We all walk. We walk wherever we are. That wherever changes from time to time, and so changes where we walk. Often our walks are domestic, but these are the tales of every step of foreign soil.
The Walker
ALEXANDER C. COOK
-Adventurer -Writer -Machete Enthusiast -Speedo Model
So, I have not yet found a place to do martial arts indoors in or around Drayton Valley. Because of this I have started to do what I usually do in such situations, which is to head outside. First I was outside doing Jodo, which was fine as it can be done in regular clothes and it just comprises of me swinging around something resembling a broomstick.
Today I did Iaido for the first time. How couldn't I? It was like 10 degrees today, and 7 degrees when I got home. It seemed like the perfect weather for Iaido outside. Not to mention, the streets are starting to melt so there is a nice little patch of pavement at the end of our driveway that is out of the way and begging for me to use.
So I did. I got dressed up in my Iaidogi (or my skirt for you non-technical people) and then headed out to the street. It wasn't a big deal at first, but people soon began to notice. The neighbour came home and we had a nice and awkward "Hi how are you?" session and then he headed in. He then proceeded to tell his kids that there was a man outside with a sword.
Children are not good a being sneaky... and they are not good at whispering. Faces were appearing in windows one and two houses down, and a door cracked open and a little girl's head popped out. I could hear them all round me.
I finished the set of techniques I was doing, and then I headed back to the house. It is best that I break them in in little boughts... Either way, it was definitely the first time anyone in Rocky Rapids had seen Iaido.
Once upon a time, when I was in University, mp3 players were gaining popularity. This was before Apple had more or less monopolized the market with their ipod. It was a time of variety, and of mystery. People had different kinds of mp3 players, all different, and all the shape, weight, and size, of a small brick.
I did not like ipods. I did not like the shape, the controls, the computer/player interface, the Appleness of it, etc. I was not the only one.
So in my first year of engineering I met someone with a Dell DJ. Seeing the awesomeness of an alternative to an ipod, a friend and I each bought brand new Dell DJs.
Now, let me tell you something that may shock you. Contrary to the popular belief that the ipod was the only functional and usable mp3 player out there, the Dell DJ worked, and it worked well. I used my mp3 player very hard and all the way through University.
True, that about a year in a little bug crawled into the headphone jack and behind the screen where he proceeded to perish... I named him, Fredrique the Helpful Cockroach... He wasn't really helpful, since he was deceased, and stuck behind the screen, but you could see him there looking out at you with those dead still eyes, and it was kind of comforting. People joke about bugs in their electronics... I joke not.
Other than Fredrique's appearance there were no real bumps in the road... well... I guess, at about four years in the headphone jack became damaged and then I had to use some shish kabob skewers, and heaps of electrical tape to make everything work. I also took the liberty of adding in another headphone jack, and renaming my mp3 player to "The Glory Machine."
The Glory Machine
Oh how The Glory Machine served me well. We had times... good good times... listening to tunes all around the world and doing all the things that people do with their mp3 players. Like, sitting in dark rooms alone listening to music, sitting on the toilet listening to music, even sitting in class listening to music... heh, true story, I actually used to have two sets of headphones, so that the Professors would see one around my neck and would not think that I was listening to another set... maybe that explains my marks in second year...
Anyways, long story short, good times were had.
But then, in New Brunswick, my fix on the Glory Machine unfixed, and where once I was listening to the voluminous variety of stereo sound I was reduced to the monotony of mono.
Mono... poor poor mono.
So then, I stopped listening to music, and the soundtrack of my life once again became the belaboured breathing from my deviated septumatic nose.
So life went.
So it goes.
Recently... ish... (I know, I know, I'm behind on posting)... It was my birthday. When my sister and I drove up to see Drayton Valley the first time, we did so in silence. She noticed. And that spawned an idea. Instead of listening to the air trying to squeeze through my nose, I could listen to... wait for it... novel concept... music!
So my family teamed up, and bought for me... an ipod!
ipod!!!
