This is me today...

I don't know why, but everything I touch today turns to SHIT! Thank the spirits it's a FRIDAY!!!!

posted by Unknown @ 2:18 p.m.

I Want...

... my headache to go away RIGHT NOW!

These flourescent bulbs above my desk surely aren't helping.

You should see me... I've got my dark sunglasses on, and my pink sun visor... I look like a crack pot eBayer. Meeeeeeehhhh...

posted by Unknown @ 3:19 p.m.

Marathon to Relaxation

I just found out that I'm most likely going to ride my bike to the campground next week. My ride fell through; not completely, but a day is a day is a day when you're on vacation. There's no way I wanna just sit around for a whole day, when I've got a campsite booked and the day off work! James is riding, so why can't I??

Man... I hope I can do it. It's gonna take 8 hours. From Hamilton to Port Rowan (we're taking the GO to Hamilton). It's over 100 kilometres... am I crazy?!? Hopefully it's mostly down hill.

posted by Unknown @ 6:27 p.m.

9 Days and Counting...

... until we go camping, of course. The annual "Wheatley" event (although now it's held at Long Point Provincial Park, which is more central, since I'm living in Toronto), is my favourite part of the year. Along with my birthday, which makes the month of August the BEST. We look forward to it for months before hand and have the sites booked as much in advance as possible.

We've got three sites full up this year (normally it's only two), and I can't wait to party with some of my old friends from Windsor and my current friends from here in Toronto. It's been going on for... oh my god... is this the tenth year?!? Jesus christ I'm old! But HELL YESSSS- that's a tradition if there ever was one!

Some of the rituals performed at Wheatley:
- General Nudity (streaking, sun bathing and warming by the fire)
- The Decorating of the Dome (with images clipped out of periodicals like Options, etc., which Ben so readily provides)
- Skinny Dipping (I guess this could go with "General Nudity", but it's sweet enough to have its own spot on this list)
- Story Time with Ben (there are actual articles to read in those magazines he brings, but it's usually a "picture book" if you know what I mean)
- Kari Actually Cooks (and I enjoy it... for some reason, I much prefer cooking on an open fire, rather than in a kitchen on a stove)
- Hammocking (I bring my nifty hammock chair, Stacey brings her sling from Brazil, and it's a swinging good time)
- The Burning of the Porn (for which Ben specially picks an honourable song for the ceremony)

This year we're also talking about starting a "Survivor" day, with challenges, prizes and team buffs.

OOooohhhh I can't wait!!!

posted by Unknown @ 10:47 a.m.

Option B

That's not where that goes!!!

posted by Unknown @ 11:23 p.m.

I Hate Waiting...

It's 9 o'clock on Saturday night, and I'm waiting for guests to arrive. Everything is done, set up, ready for people to come and celebrate in my apartment. The chips are in the bowls. The plastic cups are out. I've got that anxious feeling... you know what I mean- where in your head you're like, "No one's gonna show up..." and at the same time, "People won't show up til late, I bet. 10-10:30." Either way, it's nerveracking to wait.

I hate waiting.

posted by Unknown @ 9:12 p.m.

Dooley Gets Framed


Shot by Nestor... it's hilarious!!

See the pics I took here!

posted by Unknown @ 2:00 p.m.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Beer?

Last night I realized that I've gone out drinking for the past six nights in a row. Phew! Didn't I say I was trying to cut back a bit?!? Seems like that's not going to happen.

Last night was the TPMG July Social. We went to Mr. Greeks in the Beach, and it was great to sit, eat excellent Greek fare and talk about cameras for a few hours. See more pics HERE.

Tuesday night was book club. We read The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (AKA Stephen King). Julia picked a nice, light book since we rarely have any thought-provoking discussions at our get togethers. The book was good, and BBQ we had was a good time. CLICK HERE to see the pics from that night.

Monday night was my bi-weekly magazine meeting, which always involves a couple drinks. I did take it easy though, until I stopped at a jerk chicken place to try and finish The Long Walk (I don't like jerk chicken, and I'd already eaten, so I ordered a Corona). From there I went to see my cousin Allison Brown play at the Groovy Monday's Open Mic Night at the NOW Lounge. Watching Al sing is always a good time!

