The 29th I had a nice long weekend after taking a couple of days off work. I spent Friday in Charlottetown attending an advisory committee meeting for Holland College then hung out with Charlotte and her friend Seedan (I don't know how you spell his name) at a little tea room. I had bubble tea for the first time even though I had ample opportunity on my last vacation out west. After that I went out for dinner with Nick and Kira at The Gahan House before meeting up with Tammy and a bunch of people at the Keir Gallery. Saddle River was playing at a benefit and then we all headed over to Baba's to see Mitch Schurman play. I had a really good day but I was damn tired. It was just nice to get out of town for a change, have a productive day off, and see people I don't get to see very much. Tonight I went over to City Hall with Nathan and Tammy for the meeting about the stupid condo they're going to put up. That thing is going to be such a fucking eyesore and there's no need for it, especially right in the middle of the heritage district. It's just ridiculous: a 5-storey condo for seniors next to the jail, a youth club and the Legion which is essentially just a bar. How many senior citizens are going to want to live next to that? Me and Nathan went to see Secret Window after that. The movie was ok. It didn't do much for me but John Turtorro and Johnny Depp are always good. It was entertaining but was also pretty predictable and just seemed like a big-budget made for TV movie. The 23rd I went to see Dawn of the Dead over the weekend and was entertained. It was basically a Hollywood version of 28 Days Later which means it doesn't come close to matching the quality of that film. It was neither great or bad but the zombies looked really cool and there were some good scares. Zombies freak me out. Tyler and Melissa were both around with the kids over the weekend so I got to hang out with them and play Mah Jong again before they went back. I was reaching into a drawer tonight and ended up driving this huge splinter of wood under my fingernail. I'm not even sure if I got it completely out or not because I can't tell if the dark 1/2" line buried under my nail is part of the splinter or a line of blood. In any case, it stings like a sonnuvabitch. The 14th So after the City put about 500 grand into renovating the Lefurgey Cultural Centre, the thing gets destroyed in a blaze. It's a damn shame that place had to burn down. Just another heritage building that's gone and probably not the last. Seems pretty suspicious though that after the government decided they weren't going to give the City money they had promised them that it suddenly goes up in smoke. Hmmm... I used to go there for art lessons for 10 years, and we had haunted houses at Halloween, snow sculpture contests in the winter and, even though I never went, Folk Club was there at one point among other things. It just seems like such a waste. I hope this wasn't a deliberate thing for insurance money. That would be horrible. In any case, I went to Nick's birthday party last night and had a good time. I got to hang out with Melissa while she's home with the kids so that was fun. And, of course, there was the mounds of Nick-food and pizza there. I ate so much that I don't think I'll need another meal for a couple of days. This morning, Charlotte made us these really good omelettes for breakfast then we went to Nick's again for tea and hung out there for a while with Catherine, Tammy, James, and Troy. That family really feeds me way too much. The 13th Why do things have to be so difficult? I wanted to borrow a book from the library today but after doing a search it turns out it's in Montague. No problem, I'll request to have it brought to Summerside. Only I realize I left my library card at home. So I go home and get my card and head back to request the book. After making the request on the computer I was about to leave when I had a nagging suspicion that the request didn't go through. I check at the desk and they tell me that it didn't. So I go through the process again with the librarian looking over my shoulder. I make the request again and she tells me that the book has been returned but the status says they just can't find it. Whatever. I bought a Kitty-Kat Klock the other day and find out when I open it up that there are no instructions. I mean, it's only a clock so I really don't need instructions but I can't get the damn thing's eyes and tail to move. So I bring it back to the store and exchange it for one that does. I get it home to find out that it has 2 sets of instructions in the box. It's like I'm just being laughed at by someone out there all the time. The 10th Why don't I be more useless? I know why. It's because I don't think I can possibly be more useless than I am now. I haven't done anything constructive in a long time. I just end up watching TV or sleeping. I can't wait for the winter to be over so I can leave the house without worrying about freezing. I'll be able to actually bike somewhere or sit out on the roof or the step again. The 2nd I don't understand how people go on MSN and talk to a dozen people at a time. I'll be at my parents' place and my sister will be chatting with her friends and she'll have 10 or 15 different conversations going on at the same time. It's nuts. As soon as more than one MSN conversation starts up I'm lost. I can't seem to keep a train of thought going and I just get confused and frustrated by the "bloops" and the "bleeps" of people signing in and out and messaging me. That's why I keep everyone on my list blocked. I have nothing to say anyway so it's just easier to pop in and say hi or ask a question that way and not have to suddenly deal with a dozen people simultaneously saying "Hi" or "Hey" or "What the? You're never on". The 1st Last week was a good week for movies. I braved the drive on drift-covered roads to Charlottetown with Luke and Shawn to go see The Passion of The Christ on Thursday. We met up with Ryan L. and Ryan P. and us 5 bearded guys waited in line with Wendy's in hand. I'm glad I ate before the movie started and didn't wait until the harshness began. I don't think I've ever seen a more violent and bloody movie in my entire life. Well, a serious one anyway. Dead Alive doesn't count. The movie was amazing but the lashings and the whippings and the beatings and the crucifictions were ungodly bloody. It's not often a movie sticks with me for days afterwards but this one scarred me for life. I went to see Monster last night with Nathan and it was really nice, light-hearted look at the miserable life of a prostitute-turned-serial-killer. It had a happy ending that was, at the same time, both uplifting and rewarding. How about no. Charlize Theron deserved the Oscar and Christina Ricci was excellent in it too. It's a damn depressing movie but it was so well done. I never thought I would feel bad for a serial killer.