Moving.

I've been living on my own for the last two years. Five years before that, I left home but always roomed with other people. Tomorrow night I leave this place for another, with friends, but only for a short while.

Living alone has been an amazing experience. Lonely at times, but a dream come true for those taken to thought in solitude. A chance to shut out all the voices and lyrics, and rythms and ryhmes ... an opportunity to learn a little something about oneself.

People are generally bad listeners. I think we can all agree. Have you ever wondered why? Look carefully ...

You wake up to the radio.

You sing in the shower.

You listen to music as you drive to work.

or wear headphones while you commute.

You purchase your coffee in the hustle and bustle ...

You chat, answer calls, discuss plans, goals, returns ...

all throughout the day.

Only to again drive home with the same music

and mix it up with a little t.v.

or even more music while you workout.

And sometimes, when the mood is right,

and the music is playing
and he whispers sweet nothings into your ear,

you make love.

How do you expect people to listen to you when they can't even hear themselves?

To bring it all back together ... my time alone has been great but I'm happy to see it goodbye. It's time to move on but the learnings I shall take with me. And when I get married this October, maybe my wife and I will still find time to sit in silence. Maybe even together ... maybe words will be too little and in the silence, then and maybe then, we will have the opportunity to really hear one another.

Nostalgia - Day 7

Hi everyone! So today is the last day of this month's neutron7. Hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

For the last video, I've chosen something a little bit different and not directly related. Possibly the funniest man alive, Dave Chappelle, shares his thoughts on childhood television.

5AM Poetry - can't promise it'll be good.

Blue smoke and silent winds.
Clouded sight and early morning.

Whomever believes We need eyes to see,
Never ceases To astonish me.

Fixed ranks and distinct rythms.
Shattered dreams and wasted mourning.

Nostalgia - Day 6

Cookie monster versus the librarian ... can you guess who wins?

Nostalgia - Day 5

So I have a little Stevie Wonder for you all today and it's great! Honestly, I don't think they make televisions shows like this one anymore ... totally on the fly, just goin' with the flow ya'know. I love it!

Nostalgia - Day 4

This wouldn't be a real Sesame Street tribute without showing a guest star or two. Deniro, this is a keeper.

Nostalgia - Day 3

Guy Smiley is most awesome and his awesomeness excels all known boundaries of gameshow host awesomeness. Count is in this one too so you can't go wrong!

P.S. Sorry for the crappy pic. His are a little harder to come by.

Nostalgia - Day 2

Another really cute episode.

Nostalgia - Day 1

For this month's neutron7, I've decided to go for Sesame Street. Sesame Street?! I know, I know, sounds kinda childish but trust me, this stuff is awesome. Oh, and I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

For those new around here, at the end of every month, I post a daily clip pertaining to a certain theme which I enjoy. It's usually pretty random and mostly retro.

This particular clip is quite dear to my heart. As a child, this was by far my most favourite episode. Enjoy!

Sometimes good friends give bad advice.

Their intentions, pure, and their words, sweet … but their understanding, marginal. This is only compounded by our inherent nature to sense “safe” and “secure” company. We seek it, confide in it and tell them our deepest and darkest secrets. We willfully spill our souls to them … because we trust them and know them to be true.

Fortunate. The meaning of the word most will never come to know.

Sometimes we truly are fortunate and our investment is returned. Multiplied. Seemingly infinitesimally. And you’re left with one lingering blissful thought, what would you have done without them? If you meet one such person in your life, consider yourself lucky.

As for the rest of us, we are surrounded by our Dr. Phil’s and Oprah’s and consider ourselves cultured, “in touch”. Others plant trees or serve soup. Some are looking for answers while others don't even realize there are questions to be asked. We make trivial discoveries about ourselves, which are usually misconstrued at best, and take them to be ultimate truisms. We feel the need to share them, with everybody, anyone and everyone. And when the friend in need is knocking, who is it that is actually doing the knocking? Are we fulfilling our need or theirs?

Desert rose.

10 pm, Sunday night. It has been a long ride home. Four hours to be exact and I’m feeling pretty anxious. I’m the last person to get off the train because I was the last person to get on. The buses don’t run on Sunday nights so I line up at the cab stand. There are about 50 people ahead of me and at this rate, it’ll take me at least another hour before I get home.

I look up at the stars looking down on me. The couple behind me does the same and quickly loses interest --they don’t see what I see. Reflections. Our sun in only one of many stars and the moonlight is only a reflection of our sun. When I look up at night, my face is the moon and the stars are my sun. I am the reflection of a thousand little stars, light years away. No --they don’t see what I see. How many of them reflect?

I step out of line and make my way to the front. The people I pass believe me to be a cheat and a liar. But I am neither.

Are any of you heading to campus?

At first they look at me in surprise.

We can all save time and money if we carpool.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I’m in.”
“Me too.”
Great, that make four of us.
“Let’s grab that next cab coming this way.”

We all poise ourselves in anticipation, as if ready to pounce on our prey. We are the first to react and no one questions our authority. Not even the girl one spot ahead of us.

