later, and will also search out some more if I can, cause these are great. To all you other bloggers out there, the challenge is on. Lets see some BLASTS FROM THE PAST

Real vs Virtual

It might sound funny, but lately there seems to be much discussion regarding the spoken word versus messenger and texting. The world definatly is a changing. Now in my life, there are people that I text daily. It is sort of like having them by your side all day. Sort of like old people sitting on a park bench firing random thoughts and questions at each other. Only with texting you can do this from your office, from your car, or from your living room. This is why I like texting, and for the most part messenger is the same.

However, the more I get used to messenger and texting, the less I find myself communicating with people through that old fashion medium of....now wait for it.....talking. Now this is something that must be affectingnot just me, but all of us, as a culture, because I am beginning to notice that I, and many people around me, are slowly losing our people skills and out ability to talk about normal everyday things.

I also realized that I like texting and messenger because there is a secure wall between me and the person to whom I am communicating. It provides a defense from topics I do not like, or issues that I find too imposing....like feelings and emotions...."newman no like". When I am talking with someone face to face and they touch on topics that threaten me, I wish I could just run away, or punch them in the mouth, while with texting I can just shut them out, I like this.

Dyron and I had a conversation about this the other day. He brought up another issue with text, messenger, and internet "friends". And that was accountability. In real life when we hurt someone's feelings, or do something stupid, we have to face the music. If we piss someone off, or get into an argument with a friend, we hopefully have mutual friends whom will act as arbitrators, and slowly the "group" will get it sorted out. However, with online friends, there is little or no accountability, becuase the community is held together by "virtual" strings. People can log into your life, piss you off, and then just log off. You have no way of reconciling with them, or dealing with the problem. Instead you just pass it off on someone else. Someone unconnected, and no doubt that person will be left feeling abused, or missused as well.

So where am I going with all this. Well for starters I am going to try to only text people, with whom I also have a friendship with in the "real world". It is ok to text someone everyday, but you must also make an effort to "talk", go to lunch, or have a cocktail with that person on a regular basis. So, if some of you have noticed that I have stop texting you, it doesnt mean i dont want to be friends, it means I would prefer a phone call, or a visit....and by phone call I dont mean a phone call at 4am when you should be in bed. I have also decided to turn off my messenger for a few weeks.

Well that was pretty much a bunch of babble, but somewhere in that pile of words is something I wanted to get off my chest. I hope everyone is doing well. "Talk" to you soon

Another week down

Well another week has come and gone. It is Sunday night and I am doing laundry and working on some word-smithing.

About the only real news I have to report is the possibility of getting a new job at Lydale. For about a year now, Blaine has been tossing around the idea of having a regional safety officer for all of alberta. Last year the idea came and went with no real progress, however, in light of my recent dissatisfaction at work, it looks like it is being put forward again. Blaine and I spoke about it on Thursday and he told me he would make a decision when he gets back from Disneyland. I really hope this goes through. It would mean spreading my time schedule between Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge. At first I would simply be alligning the three offices safety programs, and then I will be charged with maintaining them. It would mean that I no longer have to deal with claims. Which would give Rob and Jason a chance to pursue their own personal goals, which is something that I feel needs to happen.

It will be a stressful week. Mainly because Blaine has implied that he has a plan for things "in my absence". Those words either mean that I am getting a new job, or maybe just maybe I am getting laid off. I guess either way I win, considering how dissatisfied I am with things right now. But like I said, I really hope I get the regional job, rather than a pink slip.

Outside of work the weekend was pretty quiet. Friday was the usual debauchery. Saturday was a nice relaxing day, and today was divided up between Lodge practice, football, laundry, and writing.

I still have to clean my fishtank , and make some headway with Les Miserable before bed.

