Ryan's Late Night Party Jam (Everybody Have Good Time)

Decided to take out the old guitar and give it a spin. Take a look below if you're interested, if not, I am okay with that.

Algonquin Adventure

Back from my Algonquin trip. My mom and I went to Lake of Two Rivers. Enjoyed myself a lot.

Here are some pictures:

This was our trusty campsite. HUGE! However, it was close to the highway but really close to the water…

This was taking at the Vistor's Center. Awesome view, which you can't see in this photo, just my very homosexual pose…

The entrance to the logging museum. I have no idea why the mannequin looks like he's made of cheese…

You could go inside logging cabins…

Working the machinery…

Steering the ship…

Sometimes when I'm bored, I like to go logging…

Almost lunch break…

My first train ride…

Be some artwork while I'm at it…

Restaurant coffee at the Visitor's Center…

Very humble fire…

So in the end, awesome trip! Very relaxing and beautiful. Now I have laundry and unpacking to do. However, I have a whole week off now!

See ya!

Going to Algonquin, brb

Though I promised that I would post every day from now on, I will be NOT posting from tomorrow until Monday because I will be going to Algonquin for the first time EVER. I am going with my Mom and we plan to have a fun time. I need to get away for a while and this is the perfect opportunity. I then have a FULL week off next week, with no plans what so ever. So, if anyone would like to hang out, let me know!

I'll leave you with a clip I am sure will be taken down before you can even view it:

Likes / Dislike(z)

I'm overwhelmed by how tasty this turkey breast sandwich is. The mixture of chedder cheese, butter, and whole wheat really make for a tasty trio. Thanks to our receptionist, Leanda, for picking me up a “London Fog” from Starbucks. For those of you who have no idea what that is, well, Starbucks probably has it listed as a Tall Americanicle Frost Tumbler Frapiano or something, when in fact it is Earl Gray tea with milk (no water), and a shot of vanilla. It was quite the delicious drink, but too sweet for my liking. It's really wet out and gloomy out, but I remain in high spirits mainly because I had a great sleep and had a really nice feeling of waking up feeling so bloody comfortable, not sweating my ass off in my non-air conditioned basement (wrote “baseball” there).

I was talking to someone who had a list of “simple things in life that they enjoy”. Being the plagiarists that I am, I've decided to list the simple things and feeling that make me feel gushy and warm on the inside. I will also share what bugs the shit out of me as well, cos we all know, bloggin' ain't fun unless you complain about something and/or sulk:

Simple Things That I Enjoy
- That relieving feeling of waking up a few hours before I actually have to wake up, and knowing I still have time to sleep.
- The sound of rain outside your window when you sleep.
- The sound of the remains of a crackling campfire while you go to sleep in your tent.
- A sunny day in the fall, when the leaves have changed colour and you go driving down a country road.
- Bright Christmas lights when it's really snowy out, walking hand-and-hand looking at them is nice.
- Laughing until you cry.
- Warm clothes out of the dryer.
- That Sunday morning feeling.
- New CD smell
- Shortbread cookies on Christmas
- The smell and ambient sound of carnivals.
- A cat's purr
- The smell of rain on the pavement on a hot day
- The feeling of stepping in a warm puddle of water on the pavement.
- Cuddling and having that anxious feeling like you wish you could get even closer to that person…if that makes any sense.
- Getting mail that isn't bills or junk mail (snail mail).

Things I Don't Enjoy
- Most Canadian Films
- Fake Tans
- Trendy people
- over-use of gang signs
- “Myspace” poses
- Stick insects
- Slow walkers
- Loud eaters
- The homeless
- UFC

If anyone has any feelings to share, please feel free to comment.

Gary Oldman's Mustache / Back Sweat

I was reading old posts yesterday from my old journal days of 2003 – 2004. Wow, was I ever an avid blogger. Not only did I post almost every day, but my posts were pretty insightful. I've slowed down over the years though, and with the lack of traffic I get in my journals today, I really feel like I need to post stuff daily…even if it's a simple line. So I am happy to announce that I will be bloggin' it up every day no matter what!

Hey, how do you like the new blog layout? I think it's nice. I liked my humble green layout, but I felt like I needed a change, and change is what I got. Know what I really despise? Nope, guess again. Okay, you're way off. I hate driving into the city every day. Gas is totally rediculous right now; I am spending close to $20 a day to get back and forth to Toronto. Every night before bed, I tell myself “Ryan, you will be up at 6AM, go for a run, and take the Go Train in to work, walk from Union to work too you lazy ass”. Instead, I wake up at 6AM, sleep another hour, decided AGAINST the Go Train and end up sleeping until 8:45AM, I then rush to get ready, pack a lunch, get gas, coffee, and hit the road by 9:30AM. How the tits am I going to break that habit! I do however go jogging after work, but the sweaty mess I am in afterwards, pretty much writes off my night.

