Getting Swept Up in a Whirlwind of a Week

Has it quieted down yet? Can I take a breather now? Okay, good.

This past week has been quite a frantic, yet fun week for myself. I'm usually not this busy when I go away on vacation, but the past 7 days were spent within my general vicinity. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let me rewind to the beginning.

Last Sunday, my old computer decided to "bite the big one" when the power supply went up and died on me. I really shouldn't complain because it did last me almost eight-and-a-half years, but I was long overdue for an upgrade. Let's face it, trying to survive in today's modern computing world is very difficult when you have only 512 MB of RAM, an 80 GB hard drive, and are running Service Pack 3 of XP. There was only one slight problem: at the time, I had no real means of financing the new package.

Monday: On a whim, I decided to hit the slots at Woodbine Racetrack in the northwest end of Toronto. I was taking a huge risk in the process as there was a good chance I might lose my shirt, and to be perfectly honest, I don't always have the best of control whenever I'm in a casino. I had just worked myself back up to about 50% of my original bankroll when I decided to play one last machine. It was a nickel slot and I was betting max lines at 1 credit per line. I eventually hit the bonus feature and I start playing one of the three bonus games it triggers. I start playing, and I notice the potential bonus payout keeping getting bigger and bigger. Long story short, I ended up leaving the casino with my biggest winning day EVER, to the tune of $845! The new computer was now nigh.

Tuesday: Headed up to the Best Buy near Scarborough Town Centre to shop for the new computer. I didn't need anything overly fancy: just the tower and the accompanying keyboard and mouse. My monitor was still good and I had just bought a new printer from there a couple months previously. After much perusing, and eventual waiting for them to get it set up and ready to take home, I walked out with a brand new Acer with 4 GB of RAM, a 750 GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium loaded on it. This puppy is fast and the difference between the old and the new is quite noticeable. An investment that is well worth it.

Wednesday: Most people treat birthdays like any other regular day, but with everything that had happened so far this week up to that point and everything else I had planned in the few days after, my 39th was something I wasn't bound to forget. This was probably the most mundane day of the week as all I ended up doing was redeeming a voucher for a free "Like It"-sized Signature Creation from the Tim Horton's/Cold Stone location near Bloor and Dufferin. I ended up indulging in a "Birthday Cake Remix" with combines cake batter ice cream with fudge sauce, rainbow sprinkles, and a brownie. I remember 10 years ago I had a tastebud orgasm when I sampled some peanut butter pie at a country inn restaurant outside of Roanoke, Virginia. I think after this ice cream, my tastebuds lost their "born-again virgin" status; it was that good.

Thursday: The first real planned day I had of the week. I had scored some free passes to opening night of the Toronto Festival of Beer down at the Exhibition Grounds. I had expressly told my roommate that I wasn't going to take him. Not that I didn't want to, but after his "escapades" last March, I didn't want to risk him having a relapse. It was a good thing he didn't because I ended up drinking so much, any attempt on my part to "poo poo" on his parade would have been grossly hypocritical. 10 samples of beer, a sample of Jack Daniels and Cola, some melted vanilla ice cream with some Bailey's splashed over it, some loaded chili fries, a yam done like a baked potato, and a very dry smoked beef brisket on a bun later, and my stomach and liver were tapping out. Good thing I limited myself to just three and a half hours there instead of the full six. No telling what damage I would've done to myself had I been there the full time.

Friday: Had a short rest during the morning and afternoon before I headed to the Tattoo Rock Parlour on Queen West between Spadina and Bathurst in the evening. A couple weeks previously, I had won a pair of tickets to see the rock band, Fozzy, play there. This was going to be my first ever hard rock/heavy metal concert I had ever attended, and wasn't sure how deaf I was going to be by the end. I knew it was going to be a good show because Fozzy is fronted by one of my favourite performers from professional wrestling, Chris Jericho. Jericho and his bandmates did not disappoint as it was a very entertaining show. My ears were ringing a bit when I got out of the club, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. I eventually walked through my apartment door at 1 in the morning, and was thinking of staying up all night as I knew I had to be up early the next day, but my eyes slammed shut about 2:15. Wonder how much sleep I'd end up getting.

Saturday: About 5 hours later, I ended up waking up and getting ready for what was bound to be a full day. I had scored an extra ticket to the Ti-Cats/Blue Bombers CFL game in Hamilton in the evening, so I invited roomie to the game with me. He had mentioned previously that it had been years since he's visited the Steel City, so we ended up making a full day of it. The only problem was we ended up leaving to go there too early and had to kill a ton of time in downtown Hamilton before the shuttle bus left at 5 PM to head to Ivor Wynne Stadium. We eventually made it to the stadium and decided to kill time before kick-off by hanging out in the "Carling Zone" at the northeast area of the lot. The Ti-Cat cheerleaders were selling their new swimsuit calendars, so roomie and I ended up buying copies for both of us and got some of the girls to autograph them. Naturally, roomie posed for a few photos with them, but one of the gals conjoled me into getting my pic taken with some of them. I'm never one for having my own photo taken because I usually end up looking like a complete dingus, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

After the autographs and photo posing, my roomie and I were approached by a couple spokeswomen from Carling and we were asked if we would be interested in participating in an on-field event during the game. We both said yes, and were asked to report back to the northeast part of the stadium before the end of the first quarter. The event ended up being a race between myself, my roommate, and one other fan where it was, in essence, a 25-yard dash where we would be collecting three beer boxes along the way before crossing the finish line. Two catches, one of the three beer boxes we had to collect had weights in them, and all three of us were dressed up as beer bottles. I hope I don't see any photos of how dorky my roomie and I looked in our costumes. But in the end, my roommate won the race. The word going around is that his prize will be either mailed to him or he'll have to pick it up at the next game; which it turns out to be a pair of tickets to said game: The Labour Day Classic, four weeks from now against the rival Toronto Argonauts. As for this game, in the end, the Ti-Cats ended up beating Winnipeg 29-22.