I am not sure why, but LeeAnn has been on my mind a bit the past week or two. But in a good way. I guess I was just wondering whether she has had her baby, and I sense that she has. I hope the mother and baby are well. You are in my prayers.

newman out

First Snow Fall

Well yesterday was a beautifully damp and depressing day. Well not really depressing because I love it when its cloudy with a nice drizzle, and yesterday was just that kind of a day. Today however that nice drizzle has turned into a nice light snowfall.

Not much to report. The weekend was nice and quiet. Went to crush on friday for Jeanines birthday which was fun. As always I bailed early, picked up a pizza and made my way home. Saturday I was up early, and spent most of the day reading and writing. I finished reading Angels and Demons. It did not end the way I expected it too. I still have not digested the ending, but I think Brown has put a lot into it. It seems simple on the surface, but I can sense there is a lot more than between the lines. I cannot get fully grasp his Christology, but I think I am going to have to take a closer look to see if I can find something there worth understanding.

Saturday night was poker night at CJ's. It was a pretty good time, I did not win, but that is the good thing about tournament style, you never really lose a lot either. While playing poker we watched the Oilers defeat the Avalanche. The boys are looking good, and I am confident we will more than make the playoffs this year. Man is that Sykora guy good. Rolo put in a stellar performance, I dont know how many saves he made, but he was looking good, and seems to have all the confidense in the world.

Sunday morning I made it to church. It was a good turn out. Dyron did an amazing childrens sermon. It was about not being able to take back our words, once we have said them. In order to make this lesson memorable he chose to use a tube of toothpaste to get his point across. "Ok children, words are like toothpaste, and once you say something, just like squeezing a tube of toothpaste, once you squeeze the paste out, it is next to impossible to put them back in the tube." Dyron then proceeded to squeeze the entire tube onto a plate, with the help of a few children. And then it was time for volunteers to help try to put it back. Of course all the kids wanted to take part in this. Luckily, this is where the sermon ended.

I dont believe there was a single frown in the whole place during this sermon. I know I will remember it for life, and will no doubt use to down the road somewhere. The rest of the service was great as always, and if you want to read or listen to it, you can just click on the link to the right. (Although if Dyron were smart, he would start also recording the childrens sermons, because I am sure the kids would love to learn how to use the computer, by bringing up something that they remember from the day earlier...just a suggestion Dyron.)

After church it was home for football. Sarah called. The girl I went on a couple date with last Saturday and Sunday. We talked for a bit about hanging out soon. We also talked about her "Seperation" and my uneasiness with the whole thing. It sounds casual. She is not in a place to start another relationship, after all its only been 4 months. lol. So i will keep you posted on how that pans out.

The rest of sunday was spent chillaxing and reading. I started reading Les Miserable. It is good so far. Well I know the story from the musical, so I am paying more attention to his style and craftsmanship than the story. There is something about the way the old writers penned their works that make them almost intoxicating. Hugo reminds me a little of Hesse, and well you know how much I like Hesse. I wonder if it is just an "H" thing.

That just about wraps it up. Everything is up to speed so I am going to call it a day.

A call from the Mustard Seed

Well I have been a little under the weather lately. In part I am sure because my level of job satisfaction has been at an all time low the past few months. I have always woke up pretty much ready to take on the world. I have enjoyed going into work the past five or six years, hell I even enjoyed going into work, when I knew that going into work meant sludging through septic water, or ripping down old burnt out houses. But something has been missing lately. And I am sure that whatever it is that is missing, is in part responsible for my general lacklusterness the past few days. Generally Lethargic with a sore throat, and ears that feel like I am flying in a plane at 30,000 feet. How exactly do your ears get plugged when you are just laying on the sofa.

About a week or so ago, I sent in an application to help volunteer at the Mustard Seed Mission, in downtown Calgary. I was hoping that by doing some volunteer work, it might help me to get some satisfaction once again with my life. Today, a girl named Jo'el from the mustard seed called to let me know that she had received my application, and that she would like me to attend a volunteer orientation on Oct 28. I will keep you posted on this one, but needless to say, I am looking forward to a regular shift working, that is not working at my day job. It will also be interesting to meet and be around people who are not caught up in the whole work, work, work state of mind.