Oh my god, I’m sorry. We just totally cutted in front of you.

She’s shy and meek. “Oh, that’s okay. I’ll catch the next one.”

By this time everyone else had already loaded their things and taken their seats. The die was cast.

Once again, I’m terribly sorry. We didn’t notice.
“Hey that’s alright, no one does.”

She didn’t say that last part but I felt it. As we drove off, my heart sunk to my stomach. Stupid stupid stupid … I am sooo sorry. I wish I could give you a thousand sorry’s … and I know that would never be enough.

t-shirt giveaway.

So the results are in ... and the winner is (drum roll) ... coffeenista! Yahooo!!!

The summary:

There were only two real submissions and seven votes. It appears that this contest was a little too much work for both, writer and reader. Honestly, it sounded fun in concept but apparently not so hot in practice. The good news ... contests will be a lot easier from here on in.

coffeenista, eve ... you guys are totally awesome and thanks for participating in my not so fun contest. tees for the both of you!

Midnight madness.

It’s 10:30 am and I just woke up. You’re probably thinking it’s Friday and that either I should be at work (but slept in) or I’m a dead beat. Well, neither is correct … remember what I said about assumptions? I actually spent the whole night working and finally went to sleep a little after 6 am. So that makes less than 4.5 hours of sleep. You’re probably wondering why I’m going into such great detail about time, but it’s more for me than you –-just making sure I can still add. After I finished my undergrad, I promised myself that I’d never pull another all-nighter again (with exception only for hot steamy sex --of course). I wish I could say last night was all candle lights and champagne but instead, it was a little more like revenge of the nerds.

Times like these really make me wonder. Why am I doing this? Is it really worth it? Did my computer just wink at me?? Well, if the last one is of serious concern, then that pretty much answers it for you. In all honesty, it’s hard to say. And does it really matter? I mean we plan and plan, but does any of that truly make a difference? Look, I’m not suggesting we giveup and stop trying, but what I am suggesting is we’re little --all of us … each and every one. How many of you can honestly say you are where you thought you’d be? For better or worse, that’s another question, but I’m sure, all of us, with all our plans and dreams, things never worked out quite the way we thought they would. Even if you achieved a goal (big or small), I’m sure it came about an avenue you never even knew existed.

So what does it all mean? Do your best, work hard and plan knowing that your plans will never work out quite the way you made them. By extension, do your best, work hard and plan knowing that the reward is not truly yours. Welcome to the abyss.

“When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.” – Nietzsche.

t-shirt giveaway, less than 24 hours remaining.

It looks like a race to the finish but there's still time to vote. Check out the submissions here.

(Photo, courtesy of IMA Motorsport Inc.)

Fun with the sun.

I wonder what farmers think of the farmer’s tan. Are they as conscious about it as the rest of us? On the other hand, what if it’s a status symbol in the farming community? A token of how hard a worker the person is. I somehow see big barrel chested men walking around with their sleeves rolled up --just high enough for the ladies to take a peak. “OOoooooowww, did you see his tan?? It makes a transition as sharp as a knife … he MUST be good in bed”.

What about in other countries, south of here? I suppose they don’t even get tans (or at least not very obvious ones). I suppose a farmer’s tan would be novel in those regions as well. Mainly because it would be such a rare thing. For better or worse, the fact remains, we often see things through a distorted lens when it's considered rare. I see a slightly self-conscious guy walking home after a long day in the fields. All the other men chuckle and wonder why his skin looks something like Neapolitan ice-cream while all the women think to themselves, “mmm … Neapolitan ice-cream”.

So, I’m a city guy and have a huge farmer’s tan at the moment … and proud of it. You may not like it --but people all over the world do. As for my fiancée, for some reason she insisted I wear a t-shirt to bed after installing some new ultra high powered light bulbs. Beats me (?) …

What were they thinking?!

It's so bad that it's good. I can't think of a better way to explain it. This one's for you Baroness von Bloggenschtern.

t-shirt prize voting --two days left. Review the submissions.

Milk and cookies please.

Came across this at The Pineapple Diary. Definitely one of my favs. I can hardly wait to start my own comic/sketch posts.

I found this photo while doing a little blog hopping. I think it's beautiful.

t-shirt prize submissions.

Hi everyone,

Sorry about the delay. I was in Toronto this weekend and literally just got back in. Needless to say my prof is going to be really pissed but ah well ... I'd choose a blue jays game and a weekend with my honey any day.

Time for the submissions, yahooo!!! Here's the original piece followed by your work ...

"I like chocolates. And strawberries. Sometimes together and sometimes alone. I looked at his face one last time before I ..."