So to say that I'm not winded after everything that's transpired over the past seven days would be an understatement, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm debating about crawling back into bed for a bit of a nap.

An Evening with Nikki

How is it that some of the best times I've had usually are associated with some sort of caffeine-induced insomnia? I have to learn to lay off the coffee in the afternoon; even if it was only a half-pot.

This was the case again last night as my roommate and I decided to take in a concert at the newly opened Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music; sandwiched the Royal Ontario Museum and Varsity Stadium on the University of Toronto grounds. The concert was part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival that runs for the next week at various venues around the city. The genre is admittedly different from my usual musical tastes as I tend to lean a bit towards current Top 40 music with a sprinkling of classic rock thrown in. However, I've never been one to deny an offer to expand my musical horizons -- within reason, of course. There are certain artists I try to avoid like the plague; specifically a certain Canadian male teenage singer who has all the tell-tale signs that he's a complete pussy even though the worldwide cult of his fan girls seem to be growing every day. But I digress.

Anyway, the jazz concert featured a very talented young woman who hails from Montreal named Nikki Yanofsky. If that name sounds familiar to all of my Canadian followers, it should. You could not turn on the TV or the radio last February and not hear her Canadian Olympic anthem, "I Believe"; which got so much airtime during those 28 days, it was bordering on the most epic earworm-inducing song by a Canadian artist of all-time, "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. However, I do confess liking the Dion ditty during its heyday, but for personal reasons that do not need further explaining at this juncture. Ms. Yanofsky also was part of the ensemble, Young Artists for Haiti, who did the charity cover of K'naan's "Waving Flag" for Haitian earthquake relief. Both songs showcased her incredible vocal talent and range; a powerful voice for someone who is only 16-years old.

The concert hall was quite intimate; seating fewer than 1200 people with an acoustic wooden paneling -- a pretty unique appearance for a modern indoor performance venue. And the concert itself was remarkable. Nikki was the lone performer, accompanied by her backup band. Most of the songs performed were off her current album, "Nikki", that offers a blend of current work and covers of jazz songs and classic standards. She even threw in a couple variances of more modern contemporary music with a cover of Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter" and something that I want to say sounded like Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill", but I could be wrong. The real mellow moment of the concert was when Yanofsky warbled a cover of the Judy Garland classic from The Wizard of Oz, "Somewhere over the Rainbow"; definitely my second favourite song of the night. The absolute favourite, in my opinion, was the aforementioned signature song, "I Believe" which she sang during the first of two encore songs. But then again, with the memory of Canada's performance in Vancouver, you can pretty much tell my "homerism" there.

After the show, Nikki was gracious enough to meet with the fans in attendance and sign autographs. She showed that she was very sweet and endearing to those who turned out as she signed and posed for photos with those who wanted to. My roommate ended up getting his copy of her "Nikki" album autographed -- he also bought her previous live CD release, "Ella...For Thee I Swing" and a tour T-shirt -- and a photo taken with her. Myself, on the other hand, who is never one for personal photo ops to begin with, got my ticket stub autographed by her.

My overall summary of the show is that Nikki Yanofsky is a remarkable and personable talent who has a great gift of jazz intuitiveness -- her ability to lay down some extraordinary scat in the true Ella Fitzgerald way -- and is a rising star on the Canadian music scene. While jazz is admittedly not as mainstream as most other music genres nowadays, I can see her heightening the awareness of her music segment much like how Michael Bublé brought attention to big band/crooning standards. If you get the opportunity to see Nikki Yanofsky in concert, try to get yourself a ticket to her show. You won't be disappointed.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but inside my head, I can still hear her talented voice.

Flash Fiction Friday: Crystal Wishes

Toni gave a disheartened sigh. “Another day to try and survive,” she thought. But today was not like any other day. Today was Toni’s birthday, and while she was still just a teenager, she has already developed the mentality that her birthday was just another day on the calendar.

Toni’s life was like that of any teenager’s: mundane and blah, with a reasonable touch of angst. The angst was attributed to the usual trials and tribulations of school life; the pressure of an increasing work load with the end of the semester looming, coupled with the usual clique environment that some schools possessed. Toni didn’t really fit into most of the cliques, and because of that, she felt singled out by some of them. The other girls would mock her as a deemed “outsider”, but Toni usually paid them no mind; even if they tried getting under her skin.

Today would be slightly different as Toni would be meeting with some of her local online friends at a hangout spot after school. However, she had specifically told them not to do anything special for her because it was her birthday. Toni was so adamant to treat today like a normal day, she begged her friends not to even sing “Happy Birthday” to her for fear of embarrassment and warned of future consequences should anyone do so. However, one particular friend would not heed Toni’s request.

Mike was one of Toni’s friends and looked to her as a little sister. He wanted to do something nice for her, but realized the possible repercussions in doing so. Mike wracked his brain for ideas that were thoughtful, yet understated. Then it came to him; he would bequeath one simple item from a collection he had stockpiled for years. It would be simplistic with very little cost outlay, save for the card and the gift bag he would put the item in for presentation. “And so it shall be,” Mike thought, as he selected the item and set it aside for later parceling.