It might sound strange but there has been more than one occasion that I have missed just having my back pack, and living in the hostel, with my next days rent being my only responsibility. I also know that I over romanticize it, but hopefully by seeing it through a different lenz I will get a better understanding it.

Well that is all for today. Talk to you later

Newman Sick....whaaaaat

Well i woke up this moring at the usual time, and low and behold I had a sore throat. Now this is not abnormal. But it is something that only happens in the winter time, so I am not used to it happening now. It means winter will soon be here. Usually I just deal with it, and it usually goes away in a couple of hours if I dont let it win.

Well today I decided to call in sick. Not somethine I do. Now half way through my sick day I am beginning to realize that when you give in, and concede sickness, the sore throat does not go away. I know that if I had gone into work, it would be gone by now, but it is still hurting, and I actually feel sick. This is not good.

I guess I am just going to have to get up extra early tomorrow, go into work early, and basically work this thing out of my system, like I usually do. It also got me to thinking that people who get sick a lot, are the same type of people who give in to being sick. I think they become sick because they dont fight it, they just say oh well I am sick, nothing i can do about it. Well thats what i did today, and i think that is why I am still sick.

I have a prediction. That prediction is that as soon as I say, Fuck you sick sore throat, I am not gonna have you pissing on my parade. I think as soon as I say that, well as soon as I say that this whole sick thing will be done. But for now, I am enjoying being sick, laying on the sofa eating chicken soup. This doesnt happen often, I think I am just going to go with it for a couple more hours.

have a great day

Thanksgiving Sunday

Well I was going to go home for the weekend, but I had to put that aside. Friday was pretty much business as usual, until I met, and started talking to a girl named Sarah. Now I know I can be funny when I am drunk, but Sarah was laughing at just about everything I said. We both drank and talked. It felt like we had known each other for a long time. It was easy.

Now normally I would have just kept drinking, until I either destroyed any chance at friendship, OR, I would have rushed into things that would have been just as destructive. Luckily, I made the choice to ask her if she would like to go to lunch on Saturday. She said yes. I had a couple more drinks and then got out of dodge before I could screw it up.

Yesterday we went for lunch. It was kind of strange. We had met only a day earlier, under the influence of alcohol, but luckily after the first few minutes of the date were over, the tension was gone, and it was like we were old friends. So we ate lunch at a vietnamese noodle house, then we tried to get cupcakes at Crave, but they were sold out for the day, we then went to safeway so i could pick up some steaks for a bbq, and then we went for ice cream.

After that I dropped her off, and we have made plans to see a movie tonight. I still do not know what movie we will see, but I am looking forward to spending some more time with her.

Last night, I went to the Oilers vs Flames here in Calgary. Unfortunately we lost, but I had a good time hanging with Kraig. After the game I went to bed early. Waking up this morning, I was thinking about going to church but again passed on the opportunity. Not sure why.

Well it being Thanksgiving, I should probably list a few things I am thankful for. Of course I will start with the fact that I am in seemingly good health. I have a growing circle of friends who are becoming better and better friends almost daily. I am thankful that my life is slowing down to a pace that is almost managable. I am thankful that I am finally forgiving myself for past mistakes. I am thankful that god is blessing some of my dearest and most respected friends with the gift of parenthood. Oh yes and I am thankful that all my fish are doing well in the little environment I have created for them. They get bigger and more interesting everyday...yes I am a geek

Thats it....hope you all have a great day. Talk to you soon

Edmonton 3, Flamers 0

What more does one need to say. Well i would say more but i didnt get to see most of the game, as I was in lodge, and then when I finally get to a place where i can see the game I end up chatting for two hours with Andy. But suffice it to say, Edmonton Kicked ass, and Sykora is a great addition to the team.

