crows to burnaby

My big job for the past few weeks has been getting the condo ready to put on the market. So it's been freshly painted, everything cleaned, all the junk packed away, and my next challenge is to hold it all together until the open house in a week and a half.

You gotta understand. I am messy. Always have been, always will be. It's easiest for me to find something when everything is out there in plain view. And sometimes I am right in the middle of something and I just don't want to put this or that random object away right now. I'll get around to it later. Really I will!

The bookshelves and coffee table are gone, which has severely limited the amount of horizontal space I have upon which to stack things. And I'm trying to keep the remaining tables and counters neat. So I'm throwing everything into moving boxes and hiding it in the closets, for now. Only soon I'm going to start forgetting which bits of paper are in which box, and it's all downhill from there.

The other disconcerting thing is rattling around in this perfectly clean and un-decorated apartment. When selling a place, you're supposed to strip away any personality you've injected into it - no pictures of family, not so many quirky knick-knacks. So there's not much of anything still visible that is "me", except some funky little cards in the office. And it's more space than I really need, especially with less furniture and things packed away.

I definitely feel like I'm transient here, and I'm ready to find my own place. I've been looking and have more looking to do. It's exciting, but it'll still be a little while yet before I'm out of this in-between limbo phase.

Might as well spread the word. From my friend Dups, who is doing his part to help mankind with the following:

For Immediate Release

St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial 2008 Launched

Montreal, QC, Canada – 16 February 2008 – Today marks the world-wide launch of the campaign for the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial, now in its fourth year. The Drunk Dial asks all St. Patrick’s Day celebrants, between March 15th and 17th 2008, around the world to take a single phone number with them as they party and carouse. People from all over the world can call into the telephone number and leave a message. The funniest and “funnest” will be rewarded!

“After three years of fun, we’re going to do the 2008 Drunk Dial bigger and better than ever!” said organizer Dups of Montreal, Quebec.

This year the telephone number is +1 317 644 6963. Dups warns that there will be long distance charges to the United States but should otherwise be a regular phone call for participants. This year, the organizers intend to give away a portion of any advertising revenue from the web site (http://www.stpatsdrunkdial.com) as well as the customary bottle of Newfoundland Screech Rum.

Dups also noted the public service that the Drunk Dial tries to provide.

“For years I was one of those poor sots who called his friends late night on St. Pat’s Day after having had a few. One year I became a pariah and there were calls for a public castration for all my drunken dialing. Imagine the friendships and relationships that we are saving!”

St. Patrick’s Day has become an international celebration of epic proportions no matter ethnicity, creed, color or the quality of the Guinness. Said Niall Brown, another organizer:

“I think people can identify with a man who got rid of an infestation of snakes. I mean if you woke up in the middle of the night and your country was infested with snakes, wouldn’t you want to celebrate the man who got rid of them. Heck, I’d have a couple drinks in his honor. I’d even call and tell someone about it, and that’s what the Drunk Dial is all about.”

Whether it’s about snakes, drinking or just a phone call to tell us how St. Patrick’s Day is going for you: have fun and give us a call at +1 317 644 6963.

More information about the Drunk Dial and the rules are available at: http://www.stpatsdrunkdial.com

About the St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Dial

The St. Patrick’s Drunk Dial began in 2005 with all of Dups’ friends calling him from around the world on St. Patrick’s Day. Sadly he was too inebriated to remember who won that first year. In subsequent years the reach and popularity of the event has spread far and wide and now we want 2008 to be the biggest year ever! For more information e-mail info@stpatsdrunkdial.com or visit http://www.stpatsdrunkdial.com

I noticed today that where there was previously a bakery on 10th Ave, there is now a lingerie store. But the sign still hasn't changed - "St. Moritz Patisserie".

Does that mean that where they once sold pastries, they now sell pasties?

No show tonight - Marcus has come down with strep throat and been advised by a doctor not to stress his voice while he's recovering. He is not someone to cancel a show lightly, either.

I'm pretty miserable because I was particularily excited about this show - I really like playing the Railway, and we had done some excellent work in rehearsal over the past week and really fine-tuned some things, plus there's a new song that we were looking forward to playing. But there's nothing we can do about it... it just wouldn't sound the same sung in a hoarse croak, and certainly won't help Marcus get better.

If anyone's looking for me this evening, I'll be drowning my sorrows at the Rail.

In the past week I've met with and gotten quotes from painters and selected paint colours for three rooms, played a solo show, helped Greg pack and move his things out, exported a dozen videos from previous ARCTIC shows and studied them with the band, joined the car co-op, cooked a zucchini & egg puff, worked on a MITAP tour funding application, worked out at the gym, gotten a friend hooked on Twin Peaks, had the fireplace guy in to finish off the installation, taken Dexter to his first day of dog daycare, scheduled UBC workshops on accessibility, designed an invitation card for said workshops, bought a mattress, booked a tour date in Windsor, and written half a blog post (not this one).

Next up, rehearsal.

What else ya got for me?