Red Wine before bed?

To start, you need to know something... I often enjoy a glass of red wine to finish off the day. I have a box of wine (cheaper than bottles, usually just as good) and usually have a glass or two of wine to settle down and mellow out for bed.

The situation; a good friend of mine, well really he's THAT FRIEND... You know; if I was married the friend my wife wouldn't really be happy I spent a bunch of time with. We do the typical bachelor things.... see 'exotic dancers', play hockey, farting contests... typical things a couple guys would do.

Anyway, my bud is moving in to my 1 bedroom apt for a week or so because he's suddenly between living arrangements. No big deal, he gets the couch or floor, I keep my room and he'll b gone in a week or two. It's likely we won't even see each other until very late, he works evenings and I work days, so on and so forth.

How does this tie in with red wine? Well Jeff (not his real name) was over last night getting the keys as I was having my glass of wine... we chatted about typical stuff and where he could put his junk, etc. We were on the couch (only seat I have in the living room), in my 1 bedroom apt, in downtown (near the legislature in Winnipeg), I've got classical music playing (just because I enjoy classical music now and then), and I'm drinking my red wine.... He and I realised then; if you walked in right now we'd resemble a same sex couple...... A mild case of homophobia develops, I chug my wine, and decide Jeff will pay his share of the rent in beer.

I think I've described the scene adequately enough. Question is: Do any of you out there think my short term red wine boycott is unreasonable?

Very hungry..

Ever notice how you can all of a sudden feel hungry?
I'm working right now in a semi-controlled are (i..e. no food allowed) and
am starving.....

I've eaten plenty today though.

I contributed to alleged deforestation (don't want to get sued here) by
having 2 egg mcmuffins for breaky - then 2 ham n' cheese sandwiches and a
pete's tofu dessert thingy...

That's what I've eaten since 9:00
I was feeling satisfied until I sat down here and started some work and
can't leave.

Now why is this? Is my body trying to tease me? Just like when you're the DD
and you go some place that has all your favourite imported beer on for
$2.25?

I am trying to eat healthy these days... More veggies and less fast food.
And I'm noticing my apetite is growing. but geez - I'm only a block away
from VJ's (greatest burgers in Winnipeg) and couldn't even break down if I
wanted!

Aughhh!

Can DVD commentary steal more of my life?

Can the DVD extras make a bad movie worth watching again?
I confess to buying a Jean Claude Van Damme movie from Safeway last night. I paid $4.99 for it and don't really regret it. It's a bad move as I expected... just a stupid, brainless JCVD movie with some cheesy machismo and violence. Pretty depending on your mood.

Now my dilemma.. up til recently there wouldn't have been one. If we were still in the days of VHS I would watch this movie once in a while (a long while really) and then shelve it for another long time until the mood for a crappy movie struck again. But now in the age of DVD, I have the opportunity to watch this again and hear the director/ producers commentary...... I may be sucked in yet again I fear.
Now really, why would I? The movie IS A BAD MOVIE. The case points out the fact the same director as RAMBO III - that should say it all there..... but..... My morbid curiosity is making me want to know just what this man may have to say about his film....

Will he actually apologise in his commentary?

Can he offer reasons why things are as crappy as they are? "I would have used real actors, however the screen actors guild boycotted my production, forcing me to hire housekeeping staff from the hotel I stayed at to play the role of the enemy marauders..."

I can't stand it..... what can someone say about their part in this farce of the movie industry? I will succumb... I know... sigh

Ahhh Sundays.....

Sighh..... My Sunday is coming to a close. Monday approaching.
I think I'll just share my day with y'all - but mostly so I can look back at it from my desk at work when I feel like remembering something good :)

Today, I went for a run, not a very good run though, but a run to get the day going. I did a few loads of laundry (yet to be folded / put away), then went and did a bit of shopping.
I bought myself a few of those 'bulk' essentials; oversized box of Bran flakes, 3L bottles of V8 and Grape juice, and a pair of tear away warm up pants (so I can pull them off without removing my cleats this fall).

