I vow...

I've been thinking for a while about this, 'this' kinda has to do with my last post. I've always wanted to write a book. Maybe not a novel, just a book. So I can say, I wrote that. When I was in highschool, one of my really good friends -who had great talent- finally published a story he'd been working on since he was rather young. This was obviously a great source of inspiration for me and even though I don't hear much of him anymore, thinking about him seems to push me in the direction of having something published. Just for those wondering, this person is B. E. Vidito, the author of The Beholder of Light.
So as of this point, I vow that I will write a book. My head is always buzzing with ideas, now I just need to settle down with one and develop it enough to make something of it. When I was younger, my parents and teachers always told me I've had a way with words. So I would write. Looking back on those stories now, they were terrible, but the content is still inspiring for me and I find myself working with the ideas I had as a boy and putting them in a more mature context and plot and I should have myself a book in no time.
I would like to say 'I'm going to do this within a year [or two]!', but that's not really realistic. I will see how things go and I will get back to you.

-untitled-

Every once in a while my creative juices flow long enough for me to get inspired to try writing. I've always wanted to write and publish a book, but I can never seem to commit to a story long enough to make a novel out of it and a friend once told me that was okay, just write and you can make a compilation of short stories.
So here's a little something I've been working on, not ALOT of thought has been put into this yet and it's still in it beginnings so here's what i have so far... and bee-tee-dub it doesn't have a name yet.

I awake again in this stark white room. It's a modest little room, with a bed, dressed in simple white sheets and crowned with a clean white pillow. My room also has a small porcelain sink where I might keep things like my toothbrush, maybe even a comb or a bar of soap. But instead, the faucets are simply accompanied by a stoutly spout and its constant drip. There's a toilet too, also made of porcelain, tucked in a corner, and like any other room, there is a door.
A door on what I believe to be the North-Western-most of my four walls. A door allowing orderlies entrance and departure as they see fit. The orderlies wear starchy white uniforms, or 'scrubs' as they call them. Never a stain on those perfect uniforms. I once witnessed two burly orderlies restrain a patient as he threw a tantrum over a shower of spaghetti and meat-sauce. Once 'calmed', the two men stormed from the room only to return moments later ordained with crisp white clothing.
Needless to say, this place never changed; the walls always stayed just as white, my gown and the workers' uniforms remained always as bleached, same as my sheets and pillow.
Yet there is always the possibility for irregularity. For example, that leaky faucet, I used that steady drip to calm myself down. If ever my inner turmoil was so much that I could not hear the steady dripping, I would know that I was simply overstimulating myself. As for that white bed? It has a squeaky appendage; I'm not quite sure what part of its construction makes the sound, but I welcome it nonetheless. Also, that toilet tucked away in the corner. Whenever I use it to pee, I allot the yellow to simmer, adding some color to my room, my own personal touch; until I'm told to flush it away.
And finally, there is my window. It is the tiniest of openings in the door situated a little below eye level. Through it I can see anything between the adjacent white wall of the hallway beyond and the white vinyl-tiled floor. Some days, if I'm lucky, and not too busy squeaking the bed or admiring the newest shade of yellow I've added to the room, I'm blessed to see orderlies buzz by.
Until one day, I saw it...

Song of my summer

This song is pretty much the story of my summer... Plus working alot. If you haven't heard it before, youtube this shit. Enjoy!

This Afternoon - Nickelback

Oh, lookin' like another Bob Marley day
Hittin' from the bong like a diesel train
And I'm down with hangin' out this afternoon

We got weeds in the backyard, four feet tall
Cheech and Chong probably would'a smoked them all
So, I'm out on the couch this afternoon

Beer bottles layin' on the kitchen floor
If we take 'em all back, we can buy some more
So I doubt we'll go without this afternoon, oh

Better hang on if you're taggin' along
'Cause we'll be doing this till six in the morning
Nothing wrong with going all night long
Tough to put the brakes on, doesn't matter when you gotta

Get up and go out, me and all my friends
Drink up, fall down, and do it all again
Just sitting around, hanging out this afternoon

Landlord says I should buy a tent
But he can kiss my ass 'cause I paid the rent
So I doubt, he'll kick me out this afternoon