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... served him his coffee and scone. - ryanloghry
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... scooped up a massive handful of chocolate covered strawberries (this was one of those time when I liked them together) & squished them right between his eyes. He looked at me with his mouth agape; strawberry seeds, red juice & chocolate slowly dripping down his face. I looked at him & laughed quietly & cruelly. It felt good. I had a fleeting thought that I may not enjoy this delectable treat in the future as much as I once did. But then again, maybe it would taste even sweeter. - eve grey
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... decided to speak. I open my mouth but take a bite of the strawberry in my hand, instead. Did it have to be this hard? Why couldn’t I just say it? He knows what I’m about to say, he can sense it. Why else would he invite me over for fondue, out of all things to eat? It’s like a metaphor, for something, not sure what though. Maybe chocolate is like dark, evil stuff. And strawberries are good things, full of life. And Good Stuff is sometimes covered/obscured by Evil Stuff, so blessings in disguise? Gosh, that’s such a crappy metaphor, it doesn’t make any sense! Okay, time for take two.

“So…umm, yeah”. So eloquent.

“Yees?” He says.

“You’re right.” There, I said it.

“Right about what sweetheart?”

“You’re actually going to make me say it?”

“I’m quite sure I don’t know what you mean.” He’s actually going to make me say it.

“Chocolate-covered strawberries taste good, okay?! They taste GREAT! Orgasmic even! I was blind but now I SEE! They’re a perfect harmonious couple! The tangy with the sweet, the crunchy with the smooth! It’s bloody heavenly!”

“Oh, that. I already knew that.”

Then he eyed me, “You on the other hand, taste way more than ‘great’….” - coffenista

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Here's a little something I came up with. It's not included in the contest but I'd still like to know what you think.

... started sewing the pieces back together. They think they can take him away from me - NEVER!!! I love him and ever more. Little by little, I'll put you back together. First the arms and then the legs. Oh not the head, why did they have to touch the head? Don't worry my sweety, I'll make it all better. Wait, I hear footsteps ... someone's coming ... someone's at the door.

Oh, hi mom, I thought it was ... someone else.

"Sweetheart, aren't you a little old to be playing with stuffed animals?"

MOM!!! Ziggy is my favourite and I've had him since I was a little girl. Besides, who gave those brats permission to enter my room let alone hack poor Ziggy to pieces? pfff, animals ...

"I know honey. I'll talk to them later. Darling, have you seen my chocolate covered strawberries? You know how I am, I gotta have my chocolate covered strawberries."

Gulp - umm yeah ... the strawberries ... I think I saw the brats eating some earlier.

"ma-choc-lat-cova-straw-berr ... waaaaaAAAAAAA! PAIN, PAIN!!!!!! You're going to pay you little BASTARDS!!!!" (turns into crazy monster and runs off)

Phew, she's finally gone. Revenge is bitter sweet ... kinda like chocolate covered strawberries. Yes it is my little Ziggy, isn't it?? - neutron

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Cool comic.

Here's a little comic I found on xkcd. Genius. I'm think I might try my hand at drawing ... should be fun ^__^

t-shirt contest, 3 days remaining ...

Exhale ...

Today has totally been one of those days. I have to admit, when I first signed on, I was planning to rant and tell you about all the things that didn't happen. But instead, why not channel all that energy and write something positive? If nothing nice happened today, then I'll tell you of nice things from yesterday.

About a year ago, I met my fiancée and told her that I loved her. I know what it means to never look back.

About a month ago, I traveled long and far and helped a friend. I wish I could do it again.

About a week ago, I hugged my mom and she hugged me back. I love her with all my heart.

And today I write to you and we read together. All of sudden, everything looks better.

World's best commercial, EVER!!!

Warning, what you are about to see will make others wonder why you're smiling so much. Watch at your own discretion.

t-shirt contest, 4 days remaining ...

t-shirt competition addendum.

Almost forgot, make all submissions to heygohey@hotmail.com

I will post all submissions and run a public poll from June 9th to the 13th.

Good luck!

Many thanks and t-shirts too!

"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." - Thomas A. Edison

I started this blog almost 30 days to the day. It's kind of a big deal for me. For those of you who don't really know me, persistence is my nemisis. It's a constant struggle, my ying and yang.

Irony. I only persist at failing to persist.

Gratitude. Thank you ... to each and every reader. My inspiration ... my motivation. Thank you.

Now for the fun stuff. I thought to myself what better way to say thank you then a free t-shirt?! Woohooo!!! Now, I can't afford a shirt for everyone (although I wish I could), so there can only be one. Complete the following sentence in 300 words or less. All submissions are due by June 7th (my birthday). I've attached a few pics of the prize below.

"I like chocolates. And strawberries. Sometimes together and sometimes alone. I looked at his face one last time before I ..."

The Price is Right?? - Day 7

Hi everyone, so this is it - day 7 of 7. I hope you've enjoyed the dorky videos I've been posting. I think this series was fun and have taken a real liking to the notion of a series itself. Who knows, I might just make this a monthly feature - neutron's 7. What do you guys think?

Anyway, here's the last video as promised. This one's a random compilation of the price is right bloopers.

The Price is Right?? - Day 6

I don't see how I could do a series on Bob Barker without showing this one. Happy Gilmore everybody, oh yes, good times :)