It's almost too good to be true, but I stumbled upon something amazing this afternoon. I was heading home from the University, travelling north-bound from White Avenue on Gateway Boulevard, where a horrendous car accident was blocking traffic before the turn off to head down into the Rivervalley.
The police had set up a detour, which took me close to the New Asian Village, and lo and behold, a beautiful outdoor, enclosed!, ballhockey pad! It looks somewhat like an old tennis court that has been converted for use for the sport we love the most.
Just imagine, no more chasing after errant passes and slap-shots. Insidious plays connected by using the "boards" all around us. I'll make a point of stopping by there tomorrow to determine how we may use the facility, but until then, dare to dream!
Currently: Chowing down on mounds of left-over Hallowe'en candy.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Monday, November 08, 2004
The College Years: 1 Year Later + 18 days
It's almost hard to believe, but exactly 383 days ago I published my first post for this here little blog. On a quiet, late, October night, I nestled down in front of my computer desiring nothing more than to transmit my thoughts through the printed word.
This post was actually started on the exact one year anniversary, but I seem to remember I was too tired to type, opting to hit the sack instead of conjure up some fantastical piece of literary magnificence.
At this time, however, I'm honoured to speak about a far more important one year celebration - the remembrance of the passing on of my Gido. My original post, shortly following his death, can be found here, in the archive. This past Sunday I made my way back down to Two Hills, with most of my family and the rest of the Semeniuk side. We attended a service at the Ukrainian Catholic church, which was slightly foreign to me, as I'm neither Catholic nor comprehend the Ukrainian language. The service, as I imagine most Catholic services to be, was highly ritualized, structured, and honestly, not all that uplifting.
The lunch afterwards, however, more than made up for it. There was enough food there to easily feed a crowd thrice as large, and there was no escaping a whole armada of Babas claiming, "Eat! Eat! You look so thin!" These events are also very strange, in that you stumble across a great deal of people who remember you, yet you have no idea who they are. Old friends of the family, my Pee Wee hockey coach...my old school bus driver from Kindergarten. Heck, you never know who you'll meet! Typically each exchange starts out the same, with the mystery person claiming, "Boy Kris, you sure look a lot like your father! Same haircut, glasses...skinny as a rail!"
I shake hands, smile and nod, and quietly force down another piece of cake.
Currently listening to: Matthew Good - While We Were Hunting Rabbits
This post was actually started on the exact one year anniversary, but I seem to remember I was too tired to type, opting to hit the sack instead of conjure up some fantastical piece of literary magnificence.
At this time, however, I'm honoured to speak about a far more important one year celebration - the remembrance of the passing on of my Gido. My original post, shortly following his death, can be found here, in the archive. This past Sunday I made my way back down to Two Hills, with most of my family and the rest of the Semeniuk side. We attended a service at the Ukrainian Catholic church, which was slightly foreign to me, as I'm neither Catholic nor comprehend the Ukrainian language. The service, as I imagine most Catholic services to be, was highly ritualized, structured, and honestly, not all that uplifting.
The lunch afterwards, however, more than made up for it. There was enough food there to easily feed a crowd thrice as large, and there was no escaping a whole armada of Babas claiming, "Eat! Eat! You look so thin!" These events are also very strange, in that you stumble across a great deal of people who remember you, yet you have no idea who they are. Old friends of the family, my Pee Wee hockey coach...my old school bus driver from Kindergarten. Heck, you never know who you'll meet! Typically each exchange starts out the same, with the mystery person claiming, "Boy Kris, you sure look a lot like your father! Same haircut, glasses...skinny as a rail!"
I shake hands, smile and nod, and quietly force down another piece of cake.
Currently listening to: Matthew Good - While We Were Hunting Rabbits
Friday, November 05, 2004
Unmitigated Leisure
Certainly not laziness, and far from rampant irresponsibility, I've finally listened to some good advice and made the move to re-prioritize my daily routine.
As we all know, you can't run on all cylinders all the time, which is exactly what I've been doing for the better part of the past 16 months. More specifically, the amount of hours I've been working in the evening, coupled with the hours I've been spending at the University, have left very few hours in the day for pretty much anything else. So you know what, I'm staying home this evening, and I couldn't be happier!