The evening came and Toni was relieved to have gotten away from her school. The cliques attempted to rouse a reaction out of her again, and while she didn’t show it, Toni was smarting on the inside. She let out an exasperated, yet frustrated, sigh as if she was upset that they mocked her on today of all days. Meeting with her friends at the hangout was the medicine she needed to get her mind off of her troubles. Toni arrived and saw one of her friends had already shown up. Soon after, others of her group arrived and filled the surrounding tables.

Mike came in and noticed Toni sitting by the wall. Seeing her brought a smile to his face. Once he sat down and got settled, Mike reached into his knapsack and pulled out a black and white gift bag which he presented to Toni. “I know you didn’t want anything extravagant,” he told her, “but I wanted you to have this; happy birthday.”

Toni read the included card then started stripping away the crumpled newspaper Mike had utilized in place of gift tissue paper. He didn’t want to spend more than he absolutely had to. Toni reached into the bag and pulled out Mike’s gift to her: a plush white bear with a birthday hat stitched to its head. Toni was genuinely touched and gave Mike a hug in thanks.

The evening went on with others in the group wishing Toni a happy birthday; threatening some of them for singing the novelty jingle in the process. However, she was pleased that today really wasn’t like most other days. Being able to spend it with friends and the thoughtfulness of Mike’s gesture made this a birthday Toni would remember.

At the sound of the gun

(Reposted from my Fundraising website for North York General Hospital's Underwear Affair)

Well folks, I've decided to take the plunge and set up a blog on here. Admittedly, I'm not one for regular maintenance, but with there being less than 3 months til "Walk Day", I'm gonna give it the ol' college try; even if I haven't set foot in a post-secondary institution in over a decade.

Regardless, for my first post, I would like to give a shout out to my fellow Dueser and WriMo, Niente for putting the first drops in my fundraising bucket. Thank you ever so kindly, my friend, and hopefully the Bruins will fair better next season.

Training wise, I'm still on the mend from my last marathon training session. A lesson to all aspiring participants: make sure you have a good sturdy pair of shoes and a supply of H2O at the ready. I did not possess either on Saturday night when I walked 13.5 km along Highland Creek and I paid for it dearly. Thankfully, the blister on my left foot is healing quite nicely and I should be able to resume my regimine soon.

Until then, please keep the donations coming in. Every cent you donate helps fight the good fight and gives me more incentive to drop my pants in the name of charity.

Flash Fiction Friday: A Hunger for Urban Serenity

Unlike how most stories start, it was a lightly cloudy afternoon. George was spending the day looking for a place to sit and meditate; a place to be alone with his thoughts. However, in a place as big as Toronto, tranquility can be hard to find; especially with the commotion and uproar there is near his apartment building with three junior public schools in the vicinity. With the weather being pleasant for the first time in a week, it was an opportunity George did not want to pass up.

George checked his supply of TTC tokens to see if a sojourn on the bus and/or subway was in the cards. Upon seeing he was running low and having no funds to replenish his stock for another fortnight, George decided he would have to find a point of outdoor solitude on foot. Dismayed at first, he relished the thought of getting some exercise in his quest. Admittedly, George had been packing away the Doritos in the few days prior. He was an emotional eater and the previous week of cold and rain did a number on his psyche. George was determined to escape from his funk and take advantage of the reprieve Mother Nature had bequeathed him.

The question of where to head to was a quandary to George. He knew of two places to reach within walking distance from his hi-rise abode; both of which offered a pristine setting within view of the lake they call Ontario. While Bluffers Park would be the most picturesque, George realized it was a further walk; plus the sloping access road would be treacherous to climb back up. He had made the trek there during the wee hours of the morning two months prior and remembered how much of a bother it was.

George’s other option involved heading east towards his old stomping grounds in The Guild. He loved the area ever since his high school days when he spent the formidable years of his teenage life hanging around the area. George also remembered the last time he was there he had taken his camera to snap some photos of the sculptures in the public gardens. However, there was a fine crust of snow on the ground then. A return visit with the spring flora out appeared to be in order. The thought greatly appealed to George.

So after much deliberation, George packed his knapsack with a notepad and pen to document his thoughts and struck forth. This would not be a wasted day he concluded. Peace and tranquility with a little sprinkling of people watching was on the menu today at Chez Guildwood, and George was ready to dig in at Nature’s smorgasbord for the senses.

If I Could Be Serious For A Moment

Sometimes all it takes is for someone to speak up to realize you have a voice too.

I never really gave it much thought before, but this week is Mental Health Awareness Week. I've heard of it in previous years, but I never really had it in my consciousness. I should however, as I have known people, previously and currently, who have endured such an illness that was never asked for, but can be a struggle to cope with on a day-to-day basis. I should know this because I too suffer from mental illness and have for quite a long time.

I know that would come as a shock to most people that someone who suffers from an illness isn't cognizant that there is a week to bring light to their ailment. Truth of the matter is, I always thought of myself as someone who takes their medication, sees their psychiatrist, and just rolls with the punches when life throws a curveball in my direction. I know I can't change who I am or how I can rid myself of it, but just do the best job I can to manage daily. But that was until a very dear friend of mine brought light to it in a blog post of her own. (Which can be viewed at: http://blackvictoria.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/mental-illness-awareness-week/ Go on and read it. I'll wait.)

I don't know what it was, but she helped me realize through her words that I'm not alone in this world, as crazy and intimidating as it can be at times. Life is what you make of it; despite of whatever perceived shortcomings one might have. I just know that I now have a "running buddy" so that we can both support each other if and when we need a kind ear or a helping hand in case one of us feels helpless. And for that I say and vow to her, "I will do my best to be there for you, Toria. And I hope you may be able to do the same with me."

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but in the meantime, I know I'll never be alone.

Curtain Call

Nelly Furtado once sang, "Why must all things come to an end?" But what happens when you don't want it to?