It is just about lunch time. Darren is away sick. Jason has gone to S'toon for the weekend. Rob is out running around. Everyone is booked solid for next week so even if i could get more work there would be no one to do it. So what the fuck am i suppose to do. I have spent the last week getting everything ready for my limit scope audit, and now that that is done, I am bored senseless. I think i need to go apply for a job at the saddledown selling burgers at the game. That would at least give me something to do.

Anyway, I do have one new job to look at today, and low and behold it is for one of my old bartenders from the REV. I get the fax, I look at the name...how many Rob Banks do you know....exactly. Sure enough it is him. SO, I will be looking at some damage at his place around 2pm and then i think i am going to call it an early day. That or come back here and pluck my eyes out.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. i will write later.

Oilers vs. Flames

Well in a little over nine hours the war will begin. The preseason was split, so it should be a good one. We will see what Sykora and Lupul bring to the Oil, and we will get a chance to beat the shit out of this guy they call Tanguay. As for me I have my traditional wager with Brad Bell at Crush, ten bucks on all Oilers flames games. Thus if the Oil win tonight, that translates into 2 free pints to kick start my friday. I also managed to wager 20 bucks with brad and 50 bucks with CJ that the oilers will make the playoffs. I cant believe these two flames fans actually think the oil wont even make the playoffs....are you freakin kidding me.

Elsewhere in sports I had a great week in my NFL pool last week. Predicting 11 out of 14 games. It was not enough to win any money but it was close enough for me to say BOOOOYAAAAKKKAAAASSSSHHHHAAAA. As to why I chose SanFran over KC, I will never know. This week looks a little tough, with a few match ups I am a little uneasy about. These include Pittsburg vs. San Diego, KC vs Arizona, Jets vs Jackson, Redskins vs Giants.....4 close ones means a tough week, cuz you know there will be an upset or two going into week 5. If anyone has any thoughts on these games I would love to hear them.

Not much else happening. Went for Sushi last night with Jen, and then got about half way through Angels and Demons. Dan Brown definately has got his formula down pat. I cant say he is a great writer, but he understands tension and timing implicitly. I tried to put the book down three times, but ended up reading till midnight, at which time I had to choose between calling it quits, or pulling an all-nighter....I made the proper choice. Jason Lee, you could learn from my example.

What I really like about Brown is his decision to make his lead character an academic. It gives him so much room with which to babble and throw in useless and useful information. Everyone likes to listen to academics give their concise and sharp thoughts. It is quite a change from what we listen to coming out of our own mouths. I know that is why I enjoy reading Dyrons works, and listening to his sermons. They are always so well thought out. Now if only I could learn the art of not babbling....but alas I am, and always will be a babbler. And unfortunately for you the reader, I am not the interesting type like Browns character Langdon. Nope just your typical useless information, run on sentence, tangent ridden babbler here....but that is who I am ....deal with it.

Tonight is also this seasons second episode of Smallville. I am hoping to be dressed and ready for lodge by 6 so that I can watch it and then run out the door at 7. From what I have read on the internet Clark will learn he has a new superpower, which would be interesting to discover. As well we will be introduced to a new character called the Archer. I will let you know how all that goes in my next blog.

Last but not least Cory will be back from Ft. Mac for the weekend. So hopefully we will get a chance to enjoy a few beers or have a game of golf. Or just get drunk and argue about Sharks and Dolphins until someone loses an eye, or at the least gets pushed down a set of stairs. So watch out....Linny wont be here to protect you this time.

Back to the Books

Well I have decided to get my reading and writing schedule back on track. I am going to committ myself to reading at the least one novel a week, and writing at least five thousand words. And I am going to keep the reading to fiction, and pray that some of it rubs off on my own words. This week I am reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, and when that is done I am going to tackle Les Miserable by Victor Hugo.

