Friends-a-plenty in Ottawa

Our house is full today - Scott, Lindsay and Monique are all in town and bunking with us. A full house, or fuller, anyway, but much appreciated. "The more the merrier" seems to be the motto of the day. Today we are going to the War Museum, and then tonight Chubby, Scott and I are going to the Islanders-Sens game at the Corel Centre. It should be a fun filled day!

Merry Crochet-mas?

Bonnie has recently taken up crochet. We now have many a dishcloth with fancy colours, in addition to some bigger projects: Bonnie made herself a toque. It is the cutest thing I've ever seen:
She's just relaxin' in her new toque, not a care in the world: just how a toque should make you feel. Bonnie's new hobby borders on obsession after only a month and a bit. That's some addictive stuff! While she can't get enough of crocheting, I can't get enough of Kill Bill. Bonnie insightfully gave me vols. 1 & 2 for Christmas (which we promptly watched), concretizing what was only a passing fancy. I really like those movies, or that movie, as Tarantino would no doubt say. I think they're in my top 10 (as one entry). We are also enjoying microwave popcorn for the first time in a while, as my mom and my sister got us a microwave for Christmas It's so useful! You can cook a lot of different things in a microwave. Like eggs. Who knew? Though the microwave is useful, we haven't forgotten about our beloved toaster oven, which has served us dutifully for years. You can't toast stuff in a microwave oven, and that will never change, no matter how advanced the technology gets. Anyhoo, Bonnie and I quite enjoyed our Christmas. It was a nice, relaxing day and we talked to our families and friends throughout. Though I worked Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, I still felt like I had a nice long, break. Scott's coming to Ottawa today and Lindsay and Monique are coming tomorrow: we'll have a full house for New Year's, but, as far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier!

PS here's what I mean about Bonnie's new hobby being a "big" thing:

PPS "toque" isn't in the blogger spellcheck dictionary. No surprise there. When will Americans adopt the term?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Samberg and Parns save Christmas

If you missed last week's SNL (with Jack Black), you also missed a kickass "digital short" from Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell ("Samberg and Parns"). Slate's Josh Levin writes about it here: "Andy Samberg (aka Samberg) calls up Chris Parnell (aka Parns) 'just to see how he's doin'.' Soon enough, they 'mack on some cupcakes' from the West Village's Magnolia Bakery and debate which online map service will reveal the 'dopest route' to an Upper West Side screening of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Then the chorus kicks in: 'We love that Chronic—what?—cles of Narnia / Pass that Chronic—what?—cles of Narnia.'" Though the article is a pretentious jab at SNL's "decline", he thankfully links to the video. Check it out for that reason alone, but if the description above doesn't convince you, he also provides a link to the infamous "more cowbell" sketch about the making of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper". Consider it a Christmas bonus.

Holiday spirit rising

Okay, so this morning Garry wasn't a happy bunny. Indeed, I was sad being away from friends and family for Christmas, plus the fact that I am working a heck of a lot in the next week. However, the holiday spirit has reached me this evening and today was, in the end, a good day. Chapters is really busy and sometimes frantic but people are always nice - only one or two rude customers today. I was cheered by the store spirit - people are happy when they find what they want for loved ones. I also heard from Scott today. He's coming up to visit us on the 28th to celebrate New Year's here in Canada. Then, on the 29th, our friends from Sk Lindsay and Monique are coming to Ottawa on their way home from Australia, where they are spending Christmas. It will be a fantastic Sk reunion for the New Year. Bonnie and I are quite excited. And this weekend, we are going to have a nice Christmas, even if it is just the two of us. So don't worry! We are happy and cheerful in this holiday season.

Christmas season - *sigh*

It's really early in the morning and I'm about to head off to work and it's cold - cold for here, anyway. It just got thinking this morning that it isn't like Christmas at all. We have the tree up, and I've been eating chocolate like there's no tomorrow, and we've received several packages from home - but Christmas in three days? Doesn't seem possible. I am getting a little sad for home, and worried that Christmas will be so different that we won't hardly recognize it. But the important part is that Bonnie and I are together and we'll make it our own Christmas - and it won't be bad. We miss everybody terribly, though. Enjoy your day, everybody.