Quite frankly, I've been working my ass off, and it's time to re-charge the ol' mind and body. I've been successful, academically, like I haven't been in years, and it's still something I haven't allowed myself to get comfortable with. Far too often I'll concentrate on the time and money I've invested/wasted on my post-secondary education, or poor decisions I've made in the past, and those negative thoughts will overshadow anything else I'm thinking or doing. That negativity is a big ball of B.S. and I refuse to let past failure define who I am - it's the exception, not the rule.
It may seem like I've veered off the initial point of this post, but it's all quite interconnected. I get down on myself so much for past screw-ups that it dictates how I act in the present and plan for the future, preventing myself from noticing that, Hell, I'm actually doing quite well for myself.
So in lieu of my successes, I'm going to relax, slow down, stop worrying that things won't work out, because whether you're noticing or not, they certainly find a way to.
Currently: Searching online for some lamb recipes...never made lamb before.
As we all know, you can't run on all cylinders all the time, which is exactly what I've been doing for the better part of the past 16 months. More specifically, the amount of hours I've been working in the evening, coupled with the hours I've been spending at the University, have left very few hours in the day for pretty much anything else. So you know what, I'm staying home this evening, and I couldn't be happier!
Quite frankly, I've been working my ass off, and it's time to re-charge the ol' mind and body. I've been successful, academically, like I haven't been in years, and it's still something I haven't allowed myself to get comfortable with. Far too often I'll concentrate on the time and money I've invested/wasted on my post-secondary education, or poor decisions I've made in the past, and those negative thoughts will overshadow anything else I'm thinking or doing. That negativity is a big ball of B.S. and I refuse to let past failure define who I am - it's the exception, not the rule.
It may seem like I've veered off the initial point of this post, but it's all quite interconnected. I get down on myself so much for past screw-ups that it dictates how I act in the present and plan for the future, preventing myself from noticing that, Hell, I'm actually doing quite well for myself.
So in lieu of my successes, I'm going to relax, slow down, stop worrying that things won't work out, because whether you're noticing or not, they certainly find a way to.
Currently: Searching online for some lamb recipes...never made lamb before.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Bah!
Well, scratch that...John Kerry has just made his concession speech, and the rest of the world can now look forward to another 4 years of living under the terror of the United States of America.
A composite of the thousands of dead American soldiers from Bush's unjustified war in Iraq, courtesy of MichaelMoore.com
Truly Disturbing
Though all hope is not lost for a Kerry victory, I'm nevertheless wallowing in a state of shock that Bush didn't lose by an absolute landslide. Quite frankly, the American voting public has managed to blow my mind...
CNN, as of 2:13 AM Mountain Time, has Bush at 254 and Kerry at 242. Results are still being tabulated for 4 states: New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Currently: experiencing a broad range of emotions from shock to anger to disbelief.
CNN, as of 2:13 AM Mountain Time, has Bush at 254 and Kerry at 242. Results are still being tabulated for 4 states: New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Currently: experiencing a broad range of emotions from shock to anger to disbelief.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Fall Back...To The Future
Rejoice, boys and girls, we've managed to get an extra hour over the weekend...an hour I enjoyed to the fullest extent possible, passed-out and dehydrated in the warm confines of my bed.
It's been quite a few years since I last dressed up for Hallowe'en, but damned if I wasn't going to do it up right this year. After the initial frustrations of imagination cramps and putting-a-costume-together-at-the-last-minute, Nicole and I eventually settled on the classic undead theme. Pre-existing as a team, it was concluded that our costumes should go together, so we paired up as a quaint, undead, domestic couple. Perhaps physically manifesting our earlier wardrobe frustrations, our costume story was that we had a bit of a "domestic dispute" culminating in my grisly death, and Nicole's subsequent suicide.
My clothes, from brown cords to button-up sweater, were in tatters and soaked in blood, complimenting the slash marks across my face. Nicole's home-maker dress/apron combo was also splattered with blood, accentuating the deep, bloody gashes across her neck and wrists. To say that our costumes were totally awesome would be an absolute understatement. We looked even more gruesome than this adorable thing. Unfortunately, Nicole and I are both notoriously bad for taking pictures, so there is no photographic evidence of our awesomeness.
