J’Lo is sick.

I know when I bought her she had a few issues. I mean, how can you be J’Lo without some baggage?

What I didn’t expect was to have the car go past THREE different mechanics before a fourth finally told me what exactly needed to be done.

So I’ve had FIVE car-less days, and spent $500 to get ONE problem fixed (which should’ve cost half that were it fixed the first time), and there are about four more on the backburner. So I’ve had my harmonic balancer - which sounds more like a yoga pose than a car part - replaced.

Apparently in addition to that someone at some point sawed off the bottom half of my timing belt cover, because it was rubbing on a bolt that’s not supposed to be there, and the alternator belt is far too long, causing some other bolt to protrude where it shouldn’t.

All in all, I’m glad it’s finally being dealt with properly, and I want to give huge shoutouts to everyone at Nic’s Garage! They’ve been beyond great to me, and hopefully everything will be tickety-boo sooner rather than later.

I was just lamenting the other day to myself about how far away the annual Dine Out Vancouver event is.

But never fear! There’s a mini-version as Taste of Yaletown goes down from October 3-13!

If anyone’s interested in trying some of what’re arguably Vancouver’s finest resturants, let me know. My wallet’s up to probably three venues in that time period, and I’m hoping to try at least one of Circolo, Coast, Glowbal or Wilson’s.

Both Coast and Glowbal have some special bonuses for tables of 6+, so the more the merrier!

Remember a while back when I asked readers to comment regarding images they thought of when they saw the word “Indepencence”?

I was fishing for ideas that struck me as unique, useful, or interesting for a tattoo. I’ve been specifically trying to think about something that would go with a Lion image, or any of the representations of the Leo zodiac sign.

It’s always amazed me how strongly I represent the personality traits that allegedly come along with being a leo, and I’ve always admired these qualities about myself: passion, drive, independence, loyalty, and a strong drive to care for and about others.

And I wanted to ink that somewhere. I believe I’ve come to the conclusion that it’ll end up on my shoulderblade - since the lower back is just out.

And, despite not getting any feedback on that particular post that I ended up using, I’ve finally figured out what I want! No you don’t get to know what it is yet!

What I need now are recommendations for artists. I know the urge will be strong for the decorated out there to say “so and so did mine and s/he is great but disappeared off the face of the earth!” - and while I’m happy you have good looking art, that does me NO GOOD. So try to at least say something useful about prep or aftercare if you don’t have any relevant artist recommendations. Thanks.

If the TiVo post didn’t tip you off, I have an unhealthy relationship with TV. I watch a LOT of it.

Case in point: My Sunday Night Lineup.

5:00pm - 6:00pm West Wing (Eastern Broadcast)
6:00pm - 7:00pm Desperate Housewives (Eastern Broadcast)
7:00pm - 8:00pm Law & Order CI
8:00pm - 9:00pm Cold Case
9:00pm - 9:30pm Family Guy
9:30pm - 10:00pm nothing, killing time, brushing teeth, getting stuff ready for Monday…
10:00pm - 11:00pm Grey’s Anatomy

THAT’S NEARLY SIX SOLID HOURS OF TELEVISION.

Of course, there are other nights of the week when TV is absolute shite. If I had TiVo I could spread out my watching habits somewhat.

Don’t even get me started on taping stuff… I’m completely retarded about remembering how to set the VCR, and never have blank tapes around anyway.

Update: SONOFA….! I just realized that Crossing Jordan is also on Sundays, at 7:00 and 10:00 - and both of those timslots are already occupied with other viewing commitments, meaning I need to tape at least one show anyway! Grrrr…. When my next bonus cheque arrives, LOOKOUT BEST BUY!

All my dreams are coming true!

I see a trip to Best Buy in Bellingham in my immediate future.

Hear that dooce? Now all we need is Target….

I’m about to reveal my academic dorkiness right now…

BUT IT’S TAKING EVERY TEENSY BIT OF WILLPOWER I HAVE AT THE MOMENT NOT TO DROP EVERYTHING AND GO TO TORONTO.

Why? For the McLuhan International Festival of the Future of course.

Honestly, the only thing holding me back is the fact that it starts today. If I’d had a couple weeks to plan, I’d be there by now.