Down on the corner in a seedy bar
Jukebox cranking out the CCR
Had a few to Suzie Q this afternoon, oh

Better hang on if you're taggin' along
'Cause we'll be doing this till six in the morning
Nothing wrong with going all night long
Tough to put the brakes on, doesn't matter when you gotta

Get up and go out, me and all my friends
Drink up, fall down, and we'll do it all again
Get up, go out, me and all my friends
Drink up, fall down, and we'll do it all again, yeah
Just sitting around, hanging out this afternoon

Wear a wristwatch and alarm clock to see what time it ends
From the moment I wake up, I just love being with my friends
We barely get by, but have the best times and hope it never ends
We drink all day until we fall down, so we can do it all again

It's not a human walk, it's the human race
If we were living on the edge, taking too much space
So I'll doubt I'll figure out just what to do
But kickin' around, hangin' out this afternoon, oh

Better hang on if you're taggin' along
'Cause we'll be doing this till six in the morning
Nothing wrong with going all night long
Tough to put the brakes on, doesn't matter when you gotta

Get up and go out, me and all my friends
Drink up and fall down, and do it all again, yeah
Get up and go out, me and all my friends
Drink up and fall down, and we'll do it all again

Just sitting around, hangin' out this afternoon
Just sitting around, hangin' out this afternoon
Just sitting around, hangin' out this afternoon
Just sitting around, hangin' out this afternoon

Just sitting around, hangin' out this afternoon
Just sitting around, hangin' out this afternoon

Did someone say 'Suit up'?

So here's the deal. My brother, Patrick, his girlfriend and I have been following the TV shot How I Met Your Mother, haven't heard of it? Check it out, it's hilarious! For those of you who know the show, my brother and I were instantly interested in Neil Patrick Harris' character, Barney Stinson. This highly-sarcastic-suit-wearing-tail-chasing-gigolo kinda-guy. Who's catch-phrase happens to be 'Suit up!'. Every occasion is an occasion for Barney to suit up because it sets him apart, which I totally believe it does. Plus, it's a GREAT self-esteem booster.
Anyways, some family members from out-west (yes, of Canada) decided to come down and this was the first time that all my grandparents' kids were at the same time and place in 20-some-odd years. So needless to say, we had a day of taking pictures ahead of us. The rules were simple, very formal, nothing too fancy. As soon as my brother hears of this... 'SUIT UP!' So we did.
Awh, the look on everyone's faces when my brother and I walked in wear suit. Needless to say, the attractive level in the room was off the charts! I don't think I've ever felt so comfident in myself as I did that day. I look damn good in a suit!
And I make this vow, I've made it with my brother but I will say it here too for those of you who read, when I turn 19. Which will be by my first summer of university, I'm hittin' the bars with Pat and we're Suiting Up! So if you see two great lookin' guys in a bar, just know it's me... Come say 'hi'!

Starbucks

Okay, so here's the deal. I'm heading out to Starbucks in a little while with a couple of friends I haven't talked to in while. Since I'm stuck waiting, I figured I would discuss Starbucks today.
I don't know what it is that makes this place so great, but it is. Is it the huge variety of types of coffee, from hot beverages to cold ones, from coffee to cappuccinos? Is it the calm feeling you get when you enter the place, no matter how backed up the ordering line is?
I find it funny, but Starbucks is kinda like a virus... Slowly growing and multiplying over the American/Canadian border. As most of you know, the U.S. has no Tim Hortons' and here, once apon a time, well.. Us simple-minded Canadian folk didn't know anything better. But somehow those sneaky bastards got this one past us sprinkling the country with very few of their stores/outlets (I'm not sure what you call a coffee place). And they knew, by God, they knew that us Canadians and our sweet tooths, would fall inlove with our newly found, 100% American drug-in-a-cup. And we did!
But you see, like everything American, Starbucks has at least one fatal flaw (oh yes, I went there). THE PRICES! I mean, they're barable but, c'mon, 4-something for a coffee, shit man! I would rather get juiced on RedBull! And if you're going into a Starbucks alone for your first time, prepare to be dissapointed. Dont worry it happens to the best of us and the options ARE that numerous.
So I recommend everyone grab a friend who has never been, and open their eyes with a nice fresh cup of all-American drug-in-a-cup (a.k.a. coffee). Good shit my friends, drink up!