We attended a house party, jam-packed with all sorts of strange/inebriated/whore-ish characters. Most of the people I didn't know, aside from a handful of Lambda Chi's, both new and old - yet all younger than me. What I'll probably remember most about the evening, was a little potential disaster Nicole and I propagated in the basement while checking out Conor and Drover's pets. They had 2 cages of geckos, and 2 tanks of pirrhanas. Nicole was poking around at one of the tanks, when suddenly the light from the top tumbled into the tank. Almost immediately, I then reached into the pirrhana tank to scoop out the light, fearing that the fish would be electrocuted. You know, oblivious to the fact that; a) the combination of electricity and water could have killed me, b) the pirrhana could have devoured my flesh, or c) the pirrhana could have started eating me just before we were both killed by searing jolts of electrical current.
Through artful manipulation (and timing), we managed to score a free ride (as opposed to a taxi) back to the Lambda Chi house, ordered (and feverishly consumed) pizza and wings while we waited for a cab there, then experienced the double-fortune of scamming another free ride back to our apartment! Amazing! The mind reels at the probability of such an occurrence...
Currently: Gorging on 1/2 price Hallowe'en candy.
It's been quite a few years since I last dressed up for Hallowe'en, but damned if I wasn't going to do it up right this year. After the initial frustrations of imagination cramps and putting-a-costume-together-at-the-last-minute, Nicole and I eventually settled on the classic undead theme. Pre-existing as a team, it was concluded that our costumes should go together, so we paired up as a quaint, undead, domestic couple. Perhaps physically manifesting our earlier wardrobe frustrations, our costume story was that we had a bit of a "domestic dispute" culminating in my grisly death, and Nicole's subsequent suicide.
My clothes, from brown cords to button-up sweater, were in tatters and soaked in blood, complimenting the slash marks across my face. Nicole's home-maker dress/apron combo was also splattered with blood, accentuating the deep, bloody gashes across her neck and wrists. To say that our costumes were totally awesome would be an absolute understatement. We looked even more gruesome than this adorable thing. Unfortunately, Nicole and I are both notoriously bad for taking pictures, so there is no photographic evidence of our awesomeness.
We attended a house party, jam-packed with all sorts of strange/inebriated/whore-ish characters. Most of the people I didn't know, aside from a handful of Lambda Chi's, both new and old - yet all younger than me. What I'll probably remember most about the evening, was a little potential disaster Nicole and I propagated in the basement while checking out Conor and Drover's pets. They had 2 cages of geckos, and 2 tanks of pirrhanas. Nicole was poking around at one of the tanks, when suddenly the light from the top tumbled into the tank. Almost immediately, I then reached into the pirrhana tank to scoop out the light, fearing that the fish would be electrocuted. You know, oblivious to the fact that; a) the combination of electricity and water could have killed me, b) the pirrhana could have devoured my flesh, or c) the pirrhana could have started eating me just before we were both killed by searing jolts of electrical current.
Through artful manipulation (and timing), we managed to score a free ride (as opposed to a taxi) back to the Lambda Chi house, ordered (and feverishly consumed) pizza and wings while we waited for a cab there, then experienced the double-fortune of scamming another free ride back to our apartment! Amazing! The mind reels at the probability of such an occurrence...
Currently: Gorging on 1/2 price Hallowe'en candy.
Updates
I've updated my Ball Hockey Stats to reflect the games played this Sunday. Summary: "Team Indie" can lick my balls. End communication.
Monday, October 18, 2004
24
Well, well, well...another year has come and gone, and as always, it has passed far too quickly. It's late, and I'd like to crawl into bed. The past few days certainly have been eventful, and here are just a few highlights:
- tried spicy ginger buffalo and warm sake at The Eastbound Eatery
- woke up to an instant-Winter Wonderland
- finally received my cheap-o mp3 player from Telus
- was informed that Alex is now officially betrothed to Jeremy
- got 2 of the most amazing birthday presents ever; The Da Vinci Code and my own hockey card poster
- ate more devilled eggs in 12 hours than in the past 12 months
I'll certainly be posting more on these fine points, among others, in the next few days. I've got midterm exams and papers due next week, so I'll be a busy, indisposed man for the next 7 days, but I'll try and find time to post. If anything, I'll need to do it to maintain my own sanity.