Sunday night Allison and I went to see her friend Tressa (and Little Jimmy's Chicken Pickers) play at Mitzi's Sister. What a great show! It's awesome when you can't stop the cat calls from escaping your throat! See my attempt at concert photography HERE.

Sunday afternoon was spent on the lakefront, chillin' in the shade and watching Mike turn into a monkey. We hit the drum circle at Sunnyside that evening, which was awesome. So different than the Trinity Bellwoods circle, but just as cool (think quality, not quantity). More pics HERE.

Saturday evening I went to see The Devil Wears Prada with Maria and Joyce. It was a great movie, but not recommended for straight men. Obviously. Now I'll read the book and compare. Meryl Streep was amazing, and I'm kinda glad I saw the movie first; I'll be able to picture her character in the book that much easier! That night we went to the Harbourfront Centre to see a bunch of old Soul, Funk and Reggae legends... it was an awesome show. And free!!! God I love the Harbourfront!

Friday night... sheesh. I don't even want to think about Friday night. Let's just say it was a looooooong night at Chino, but it felt really short. LOL!

posted by Unknown @ 1:26 p.m.

Vacation Planning

So, last Wednesday, I finally got around to requesting time off work, in order to go to Vancouver for 10 days in September. I say "finally", cause I'm a huge procrastinator, and for some reason, I couldn't get motivated to plan this trip. I'm a little hesitant when it comes to spending huge chunks of money, so the plane ticket was kinda stressful to buy. I did that too, though, on Wednesday!

The ticket ended up being $519.40 CDN... not too bad I don't think. It's like, $100 cheaper than I expected. And we'll being staying at friends places (Bex and James are coming with me for the first four days), so I'll only have to pay for lodging when I'm in Tofino. That means I've got lots of money to spend doing touristy things!!

Here's a list of the places I want to visit while there:
- Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Gastown (historical part of city)
- South Main (trendy, bohemian part of city)
- Stanley Park (maybe rent some bikes)
- Grouse Mountain Skylift
- Hiking in Mount Seymor or Cypress Provincial Park
- UBC Museum of Anthropology
- Aquarium
- Vancouver Art Gallery

I also want to go canoeing/kayaking, and possibly a nice spa day for myself. Maybe I'll treat myself and my friend Denise to a spa on the Saturday before I leave. That'd be awesome.

When in Tofino, I'd like to try to surf, but we'll see about that. And I wouldn't mind camping in the mountains for a night, but that means I'd have to buy or rent a tent... so many options! It's gonna be so much fun!!!

posted by Unknown @ 3:50 p.m.

They Cut Me Off!!

Not on my bike this time, though.

I sat down for dinner this evening, turned on my tv and all I got was snow! Wha? I asked my landlord if they cut any wires or anything, and he said that the cable guys had been there this morning for the new guy (Drew- nice guy) in apartment 2. Bah! My landlord said not to worry though, he saw where they disconnected the wires in the back of the house, and they'll hook them back up later. I'm hoping it's that simple.

I haven't paid for cable in a long time. I don't really want to start. Hmph.

However, I do still get the CBC. I watched a bit of that new show, 11 Cameras... my friend Ryan is working on it (I can't remember exactly what he does, I think post-production?), and there's this girl in the show, and I'm like, "I recognize her!". It was Jeanne-Ann, Julia's friend! I met her at the the shower and the wedding, and she's super nice. Yay Jeanne-Ann!!

So, the show- it's kinda like Train 48, but through the eyes of a webcam on a computer screen. It's neat. The story lines are somewhat intriguing, and I can see teenage girls liking it a lot.

Now I'm watching Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making. Gotta love the CBC.

posted by Unknown @ 8:33 p.m.

Dee's and Drums

posted by Unknown @ 12:21 a.m.

Hoooweeee... Look At Me!!!

posted by Unknown @ 4:17 p.m.

The Best Wings Ever!!!

So, last night I tried my hand at chicken wings. I'd gotten a bag of wings for cheap at Price Chopper, and they've been taking up room in my freezer for a while. Honestly, I just really don't like handling raw meat. And I had to cut the wings into the two pieces- that wasn't pretty. Anyways- after a complete spray down of all the surfaces in my kitchen with some extra-strength household disinfectant, I think it's safe to go in there again.

But I digress.