I had a strange dream last night I did. I had a magical device that I allowed me to go outside of my body and enter an alternate world that no one could see in our world. If you've ever seen the video “Underground” by Moist, you'll get the idea (I will have it posted at the end of this entry). The device would let out a scent that would make you pass out, then you could enter their world. I was in an old rickety and decaying house in my dream and could see these strange people running around. The dream went on to explain why we would hear footsteps but see no one there. It was fucked. At the end of the dream, a bunch of angsty teens grabbed giant cranes and wrecking balls and started to play with them. I had to stop them one by one. The dream had a cool concept, perhaps a script would be cool to write in the future.

The Magic

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and I think one of the beautiful rarities in life is feeling that 'magic'. Be it with a person, time in your life, sight, smell, or even sound. 2007 was by far the best year of my life. It may be up on a pedestal because it followed the worst year of my life, but it had this strange reassuring energy to it that I am really hoping to find again. It's hard to describe the feeling and please nudge me on the shoulder if you've felt it. When I think back to certain smells, tastes, or people, I can get this nostalgic, warm, and butterfly feeling about those particular memories. 2007 was constant and I can't pinpoint why. Sure I had a little girl, but the catch-22 was that it meant I was giving up my spontaneity and in a way my independence. It also meant that I would have extreme difficulties settling down with a woman. Not all are ready to make such a commitment. Was it because I landed a job? Well that just meant no more college parties and it was all about working hard to move up in the industry…also giving up some independence and spontaneity. My point is, yes, a lot of things changed for the positive but also had consequences. Was this 'magic' feeling just me maturing and realizing that getting older isn't as overwhelming as I thought? Maybe. I really don't know. Either way, the year was very care-free at it's best.

I think back and realize the importance of the album “Rockin' The Suburbs” by Ben Folds. This was an album that got me through a lot when I worked my MIND-NUMBING book binding job in 2002. Hearing somber (at points) songs about life in the suburbs really made me feel like I had to do something with my life. That everyday I was working there, I was burning my own potential. I remember hearing the song “Annie Waits”, it's a song about a beautiful girl who is constantly let down by her significant other, but sang through a third person perspective of a man who would treat her so well if he was with her. I remember looking back and feeling that 'magic' to this song when meeting a special girl in the summer of 2006. Fortunately, I was blessed to spend 2007 with her.

“The Luckiest” is a song that pin-points love to a tee. Ben Folds sings about the love for his wife and how if one of them were to die, the other would follow soon after and that's how he knew they belonged. This song makes me think of my grandparents. My grandfather just passed and since then, my grandma has been extremely sick. Love is quite a powerful thing and that's why this song really stuck out; it's simply powerful. “Carrying Cathy” is another powerful song about the decay of a relationship, it hits home quite close because I felt I put someone through what the song is about. I can't describe this album, I recommend the pick up. My point of even mentioning this album, is that I've gone through so many situations that these songs are about.

So I sit in my messy basement bedroom after this year of 'magic' that felt like the album “Rockin' The Suburbs”, and yes I do let out a sigh, but I think the beauty of life is that everything has ups and downs, and no matter how down you may be, there is no where to go but up. I realized that in 2007, I will still dealing with struggles of 2006, which caused the demises of some magic in the 2007 year. So, I may write off 2008, but certainly have high hopes for 2009. Maybe I will once again have the 'magic' feelings with a person, song, smell, etc… or perhaps the feelings will be even stronger.

Just to clarify what these 'Magic' feelings were in 2007:

Magic smell – the smell of pad-thai from Just Thai in the air near my apartment
Magic Sight – Lime green living room walls
Magic Song – “Elephant Gun” – Beirut
Magic Taste – Edamamme
Magic People – Kevin Dowse, Chelsea Gibson, Alicia Donkers, Dan Warth, Stevie O'Brien, Lindsay Culkin, Kristin Sniderman, and whomever else I didn't mention.

June in a Nutshell

True Love Will Find You In The End

True love will find you in the end
You'll find out just who was your friend
Don't be sad, I know you will,
But dont give up until
True love will find you in the end
This is a promise with a catch
Only if you're looking can it find you
'Cause true love is searching too
But how can it recognize you
Unless you step out into the light?
Don't be sad i know you will
But don't give up until
True love finds you in the end.

Here's to hoping…

My Ringtone

My phone is quite the gadget. I managed to take a sound clip of June and make it my ringtone. So everytime someone calls, I get to hear her adorable voice… click below to hear it.

To Others You're a Freak….

LIKE ME!!

*insane cackle*