Ok. Don't get me wrong, I was not on the ipod boat, but, the war is over, and we lost. So ipod it is. Plus, the technology is good, I just have to get over its... Appleness...
Thus ends the saga of The Glory Machine, and begins the saga of...
The New Hotness
The New Hotness (Left) and The Glory Machine (Right)
I have so many blogs to write... actually... I also have so many pages to write... actually actually... I also have so much work to do, both at work, and not at work... Gahhhhhh!!!
I am going to Calgary for the next few days on business... I guess that it will be nice to visit Calgary, but that is making it hard to get caught up on things. This weekend I can catch up a bit, but, I am supposed to go curling... Oh yeah, that's right, I am going curling... We will see how that goes.
Anyways, the message I am trying to convey to you is that Adventures are happening like crazy, and that I plan on writing about them, but I don't yet have the time... Soon I will.
On that same note. I have my camera cord, so once my photos are up blogs can now have them too. Finally.
So, it looks like I am on some kind of music kick here. I was listening to some music at work today, just some old favourites, and I realized how awesome they really are. For example, we all have an image of a harmonica in our heads, and you can imagine that lone ranger kind of person playing away, or a young boy trying to find his way in the world. In all of those visions (and movies) we only get to hear a few tense chords. Even those guys with the guitars and the harmonicas... it doesn't do it justice.
This song was done my a professional, and it is incredible. There are even times when you cannot tell that it is a harmonica, but, it is, and it is amazing.
Check it out.
And if you want to learn how its done... this guy can teach you...
I so have an overwhelming urge to buy a harmonica right now...
I have a vague recollection that I have posted on this topic before. Not an exact overlap, but probably a half overlap... so bear with me.
I have been writing a lot lately, and a lot of the time when I write... a lot... I listen to movie soundtracks. Once upon a time a friend introduced me to a song from a soundtrack. I thought the song was ok, but then, when I listened to the song a few more times I began to think that the song was more than ok. In fact, it was brilliant.
When I listened to this song I was amazed at the power bound within its chords, and I could feel every beat like the rising beat of my own heart. This was a song of great triumph. When I later investigated more music from the same soundtrack, and then eventually the movie itself, I noticed something about the song. When I played the recording it did not start at silence... the song started where another ended.
So I found the song before it and I listened to them back to back.
What an experience. The triumph that I heard in the music of that song had been powerful, but with both songs in succession it was titanic. The first song does not start as a song of triumph, but one of great defeat. It has lyrics, and they are powerful.
Together, the first, a tale of woe, and the second, a great catharsis, form an indomitable duo.
Ideally you would listen to them without the seam of moving from one song too the next... but this is the best I can do.
A dear friend of mine, those of you who have been reading for a while know how dear, works for a newspaper. She had the opportunity to interview a man who is 100 years old. I think that this is a rare opportunity and that she is very fortunate.
We might not have gotten to speak with the man ourselves, but we can certainly read the article she wrote.
I am happy to say that I have found some time to write and now I am going full out working on this manuscript.
This weekend for example, I pounded out four chapters. This can also be looked at as 50 pages, or 25,000 words.
Usually I have to limit how much I write by how fast the story generates in my head, but currently it is generating at full speed, and so that's how I'll write!
So... at work there is a machine that makes coffee. Actually, it makes just about every kind of coffee that one could ever imagine, which is great, because, you know... I don't drink coffee. Alright, I guess that isn't that great, but when I was toured around and was introduced to all of the people in my office, and the coffee machine, I was told that it could also produce Hot Chocolate. Great, now this was up my alley. I took the idea and stored it in my brain for a day when we weren't trying to "Rrrrrolllll up the Rim to Win!"
The day came. The day before yesterday. I got up from my desk, headed down the hall all pumped up and raring to go and then... I saw someone with their arm, head, and most of the right side of their torso, missing inside the coffee machine. Ok. Bad time. I could come back later when the machine was functional and wouldn't produce Italian Plumber when I pushed the Hot Chocolate button.