Now Les Mis is my favorite musical. I have seen it a number of times and have always found new things within it that I missed with the previous viewings. I am hoping that the novel is the same. Victor Hugo, arguably is one of the greatest writers of all time, so maybe some of his genius will wear off on me, and allow me to write a sentance that is not a simple fragment, or grammatical catastophe.

On the writing front I have moved a computer into my room that is not connected to the internet and will simply be for writing. I have also decided to work on the piece entitled A Modern Nomad that I started a few years back. Mainly because there was a lot in it that is based on my travels, and now that I have slowed down, and allowed much of it to digest, it should be fun to write about. I am also considering taking a writing course in the new year, in hopes that I can improve on my grammar, and structure, two things that I have never been good with.

Only a few days to go before the Home Opener here in Calgary. Flames vs Oilers. I have my Oilers Jersey ready to go. Kraig is going to join me, so it should be a good night out on Saturday. I will probably be heading to Edmonton for Thanksgiving dinner on Monday but I will wait and see how the funds are.

To say that I am broke would be an understatement. Between the run in with the VW and my gas overages this summer I have had over two thousand dollars taken off my cheques over the past few months...NOT COOL...But as long as i dont do something stupid, I should be back to normal around the end of this month....just in time for christmas....DOES IT EVER END

Lets see what else. Oh yes, I am looking into doing some volunteer work. I have sent my application off to the mustard seed and hopefully that will come up positive in the next few weeks. I will keep you posted. Hope everyone out there is doing fine...Especially Shauna...I hope you are feeling better soon, and I hope to see you soon.

Monday Morning

Well another weekend down in the books. Friday was pretty normal. Hooked up with Brad Bell at the ship n anchor, then had sushi with jen, and then over to crush for a pint or two. Went home, Ryan was getting ready to go to the Rhino so I tagged along with him for about an hour. WOW were there ever a lot of hotties at the Rhino. I guess the DJ, i think his name is dustyn or something, always gets a turn out like that, so I am going to have to make an effort to go whenever he is djing, cause WOW.

Saturday was a relaxing day. Rearranging my bedroom, doing laundy, cleaning here and there, and finishing the book THE KITE RUNNER, not the ending i expected, and a fantastic read. I learned much about Afghanistan, and this whole Taliban thing that I did not know before. Things that make me understand why American and Canada have sent troops there. And for the first time believing that we are there for liberation and not for some sort of occupation. I still dont know about Iraq, I wish someone could give me a few titles by Iraqi writers, about Iraqi life, and how it has been affected, for the good, or bad, since Sadam was given the boot. But enough about that.

On saturday night taps had some people over, so I just hung out in my room and watched tv, as I wanted to get up for church in the morning. Unfortunately I slept in till around ten oclock Sunday morning, so I missed it anyway. So instead I used the time to go grocery shopping. I then picked up Wendys and a big DC, turned on the ol Big Screen and watched some football. Made some stir fry in the afternoon, and then watched a special on China at night. Pretty Laid back....and just what the doctor ordered.

I was really happy with myself on Saturday night. I did not drink a drop, or even feel inclined to join the party, and with Jen and Jessica there it would have been all to easy to go overboard. I am also appreciative that everyone respected my space and let me relax in my room. Usually I get people waking me up, or just coming in to drag me to the party....that did not happen, and I would like to thank Tappers, Colin, Trevor, Craig, Jen and Jessica for not bugging me. My weekend would have sucked had i joined you for a few hours of fun.

I am also very greatful for having such a large apartment. Small enough to give it that nice communal feel, but large enough that when you need your space it is there. The weather is getting cold so the Patio will soon have to be re-arranged for the winter. I really think we need to look into enclosing half of it so we dont lose the space. I mean even if we closed in a 20X10 area that would ensure we have another room. I think I should look into whether or not we are allowed to have one of those propane space heaters out there.

Anyway this blog is getting long, I hope everyone had a great weekend. TTYL