Well another Halloween has come and gone and I live to tell the tale.
Making it quick because it never lasts this year we had 8 people but publicly I say 18 because I don't want to feel stupid for expecting anyone. I plan for 50 people each year with a selection of mini-posters, buttons, comicbooks, two cases of canned pop, chocolate & candy bars, and the first six treaters get a large bag of potatoe chips. I recycle last years posters and comics so the collection just grows. You would think with such a smorgasbord of delights i would run out but no if anything the nubers are dwindling and I think its a sad sight. My brother Paul had 47 people. My friend Fred Diana had 150 and ran out of treats. Rob Chin had over 100 but said he doesn't keep track. What is it about our neighbourhood where no one wants to visit? I mean we put out a couple of jack o'lanterns, spooky signs (the one on our door reads KNOCK LOUDLY IT's HARD To WAKE The Dead!), I dress up a little (this year I went with devil horns), and kept the noise down. Well at least I was able to relax afterwards to The Walking Dead on AMC-TV then the annual Night Of The Living Dead (or some similar zombie picture).
Meanwhile my own personal nightmare of the F Drive. It's gone AWOL on the computer again and now has taken all the photos and videos and sound files and all the CBRs and all the text documents and related stuff. That's my father's locksmith and scouting notes, my compilation of clix lists, comicbook notes, and music lists with humour, and Betty Page Of The Days. That's three years of digital photos chronicling all sorts of points in life including my brother or my father sleeping in public. Half way through uploading the collection of Peterborough is lost most likely forever my brother reckons. I mourn for it but have to move on after all the backing up this past summer why did I always save the most important and best for last? Well it shows procrastinators never prosper so why bother. ;)
My birthday this year my brother Mark got me a card and a DVD of The Losers. I loved the
Losers as a comicbook but was disappointed with how it ended and the film going for a PG rating didn't help but it was nice to see some of it come to life. Unfortunately it's the Blue Ray and the only Blue Ray player is in his room.
Well it's the thought that counts and he was thinking of me. my parents got me a card and that's it. Money is tight and I know Mum will order in Swiss Chalet for dinner this year because she never leaves the house.
My brother Paul hasn't responded yet but I dropped off a large section of the birthday cake (double chocolate with creme dulce (caramel) sauce filling and barvarian chocolate buttercream frosting) the very next day after my birthday. Almost my fave but the frosting was a little too heavy for me. Paul and Mare always leave it to the last moment but could they have forgotten this year? Well probably procrastinated. I scanned the Gift Certificate he gave me last year and placed it on my facebook page as a tribute to Rob's since Rob's was supposed to close permanently now but Rob is staying open on New Comic Wednesdays now to service his long time customers. Go figure maybe he will stay open more than a month at a time. Well happy all Saints Day everyone and speak to you all sooner than later.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Hope and Faith and George Costanza
Today is Wednesday 27th of October 2010 and Friday is my birthday and again another year goes by and I feel like George Costanza from Seinfeld. My net worth is actually negative $11800.00 That is I have to earn $11800.00 just to be broke.
A year ago my father had a stroke and I spent months visiting him in hospital and taking back and forth to therapy until he was cleared to do so independently again. My mother has grown so worried about leaving the house that even on a great day like today and a distance really close by she would not make the effort to leave the house to Vote. She hasn't left the house in more than a month and it is not for lack of trying to get her out. My brother's both much younger than me are doing marginally but years better than me with one married and one just avoiding going on strike at a job that he's been at a decade. The last five companies I have worked for over the past two decades have disappeared. There is no contact to prove I spent years with them and in fact in two cases the buildings are gone they operated from.
Now in spite of how depressing my life can seem I endeavor to strive to carry on and look upon or for the bright side of life. What keeps me going forth to climb out of bed each morning? What keeps me from jumping off the bridge over the nearby highway to end it all? What keeps me from swimming out into the middle of Lake Ontario and not come back? The fact is I Hope. Hope things will turn around. Hope someone from one of my old parts of my past life will remember something and say DaveR could be good for this let me see if he is available for this. Hope that some pretty lady I meet somewhere in my travels will overlook my flaws, my predicament, my girth and stick with me like the way the Lord did with Job and this is all just to try my Faith that there is and can be a better tomorrow. That's all I really have in the end is Hope.
