It's been a crazy summer.
I'm getting ready to say goodbye to several different aspects of my life, the first to go will be the summer that failed to occur, but still managed to leave me with a massive sunburn.
The next to go will be my home, my apartment that I've grown to love, in the building that I'd rather not know existed. It's amazing what you can accomplish behind closed doors, but unfortunately, I've yet to figure out how to avoid occasionally leaving the walls that surround me to venture out into my less than desirable neighborhood.
As I'm leaving my home, I will also be parting with my fish tank, that I've both loved and neglected over the years. I'm not entirely sure as to why I feel the need to mention my fish tank, and all 55 gallons of it's glory, other then the fact that I was so insistent on getting it in the first place. I've decided not take it with me since I doubt it will make the trip in one piece.
I'll be saying goodbye to my facebook account. Though I am impressed with how a widely used social networking tool has managed to turn most of our youth into anti-social beings that sit in front of their computer/blackberry/cellphone(s) updating their "status" to inform the person in front of them of what they are doing, myself included.
There are my friends and some family that I won't be saying goodbye to, simply because I know that they will still be very much a part of my life, despite the distance, however I will be leaving them here in the city, that is a wonderful and miserable place.
What will I miss? Not a hell of a lot. I'll miss the people, I'll miss having the ability to just venture downtown and find something to do, but I already miss that, and I live here.
Why did I feel the need to mention any of this? I can't seem to think about anything else. My uncertainty about leaving behind most everything I know is constantly battling with my desire to pursue a life that will hopefully someday have my family and I much better off than we ever could be within city walls. Affordable housing trumps renting anything in Toronto. Clean air trumps constant smog advisories, and the chances of randomly being shot in a drive-by are much less (or I would assume so anyway, I haven't actually looked into that. Thinking about it though, I think I'd rather take my chances with some punk with a faulty hand gun and no aim, than a drunken deranged hunter with a rifle, but that's just me.)
I'll certainly try to keep this blog updated regularly, I'm hoping to use it in place of my soon to be non-existent facebook account. However I'm not exactly sure what life has in store for me just yet, so I won't make any promises. But, if all goes according to plan, you can expect to see more pictures posted here, the occasional video, and eventually, that music that I did in fact promise.
Until I have something else to say,
April
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
41st Post.
Here it is, my 41st post.
I was hoping that I would have somthing interesting to write about, but I don't. I've started working on a compliation of songs, written by me, I don't want to say album, because such things don't really seem to exist anymore, thanks to the likes of Napster, Itunes, Kazaa and Limewire. But the entirety of the songs will be available in bulk entitled Just April and Her Guitar.
It's an acoustic collection of music that was originally intended for my Vantage, but after months of playing acoustically, the music has crossed over. Mostly about love and loss, like most music, there's something I'm sure everyone can relate to, as well as a lot of stuff that most people won't relate to.
Once in it's completed stage, Just April and Her Guitar will be available here, at no cost, for a period of time I haven't yet decided on, but I'll let you know when it's coming.
'Til then,
I was hoping that I would have somthing interesting to write about, but I don't. I've started working on a compliation of songs, written by me, I don't want to say album, because such things don't really seem to exist anymore, thanks to the likes of Napster, Itunes, Kazaa and Limewire. But the entirety of the songs will be available in bulk entitled Just April and Her Guitar.
It's an acoustic collection of music that was originally intended for my Vantage, but after months of playing acoustically, the music has crossed over. Mostly about love and loss, like most music, there's something I'm sure everyone can relate to, as well as a lot of stuff that most people won't relate to.
Once in it's completed stage, Just April and Her Guitar will be available here, at no cost, for a period of time I haven't yet decided on, but I'll let you know when it's coming.
'Til then,
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Baby it's cold outside.
I was reading the news this morning, for the first time in a few days, and I found myself laughing, which is a nice change from "Surprise! Another 15 shootings in you neighborhood while you slept!"
Molson Coors Canada has removed billboards posted in B.C. because if was offensive, to Torontonians. From what I understand, they've received approximately 40 email/phone complaints regarding the ad. The billboard itself reads "colder than most people from Toronto".
My first thought? "Ha ha..."
My second? "Ouch, that's kind of low."
My third? "Wait, what? That doesn't even make any sense."
First of all, I promise, over the last few days or so, the only "cold" Torontonians have been sitting in front of their air conditioner. With temperatures feeling near 40 degrees Celsius for the last while, "cold" would be greatly appreciated.