My team had a BBQ / wind-up... I had a couple more beers than the rest of the group.. We had WAAAAYYYYY too much food and relaxed a bit. I found out one of my teammates is getting married next year and enjoyed the sun.

Then I joined a couple of the guys under a bridge where we tried teaching me how to rock / wall climb and how to rappel. It was pretty fun.

So all in all, a good Sunday.

How was everyone else's?

Wrong Song, Wrong Time

Friday afternoon. Nice weather. Everyone in my local office is told to go home early. My manager works in a different city. Calls me up. Tells me he's scheduling a meeting with me for 17:30 my time.....

Not worst thing in the world really, I have work to do, etc. Easier to get work done when office is empty. Look on the bright side, right?

Anyway, people are almost all gone... I'm taping away at my keyboard, doing my best to ignore all the 'weekend planning emails' my friends are sending each other... finding it difficult to focus.

I pull on my headphones and playing is REM, Everybody Hurts.... I almost feel like crying....

Nothing happening is all that horrible... work is work and all that... but you combine me working, an empty office, emails reminding me of how nice it is outside.. and then 'EVERYBODY HURTS'? I feel like an 8 yr old who figured out Bambi's mom was blown to pieces by hunters! I tell you, music can reflect your mood, change your mood... but it also really can reinforce/magnify (there's a better word out there than reinforce... anyone?) your mood.

Anyway - have a good weekend. I'm outta here in a couple hours, so I'll look back at this and laugh. :)

Lots of Crap on Television

So I made it home from work on time today. This doesn't happen all that often.
I usually make it home around 17:30 and turn on the television to catch the last of either Jeopardy or Just for Laughs Gags before the news.
Today I got home, turned on the TV (and this reflexive like habit is an issue I may bring up another time), and what is there>

CBC is showing some cartoon about dragons who race around a track.

CTV has Oprah talking to some prisoner over the phone while she 'with the assistance of some quack PHD' fire off pop psychology to an audience of lemmings hoping the great Oprah will teach them what to think.

global has the WORLDS WORST ACTING SHOWCASE... some stupid soap opera

CITY TV has an Indy Jone knockoff, except Harrison ford is replaced by some hot looking number wearing tight clothes and able to outrun anyone in the jungle while wearing hgh heels.

I'd may as well stay at work. I figure the most offensive of these 4 is the Oprah show. It seems to be assuming it's moral authority is a foregone conclusion and doesn't seem to allow for any different points of view. Right now they're talking about women falsely claiming to be war widows and how troubled these women are to be acting so despicably. How can they fill 60 mins with this tripe? How dangerous is it to have a 'PHD' and the worlds greatest know it all present only their points of view on issues that really should be kept private, before the masses of North Americans tunng in mostly because they need the following accomplished in 60 minutes:

issue presented

cause identified

cause analysed

actions taken

harm caused by these actions

what the correct actions / answers should be

reassurance that if you faced this issue, you now know how to handle it

People are sheep and for some reason today it's just really frustrating me.

Tired, yet do not wish to sleep....

My brother tells his 3 year old it's time for bed. She whines... "I don't wanna.." And the ritual we all have experienced, if not from the perspective of the parent, at least from the perspective of the child.

Why "don't I wanna go to bed"? I recall when I was younger that I was afraid of missing out on things.
On missing out on what, I never really knew... but I was pretty certain something good was about to happen as soon as I went to sleep.

Anyway.... it's nearly 23:00 (yes, I prefer 'military time'... far more efficient) and I am fighting to stay awake.
I'm tired, sore, achy, etc. Need rest, have a big day tomorrow.. yet here I am, typing this blog.
Why?
I'm 28 yrs old.. I should not be afraid of missing out on things. I shouldn't really care if I update this blog. I shouldn't be concerned of satying up in case a 'good' rerun gets played on TV. But yet I am awake.

Am I the only one lacking in judgement like this? Do you ever find yourself staying awake for no good reason?
Maybe you've stayed up late debating whether or not you REALLY NEED TO BUY THE BEEF JERKEY MAKER. Or whatever.