A Christmas Must-Read

Marshall Heyman's review of The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie, available here, proves that celebrities should be encouraged to write more books about their lives so that the average person can gain access to the glittering world of the famous. The book seems to have something to offer everyone. Even those of us who are fairly well-read can learn more about the English language. For example, I can now add the triple negative to my repertoire of writing tricks: "We were nothing if not unoriginal," the narrator, a character named Nicole Richie, tells us about her friends. Richie's language is rich and powerful, presenting the reader with similes and metaphors that will remain with her forever: A reporter is "harder to get rid of than body lice." Kicking heroin "is kind of like the worst flu you ever had combined with the worst food poisoning you could imagine, and then times the whole thing by forty." No matter how hard I try, I know I will never be able to create such gems.

I am truly in awe of such brilliance. I can only hope to find this under the tree on Christmas morning.

Christmas at Parliament Hill

Whatever the collective opinion of the occupants of the Parliament Buildings here in Ottawa, the buildings themselves are truly magnificent this winter. Bonnie and I ventured to the Hill this Saturday to take in the lights: The glint off the centre path made for some incredible images. In one picture Bonnie's breath is visible, making for another great shot: Here's one of Bonnie in her new coat:
Here's one of the "Saskatchewan" tree:
Ottawa is quite beautiful this time of year. Pretty soon we'll be skating on the Canal - we'll put pictures up then, too.

John Lennon 1940-1980

Today is the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's untimely death. I still get a little choked up when I think of the life that was wasted; while Mark David Chapman rots in prison getting fed and staying warm and being able to live, all those who loved John Lennon and/or his music must mourn eternally. This day was good, however, as I successfully convinced the management at Chapters to play 2 full hours of Lennon in the store today in homage, and I plan on listening to more Lennon here at home. If you can, listen to some Lennon music today, either The Beatles or his solo work, but hopefully not The Plastic Ono Band.

Anatomy of a Latte

Okay so this is a cappuccino, but they're virtually identical. Yesterday I was tutored in the ways of the barista, and I can now steam milk like no one else, save for, perhaps, every other coffee shop employee in the world. I made some mean hot chocolates last night during my second shift at The Second Cup. The customers had to wait while I fumbled my way through the process, but they weren't disappointed. Well, some of them may have been, but I didn't hear about it. It's a great place to work, however; my co-workers are all friendly and helpful, and we all want to serve the customer the best we can. I know this sounds like a shameless plug, but it's true. Anyhoo, I work again on Sunday night, and then on Monday morning at Chapters. I'll be tired, for sure, but those Christmas gifts aren't going to buy themselves.

New Job News

Since Xmas season is upon us and I am in need of cash, I managed to get another job - at The Second Cup. Everyone else knows that this is a coffee emporium similar to Starbucks, but those in Saskatoon may not be familiar since there is no Second Cup in S'toon. Well, my professional life now mirrors my private life: books and coffee. All I need now is a job at a record store and everything will be in place. I am excited about the new job. I start tonight - we get to wear snazzy black pants and a snazzy golf shirt. Anyhoo, that's the news there. December is coming but it is pouring rain here, and the talk of the town is, obviously, the federal election on January 23. I'm looking forward to the campaign drama more than the actual result - chances are we'll get another minority government; the question is, which party will actually form the government? It's close, for once. Don't forget to watch Gilmore Girls tonight.

Art Gallery: Volume #2

Today Bonnie and I, along with our Ottawa friends Cory and Poonam, went to the National Art Gallery. It is our second trip, but certainly not our last. It is as though each piece requires three or four viewings to be truly appreciated.My favourite piece of this visit was Hans Baldung's Eve, the Serpent, and Death. Baldung depicts Adam transforming into Death after eating the forbidden apple. It is typical Renaissance painting, but the subject matter seemed much darker than the surrounding "Virgin with Child" pieces.
The gallery is quite huge and there is a lot left to explore. Can't wait!