Is that all anyone can ask for?
A year ago my father had a stroke and I spent months visiting him in hospital and taking back and forth to therapy until he was cleared to do so independently again. My mother has grown so worried about leaving the house that even on a great day like today and a distance really close by she would not make the effort to leave the house to Vote. She hasn't left the house in more than a month and it is not for lack of trying to get her out. My brother's both much younger than me are doing marginally but years better than me with one married and one just avoiding going on strike at a job that he's been at a decade. The last five companies I have worked for over the past two decades have disappeared. There is no contact to prove I spent years with them and in fact in two cases the buildings are gone they operated from.
Now in spite of how depressing my life can seem I endeavor to strive to carry on and look upon or for the bright side of life. What keeps me going forth to climb out of bed each morning? What keeps me from jumping off the bridge over the nearby highway to end it all? What keeps me from swimming out into the middle of Lake Ontario and not come back? The fact is I Hope. Hope things will turn around. Hope someone from one of my old parts of my past life will remember something and say DaveR could be good for this let me see if he is available for this. Hope that some pretty lady I meet somewhere in my travels will overlook my flaws, my predicament, my girth and stick with me like the way the Lord did with Job and this is all just to try my Faith that there is and can be a better tomorrow. That's all I really have in the end is Hope.
Is that all anyone can ask for?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Dark man rule and Thanksgiving
So here we are in the middle of the traditional Canadian Thanksgiving weekend Sunday 11th of
October 2010 and Paul and Mary-Anne are due to arrive in the next few hours. Turkey is now
in the oven lovingly prepped by Mom and there are two pots on the stove and two casserole
dishes filled with her stuffing and two holiday pies (pumpkin and apple) waiting to be eaten and mom is already onto her third round of frantic why don't we just call the whole thing off. I would agree with her except she loves having Paul and Mary Anne over and will sit and listen to them talk and talk untill 99 minutes after Paul's arrival they leave. I call it the Darkman clause. You see in the film Darkman after the scientist applies the special skin he has approximately 99 minutes in the light until it melts. Paul has a tendency to stay with his wife at the house for a visit for about 99 minutes and then says mare's getting tired so we better go and that's the last we see of them untill the next gathering.
We used to get one possibly two visits a year at their place but now we barely get one and that's Christmas time. For the last five years the personal gifts for the occassion has shifted from a shirt or a personal book or CD or DVD to a Gift Card and a scratch lottery ticket. We personally hate Lottery Tickets especially Scratch lottery tickets because we have no idea how to use them and no idea how to check them. What's worst is what do you do if you win big? I mean here's a shirt for Mare and a bottle of wine for her mum and a nice DVD for Paul and thanks for the $100,000.00 I'll use it to pay off the bills and fix some stuff up and if there is anything left over I may go for a trip, enjoy your shirt and DVD!
Sheesh it's a loaded trap that all they did was here is a $20 GC and a $2 ticket and they were done sometimes on the same day as the occassion. Then if the ticket loses it's a worthless piece of paper. My mum has a collection of over $140.00 worth of these gift cards for the book chain that her son Paul works for and she has used some of these over the years. Grocery Gift Certificates usually get used on the next special occasion or the next big grocery trip so there will never be a collection of them. It's fun the HBC cards that I figure Mare picks up usually get used to buy presents for Mare and her mum or sister so we always give back more than we receive from her.
The problem is after a few years of bath sets or Old navy t-shirts what do you get for someone who has everything (my brother Paul)?
So increasingly each year it gets to feel like the laws of diminishing return are yanking away the ball before we can kick it ala Charlie Brown & Lucy. Well I think Paul and Mary Anne are getting a Shirt,and DVDs this year and I sincerly hope Paul doesn't give us anymore
lottery tickets and I really hope he doesn't give me any of the toys on sale at Rob's. Well
maybe that Creeper or Blue Devil figure.....;)
Actually I wonder if they will bring my birthday present over early this year. it would give me a good gage on how to plan for the holidays. Thanksgiving is always a rehearsal for Christmas. Birthdays are birthdays. Last year for my birthday Paul and Mary Anne gave me a Gift Certificate for Excalibur Comics bought on the day of my birthday. With a lottery ticket added to the card. I got Paul a DVD and a Shirt to go with his card for his Birthday. So I try to put some thought into it with a red shirt (Star Trek Joke) and Fanboys! I think if I can get Mark to cave I will see about a Bon Appetit GC and a DVD for him this year. Well at least a DVD.... maybe The Flash collection.