But you’d better believe I’ll be MIFFing next year!

Temperatures that is.

I broke last night, and wore pyjammas to bed just so I wouldn’t literally freeze my ass off while I was sleeping.

Today, my pretty pink toenails are hidden underneath socks and runners for the first time since May-ish. I’m also wearing jeans and long sleeves.

I even have the space-heater on low in my office since it’s kinda chilly in here.

It’s the first day of fall.

Where did the summer go? Can I have a do-over?

IT’S ABOUT GODDAMN TIME!

The Canucks announced today that they’ve re-signed Matt Cooke for a multi-year contract.

Further details here.

T-minus 3 days until I see some pre-season action.

Two weeks until the home opener.

Where will you be?

It will probably come as very little surprise to people, but I Row. This is not to be confused with dragonboating or kayaking or outrigger canoeing - those are all paddling sports. If you insist on disagreeing with me, I’m fully prepared to give you an intimate introduction to the differences in equipment.

Anyway, I don’t bother writing about rowing, because it’s only actually interesting to rowers.

Except sometimes I come up with something that I feel I must inflict on the internets - and this is one of those times.

There are different types of rowing and different sizes of boats in each type. Without getting too technical about it all, you can sweep (use 1 oar per person) or scull (2 oars per person) in boats from 1 person up to 8 people. Some of these are also rowed with someone steering/coaching called a coxswain (usually called cox or coxie).

Keeping those in mind, I’m a sweeper, usually rowing an 8+ or a 4+, both of those being coxed boats. My new personal goal is to row a 4- (being a coxless or straight 4).

Why do I want to do that you ask? Because I have a great idea for crew jerseys.

What’s this great idea? I thought you’d never ask!

It’s…

(wait for it….)

“Rock out with your Cox out!”

Badum tssss…. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week. Try the steak, and don’t forget to tip your waitress…

HOW MANY LIST MEMBERS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

One to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.

Fourteen to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.

Seven to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.

Seven more to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs.

Five to flame the spell checkers.

Three to correct spelling/grammar flames.

Six to argue over whether it’s “lightbulb” or “light bulb”, another six to condemn those six as stupid.

Fifteen to claim experience in the lighting industry and give the correct spelling.

Nineteen to post that this group is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a lightbulb (or light bulb) forum.

Eleven to defend the posting to the group saying that we all use light bulbs and there fore the posts are relevant to this group.

Thirty six to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique and what brands are faulty

Seven to post URLs where one can see examples of different light bulbs.

Four to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL.

Three to post about links they found from the URLs that are relevant to this group which makes light bulbs relevant to this group.

Thirteen to link all posts to date, quote them in their entirety including all headers and signatures, and add “Me too”

Five to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy.

Four to say “didn’t we go through this already a short time ago?”

Thirteen to say “do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs”

Three to tell a funny story about their show dog and a light bulb.

AND

One group lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start it all over again.

(found on Tertia’s site)

A wee tidbit about me that some of you may not know: When I feel cranky, I shop. I’ve always had magpie eyes, and few things bring a glimmer of joy to my heart like something shiny and new. This is the part where, if I were a popular blogger, some troll would psychobabble me into a corner talking about how I’m a bad person because I fill voids with material things. Sometimes it’s better not being the popular kid.

But I digress…

I had a particularly bad dose of the nasties today when I woke up. They didn’t disappear with time or caffine, so after a few hours I popped out for coffee and to buy a particular pair of sunglasses I’d been lusting after for much of the summer. Of course, the sunglasses were not at the Sunglass Hut. And nothing else but that particular pair would do. So I left empty handed. My Visa thanks me.

Except maybe not…

Because now I’m thinking that those sunglasses were about $200, which is 2/3 of the cost of an iPod nano. Which makes me droooooooooool. And since winter’s coming, where I won’t really need the sunglasses as much - and the pair I do have is at least functional - maybe the nano is a wise investment? I mean really, saving myself that $200 by not buying sunglasses means the nano is a bargain at around $100 (after I buy accessories, pay taxes, etc…).