Night Shifts

For over 3 years now, I've been working at an old folks home which is more awkward for the other staff than it is for me due to my age. I started working there in May of my 9th grade, meaning I was 15 at the time. I started off working in the kitchen and recently switched over to maintenance. Being a young man, it's obvious that I prefer working in maintenance.
This new job entails being on rotation for a couple of night shifts every month and a half, or so. Today is my 'recovery day', that's what I call the day after my second night shift where I get home at 6am and sleep most of the day and have what's left to do whatever. So I figured I would talk about my night shifts.
All in all, I enjoy nights. You spend 8 hours more-a-less alone doing, what I qualify as, very little work. There are a lot of perks to these graveyard shifts but there are their fair share of cons. Where I work, Finlandia Village (it's an old folk's home), it tends to get pretty creepy at night, especially in the basements. Apparently the place is haunted too, I mean, I wouldn't be surprised, what with all the residents that have passed away over the years. Scary shit.
By the time the early morning hours roll around you're not all there, you start seeing and hearing things... Fun stuff.

Movie reviews

I have put a lot of thought into this and I've decided to write reviews for movies I've seen... Only when I have nothing better to do. I will review mostly new ones but I will throw in a couple of oldies and some or my favorites for kicks. I will try to simply give my opinions on the movie and not say anything about the story itself, other than maybe briefly touching the main plot.

Here are a few recent movies I've seen:

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: What is there to say? This movie is the before last book or the Harry Potter saga, which to some people may be a shame, yet others see it as a light at the end of the tunnel. Personnally, having read all the books and seen all the movies so far, I emphatically agree when people say that the books are MUCH better. But that's not to say that this movie doesn't come close. Half-Blood Prince was, by far, my favorite book and, so far, is my favorite of the Potter flicks. The abundance of plot twists and quirky teenage romances between the characters makes this movie entertaining for all ages. Although, I strongly suggest reading the books before-hand or at least taking the time to rent the first five movies. Not that I'm complaining, but I literally spent the entire movie answering questions from my buddy sitting in the seat next to me. And some of the questions I couldn't remember for the life of me, it's been a long time since my Potter days. Marcus Rating: 8/10 (only because it was a little hard to follow if you haven't read the books or watched the other movies right before)
   
2. Transformers 2: The Rise of the Fallen: This is a BIG movie. You know, sequel to the first Transformers movie? That was quite the big steel shoes to fill, if you know what I'm saying. Like in its predecessor, the C.G.I. was breathtaking and the seamless intergration between real-time recording and graphics is simply amazing! It makes me proud to live in the time we do, just to see movies with such graphic quality. The far-fetched stunts performed by 3-story robots and the lovely - oh god so lovely- vehicles make the film what it is. And not to meantion the kid from Even Stevens (I always forget what his name is, but it's funny that that's where he started out) and a beautiful supporting actress -guy, you know who I mean!- Make the film what it is. ALTHOUGH, there is a couple of downsides. First, I know they were shooting for total distruction in this movie, but it seemed to me like someone on the payroll had too much fun with the pyrotechnics. Also, the storyline went really into depth with the Decepticons, which was cool.. but it was a little much. And last, you could tell Michael Bay was trying to shoot in some cheap laughs for the kids, even though that supermodel's ass is enough to keep most young boys locked in the bathroom for hours, hahaha! Sorry couldn't help it Right, back to the cheap laughs... Mister Bay can deny it all he wants, but there was definately some racist stereotyping with the Twin Autobots (you'll know who I mean). All-in-all a freakin' good movie. Marcus Rating: 9/10
3. The Hangover: I'm not quite sure what to review about this movie. It's a pretty standard comedy. Wait... Did I just say 'standard comedy'? What the hell?! It's the funniest movie I have ever seen! No exageration, they have an brilliant cast, a hilarious plotline and even funnier dialogue. I swear, I went into the theater worried because I didn't know the people I was with very well, but we all laughed our asses off. Literally falling out of our seats. I walked out of the theater massaging my jaw and no it's not because of the cutlette sitting next to me. Hahahaha! I wish... Awh, now I'm sad. Anyways, there was nothing bad about this movie which I never admit but, it's THAT good! Marcus Rating: 10/10