Last night, I attended the Toronto Screnzy/NaNo chapter's "Thank God It's Over" Party, and I had an absolute blast. It was wonderful to get together with fellow writers who I've shared the trials and tribulations over the previous 30 days, and to even meet for the first time a couple people I had talked to and worked along side with. The readings of our script excerpts were fun and entertaining; even a little crazy at times. (Zeal and Quirky, you two are the bomb when it comes to acting.) When I got home last night, it all started to sink in: my month of good times, insanity, and triumph had come to a close.

I didn't really expect to feel this way. Well, maybe a bit as there is always a bit of loss and remorse when something you enjoy comes to an end. I just didn't figure it would affect me this much. And while I haven't shed any tears over this (yet), I feel a bit of emptiness inside of me; knowing that in all likelihood, I wouldn't truly be reunited with this great group of friends until the leaves had changed colour and the ominous cold winds of winter start to whisper of the upcoming snow and darkness. While summer is almost upon us, I feel there is a frigid darkness that has begun to creep in as the warm afterglow of this welcoming group starts to fade. It's a feeling I don't want to go into hibernation.

That being said, I just wish there was a way to speed up time so I can be with my fellow writers once again and recapture that aura of all that is fun and crazy. The only problem is, in doing so I'd miss out on a couple other things that are approaching in my life during the months ahead; including my birthday in early August. And considering this is one of those benchmark birthdays where one can start lying about their age for the years thereafter, I want to enjoy the start of my final year where I have a 3 as the first digit.

However, one thing is for certain: while the next 6 months may be bleak, I have one driving thought to last me until the calendar changes to November, and there is one person who knows the significance of it - The planning for "Mission 50,039" starts now!

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I hope I'm not locked in this theatre. The pre-season starts in mid-June.

Screnzy 2010's Fade Out

Homer Simpson once said, "Well I'm glad that's over. Now we can go home and act normal again." However, I don't feel that applies here.

For myself and others who have embarked on this writing sojourn over the past 30 days, it has been quite an adventure. A test to push our limits and expand our horizons. Most common people might have looked at us back in late March or early April and said, "You're going to write a 100-page script in a month? That's insane!" Yet, we struck forth and challenged ourselves to complete what those people thought would be the unthinkable.

Some people failed in the process, but were still valiant in their efforts. Do I feel they lost because they didn't reach that 100-page plateau? No. I admire them for willing to take on the challenge. And while they may not have crossed the finish line by the deadline, to them I say, "Keep the dream alive, for there is always next year. And there is no doubt in my mind that come 12 months from now, you'll have broken down that barrier and be victorious."

That being said, during this past month, I have come across some inspirational participants that make me proud to not only know them, but to have fought along side them on this crazy quest. I would hate myself if I did not recognize the following people (as given by their Script Frenzy monickers):

A-Chels - a university student who was in the midst of term papers and exams, yet polished off a 100 page script in 4 days. It's funny because at the start of the month, she was adiment she was not going to partake in this journey; yet she persevered. Way to go, Alyssa.

VictoriaBlack - while A-Chels' feat was remarkable, nothing compares to the come from behind win of "Lil Vix." One of the members of the "RoofHatTree" Club, she had only written 1 page in Screnzy '09, but she blew everyone out of the water when during a late charge she polished off 100 pages in under 72 hours. To me, this young sprite is full of "epic win."

RedParrot - What can't be said about this remarkable woman? The driving force behind our local daily page sprints and weekend challenges. Red wrote an unfathomable 318 pages over 3 scripts this April. She will claim that I helped push her to write such an insane amount because of my 203 pages over 2 scripts, but truth be told, she helped push me along with a lot of others within the Toronto Script Frenzy community.

bunnyhero and NataliaLW - I'd be remissed if I didn't give a shout out to the remarkable Municipal Liaisons from this past month. Their dedication and drive to help organize the live write-ins and social events helped make the past 30 days extremely fun for myself and everyone else who participated and attended these events. You two "reek of awesomeness."

There are so many more I want to thank for making this past month one of the best times I've ever had. It makes me sad that its now come to an end. However, for us aspiring writers, there is one silver lining in all of this.. well, two actually. First, I consider all of the friends and colleagues I have met and made during the past 4-1/2 weeks a special family who have shared in all of our trials and tribulations; cheering us on as we pushed forth to reach our individual, yet common goals. Without all of you, the journey would've been a tougher go. And finally, while we must bid adieu to the 2010 edition of Script Frenzy, we must remember one small glimmer of light further down this dark tunnel: only 6 more months until the start of NaNoWriMo 2010.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I want to thank everyone who allowed me into their lives this April to be part of this madness.

Ohhhh We're Halfway There

One down, one to go.

Earlier this afternoon I finally closed the book on my first script for this year's Script Frenzy. Because the page counting robots, monkeys, or whatever beancounting devices they use include the title page in this (well, it's more Celtx's doing with that inclusion), it logged in at 102 pages; beating the necessary century mark by 2%. Most people would think I now have the rest of the month to relax and start thinking about my NaNo project for this coming November, but those who have read my previous blog entries know that's not going to happen just yet.

With my first script done and out of the way, I can now start focusing on the script I initially set out to write before the one I just put to bed fell into my lap, per se. With 17 days left to plot and write this spin off, if you could call it that, one would think I have an ample amount to chart my course and continue the blistering pace I set forth in writing Script #1. However, there are subtle differences in the planning of the two screenplays.

