Category Archives: Narrative

Lyn’s mom is having some big retirement throwdown thingy, so today was the the first time I’ve been alone with the entire three member team of the short squad – as Lyn and I have dubbed the kids. I’ve been alone with them a couple of hours at a time before, but this is the first overnighter, as Lyn left for Bathurst today at noon and won’t be back until noon tomorrow. I’ll give you the blow by blow, whether you want it or not…

Once Lyn left, we kicked it in the backyard with some good ol’ fashioned leaf pile jumping, being that it’s fall and all. The kids enjoyed that. Then it was time to come inside and catch the afternoon opener of the NHL season from London, England on Hockey Night in Canada – and yes – the kids did want to watch it, they dig hockey – they are after all, mine. Bubba opted out and took a nap.

After that we ventured forth to grab a cone ad the DQ and hit the recycling depot, which was, alas, closed. The DQ still hit the spot.

Then, back home, where we viewed the Black Stallion Returns – a horse movie, and therefore required viewing. Julia cried at the end ‘a happy cry’ , she said ’cause he let the horse go to be with his friends.’ Awesome.

After that, a dinner of pasta with red sauce and sausage – a kid favorite, and an easy to make for dad, then some dancing in the living room to a Lisa Loeb record (Tails, in case anyone is keeping track). Good stuff.

Teeth brushed, pajamas on, both Emma and Julia requested that I put on disc 2 o the Foo Fighter’s In Your Honor, as I had done a few nights ago while they fell asleep cause they said they liked it. Made me so proud…..Julia knows all the words.

I managed to get Bubba off to sleep on the 3rd try, and it’s 9:45 now as I type this, so that’s saying something considering he doesn’t really like drinking from the bottle and this is the longest he’s gone in 4 months without Lyn’s breast-eses around. Oh and on the totally out of nowhere tip, he weighs a honking 24 pounds now. It’s out of hand. I’m wearing an olympic weight lifter’s belt just to carry him around.

So now I’ve settled in to type this, which I’ve been meaning to do for weeks. The Foo Fighters have expired and Bruce Cockburn’s Charity of Night is humming in the background now…a disc I got along time ago from a buddy of mine, Tyler, who now lives in Halifax and brings us to our next point….

The buKit Pop Explosion.
With regard to work, the official launch for our biggest anticipated book this season, The Top 100 Canadian Albums, has been booked for October 20 in Halifax. Additionally this this is the culmination of a week long music festival there, the Halifax Pop Explosion consisting of bands performing at venues all over town as well as a music conference. Our launch will be hosted by an old Much Music VJ, Mike Campbell, which means nothing to me, the Yankee, but is apparently a big deal to the Canucks. Through the dilligent hounding of our publicist, I’ve been invited to sit on a panel at said conference entitled ‘The Power of Design in Music’ on the 20th. Once this was confirmed, and the wheels were in motion, I set about arranging what could quite possibly be one of the greatest Man weekends ever known.

I got in touch with my buddy Tyler, who runs the Music Room, a great performing space in Halifax, and a guitarist in his own right and he has assembled a fine roster of musicians to jam on Friday night the 19th in said space. We will jam all night, and have much fun, undoubtedly consuming much adult beverage. The next day, I will be on the panel in the afternoon, attend the book launch of what could be considered one of the most historical books in Canadian music in the evening – which, oh yeah – I DESIGNED – and then party on into the night with my FREE FESTIVAL PASS for the Halifax Pop Explosion that gets me and a guest (Tyler) into any of 8 or more venues with live music that night.

Sunday I will limp home at some point after having had what I can only assume will be several VERY strong coffees.

In what I’m sure is no small twist of fate, I received an email saying that hockey for this winter starts on that very same Sunday at 3:45. Should be interesting. I’m sure it will be fun, and I’ll only be in the doghouse with Lyn until Christmas or so….

I’ll try to post details closer to/during/and after said event. I should hope to have some pictures too. Which you’ll take notice of via my next nifty announcement….

The Lifestream
No, it’s not the force, or some sort of self-help higher conciouslness thing. It’s something that I first saw on Matthew Good’s site and thought was really cool, so I’ve implemented it here, thanks in no small part to the gracious and VERY expdeditous code wizardry of one Mr. Dale Mugford at BraveNewCode. It’s the lifestream, and it ties together my blog, my flickr page, my twitter page, and my del.ici.ous bookmarks in a streaming timeline that you can view and find out what has happened in a most up to date and fastidious fashion. You can check the link on the sidebar at right and get your groove on. Now all I have to do is get all my bookmarks into del.ici.ous…..don’t hold your breath.

Sounds like a Parliment Funkadelic record.

The to-do list seems never ending. It’s a living, breathing, growing thing. That coupled with the somber realization that summer is fast retreating here and I didn’t even manage to get out once and scout a trail on the bike. The bikes themselves even seem to be conspiring against me, as they’ve all gone on injured reserve in some form or another in the past week. Bah, I’ve no one to blame but myself. I’ve been neglecting them too long. They need some love.

…

Sigh.

A rut sort of implies forward progression, though in a locked-in perspective.

I feel as though I’ve really just sort of settled into a ‘divot’. Waiting for the snow to come. To hibernate through winter. I’ve go no ‘go’ juice. I need to eat more veggies.

At least hockey starts soon.

Sorry folks, been out of the loop.

Worked some mad hours for awhile and now can say that The Top 100 book is at press. I dare say it turned out to be more of a bear than the Miller Brittain book – and I thought initally it would be easier. I should have known better to think along these lines, especially when you know you’re going to have to deal with multi-national record companies regarding images and copyrights. Unreal. We’re still waiting for two photos to come in, and they will have to go in at proof. When it comes out ya’ll buy it. I could use the dough. Well you in Canada anyway, it won’t be for sale in the States.

New buBBa photos up on the flickr page. Peep ’em.

Operation DeMouse the House continues. I’ve resorted to snap traps and peanut butter now. That’s what all the traps said, “Use peanut butter.” I thought mice liked cheese? So what you’re telling me is that all those cartoons I grew up on weren’t real? Where’s my therapist. Didn’t want to kill the poor little suckers but after 2 of ’em infiltrated the actual house (read: the cats were playing with them in the living room) vs. just staying in the walls, I was left with no choice. Have nailed a couple and pumped a bunch of gap sealing foam into some holes on the outside of the house. Seems to have worked. No more meeces – so far. I’ll keep you posted. I am – however – skeptical at best.

Preparations are under way for buBBaFest07 – a gathering 2 weeks from now after Colin’s Baptism. I think we’re having just under 2,500 people, not including the press, and the list seems to be growing daily. Logistics have been rough, given our budget of $136.27 (CDN). So far we’ve got it worked out to water for everyone and 2 saltines. The press, of course, get nothing. If you didn’t get an invite, sorry, we sent them out psychically, so you must not be in the same frame of mind as us, hence the transmission didn’t get through. Go clean your chakra, drink a sixer, and then perhaps try again.