So. I passed on Hot Chocolate and waited for the next opportune moment. It too came; yesterday. Again I got up and headed towards the coffee machine. There was no line up, no one was in sight, perfect! I got a cup from beside the machine pushed it into the little cup slot and pressed "Hot Chocolate." Well, I thought I pushed "Hot Chocolate." After about half a cup of "Hot Water" I discovered that I had not hit "Hot Chocolate," but instead had hit "Hot Water." Crap. I would have poured it out, but there is no sink by the coffee machine, and if I walked to a sink and ran into someone I would have the shame of explaining that I in fact made "Hot Water" instead of "Hot Chocolate" by accident. "Hot" and "Hot" right? So, for another attempt I gave up, too the "Hot Water" back to my office and poured it into my gourd for some of the strangest tasting Mate I have ever had.
This nasty event did not dissuade me however and I tried again, more later, yesterday. I was fortunate. I found a lull in the people talking near to the coffee machine so I snuck in. I grabbed a cup, slid it in the slot, and then STOPPED. I read the instructions... yep, there was a "Hot Water" button... yep, there was a "Hot Chocolate" button... and yep, there was a "Hot Cocoa" button?!?! What?!
Ok. I guess you could interpret "Hot Chocolate" and "Hot Cocoa" differently. Usually they are considered synonymous, but one of my colleagues helpfully discerned the obvious differences for me. So they are different in coffee machine world, fine, but what is really important is which is better?
Someone was coming now to the lunch room and towards the coffee machine. I did not want to look like I couldn't work the coffee machine and was a total moron, so I make a quick decision. Whatever. It worked. I was feeling all upper class and hoitytoity that day, so why not try the elegant and refined sounding..."Hot Cocoa." I returned to my office, proud that I had for once successfully used the coffee machine, and I had to work hard all afternoon to resist lifting my cup with my pinky outstretched to demonstrate my hoitytoityness.
Verdict. "Hot Cocoa" is good, decent flavour, and definitely cocoaey.
I did not know that there would be two options. All I wanted was some "Hot Chocolate," and to be able to use the coffee machine. Now this was not longer an, "I should go and get Hot Chocolate," it was a Duel!
Later that day. Or maybe the next day. Nope, today is the next day. Then maybe all of these days are off. I have had a pretty busy week so I am not sure really what day all of this saga fell on. So... wait. What day is it?!
Anyways. LATER. I returned to the machine and did not care if people were in the lunch room. I walked over, grabbed my cup, and like a pro I made "Hot Chocolate." This is not to be confused with "Hot Water" or "Hot Cocoa." I watched as the first half of the cup was filled with hot milk, and then hot milk mixed with "chocolate." For any of you who read my last post, you and I both know that at that moment I had a strong suspicion as to who the winner of this contest would be.
It was like a bad Nabob commercial, my eyes were closed, I lifted the cup to my nose (with a full grip, no pinkyfanoodling), smelled the beautiful aroma, and took a sip.
It was like angels singing. And what were they singing?
Before I moved to Drayton Valley nothing like this ever happened to me. Last night it happened for the second time.
It was the middle of the night. What time? Who knows. All I knew is that I was somewhat conscious. Conscious enough to know that I was somewhat conscious, but not conscious enough to know that I could not tell the difference between dreaming and not. You now that point, you can sort of see what is happening (sort of) and yet your concept of logic is greatly flawed. These are the times when doing ridiculous things seems to be logical and seems to be the norm.
When I woke up, and I was in this semi-conscious state there was one thing I knew for certain: I was thirsty. People get thirsty in the middle of the night all the time, so this is not really exciting, but in this semi-conscious state I decided I needed to get up, out of bed, walk not to the bathroom to get a drink of water, but all the way to the kitchen. I got a glass, I went to the fridge, and I grabbed the milk.
It was not until I was on my second glass of milk that I really realized what I was doing. Yep, it was the middle of the night, what time? who knows, and there I was looking at the bottom of a very dark glass of milk... a very large very dark glass of milk.