Tiny Cities With Giant People

Being a Modest Mouse fan, I was intrigued and excited for the latest Sun Kil Moon release, Tiny Cities. It is a cover album of MM songs, covering everything from last year's "Ocean Breathes Salty" to 1995's "Dramamine." It is a solid album; SKM's frontman Mark Kozelek, formerly of Red House Painters, brings a his unique sound to these songs. Modest Mouse singer Isaac Brock is rough and tumble, which adds a lot of personality to his songs, but Kozelek manages to showcase the songwriting talent of Brock by minimizing that sound. "Trucker's Atlas," is, I think, my favourite, but that can change in a day as there are many good ones here. A recent review on Herohill.com Media confirms my own findings: fans of both Sun Kil Moon and Modest Mouse will be delighted by this disc. I think it's #13 on my top albums of the year.

Anatomy of a Mix Tape

My sister sent me this great article from Winnipeg this week: The Anatomy of a Mix Tape. Now we've all seen High Fidelity and know that Rob is a master of the mix tape. John Cusack stated some standard rules of the mix tape, including "start strong but don't blow your wad," and I'm pretty sure that the author of this article (from the U of Winnipeg student paper) plagiarized Hornby a little bit. But since these are general rules, it may fall into the category of general knowledge. Anyhoo, the article details the qualities of a good mix tape: sequence, song selection, flow, mood, and, of course, great songs. He made a great point that the tangibility of the tape is a feature in itself. With the advent of cd burning technology and mp3 players, the analog tape is no longer in vogue but the mix tape still is. iTunes has an iMix feature, allowing users to submit their favourite compilation mixes. Most times these are useless, as a really good mix tape is meant for someone. Hence Sharon's excellent cd that she made for me would not have the same effect on someone else, though the songs themselves are good. Mike Lewis, the author of the article, sums that point up in a question: "What do I need this tape to say?" Indeed. A tape is only good if it is supposed to mean something. Now I may be overdramatizing this a little (or just dramatizing), but a mix tape is different than a cd with songs by various artists on it. I have made cds of good songs before, but without the flow or meaning, they're just a bunch of songs and not very interesting. If you want to check out the whole article, you'll have to download the November 3rd issue in pdf from The Uniter's website. I recommend it, if only to relive your high school days of sitting around and making cds or tapes simply for something to do. The article goes well with my previous post about influential albums: many of those songs were on many a mix tape in my day.

Song of the Day

Today iTunes released a 3-song ep from the Fashion Rocks concert in September. The three songs? The three numbers that David Bowie performed with Arcade Fire. The song of the day, therefore, is "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire with David Bowie.

Most influential albums

As promised, here's my list of most influential albums. Obviously these are my top five all-time albums, but they are the albums that contributed most to the music sensibilities I enjoy today. As such, they are all albums that I first heard while still a young grasshopper, specifically the years 1993-95.

1. Nevermind - Nirvana. I know this is cliche, but it is cliche for a reason. It is an influential album (and band) that affected a lot of people my age. For me, it was the album that made me stop listening to Wilson Philips.

2. Vs. - Pearl Jam. PJ's second album is still their best, in my opinion. I listened to this one many times over. I enjoyed this album immensely, but I also think it was the first album to prove that a band could be part of a trend and still write good music. This album set Pearl Jam apart from other grunge bands like Alice in Chains or Mudhoney.

3. Day For Night - The Tragically Hip. Believe it or not, I bought this album before Fully Completely. I didn't see what all the fuss was about until Day For Night; the dark lyrics and heavy music converted me to the Hip fan I am today.

4. Pinkerton - Weezer. This was the album that made me a true Weezer fan. Sure, Weezer had some catchy tunes and it is still a fun listen, but the songs on Pinkerton were etched in my brain. They were loud and sad but funny and, well, good. I guess I have a mini-crush on Rivers.

5. Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan. This album came out in 1975 originally, but it wasn't until I saw Jerry Maguire that I pulled my dad's lp out of its sleeve. Cameron Crowe featured "Shelter From the Storm" at the end of the movie and I was hooked. "Tangled up in Blue" became my favourite Dylan song, and my Dylan collection began from there. If it weren't for Blood on the Tracks, I wouldn't be the Dylan fan I am today. Or maybe I should thank Cameron Crowe?