Except that $200 isn’t really money I’m “saving” - it’s money I should be saving, for things like fixing that thing that’s wrong with my car, or moving in the spring, or paying off the bill for the hockey tickets I just bought, or if I must buy some sort of gadget, replacing my aging and dying monitor is probably a better use of my dollars.

But the sweet siren song of the nano, she is strong… I am weak… help!

One Night in Canadian Rock ‘n’ Roll. I swear, this shit just does not happen to people!

Except it did!

After being stuck at work for faaaar too long, I raced down to the Red Room hoping that the tickets I had to see the Armchair Cynics and the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir would still get me into the club.

While I did arrive about halfway through the AC’s first song, there were no worries about getting in - the club was dead. Which was perfect. No being hassled or jostling for position. Just the ability to check out the band and appreciate the music, which is just the way I like it.

After the Armchair Cynics’ set, I meandered over to the merchandise table to pick up their CDs and a t-shirt (since they’re who I really showed up to see anyway), and chatted up a couple of them. This is where the night started getting amazingly cool. The guys in the band are SO. DAMN. NICE. They actually engaged in conversation, and personalized my CD covers (instead of just scrawling their names). Then Kenn (the lead singer) started to, in a very controlled and subdued way, FREAK THE HELL OUT.

Who was in the club to see Hugh Dillon but GORD FUCKING DOWNIE. So of course Kenn dug out a Tragically Hip CD from his stuff and asked Gord to sign it. Then I gathered up every ounce of courage I had, and tried to suppress the giant fangirl inside, and walked over to him. I shook his hand. I shook Gord Downie’s hand. And I told him I adored his music. And I told him to “just stand there and look pretty” while I captured the moment with my cameraphone (BEST. INVENTION. EVER!) for posterity.

Once I came down from that particular high, I watched Hugh Dillon et al perform for a bit, wasn’t really drawn in terribly much by them (great music - but not so much my taste), said goodbye to AC guitarist Adam at the merchandise table, and made my way out of the club. I spotted Kenn and bassist Aran with some other guy a short ways down the alley next to the club, so I wandered down to say “hi/bye/thanks again” for signing the CD and being so darned nice. Kenn introduced me to Aran, and their friend (and producer now that I look at the CD jacket) Dave Genn. You may know him better as the guitarist for 54.40 (whom I saw a few weeks ago!).

The four of us commisserated over a bit of BC’s finest for about half an hour, at which point we hugged and parted ways as the guys went back into the club, and I floated back to my car and home.

It’s hours later. I’m still buzzing. Not just from the drugs.

THIS is why I love Vancouver and live music in small venues. You never know what’s going to happen or who might show up!

It’s good to be excited (rather than annoyed) by hockey again.

In addition to attending some of the games, I wanted to put feelers out there for who may be interested in making my place a Pay Per View game destination.

My TV is a modest 27″ but I do have digital cable, a pretty accessible apartment (being at the vortex of most major transportation routes through the Lower Mainland), and a goodly amount of space to put people on the couch, chairs, and floor. And it’s a heckuva lot cheaper than spending 3 hours at your local watering hole, with a much cleaner bathroom.

I figure it’ll work something like this: I order the game, you provide your own drinkables, and something snacky to share. We eat, drink, and make merry cheering on the ‘Nucks. Of course you’re free to cheer for the opponents, but the rest of the group may throw food at you from time to time.

The season’s PPV schedule is here. Game schedule offering is at my discretion (I’d like to watch all of them, but I do have something of a life), and I reserve the right to cancel showings due to lack of interest. Of course if I’m at the game, you’re SOL unless you make friends with my roommate and want to watch with him.

If nobody is interested, I’ll just sulk in the corner because I have no friends who wanna hang out with me, and then I’ll pick myself up off the floor and move on. But if you are interested, please leave a comment stating as much. I’ll send out the evites about a week before each game I’m available to show and move on from there. And if this becomes the social event of the season, eventually some cash to contribute to the cable bill, or some beer to drink while I open the cable bill, would be appreciated.

First PPV game is pre-season vs. Edmonton on October 1st at 7:00pm.

Schwing!

I just confirmed my Canucks Half-Season ticket package (C21B). Of course, I was hoping for better seats, but that’s what happens when you decide to get on the list in late July. I’m just glad I got tickets for this season.