The wings turned out fabulous! I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com, but I used balsamic instead of white vinegar, and garlic salt in place of the garlic powder/salt (it's all I had). I also added sesame seeds, just cause I love sesame seeds. It worked perfectly! I had my reservations when it said to fry the wings in a 1/2 cup of butter (margarine), but the aroma was mouth-watering, and reminded me of my grandma's kitchen.


I didn't think I had it in me! I'm super proud of myself. They aren't very healthy, but they're damn tasty! The only problem is that it took forever to make them. I didn't end up eating last night until 9:30pm (which for some is normal, ahem, Stacey and Chris!!) Then again, I didn't take the wings out to thaw until after work, and it took longer to brown them in the frying pan than I thought it would. I was gonna make some fries to have with them, but I ended up just eating some pretzels instead. Total bar food! Too bad I didn't have any alcohol left. LOL

posted by Unknown @ 10:52 a.m.

The Perfect Weekend...

Goes like this:

1. Rent a car from Thrifty.com, and get a free upgrade because you chatted up the irate customer that burst into the office, and let him deal with his business before you. Instead of an economy car like a Yaris, or worse, a Taurus *shudder*, we got to drive a beautiful silver Jeep Liberty around all weekend! I totally forgot to take a photo of it... drat.

2. Drive up the 400 and the 11, through beautiful Central Ontario, with two of the awesomest people you know. Stop at Weber's Burgers and marvel at jocks marveling over a "Lambo". Man, were those burgers good. The perfect size, and the fries were so crispy- they tasted like chips! The Lambourghini was alright too. At one point I yelled out, "Yeah it's mine! It's no big deal." We all had a good laugh.

3. Arrive at the most beautiful cottage you've ever seen, at which you get to stay in the sweet "treehouse", or what I lovingly refer to as "upstairs" (there are like, 50 steps up). Honestly, it's like a suite in a hotel, but with an awesome deck looking over the incredible main house, and beyond that is Lake Muskoka. Nuff said.

4. Revisit Benny & Joon, or more importantly, Johnny Depp at the beginning of his career. Fuck, he's hot. Perfect. *drool* Hubba hubba.

5. Wake up and discover cottage cheese. I can't believe I've never really liked cottage cheese before! Maybe when I was younger, I had some bad cottage cheese or something, and an aversion was the result. But it's good! Especially with fruit, and a bagel. Yum!

6. Go and pick up another one of the most awesome people you know at the cutest train/bus station ever. I'm glad James came up with us... he's always good for a laugh! Especially when he's hurling himself off of the boat house into the lake!

7. Eat fabulous food all weekend, and mostly fat free too! My menu consisted of salmon burgers, roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, steak, salad, pancakes with fresh fruit and syrups, sandwiches made of fresh bread, turkey, ham, swiss, veggies, and crazy mustard spreads. And for dessert... strawberry/rhubarb sauce in phyllo pastry with frozen vanilla yogurt.

8. Drink nothing but alcohol. Okay, that was last weekend, and so this weekend I took a bit of a breather. I switched from beer to vodka/water with a splash of juice. That way, the water hydrates you while you're getting nice and inebriated. Being in the sun helped! It's crazy how much faster the booze hits you when you're basking.

9. Play some Asshole. You know what I mean. The card game. Also, kick everyone's ass as Asshole. Yessssssssss!

10. Sleep in. I love sleeping. What I love even more... not waking up to an alarm. It's such a peaceful start to the day. Sleep in really soft sheets, in a queen bed, with pillows all around you.

11. Swim in the lake until your fingertips look like raisins. Blow up every inflatable thing in the boat house and try to sit on it in the water. Overcome fear of jumping into water from boat house garage (which doubles as the sundeck), which is 15' above the surface. It was scary. I would only do it once.

12. Relaaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. On plushy couches, surrounded by art that epitomizes "at the cottage". Even, or perhaps especially, Scare Bear. Dammit- I didn't take a picture of Scare Bear!!

13. Remember your humility by performing some manual labour for your hosts. Wood is heavy, and scratchy, and dirty. But it had to be done! And there's something so honest in stacking fire wood. I still can't believe how much it cost to buy it all- over $300- for 1/3 of their winter supply.

14. Visit "neighbours" and watch cute boys wakeboard. And meet the cutest of puppies in all the world! Again, I'm a loser and don't have a photo of Otis.