Back to the ad not making any sense. "Colder than most people from Toronto"? does that mean that most Torontonians are in fact warmer than this beer? Or that some people are colder than this beer? Because that will be fact anywhere in the world, some people just suck. Honestly, I'm a little confused as to how this ad was approved in the first place, it just seems like it wasn't very well thought out on any level.
I've lived in Toronto, all of my life, with the exception of maybe a combined 6 months over 25 years. Growing up, I loved it here. As a teenager, there were no rules, I could do whatever I wanted, see whatever I wanted to see, and be wherever I wanted to be. The city, especially the downtown core was filled with great music, and great people, and no matter what you want to experience, if you look a little bit, you're going to find it, if not something better.
Toronto has a great selection of bars, pubs, restaurants, concert venues, clubs, parks, coffee shops, bookstores, hobby shops, and the list could go on forever. There really is something here for everyone.
Now here's where it becomes a little bit depressing. I grew up, I started a family (not the depressing part). I stopped hanging out at my favorite places, and with my favorite people. Instead of heading to the Green Room (popular with the university students), I go to the grocery store. No Frills specifically. In stead of being surrounded by people I have common interests with, I'm now surrounded by people with common problems.
I have no money, and a family to feed for the next two weeks, when I'll still have no money, and I'll still have to feed my family. If I get "no name" bread, peanut butter, mac and cheese, dish soap, and laundry detergent, maybe I can splurge and get diapers that work. Maybe I'll be a vegetarian until the cost of chicken is reduced. Let me rethink that, maybe I'll become a pasta-tarian until the cost of produce is reduced. Maybe I'll cancel my cable so we can have Christmas. Yes. I'll do that. What do you mean there's a $75 charge to cancel my cable? That's more than my bill is. Why won't they open more than 3 registers? There are easily 400 people in here. Is she really paying with pennies? I have to be at work in less than an hour, I need to bring this stuff home, drop the kids off at the sitters, then take the bus for 45 minutes. This will be fun. "I'm sorry, this register is closed". Well, fuck.
The best part, everyone is thinking the same way. Needless to say it's going to be a little less than happy in there, and it's not even a matter of being cold, it's being so distracted that you're not even sure there are other people there, until you run someone over with your shopping cart. And that's just the grocery store. Let's also replace taxi's with rush hour public transit, 1 load of laundry with 8, weekends with much needed extra shifts and sleeping in with sleep deprivation.
Working a minimum wage job, starting this coming march, full time (40 hours/week) before taxes will pay approximately $1700 a month. I live in one of Toronto's less desirable, more affordable neighborhoods, if not the most affordable neighborhood, and my 2 bedroom apartment is more than $1000 a month. I'm quite happy with my unit. It's spacious, and I've put some effort into making it feel like home. The catch? I'm afraid to leave it.
Every city has at least one, a less that nice neighborhood that fortunate people will be happy to avoid. Why do these neighborhood exist? Remember those people in the grocery store? That really gets to you after a while, especially when despite your best efforts, you're situation isn't getting any better. People eventually do what they think they have to to survive. Unfortunately, some people think very differently than others. These neighborhoods though, are usually full of hard working, loving families and great people. But you'll hardly see them, because for the most part, you avoid going outside. These people that like to run around with knives and guns, really ruin it for everyone.
It is really, really difficult to live in Toronto with a less than six-figure-income, and the reality of it, most of us are trying to do it with a less than 30k yearly salary. Doesn't make much sense, does it? Do I let this make me come across as a cold person? I certainly hope not, but I'm sure there are days that I let circumstance get the best of me.
I too find myself questioning the "niceness" of my fellow Torontonians, but after seeing that ad, the comments, and really giving it some thought, I think next time I come across a particularly "cold" person, I'll ask if there is anything I can do to make their day a little easier instead of rolling my eyes and pushing by.
Oh, and just in case this blog is spotted by certain individuals who have commented on the various news sites I read this morning, Toronto isn't a province, it's a city. Way to be Canadian. Oh, and I'll never buy a Coors again, not that I would have in the first place.
Molson Coors Canada has removed billboards posted in B.C. because if was offensive, to Torontonians. From what I understand, they've received approximately 40 email/phone complaints regarding the ad. The billboard itself reads "colder than most people from Toronto".
My first thought? "Ha ha..."
My second? "Ouch, that's kind of low."
My third? "Wait, what? That doesn't even make any sense."