Currently: Trying desperately to revive my precious mini-orange tree
- tried spicy ginger buffalo and warm sake at The Eastbound Eatery
- woke up to an instant-Winter Wonderland
- finally received my cheap-o mp3 player from Telus
- was informed that Alex is now officially betrothed to Jeremy
- got 2 of the most amazing birthday presents ever; The Da Vinci Code and my own hockey card poster
- ate more devilled eggs in 12 hours than in the past 12 months
I'll certainly be posting more on these fine points, among others, in the next few days. I've got midterm exams and papers due next week, so I'll be a busy, indisposed man for the next 7 days, but I'll try and find time to post. If anything, I'll need to do it to maintain my own sanity.
Currently: Trying desperately to revive my precious mini-orange tree
Sunday, October 17, 2004
This Man Is a Criminal...
I was thinking that my Last 10 Watched listing has now been rendered un-updateable now that I've got dozens upon dozens of movies at my fingertips every month. Maybe I'll just dedicate it to movies that I either rent or see in the theatre - you know, the ones that I actually pay for...
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Channels 750 thru 756
So in anticipation of the Matthew Good concert Nicole and I will be attending this Wednesday, I decide it would be a good idea to pick up his latest album, White Light Rock & Roll Review. Concerts are always great when you can sing along with the band and rock out to the fullest extent possible. The trouble with the new album, however, is that aside from Alert Status Red the other 11 songs are entirely forgettable. The album really didn't come together as a whole, and Nicole summed it up best when she remarked, "It's like he just had one song and then had to throw an album together."
You see...you SEE!? This is why I haven't bought albums in forever! What happens as soon as I shell out my cold, hard cash? I get screwed by the music industry, that's what. If the courts hadn't been so effective in shutting down Kazaa Lite I wouldn't be in jam. To be completely fair, though, I 've only listened to the album once, so maybe it will grow on me, kinda like Bush: The Golden State eventually did. I also picked up the new Green Day album, and that wasn't all that bad.
We had ourselves a quiet Thanksgiving long-weekend. Already this month my sister has thrown two large family get-togethers, and to be completely honest, those large crowds get a tad overwhelming. Both sets of parents indisposed, we were forced to fend for ourselves, and I must say, put together a rather fantastic meal this evening. We didn't go hungry, that's for sure, but if you're reading this Mom, I won't say no to a half a fridge of turkey and stuffing left-overs. Thinking back on the past year, I certainly have a lot to be thankful for, and every day's come as a greater blessing than the last. When I contemplate all I've got, the minor inconveniences and passing tribulations of daily life don't tend to carry much weight.
I've got my health, my family, and the woman I love...and beyond that, really, all those other nice things are just additional perks.
Currently listening to: Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia
You see...you SEE!? This is why I haven't bought albums in forever! What happens as soon as I shell out my cold, hard cash? I get screwed by the music industry, that's what. If the courts hadn't been so effective in shutting down Kazaa Lite I wouldn't be in jam. To be completely fair, though, I 've only listened to the album once, so maybe it will grow on me, kinda like Bush: The Golden State eventually did. I also picked up the new Green Day album, and that wasn't all that bad.
We had ourselves a quiet Thanksgiving long-weekend. Already this month my sister has thrown two large family get-togethers, and to be completely honest, those large crowds get a tad overwhelming. Both sets of parents indisposed, we were forced to fend for ourselves, and I must say, put together a rather fantastic meal this evening. We didn't go hungry, that's for sure, but if you're reading this Mom, I won't say no to a half a fridge of turkey and stuffing left-overs. Thinking back on the past year, I certainly have a lot to be thankful for, and every day's come as a greater blessing than the last. When I contemplate all I've got, the minor inconveniences and passing tribulations of daily life don't tend to carry much weight.
I've got my health, my family, and the woman I love...and beyond that, really, all those other nice things are just additional perks.
Currently listening to: Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia
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