There you have it. I specifically chose older albums because I know what their impact has been. You'll notice that even though I am a big Beatles fan, no Beatles album made the list. Well, thanks to my parents I have liked the Beatles for as long as I can remember, so no one album really made an impact; the Beatles were always part of my musical consciousness. Some albums that were in consideration for this list but didn't quite make it were The Bends by Radiohead, Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins, The Doors in Concert, and London Calling by The Clash. Ten years from now I predict my list might include some newer ones such as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco, White Blood Cells by The White Stripes, Funeral by The Arcade Fire and You Forgot it in People by Broken Social Scene. Oh, and Illinois by Sufjan Stevens. Hope this gets you thinkin'!

Canada's most important books

This week the Literary Review of Canada chose 100 books that are supposedly the "most important Canadian books ever written" (all quotations are from Friday's Citizen). I am shocked that only 33 of the hundred were fiction titles; it seems that fiction influencs a culture much more than non-fiction at times. However, the list was constructed based on "the work's impact on the Canadian landscape." Though a book cannot have an actual effect on a physical landscape, I'm sure the editors meant "cultural" landscape. Well, I can't disagree. Three quarters of the list I have never even heard of, let alone read. Is this a list of important books to read? Hardly. Who wants to read Account of the Second Voyage of the Navigation of 1535 and 1536? It is certainly not light reading. It may have been the first text to mention Canada by name but it will only be important in terms of its impact then, not now. One author remarks that "The chosen books look like the backbone of Canada, both historically and in terms of shaping and reflecting culture." I agree. Historically. Why is the Literary Review of Canada dabbling in such a list? There are textbooks, biographies, hockey instruction manuals and even government reports. The Massey Commission has an entry but Michael Ondaatje does not. This would be a good reading list for those doing a degree in Canadian History. Maybe someday the Literary Review will publish a list for those who like to read for fun.

Snow!

I know this is nothing special for people in frigid Saskatchewan, but today in Ottawa there is snow for the first time this season. Just to demonstrate how great Ottawa is, the high for tomorrow is 15 degrees. Yes!

Most influential books

This is from Slate today: "In celebration of College Week, Slate asked journalists, cable-news personalities, novelists, Hollywood types, and other great thinkers a question: What's the most influential book you read in college? What made you slam down your café au lait and set out to conquer the world?" The list contains many people that are unfamiliar to me, with one notable exception: Harold Bloom. That's right, the venerated literary critic and professor at Yale. I thought that I would give my own list of books that influenced me in college. Since I am still technically in college, this should be easy. But I will limit my list to books taken in a class.

1. Surfacing - Margaret Atwood. I took this book in my first year from now-retired professor David Carpenter. He taught this difficult book in such a way that made me want to major in English.

2. Henry IV, Part One - Like Harold Bloom, I connected to this play more than any other Shakespeare work. I wrote a paper comparing Prince Hal to Hamlet and in the process determined that Prince Hal is a much more interesting character.

3. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie. I taught this while I was a TA for Professor David Parkinson. It's a complicated book and it was fun to see first years struggle with it. I also learned a lot about teaching. If Dr. Parkinson could get this book across to students, then anything is possible.

4. A History of Reading - Alberto Manguel. This non-fiction title gives a rather non-academic look at the history of the book, from the scroll to the digital era. It made me ask, "what is a book?"

5. "Bavarian Gentians" - D.H. Lawrence. This poem is not a book, but studying it in Professor Ron Marken's Techniques of Poetry in English led directly to my thesis topic.

That's my list. It is interesting to think about what books led me to think differently about the world, life, etc.; maybe tomorrow I will do a music list that asks the same questions.

Bonnie Needs...

After months of Garry's nagging, I have finally been convinced to post. Garry is trying to tell me what to write, but I'll have none of it. He is too bossy.
Anyhow, here Stop that right now!!!! (see?) is my contribution to the blog game (blogame?).

Bonnie needs only one clock (or timer) to determine the time.
Bonnie needs the following information:. Your name, a credit card number, and type of card.
Bonnie needs something that can show up as an external hard drive.
Bonnie needs your help.
Bonnie needs to butt out.
Bonnie needs a foster home.
Bonnie needs a new home.
Bonnie needs a big yard to run in and lots of attention.
Bonnie needs money.
Bonnie needs a haircut badly.

I think these are all pretty funny and true to varying degrees. By the way, I will take credit cards.