First of all, I promise, over the last few days or so, the only "cold" Torontonians have been sitting in front of their air conditioner. With temperatures feeling near 40 degrees Celsius for the last while, "cold" would be greatly appreciated.
Back to the ad not making any sense. "Colder than most people from Toronto"? does that mean that most Torontonians are in fact warmer than this beer? Or that some people are colder than this beer? Because that will be fact anywhere in the world, some people just suck. Honestly, I'm a little confused as to how this ad was approved in the first place, it just seems like it wasn't very well thought out on any level.
I've lived in Toronto, all of my life, with the exception of maybe a combined 6 months over 25 years. Growing up, I loved it here. As a teenager, there were no rules, I could do whatever I wanted, see whatever I wanted to see, and be wherever I wanted to be. The city, especially the downtown core was filled with great music, and great people, and no matter what you want to experience, if you look a little bit, you're going to find it, if not something better.
Toronto has a great selection of bars, pubs, restaurants, concert venues, clubs, parks, coffee shops, bookstores, hobby shops, and the list could go on forever. There really is something here for everyone.
Now here's where it becomes a little bit depressing. I grew up, I started a family (not the depressing part). I stopped hanging out at my favorite places, and with my favorite people. Instead of heading to the Green Room (popular with the university students), I go to the grocery store. No Frills specifically. In stead of being surrounded by people I have common interests with, I'm now surrounded by people with common problems.
I have no money, and a family to feed for the next two weeks, when I'll still have no money, and I'll still have to feed my family. If I get "no name" bread, peanut butter, mac and cheese, dish soap, and laundry detergent, maybe I can splurge and get diapers that work. Maybe I'll be a vegetarian until the cost of chicken is reduced. Let me rethink that, maybe I'll become a pasta-tarian until the cost of produce is reduced. Maybe I'll cancel my cable so we can have Christmas. Yes. I'll do that. What do you mean there's a $75 charge to cancel my cable? That's more than my bill is. Why won't they open more than 3 registers? There are easily 400 people in here. Is she really paying with pennies? I have to be at work in less than an hour, I need to bring this stuff home, drop the kids off at the sitters, then take the bus for 45 minutes. This will be fun. "I'm sorry, this register is closed". Well, fuck.
The best part, everyone is thinking the same way. Needless to say it's going to be a little less than happy in there, and it's not even a matter of being cold, it's being so distracted that you're not even sure there are other people there, until you run someone over with your shopping cart. And that's just the grocery store. Let's also replace taxi's with rush hour public transit, 1 load of laundry with 8, weekends with much needed extra shifts and sleeping in with sleep deprivation.
Working a minimum wage job, starting this coming march, full time (40 hours/week) before taxes will pay approximately $1700 a month. I live in one of Toronto's less desirable, more affordable neighborhoods, if not the most affordable neighborhood, and my 2 bedroom apartment is more than $1000 a month. I'm quite happy with my unit. It's spacious, and I've put some effort into making it feel like home. The catch? I'm afraid to leave it.
Every city has at least one, a less that nice neighborhood that fortunate people will be happy to avoid. Why do these neighborhood exist? Remember those people in the grocery store? That really gets to you after a while, especially when despite your best efforts, you're situation isn't getting any better. People eventually do what they think they have to to survive. Unfortunately, some people think very differently than others. These neighborhoods though, are usually full of hard working, loving families and great people. But you'll hardly see them, because for the most part, you avoid going outside. These people that like to run around with knives and guns, really ruin it for everyone.
It is really, really difficult to live in Toronto with a less than six-figure-income, and the reality of it, most of us are trying to do it with a less than 30k yearly salary. Doesn't make much sense, does it? Do I let this make me come across as a cold person? I certainly hope not, but I'm sure there are days that I let circumstance get the best of me.
I too find myself questioning the "niceness" of my fellow Torontonians, but after seeing that ad, the comments, and really giving it some thought, I think next time I come across a particularly "cold" person, I'll ask if there is anything I can do to make their day a little easier instead of rolling my eyes and pushing by.
Oh, and just in case this blog is spotted by certain individuals who have commented on the various news sites I read this morning, Toronto isn't a province, it's a city. Way to be Canadian. Oh, and I'll never buy a Coors again, not that I would have in the first place.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Congratulations!
Congratulations Alysha, Geoff, and new addition Emalee Lynn. Wishing you all the best, can't wait to see you guys.
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