Some people out there do not realize that Canada has Thanksgiving twenty years before the Americans as a holiday and over a month earlier. When I hear all these Yankees next month what are you thankful for this holiday I will say the same thing, a) Thanksgiving was last month, b) rampant consumerism, c) Canadians got it right! Right now I am thankful for me and my family's fairly good health (all things considered), a roof over our heads, and the ability to enjoy what little we have. have a happy thanksgiving everyone and my Mother just broke a bowl. Good luck.
October 2010 and Paul and Mary-Anne are due to arrive in the next few hours. Turkey is now
in the oven lovingly prepped by Mom and there are two pots on the stove and two casserole
dishes filled with her stuffing and two holiday pies (pumpkin and apple) waiting to be eaten and mom is already onto her third round of frantic why don't we just call the whole thing off. I would agree with her except she loves having Paul and Mary Anne over and will sit and listen to them talk and talk untill 99 minutes after Paul's arrival they leave. I call it the Darkman clause. You see in the film Darkman after the scientist applies the special skin he has approximately 99 minutes in the light until it melts. Paul has a tendency to stay with his wife at the house for a visit for about 99 minutes and then says mare's getting tired so we better go and that's the last we see of them untill the next gathering.
We used to get one possibly two visits a year at their place but now we barely get one and that's Christmas time. For the last five years the personal gifts for the occassion has shifted from a shirt or a personal book or CD or DVD to a Gift Card and a scratch lottery ticket. We personally hate Lottery Tickets especially Scratch lottery tickets because we have no idea how to use them and no idea how to check them. What's worst is what do you do if you win big? I mean here's a shirt for Mare and a bottle of wine for her mum and a nice DVD for Paul and thanks for the $100,000.00 I'll use it to pay off the bills and fix some stuff up and if there is anything left over I may go for a trip, enjoy your shirt and DVD!
Sheesh it's a loaded trap that all they did was here is a $20 GC and a $2 ticket and they were done sometimes on the same day as the occassion. Then if the ticket loses it's a worthless piece of paper. My mum has a collection of over $140.00 worth of these gift cards for the book chain that her son Paul works for and she has used some of these over the years. Grocery Gift Certificates usually get used on the next special occasion or the next big grocery trip so there will never be a collection of them. It's fun the HBC cards that I figure Mare picks up usually get used to buy presents for Mare and her mum or sister so we always give back more than we receive from her.
The problem is after a few years of bath sets or Old navy t-shirts what do you get for someone who has everything (my brother Paul)?
So increasingly each year it gets to feel like the laws of diminishing return are yanking away the ball before we can kick it ala Charlie Brown & Lucy. Well I think Paul and Mary Anne are getting a Shirt,and DVDs this year and I sincerly hope Paul doesn't give us anymore
lottery tickets and I really hope he doesn't give me any of the toys on sale at Rob's. Well
maybe that Creeper or Blue Devil figure.....;)
Actually I wonder if they will bring my birthday present over early this year. it would give me a good gage on how to plan for the holidays. Thanksgiving is always a rehearsal for Christmas. Birthdays are birthdays. Last year for my birthday Paul and Mary Anne gave me a Gift Certificate for Excalibur Comics bought on the day of my birthday. With a lottery ticket added to the card. I got Paul a DVD and a Shirt to go with his card for his Birthday. So I try to put some thought into it with a red shirt (Star Trek Joke) and Fanboys! I think if I can get Mark to cave I will see about a Bon Appetit GC and a DVD for him this year. Well at least a DVD.... maybe The Flash collection.
Some people out there do not realize that Canada has Thanksgiving twenty years before the Americans as a holiday and over a month earlier. When I hear all these Yankees next month what are you thankful for this holiday I will say the same thing, a) Thanksgiving was last month, b) rampant consumerism, c) Canadians got it right! Right now I am thankful for me and my family's fairly good health (all things considered), a roof over our heads, and the ability to enjoy what little we have. have a happy thanksgiving everyone and my Mother just broke a bowl. Good luck.
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