Step two...

The next phase of online self indulgence.
I made the mistake of monkeying around with my original BLOG located here http://here2ventandwine.blogspot.com/ and ruining it.
I am useless.
I am starting over..and here we go.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

The Mouse

It's been almost exactly one month since my last entry.



Every so often I fall away from this little on-going project. Normal enough...



This month has been a bit of a roller coaster ( pun intended ). We are hopefully on the tail end of one of the worst winters ever and everybody has had enough.


I cannot recall a Winter that hit so early and stayed so nasty for so long. There is snow outside that I can't imagine being gone in any less that a month and there is a good chance that there will be snow right into May if the weather keeps to it's forecast.

Brutal.







This was a good year to get away to someplace warm and this was to be the Disney Year for the Norland clan!!



I have been trying to get the kids to Disney for years and I was beginning to think that it wasn't going to happen.
It is an expensive proposition and we just don't have a ton of mad money. There was just no way to justify the expense any time I did the pre-trip math in my head so I had pretty much given up on the possibility.

But then the stars aligned...



Kim's parents decided to rent a house for a few weeks and invited us down.

That was a very generous offer that provided us with meals and free lodging.







That coupled with the retro $$ I will be receiving this year ( if Treasury board ever gets of their corrupt ass and pays me )  made for a situation that I just couldn't say no to.

The kids deserved this and the midwinter break was a god send this year.



It was also the biggest surprise of my life!

Despite the fact that many people assured me I would love it , in the back of my mind I pictured a situation where I just tolerated the madness for the childrens sake.
I am not an amusement park type of person ...but there is always the sunshine.


I absolutely Loved it!!!

Disney is a special place run with military precision and by people that just know what they are doing.

Pretty much the opposite of my workplace and it was inspiring to see.



I don't have a single bad thing to say about the trip and I don't have a single regret. It was worth every pennie and we are already talking about going back.



The weather was perfect and the house we rented in Davenport was a beautiful. I could have stayed at the house for the week and not gone anywhere.



It was a bit of a Marathon and that is to be expected but the Disney people make it all super easy to navigate.





We did Animal Kingdom ( favourite ) the first day and the last, Magic Kingdom, Epcot ( stayed for the fireworks there ) ,Hollywood Studios , and Universal Studio's.

So many memories. It had such an impact on us that it is hard to talk about ..or write about without getting a little sad that it is over.




I think that is why it took me a month to sit down and create an entry. I can understand why people return every year.


A magical place where even a cynical , miserable sociopath POS like me can allow themselves to breath in a little joy .. and I really hope we'll be able to return.

On another note...



I bought myself a pedal board and a pedal board power supply. When I get the retro money I am going to upgrade the sound somehow....maybe a new guitar...probably a es 335..but I haven't really made up my mind. There is a lot of space on the pedal board and I will certainly address that shortcoming as the year progresses.
I have been using my xmas Ditto pedal and it is fun.

It has made me realize just how shitty my 'Time' is but I am working on it.





 I went to see Robben Ford last night with the family.

With some people the music just seems to flow out of them with little or no effort.
What a great show.

Makes me want to practice.....and turn the guitar UP!!!!

:o)

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Pajama Jazz

I m really digging the kids little Taylor Mini.

I should do the right things this year and spend whatever mad money comes my way on a decent acoustic guitar.

I recorded this little piece of music this morning while hiding from my domestic responsibility...lol..

Today is the last day of a beautiful seven day stretch off.

It couldn't have been much better...really perfect in every way. The fact that I am only in for two more starting tomorrow then off for another 14 days ..including a trip to Florida makes me a very happy indeed.

Its been a long winter and the snow is piled up outside. Thank god for the snowblower.

Superbowl Sunday...I'm on board the Manning band wagon.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

MMMmmm.....Beer



Tried this wonderful little Libation last night with a feed of Cajun Walleye.

Probably would've been better with a steak or something like that...or even on it's own , but for a dark Winter style Beer this is a home run.


...Wish I'd bought two now.




















Hop City is a brewery out of Brampton...which kind of bothers me...cause Brampton is a shithole...but then again...so is Sarnia...lol.



Their Barking Squirrel LAger is a mainstream contender with the craft beer movement and now it looks like they've got another winner!



Oh..Canada..our goverment is corrupt and useless but at least our Beer craft is alive and well!!!

Monday, January 27, 2014

My Widdle Poochie Woochie!!!

My little doggie turned 1 yesterday!



God I love that dog.

Getting this dog was one of the greatest decisions I've ever made. The kids have really benefited from it and I am absolutely shocked at how much good I get out of it.



Ruby is the first one that greets me at the front door when I get home from work


...and regardless of how shitty a day I've had it is impossible to stay in a bad mood when I greet her.












Dogs are a gift and as a friend of mine at work puts it  "They make you Human"...

I'll second that.



Here is a few photos.

One I sniped off Facebook.


It is a picture of Rubys Mom with the puppies right after they were born and I am sure that the little puppy in front is my little Ruby -Doo!!



lol...bonafide dog fag!





On another note...

I am off for 7 days ...back in for 2... then off for 14....work can eat my snatch.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

In Concert

My daughter just gave me a big hug and jumped for joy...



...because I got us 5 tickets to a Robben Ford Concert!!

You know your kids are kinda hip when

I have always liked the way Robben Ford played and lately I have been really starting to dig the Blues.





I almost typed 'dig the blues again'...but to be honest I never really went through the almost obligatory blue phase that most guitar players go through.

I skipped it.

It's fresh for me now and I have had to go back to the drawing board with my playing in order to develop some blue-note chops.   It has been challenging, humbling , frustrating, but really really fun!!






I have been listening to Fords playing in the car non stop now for about 4 months and the kids...especially Ella really dig it.

She had happen to ask me one day, after watching one of the many YouTube videos of Robben, if we could go see him in concert one day.

Hmmm....

Well after checking his tour dates for his latest album, it turns out that he is playing in Hamilton ON of all places.

Done.

Can't wait.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Breathe

Well I just finished seven shifts in a row...at straight time.

(That's 84 hrs this week...but who's counting?)

Very very sucky...but necessary.



Part of the Mickey Mouse commitment, as in it was the only way to get time off work for Disney World.

I HATE THIS FUCKING MOUSE!..lol

Do what cha gotta ...

It is minus 20 right now without the windchill and I am supremely sick of this shit.

I have two shifts off, today and tomorrow, then in for 3 then...oh boy ..then I am off for 7 back in for two then off for 15!!!!

Sooooo looking forward to it!!!!!

I was invited to sit in with some musicians tomorrow night down at a local pub...and I just might!
I went down and saw them play last Thursday and they were playing some music that was pretty cool to me these days.
I need...REALLY NEED to get off my ass and start doing these types of things.

However...best laid plans...



Little Avery was up in the night ...fever vomiting and today she is a mess...

Pretty hard for me to go out and enjoy myself knowing that this is going on at home....
 I guess its a we'll see




I made a quick little video today of me playing the Taylor Mini guitar that I bought the kids for Christmas .



I made a few adjustments to it this morning before I took Ruby for a walk.





I cannot get over how great this thing sounds.

Its got me thinking about an acoustic guitar for me.