15. Get safely home in plenty of time to watch some Futurama and King of the Hill on Teletoon.

The only shitty thing about this weekend? I got a ticket for parking on the boulevard in front of my house. Actually, it's the frickin' driveway, and as if it's illegal to park on the strip of driveway between the sidewalk and the street, even though the sidewalk is unblocked and you're 5' away from the curb! Cars SUCK. As Maria said, "They suck your money." And as I replied, "The suck the breathe right out of you." Bah!

posted by Unknown @ 8:50 p.m.

Debauchery in Photographs

LOL- how many hits do you think my blog will get with that title?!?

So, Tuesday it was decided that my friends and I needed to drink more Corona. We were initially planning on hitting a patio somewhere, but we're all broke, so we opted to be creative... and rascally. Stef said she knew of a park that was fairly private. Here's the story, in photographs...

I ate a chicken burrito from Big Fat Burrito. Man was it good. As always.

There were many photos being taken, since both Stef and I brought our cameras. See here for some of her pics from the evening (and other great photos par Stef)!


Ori showed up, a bit late and very tired from her Canada Day weekend here in Toronto.

We knew we weren't supposed to be drinking in public, so we hid our bottles with our cell phones. "What beer? I don't see any beer here."

Ori brought some wine and cherries. I won't be surprised if there are a couple cherry trees sprouting up there next year. But hey, the birds will love it! They'll have to rig up a transistor radio somehow.

James got ahold of my camera, and took a billion close ups of my face, of course. The built-in motor drive in my Rebel XT just isn't enough for him... I'll have to borrow the 30D from work sometime, and he can see what the continuous mode can really do!

We sent James away to sit by himself, as punishment for his tendency to smack it up, flip it and rub it down. Oh dear!



Amy showed up, and she was immediately sent to sit in the chair. I'm not sure why... all I know is that James is the one who sent her.

Then James began to take close ups of Amy... I like this one in particular.

And we mustn't forget about our furry guests... for some reason, Amy thought this shot was frickin' hilarious... that's a squirrel, in case you can't tell.

moses was there, of course.

Although, I'm not sure he enjoyed himself, since he got thoroughly molested by James. This one is for Talia, who considers moses a phallic symbol for Canadians everywhere.


This is moses, morbidly embarrassed by James' violation. Just cause he's small doesn't mean you can't cause him to be traumatically effected! He'll never be the same. He hasn't said a word since "the episode".



And that's that. We had a great time on our little adventure, and as Stef says, it's nice that it doesn't take us a lot to be entertained! Good friends, good beer and the good laughs. All are plentiful when it comes to hanging with us.

Cheers!

posted by Unknown @ 11:30 a.m.

5:30pm Thursday, July 6th...

... and we're off the break the law. Stay tuned for pics and details!!!

posted by Unknown @ 5:34 p.m.

Funny Photos...

posted by Unknown @ 11:20 a.m.

21 Questions

ONE. Spell your name without vowels? KRMRGGNC
TWO. What is the date day after your birthday? August 23rd
THREE. What is your least favorite type of music? Gangsta Rap
FOUR. What color do you wear most? Purple
FIVE. Whats your least favorite color? Blue
SIX. Last song you heard? Demon Days- Gorrilaz
SEVEN. Whats for dinner tonight? Something from Fiddler's Green pub
EIGHT. Are you happy with your life right now? Meh- I wish I had someone to make out with.
NINE. Has anyone ever said you resemble a celebrity? Not that I can remember.
TEN. In what state or country do you want to go to college? Been there, done that.
ELEVEN. Do you shop at stores like Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch? Hollister is sickening. So, no.
TWELVE. How do you make money? Selling cameras online.
THIRTEEN. How old is your youngest sibling if any? That's me. 28.
FOURTEEN. When do you start Summer Break? August 3rd, 12pm noon, when I get Long Point Provincial Park.
SIXTEEN. One word to describe you? girlnextdoor
SEVENTEEN. Favorite pair of shoes? Airwalk Flip Flops
EIGHTEEN. do you own big sunglasses? Not big, but dark. Prescription.
NINETEEN. What would you rather be doing right now? Sleeping
TWENTY. What should you be doing right now? Testing cameras.
TWENTY ONE. Is there someone you want to be with right now? Nope, nada, uh uh. Where are all the cute, intelligent boys?!?!?!?

K- your turn!

posted by Unknown @ 10:53 a.m.