Rainy days

I've been in Vic for three days now, and I'm officially sick of the rain.
Cold, miserable, wet ... and that's just the bathroom in my mom's guestroom. Outside it's much the same. The day I came over on the ferry was the night before the windstorm that swept through the Lower Mainland, knocking over powerlines and fences alike. The boat was 15 minutes late because it had to power through six-foot waves on the way to Swartz Bay, rocking and swaying the whole time.
Despite the lousy weather, I could definitely see myself moving back here. Yeah, the weather sucks, but it's still a great city.
Yesterday was the second-to-last chemo appointment for my moms; it was five hours of fun, lemme tell ya.
The room is arranged in a horseshoe, ringed with these huge star trek-looking chairs for all the patients to get juiced up in. We were on the inside curve, looking across at the far wall.
We got these weird looks all day from everyone else, since they didn't have anyone visiting with them. It wasn't quite jealousy, more like irritation that my mom had visitors and they didn't.
So yeah, maybe that is jealousy. ;)
My mom decided to watch Tango and Cash (of all movies) at one point, and I spent the next couple hours talking with a very sweet old lady in the chair next to me. She launched into not only her life story, but the story of her two(!) husbands. One of them grew up during the Red and White war in Russia, and used to go around collecting guns and bullets and alternately trade them for candy or blow them up. Both her and her husband used to be Olympic-class skeet shooters, too. Nice lady. And 78 pounds lighter after they removed a stomach tumor.
Today's my last day in town before boating back to Vancouver, where I'll spend a couple days before heading back to K-town to work. Oh joyous days...

The Crackbook Experiment

So I did it. Caved like a little bitch. I showed as much spine as those an aquatic invertabrate.
I joined Facebook.
For those of you who don't know, it's a "social networking website." Basically, anyone who you know, have ever known — or don't know — can look you up. I think every Facebook story I've ever heard has started with the phrase "So there was this guy/girl I went to elementary/high school/prison with..."
It's also massively addictive. I'd rank it right up there with nicotine and crack. Hence it's nickname, "Crackbook."
But at least it gives me yet another way to procrastinate while at work.
We'll see how it goes... I haven't heard from any long-lost friends, but I've only been on for two days. Check back in a minute....
In other Kelowna news, there is no Kelowna news. How's that for exciting? I'm on day 8 of an alcohol cleanse, if that tickles your fancy...
I went and saw American Gangster last night with Stef, and I have to recommend this movie to everyone. Denzel was mind-blowingly good, portraying Frank Lucas, aka Superfly, a drug dealer from the 60s and 70s who basically began Harlem's slow spiral into drugs and crime.
If you have 20 minutes or so, read THIS story on Lucas. It's crazy.

And if you have more time, watch this show... Biff Naked Bride. I still can't get over this; Ian Walker, one of my sportswriting collegues, just married Bif Naked. After watching a couple of episodes of the show (while "working," of course) I gotta say, they make a pretty good couple. Walks is a good guy, though we all take the piss outta him for wearing black patent leather sneakers down the aisle.
"But they were designer," he protested, during one of his several emails he sent while on honeymoon on the Mexican Riviera. Bastard.

And in yet another link, check out the greatest piece of sports memorabilia of all time. I seriously would buy this...

And THIS is dedicated to all you pale ballers out there... I'm surprised Miceail didn't make the list for his open-mouth expressions...
And I'm out....

The leaves have turned...

... and the skies are grey. We are into the dog days of autumn, stuck in a limbo between boarding seasons. The only good thing about this time is thanksgiving and halloween, both of which have come and gone.
As I wrote before, I made the trek to the island to visit with my moms. I learned a few things about chemo treatments:
- Always let your mom win at cards. It's good for the spirits.
- Patients will get nauseous. And it will come without warning. But not without multi-coloured consequences.
- Dogs are good for the soul.

Some pics from the past month...


Max attacks... Jumbo's boy is a chip off the ol' block. A hyperactive clown.



Imani-doodle... She's so more phobic of cameras than Brit is of paparazzi...



Annie with a suddenly unconcious Max...



Homey the clown... aka Jeremy




My amusement for the trip... watching my 6-8, 300-pound dad with creaky knees try to squeeze his prodigous frame into a rental car while the van was in the shop. It was like watching a skyscraper fall in slow motion...



Dounia "Don't Call Him Deebo" Whitehouse made a rare trip to town for his brother's 30th birthday... it was good to see him, Justin and Stefan aka "Keys to the VIP" again...



Speaking of rare visits, Juicy also showed his face in Ktown for the first time in about a year. It was a week straight of me beating his ass at Madden 2007 and drinking him under the table... Just like the olden days...



Scoff and scorn, peons... but I am the Guitar Hero king...