By my estimates now, having come home and looked at the damage, I drank just over a litre of milk... in the middle of the night. Most people drink water, because then you don't get all milk flavoured dreams when you sleep, but me, evidently I prefer milk.
I had not heard of Chris Guillebeau until today, but I can see why his readers support him the way they do. He has decided to create a social movement called "The Art of Non-Conformity." I am sure you can guess what it is about.
To some this might sound like a crazy idea, but he has presented it in such a way to separate the remarkably average from those who might break through conformity and seize greatness. This speaks to me, as I have some aspirations of greatness, but I do not yet have clear direction.
Chris has posted on his blog a tidbit to get people interested in his idea, and in this "A Brief Guide To World Domination," his manifesto, he presents people with some specific, thoughts, examples, and more importantly for me, some questions.
I have thought often of his first question, which is, "What do you really want to get out of life?" This does not mean that I have an answer, but I have put a great deal of thought into it. My life has been a bit... challenging... and my goals seem to waiver from on thing to another. I will think about it some more and try to settle on what I want. There is a conflict between Greatness and Content, but Chris Guillebeau pushes the idea that perhaps one can have both.
The other of his questions I have not thought on. "What can you offer the world that no one else can?"
...
...
...
Hell, who knows.
So, I guess his words did what they were intended. I will think about what he has written. I will think about how to break the bonds of conformity, and once I have direction I will move down that path.
If you want to see the manifesto it can be downloaded from Chris' blog, here.
Also, if you hugely love the manifesto, you can buy the book based on the same idea, here.
I will be behind on my blogging for a few weeks I think. My life is nuts and without my camera cord there are a few posts that I simply cannot post. I will go back to Calgary in two weeks once I have been paid and can pay for the gas to get there.
There will be some posts though, just the ones lacking the photos.
So far work and Drayton Valley has treated me well. The weather here had been rather chilly with my waking up yesterday to a balmy -37 (I would hate to see what it was with wind chill). I have been lucky enough to have been able to borrow the extension cord from my landlords to plug in the Jeepaloskaphy, however, I now have some kind of issue with my cord on the Jeep or the block heater and it keeps triggering the GFI switches on the power outlets. Now I cannot plug it in at all. I am hoping that it just remains warm until I get paid and can afford to get the Jeep fixed. Also, I should have my company truck soon and then I don't have to worry about getting to and from work... to and from everywhere else however...
I have also noticed that the snow here at these cold temperatures is very very fine. So fine that three days in a row I have observed a hilarious and unfortunate phenomenon. It is freezing, so when I leave the office I am more than happy to get to the car. I hope into ye Jeep, turn it on (hoping it will turn on), and then BAM, with the defrost on full to keep the windows clear the fine fine snow gets sucked in the intake and shot right into my face. Just imagine. I come in from outside, happy to be sheltered from the elements, and then I get my own personal blizzard right in my face. Great. At least when your are outside you can look away, but when you need that defrost the snow is right in your face. Brutal, yet hilarious. I opened up laughing the first time it happened and then I did what engineers do... I swore.
Overall things have been great. I have been sorting out all of my passwords for all the programs at work. I have gotten my phone sorted out, and last night me and one of the guys went to the Oilers game in Edmonton. It was a strange feeling seeing all the shirts of blue and not red, but still, it was an excellent game, and one that I will not forget anytime soon. It was funny though, in the commercial breaks on the junbotron they were showing video clips of Oilers players beating out other players, like body checking or fighting or whatever. Most of these clips were of Oilers players beating up Flames player. Ahahahah. It just cracked me up.
The game was great, but we don't live close to Edmonton so getting home at 1 am makes for a late night. With the increased tiredness of being on work for my first week I am very tired now. I will be less tired in the future and then I will fill my time with things like... swimming... and Iaido... and DDR!!! Good times.
Anyways, I have other things that need to be done... hopefully I can post this post tonight... if not I will post it from work in the morning.