I'm curious.

Have a good night :)

Stupid 'Schticks'

I have this to say..... when Nick Hill would come on the TV or radio, I would change the channel. Can't stand stupid concepts being successful simply because ppl remember just how dumb the idea is. I may not hate the idea, but spite the fact it works.

Why did this pop in to my head?
That freaking Peak of the Market commercial with Larry holding a carrot as a microphone. Dumb, just plain dumb. EVERYONE has stood in front of a mirror lipsynching to something holding on to a 'pseudo-mic' (likely to synching to your 'secret song'). Why should we see some fellow try and pull that silly bathroom crap on public airwaves?

Questions:
1 - Peak of the Market. Please (a) Keep, (b) Dump, or (c) whatever those commercials.
2 - Other ideas Peak of the Market could use.
3 - anyone ever get 'busted' doing the dumb lip-synch?

Adding 'Mc' to insult

Like everyone else, I come across people I consider unintelligent, tiresome, and all other forms of irritating.
I'm not a prick or anything like that, but when you think about it, it a matter of numbers.
If you come across 100 people throughout your day, what are the odds all 100 are good people you find interesting... I don't know what the ratio of good vs 'not good' is, but I think I've made my point. Not everyone is of a pleasant or likeable character.
Anyway, back to Adding 'Mc' to insult....

If I called someone a 'dumbass' what are you likely to think? You likely would suspect that said dumbass lacks in intelligence, but also that I'm a rather rude individual for having refered to someone as a dumbass.

But!! If I called that person something like 'Dougie McDumbass' - you still get the picture, not take it as seriously, and go on with life.

So is there a question here... I don't know.
I suppse I'm curious to know if you consider adding 'Mc' to insult does have the desired effect, or if I'm potentially causing a rift between myself and our Scottish community.

Waiting for the Elevator

Through the miracle of wireless technology I'm writing this post while waiting for an elevator.
Bored out of my skull.
Any suggestions out there as to what I can do to pass the time?
I've already done the polite chit chat with the security desk, done the ppl watching thing (which I put a stop to, for fear of being 'that creepy guy staring at everyone').

Why is this called an 'elevator'? Not that it's really a bad name. It's just you don't hear ppl say "I must elevate myself 3 floors". Really, this should be called a 'go upper' - "I need to go up three floors."

Soooo.... there are two questions here:
1. What can one do to pass the time waiting for the elevator?
2. Do you have a better name for the elevator?

Everyone's 'Secret' Song

I was away on a road trip this past weekend. Typical stuff on the car ride happened... Stupid 'how do you rate in bed' magazine quizzes (BTW, I'm a 21 ;), attempts at deep philosophical discussion, counting train cars, etc.
Most interestingly though, was perusing everyone's CD's.
I think, when it comes to music, guys have it tough.... The ladies are allowed to enjoy pretty much any and all music: Top 40, heavy metal, country, hip hop and yadda yadda yadda.. But guys are not allowed ALL of those same choices...
Back to the car ride... I'm going through one of the fellow's Cd's and throw in his CD 'Doug's Mix' (Doug not really his name). The music was pretty standard for a mx made a few years ago... some timeless Gun's N' Roses, some Eminem (we all listened to that for a while), a couple rock ballads, some Bob Dylan and so on... but in the middle of his selections.. 'Caribbean Queen' by BILLY OCEAN!!!

Now I feel for Doug... I was smart enough to leave my 'Secret' songs at home and EVERY guy has one or two... Maybe even a secret band. Doug's only mistake was to leave his CD in the car when others were going on a long car ride with him... Of course we were going to go through all his stuff... That's just something you do on a road trip.

Anway, the question is this: What's your secret song? (or band). Everyone has one. That embarrassing tune you listen to to wake you out of a bummer of a day. Maybe if you hear played at the mall, you catch yourself tapping your foot to it... Maybe you even get caught on the security camera mouthing the lyrics as you're waiting for the elevator.

We ALL have one. What's yours? Let's make sure Doug knows he isn't alone.