Sooooo another mixtape. Nothing fancy, just some of my favourite Bowie tracks. Unfortunately I couldn’t locate all my favs (this thing pulls mp3s already posted from the ‘net), so to get one glaring omission I discovered click here. Also I would like to point out, it’s not Sweet Thing, it’s the reprise….whatever….free mixtapes….get what you pay for….enjoy.

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It dawned on me tonight that although it seems like a long time has passed since leaving high school, the “nest”, etc…..I’m really just at the beginning of my life still. It was a nice realization. Only 5 or so years ago I was just heading back into Halifax to finish my degree and start again after a false start and at that time I had nothing, except the few hand-me-downs from family members and the start of what would be a sizable student loan. I remember renting a furnished room, with an old TV from home that had a dial – no remote – and the only internet access I had was a 15 minute walk to Saint Mary’s to use the computer lab.

Now I have two computers, my own queen-sized bed, a siamese cat, a car, and some gray hairs mom tonight said were from finally taking on some adult responsibility. I mentioned the move to Fredericton again, and the desire to own a home. She reminded me of what a starter home is, just a home to get some equity built up to use to move onto the next house. So with that, I’m working on a one year plan to be in my “starter home” in one year’s time. That means, I’ll either be outside the city in something I like, or in the city in a nice minihome, but maybe not in the neighbourhood I want.

Despite it not being ideal, it’s totally the right plan.

Now to sell Danielle on the idea.

Yes dear, it may be a minihome, but it’s less than 4 years old (at least the one I saw anyway that I’d settle with if I needed to decide today) and it did have a fancy hot-tub style whirlpool bathtub.

Although I’d still like to get a motorcycle, I’m now thinking I need to put aside money to afford things like a down payment, lawyer fees, inspection fees, and all that fun stuff you need to make it official.

P.S. the motorcycle is still cheap since it’s small, the one I have picked out anyway. Also very popular, as the ‘08 model sold out so quickly most people thinking of getting them couldn’t, as per google searches and my own experience. Also means when the ’09s come out I’ll just get it without thinking – but I suppose a whole year left to decide means I’ve thought a lot about it.

Funny how before that second try at school back in 2003 I had become something of a Buddhist and liked the idea of not caring about material things. I still don’t, but toys rock, and laptops, bikes, and houses are fun toys.

So now the only choice left is to decide on a minihome within city limits and within a trailer park most likely, or a home outside the city that will be bigger and more “country-like”, but requires a vehicle to get to anything….and the price of gas is iffy as we all know.

Decisions, decisions.

Hmmmm reading that last part about material things and the like, worried me a bit. Have I sold out my ideals? I don’t think so. More like I evolved, as everyone does. The ideals haven’t left me and I suppose it’s how I can deal with major crises without freaking. It’s all good.

Although it does remind me I have lost my edge as far as concentration goes. I could really meditate back in the day, quiet my brain right down. Now it’s too overloaded with random Simpsons episodes going on in the background…..hell Futurama is going as I type. If I could I’d really like to do that Kung-Fu class idea from my work-in-progress 101 things in 1001 days…..that could do it. Hmmm requires money though…..enlightenment costs too much these days.

I’ll just download a training video from the internet and practice it in my living room in my own house in a year instead? Good idea.

Whatever, there’s still yearrrrrsssss ahead of me as long as I don’t crash that bike. Plenty of time to learn new things.

OK dear, should it be the mini, or the country?

So I really want to buy a house. Too bad Fredericton has nothing available close to downtown that isn’t some crap-ass mini-home.

OK some of the mini-homes aren’t crap, but I want one of the 100+ year old homes, that unfortunately would end up costing me a mortgage I’d need two of myself just to pay every month.

I have to say though, I’m uber-tired of paying rent so someone else can pay their mortgage and own their building.

Some day, some day.

After much thought (read = none) I have decided to try to follow football again this year. It’s been awhile, like 5-6 years, whenever it was last that the boys in Halifax did the football pool I was in. I have no team (was the Cowboys as a youngster as that was the only team you heard of in the 90s) but I figure I just watch it all and follow the contenders. So after week 1 Dallas is in that group….and Philly, think back in the pool days I had a few Philly players, definitely McNabb, so I’ll follow them most likely. Better fucking win now.

Simple really, click on the tape, it plays. Mostly a collection of songs I recently found and like/love, with a few older awesome ones thrown in. Also I was once upon a time early on putting it in some type of order, but quickly abandoned that for a more chaotic model. Enjoy!