The first script had a pretty set flow where I was adapting real life events into a workable story. That worked for the first 80% of the script. The back 20 was mostly the lead-in to what is becoming Script #2. The second script does not contain any firm structure or plan unlike the first script. So technically, I'm writing this one "off the cuff" like I almost did with my NaNo last November. But at least with NaNo, I had a rough map of how I wanted the story to flow; which I eventually ended up padding in the end anyway, but that's beside the point. As it stands right now, the only real direction I have so far for Script #2 is the opening sequence which answered the question that was asked during the shocking conclusion of Script #1. Beyond that, I am flying without a net.

However, logic would dictate that in order to hammer out the next set of 100 pages by the 30th, I now have a couple days to chart my course of attack. I already have the main character established, but she'll be fleshed out a little more during the course of my story. I also have to determine what other characters I want to introduce and certain graphicness of the scene descriptions. This is going to be quite an adventure I'll be doing under the gun.

But one thing for sure, win or lose on Script #2, at least I have Script #1 to firm my place across the finish line.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm waiting to get into the Halfway Party and see what they have on the menu.

After the First Furlong

"There's the horn and they're off!"

I don't know what it is, but for some strange reason, starting off this year's Script Frenzy has gotten me about as pumped as seeing the chuckwagon races when I attended the Calgary Stampede nearly 21 years ago. It's chaotic and exciting at the same time.

I think what has helped me so far is the fact that I had a vivid gameplan to start and it has paid off. After the first weekend, I have completed over a quarter of the intended 100-page goal. (As I write this, I'm currently sitting on page 31.) I have been polishing off pages right, left, and center, and the dialogue has been flowing from my brain and onto my computer. At this rate, it might appear that I'll be finished what I hope to be my first of the two scripts I'll be attempting to write by mid-month. However, there is something that does concern me.

I think back to last November when I started off my NaNo project with such vim and vigor; polishing off nearly a third of the necessary 50,000 words within the first five days. The only problem is, I started to rest on my laurels soon after the blistering pace to start. With that, combined with nearly running out of story (which I confess I ended up padding), I eventually crossed the finish line on Day 24 of 30. I'm concerned about the same thing happening to me with Screnzy. While I don't intend on slowing down - even if I did, I do have something in the bullpen waiting to be called in - the fact that the first half of this script has been an adaptation of something personal has aided in my pace. I'm just worried what's going to happen when I switch from the adaptation of life to the fictional half.

As it stands right now, I plan on starting Act II as a hypothetical what-if where my main character starts a new life and befriends someone who is actually the MC from my second script; kind of a bit of "Resevoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" overlap with the difference being the ending of Script 1 is the beginning of Script 2. It's just a matter of figuring out how to get to that first ending. I have an idea of the course I want to chart to arrive there, but the actual execution is what worries me and to make sure it seems halfway credible in the process. I want to make sure Script 2 gets an ample opportunity to be told, but if I can't get just the right lead-in with the proper time to spare, I feel Script 2 might not be given its proper due.

I'm currently about to start telling the fifth of the seven-day adaptation for Act I, which I've dubbed "My Week From Hell." That gives me three more days of story adaptation before I come face-to-face with the mystery of Act II. I would say "wish me luck," but I think the add-on line of "I'm gonna need it" seems rather self-explanatory.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but a character that's only been heard in voice over's so far is about to come in (-to my story).

Last Week of Calm Before the Insanity

I'm beginning to get a sense of déjà vu. Didn't I feel this way about 5 months ago?

Well kids, here it is: one week to go before the springtime insanity known as Script Frenzy ("Screnzy" for those really into it) commences. It's funny that up until 3 weeks ago I didn't even think about possibly doing this. I was just going to save myself for NaNoWriMo every November and leave it at that.

But, a funny thing happened when I was perusing my Twitter feed. After some arm bars and an attempted rear-naked choke, I was convinced to join in the madness that I'm about to embark on. Only one slight problem when I signed up back on March 2nd: I didn't know what in the bluest of blue hells I was going to write my script about. I was leaning towards a screenplay, but as for characters or plot, I had nothing. Then, I received my original spark of inspiration.

After viewing the Twitter feed of a friend that I follow, she provided me with the initial idea of writing a cheesy slasher script about a psychopathic job seeker who had enough of the tough employment market rejecting her entry into the workforce. I had my idea, and I had my main character. I even had a good tongue-in-cheek opening sequence that involved the main character getting revenge on an annoying car alarm that had woken her up prematurely. However, beyond that I had absolutely nothing. I was going to go blindly into this with just these three basic points and see where my imagination would take me on that wild roller coaster. Unfortunately, in the time between then and now, something came a-knockin' on my cranium's door. That something was real life.

The past 2 weeks have been full of mental and emotional anguish in my life with a decent helping of uncertainty thrown in for good measure. As I was dealing with all of this, it suddenly came to me: my screenplay about the unhinged job seeker would be pushed to the backburner in place for an adaptation of what my life has been all of last week; at least for the first part. The rest will be a modified fantasy of what I aspired things would be like after that first week with a decent helping of battling revenge thrown in. The only thing I plan on keeping from the original script idea is the car bomb; moved from the beginning of the original to the climax of the new story. This is going to be an interesting tell-all, but I think it will give me the opportunity to vent all of my frustration and stress over the events of this recent fortnight. Some might say its therapeutic; others might say I'm a twisted individual for bringing something personal to light; I just want to get it off of my chest.

It’s only one more week until I start writing my story and commence my latest round of therapy.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm trying my best not to let anymore stress get in.

The Great Canadian Hockey Debate 2010

"There are two unofficial religions, or cults, in Canada: hockey and Tim Horton's."