If you see a rowdy girl with short blonde hair (may or may not be hidden by a foam puck as the drinks flow more freely) in Section 304, row 15 - that’ll probably be me.

It looks like I’ll have about 4-5 games available that I’ll need someone to accompany me to, so keep your eyes on this spot for last minute pleas for a hockey buddy. The ticket will be about $30, or the cost of keeping me in beer and hotdogs for the duration of the game.

Other than linking to a few things that made me sad, I’ve avoided spewing any political commentary on Katrina. There are far more who can do it far better than I.

But the “donation war” is is really revving up - should we give? Should we not? To Katrina? To other charities? How much, if anything?

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I wanted to weigh in, since I seem to be smack dab in the middle of the camps for and against reactionary donations in the wake of the disaster.

Here’s what I did: I stopped procrastinating on my next blood donation and I re-evaluated my personal charitable giving plan to make sure it was still on track with my desire to help. I also found it in my heart and wallet to kick in an extra chunk of change to the Canadian Red Cross - though not specifically for Katrina, I donated under the “wherever it’s needed most” category. I figured if they needed the extra funds for Katrina, my dollars would make it there, and at the very worst, they’d still help ease the suffering of someone, somewhere.

But I didn’t want to give to the Katrina victims the same way I wanted to give to the Tsunami ones. The Tsunami was just such a sudden, violent, unexpected phenomenon that we’ve seen more of in armageddon-themed movies than in our day-to-day. The loss of life was staggering, and the cries for help were so powerful, I gave, and gave, and gave again. Always wishing I could do more.

Katrina was different. I started off thinking that people would be evacuated. That people would be safe. That nobody could be left behind in such a volatile environment. In my naieve Canadian way, I believed there would be a social safety net to take care of every citizen. And I was oh so wrong.

And when there were people left behind, and the levees broke, I thought “It can’t be that bad. They had warning, they knew. Nobody would let people stay if they didn’t absolutely insist on it. That’s the beauty of living in a first world country - the resources are there to take care of people!”

But the resources had been diverted and denied. And so very many were left behind. For five long days. And nobody did a damn thing about it - even though people and agencies wanted to help, they were turned away. And I saw red.

And though it pains me to admit it, I did think that I couldn’t be bothered to donate to a nation who refused to help its own. America needed to learn a lesson! I would not contribute to an agency that would do America’s dirty work for her. If she couldn’t be bothered to take care of her own, I certainly wasn’t going to step in and fill the void.

And after a few days of being angry, I realized that the people who were suffering weren’t going to do any better by waiting out a politically charged hissy fit. Politicizing things at this point would just prolong their suffering - as global citizens, they deserved my help as much as anyone else on the planet, and I can only hope they’d do the same for me if/when the “big one” hits the Pacific Northwest region.

But there’s still that part of me that can’t quite fully sympathize with the Gulf Coast without that bit of “I told you so” nagging in the back of my mind. Not to the many residents of the area whose government failed them, but to that government for failing its constituents.

If I were closer to the area, I’d be in up to my elbows in rebuilding efforts, or opening my home for people to stay. Or cooking for people in the Superdome, or the Astrodome, or wherever they are hurting and hungry. Or offering any jobs I had to the displaced whose livelihoods have been wiped out by Mother Nature. I’d really want to help rebuild that which we suspected Katrina would take anyway.

But my bottom line says I can’t feel comfortable giving money to help contribute to the billions of dollars it will now take to rebuild New Orleans and her people, when just a fraction of that spent responsibly by a government that cared would have prevented much of the suffering, death, mayhem and madness that resulted.

Unfortunately, from where I stand now, money’s all I have to give - so I gave to an organization that’s there to do the work I can’t. And say a little prayer for those who were abandoned by their government, but so obviously not by their country and their neighbours. And thank the powers that be that I had the fortune to be born into a first world country that treats ALL its citizens as such.

Update (Sept.13/05): I know, I broke the cardinal rule of blogging, by not linking anyone. I meant to, and forgot. So with a bit of egg on my face, I’ll just note that this post was inspired by this article in the Tyee by Travis, which was originally a post on his blog in reaction to a post by Darren.