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So I drove to Newfoundland and back. 1600 kms driven/boated, 4 days without sleep, and one more married friend were what was left with me after it was said and done.

It all started with a little facebook message – approximately one week before the wedding – asking all who could, to try and come if they were feeling adventurous. Clearly I was.

It almost never happened, hours beforehand, I came under the realization I was not going to make my budget, but Vince (ex-roomate, fellow car traveler, and current co -UPSer with steely resolve) was up for funding a bit more than 50%. With that we were off…

….well sort of. I first needed to work the day shift Friday, after working that night before. This, is what I di on three hours sleep, with the full intent of then getting into my car and driving to Sydney immediately afterwards….I did just that.

The ferry to NFLD was delayed – for what ended up to be many hours – we discovered upon arrival at 12:30AM, and then recieved a text from friends already across the ocean separating us from the destination, stating it had taken them 12 HOURS. Now, this is a 5 – 5.5 boat ride….tops. Suffice it to say, their crossing was bumpy.

Vince and I got on the ferry a little before the sun came up. He slept in the car, but I just sat awake, fully wired, counting down the minutes, knowing full well that we had to fit what was supposed to be a 5 hour boat ride, and a two hour car ride afterwards, into a time frame that required us to be at the church in less time then we feasibly had. This would take all our steely resolve….

I passed the ride by sleeping poorly in the sitting position, and maybe once or twice looking out the window….as we were coming into Port-Aux-Basques however, I was awake, the sun was shining, and nothing was stopping me from making this wedding. Nothing short of a fiery death along the highway from moose related collision  would keep me from making it.

One very near miss regarding a draining gas tank, and no gas stations for miles and miles, we got to the church with enough time to run up the steps while still doing up the button on my dress shirt. PHOTO FINISH.

Now let’s just say, NFLD weddings, well, it’s not just the young people partying it up all night. Hell, even the bride’s dad was putting us to shame at times. Our little group drank wayyyy too much, made wayyy too much noise, and basically made ourselves at home…..and never once were we out of place. Also kissing cods are gross, but if your smartass friend has frenched it previously, you get to take your turn knowing half the moisture on that fish is from the jerk to your left.

Thankfully alcohol kills germs.

Not much else to say, except that  you can tell yourself you’ll go and take it easy on booze so you can drive the next day, but plans change, drink tickets get handed out, and as friends with $$$ and a bar beside us get more generous, well, you’re drunk and wandering the streets of Stephenville looking for food at 2:30AM before you know it.

Checkout time came quick. Too quick. Seems like I got no sleep, mostly because I hadn’t. At this point, I really had yet to sleep decently, or at all really, since Wednesday night. A fantastic brunch on a really sunny morning/early afternoon at the bride’s parents house got everyone’s stomachs back to fighting shape. The goodbyes were delayed as long as possible, but soon it was time to hit the road. Our old Nova Scotia crew convoy hit the road – going in the wrong direction just to find a highway on ramp (roads just go off in one direction for miles and miles here I discovered) – and just barely making it into the ferry terminal again…..but of course the ferry was delayed so really we had all the time in the world.

After some cards in the terminal bar, and meeting up with everyone, plus some new friends made at the wedding who were also heading back to the mainland, there was nothing to do but wait and for the most part discuss how ridiculously druk we all were last night.

So naturally I spent most of the night in the boat’s lounge playing cards with old/new friends with a noisy celtic band playing live 4 feet from us.

Now, the drive back to Moncton was actually the worst part. Despite knowing I could leisurely  drive home, we got off the ferry at 1AM into  a heavy, heavy storm. High winds pushing the car all over road, too much water to safely  drive/see through, and large flashes of lightening were the highlights of a drive that saw my reserves finally drain. The gas gauge went down fast, with only the money available to fill the tank going down faster. There were two emergency fill-ups, using what was basically the next week’s food budget. Fuck it though, I wanted home….bad by this point.

I got us there as I promised I would. So tired I was making terrible jokes and was only fueled by the hunger in my stomach knowing I had food at home, and the complete stubborn determination to make it despite the fact it felt as if mother nature had intended us to die alone on that highway. I was all about showing that bitch who was boss that night.

So that’s it, trip in a condensed nutshell. Funny thing is, I only wrote this all out so I could get tired enough to fall asleep and stop feeling sad because I miss my girlfriend.