Upon hearing some American sportscasters after the Gold Medal Men's hockey game at the recent Olympics proclaim that to Canadians hockey "is like a cult", I couldn't help but conjure up the aforementioned opener. But to a certain extent, I am inclined to agree with them. Ice hockey is one of our two official sports (lacrosse being the other), and it's about as much of our "national pastime" as baseball is to those south of the 49th Parallel. (Even further south for those living in US states that border the lower Great Lakes, but that's beside the point.)

I'm sure every one of the 30+ Million Canadian residents, and quite a few Americans (who gave the Gold Medal game's broadcast on NBC a 17-share in the Nielsen ratings), have seen and/or heard of Sidney Crosby's shot past Ryan Miller in overtime to give Canada it's fourteenth gold medal in Vancouver. Ever since that goal, the Canadian sports and media pundits have sparked debate about where you would place Sid The Kid's feat amongst the annals of Canada's greatest hockey goals.

In my view, there are three goals that are part of this debate: Paul Henderson's goal to win the 1972 Canada-Soviet Union Summit Series, Mario Lemieux receiving a pass from Wayne Gretzky to score against the Soviets in the 1987 Canada Cup, and now Crosby's goal (with an assist by Jerome Iginla) at the Vancouver Olympics. Some people may argue that Jordan Eberle's goal with 5.4 seconds left in regulation against the Russians at the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa should also be considered; however, it was not a game winning goal. Canada would win that game in overtime, but Eberle's shot did not ultimately decide the game. Therefore, it is being excluded from this discussion. Anyway, the debate amongst Henderson's, Lemieux's and Crosby's goals boils down to one basic question: which goal is the greatest?

Some people will argue that Henderson's game winner that was a result of a mad scramble in front of the Soviet net is the greatest because of the whole allure of the Iron Curtain and Soviet hockey dominance. Plus the fact his goal took place on Soviet ice at the end of an 8-game series. (I know Alan Eagleson wasn't always there at times, but an EIGHT game series? You'd think a 7 or a 9, but the tie-breaking procedure for an even numbered game series is migraine inducing, and I'm sure it was in '72.)

Others will argue that the Gretzky to Lemieux Canada Cup winner should be ranked #1 because it marked a combination of two of the greatest hockey players of the time partnering up for a magnificent goal; a goal where there was actually a forgotten third man in that offensive rush, Larry Murphy, that was trailing behind. But most people remember #99 passing off to #66.

Then you have the supporters for the Crosby winner who will cite it should be deemed the greatest because it was on home soil (Lemieux's winner was also on Canadian ice at Hamilton's Copps Coliseum), it was on a bigger world stage, and the goal resulted in the winning of something more tangible than bragging rights or a fabricated trophy tournament.

But underneath all of this debate, there is one underlying factor that determines one's opinion of whose goal is greater. For you see, this is a debate that spans three generations of Canadian hockey fans. Those who were around to witness Henderson's winner in '72 will tend to favor that goal. Their offspring who saw Lemieux's marker will most likely rank the '87 Canada Cup winner higher. Today's generation of hockey fans will want to put emphasis on Crosby's gold medal goal as the greatest of all time.

So where does that leave me? What is my opinion on this whole matter? While I will admit that I was only a year old when Henderson etched his name in Canadian hockey annals, the grainy newsreel videos and the fact they paid homage to it in an episode of Corner Gas (entitled "The Good Ol' Table Hockey Game") has made me cognitive of its existence. But in my true honest opinion, I believe each goal has their merits and significance in the history of Canada's role in the spectrum of international hockey. People may tend to favor one over the others because of when they were born or when they came to the Great White North; however, I feel that all three play an important part in the sporting fabric of Canada, and to put precedent on one would diminish the impact of the others. That's why I say all three should be created equal in their importance, and we should enjoy them for what they were.

At the end of the day we all should lean back, take a sip from our large double-double, and just enjoy the action we have already seen on the ice and anticipate what is about to come.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm still trying to shoot the puck into the top corner of the net.

I Warned You People. Didn't I Warn You?

Well, I did say I had a habit of being lax on certain things, this just goes to prove it.

In my first ever entry on this blog I made mention that I would probably make a few entries then end up abandoning it. Sure enough, that's what happened as I became M.I.A. for the entire month of February and am only just now making a return appearance.

I could have made excuses; citing that I was pre-occupied with watching the coverage from the just past Winter Olympics in Vancouver (and who wasn't watching?), and that would have some genuine validity to it. However, the fact of the matter is, I had lost my will to write.

This proved difficult for me as there had been a few things I wanted to write/talk about: the confusion and frustration that surrounded my Valentine's Day, the hype behind the "Own The Podium" program when the Olympics first started and how it initally looked to be a complete flop, or even my opinions on Sidney Crosby's "Golden Goal"... actually, I'll probably post that one in the next couple of days. But the fact of the matter was, I just didn't feel like writing. However, this has the possibility of changing within the next little while.

After some coaxing and a little bit of arm twisting by a couple of my fellow Nanoites, I have decided to sign up for Script Frenzy in April. This will be my first time I've attempted to write a script in a VERY long time, so this will be an interesting challenge. This got me to thinking: I have a blog that I've rarely used since I started it in January, why not utilize it to provide some commentary of my progress as the month draws on? I don't know if anyone would be interested in hearing a bipolar nutbar muse, vent, and stress out as he attempts to pound out a 100 page script in 30 days, but if it provides some semblance of therapy and entertainment, then why in the blue hell not? Who knows? It might even be fun.

We'll find out how I'll fair in this exploit starting in about four weeks.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm just now trying to get back in again.

Musings About My Lack Of A Relationship

You know, being "single by choice" really bites sometimes.

I had just finished reading a blog entry over on WordPress by one of my friends where she had been becoming upset over pining for a future husband by writing letters to this would-be mate, and was cheered up when one of her friends wrote a letter back to her in the prose of this future soulmate. While the gesture made me smile to know that this little note could uplift her spirits, it made me feel somewhat downtrodden about my own relationship woes.

Truth be told, I haven't been in an actual relationship in years, and while I do confess this is mostly my own doing, there is part of me that pines for someone of the opposite sex in my life. I think my problem is I tend to look for and/or attract the wrong type of women. These are usually the ones who are completely wrong for me; whether it be age, distance, or the always interesting red flag: current marital status. Believe me, there have been a couple of women I've been in relationships with who fall into that last category; big mistake.

I think what is triggering all of these emotions is the fact that Valentine's Day is around the corner and admittedly, there is one female friend who I have taken a liking to. The only problem is there is a great geographical distance between her and I. Sure, she has told me that she doesn't see me in such a light, but like most of the male species, I'm ignorant to this fact and my crush on her hasn't waned despite that. However, these new feelings of doubt might be showing cracks in the facade of this belief.

I realise that my current economical and social status are detrimental to my aspirations of finding a potential mate, and this is why I have relegated myself to the sidelines in the relationship game. Regardless of this, there is still part of me that wishes to have someone in his life; even though, I realise there would be no rational woman who would even give me the time of day beyond "just friends." It's something I've begrudgingly learned to accept and it pains me to have endured it for as long as I have. So I guess, with the next February 14th arriving in just over a fortnight, I'll just have to do some therapy where whatever chocolate I would have given my currently-virtual mate would be going down my own gullet.

Until next time, the views may be outside, but I'm hoping one day a woman would let me into her heart.

Procrastinating Bug Strikes Again

Have you ever had one of those moments where you know you should be doing something, but you don't feel like doing it? Today is one of those days.

For the past couple of weeks I have been plodding through writing a fan fiction story for one of the message forums I'm on; averaging about a chapter a week. (I know, a far cry from my NaNo pace. But to me, this is the "off-season".) By keeping this pace, I'm scheduled to be writing Chapter 3 of the story right about now. However, there's one slight problem: the desire to write the next segment isn't there.

Maybe it's because I'm doing this story "on the fly" with no real pre-conceived plot direction or outline like I did with my NaNo project. (Which I still have to do my editing and revisions for. Argh! It just doesn't end.) The only real focus or direction I had was the way I wanted to introduce one of the characters, and I just brought that twist into the story at the end of Chapter 2. Do I set up some more dialogue between this character and one of the other ones? Or do I leave that fact aside for the time being and concentrate on the rest of the story in general?

I think my problem is I didn't fully plan my battle plan in advance. Anyone would tell you that if you don't have any set direction, a serious writing project (Fan fic serious? Yeah, right!) is destined to be a farce, and I usually reserve my farces for song parodies -- something I haven't done much of lately. But that's hijacking my point. I should have designed a plot flow to help give me some sort of guidance and direction so I would know how and where to take this piece of writing, instead of turning it into a complete clusterschmazz. Oh well, time to think about it a little more. I have two readers clamouring for the next chapter, and it's not going to get written if I keep putting it off.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm wishing some ideas would come in -to my head.

Annoyed With Telemarketers

Some companies just don't get the hint.

People are growing more tired of companies trying to get them to sign up for things they don't really need, or switch from the products they're currently using to theirs. And like most people, I am getting quite pissed off about it.

My brush with such came yesterday morning when I was awoken by a call from a business I used to deal with, but switched to a similar business last year. During that year, the business I switched to provided me with excellent service and a far superior product than the one I formerly dealt with. The former business became in such a disarray, there are now currently questions about it's upper management and ownership. Despite all this, the company who I formerly had a business relationship with called to see if I wanted to switch back with them.

I'll admit I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer at times, but does this company seriously believe that I would switch back to them when they can't get their own affairs in order? Thanks, but no thanks. I'm happy with the company and product I'm dealing with now, and I predict it will once again provide a much superior product than these Keystone Kops I used to deal with could ever devise.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm not letting these previous jackholes in.

Booking Day With Little Sleep

Thank God for Tim Horton's!

Today was the first day the volunteers at the food bank could come in and book their hours for February. Most people come in to do it at 10 in the morning. However, there was one slight problem: I was just waking up at 10 this morning. I'm just lucky I woke up when I did after staying awake until 4 a.m. for the second straight night. (I desperately need to modify my ritual of finishing up my nightly online time by downloading and listening to a couple podcasts off of iTunes. Mind you, chatting with friends online until 3 a.m. doesn't help either.)

After leaving the apartment about 11:15 a.m. and grabbing a large coffee (black, double Splenda) and a caramel apple fritter (I'm totally digging this 49 cent donut promo!), I commenced my 1 hour and 45 minute trek to south Etobicoke to book my shift. I was surprised I made as good a time as I did because I didn't think I'd get there until between 1:30 and 2 p.m. because of it not being rush hour. I eventually got to the Welcome Centre at 1:15. They didn't start the afternoon booking session until 1:30. By the time I was done, it was about 1:45.

Thinking it was a warmer day than usual for this time of year, I walked to the next major north-south drag over and caught the bus and subway home. I eventually walked through the door here about 3:45. So overall, I killed four and a half hours for something that only took about a half hour, complete with wait time. That's the problem with some jobs on the other end of the city and you have to rely on public transit to get there: the long commutes there and back. But I now have my hours for next month: a full day on back-to-back Wednesdays. At least they feed us well for lunch.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm still trying to get in; provided I don't end up crashing first.

I Didn't Expect This

Well, now I feel guilty for leaving.

For my readers, you may have remembered a couple days ago where I made mention of my decision to leave the online cribbage league I had been a member of for six and a half years. I learned of some shocking news last night pertaining to this same league.

It was announced by the head administrator on Wednesday night that effective February 1st, the league would cease to exist. I'm not sure if this decision was because of my sudden departure the day before, or in part because of other factors that had transpired amongst the other administrators of the league.

The head admin wanted some time off because her daughter is due to give birth any day now, if she hadn't already, and wanted to spend time with her new grandchild. The other administrator was partaking in a crucial semester in her university program to become a web designer/programmer, and her role in the league would be limited. By process of elimination, that would have left me to fill in the gaping holes had I not decided to pack it in. Given how frustrated I was getting by the lack of turnouts in the tournaments I ran when I was on the clock, I'm afraid I would not have been a very personable supervisor to the 5 tournament directors beneath me; 2 of which had gone on permament vacation and showed no signs of wanting to help with their share of the load.

While I am saddened at the demise of the Mile, upon further reflection, I think this was for the best. Many of the remaining players, if they haven't already, have already started looking to commence play in other leagues. It was a fun ride while it lasted these past 7 years. Many friendships have been made over the years, and hopefully the memories will still remain once the calendars switch to February.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but for once, I wished I was still in.

Pests Are Such a Pain

After further review, that was alot of work for something that only amounted to a few minutes. Pointless.

On Monday, I received a notice through my apartment door that pest control would be popping up later this week to retreat the apartment for roaches and mice. My roommate and I were muttering not so pleasantries under our collective breaths as we only received two days notice of the retreatment.

When they came by a couple months or so back for a more thorough spraying, they gave us notice a couple weeks in advance. That I had no problem with as I eventually had to vacate the apartment so their work could be done. But only a couple days to clean out all of the cupboards in the kitchen and bathroom? We would have appreciated a little more advance notice.

So, roomie and I have spent the past couple of days clearing out said cupboards for this retreatment. The pest control guy came by this morning to do this thing. All he did was apply some gel to the cupboards and atomized a spot in the kitchen baseboard. The whole thing didn't even take five minutes. I thought to myself, "all this for that?!?" That's a lot of busy work for something so minute.

To say that I'm not all that impressed by the inconvenience for something so slight would be an understatement. I'm sure roomie will share the same sentiment tonight when he gets home from work and we start putting more of the stuff back.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm, yet again, still trying to get in.

Turning In My Pegs

Have you ever had a feeling where you've fallen out of love of doing something you used to enjoy? That has happened to me recently. Well, not really recently as this has been simmering for a couple months now.

For some folks who know some of my backstory, I've been a member of an online cribbage league for six and a half years now. In the past two-plus years, I was a guy who hosted tournaments in said league, and last June, I was promoted to become an administrator within the league.

Now, don't get me wrong, I've met quite a few great people there; a handful of which I've even met in person. However, I've noticed in recent months the league has gone down the crapper. Players rarely turn up for tournaments and other hosts have blown off their responsibilities in scheduling tournaments in favour for other endeavours. I don't blame them for wanting to have lives outside of online life, but I don't see that while they're permitted to have outside lives, I'm not afforded the same luxury because of a perceived allusion that I have no life whatsoever.

In recent months, I have tried to break out of this stereotype by doing more constructive things with my life; whether it be volunteering at a local food bank, or even participating in NaNoWriMo. (I've been coaxed into participating in an elongated version known as WriYe, but admittedly, I've become quite lax in that recently.) Regardless, because of my own discovery of outside endeavours, my interest in participating in the crib league has waned greatly. This is why I've come to the conclusion that I should close that chapter of my life and move on.

I don't intend on shutting out all of the friends I've made through there the past 78 months, some of them are on my Facebook friends list at the current juncture, but I believe that my tenure playing cards with virtual wooden boards and pegs has run it's course. It's been quite a ride and I'll never forget my peeps in the Mile.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm still trying to get in.

And Now For Something Completely Different

They say that sometimes when one reinvents themself, they should consider different aspects of their past. Okay, maybe they don't necessarily say that, but it is something to think about.

Case in point, one of the first things I attempted to do when I first struck out on this interweb years ago was to start doing blog entries on what I was hoping to be a personal website. Unfortunately, like most things in my life, I start out on them with great fervour only to lose interest after a while and they soon fall by the wayside. This was no more evident within the past year as my attempted series of video blogs dedicated to the 2009 Canadian Football League season: I was doing alright until about Labour Day, then they did a bigger swan dive than the Leafs' playoff aspirations a couple months into the season on an annual basis. But that's digressing into another matter.

So, one wonders, "What in the bluest of blue hells am I doing trying to resurrect a blog?" The answer is somewhat simplistic: A few of my fellow Toronto NaNo friends, whom I was first introduced to this past November for 30 of the most awesome days I had experienced in quite a long while, are doing various blogs themselves, and I decided to get in on it. Now, most of them use their blogs as a Forum for their weekly flash fiction creations, and I commend them for that. Does this mean I will follow suit? Perhaps; I'm not sure if I can keep my verboseness to 1,000 word (or less) bursts on a regular basis. Anyone who knows me knows how long winded I can be online. Christ, trying to limit myself to 140 characters or less on Twitter is a constant chore as it is.

Therefore, here's what I'm proposing for this blog. While I'll still try to maintain and keep my video blogs on YouTube relevant and topical, I will add some more frequent musings about other things that tickle my fancy, or grind my gears. Knowing me, it'll be more the latter, but who knows? I may surprise once in a blue moon. So stay tuned; no telling what I might end up typing in the future.

Until next time, the views may be from the outside, but I'm always trying to get in.